Patent · US Expired

Drying apparatus and drying method

US6412501B1 · kind B1 · utility

13Cited by
17References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 17, 2000
Grant dateJul 2, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 17, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S134/902
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A drying apparatus comprises a drying vessel, a treatment liquid feeder-discharger for feeding pure water into the drying vessel, a vapor supplier for supplying an organic solvent vapor to the space over the pure water, inert gas suppliers for supplying an inert gas with which the organic solvent vapor is diluted, and a heated organic solvent supplier for forming a film of the organic solvent on a liquid level of the pure water. After the wafer is immersed in the pure water, the pure water is gradually discharged from the drying vessel by means of the treatment liquid feeder-discharger. Since the wafer passes through the organic solvent film as it is exposed above the liquid level, the organic solvent of the film adheres to the surface of the wafer, and the organic solvent vapor is condensed on the surface of the wafer that is exposed above the liquid level.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.