Solvent removal apparatus and method

• US 20060137213A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Asuke, Shintaro
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 34/402
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 11/18 on or in moving dishes, trays, pans, or other mainly-open receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/12 Velocity of flow; Quantity of flow , e.g. by varying fan speed, by modifying cross flow area F26B21/004 takes precedence; changing air flow pattern F26B21/022
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence

Abstract

A solvent removal apparatus and method is provided that can dry a coat on a workpiece in a uniform thickness. The solvent removal apparatus includes a support base for supporting a substrate provided with a liquid phase film-forming coat containing a film material and a solvent, a gas introduction mechanism for introducing a solvent removal gas toward a center part of the substrate, and a flow restrictor for restricting flow of the solvent removal gas in such a manner that the gas can flow radially outward from the center part of the substrate toward a peripheral edge part thereof. The solvent is removed from the coat while restricting the flow of the gas with the flow restrictor.

Claims

1. A solvent removal apparatus, comprising:

a workpiece support means for supporting a workpiece provided with a liquid phase film-forming coat containing a film material and a solvent;

a gas introduction means for introducing a solvent removal gas toward a center part of the workpiece; and

a restriction means for restricting flow of the solvent removal gas in such a manner that the solvent removal gas can flow radially outward from the center part of the workpiece toward a peripheral edge part,

whereby the solvent is removed from the coat while restricting the flow of the solvent removal gas with the restriction means.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the restriction means comprises a confronting plate having an opening through which the solvent removal gas is introduced from the gas introduction means, the confronting plate disposed in a confronting relationship with the workpiece so that the solvent removal gas can flow through a flow passageway formed between the confronting plate and the workpiece.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the confronting plate is configured to cover the workpiece, when viewed from the top of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the restriction means comprises a flow accelerating means for facilitating the radial gas flow by augmenting an air pressure differential between the center part and the peripheral edge part of the workpiece.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the solvent removal gas introduced toward the center part of the workpiece contains a mixed-in solvent.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting means for detecting solvent concentration in the solvent removal gas at a predetermined position between the center part and the peripheral edge part of the workpiece; and

a flow rate regulating means responsive to the result of detection in the detecting means for regulating flow rate of the solvent removal gas introduced toward the center part of the workpiece.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the flow rate regulating means is adapted to regulate the flow rate of the solvent removal gas introduced toward the center part of the workpiece in such a manner that the solvent removal gas are supplied in a greatest possible quantity to keep themselves saturated with a vaporized in-coat solvent removed from the coat, when arrived at the peripheral edge part of the workpiece.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting means for detecting solvent concentration in the solvent removal gas at a predetermined position between the center part and the peripheral edge part of the workpiece; and

a ratio regulating means responsive to the result of detection in the detecting means for regulating ratio of the mixed-in solvent in the solvent removal gas introduced toward the center part of the workpiece.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the ratio regulating means is adapted to regulate the ratio of the mixed-in solvent in the solvent removal gas introduced toward the center part of the workpiece in such a manner that, when arrived at the peripheral edge part of the workpiece, the solvent removal gas is converted from a condition not yet saturated with the in-coat solvent to a condition fully saturated with the vaporized in-coat solvent.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the detecting means is adapted to detect the solvent concentration in the solvent removal gas at a position in the vicinity of the peripheral edge part of the workpiece.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a chamber for accommodating the workpiece and for controlling an atmospheric condition within the chamber.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising a pressure reducing means for keeping an interior of the chamber in a vacuum condition, whereby the solvent is removed from the coat by causing the solvent removal gas to flow from the center part toward the peripheral edge part of the workpiece while reducing an air pressure within the chamber.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a heating means for heating the workpiece, whereby the solvent is removed from the coat by causing the solvent removal gas to flow from the center part toward the peripheral edge part of the workpiece while heating the workpiece with the heating means.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a coat forming means for forming the coat on the workpiece.

16. A solvent removal method for removing a solvent from a coat through the use of the solvent removal apparatus as recited in claim 1, comprising the steps of:

supporting a workpiece on a workpiece support means; and

removing the solvent from the coat by causing a solvent removal gas to flow from a center part toward a peripheral edge part of the workpiece.

15. A solvent removal method, comprising the steps of:

placing at a treatment position a workpiece provided with a liquid phase film-forming coat containing a film material and a solvent; and

removing the solvent from the coat by causing a solvent removal gas to flow from the center part toward the peripheral edge part of the workpiece.

17. A solvent removal apparatus, comprising:

a workpiece support member which supports a workpiece provided with a liquid coat containing a film material and a solvent;

a gas introduction system which provides a solvent removal gas to the workpiece; and

a gas restriction member which restricts the solvent removal gas to flowing radially from a center part of the workpiece to a peripheral edge part of the workpiece along the workpiece.

18. A method of drying a coat comprising a film material and a solvent, provided on a workpiece, comprising:

providing a solvent removal gas to the workpiece; and

restricting the solvent removal gas to flowing radially from a center part of the workpiece to a peripheral edge part of the workpiece along the workpiece.