Apparatus and method for drying substrates

Abstract

A method for drying substrates using isopropyl alcohol (IPA) includes: a pre-stage in which heated fluid is injected to a bottom surface of a substrate to raise a temperature of the substrate simultaneously to injection of an organic solvent to a top surface of the substrate and injection of a dry gas to the top surface thereof to improve a vaporization power of the organic solvent; and a final stage in which the injection of the heated fluid is stopped and the organic solvent and the dry gas are injected to the top surface of the substrate.

1 . An apparatus for drying substrates, comprising:
 a support unit including a spin head rotating a substrate;   a bowl configured to accommodate the spin head of the support unit and provide a space where a process is performed;   an upper nozzle part configured to supply a dry fluid to a top surface of the substrate while the spin head rotates the substrate;   a lower nozzle part installed at a top surface of the spin head and configured to inject heated fluid to the bottom surface of the substrate simultaneously with the upper nozzle part supplying the dry fluid;   a first fluid supply part configured to supply the heated fluid to the lower nozzle part; and   a heater installed at the first fluid supply part and configured to heat fluid to be supplied to the lower nozzle part.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upper nozzle part includes:
 a first nozzle configured to inject an organic solvent to dry the top surface of the substrate; and   a second nozzle configured to inject a dry gas to improve vaporization power of the organic solvent.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a moving part configured to move the upper nozzle part such that the upper nozzle part injects fluid while moving from the center to the edge of a top surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a lift configured to move up or down the bowl so that a height of the bowl is adjusted to a height of the spin head when the substrate is loaded on the spin head. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the lift moves down the bowl so that the spin head protrudes over the bowl when the substrate is unloaded from the spin head. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the lower nozzle part includes:
 a rinsing injection hole configured to inject a rinsing fluid; and   a drying injection hole configured to inject a drying fluid.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the rinsing fluid is deionized water and the drying fluid is isopropyl alcohol or nitrogen gas. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the organic solution is isopropyl alcohol and the dry gas is nitrogen gas. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first nozzle is closer to the center of the substrate than the second nozzle. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second nozzles are arranged in a moving direction of the upper nozzle part. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second nozzles are arranged tangentially to a moving direction of the upper nozzle part. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first fluid supply part includes:
 a supply line configured to provide the heated fluid from the heater to the lower nozzle part; and   a value configured to drain the heated fluid in the supply line for a predetermined time before the first fluid supply part supplies the heated fluid to the lower nozzle part.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heater heats the fluid at a temperature ranging from 60 to 80 degrees centigrade, and 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bowl includes a plurality of recovery containers which recover different kinds of fluids, respectively.