# US 10,871,325 B2 · Vaccum drying apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,325 B2 - Document ID: US10871325B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/338,708 - Filed: 2018-12-24 - Published: 2020-05-21 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-15 - Assignees: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Semiconductor Display Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Semiconductor Display Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yuan Guan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871325B2 ## CPC - F26B 5/04: by evaporation or sublimation of moisture under reduced pressure, e.g. in a vacuum {(F26B11/049 and F26B17/128 take precedence)} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - F26B 21/35: Temperature; Pressure - G02F 1/1339: Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells - G02F 1/1303: {Apparatus specially adapted to the manufacture of LCDs} - H10P 72/0408: {for drying} - F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract An embodiment of the present invention discloses a vacuum drying apparatus, including a sealing chamber, a gas pressure adjusting device, and a support platform in the sealed chamber; wherein the air pressure adjusting device includes a main air pipe and a branch air pipe connected to the main air pipe, and the main air pipe is symmetrically disposed at a portion and a lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber. An embodiment of the present invention provides a vacuum drying apparatus employing the main air pipe up and down symmetrically disposed, which shortens the distance of air supply of the branch air pipe, reduces the pressure drop of the airflow, and stabilizes upper and lower air pressure, thereby stabilizing the product characteristics. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum drying apparatus for performing a vacuum drying treatment to a photoresist coated on a surface of a substrate, wherein the vacuum drying apparatus comprises a sealed chamber, a gas pressure adjusting device, and a support platform in the sealed chamber, wherein the support platform is configured to support the substrate coated with the photoresist, the gas pressure adjusting device is disposed at a side of the sealed chamber, and the gas pressure adjusting device comprises a main air pipe and a branch air pipe for introducing a protection gas to the sealed chamber, wherein the branch air pipe is connected to the main air pipe, the branch air pipe extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the main air pipe extends, and the main air pipe is symmetrically disposed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber; the main air pipe comprises an upper main air pipe and a lower main air pipe which are symmetrically disposed at the upper portion and the lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber, the sealed chamber has a capacity of accommodating 2n pieces of the substrates, wherein the upper main air pipe is configured to supply air to upper n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, and the lower main air pipe is configured to supply air to lower n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, wherein n is a positive integer; and the branch air pipe is a double-layered pipe. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the branch air pipe comprises an outer pipe and an inner pipe, and a first cavity is formed within the inner pipe, and a second cavity is formed between the outer pipe and the inner pipe. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the inner pipe is provided with a plurality of inner pipe outlets, and when intake air enters the branch air pipe through the main air pipe, the intake air fills the first cavity, and then fills the second cavity through the plurality of inner pipe outlets in the inner pipe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the outer pipe is provided with a plurality of outer pipe air outlets for introducing the protection gas into the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every portion of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the outer pipe and the inner pipe are both round pipes, and the outer pipe has a larger diameter than the inner pipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an intake pipe is disposed on the branch air pipe, and the branch air pipe introduces the protection gas to the sealed chamber through the intake pipe, wherein a butterfly valve for adjusting a gas flow volume is disposed on the intake pipe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a temperature adjustment module disposed on the support platform and comprising at least a heating sub-module and a cooling sub-module, wherein the temperature adjustment module is configured to regulate a local temperature on the substrate in the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every region of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support platform is disposed at a substantially central position in the sealed chamber, such that a first gap is defined between opposite ends of the support platform and sidewalls of the sealed chamber, while a second gap is defined between the surface of the support platform and an upper cover and a lower cover of the sealed chamber, and an air passage is formed in the first gap between the opposite ends of the support platform and the sidewalls of the sealed chamber, as well as in the second gap between the surface of the support platform and the upper cover and the lower cover of the sealed chamber. ### Claim 9 A vacuum drying apparatus for performing a vacuum drying treatment to a photoresist coated on a surface of a substrate, wherein the vacuum drying apparatus comprises a sealed chamber, a gas pressure adjusting device, and a support platform in the sealed chamber, wherein the support platform is configured to support the substrate coated with the photoresist, the gas pressure adjusting device is disposed at a side of the sealed chamber, and the gas pressure adjusting device comprises a main air pipe and a branch air pipe which supply a protection gas to the sealed chamber, wherein the branch air pipe is connected to the main air pipe, the branch air pipe extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the main air pipe extends, and the main air pipe is symmetrically disposed at an upper portion and a lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the main air pipe comprises an upper main air pipe and a lower main air pipe which are symmetrically disposed at the upper portion and the lower portion of the side surface of the sealed chamber, the sealed chamber has a capacity of accommodating 2n pieces of the substrates, wherein the upper main air pipe is configured to supply air to upper n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, and the lower main air pipe is configured to supply air to lower n pieces of the substrates in the sealed chamber, wherein n is a positive integer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the branch air pipe is a double-layered pipe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the branch air pipe comprises an outer pipe and an inner pipe, and a first cavity is formed within the inner pipe, and a second cavity is formed between the outer pipe and the inner pipe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the inner pipe is provided with a plurality of inner pipe outlets, and when intake air enters the branch air pipe through the main air pipe, the intake air fills the first cavity and then fills the second cavity through the plurality of inner pipe outlets in the inner pipe. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the outer pipe is provided with a plurality of outer pipe air outlets for introducing a protection gas into the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every region of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the outer pipe and the inner pipe are both round tubes, and the outer pipe has a larger diameter than the inner pipe. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein an intake pipe is disposed on the branch air pipe, and the branch air pipe introduces the protection gas to the sealed chamber through the intake pipe, wherein a butterfly valve is for adjusting a gas flow volume is disposed on the intake pipe. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a temperature adjustment module disposed on the support platform and comprising at least a heating sub-module and a cooling sub-module, wherein the temperature adjustment module is configured to regulate a local temperature on the substrate in the sealed chamber, so that the photoresist on every region of the surface of the substrate in the sealed chamber is dried evenly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the temperature adjustment module is embedded in the support platform, and the heating sub-module of the temperature adjustment module is adjacent to an upper surface of the support platform, while the cooling sub-module is attached to a bottom of the heating sub-module. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the heating sub-module is an infrared thermal radiation source, and the cooling sub-module is a circulating water cooler. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The vacuum drying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the support platform is disposed at a substantially central position in the sealed chamber, such that a first gap is defined between opposite ends of the support platform and sidewalls of the sealed chamber, while a second gap is defined between the surface of the support platform and an upper cover and a lower cover of the sealed chamber, and an air passage is formed in the first gap between the opposite ends of the support platform and the sidewalls of the sealed chamber, as well as the second gap between the surface of the support platform and the upper cover and the lower cover of the sealed chamber.