# US 2020/0286753 A1 · Drying environments for reducing substrate defects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0286753 A1 - Document ID: US20200286753A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/423,661 - Filed: 2019-05-28 - Published: 2020-09-10 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-04 - Assignees: Applied Materials, Inc. - Applicants: Applied Materials, Inc. - Inventors: Edwin VELAZQUEZ; Jim Kellogg ATKINSON - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200286753A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0408: {for drying} - H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like} - H10P 72/0414: {using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H10P 72/3406: {involving removal of lid, door or cover} - H10P 72/7618: {characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract One or more embodiments described herein generally relate to drying environments within semiconductor processing systems. In these embodiments, substrates are cleaned and dried within a drying environment before returning to the factory interface. However, due to an opening between the factory interface and the drying environment, air flows from the factory interface into the drying environment, often reducing the effectiveness of the drying processes. In embodiments described herein, the air flow is blocked by a sliding door that raises up to the closed position when a substrate enters the drying portion of the dryer located within the drying environment. After the substrate exits the dryer and before the substrate enters the factory interface, the sliding door lowers to the opened position such that the substrate can enter the factory interface. As such, these processes allow for multiple substrates to dry quickly and consistently within the system, improving throughput. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drying environment, comprising: a dryer comprising a lid having a first dryer opening and a second dryer opening, wherein the lid is configured to receive at least one substrate into the dryer through the first dryer opening and to allow the at least one substrate to exit the dryer through the second dryer opening; a top portion located above the dryer within the drying environment, the top portion having a drying environment opening between the drying environment and a factory interface; at least one sliding door having a length and a width, the at least one sliding door positioned within the drying environment, wherein the at least one sliding door is configured to move upwards to a position such that the length of the at least one sliding door covers the entirety of the drying environment opening and is configured to move downwards to a position such that the length of the at least one sliding door is entirely below the drying environment opening while the at least one substrate is within the drying environment; and a rotation platform within the top portion, wherein the rotation platform is configured to transfer the at least one substrate to the factory interface through the dryer environment opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drying environment of claim 1, wherein the dryer further comprises a cradle configured to receive the at least one substrate as the at least one substrate enters the dryer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The drying environment of claim 2, wherein the dryer further comprises a pusher configured to raise the at least one substrate out of the dryer, wherein the pusher receives the at least one substrate from the cradle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The drying environment of claim 3, wherein the rotation platform further comprises a catcher configured to receive the at least one substrate from the pusher as the at least one substrate exits the dryer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The drying environment of claim 4, wherein the rotation platform further comprises a finger configured to secure the at least one substrate to the rotation platform. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The drying environment of claim 1, wherein the dryer further comprises a plurality of spray bars configured to spray the at least one substrate with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The drying environment of claim 1, wherein the at least one sliding door comprises two or more sliding doors. ### Claim 8 A drying environment, comprising: a dryer, comprising: a lid having a first dryer opening and a second dryer opening, wherein the lid is configured to receive at least one substrate into the dryer through the first dryer opening and allow the at least one substrate to exit the dryer through the second dryer opening; a rinsing portion having a tube of liquid; and a drying portion having a plurality of spray bars located directly above the tube of liquid; a top portion located above the dryer within the drying environment, the top portion having a drying environment opening between the drying environment and a factory interface; a sliding door having a length and a width positioned within the drying environment, wherein: the sliding door is positioned such that at least a portion of the length is below the drying environment opening while the at least one substrate is below the plurality of spray bars; and the sliding door is positioned such that the length of the sliding door covers the entirety of the drying environment opening while the at least one substrate is raised past the plurality of spray bars; a rotation platform within the top portion, wherein the rotation platform is configured to transfer the at least one substrate to the factory interface through the dryer environment opening. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The drying environment of claim 8, wherein the dryer further comprises a cradle configured to receive the at least one substrate as the at least one substrate enters the rinsing portion of the dryer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The drying environment of claim 9, wherein the dryer further comprises a pusher configured to raise the at least one substrate out of the rinsing portion into the drying portion of the dryer, wherein the pusher is configured to receive the at least one substrate from the cradle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The drying environment of claim 10, wherein the rotation platform further comprises a catcher configured to receive the at least one substrate from the pusher as the at least one substrate exits the dryer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The drying environment of claim 11, wherein the rotation platform further comprises a finger configured to secure the at least one substrate to the rotation platform. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The drying environment of claim 8, wherein the plurality of spray bars are configured to spray the at least one substrate with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The drying environment of claim 8, wherein the length of the sliding door is greater than the width of the sliding door. ### Claim 15 A method for drying substrates, comprising: transferring a first substrate into a dryer through a first dryer opening while a sliding door, having a length and a width, is positioned within a drying environment such that the entire length of the sliding door is below a drying environment opening, wherein the dryer is located within the drying environment and the drying environment opening is between the drying environment and a factory interface; raising the sliding door to a position such that the length of the sliding door partially covers the drying environment opening while the first substrate is transferred to position directly below a plurality of spray bars located within the dryer; drying the first substrate by raising the first substrate past the plurality of spray bars and out of the dryer through a second dryer opening while the sliding door is in the position such that the entire length of the sliding door covers the drying environment opening; lowering the sliding door to a position such that the length of the sliding door partially covers the drying environment opening while the first substrate is loaded onto a rotation platform within the drying environment; and transferring the first substrate to the factory interface through the drying environment opening while the sliding door is in the position such that the entire length of the sliding door is below the drying environment opening and simultaneously transferring a second substrate into the dryer through the first dryer opening. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the first substrate is transferred to the position directly below the plurality of spray bars by a pusher located within the dryer, wherein the pusher receives the first substrate from a cradle located within the dryer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first substrate is loaded onto the rotation platform by a catcher configured to receive the first substrate from the pusher as the first substrate exits the dryer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the rotation platform further comprises a finger configured to secure the first substrate to the rotation platform. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of spray bars are configured to spray the first substrate with an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) vapor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the sliding door is raised and lowered by an actuator mounted to a mounting arm, wherein the mounting arm is mounted to the sliding door.