Drying apparatus for processing surface of substrate

A drying apparatus for storing and heating a water-soluble solvent, and causing a vapor generated from said solvent to condense on a surface of an object to be processed, thereby drying said surface of said object, which comprises:

• a processing vessel defining on a top portion thereof an upward opening through which said object is respectively positionable and removable, said vessel storing said solvent in a bottom portion thereof and housing said object above said stored solvent;
• a heater heating said solvent stored in said bottom portion of said processing vessel;
• a diffusion preventing device for preventing said vapor from diffusing from an inside portion of said processing vessel to an outside portion thereof through said opening;
• and
• a nozzle generating a flow of a gas to cover an inner surface of a side wall of said processing vessel along said inner surface on receipt of a supply of said gas,
• wherein said processing vessel further defines on said side wall a suction port for collecting said gas which has flowed along said inner surface said nozzle is provided in an upper portion of said side wall, and said suction port is defined in said upper portion of said side wall such that said gas is collectable by said suction port through a portion in which said object is housed after flowing so as to cover said inner surface from an upper portion to a lower portion along said inner surface.

A drying apparatus for storing and heating a water-soluble solvent, and causing a vapor generated from said solvent to condense on a surface of an object to be processed, thereby drying said surface of said object, which comprises:

• a processing vessel defining on a top portion thereof an upward opening through which said object is respectively positionable and removable, said vessel storing said solvent in a bottom portion thereof and housing said object above said stored solvent;
• a heater heating said solvent stored in said bottom portion of said processing vessel;
• a diffusion preventing device for preventing said vapor from diffusing from an inside portion of said processing vessel to an outside portion thereof through said opening;
• and
• a nozzle generating a flow of a gas to cover an inner surface of a side wall of said processing vessel along said inner surface on receipt of a supply of said gas,
• wherein said processing vessel further defines on said side wall a suction port for collecting said gas which has flowed along said inner surface, and
• a suction device and mixed gas generating device wherein said suction device is positioned between said suction port and said mixed gas generating device and applies suction to said inside of said processing vessel through said suction port, and
• said mixed gas generating device is inserted between said suction device and said nozzle, feeds a mixed gas of a nonreactive gas and said vapor as said gas to said nozzle, and increases a concentration of said vapor in said mixed gas sucked by said suction device and thereafter feeds said mixed gas to said nozzle.

A drying apparatus for storing and heating a water-soluble solvent, and causing a vapor generated from said solvent to condense on a surface of an object to be processed, thereby drying said surface of said object, which comprises:

• a processing vessel defining on a top portion thereof an upward opening through which said object is respectively positionable and removable, said vessel storing said solvent in a bottom portion thereof and housing said object above said stored solvent;
• a heater heating said solvent stored in said bottom portion of said processing vessel;
• a diffusion preventing device for preventing said vapor from diffusing from an inside portion of said processing vessel to an outside portion thereof through said opening;
• and
• a nozzle generating a flow of a gas to cover an inner surface of a side wall of said processing vessel along said inner surface on receipt of a supply of said gas,
• wherein said processing vessel further defines, on said side wall, a suction port for collecting said gas which has flowed along said inner surface wherein said nozzle includes a plurality of pipes combined in a plurality of ways from an inside portion to an outside portion thereof,
• each of said pipes defines a plurality of jet holes arranged along a central axis so that said gas fed to an innermost pipe is sequentially fed to outer pipes through said jet holes and is spouted along said inner surface of said side wall through said jet holes defined on an outermost pipe, and
• said jet holes defined between one of said pipes and an outer pipe thereof are provided opposite one another.

A drying apparatus for storing and heating a water-soluble solvent, and causing a vapor generated from said solvent to condense on a surface of an object to be processed, thereby drying said surface of said object, which comprises:

• a processing vessel defining on a top portion thereof an upward opening through which said object is respectively positionable and removable, said vessel storing said solvent in a bottom portion thereof and housing said object above said stored solvent;
• a heater heating said solvent stored in said bottom portion of said processing vessel;
• a diffusion preventing device for preventing said vapor from diffusing from an inside portion of said processing vessel to an outside portion thereof through said opening;
• and
• a nozzle generating a flow of a gas to cover an inner surface of a side wall of said processing vessel along said inner surface on receipt of a supply of said gas,
• wherein said processing vessel further defines, on said side wall, a suction port for collecting said gas which has flowed along said inner surface, and wherein said nozzle comprises a first nozzle and said gas comprises a first gas, and
• a second nozzle for spouting a second gas into said solvent stored in said processing vessel to bubble said solvent on receipt of a supply of said second gas.

A drying apparatus for storing and heating a water-soluble solvent, and causing a vapor generated from said solvent to condense on a surface of an object to be processed, thereby drying said surface of said object, which comprises:

• a processing vessel defining, on a top portion thereof, an upward opening through which said object is respectively positionable and removable, said vessel storing said solvent in a bottom portion thereof and housing said object above said stored solvent;
• a heater heating said solvent stored in said bottom portion of said processing vessel;
• a diffusion preventing device for preventing said vapor from diffusing from an inside portion of said processing vessel to an outside portion thereof through said opening;
• and
• a nozzle generating a flow of a gas to cover an inner surface of a side wall of said processing vessel along said inner surface on receipt of a supply of said gas,
• wherein said processing vessel further defines, on said side wall, a suction port for collecting said gas which has flowed along said inner surface wherein said diffusion preventing device includes a spouting device and an exhaust device provided opposite one another with said opening interposed therebetween and wherein said gas comprises a first gas,
• said exhaust device defining an exhaust port for opening toward said spouting device,
• said spouting device generating a jet of a second gas going toward said exhaust port and covering said opening on receipt of a supply of said second gas,
• said exhaust device discharging, to an outside area, said second gas sucked through said exhaust port, and
• said side wall of said processing vessel has a curved portion which is smoothly curved inwardly as said opening is approached upwardly.

A drying apparatus for storing and heating a water-soluble solvent, and causing a vapor generated from said solvent to condense on a surface of an object to be processed, thereby drying said surface of said object, which comprises:

• a processing vessel defining on a top portion thereof an upward opening through which said object is respectively positionable and removable, and storing said solvent in a bottom portion thereof and housing said object above said stored solvent;
• a heater for heating said solvent stored in said bottom portion of said processing vessel;
• a diffusion preventing device for preventing said vapor from diffusing from an inside portion of said processing vessel to an outside portion thereof through said opening;
• a pan provided under said object which is housed in said processing vessel, and above a liquid level of said stored solvent;
• and
• a pipe coupled to a bottom portion of said pan for discharging a liquid poured into said pan to an outside portion of said drying apparatus,
• wherein said pan is formed of a material which is permeable to a gas and impermeable to a liquid.