System and method for drying semiconductor substrate

A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:

• housing in a chamber having a first space and a second space a vapor distributor in the first space and a fluid bath in the second space, said first space and said second space being spatially separated by a hood;
• supplying fluid into said fluid bath for cleaning and drying the substrate;
• and
• drying said substrate by mixing vapor injected from said distributor with fluid in said fluid bath and continuously draining fluid from and supplying fluid to the fluid bath;
• and
• generating vapor using a vapor generator, said vapor generator having an expansion tank, said expansion tank having a filter to filtering the mist prior to outputting as vapor to the chamber.

A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:

• housing in a chamber having a first space and a second space a vapor distributor in the first space and a fluid bath in the second space, said first space and said second space being spatially separated by a hood;
• buffering said fluid into the fluid bath by a fluid flow buffer, wherein the flow buffer is disposed at an upper portion of the fluid bath, said flow buffer being sized and shaped to receive fluid at an upper portion for buffering and then releasing the fluid to the fluid bath;
• supplying fluid into said fluid bath through the fluid flow buffer for cleaning and drying the substrate;
• and
• drying said substrate by mixing vapor injected from said distributor with fluid in said fluid bath and continuously draining fluid from and supplying fluid to the fluid bath,
• wherein the fluid flow buffer temporarily hold the fluid and release the fluid to the fluid bath by overflowing at the upper portion.

A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:

• housing in a chamber having a first space and a second space a vapor distributor in the first space and a fluid bath in the second space, said first space and said second space being spatially separated by a hood;
• buffering said fluid into the fluid bath by a fluid flow buffer, wherein the flow buffer is disposed at an upper portion of the fluid bath, said flow buffer being sized and shaped to receive fluid at an upper portion for buffering and then releasing the fluid to the fluid bath;
• supplying fluid into said fluid bath through the fluid flow buffer for cleaning and drying the substrate;
• and
• drying said substrate by mixing vapor injected from said distributor with fluid in said fluid bath and continuously draining fluid from and supplying fluid to the fluid bath,
• wherein the chamber includes an outer bath for receiving fluid overflowing from the fluid bath, said fluid bath having an opening at a bottom portion for receiving fluid flow.

A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:

• housing in a chamber having a first space and a second space a vapor distributor in the first space and a fluid bath in the second space, said first space and said second space being spatially separated by a hood;
• supplying fluid into said fluid bath for cleaning and drying the substrate;
• and
• drying said substrate by mixing vapor injected from said distributor with fluid in said fluid bath and continuously draining fluid from and supplying fluid to the fluid bath, wherein said step of drying by injecting vapor from said distributor includes injecting vapor through an inner conduit and a coaxial outer conduit of said distributor, said inner conduit having an open end and a closed end, the open end for receiving vapor flow, said inner conduit having a plurality of substantially uniformly spaced holes aligned along a longitudinal axis for passing the vapor flow received at the open end to the coaxial outer conduit, and said coaxial outer conduit having first and second sets of holes, the first set of holes aligned along a first longitudinal axis and the second set of holes aligned along a second longitudinal axis for passing the vapor flow passed from the inner conduit.

A method of drying a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of:

• housing in a chamber having a first space and a second space a vapor distributor in the first space and a fluid bath in the second space, said first space and said second space being spatially separated by a hood;
• buffering said fluid into the fluid bath by a fluid flow buffer, wherein the flow buffer is disposed at an upper portion of the fluid bath, said flow buffer being sized and shaped to receive fluid at an upper portion for buffering and then releasing the fluid to the fluid bath;
• supplying fluid into said fluid bath through the fluid flow buffer for cleaning and drying the substrate;
• drying said substrate by mixing vapor injected from said distributor with fluid in said fluid bath and continuously draining fluid from and supplying fluid to the fluid bath and
• adjusting the level of fluid in said fluid bath by raising or lowering a portion of a flex conduit connected to a drain of the fluid bath.

A drying system for drying a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

• a chamber for housing a vapor distributor and a fluid bath, said fluid bath being disposed in a lower portion of the chamber and said distributor being disposed in an upper portion of the chamber for distributing vapor for drying the substrate;
• a fluid flow buffer connected to an upper portion of the fluid bath in the chamber, wherein the fluid flow buffer being sized and shaped to receive fluid at an upper portion thereof and release the fluid to the fluid bath;
• a fluid flow system for supplying fluid into said fluid bath through the fluid flow buffer for cleaning and drying the substrate and for draining said fluid from the fluid bath, wherein the chamber includes a plurality of exhaust vents disposed at the upper portion for venting the vapor,
• wherein the fluid flow system includes a fluid level controller for adjusting the level of and draining the fluid in said fluid bath, said fluid level controller having means for continuously draining and supplying the fluid from and to said fluid bath during the drying process;
• and
• wherein said means for continuously draining includes a flex conduit connected to a drain of said fluid bath, and the level of fluid in the fluid bath is adjusted by raising or lowering a portion of the flex conduit.