Heat treatment apparatus

A heat treatment apparatus includes a hot plate, at least two heat sources, and a switching mechanism. The hot plate serves as the heating medium between the at least two heat sources and the substrate to be processed, the switching mechanism is configured in such a way that the hot plate contacts one or two of the at least two heat sources selectively, the processing temperature of the hot plate can be changed quickly from one temperature to another temperature.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus, which can be used for LCD (liquid crystal display) modules and semiconductor chips in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and may or may not constitute prior art.

It is known that heat treatment apparatuses (also referred as prebaking machine) are used to prebake the resist coated on a substrate in the photolithography process for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as LCD modules and semiconductor chips. The heat treatment apparatus can prebake the resist coated on the substrate preliminary so as to evaporate the solvent for the resist and enhance the adhesion of the resist. The heat treatment apparatus used in prebaking unit usually comprises a heat source, and a hot plate or a cold plate. The hot plate serves to heat the substrate to 50˜130° C., the cold plate serves to cool the substrate to ambient temperature. The heat source transfer heat to the hot plate or the cold plate, so as to heat or cool the substrate mounted on the hot plate or the cold plate. In tradition, there is only a heat source; and the heat treatment temperature can not varied from one temperature to another temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a heat treatment apparatus to solve the mentioned problem above.

The present invention is realized in such a way that: a heat treatment apparatus, comprising a hot plate, at least two heat sources, and a switching means, wherein the hot plate serves as the heating medium between the at least two heat sources and the substrate to be processed, the switching means is configured in such a way that the hot plate contacts one or two of the at least two heat sources selectively.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the substrate is a glass substrate for a LCD module.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate comprises a cavity for receiving thermally conductive medium.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the heat treatment apparatus further comprises a pushing means for pushing the hot plate upwards.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the heat treatment apparatus comprises a first heat source, a second heat source and a third heat source, the first heat source is arranged between the second heat source and the third heat source in left-right direction.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the first heat source has a first processing temperature, the second heat source has a second processing temperature, the third heat source has a third processing temperature, the second processing temperature is higher than the first processing temperature, the first processing temperature is higher than the third processing temperature.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the switching means comprises a first linear cylinder, a second linear cylinder and a third linear cylinder, the second linear cylinder is arranged between the first linear cylinder and the third linear cylinder in left-right direction, the cylinder body of the first linear cylinder is fixed, the free end of the piston rod of the first linear cylinder is connected with the second heat source, the cylinder body of the second linear cylinder is connected with the second heat source, the free end of the piston rod of the second linear cylinder is connected with the first heat source, the cylinder body of the third linear cylinder is connected with the first heat source, the free end of the piston rod of the third linear cylinder is connected with the third heat source.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the switching means further comprises a sliding rail, the first heat source, the second heat source and the third heat source are provided with a sliding groove engaging with the sliding rail.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate contacts one or two of the at least two heat sources in a surface-to-surface manner.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate is provided with a plurality of V-shaped grooves, and the at least two heat sources are provided with a plurality of inverted V-shaped protrusions correspondingly.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate is a hot plate with vapor chamber.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate contacts one or two of the at least two heat sources in a surface-to-surface manner.

According to another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate is provided with a plurality of V-shaped grooves, and the at least two heat sources are provided with a plurality of inverted V-shaped protrusions correspondingly.

According to yet another embodiment disclosed herein, the hot plate is a hot plate with vapor chamber.

According to the present invention, the heat treatment apparatus comprises a hot plate, at least two heat sources, and a switching means, wherein the hot plate serves as the heating medium between the at least two heat sources and the substrate to be processed, the switching means is configured in such a way that the hot plate contacts one or two of the at least two heat sources selectively, the processing temperature of the hot plate can be changed quickly from one temperature to another temperature.

For more clearly and easily understanding above content of the present invention, the following text will take a preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings for detail description as follows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of every embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings is used to exemplify a specific embodiment, which may be carried out in the present invention. Directional terms mentioned in the present invention, such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “rear”, “leftwards”, “rightwards”, “upwards”, “down”, “inside”, “outside”, “side” etc., are only used with reference to the orientation of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the used directional terms are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, the present invention. Also the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. Besides, the term “hot plate” used herein means a thermally conductive plate used to heat (hot plate) or cool the substrate (cold plate); the term “heat source” used herein means a device for supplying heat such as a electric heater or a device for decreasing temperature such as a cooler.

The heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention comprises at least two heat sources, the switching means can drive the hot plate or one to more heat sources to move such that the hot plate contacts one or two of the at least two heat sources selectively. In this way, the processing temperature of the hot plate can be changed quickly.

As shown inFIG. 1, the heat treatment apparatus100in this embodiment comprises a hot plate1and three heat sources, i.e. a first heat source2, a second heat source3and a third heat source4. The hot plate1serves as the heating medium (thermally conductive medium) between the heat sources and the substrate to be processed. The switching means200is configured to drive one heat sources to move such that the hot plate1contacts one or two of the three heat sources selectively. The processing temperatures output to the hot plate1by the three heat sources are different to each other. The processing temperatures of the three heat sources can be set as desired.

In this embodiment, the substrate is a glass substrate for a LCD module. To be specific, the heat treatment apparatus may be used to prebake the photo resist coating film.

As shown inFIG. 1throughFIG. 5, in the heat treatment apparatus100, the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4are arranged in line, the first heat source2is arranged between the second heat source3and the third heat source4in left-right direction X. The first heat source2has a first processing temperature T1, the second heat source3has a second processing temperature T2, the third heat source4has a third processing temperature T3. Moreover, the second processing temperature T2is higher than the first processing temperature T1, the first processing temperature T1is higher than the third processing temperature T3, i.e. T2>T1>T3.

Furthermore, the switching means200comprises a first linear cylinder6, a second linear cylinder7and a third linear cylinder8. As known, a linear cylinder comprises a cylinder body and a piston rod driven by the cylinder body. The second linear cylinder7, the first linear cylinder6and the third linear cylinder8are arranged in line. The second linear cylinder7is arranged between the first linear cylinder6and the third linear cylinder8in left-right direction X. The cylinder body of the first linear cylinder6is fixed (stationary), the free end of the piston rod of the first linear cylinder6is connected with the second heat source3. The cylinder body of the second linear cylinder7is connected with the second heat source3, and the free end of the piston rod of the second linear cylinder7is connected with the first heat source2. The cylinder body of the third linear cylinder8is connected with the first heat source2, and the free end of the piston rod of the third linear cylinder8is connected with the third heat source4.

As shown inFIG. 6, the switching means200further comprises a sliding rail5. Accordingly, the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4are provided with a sliding groove51engaging with the sliding rail5. In this way, the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4can slide smoothly along the rail5under the action of the linear cylinders (switching means).

Under the driving action of the first linear cylinder6, the second linear cylinder7and the third linear cylinder8, one of the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4moves to contact with the hot plate1. The hot plate1contacts with the first heat source2, as shown inFIG. 1. When the free end of the piston rod of the first linear cylinder6moves rightwards, the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4move rightwards along the left-right direction X as a whole, such that the hot plate1contacts with the second heat source3, as shown inFIG. 2. When the free end of the piston rod of the first linear cylinder6moves leftwards, the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4move leftwards along the left-right direction X as a whole, such that the hot plate1contacts with the third heat source4, as shown inFIG. 3.

Although in this embodiment the switching means drives the heat sources to move, the switching means can drive the hot plate to move in other embodiment. Although in this embodiment the switching means uses linear cylinders, the switching means can uses robots in other embodiment.

To improve the thermally conducting efficiency, the hot plate1contacts one or two of the first heat source2, the second heat source3, and the third heat source4in a surface-to-surface manner. In this embodiment, the hot plate1is provided with a plurality of V-shaped grooves91along the left-right direction, and the first heat source2, the second heat source3, the third heat source4are provided with a plurality of inverted V-shaped protrusions92correspondingly, as shown inFIG. 6.

As shown inFIG. 6, the hot plate1comprises a cavity90for receiving thermally conductive medium (working fluid). And the hot plate1is a hot plate with vapor chamber (also be referred as Vapor chamber). The Vapor chamber is named by the main character of component. It belongs to flat style heat pipe based on the theory that it utilizes the potential heat produced by working fluid when it happens phase transition, it is also named as uniform heat board or steam slice.

As shown inFIG. 6, the heat treatment apparatus further comprises a pushing means11for pushing the hot plate1upwards. The pushing means11may be a linear cylinder. When the hot plate1is lifted up by the pushing means11, the substrate can be handled by a robot.

Now the working examples of the heat treatment apparatus will be described.

The first heat source2has a first processing temperature T1, the second heat source3has a second processing temperature T2, the third heat source4has a third processing temperature T3. The second processing temperature T2is higher than the first processing temperature T1, the first processing temperature T1is higher than the third processing temperature T3, i.e. T2>T1>T3. InFIG. 1, the hot plate1contacts with the first heat source2and thus also the processing temperature of the hot plate1will be equal with the first processing temperature T1. If the target processing temperature of the hot plate1is the second processing temperature T2, then the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4will be driven to move rightwards along the left-right direction X as a whole by the first linear cylinder6, such that the second heat source3moves to contact with the hot plate1as shown inFIG. 2. Likewise, if the target processing temperature of the hot plate1is the third processing temperature T3, then the first heat source2, the second heat source3and the third heat source4will be driven to move leftwards along the left-right direction X as a whole by the first linear cylinder6, such that the third heat source4moves to contact with the hot plate1as shown inFIG. 3.

If the target processing temperature T1′ of the hot plate1is between the first processing temperature T1and the second processing temperature T2, then the first heat source2and the third heat source4will be driven to move towards the second heat source3under the action of the second linear cylinder7, such that the first heat source2contacts the second heat source3as shown inFIG. 4. In this way, the first heat source2and the second heat source3transfer heat to the hot plate1at the same time. As shown inFIG. 7, the temperature of the second heat source3drops to the target processing temperature T1′ as curve12, the temperature of the first heat source2increases to the target processing temperature T1′ as curve13. Curve14is the rising curve of the temperature of the first heat source2when the first heat source2is not driven to contact the second heat source3. It is easy to know that it is time-consuming for curve14compared with curve13. In other words, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention can save time and change the processing temperature of the hot plate quickly from one temperature to another temperature.

If the target processing temperature T1′ of the hot plate1is between the first processing temperature T1and the third processing temperature T3, then the third heat source4will be driven to move towards the first heat source2under the action of the third linear cylinder8, such that the third heat source4contacts the first heat source2as shown inFIG. 5. In this way, the first heat source2and the third heat source4transfer heat to the hot plate1at the same time. As shown inFIG. 8, the temperature of the third heat source4increases to the target processing temperature T1′ as curve16, the temperature of the first heat source2drops to the target processing temperature T1′ as curve15. Curve17is the decreasing curve of the temperature of the first heat source2when the third heat source4is not driven to contact the first heat source2. It is easy to know that it is time-consuming for curve17compared with curve15. In other words, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention can save time and change the processing temperature of the hot plate quickly from one temperature to another temperature.

Compared with the prior art, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention have two or more processing temperature for heating or cooling the substrate. Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention can save time and change the processing temperature of the hot plate quickly from one temperature to another temperature.