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Removable spin chamber with vacuum attachment

a vacuum attachment and spin chamber technology, applied in coatings, thin material processing, instruments, etc., can solve problems such as turbulent air flow, and achieve the effect of convenient attachment to various spin coating apparatus

Active Publication Date: 2015-12-03
SPINTRAC SYST
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes a housing that is useful for coating substances onto a substrate. The housing helps to create a more uniform layer of coating by controlling the air flow. The design also reduces turbulent air flow, resulting in a more uniform coating. Additionally, the housing is easy to attach to various coating apparatus.

Problems solved by technology

However, the side surface of the spinning substrate causes another air flow that is turbulent when the substrate is noncircular.

Method used

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  • Removable spin chamber with vacuum attachment
  • Removable spin chamber with vacuum attachment
  • Removable spin chamber with vacuum attachment

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0021]With reference to FIGS. 1-4 there is seen an air flow control housing 100 receiving a spin chuck 122 of a spin coating apparatus 134. As mentioned above, a coating solution is to be spread over a substrate by centrifugal force to form a thin film. The coating solution must be applied in an excessive amount with the excess captured at the outer periphery of the substrate. In one example, the housing is comprised of a Teflon material, however other materials may be used. In one example the housing 100 is comprised of one piece. In another example, it is comprised of more than one piece. The housing dimensions are, for example, sufficient for treating wafers of diameters from 4-18 inches.

[0022]Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, the housing features a chamber 130 formed by a top wall 102, an outer side wall 108 extending downwardly from top wall 102, a bottom wall 110 and cutout walls including an upper cutout wall 112 and a side cutout wall 114. An outer periphery of the housing is form...

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Abstract

A removable air flow control housing having a chamber for holding a substrate which is rotatable with and attachable by vacuum to a spin chuck of a spin coating apparatus. The housing has a lid in a top wall that can be hinged, screwed, magnetically secured or frictionally held in place. The chuck is nestable within a cutout region disposed within a central inner portion of the housing while an outer portion of the housing has a toroidal shape beyond edges of the chuck for reducing air turbulence and capturing excess coating fluid. The cutout region forms a shape that corresponds to the chuck shape. An upper cutout wall has vacuum holes in vertical alignment with vacuum holes of the chuck. The housing is attachable by vacuum to the chuck when the chuck is nested within the cutout region and the substrate is positioned on an upper surface of the upper cutout wall. The housing and substrate are rotatable with the chuck about a chuck axis of rotation as a coating solution is dispensed onto the substrate.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The invention relates generally to a spin coating apparatus and, in particular, to an airflow control housing for use with a spin coating apparatus.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Various spin coating apparatuses that apply thin films using coating solutions such as photoresist to rotating substrates such as wafers, are well known. A coating solution is spread over the wafer by centrifugal force to form a thin film. During the coating process, a solution, for example a photoresist solution comprising a solvent and a photoresist resin, is deposited on the central portion of the substrate and is dispersed from the central substrate portion to a peripheral substrate portion as the substrate is rotated on the spin chuck, thereby forming a thin film over the substrate. When a substrate is non circular, such as a rectangular substrate, a layer of photoresist having thicker corners or “fringes” tends to form. This is thought to be formed by a turbulent air flow adjacent to the spi...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B05C11/08
CPCB05C11/08B05D1/005H01L21/6838B05C13/025G03F7/162H01L21/68785Y10S414/135B05C9/12H01L21/6715H01L21/68792
Inventor KUKAS, ALAN W.
Owner SPINTRAC SYST