Atmospheric Plasma Substrate Treating Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasma treatment systems require extensive space for treating circular objects and are inefficient for large-area treatments, leading to increased process time and potential equipment corrosion due to the need for wide spaces and complex setups.
Innovation Solution
A substrate treating apparatus with a spin chuck and dual plasma generation units, where a first upper electrode unit performs uniform plasma treatment on the entire surface and a second upper electrode unit provides localized treatment, allowing for compact design and efficient treatment of circular objects, including hydrophilization or hydrophobicization of substrates at atmospheric pressure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a linear type plasma generation apparatus is used to treat circular objects, then plasma treatment can be performed, but a wide essential space is required and unnecessary portions are treated
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus employs a rotatable support that rotates the circular object during plasma treatment. This dynamic rotation allows the plasma generation apparatus to treat all areas of the circular object uniformly without requiring excessive space, as the object itself moves to present different surfaces to the stationary plasma source.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention is specifically designed for circular objects and uses a rotatable support mechanism that matches the curvature of the object. This allows the plasma treatment to follow the circular geometry, treating only the necessary portions of the object while minimizing the space required for the apparatus.
2Manufacturing precision
If a linear type plasma generation apparatus treats the entire surface of a large-area object, then complete coverage is achieved, but process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotatable support enables continuous plasma treatment by constantly presenting fresh surfaces of the circular object to the plasma generation apparatus. This continuous rotation allows the entire surface to be treated uniformly without interruption, achieving complete coverage while minimizing process time through uninterrupted treatment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus enables uniform plasma treatment on circular objects, reduces treatment time, and enhances process efficiency by allowing the treatment of large-area substrates in a compact setup, while also enabling independent substrate treatment outside equipment.
Implementation Method 1
Atmospheric plasma refers to a technology for generating low-temperature plasma while maintaining the pressure of a gas in a range of 100 Torr to atmospheric pressure (760 Torr)
Implementation Method 2
The substrate treating unit may be an atmospheric plasma treatment apparatus
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus that includes an index module including a plurality of load ports on each of which a carrier having a substrate received therein is placed and a transfer frame in which an index robot that transfers the substrate is installed, a process module that is connected with the index module and that includes process chambers in each of which the substrate is treated, and a substrate treating unit that is provided in the index module and that treats the substrate, the substrate treating unit being provided along a direction in which the plurality of load ports are arranged.