Photo Spinner Bake Unit with Parallel Heating and Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor manufacturing processes face inefficiencies in substrate throughput due to the lengthy thermal processing and cooling times required in the bake process, which hinders the overall efficiency of photo spinner equipment.
Innovation Solution
A bake unit with a substrate transfer robot that includes an arm base and independently movable upper and lower arms, coupled with a heater and chiller, allows simultaneous heating and cooling of substrates, enhancing thermal processing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional bake unit with sequential heating and cooling is used, then the thermal processing can be completed, but the substrate throughput is low due to long processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The bake unit is divided into multiple independent heating zones (first heating unit, second heating unit, third heating unit) that can operate simultaneously on different substrates. Each heating zone functions as an independent segment, allowing parallel thermal processing of multiple substrates to increase throughput while reducing overall processing time.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple heating units and cooling units are combined within a single bake unit structure. The heating units and cooling units operate simultaneously on different substrates held by the substrate holder, merging heating and cooling functions in one system to enable parallel processing and improve productivity.
2Productivity
If the bake unit processes one substrate at a time sequentially, then the thermal treatment can be thorough, but the manufacturing efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate holder is designed to hold multiple substrates simultaneously and position them in different zones (heating zones and cooling zone). This multi-functional holder allows the same component to serve multiple purposes: holding substrates, positioning them for heating, and positioning them for cooling, thereby increasing throughput without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from processing substrates in a single dimension (one at a time) to processing in multiple dimensions by arranging substrates vertically and horizontally on the substrate holder. Multiple substrates are positioned at different heights and locations, allowing simultaneous exposure to heating and cooling zones, thus increasing throughput without significantly complicating the device structure.
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 bake unit enables rapid thermal processing by allowing simultaneous heating and cooling of substrates, thereby increasing substrate throughput and improving the efficiency of photo spinner equipment.
Implementation Method 1
a heater configured to heat the substrate
Implementation Method 2
a chiller configured to cool the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is a bake unit capable of rapid thermal treatment, an operation method of the bake unit, and photo spinner equipment. The bake unit that performs a thermal process on a substrate in the photo spinner equipment includes a heater for heating the substrate, a chiller for cooling the substrate, a substrate transfer robot for transferring the substrate, and a controller controlling an operation of the substrate transfer robot. The substrate transfer robot includes an arm base configured to be able to move up and down in a vertical direction, and an upper arm and a lower arm coupled to the arm base to move up and down together but be independently horizontally driven.