Buffer Tank Curved Floor Prevents Particle Settlement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate treating apparatuses face challenges in preventing nano-particles from settling in reservoirs during the manufacturing of display elements, leading to defective products.
Innovation Solution
A substrate treating apparatus with a buffer tank design featuring a first outlet and first inlet forming a closed path for chemical circulation, along with second outlets for supplying chemical to the main tank, and a floor surface with inclined vertices to prevent particle settlement, utilizing curved surfaces to guide chemical flow and minimize dead zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the buffer tank uses a conventional design without specific flow path configuration, then the structure is simple, but particles of chemical settle in the tank leading to defective products
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer tank incorporates curved surfaces instead of sharp corners to eliminate dead zones where particles could settle. The curved bottom and curved side surfaces ensure continuous fluid flow throughout the entire tank volume, preventing particle accumulation while maintaining a relatively simple overall tank structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer tank uses asymmetric positioning of the inlet and outlet ports, with the outlet positioned higher than the inlet. This asymmetric configuration creates a natural circulation pattern that prevents settling, while the asymmetric curved surfaces guide flow in a specific direction to eliminate stagnant zones without requiring complex mechanical components.
2Productivity
If the outlet is positioned at the lowest point of the buffer tank, then chemical discharge is efficient, but particles settle at the bottom causing clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The curved bottom surface of the buffer tank ensures that chemical flow continuously covers the entire bottom area, including regions near the outlet. This curvature prevents particles from settling in straight-line flow paths and ensures they are continuously swept along with the flowing chemical, maintaining discharge efficiency without clogging.
Solution Approach 2:
The outlet is positioned higher than the inlet, creating a flow path that prevents particles from reaching the outlet in the first place. The curved surfaces preliminarily guide the flow to maintain particle suspension before the chemical reaches the discharge point, preventing clogging before it can occur.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the inlet and outlet are positioned close to each other, then the circulation path is short and energy consumption is low, but dead zones form where particles settle
Solution Approach 1:
The curved side surfaces and curved bottom create an extended flow path that eliminates dead zones even when the inlet and outlet are positioned relatively close together. The curvature ensures the chemical flows along the entire perimeter of the tank, continuously suspending particles without requiring a long circulation path or high energy input.
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 effectively prevents particle settlement in the buffer tank, reducing the occurrence of defective products by ensuring continuous chemical circulation and flow without clogging, enhancing the reliability of the substrate treating process.
Implementation Method 1
the floor surface may be inclined so that the first vertex is positioned below the second vertex
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a substrate treating apparatus and a substrate treating method capable of preventing settling of a chemical without using a stirrer. The substrate treating apparatus according to the present disclosure includes: a main tank in which a chemical for supplying to an inkjet head is stored; and a buffer tank including a space for storing the chemical to be supplied to the main tank, including a first outlet through which the chemical is discharged, a first inlet through which the chemical is introduced while forming a closed path with the first outlet so that the chemical is circulated without passing through the main tank, and second outlets for supplying the chemical to the main tank, and including a floor surface including a first vertex and a second vertex disposed to be spaced apart from the first vertex, wherein the first outlet is provided at a position closer to the first vertex than the second vertex, and the first inlet is provided at a position closer to the second vertex than the first vertex.