Coating and Developing Apparatus with Stacked Unit Blocks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coating and developing apparatuses face challenges in reducing height and length while maintaining high transfer efficiency, leading to difficulties in transportation and maintenance, and inefficient throughput due to the vertical stacking of processing units for resist film formation and antireflective film formation.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with a process block containing multiple unit blocks for liquid processing, heating, cooling, and conveyance, with vertically stacked unit-block stacks for antireflective and resist film formation, and development, utilizing intermediate stages for efficient substrate transfer between the same-level unit blocks, and a vertically-movable transfer device for additional processing modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If processing units are vertically stacked to reduce footprint area, then apparatus height increases, but transportation and maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a purely vertical stacking arrangement to a three-dimensional configuration where processing units are distributed across multiple levels connected by transfer means. This allows the apparatus to utilize both vertical and horizontal space efficiently, reducing footprint area while controlling height through strategic placement of processing units at different elevations rather than simple vertical stacking.
2Device complexity
If a common transfer means is used for both pre-exposure and post-exposure processes, then device complexity is reduced, but transfer efficiency and throughput decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transfer system into separate transfer means for pre-exposure processes and post-exposure processes. This segmentation allows each transfer mechanism to be optimized for its specific function, enabling independent operation and scheduling that improves overall transfer efficiency and throughput while maintaining manageable device complexity through functional separation.
3Ease of repair
If unit blocks are arranged in a plane to facilitate maintenance, then footprint area increases, but apparatus height is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges processing units in a multi-level three-dimensional configuration rather than simple planar or vertical arrangements. This allows maintenance personnel to access units from multiple directions and levels, improving ease of repair while efficiently utilizing vertical space to minimize footprint area. The transfer means connect units across different elevations, enabling maintenance without requiring complete disassembly or large horizontal clearance.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a coating and developing apparatus composed of an assembly of plural unit blocks. A first unit-block stack and a second unit-block stack are arranged at different positions with respect to front-and-rear direction. Unit blocks for development, each of which comprises plural processing units including a developing unit that performs developing process after exposure and a transfer device that transfers a substrate among the processing units, are arranged at the lowermost level. Unit blocks for application, or coating, each of which comprises plural processing units including a coating unit that performs application process before exposure and a transfer device that transfers a substrate among the processing units, are arranged above the unit blocks for development. Unit blocks for application are arranged in both the first and second unit-block stacks. Unit blocks for application which a wafer goes through are determined depending on the layering positional relationship between an antireflective film and a resist film. An exposed wafer goes only through the unit block for development without going through any one of the unit blocks for application.