Coating Apparatus Substrate Transfer Timing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing coating and developing apparatuses face inefficiencies in substrate processing, particularly in the transfer of substrates from a wait module to heating modules after exposure, leading to unnecessary waiting times and reduced throughput due to discrepancies in timing between temperature stabilization and substrate arrival, resulting in wasted energy and prolonged processing times.
Innovation Solution
A coating and developing apparatus that calculates and controls the transfer timing of substrates based on predicted residual times and waiting times, ensuring alignment with the readiness of heating modules, thereby reducing idle times in the wait module and optimizing the transfer process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If substrates are transferred from wait module to heating modules without timing calculation, then transfer process is simple, but substrates experience unnecessary waiting times and throughput is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The calculation unit computes the waiting time t = t1 - t2 in advance during processing of the preceding lot, determining when the first substrate of the subsequent lot should be transferred out from the wait module. This preliminary calculation enables synchronized transfer timing that eliminates unnecessary waiting periods while maintaining system simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors and calculates timing parameters (t1, t2, t11, t12, t21, t23) based on the actual processing state of substrates in the exposure apparatus and heating modules. This feedback mechanism allows dynamic adjustment of transfer timing to optimize throughput without excessive complexity.
2Loss of time
If substrates are transferred early to heating modules, then waiting time in wait module is reduced, but temperature stabilization is not complete leading to processing quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The calculation unit determines the precise waiting time t by calculating t1 (time until heating module is ready) and t2 (transfer time), then transferring substrates exactly when the heating module becomes ready. This ensures temperature stabilization is complete before substrate arrival, maintaining processing quality while minimizing wait time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heating modules are used with different processing times, then processing flexibility is improved, but timing synchronization becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the heating process into multiple independent heating modules, each capable of processing substrates with different time requirements. The calculation unit separately calculates timing for each module, allowing flexible assignment of substrates to appropriate modules while managing synchronization complexity through modular calculation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects which heating module to use for each substrate based on current module availability and processing requirements. The calculation unit adjusts transfer timing in real-time to match the specific characteristics of each heating module, providing adaptability while maintaining synchronization through continuous timing updates.
Data Source
AI summary
With regard to a group of substrates preceding a substrate of which residence time is under calculation, a time t1 and a time t2 are calculated, t1 being a time interval from a time point in which a substrate B1 under the consideration has become ready from being transferred out from a wait module to a time point in which a heating module used for the substrate B1 has been ready for processing the substrate B1, t2 being a time interface from a time on in which the substrate B1 under calculation has been transferred out from the wait module to a time point of reaching the heating module used for the substrate B1, and a waiting time t of the substrate B1 in the wait module is calculated according to t=t1−t2.