Dispenser Guard Capillary Fluid Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
In nanoimprint lithography, excessive fluid accumulation on the dispenser faceplate can lead to uncontrolled deposition of resist fluid onto the substrate, causing process defects and contamination due to the fluid's low contact angle and high wetting properties, which traditional methods fail to effectively manage.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser guard with a narrow gap to the faceplate and drainage structure, including ribs and channels, is used to attract and remove accumulated fluid through capillary action and vacuum application, preventing fluid bridging and uncontrolled deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional dispenser is used without a guard structure, then the device complexity is low, but fluid accumulation occurs on the faceplate causing uncontrolled deposition and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A dispenser guard is introduced as an intermediary component between the dispenser faceplate and the substrate. The guard includes a guard faceplate with openings and drainage structures that mediate fluid flow, capturing excess fluid through capillary action in the narrow gap and preventing uncontrolled deposition on the substrate while maintaining controlled dispensing functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The dispenser guard incorporates porous or channel-based drainage structures that utilize capillary action to attract and remove accumulated fluid. The narrow gap between the guard faceplate and dispenser faceplate (less than 100 μm) creates capillary forces that draw fluid away from the ejection ports, providing passive fluid management without complex active control systems
2Reliability
If the gap between dispenser guard and faceplate is reduced to enhance fluid attraction, then fluid accumulation is better controlled, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies a quantitative parameter range for the gap between the dispenser guard and faceplate (less than 100 μm) to optimize capillary action effectiveness. This parameter change transforms the fluid control mechanism from relying on complex active control to utilizing passive capillary forces that are effective within this specific dimensional range, balancing fluid management performance with manufacturing feasibility
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 solution effectively prevents fluid accumulation on the dispenser faceplate, ensuring controlled fluid dispensing and reducing the risk of process defects and contamination, thereby enhancing the precision and yield of nanoimprint lithography processes.
Implementation Method 1
The dispenser guard is spaced from the faceplate with a distance small enough to attract the fluid accumulated around the ejection port of the chuck
Implementation Method 2
The dispenser guard includes a drainage structure, for example, a trench, formed at a peripheral region thereof to drain the accumulated fluid away from the faceplate
Data Source
AI summary
A fluid dispenser, comprising a dispenser faceplate having at least one ejection port and a dispenser guard. The dispenser guard has at least one opening configured to allow fluid exiting from the ejection port to flow through and at least one drainage structure. The dispenser guard is spaced from the ejection port with a gap small enough to attract the fluid accumulated around the ejection port to flow into the drainage structure.