Dual-Arm Substrate Transfer Mechanism for Coating Temperature Uniformity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coating apparatuses face challenges in maintaining uniform substrate temperature during transfer, leading to variations in film thickness and in-plane temperature uniformity, due to the use of multiple arms with varying temperatures, which increases costs and complicates the transfer mechanism.
Innovation Solution
A coating method and apparatus utilizing a substrate transfer mechanism with only two arms, an upper and a lower arm, where the lower arm is used for transferring substrates from the temperature regulating module to the coating module to maintain temperature stability, while the upper arm receives substrates from the heating module, minimizing thermal influence and ensuring precise temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple arms with varying temperatures are used for substrate transfer, then the transfer mechanism can handle multiple modules, but the substrate temperature uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer mechanism is segmented into two independent arms (first arm and second arm) that can operate separately. Each arm can be selectively used for specific transfer operations, allowing the system to handle multiple modules while maintaining temperature control by choosing the appropriate arm for each substrate transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
Each arm is assigned a specific functional role: the first arm is dedicated to receiving substrates from the heating module, while the second arm is dedicated to transferring substrates to the coating module. This local specialization ensures that the substrate temperature is maintained by using the second arm (which does not receive hot substrates) for the critical transfer to the coating module.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple arms are used for substrate transfer, then more modules can be served, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Both the first arm and second arm share the same basic structural design and movement capabilities, but they are assigned different functional roles. This multi-functionality allows the system to serve multiple modules (heating module and coating module) while maintaining relatively simple arm structures that can be replicated rather than completely different designs.
3Temperature
If the upper arm receives substrates from the heating module, then thermal influence on the lower arm is minimized, but the lower arm must maintain temperature stability
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal influence is extracted and isolated to the first arm by assigning it the function of receiving substrates from the heating module. The second arm is explicitly excluded from thermal influence by not assigning it the role of receiving hot substrates, thereby maintaining its temperature stability for precise substrate transfer to the coating module.
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
This approach ensures high uniformity of the in-plane temperature of the substrate during coating, reducing temperature variations and improving the consistency of the coating process, thereby enhancing the application of coating liquids with adequate substrate temperature uniformity.
Implementation Method 1
the lower arm is used for transferring substrates from the temperature regulating module to the coating module to maintain temperature stability, while the upper arm receives substrates from the heating module, minimizing thermal influence
Data Source
AI summary
A coating apparatus has a stage module, a temperature regulating module which adjusts a temperature of a substrate to a set temperature, a coating module which applies a coating liquid to the temperature-regulated substrate, and a heating module which heats the coating-liquid applied substrate, arranged in a process section in order from an upstream end of transfer along a transfer path of the substrate, and has a dummy stage placed between the coating module and the heating module so that when by means of a substrate transfer mechanism which has an upper arm and a lower arm, provided one on the other and advanceable and retreatable independently of each other, substrates are transferred one by one from an upstream module to a downstream module in order by alternately operating the upper arm and the lower arm, that arm which performs transfer from the temperature regulating module to the coating module differ from that arm which receives a substrate from the heating module, that numbers are sequentially assigned to downstream modules with the stage module at the upstream end taken as a first module, that substrate which is located on the first stage module is received with the upper arm when the temperature regulating module is an even-numbered module, and the substrate located on the first stage module is received with the lower arm when the temperature regulating module is an odd-numbered module.