Cylindrical Exposure Device with Movable Lid for Inert Gas Replacement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing exposure devices using vacuum ultraviolet rays for substrate processing face inefficiencies due to prolonged gas replacement times, leading to reduced accuracy and processing efficiency, especially when oxygen concentrations are not uniformly lowered in the processing chamber.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical exposure device design with a light emitter and a movable closing member that supports the substrate, allowing for quick inert gas replacement and uniform exposure, eliminating the need for complex gas supply and exhaust mechanisms and ensuring cleanliness by minimizing gas turbulence and particle retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the entire atmosphere in the processing chamber is replaced with inert gas to ensure uniform oxygen concentration, then the accuracy of exposure processing is improved, but the time required for atmosphere replacement is significantly extended
Solution Approach 1:
The processing chamber is divided into a substrate support unit with side openings and a gas supply unit. Inert gas is supplied locally through the side openings near the substrate position, rather than replacing the entire chamber atmosphere. This segmented approach focuses gas replacement only where needed, reducing overall replacement time while maintaining uniform oxygen concentration at the substrate location.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements local gas replacement by providing inert gas specifically at the substrate region through side openings in the substrate support unit. This localized approach ensures uniform oxygen concentration where it matters most (at the substrate) without requiring complete chamber atmosphere replacement, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining exposure accuracy.
2Productivity
If complex gas supply and exhaust mechanisms are installed to achieve rapid and uniform atmosphere replacement, then the efficiency of exposure processing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the gas supply function from a complex chamber-wide exhaust system and implements it through simple side openings in the substrate support unit. By taking out only the essential gas supply capability at the substrate location, the system achieves rapid atmosphere replacement without requiring complex exhaust mechanisms, thus improving efficiency while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate support unit itself serves dual functions: supporting the substrate and providing gas supply pathways through its side openings. This self-service design eliminates the need for separate complex gas supply and exhaust mechanisms, achieving efficient atmosphere replacement with minimal additional components.
3Loss of time
If the processing chamber volume is reduced to shorten gas replacement time, then the efficiency of exposure processing is improved, but the substrate size and processing capability are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of reducing chamber volume in three dimensions, the invention introduces gas supply from the side (lateral dimension) through openings in the substrate support unit. This dimensional approach allows rapid local gas replacement without compromising substrate size or processing capability, as the gas flow path extends laterally along the substrate region rather than being constrained by chamber volume reduction.
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 configuration enhances processing efficiency and accuracy by rapidly replacing the atmosphere with inert gas, maintaining uniform oxygen concentrations, and preventing particle scattering, thus improving the overall cleanliness and efficiency of the exposure process.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitter that has an emission surface that is provided above the peripheral wall member to close the upper opening of the peripheral wall member and emittable of vacuum ultraviolet rays to the processing space
Implementation Method 2
a supplier that supplies an inert gas to the processing space with the substrate supported by the substrate supporter in the processing space and the lower opening closed by the closing member in the processing space
Implementation Method 3
an exhauster that exhausts an atmosphere in the processing space to outside of the processing space with the substrate supported by the substrate supporter and the lower opening closed by the closing member in the processing space
Data Source
AI summary
An exposure device has a cylindrical peripheral wall member. The peripheral wall member forms a processing space in which a substrate is storable and has an upper opening and a lower opening. Further, a light emitter is provided in an upper portion of the peripheral wall member to close the upper opening. A lower lid member that is provided to be movable in an up-and-down direction and configured to be capable of closing and opening the lower opening is provided below the peripheral wall member. The atmosphere in the processing space is replaced with an inert gas with the substrate stored in the processing space and the lower opening closed by the lower lid member. In this state, vacuum ultraviolet rays are emitted to the substrate from the light emitter, and the substrate is exposed.