Inert Gas Nozzle Drying for Substrate Defects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional developing apparatuses face challenges in effectively drying substrates with large contact angles, leading to post-develop defects and prolonged development times due to the formation of droplets and slow neutralization rates.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a spin-support device, developer nozzle, rinsing liquid nozzle, and inert gas nozzle, with the inert gas nozzle positioned adjacent the spin center to break the rinsing liquid film, ensuring rapid drying and continuous developer supply to maintain reaction efficiency, thereby preventing droplet formation and shortening the development time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the substrate has a large angle of contact, then the substrate repels liquid strongly, but the substrate cannot be dried effectively and droplets remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical spin-drying method with a gas stream-based drying system. A drying gas nozzle directs a gas stream onto the substrate surface to remove rinsing liquid, eliminating reliance on centrifugal force which is ineffective for substrates with large contact angles that repel liquid strongly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pneumatic principles by introducing a drying gas stream through a dedicated nozzle to blow off rinsing liquid from the substrate surface. This pneumatic approach overcomes the liquid repulsion caused by large contact angles, enabling effective drying without droplet formation.
2Productivity
If the conventional spin-drying method is used, then the apparatus structure is simple, but the development time is prolonged due to slow neutralization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the drying function from the spin-support device by introducing a separate drying gas nozzle system. This segmentation allows independent optimization of drying performance without affecting the spin-drying mechanism, enabling faster neutralization and reduced development time while maintaining structural clarity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces drying gas as an intermediary medium to facilitate the drying process. The gas stream acts as a mediator between the rinsing liquid on the substrate and the environment, accelerating removal of liquid and enabling faster neutralization reactions without complicating the core spin-support structure.
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 prevents post-develop defects by ensuring complete drying without droplet formation and significantly reduces the overall development time by maintaining a high development reaction rate.
Implementation Method 1
an inert gas nozzle for supplying an inert gas to the substrate... starts supplying the inert gas to adjacent the spin center after supplying the rinsing liquid to adjacent the spin center
Implementation Method 2
the substrate is spun while supplying a rinsing liquid (e.g. deionized water) to the substrate... the substrate is spun at high speed to dry
Data Source
AI summary
A joint nozzle that delivers a developer, a rinsing liquid and nitrogen gas is disposed adjacent the spin center of a substrate in plan view. A controller operates electromagnetic switch valves to continue supply of the developer, while spinning the substrate, in a developing process, and to start supply of the rinsing liquid in a rinsing process, immediately after the supply of the developer ends, thereby achieving a shortened period of the developing process. A switching is made to a drying process by starting supply of the nitrogen gas immediately after completion of the rinsing process. Thus, even if the substrate has a large angle of contact, formation of droplets of the rinsing liquid is inhibited to prevent post-develop defects.