In-line Substrate Cleaning Apparatus with Regulated Chemical Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In-line substrate cleaning methods face challenges in continuously supplying a cleaning liquid with pure water, ammonia water, and hydrogen peroxide solution at a constant ratio, leading to potential reaction marks on the substrate surface.
Innovation Solution
A substrate cleaning apparatus with regulated flow rates and valves ensures a predetermined ratio of pure water and liquid chemicals are maintained at a meeting point, forming a uniformly mixed cleaning liquid, which is then supplied to the substrate, using a tankless in-line system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a tank-based method is used to store and mix cleaning liquids, then the cleaning liquid can be uniformly mixed, but the apparatus becomes complicated and requires large installation space
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the mixing function from a separate tank and integrates it directly into the supply line. The cleaning liquid is mixed in-line through controlled flow rates of pure water, ammonia water, and hydrogen peroxide solution, eliminating the need for a separate storage tank and associated complex equipment while maintaining uniform composition.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces flow regulators and a merging line as intermediary components that enable precise control and uniform mixing of multiple cleaning liquids directly in the supply line. These intermediaries facilitate the mixing function without requiring a tank, thus reducing apparatus complexity while ensuring stable composition.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a tank-based method is used to store and mix cleaning liquids, then the cleaning liquid can be uniformly mixed, but the installation space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the large-volume storage tank from the system and performs mixing directly in the supply line. This extraction of the storage function eliminates the need for large installation space while maintaining the uniform mixing of cleaning liquids through controlled flow rates and a merging line.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cleaning liquids are supplied in sequence to avoid substrate damage, then substrate damage is reduced, but the cleaning process becomes less efficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple cleaning liquids (pure water, ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide solution) into a single uniformly mixed cleaning liquid that is supplied to the substrate simultaneously. This combining approach maintains the beneficial effects of sequential supply (preventing substrate damage) while achieving the efficiency of simultaneous supply (improving productivity).
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 allows for continuous, uniform cleaning of substrates by maintaining the desired chemical ratios from the start of the cleaning process, preventing reaction marks and reducing equipment complexity compared to traditional tank-based methods.
Implementation Method 1
a merging line where pure water flowing through the pure water supply line and a plurality of liquid chemicals flowing through the plurality of chemical supply lines meet to form a cleaning liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate cleaning apparatus includes: a pure water supply line provided with a pure water flow regulator and a pure water supply valve; chemical supply lines each provided with a chemical flow regulator and a chemical supply valve; a merging line where pure water and a plurality of liquid chemicals meet to form a cleaning liquid; a cleaning liquid supply line configured to supply the cleaning liquid to a substrate; and a controller configured to control the pure water flow regulator, the pure water supply valve, the chemical flow regulators, and the chemical supply valves such that the pure water and the plurality of liquid chemicals are present at a predetermined ratio at a meeting point.