Line UV Curing Apparatus with Localized Purge for Uniform Substrate Processing

The patent divides the substrate processing into sequential line-by-line exposure segments rather than exposing the entire substrate at once. The linear UV source moves across the substrate in a scanning motion, curing narrow lines sequentially. This segmentation allows precise control of radiation exposure for each line, ensuring uniform curing while maintaining overall productivity through continuous scanning motion.

The patent extracts and isolates only the minimal volume chamber necessary for the linear UV exposure process, rather than using a large volume chamber required for area-type exposure. The chamber volume is reduced to just what is needed to accommodate the linear UV source and the scanning mechanism, enabling substrate curing with dramatically reduced purge gas consumption while maintaining full substrate processing capability.

The patent introduces dynamic scanning motion to the UV curing process, where the linear UV source moves across the substrate in a controlled scanning pattern. This dynamic approach replaces the static large-volume chamber design, achieving reduced purge gas consumption through minimal chamber volume while the scanning mechanism provides the necessary flexibility and control. The motion control system manages the complexity, coordinating the UV source movement with substrate positioning to achieve precise line-by-line curing.