Lower-Surface Brush Design for Substrate Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Substrate cleaning devices face inefficiencies in cleaning the lower surface of substrates due to the trade-off between brush diameter, contact area, and load distribution, which affects contaminant removal efficiency and risk of substrate warping or detachment.
Innovation Solution
A lower-surface brush design with a base portion and cleaning portions that reduce contact area while maintaining a large cleanable region, allowing efficient cleaning with a smaller load, and a substrate cleaning device configuration that includes a brush base with inclined portions for liquid discharge, enabling effective contaminant removal without excessive brush size or substrate movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the diameter of the cleaning brush is increased, then the contact area between the cleaning brush and substrate is increased, but the load applied to the cleaning brush per unit area is reduced, degrading efficiency of contaminants removal
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning brush is divided into multiple independent cleaning elements (brushes) arranged in a matrix pattern, where each brush contacts a specific region of the substrate. This segmentation allows the total contact area to be distributed across multiple smaller contact points, maintaining sufficient load per unit area while covering a large substrate area, thus resolving the contradiction between contact area and cleaning efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a single large brush to multiple smaller brushes arranged in two-dimensional matrix formation. This dimensional arrangement allows simultaneous achievement of large total contact area (through multiple brushes) and adequate load density (through concentrated contact points), effectively resolving the area-load efficiency contradiction
2Productivity
If a load applied to the cleaning brush is increased, then efficiency of contaminant removal is improved, but warp of substrate may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The total cleaning load is segmented and distributed across multiple independent brushes rather than concentrated on a single large brush. This allows the substrate to be cleaned with sufficient total force while avoiding excessive localized load that would cause warping, as each individual brush applies only a portion of the total required cleaning force
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the substrate receive cleaning from appropriately sized and positioned brushes, allowing optimized load distribution. The segmented brush configuration enables tailored cleaning pressure in different areas, maintaining high cleaning efficiency where needed while preventing warping in sensitive regions
3Productivity
If a load applied to the cleaning brush is increased, then efficiency of contaminant removal is improved, but substrate moves out of holder such as chuck pin
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning force is segmented into multiple smaller forces applied by individual brushes distributed across the substrate surface. This distributed loading prevents excessive total force that would displace the substrate from the chuck pins, while still achieving effective contaminant removal through cumulative cleaning action across multiple contact points
4Productivity
If the diameter of the cleaning brush is small, then throughput is improved, but contact area between the cleaning brush and substrate is reduced, degrading efficiency of contaminants removal
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system uses multiple small brushes instead of a single large brush. Each small brush maintains the advantages of small diameter (adequate load density, good maneuverability) while the collective array of multiple brushes achieves large total contact area, simultaneously satisfying both throughput and cleaning efficiency requirements
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple small brushes are combined in a matrix arrangement to function as a unified cleaning system. Individually, each brush has small contact area suitable for high load density; collectively, the merged array provides large total contact area for high throughput, resolving the contradiction between brush size and contact area
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
The solution enables efficient cleaning of the lower surface of substrates with reduced load on the brush, preventing substrate warping and ensuring thorough contaminant removal without excessive brush size or substrate detachment.
Implementation Method 1
the contact area between the lower surface of the substrate and the lower-surface brush is reduced while a large region that can be used for cleaning is maintained. Therefore, even in a case where a load applied to the lower-surface brush is relatively small, the lower surface of the substrate and the lower-surface brush come into contact with each other while receiving a sufficient load.
Data Source
AI summary
A lower-surface brush includes a base portion, a first cleaning portion and a second cleaning portion. The first cleaning portion is provided on an upper surface of the base portion to project upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion and extend in one direction through a geometric center of the base portion in a plan view. The second cleaning portion is provided on the upper surface of the base portion to project upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion and extend along an outer edge of the base portion. Alternatively, one or a plurality of pairs of second cleaning portions may be provided on the upper surface of the base portion to project upwardly from the upper surface of the base portion and be opposite to each other with the first cleaning portion interposed therebetween.