Movable Nozzle Liquid Processing Apparatus for Wafer Size Scalability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid processing apparatuses for semiconductor wafers face challenges in size scalability and throughput due to the need for increased space and longer processing times as wafer sizes grow, particularly when multiple nozzles and processing units are added, leading to larger apparatus sizes and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A liquid processing apparatus with substrate holding units arranged side by side and nozzles that move forward and backward in a front-rear direction, eliminating the need for additional space in the arrangement direction, allowing for efficient processing fluid supply without increasing the apparatus size, even with multiple substrate holding units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple nozzles are installed with respect to one developing process section, then the processing capability is improved, but the apparatus size becomes larger due to additional spaces needed in the arrangement direction
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is moved from a fixed side-by-side arrangement to a movable configuration that operates in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction of substrate holding units. This dimensional change allows multiple nozzles to share the same spatial footprint by alternating their positions, eliminating the need for additional installation spaces in the arrangement direction while maintaining the capability to process multiple substrates.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle is configured to move between a supplying position (for processing) and a waiting position (for repositioning). This dynamic configuration allows the nozzle to be relocated to different substrates sequentially, enabling multiple processing operations without requiring multiple fixed nozzle installations, thereby reducing the overall apparatus size.
2Productivity
If the developing process sections become larger to conform to increased wafer size, then the processing capacity is improved, but the apparatus length in the arrangement direction increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding the apparatus in the arrangement direction to accommodate larger wafer processing sections, the nozzle is moved to operate in an intersecting direction. This allows the processing capacity to be increased by enhancing the nozzle's movement capability rather than by physically expanding the apparatus footprint in the arrangement direction.
Solution Approach 2:
A single movable nozzle serves multiple substrate holding units by moving to different positions, rather than having dedicated nozzles for each unit. This multi-functionality allows the apparatus to process larger wafers or multiple substrates without proportionally increasing the apparatus length.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wafer transfer region is extended to accommodate larger apparatus size, then the processing flexibility is improved, but the wafer transfer time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movable nozzle configuration allows the processing region to remain compact while maintaining flexibility through dynamic repositioning. The nozzle can quickly move between substrate holding units without requiring long transfer paths, thus preserving processing flexibility while minimizing wafer transfer time.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle moving mechanism enables continuous processing by allowing the nozzle to move to the waiting position while another nozzle processes a substrate, or to move between substrates without idle time. This continuity maintains processing flexibility while reducing overall transfer time compared to extended static configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid processing apparatus for performing liquid processing with respect to a substrate using processing fluid, includes: a plurality of substrate holding units arranged side by side in a left-right direction; a nozzle configured to supply the processing fluid to the substrate held in each of the substrate holding units; and a nozzle moving mechanism configured to move the nozzle forward and backward in a front-rear direction intersecting an arrangement direction of the substrate holding units between a supplying position in which the processing fluid is supplied to a region including a central portion of the substrate and a waiting position which is defined at a rear side of a row of the substrate holding units opposite to a front side of the row of the substrate holding units at which the substrate is loaded and unloaded.