Negative Developing Method High-Speed Spin Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional negative developing method using organic solvents is costly due to high usage of cleaning liquids, leading to reduced development quality and difficulties in controlling circuit pattern line widths, as residual dissolved products often remain on the substrate.
Innovation Solution
A negative developing method involving a developer containing an organic solvent, where the substrate is spun at a high speed to remove the developer and dissolved products without cleaning liquid, followed by targeted rear face cleaning and drying at lower speeds to minimize liquid usage and maintain development quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a cleaning liquid containing organic solvent is supplied to the substrate surface to remove developer and dissolved products, then development quality is maintained, but cleaning liquid consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate cleaning process is segmented into two distinct stages: (1) spin-drying the front surface at high speed to remove developer and dissolved products without cleaning liquid, and (2) supplying cleaning liquid only to the rear face at low speed. This segmentation allows different cleaning strategies for different surfaces, reducing overall cleaning liquid consumption while maintaining development quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different cleaning approaches are applied to different locations of the substrate: the front surface receives no cleaning liquid but is spun at high speed for mechanical removal, while the rear face receives cleaning liquid at low spin speed. This local differentiation optimizes cleaning liquid usage by applying it only where necessary.
2Loss of substance
If the usage amount of cleaning liquid is decreased to reduce costs, then cleaning liquid consumption is reduced, but development quality deteriorates due to residual dissolved products
Solution Approach 1:
The high-speed spin-drying is performed as a preliminary action before any cleaning liquid is supplied. This preliminary mechanical removal of developer and dissolved products from the front surface reduces the burden on the cleaning liquid, allowing it to be used more efficiently and in smaller amounts while still achieving complete cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The conventional chemical cleaning method (using cleaning liquid to dissolve and remove products) is partially replaced with a mechanical method (high-speed spinning to centrifugally remove developer and dissolved products). This substitution reduces dependence on cleaning liquid while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If cleaning liquid is supplied continuously to ensure complete removal of dissolved products, then development quality is maintained, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning process uses periodic action with distinct phases: a high-speed spin phase for mechanical removal, followed by a low-speed cleaning liquid supply phase. This periodic alternation between mechanical and chemical cleaning methods achieves complete cleaning more efficiently than continuous cleaning liquid supply, reducing overall processing time.
4Loss of substance
If high-speed spinning is used to remove developer without cleaning liquid, then cleaning liquid consumption is reduced, but control precision of development timing becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback control to monitor the spin speed and timing, ensuring that the high-speed spin-drying phase is precisely controlled to remove developer without affecting development timing. The controller adjusts parameters based on process feedback to maintain both cleaning efficiency and development precision.
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 reduces cleaning liquid consumption, allows precise control of development timing, and prevents residual dissolved products from remaining on the substrate, thereby maintaining development quality and accurately controlling circuit pattern line widths.
Implementation Method 1
spinning the substrate at a first speed, the first speed being relatively higher... Spinning at higher speeds causes a relatively large centrifugal force to act on the developer on the resist film. Consequently, the developer can be removed from the surface of the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the substrate is spun to be dried through a spin-dry effect
Data Source
AI summary
After a developing step, a substrate is spun at high speeds without supplying a cleaning liquid to a surface of the substrate. This causes a large centrifugal force to act on a developer on a resist film. Consequently, the developer can be removed rapidly from the surface of the substrate. As a result, development can be stopped at an expected timing. Moreover, a circuit pattern having an expected dimension can be obtained. At this time, a dissolved product is also removable with the developer from the substrate. This can avoid failure in development caused by the dissolved product. Consequently, suitably maintained quality of negative development can be achieved with a reduced usage amount of the cleaning liquid.