Nozzle Moving Mechanism for Solvent Consumption Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate treating apparatuses face issues with excessive solvent consumption, complex construction leading to difficult cleaning and component replacement, and high costs due to intricate solvent suction portions integrated with nozzle standby portions.
Innovation Solution
A substrate treating apparatus with a nozzle moving mechanism that grips and moves both a coating solution nozzle and a solvent nozzle to a shared suction unit, allowing the solvent nozzle to dispense and the coating solution nozzle to suck the solvent, reducing the need for multiple solvent supply lines and simplifying the suction unit's construction, enabling easier cleaning and replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solvent supply is performed to all solvent suction portions simultaneously, then all nozzles can be cleaned, but solvent consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the solvent suction system into individual solvable portions (135A-135J) corresponding to each nozzle, allowing selective solvent supply to only the required portion rather than all portions simultaneously. This segmentation enables targeted cleaning of specific nozzles while conserving solvent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing a standby pot (131) where nozzles can be pre-positioned and solvent can be supplied in advance to the specific suction portion needed, rather than supplying solvent to all portions at once during the cleaning process.
2Device complexity
If the standby pot has an integral construction with solvent suction portions, then the structure is compact, but cleaning and component replacement become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the standby pot into a main body (131) and separate solvent suction portions (135A-135J), allowing the suction portions to be detached and replaced independently. This modular design maintains structural compactness while enabling easy cleaning and component replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic configurability by making the solvent suction portions detachable and replaceable, allowing the system to transition from a fixed integral construction to a flexible modular structure that can be adapted for cleaning or replacement as needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple solvent suction portions are provided for multiple nozzles, then all nozzles can be serviced, but the construction becomes complicated and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by designing the solvent suction portions (135A-135J) as standardized modules that can serve multiple nozzles (103A-103J) through the standby pot system. Each suction portion is a universal component that can be applied to any nozzle position, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining full servicing capability.
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 solvent consumption, simplifies the suction unit's construction, lowers costs, and facilitates cleaning and component replacement by decoupling the solvent suction unit from the nozzle standby portion, improving operational efficiency and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of coating solution nozzles (103) which dispense the coating solution, and a nozzle moving mechanism (5) for moving the coating solution nozzles (103) to arbitrary positions. The plurality of coating solution nozzles are held in standby pots (31) provided laterally of the holding and spinning unit and in the same number as the coating solution nozzles
Data Source
AI summary
In a coating apparatus, a nozzle moving mechanism selectively grips any one of a plurality of coating solution nozzles, moves the gripped coating solution nozzle and a solvent nozzle together, and moves at least the solvent nozzle to a solvent suction unit. The moved solvent nozzle is caused to dispense a solvent to the solvent suction unit, and the gripped coating solution nozzle is caused to suck the solvent retained in the same solvent suction unit to which the solvent has been dispensed. Thus, since dispensation and suction of the solvent are done in the same solvent suction unit, the quantity of the solvent used can be held down. Further, a supply line for supplying the solvent does not need to be provided for the suction unit. The construction of the suction unit can therefore be made simple, and its cost can be held down.