Rotating Process Cup Drying to Prevent Substrate Particle Fallout

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Solution Overview

Problem

In substrate processing, the splash guard or cup is not adequately dried before being moved above the substrate, leading to liquid droplets falling onto the substrate and causing particle formation, with no existing technique to efficiently dry it in a short time.

Innovation Solution

A substrate processing method and apparatus that involves rotating the cup and substrate holder, supplying heated gas to the upper surface of the substrate to dry both the substrate and cup, and then elevating the dried cup above the substrate, ensuring the cup is sufficiently dried before being moved.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the cup is moved upward to a position above the substrate after processing, then the cup can be repositioned for the next processing cycle, but liquid droplets of processing liquid deposited on the cup fall onto the substrate causing particle formation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing cycle efficiencyVSAvoidsubstrate cleanliness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The cup is dried in advance before being moved upward to a position above the substrate. The drying mechanism removes liquid droplets from the cup's inner peripheral surface before the cup is repositioned, preventing droplet fallout onto the substrate and eliminating particle formation while maintaining efficient processing cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A drying mechanism acts as an intermediary between the processing step and the cup repositioning step. This intermediary mechanism (comprising a drying blade or wiper) removes liquid droplets from the cup surface, serving as a mediating action that prevents the transfer of contaminants to the substrate during cup movement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the cup is dried sufficiently before moving upward, then particle formation is prevented, but no specific technique exists to dry the cup in a short time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubstrate cleanlinessVSAvoiddrying time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The drying function is extracted as a separate, dedicated mechanism rather than relying on passive evaporation. A drying blade or wiper is introduced to actively remove liquid droplets from the cup's inner peripheral surface, providing rapid and effective drying that does not extend the processing cycle

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The natural evaporation process is replaced with an active mechanical drying system. The drying blade or wiper mechanically removes liquid droplets from the cup surface, providing much faster drying action that eliminates time loss while ensuring substrate cleanliness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of substance

If a splash guard is provided to collect liquid droplets, then liquid recovery is improved, but the cup remains wet and requires drying before repositioning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing liquid recoveryVSAvoidcup drying requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of substanceVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The liquid collection function and drying function are merged into an integrated system. The splash guard collects liquid droplets while the drying blade or wiper simultaneously removes deposited liquid from the cup's inner peripheral surface, achieving both liquid recovery and cup drying in a unified mechanism that eliminates additional drying time

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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 method effectively dries the cup in a short time, preventing liquid droplets from falling onto the substrate and reducing particle formation, thereby improving processing efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

drying the substrate by supplying a heated gas heated to a temperature higher than an ambient temperature of the cup and the substrate to an upper surface of the rotating substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

drying the cup by supplying the heated gas to the inner peripheral surface of the rotating cup via the upper surface of the substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentUS20240361072A1Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Publication Date: 2024.10.31 SCREEN HOLDINGS CO LTD

AI summary

This invention is directed to substrate processing techniques for performing a chemical liquid processing, a cleaning process, or the like on a substrate. In this invention, while the substrate is processed with the processing liquid, liquid droplets of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate are collected by an inner peripheral surface of a cup. After this processing and before the cup is elevated to a cup elevation position, a heated gas is supplied to the inner peripheral surface of the cup via an upper surface of the substrate while the cup is rotated. Thus, the cup is dried by the rotation of the cup and the supply of the heated gas to the cup.