Single-Wafer Chemical Immersion for Uniform Resist Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid chemical processing devices face challenges in managing immersion temperature and time variation for individual substrates during batch processing, leading to inconsistent resist removal, which affects the quality of subsequent processing steps.
Innovation Solution
A liquid chemical processing device that immerses substrates vertically and individually in a chemical solution, using vertical drivers to move substrates between immersed and non-immersed positions, with a nozzle ejecting chemical downward, and incorporates a circulation system for sludge recovery and filtration to enhance processing efficiency and reduce variation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional liquid chemical processing devices are used, then chemical processing can be performed, but reagent contamination occurs due to contact with the liquid supply unit
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid supply unit is divided into two separate chambers: a first chamber for storing liquid reagents and a second chamber for supplying those reagents to the processing region. This segmentation prevents direct contact between the liquid reagents and the liquid supply unit structure, eliminating contamination while maintaining a manageable device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A gas permeable membrane is introduced as an intermediary component between the liquid reagents in the first chamber and the liquid supply unit structure. This membrane allows liquid reagents to pass through for supply while preventing direct contact and contamination, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
2Device complexity
If the liquid supply unit structure is simplified, then device complexity is reduced, but reagent contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the liquid supply unit into storage and supply chambers, the structure remains simple while preventing contamination through spatial separation. The liquid reagents never contact the supply unit structure directly.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas permeable membrane serves as a simple intermediary that enables contamination-free reagent supply without complicating the overall structure. It provides the necessary barrier function while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Productivity
If liquid reagents are supplied directly to the processing region, then productivity is improved, but reagent contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The gas permeable membrane enables rapid liquid reagent supply to the processing region while preventing contamination. It acts as an efficient intermediary that maintains high productivity through fast permeation while ensuring reagent purity.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful contact between liquid reagents and the liquid supply unit structure is extracted and eliminated by using the gas permeable membrane barrier. This allows direct supply functionality to be maintained without the contamination problem.
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 allows for consistent resist removal across substrates by managing immersion time and temperature individually, reducing variation and enhancing processing efficiency while minimizing resource consumption and downtime.
Implementation Method 1
a gas permeable membrane is provided between the first chamber and the second chamber
Data Source
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AI summary
A liquid chemical processing device that reduces variation in resist removal for each substrate includes: a processing tank (10a) in which resist removal processing is performed by immersing substrates (4) in a chemical (6); a plurality of holders (22) configured to hold the substrates (4) in a vertical posture; vertical drivers (20) configured to individually and vertically drive the holders (22); and a chuck (55) configured to disengageably chuck the substrates (4), wherein the vertical drivers (20) are configured to individually and vertically move the holders (22) between an immersed position where the substrates (4) are immersed in the chemical (6) and a non-immersed position where the substrates (4) are lifted up from the chemical (6), and the substrates (4) held by the holders (22) are subjected to the resist removal processing in a single wafer manner.