Spin-Coating Fluid Retention Wall for Liquid Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spin-coating methods result in significant losses of coating liquid, increasing production costs due to excess fluid being drained from the substrate during rotation, which is not efficiently retained for forming thin films.
Innovation Solution
A system with a rotatable chuck and a fluid retention wall on the substrate's outer perimeter edge, featuring a sealing member and fluid direction fins to redirect and retain spin-coating fluid, allowing for multiple layer coating by adjusting rotational velocity and direction, thereby minimizing fluid loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a discharge drain is used to remove excess coating liquid, then the substrate surface is cleared of excess fluid, but significant amounts of coating liquid are lost increasing production cost
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid retention wall captures excess coating liquid that would otherwise be discarded through the discharge drain. The wall creates a containment structure that recovers the liquid for potential reuse, directly addressing the contradiction by preventing loss while maintaining surface quality through controlled fluid management
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid retention wall acts as an intermediary element between the substrate surface and the discharge drain. It intercepts excess coating liquid before it reaches the drain, allowing the system to maintain clean substrate surfaces while recovering the fluid that would otherwise be lost
2Manufacturing precision
If coating liquid is deposited on the substrate during rotation, then the substrate surface is coated, but excess coating liquid exits the outer perimeter and is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The fluid retention wall implements a recover system for excess coating liquid that exits the substrate during rotation. By positioning the wall at the outer perimeter, it captures and retains the liquid for potential reuse, converting what would be waste into a recoverable resource while maintaining coating quality
Solution Approach 2:
The fluid retention wall introduces a vertical dimension to the fluid management system. By extending upward from the substrate perimeter, it creates a three-dimensional containment structure that captures liquid in the vertical space, preventing horizontal loss at the substrate edge
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
The system effectively retains and recycles spin-coating fluid, reducing waste and enabling the formation of multi-layer thin films with reduced solvent loss, particularly beneficial for materials requiring multiple applications or high precision coating.
Implementation Method 1
A base plate or substrate, such as a silicon wafer is spun on a turntable or chuck. A coating liquid is deposited on the substrate and is spread over the entire surface of the substrate by the centrifugal force from the rotation of the substrate.
Implementation Method 2
a sealing member is between the fluid retention wall and the substrate, and the sealing member is configured to maintain a fluid seal between the substrate and the fluid retention wall
Implementation Method 3
fluid direction fins on the fluid retention wall are configured to redirect the spin-coating fluid toward the interior area of the substrate when a speed of rotation of the rotatable chuck is reduced
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for retaining a spin-coating fluid when forming a thin film includes a rotatable chuck; a substrate on the rotatable chuck, the substrate having an interior area and an outer perimeter edge; and a fluid retention wall on the outer perimeter edge of the substrate, the fluid retention wall being configured to retain a spin-coating fluid deposited on the interior area of the substrate during rotation of the rotatable chuck.