Spinless Coating Nozzle with Rotational Cleaning and Z-Axis Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spinless coaters face issues with nozzle pollution, PR solution drying, and maintenance of appropriate PR levels, especially with larger substrates that require air-floating stages to prevent damage, leading to coating precision challenges.
Innovation Solution
A spinless coating apparatus with a nozzle that moves back and forth in a straight line, rotates, and includes a cleaning mechanism with a concave nozzle front end insertion unit made of elastic material for efficient cleaning without priming, ensuring the nozzle is fixed in the Z-axis direction to maintain precision and prevent coating defects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a conventional spinless coater uses a nozzle that moves back and forth to coat substrates, then coating coverage is improved, but nozzle pollution and coating precision deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is configured to rotate about its own axis in addition to moving back and forth. This dynamic rotation enables the coating solution to be uniformly distributed across the substrate surface, improving coating coverage and uniformity while maintaining precision through controlled rotational motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The coating process is divided into two independent motion components: back-and-forth movement for coverage and rotation for uniformity. This segmentation allows each motion to be optimized independently, with the back-and-forth motion ensuring full substrate coverage and the rotation ensuring uniform distribution, thereby resolving the precision-coverage trade-off.
2Ease of operation
If a cleaning unit with priming roller is used to clean the nozzle, then nozzle cleaning capability is improved, but device complexity and priming requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The priming roller and standby unit components are removed from the cleaning unit. The cleaning function is achieved using only the cleaner that sprays cleaning solution and uses airflow to remove debris. This extraction of unnecessary components simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining effective nozzle cleaning capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning unit operates autonomously by spraying cleaning solution and using airflow to self-remove debris from the nozzle without requiring external priming actions. The system performs its own cleaning function through the coordinated action of the cleaner spray and airflow generation, eliminating the need for separate priming mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If PR solution is dispensed by priming roller to prepare nozzle for spraying, then spray preparation is improved, but loss of time and productivity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle maintains a continuous supply of cleaning solution or PR solution through the supply line connected to the head, eliminating the need for intermittent priming actions. The solution flows continuously to the nozzle tip, ensuring the nozzle is always ready for spraying without requiring time-consuming priming operations, thereby maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning solution or PR solution is pre-supplied to the nozzle through the head and supply line before coating operation begins. This preliminary supply ensures the nozzle is already prepared and ready for immediate spraying, eliminating the need for time-consuming priming operations during the coating process and improving overall productivity.
4Stability of the object's composition
If nozzle is allowed to rotate freely during back-and-forth movement, then coating uniformity is improved, but coating precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle rotates about its own axis at a controlled rate while moving back and forth. This dynamic rotation is independently controllable and can be synchronized with the back-and-forth motion to achieve optimal coating uniformity. The rotation ensures uniform distribution of coating solution while the independent control maintains positioning precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle motion is segmented into two independent controlled movements: back-and-forth translation for positioning and rotation for uniformity. Each motion can be independently controlled and optimized, allowing the system to achieve both coating precision through controlled translation and coating uniformity through controlled rotation without interference between the two functions.
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 apparatus prevents nozzle pollution, reduces coating defects by maintaining precision in the Z-axis direction, and omits the need for priming, thereby enhancing coating stability and efficiency while preventing substrate damage.
Implementation Method 1
a nozzle front end insertion unit (160) in a concave shape of the nozzle front end (122)
Data Source
AI summary
A coating apparatus includes: a nozzle having a nozzle front end configured to spray a coating solution and a head configured to store the coating solution; a movement axis configured to cause the nozzle to move back and forth in a straight line; a rotating connection member configured to connect the movement axis with the nozzle and allow the nozzle to rotate; a stage disposed under the movement axis; and a cleaning means disposed at an end of the movement axis, and having a nozzle front end insertion unit in a concave shape of the nozzle front end and a base fixing the insertion unit, wherein the nozzle is fixed in a normal direction of a surface of the stage by the movement axis, moves back and forth in an extension direction of the movement axis, and rotates with respect to the movement axis.