Square Substrate Drying with Nozzles for Grip-Point Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate drying methods for square substrates face challenges in ensuring thorough drying, particularly around contact points with gripping and support mechanisms, as gas ejection may not be sufficient, leading to residual treatment liquids.
Innovation Solution
A substrate drying apparatus with a gripping part and nozzles that eject gas to both sides of a square substrate, including a substrate nozzle movable relative to the substrate and a gripping part nozzle that intersects with the substrate nozzle's direction, ensuring comprehensive drying by using air knives, gripping part nozzles, and support part nozzles to target areas around the gripping and support points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If gas is ejected to both sides of the substrate when conveyed by a roller, then drying of the substrate is achieved, but the substrate may hit the roller and be damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is extracted from the roller conveyance system and held stationary by a gripping part during the drying process. This removes the substrate from contact with the roller, eliminating the risk of damage while allowing gas to be ejected to both sides for effective drying.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the substrate is gripped to prevent damage, then substrate safety is improved, but gas ejection to the vicinity of contact locations becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The drying system is segmented into multiple nozzles positioned at different locations: substrate nozzles for general drying and gripping part nozzles specifically positioned to eject gas to the vicinity of contact locations. This segmentation ensures that gripping contact areas receive adequate gas flow for drying without compromising substrate safety.
Solution Approach 2:
Different nozzle configurations are applied to different regions: the gripping part nozzles are specifically oriented to target the contact locations between the gripping part and substrate, providing localized drying enhancement where it is most needed while the substrate remains gripped and protected.
3Device complexity
If a single nozzle configuration is used, then device complexity is reduced, but drying coverage of all substrate areas including contact points is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle system is divided into distinct substrate nozzles and gripping part nozzles with different orientations and positions. This segmentation enables comprehensive drying coverage of all substrate areas including the critical contact locations, while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure through modular nozzle design.
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 effectively removes treatment liquids from both sides and contact points of the substrate, ensuring thorough drying and preventing re-wetting of the substrate, thereby maintaining the substrate's integrity and cleanliness.
Implementation Method 1
a substrate nozzle, ejecting gas to the substrate gripped by the gripping part to dry the substrate
Implementation Method 2
a gripping part nozzle, ejecting gas to the gripping part to dry the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
An aspect of the disclosure provides a substrate drying apparatus. The substrate drying apparatus includes: a gripping part, gripping an outer periphery part of a substrate that is square; a substrate nozzle, ejecting gas to the substrate gripped by the gripping part to dry the substrate; and a gripping part nozzle, ejecting gas to the gripping part to dry the substrate. The substrate nozzle is relatively movable with respect to the substrate in a first direction, and is able to eject the gas in the first direction toward the substrate. The gripping part nozzle is relatively movable with respect to the substrate in the first direction, and is able to eject the gas in a second direction intersecting with the first direction. The gripping part nozzle is disposed behind the substrate nozzle in the first direction.