Rotating Substrate Clamping for Uniform Wet Processing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing technologies face challenges in achieving uniform processing and minimizing wear between the substrate and processing apparatus, leading to uneven processing and particle generation due to differences in rotational speeds and clamping mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a holder and rotator system that includes multiple clamper mechanisms, allowing for alternating clamping and release of the substrate's peripheral edge, and a controller to manage liquid supply and rotation, ensuring balanced clamping and uniform processing without altering the substrate's rotational speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the substrate is slidably held by substrate support members and rotated with a spin base, then the substrate can be processed on both front and rear surfaces, but differences in rotational speed between the substrate and spin base cause uneven processing and particle generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the clamper movable rather than fixed. The clamper moves in the radial direction of the substrate to maintain constant contact pressure during rotation, compensating for centrifugal force variations. This dynamic adjustment ensures uniform processing without particle generation while maintaining high processing efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If the substrate slides on substrate support members at constant acceleration or with liquid supply, then the substrate rotates relative to the spin base, but this causes wear between substrate and support members leading to particle generation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the clamping function from the rotating support members and places it on a separate movable clamper that rotates with the substrate. This separation eliminates the sliding contact between substrate and support members, removing the source of wear and particle generation while maintaining ease of substrate rotation control.
3Device complexity
If a single clamper is used to hold the substrate, then the structure is simple, but the clamping force is uneven causing substrate deformation and processing non-uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the clamping function into multiple clampers (first clamper and second clamper) positioned at different radial locations. This segmentation provides balanced clamping force distribution, preventing substrate deformation and ensuring processing uniformity while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes a holder for holding a substrate horizontally, a rotator for rotating the holder, a liquid supplier for supplying liquid to the substrate, and a controller for controlling the holder, the rotator, and the liquid supplier. The holder includes a turntable configured to be rotated by the rotator, at least one first clamper configured to be rotated together with the turntable and moved between a clamping position and a releasing position, and at least one second clamper configured to be rotated with the turntable and moved between the clamping and releasing positions independently of the at least one first clamper. The controller controls the at least one first clamper and the at least one second clamper to alternately clamp the peripheral edge of the substrate while the holder is being rotated by the rotator and the liquid is being supplied to the substrate.