Substrate Fluid Supply Layout for Shorter Pipes and Easier Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate treating apparatuses have poor maintainability due to inaccessible pipe connections and long pipe lengths, leading to increased stagnation and temperature control issues with treatment liquids.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with the first and second supplying sections located on opposite lateral sides of the treating section, allowing for easy access and reducing pipe lengths, featuring nozzles with proximal ends closer to their respective supplying sections, and including a return system to prevent fluid stagnation and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pipe is connected from the supplying section along the back side face, then the nozzle can be positioned away from the front side face, but the maintainability becomes poor and the pipe length increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of connecting the pipe from the supplying section along the back side face as in conventional designs, the patent inverts the connection path by routing the pipe along the front side face. This allows maintenance personnel to access the pipe and performing maintenance operations from the front side face, significantly improving maintainability while reducing pipe length
2Ease of operation
If the other nozzle is located at the farthest position from the front side face, then the nozzles can be dispersed to avoid interference, but the accessibility for maintenance becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the conflict between nozzle dispersion and accessibility by utilizing the vertical dimension. The nozzles are arranged at different heights (vertical positions) while maintaining appropriate horizontal spacing. This three-dimensional arrangement allows nozzles to be dispersed enough to avoid interference during substrate processing, while still being accessible from the front side face for maintenance purposes
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus for performing treatment with supply of fluids to a substrate. The apparatus includes a first treatment housing, a treating section provided inside of the first treatment housing and configured to treat a substrate placed on a mount table with the fluids, a first fluid supplying section located on a first lateral side of the treating section, seen from a front side face where maintenance is performed to the first treatment housing, and configured to supply a first fluid of the fluids to the treating section, and a second fluid supplying section located on a second lateral side of the treating section, seen from the front side face, and configured to supply a second fluid of the fluids to the treating section.