Substrate Holding Apparatus Sealing for Compact Immersion Depth

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing substrate holding apparatuses face challenges in achieving a compact size while ensuring sufficient immersion depth in processing liquids, and in securely sealing the peripheral portion of the back surface of substrates to prevent processing liquid intrusion, leading to inefficiencies and increased apparatus size.

Innovation Solution

A substrate holding apparatus with a first sealing member and a substrate pressing section featuring a second ring-shaped sealing member that makes pressure contact with the substrate holder, preventing processing liquid intrusion and allowing for adjustable immersion depth, and incorporating elastic bodies and weir portions for enhanced sealing and flexibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a substrate holding apparatus uses a simple sealing structure, then the apparatus size can be reduced, but the processing liquid may intrude into the back surface of the substrate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapparatus sizeVSAvoidsealing performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible sealing member made of elastic material that can deform to conform to the substrate surface. This flexible sealing member achieves reliable sealing of the substrate back surface while maintaining a compact apparatus structure, resolving the contradiction between small size and sealing performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the sealing function into a separate, dedicated sealing member that can be independently optimized. This separate sealing component prevents processing liquid intrusion while allowing the main apparatus body to remain compact, addressing the size-reliability tradeoff.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Manufacturing precision

If the substrate holding apparatus ensures sufficient immersion depth, then processing quality improves, but the apparatus size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing qualityVSAvoidapparatus size

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves sufficient immersion depth by optimizing the vertical arrangement and compacting the structural dimensions in other directions. The substrate holder and sealing structures are arranged to maximize vertical immersion while minimizing horizontal footprint, allowing deep processing in a compact overall apparatus size.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Volume of moving object

If the substrate holding apparatus uses a compact structure, then apparatus size is reduced, but the sealing member cannot make reliable pressure contact with the substrate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveapparatus sizeVSAvoidcontact pressure reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a substrate pressing mechanism that can dynamically adjust the position and apply variable pressure to the substrate. This dynamic pressing action ensures reliable contact between the sealing member and substrate even in a compact apparatus, resolving the contradiction between small size and contact pressure reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The substrate pressing mechanism performs preliminary positioning and pressure application before the sealing operation. This preliminary action ensures that the sealing member makes reliable pressure contact with the substrate from the outset, maintaining sealing effectiveness in a compact apparatus configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution enables a compact substrate processing apparatus with secure substrate holding, preventing processing liquid intrusion and allowing for deeper immersion, thus improving processing quality and reducing apparatus size, while maintaining effective sealing without creating empty spaces.

Implementation Method 1

wherein the substrate holder includes a first sealing member for supporting the substrate by bringing a peripheral portion of a surface to be processed of the substrate into contact with the first sealing member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

A substrate holding apparatus with a first sealing member and a substrate pressing section featuring a second ring-shaped sealing member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum attraction: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentUS7886685B2Substrate holding apparatus, substrate holding method, and substrate processing apparatus

Publication Date: 2011.02.15 EBARA CORP

AI summary

A substrate holding apparatus can meet the request for a smaller-sized compact apparatus while ensuring a sufficient immersion depth of a substrate in a processing liquid. The substrate holding apparatus includes: a substrate holder for supporting a substrate (W) by bringing a peripheral portion of a surface of the substrate (W) into contact with a first sealing member; and a substrate pressing section for lowering relative to the substrate holder so as to press the substrate (W) held by the substrate holder downward, thereby bringing a first sealing member into pressure contact with the substrate (W). The substrate pressing section is provided with a second ring-shaped sealing member which makes pressure contact with an upper surface of a ring-shaped holding section of the substrate holder, thereby sealing the peripheral region of the substrate pressing section.