Substrate Rinse Liquid Recovery for Rear Surface Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face an increased use of new processing liquids, which can contribute to environmental load, as they often require separate supplies for front and rear surface processing without effective recycling of rinse liquids.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus and method that includes a cup to trap rinse liquid, a recovered-liquid storage tank to store used rinse liquid, and a rear surface processing liquid supply to reuse the recovered liquid on the rear surface of the substrate, reducing the need for new processing liquids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If separate supplies for front and rear surface processing are used without recycling, then processing simplicity is maintained, but processing liquid consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a recovery cup that collects rinse liquid scattered from the substrate during processing. This recovered liquid is then stored in a storage tank and reused for rear surface processing, thereby reducing the loss of processing liquid and minimizing the need for fresh liquid supplies.
Solution Approach 2:
The recovered rinse liquid serves multiple purposes: it is used for rear surface processing and can also be utilized in subsequent front surface processing steps. This multi-functional reuse of the same liquid reduces overall consumption and eliminates the need for completely separate liquid supplies for different processing stages.
2Loss of substance
If recovered liquid is reused for rear surface processing, then processing liquid consumption is reduced, but liquid quality control becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs disposable or easily replaceable filters in the liquid supply lines to the rear surface processing unit. These filters remove contaminants from the recovered liquid, ensuring that quality issues do not propagate to the substrate. The filters can be quickly replaced without affecting the entire system, maintaining reliability while enabling liquid reuse.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If rinse liquid is trapped and stored for reuse, then environmental load is reduced, but storage and management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recovery cup, storage tank, and supply system are integrated into a unified liquid management system. The recovery cup directly feeds into the storage tank, which is connected to the rear surface processing unit through a controlled supply line. This merging of functions into a compact integrated system reduces the overall complexity compared to having separate disposal and supply systems.
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
This approach reduces the use of new processing liquids by recycling rinse liquids, thereby minimizing environmental impact and optimizing resource utilization.
Implementation Method 1
a cup (80) to trap the rinse liquid scattered from the substrate (W)
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber to accommodate a substrate having a front surface on which a device is provided and a rear surface positioned on an opposite side to the front surface, a substrate holder to hold the substrate in the chamber, a chemical liquid supply to supply a chemical liquid to the front surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a rinse liquid supply to supply a rinse liquid to the front surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder. The substrate processing apparatus includes a cup to trap the rinse liquid scattered from the substrate held by the substrate holder, a recovered-liquid storage tank to store, as a recovered liquid, the rinse liquid recovered in the cup, and a rear surface processing liquid supply to supply the recovered liquid to the rear surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder.