Rotating Substrate Liquid Supply for Uniform Solvent Film Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing methods face challenges in efficiently cleaning and drying substrates, particularly in forming a uniform organic solvent liquid film to improve drying efficiency using supercritical fluids.
Innovation Solution
The method involves supplying a first treatment liquid, such as deionized water, to a center region of a rotating substrate and a second treatment liquid, such as an organic solvent, to a middle region. After a setting time, the nozzle supplying the first treatment liquid moves away from the center while continuing to supply the liquid, ensuring a uniform distribution and minimizing exposure to air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a first treatment liquid is supplied to a center region and a second treatment liquid is supplied to a middle region of a rotating substrate, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but liquid distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle supplying the first treatment liquid is moved in a direction away from the center of the substrate after a setting time has elapsed. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to transition from a static two-liquid supply configuration to a dynamic one, enabling the first liquid to be redistributed more uniformly across the substrate surface while maintaining the cleaning effectiveness provided by both liquids.
2Manufacturing precision
If the nozzle supplying the first treatment liquid is moved after a setting time, then liquid film uniformity is improved, but process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system supplies both treatment liquids to the substrate before moving the first nozzle. This preliminary action ensures that the substrate receives the beneficial cleaning effects of both liquids initially, and then the nozzle movement redistributes the liquids uniformly. The timing sequence (supply first, then move) simplifies the overall process control compared to coordinated simultaneous movement.
3Productivity
If deionized water is replaced with an organic solvent on the substrate, then drying efficiency is improved, but liquid replacement uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The movable nozzle configuration enables dynamic redistribution of the organic solvent across the substrate surface. By moving the nozzle away from the center after a setting time, the system ensures uniform replacement of deionized water with organic solvent throughout the substrate, preventing localized concentration variations that would compromise drying uniformity.
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 enables efficient cleaning and drying of substrates by forming a uniform organic solvent liquid film, which enhances the drying efficiency using supercritical fluids, thereby improving the overall substrate processing outcome.
Implementation Method 1
improving drying efficiency of the substrate by a supercritical fluid
Implementation Method 2
the first treatment liquid and the second treatment liquid may be provided to have different surface tension
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method of processing a substrate, the method including: supplying a second treatment liquid of a different type from a first treatment liquid to a first location of a substrate while supplying the first treatment liquid to a second location of a rotating substrate, the first location being closer to a center of the substrate than the second location, in which the nozzle supplying the first treatment liquid is moved while continuing to supply the first treatment liquid after a setting time has elapsed from a time when the second treatment liquid is started to be supplied.