Substrate Surface Treatment for Uniform Liquid Drying
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional liquid processing methods face issues with uneven drying of rinsing liquids on substrates with both water-repellent base surfaces and convex portions, leading to surface tension imbalances that can cause the convex portions to collapse.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that selectively hydrophilize the base surface and water-repellent the convex portions before rinsing, ensuring uniform drying by using hydrophilizing and water-repellent liquids to control the surface tension and prevent coexistence of dry and wet areas during the drying process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the base surface and convex portions are both made water-repellent, then the convex portions are protected from collapse, but the rinsing liquid is not uniformly dried and surface tension imbalance occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different surface properties to different regions: the base surface is made hydrophilic while the convex portions are made water-repellent. This local differentiation allows the rinsing liquid to be uniformly absorbed by the base surface while the convex portions remain protected from collapse by their water-repellent coating.
Solution Approach 2:
The surface treatment is performed in advance before the drying process. By pre-coating the base surface with a hydrophilic substance and the convex portions with a water-repellent substance, the system is prepared to ensure uniform drying and prevent collapse during the subsequent rinsing liquid removal process.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the rinsing liquid is supplied to a substrate with fully water-repellent surfaces, then the convex portions are protected, but uneven drying occurs causing surface tension imbalance
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the substrate are given different surface properties: the base surface is hydrophilic to ensure uniform spreading and absorption of the rinsing liquid, while the convex portions are water-repellent to protect them from collapse. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction between protection and uniform liquid distribution.
3Manufacturing precision
If surface treatment is applied to make base surface hydrophilic and convex portions water-repellent, then uniform drying is achieved, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The surface treatment process is segmented into distinct steps: first treating the base surface to be hydrophilic, then treating the convex portions to be water-repellent. This segmentation allows for controlled application of different surface properties to different regions, achieving uniform drying while managing process complexity through systematic separation of treatment steps.
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
Prevents the collapse of convex portions by maintaining a balanced surface tension and ensuring uniform drying, as the hydrophilized base surface allows for even spreading and removal of the rinsing liquid, while water-repellent convex portions reduce the force causing collapse.
Implementation Method 1
processing a surface of the object to be processed such that the base surface of the object to be processed which is water-repellent becomes selectively hydrophilic
Implementation Method 2
the surfaces of the convex portions which are hydrophilic become selectively water-repellent
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a liquid processing method, a liquid processing apparatus, and a recording medium that can prevent convex portions of a target substrate from collapsing when a rinsing liquid is dried. A base surface of a target substrate is hydrophilized and the surfaces of convex portions become water-repellent by surface-processing the target substrate which includes a main body, a plurality of convex portions protruding from the main body, and a base surface formed between the convex portions on the substrate main body. Next, a rinsing liquid is supplied to the target substrate which has been subjected to the surface processing. Thereafter, the rinsing liquid is removed from the target substrate.