Symmetrical Substrate Treating Units with Asymmetric Reservoir
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate treating apparatuses face issues with uneven treatment quality due to dissimilar configurations of treating units, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity in manufacturing and operation.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with treating units having symmetrical configurations, allowing for uniform treatment quality and reduced manufacturing complexity, where the transport mechanism's movement distance is optimized by adjusting the positions of holders and liquid reservoirs to minimize interference and enhance throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If treating units are configured symmetrically to each other, then manufacturing complexity is reduced and treatment quality uniformity is improved, but the transport mechanism's movement distance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by positioning the liquid reservoir exclusively on one side (the other side) of the transportation space, rather than symmetrically. This asymmetric placement allows the transport mechanism to access treating units on both sides without requiring excessive movement distance, as the reservoir position is optimized to minimize interference with substrate transport paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the spatial conflict by utilizing the lateral dimension (left-right direction) to place the liquid reservoir, rather than extending it in the front-back direction. This dimensional repositioning allows symmetric treating units to be maintained while minimizing the transport mechanism's movement distance in the primary substrate transport direction.
2Productivity
If the liquid reservoir is located behind the transportation space, then it does not interfere with substrate transport, but the apparatus footprint increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the apparatus footprint by repositioning the liquid reservoir from the rear (front-back direction) to the lateral side (left-right direction) of the transportation space. This dimensional change allows the reservoir to be placed in underutilized space without interfering with substrate transport paths, thereby maintaining productivity while minimizing the overall apparatus footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid reservoir is positioned to nest within the lateral space of the treating block structure, utilizing the available volume efficiently. This nesting approach allows the reservoir to be integrated into the apparatus footprint without requiring additional external space, thus maintaining compact dimensions while ensuring non-interference with substrate transport.
3Adaptability or versatility
If treating units have similar but not equal configurations, then design flexibility is maintained, but treatment quality uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the liquid reservoir from the symmetric configuration of treating units and places it separately on one side. This separation allows the treating units themselves to maintain identical symmetric configurations for uniform treatment quality, while the reservoir's asymmetric position provides the necessary design flexibility for optimizing space and transport paths.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus in which a first treating unit is located rightward of a transportation space. The first treating unit includes a first holder. A second treating unit is located leftward of the transportation space. The second treating unit includes a second holder. The first holder has a center point positioned more rearward than a middle point of the first treating unit in plan view. The second holder has a center point positioned more forward than a middle point of the second treating unit in plan view. The second treating unit has a front end located more rearward than a front end of the first treating unit and more forward than a rear end of the first treating unit. The first liquid reservoir is located leftward of the transportation space and adjacent to and in front of the second treating unit.