Substrate Treatment Liquid Supply Nozzle Reciprocation
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate cleaning processes apply different cleaning forces and treatment amounts per unit area to the central and peripheral areas of a substrate due to varying flow rates and rotational speeds, leading to uneven cleaning.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method where the treatment liquid is supplied to a rotating substrate by moving the supply location from the central area outward to the peripheral area and vice versa, with adjustable intervals, discharge amounts, rotational speeds, and movement speeds to ensure uniform treatment across the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If treatment liquid is supplied to a rotating substrate using centrifugal force from the central area to the peripheral area, then the treatment liquid can be diffused across the substrate, but the flow rates at the central and peripheral areas become different resulting in non-uniform cleaning forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the treatment liquid discharge amount according to the radial position on the substrate. The discharge amount is increased at the central area and decreased at the peripheral area, creating position-dependent treatment conditions that compensate for the centrifugal force distribution and achieve uniform cleaning across the entire substrate surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the discharge amount parameter of the treatment liquid based on the radial position. By adjusting the discharge amount from the nozzle according to the distance from the substrate center, the system maintains consistent cleaning effectiveness across different regions despite variations in centrifugal force and flow dynamics.
2Area of stationary object
If the nozzle is reciprocally moved from central area to peripheral area to supply treatment liquid, then coverage is improved, but the rotational speeds of central and peripheral areas become different resulting in different treatment amounts per unit area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the discharge amount parameter based on the radial position of the nozzle. As the nozzle moves from the central area to the peripheral area, the discharge amount is automatically adjusted to account for the varying rotational speeds and centrifugal forces, ensuring that each unit area receives an appropriate treatment amount for uniform cleaning.
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 ensures uniform cleaning forces and treatment amounts per unit area, effectively addressing the uneven cleaning issues by varying the supply location's movement and process conditions based on its position on the substrate.
Implementation Method 1
The treatment liquid is diffused from the central area of the substrate to the peripheral area of the substrate by a centrifugal force of the substrate to clean the entire area of the substrate.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for treating a substrate with a treatment liquid is disclosed, wherein the substrate is treated while a location at which the treatment liquid is supplied onto the substrate that is rotated is moved in an outward direction from a central area of the substrate towards a peripheral area of the substrate and in an inward direction from a peripheral area of the substrate towards a central area of the substrate a plurality of times, and wherein the movement distances of some of the plurality of movements are different from each other.