Vacuum Dryer Support Pins with Electrostatic Solvent Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum dryers used in the photolithography process for display devices often result in uneven photoresist thickness due to support pins, leading to display spots, and require additional effort and time to adjust pins for different substrate sizes, causing defects.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum dryer with support pins that are electrified by a power supply to create an electrostatic force, drawing solvent from the photoresist layer uniformly across the substrate, ensuring consistent thickness regardless of pin contact areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support pins are used to support the substrate during drying, then the substrate can be held in position, but uneven photoresist thickness occurs at pin contact areas causing display spots
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the electrical parameter (voltage) of the support pins to create an electrostatic field. By applying a specific voltage to the pins, solvent in the photoresist is electrostatically attracted toward the pin surfaces, compensating for the thickness reduction caused by pin contact and achieving uniform thickness across the substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the purely mechanical support pin system with an electrostatically enhanced system. Instead of relying only on mechanical contact for positioning, the system uses electrostatic forces to actively manage photoresist distribution, substituting mechanical function with electrical field effects.
2Manufacturing precision
If support pins are positioned in non-display area to prevent spots, then display quality improves, but additional time and effort are required to adjust pins for different substrate sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the support pins universally applicable across different substrate sizes and positions. By enabling pins to function both as mechanical supports and electrostatic solvent attractors, the system eliminates the need for special positioning arrangements for different substrate types, allowing pins to be placed optimally for drying efficiency rather than being constrained to non-display areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The voltage parameter applied to the pins can be adjusted based on substrate characteristics, allowing the same pin configuration to work effectively for different substrate sizes and types, thereby eliminating the need for physical repositioning of pins.
3Adaptability or versatility
If support pins are frequently adjusted for different substrate sizes, then adaptability improves, but defects are created during attaching and detaching processes
Solution Approach 1:
The support pins are designed to be universally compatible with different substrate sizes through their electrostatic function. The pins remain in fixed positions and use adjustable voltage to adapt to different substrates, eliminating the mechanical attaching and detaching operations that generate particles and defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical adjustment and repositioning operations with electrical parameter adjustment. Instead of physically moving pins for different substrates, the system uses voltage control to maintain effectiveness across various substrate types, eliminating the harmful mechanical interactions that create defects.
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
The solution achieves a uniform photoresist thickness across the substrate, reducing defects and the need for frequent adjustments of support pins, thereby improving the quality and efficiency of the drying process.
Implementation Method 1
support pins that are electrified by a power supply to create an electrostatic force, drawing solvent from the photoresist layer uniformly across the substrate
Implementation Method 2
The dryer may dry the substrate by decompressing the internal space of the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum dryer including a chamber configured to provide an interior space, support pins in the interior space proximate to a bottom of the chamber, a power supply configured to supply power to the support pins, and a pump coupled to the interior space in the chamber.