Vertical Cleaning Units for Substrate Processing Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate processing apparatuses face challenges in improving throughput due to congestion in polishing units and contamination risks during wafer transport, as well as limitations in simultaneous cleaning and drying of multiple wafers.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus features a polishing part with multiple polishing units and a cleaning part with vertically arranged cleaning units and a transport mechanism that allows for parallel processing and reduced contamination risk, including a transport robot and pushers to manage substrate movement efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple polishing units are provided to increase throughput, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional transport paths and mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension by arranging cleaning units in different levels (upper and lower cleaning units) and using an elevator mechanism to transport substrates between floors. This multi-level architecture allows parallel processing of multiple substrates simultaneously, increasing throughput without proportionally increasing horizontal space requirements and transport path complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning part is segmented into multiple independent cleaning units (upper and lower cleaning units, each with multiple cleaning modules) that can process substrates independently and in parallel. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple substrates simultaneously, improving productivity while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
2Device complexity
If a single cleaning line is provided to simplify the structure, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity decreases due to inability to simultaneously clean multiple wafers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a single-level cleaning line to a multi-level cleaning system with upper and lower cleaning units arranged vertically. The elevator mechanism enables substrates to be transported between levels, allowing simultaneous cleaning operations on multiple levels and thereby increasing throughput without requiring a single complex sequential line.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple cleaning units are merged into a single integrated cleaning part that shares common infrastructure (elevator, transport mechanisms, control systems). This consolidation allows parallel cleaning of multiple substrates while avoiding the complexity of completely separate cleaning systems, achieving both improved productivity and controlled device complexity.
3Productivity
If wafers are transported directly from loading/unloading part to polishing part to reduce transport time, then productivity is improved, but reliability decreases due to contamination risk in polishing environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate transporting part with a separate environment from the polishing part. This intermediate transport system acts as a buffer zone that isolates the clean loading/unloading area from the polishing environment, allowing wafers to be transported without direct exposure to contamination risks while maintaining efficient throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The transport system is segmented into distinct environmental zones: a clean loading/unloading part, an intermediate transporting part with controlled environment, and a polishing part. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized for its specific function while preventing contamination through environmental separation, maintaining both speed and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus is provided with a polishing part that polishes a substrate, a transporting part that transports a substrate before polishing to the polishing part, and a cleaning part that cleans the polished substrate. The cleaning part has a first cleaning unit and a second cleaning unit that are vertically arranged in two stages. The first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit each have a plurality of cleaning modules that are arranged in series. The transporting part has a slide stage that is disposed between the first cleaning unit and the second cleaning unit, and transports a substrate before polishing along an arrangement direction of the plurality of cleaning modules.