Substrate treating apparatus with parallel gas supply pipes and a gas exhaust pipe
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate treating apparatuses face limitations in throughput due to the need for multiple transporting steps and the challenge of reducing the number of transport mechanisms without increasing the footprint, which hampers further improvements in processing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with multiple substrate treatment lines arranged vertically, each equipped with main transport mechanisms and treating units, allowing for parallel processing and efficient substrate transfer between adjacent lines, while maintaining a compact footprint by optimizing the arrangement of transport mechanisms and treating units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple main transport mechanisms are employed to improve throughput, then productivity increases, but device complexity and footprint enlarge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal arrangement of multiple transport mechanisms to a vertical arrangement where substrate treatment lines are stacked in the vertical dimension. This allows multiple substrate treatment lines to coexist within the same horizontal footprint, thereby increasing throughput without enlarging the apparatus footprint or complexity
2Productivity
If the number of transporting steps is reduced to improve throughput, then productivity increases, but the single main transport mechanism cannot accommodate fewer steps without limiting treatment capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
By arranging substrate treatment lines vertically, the patent enables parallel processing across multiple lines simultaneously. This vertical stacking allows the system to perform multiple treatment operations in parallel without requiring additional horizontal transporting steps, thus improving throughput while maintaining treatment capabilities
3Productivity
If multiple substrate treatment lines are arranged vertically to improve throughput, then productivity increases, but gas supply and exhaust become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the gas supply and exhaust systems by providing a common gas supply pipe that branches to multiple substrate treatment lines and a common gas exhaust pipe that collects from all lines. This unified approach simplifies the gas management system while supporting vertical arrangement of multiple treatment lines, thereby improving throughput without proportionally increasing system complexity
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 configuration significantly enhances throughput without enlarging the apparatus footprint, simplifies construction, and maintains clean transportation areas through strategic gas supply and exhaust systems, improving operational efficiency and reducing vertical movement requirements.
Implementation Method 1
a common, first gas supply pipe (63) extending laterally of the receivers (PASS2, PASS4) from an upper position of the transporting space (A1) to a lower position of the transporting space (A3)
Implementation Method 2
a common, first gas exhaust pipe (64) extending laterally of the receivers (PASS2, PASS4) from a lower position of the transporting space (A1) to a lower position of the transporting space (A3)
Implementation Method 3
The transporting space (A1) is blocked off from the transporting space (A3)
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate treating method for treating substrates with a substrate treating apparatus having an indexer section, a treating section and an interface section includes performing resist film forming treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section and performing developing treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section.