Wafer Support Plate Layout to Keep Cleaning Solution Off Lift Pins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid processing apparatuses face issues with cleaning solutions adhering to substrate lifting pins and potentially transferring to semiconductor wafers, leading to watermark formation and increased humidity in wafer carriers, as well as the risk of cleaning solutions flowing into inert gas supply paths.
Innovation Solution
A liquid processing apparatus design featuring a hollow-shaped support plate with a rotary shaft, an inclined lift pin plate, and a solution discharge pipe to prevent cleaning solution residue on lift pins and ensure efficient inert gas supply by positioning the inert gas supply part higher than the cleaning solution supply part, with optional suction assistance for discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the cleaning solution supply part and inert gas supply part are positioned at the same height, then the structure is simple, but the cleaning solution may flow into the inert gas supply path
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the height positioning conflict by introducing a vertical dimension differentiation. The inert gas supply part is positioned higher than the cleaning solution supply part, creating a height difference that prevents cleaning solution from flowing into the inert gas path while maintaining structural simplicity through straightforward vertical arrangement.
2Device complexity
If the lift pin plate is horizontal, then the structure is simple, but the cleaning solution remains on the lift pin plate and attaches to the wafer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a curved surface principle by inclining the lift pin plate. This inclination creates a slope that guides the cleaning solution downward toward the discharge pipe, preventing accumulation on the plate and subsequent attachment to the wafer, while maintaining structural simplicity.
3Productivity
If the substrate lifting pins are used to lift and convey the wafer, then the wafer handling is efficient, but the cleaning solution attached to the pins transfers to the wafer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the cleaning solution from the lift pin plate surface before the wafer contact occurs. By positioning the discharge pipe to receive and remove the cleaning solution that flows down the inclined plate, the solution is taken out of the system before it can contaminate the wafer, preserving both handling efficiency and surface quality.
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
Prevents cleaning solution attachment to the wafer and inert gas supply contamination, ensuring effective cleaning and drying processes while maintaining wafer quality and reducing humidity-related issues.
Implementation Method 1
the lift pin plate includes an inclined surface
Implementation Method 2
the cleaning solution may be discharged through the solution discharge pipe by a driving force received from the suction device
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid processing apparatus, capable of preventing a cleaning solution from remaining on a lifting member of a target object, thereby preventing an attachment of a cleaning solution to an opposite surface of a target object, and preventing an inflow of the cleaning solution into an inert gas supply part to efficiently supply the inert gas to the object, is disclosed. The liquid processing apparatus includes a hollow-shaped support plate to support an object, a hollow-shaped rotary shaft fixedly connected to the support plate, a rotary drive part to rotate the rotary shaft in a predetermined rotating direction, and a lift pin plate arranged in a hollow of the support plate to have lift pins supporting a main body and the processed object. A cleaning solution supply part to supply a cleaning solution and an inert gas supply part to supply an inert gas are extended in a hollow of the rotary shaft. The lift pin plate includes an inclined surface, and the front end of the inert gas supply part is positioned in a position higher than that of the front end of the cleaning solution supply part.