Wet-Dry Substrate Treatment Layout for Inline Photolithography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate treatment systems face inefficiencies in productivity due to unused space adjacent to large exposure apparatuses, particularly when the exposure apparatus projects deeper than the wet treatment system, leading to underutilization of available space and reduced overall system productivity.
Innovation Solution
A substrate treatment system is designed with a dry treatment system positioned adjacent to the wet treatment system, utilizing the underutilized space, and a relay transfer system to facilitate selective or sequential wet and dry treatments, including a relay transfer system to connect the wet and dry treatment systems, allowing for efficient substrate processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the wet treatment system is arranged adjacent to the exposure apparatus, then the substrate treatment process is simplified, but the space adjacent to the exposure apparatus remains unused when the exposure apparatus projects deeper than the wet treatment system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a dry treatment system arranged in the depth direction adjacent to the exposure apparatus, utilizing the previously unused space. This dimensional arrangement allows the dry treatment system to occupy the space that extends deeper than the wet treatment system, thereby converting wasted space into functional treatment capacity without increasing the footprint in other directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional treatment system that includes both wet treatment and dry treatment capabilities. The dry treatment system performs the same kind of substrate treatment as the wet treatment system, providing universal treatment options for substrates requiring different treatment modes, thereby maximizing the utility of the available space.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a relay transfer system is introduced to connect wet and dry treatment systems, then treatment versatility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay transfer system acts as an intermediary mechanism that connects the wet treatment system and the dry treatment system. This mediator enables substrate transfer between the two treatment systems, allowing flexible treatment sequences (wet then dry, or dry then wet) while maintaining a relatively simple modular system architecture that doesn't require complex integration.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate treatment system includes a wet system, a dry system, and a relay transfer system. The wet system has a wet treatment apparatus which performs in a wet mode one of substrate treatments from a formation treatment of a resist film to a developing treatment of the resist film after exposure, and is coupled to an exposure apparatus. The dry system has a dry treatment apparatus which performs in a dry mode a same kind of substrate treatment by the wet treatment apparatus. The relay transfer system transfers the substrate between the wet system and the dry system. When viewed from a coupling direction, the wet system is arranged such that the exposure apparatus projects from one side in a depth direction perpendicular to the coupling direction in top view; and the dry system is adjacent to the one side of the wet system in the depth direction.