WikiPatents - Community Patent Review
Create Free Account  |  License or Sell Your Patent  |  WikiPatents Marketplace  |  WikiPatents Blog
Username:  Password:  
    
Advanced Search
Apparatus and method of removing unnecessary matter and coating process using such method    
United States Patent6004631   
Link to this pagehttp://www.wikipatents.com/6004631.html
Inventor(s)Mori; Kozo (Suwa, JP)
AbstractAn apparatus for removing unnecessary matter formed on an edge portion of a substrate without damaging a middle area of a top face of the substrate is provided. The substrate is supported on a stage which is in contact only with a bottom face of the substrate. An activated gas supply device is located opposed to the stage and includes a ring-shaped electrode and a cover electrode surrounding the ring-shaped electrode. The cover electrode includes a gas outlet formed therethrough. Activated species and excited molecules formed from an atmospheric plasma are blown against the edge portion of the substrate through the gas outlet. The activated species and excited molecules and unnecessary matter removed form the edge portion of the substrate through reaction with the activated species and excited molecules, is exhausted along a side face of the edge portion of the substrate and away from the middle area through an exhausting device. A carrier gas supply may be also provided to blow a carrier gas against the middle area of the substrate. The carrier gas is then conducted from the middle area to the edge portion of the substrate so that the carrier gas prevents the activated gas from moving around to the middle area of the substrate.



 Title Information Submit all comments and votes
 
Patent Text Patent PDF Print Page Summary File History
Plain text PDF images Print Summary File History
Inventor     Mori; Kozo (Suwa, JP)
Owner/Assignee     Seiko Epson Corporation (Tokyo, JP)
Patent assignment
All assignments
Publication Date     December 21, 1999
Application Number     08/598,083
PAIR File History     Application Data   Transaction History
Image File Wrapper   Patent Term   Fees
Litigation
Filing Date     February 7, 1996
US Classification    
Int'l Classification    
Examiner     Padgett; Marianne
Assistant Examiner    
Attorney/Law Firm     Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP
Address
Parent Case    
Priority Data     Feb 07, 1995 [JP] 7-019192 Nov 22, 1995 [JP] 7-328146
USPTO Field of Search    
Patent Tags     removing unnecessary matter coating process such
   
Enter a comma (,) or semicolon (;) between multiple tag words/phrases.
Describe this patent:
 Amusing   
 Clever   
 Complex   
 Efficient   
 Historic   
 Important   
 Innovative   
 Interesting   
 Practical   
 Simple   
[no votes]
Patent WIKI

Share information and news about this patent, including information and news about the technology, inventors, company, ligation and licensing.

 References Submit all comments and votes
 
*references marked with an asterisk below are user-added references
 U.S. References
 
Add a new US reference:  
ReferenceRelevancyCommentsReferenceRelevancyComments
3762941



[0 after 0 votes]
5722581
Sindzingre
228/206
Mar,1998

[0 after 0 votes]
5693241
Banks
219/121.11
Dec,1997

[0 after 0 votes]
5688555
Teng
427/240
Nov,1997

[0 after 0 votes]
5597438
Grewal
156/345.38
Jan,1997

[0 after 0 votes]
5499754
Bobbio
228/42
Mar,1996

[0 after 0 votes]
5474642
Zorina
156/345.24
Dec,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5474640
Ye
156/345.43
Dec,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5449432
Hanawa
438/710
Sep,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5407121
Koopman
228/206
Apr,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5399830
Maruyama
219/121.43
Mar,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5391855
Tanisaki
219/121.43
Feb,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5384167
Nishiwaki
427/569
Jan,1995

[0 after 0 votes]
5372674
Steinberg
216/17
Dec,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5368685
Kumihashi
216/70
Nov,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5340618
Tanisaki
427/488
Aug,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5316739
Yoshikawa
422/186.05
May,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5308447
Lewis
216/23
May,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5292370
Tsai
118/723MP
Mar,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5290378
Kusano

Mar,1994

[0 after 0 votes]
5240559
Ishida
216/78
Aug,1993

[0 after 0 votes]
5225659
Kusano
219/121.59
Jul,1993

[0 after 0 votes]
5201995
Reisman
216/75
Apr,1993

[0 after 0 votes]
5178682
Tsukamoto
118/722
Jan,1993

[0 after 0 votes]
5147520
Bobbio
204/192.33
Sep,1992

[0 after 0 votes]
5126164
Okazaki
427/491
Jun,1992

[0 after 0 votes]
5110407
Ono
438/696
May,1992

[0 after 0 votes]
5087341
Tsukada

Feb,1992

[0 after 0 votes]
5045166
Bobbio
204/192.32
Sep,1991

[0 after 0 votes]
5000819
Pedder
216/69
Mar,1991

[0 after 0 votes]
4921157
Dishon
228/124.1
May,1990

[0 after 0 votes]
4857382
Liu
428/156
Aug,1989

[0 after 0 votes]
4749440
Blackwood
438/706
Jun,1988

[0 after 0 votes]
4708766
Hynecek
438/722
Nov,1987

[0 after 0 votes]
4705593
Haigh
438/708
Nov,1987

[0 after 0 votes]
4555303
Legge
438/490
Nov,1985

[0 after 0 votes]
4510176
Cuthbert
438/780
Apr,1985

[0 after 0 votes]
4430547
Yoneda
219/121.4
Feb,1984

[0 after 0 votes]
4277304
Horiike
438/712
Jul,1981

[0 after 0 votes]
4012307
Phillips
204/192.32
Mar,1977

[0 after 0 votes]
5549780
Koinuma
156/345.39
Dec,1969

[0 after 0 votes]
5120568
Schuurmans
427/488
Dec,1969

[0 after 0 votes]
 Foreign References
 Other References
 Market Review Submit all comments and votes
   
Market Size
Estimate the gross annual revenues of the relevant market sector:
> $10B
$5B - $10B
$2B - $5B
$500M - $2B
$100M - $500M
$10M - $100M
$1M - $10M
$500K - $1M
$100K - $500K
< $100K
[No votes]
$0
 
$0   $2.5B   $5B   $7.5B   $10B
Market Share
Estimate the percentage of the relevant market sector this invention will capture:
75% - 100%
50% - 74.99%
25% - 49.99%
10 - 24.99%
5 - 9.99%
2 - 4.99%
1 - 1.99%
< 1%
[No votes]
0.0%
 
0%   25%   50%   75%   100%
Reasonable Royalty
What percentage of gross sales should the inventor or assignee be paid?
75% - 100%
50% - 74.99%
25% - 49.99%
10 - 24.99%
5 - 9.99%
2 - 4.99%
1 - 1.99%
< 1%
[No votes]
0.0%
 
0%   25%   50%   75%   100%
Public's "Guesstimation" of Royalty Value
Market SizeN/A[No votes]
xMarket ShareN/A[No votes]
xReasonable RoyaltyN/A[No votes]

N/A

License Availablity
If you are NOT the owner or assignee, answer here:
Yes, license is available for purchase

No, license is not currently available



[No votes]
License Availablity
If you ARE the owner or assignee, answer here:
Yes, license is available for purchase

No, license is not currently available



[No votes]
Competitive Advantage
Does this invention have a significant competitive advantage over similar technologies?
Yes

No



[No votes]
Most helpful competitive advantage comment
[No comments]

Commercial Alternatives
Are there viable commercial alternatives for this invention?
Yes

No



[No votes]
Most helpful commercial alternative comment
[No comments]

 Technical Review Submit all comments and votes
 Claims Submit all comments and votes
 


What is claimed is:

1. A method of removing selected matter on an edge portion of a substrate, said substrate having a top face and a bottom face and a perimeter, said top face having said edge portion at the perimeter thereof, said top face having a middle area surrounded by said edge portion, said method comprising the steps of:

supporting said substrate by a support contacting only said bottom face of said substrate;

applying an AC voltage across a pair of plasma generating electrodes, to generate plasma at or about atmospheric pressure, said plasma generating electrodes being disposed within a gas supply path, said gas supply path having a gas outlet at one end thereof, said gas supply path having a gas capable of plasma discharge flowing therethrough;

activating said gas capable of plasma discharge in said gas supply path by said plasma to form activated gas species and excited molecules;

blowing said activated gas species and excited molecules against said edge portion of said substrate from said gas outlet, said gas outlet being disposed at a position opposed to said edge portion, said gas outlet including a ring-shaped gas passage formed therein at a position corresponding to and opposed to said edge portion;

removing said selected matter from said edge portion of said substrate by reaction of said selected matter with said activated gas species and excited molecules; and

exhausting said activated gas species and excited molecules and said removed selected matter away from said middle area of said substrate.

2. The method of removing selected matter of claim 1, wherein said substrate is a semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal substrate which has a flat portion of said edge portion, said flat portion being used to orient placement of said semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal substrate, and said pair of plasma generating electrodes includes a flat electrode part having a configuration corresponding to said flat portion, and further comprising the step of

conducting said substrate onto said support while said flat portion of said substrate is oriented in a given direction, thereby setting said flat portion of said substrate at a position directly opposed to said flat electrode part.

3. The method of removing selected matter of claim 1 wherein said substrate has said selected matter on said edge portion thereof, formed from a coating formed on said substrate by spin-coating.

4. The method of removing selected matter of claim 3 wherein said coating is at least one member of the group consisting of silicon oxide, organic resist and polyimide.

5. The method of removing selected matter of claim 1 wherein said gas capable of plasma discharge contains fluorine and said removing step includes etching said selected matter by the use of fluorine radicals formed from said plasma discharge.

6. The method of removing selected matter of claim 1 wherein said gas capable of plasma discharge contains oxygen and said removing step includes ashing said selected matter by the use of oxygen radicals formed from said plasma discharge.

7. The method of removing selected matter of claim 1 wherein said substrate supporting step includes contacting said bottom face of said substrate only at a position opposite said middle area on said bottom face of said substrate and not contacting said edge portion of said substrate, and said removing step includes conducting said activated gas and excited molecules onto said bottom face at said edge portion of said substrate, whereby said selected matter formed on said bottom face of said edge portion will be removed.

8. A method of removing selected matter on an edge portion of a substrate, said substrate having a top face and a bottom face and a perimeter, said top face having a middle portion surrounded by said edge portion at the perimeter, said method comprising the steps of:

supporting said substrate on a support, said support having a ring-shaped configuration defining a ring-shaped gas passageway and contacting only with said bottom face of said substrate;

applying an AC voltage across a pair of plasma generating electrodes, to generate plasma at or about atmospheric pressure said plasma generating electrodes being disposed within a gas supply path through which a gas capable of plasma discharge flows, said gas supply path having a gas outlet at one end thereof;

activating said gas capable of plasma discharge in said gas supply path by said plasma to form activated gas species and excited molecules;

blowing said activated gas species and excited molecules against said edge portion of said substrate from said gas outlet, said gas outlet is disposed at a position opposed to and proximate said edge portion;

removing said selected matter from said edge portion of said substrate by reaction with said activated gas species and excited molecules; and

blowing a carrier gas against and outwardly from said middle portion of said top face of said substrate and conducting said carrier gas from said middle portion to said edge portion of said substrate so that said carrier gas prevents said activated gas species and excited molecules and said removed selected matter from depositing on said middle portion of said substrate.

9. The method of removing selected matter of claim 8 wherein said carrier gas blowing step includes blowing a portion of said gas capable of plasma discharge in said gas supply path directly against said middle portion of said substrate without exposure of said gas capable of plasma discharge to said plasma.

10. The method of removing selected matter of claim 8, further comprising the step of exhausting said activated species and excited molecules, said carrier gas and said removed selected matter away from said middle portion for preventing contamination of said middle portion with dust of said selected matter.

11. A method of removing selected matter on an edge portion of a substrate, said substrate having a top face and a bottom face and a perimeter, said top face containing a middle portion surrounded by said edge portion at the perimeter thereof, said method comprising the steps of:

supporting said substrate by a support contacting only with said bottom face of said substrate;

applying an AC voltage across a pair of plasma generating electrodes, said plasma generating electrodes being placed on opposite sides of said edge portion of said substrate only; supplying a gas capable of discharge between said pair of plasma generating electrodes to generate plasma at or about atmospheric pressure proximate said edge portion of said substrate;

activating said gas capable of discharge by said plasma to form activated species and excited molecules; removing said selected matter from said edge portion of said substrate by reaction with said activated species and excited molecules; and

exhausting said activated species and excited molecules and said removed selected matter away from said middle portion;

wherein said edge portion includes a first half-circumferential edge portion and a second half-circumferential edge portion; said pair of plasma generating electrodes comprises a first half-circumferential electrode including a pair of electrode portions which correspond to said first half-circumferential edge portion, and a second half-circumferential electrode including a pair of electrode portions which are matched to said second half-circumferential edge portion; and wherein

said removing step includes moving at least two of: (a) said substrate, (b) said first half-circumferential electrode and (c) said second half-circumferential electrode relative to each other whereby the respective half-circumferential edge portions of said substrate are positioned opposed to said first half-circumferential electrode and second half-circumferential electrode, respectively.

12. The method of removing selected matter of claim 11 wherein said edge portion includes both a half-circular edge portion and a straight edge portion; and

wherein said removing step further includes rotatably changing the position of said half-circular edge portion relative to said straight edge portion relative to said plasma generating electrodes; and linearly changing the position of said flat edge portion relative to said plasma generating electrodes to remove said selected matter from said half-circular edge portion and said straight edge portion of said substrate, respectively.

13. A coating method for coating a substrate, said substrate having a top face and a bottom face, said top face having an edge portion and a perimeter, said top face having a middle area surrounded by said edge portion, said method comprising the steps of:

rotating said substrate about an axis orthogonal to said top surface;

applying a coating material to said top face at a point near said rotation axis to spin-coat a coating on said substrate by centrifugal force;

supporting said substrate by a support contacting only said bottom face of said substrate;

applying an AC voltage across a pair of plasma generating electrodes, to generate plasma at or about atmospheric pressure, said plasma generating electrodes being disposed within a gas supply path, said gas supply path having a gas outlet at one end thereof said gas outlet including a ring-shaped gas passage formed therein at a position corresponding to and opposed to said edge portion, said gas supply path having a gas capable of plasma discharge flowing therethrough;

activating said gas capable of plasma discharge in said gas supply path by said plasma to form activated gas species and excited molecules;

blowing said activated gas species and excited molecules against said edge portion of said substrate from said gas outlet, said gas outlet disposed at a position opposed to and proximate said edge portion;

removing any selected matter from said edge portion of said substrate by reaction with said activated gas species and excited molecules; and

exhausting said activated gas species and excited molecules and removed selected matter away from said middle area of said substrate such that said gas is conducted radially.

14. The coating method of claim 13 wherein a plurality of said substrates are sequentially moved to a stage for said removing step after completion of said applying step, whereby said rotating step, said applying and said removing second step can be carried out sequentially in line.

15. A coating method for coating a substrate, said substrate having a top face and a bottom face and a perimeter, said top face having a middle portion surrounded by an edge portion at the perimeter, said method comprising the steps of:

rotating a substrate about an axis orthogonal to said top face;

applying coating material to said top face at a point near said rotation axis to spin-coat a coating on said substrate by centrifugal force;

supporting said substrate on a support, said support having a ring-shaped configuration defining a ring-shaped gas passageway and contacting only with said bottom face of said substrate;

applying an AC voltage across a pair of plasma generating electrodes, to generate plasma at or about atmospheric pressure said plasma generating electrodes disposed within a gas supply path through which a gas capable of plasma discharge flows, said gas supply path having a gas outlet at one end thereof;

activating said gas capable of plasma discharge in said gas supply path by said plasma to form activated gas species and excited molecules;

blowing said activated gas species and excited molecules against said edge portion of said substrate from said gas outlet, said gas outlet is disposed at a position opposed to and proximate said edge portion;

removing selected matter from said edge portion of said substrate by reaction with said activated gas species and excited molecules; and

blowing a carrier gas against said middle portion of said top face of said substrate and conducting said carrier gas from said middle portion to said edge portion of said substrate such that said gas is conducted radially so that said carrier gas prevents said activated gas species and excited molecules and said removed selected matter from depositing on said middle portion of said substrate.