# US 10,500,607 B2 · Developing device and developing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,500,607 B2 - Document ID: US10500607B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/749,204 - Filed: 2017-11-25 - Published: 2019-03-28 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-25 - Assignees: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Wuhan China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Dongpo Jia; Fan Wei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10500607B2 ## CPC - B05C 11/1005: {responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material already applied to the surface, e.g. coating thickness, weight or pattern} - B05C 5/0295: {Floating coating heads or nozzles} - B05C 11/1026: {Valves (in general F16K; B05C5/0225 takes precedence)} - B05D 1/02: performed by spraying - B05D 1/32: using means for protecting parts of a surface not to be coated, e.g. using stencils, resists - G03F 7/30: Imagewise removal using liquid means - G03F 7/3028: {characterised by means for on-wafer monitoring of the processing} - G03F 7/3042: {from printing plates transported horizontally through the processing stations} - G03F 7/3092: {Recovery of material; Waste processing} - H10K 71/231: {by etching of existing layers} - B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08) - B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02) - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES ## Abstract Disclosed is a developing device for developing a substrate, comprising: a developing tank, a recovery box and a conveying unit provided right above the developing tank and configured to convey the substrate; wherein the developing tank comprises a first tank, a second tank and a third tank, which are spaced and are sequentially arranged; the recovery box comprises a first box and a second box; the first tank is communicated with the first box; as the substrate is arranged in the second tank, the second tank is communicated with the first box; as the substrate is arranged in the third tank, the third tank is communicated with the second box. The developing device can solve the technical problems of separately recovering the developers doped with different photoresist concentrations during the development of the substrate to reduce the cost of diluting the developer concentration in the recovery box. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A developing device for developing a substrate, comprising: a developing tank, a recovery box and a conveying unit provided above the developing tank and configured to convey the substrate; wherein the developing tank comprises a first tank, a second tank and a third tank, which are spaced and are sequentially arranged; the recovery box comprises a first box and a second box; and the first tank is connected to and in communication with the first box; wherein the conveying unit comprises at least a movable member that is operable to convey the substrate sequentially through the first, second, and third tanks, wherein a developer is supplied onto the substrate in the first tank such that a first portion of the developer remains on the substrate and a second portion of the developer is collected in the first tank and flows to the first box; a part of the first portion of the developer drops into the second tank, as the substrate is conveyed into the second tank, the second tank being connected to and in communication with the first box so that the part of the first portion of the developer that drops into the second tank flows into the first box; and a remaining part of the first portion of the developer that is left on the substrate drops into the third tank, as the substrate is conveyed into the third tank, the third tank being connected to and in communication with the second box so that the remaining part of the first portion of the developer that drops into the third tank flows into the second box. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the second tank is communicated with the first box with a first channel, a first valve is configured in the first channel; as the substrate is conveyed in the second tank, the first valve is opened. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the third tank is communicated with the second box with a second channel, a second valve is configured in the second channel; as the substrate is conveyed in the third tank, the second valve in the second channel is opened. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a nozzle configured at a top of the first tank and a wind knife at a top of the third tank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying unit comprises a plurality of conveying rollers; the plurality of the conveying rollers are arranged in parallel and spaced apart to form a transporting plane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The developing device according to claim 2, further comprising a reflective sensor; wherein the reflective sensor comprises an emitting device and a controlling device, the emitting device emits a signal, the controlling device receives the signal and controls opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The developing device according to claim 3, further comprising a reflective sensor; wherein the reflective sensor comprises an emitting device and a controlling device, the emitting device emits a signal, the controlling device receives the signal and controls opening and closing of the first valve and the second valve. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The developing device according to claim 1, wherein the first box is configured with a water inlet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The developing device according to claim 8, wherein an inner end surface of the first box is configured with an overflow pipe; the overflow pipe communicates with an inside of the first box and an outside of the first box. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The developing device according to claim 5, wherein the conveying unit comprises a plurality of flexible rings configured on the conveying rollers and the flexible rings rotate with the conveying rollers.