# US 2014/0196604 A1 · Method and Device for Purging Bubbles in the Pipeline of Substrate Coater and Corresponding Substrate Coater > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196604 A1 - Document ID: US20140196604A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/817,709 - Filed: 2013-01-15 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11 - Assignees: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Liang Li; Chih-Sheng Ko; Bin Xu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196604A1 ## CPC - B01D 19/02: Foam dispersion or prevention (during boiling B01B1/02; during fermentation C12) - B05C 11/10: Storage, supply or control of liquid or other fluent material; Recovery of excess liquid or other fluent material {(B05C1/0813, B05C5/0225, B05C17/002 and B05C19/06 take precedence)} - B01D 19/00: Degasification of liquids - B01D 19/0063: {Regulation, control including valves and floats (for construction and details of valves F16K)} - G03F 7/16: Coating processes; Apparatus therefor (applying coatings to base materials in general B05; applying photosensitive compositions to base for photographic purposes G03C1/74) - Y10T 137/85986: Pumped fluid control - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - 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) - 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) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The present invention provides a method for purging bubbles in the pipeline of a substrate coater, which at least comprises: activating an injection pump for a first time, the injection pump injecting a photoresist into the pipeline of the substrate coater from a storage container; driving the photoresist to flow in the pipeline of the substrate coater and proceeding a purging bubbles process once; closing the injection pump for a second time after finishing the purging bubbles process; and activating the injection pump again and repeating the purging bubbles process until all small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater being purged after the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulate in the second time. The present invention correspondingly discloses a device for purging bubbles in the pipeline of substrate coater and a substrate coater. According to the embodiment of the present invention, it can improve the purging bubbles efficiency in the pipeline and save the photoresist. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for purging bubbles in the pipeline of a substrate coater, wherein the device for purging bubbles in the pipeline comprises: an injection pump, which is used to inject a photoresist into the pipeline of the substrate coater from a storage container; a controlling unit, which is used to activate the injection pump for a first time, driving the photoresist to flow in the pipeline of the substrate coater and proceeding a purging bubbles process once; after finishing the purging bubbles process, closing the injection pump for a second time; and after the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulate in the second time, activating the injection pump again and repeating the purging bubbles process, until all small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater being purged. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: an injection pump activated controlling sub-unit, which is used to activate the injection pump for a first time, driving the photoresist to flow in the pipeline of the substrate coater; an injection pump closed controlling sub-unit, which is used to close the injection pump for a second time after finishing the purging bubbles process once; a judgment processing sub-unit, which is used to judge if the purging bubbles process is completed or not; if the judging result is that the purging bubbles process is not completed, controlling the injection pump activated controlling sub-unit to reactivate the injection pump after the injection pump closed controlling sub-unit closes the injection pump for the second time. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 2, wherein it further comprises: a vibration device, which is used to provide a shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater in the second time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 3, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a vibration controlling sub-unit, which is used to drive the vibration device to provide the shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater when the judgment processing sub-unit determines that the purging bubbles process is not completed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 4, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a setting sub-unit, which is used to set the values of the first time and the second time. ### Claim 6 A substrate coater, which can purge the bubbles in the pipeline, at least comprising a pipeline of the substrate coater, a nozzle connected to the pipeline of the substrate coater, and a device for purging bubbles in the pipeline, wherein the device for purging bubbles in the pipeline comprises: an injection pump, which is used to inject a photoresist into the pipeline of the substrate coater from a storage container; a controlling unit, which is used to activate the injection pump for a first time, driving the photoresist to flow in the pipeline of the substrate coater and proceeding a purging bubbles process once; after finishing the purging bubbles process, closing the injection pump for a second time; and after the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulate in the second time, activating the injection pump again and repeating the purging bubbles process, until all small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater being purged. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substrate coater as claimed in claim 6, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: an injection pump activated controlling sub-unit, which is used to activate the injection pump for a first time, driving the photoresist to flow in the pipeline of the substrate coater; an injection pump closed controlling sub-unit, which is used to close the injection pump for a second time after finishing the purging bubbles process once; a judgment processing sub-unit, which is used to judge if the purging bubbles process is completed or not; if the judging result is that the purging bubbles process is not completed, controlling the injection pump activated controlling sub-unit to reactivate the injection pump after the injection pump closed controlling sub-unit closes the injection pump for the second time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate coater as claimed in claim 7, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a setting sub-unit, which is used to set the values of the first time and the second time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The substrate coater as claimed in claim 8, wherein it further comprises: a vibration device, which is used to provide a shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater in the second time. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate coater as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controlling unit further comprises: a vibration controlling sub-unit, which is used to drive the vibration device to provide the shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater when the judgment processing sub-unit determines that the purging bubbles process is not completed. ### Claim 11 A method for purging bubbles in the pipeline of a substrate coater, wherein it at least comprises: activating an injection pump for a first time, the injection pump injecting a photoresist into the pipeline of the substrate coater from a storage container; driving the photoresist to flow in the pipeline of the substrate coater and proceeding a purging bubbles process once; closing the injection pump for a second time after finishing the purging bubbles process; and activating the injection pump again and repeating the purging bubbles process until all small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater are purged after the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulate in the second time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 11, wherein it further comprises: setting the first time and the second time in advance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 12, wherein the purging bubbles process comprises purging bubbles in stages. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 11, wherein the specific step of the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulating in the second time is: standing the pipeline of the substrate coater to allow the small bubbles to accumulate within the second time; or providing a shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater to allow the small bubbles to accumulate within the second time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 12, wherein the specific step of the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulating in the second time is: standing the pipeline of the substrate coater to allow the small bubbles to accumulate within the second time; or providing a shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater to allow the small bubbles to accumulate within the second time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method for purging bubbles in the pipeline as claimed in claim 13, wherein the specific step of the small bubbles in the pipeline of the substrate coater accumulating in the second time is: standing the pipeline of the substrate coater to allow the small bubbles to accumulate within the second time; or providing a shock wave for the pipeline of the substrate coater to allow the small bubbles to accumulate within the second time.