Spin coating process for prevention of edge buildup
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorRichard Stefan Boeckl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spin coating process produces a constant film thickness across a planar substrate by placing a frame around the substrate boundary to act as an auxiliary surface to allow a continuous film of the fluid to be spin coated. The auxiliary surface is elevated with respect to the plane of the substrate surface.
Claims8
In a spin coating process, the steps for minimizing the edge buildup of a coating material to be coated onto a substrate comprising:
- attaching a frame boundary immediate to the periphery of the substrate with a surface of the he frame boundary elevated above the planar surface of the substrate that is to be coated;
- depositing the coating material onto the framed substrate;
- and
- rotating the framed substrate in a horizontal upright position with the deposited material about its approximate center, said frame boundary elevated surface becoming an auxiliary surface extension to the substrate for the deposited coating material during the step of rotating the framed substrate.
A spin coating apparatus for minimizing edge buildup of a coating material comprising:
- framing means for attachment immediate to the periphery of a substrate to be coated, said framing means having a surface elevated above the planar surface of the substrate;
- means for rotating the framed substrate in a horizontal upright position about its approximate center;
- and
- means for depositing the coating material onto the substrate, said elevated surface of said framing means forming an auxiliary surface extension to the substrate for the coating material while rotated by said rotating means to minimize the edge buildup of the coating material at the edges of the substrate.
In an upright, horizontally operated spin coating apparatus, the improvement comprising a framing means for attachment immediate to the periphery of a substrate to be coated, said framing means having a surface elevated above the planar surface of the substrate, said elevated surface of said framing means forming an auxiliary surface extension to the substrate for the coating material to minimize the edge buildup of the coating material at the edges of the substrate during the operation of the spin coating apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.