Mini-Spin Coater
Mini-Spin Coater A photovoltaic research institute required a compact spin coater to integrate with a robotic work cell. Cee® created a custom coater with a 120mm Teflon™ bowl, a mechanized lid, and auto-dispense functionality. This solution met the institute’s high-speed control needs, chemical compatibility, and space constraints. In production, the coater exceeded expectations, delivering safety […]
Nitrogen Purge
Nitrogen purge is widely employed in the manufacturing of semiconductors. It is utilized to establish a low-oxygen setting for processing substrates. This method helps remove impurities, minimize oxidation, maintain uniform film deposition, and can be beneficial for meeting safety standards. Nitrogen Purge Nitrogen purge is a common technique used in various industries, including semiconductor manufacturing, […]
Bake Plate Process Theory
Hotplate baking is a popular technique for film drying and curing, offering advantages over traditional convection ovens such as decreased bake time, increased uniformity, reproducibility, and decreased particle contamination. Hotplate baking heats the substrate from the bottom up, preventing the formation of a skin on the film surface and offering advantages for thick films. Bake […]
Developer Configurations
The use of immersion tank processes in photolithography has decreased due to excessive material consumption, non-uniform resolution, and poor clearing from high-aspect-ratio features. Spin developing has become the more popular method for development of features in photolithography, with three main methods emerging: puddle/stream dispense, side spray dispense, and direct spray dispense. The side spray dispense […]
Multi-Stage Baking with Programmable Lift Pins
Smart-Pin technology enables flexible temperature ramping and uniform baking for thermal shock sensitive materials. The lift pin height recipe utilizes a temperature matrix for soft bake, PEB, and post-develop hard bake. The programmable system eliminates the need for multiple bake plates and is suitable for thick-film materials and mitigating the “skin” effect. Multi-Stage Baking with […]
Spin Chucks for Square Substrates
Spin-coating is a process used to evenly distribute material on a substrate by spinning it at a high speed. Round substrates are commonly used because their smooth edges create minimal turbulence, resulting in uniform evaporation rates. However, square and rectangular substrates create unique challenges due to increased air turbulence and can result in uneven coating […]
Programmable Exhaust for Optimal Thick-Film Spin Coating
For ultra-high uniformity on thick films in spin-coating processes, precise control of solvent vapors is crucial. This is achieved through a closed bowl environment and a programmable exhaust module. The process involves a prewet dispense step, dynamic dispense step, and drying step to create a highly uniform coating. Spin speed, acceleration, and drying rate are […]
Spin Coat Theory
Spin coating is a process used to apply thin films onto a substrate, typically involving depositing a small puddle of a fluid material on the center of the substrate and spinning it at high speed. The final thickness of the film depends on the properties of the fluid and the spin process parameters. The speed […]
Edge Bead Removal and Backside Rinse Demystified
Edge bead removal is used to eliminate build up while backside rinse prevents contamination. Using an automated system for both processes results in precise, efficient, and consistent results with minimal operator intervention. Introduction Edge bead removal (EBR) and back-side rinse (BSR) are critical processes in the fabrication of high-quality micro and nanoscale devices such as […]