Photoresist supply apparatus capable of controlling flow length of photoresist and method of supplying photoresist using the same

• US 6,817,486 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2002
• Issued: 11/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nano FA Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nano FA Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yang, Myung-Hun
• Primary Examiner(s): NICOLAS, FREDERICK C
• Application Number:
  US10/237,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20030047136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 222/504, 222/420, 222/135-136, 222/52, 222/55, 222/56, 222/53, 222/1, 222/63, 222/189.06, 222/189.11, 222/383.1, 222/14, 118/684, 118/52, 118/710, 118/713
• US Class Current: 222/55
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1002 Means for controlling supply, i.e. flow or pressure, of liquid or other fluent material to the applying apparatus, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/1013 responsive to flow or pressure of liquid or other fluent material B05C11/101 takes precedence; control of flow in general G05D7/00; control of fluid pressure in general G05D16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/162 Coating on a rotating support, e.g. using a whirler or a spinner

Abstract

A photoresist supply apparatus and a method of supplying photoresist using the same are provided. The photoresist supply apparatus includes a flow length measurer for measuring the flow length of photoresist remaining at the tip of a nozzle unit; a measured data processor for converting data measured by the flow length measurer into an electrical signal; and a valve controller for finely controlling the flow length of photoresist by controlling the amount of air flowing into an automatic on/off valve in response to the electrical signal fed back from the measured data processor. Accordingly, by measuring the flow length of photoresist at the tip of nozzle unit in real time and feeding back the measured flow length, a faulty process due to an irregular flow length of photoresist can be prevented, and a fixed amount of photoresist can be ejected.

Claims

1. A photoresist supply apparatus comprising:

a photoresist supply unit for supplying photoresist;

an automatic on/off valve connected to the photoresist supply unit, for controlling the flow of photoresist supplied from the photoresist supply unit;

a nozzle unit connected to the automatic on/off valve, for ejecting photoresist;

a photoresist flow length measurer for measuring a flow length of photoresist remaining at a tip of the nozzle unit after interrupt of ejection through the nozzle unit;

a measured data processor for converting data measured by the photoresist flow length measurer into an electrical signal; and

a valve controller for finely controlling the flow length of photoresist remaining at the nozzle unit in response to the electrical signal fed back from the measured data processor, wherein the valve controller is comprised of a speed controller that comprises a stepping motor and an air control unit which is connected to the stepping motor and controls the amount of air discharging, to thereby control the amount of air flowing into the automatic on/off valve.

2. The photoresist supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the photoresist flow length measurer is a camera.

3. The photoresist supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data measured by the photoresist flow length measurer is an image signal.

4. A method of supplying photoresist comprising:

supplying photoresist to a nozzle unit through an automatic on/off valve;

interrupting photoresist supply to the nozzle unit by turning off the automatic on/off valve;

measuring a flow length of photoresist remaining at a tip of the nozzle unit;

converting the measured flow length of photoresist into an electrical signal; and

feeding back the electrical signal to the valve controller comprised of a speed controller that comprises a stepping motor and an air control unit which is connected to the stepping motor and controls the amount of air discharging, to thereby control the amount of air flowing into the automatic on/off valve, and finely controlling the flow length of photoresist based on the electrical signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the flow length of photoresist at the tip of the nozzle unit is measured using a camera.