US5211753A — Spin coating apparatus with an independently spin…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 121 words

An improved spin coating device for applying a fluid coating to a workpiece, comprising: a housing; a chuck for holding the workpiece, said chuck being rigidly affixed to a chuck shaft, the chuck shaft being rotatably attached to said housing such that said chuck and the workpiece can be spun about the chuck shaft in relation to said housing; a chuck rotating means for causing said chuck to spin; a spin tub at least partially surrounding said chuck, said spin tub being rigidly affixed to a spin tub shaft, the spin tub shaft being coaxial with the chuck shaft and free to spin independently of the chuck shaft; and a spin tub rotating means for causing said spin tub to spin.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 121 words

An improved spin coating device for applying a fluid coating to a workpiece, comprising: a housing; a chuck for holding the workpiece, said chuck being rigidly affixed to a chuck shaft, the chuck shaft being rotatably attached to said housing such that said chuck and the workpiece can be spun about the chuck shaft in relation to said housing; a chuck rotating means for causing said chuck to spin; a spin tub at least partially surrounding said chuck, said spin tub being rigidly affixed to a spin tub shaft, the spin tub shaft being coaxial with the chuck shaft and free to spin independently of the chuck shaft; and a spin tub rotating means for causing said spin tub to spin.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 59 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 1, wherein: said spin tub has a small end through which the workpiece may be inserted and removed and a large end opposite the small end, the large end being enclosed by a spin tub end portion, the spin tub end portion being affixed at its center to the spin tub shaft.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 34 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 2, and further including: a plurality of outlet openings, the outlet openings being apertures in said spin tub adjacent to the end portion of said spin tub.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 51 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 3, and further including: a plurality of fan vanes distributed about the exterior of said spin tub and protruding therefrom, such that air is forced away from said spin tub as said spin tub is caused to spin by the spin tub rotating means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 72 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 3, wherein: each of the outlet openings has associated therewith and adjacent thereto a, fan vane, the fan vane protruding generally radially outward from said spin tub and preceding the outlet opening as said spin tub rotates such that a partial vacuum is created behind the fan vanes which helps to draw air from the interior of said spin tub out through the outlet openings.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 69 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 4, and further including: a chamber defined by said housing, said spin tub, and an enclosure ring, the enclosure ring projecting inward from said housing and closely fitting about said spin tub to complete the enclosure of the chamber, the outlet openings being within the enclosure such that fluid and air drawn from within the spin tub are expelled into the enclosure.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 21 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 6, and further including: a vent for expelling air and fluid from the chamber.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 35 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 6, wherein: air drawn into the chamber through the outlet openings of said spin tub slightly pressurizes the chamber such that the chamber is purged through the vent.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 42 words

The improved spin coating device of claim 1, and further including: a lifting means for moving said housing, chuck, and spin tub selectively between a vertical position and a horizontal position for accomplishing either a vertical or a horizontal spin coating process.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 116 words

A spin coating device for spin coating a substrate with a fluid, comprising: a fluid application means for applying a fluid to said substrate; and a substrate spinning means for holding the substrate and spinning the substrate for applying the coating thereto; and an enclosure at least laterally enclosing the substrate such that excess fluid spun from the spinning substrate is flung toward said enclosure; and enclosure spinning means for causing said enclosure to spin coaxially with the substrate spinning means and the substrate, said enclosure spinning means being independent from said substrate spinning means such that said enclosure can be caused to spin continuously while the spinning of the substrate is selectively stopped and restarted.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 116 words

A spin coating device for spin coating a substrate with a fluid, comprising: a fluid application means for applying a fluid to said substrate; and a substrate spinning means for holding the substrate and spinning the substrate for applying the coating thereto; and an enclosure at least laterally enclosing the substrate such that excess fluid spun from the spinning substrate is flung toward said enclosure; and enclosure spinning means for causing said enclosure to spin coaxially with the substrate spinning means and the substrate, said enclosure spinning means being independent from said substrate spinning means such that said enclosure can be caused to spin continuously while the spinning of the substrate is selectively stopped and restarted.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 72 words

The spin coating device of claim 10, wherein: said enclosure is generally in the form of a hollow frustum of a cone with a large end thereof enclosed, and affixed to the enclosure spinning means such that said enclosure spins axially about the center of the large end of said enclosure, the small end of the enclosure being open for inserting the substrate to be affixed to the substrate spinning means therethrough.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 35 words

The spin coating device of claim 10, and further including: a plurality of apertures in the periphery of said enclosure; and a plurality of fan blades projecting radially outward from the periphery of said enclosure.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 39 words

The spin coating device of claim 12, and further including: a plenum chamber positioned such that the plurality of apertures in the periphery of said enclosure provide air passages between the interior of said enclosure and the plenum chamber.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 36 words

The spin coating device of claim 13, wherein: air is drawn into the plenum chamber through the apertures in the periphery of said enclosure when said enclosure is spun by means of said enclosure spinning means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 42 words

The spin coating device of claim 14, wherein: air is caused to be drawn into the plenum chamber through the apertures in the periphery of said enclosure by action of a partial vacuum formed behind the fan blades as said enclosure spins.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 45 words

In a spin coating device wherein a fluid is coated upon a spinning workpiece, the improvement comprising: an enclosure at least partially surrounding the workpiece, said enclosure being rotatably affixed to the spin coating device said enclosure being caused to spin independently of the workpiece.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 45 words

In a spin coating device wherein a fluid is coated upon a spinning workpiece, the improvement comprising: an enclosure at least partially surrounding the workpiece, said enclosure being rotatably affixed to the spin coating device said enclosure being caused to spin independently of the workpiece.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 48 words

The improvement of claim 16, wherein: said enclosure is symmetrical about its spin axis with a wide portion such that any of the fluid which comes into contact with the interior of said enclosure is caused by centrifugal force to flow to the wide portion of said enclosure.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 27 words

The improvement of claim 16, wherein: a plurality of apertures are formed in said enclosure, through which apertures air is drawn from the interior of said enclosure.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 38 words

The improvement of claim 16, and further including: a tilting mechanism by which the spin coating device and enclosure may be tilted such that the workpiece and said enclosure can, selectively, be caused to spin horizontally or vertically.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-05-17	1996-11-16	1997-05-18	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-05-17	2000-11-16	2001-05-18	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-05-17	2004-11-16	2005-05-18	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Spin coating apparatus with an independently spinning enclosure

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