A spin coater, also known as a glue spreader or a spin coater, is a device used to uniformly coat liquid films on the surface of a substrate. It is a laboratory and production equipment widely used in materials science, semiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics, optics, biomedical and other fields. Its core function is to uniformly coat liquid thin films (such as photoresist, polymer solutions, biomaterials, etc.) on the surface of substrates (such as silicon wafers, glass sheets, polymer sheets, etc.).
Dropping liquid material onto the center of a stationary or low-speed rotating substrate, the substrate rotates at high speed under the drive of a motor, and centrifugal force spreads the liquid material outward from the center. As the rotation speed stabilizes, the liquid material forms a uniform thin film on the surface of the substrate. For liquids containing solvents, the solvent evaporates during the rotation process, forming solid or semi-solid thin films.
The spin coater generates centrifugal force through high-speed rotation to evenly spread the liquid material and form a thin film with controllable thickness. The specific process is as follows:
Dropping: Dropping liquid material (such as photoresist) onto the center of a stationary or low-speed rotating substrate.
Accelerated rotation: The substrate rotates at high speed under the drive of the motor, and centrifugal force spreads the liquid material outward from the center.
Thin film formation: As the rotational speed stabilizes, the liquid material forms a uniform thin film on the surface of the substrate.
Solvent evaporation (optional): For liquids containing solvents, the solvent evaporates during the rotation process, forming solid or semi-solid thin films.
Main Features
High uniformity: capable of achieving nanoscale thickness uniformity (within ± 2%), suitable for processes that require high uniformity of thin films, such as photoresist coating, anti reflective coating preparation, etc.
Thickness controllable: By adjusting parameters such as rotation speed, coating time, and material viscosity, the thickness of the coating can be accurately controlled.
Wide applicability: Suitable for a wide range of materials, including polymer solutions, photoresists, inks, coatings, etc. It can also be used for substrates of different materials such as silicon wafers, glass, and metals.
Operation precautions
When operating, it is necessary to select a suitable adsorption disk, place the substrate upright, turn on the vacuum pump to ensure that the substrate is adsorbed, and then start rotating. The dispensing action should be fast and completed within the specified time. After the motor stops running, the upper cover can be opened to remove the film, and the suction chamber should be cleaned regularly to prevent the glue from being sucked in and blocking the air path.