Fastar, Ltd.

Rene Soliz

Gregory M Gibson

Ocie T Snodgrass

Altaf A Poonawala

John E Hawes

Samer Mahmoud Kabbani

Carl W Newquist

Zi-Qin Wang

Scott A Snodgrass

Darwin R Frerking

Eric E Anderson

C Matthew Ramon

The invention pertains to a coating apparatus and method in which most of the relative movement between a dispensing head and the substrate to be coated is provided by the coating head. The moving head configuration reduces the system footprint and diminishes leveling problems. A powered shuttle mechanism carries a dispensing head above a substrate to be coated while riding on a bearing located underneath the chuck holding the substrate thereby providing rigidity and reducing the system footprint. Chuck support is designed to accommodate anticipated vertical sag in the dispensing head by supporting the chuck at points along its periphery thereby permitting the chuck to sag in conjunction with the dispensing head. The shuttle mechanism is equipped with means for automatically adjusting the height of the dispensing head with respect to substrate to compensate for substrate placement error, substrate dimensional variation, and mechanical drift in the mechanical machine parts. Coating consistency is enhanced using such height adjustment. A part of the apparatus containing the fluid delivery equipment and in communication with the dispensing head may be placed on a cart and removably attached to the rest of the apparatus. There is a utility station comprising equipment for cleaning and priming the dispensing head which may be located on the removable cart. A pump in addition to main remote pumping means may be integrally mounted on the dispensing head to more precisely control fluid flow to the dispensing head. The chuck may be configured to be micro deformable so as to maintain the surface of a substrate upon it at a constant height. Fluid may be dispensed along openings of selected lengths along the length of the dispensing head using die lips attached to the dispensing head or by cutting a plurality of slots in a single dispensing head.

Moving head, coating apparatus

Moving head coating apparatus and method

Extrusion coating of circular and other substrates is taught with a linear extrusion head in a linear motion utilizing a chuck assembly providing a coating bead forming surface. The coating bead forming surface allows for the coating bead to be at a steady state at all points at which the extrusion head interfaces with the substrate during the linear motion. Various configurations of chuck assemblies are taught to allow for improved handling of the substrate, deploying of the chucks in existing machinery, and simplified cleaning of the coating bead forming surface. Additionally, adaptation of the chuck assembly for discouraging undesired migration of the coating material is taught.

Linear extrusion coating system and method

This invention relates to a system and method for performing accurate coating operations while minimizing contamination of the coating fluid arising from contact between the fluid and the extrusion head. In one embodiment, the extrusion head is composed entirely of non-metallic material, possibly ceramic, thereby minimizing any material removal by the fluid, and any ionic or chemical reaction between the extrusion head material and the fluid. In another embodiment, a shim separating metal parts of an extrusion head is composed of a non-metallic substance to prevent galvanic potential induced corrosion between the shim and the extrusion head material and the resulting release of the products of such corrosion into the coating fluid.

System and method for performing low contamination extrusion for microelectronics applications

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Dallas, TX, United States of America

Rene Soliz