Radio frequency screen, ultraviolet light system, and method for screening radio frequency energy

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses a radio frequency screen, ultraviolet lamp system, and method of screening radio frequency energy, particularly a radio frequency (RF) screen for a microwave powered ultraviolet (UV) lamp system. In one example, a disclosed RF screen includes: a sheet comprising a conductive material; and a frame surrounding the edge of the sheet. The conductive material defines a predetermined grid pattern of individual openings across substantially an operative area of ​​the screen. Each of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure discloses radio frequency screens, ultraviolet light systems, and methods of screening radio frequency energy. Background Art

[0002] Ultraviolet (UV) lamp systems can be used in semiconductor manufacturing processes to cure inks, coatings, photoresists, and adhesives in a variety of applications. These applications may include, for example, decoration, lamination, hard coating protection, circuit board conformal coating, photoresist, photolithography, printing, and solar simulation. UV lamps produce high-intensity radiant energy in the UV, visible, and infrared spectrum. This high-intensity radiant energy can be used to cure inks, coatings, photoresists, and adhesives applied to a variety of substrates, such as paper, plastic films, wood, and metal.

[0003] The microwave powered UV lamp system has an illuminator to convert electrical power into radio frequency (RF) energy. The microwave energy or RF energy is directed into a cavity where a UV bulb is positioned to absorb the RF energy and change to a plasma state. The plasma produces radiant energy in the form of UV light in the UV lamp system. The microwave powered UV lamp system has an RF screen with openings to capture and seal the RF energy within the cavity while allowing light energy to be transmitted through the screen openings. Summary of the invention

[0004] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a radio frequency screen, comprising a sheet and a frame. The sheet comprises a conductive material. The frame surrounds multiple edges of the sheet. The conductive material spans an operational area of ​​the radio frequency screen and defines a predetermined grid pattern of multiple individual openings, each of the individual openings having a triangular shape.

[0005] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an ultraviolet lamp system, comprising at least one magnetron, an ultraviolet bulb, and a radio frequency screen. At least one magnetron is configured to convert electrical power received from a power supply into radio frequency energy. The ultraviolet bulb is configured to be excited by the radio frequency energy to emit ultraviolet light. The radio frequency screen comprises a sheet. The sheet comprises a conductive material. The conductive material defines a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings. At least one of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

[0006] Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method of screening radio frequency energy, comprising: converting input electrical power into radio frequency energy; exciting an ultraviolet light bulb with the radio frequency energy to emit ultraviolet light; and screening the radio frequency energy with an radio frequency screen, the radio frequency screen comprising a sheet having a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings, at least one of the individual openings having a triangular shape. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following figures. The accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present disclosure. Therefore, the accompanying drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present disclosure. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0008] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary UV lamp system with a radio frequency (RF) screen according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0009] Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary RF screen attached to a reflector according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0010] Figure 3 illustrates a top view of an exemplary RF screen according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 4 illustrates exemplary shapes of RF screen openings according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figures 5 to 8 illustrates an exemplary grid pattern of RF screen openings in the shape of isosceles right triangles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figures 9 to 12 illustrates an exemplary grid pattern of RF screen openings in the shape of right triangles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 13 to Figure 14 illustrates an exemplary grid pattern of RF screen openings in the shape of isosceles triangles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 15 to Figure 16 illustrates an exemplary grid pattern of RF screen openings in the shape of equilateral triangles according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Fig.17 A flow chart illustrating a method for performing UV induced deposition according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017]

Explanation of symbols

[0018] 100:UV light system

[0019] 101: Energy

[0020] 102: RF microwave energy

[0021] 103: Radiation Source

[0022] 104: UV light source

[0023] 105: Chamber

[0024] 106: UV radiation

[0025] 107: Waveguide

[0026] 108:RF screen

[0027] 110: Radiation Generator

[0028] 120: Processing part

[0029] 122: Window

[0030] 124:Substrate

[0031] 126: Wafer holder

[0032] 200: Perspective

[0033] 210: Top part

[0034] 220: Curved reflective surface

[0035] 230:UV bulb

[0036] 240:RF screen

[0037] 300:RF screen

[0038] 310: Thin slices

[0039] 320:Frame

[0040] 330: Holes

[0041] 410: Isosceles triangle

[0042] 411: right angle side

[0043] 412: right angle side

[0044] 413: bottom edge

[0045] 420: Equilateral triangle

[0046] 421: Edge

[0047] 422: Edge

[0048] 423: Edge

[0049] 430:Right triangle

[0050] 431: right angle side

[0051] 432: right angle side

[0052] 433: Bevel

[0053] 440: Isosceles right triangle

[0054] 441: right angle side

[0055] 442: right angle side

[0056] 443: Bevel

[0057] 450: Irregular triangle

[0058] 451: Edge

[0059] 452: Edge

[0060] 453: Edge

[0061] 500: Grid pattern

[0062] 510: Open alone

[0063] 520: Repeating pattern

[0064] 600: Grid pattern

[0065] 610: Open alone

[0066] 620: Repeating pattern

[0067] 700: Grid pattern

[0068] 710: Open alone

[0069] 720: Repeating pattern

[0070] 800: Grid pattern

[0071] 810: Open alone

[0072] 820: Repeating pattern

[0073] 900: Grid pattern

[0074] 910: Open alone

[0075] 920: Repeating pattern

[0076] 1000: Grid pattern

[0077] 1010: Open alone

[0078] 1020: Repeating pattern

[0079] 1100: Grid pattern

[0080] 1110: Open alone

[0081] 1120: Repeating pattern

[0082] 1200: Grid pattern

[0083] 1210: Open alone

[0084] 1220: Repeating pattern

[0085] 1300: Grid pattern

[0086] 1301: First line

[0087] 1302: Second line

[0088] 1310: Opening alone

[0089] 1322: Repeating pattern

[0090] 1324: Parallelogram

[0091] 1330:Right triangle

[0092] 1400: Grid pattern

[0093] 1401: First line

[0094] 1402: Second line

[0095] 1410: Opening alone

[0096] 1422: Parallelogram

[0097] 1424: Parallelogram

[0098] 1430:Right triangle

[0099] 1500: Grid pattern

[0100] 1501: First line

[0101] 1502: Second line

[0102] 1510: Opening alone

[0103] 1522: Repeating pattern

[0104] 1524: Diamond

[0105] 1530:Right triangle

[0106] 1600: Grid pattern

[0107] 1601: First line

[0108] 1602: Second line

[0109] 1610: Opening alone

[0110] 1622: Diamond

[0111] 1624: Diamond

[0112] 1630:Right triangle

[0113] 1700: Methods

[0114] 1702: Operation

[0115] 1704: Operation

[0116] 1706: Operation

[0117] 1708: Operation

[0118] 1710: Operation

[0119] 1712: Operation DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0120] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying figures so that those who are generally familiar with the art can make and use the present disclosure. As will be apparent to those who are generally familiar with the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. In addition, the specific order and / or hierarchy of the steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely exemplary methods. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of the steps of the disclosed methods or processing sequences may be reconfigured while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, those who are generally familiar with the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or actions in an exemplary order, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless otherwise expressly provided.

[0121] Additionally, spatially relative terms such as "under," "beneath," "lower," "over," "upper," and the like may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. The spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein may likewise be interpreted accordingly. Terms such as "attached," "attached," "connected," and "interconnected" refer to a relationship in which structures are fastened or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as removable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

[0122] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0123] Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

[0124] The present disclosure provides a radio frequency (RF) screen in an ultraviolet (UV) lamp system to provide better reliability and higher light output. The disclosed RF screen has a grid pattern of individual openings across substantially the operative area of ​​the screen. According to various embodiments of the present teachings, the screen openings are in the shape of triangles, such as isosceles triangles, equilateral triangles, right triangles, and / or irregular triangles. In one embodiment, the individual openings of the RF screen are in the shape of various types of triangles. The triangles in two adjacent rows of the grid pattern may or may not be aligned with each other. Compared to RF screens with rectangular, square, or hexagonal openings, the disclosed RF screen with triangular openings can maintain higher stress, have lower deformation, and therefore have better reliability. In addition, the disclosed RF screen can achieve better UV light transmittance, that is, higher UV light output through the RF screen, which improves the efficiency of the UV lamp system and reduces the amount of downtime for the UV lamp system.

[0125] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary UV lamp system 100 with an RF screen 108 is illustrated according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the UV lamp system 100 heats and cures a material, such as a layer (or film) of material disposed on a substrate. For simplicity and clarity, Figure 1 Only selected portions of the overall UV lamp system are shown to facilitate understanding of aspects of the present disclosure. Additional features may be added to the UV lamp system 100 , and some of the features described below may be substituted or eliminated for other embodiments of the UV lamp system 100 .

[0126] like Figure 1As shown in , UV lamp system 100 includes radiation generator 110. Radiation generator 110 generates radiation that can be used to heat or cure a material layer (film) disposed on a substrate. In one embodiment, radiation generator 110 is a UV lamp module. Radiation generator 110 may include dynamic parts that are configured to move, for example, in an oscillating motion, a rotating motion, other suitable motions, or a combination thereof.

[0127] The radiation generator 110 in this example further includes an energy source 101. The energy source 101 can generate energy to stimulate the radiation of UV light. For example, the energy source 101 can include one or more microwave generators, such as magnetrons, which generate microwave energy that can stimulate the radiation of UV light, such as radio frequency (RF) microwave energy 102. The energy source 101 can include one or more transformers to power the filaments of the magnetrons. The energy source 101 can be coupled to a power supply that provides electrical power to the energy source 101. The magnetron in the energy source 101 can convert the electrical power received from the power supply into microwave energy or RF energy.

[0128] The radiation generator 110 in this example further includes a radiation source 103 coupled to the energy source 101. The energy source 101 can be coupled to the radiation source 103 via a waveguide 107 that directs energy generated by the energy source 101 to the radiation source 103, such as microwave energy. In one embodiment, the radiation source 103 is a UV radiation lamp including a UV lamp source 104 disposed in a cavity or chamber 105, such as a microwave chamber. The chamber 105 can have an oxygen-free atmosphere to ensure that radiation generated by the radiation source 103, such as UV radiation, is not absorbed by the chamber environment. The chamber 105 can be a vacuum chamber, wherein a suitable temperature is maintained within the chamber 105.

[0129] The UV lamp 104 housed within the radiation source 103 may include one or more UV bulbs. In one example, each UV bulb is a sealed plasma bulb filled with one or more gases, such as xenon (Xe), mercury (Hg), krypton (Kr), argon (Ar), other suitable gases, or combinations thereof. The gas used within the UV lamp 104 may absorb microwave (RF) energy and thereby change to a plasma state. The plasma may generate radiant energy in the form of UV light in the UV lamp system 100. In one embodiment, the gas used within the UV lamp 104 may be selected so that a selected wavelength of UV radiation is emitted from the radiation source 103. In one embodiment, the selected wavelength of UV radiation is between 200 nanometers and 450 nanometers. Thus, energy generated by the energy source 101 is directed to the radiation source 103 through the waveguide 107 to excite elements of the radiation source 103, such as microwave energy, such as the gas of the UV lamp 104, so that the radiation source 103 emits UV radiation 106. Specifically, each UV bulb of UV light source 104 may be excited by RF energy 102 to emit UV light (UV radiation 106 ).

[0130] The radiation generator 110 in this example further includes an RF screen 108, which is attached to the radiation source 103 to encapsulate the chamber 105. The RF screen 108 may include a sheet made of a conductive material having a predetermined grid pattern of individual openings. The RF screen 108 prevents or blocks the RF energy from escaping and traveling out of the chamber 105, while permitting UV light (UV radiation 106) to be transmitted through the screen openings. In one embodiment, the openings in the RF screen 108 are constructed to be smaller than the RF radiation wavelength. In one embodiment, the RF energy has a frequency range of approximately 2445-2470 MHz.

[0131] The radiation generator 110 is coupled to the processing portion 120. The radiation generator 110 and the processing portion 120 may be collectively referred to as a radiation processing chamber, or a UV processing chamber. The processing portion 120 includes a wafer holder 126. The wafer holder 126 includes a pedestal for supporting a substrate, such as a substrate 124. The substrate 124 may alternatively be referred to as a material layer, or the substrate 124 may include a material layer disposed thereon that will be exposed to the UV radiation 106 from the radiation source 103. The material layer may be a metal layer, a semiconductor layer, or a dielectric layer. The wafer holder 126 may include a heating mechanism for heating the substrate 124. In an example, the position of the substrate 124 within the processing portion 120 is adjusted by a mechanism of the wafer holder 126 that allows the wafer holder 126 to move within the processing portion 120. For example, the wafer holder 126 can be moved vertically, horizontally, or both to position the substrate 124 at a specific distance from the radiation source 103. Radiation, such as UV light (UV radiation 106), emitted from the radiation source 103 enters the processing portion 120 by passing through the window 122 and exposes the substrate 124. The window 122 is thick enough to maintain a vacuum. The window 122 may further include a material, such as quartz, that transmits the radiation (UV radiation 106).

[0132] In one embodiment, the UV lamp system 100 further includes a radiation sensor to detect the radiation (UV radiation 106) emitted by the radiation source 103 and convert the radiation (UV radiation 106) into electronic signals indicating characteristics of the detected radiation (UV radiation 106), such as the intensity of the detected radiation (UV radiation 106), the temperature in the chamber 105, and / or the temperature of the substrate 124. Once the characteristic value is above or below a predetermined threshold value, the UV lamp system 100 will adjust some control parameters, such as through a blower, to modify the characteristic value back to normal.

[0133] Figure 2 A perspective view 200 illustrating an exemplary RF screen according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the RF screen being attached to a reflector in a UV light system, such as a Figure 1 The UV lamp system 100 in FIG. Figure 2 As shown in , the reflector includes a top portion 210 and two curved reflective surfaces 220. The reflector is coupled to an RF screen 240. A cavity is formed by the RF screen 240, the top portion 210 of the reflector, and the curved reflective surfaces 220. A UV bulb 230 is positioned within the cavity to emit UV light when excited by RF energy. The reflector appropriately focuses the UV light energy emitted by the UV bulb 230 contained within the reflector, in addition to allowing the UV light energy to be transmitted through the RF screen 240.

[0134] In one embodiment, the UV bulb 230 is made of glass; the reflector is made of glass or quartz. The RF screen 240 can be made of a conductive material, such as copper, brass, stainless steel, tungsten, aluminum, or other metals or metal alloys.

[0135] Figure 3 1 illustrates a top view of an exemplary RF screen 300 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 3 , RF screen 300 includes sheet 310 and frame 320 surrounding the edge of sheet 310. Sheet 310 may include a conductive material including copper, brass, stainless steel, tungsten, aluminum, nickel, silver, or a combination thereof.

[0136] In this example, the sheet 310 has a rectangular shape with four edges and a predetermined grid pattern of individual openings across substantially the operative area of ​​the RF screen 300. Figure 3 As shown in , the predetermined grid pattern stitches the rectangular surface of the sheet 310 with a plurality of triangles. The stitching of the surface means filling the surface with one or more geometric shapes, wherein there is no overlap and no gaps. Each of the individual openings has a triangular shape. The frame 320 is equipped with holes 330, which are used for the attachment of the RF screen 300 to the UV lamp system. In one embodiment, the predetermined grid pattern includes 16 to 36 individual openings in a unit area of ​​1 square centimeter. In one embodiment, the RF screen 300 has a thickness between 0.001 inches and 0.015 inches.

[0137] Compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern including individual openings in the shape of squares, rectangles, or hexagons, when the disclosed RF screen 300 having triangular openings and the reference screen have the same number of individual openings per unit area, the disclosed RF screen 300 can produce an increase in UV light transmittance, a reduction in maximum deformation, and a reduction in maximum stress. That is, compared to RF screens having openings in the shape of squares, rectangles, and hexagons, the RF screen having triangular openings is less likely to be damaged or deformed and can provide a higher UV light output through the screen.

[0138] Figure 4 Exemplary shapes of RF screen openings according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated. While the RF screen has a grid pattern of individual openings, at least one of the individual openings has a triangular shape. In one embodiment, each of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

[0139] There are different types of triangles, for example, an isosceles triangle 410, an equilateral triangle 420, a right triangle 430, an isosceles right triangle 440, and an irregular triangle 450. An isosceles triangle is a triangle with two sides of equal length. These two equal sides are called right angles, and the third side is called the base of the triangle. Thus, the isosceles triangle 410 has two right angles 411, 412, and a base 413. An equilateral triangle is a triangle with all three sides being equal. Figure 4 As shown in , equilateral triangle 420 has three equal sides 421, side 422, and side 423. Equilateral triangle 420 can be treated as a special isosceles triangle, in which any two sides are right angles and the third side is the base. A right triangle is a triangle with one angle being a right angle, that is, a 90-degree angle. The side opposite the right angle is called the hypotenuse. The side adjacent to the right angle is called the right angle side. Thus, right triangle 430 has two right angles 431, 432, and a hypotenuse 433. An isosceles right triangle is both an isosceles triangle and a right triangle. As Figure 4 As shown in , an isosceles right triangle 440 has two equal right angle sides 441, 442 adjacent to the right angle, and a base or hypotenuse 443 opposite the right angle. An irregular triangle is a triangle in which all three sides have different lengths. An irregular triangle has angles of different measures. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 4 , the three sides of the irregular triangle 450 , side 451 , side 452 , and side 453 , have different lengths from each other.

[0140] In one embodiment, the individual openings of the RF screen are in the shape of a uniform type of triangle. In one embodiment, the individual openings of the RF screen are in the shape of multiple types of triangles, including at least one of the following: an isosceles triangle, a right triangle, an equilateral triangle, or an irregular triangle.

[0141] In one embodiment, the grid pattern uses a plurality of geometric shapes including triangles to stitch the surface of the RF screen. For example, for an RF screen having a sheet with a rectangular surface having four edges, the grid pattern can stitch the rectangular surface with a plurality of triangles close to the four edges and a plurality of rectangles or squares surrounded by the plurality of triangles.

[0142] Figures 5 to 8Exemplary grid patterns of RF screen openings in the shape of isosceles right triangles are illustrated according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In each case, the grid pattern can be used to stitch together the rectangular surface of the RF screen with some periodic shapes. That is, the rectangular surface can be stitched together without overlap or gaps by repeating the periodic shape only via translation, without rotating, reflecting, or scaling the periodic shape. Translation is a geometric deformation that moves every point of a figure or shape the same distance in a given direction. In one embodiment, the periodic shape includes a plurality of isosceles right triangles arranged in a pattern, which is called a repeating pattern. Thus, in Figures 5 to 8 The tiling of each rectangular surface shown in is a periodic tiling with a repeating pattern.

[0143] Figure 5 A grid pattern 500 is shown that illustrates a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 510, each of which is in the shape of an isosceles right triangle. The tiled pattern 500 is a periodic tiled pattern with a repeating pattern 520. Figure 5 As shown in , the repeating pattern 520 is a square including two isosceles right triangles juxtaposed via the same base, which is the diagonal of the square. The repeating pattern 520 is the smallest pattern element that can be repeated to stitch a rectangular surface based solely on the translation of the repeating pattern without rotating, reflecting, or scaling the repeating pattern. Thus, the grid pattern 500 can stitch a rectangular surface with periodic squares, each of which is formed by two isosceles right triangles.

[0144] Figure 6 A grid pattern 600 is shown that illustrates a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 610, each of which is in the shape of an isosceles right triangle. The tiled pattern 600 is a periodic tiled pattern with a repeating pattern 620. Figure 6 As shown in , the repeating pattern 620 is a square including 8 isosceles right triangles. These 8 isosceles right triangles form 4 pairs, each of which includes two isosceles right triangles side by side via the same base. The repeating pattern 620 is the smallest pattern element that can be repeated to splice a rectangular surface based solely on the translation of the repeating pattern without rotating, reflecting or scaling the repeating pattern. Thus, the grid pattern 600 can splice a rectangular surface with periodic squares, each of which is formed by 8 isosceles right triangles.

[0145] Figure 7 A grid pattern 700 is shown that illustrates a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 710, each of which is in the shape of an isosceles right triangle. The tiled pattern 700 is a periodic tiled pattern with a repeating pattern 720. Figure 7 As shown in , the repeating pattern 720 is a rectangle including 8 isosceles right triangles. These 8 isosceles right triangles form 4 pairs, each of which includes two isosceles right triangles side by side via the same base. The repeating pattern 720 is the smallest pattern element that can be repeated to splice rectangular surfaces based solely on the translation of the repeating pattern without rotating, reflecting or scaling the repeating pattern. Thus, the grid pattern 700 can splice rectangular surfaces with periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by 8 isosceles right triangles.

[0146] Figure 8 A grid pattern 800 is shown that illustrates a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 810, each of which is in the shape of an isosceles right triangle. The tiled pattern 800 is a periodic tiled pattern with a repeating pattern 820. Figure 8 As shown in , the repeating pattern 820 is a rectangle including four isosceles right triangles. These four isosceles right triangles form two pairs, each of which includes two isosceles right triangles side by side via the same base. The repeating pattern 820 is the smallest pattern element that can be repeated to splice rectangular surfaces based solely on the translation of the repeating pattern without rotating, reflecting or scaling the repeating pattern. Thus, the grid pattern 800 can splice rectangular surfaces with periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by four isosceles right triangles.

[0147] Fig. 9 Grid pattern 900 illustrating a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 910, each of which is in the shape of a right triangle. Figure 5 The grid pattern in 500, through Fig. 9 The grid pattern 900 in FIG. 9 is a periodic grid pattern with a repeating pattern 920. The repeating pattern 920 is a rectangle including two right triangles arranged side by side via the same hypotenuse, which is the diagonal of the rectangle. That is, the grid pattern 900 can be used to stitch a rectangular surface with periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by two right triangles.

[0148] Fig.10 A grid pattern 1000 illustrating a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1010, each of which is in the shape of a right triangle. Figure 6The grid pattern 600 in FIG. 1 is periodically stitched with a repeating pattern 1020 by stitching the grid pattern 1000, and the repeating pattern 1020 is a rectangle including 8 right triangles. These 8 right triangles form 4 pairs, each of which includes two right triangles side by side via the same hypotenuse. That is, the grid pattern 1000 can stitch a rectangular surface with periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by 8 right triangles.

[0149] Fig.11 A grid pattern 1100 illustrating a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1110, each of which is in the shape of a right triangle. Figure 7 The grid pattern 700 in FIG. 1 is a periodic mosaic with a repeating pattern 1120 through the mosaic of the grid pattern 1100, and the repeating pattern 1120 is a rectangle including 8 right triangles. These 8 right triangles form 4 pairs, each of which includes two right triangles side by side via the same hypotenuse. That is, the grid pattern 1100 can mosaic a rectangular surface with periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by 8 right triangles.

[0150] Fig.12 Grid pattern 1200 illustrating a rectangular surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1210, each of which is in the shape of a right triangle. Figure 8 The grid pattern 800 in FIG. 1 is periodically stitched with a repeating pattern 1220 by stitching the grid pattern 1200, and the repeating pattern 1220 is a rectangle including four right triangles. These four right triangles form two pairs, each of which includes two right triangles side by side via the same hypotenuse. That is, the grid pattern 1200 can stitch a rectangular surface with periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by four right triangles.

[0151] Fig.13 A grid pattern 1300 is shown that illustrates a surface of an RF screen that can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1310, each of which is in the shape of an isosceles triangle. The tiled pattern 1300 is a periodic tiled pattern with a repeating pattern 1322. Fig.13 As shown in , the repeating pattern 1322 is a parallelogram including two isosceles triangles juxtaposed via a common right angle side, which is the diagonal of the parallelogram. The repeating pattern 1322 is the smallest pattern element that can be repeated to stitch surfaces based solely on the translation of the repeating pattern without rotating, reflecting, or scaling the repeating pattern. Thus, the grid pattern 1300 can stitch surfaces with periodic parallelograms, each of which is formed by two isosceles triangles.

[0152] like Fig.13 As shown in , the grid pattern 1300 includes a plurality of rows, each of which is formed by periodic units or periodic parallelograms. In this embodiment, the periodic units in two adjacent rows are aligned with each other. For example, the grid pattern 1300 includes a first row 1301 formed by periodic parallelograms; and includes a second row 1302 formed by periodic parallelograms. The first row 1301 and the second row 1302 are adjacent to each other. The periodic parallelograms of the first row 1301 and the periodic parallelograms of the second row 1302 are aligned with each other, which means that these periodic parallelograms share common sides. For example, the repeating pattern (periodic parallelogram) 1322 of the first row 1301 and the periodic parallelogram 1324 of the second row 1302 are arranged side by side via the shared common side. When the RF screen surface is as shown Fig.13 When the rectangular shape is shown in , each row has two right triangles 1330 at the two ends of this row.

[0153] Fig.14 A grid pattern 1400 illustrating that the surface of an RF screen can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1410, each of which is in the shape of an isosceles triangle. The tiled pattern 1400 is similar to the tiled pattern 1410 formed by the mesh pattern 1400. Fig.13 The grid pattern 1300 in FIG. 1 is a mosaic, except that the periodic cells in two adjacent rows are Fig.14 For example, the grid pattern 1400 includes a first row 1401 formed by periodic parallelograms; and includes a second row 1402 formed by periodic parallelograms. The first row 1401 and the second row 1402 are adjacent to each other. The periodic parallelograms 1422 of the first row 1401 and the periodic parallelograms 1424 of the second row 1402 are not aligned with each other, which means that these periodic parallelograms do not share common sides. When the RF screen surface is as shown Fig.14 When the rectangular shape is shown in , each row has two right triangles 1430 at the two ends of this row.

[0154] Fig.15 A grid pattern 1500 illustrating that the surface of an RF screen can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1510, each of which is in the shape of an equilateral triangle. The tiled pattern 1500 is similar to the tiled pattern 1510 formed by the mesh pattern 1500. Fig.13 The grid pattern in 1300 is stitched, except Fig.15 The repeating pattern 1522 in is a rhombus comprising two equilateral triangles arranged side by side via a common side, which is the diagonal of the rhombus. The periodic units in two adjacent rows are Fig.15For example, the periodic rhombuses (repeating pattern 1522) of the first row 1501 and the periodic rhombuses 1524 of the second row 1502 are aligned with each other, which means that these periodic rhombuses are arranged side by side via a shared common edge. Fig.15 When the rectangular shape is shown in , each row has two right triangles 1530 at the two ends of this row.

[0155] Fig.16 A grid pattern 1600 illustrating that the surface of an RF screen can be tiled with a plurality of individual openings 1610, each of which is in the shape of an equilateral triangle. The tiled pattern 1600 is similar to the tiled pattern 1600 formed by the mesh pattern 1600. Fig.15 The grid pattern 1500 in FIG. 1 is a mosaic, except that the periodic cells in two adjacent rows are Fig.16 For example, the periodic rhombuses 1622 of the first row 1601 and the periodic rhombuses 1624 of the second row 1602 are not aligned with each other, which means that these periodic rhombuses do not share a common edge. Fig.16 When the rectangular shape is shown in , each row has two right triangles 1630 at the two ends of this row.

[0156] Fig.17 A flow chart illustrating a method 1700 for performing UV induced deposition according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method begins at operation 1702, where a blower of a UV lamp system is turned on. At operation 1704, input electrical power is converted to RF energy. At operation 1706, a gas in a UV bulb is excited with RF energy to emit UV light. At operation 1708, the RF energy is screened with an RF screen comprising triangular openings. Then at operation 1710, the UV light is passed through the RF screen at a higher light transmittance than an RF screen having rectangular or hexagonal openings. In one embodiment, the UV light passes through the RF screen at a light transmittance greater than 70%. In another embodiment, the UV light passes through the RF screen at a light transmittance greater than 75%. At operation 1712, a gas flow is provided into a processing chamber for UV induced deposition. Fig.17 The order of operations in may be changed according to various embodiments of the present teachings.

[0157] In some embodiments, a radio frequency (RF) screen for a microwave powered ultraviolet (UV) lamp system is disclosed. The RF screen includes: a sheet including a conductive material; and a frame surrounding multiple edges of the sheet. The conductive material substantially spans an operational area of ​​the RF screen, defining a predetermined grid pattern of multiple individual openings. Each of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

[0158] In one embodiment, each of the individual openings is in the shape of an isosceles triangle. In one embodiment, the predetermined grid pattern is a surface of a sheet of multiple periodic parallelograms, each of which is formed by multiple isosceles triangles. In one embodiment, each of the individual openings is in the shape of an equilateral triangle. In one embodiment, each of the individual openings is in the shape of a right triangle. In one embodiment, the predetermined grid pattern is a surface of a sheet of multiple periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by a number of right triangles. In one embodiment, this number is 2, 4 or 8. In one embodiment, the predetermined grid pattern includes multiple rows, each of which is formed by multiple periodic units including at least one triangle; and the periodic units in at least two adjacent rows of these rows are not aligned with each other. In one embodiment, these individual openings have multiple shapes of multiple types of triangles; and these types of triangles include at least one of the following: isosceles triangles, right triangles, equilateral triangles, or irregular triangles. In one embodiment, the sheet has a thickness between 0.001 inches and 0.015 inches; and the predetermined grid pattern includes 16 to 36 individual openings per unit area of ​​1 square centimeter.

[0159] In some embodiments, a microwave powered ultraviolet (UV) lamp system is disclosed. The microwave powered UV lamp system includes: at least one magnetron configured to convert electrical power received from a power supply into radio frequency (RF) energy; a UV bulb configured to be excited by the RF energy to emit UV light; and an RF screen. The RF screen includes a sheet containing a conductive material. The conductive material defines a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings. At least one of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

[0160] In one embodiment, at least one of the individual openings has a rectangular shape. In one embodiment, the sheet has a rectangular surface, the rectangular surface having four edges; and the predetermined grid pattern uses a plurality of triangles near the four edges and a plurality of rectangles surrounded by the triangles to splice the rectangular surface of the sheet. In one embodiment, the RF screen is configured to produce an increase in ultraviolet light transmittance compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern, the grid pattern comprising a plurality of individual openings, each of the individual openings being in the shape of a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon; and the RF screen and the reference screen have the same number of the plurality of individual openings per unit area. In one embodiment, the RF screen is configured to produce a reduction in maximum deformation compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern, the grid pattern comprising individual openings, each of the individual openings being in the shape of a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon; and the RF screen and the reference screen have the same number of the plurality of individual openings per unit area. In one embodiment, the RF screen is configured to produce a maximum stress reduction compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern, the grid pattern comprising individual openings, each of the individual openings being in the shape of a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon; and the RF screen and the reference screen have the same number of individual openings per unit area. In one embodiment, the conductive material comprises copper, brass, stainless steel, tungsten, aluminum, nickel, silver, or a combination thereof.

[0161] In some embodiments, a method is disclosed. The method includes: converting input electrical power into radio frequency (RF) energy; exciting an ultraviolet (UV) bulb with the RF energy to emit UV light; and screening the RF energy with an RF screen, the RF screen comprising a sheet having a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings. At least one of the individual openings has a triangular shape.

[0162] In one embodiment, the method further comprises: allowing the ultraviolet light to pass through the radio frequency screen at a light transmittance greater than 70%. In one embodiment, allowing the ultraviolet light to pass through the radio frequency screen at a light transmittance greater than 75%.

[0163] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it should be understood that these embodiments have been presented by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Likewise, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations that are provided to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present disclosure. However, such persons will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but may be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as one of ordinary skill in the art will understand, one or more features of an embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0164] It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using designations such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these designations are used herein as a convenient way to distinguish between two or more elements or instances of elements. Thus, reference to a first and a second element does not mean that only two elements may be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

[0165] In addition, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols such as may be referenced in the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0166] Those generally skilled in the art will further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, components, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code with instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as "software" or "software" modules), or any combination of these technologies.

[0167] To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of functionality. Whether this functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these technologies depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those familiar with the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each specific application configuration, but these implementation decisions do not cause departures from the scope of the present disclosure. According to various embodiments, processors, devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, modules, etc. may be configured to perform one or more of the functions described herein. As used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, the term "configured to" or "configured for" refers to a processor, device, component, circuit, structure, machine, module, signal, etc. that is physically constructed, programmed, configured, and / or formatted to perform a specified operation or function.

[0168] In addition, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the various illustrative logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers to communicate with various components within a network or within a device. A processor programmed to perform the functions described herein will become a specially programmed or dedicated processor and may be implemented as a combination of computing devices to perform the functions described herein, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration.

[0169] If implemented with software, these functions can be stored as one or more instructions or program codes on a computer-readable medium. Therefore, the steps of the method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or program code from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, these computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer.

[0170] In this document, the term "module" as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. In addition, for the purpose of discussion, various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0171] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be consistent with the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A radio frequency screen, characterized in that: Include: a sheet comprising a conductive material; and a frame surrounding the edges of the sheet, wherein the conductive material spans an operational area of ​​the radio frequency screen to define a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings, wherein the predetermined grid pattern includes 16 to 36 individual openings per unit area of ​​1 square centimeter, Wherein each of the plurality of individual openings has a triangular shape.

2. The radio frequency screen according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the individual openings is in a shape of an isosceles triangle.

3. The radio frequency screen according to claim 2, characterized in that: The predetermined grid pattern is formed by splicing a surface of the sheet with a plurality of periodic parallelograms, and each of the periodic parallelograms is formed by a plurality of isosceles triangles.

4. The radio frequency screen according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the individual openings is in a shape of an equilateral triangle.

5. The radio frequency screen according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the individual openings is in the shape of a right triangle.

6. The radio frequency screen according to claim 5, characterized in that: The predetermined grid pattern is formed by splicing a surface of the sheet with a plurality of periodic rectangles, each of which is formed by a number of right-angled triangles.

7. The radio frequency screen according to claim 6: This number is 2, 4 or 8.

8. The radio frequency screen according to claim 1, characterized in that: The predetermined grid pattern includes a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows being formed by a plurality of periodic units including at least one triangle; and The plurality of periodic units in at least two adjacent rows of the plurality of rows are not aligned with each other.

9. The radio frequency screen according to claim 1, characterized in that: The individual openings have a plurality of shapes of a plurality of types of triangles; and The types of triangles include at least one of: an isosceles triangle, a right triangle, an equilateral triangle, or an irregular triangle.

10. The radio frequency screen according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sheet has a thickness between 0.001 inches and 0.015 inches.

11. An ultraviolet lamp system, characterized in that: Include: at least one magnetron configured to convert electrical power received from a power supply into radio frequency energy; an ultraviolet light bulb configured to be excited by the radio frequency energy to emit ultraviolet light; and A radio frequency screen, wherein the radio frequency screen comprises: A sheet includes a conductive material, wherein the conductive material defines a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings, wherein the predetermined grid pattern includes 16 to 36 individual openings per unit area of ​​1 square centimeter, Wherein each of the plurality of individual openings has a triangular shape.

12. The ultraviolet lamp system according to claim 11, characterized in that: At least one of the individual openings has a rectangular shape.

13. The ultraviolet lamp system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The sheet has a rectangular surface having four edges; and The predetermined grid pattern uses a plurality of triangles near the four edges and a plurality of rectangles surrounded by the plurality of triangles to splice the rectangular surface of the sheet.

14. The ultraviolet lamp system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The RF screen is configured to produce an increase in ultraviolet light transmittance compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern, the grid pattern comprising a plurality of individual openings, each of the plurality of individual openings being in a shape of: a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon; and The RF screen and the reference screen have a same number of individual openings in a unit area.

15. The ultraviolet lamp system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The RF screen is configured to produce a reduction in maximum deformation compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern, the grid pattern comprising individual openings, each of the plurality of individual openings being in a shape of: a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon; and The RF screen and the reference screen have a same number of individual openings in a unit area.

16. The ultraviolet lamp system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The RF screen is configured to produce a reduction in maximum stress compared to a reference screen having a grid pattern, the grid pattern comprising a plurality of individual openings, each of the plurality of individual openings being in a shape of: a square, a rectangle, or a hexagon; and The RF screen and the reference screen have a same number of individual openings in a unit area.

17. The ultraviolet lamp system according to claim 11, characterized in that: The conductive material includes copper, brass, stainless steel, tungsten, aluminum, nickel, silver, or a combination thereof.

18. A method for screening radio frequency energy, characterized in that: Include: Converting an input electrical power into radio frequency energy; Exciting an ultraviolet light bulb with the radio frequency energy to emit an ultraviolet light; and The RF energy is screened by an RF screen comprising a sheet having a predetermined grid pattern of a plurality of individual openings, the predetermined grid pattern comprising 16 to 36 of the individual openings per unit area of ​​1 square centimeter, wherein each of the plurality of individual openings has a triangular shape.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that Further including: The ultraviolet light is allowed to pass through the radio frequency screen at a light transmittance greater than 70%.

20. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that: The ultraviolet light is allowed to pass through the radio frequency screen at a light transmittance greater than 75%.

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