Chamber Housing Cylinder Deviation Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In supercritical processing chambers, operation deviations between cylinder units lead to uneven contact between the upper and lower housings, resulting in particle generation and uneven wear, which affects the chamber's performance and maintenance cycle.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a deviation correction unit that measures and controls the fluid flow to the cylinder units, ensuring equal contact and preventing operation deviations, thereby minimizing particle generation and wear.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same amount of fluid is supplied to multiple cylinder units, then the fluid supply system is simple, but operation deviations occur due to mechanical differences causing uneven housing contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing individual flow control valves at each cylinder unit's fluid supply line, allowing each cylinder to receive customized fluid flow based on its specific mechanical characteristics. This enables precise adjustment of each cylinder's operation displacement to compensate for manufacturing variations, ensuring uniform housing contact without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fluid flow parameter for each cylinder unit individually through adjustable flow control valves. By modifying the fluid flow rate to each specific cylinder, the system compensates for mechanical differences in cylinder operation displacement, thereby achieving uniform housing contact while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Reliability
If cylinder units are connected to different regions of the lower housing, then the housing can be closed more effectively, but operation deviations cause particles to be generated and introduced into the processing chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by monitoring the operation displacement of each cylinder unit and adjusting the fluid flow to each cylinder accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that all cylinders reach their target positions simultaneously, preventing premature contact that would generate particles, while maintaining effective housing closure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-adjusting the fluid flow parameters for each cylinder unit before operation based on their mechanical characteristics. This preliminary calibration ensures that when the housing closing operation begins, all cylinders are synchronized to prevent particle generation from premature contact.
3Ease of operation
If the lower housing is moved upward in an inclined state due to cylinder displacement differences, then the processing chamber can still be opened or closed, but the contact region experiences accelerated wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the purely mechanical cylinder connection system with a controlled fluid system. By using fluid flow control valves to regulate each cylinder's operation, the system eliminates the mechanical inclination problem that causes uneven wear, while maintaining the ease of chamber opening and closing operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution corrects operation deviations between cylinder units, ensuring equal contact and reducing particle generation, extending the lifetime and maintenance cycle of the processing chamber.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid supply unit that supplies a fluid for operating the plurality of cylinder units
Implementation Method 2
The deviation correction unit may include measurement devices that measure operating states of the cylinder units, respectively, when the first housing is moved, a plurality of control lines connected to the branch lines of the first line, respectively, each control line having a control valve installed thereon, and a controller that receives measurement values from the measurement devices and controls the control valves based on the measurement values to control amounts of the fluid flowing through the branch lines of the first line
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method are provided. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber having a first housing and a second housing that are combined with each other to form a processing space inside, and a housing actuator that moves the first housing to open or close the processing space. The housing actuator includes a plurality of cylinder units coupled to the first housing, a fluid supplier that supplies a fluid for operating the plurality of cylinder units, and a deviation corrector that corrects an operation deviation between the plurality of cylinder units. The deviation corrector corrects the operation deviation between the plurality of cylinder units coupled to the chamber, thereby minimizing particles that are generated when the chamber is opened/closed.