Composite Lid Design for Wafer Processing Pressure Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closed process chamber designs for semiconductor wafers are unable to withstand overpressures greater than 0.8 bar and vacuums less than -0.5 bar, especially when equipped with multiple fluid inlets and valve manifolds, leading to structural weaknesses and safety concerns during surface treatment processes.
Innovation Solution
A lid constructed with a composite fiber-reinforced upper plate and a chemically-resistant plastic lower plate, sandwiched with a stainless steel plate, which includes multiple bores for fluid introduction and elongated slots for valve manifolds, enhancing structural stiffness and durability to withstand pressures up to 1 bar and vacuums below -0.5 bar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional lid design is used in closed process chambers, then the structure is simpler and easier to manufacture, but it cannot withstand overpressures greater than 0.8 bar and vacuums less than -0.5 bar, leading to structural weaknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The lid is constructed using a composite structure consisting of an upper plate made from fiber-reinforced plastic material and a lower plate made from chemically-resistant plastic material. This composite design enables the lid to withstand overpressures greater than 0.8 bar and vacuums less than -0.5 bar while maintaining structural integrity, directly resolving the pressure resistance limitation of conventional single-material lid designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple fluid inlets and valve manifolds are added to the lid, then fluid introduction capability is improved, but structural weaknesses and safety concerns increase under pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber-reinforced upper plate provides enhanced structural strength around the multiple bores and elongated slots required for fluid inlets and valve manifolds. The composite structure distributes stress more effectively than conventional materials, allowing multiple fluid introduction points to be incorporated without compromising the lid's ability to withstand pressure differentials.
Solution Approach 2:
The lid design incorporates different material properties in different regions: the fiber-reinforced upper plate provides structural strength and pressure resistance, while the chemically-resistant lower plate provides chemical inertness. This local differentiation allows the lid to accommodate multiple fluid inlets with appropriate sealing and reinforcement at critical locations while maintaining overall structural safety.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a fiber-reinforced composite upper plate is used in the lid, then structural stiffness and pressure resistance are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber-reinforced plastic material provides exceptional structural stiffness and strength-to-weight ratio, enabling the lid to maintain its shape and resist deformation under pressure differentials of greater than 0.8 bar overpressure and -0.5 bar vacuum. The composite structure ensures consistent material properties and structural integrity throughout the lid assembly.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles comprises a closed process chamber providing a gas-tight enclosure. A rotary chuck is located within the closed process chamber, the rotary chuck being adapted to hold a wafer shaped article thereon. A lid is secured to an upper part of the closed process chamber, the lid comprising an upper plate formed from a composite fiber-reinforced material and a lower plate that faces into the process chamber and is formed from a chemically-resistant plastic.