Actively Cooled Ion Source Gas Line to Prevent Feed Gas Clogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing gas lines used in ion sources often heat up due to the elevated temperature of the ion source, leading to feed gas decomposition and potential clogging, which shortens the assembly's lifespan and reduces efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An actively cooled gas conduit system is introduced, featuring a gas channel and a cooling channel adjacent to each other for at least a portion of the gas channel's length, which can be constructed by bonding tubes or using additive manufacturing, with a return channel for fluid communication, to effectively manage heat and prevent gas decomposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gas line is used to supply feed gas to the ion source, then the ion source can receive the necessary feed gas, but the gas line becomes heated due to the elevated temperature of the ion source, causing feed gas decomposition and potential clogging
Solution Approach 1:
The gas line is segmented into multiple sections: an outer tube and an inner tube separated by spacers, creating distinct thermal zones. This segmentation allows the outer tube to be cooled while the inner tube delivers hot feed gas, resolving the contradiction between maintaining low temperature for reliability and allowing high temperature for ion source operation.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling fluid acts as an intermediary substance flowing through the annular space between the outer and inner tubes. This intermediary carries heat away from the gas line, maintaining low temperature in the feed gas path without interfering with the ion source's high temperature operation, thus preventing gas decomposition and clogging.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a gas bushing is used to thermally isolate the gas line from the ion source, then some thermal isolation is achieved, but heat transfer to the gas tube still occurs, potentially causing gas decomposition
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling fluid flowing through the annular space serves as an active intermediary that continuously removes heat from the gas line, preventing heat transfer to the feed gas. This active thermal management through intermediary cooling fluid resolves the contradiction between thermal isolation and preventing gas decomposition.
Solution Approach 2:
Heat is extracted from the gas line through the cooling fluid flowing in the annular space. By actively removing heat rather than relying on passive isolation, the system prevents gas decomposition while maintaining reliable operation, resolving the contradiction between thermal isolation effectiveness and gas line reliability.
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 actively cooled gas conduit system maintains the feed gas temperature below the decomposition point, reducing the likelihood of clogging and extending the assembly's lifespan by efficiently managing heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling channel that may be adjacent to one another for at least a portion of the length of the gas channel... By actively cooling the gas conduit, the temperature of the gas conduit may be lowered
Data Source
AI summary
An actively cooled gas conduit for use with an ion source is disclosed. The gas conduit includes a gas channel and a cooling channel that may be adjacent to one another for at least a portion of the length of the gas channel. The gas conduit may be constructed by bonding two or more tubes together. Alternatively, the gas conduit may be constructed using additive manufacturing such that the cooling channel and the gas channel are within the same gas conduit. In some embodiments, the return channel is also disposed in the gas conduit. By actively cooling the gas conduit, the temperature of the gas conduit may be lowered, which reducing the possibility of clogging due to decomposition of the feed gas.