Selective Cover Heating in Substrate Processing Chambers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing substrate processing apparatuses consume excessive energy due to heat dissipation when a thick chamber is heated, leading to wasteful energy consumption.

Innovation Solution

A substrate processing apparatus with a chamber and a cover where heaters are provided only on the cover, allowing for selective heating and reducing heat dissipation, thereby saving energy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If the chamber main body is heated, then the processing room temperature is maintained, but much heat is dissipated causing wasteful energy consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing room temperatureVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The heating system is segmented into two independent parts: a chamber heater for heating the chamber main body and a cover heater for heating the cover. This segmentation allows selective heating of only the necessary components, reducing unnecessary heat dissipation from the thick chamber walls while maintaining required temperatures in the processing room.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different heating strategies are applied to different parts of the apparatus. The cover, which has small thickness and minimal heat dissipation, is heated by a dedicated cover heater. The chamber main body is heated by a chamber heater. This local differentiation optimizes energy efficiency by heating only the components that require it for proper functioning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If heaters are provided on both chamber and cover, then temperature control is comprehensive, but energy consumption increases due to heating the thick chamber

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature controlVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of heating the entire chamber main body excessively, the invention applies partial heating action by using a dedicated cover heater that targets only the cover component. This partial action is sufficient to prevent foreign matter adherence on the cover without the energy waste of heating the thick chamber walls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the heating parameters by introducing a separate cover heater with specific heating capabilities tailored to the cover's thin structure. This allows optimization of heating temperature and duration for the cover specifically, rather than using high-power heating throughout the entire chamber.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This configuration effectively reduces energy consumption by minimizing heat dissipation and allows for efficient temperature control, improving maintainability by preventing foreign matter adherence on the cover.

Implementation Method 1

a heater which is provided only on the cover among the chamber and the cover and heats the cover

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS12183552B2Substrate processing apparatus

Publication Date: 2024.12.31 KELK LTD

AI summary

A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber which has a processing room in which a substrate is processed, a cover which is provided in the processing room and is provided between the substrate and the chamber, and a heater which is provided only on the cover among the chamber and the cover and heats the cover.