CVD Gas Distributor Nozzle Assembly Flow Path Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas distributors for CVD processes face challenges in achieving uniform gas distribution and process accuracy due to limitations in shaping and forming flow paths, leading to turbulence and difficulties in controlling gas flow rates and pressures, which affect the quality of deposited films.
Innovation Solution
A gas distributor with a nozzle assembly comprising paired nozzle members with a first flow path and a second flow path of smaller width, inclinedly connected, allowing for the design of complex flow paths and easy formation of shapes, including guide parts and buffer flow paths, to enhance gas flow uniformity and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple forming processes (gun drilling, wire electric discharge machining, electric discharge machining) are used to create flow paths in a plate, then the gas distributor can be manufactured with multiple flow paths, but the forming process becomes complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical forming processes (gun drilling, electric discharge machining) with injection molding to create flow paths. This substitution allows complex multi-branch flow paths to be formed in a single manufacturing step, eliminating the need for multiple sequential forming processes and significantly reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the manufacturing approach from subtractive forming (drilling, machining) to additive forming (injection molding). This parameter change enables the creation of complex flow path geometries that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional methods, while also simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional forming processes are used to create flow paths, then holes and gaps can be formed, but the shapes of flow paths are limited to linear shapes and cannot be changed freely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical drilling and machining processes with injection molding, enabling the creation of complex curved and branched flow paths that cannot be achieved with linear drilling methods. This substitution provides free design flexibility for flow path shapes while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved and rounded flow path geometries instead of linear straight lines. The injection molding process naturally creates smooth curved transitions in flow paths, eliminating sharp corners and orthogonal intersections that cause turbulence, thereby improving gas flow uniformity.
3Productivity
If flow paths are formed by gun drilling and wire electric discharge machining, then holes can be created, but bordering surfaces become orthogonal causing turbulences and considerable gas flow resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs flow paths with curved transitions instead of orthogonal intersections. The rounded corners and smooth transitions eliminate sharp edges where turbulence would occur, significantly reducing gas flow resistance and improving overall gas flow rate through the distributor plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometry parameters of flow path intersections from orthogonal (90-degree) angles to curved transitions with optimized radii. This parameter optimization minimizes flow separation and turbulence, thereby reducing pressure losses and improving gas flow efficiency.
4Manufacturing precision
If wire electric discharge machining is used to form small holes, then precise holes can be created, but undesired holes may be formed through upper parts of existing flow paths causing gas flow interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sequential drilling and machining operations with a single injection molding process that creates all flow paths and holes simultaneously. This eliminates the risk of undesired holes penetrating through existing flow paths, as the molding process forms all features in one step without sequential penetration that could cause interference.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a gas distributor, including: a nozzle unit formed by joining a pair of nozzle members together such that the nozzle members face each other with a first nozzle gap defined between the nozzle members; and a nozzle assembly in which at least two nozzle units are assembled together in parallel, in which the nozzle gap includes a first flow path formed in parallel in a direction of the nozzle member, and a second flow path extended from the first flow path, formed with a smaller width than a width of the first flow path along a bonded surface, and discharging gas through an end portion of one side of the second flow path, and the second flow path is extended with the first flow path, and is inclinedly provided so that a width is gradually decreased in a portion adjacent to the first flow path.