Liquid Evaporator Queue Control for Shared Furnace Tube Water Supply

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Solution Overview

Problem

In semiconductor process technologies, the sharing of a liquid evaporator among multiple furnace tubes leads to unpredictable process durations and waiting times, requiring manual monitoring and increasing labor costs, while also affecting process stability and efficiency.

Innovation Solution

A water supply control method that involves obtaining water supply time period information for each furnace tube, updating a reservation queue based on this information, and setting the liquid evaporator to either an available or unavailable state for each furnace tube, ensuring that only one furnace tube uses the liquid evaporator at a time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If multiple furnace tubes share one liquid evaporator, then device cost and space are reduced, but process duration and waiting time become unpredictable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice costVSAvoidprocess waiting time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating water supply time periods for each furnace tube before the actual water supply process. The reservation queue is updated in advance with predicted water supply durations, allowing the system to proactively manage resource allocation and minimize waiting time through ahead-of-time planning and scheduling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the actual water supply process and comparing it with predicted values. When deviations are detected, the system adjusts subsequent scheduling decisions based on this feedback, ensuring that process durations remain predictable despite the shared resource configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If manual monitoring is implemented for water supply process, then process control stability is improved, but labor cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess control stabilityVSAvoidlabor cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies self-service by implementing automated prediction and management of water supply time periods. The reservation queue system automatically schedules and tracks water supply processes without requiring manual intervention, while the prediction algorithms autonomously adjust to actual process variations, eliminating the need for continuous manual monitoring while maintaining process stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical system of manual monitoring with an automated information processing system. The controller uses algorithms to predict water supply durations and manage the reservation queue, substituting human operators with computational processes that maintain or improve process stability while reducing labor costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Duration of action of moving object

If water supply time is extended to accommodate all furnace tubes, then water supply completeness is improved, but production efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewater supply timeVSAvoidproduction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements periodic action by organizing water supply to multiple furnace tubes in sequential time periods through the reservation queue. Each furnace tube receives water supply in designated time slots, creating a structured periodic pattern that ensures all tubes are serviced completely while maintaining efficient production flow through optimized scheduling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

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 approach allows for automated and predictable water supply management, reducing the need for manual intervention, minimizing labor costs, and enhancing the stability and efficiency of the semiconductor process.

Implementation Method 1

a water flow rate and a gas flow rate in the liquid evaporator are adjusted

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Data Source

PatentUS20250172955A1Water replenishment control method for semiconductor process device and semiconductor process device

Publication Date: 2025.05.29 BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD

AI summary

A water supply control method includes: obtaining water supply time period information that each of the plurality of furnace tubes needs to reserve; according to the water supply time period information that each of the plurality of furnace tubes needs to reserve, updating a reservation queue at a current moment; and according to the water supply time period information in the updated reservation queue, setting the liquid evaporator to be in an available state or an unavailable state for each of the plurality of furnace tubes, such that the liquid evaporator supplies water to only one furnace tube at a time.