Exhaust Pipe Detoxification via Ozone Bypass in Film Forming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detoxifying exhaust pipes in film forming apparatuses often require stopping the film forming process, leading to increased downtime and reduced productivity, as they struggle to effectively suppress the generation of harmful gases during maintenance, especially when the types of films being formed vary.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that allow for continuous film forming by independently exhausting raw material and reaction gases, with the reaction gas being supplied to the raw material gas exhaust pipe during non-film forming periods to detoxify the pipe, using a bypass system to directly connect the ozonizer to the raw material gas exhaust pipe, enabling oxidation of harmful components without interrupting the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the exhaust pipe is heated to suppress harmful gas generation, then hydrogen chloride generation is suppressed, but this method cannot suppress other harmful gases and requires stopping the film forming process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameter by introducing ozone gas instead of relying solely on thermal heating. The ozone chemically reacts with harmful components in the exhaust pipe to convert them into harmless substances, enabling detoxification without stopping the film forming process or relying on temperature-based methods that are ineffective against certain harmful gases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ozone gas as an intermediary substance to detoxify the exhaust pipe. The ozone is supplied through a bypass line that allows it to contact and react with harmful components in the exhaust pipe without interfering with the ongoing film forming process in the reaction chamber, thus maintaining productivity while eliminating harmful gases.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If substrate processing is stopped to suppress harmful gas and perform detoxification, then harmful gas generation is suppressed, but downtime is lengthened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous operation by supplying ozone gas through a bypass line that is independent of the film forming process. This allows detoxification of the exhaust pipe to occur simultaneously with substrate processing, eliminating the need to stop the film forming process and thus preventing downtime while continuously suppressing harmful gas generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the detoxification function from the film forming process by using a separate bypass line. The ozone supply system is divided into a main line for the reaction chamber and a bypass line for the exhaust pipe, allowing independent operation of detoxification without affecting the continuity of substrate processing.
3Productivity
If a bypass pipe is introduced to supply reaction gas directly to the exhaust pipe, then detoxification can occur during operation, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the reaction gas supply system multi-functional by adding a bypass line that allows the same gas supply source to serve both the film forming process and the exhaust pipe detoxification. This universal approach allows one system to perform multiple functions without requiring entirely separate detoxification equipment, thus limiting the increase in device complexity.
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
Enables continuous operation of the film forming process without downtime, effectively detoxifying the exhaust pipe and maintaining high productivity by oxidizing harmful components in the raw material gas exhaust pipe using ozone, ensuring safe gas concentrations without prolonging maintenance periods.
Implementation Method 1
supplying the reaction gas into the raw material exhaust pipe to detoxify an interior of the raw material exhaust pipe
Data Source
AI summary
A method of detoxifying an exhaust pipe in a film forming apparatus configured to supply a raw material gas contending a harmful component and a reaction gas capable of generating a harmless reaction product by reaction with the raw material gas into a process chamber to perform a film forming process on a substrate while independently exhausting the raw material gas and the reaction gas from a raw material exhaust pipe and a reaction gas exhaust pipe connected to the process chamber, respectively, is provided. The method includes supplying the reaction gas into the raw material exhaust pipe to detoxify an interior of the raw material exhaust pipe during a predetermined period in which the film forming apparatus is operated and the film forming process is not performed.