Film-Forming Carrier Support with Buffered Rotating Members
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing film-forming apparatuses face issues with substrate damage or falling due to vibrations when passing through gate valves, and maintaining positional accuracy of rotating members is challenging, particularly in vacuum and heating environments.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus incorporates a support unit with rotating members having an annular shape and buffer members between the rotating member outer peripheral portion and bearings, reducing moments applied to the buffer members, thus minimizing deformation and maintaining positional accuracy while suppressing vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gate valve is used to connect chambers, then the chamber can be sealed, but the carrier vibrates when passing through the gate valve causing substrate damage or falling
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer member is provided between the rotating member and the carrier to cushion vibrations before they can reach the carrier. The buffer member absorbs the impact energy when the carrier passes through the gate valve, preventing substrate damage while maintaining chamber sealing capability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If buffer members are used to reduce carrier vibration, then substrate damage is suppressed, but the positional accuracy of rotating members deteriorates due to moment application
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer member is designed with specific local properties - it is provided only at the critical interface between the rotating member and carrier where vibration occurs. The buffer member has appropriate elasticity to cushion vibrations while maintaining sufficient rigidity to preserve positional accuracy of the rotating member.
3Reliability
If special buffer members are used in vacuum and heating environments, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer member is designed to operate effectively across a wide range of parameters including vacuum conditions and heating environments. By selecting materials and designs that maintain their buffering properties under varying temperature and pressure conditions, the system achieves reliability in harsh environments without requiring specially customized buffer members for each condition.
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 substrate damage and falling, maintains positional accuracy, and allows for the use of general-purpose buffer members in vacuum and heating environments, enhancing productivity and reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
a buffer member provided between an inner peripheral surface of the rotating member outer peripheral portion and an outer peripheral surface of the bearing
Implementation Method 2
At least one of the plurality of chambers includes a heating mechanism for the substrate
Implementation Method 3
a vacuum pump configured to decompress an inside of at least one of the plurality of chambers
Data Source
AI summary
In a film-forming apparatus, a transport mechanism that transports a carrier includes a support unit provided in a chamber and configured to support the carrier. The support unit includes a plurality of rotating members that support the carrier, and extends from an upstream side to a downstream side in a transport direction of the carrier. The plurality of rotating members are arranged in a row from the upstream side to the downstream side of the support unit. Each of the rotating members includes a rotating member outer peripheral portion having an annular shape, a bearing provided inside the rotating member outer peripheral portion, and a buffer member provided between an inner peripheral surface of the rotating member outer peripheral portion and an outer peripheral surface of the bearing.