Heating Unit Cooling Layout for Faster Substrate Chamber Turnaround
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses take longer to cool the processing chamber due to the heat retention in the heating unit, increasing the overall processing time and potentially introducing impurities when external air is used for cooling.
Innovation Solution
A heating unit with an intake port and an exhaust port, equipped with heaters, a cooler connected to the intake port, an exhaust pump connected to the exhaust port, and a controller to manage the cooling process, allowing for forced air circulation to rapidly cool the processing chamber.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If external air is directly introduced into the processing chamber for cooling, then the processing chamber can be cooled in a short time, but impurities may be deposited on the substrates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cooling unit with a cooler that circulates cooling fluid through cooling passages, serving as an intermediary cooling mechanism between the processing chamber and external environment. This allows cooling without direct exposure to external air, thus preventing impurity deposition while achieving rapid cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a cooling fluid circulation system with pumps and passages to transport cooling fluid through the heating unit and processing chamber. This hydraulic/pneumatic system enables controlled cooling without direct air introduction, resolving the contradiction between cooling speed and contamination prevention.
2Temperature
If external air flows between the processing chamber and heating unit for cooling, then the heating unit can be cooled, but the time required to cool the processing chamber is increased due to heat retention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling function into separate segments: a cooling unit with dedicated cooling passages for the heating unit, and a processing chamber with separate cooling mechanisms. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each cooling path, enabling rapid cooling of both components without mutual interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling fluid acts as an intermediary medium that efficiently transfers heat from the heating unit through dedicated passages, bypassing the need for air flow that would slow down processing chamber cooling. This intermediary system resolves the time conflict between heating unit cooling and processing chamber cooling.
3Reliability
If the heating unit retains heat after processing, then heating performance is maintained, but the overall processing time is increased due to extended cooling requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic operation modes where the heating unit operates at high power during processing, then transitions to rapid cooling mode afterward. The cooling system is activated in periodic cycles to quickly reduce temperature, allowing the heating unit to maintain heating reliability when needed while minimizing cooling time to improve overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters by switching between heating mode and cooling mode with different power levels and fluid flow rates. During heating, high power is applied; during cooling, the cooling fluid flow rate is increased to maximize heat removal. This parameter switching resolves the contradiction between maintaining heating capability and reducing total cycle time.
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 reduces the time required to cool the processing chamber and thus shortens the entire processing time while minimizing the risk of impurity deposition on substrates.
Implementation Method 1
A heating unit with an intake port and an exhaust port, equipped with heaters, a cooler, and an exhaust pump, controlled by a controller to rapidly cool the processing chamber by forcing cold air through the unit after the processing process.
Implementation Method 2
one or more heaters located inside the body
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes a heating unit that heats a processing chamber that processes a plurality of substrates and that quickly cools the processing chamber after the processing. The heating unit includes a body having an intake port and an exhaust port, one or more heaters located inside the body, a cooler connected to the intake port of the body, an exhaust pump connected to the exhaust port of the body, and a controller controlling the cooler. The substrate processing apparatus includes a boat in which a plurality of substrates are stacked, a processing chamber providing a space in which the substrates are processed, a transfer unit carrying the boat into or out of the processing chamber, and the heating unit located outside the processing chamber.