Magnetic Coupling Chamber for Hermetic Wafer Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional locally clean production systems for semiconductor manufacturing face challenges in completely isolating fine particles and gas molecules, leading to contamination and increased manufacturing costs due to complex and incomplete hermetical sealing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A coupling system with magnetic sealing structures that forms a hermetically sealed coupling chamber by tight coupling of the transfer box and apparatus, using magnetic forces to open and close doors, eliminating the need for a fixed port and reducing the number of doors required, thereby simplifying the structure and enhancing isolation capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hermetical sealing mechanisms with multiple doors and a fixed port are used, then isolation of fine particles and gas molecules is attempted, but the structure becomes complex and isolation is incomplete
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the fixed port structure from the system. Instead of having a permanent port that requires complex sealing mechanisms, the transfer box directly couples with the apparatus body, eliminating the port and its associated sealing complexity while maintaining hermetical isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
The transfer box door and apparatus door are magnetically coupled to form a unified sealing interface. The magnetic coupling merges the two separate door structures into a single functional unit that achieves hermetical sealing without requiring multiple separate sealing mechanisms.
2Reliability
If multiple doors are used to achieve hermetical sealing, then isolation capability is improved, but the number of components increases and manufacturing costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer box door and apparatus door are magnetically coupled to form a unified sealing interface. This merging of two door structures into a single magnetic coupling system reduces the number of separate components while maintaining hermetical sealing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical sealing mechanisms with multiple moving parts are replaced by magnetic coupling forces. The magnetic fields provide the sealing force without requiring complex mechanical structures, reducing component count while maintaining sealing reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a fixed port structure is used for coupling, then transfer operations can be performed, but the system requires complex sealing mechanisms and increases manufacturing costs
Solution Approach 1:
The fixed port structure is completely removed from the system. The transfer box couples directly with the apparatus body without requiring an intermediate port structure, eliminating the associated sealing complexity while maintaining operational capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system transitions from a static fixed port to a dynamic magnetic coupling where the transfer box door and apparatus door are attracted together by magnetic forces. This dynamic coupling provides the necessary sealing while simplifying the overall structure.
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
The system achieves complete isolation of fine particles and gas molecules, reducing contamination and manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for a fixed port and simplifying the structure, while ensuring efficient transfer of products between the transfer box and apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
a transfer box (7) having a transfer box body (11) with magnetic bodies (28) and a transfer box door (23), wherein the transfer box door (23) and transfer box body (11) are closed by means of magnetic forces of the magnetic bodies (28)
Implementation Method 2
the apparatus (8) has electromagnets (14) or magnets (18) on its apparatus door (9) so that the transfer box door (23) opens when the transfer box door (23) is attracted to the apparatus door (9) by means of magnetic forces of the electromagnets (14) or magnets (18)
Data Source
AI summary
In a transfer system for wafers, etc., a coupling chamber corresponding to a port is formed only when a transfer box comes in tight contact with an apparatus as a transfer target in the transfer box is transferred into the apparatus, so that the transfer target will be transferred together with the coupling chamber into the apparatus by means of magnetic attraction forces exerted between the transfer box, transfer box door and apparatus door, thereby simplifying the structures of the transfer box and apparatus and also allowing the transfer target to be transferred into the apparatus without fail.