Modular Vacuum Pump Abatement System for Semiconductor Exhaust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional exhaust gas treatment apparatuses for semiconductor manufacturing processes are costly, time-consuming to design and install, require excessive capacity, and are difficult to modify or replace due to their large size and complexity, leading to inefficiencies in treating varying gas flows and types, and necessitating complex backup systems and frequent shutdowns for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum pump with a modular abatement system that allows for the attachment of interchangeable abatement parts, such as combustion, dry, wet, and fluorine-fixing types, which can be arranged in series or parallel to optimize treatment performance and capacity, reducing the need for extensive redesign and installation, and enabling easy replacement and maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional exhaust gas treatment apparatuses are designed with customized specifications for each customer and process, then treatment performance meets allowable concentration requirements, but design and manufacturing labor increases and apparatus cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust gas treatment apparatus is divided into multiple independent treatment units, each capable of handling specific gas types or flow ranges. These modular units can be selectively combined to meet different customer requirements without redesigning the entire system, thus reducing design complexity while maintaining treatment performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment units are designed with universal interfaces and standardized configurations that allow them to be used across different applications. A single standardized unit can handle multiple gas types through configurable parameters, eliminating the need for custom-designed apparatuses for each customer and process type.
2Quantity of substance
If exhaust gas treatment apparatuses are designed for large pump systems with increased gas flow, then treatment capacity is sufficient, but apparatus size increases and fixed installation is required
Solution Approach 1:
For large gas flow applications, multiple standardized treatment units are connected in parallel rather than using a single large apparatus. This modular approach provides the required treatment capacity while keeping each individual unit compact and suitable for flexible installation locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from vertical stacking (increasing height) to horizontal arrangement (increasing footprint) when scaling up capacity. Multiple compact units can be arranged horizontally in available spaces, avoiding the need for tall, fixed installations and enabling placement in various facility configurations.
3Reliability
If exhaust gas treatment apparatuses are installed fixedly on base or floor, then stable operation is achieved, but transportation and installation costs increase and relocation is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment apparatus is divided into self-contained modular units that can be independently installed and relocated. Each module maintains operational stability through internal mounting structures while being transportable on standard equipment, eliminating the need for fixed floor installations and heavy base plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static fixed installation to dynamic reconfigurable installation. Modular units with standardized mounting interfaces can be easily moved and repositioned using standard material handling equipment, allowing flexible adaptation to changing facility layouts without requiring specialized installation procedures.
4Quantity of substance
If multiple exhaust gas treatment apparatuses are combined to meet treatment capacity requirements, then required treatment performance is achieved, but installation space requirements increase and complex piping and backup systems are needed
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple treatment units are designed with integrated piping manifolds that combine gas flow paths into a single consolidated system. This reduces the number of external piping connections and valves required, simplifying the overall installation while maintaining the combined treatment capacity of multiple units.
Solution Approach 2:
The modular units incorporate universal backup and control interfaces that allow any unit to serve as a backup for another. This eliminates the need for dedicated backup systems and complex inter-unit piping, as any failed unit can be replaced by activating or connecting another identical standardized unit through simple interface connections.
5Adaptability or versatility
If conventional exhaust gas treatment apparatuses are designed with excessive capacity to meet varying requirements, then all process scenarios are covered, but apparatus cost increases and maintenance complexity rises
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of designing one oversized apparatus to handle all possible gas flow rates and compositions, the system uses multiple smaller standardized units that can be selectively activated. This allows the treatment capacity to be precisely matched to actual process requirements, reducing unnecessary capacity while maintaining versatility through flexible unit combination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static fixed capacity to dynamic scalable capacity. Standardized modular units can be added or removed based on actual process needs, allowing the treatment system to adapt to varying gas flows and compositions without requiring excessive design capacity or complex variable speed controls in a single large apparatus.
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 flexible and cost-effective exhaust gas treatment by selecting the appropriate abatement parts based on gas flow rates and types, minimizing the need for excessive capacity, reducing installation and maintenance costs, and enabling quick changes in treatment processes without shutting down operations.
Implementation Method 1
a combustion-type exhaust gas treatment apparatus
Implementation Method 2
a wet-type exhaust gas treatment apparatus
Implementation Method 3
a dry-type exhaust gas treatment apparatus
Implementation Method 4
a fluorine-fixing-type exhaust gas treatment apparatus
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A vacuum pump with abatement function is used for evacuating a chamber of a manufacturing apparatus. The vacuum pump with abatement function includes a vacuum pump having a discharge port to which at least one abatement part for treating an exhaust gas discharged from the vacuum pump to make the exhaust gas harmless is attached. The abatement part is selected from a plurality of abatement parts having different treatment types of exhaust gas and/or different treatment amounts of exhaust gas and/or different treatment performances of exhaust gas.