Nested Gas Supply and Filtration for Fume-Free Substrate Curing
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the curing process of plastic materials for flexible display devices, fumes are generated which contaminate the substrate, necessitating a technology to easily remove these fumes and prevent substrate contamination.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a chamber, external air supply pipes, gas supply pipes, mesh filters, and discharge pipes with controlled open ratios to effectively remove fumes and prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fume removal system is added to prevent substrate contamination, then substrate purity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply pipe is disposed inside the external air supply pipe, creating a nested structure where the gas supply system is integrated within the existing air supply infrastructure. This reduces device complexity by utilizing the existing pipe structure while adding fume removal functionality through the inner gas supply pipe that delivers curable gas to the substrate processing region.
Solution Approach 2:
The external air supply pipe serves dual functions: it supplies external air for substrate processing and contains the gas supply pipe for delivering curable gas. The discharge pipes also serve multiple purposes by controlling gas flow and removing fumes simultaneously. This multi-functionality improves substrate purity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If mesh filter is installed in air supply pipe to remove fumes, then substrate purity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mesh filter is installed inside the external air supply pipe at a specific position where it can effectively filter fumes from the air stream. By nesting the filter within the existing pipe structure rather than adding a separate filtering system, the substrate purity is improved while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If discharge valves with controlled open ratios are used, then gas distribution uniformity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different discharge pipes are assigned different open ratios based on their specific positions and requirements. The discharge valves provide localized control of gas flow, allowing each discharge point to have optimized flow characteristics. This local quality control improves overall gas distribution uniformity while the modular valve design keeps the increase in device complexity manageable.
4Volume of moving object
If gas supply pipe is disposed inside external air supply pipe, then space utilization is improved, but manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas supply pipe is disposed inside the external air supply pipe, creating a concentric nested structure that maximizes space utilization within the chamber. This nested configuration allows both air supply and gas supply functions to coexist in the same spatial envelope, improving space utilization while the modular nested design actually simplifies manufacturing compared to creating entirely separate routing systems.
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 apparatus ensures uniform gas distribution and efficient fume removal, preventing substrate contamination and maintaining the integrity of the flexible display devices.
Implementation Method 1
a mesh filter disposed inside the external air supply pipe and between an end of the gas supply pipe and an end of the external air supply pipe
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of discharge valves, outside the chamber, respectively connected to the first discharge pipes, wherein the discharge valves control open ratios of passages inside the first discharge pipes, and the open ratios of the passages of the first discharge pipes gradually increase toward an upper portion
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber in which a substrate is disposed, an external air supply pipe connected to a first side of the chamber and extending into the chamber, a gas supply pipe disposed inside the external air supply pipe, a mesh filter disposed inside the external air supply pipe and between an end of the gas supply pipe and an end of the external air supply pipe, and a plurality of first discharge pipes connected to a second side of the chamber which is opposite to the first side and extending into the chamber.