Reticle Compartment Diffusor Plate Uniform Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing reticle compartments require high throughput of purge gas to achieve effective cleaning due to turbulent flow, which is costly and inefficient, especially when storing multiple reticles.
Innovation Solution
A reticle compartment design featuring a diffusor plate with larger central opening areas compared to peripheral areas, and a second diffusor plate on the outlet side, both with openings arranged to minimize turbulence and ensure uniform gas flow, combined with a metal construction to reduce outgassing, allows for efficient purging with minimal gas usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional purging system with uniform openings is used, then the compartment can be cleaned effectively, but high throughput of purge gas is required causing increased costs and inefficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The diffusor plate features non-uniform opening distribution with larger openings in the central region and smaller openings in peripheral regions. This local variation in opening size creates regions of different flow resistance that guide the purge gas along a controlled path through the compartment, reducing turbulence and minimizing the total gas throughput required for effective cleaning
2Device complexity
If purge gas flows directly through the compartment without diffusion control, then the结构简单 (structure is simple), but pronounced turbulences occur requiring higher gas throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The diffusor plate acts as an intermediary component between the purge gas inlet and the compartment interior. It diffuses the incoming gas flow through its patterned openings, converting the direct high-velocity flow into a distributed, lower-velocity flow field that reduces turbulence while maintaining cleaning effectiveness without requiring additional complex flow control mechanisms
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 design achieves a more uniform and less turbulent flow of purge gas, reducing the amount of gas needed for effective purging while maintaining optimal cleanliness for multiple reticles, thus minimizing costs and enhancing storage efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a first diffusor plate (24) arranged in the enclosed interior (12) between the inlet port (16) and the reticle storage portion (14)
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5a~5b
AI summary
The invention relates to a reticle compartment defining an enclosed interior (12) adapted to store at least two reticles (22) in a reticle storage portion (14), comprising an inlet port (16), through which a purge gas can enter the enclosed interior (12), and an outlet port (18), through which the purge gas can exit the enclosed interior, wherein the reticle compartment further comprises a first diffusor plate (24) arranged in the enclosed interior between the inlet port (16) and the reticle storage portion (14), wherein the first diffusor plate (24) is provided with openings (25a, 25b), through which the purge gas can flow, the openings (25a) in a central section of the first diffusor plate (24) being provided with a larger individual opening area and/or providing a larger total opening area per unit area than openings (25b) in a peripheral section of the first diffusor plate (24), wherein the individual openings comprise opening areas which are round or oval or square or triangular or oblong or egg shaped or crescent shaped or slit shaped or polygon shaped.