Shock Absorbing Plate Structure for Thermal Expansion Leakage Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor device manufacturing, the thermal expansion and contraction of plates in processing chambers lead to friction, causing cracks and gas leakage issues due to temperature changes during heat treatment processes.
Innovation Solution
A shock absorbing plate with a design featuring circular holes and a decreasing thickness from the center to the edge, made of materials with lower friction coefficients and elastic moduli than the existing plates, is inserted between the plates to absorb shocks and prevent gas leakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plates are directly stacked in the processing chamber, then the structure is simple and rigid, but friction occurs between plates during thermal expansion and contraction, causing cracks and gas leakage
Solution Approach 1:
A shock absorbing plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the first plate and the second plate. This intermediate layer absorbs the shock and friction generated during thermal expansion and contraction, preventing direct contact and damage between the stacked plates, thereby eliminating cracks and gas leakage while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The shock absorbing plate utilizes material parameter changes through its viscoelastic properties. The material's ability to change its mechanical characteristics in response to thermal and mechanical stress allows it to absorb expansion forces and reduce friction between plates during temperature cycles, preventing damage without adding complex structural elements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a shock absorbing plate is inserted between stacked plates, then friction and shock are reduced, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorbing plate serves as a mediator that reduces friction between stacked plates during thermal expansion. By placing this single intermediate component between the first and second plates, the harmful frictional forces are eliminated without requiring multiple complex components or mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The shock absorbing plate employs a porous structure that allows for compression and expansion while maintaining contact between plates. The porous configuration enables the material to absorb mechanical shock and reduce friction through its cellular architecture, achieving the desired friction reduction with a single component rather than multiple parts.
3Reliability
If the shock absorbing plate has uniform thickness, then manufacturing is simple, but it cannot effectively distribute pressure and absorb shock across different regions
Solution Approach 1:
The shock absorbing plate features non-uniform thickness with a thicker center region and thinner edge regions. This local variation in thickness is strategically designed to match the pressure distribution pattern during thermal expansion, where the center experiences greater compressive forces. The thicker center provides enhanced shock absorption where needed, while the thinner edges reduce material usage and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thickness parameter of the shock absorbing plate is varied across different spatial locations to optimize shock absorption performance. The gradient thickness profile allows the plate to effectively distribute and absorb compressive forces generated during thermal expansion, with the thicker central region providing maximum cushioning where the expansion forces are most intense.
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 solution effectively reduces friction and prevents cracks and gas leakage by distributing pressure and reducing the force applied to the plates, enhancing the reliability and productivity of the substrate processing apparatus.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic modulus of the shock absorbing plate is less than an elastic modulus of the first plate and the second plate
Implementation Method 2
a friction coefficient of the shock absorbing plate is less than a friction coefficient of each of the first plate and the second plate
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of holes between the first plate and the second plate so that the first plate is apart from the second plate in the vertical direction
Data Source
AI summary
A shock absorbing plate configured to absorb a shock between a first plate and a second plate stacked on the first plate in a vertical direction, positioned between the first plate and the second plate so that the first plate is apart from the second plate in the vertical direction, and having a circular shape when viewed in the vertical direction. When no pressure is applied to the shock absorbing plate, a vertical thickness of the shock absorbing plate is greatest at a center thereof and decreases from the center toward an outer edge thereof. A plurality of holes penetrate the shock absorbing plate in the vertical direction. A friction coefficient and an elastic modulus of the shock absorbing plate are less than a friction coefficient and an elastic modulus of each of the first plate and the second plate.