Spring-Suspended Contact Piece for Wafer Purging Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interface devices for purging wafer containers face challenges in sealing and adapting to vertical, horizontal, and tilting movements during docking, leading to potential leakage, particle abrasion, and high maintenance requirements, which are costly and unreliable.
Innovation Solution
A contact piece suspended by a spring device within the purging unit, allowing for flexible and friction-free movement, enabling a gas-tight connection and passive coupling while minimizing particle generation and maintenance needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a deformable sealing ring with suction lips is used to achieve connection between wafer container and purging unit, then the interface device can compensate for vertical and horizontal movements during docking, but it harbours the risk of breaking and particle abrasion and requires active operation via suction openings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane that can deform to accommodate vertical and horizontal movements during docking between the wafer container and purging unit. This membrane maintains sealing functionality while adapting to position variations, eliminating the need for rigid deformable sealing rings that are prone to breaking and particle generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention removes the suction lips and active suction operation mechanism from the interface device. By extracting these components, the patent eliminates the complexity of active operation while maintaining reliable connection through passive flexible membrane sealing alone.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a movable piston mounted on a spring is used to release gas inlet upon connection, then the interface device can provide gas flow control, but it results in a very complicated structure and allows only very limited vertical or horizontal movement during docking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the movable piston, spring mechanism, and active gas inlet release system from the interface device. This simplification removes the complicated structure while the flexible membrane continues to provide adequate sealing for limited gas flow control applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible membrane replaces the complex piston-spring mechanism, providing a simpler structure that can still accommodate vertical and horizontal movements during docking while maintaining the gas sealing function.
3Ease of operation
If a flexible deformable spout fastened in the peripheral edge of gas inlet is used, then the interface device can compensate for movements passively through weight of wafer container, but it still has risk of breaking and particle abrasion due to general deformability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible membrane that provides passive coupling through the weight of the wafer container, similar to the spout approach. However, the membrane is designed to minimize particle generation and breaking risks while maintaining the ease of passive operation without active suction requirements.
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 provides a durable and reliable interface that adapts to various movements, reduces leakage and particle generation, and minimizes maintenance, ensuring a stable and efficient gas exchange during the purging process.
Implementation Method 1
the contact piece is suspended directly or indirectly in the purging unit by means of a spring device
Data Source
AI summary
An interface device for a purging unit for purging a wafer container with a purging gas, which comprises a contact piece for contacting a purging interface of a wafer container, wherein the contact piece is movably arranged in the purging unit and has a gas passage in its interior. A corresponding interface device is provided. The object is to specify an interface device which, when the wafer container is coupled to the purging unit, makes it possible to seal a gas inlet or a gas outlet, to introduce or to discharge a purging gas into the wafer container, thereby compensating for and adapting to vertical and horizontal movements, preventing wear, and fulfilling a passive coupling and sealing function as well as offering maximum durability and reliability. This is achieved by a contact piece which is suspended directly or indirectly in the purging unit by means of a spring device.