Staged Cold Trap Layout for High-Pressure Exhaust Byproducts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Byproducts emitted during semiconductor wafer processing can solidify and clog gas discharge devices and exhaust lines, leading to operational inefficiencies and equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A high pressure substrate processing apparatus with a cold trap that includes a cooling plate and cooling medium line to capture and solidify byproducts before they reach gas discharge devices, minimizing pressure-related design burdens and enhancing capture efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cold trap is installed directly in front of a scrubber to capture byproducts, then byproduct capture efficiency is improved, but the burden of high pressure design on the cold trap increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gas exhaust system is segmented into multiple stages: a first cold trap positioned in the high-pressure region to capture majority of byproducts, and a second cold trap positioned in the low-pressure region downstream to capture remaining byproducts. This segmentation allows each cold trap to operate at different pressure levels, reducing the high pressure design burden on individual units while maintaining overall capture efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
A partition wall with a through-hole is introduced as an intermediary structure between the high-pressure and low-pressure regions. This allows the gas flow to transition from high-pressure to low-pressure environment while passing through the cold trap system, enabling the cold traps to operate at reduced pressure conditions without compromising the high-pressure processing environment.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If a cold trap is used to capture byproducts in high pressure processing, then byproduct accumulation in exhaust lines is prevented, but the structural complexity of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partition wall structure is designed to integrate multiple functions: it separates high-pressure and low-pressure regions, provides structural support, and includes a through-hole that serves as a flow path for gas between regions. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall apparatus structure despite the multi-region design.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold trap system is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing byproducts from high-pressure processing, operating across different pressure regions, and preventing byproduct accumulation in downstream equipment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional specialized components, thereby limiting the increase in structural complexity.
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 cold trap effectively prevents byproduct accumulation in gas discharge devices and exhaust lines, maintaining pressure regulation and reducing the need for high-pressure design, thereby ensuring stable operation and extended equipment lifespan.
Implementation Method 1
a cold trap including a cooling plate for cooling and capturing the byproducts in the mixed gas
Implementation Method 2
The byproducts may be gaseous in a high-temperature environment, and solidified either during a process of leaving the chamber or after leaving the chamber
Implementation Method 3
The byproducts may be gaseous in a high-temperature environment, and solidified either during a process of leaving the chamber or after leaving the chamber
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a high pressure substrate processing apparatus and a cold trap used therefor. The cold trap may include a casing, a cooling plate, and a cooling medium line. The casing may have an internal space communicating with an inlet and an outlet. The cooling plate may be disposed in the internal space and cool and primarily capture byproducts included in mixed gas flowing into the internal space from a substrate processing area through the inlet. The cooling medium line may accommodate a cooling medium while being disposed behind the cooling plate along a flow direction of the mixed gas from the inlet toward the outlet in the internal space and connected to the cooling plate and may be configured to discharge heat from the mixed gas to the cooling medium. The cooling medium line may define a well space configured to cool and secondarily capture the byproducts.