Substrate Buffer Layout With Separate Cooling Chamber
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face issues with weight distribution, transfer mechanism durability, moisture control, and particle impact during the substrate cooling process, leading to equipment damage and increased defects.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus is designed with a buffer module that separates the cooling chamber from the buffer unit, featuring a transfer mechanism that prevents up and down movement, a housing with controlled airflow to minimize particle impact, and a cooling chamber with independent moisture control, reducing weight bias and enhancing transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cooling unit is placed in the region where the buffer unit and transfer mechanism are located, then the substrate can be cooled during processing, but the overall weight of the region becomes heavily weighted, increasing the risk of equipment damage during assembly and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the buffer module into separate functional units: the buffer unit for substrate storage and the cooling unit for temperature control. This segmentation allows the cooling unit to be positioned separately from the buffer unit, distributing the weight across different regions of the apparatus rather than concentrating it in one heavily weighted area, thereby reducing the risk of equipment damage during assembly and transportation.
2Ease of operation
If the transfer mechanism performs up and down movement drive to transfer substrate between buffer unit and cooling unit, then substrate transfer is enabled, but the repeated movement causes deterioration of the transfer mechanism lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the substrate transfer mechanism from vertical up-and-down movement to horizontal movement along the X-axis. The cooling unit is positioned adjacent to the buffer unit in the horizontal direction, allowing the transfer mechanism to move substrates laterally between these units without requiring repeated vertical lifting and lowering operations, thereby reducing mechanical wear and extending the transfer mechanism's operational lifespan.
3Device complexity
If the cooling unit is arranged inside one housing such as the buffer unit, then the structure is compact, but the open periphery of the substrate causes difficulty in controlling moisture during cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling unit from the buffer unit housing, positioning the cooling unit as a separate component adjacent to the buffer unit. This segmentation allows the cooling unit to have its own enclosed chamber with controlled periphery, enabling effective moisture control through sealed structures and controlled airflow paths while maintaining overall system compactness.
4Device complexity
If the cooling unit is arranged inside a single housing, then the structure is simplified, but the substrate is affected by particles entering the housing, resulting in increased defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the cooling unit from within the buffer unit housing and positions it as a separate adjacent unit. This extraction allows the cooling unit to have its own independent enclosed chamber with controlled access points, enabling better particle filtration and contamination control through dedicated seals and filtered airflow paths, thereby reducing particle impact on substrates during cooling.
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 reduces the weight of the buffer module, simplifies the transfer mechanism, improves moisture control, and minimizes particle impact, thereby reducing equipment damage and substrate defects.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling chamber for cooling the substrate loaded from the buffer module
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus in which weight of a buffer module may be reduced compared to the apparatus in the related art. The substrate processing apparatus may include: an index module; a buffer module; a treating module; and an interface module, in which the index module includes: a load port in which a container receiving a substrate is placed; and an index frame provided with an index robot for transferring the substrate between the container placed in the load port and the buffer module, the buffer module includes a buffer unit on which the substrate is placed, the treating module includes: a cooling chamber for cooling the substrate loaded from the buffer module; a liquid treating chamber for liquid treating the substrate loaded from the cooling chamber; a heat treating chamber for heat treating the substrate loaded from the cooling chamber; and a transfer chamber disposed between the liquid treating chamber and the heat treating chamber, and provided with a transfer robot for transferring the substrate to each of the liquid treating chamber, the heat treating chamber, and the cooling chamber, and when viewed from above, the cooling chamber and the buffer unit are provided in non-overlapping positions.