Thermal Insulation for Substrate Carrier Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vertical batch furnaces, achieving uniform temperature across all substrates, particularly the lower wafers in a substrate carrier, is challenging due to their proximity to the cold lower door zone, leading to non-uniform heating, slower cooldown, and increased power consumption when the primary heater is activated outside the reaction chamber.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a thermally insulating body between the substrate carrier support and the primary heater to reduce heat transfer when the carrier is outside the chamber, and using a secondary heater to maintain temperature stability during substrate exchange, thereby minimizing non-uniform heating and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the primary heater is kept on to decrease temperature stabilization time when the substrate carrier is moved back in the reaction chamber, then the temperature stabilization time is reduced, but the power consumption increases and non-uniform heating of the substrate rack occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from a single primary heater by introducing a secondary heater positioned near the top of the substrate rack. This allows the heating system to target only the necessary area (upper substrates) rather than heating the entire carrier support structure, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining temperature stabilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the secondary heater specifically near the top of the substrate rack where upper substrates require heating. This localized heating approach ensures that energy is concentrated where needed rather than uniformly heating the entire carrier support, reducing overall power consumption while achieving the temperature stabilization goal.
2Loss of time
If the primary heater is kept on when the carrier support is outside the reaction chamber, then the temperature stabilization time is reduced, but non-uniform heating of the substrate rack and distortion of airflow during handling occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful heating effect from the primary heater system by introducing a secondary heater that operates independently. The secondary heater can be activated only when needed (when the carrier is inside the reaction chamber), preventing non-uniform heating and airflow distortion during handling while still achieving fast temperature stabilization when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the heating system adaptive and controllable. The secondary heater can be dynamically activated or deactivated based on the position of the carrier (inside or outside the reaction chamber), allowing the system to provide heating only when necessary and avoid harmful effects during handling operations.
3Reliability
If the primary heater heats the carrier support and surroundings when the carrier is outside the chamber, then the temperature stabilization is improved, but the cooldown of substrates becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heating function from the primary heater and relocates it to a secondary heater positioned near the top of the substrate rack. This allows heating to occur only in the specific region where substrates need temperature stabilization, without unnecessarily heating the entire carrier support and surroundings, thereby enabling faster cooldown when heating is not required.
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
This solution ensures faster temperature stabilization upon re-entry, reduces non-uniform heating and cooldown issues, and decreases power consumption by maintaining temperature without overheating the carrier support and surroundings.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally insulating body of thermally insulating material; The thermally insulating body may be provided at least between the support surface and the primary heater
Implementation Method 2
a primary heater to heat the carrier support
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing apparatus, provided with a substrate carrier support to support a substrate carrier thereon. The carrier support comprises a top support surface to support the substrate carrier; a thermally insulating body of thermally insulating material; and, a primary heater to heat the carrier support. The thermally insulating body is provided at least between the support surface and the primary heater.