Substrate Treatment Gas Buffer Seal Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate treatment devices face issues with reactive process gas components attacking seals and causing contamination, leading to reduced effectiveness and shorter service intervals due to the interaction between process gases and sealing elements within the device.
Innovation Solution
The device incorporates a housing with multiple through-openings and corresponding gas inlets that form a gas buffer between the seals and the process chamber, protecting the sealing arrangements from reactive process gas components and ensuring homogeneous gas introduction, using either process gas or inert gas for seal flushing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If seals are provided in passage openings to insulate the process chamber, then the process chamber can be sealed from the environment, but reactive process gas components attack the seals causing reduced effectiveness and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A gas buffer is introduced as an intermediary substance between the seals and the reactive process gas components. The gas buffer flows through the passage openings and creates a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between the reactive process gas and the seals, thereby protecting the seals from attack and contamination while maintaining the sealing function of the process chamber.
2Reliability
If seals are provided in passage openings to maintain vacuum, then the process chamber can be pumped down to negative pressure, but contact with reactive process gas reduces service intervals
Solution Approach 1:
The gas buffer is introduced in advance before the reactive process gas can reach and damage the seals. By establishing the gas buffer flow through the passage openings beforehand, the seals are pre-protected from exposure to reactive process gas components, thereby extending their service interval while maintaining the vacuum integrity of the process chamber.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple passage openings are provided for tube elements, then heating and plasma treatment can be performed, but each opening requires sealing against reactive gas attack
Solution Approach 1:
The gas buffer system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it protects all seals in the passage openings from reactive gas attack, maintains the vacuum integrity of the process chamber, and enables the use of multiple tube elements for heating and plasma treatment. By implementing a single gas buffer introduction mechanism, the system provides universal protection to all sealing arrangements without requiring individual protection systems for each passage opening.
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 configuration effectively prevents contact between reactive process gas components and sealing elements, enhancing seal protection, reducing contamination, and extending service intervals by maintaining a consistent gas barrier, thus improving the operational reliability and longevity of the device.
Implementation Method 1
at least one gas inlet is provided adjacent to each of the sealing arrangements, which is arranged in such a way that gas escaping therefrom forms a gas buffer between the seal and a gas or gas components in the process chamber
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3a
Figure 3b
AI summary
An apparatus is described for treatment of substrates, which has a housing which forms a process chamber in the interior. The apparatus has at least one aperture opening in the housing, at least one sealing arrangement in the area of the aperture opening, in order to seal the process chamber from the environment, and at least one gas inlet adjacent to the at least one sealing arrangement. The gas inlet is arranged such that gas emerging therefrom forms a gas barrier layer between the seal and a gas in the process chamber, in particular reactive gas species. Furthermore, an apparatus is provided for treatment of substrates having a housing which forms a process chamber in the interior, wherein the housing is formed from at least two, and preferably three, side-wall parts which radially surround the process chamber. At least one radially circumferential sealing arrangement is provided between the end faces of the side-wall parts and at least one gas guide is provided between the at least one circumferential sealing arrangement and the process chamber, which gas guide is suitable for forming a gas barrier layer between the sealing arrangement and the process chamber.