Symmetric Vacuum Lock Channels for Stable Substrate Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum coating systems face challenges in efficiently transferring substrates without causing unintentional displacement or damage due to pressure differences, particularly with small and lightweight substrates, while maintaining short cycle times, and existing solutions often require multiple vacuum locks or holding elements, which complicate the process.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum lock design that evacuates and floods the chamber from two opposite sides, maintaining balanced pressure differences and flow resistance ratios, using symmetric channels and controlled valve arrangements to minimize pressure gradients and prevent substrate movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the pressure change rate in the vacuum lock is increased to reduce cycle time, then productivity is improved, but the risk of substrate displacement and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum lock chamber is divided into two symmetric sides with separate evacuation and flooding channels on each side. This segmentation allows independent control of gas flow on both sides, enabling balanced pressure changes that prevent substrate displacement while maintaining rapid cycle times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs symmetric design rather than asymmetric - both sides of the chamber are configured identically with matching channel arrangements, flow resistances, and distances to the substrate support. This symmetry ensures equal and opposite pressure changes on both sides, canceling out net forces that would displace substrates.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple vacuum locks are used to reduce substrate displacement risk, then substrate safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple separate vacuum locks, the patent segments a single vacuum lock into two symmetric sides, each with its own evacuation and flooding channels. This provides the protective effect of multiple locks while maintaining a single, integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of multiple vacuum locks into a single chamber by implementing symmetric evacuation and flooding on both sides. This merging achieves the same protective effect as multiple locks but with reduced complexity and space requirements.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If holding devices are added to prevent substrate displacement, then substrate safety is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The symmetric evacuation and flooding system provides self-protection for substrates during pressure changes. The balanced pressure distribution automatically prevents substrate displacement without requiring external holding devices, maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The symmetric channel design pre-establishes balanced pressure conditions before substrate displacement can occur. By having equal flow resistances and channel configurations on both sides, the system proactively prevents substrate displacement rather than reacting to it.
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 effectively reduces the risk of substrate displacement and damage during transfer, achieving rapid cycle times without the need for multiple locks or holding elements, even at high pressure change rates.
Implementation Method 1
minimize pressure gradients and prevent substrate movement
Implementation Method 2
evacuates and floods the chamber from two opposite sides, maintaining balanced pressure differences and flow resistance ratios
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a vacuum lock (10) for a vacuum coating system, which vacuum lock has a chamber (30) for accommodating a substrate carrier (20), the chamber (30) having a first and a second inner surface (31, 32). A conveying device (40) is configured to convey the substrate carrier (20). The vacuum lock (10) has a flow channel assembly (51, 52, 56, 57) for evacuating and flooding the chamber (30), which flow channel assembly is configured to bring about a gas flow both between the first inner surface (31) and a first substrate carrier surface (21) facing the first inner surface (31) and between the second inner surface (32) and a second substrate carrier surface (22) facing the second inner surface (32). The substrate carrier (20) can be positioned between the first and the second inner surfaces (31, 32) in such a way that a ratio of a first distance between the first inner surface (31) and the first substrate carrier surface (21) to a length (L) of the substrate carrier (20) is less than 0.1 and a ratio of a second distance between the second inner surface (32) and the second substrate carrier surface (22) to a length (L) of the substrate carrier (20) is less than 0.1.