Vacuum Treatment Chamber Segmentation for Rapid Pumping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum treatment chambers in existing apparatuses face challenges in achieving rapid pumping down times, which affects the efficiency of vacuum processes like PVD and CVD, and require effective sealing to maintain vacuum conditions while allowing for maintenance and workpiece exchange without contaminating other parts of the apparatus.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus is designed with a vacuum treatment chamber divided into a workpiece treatment compartment and a pumping compartment, connected by a controllable sealing arrangement that allows for high-capacity pumping and sealing, using a tubular bellow to seal the transport chamber from the treatment chamber, enabling rapid evacuation and maintaining vacuum levels, while allowing for ambient pressure exposure for maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the vacuum treatment chamber is sealed off and pumped down rapidly, then pumping down time is reduced, but the sealing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum treatment chamber is segmented into a workpiece treatment compartment and a pumping compartment, allowing independent pumping of each section. This segmentation enables rapid evacuation of the treatment compartment without requiring complex sealing of the entire chamber, as the pumping compartment can be accessed separately for maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
A controllable sealing arrangement acts as an intermediary between the transport chamber and the vacuum treatment chamber. This sealing mechanism selectively isolates the treatment compartment when needed, enabling rapid pumping without permanently complexifying the entire chamber structure.
2Reliability
If the treatment chamber is sealed for vacuum treatment, then vacuum level is maintained, but maintenance access is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber is divided into separate compartments (treatment and pumping) that can be independently accessed. The treatment compartment maintains vacuum for reliable processing, while the pumping compartment can be accessed for maintenance without breaking the vacuum seal in the treatment area.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing arrangement is made dynamically controllable, allowing it to seal when vacuum treatment is needed and open when maintenance is required. This dynamic control enables the system to switch between maintaining vacuum reliability and providing maintenance access as needed.
3Speed
If high-capacity pumping is installed, then pumping down speed increases, but the flow cross-section requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pumping compartment is positioned opposite the treatment compartment across the movement path, creating a three-dimensional arrangement that optimizes flow cross-section. This spatial arrangement allows high-capacity pumping ports to be installed in the pumping compartment without interfering with the treatment compartment's workpiece processing area.
4Reliability
If the transport chamber is sealed from the treatment chamber, then vacuum conditions are maintained, but workpiece exchange becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The controllable sealing arrangement serves as an intermediary that can selectively connect or isolate the transport chamber from the treatment chamber. This allows workpieces to be exchanged through the transport chamber when the seal is open, while maintaining vacuum conditions when the seal is closed during treatment.
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 design significantly reduces pumping down times, allows for efficient maintenance, and prevents contamination of other vacuum areas, enabling continuous operation and minimizing standstill times by ensuring effective sealing and high-capacity pumping.
Implementation Method 1
the seal effect of the sealing arrangement is increased... whenever... the transport chamber is sealed off from the treatment compartment and pressure in the pumping compartment or at least that area in the pumping compartment which is in flow communication with the pumping port and in the workpiece treatment compartment rises
Implementation Method 2
the pumping arrangement connected to the addressed pumping port in the pumping compartment can rapidly evacuate the overall treatment chamber including the treatment compartment to that vacuum level necessitated for the intended vacuum process
Implementation Method 3
the controllable sealing arrangement is conceived so as to increase sealing force as the pressure in the treatment compartment and in an area of the pumping compartment in flow communication with the pumping port increases
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
To reduce pumping time of a vacuum treatment chamber (13) served by a transport arrangement (5) in a transport chamber (1) the vacuum treatment chamber (13) is split in a workpiece treatment compartment (13T) and in a pumping compartment (13P) in mutual free flow communication and arranged opposite each other with respect to a movement path (S) of the transport arrangement (5) serving the vacuum treatment chamber (13). The pumping compartment (13P) allows providing a pumping port (18) of a flow cross- section area freely selectable independently from the geometry of the treatment compartment (13T).