Vacuum Chamber Welding and Coating for Substrate Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current load lock chambers in vacuum environments face challenges in increasing substrate throughput due to the time required to transition between vacuum and atmospheric states, which affects processing efficiency and downtime in industries like semiconductor and solar panel manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A large vacuum chamber body is fabricated by electron beam welding multiple pieces together, with a high emissivity coating on at least one surface to enhance heat transfer from heated substrates, and strategically welding at locations away from corners to minimize stress and ensure structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the chamber body is forged from a single piece of metal, then structural integrity is improved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The chamber body is divided into multiple separate pieces that are welded together to form the complete structure. This segmentation allows each piece to be manufactured independently using simpler processes, avoiding the need for complex single-piece forging while maintaining structural integrity through proper welding design.
2Ease of manufacture
If the chamber body is welded at corner locations, then assembly is simplified, but weld strength decreases due to stress concentration
Solution Approach 1:
The welding locations are deliberately positioned away from the corner regions, creating an asymmetric arrangement that avoids stress concentration zones. This design choice prioritizes weld strength over assembly simplicity, as the non-corner positioning requires more careful alignment but results in significantly stronger weld joints.
3Loss of energy
If the chamber body has low emissivity coating, then heat transfer from substrates is reduced, but substrate cooling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The emissivity parameter of the chamber body surface is changed from low to high through the application of high emissivity coating. This parameter change enhances radiative heat transfer from heated substrates to the chamber walls, thereby reducing substrate cooling time and improving overall process efficiency.
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 approach reduces substrate cooling time, thereby increasing throughput by allowing faster processing and reducing facility downtime, while also being cost-effective and logistically simpler than traditional forging methods.
Implementation Method 1
a high emissivity coating on at least one surface to enhance heat transfer from heated substrates
Implementation Method 2
large vacuum chamber body that is electron beam welded together
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a large vacuum chamber body that has been welded together. The chamber body may have a high emissivity coating on at least one surface therein. Due to the large size of the chamber body, the chamber body may be formed by welding several pieces together rather than forging the body from a single piece of metal. The pieces may be welded together at a location spaced from the corner of the body, which may be under the greatest stress during evacuation, to ensure that the weld, which may be the weakest point in the body, does not fail. At least one surface of the chamber body may be coated with a high emissivity coating to aid in heat transfer from incoming, heated substrates. The high emissivity coating may increase substrate throughput by lowering the time that may be needed to reduce the substrate temperature.