Vacuum Gate Valve Cam Mechanism for Parallel Closure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vacuum gate valves face challenges in minimizing particle occurrence due to flexure and warpage issues, leading to instability and incomplete closure, which affects semiconductor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum gate valve design featuring a valve body open/close drive body with a cam member, spring receiving unit, and stopper mechanism, allowing for parallel closure and minimizing warpage, ensuring stable operation and reduced particle occurrence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a long both-ends-supported-beam structure is used for the valve rod, then the valve body can be moved horizontally, but flexure occurs causing the valve body to fail closing in parallel to the body seal surface
Solution Approach 1:
The valve rod is divided into multiple sections with intermediate support points, transforming the single long beam into segmented shorter beams. This reduces the span length and minimizes flexure, allowing the valve body to close in parallel to the body seal surface while maintaining horizontal movement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate support structure is introduced between the two ends of the valve rod. This intermediary element provides additional support points that reduce the effective span, minimizing flexure and enabling precise parallel closure of the valve body to the body seal surface.
2Manufacturing precision
If a swing mechanism is added to eliminate flexure angle, then the valve body can be pressed in parallel to the body seal surface, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate support function is merged with the existing valve rod structure by integrating support points directly into the valve rod design. This combines the structural support and actuation functions into a unified component, achieving parallel closure without adding separate swing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve rod is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the actuating beam for horizontal movement, incorporates intermediate support points for flexure reduction, and provides the sealing surface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate swing mechanisms while achieving parallel closure.
3Manufacturing precision
If the valve rod stiffness is increased to reduce flexure, then parallel closure is improved, but particles tend to occur from connection surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The valve rod is designed with varying local properties: sections with different stiffness characteristics are created to optimize performance. The intermediate support points create zones of controlled flexibility that reduce overall flexure while maintaining connection surface integrity, preventing particle generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The valve rod design incorporates dynamic characteristics through intermediate support points that allow controlled deflection during operation. This dynamic structure reduces peak stresses and flexure angles while maintaining connection surface stability, preventing particle occurrence from rigid connections.
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 design achieves excellent stability and compactness with minimized particle occurrence, enabling reliable and efficient wafer transfer in semiconductor manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
a spring resiliently supported between the spring receiving unit and the piston rod, and a lower position of each of the housing bodies and the valve body open/close drive body having a stopper unit locking the valve body open/close drive body ascending between the housing bodies
Implementation Method 2
a cam member fixedly attached to an upper portion of the piston rod, and a cam roller provided in a long-hole cam groove formed in the cam member and at upper portions on both sides of the valve body open/close drive body and guided to the cam groove so as to be able to swing
Implementation Method 3
a lower position of each of the housing bodies and the valve body open/close drive body having a stopper unit locking the valve body open/close drive body ascending between the housing bodies
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum gate valve includes a valve body open/close drive body provided between opposing housing bodies, a stem of the valve body open/close drive body, and a valve body provided to the stem. The housing bodies each has a piston rod vertically moving by a cylinder mechanism, a cam member of the piston rod, and a cam roller provided in a cam groove formed in the cam member. A spring receiving unit on both sides of the valve body open/close drive body and a spring which causes the spring receiving unit to be disposed in the cam member and resiliently supported between the spring receiving unit and the piston rod are provided. The housing body includes a vertical-movement guiding unit in which the valve body open/close driving body vertically moves between the housing bodies and a stopper by which the valve body open/close drive body is locked at ascending.