Valve Device Rapid Cooling via Segmented Housing and Air Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Valve devices used in semiconductor processing apparatuses, particularly those made of stainless steel, are prone to corrosion from fluorine-containing cleaning gases when heated, leading to prolonged downtime due to the high heat capacity of metal components, which takes time to cool down before the cleaning process can commence.
Innovation Solution
A valve device configuration that includes a heat diffuser and a heating jacket with a coolant supply path between the housing and the heat diffuser, allowing for rapid cooling of the housing by air flow, thereby reducing the time required to reach a temperature safe from corrosion and enabling quicker initiation of the cleaning process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the valve device housing is heated to maintain source in gaseous state, then the source remains gaseous and can be supplied to the wafer, but the housing takes a long time to cool down before cleaning process due to high heat capacity of metal components
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into an inner housing and an outer housing with a cooling fan arranged between them. This segmentation allows the cooling fan to directly cool the inner housing surface, creating a dedicated cooling path that bypasses the slow heat dissipation through the entire metal housing structure, thereby significantly reducing cooling time.
Solution Approach 2:
A cooling fan is introduced to force air circulation between the inner and outer housings. This pneumatic approach actively moves coolant (air) through the housing structure, enhancing heat transfer efficiency and dramatically reducing the cooling time compared to passive heat dissipation.
2Strength
If the valve device is made of stainless steel for durability, then the device has high strength and corrosion resistance, but it has high heat capacity which prolongs cooling time
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into inner and outer stainless steel housings with a cooling channel between them. This segmentation maintains the strength and corrosion resistance of stainless steel while creating an efficient cooling path that reduces the thermal mass effect, allowing faster cooling without compromising structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Air acts as an intermediary cooling medium between the inner and outer stainless steel housings. This intermediary allows heat to be efficiently transferred from the inner housing to the outer housing and then to the environment, overcoming the high heat capacity of stainless steel without replacing the material.
3Temperature
If the entire valve device is heated to maintain gaseous source, then the source supply path is maintained at desired temperature, but power consumption increases and corrosion risk increases during cleaning process
Solution Approach 1:
The heating and cooling operations are dynamically controlled based on process requirements. The heating element operates during film formation to maintain source temperature, while the cooling fan operates during cleaning to rapidly reduce temperature. This dynamic switching optimizes power consumption by avoiding continuous heating.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating and cooling functions are applied periodically according to the process cycle - heating during film formation periods and cooling during cleaning periods. This periodic action reduces average power consumption while maintaining the necessary temperature conditions for source supply and cleaning operations.
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 significantly reduces the downtime of the processing apparatus by rapidly cooling the valve device, allowing for a quicker start of the cleaning process and improving overall throughput while minimizing power consumption and corrosion risks.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling fan configured to force air to flow through a flow path between the housing and the heat diffuser
Implementation Method 2
a heat diffuser configured to cover the housing and diffuse heat of the housing
Data Source
AI summary
A valve device includes: valves configured to control a flow of processing gases supplied to a process vessel; a housing in which first flow paths through which the processing gases flow are formed; a heat diffuser configured to cover the housing and diffuse heat of the housing; a heating part configured to cover the housing covered with the heat diffuser and heat the housing via the heat diffuser; a supply configured to supply a coolant to a second flow path formed between the housing and the heat diffuser; and a controller configure to control the heating part to heat the housing to a first temperature when a predetermined process is performed on a target substrate, and before a start of a cleaning process of the process vessel, control the heating part to stop heating of the housing and control the supply to supply the coolant to the second flow path.