Wafer Storage Container Injection Member Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wafer storage containers face issues with the effective injection of purge gas due to thick separating walls, leading to dead zones and increased maintenance costs, as the thickness of these walls affects the flow distance of purge gas and requires complete replacement of separating walls upon contamination.
Innovation Solution
A wafer storage container design featuring an injection member with a separate wall portion and injection plates that are easily replaceable, allowing for uniform purge gas injection and minimizing dead zones, with the injection plates seated in a recessed seat portion and coupled to an inlet plate with internal flow paths for efficient gas flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of separating walls is increased to ensure durability and facilitate installation, then the durability and ease of manufacture are improved, but the flow distance of purge gas in the holes increases,导致purge gas injection effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The separating wall is divided into two functional parts: a thick wall portion for structural durability and a thin injection plate for effective gas injection. The injection plate is provided with holes that have a depth-to-opening area ratio of not more than 2, ensuring proper purge gas flow while the thick wall portion maintains structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the separating wall structure have different thicknesses optimized for their specific functions. The wall portion has a greater thickness for structural strength, while the injection plate has a smaller thickness optimized for gas flow, creating local quality variations that resolve the contradiction between durability and injection effectiveness.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the thickness of separating walls is increased, then the durability is improved, but the holes formed in the walls become deep, increasing flow distance and creating dead zones
Solution Approach 1:
The separating wall structure is segmented into a durable wall portion and a functional injection plate. The injection plate is made thin with shallow holes (depth-to-opening area ratio ≤ 2) to ensure efficient purge gas flow and eliminate dead zones, while the wall portion provides the necessary structural durability for long service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure employs local quality differentiation where the wall portion has high thickness for durability while the injection plate has low thickness for flow efficiency. This localized optimization allows the system to achieve both long service life and high purge gas flow efficiency without compromise.
3Reliability
If separating walls are used to separate storage and injection chambers, then functional separation is achieved, but contamination of any part requires complete replacement of all separating walls, increasing maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The separating structure is segmented into a permanent wall portion and a replaceable injection plate. When contamination occurs, only the injection plate needs to be replaced rather than the entire separating wall assembly, significantly reducing maintenance costs and complexity while maintaining functional separation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The injection plate is designed as a disposable or easily replaceable component. When it becomes contaminated, it can be discarded and replaced without affecting the wall portion, implementing a recoverable component strategy that reduces overall system maintenance costs while preserving the functional separation of chambers.
4Ease of manufacture
If thick separating walls are used, then installation durability is ensured, but the deep holes require longer purge gas flow path, reducing injection uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system is segmented into manufacturing the thick wall portion for durability and manufacturing the thin injection plate with shallow holes for precision gas injection. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific manufacturing requirements, ensuring both installation durability and injection uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The structure implements local quality optimization where the wall portion is manufactured with high thickness for durability while the injection plate is manufactured with low thickness and controlled hole depth (depth-to-opening area ratio ≤ 2) for precise and uniform gas injection, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and manufacturing precision.
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 enhances the durability and maintenance efficiency of the wafer storage container by ensuring proper purge gas injection velocity and uniformity, reducing the occurrence of dead zones and allowing for selective control of airflow within the storage chamber.
Implementation Method 1
an injection member provided on at least a part of a circumferential surface of the storage chamber to inject purge gas into the storage chamber
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates generally to a wafer storage container, in which purge gas is supplied to a wafer stored in a storage chamber to remove fumes of the wafer or to remove moisture from the wafer, and more particularly, to a wafer storage container, in which it is possible to ensure easy injection of purge gas into a storage chamber and durability of an injection member, and it is possible to easily replace an injection member.