Zoned Cooling for Cylindrical Heat Treatment Temperature Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat treatment apparatuses face challenges in maintaining uniform temperature control across different regions of a processing container, leading to interplanar temperature variations during cooling and heating processes, which can result in inefficiencies and inconsistencies in substrate treatment.
Innovation Solution
A heat treatment apparatus with a cylindrical processing container, a heater, and a cooler system that includes discharge holes, branch paths, and blowers to control the flow rate of a cooling medium, allowing for independent temperature regulation of each zone through precise control of blower voltages and air flow rates, ensuring uniform cooling and heating across the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single cooling medium flow path is used with a shutter mechanism to control flow rate, then the device structure is simple, but the temperature uniformity across different regions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The single cooling medium flow path is divided into multiple independent flow paths, with each path serving a specific discharge hole. This segmentation allows independent control of cooling flow to different regions, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and temperature uniformity by enabling region-specific temperature control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static shutter mechanism to dynamic independent blower control for each flow path. Each blower can be independently adjusted to provide optimal cooling flow rates to different regions, allowing real-time adaptation to maintain temperature uniformity across the processing container.
2Ease of operation
If cooling medium flow rate is controlled by shutter mechanism, then the control mechanism is simple, but the precision of temperature control deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent blower units, each controlling a specific flow path. This allows precise independent adjustment of cooling flow rates to different regions, achieving high temperature control precision while maintaining operational simplicity through modular control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter from a single shutter position to multiple blower rotation speeds. Each blower's rotation speed can be independently adjusted to precisely control the cooling medium flow rate, enabling fine-tuned temperature control for each region.
3Device complexity
If cooling medium is discharged uniformly to all regions, then the device structure is simple, but the ability to prevent backflow deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The uniform discharge system is segmented into multiple independent flow paths with individual blowers. Each blower creates positive pressure in its dedicated flow path, preventing backflow locally. This segmentation maintains structural simplicity while significantly improving backflow prevention reliability through distributed pressure control.
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 solution effectively reduces interplanar temperature variations, enhances temperature controllability, and improves the efficiency of the heat treatment process by allowing for tailored temperature control in each region, preventing overheating and ensuring consistent substrate treatment.
Implementation Method 1
blowers provided for respective ones of the flowing paths, the blowers being configured to send the cooling medium to the discharge holes that communicate with the respective ones of the flowing paths
Implementation Method 2
discharge holes provided at intervals in a longitudinal direction of the processing container, the discharge holes being configured to discharge a cooling medium toward the processing container
Data Source
AI summary
A heat treatment apparatus including: a cylindrical processing container; a heater configured to heat the processing container; and a cooler configured to cool the processing container, wherein the cooler includes: discharge holes provided at intervals in a longitudinal direction of the processing container, the discharge holes being configured to discharge a cooling medium toward the processing container; a branch configured to divide the cooling medium into a plurality of flowing paths that communicate with the discharge holes; and blowers provided for respective ones of the flowing paths, the blowers being configured to send the cooling medium to the discharge holes that communicate with the respective ones of the flowing paths.