TRIZ-based problem solving for process-machine improvements: Slit-valve Innovative redesign

This paper proposed a TRIZ-based integrated problem solving process to resolve a process-machine problem by re-designing the slit-valve of the processing machine. Based on a slit-valve failure of a chemical vapor depositionequipment in one of major Taiwanese foundry companies, the proposed problem solving process sucessfully identified the critical key disadvantages of the problem and solved the slit-valve failure with breakthrough results. A number of solutions were generated by the integrated process. Among them, trimming was used. Unlike the great majority of engineers use “+” method to resolve problem, the proposed trimming process used “-”method to solve problem with breakthrough results. The integrated systematic method can be used to addressany process-machine related problems. The main contributions of this paperinclude:1)Establishing an integrated TRIZ-based trimming process to resolve process-machine related problems capable of breakthrough problem solving; 2)Solving the slit-valve problem with 83.3% component count reduction, 95% component cost reduction, 99% operational energy reduction, and completely designed-out the original failure mode. The results have been converted into a patent pending approval.