Seismic event displacement mitigation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553489-B2
Application number	US-202418411704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2024
Priority date	Jan 12, 2024
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an equipment support structure configured to support a semiconductor fabrication component. The apparatus includes a damper assembly configured to resist a lateral force induced by a seismic event to the equipment support structure. The damper assembly includes a gear rack coupled to the equipment support structure. The damper assembly includes a first flywheel assembly including a first mass damper flywheel and a first gear meshed with the gear rack and selectively engaged with the first mass damper flywheel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
an equipment support structure configured to support a semiconductor fabrication component, wherein the equipment support structure comprises a first plate; and a damper assembly configured to convert a lateral force induced by a seismic event to a vertical movement of the equipment support structure, wherein:
the damper assembly comprises:
a base plate underlying the equipment support structure;
a first damper body between the equipment support structure and the base plate; and
a second damper body between the first plate and the base plate;

the first damper body and the second damper body are in contact with a first surface of the base plate and a first surface of the first plate;
the first surface of the first plate is planar; and
the first surface of the base plate is curved such that interaction between the first damper body and the second damper body with the first surface of the base plate translates the lateral force induced by the seismic event to the vertical movement of the equipment support structure.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first surface of the base plate extends from a first edge of the base plate to a second edge of the base plate; the first edge has a first elevation relative to a second surface underlying the base plate; the second edge has a second elevation relative to the second surface; a portion, of the first surface, between the first edge and the second edge has a third elevation relative to the second surface; and the first elevation and the second elevation are greater than the third elevation.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first damper body comprises a first cylindrical object; and the second damper body comprises a second cylindrical object.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first damper body comprises a first metal; and the second damper body comprises a second metal.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first damper body has a first circular cross-section; and the second damper body has a second circular cross-section.

6 . An apparatus, comprising:
an equipment support structure configured to support a semiconductor fabrication component, wherein the equipment support structure comprises:
a first plate;
a second plate; and
a body extending between the first plate and the second plate and fixedly coupled to the first plate and the second plate; and
a damper assembly configured to resist a lateral force induced by a seismic event to the equipment support structure, wherein the damper assembly comprises:
a gear rack coupled to the body of the equipment support structure; and
a first flywheel assembly comprising:
a first mass damper flywheel; and
a first gear meshed with the gear rack and selectively engaged with the first mass damper flywheel;

a base plate underlying the first plate and the second plate; and
a first damper body between the first plate and the base plate, wherein:
the first damper body is in contact with a first surface of the base plate and a first surface of the first plate, and
the first surface of the first plate is planar.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first flywheel assembly comprises:
a first one-way bearing configured to:
facilitate engagement of the first gear with the first mass damper flywheel when the lateral force induced by the seismic event is in a first direction to allow movement of the first mass damper flywheel in a first rotational direction; and
facilitate disengagement of the first gear from the first mass damper flywheel when the lateral force induced by the seismic event is in a second direction.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the damper assembly comprises:
a second flywheel assembly comprising:
a second mass damper flywheel;
a second gear meshed with the gear rack and selectively engaged with the second mass damper flywheel; and
a second one-way bearing configured to:
facilitate engagement of the second gear with the second mass damper flywheel when the lateral force induced by the seismic event is in the second direction to facilitate movement of the second mass damper flywheel in a second rotational direction; and
facilitate disengagement of the second gear from the second mass damper flywheel when the lateral force induced by the seismic event is in the first direction.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the first gear comprises at least 20 teeth.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the first gear has a first gear diameter; the first mass damper flywheel has a first mass damper flywheel diameter; and the first gear diameter is less than the first mass damper flywheel diameter.

11 . An apparatus, comprising:
an equipment support structure configured to support a semiconductor fabrication component; and a damper assembly configured to mitigate lateral displacement of the equipment support structure during a seismic event, wherein:
the damper assembly comprises:
a gear rack coupled to the equipment support structure; and
a first flywheel assembly comprising:
a first mass damper flywheel; and
a first gear meshed with the gear rack and selectively engaged with the first mass damper flywheel;

a base plate underlying the equipment support structure;
a first damper body between the equipment support structure and the base plate; and
a second damper body between the equipment support structure and the base plate, wherein:
the first damper body and the second damper body are in contact with a first surface of the base plate, and
a thickness of the base plate, measured from the first surface to a second surface of the base plate diametrically opposite the first surface of the base plate, is smallest at a lateral midpoint of the base plate.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the equipment support structure comprises:
a first plate; a second plate underlying the first plate; and a body between the first plate and the second plate.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the first plate is in contact with the semiconductor fabrication component.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the second plate is in contact with the first damper body and the second damper body.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the gear rack is coupled to the body of the equipment support structure.

16 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first flywheel assembly comprises:
a first one-way bearing configured to:
facilitate engagement of the first gear with the first mass damper flywheel when a lateral force induced by the seismic event is in a first direction to allow movement of the first mass damper flywheel in a first rotational direction; and
facilitate disengagement of the first gear from the first mass damper flywheel when the lateral force induced by the seismic event is in a second direction.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the damper assembly comprises:
a second flywheel assembly comprising:
a second mass damper flywheel;
a second gear meshed with the gear rack and selectively engaged with the second mass damper flywheel; and
a second one-way bearing configured to:
facilitate engagement of the second gear with the second mass damper flywheel when the lateral force induced by the seismic event is in the second direction to facilitate movement of the second mass damper flywheel in a second rotational direction; and
facilitate disengagement of the second gear from the second mass damper flywheel when the l

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Chen Hao
• Lee Chih-Tsung
• Lin Ming-Yi
• Wu Cheng-Lung
• Pai Jiun-Rong

Classifications

• F16F7/06 Primary

  in a direction perpendicular or inclined to the axis of rotation {(F16F7/023 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16F7/1022 Primary

  the linear oscillation movement being converted into a rotational movement of the inertia member, e.g. using a pivoted mass · CPC title