# US 2026/0107730 A1 · Coolant conduit and wafer-cooling apparatus including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0107730 A1 - Document ID: US20260107730A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/913,104 - Filed: 2024-10-11 - Published: 2026-04-16 - Earliest claimed: 2024-10-11 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Jhih-Ren LIN; Wei-Da CHEN; Yu-Ting TSAI; Wen-Hsun TSAI; Hsin-Jung CHANG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260107730A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/12: {Vertical boat type carrier whereby the substrates are horizontally supported, e.g. comprising rod-shaped elements} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A coolant conduit includes at least one tubular wall and at least one arcuate slit hole. The arcuate slit hole is formed in an outer wall surface of the tubular wall and extends from the outer wall surface into an inner wall surface of the tubular wall. The arcuate slit hole has a height and a width. A ratio of the width to the height is greater than about 1. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A coolant conduit for a cooling apparatus which includes a chamber having an accommodation space, a coolant inlet disposed to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space, and a wafer boat disposed in the accommodation space, the coolant conduit comprising: at least one tubular wall disposed outwardly and radially from the wafer boat in the chamber, the at least one tubular wall including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface opposite to each other in radial directions, the inner wall surface surrounding a tubular axis and defining a passage extending upwardly to terminate at an upper end surface formed with an opening that is adapted to be in fluid communication with the coolant inlet; and at least one arcuate slit hole formed in the outer wall surface to confront the wafer boat and extending from the outer wall surface into the inner wall surface along a first radial line to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space, the at least one arcuate slit hole having a height and a width, a ratio of the width to the height being greater than 1. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one arcuate slit hole extends along the tubular axis to terminate at an upper surface and a lower surface that define the height, and extends about the tubular axis to terminate at a first side surface and a second side surface, the first side surface forming a first joining line with the inner wall surface, the second side surface forming a second joining line with the inner wall surface, the first joining line and the second joining line forming a chord line that is perpendicular to the first radial line and that defines the width. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the width to the height is less than 11.5. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first side surface and the second side surface are in a same plane. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first joining line and the tubular axis define a second radial line, the first radial line and the second radial line forming an included angle that is greater than 10.5° and less than 90.5°. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one tubular wall has an inner diameter; and the coolant conduit further comprises at least one flow limiter which is connected to the at least one tubular wall in the direction of the tubular axis, and which has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the at least one tubular wall. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 6, wherein a ratio of the inner diameter of the at least one flow limiter to the inner diameter of the at least one tubular wall is greater than 0.5 and less than 1. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one tubular wall includes a plurality of tubular walls displaced from one another in the direction of the tubular axis, each of the plurality of tubular walls having an inner diameter; and the coolant conduit further comprises a plurality of flow limiters alternated with and connected to the plurality of tubular walls in the direction of the tubular axis, each of the plurality of flow limiters having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of each of the plurality of tubular walls. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of tubular walls includes the at least one arcuate slit hole. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the number of at least one arcuate slit hole in each of the plurality of tubular walls ranges from 1 to 3. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 10, wherein a total number of the at least one arcuate slit hole of the coolant conduit ranges from 20 to 50. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The coolant conduit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of flow limiters have gradually reduced inner diameters in a downstream direction. ### Claim 13 A cooling apparatus, comprising: a chamber having an accommodation space; a coolant inlet disposed to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space; a wafer boat disposed in the accommodation space; and a coolant conduit disposed in the chamber and including: at least one tubular wall disposed outwardly and radially from the wafer boat, and including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface opposite to each other in radial directions, the inner wall surface surrounding a tubular axis and defining a passage extending upwardly to terminate at an upper end surface formed with an opening that is in fluid communication with the coolant inlet; and at least one arcuate slit hole formed in the outer wall surface to confront the wafer boat and extending from the outer wall surface into the inner wall surface along a first radial line to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space, the at least one arcuate slit hole having a height and a width, a ratio of the width to the height being greater than 1. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the ratio of the width to the height is less than 11.5. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one arcuate slit hole extends along the tubular axis to terminate at an upper surface and a lower surface that define the height, and extends about the tubular axis to terminate at a first side surface and a second side surface, the first side surface forming a first joining line with the inner wall surface, the second side surface forming a second joining line with the inner wall surface, the first joining line and the second joining line forming a chord line that is perpendicular to the first radial line and that defines the width; and the first joining line and the tubular axis define a second radial line, the first radial line and the second radial line forming an included angle that is greater than 10.5° and less than 90.5°. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least one tubular wall has an inner diameter; and the coolant conduit further includes at least one flow limiter which is connected to the at least one tubular wall in the direction of the tubular axis, and which has an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the at least one tubular wall. ### Claim 17 A cooling apparatus, comprising: a chamber having an accommodation space extending in a direction of a central axis; a coolant inlet disposed to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space; a wafer boat disposed in the accommodation space to mount a plurality of wafers displaced from one another by a plurality of interval spaces along the central axis; and a plurality of coolant conduits disposed in the chamber and angularly spaced apart from one another, each of the plurality of coolant conduits including: at least one tubular wall disposed outwardly and radially from the wafer boat, and including an inner wall surface and an outer wall surface opposite to each other in radial directions, the inner wall surface surrounding a tubular axis and defining a passage extending upwardly to terminate at an upper end surface formed with an opening that is in fluid communication with the coolant inlet; and at least one arcuate slit hole formed in the outer wall surface to confront the wafer boat and extending from the outer wall surface into the inner wall surface along a first radial line to be in fluid communication with the accommodation space, the at least one arcuate slit hole extending along the tubular axis to terminate at an upper surface and a lower surface that define a height of the at least one arcuate slit hole, and extending about the tubular axis to terminate at a first side surface and a second side surface, the first side surface forming a first joining line with the inner wall surface, the second side surface forming a second joining line with the inner wall surface, the first joining line and the second joining line forming a chord line that is perpendicular to the first radial line and that defines a width of the at least one arcuate slit hole, a ratio of the width to the height being greater than 1. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the plurality of coolant conduits include a first coolant conduit and a second coolant conduit which are disposed to be diametrically opposite to each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the at least one arcuate slit hole of the first coolant conduit includes a plurality of arcuate slit holes displaced from one another in a direction of a conduit axis of the first coolant conduit; the at least one arcuate slit hole of the second coolant conduit includes a plurality of arcuate slit holes displaced from one another in a direction of a conduit axis of the second coolant conduit; and the plurality of arcuate slit holes of the first coolant conduit are staggered from the plurality of arcuate slit holes of the second coolant conduit. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The cooling apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of arcuate slit holes of the first coolant conduit registers with a corresponding one of the plurality of interval spaces; and each of the plurality of arcuate slit holes of the second coolant conduit registers with a corresponding one of the plurality of interval spaces.