Linear Reactor Framework

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Abstract

The Linear Reactor Framework (LRF) is a standardized reactor architecture for chemistry-driven additive and subtractive manufacturing, where process outcomes depend on precise control of transport, surface reactions, and energy coupling at a substrate. The framework targets applications such as semiconductor manufacturing, LEDs, and emerging energy technologies by converting application-specific reactor complexity into modular, swappable functional layers (materials compatibility, thermal control, field coupling, flow shaping, and automation/endpoints). This white paper introduces the LRF concept, outlines the core architectural principles that enable standardization across diverse processes, and describes how a common reactor foundation can reduce engineering overhead while accelerating process development and tool deployment across multiple markets.

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Introduction

Modern device manufacturing—spanning integrated circuits, lighting, batteries, solar, and related technologies—relies on tightly controlled chemical reactions executed on high-value substrates. As processes become more specialized, manufacturing equipment has trended toward application-specific architectures, which increases cost, qualification burden, and operational complexity. The resulting overhead amplifies industry constraints: long development cycles, supply chain fragility, training burden, and high barriers to entry for new teams, smaller manufacturers, and research institutions.

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The LRF addresses this challenge by reframing chemical manufacturing equipment as a platform architecture rather than a collection of one-off tools. Instead of re-engineering a full reactor system for each process, the LRF standardizes a core reaction space and integrates process-specific requirements as reusable modules. The goal is to preserve process precision while improving economics and development velocity through architectural reuse.

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Overview of the Linear Reactor Framework

At the center of the LRF is a linear, parallel-surface reaction channel in which the substrate is integrated flush to a reactor wall, enabling predictable and scalable transport behavior using well-understood flow physics. This process enviroment decouples the substrate from the fluid dynamics, making it scalable to any flat substrate regardless of its size.   This geometry supports a wide range of process controls and conditions (pressure, temperature, flow regime, and chemistry) while maintaining a common interface for substrate handling, energy delivery, and process monitoring.

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The LRF decomposes reactor design into separable layers, including:

• Chemical compatibility (wetted materials, seals, corrosion strategy)

• Thermal control (heating/cooling, temperature uniformity)

• Field/energy coupling (electrical, optical, plasma/radical generation, acoustic, etc.)

• Flow shaping (residence time distribution, mixing strategy, boundary-layer control)

• Automation and endpoints (sensing, metrology hooks, load/unload interfaces)

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Solve each engineering problem once, then reuse it across applications. By isolating and standardizing these layers, the LRF enables a common chassis to be configured for different unit operations without rebuilding the entire tool architecture.

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Applications and Benefits

A large share of advanced manufacturing equipment spend is concentrated in process tools that control surface chemistry—etch, deposition, cleaning, wet processing, and related unit operations—where performance is determined by the coupled control of chemistry, transport, and energy at the substrate surface. The LRF is designed to compete in this domain by reducing the non-recurring engineering burden and compressing integration cycles through standardization.

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Key benefits include:

• Lower cost of ownership through shared subsystems and reduced re-design

• Faster iteration via modular upgrades rather than full tool reinvention

• Reduced training and qualification burden through repeatable interfaces and common automation

• Improved accessibility for smaller teams and institutions by lowering system complexity

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Beyond semiconductors, the same architecture can translate to other chemistry-driven, high-uniformity surface processes—where repeatable large-area reaction control is a primary constraint and where platform standardization can similarly reduce development time and cost.