US 12347711

To: Management
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: 2026-04-26
Subject: Analysis of U.S. Patent No. 12347711

Patent Summary

A search of the USPTO database confirms the details for US patent 12347711. A search of the CAFC (United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) 2026 dockets for litigation involving this patent number yielded no results as of today's date.

• Title: Gas diffusion device, and wafer container including the same
• Assignee: Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd
• Inventors: Ming-Chien Chiu, Chia-Ho CHUANG, Kuo-Hua Lee, Shu-Hung Lin, Hao-Kang Hsia
• Filing Date: August 8, 2022
• Issue Date: July 1, 2025
• Abstract: The present invention provides a wafer container and a gas diffusion device applied in the wafer container. The wafer container includes a shell, and all components included and applied on the shell are made of thermal resistance materials. The gas diffusion device and the wafer container, when assembled together, utilize a coupling structure and a collar as a protection mechanism for the gas diffusion device. The gas diffusion device has a buffering chamber that provides a buffering tolerance and a communicating space for the gas before the gas enters an interior space of the wafer container.
  (Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US12347711](/patent/US12347711)/en)

---

Overview of Independent Claims

The patent contains one independent claim based on the provided text.

Claim 1: Plain-Language Overview

Claim 1 describes a specific design for a gas diffusion system used inside a semiconductor wafer container. The primary purpose of such a system is to purge the container with a dry, inert gas to protect the wafers from moisture and contaminants.

The core of the invention is a system that ensures a direct, straight-through path for the gas. It consists of three main parts:

1. A Buffering Gas Chamber: This is a small chamber located at the bottom of the wafer container. Before the gas enters the main container space, it first flows into this buffering chamber, which helps to stabilize the gas pressure.
2. A Coupling Structure: This is a nozzle-like port on the bottom of the container that connects the buffering chamber to the inside of the container.
3. A Porous Tube: This is a vertical "gas tower" that mounts directly onto the coupling structure inside the container. Gas flows up this tube and diffuses out through its porous walls to spread evenly among the wafers.

The key inventive feature specified in this claim is that the center axis of the incoming gas supply must be perfectly aligned (i.e., "coaxial") with the center axis of the coupling structure. This creates a straight, unimpeded path for the gas, which is intended to improve purging efficiency and reduce turbulence compared to prior art designs that used offset, winding gas paths.
(Source: US Patent 12347711, Claim 1)

To: Management
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: 2026-04-30
Subject: Litigation Search for U.S. Patent No. 12347711

Litigation Status

As of April 30, 2026, a comprehensive search of United States federal court dockets, including the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) case listings, and specialized patent litigation databases such as Unified Patents, reveals no known litigation involving US patent 12347711.

While there is no litigation in the U.S. concerning this specific patent, it is worth noting that the assignee, Gudeng Precision Industrial Co., Ltd., has been involved in other patent disputes, particularly with Entegris, Inc. These lawsuits, which have taken place in Taiwan, have concerned different patents related to semiconductor wafer and reticle carriers, including Front-Opening Unified Pods (FOUPs). These past cases do not have a direct legal bearing on US patent 12347711 but indicate that the patent holder is active in enforcing its intellectual property rights in the semiconductor carrier market.

Proceedings Overview

As of May 28, 2026, there is one Post-Grant Review (PGR) proceeding on file for U.S. Patent No. 12347711, with a status of "Pending." This means the patent is currently undergoing review at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), and no final decision on the patentability of its claims has been issued. For a defendant, this indicates that the patent's claims are actively being challenged, and the outcome of this proceeding will significantly impact the patent's defensive posture.

PGR2026-00037 — Entegris, Inc. v. Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd

• Type: Post-Grant Review
• Filed: 2026-03-31
• Status: Pending. The proceeding is in its initial stages, and the PTAB has not yet decided whether to institute a review of the patent's claims.
• Judge panel: Not yet publicly available.
• Petition grounds: Details regarding which claims are challenged, the prior art cited, and the statutory bases (§ 102 for novelty, § 103 for obviousness, or § 112 for written description/enablement) are not yet publicly available through general search.
• Institution decision: Not yet issued. The PTAB typically issues an institution decision within approximately six months of the petition's filing date.
• Final Written Decision: Not applicable; a Final Written Decision has not been issued for this pending proceeding.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable; the proceeding is pending.
• Appeal: Not applicable; no Final Written Decision has been issued.
• Defensive value: This active PGR indicates that the patent's claims are currently under scrutiny for patentability. Until an institution decision or Final Written Decision is issued, the patent's validity remains uncertain in the face of this challenge.

Strategic Summary

Currently, all claims of U.S. Patent No. 12347711 are UNTESTED by a Final Written Decision from the PTAB, as the single Post-Grant Review, PGR2026-00037, is in a "Pending" status. This means there are no invalidated claims to leverage defensively, nor are there any claims confirmed as patentable by the PTAB. The estoppel landscape is not yet established for this patent.

The petitioner, Entegris, Inc., has a history of patent disputes with Gudeng Precision Industrial Co., Ltd. in Taiwan, concerning different patents related to semiconductor wafer and reticle carriers. While these past cases do not directly relate to US patent 12347711, the filing of a PGR by Entegris suggests a continued competitive and legal engagement between the two entities in the U.S. patent landscape. The outcome of PGR2026-00037 will be crucial in defining the strength and scope of patent 12347711.

Recommended Next Steps

• Monitor the active proceeding: Keep a close watch on PGR2026-00037 for key milestones. The institution decision is the next critical event, typically due around six months from the filing date (approximately late September 2026). If instituted, the Final Written Decision would typically be due one year from the institution date.
• Access public docket for PGR2026-00037: To understand the specific claims challenged and prior art grounds, regularly check the USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System (P-TACTS), which has replaced the PTAB E2E system for AIA trials, for PGR2026-00037. This will provide access to the petition, patent owner preliminary response, and other filings as they become available.

Inventors

The named inventors for U.S. Patent No. 12347711 are Ming-Chien Chiu, Chia-Ho CHUANG, Kuo-Hua Lee, Shu-Hung Lin, and Hao-Kang Hsia. All inventors were employed by Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd at the time of filing, as indicated by the original assignment of interest to Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd on the filing date. There are no unusual patterns indicating a departure of inventors from the original assignee within 12 months of filing based on the provided patent data.

Original assignee

The original assignee, and current owner, of U.S. Patent No. 12347711 is Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd. This company is an operating entity known for manufacturing products such as wafer containers (including Front-Opening Unified Pods or FOUPs) and reticle carriers, which embody the claims of this patent. Based on publicly available information, Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd is currently operating.

Assignment timeline

A search of the USPTO Patent Assignment Center for US12347711 reveals one recorded assignment.

• 2022-08-08 (executed) / recorded 2022-08-08 — Reel 059908/0747
  • Conveyance: ASSIGNMENT
  • Assignor: CHIU, MING-CHIEN; CHUANG, CHIA-HO; HSIA, HAO-KANG; LEE, KUO-HUA; LIN, SHU-HUNG (all inventors)
  • Assignee: GUDENG PRECISION INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
  • Correspondent: LEE AND LI, ATTORNEYS AT LAW; P. O. BOX 31-285, TAIPEI, TAIWAN (R.O.C.)
  • Context: Original assignment of inventorship rights from the inventors to the operating company.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 12347711
    2022 : Assigned to Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd
    2025 : Patent Issued

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The sole recorded assignee, Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd, is an operating company that manufactures products embodying the claims.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd is not identified on common NPE lists.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — unclear. Only one assignment is recorded, handled by "LEE AND LI, ATTORNEYS AT LAW". Without further assignment records, it's not possible to determine if this correspondent recurs across a chain or has a pattern associated with NPEs.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. Only one assignment from the inventors to the operating company is recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present. The patent was issued on July 1, 2025, and no litigation has been filed as of April 30, 2026. There are no transfers within 6 months prior to any litigation.
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication of the original assignee being in bankruptcy or the patent being sold in such proceedings.
7. Privateering — not present. There is no evidence of a transfer from an operating company to an NPE for assertion on the operating company's behalf.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent is not currently assigned to a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Insufficient data. The only recorded assignment is the initial transfer from the inventors to the operating company, Gudeng Precision Industrial Co Ltd, on August 8, 2022 (Reel 059908/0747). There are no subsequent assignments that would provide signals for NPE/troll patterns, such as transfers to shell entities, cascading transfers, or known asserters in the chain. Therefore, based solely on the assignment records, it is not possible to determine if this patent is involved in NPE assertion patterns. The patent remains with its original operating assignee.

For verification, see the USPTO Assignment Center search results for US12347711: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/assignment-view/12347711

To: Management
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: 2026-05-01
Subject: Prior Art Analysis for U.S. Patent No. 12347711

Analysis of Cited Prior Art

This analysis details the prior art references cited during the prosecution of U.S. Patent No. 12347711. The following references were considered by the USPTO examiner.

Based on the provided patent text, the core novelty of US patent 12347711, particularly in its independent claim 1, resides in the combination of a buffering gas chamber at the bottom of the wafer container with a coaxial alignment between the gas intake's center axis and the coupling structure's center axis. This "straight-through" design is intended to improve gas flow efficiency compared to prior art that used winding, offset paths.

The most relevant prior art would be any that discloses a similar buffering chamber or a coaxial gas intake path for a wafer container's purging system. While the file wrapper and a detailed prosecution history are not available, an analysis of the cited references reveals the state of the art the examiner considered.

Cited References Evaluation:

Unfortunately, the provided text from Google Patents for US12347711B2 does not list the specific prior art patents and publications that were cited by the applicant or the examiner during prosecution. This information is typically found in a "References Cited" section on the face of the patent or within the file wrapper documentation stored in the USPTO's Patent Center database.

Without access to the specific citations, a direct analysis of the most relevant prior art is not possible. A comprehensive analysis would require retrieving the file wrapper from the USPTO to identify and review each cited reference.

However, based on the patent's "Description of the Prior Art" section, we can infer the general landscape and the problems the invention aims to solve. The patent explicitly critiques prior art for the following deficiencies:

• Winding Gas Path: The patent describes conventional systems where "the center axis of the gas intake module is offset from the center axis of the porous tube." This offset or "staggered arrangement" necessitates a "winding path," which increases gas flow time and reduces purging efficiency.
• Installation Difficulty and Breakage: The offset configuration is described as being "difficult to install," leading to potential "breaking or damage" at the connection point of the porous tube.
• Uneven Airflow: In systems with multiple diffusers, a malfunction in one check valve could cause "non-uniform airflows entering the interior of the container or an insufficient total flow."

Therefore, the most relevant prior art, which would have been overcome during prosecution, likely includes patents that describe wafer container purging systems with offset gas intake modules and porous tubes. The key argument for patentability for US 12347711 would have been the introduction of the buffering gas chamber combined with the specific coaxial alignment (as claimed in Claim 1), which directly addresses the flow efficiency and uniformity problems identified in the prior art.

To: Management
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: 2026-05-01
Subject: Obviousness Analysis (35 U.S.C. § 103) for U.S. Patent No. 12347711

Obviousness Analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis evaluates whether the invention claimed in U.S. Patent No. 12347711 would have been obvious to a Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSITA) at the time the invention was made. The analysis focuses on independent claim 1, which represents the core inventive concept.

A critical limitation of this analysis is the absence of the specific prior art references cited during prosecution. As noted in the "Prior Art" section, this information was not available in the provided patent text. Therefore, this analysis is based on the state of the art as described by the patent's own background section. The patent explicitly identifies deficiencies in the prior art, which a POSITA would have been motivated to solve.

Key Limitations of Independent Claim 1:

The invention as defined in Claim 1 is a gas diffusion device for a wafer container comprising:

1. A buffering gas chamber at the bottom of the wafer container.
2. At least one coupling structure on the bottom, defining a through channel.
3. At least one porous tube installed on the coupling structure.
4. Fluid communication between a gas intake channel, the buffering gas chamber, the through channel, and the accommodating space.
5. A coaxial alignment between the gas intake center axis and the center axis of the coupling structure.

(Source: US Patent 12347711, Claim 1)

Hypothetical Prior Art and Motivation to Combine:

Based on the patent's background, we can define a primary prior art reference, hereafter "Reference A," which represents the conventional technology the inventors sought to improve upon.

• Reference A (Conventional Offset System): Teaches a gas diffusion system for a wafer container that includes a gas intake module and a porous tube. Crucially, as described in the patent's background, Reference A discloses a system where "the center axis of the gas intake module is offset from the center axis of the porous tube." This offset design results in a "winding path" for the gas. The patent itself identifies the problem with this design: it results in "an increase of flow time and poor fluency... further incurring a problem of poor purging efficiency." (Source: US12347711, Description of the Prior Art).

We can also define a secondary reference, "Reference B," which represents a well-known engineering principle for solving problems of non-uniform fluid distribution.

• Reference B (Pressure-Equalizing Plenum): Teaches the use of a common chamber, manifold, or plenum in a fluid distribution system to balance pressure and ensure uniform flow to multiple outlets. This is a fundamental concept in fluid dynamics, applied in countless fields from internal combustion engine intake manifolds to HVAC systems. The patent's background acknowledges the problem of "non-uniform airflows entering the interior of the container" in prior art systems with multiple diffusers, which a plenum is designed to solve. (Source: US12347711, Description of the Prior Art).

Obviousness Argument:

The invention claimed in Claim 1 would have been obvious to a POSITA by modifying Reference A in light of general engineering principles and the teachings of a system like Reference B.

1. Motivation to Create Coaxial Alignment: A POSITA starting with the system in Reference A would be directly confronted with the problem of "poor purging efficiency" caused by the winding gas path. To solve this known problem, the most simple and logical step would be to straighten the gas path. It is a basic principle of fluid dynamics that a straight, unimpeded path provides the least resistance and greatest flow efficiency. Therefore, a POSITA would have been motivated to modify Reference A by aligning the center axis of the gas intake with the center axis of the coupling structure for the porous tube. This modification would be an obvious design choice to improve performance and would directly result in the coaxial alignment limitation of Claim 1.

2. Motivation to Add a Buffering Gas Chamber: The patent's background also identifies a second problem in the prior art: "non-uniform airflows... or an insufficient total flow" when multiple diffusers are used, for instance, if one check valve malfunctions. A POSITA seeking to solve this problem of flow imbalance would have been motivated to look for solutions. The use of a pressure-equalizing plenum, as taught by Reference B, is a textbook solution to this exact problem. By incorporating a common chamber (the "buffering gas chamber" of Claim 1) downstream of the gas intake modules but before the porous tubes, the gas pressure is balanced before distribution. This ensures that each porous tube receives a consistent and equal flow.

Conclusion:

A person of ordinary skill in the art, when faced with the known deficiencies of the prior art (Reference A), would have been motivated to combine established engineering principles to solve them. To address poor efficiency, they would have straightened the gas path, resulting in the coaxial alignment. To address non-uniform flow, they would have incorporated a pressure-equalizing plenum, resulting in the buffering gas chamber. The combination of these two obvious modifications to the prior art would result in the invention defined in Claim 1. Therefore, there is a strong argument that the claims of US patent 12347711 would be found obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103.

To: Management
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: 2026-05-01
Subject: Prosecution History and Term Analysis for U.S. Patent No. 12347711

Prosecution History and Patent Term

This section details the prosecution history, related applications, and patent term for U.S. Patent No. 12347711.

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) / Patent Term Extensions (PTE):

A review of the bibliographic data for US patent 12347711 indicates an "Adjusted expiration" date of May 16, 2043. The standard 20-year term from the earliest non-provisional priority date of August 17, 2021, would typically result in an expiration date of August 17, 2041. The listed adjusted expiration date suggests a significant patent term adjustment was granted by the USPTO, likely to compensate for delays during the patent's prosecution. The provided data does not specify the exact number of PTA days granted, but the difference between the standard and adjusted dates indicates a substantial adjustment. There is no information indicating any patent term extension (PTE) under 35 U.S.C. § 156, which is typically granted for regulatory review delays and is uncommon for this type of technology.

Continuation and Divisional Applications:

The bibliographic data shows that US patent 12347711 claims priority to a chain of applications. Notably, it claims priority to application US17/882,703, filed on August 8, 2022. It also lists a later priority application, US18/918,311, filed on October 17, 2024. This indicates that the patent is part of a continuing prosecution strategy by the applicant to pursue different sets of claims based on the original disclosure. US18/918,311 is a continuation of the application that led to this patent. (Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/[US12347711](/patent/US12347711)/en)

Patent Family Members:

US patent 12347711 is part of a large international patent family, indicating the assignee's interest in protecting this technology in multiple key markets. The patent claims priority to several foreign applications, establishing an earliest priority date of August 17, 2021. The known family members include:

• Taiwan: TW111129978A, TW113105804A
• China: CN202210988874.7A, CN202510513142.6A
• Japan: JP2022129888A (now JP7495449B2)
• South Korea: KR1020220102218A (now KR102893382B1)
• United States (Parent/Child Applications): US20230054753A1, US20250038025A1 (from continuation application US18/918,311)

(Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US12347711/en)

Projected Expiration Date:

Based on the information provided in the patent record, the projected expiration date for US patent 12347711 is May 16, 2043. This date includes any patent term adjustments granted by the USPTO. This date is subject to the timely payment of all required maintenance fees. (Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US12347711/en)

To: Defensive Publications Division
From: Senior Patent Strategist and Research Engineer
Date: 2026-04-26
Subject: Defensive Disclosure: Derivative Technologies for Coaxial Buffered Gas Diffusion Systems

This document discloses a series of derivative inventions, modifications, and applications related to the core technology described in US patent 12347711. The purpose of this disclosure is to place these concepts in the public domain, thereby establishing them as prior art for the purposes of patent examination. The core technology involves a gas diffusion device for a wafer container featuring a buffering gas chamber and a coaxial alignment between the gas intake and a porous tube coupling structure.

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Axis 1: Material & Component Substitution

1.1. Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) Porous Tube with Integrated Piezoresistive Monitoring

• Enabling Description: This variation addresses operation in extreme temperature and corrosive chemical environments. The porous tube (27) and coupling structure (205) are fabricated from a Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) composite. The porosity of the tube is engineered during the manufacturing process by controlling the density of the carbon fiber preform before chemical vapor infiltration of the SiC matrix. This provides superior thermal stability (up to 1500°C) and resistance to chemical etching compared to polymers. A thin-film polysilicon piezoresistive strain gauge is deposited directly onto the base of the coupling structure prior to the final sintering phase. This integrated sensor monitors mechanical stress during the installation of the porous tube and detects stress induced by thermal gradients during operation, providing feedback to prevent catastrophic failure.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[Create Carbon Fiber Preform] --> B{Chemical Vapor Infiltration w/ SiC};
      C[Deposit Polysilicon Strain Gauge on Green-State Collar] --> D{Co-fire and Sinter Tube & Collar};
      B --> D;
      D --> E[Final Assembled CMC Porous Tube];
      subgraph Sensor Integration
          C
      end
      subgraph Fabrication
          A --> B
      end
  

1.2. Thermally-Actuated Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) Gas Intake Valve

• Enabling Description: This derivative replaces the conventional spring-loaded check valve (252) with a passive, thermally-gated valve to automate purging based on the container's temperature. The valve actuator is a spring fabricated from a Nickel-Titanium (Nitinol) shape-memory alloy. The alloy is engineered to have a specific austenite transition temperature (e.g., Aₜ = 70°C). At temperatures below Aₜ, the spring is in its soft martensite phase, and a biasing spring holds the valve sealed. When the wafer container's internal temperature rises above Aₜ (e.g., after receiving hot wafers from a process chamber), the Nitinol spring transforms to its rigid austenite phase, contracting with high force to open the valve and initiate gas flow. This ensures purging only occurs when thermally necessary, conserving inert gas.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      [*] --> Closed
      Closed: Valve Sealed<br>Temp < 70°C<br>Nitinol in Martensite Phase
      Open: Valve Open<br>Temp >= 70°C<br>Nitinol in Austenite Phase
  
      Closed --> Open: Temperature Rises Above Aₜ
      Open --> Closed: Temperature Falls Below Aₜ
  

Axis 2: Operational Parameter Expansion

2.1. Cryogenic Gas Diffusion for Superconducting Wafer Transport

• Enabling Description: This variation adapts the device for use in transporting and storing substrates for superconducting quantum computers or advanced sensors, which must be kept at cryogenic temperatures (<77K). The entire gas path, including the gas cartridge (90), buffering gas chamber (97), and porous tube (27), is constructed from 316L stainless steel or an Inconel alloy to eliminate low-temperature embrittlement. The purge gas is gaseous Helium, pre-chilled to near its liquefaction point. The buffering chamber (97) is designed as a phase separator or flash drum to ensure only gas-phase Helium enters the porous tube. The coaxial entry is critical to produce a low-turbulence, laminar flow, preventing thermal shock and localized temperature gradients on the sensitive wafer surfaces.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[Liquid He Reservoir] --> B(Cryocooler/Heat Exchanger);
      B --> C{Buffering Chamber / Phase Separator};
      C -->|Gaseous He| D[Coaxial Intake];
      C -->|Liquid He Return| A;
      D --> E[Porous Tube];
      E --> F[Cryogenic Wafer Environment];
  

2.2. Supercritical Fluid (SCF) Infusion for Nanomaterial Synthesis

• Enabling Description: The device is re-engineered as a high-pressure reaction and infusion chamber for processing wafers with porous nanomaterials like metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) or aerogels. The wafer container is a pressure vessel rated to >200 atm. The diffusion device is machined from a monolithic block of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The system introduces supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) laden with a chemical precursor. The buffering chamber (97) acts as a pulsation dampener for the high-pressure pump, ensuring a stable supercritical phase at the point of entry. The coaxial intake and porous tube distribute the scCO₂ uniformly over the wafer, allowing the precursor to infuse deep into the nanoporous structures without the surface tension effects that would occur with a liquid solvent.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Pump
      participant Chamber as Buffering Chamber
      participant Tube as Porous Tube
      participant Wafer
  
      Pump->>+Chamber: Introduce Pulsing scCO₂ w/ Precursor
      Chamber->>-Pump: Dampen Pulsations
      Chamber->>+Tube: Deliver Stable-Pressure SCF
      Tube->>+Wafer: Uniformly Infuse Precursor
      Wafer-->>Wafer: Nanomaterial Synthesis
      Tube-->>-Chamber:
  

Axis 3: Cross-Domain Application

3.1. Aerospace: Microgravity Nutrient Delivery for Aeroponics

• Enabling Description: The invention is applied to plant cultivation in microgravity. The "wafer container" is a sealed root chamber. The coaxial, buffered diffusion system delivers an atomized nutrient solution (aerosol) instead of gas. The buffering chamber ensures the liquid delivered to the atomizing nozzle at the base of the porous tube is free of pressure fluctuations from the pump, resulting in a consistent droplet size critical for root absorption. The porous tube ensures the nutrient mist is distributed evenly in a 360-degree pattern, which is essential in microgravity where there is no "down" direction for drainage. Materials are space-grade polymers like PEEK or Ultem.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      subgraph Nutrient Reservoir
          A[Nutrient Tank]
      end
      subgraph Delivery System
          B[Pump]
          C[Buffering Chamber]
          D[Coaxial Intake & Atomizer]
      end
      subgraph Growth Module
          E[Porous Tube]
          F[Plant Root System]
      end
      A --> B --> C --> D --> E --> F
  

3.2. Medical: Uniform Cell Seeding in 3D Bioprinting Scaffolds

• Enabling Description: This derivative is used for tissue engineering. The "wafer container" is a sterile bioreactor containing a 3D-printed biological scaffold. A liquid suspension of living cells is introduced via the diffusion system. The peristaltic pump's flow is smoothed by the buffering chamber to reduce shear stress on the cells. The coaxial intake and porous tube gently and uniformly perfuse the cell suspension throughout the intricate pores of the scaffold. This method achieves a much higher and more even cell density throughout the scaffold compared to top-down seeding, leading to faster and healthier tissue growth. All components are made from biocompatible, autoclavable materials like polysulfone or stainless steel.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Pump
      participant Buffer as Buffering Chamber
      participant Tube as Porous Tube
      participant Scaffold
  
      Pump->>+Buffer: Pulsatile Cell Suspension
      Buffer->>-Pump: Dampen Shear Stress
      Buffer->>Tube: Gentle, Laminar Flow
      Tube->>Scaffold: Uniformly Distribute & Seed Cells
  

3.3. Consumer Electronics: Scent Diffusion in Smart Home Environments

• Enabling Description: The technology is miniaturized and adapted for high-end, multi-scent home fragrance diffusers. The "wafer container" is the device housing. A "gas cartridge" is a replaceable cartridge containing multiple fragrant essential oils. The device uses a carrier gas (e.g., compressed air) that flows through the coaxial intake. A selected oil is atomized into the buffering chamber, which ensures a consistent air-oil mixture before it is gently diffused through the porous tube (or an aesthetically designed porous element). This provides a more uniform and subtle scent distribution throughout a room compared to a simple fan or heater. Different scents can be mixed in the buffering chamber before diffusion.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph LR
      A[Air Pump] --> C{Buffering Chamber};
      B[Scent Cartridge] --> C;
      C --> D[Coaxial Intake];
      D --> E[Porous Diffuser Element];
      E --> F[Ambient Room];
  

Axis 4: Integration with Emerging Tech

4.1. AI/IoT: Predictive Maintenance and Leak Detection

• Enabling Description: The system is integrated with IoT sensors and AI. Pressure transducers are placed in the buffering gas chamber (97) and at the gas intake module (25), while a flow meter monitors gas consumption. This data is streamed to a cloud-based AI model. The model learns the normal pressure drop and flow rate profile for a healthy purge cycle. It can then detect anomalies that indicate a degraded door seal (higher gas consumption to maintain pressure), a clogged porous tube (higher pressure in the buffer chamber), or a leak in the gas cartridge connection (lower pressure). This enables predictive maintenance before a catastrophic environmental failure occurs.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[Sensors: Pressure, Flow] --> B[Data Acquisition Module];
      B --> C[Cloud Gateway];
      C --> D[AI Anomaly Detection Model];
      D --> |Normal Profile| E[Dashboard: OK];
      D --> |Anomalous Profile| F[Alert: Predictive Maintenance Required];
  

4.2. Blockchain: Immutable Environmental Provenance for High-Value Substrates

• Enabling Description: For industries requiring absolute supply chain integrity (e.g., defense, medical implants), the container's history is secured via blockchain. Each wafer container is equipped with a microcontroller and sensors (humidity, O2, shock). Each purge event, sensor reading, and location check-in is cryptographically signed and recorded as a transaction on a distributed ledger. The use of the buffered, coaxial system ensures the purge is effective, making the recorded data a reliable "ground truth" for the wafer's environment. This creates an incorruptible, auditable "digital passport" for the high-value substrate, preventing counterfeiting and verifying handling protocols were met.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  erDiagram
      CONTAINER ||--o{ LOG_ENTRY : has
      CONTAINER {
          string DID
          string publicKey
      }
      LOG_ENTRY {
          string txHash
          string sensorData
          string timestamp
          string signature
      }
      BLOCKCHAIN ||--|{ LOG_ENTRY : contains
      BLOCKCHAIN {
          int blockHeight
      }
  

Axis 5: The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

5.1. Failsafe Overpressure Venting System

• Enabling Description: The invention is designed to fail safely in an overpressure event (e.g., chemical reaction on a wafer surface producing gas). The collar (273) or a dedicated section of the porous tube is engineered as a burst disc. It is designed from a material with a lower tensile strength than the rest of the system (e.g., a specific grade of PFA). If the internal container pressure exceeds a critical safety threshold (e.g., 2 atm), this section ruptures in a controlled manner. The gas is then vented out through the coaxial gas intake path, which offers a large, unimpeded channel for rapid depressurization, preventing the main container shell from exploding.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      state "Normal Operation" as Normal
      state "Overpressure Event" as Overpressure
      state "Safe Venting" as Venting
  
      [*] --> Normal
      Normal --> Overpressure: Internal Pressure > 2 atm
      Overpressure --> Venting: Engineered Burst Disc Ruptures
      Venting --> [*]: Depressurized
  

5.2. Low-Power "Static Purge" Hibernation Mode

• Enabling Description: This variation enables long-term, unpowered storage. The porous tube is filled with a regenerable getter or desiccant material (e.g., zeolite). During normal operation, the gas purge functions as described in the patent. For storage, the system is charged with a final, high-purity purge. The valves are then sealed. The internal atmosphere is passively maintained below the required humidity/oxygen threshold by the getter material alone. This "hibernation mode" requires zero power. Upon docking, a "regeneration" cycle can be run, heating the porous tube and flushing it with a low flow of gas to refresh the getter material.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A{Docked & Powered} --> B(Active Purge);
      B --> C{Final Charge & Seal};
      C --> D(Hibernation: Passive Gettering);
      D --> E{Docked & Powered};
      E --> F(Regeneration Cycle: Heat & Flush);
      F --> B;
  

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Combination Prior Art with Open-Source Standards

1. SEMI E187 Standard Integration: The gas diffusion device, particularly its IoT-enabled variations, is made compliant with the open SEMI E187 standard for carrier management. The device's status (e.g., internal humidity, last purge time, remaining getter life) is exposed as standard variables accessible via the carrier's RFID tag or wireless interface. This allows any SEMI-compliant stocker or process tool to query the carrier's environmental health before accepting it, ensuring interoperability within a heterogeneous factory environment.

2. OPC Unified Architecture (OPC-UA): The smart gas diffusion system (Derivative 4.1) runs an OPC-UA server on its internal microcontroller. This allows it to publish its data model, including sensor values, alarms, and control parameters, using a secure, open, and platform-independent communication protocol. This enables direct, plug-and-play integration with SCADA, MES, and factory historian systems that use the widespread OPC-UA standard.

3. CAN Bus (ISO 11898): For applications within a larger mechatronic system (e.g., an automated analytical tool or a cluster of bioreactors), the gas diffusion module's controller communicates via the open Controller Area Network (CAN) bus protocol. Each module acts as a node on the bus, broadcasting its status and responding to commands. This provides a robust, real-time, and noise-immune communication backbone that is well-established in industrial automation.