substrate carrier

Abstract

The present invention relates to a substrate support for receiving and transferring a plurality of substrates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate carrier for receiving and transmitting a plurality of substrates. Background Technology

[0002] In many industrial processes, substrate carriers (or so-called "carriers") are used to receive and transport multiple substrates, introducing the substrates into the corresponding processing plant, carrying the substrates during substrate processing, and / or transferring the substrates between different units in such processing plants. In particular, such substrate carriers are used during the coating of substrates or wafers.

[0003] Examples of different substrate carriers can be found in US2007 / 241454 A1, US2005 / 214398 A1, US 2011 / 000882A1, US2012 / 0006489 A1 and CN 206685356 U.

[0004] Depending on the type of industrial process using these substrate carriers, different requirements are imposed on them. In this context, for processes such as double-sided coating, it is important that the substrates are stored in their "nests" in a manner that ensures they are securely centered relative to the corresponding coating openings, while simultaneously minimizing edge coverage caused by storage. Furthermore, it should be possible to easily insert and remove the substrates without damaging them. Additionally, different processes can lead to drastic temperature variations as the substrates undergo different heating and cooling steps, for example, during the coating process. In doing so, the substrate carriers may deform, potentially causing the substrates to rest unpredictably in the nests, and thus resulting in defective coatings. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an improved substrate carrier in light of the requirements discussed above.

[0006] This invention relates to a substrate carrier for receiving and transporting a plurality of substrates, wherein the substrate carrier comprises a frame having two opposing running tracks and at least two additional elongated frame members, and one or more support plates mounted to the frame. The running tracks of the substrate carrier frame are used to transport the substrate carrier in corresponding transport devices, which can engage with the running tracks. The two running tracks of the substrate carrier frame extend along a first direction, corresponding to the direction of movement during transport in a corresponding process during use of the substrate carrier. The at least two elongated frame members extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The support plates are used to receive the plurality of substrates and define a first plane (wherein the first and second directions are substantially parallel to the first plane). Each of the one or more support plates includes a plurality of receiving openings, each receiving opening for receiving one substrate (this forms the aforementioned "nesting"). In each case, a support plate web is formed between receiving openings adjacent to each other in the first direction, the support plate web extending along the second direction. Each of the support plates also includes at least two elongated openings, preferably slots, each elongated opening being substantially perpendicular to the plane, passing through the support plate and extending substantially along a first direction, such that a connecting member is formed between every two of the at least two openings adjacent to each other in the first direction. In this context, there is an offset along the first direction between the web of the support plate extending along a second direction and the connecting member.

[0007] The present invention is particularly based on the idea of ​​using at least two elongated openings extending along a first direction to compensate for the different thermal expansions of the support plate and frame members during process-related temperature fluctuations. Since the support plate is typically heated much more than the frame members during, for example, a coating process, the support plate will expand much more along a second direction than the corresponding elongated frame members. This expansion can then occur in the region of the elongated openings, thereby compensating for the expansion without causing deformation within the support plate.

[0008] In this context, the specific shape of the elongated openings is ultimately irrelevant if sufficient clearance is provided for the expansion of the support plate material. It is also not critical that the elongated openings extend precisely along the first direction. Instead, they can also present angles of, for example, 5° and up to 10° with respect to the first direction. The elongated openings also do not need to be perfectly perpendicular to the plane and extend through the support plate. The only important thing is that they are through-holes, allowing the support plate to expand across its entire thickness. However, the elongated openings can also be inclined relative to the vertical line of the first plane, and, for example, present angles of up to 10° with respect to the vertical line. However, the elongated openings should preferably be optically sealed so that, for example, no coating material can pass through the elongated openings during the coating process.

[0009] Of course, these elongated openings cannot extend along the entire length of the support surface, otherwise they would no longer be connected to the running track. Therefore, a connecting member is required between each pair of at least two openings adjacent to each other in the first direction, which connects the support plate to the running track outside the opening. Since the aforementioned possibility of expansion of the support plate material in the region of the connecting member cannot be guaranteed, according to the invention, there is an offset along the first direction between the web of the support plate extending along the second direction and the connecting member. This is to ensure that the connecting member is located precisely where there is almost no support plate material due to the receiving opening, while the elongated openings are positioned where the web of the support plate is located and therefore where a large amount of expanding material is present.

[0010] Preferably, there should be a certain minimum offset. If the receiving opening has a width along the first direction, the offset is preferably at least 20% of the width of the receiving opening, more preferably at least 30%, and particularly preferably at least 40%. Ideally, the connecting member should be arranged centered relative to the width of the receiving opening.

[0011] The dimensions of the connecting members should be set such that, on the one hand, they ensure sufficient stability of the support plate, and on the other hand, they do not impede the expansion of the support plate material. In this context, it is preferred that the width of the connecting members along the first direction is at least 10 mm, preferably at least 12 mm, and particularly preferably at least 14 mm. More preferably, the width of the connecting members along the first direction is at most 20 mm, more preferably at most 18 mm, and particularly preferably at most 16 mm.

[0012] To provide sufficient space for the expansion of the support plate material, it is preferred that the width of each of the elongated openings along the second direction is at least 0.5 mm, more preferably at least 0.7 mm, and particularly preferably at least 0.9 mm. Furthermore, the width of each of the elongated openings along the second direction is preferably at most 5 mm, more preferably at most 3 mm, and particularly preferably at most 1.5 mm.

[0013] Preferably, the distance between each of the elongated openings and the receiving openings adjacent to each other in the second direction is at least 10 mm, more preferably at least 12 mm, and particularly preferably at least 14 mm.

[0014] The web of the support plate has a width, and the distance along the second direction between each of the elongated openings and the receiving openings adjacent to each other in the second direction is preferably at least 70%, more preferably at least 80%, and particularly preferably at least 90% of the width of the web of the support plate.

[0015] Preferably, the elongated opening forms an angle between 0° and 10° with the vertical line of the first plane, more preferably between 2° and 8°.

[0016] A further preferred embodiment is that the elongated openings on one side each extend to the edge of the support plate. If each support plate has three or more openings, this obviously only applies to the openings on the edge side.

[0017] The support plate is preferably permanently connected to the running track, for example, by bolts. Furthermore, the support plate is preferably movably connected to elongated frame members. For this purpose, each of the elongated frame members includes a plurality of receiving openings for receiving a corresponding connecting member of the support plate. Preferably, the receiving openings allow the connecting members of the support plate to have gaps along a second direction to allow for expansion of the support plate along that direction. The receiving opening includes a first extension along the second direction, and the connecting member of the support plate includes a second extension along the second direction, wherein the ratio between the second extension and the first extension is preferably less than 0.95, more preferably less than 0.9, and particularly preferably less than 0.85. Preferably, at least one of the elongated openings extends through one of the connecting members. Attached Figure Description

[0018] In the following description, preferred embodiments of the invention are described in more detail with respect to the accompanying drawings, wherein...

[0019] - Figure 1 A perspective view of a substrate carrier according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0020] - Figure 2 Showing according to Figure 1 The "nesting" of substrates in the substrate carrier; and

[0021] - Figure 3 Showing according to Figure 1 A detailed perspective view of the substrate carrier. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Figure 1 A perspective view of a substrate carrier 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0023] The substrate carrier 1 is used to receive and transport a plurality of substrates that can be received in corresponding receiving openings 8. In the exemplary embodiment shown, there are 64 such receiving openings 8. However, of course, more or fewer receiving openings can be provided in square, rectangular or other arrangements. The substrate carrier 1 includes a frame having two opposing running tracks 2 and two additional opposing elongated frame members 3. In addition, four support plates 4 are provided for mounting to the frame. The additional elongated frame members 3a (see Figure 3 The support plates 4 are respectively positioned between two adjacent support plates 4, such that, in the preferred embodiment shown, each support plate is framed and held on one hand by two opposing running tracks 2 and on the other hand by two additional elongated frame members 3, 3a. In fact, fewer or more support plates may be provided in this case. If there is only one support plate, the central frame member 3a can be omitted.

[0024] exist Figure 3 As can be clearly seen, the two running tracks 2 are used to transport the substrate carrier 1 in corresponding conveying devices, and are designed and configured such that they can engage with corresponding components of the conveying devices. Support plates 4 are each permanently connected to one of the two running tracks 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the connection is made by bolts 13 (see [link to illustration]). Figure 3 ).

[0025] Two running tracks 2 along as Figure 1 The first direction indicated by the middle arrow 6 extends. Two or more additional elongated frame members 3 and 3a extend along a direction perpendicular to the first direction 6 and... Figure 1 The second direction indicated by arrow 7 extends from the center. Additionally, the support plate defines a first plane, which can be characterized by the surface of the support plate or by the surface holding the substrate.

[0026] In the preferred embodiment shown here, each of the four support plates 4 includes 16 receiving openings 8, each for receiving one substrate (i.e., a total of 16 substrates), such that a support plate web 9 is formed in each case between two adjacent receiving openings 8 in the first direction 6, the web extending along the second direction 7. Due to the symmetrical arrangement of the receiving openings 8, each support plate web 9 forms a continuous web extending substantially over the entire width of the substrate carrier 1, with each support plate 4 having one such web. Of course, if the receiving openings 8 are arranged differently in the support plates 4, two or more webs will correspondingly be arranged in three or more rows. Incidentally, the corresponding support plate webs are also formed between two adjacent receiving openings 8 in the second direction 7, but these are not important for the discussion below.

[0027] Regarding the stability of the substrate carrier frame, the elongated frame members 3 and 3a are configured to be larger and heavier than the web of the support plate 9. For example, the elongated frame members 3 and 3a can be tubular elements, such as those that can be obtained from... Figure 2This is evident from the diagram. The frame members can also be made of a different material than the support plates. Therefore, if, for example, during the coating process, the substrate carrier and the substrate placed on it are heated together, the web 9 of the support plate will heat up faster than the larger and heavier frame members 3, 3a, causing the web 9 of the support plate to expand more strongly than the corresponding frame members 3, 3a. Obviously, this will cause corresponding deformation within the support plate 4, resulting in the substrate no longer being precisely supported in the clearly defined first plane, thus potentially leading to defects during coating. According to the invention, at least two elongated openings 10 are respectively provided in each support plate 4 to compensate for the expansion; in the preferred embodiment shown here, the openings are provided in the form of two elongated slots 10a and 10b (see...). Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the two slots 10a and 10b are perpendicular to the first plane defined by the support plate 4, pass through the support plate, and extend along the first direction 6. However, from Figure 3 As can be easily seen, slots 10a and 10b can also extend laterally through the material of the support plate 4 so as to extend at an angle to the vertical line of the first plane and / or obliquely relative to the first direction 6.

[0028] The only decisive factor is that, in the case where the web of the support plate 9 forms a continuous strand of material along the second direction 7, a gap is created in which the material can expand. For this purpose, an offset V is provided between the connecting member 11 and the web of the support plate extending along the second direction 7 (see...). Figure 3 The connecting members are respectively formed between two adjacent openings or slots 10a and 10b in the first direction 6. It is evident that the connecting member 11 is preferably centered relative to the width of the receiving opening 8, such as... Figure 3 As shown. However, this is not necessary, as long as the offset V is large enough to allow web material to escape into the slot opening. If the offset is defined as the distance between the respective centers of the support plate web 9 and the connecting member 11, then the offset should be at least half the sum of the widths of the support plate web and the connecting member. However, preferably, the offset is at least 20% of the width of the receiving opening 8 along the first direction 6.

[0029] In the preferred embodiment shown, the two slots 10a and 10b (see...) Figure 3 ) are respectively set on each side of each support plate 4 (see Figure 1 However, slots may be provided only on one side and / or there may be more than two slots on each side. In particular, for each row of receiving openings 8, a connecting member 11 may be present between adjacent slots 10, so that in the illustrated embodiment, three slots with two connecting members are also useful. However, it is preferred that the edge slots on one side each extend to the edge of the support plate 4, such as... Figure 3 visible.

[0030] The elongated frame members 3 and 3a may each have a plurality of receiving openings 12 for receiving corresponding connecting members of the support plate 4. In the preferred exemplary embodiment shown here, each tube 3 includes a plurality of elongated slots 12 for receiving corresponding protrusions of the support plate 4, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As can be seen in the image. Preferably, the receiving opening 12 allows the connecting member of the support plate 4 to have a gap along the second direction 7, so as to compensate for different thermal expansions in the same way. More preferably, at least one of the elongated openings or slots 10a and 10b extends through one of the connecting members, such as... Figure 3 As shown.

Claims

1. A substrate carrier for receiving and transporting a plurality of substrates, wherein the substrate carrier comprises a frame having two opposing running tracks and two additional elongated frame members, and one or more support plates connected to the frame, wherein the two running tracks extend along a first direction, the two elongated frame members extend along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the support plates define a first plane, wherein each of the one or more support plates includes a plurality of receiving openings, each receiving opening for receiving a substrate, such that a web of the support plate is formed between two corresponding receiving openings adjacent to each other in the first direction, the web of the support plate extending along the second direction, wherein each of the support plates includes at least two elongated openings perpendicular to the first plane, passing through the support plate and extending along the first direction, such that a connecting member is formed between two corresponding openings adjacent to each other in the first direction, and wherein there is an offset along the first direction between the web of the support plate extending along the second direction and the connecting member. Each of the elongated frame members includes a plurality of receiving openings for receiving a corresponding connecting member of the support plate.

2. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the receiving opening has a width along the first direction, and wherein the offset is at least 20% of the width.

3. The substrate carrier as claimed in claim 2, wherein the connecting member is centrally disposed relative to the width of the receiving opening.

4. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the width of the connecting member along the first direction is at least 10 mm.

5. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the width of the connecting member along the first direction is at least 20 mm.

6. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the width of each of the elongated openings along the second direction is at most 0.5 mm.

7. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the width of each of the elongated openings along the second direction is at most 5 mm.

8. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the distance between each of the elongated openings and the receiving openings adjacent to each other in the second direction is at least 10 mm along the second direction.

9. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the web of the support plate has a width, and wherein the distance along the second direction between each of the elongated openings and the receiving openings adjacent to each other in the second direction is at least 70% of the width of the web of the support plate.

10. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the elongated opening forms an angle between 0° and 10° with the vertical line of the first plane.

11. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein each of the elongated openings on one side extends to the edge of the support plate.

12. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the receiving opening for receiving the connecting member allows the connecting member of the support plate to have a gap along the second direction.

13. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein the receiving opening for receiving the connecting member includes a first extension along the second direction, and the connecting member of the support plate includes a second extension along the second direction, and wherein the ratio between the second extension and the first extension is less than 0.

95.

14. The substrate carrier of claim 1, wherein at least one of the elongated openings extends through one of the connecting members.

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