Arc-Shaped Substrate Retainer for Variable-Thickness Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate storage containers fail to properly hold substrates with varying thicknesses, leading to rubbing, scratching, or cracking due to improper retention and torsional forces.
Innovation Solution
A substrate storage container with a retainer featuring arc-shaped substrate support portions and adjustable holding force mechanisms, ensuring stable retention of substrates with different thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If V-shaped substrate support portions are used to hold substrates, then substrates can be retained, but substrates with different thicknesses cannot be held properly and may be damaged by vibration or shock
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer arm is designed with elastic deformation capability, allowing it to dynamically adapt to substrates of different thicknesses. The arm can bend elastically to accommodate varying substrate dimensions while maintaining proper contact and support, thus resolving the contradiction between stable retention and adaptability to different thicknesses.
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface shape is changed from V-shaped to arc-shaped to better match the contact requirements of substrates with different thicknesses. This geometric parameter change allows the support surface to conform to various substrate profiles, improving both retention stability and compatibility across different substrate types.
2Reliability
If V-shaped substrate support portions are used, then substrates can be held, but thick substrates cannot be held evenly and are subjected to torsional forces that may cause breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic retainer arm provides dynamic support that can evenly distribute loads across substrates of varying thicknesses. Instead of rigid V-shaped supports that create uneven contact and torsional stress, the flexible arm adapts to each substrate's profile, maintaining uniform support and eliminating torsional forces that could cause breakage.
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface is designed with an arc shape instead of a V-shape, creating a curved contact surface that better matches the geometry of thick substrates. This curvature allows for more even distribution of contact forces across the substrate surface, preventing concentrated torsional stresses that lead to breakage.
3Device complexity
If a retainer with fixed geometry is used, then the structure is simple, but it cannot accommodate diverse substrate types and thicknesses
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer arm incorporates elastic deformation capability, transforming a rigid structure into a dynamic one that can adapt to various substrate geometries. This adds minimal complexity to the overall structure while dramatically improving versatility, as the same elastic arm can accommodate substrates of different thicknesses and types without requiring multiple specialized retainers.
Solution Approach 2:
The support surface geometry is changed from a fixed V-shape to an arc shape, which provides better adaptability to diverse substrate types. This single geometric modification enables the retainer to accommodate a wider range of substrates while maintaining structural simplicity, avoiding the need for complex adjustable mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate storage container includes a container body configured to store a substrate, a lid that closes the opening of the container body, a retainer that is attached to the lid, and a substrate support portion formed in the retainer. The substrate support portion has an arc shape in a cross-sectional view from the top-to-bottom direction perpendicular to the closing direction of the lid. The substrate support portion includes a pair of left and right substrate support portions configured to hold the substrate together with the container body to retain the substrate.