Bernoulli Plate Substrate Handling with Edge Grippers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing size of substrates in the microelectronics industry poses challenges in handling, as larger substrates are more prone to damage due to their size, weight, and brittleness, and existing substrate handling devices struggle to securely transport and handle these larger substrates without causing physical damage to their sensitive surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A substrate handling device comprising a Bernoulli plate with Bernoulli cups and a mechanical centering mechanism with edge grippers and a drive unit, which uses the Bernoulli effect to create a local under-pressure to hold the substrate in a contactless manner, allowing for secure and safe handling of large substrates without mechanical contact that could damage sensitive surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mechanical grippers are used to handle substrates, then handling capability is provided, but the risk of damaging sensitive substrate surfaces increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct mechanical contact grippers with a Bernoulli plate system that uses aerodynamic forces to hold the substrate. The Bernoulli cups create a pressure differential that suspends the substrate without physical contact, eliminating the risk of mechanical damage to sensitive surfaces while maintaining handling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The Bernoulli plate acts as an intermediary between the handling mechanism and the substrate. Instead of direct mechanical contact, the system uses airflow through the Bernoulli cups to create a non-contact holding mechanism, where the aerodynamic pressure differential serves as the mediating force to secure the substrate.
2Productivity
If substrate size increases, then manufacturing capacity is improved, but handling difficulty and damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The Bernoulli plate system provides universal handling capability for substrates of various sizes. The plate can accommodate different substrate dimensions while maintaining consistent aerodynamic holding forces, allowing the same handling mechanism to safely manage both small and large substrates without requiring size-specific approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing traditional mechanical grippers with a Bernoulli-based aerodynamic system, the patent enables safe handling of large substrates that would otherwise be too heavy and brittle for conventional mechanical systems. The pressure differential approach scales effectively with substrate size without the damage risks associated with mechanical contact.
3Productivity
If substrate size increases, then manufacturing capacity is improved, but substrate brittleness and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical support systems with a Bernoulli-based aerodynamic holding system. This substitution is critical for handling large, brittle substrates because it eliminates point-contact stresses that would exacerbate brittleness, while the distributed pressure differential provides uniform support across the entire substrate surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fundamental parameter of substrate support from mechanical contact forces to aerodynamic pressure differentials. This parameter change allows the substrate to be held without mechanical stress, accommodating the increased brittleness and weight of larger substrates while maintaining handling safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The substrate handling device effectively secures large substrates during transportation and handling, minimizing the risk of damage to sensitive surfaces and enabling precise positioning for surface treatment processes, thus addressing the challenges posed by increasing substrate sizes.
Implementation Method 1
A substrate handling device for handling a substrate comprises a Bernoulli plate, several Bernoulli cups, and a mechanical centering mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to a substrate handling device for handling a substrate, a substrate handling system, a use of the substrate handling device or the substrate handling system and a substrate handling method. The substrate handling device for handling a substrate comprises a Bernoulli plate, several Bernoulli cups, and a mechanical centering mechanism comprising edge grippers and at least a drive unit. The edge grippers are arranged along edges of the Bernoulli plate to contact edges of the substrate to grip the substrate. The drive unit is arranged at a back side of the Bernoulli plate and the drive unit is configured to drive the edge grippers relative to the Bernoulli plate to position the substrate relative to the Bernoulli plate. The Bernoulli cups are distributed on a front side of the Bernoulli plate and the Bernoulli cups are configured to provide a local under pressure to hold the substrate in a plane parallel to the Bernoulli plate.