Brazed Substrate Supporting Unit for High-Temperature Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing substrate treatment electrostatic chucks face challenges with thermal tolerance and stability due to thermal fluctuations, leading to potential damage during high-temperature processes, as they rely on organic bonders that are weak in thermal resistance and prone to melting.

Innovation Solution

A supporting unit is developed with a non-conductive supporting plate bonded to a conductive composite base plate using a brazing process, incorporating metal films and a conductive composite with additives like silicon carbide or aluminum oxide to minimize thermal stress and enhance thermal tolerance, and a metal mesh or filler is used to stabilize the bond.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If organic bonders (silicon or acryl) are used to bond the supporting plate to the metallic body, then thermal resistance is improved, but thermal tolerance deteriorates and the bonders may melt during high temperature processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal resistanceVSAvoidthermal tolerance

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the organic bonder layer from the bonding structure. Instead of using silicon or acryl bonders that fail at high temperatures, the invention directly bonds the supporting plate to the metallic body through a brazing process using metal films, thereby eliminating the thermal tolerance limitation while maintaining thermal resistance through the conductive composite base plate design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the bonding method from organic adhesive bonding to metal brazing, and changes the base plate material to a conductive composite with specific thermal expansion properties. This parameter change enables the structure to withstand high temperatures while maintaining both thermal resistance and bonding integrity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If a conductive composite base plate is used, then thermal tolerance is improved, but interfacial stability during brazing deteriorates due to thermal expansion differences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal toleranceVSAvoidinterfacial stability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent explicitly addresses thermal expansion by designing the conductive composite base plate with specific thermal expansion characteristics that match the supporting plate. The composite structure incorporates materials with controlled expansion properties to minimize differential thermal expansion during brazing and operation, thereby maintaining interfacial stability while achieving high thermal tolerance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #37Thermal expansion

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses a conductive composite base plate composed of multiple materials with complementary properties. The composite structure combines materials that provide both electrical conductivity and controlled thermal expansion, enabling the base plate to maintain interfacial stability during brazing while achieving high thermal tolerance during substrate treatment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If brazing process is used to bond supporting plate with base plate, then thermal tolerance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional metal film formation steps

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal toleranceVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies metal films to the supporting plate and base plate surfaces before the brazing process. This preliminary action prepares the surfaces for effective brazing by ensuring proper wetting and bonding, while the standardized film deposition process makes the additional steps manageable and repeatable in manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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 solution provides a supporting unit with high thermal tolerance, minimizing thermal stress and preventing damage from thermal expansion differences, ensuring stable substrate treatment even at elevated temperatures.

Implementation Method 1

forming a metal film on a bottom surface of the base plate and bonding the supporting plate with the base plate through a brazing process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical Vapour Deposition: Physical Vapour Deposition

Implementation Method 2

bonding the supporting plate with the base plate through a brazing process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBrazing: Brazing

Implementation Method 3

bonding a non-conductive supporting plate with a conductive composite base plate... capable of preventing a defect due to deficiency of conductive material while brazing... minimizing thermal stress

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal Expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS9909197B2Supporting unit and substrate treating apparatus including the same

Publication Date: 2018.03.06 SYSTEM ENGINEERING MEGA SOLUTION CO LTD

AI summary

A fabrication method of a supporting unit supporting a substrate is provided. The fabrication method includes providing a supporting plate that is made of a non-conductive material and configured to support the substrate, providing a base plate that is disposed under the supporting plate and made of a material containing a conductive material, and forming a first metal film on a top surface of the base plate and bonding the supporting plate with the base plate through a brazing process.