Chuck Thermal Decoupling for Prober Calibration Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current chuck designs for probers fail to adequately thermally decouple calibration and test substrates, leading to inaccurate measurements due to heat transfer between substrates, especially at high frequencies, and do not effectively account for changes in electrical properties caused by varying thermal conditions.
Innovation Solution
The chuck thermally links test and calibration substrates, allowing for synchronized temperature control of both substrates using heat conductive support surfaces or separate temperature control devices, minimizing heat transfer and ensuring precise calibration by maintaining consistent thermal conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If thermal decoupling between calibration and test substrates is implemented, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The chuck is divided into two separate support surfaces: a first support surface for the test substrate and a second support surface for the calibration substrate. These surfaces are laterally offset and thermally decoupled, allowing independent temperature control for each substrate type. This segmentation eliminates heat transfer between substrates while maintaining a unified chuck structure.
Solution Approach 2:
A dielectric material or air gap is introduced between the second support surface and the calibration substrate to provide thermal isolation. This intermediary layer prevents heat conduction from the calibration substrate to the chuck body and test substrate, thereby improving measurement accuracy without requiring complete structural separation.
2Measurement precision
If synchronized temperature control is implemented, then calibration accuracy is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Both the first support surface (test substrate) and second support surface (calibration substrate) are integrated into a single chuck structure with unified temperature control capabilities. This allows synchronized heating or cooling of both substrates to the same target temperature, ensuring thermal consistency during calibration while reducing overall energy consumption compared to separate temperature control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts temperature parameters for both support surfaces based on measurement requirements. During calibration, both substrates are maintained at matched temperatures to minimize thermal drift effects. The temperature control system modifies heating/cooling rates and target temperatures adaptively, reducing energy consumption while maintaining calibration accuracy.
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
This approach ensures accurate calibration by stabilizing the thermal environment, reducing errors in electrical property measurements and maintaining precise thermal and dielectric properties, even at high frequencies, thereby enhancing the reliability of measurement systems.
Implementation Method 1
The chuck thermally links test and calibration substrates, allowing for synchronized temperature control of both substrates using heat conductive support surfaces
Implementation Method 2
dielectric material or air being situated below the calibration substrate at least in the area of the calibration standard
Data Source
AI summary
A chuck for supporting and retaining a test substrate includes a device for supporting and retaining a calibration substrate. The chuck comprises a first support surface for supporting a test substrate and a second support surface, which is laterally offset to the first support surface, for supporting a calibration substrate. The calibration substrate has planar calibration standards for calibration of a measuring unit of a prober, and dielectric material or air situated below the calibration substrate at least in the area of the calibration standard. In order to be able to take the actual thermal conditions on the test substrate and in particular also on known and unknown calibration standards and thus the thermal influence on the electrical behavior of the calibration standard used into consideration, the second support surface is equipped for temperature control of the calibration substrate.