Contact Pin Orientation for Crack-Free Semiconductor Substrates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor manufacturing systems apply stress to single-crystal substrates, leading to cracks due to the parallel alignment of contacting pins with the substrate's cleaved surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The system maintains the crystalline orientation of the single-crystal substrate by placing contacting pins with linear surfaces at non-parallel angles to the substrate's upper and cleaved surfaces, preventing stress application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the longitudinal direction of contacting pins is aligned parallel to the intersecting line of the substrate upper surface and cleaved surfaces, then the contacting pins can be easily positioned and contacted to the substrate, but stress is applied to the cleaved surfaces causing cracks in the single-crystal substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by deliberately misaligning the contacting pins relative to the substrate's crystallographic orientation. Specifically, the longitudinal direction of the contacting pins is set at an angle of 45 degrees to the intersecting line of the upper surface and cleaved surfaces, rather than being parallel to it. This asymmetric positioning prevents stress concentration along the cleaved surfaces while maintaining reliable electrical contact, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and substrate reliability
2Reliability
If the contacting pins are positioned at non-parallel angles to the cleaved surfaces, then cracks are prevented in the substrate, but the positioning and contacting process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the angular parameter of pin positioning. Instead of using the conventional parallel alignment (0 degrees), the patent specifies a precise angular parameter of 45 degrees between the longitudinal direction of the contacting pins and the intersecting line of the substrate surfaces. This parameter change optimizes both crack prevention and operational simplicity, as the 45-degree angle provides a clear, reproducible positioning reference that balances reliability with ease of operation
Data Source
AI summary
A single-crystal substrate is placed on a supporting table while maintaining crystalline orientation of the single-crystal substrate. The single-crystal substrate has contacting regions on a periphery of an upper surface of the single-crystal substrate. Linear contacting surfaces of contacting pins are placed in contact with the contacting regions of the single-crystal substrate placed on the supporting table. Longitudinal directions on the contacting surfaces of all the contacting pins are not parallel to intersecting lines of the upper surface of the single-crystal substrate and cleaved surfaces of the single-crystal substrate.