Cooling Plate Flatness Measurement Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the electronics industry, particularly during thin film deposition processes, cooling plates used to prevent substrate deformation sag due to gravity, leading to irregular thin film deposition patterns and potential separation of masks and substrates, necessitating a means to measure and maintain the flatness of these plates.
Innovation Solution
A plate flatness measurement device with a support frame and sensor modules that include protrusions on the plate's bottom surface, allowing for precise contact and displacement measurement to assess the plate's flatness, using sensors like capacitive or eddy current sensors to detect deviations from a standard, thereby preventing sagging and ensuring uniform deposition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If cooling plates are used to prevent substrate deformation, then substrate stability is improved, but the cooling plates sag due to gravity causing measurement and flatness issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-adjusting the sensor modules to contact the protrusions on the cooling plate before the deposition process begins. This allows the plate flatness to be measured and corrected in advance, preventing sagging during the actual deposition process while maintaining substrate stability throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement methods with non-contact sensor modules (capacitive or eddy current sensors) that can detect plate flatness without physical contact. This substitution allows for precise measurement of the cooling plate's shape without interfering with its structural integrity or the deposition process.
2Measurement precision
If sensor modules are introduced to measure flatness, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing sensor modules that can measure the flatness of cooling plates of different sizes and configurations. The same sensor module design with protrusions contacting the plate's protrusions can be used across various deposition devices, reducing the need for multiple specialized measurement devices and thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces protrusions on the cooling plate that serve as intermediaries between the plate and the sensor modules. These protrusions provide standardized contact points that simplify the measurement process and reduce the complexity of directly interfacing sensors with the plate surface, while maintaining high measurement precision.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple sensor modules are used to measure different areas, then measurement coverage is improved, but device complexity and adjustment difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the cooling plate measurement into multiple zones, each monitored by sensor modules positioned at specific locations. The protrusions are arranged in patterns that correspond to different measurement zones, allowing comprehensive coverage of the plate surface while maintaining a structured and manageable sensor configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric arrangement of sensor modules and protrusions optimized for the specific geometry of the cooling plate and substrate. Rather than uniform distribution, the sensor modules are positioned at asymmetric locations that provide maximum measurement effectiveness for the particular device configuration, reducing the number of sensors needed while maintaining comprehensive coverage.
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 device effectively measures the flatness of cooling plates, preventing sagging and ensuring accurate thin film deposition by allowing for real-time adjustment and maintaining the plates' parallelism, thus reducing the likelihood of deposition failures and improving the quality of electronic components.
Implementation Method 1
using sensors like capacitive or eddy current sensors to detect deviations from a standard
Implementation Method 2
using sensors like capacitive or eddy current sensors to detect deviations from a standard
Data Source
AI summary
A plate flatness measurement device, including a support frame including a center area, the center area including a through-hole in a center of the center area, and a peripheral area surrounding the center area, the peripheral area having a plate with protrusions on a bottom surface of the plate mounted to the peripheral area; and a sensor module in the support frame, the sensor module at least partially protruding above the support frame to contact the protrusions.