Cylindrical Mounting Device for Semiconductor Wafer Inspection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mounting devices for semiconductor wafers have restricted speed due to heavy weight, poor vibration characteristics, and uneven weight distribution, leading to instability and reduced inspection reliability.

Innovation Solution

A mounting device with a cylindrical elevation body and three elevation guide rails spaced at 120° intervals, along with reinforcing parts and support members for improved rigidity and balanced weight distribution, allowing high-speed movement and enhanced inspection reliability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the mounting device uses a conventional square-shaped elevation body with right and left support members, then the structure provides adequate support, but the weight becomes heavy and movement speed is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemovement speedVSAvoidweight of mounting device

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The elevation body is changed from a square shape to a cylindrical shape. This curved geometry reduces the overall volume and weight of the mounting device while maintaining structural integrity. The cylindrical form factor allows for more efficient material distribution, reducing the weight that needs to be accelerated during stage movement, thereby improving movement speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

Reinforcing parts are strategically added at specific locations on the cylindrical elevation body where structural strength is most needed. This localized reinforcement approach maintains overall weight reduction while providing adequate support at critical points, allowing the device to move faster without sacrificing structural stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the mounting device uses a conventional square-shaped elevation body, then the structure is simple, but the weight distribution is uneven and vibration characteristics are poor

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibration characteristicsVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cylindrical elevation body provides symmetrical weight distribution around the vertical axis, unlike the square configuration. This rotational symmetry ensures uniform mass distribution, which significantly improves vibration characteristics during high-speed movement. The curved geometry naturally balances the center of gravity, reducing unwanted vibrations and improving measurement reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

While the overall cylindrical shape is symmetrical, asymmetric reinforcing parts are strategically positioned at specific angular locations to compensate for uneven stress distributions during operation. This controlled asymmetry in reinforcement placement optimizes vibration damping while maintaining overall balance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

3Speed

If the mounting device reduces weight for high-speed movement, then movement speed improves, but rigidity may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemovement speedVSAvoidrigidity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

Reinforcing parts are added at specific critical locations on the cylindrical elevation body where rigidity is most needed, such as at the mounting table interface and support member connection points. This localized strengthening provides adequate structural rigidity for high-speed movement while minimizing the overall weight increase, allowing the device to accelerate faster while maintaining necessary stiffness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Strength

If the mounting device uses right and left support members only, then the structure is simple, but the rigidity is not even in all directions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverigidity uniformityVSAvoidnumber of support members

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cylindrical elevation body inherently provides uniform rigidity in all radial directions due to its rotational symmetry. This curved geometry distributes structural strength evenly around the circumference, eliminating the directional rigidity variations present in square configurations with only right and left support members.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

Support members are strategically positioned at specific angular locations around the cylinder rather than symmetrically at right and left sides only. This optimized asymmetric placement of support members, combined with the cylindrical shape, ensures uniform rigidity distribution while maintaining structural efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS7963513B2Mounting device

Publication Date: 2011.06.21 TOKYO ELECTRON LTD

AI summary

A mounting device provided on a horizontally movable stage mechanism, includes a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, a cylindrical elevation body, having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the mounting table, for supporting the mounting table, a plurality of elevation guide rails provided on an outer peripheral surface of the elevation body so as to be spaced from each other at substantially regular intervals in a circumferential direction, and a plurality of support members each having a vertical plate to which engaging bodies engaged with the elevation guide rails are fixed. Further, a plurality of reinforcing parts are vertically provided on the outer peripheral surface of the elevation body so as to be spaced from each other at substantially regular intervals in the circumferential direction.