Dry Adhesive Vacuum Substrate Holding to Prevent Bulging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Larger and thinner substrates tend to bulge during deposition processes due to stress, leading to increased risk of breakage and mechanical damage from traditional support systems that contact the substrate, which can also hinder uniform layer deposition.
Innovation Solution
A holding arrangement using dry adhesive material with a vacuum region and conduit for applying negative pressure to attach and release substrates with reduced mechanical stress, avoiding direct contact with the deposition surface and minimizing bulging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional mechanical support systems are used to hold substrates, then substrates can be supported during deposition, but the support systems introduce bulging on the substrate due to forces pushing the substrate edge towards the center
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical contact-based support systems with a magnetic field-based holding system. Magnets embedded in the carrier board generate magnetic fields that interact with ferromagnetic particles on the substrate surface, providing support forces without physical contact. This substitution eliminates the mechanical forces that caused bulging while maintaining substrate stability during deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces ferromagnetic particles as an intermediary between the magnetic field and the substrate. These particles are deposited on the substrate surface and interact with the magnetic field generated by magnets in the carrier board, enabling non-contact holding. The intermediary allows magnetic forces to be applied uniformly across the substrate without direct mechanical contact, preventing edge-related bulging.
2Reliability
If traditional mechanical support systems contact the substrate, then substrates can be held securely, but the support systems increase the likelihood of breakage due to applied forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based holding with magnetic field-based holding. Magnets in the carrier board create magnetic fields that attract ferromagnetic particles on the substrate surface, providing secure holding without physical contact. This eliminates concentrated mechanical forces that could cause breakage, distributing forces uniformly through the magnetic interaction across the entire substrate surface.
3Ease of operation
If traditional support systems are used to hold substrates, then substrates can be positioned during deposition, but the support systems cause non-uniform deposition due to shadowing effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical support structures with a magnetic field-based positioning system. The carrier board with embedded magnets provides substrate positioning through magnetic attraction to ferromagnetic particles, eliminating physical obstacles during deposition. This allows uniform material deposition across the entire substrate surface without shadowing effects from support structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses ferromagnetic particles as an intermediary to enable magnetic positioning without physical contact. These particles are deposited on the substrate and interact with the magnetic field from the carrier board magnets, providing precise substrate positioning during deposition while maintaining complete surface accessibility for uniform coating.
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 effectively holds larger and thinner substrates without causing damage or breakage, reduces particle generation, and ensures uniform deposition by using suction forces to attach and detach substrates with minimal mechanical stress, preventing bulging and allowing for efficient processing of bigger substrates.
Implementation Method 1
a dry adhesive material provided on a first side of a body portion
Implementation Method 2
the conduit is configured to apply first negative pressure to the vacuum region to attach the substrate, and wherein the conduit is configured to apply a second negative pressure to the vacuum region to move the substrate closer to the body portion
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a holding arrangement. The holding arrangement for holding a substrate includes: a body portion having a first side; a dry adhesive material provided on the first side of the body portion; a seal surrounding the dry adhesive material and configured to provide a vacuum region on the first side, wherein the dry adhesive material is provided in the vacuum region; and a conduit to evacuate the vacuum region.