Electroplating Chuck Cleaning With Gas-Atomized Fluid Spray
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to effectively remove electroplating residues, particularly Tin (Sn) or Tin-Silver (Sn/Ag) residues, from electroplating hardware, leading to contamination and degradation of electroplating equipment, especially on components with complex geometries like electroplating chucks.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance chamber system with a positioning system and gas atomizing nozzles is used to rotate and spray atomized fluids, such as deionized water or cleaning chemistry, onto electroplating chucks to dislodge and remove contamination, utilizing optical sensors for cleanliness detection and high-velocity gas streams for drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cleaning methods (cloth or cleaning agent on end effector) are used, then the cleaning process is simple, but electroplating residues remain especially on complicated geometry components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs gas atomizing nozzles that spray atomized cleaning fluid under pressure to effectively remove electroplating residues from complex geometries including seals, electrical contacts, and recessed areas of the electroplating chuck, overcoming the limitations of conventional cloth-based methods
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning system divides the cleaning action into multiple targeted spray zones with multiple nozzles positioned to address different areas of the electroplating chuck, ensuring comprehensive coverage of complex surfaces and geometries that single-method cleaning cannot reach
2Reliability
If multiple nozzles and positioning system are added to improve cleaning effectiveness, then contamination removal improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning system serves multiple functions: it rotates the electroplating chuck to present different surfaces to fixed nozzles, and can also position the chuck at different radial distances from the nozzles, allowing a single nozzle assembly to clean multiple areas effectively without requiring nozzles at every location
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cleaning functions into a single integrated maintenance chamber system where the positioning system coordinates chuck rotation and radial positioning to work with fixed nozzle assemblies, merging what would otherwise require multiple independent cleaning mechanisms into one unified system
3Reliability
If gas atomized fluid spray is used, then cleaning effectiveness on complex geometries improves, but fluid consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses gas atomization to change the physical state of the cleaning fluid from liquid streams to fine droplets, increasing surface area and cleaning effectiveness per unit volume of fluid, thereby reducing overall fluid consumption while maintaining or improving cleaning performance on complex geometries
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 system efficiently reduces contamination on electroplating chucks, extending equipment life, minimizing chemical residue, and preventing cross-contamination of plating baths, while reducing costs and risks associated with chemical cleaning agents.
Implementation Method 1
a gas atomizing nozzle, configured to spray an atomized fluid onto the electroplating chuck
Implementation Method 2
dislodging or eroding contaminants on the electroplating chuck by mechanical interactions between atomized liquid droplets and the contaminants
Implementation Method 3
a positioning system configured to rotate, axially move, or both rotate and axially move the electroplating chuck
Implementation Method 4
utilizing optical sensors for cleanliness detection and high-velocity gas streams for drying
Data Source
AI summary
A maintenance chamber configured to reduce contamination on an electroplating chuck, the maintenance chamber including a positioning system configured to rotate, axially move, or both rotate and axially move the electroplating chuck, and a gas atomizing nozzle, wherein the nozzle is configured to spray an atomized fluid onto the electroplating chuck, wherein the atomized fluid is configured to reduce contamination on the electroplating chuck. Further, a method for reducing contamination of an electroplating chuck inside a maintenance chamber, including placing the electroplating chuck inside the maintenance chamber, spraying the electroplating chuck with an atomized fluid from one or more nozzles, and dislodging or eroding contaminants on the electroplating chuck by mechanical interactions between atomized liquid droplets and the contaminants.