Gimbal Bonding Tool With Arced Guideways for Uniform Wafer Pressure
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bonding tools struggle to maintain uniform pressure across the bonding area due to angular irregularities in the target substrate, such as wafer bow or thermal expansion non-uniformities, without relying on external displacement sensors or actuators.
Innovation Solution
A bonding tool with a tool head featuring four segments, including a flat surface for uniform pressure, arced crossed roller guideways allowing rotation about two axes, and extension springs for returning to a nominal position, enabling the tool face to conform to irregularities in the substrate surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a rigid bonding tool is used, then the tool structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the tool cannot conform to angular irregularities in the substrate surface, resulting in non-uniform pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding tool incorporates a deformable plate that can dynamically adjust its shape to conform to angular irregularities in the substrate surface. The plate is supported by curved guideways that enable it to rotate and deform elastically, transforming a static rigid structure into a dynamic adaptive structure that maintains uniform pressure distribution across the bonding area.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool uses elastic deformation of the plate to change its geometric parameters (shape and orientation) in response to substrate irregularities. By allowing the plate to deform within elastic limits, the system adjusts its contact geometry to maintain optimal pressure distribution without requiring complex active control mechanisms.
2Manufacturing precision
If external displacement sensors and actuators are added to correct surface irregularities, then pressure uniformity can be maintained, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding tool employs passive curved guideways that automatically guide the deformable plate to conform to substrate irregularities through mechanical constraint and elastic deformation. The system self-adjusts to maintain uniform pressure distribution without requiring external sensors to detect irregularities or actuators to actively correct them, eliminating complex control systems while achieving the desired precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved guideways act as intermediary mechanical elements between the rigid tool housing and the deformable plate. These guideways transmit and transform forces, enabling the plate to naturally conform to substrate angular irregularities through controlled deformation, thereby achieving precision correction through passive mechanical mediation rather than active electronic control.
3Manufacturing precision
If the bonding tool face is made deformable to conform to substrate irregularities, then pressure distribution improves, but the tool design and manufacturing become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The bonding tool uses a thin deformable plate as the bonding surface, which can elastically conform to angular irregularities in the substrate. This thin-film approach allows the plate to flex and adapt to surface variations while maintaining structural integrity, achieving high surface conformity without requiring complex deformable mechanisms or heavy components.
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 corrects surface non-uniformities by maintaining a uniform pressure distribution across the bonding area, even with angular irregularities, without the need for external sensors or actuators, thus enhancing alignment accuracy and reducing complexity and cost.
Implementation Method 1
the second segment and a third segment move relative to each other by means of a curved guideway, having the flat surface of the first segment to rotate and conform to irregularities in an angle of a device surface about a first axis due to the curved guideway
Implementation Method 2
extension springs for returning to a nominal position
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus to correct surface non-uniformities between a donor substrate and a system substrate using a bonding tool. The bonding tool has multiple segments with internal structure to facilitate the objective. In particular, arc shaped guideways and resulting movements exemplify the method.