Modular Transfer Plate Alignment for Long Substrate Shafts
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in precisely aligning and connecting long driving shafts for substrate transfer apparatuses in semiconductor facilities, which is complicated by the large size and weight of transfer plates, leading to alignment issues and particle generation due to friction during connection.
Innovation Solution
A transfer plate set with a first plate part and a second plate part, featuring guide members and protrusions for precise alignment and connection, allowing point or line contact to minimize friction and facilitate accurate alignment of driving shafts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If plates are manufactured on a large scale to support long driving shafts, then the driving shafts can be extended longer to cover wider facility areas, but it becomes difficult to precisely align the driving shafts due to the large size and weight of the plates
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer plate is divided into multiple modular plate parts that can be connected together. Each plate part is manufactured separately with controlled dimensions, avoiding the difficulty of manufacturing and aligning a single large plate. The modular segments are connected through connection parts with guide members that ensure precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
Connection parts serve as intermediary elements between plate parts. These connection parts include guide members that facilitate precise alignment and connection of the plate parts, acting as a mediator that resolves the alignment difficulty between large-scale plates.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple plate parts are connected to form long driving shafts, then the facility area can be expanded, but particles are generated due to friction between plates during connection
Solution Approach 1:
The guide members and connection surfaces incorporate curved or rounded features instead of sharp edges. This curvature reduces friction and contact stress during the connection process, minimizing particle generation while enabling smooth connection of plate parts.
3Manufacturing precision
If plate parts are connected with tight fitting to ensure precision, then alignment accuracy improves, but friction increases causing particle generation
Solution Approach 1:
Curved guide members and rounded connection surfaces reduce contact stress and friction during connection, allowing for precise alignment without excessive tight fitting that would generate particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection design incorporates specific geometric parameters (curvature radii, contact angles) that optimize the balance between alignment precision and friction reduction, changing the physical parameters of the connection interface to minimize particle generation.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a transfer plate set. More particularly, the transfer plate set serves to guide a substrate transfer unit to move, the transfer plate set including a first plate part; and a second plate part inserted and fixed to the first plate part, wherein the first plate part includes a first base; a first guide member disposed on the first base; and a receiving part formed to be stepped on a side facing the second plate part, and wherein the second plate part includes a second base; a second guide member disposed on the second base; and an insertion part formed to protrude from a side facing the first plate part and provided to be inserted into the receiving part.