Monolithic Cooling Plate with Embedded Channels and Sensors

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional cooling stations for device manufacturing systems face challenges such as poor thermal contact between copper tubing and aluminum plates, leading to non-uniform cooling, and require time-consuming machining processes. Additionally, these systems lack integrated sensors for real-time temperature monitoring.

Innovation Solution

A cooling station with monolithic cooling plates that incorporate integral cooling channels and integrated sensors. These plates are manufactured using additive manufacturing techniques, allowing for the embedding of sensors and coolant channels within a single, monolithic body.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If copper tubing is swaged into machined grooves in aluminum plates, then cooling function is provided, but thermal contact is poor leading to non-uniform cooling

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecooling uniformityVSAvoidthermal contact quality

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channels are merged directly into the cooling plate body through additive manufacturing, eliminating the separate copper tubing component. This integration ensures continuous thermal contact between the coolant channels and the plate, resolving the poor thermal contact issue while maintaining uniform cooling across the substrate surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The mechanical swaging process that forces copper tubing into grooves is replaced by an additive manufacturing process that directly forms cooling channels within the plate material. This substitution eliminates the interface between separate components, ensuring consistent thermal contact and uniform heat distribution throughout the cooling structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of manufacture

If grooves are machined and copper piping is inserted and swaged, then cooling channels are created, but the process is time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling channels are formed during the additive manufacturing process itself, before the cooling plate is finalized and assembled. This preliminary formation of channels eliminates subsequent machining and assembly steps, significantly reducing manufacturing time while maintaining design flexibility for complex channel geometries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Traditional mechanical machining and assembly operations are replaced by additive manufacturing technology. The single-step additive process directly creates the cooling channels within the plate body, eliminating multiple sequential operations (machining grooves, inserting tubing, swaging) and dramatically improving manufacturing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Strength

If solid aluminum plates are used, then structural integrity is maintained, but integrated sensors cannot be incorporated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidsensor integration capability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling plate is designed with locally varied properties through additive manufacturing. Sensors are integrated into specific regions of the plate where needed, while maintaining the overall structural integrity of the aluminum plate. The additive process allows different materials or configurations to be placed in different locations, enabling sensor integration without compromising strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling plate incorporates a composite structure combining aluminum material with integrated sensor elements. The additive manufacturing process enables the creation of a composite structure where sensors are embedded within the plate matrix, achieving both structural integrity and sensing functionality in a single integrated component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 enhances cooling uniformity, reduces manufacturing time, and enables real-time temperature monitoring and control, optimizing coolant usage and power consumption.

Implementation Method 1

the coolant is to extract heat from the supported substrate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat extraction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS20250183063A1Cooling station

Publication Date: 2025.06.05 APPLIED MATERIALS INC

AI summary

A cooling station is provided including one or more cooling plates configured to support a substrate. Each cooling plate of the one or more cooling plates can include a monolithic body and one or more channels within the monolithic body that traverse an interior volume of the cooling plate. These channels can be configured to circulate a coolant within the cooling plate, wherein the coolant is to extract heat from the supported substrate that may be resting on top of the cooling plate. In some cases, a cross sectional shape of the one or more channels may be at least one of rectangular, circular, pentagonal, polygonal, hexagonal, or a gyroid.