Porous Chuck Table Structure for Large-Workpiece Suction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chuck tables with metal frames are heavy, costly, and difficult to polish, and require complex fluid passages for suction, making them inefficient for holding large workpieces and increasing the load on moving units.
Innovation Solution
A chuck table formed from a porous material without a metal frame, where fluid passages for suction are provided only by the pores in the material, allowing for lighter construction, easier polishing, and reduced complexity in suction passage design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal frame with porous plate is used to make a chuck table, then the structural strength and stability are improved, but the weight increases and the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the frame structure and porous plate into a single integrated porous body. The porous material forms both the structural framework and the suction functionality in one component, eliminating the need for separate metal frame and porous plate assemblies, thereby reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a porous material that provides both structural support and suction functionality. The porous body serves as the entire chuck table structure, utilizing the porous material's inherent strength-to-weight ratio to achieve lightweight construction without sacrificing structural strength
2Strength
If a metal frame with porous plate is used to make a chuck table, then the structural strength is improved, but the manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple components (frame, porous plate, adhesive layers, sealing structures) into a single integrated porous body. This merging eliminates the complexity of assembling multiple parts and reduces manufacturing steps, while the porous material itself provides the necessary structural strength
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the frame structure from the traditional frame-and-plate design and integrates it directly into the porous material itself. The porous body assumes both structural and functional roles, simplifying the overall device complexity
3Manufacturing precision
If the upper surfaces of the porous plate and frame are polished to lie flush, then the surface flatness is improved, but residual stresses are produced and the porous plate may deform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the separate frame component that requires polishing to match the porous plate surface. By making the porous body itself the entire chuck table structure, there is no interface between frame and plate surfaces, thus removing the polishing step that causes residual stresses and deformation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the frame and porous plate into one integrated porous body, eliminating the interface between two separate surfaces. This eliminates the need for flush polishing operations that generate residual stresses and potential deformation
4Area of stationary object
If a large-diameter chuck table is fabricated to hold large workpieces, then the workpiece holding capability is improved, but the weight increases and the load on moving units increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous materials with high strength-to-weight ratios to create large-diameter chuck tables. The porous structure provides sufficient mechanical strength for large areas while maintaining low weight, enabling large workpiece holding capability without proportionally increasing weight
Solution Approach 2:
The porous material's cellular structure provides structural strength through its segmented pore architecture. This internal segmentation allows the material to span large distances while remaining lightweight, as the porous structure distributes loads efficiently across the large area
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 porous chuck table is lighter, easier to polish, and reduces the load on moving units, enabling efficient handling of large workpieces with improved suction performance and reduced costs.
Implementation Method 1
a porous material having pores; Fluid passages defined in the chuck table for allowing a negative pressure transmitted from the support base to act on the holding surface are provided only by the pores in the porous material
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A processing apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a plate-shaped workpiece under suction on a holding surface thereof, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held on the holding surface of the chuck table, and a moving unit for moving a support base supporting the chuck table thereon in a processing-feed direction. The chuck table is formed from a porous material having pores, and has the holding surface and a mountable assembly positioned opposite the holding surface and mountable on an upper surface of the support base. Fluid passages defined in the chuck table for allowing a negative pressure transmitted from the support base to act on the holding surface are provided only by the pores in the porous material.