Resilient Contact Fingers for Substrate Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Substrate sticking to substrate holders during electroplating processes often results in breakage due to excessive torque applied by robots, and existing solutions like PTFE coatings wear off, leading to recurring adhesion issues.
Innovation Solution
A substrate contact-ring with a peripheral structure and resilient contact fingers that engage the substrate's edge, providing an enhanced release force to overcome adhesion, combined with a method to measure and control torque applied by a robot to prevent excessive force during removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a robot applies excessive force to pick up the substrate, then the substrate can be removed from the holder, but the substrate may break due to excessive torque
Solution Approach 1:
The contact ring is segmented into multiple resilient contact fingers that can independently deflect. This segmentation allows the force to be distributed across multiple contact points, reducing the torque on any single point of the substrate while still providing sufficient total force to overcome adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact fingers are designed with specific mechanical properties (resilience, deflection characteristics) that allow them to provide controlled force. By changing the physical state of the contact mechanism from rigid to resilient, the system can adapt the force applied to match the adhesion strength without exceeding substrate tolerance.
2Reliability
If PTFE coating is applied to reduce adhesion, then substrate release is improved, but the coating wears off leading to recurring adhesion issues
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient contact fingers act as an intermediary mechanism between the holder and substrate. Instead of relying on a surface coating to prevent adhesion, the system uses mechanical intermediaries (the flexible fingers) that can actively overcome adhesion forces through controlled deflection and force application.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact fingers are self-actuating through their resilient properties. As the holder rotates or moves, the fingers automatically deflect and apply force to the substrate edge, providing continuous self-service without requiring external control or replacement of coatings.
3Device complexity
If a rigid contact structure is used to support the substrate, then the structure is simple, but it cannot provide sufficient release force to overcome adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The contact structure transitions from rigid to dynamic through the resilient contact fingers. The fingers can deflect and store elastic energy, then release it as force against the substrate. This dynamic behavior allows a relatively simple structure to generate significant release force when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient fingers act as spring elements that store energy during compression and release it to provide the necessary force. This beforehand cushioning through elastic deformation allows the structure to build up and deliver concentrated release force without requiring complex mechanisms.
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 reduces substrate breakage by providing a sufficient release force to overcome adhesion and prevents excessive torque application, ensuring safe removal of substrates from holders.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the spaced array of contact fingers is resiliently movable to engage an edge of the substrate supported within the substrate contact-ring
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, the disclosed apparatus is a substrate contact-ring to support a substrate. The substrate contact-ring includes a peripheral structure sized and configured to support the substrate within the substrate contact-ring. The peripheral structure includes a substantially flat ring-section, and a spaced array of contact fingers mechanically coupled to the substantially flat ring-section. Each of the spaced array of contact fingers is resiliently movable to engage an edge of the substrate supported within the substrate contact-ring. A proximal end of each of the contact fingers is mechanically coupled to the flat ring section of the substrate contact-ring and a distal end of each of the contact fingers is resiliently movable radially inwardly and outwardly of the substrate contact-ring to alternately engage and release the edge of the substrate when the substrate is alternately being supported or removed from the substrate contact-ring. Other apparatuses and methods are disclosed.