Rotatable Substrate Clamping for Vacuum Cooling Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manipulator systems for substrates in vacuum chambers face challenges in achieving efficient cooling while allowing for the precise orientation and rotation of substrates, especially for larger areas like semiconductor wafers, as they often suffer from limited thermal conductivity and restricted angular adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A rotatable substrate positioning arrangement featuring an arm with a cooling surface and a clamping device that separates axial movement from rotation, enabling high thermal conductivity and arbitrary angular rotation, using materials like copper, silver, or molybdenum for efficient cooling and precise substrate manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a substrate holder is cooled via a copper braid connected to a cold finger, then cooling is enabled, but the cooling efficiency is limited and cannot achieve very low temperatures for large substrate areas
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate holder is divided into a stationary part and a rotatable part, with the cooling surface integrated into the stationary part. This segmentation allows the cooling path to be separated from the rotation mechanism, enabling efficient cooling while maintaining rotational freedom.
Solution Approach 2:
A bearing device acts as an intermediary between the stationary cooling surface and the rotatable substrate engagement device. This intermediary allows thermal isolation while enabling rotational movement, solving the contradiction between efficient cooling and rotational freedom.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a substrate holder is designed for rotation via horizontal and vertical shafts with angular gears, then orientation manipulation is enabled, but the cooling of the substrate holder is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulation system is segmented into: (1) a stationary cooling surface for thermal contact, (2) a bearing device for rotational support, and (3) a substrate engagement device for orientation control. This segmentation decouples the cooling function from the manipulation functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotation and orientation functions are extracted from the cooling structure. The substrate engagement device with bearing mechanisms is separated from the stationary cooling surface, allowing independent optimization of cooling efficiency and manipulation versatility.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the cooling surface centre axis is made non-parallel to the arm length axis, then arbitrary angular rotation is enabled, but the thermal conductivity path is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into a stationary cooling surface with optimal thermal connection to the arm, and a rotatable substrate engagement device. This allows the cooling axis to be aligned with the arm for maximum thermal conductivity while the engagement device provides arbitrary rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bearing device serves as a thermal intermediary that isolates the rotatable substrate engagement device from the stationary cooling surface. This thermal isolation allows the engagement device to rotate arbitrarily without compromising the thermal conductivity of the cooling path.
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
This arrangement facilitates efficient cooling and precise rotational control of substrates within vacuum chambers, enhancing thermal conductivity and allowing for arbitrary angular adjustments, thereby improving substrate handling during processes like deposition.
Implementation Method 1
The arm comprises at the second end a cooling surface for cooling of the flat substrate in contact with the cooling surface. The cooling surface is configured to be cooled by cooling of the first end of the arm outside the vacuum chamber.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
An arrangement (1) is described for manipulating a flat substrate (3) in a vacuum chamber. The arrangement (1) comprises an arm (6) having a length axis (9) extending between a first end (7) and a second end (8). The arm (6) comprises at the second end (8) a cooling surface (10) for cooling of the flat substrate (3) in contact with the cooling surface (10), wherein the cooling surface (10) has a centre axis (11) extending essentially perpendicular to the cooling surface (10) axis (9). The clamping device (17) comprises a first bearing device (21) arranged around the centre axis (11) and movable in the direction along the centre axis (11), a substrate clamping device (22) comprising a second bearing device (23) in engagement with the first bearing device (21) such that the second bearing device (23) is rotatable around the centre axis (11), and a substrate engagement device (24), fixed to the second bearing device (23), and configured for engagement with the periphery (47) of the substrate (3). The clamping device (17) also comprises an adjustable actuation device (25), which is configured to apply an adjustable actuation force on the first bearing device (21) in the direction along the centre axis (11), such that the substrate (3) is pressed towards the cooling surface (10).