Substrate Carrier and Recessed Receiving Plate for Clean Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate handling systems in solar cell manufacturing and microelectronics face challenges such as substrate breakage, uneven load distribution, and cross-contamination during treatment processes, particularly due to the need for frequent transfer between treatment apparatuses and the use of substrate holding devices that introduce thermal loads and parasitic layers.
Innovation Solution
A substrate carrier with a horizontally extending holding area and gripping arms that matches the substrate's dimensions, allowing for secure, weight-based holding without additional forces, and a treatment apparatus with a recessed receiving plate designed to accommodate the carrier, minimizing thermal and electrical interference during processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a substrate is held on a receiving plate during treatment, then the substrate can be processed, but the receiving plate and substrate carrier cooperate in a way that can cause cross-contamination between treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the substrate carrier from the receiving plate, allowing the carrier to be removed and replaced between treatments. This segmentation enables continuous processing while preventing cross-contamination, as the carrier can be cleaned or exchanged between different substrate treatments.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate carrier acts as an intermediary between the substrate and the receiving plate. It provides a interface that allows the substrate to be held and processed while enabling easy removal and replacement, thus preventing direct contact between substrates and the receiving plate that could cause cross-contamination.
2Ease of operation
If substrate holding devices are used to secure substrates, then substrates can be transported and treated, but additional forces are applied to the substrate that can cause breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate carrier is designed to support the substrate's weight uniformly across its entire surface area. This counteracts gravitational force evenly, preventing localized stress concentrations that could cause substrate breakage during handling and treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The holding surface of the substrate carrier is designed to be homogeneous and uniformly distributed, matching the substrate's surface area. This ensures even weight distribution and uniform support across the entire substrate, preventing breakage from uneven loading.
3Adaptability or versatility
If frequent transfers between treatment apparatuses are performed, then different treatment processes can be applied, but the processing time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate carrier is designed as a universal component that can be used across multiple treatment apparatuses and processes. It can hold substrates for different treatments (CVD, annealing, cleaning, etc.) without modification, enabling process variety while reducing transfer time and maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate carrier allows substrates to be prepared and loaded in advance in one apparatus, then quickly transferred to subsequent treatment apparatuses. This preliminary preparation reduces idle time during transfers and maintains continuous processing flow across multiple treatment steps.
4Manufacturing precision
If substrate carriers with large surface areas are used to match substrate dimensions, then uniform support is achieved, but thermal mass increases causing slower heating and cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate carrier is designed with local quality variations - the holding surface area matches the substrate dimensions for uniform support, while the overall carrier structure minimizes thermal mass in non-essential areas. This allows uniform substrate support while reducing the thermal inertia that would slow heating and cooling processes.
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 reduces substrate breakage, ensures homogeneous treatment, minimizes cross-contamination, and enhances throughput by allowing continuous processing without vacuum interruptions, while maintaining efficient temperature control and electrical contact.
Implementation Method 1
the substrate being held with its rear side on the holding area merely by its weight
Implementation Method 2
maintaining efficient temperature control
Implementation Method 3
maintaining efficient electrical contact
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for transporting a substrate into or out of a treatment apparatus, to a treatment apparatus, to a method of processing a substrate and to a treatment system having a movement arrangement for moving such an apparatus for transporting a substrate. In this case, the apparatus for transporting a substrate has a substrate carrier that includes a horizontally extending holding area and one or a plurality of gripping arms. The holding area is even and uniform on a first surface facing the substrate, the shape of said holding area substantially corresponding to the shape of the substrate and the area size of said holding area being substantially the same as the area size of the substrate, the substrate being held with its rear side on the holding area merely by its weight. The treatment apparatus has a receiving plate on which the substrate is held during the treatment, the receiving plate having a recess that is suitable for receiving such a substrate carrier during the treatment of the substrate in a first surface.