Substrate Conveyance Using Bernoulli Chucks to Prevent Bending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveying devices for substrates, such as those disclosed in Patent Literature 1, face issues with substrate bending and unstable conveyance due to low rigidity and weight, leading to intermittent contact with conveying rollers and potential failure in stable speed conveyance, affecting both circular and rectangular substrates.
Innovation Solution
A treatment device and method that inclines the substrate's flat surface relative to the horizontal plane during conveyance, using a drive part for physical contact and Bernoulli chucks to stabilize the substrate, ensuring it remains upright and prevents bending, with the second Bernoulli chuck holding the end face to maintain stability and reduce the number of drive parts needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the substrate is conveyed in an upright position to reduce installation area and enable efficient liquid draining, then the area for installing conveying device is reduced and liquid draining efficiency is improved, but the substrate bends when rigidity is low and conveyance stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate contact area is segmented into multiple regions: the drive part contacts one end part, the first Bernoulli chuck contacts the flat surface, and the second Bernoulli chuck contacts the opposite end face. This segmentation distributes the support points to prevent bending while maintaining upright conveyance stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs Bernoulli chucks (both first and second) that utilize pneumatic principles to hold the substrate. The chucks create negative pressure to secure the substrate in position during conveyance, preventing bending and instability without requiring additional mechanical support structures.
2Device complexity
If conventional conveying rollers are used to convey the substrate, then the structure is simple, but the substrate intermittently contacts the rollers due to bending and shaking, causing unstable conveyance speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical conveying rollers with a pneumatic-based system using Bernoulli chucks. The first Bernoulli chuck holds the flat surface while the drive part propels the substrate, and the second Bernoulli chuck secures the opposite end face. This pneumatic holding mechanism eliminates intermittent contact and shaking, ensuring stable conveyance speed and reliability.
3Reliability
If multiple drive parts are used to ensure stable conveyance of low-rigidity substrates, then conveyance stability improves, but the number of drive parts increases leading to higher replacement frequency and operational costs
Solution Approach 1:
The drive function is segmented: a single drive part propels one end part of the substrate, while the first and second Bernoulli chucks provide holding support at different locations. This segmentation allows one drive part to effectively convey the entire substrate by coordinating with the pneumatic holding mechanism, reducing the number of drive parts needed while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The Bernoulli chucks act as intermediaries between the drive part and the substrate. The drive part applies force to one end, and the Bernoulli chucks distribute and maintain the holding force across the substrate surface and end face, enabling stable conveyance with fewer drive parts and reducing operational costs.
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 approach stabilizes substrate conveyance, prevents bending, and reduces the frequency of drive part replacement, lowering operational and component costs while ensuring efficient liquid drainage and treatment, particularly for substrates with low rigidity or weight.
Implementation Method 1
a first Bernoulli chuck arranged to face the flat surface of the workpiece
Implementation Method 2
a second Bernoulli chuck arranged to face an end face of an opposite end part to the end part of the workpiece
Data Source
AI summary
To stably convey a substrate (workpiece) while suppressing the workpiece from bending. A treatment device is provided. This treatment device includes: a conveying part that conveys a workpiece in a state where a flat surface of the workpiece is inclined around a conveying directional axis relative to a horizontal plane; and a treatment part in which at least one of polishing and cleaning is performed on the flat surface of the workpiece, wherein the conveying part has a drive part configured to be brought into physical contact with an end part of the workpiece and apply force in a conveying direction to the workpiece, a first Bernoulli chuck arranged to face the flat surface of the workpiece, and a second Bernoulli chuck arranged to face an end face of an opposite end part to the end part of the workpiece.