Substrate Holder Seal Support Inclination

Solution Overview

Problem

The existing substrate holders with perpendicular seal lip designs often cause the seal lip to decline toward the center of the opening, applying force to the substrate, which can lead to bending or damage, especially when using substrates with low rigidity.

Innovation Solution

A substrate holder design with a seal support surface that has an inclination angle, positioning the inner end closer to the substrate plane than the seal lip, preventing inward declining and distributing force outwardly to reduce substrate deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the seal is pressed in the direction perpendicular to the substrate surface, then the seal can effectively separate the exposed part of the substrate from the other part, but the seal lip may decline toward the center of the opening and push the substrate inward, causing bending or damage to substrates with low rigidity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesealing effectivenessVSAvoidsubstrate integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The seal support surface is designed with different inclination angles in different regions. The first seal support surface has a first inclination angle while the second seal support surface has a second inclination angle that is different from the first. This local variation in geometry allows the seal to be pressed effectively while preventing the seal lip from declining inward, thus protecting the substrate from bending or damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The seal support structure employs asymmetric inclination angles on different surfaces. By making the inclination angles different rather than uniform, the design creates an asymmetric force distribution that prevents the seal lip from tilting toward the center of the opening, thereby eliminating the harmful inward force on the substrate while maintaining sealing pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Ease of manufacture

If a conventional seal structure is used with uniform support, then the manufacturing is simple, but the seal lip declines inward when pressed, applying harmful force to the substrate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveseal structure simplicityVSAvoidsubstrate deformation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The seal support surface is designed with different inclination angles in different regions. The first seal support surface has a first inclination angle while the second seal support surface has a second inclination angle that is different from the first. This local variation in geometry allows the seal to be pressed effectively while preventing the seal lip from declining inward, thus protecting the substrate from bending or damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The seal support structure employs asymmetric inclination angles on different surfaces. By making the inclination angles different rather than uniform, the design creates an asymmetric force distribution that prevents the seal lip from tilting toward the center of the opening, thereby eliminating the harmful inward force on the substrate while maintaining sealing pressure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS11248308B2Substrate holder and plating apparatus with substrate holder

Publication Date: 2022.02.15 EBARA CORP

AI summary

A substrate holder prevents a substrate to be bent or damaged owing to inward declining of a seal lip. The substrate holder with an opening includes a seal, and a seal support which has a seal support surface, and is formed on an outer circumference of the opening. The seal includes a seal body and a seal lip. At least a part of the seal support surface has an inclination angle that allows an inner end of the seal support surface to approach the plane on which the substrate is to be positioned. The inner end of the seal support surface is positioned on an inner side than the seal lip.