Substrate Support Groove Geometry for Transfer Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate support systems, such as those with V-shaped grooves, face challenges in stabilizing substrates during transfer due to swinging motions, leading to tilting, pendulum movements, and potential sticking issues, which can result in failed substrate transfers.
Innovation Solution
A substrate support apparatus with a support groove that has a cross-sectional shape where the width gradually increases in the counter-gravitational direction, with wider ends and a narrower center, providing stable support by engaging the substrate's center hole and outer periphery at multiple points to prevent swinging and sticking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a V-shaped groove support block is used to hold the substrate, then the substrate can be securely attached and detached, but the substrate swings during high-speed transport causing instability and potential transfer failures
Solution Approach 1:
The support groove cross-sectional shape is changed from a conventional V-shape to a shape where the groove width gradually increases in the counter-gravitational direction. This parameter change in the groove geometry allows the substrate to be supported at multiple points (center hole and outer periphery), preventing swinging motions while enabling high-speed transport and improving transfer reliability
2Strength
If the substrate is held by a V-shaped groove, then attachment is secure, but the substrate may tilt or perform pendulum motion during transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The support groove is designed with non-uniform width distribution, being narrower at the center and wider at the ends in the counter-gravitational direction. This local quality variation creates multiple support points that simultaneously provide secure attachment and prevent tilting or pendulum motions, maintaining substrate orientation stability during transfer
3Productivity
If high-speed substrate transport is implemented, then throughput is improved, but substrate swinging increases causing transfer failures
Solution Approach 1:
The cross-sectional shape parameter of the support groove is optimized to gradually increase in width in the counter-gravitational direction. This parameter change enables the groove to engage both the center hole and outer periphery of the substrate, suppressing swinging motions even during high-speed transport and ensuring reliable transfer operations with improved throughput
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate support apparatus which can support a substrate having a center hole, comprises a support portion which can support the substrate. The support portion includes a support groove with a cross-sectional shape in which a groove width gradually increases in a counter-gravitational direction, and a width of the support groove between two end portions is larger than a width of the support groove at the center thereof.