Wafer Placement Table Terminal Structure That Prevents Thread Loosening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wafer placement tables used in semiconductor manufacturing devices experience loosening of male threads in female threads due to temperature fluctuations, leading to potential electrical disconnections.
Innovation Solution
A wafer placement table design featuring a conductive adapter with a non-rotatable communication hole and a conductive connection member with a male thread, integrated via a weld zone, prevents the male thread from loosening by ensuring the connection member is fixed relative to the terminal, using materials like aluminum nitride, molybdenum, and nickel for thermal stability and low electrical resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a male thread connection member is screwed into a female thread terminal, then electrical connection is established, but the male thread may get loose when repeatedly used between high and low temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive adapter is introduced as an intermediary component between the female thread terminal and the male thread connection member. The adapter includes a communication hole that receives the male thread, preventing it from rotating or loosening while maintaining electrical conductivity. This mediator solves the loosening problem by providing a secure receiving structure that eliminates the rotational freedom inherent in direct thread connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection structure is divided into three separate components: the female thread terminal, the conductive adapter, and the male thread connection member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the terminal provides electrical connection, the adapter provides rotational constraint, and the connection member provides secure attachment, thereby solving the loosening issue through functional distribution.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the connection member is made non-rotatable relative to the terminal, then thread loosening is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive adapter serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a non-rotatable constraint for the male thread connection member, maintains electrical conductivity through its conductive material, and facilitates the connection between the terminal and connection member. By combining these functions in a single component, the adapter reduces overall structural complexity while achieving the desired stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter acts as a mediator that simplifies the connection structure by providing a standardized interface between the female thread terminal and male thread connection member. Rather than designing a complex integrated solution, the adapter offers a simple, modular approach that reduces design complexity while ensuring stable, non-rotatable connection.
3Stability of the object's composition
If materials with matching thermal expansion coefficients are used, then thread loosening due to temperature changes is prevented, but material selection becomes more restrictive
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive adapter serves as a thermal buffer between components with different thermal expansion coefficients. By positioning the adapter between the terminal and connection member, it absorbs and distributes thermal stresses, preventing direct transmission of expansion forces that would cause thread loosening. This mediator approach allows the use of standard materials without requiring precise thermal expansion matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the approach from selecting materials with identical thermal expansion coefficients to using materials with different coefficients in a configured assembly. The adapter's position and design parameters are optimized to compensate for differential thermal expansion, allowing greater material selection flexibility while maintaining dimensional stability under temperature variation.
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 effectively prevents thread loosening during temperature changes, ensuring reliable electrical connections and extending the lifespan of the wafer placement table by using materials with matching thermal expansion coefficients and high melting points.
Implementation Method 1
the conductive adapter and the conductive connection member with the male thread are integrated with a weld zone interposed therebetween
Implementation Method 2
a male thread of a connection member with male thread, the conductive connection member having the male thread screwed into the female thread through the communication hole
Implementation Method 3
the adapter is mounted on the end face of the projection of the terminal with female thread, and is non-rotatable relative to the terminal with female thread
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer placement table includes: a ceramic substrate having a wafer placement surface and incorporating an electrode; a conductive embedded member electrically connected to the electrode; a conductive terminal with a female thread, the conductive terminal being electrically connected to the conductive embedded member, having a projection projecting from a surface, on an opposite side to the wafer placement surface, of the ceramic substrate, having the female thread at an end face of the projection; a conductive adapter that is mounted on the end face of the projection of the conductive terminal with the female thread, has a communication hole that communicates with the female thread, and is non-rotatable relative to the conductive terminal with the female thread; and a conductive connection member with a male thread, the conductive connection member having the male thread screwed into the female thread through the communication hole, and being integrated with the adapter.