Optimal design of gyroid solid-TPMS structures for 8-inch wafer prober lower chuck in additive manufacturing

The advantage of 3D printing is that it can create creative shapes that cannot be manufactured through existing subtractive manufacturing. It can also produce products with improved functionality. In this study, a radial structure with TPMS is applied to improve the temperature uniformity of the wafer prober lower chuck used in semiconductor inspection equipment. The gyroid solid-TPMS structure, the most basic of TPMS structures, is considered, and a 1/9 analysis model is constructed considering that it is an axis-symmetric structure, and optimization is performed through thermal flow analysis. Based on the proposed design, it was confirmed that when the optimization result offset was +0.57 mm, the temperature standard deviation was 0.01 °C and the pressure was 0.40 bar. Specimens were manufactured using the proposed optimal design, and the optimization results were verified through lab-based experiment.