Apparatus, System, and Method for Providing a Pre - aligner

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an apparatus, a system, and a method for providing a pre-aligner. The pre-aligner can be capable of accommodating semiconductor wafers of different sizes and can include: a wafer support; a support arm that can be connected to at least one robotic element and at least partially supports the wafer support at one end of the support arm; a plurality of Bernoulli pads on the wafer support for providing a connection between the wafer support and a semiconductor wafer, wherein a gap is included between the connections.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the transfer of articles such as semiconductor wafers, and more particularly to a pre-aligner for gripping such wafers and methods of processing and transferring such wafers using the pre-aligner. Background Art

[0002] The use of robotics as a manufacturing expedient is well established, particularly in applications where manual handling is inefficient and / or undesirable. One such scenario is in the semiconductor field, where robotics is used to process wafers during various processing steps. By way of example, such processing steps can include chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), etching, deposition, passivation, and various other processes where a sealed and / or "clean" environment must be maintained to limit the possibility of contamination and ensure that various specific processing conditions are met.

[0003] Current practice in the semiconductor field for processing these wafers using robotics typically involves the use of a pre-aligner operatively attached to the robot, for example in order to load semiconductor wafers from a load stack into various processing ports that can correspond to the aforementioned exemplary processing steps. The robot is used to deploy the pre-aligner to retrieve wafers from a particular port or stack, for example before and / or after processing in an associated processing chamber. The wafers can thus be shuttled by the robot connected to the pre-aligner to subsequent ports for additional processing. When the wafer processing stage is complete, the robot can then return the processed semiconductor wafer to the load port, and the pre-aligner can be used again to retrieve the next wafer for system processing. Typically, during each process run, a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a stack are processed in this manner using the pre-aligner.

[0004] Typical pre-aligners hold the wafer on the underside of the pre-aligner, for example using backside suction provided by vacuum suction holes on the pre-aligner. It is atypical to apply other mechanical forces directly to the wafer in addition to the vacuum ports, partly because applying additional mechanical forces is generally considered to have a high likelihood of damaging or contaminating the wafer. However, in some cases, even physical contact through only this vacuum port can cause wafer damage or contamination.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a pre-aligner that can easily handle and transfer very thin semiconductor wafers, preferably having multiple wafer sizes, and for multiple processing steps, without damaging or contaminating such wafers, and without using typical vacuum suction that can damage or distort such wafers in the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Certain embodiments are and include apparatus, systems, and methods for providing a pre-aligner. The pre-aligner can be capable of accommodating semiconductor wafers of different sizes and can include: a wafer support; a support arm that can be connected to at least one robotic element and at least partially supports the wafer support at one end of the support arm; a plurality of Bernoulli pads on the wafer support for providing an interface between the wafer support and a semiconductor wafer, wherein there is a gap between the interfaces.

[0007] The wafer support can be a fork. For example, the different sizes of wafers accommodated can be 200 mm or 300 mm. The gap can be in the height range of about 40 microns, but other gaps are also applicable in embodiments.

[0008] The plurality of Bernoulli pads can include at least four pads. At least two support pads can be close to the support arm, and at least two others of the support pads can be away from the support arm.

[0009] The support arm can include a rotating wrist module. The rotating wrist module can be capable of rotating a connected semiconductor wafer 360 degrees. The wrist module can include at least one servo motor adapted to perform the rotation.

[0010] The pre-aligner can further include a wafer indexer for indexing a connected semiconductor wafer. The wafer indexer can include at least one index drive, and at least one index slider associated with the index drive, the index slider being capable of changing the position of the connected semiconductor wafer relative to the wafer indexer. The at least one index slider can be capable of multi-axis sliding.

[0011] The pre-aligner can further include modular features on the underside of the wafer support that are adapted to extend and contract the wafer support distally. The modular features can include telescoping features. Thus, the present invention provides at least one apparatus, system, and method for providing a pre-aligner that can easily handle and transfer very thin semiconductor wafers of multiple wafer sizes and be used for multiple processing steps without damaging or contaminating such wafers. Description of the Drawings

[0012] Exemplary apparatus, systems, and methods will be described below with reference to the drawings, which are given only as non-limiting examples, wherein:

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram of a wafer processing system;

[0014] Figure 2 is a diagram of aspects of a pre-aligner;

[0015] Figure 3 are illustrations of aspects of a pre - aligner;

[0016] Figure 4 are illustrations of aspects of a pre - aligner;

[0017] Figure 5 are illustrations of aspects of a pre - aligner;

[0018] Figure 6 are illustrations of aspects of a pre - aligner;

[0019] Figure 7A and 7B are illustrations of aspects of a pre - aligner;

[0020] Figure 8 are illustrations of aspects of a pre - aligner;

[0021] Figure 9A 、 9B and 9C are illustrations of aspects of a base - mounted pre - aligner; and

[0022] Figure 10 illustrates a computing system suitable for implementing aspects of the present disclosure. Detailed Description

[0023] The figures and descriptions provided herein may be simplified to illustrate aspects relevant to a clear understanding of the devices, systems, and methods described herein, while omitting other aspects that may be found in typical, similar devices, systems, and methods for the sake of clarity. One of ordinary skill in the art will thus recognize that other elements and / or operations may be desirable and / or necessary for implementing the devices, systems, and methods described herein. However, since such elements and operations are known in the art and since they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, a discussion of such elements and operations may not be provided herein for the sake of brevity. Nevertheless, the present disclosure is considered to still include all such elements, variations, and modifications of the described aspects that are known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0024] Embodiments are provided throughout the specification so that this disclosure is thorough and complete, and the scope of the disclosed embodiments is fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that some of the specific details disclosed need not be employed, and the embodiments may be embodied in different forms. Thus, the disclosed embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. As noted above, in some embodiments, well - known processes, well - known device structures, and well - known technologies may not be described in detail.

[0025] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not to be construed as limiting. For example, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" may also be intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprising", "including" and "having" are inclusive and thus specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. The steps, processes and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily requiring that they be performed in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless explicitly identified as the preferred or required order of performance. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed in place of or in conjunction with the disclosed aspects.

[0026] When an element or layer is referred to as "on", "above", "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present, unless expressly stated otherwise. In contrast, if an element is referred to as "directly on", "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, it means that no intervening elements or layers are present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between", "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent", etc.). Additionally, as used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0027] Furthermore, although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or portions, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or portion from another element, component, region, layer or portion. Thus, unless clearly indicated in the context, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply an order or sequence when used herein. Thus, the first element, component, region, layer or portion discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or portion without departing from the teachings of the embodiments.

[0028] Figure 1An automated wafer handling system 100 is shown that is adapted to precisely handle semiconductor wafers or substrates 102 (such as silicon wafers) having different diameters, compositions, and physical properties. The handling system 100 is capable of providing the wafers 102 in a fast and orderly sequence for wafer processing. The provided wafers 102 can be manipulated or transferred between various positions for processing, in part, by a robot (e.g., robotic arm 104) equipped with an edge-gripping pre-aligner 106 adapted to perform the aforementioned manipulation and transfer.

[0029] As a non-limiting example, the robotic arm 104 and the pre-aligner 106 cooperate to place the wafer 102 into a wafer process, one or more wafer aligners, and one or more wafer cassettes, and to remove the wafer 102 from the wafer process, one or more wafer aligners, and one or more wafer cassettes. To this end, in addition to providing or supplementing the various wafer gripping aspects discussed herein, the pre-aligner 106 can include one or more fixed points 108 to hold the target wafer 102 firmly in the vertical, horizontal, and reverse directions required during wafer processing.

[0030] Thus, Figure 1 Examples of show the system 100 in which the exemplary pre-aligner 106 disclosed below can be operative. Briefly, the shown edge-gripping pre-aligner 106 (which represents the various types of pre-aligners 106 discussed below) can retrieve the wafer 102 from one or more cassettes, e.g., for timing the retrieved wafer using a process aligner / pre-aligner, and / or for various subsequent wafer processing. More specifically, the various pre-aligner types provided in certain embodiments can use a single pre-aligner 106 for multiple different wafer diameters in the various wafer processing mentioned.

[0031] Semiconductor wafers not only vary in diameter, they are typically manufactured according to standardized specifications that, in addition to other dimensional tolerances including diameter, require that the surface of the receiving device (which is built on this surface) be substantially planar, e.g., with a flatness of 1.5 microns or less. Additionally, by way of example, a 200 mm silicon wafer, for instance, has a standard diameter of 200 + / - 0.2 mm and a standard thickness of, e.g., 675 + / - 25 microns. The typical thickness of a processed wafer can be in the range of about 500 microns to about 700 microns. Additionally, the silicon wafer can be provided with specific planes or notches for alignment and / or indicating crystal orientation. Thus, maintaining wafer flatness during the interaction of the wafer with the pre-aligner 106 is key to achieving an acceptable level of wafer yield and waste.

[0032] Thinner wafers are particularly useful for certain integrated circuit applications, especially those that require a smaller thickness after processing. However, wafer processing can introduce warpage or bending that exceeds the allowable flatness, and even in the unprocessed state, some wafers may have warpage or bending that exceeds the desired level. In addition, warpage or bending can result in improper placement or alignment of the aforementioned alignment planes or notches. In such cases, wafer processing can be adversely affected by warpage or bending, and these adverse effects can be exacerbated by any warpage or bending imparted by the pre-aligner 106.

[0033] For thinner wafers, the above problems caused by warpage and bending can be particularly exacerbated. Thus, considering that flatness beyond variance is an important issue in modern wafer processing, and the ability to account for flatness variations in a wafer processor is even more important and complex, which allows for different wafer sizes in wafer processing. Therefore, it is highly advantageous in the disclosed embodiments to provide a pre-aligner 106 that can minimize the impact of the interaction of the pre-aligner on wafer flatness and can even repair wafer warpage.

[0034] The support arm 204 can associate the pre-aligner 106 with the robotic arm 104. The support arm 204 can include, for example, electronic circuitry for actuating one or more electromechanical elements within or on the support arm 204, such as for causing the fork portion 106a of the pre-aligner to physically associate with the wafer 102. The support arm 204 can additionally include sensors, processing capabilities, computer memory, networking capabilities (e.g., wireless connectivity), unique identification (e.g., RF identification), processing counters, electromechanical interaction with the robotic arm 104, batteries (e.g., high-density rechargeable batteries), and the like.

[0035] The disclosed embodiments and their equivalents can be directed to the pre-aligner 106, which, as described above, can be mounted on the robot 104 or can be "bench-mounted," i.e., the pre-aligner 106 can be mounted on a workstation workbench where one or more processing functions are performed on the wafer 102. In both cases, the pre-aligner 106 must use a reference fixed point 108 to maintain the physical association of the wafer 102 with the pre-aligner 106 to allow for workbench and / or robotic processing of the wafer 102, but this physical association should avoid (if possible) physical contact with the wafer 102 while also avoiding warpage of large and / or thin wafers.

[0036] More specifically, embodiments may include non - contact Bernoulli pads 108 to serve as wafer fixation points 108, where these Bernoulli pads 108 grip the target wafer 102 without physical contact between the wafer 102 and the pre - aligner 106. As used herein, the Bernoulli pads 108 may have any suitable size and shape to provide the Bernoulli effect discussed herein. Additionally, any number of Bernoulli pads 108 suitable for gripping the wafer may be provided in an embodiment, for example based on its size and weight, and considering any rotational movement of the wafer 102 required for wafer processing, such as the number of pads 108 shown in the figures and discussed throughout the text, for example between four and eight pads 108. The flexible non - contact alignment provided by the Bernoulli pads 108 of the disclosed pre - aligner 106 to the wafer 102 can save time and be more efficient than existing known methods.

[0037] Embodiments may also provide a modular Bernoulli pre - aligner 302, enabling the pre - aligner to interact with wafers 102 of multiple different sizes. Additionally, the provided pre - aligner 302 may use wafer mapping more efficiently than the prior art, in part because the Bernoulli pads 108 used have a non - contact nature and may provide one or more functions to improve the efficiency of wafer diagnostics provided with the pre - aligners 106, 302, such as by providing a wireless interface on the pre - aligners 106, 302 to simplify the integration of the pre - aligners 106, 302 with other aspects of wafer processing.

[0038] Figure 2 An exemplary embodiment of the Bernoulli pre - aligner 106 is shown. Notably, the illustrated embodiment of the pre - aligner 106 may be suitable for robotic mounting, for example in association with a robotic arm 104. Additionally, the illustrated embodiment may include a support arm 204 in the form of a "wrist" module 220, which, in combination with the Bernoulli non - contact vacuum provided by the pads 108, may allow the wafer 102 associated with the pre - aligner 106 to be flipped, such that wafer processing can be enhanced and improved.

[0039] More specifically, Figure 2 The association of the pre - aligner 106 with the robotic arm 104 through the wrist module 220 is illustrated. Of course, by way of non - limiting example, the pre - aligner 106 may be associated with the robotic arm 104 through any known type of support arm 204 (such as a fixed flange).

[0040] The actuatable wrist module 220 can be activated to allow the wafer 102 associated with the pre-aligner 106 to be flipped and / or held at an angle during the wafer processing of the wafer 102 by the pre-aligner 106 itself. Thus, the wrist module 220 can include an actuator 220a that is physically coupled to the pre-aligner 106 by rotating a wrist block 220b, and one or more electrical, electromechanical, or mechanical elements 220c (e.g., for controlling and driving the wrist module 220) can be disposed within the wrist block 220b in a protected manner.

[0041] For example, the wafer indexer 230 can be electrically and mechanically associated with the wrist block 220b for indexing the wafer 102 associated with the pre-aligner 106 during processing. More specifically, the indexer 230 can include one or more index drivers 232 that index the wafer 102 during processing (e.g., under the control or instruction of the elements 220c within the wrist block 220b). It can be understood that, as a non-limiting example, multiple index drivers 232 can allow for more continuous and seamless index driving between the plane and notches.

[0042] In addition, an index sensor 234 can be provided to sense the index position of the wafer 102 associated with the pre-aligner 106. Aspects of the indexer 230 can additionally include an index drive slider 236 that can allow for expansion or contraction of the aspect of the indexer 230 away from the elements 220c (e.g., more specifically, the index drivers 232), such that the indexer 230 can accommodate wafers 102 of various sizes.

[0043] The modular fork 240 used in conjunction with the Bernoulli pre-aligner 106 is further illustrated. It can be understood that the modular fork 240 can be manually or automatically extended or contracted to associate wafers 102 of different sizes with the pre-aligner 106. It is noted that although the modular fork 240 associated with the Bernoulli pre-aligner 106 is discussed and illustrated herein, the modular fork 240 can be used with other known types of pre-aligners.

[0044] Additionally, at least two Bernoulli vacuum pads 108 are associated with at least the forks 240 of the pre-aligner 106 (the forks 240 may or may not be modular). As understood by those skilled in the art, the Bernoulli pads 108 (as shown in the figure) provide a non-contact vacuum for securing the wafer 102 associated with the disclosed pre-aligner 106. More specifically, the Bernoulli pads 108 may employ a backpressure vacuum, which allows a physical gap within the range of 40 microns to be maintained, for example, between the wafer 102 and each Bernoulli pad 108 in the disclosed embodiments. Based on the discussion herein, those skilled in the art should understand that the gap associated with the embodiments may vary without departing from the disclosure, for example, due to changes in the size of the Bernoulli pads, changes in the backpressure, changes in the size of the wafer associated with the pre-aligner, etc.

[0045] The pre-aligner 106 may additionally include one or more wafer mapping elements 244. Further, the farthest ends of the forks 240 of the pre-aligner 106 discussed herein may include one or more wafer holding elements 248, such as Figure 2 the illustrated end rollers 248. It should be understood that although the end rollers 248 are shown by way of example in the illustration, other types of holding elements 248 may be used without departing from the present disclosure.

[0046] Figure 3 Illustrated is the actuation of the wrist module 220 discussed above with reference to Figure 2 the discussion. In this illustration, the wrist module 220 has been actuated to rotate the wrist block 220b by 90°. Accordingly, the wafer 102 shown Bernoulli-associated with the pre-aligner 106 has rotated 90° corresponding to the rotation of the wrist block 220b. Notably, as cited, the use of the Bernoulli pads 108 discussed herein provides a non-contact vacuum strong enough to allow such a 90-degree rotation of the wafer 102.

[0047] Figure 4 Illustrated is a 180° rotation of the wafer 102 associated with the pre-aligner 302 by the wrist block 220b. That is, by driving the wrist actuator 220a associated with the wrist module 220, the illustrated wrist block 220b rotates 180° from its initial position, and correspondingly, the wafer 102 associated with the forks 240 also rotates 180° from its original "face-up" horizontal position via the Bernoulli pads 108. According to the present disclosure, by way of non-limiting example, the wrist actuator 220b may include a multi-stop pneumatic or servo motor.

[0048] In Figure 4Also evident in the figure is at least one modular feature 402 of the illustrated pre-aligner 302. In the illustration, one or more modular features 402 are included on the "underside" of the pre-aligner 302 in its initial position, i.e., the side of the fork 240 opposite the wafer 102. In the illustration, a portion of the fork 240 is modular in that the distal fork portion 240a can extend distally from the wrist block 220b in response to actuation of the modular feature 402.

[0049] In addition and as shown, an indexing driver 404 is shown associated with at least one modular indexing slider 406 that can be actuated corresponding to the wafer size. For example, the illustrated wafer 102 can be 300 millimeters, and the indexing slider 406 can be slid forward until the indexing driver 404 is associated with the edge of the wafer 102 such that the indexing driver 404 can index the wafer 102 associated with the pre-aligner 302 for processing.

[0050] In short, the modular pre-aligner 302 can additionally include one or more modular tips on the distal portion of the fork 240 as modular features 402, as well as a modular actuation clamping system to associate the indexing driver 404 with wafers 102 of different sizes held on the fork 240 by Bernoulli pads 108. That is, some modular embodiments can include only edge clamping of the wafer 102 by the distal tip 248 (e.g., the end roller discussed above) and the proximal indexing driver 404, and thus can clamp without any physical contact with the working surface of the wafer 102, including clamping by Bernoulli pads 108. Accordingly, the major processing surface of the wafer 102 associated with the embodiment can remain unaffected and thus uncontaminated.

[0051] Figure 5 An embodiment of a wafer indexer 502 is specifically shown. In the illustration, electronics 504 for the indexer 502 (e.g., which can include wireless input and output) can be housed within the wrist block 506. As a non-limiting example, an index sensor 508 can communicate with these electronics 504 and can be centered generally along the edge of the wrist block 506, which is proximate the edge of the wafer 102 associated with the fork 240.

[0052] An indexing driver 510 shown at the outermost portion of the indexing slider 520 can move along one or more axes. For example, the indexing slider 520 can allow the indexing driver 510 to slide outwardly away from the index sensor 508, and an indexer actuator can actuate the indexing slider 520 to allow the indexing driver 510 to move both toward and away from the edge of the wafer 102 simultaneously.

[0053] Figure 6 An embodiment of the disclosed Bernoulli prealigner 106 having a pinch roller indexing drive 602 is shown. Typically, particularly thin or warped wafers 102 are difficult to index. Accordingly and as shown, the indexing drive 602 herein may include top and bottom rollers 602a, which may index a wafer 102 associated with the prealigner 106 by clamping the wafer 102 between the top and bottom rollers 602a of the indexing drive 602, and indexing the wafer 102 by indexing (i.e., rolling) the top set of rollers 602a, or the bottom set of rollers 602a, or both sets of rollers 602a. That is, the outer edge of the wafer 102 may be clamped between the rollers 602a, such as within their exclusion zones, and the rotation of the rollers 602a in a particular sequence may allow for indexing of the clamped wafer 102. This provides significantly improved clamping to index and rotate the wafer 102 associated with the disclosed prealigner 106 compared to the prior art.

[0054] Figure 6 Also shown illustratively are guide rollers 608 at the exterior of the index drive 602. These guide rollers 608 may be free to rotate and / or may be actuated to function in a manner similar to the index drive rollers 602a discussed above. Further provided in embodiments may be pinch rollers or other pinch fixtures 612, such as at the distal end of the fork arm (as shown), so that the grip on the wafer 102 associated with the Bernoulli pad 108 may be further improved, and the indexing and rotation of the wafer 102 may be further refined.

[0055] Figure 7A and 7B The telescoping of the modular feature 702 of the modular pre-aligner 302 with the telescoping distal fork portion 240 is shown. Figure 7A In the embodiment, the telescoping feature 702 extends distally and outwardly along the underside or inner side of the fork portion 240. Figure 7B , the telescoping features 702 are retracted inwardly to improve gripping of smaller wafers 102. As a non-limiting example, the telescoping forks shown may telescope outwardly to be associated with 300 mm wafers, and may telescoping inwardly to be associated with 200 mm wafers.

[0056] The retractable tip 702a of the retractable feature 702 can operate autonomously or automatically, such as during wafer lot conversion. That is, as a non-limiting example, the retractable tip 702a can automatically extend outward, for example, by actuating a servo motor associated with the wrist block 220b, and / or can retract inward by reversing the same motor, such as when a given wafer size associated with the pre-aligner 302 is detected. Alternatively, the inward and outward retraction can be done manually or in accordance with a user instruction. Additionally, the retraction can have a physical boundary line against which the retraction abuts at the outward and inward retraction positions, for example, for enhancing position control and can be used, for example, in an automatic or manual implementation. Further, and as is apparent in the Figure 7A and 7B implementations, the index drive slider 520 can also be adjusted based on the wafer size associated with the retractable tip 702a. That is, as a non-limiting example, the index drive slider 520 can slide the index drive 510 outward toward the wafer 102 or backward toward the wrist block 220b and can further slide the index drives 510 away from or closer to each other.

[0057] Figure 8 An implementation of the disclosed non-contact Bernoulli pre-aligner 106 is shown where the wafer 102 associated with the pre-aligner 106 is moved into association with a fixed wafer mapper 802. As shown above, a wafer mapper can be associated with the pre-aligner 106, but in the Figure 8 implementations, a low-cost, high-precision fixed wafer mapper 802 is provided in a manner physically separated from the wafer 102 and the pre-aligner 106. Such a fixed, separate wafer mapper 802 can not only provide improved precision but may also be more robust than a wafer mapper typically associated with, for example, the fork tip of the pre-aligner 106.

[0058] Figure 9A and Figure 9B show small wafer and larger wafer configurations for a benchtop / base-mounted Bernoulli non-contact pre-aligner 106. Notably, Figure 9A and Figure 9BThe base-mounted pre-aligner can be used with any one or more of the various configurations discussed herein, such as the pinch rollers discussed above. Additionally, as shown, the base-mounted Bernoulli pre-aligner 106 can provide a single or multiple adjustable end rollers 902 and proximal index drives 904, which can be adjusted according to the wafer size. More specifically, the end rollers 902 and / or one or more index drives 904 can move within slots 910 provided in the base 912 to accommodate wafers of different sizes. Thus, the base 912 can include one or more actuators (not shown) for the end rollers 902 and / or index drives 904, such as one or more servo motors, which can automatically adjust the end rollers 902 and / or index drives 904 or drives to accommodate various wafer configurations. As Figure 9C shown, as described above, the base-mounted Bernoulli pre-aligner can additionally include one or more pinch roller index drives 904a. Needless to say, any one or more of the idler rollers 902 can include wafer orientation and / or position tracking capabilities, such as using an embedded encoder, as described herein.

[0059] The foregoing devices, systems, and methods can also include control of the various robotic functions cited herein. As a non-limiting example, the control can include manual control using one or more user interfaces (e.g., a controller, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, etc.), allowing a user to input instructions to be executed via software code associated with the robots and systems discussed herein. Additionally, as is well known to those skilled in the art, system control can also be fully automated, such as where only manual user interaction occurs to "set up" and program the cited functions, i.e., the user may only initially program or upload computational code to execute a predetermined sequence of motions and operations discussed herein. In the manual or automated embodiments, or any combination thereof, the control can be programmed to associate known positions of wafers, support arms, fork portions, etc.

[0060] Figure 10 An exemplary implementation of a computer processing system 1400 is shown, which can be operably used in the embodiments discussed herein, including programming for robotic control and can accordingly execute the processes and logic discussed herein. That is, the exemplary computing system 1400 is just one example of a system that can be used according to the systems and methods described herein.

[0061] The computing system 1400 is capable of executing software, such as an operating system (OS) and one or more computing applications 1490. The software is similarly applicable to using the applications 1490, for example, via input / output (I / O) operations and / or monitoring hardware.

[0062] The operation of the exemplary computing system 1400 is mainly controlled by computer-readable instructions. For example, the instructions are stored on a computer-readable storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) 1415, on an optical disc (not shown) such as a CD or DVD, on a solid-state drive (not shown) such as a USB "thumb drive", etc. The instructions can be executed within a central processing unit (CPU) 1410 to cause the computing system 1400 to perform the disclosed operations. In many known computer servers, workstations, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), personal computers, mobile devices, etc., the CPU 1410 is implemented in an integrated circuit called a processor.

[0063] The various exemplary logics, logic blocks, modules, and engines described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or executed by a general-purpose CPU, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, respectively serving as the CPU 1410. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a combination of multiple microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0064] It should be understood that although the exemplary computing system 1400 is shown as including a single CPU 1410, such a description is merely illustrative, because the computing system 400 can include multiple CPUs 1410. Additionally, the computing system 1400 can utilize the resources of remote or parallel CPUs (not shown) through, for example, a local or remote communication network 1470 or some other data communication device.

[0065] In operation, the CPU 1410 extracts, decodes, and executes instructions from a computer-readable storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) 1415. These instructions can be included in software, such as an operating system (OS), an executable program / application, etc. Information such as computer instructions and other computer-readable data is transmitted between the components of the computing system 1400 via the main data transmission path of the system. The main data transmission path can use the system bus architecture 1405, but other computer architectures (not shown) can also be used, such as an architecture using a serializer and a deserialzer and a crossbar switch to transmit data between devices through a serial communication path.

[0066] The system bus 1405 may include data lines for sending data, address lines for sending addresses, and control lines for sending interrupts and for the operating system bus. Some buses provide bus arbitration to regulate access to the bus by expansion cards, controllers, and the CPU 1410. Devices connected to the bus and arbitrating access to the bus are called bus masters. Bus master support also allows for the creation of a multiprocessor configuration of the bus by adding a bus master adapter that includes a processor and support chips.

[0067] Memory devices coupled to the system bus 1405 may include random access memory (RAM) 1425 and read-only memory (ROM) 1430. Memory includes circuitry that allows information to be stored and retrieved. The ROM 1430 typically contains stored data that cannot be modified. The data stored in the RAM 1425 can generally be read or changed by the CPU 1410 or other communication hardware devices. A memory controller 1420 may control access to the RAM 1425 and / or the ROM 1430. The memory controller 1420 may provide an address translation function that translates virtual addresses to physical addresses when executing instructions. The memory controller 1420 may also provide a memory protection function that isolates processes within the system and separates system processes from user processes. Thus, a program running in user mode typically can only access memory mapped by its own process virtual address space; it cannot access memory in another process's virtual address space unless memory sharing between processes has been established.

[0068] The steps and / or actions described in connection with the various aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of both, which communicates with the memory controller 1420 to obtain the necessary performance indications. That is, the software modules described for performing the functions and providing the directions discussed herein may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Any one or more of these exemplary storage media may be coupled to the processor 1410 such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. Additionally, in some aspects, the processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. Further, in some aspects, the steps and / or actions may be as one or any combination or set of instructions that can be integrated on an external machine-readable medium and / or a computer-readable medium (e.g., a "flash" drive) via an I / O port 1485.

[0069] In addition, the computing system 1400 may include a peripheral controller 1435 that is responsible for transmitting instructions to peripheral devices and other hardware (such as printer 1445, keyboard 1450, and mouse 1450) using a peripheral bus from the CPU 1410. An example of a peripheral bus is a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

[0070] One or more hardware input / output (I / O) devices 1485 may communicate with a hardware controller 1490. This hardware communication and control may be implemented in various ways and may include one or more computer buses and / or bridges and / or routers. The I / O devices being controlled may include any type of port-based hardware (and may additionally include software, firmware, etc.), and may also include network adapters and / or mass storage devices through which the computer system 1400 may send and receive data for the purposes disclosed herein. The computer system 1400 may thus communicate with the Internet or other networked devices / PLCs via the I / O devices 1485 and / or via the communication network 1470.

[0071] A display 1460 controlled by a display controller 1455 may optionally be used to display visual output generated by the computing system 1400. The display controller 1455 may also control the display or otherwise communicate with the display. The visual output may include, for example, text, graphics, animated graphics, and / or video. The display 1460 may be implemented using a CRT video display, an LCD display, a gas plasma display, a touchpad, etc. The display controller 1455 includes the electronic components required to generate the video signals that are sent for display.

[0072] Furthermore, the computing system 1400 may include a network adapter 1465 that may be used to couple the computing system 1400 to an external communication network 1470. The network adapter 1465 may include or provide access to the Internet, and thus the network adapter 1465 may provide or include tracking and access to the process data discussed herein. The communication network 1470 may provide access to the computing system 1400 in a manner that electronically communicates and transmits software and information, and may be directly coupled to the computing system 1400 or indirectly coupled to the computing system 1400, for example, via a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a cellular network 1480. Additionally, the communication network 1470 may provide distributed processing, which involves several computers and sharing the workload or collaborating in the execution of tasks. It will be understood that the network connections shown are exemplary, and other means for establishing communication links between multiple computing systems 1400 may be used.

[0073] It will be appreciated that the exemplary computing system 1400 is merely illustrative of a computing environment in which the systems and methods described herein may operate and thus does not limit the implementation of the systems and methods described herein in computing environments having different components and configurations. That is, the concepts described herein may be implemented in a variety of computing environments using a variety of components and configurations.

[0074] Furthermore, the present disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed embodiments. Various modifications to the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A pre-aligner capable of accommodating semiconductor wafers of different sizes, the pre-aligner comprising: a wafer support including forks; a support arm capable of connecting to at least one robotic element and at least partially supporting the wafer support at one end of the support arm; and a plurality of Bernoulli pads provided on the forks for providing a connection between the wafer support and a semiconductor wafer, wherein the connection includes a gap, wherein the pre-aligner further includes modular features on the underside of the forks, the modular features being adapted to expand and contract the forks distally, wherein the pre-aligner further includes a wafer indexer for indexing a connected semiconductor wafer, the wafer indexer including at least one index drive and at least one index slider associated with the index drive, the index slider being capable of changing the position of the connected semiconductor wafer relative to the wafer indexer, the index drive being capable of moving along multiple axes.

2. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the different sizes include a diameter variation of up to 150 mm.

3. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the height of the gap is in the range of 40 microns.

4. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of Bernoulli pads includes at least four pads.

5. The pre-aligner according to claim 4, wherein at least two pads are close to the support arm, and wherein at least two other pads are away from the support arm.

6. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, the pre-aligner further including a workbench mounting base that at least supports the support arm.

7. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the support arm includes a rotating wrist module.

8. The pre-aligner according to claim 7, wherein the rotating wrist module is capable of rotating a connected one of the semiconductor wafers 360 degrees.

9. The pre-aligner according to claim 7, wherein the rotating wrist module further includes at least one servo motor adapted to perform the rotation.

10. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the at least one index slider is capable of multi-axis sliding.

11. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the wafer indexer further includes an index sensor capable of sensing the index position of a connected semiconductor wafer.

12. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support further includes at least one distal wafer holding element.

13. The pre-aligner according to claim 12, wherein the at least one distal wafer holding element includes a terminal roller.

14. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the modular feature includes a synchronous telescoping feature.

15. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the support arm includes a wireless communication interface.

16. The pre-aligner according to claim 1, wherein the wafer support further includes a wafer presence sensor.

17. The pre-aligner according to claim 1 wherein The indexing driver includes a top roller and a bottom roller, and the indexing driver indexes the semiconductor wafer by clamping the semiconductor wafer between the top roller and the bottom roller.

18. The pre-aligner according to claim 17, wherein, the indexing driver further includes a guide roller at an outer part, and an axis of the guide roller is perpendicular to axes of the top roller and the bottom roller.

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