Non-contact transmission device

Abstract

A transport device is disclosed, designed for the simultaneous transport of multiple payloads, particularly wafers, wherein each payload is assigned a transport body (mover) capable of floating and positioning on the surface of a stator. The movement and positioning occur with respect to all six degrees of freedom. The transport body and its associated payload are housed within a sealed transport space. The stator is arranged below the sealed transport space. The bottom of the transport space is arranged above the stator, parallel to the surface of the stator. The corresponding housing of the transport body is preferably also sealed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a non-contact conveying device. The conveying device according to the invention is particularly suitable for industrial applications in assembly technology, the biological, chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries, as well as solar cell / display manufacturing, medical technology, laboratory automation, and logistics. Its use in the semiconductor industry is particularly preferred. Background Technology

[0002] In the context of technological manufacturing, objects or payloads such as materials, workpieces, tools, or products often need to be transferred or positioned. For this purpose, both contact and non-contact transfer devices are known, used for example in machinery and equipment installation, such as for transferring objects or payloads in packaging machines, for positioning machine components, or for aligning tools onto workpieces with the greatest possible precision, such as in laser processing, or in the semiconductor industry for coating, exposing, or structuring substrates in wafer clusters or stepper machines. Systems for suspending objects can also be used in this context.

[0003] One challenge of magnetic levitation is creating a structure that floats stably in a magnetic field. Another challenge is to automatically position and / or move the floating structure in all six degrees of freedom (three translations and three rotations) according to the target mission, which is also known as full magnetic levitation.

[0004] DE 10 2016 224 951 A1 enables a carrier carrying a payload to be transported and positioned relative to a stator in a controlled manner, wherein one of two elements has a plurality of at least partially movably arranged adjusting magnets, the respective positions and / or orientations of which relative to the element can be predetermined in a controlled manner by adjusting the elements, and the other of the two elements has at least two stationary magnets fixedly connected to the element, wherein the stationary magnets are magnetically coupled to the adjusting magnets. The transport device is configured to transport the carrier relative to the stator by controlled positioning and / or orientation of the adjusting magnets. Here, the carrier is also brought into and held in the desired position and / or orientation relative to the stator.

[0005] The complete magnetic levitation of this transporter is possible in six degrees of freedom: three translational and three rotational degrees of freedom relative to the stator. This has the advantage of allowing for more flexible transport of the transporter.

[0006] Furthermore, the advantage provided by DE 10 2016 224 951 A1 is that the levitation and / or forward movement of the transport body relative to the stator is made possible by adjusting the magnets with the corresponding positioning and / or orientation of the adjusting elements. This eliminates the need for the complex arrangement and manipulation of magnetic coils. This not only reduces the complexity of the transport device and thus lowers production costs, but also allows the use of permanent magnets, which typically provide much higher magnetic flux density than magnetic coils suitable for such purposes. This, in turn, allows for greater lifting heights or larger gaps between the stator and the transport body, thereby producing a greater range of movement clearances in the Z-direction and / or pitch and roll angle ranges. Moreover, this offers the advantage that even a power supply interruption does not necessarily lead to failure or even damage. In particular, a power interruption does not result in a loss of the magnetic field or magnetic coupling between the stator and the transport body. For example, in the event of a power interruption, as long as the position and / or orientation of the adjusting magnets cannot withstand the attractive force of the stationary magnets, the coupling force between the adjusting and stationary magnets increases, thus pulling the transport body onto the stator and preventing uncontrolled falls. The magnetic coupling between the stator and the transport body can cause the transport body to levitate, i.e., be lifted above the stator, and to move forward relative to the stator, i.e., transport, without requiring additional contact or non-contact systems. This enables non-contact transport, and therefore the disclosed transport device can also be used in environments with higher cleanliness requirements. For example, the transport body can be transported in an environment with higher cleanliness requirements, while the stator is located in an environment with lower cleanliness requirements. A separating element can pass through the gap between the stator and the transport body to separate different clean areas. Therefore, the disclosed transport device is also suitable for biological, chemical, and / or pharmaceutical processes, as well as areas such as airtight, liquid-tight, and / or encapsulated areas.

[0007] In a typical semiconductor production line, wafers are processed on production equipment and transferred between equipment using conveyor systems. Wafers are typically transferred in conveyor containers under normal pressure, with typical batch sizes of 25 wafers.

[0008] Within production equipment (cluster tools), wafers are typically processed and transported under ultra-high vacuum (UHV). The production equipment includes at least one processing station for handling wafers, a transfer device for transporting wafers in a vacuum, and a storage area for storing unprocessed and processed wafers. At least one processing station, transfer device, and storage area are enclosed in a vacuum-sealed chamber and can be evacuated to UHV. These chambers are arranged laterally adjacent to each other and interconnected, if necessary, via vacuum-sealed gates.

[0009] A vacuum load cell, located on the production equipment, is used to transfer wafers between a transfer container and the production equipment and to store multiple wafers in a vacuum area. The transfer container is loaded into the vacuum load cell at atmospheric pressure, and then the vacuum load cell is evacuated. A vacuum gate is then opened between the vacuum load cell and the transfer area of ​​the cluster tool, and wafers are removed from or loaded into the transfer container by the transfer device through the gate.

[0010] After all wafers have been removed from, processed, and placed back into the transfer container, the vacuum gate is closed and the vacuum load lock is inflated. The transfer container is then removed from the vacuum load lock at atmospheric pressure and transferred to the next cluster tool.

[0011] Venting the wafer can affect the wafer surface and lead to reduced yield. To mitigate this effect, a protective layer is applied to certain cluster tools in the final process step, thus preparing the wafer for transport under normal conditions. This protective layer must be removed again before the next processing step.

[0012] This drawback also applies to the transfer mechanism for wafers according to publication DE 10 2018 006 259 A1. Summary of the Invention

[0013] In contrast, the object of this invention is to create a transport device for payloads, particularly for wafers, which must be processed in different processing stations under special conditions, i.e., conditions other than normal. The transport device should also be able to transport payloads under special conditions, i.e., conditions other than normal.

[0014] The claimed transport device is designed for the simultaneous transport of multiple payloads, particularly wafers, wherein each payload is assigned a transport body (mover) capable of floating and positioning on the surface of a stator. The movement and positioning preferably occur with respect to all six degrees of freedom. According to the invention, the transport body and the associated payload are housed within a sealed transport space. The stator is arranged below the sealed transport space. The bottom of the transport space is arranged above the stator, parallel to the surface of the stator. The corresponding housing of the transport body is also preferably sealed. This creates a transport device for payloads, particularly wafers, which can be processed in different processing stations under special conditions, i.e., under abnormal conditions. The transport of the payload also occurs under special conditions, i.e., under abnormal conditions, using the transport body of the transport device according to the invention.

[0015] The transmission space can also be called a transmission chamber or transmission shell, and it can be straight, elongated, and tunnel-shaped. The bottom can resemble a street.

[0016] A gas (e.g., a protective gas, nitrogen, or an inert gas) or a gas mixture (e.g., purified air) or a vacuum or ultra-high vacuum (e.g., up to 10⁻⁷ or up to 10⁻⁸ bar) or a sterile area or an ABC protected area or a liquid (e.g., up to 2 bar) is preferably disposed in the transport space.

[0017] For example, if an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is provided, without a corresponding UHV-sealed housing for the transporter, vacuum will permeate there. On the one hand, this may damage components (such as electronic components or batteries); on the other hand, these components (especially batteries and electrolytic capacitors on circuit boards) may deflate, thus compromising the ultra-high vacuum structure within the transport chamber. To avoid this, a (preferably permanent) UHV-sealed housing for the transporter is a suitable solution. Alternatively, the transporter structure can be configured with vacuum-suitable components in an open housing, allowing atmospheric or vacuum permeation.

[0018] The processing station can be arranged in a processing chamber adjacent to the transport space, wherein each transport element has a housing for the payload. Preferably, a support (end effector) is provided with or constructed a payload housing on its end section away from the housing. The stator does not extend below the processing chamber. In special cases, a separate stator below the processing chamber may be meaningful.

[0019] The processing chamber should be shielded from the stator's magnetic field, as these fields can interfere with the processes occurring within the processing chamber.

[0020] To weaken the magnetic field of the stator relative to the processing chamber, it is particularly preferable to establish a suitable distance between the stator or transport space and the processing chamber, a distance that can be bridged by a support. The support can, for example, be long enough that the free lateral distance between the housing and the payload housing at least corresponds to the extension of the housing and / or the extension of the payload. These extensions are viewed in the direction of the support. In the case of the wafer, this extension is its diameter.

[0021] Additional dipole compensation magnets can also be used below the stator's tuning magnet array for far-field compensation. This results in the sum of all dipole moments in the tuning magnet array being equal to zero, thereby eliminating the far field very effectively.

[0022] Alternatively, the currently suspended, unnecessary adjustment magnets can be actively moved to an angular position that promotes the elimination of the magnetic field in adjacent processing chambers.

[0023] Magnetic field shielding made of materials with high permeability is also possible. Ideally, the entire stator is placed in a continuous "pot" that completely covers the lower half of the space up to the surface of the stator. Sheet iron, especially manganese alloys, is suitable. However, ferrite ceramics can also be used.

[0024] In principle, the special environment of the transmission space and the special environment of the processing station or processing chamber can be the same or different.

[0025] In the first case, the processing chamber can be designed as an auxiliary space that is directly connected to the transmission space.

[0026] In a preferred application of the conveying device according to the invention, the conveyor moves within the cluster tool under ultra-high vacuum. However, separate processing chambers may exist that have different vacuum or gas environments during processing and are therefore separated from the conveying space by gates.

[0027] Preferably, an optical position detection device is provided, which has at least one camera for each transmitter and a common flat (e.g., less than 1 mm) QR code arrangement. The code arrangement is passively or without current placed on the bottom of the transmission space.

[0028] At least one array of permanent magnets is arranged within the housing of the transmission body (preferably on the corresponding bottom of the housing), which can be operatively connected to the stator and moved by the stator. Thus, the transmission body does not require a current supply in terms of drive technology. The at least one array of permanent magnets may be ring-shaped. The housing may have multiple arrays of permanent magnets.

[0029] The center of the permanent magnet array is particularly preferably located at the center of gravity of the corresponding transport body. The center of gravity can be calculated or determined with or without a payload.

[0030] Therefore, the counterweight can be placed in the area of ​​the shell opposite the support.

[0031] The counterweight can be implemented as a solid (e.g., a metal block) or as a container filled with liquid. Optionally, the counterweight can be spatially displaced, particularly along the direction of the support, to accommodate different loads on the transporter.

[0032] Service stations for the transmission body can be deployed in the transmission space. These service stations can fly to the transmission body periodically or as needed and can connect with the transmission body to perform actions.

[0033] Different counterweights can be pre-stocked for different payloads. Service stations can have counterweight replacement stations for the transmission body.

[0034] For applications in a vacuum, heat dissipation of the transporter can be problematic because of the three main heat transfer mechanisms—conduction (through mechanical contact), convection (through gas or air flow), and radiation (electromagnetic effect)—only radiation plays a role. If the heat input to the transporter due to its own and / or external heating exceeds the amount of heat radiated, the transporter continues to heat until thermal equilibrium is reached. To prevent overheating, measures for heat dissipation are implemented, particularly for applications in a vacuum.

[0035] In the preferred design of the heat dissipation concept, the heat accumulator absorbs heat energy over a certain operating duration (e.g., several hours) (i.e., the temperature of the heat accumulator continuously rises) and is exchanged or cooled at service stations at regular intervals (heat discharge).

[0036] A particularly advantageous aspect of the device technology is that the counterweight and the heat accumulator are both formed from a single metal block (e.g., made of brass). The counterweight and the heat accumulator can also be formed from multiple metal blocks to accommodate the load conditions of the transmission body.

[0037] Service stations may have devices for charging or replacing electrical energy storage devices, such as batteries, in the transmission system. These energy storage devices may supply power, for example, to position detection devices.

[0038] Loads affected by electrostatic discharge, such as wafers, are protected by measures to discharge static electricity.

[0039] The safety concept preferably allows the transmitter and the transmitted load to enter a safe holding state without damage in the event of a power outage and to automatically resume operation after the current supply is restarted. Attached Figure Description

[0040] The accompanying drawings show two embodiments of the transmission device according to the present invention, together with two embodiments of the transmission body.

[0041] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the conveying device according to the invention, based on an embodiment, is shown.

[0042] Figure 2 Shown in a partially cut-out top view Figure 1 The first embodiment of the transmission body,

[0043] Figure 3 Shown in longitudinal section Figure 1 and 2 The transmission body,

[0044] Figure 4 A partially cut-away top view shows the transmission body used for Figure 1 According to a second embodiment of the transmission device of the present invention,

[0045] Figure 4 b is shown in longitudinal section Figure 4 The transmission body of a, and

[0046] Figure 5 It shows Figure 1 The transmission device together Figure 4 Circuit diagram of the electronic components of the transporters a and 4b. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Figure 1 An embodiment of a transmission device is shown. It has a stator 20 consisting of a plurality of drive modules 21 and at least one transmission body 1, wherein the transmission device is configured to transmit and position at least one transmission body 1 on the stator 20 in a controlled manner relative to the stator 20.

[0048] A transfer device is provided for non-contact transfer of wafers 12 in semiconductor manufacturing under gaseous or vacuum conditions. The transfer body 1 can move automatically in all six degrees of freedom (three translations X, Y, Z and three rotations rot_X, rot_Y, rot_Z) according to target specifications. The transfer space 30 is configured with a transfer line extending perpendicular to the plane of the attached drawing for its main transfer direction. In particular, ultra-high vacuum (approximately 10⁻⁷ bar) can dominate in the transfer space 30. An adjacent processing chamber 33 is arranged on one side of the transfer space 30. Figure 1 Only one of the processing chambers 33 is shown as an example.

[0049] A support 11 is mounted on the transport body 1 to accommodate the wafer 12. The support 11 increases the lateral distance between the wafer 12 and the transport body 1, allowing the wafer 12 to be introduced into the processing chamber 33. A gate 32 is present if necessary, which opens to load the processing chamber 33. The free positioning of the long support 11 and the transport body 1 allows the wafer 12 to be introduced into the processing chamber 33 even if the opening of the gate 32 is not significantly larger than the diameter of the wafer 12.

[0050] The structure of the first embodiment of the transmission body 1 is as follows: Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the transporter 1 can be used under various atmospheric conditions. In particular, it can operate in ultra-high vacuum. It can operate in various gases and gas mixtures.

[0051] For this purpose, the transmission body 1 has a housing 9 that is vacuum-sealed and pressure-sealed, separating the atmosphere inside the transmission body from the outside atmosphere, such as the atmosphere inside the transmission space 30. Optionally, a ventilation valve is present in the housing 9, which is normally closed and capable of achieving pressure balance or gas exchange within the housing 9 when needed. The interior space of the housing 9 is preferably at atmospheric pressure.

[0052] The housing 9 is made of, for example, metal, plastic, ceramic, glass, or composite material. A glass plate is placed in the bottom of the housing 9, allowing the camera module 4 inside the housing 9 to optically detect the QR code arrangement 23 on the bottom of the transmission space 30.

[0053] Based on the driving principles primarily known from existing technologies, according to Figures 1 to 3 In the first embodiment, the transmission body 1 has, for example, a ring array of permanent magnets 2, preferably a Halbach arrangement in the form of a ring, for introducing driving force and torque. The Halbach arrangement results in a strong magnetic field on the side of the permanent magnet array 2 facing the stator 20 and a weak magnetic field on the side facing the transmission surface.

[0054] By maximizing the distance between the transmission space 30 and the processing chamber 33, the influence of the far magnetic field of the transmission device on the process is minimized. For this purpose, the support 11 has a corresponding length. A further measure involves the use of a magnetic shield 34 for the stator 20, employing conventional methods, such as using a ferromagnetic material or layer stack, wherein the material has a particularly high permeability value (e.g., sheet metal, ferrite, manganese alloy).

[0055] Furthermore, the position determination unit is integrated into the transmission device, preferably based on multiple camera modules 4 and inertial sensors 7 in each transmission body 1. Each camera module 4 periodically detects a portion of the digital image of the QR code arrangement 23. By evaluating the image information, it is able to determine its own position in up to six dimensions.

[0056] Figure 2 A transmitter 1 with three camera modules 4 is shown, located at points on the housing 9 that are far apart from each other. This maximizes the basic distance between the camera modules 4, which increases the accuracy of angle detection.

[0057] Due to their rigid mechanical arrangement within the housing 9, the positions detected by the multiple camera modules 4 are partially redundant. This redundancy can be used to increase the accuracy of the positions calculated by the transmission body 1, for example, by averaging the position data obtained from the multiple camera modules 4. Furthermore, by comparing and checking the reasonableness of the independently obtained position values, diagnostic functions can be used to identify and correct erroneous measurements from each of the camera modules 4. If a position value deviates significantly from other position values, it will be treated as an erroneous measurement and excluded from the evaluation.

[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the inertial sensor 7 is housed within the housing 9. It is in a fixed dimensional relationship with the camera module 4. The inertial sensor 7 is preferably configured to determine all six degrees of freedom, i.e., it preferably comprises a combination of at least one 3D accelerometer and at least one 3D yaw rate sensor. Alternatively, the inertial sensor 7 may be configured to determine fewer than six degrees of freedom, such as translational and / or rotational degrees of freedom only.

[0059] Figure 5 The diagram illustrates a control unit 6 that provides the measurement signals and / or measurement data of the camera modules 4 (the camera modules are illuminated by their LEDs 35 in code arrangement 23) and the inertial sensors 7 to the transmitter 1. The control unit 6 determines the position of the transmitter 1 by combining the sensor data. Specifically, the control unit 6 is configured to identify temporary malfunctions of one or more camera modules 4 and / or determine the position of the transmitter 1 based on the measurement data of the inertial sensors 7 in the event of detection problems.

[0060] The control unit 6 within the housing 9 of the transmitter 1 transmits the calculated position or intermediate value, along with any additional information, to the stator 20 via a wireless communication interface. Wireless inductive data transmission is preferably used. This binary serial data stream is frequency-encoded using an FSK modem 6.1 and converted into a variable magnetic field by the transmitter coil 3. A coil 24 is also present in the stator 20, which is inductively coupled to the transmitter coil 3 via a gap 26 due to its spatial arrangement. The signal received by the stator coil 24 is demodulated and converted into a serial data stream using an FSK modem 28.1 within the stator 20.

[0061] To avoid disrupting the inductive coupling between the transmission coil 3 inside the processing chamber 33 and the stator coil 24 outside the processing chamber 33 via the gap 26, the bottom of the processing chamber 33 needs to be made primarily of non-metallic material in the working area of ​​the transport body 1. Alternatively, the stator coil 24 is not integrated into the stator 20, but rather integrated into the processing chamber 33, for example, below the QR code array 23. The electrical connection between the stator coil 24 and the stator 20 is guided in the wall of the processing chamber 33 via current leads.

[0062] As an alternative to inductive data transmission, radio or optical data transmission can be used, wherein additional LEDs and photodiodes for information transmission are provided in the housing 9 and stator 20 of the transmitter 1.

[0063] according to Figure 2The transmitter 1 is equipped with an energy storage device 5 for its wireless operation. A battery, such as a lithium polymer battery (LiPo), lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP), or lithium titanate battery (LTO), is preferred, as it is characterized by high operational reliability and high cycle stability (durability). Alternatively, a capacitor with high storage capacity (supercapacitor) can be used.

[0064] During operation, the energy storage device 5 is continuously used and discharged. Therefore, it is periodically charged or recharged at fixed intervals or as needed. For this purpose, a device for contact or non-contact energy transfer 8 is provided.

[0065] Contact-based energy transfer occurs, for example, through charging contacts on the outside of the housing 9, which are connected to charging electronics inside the housing 9 via current leads.

[0066] Non-contact energy transfer can be achieved through inductive coupling between two coils, one of which is arranged inside the housing 9 and the other outside the housing. The housing 9 is mainly composed of non-metallic material in the coupling region to avoid inhibiting coupling. Alternatively, energy can be transferred optically using a high-efficiency solar cell mounted on the outside of the transmitter 1.

[0067] Finally, the energy storage device 5 can be designed as a replaceable component located outside the housing 9 and mechanically and electrically connected to the transmission body 1. This connection is detachable, allowing the discharged energy storage device 5 to be replaced with a charged energy storage device 5 in a short time.

[0068] Charging can occur outside of normal operation or during operation. When using an energy storage device 5 with low capacity, such as a capacitor, non-contact recharging during operation is preferred.

[0069] Figure 3 It shows Figure 2 The floating transport body 1, its support 11, and the wafer 12 are in equilibrium. In equilibrium, the vector sum of all forces acting on the transport body 1 is 0N, and the vector sum of all torques is 0Nm. The lever arms shown here are considered to be the distances r_c, r_h, r_e, and r_p from the points where the magnetic force F_m is introduced into the permanent magnet array 2. In the stationary state, equilibrium is achieved by the weight of the transport body 1, along with all the units fixed thereto, being compensated by the opposite, identical force F_m introduced into the transport body 1 via the permanent magnet array 2. Furthermore, the sum of all torques acting on the transport body 1 is compensated by the reaction torque introduced via the permanent magnet array 2.

[0070] The long support 11 and the wafer 12 on the support 11 continuously apply a high torque to the transmission body 1. Optionally, at least one counterweight 10 generates a reaction torque and thus reduces the residual torque that must be compensated by the permanent magnet array 2. At the same time, it increases the total weight of the transmission body 1. The use of the counterweight 10 thus reduces the torque load on the transmission body 1 and increases the force load. This is particularly meaningful when the torque operating region has been exhausted but the force operating region still has reserves.

[0071] The counterweight 10 can be integrated into the housing 9 of the transmission body 1, placed as a separate component outside the housing 9, or distributed at multiple mounting locations. In another variation, the counterweight 10 forms a structural unit with the bracket 11 fixed to the housing 9.

[0072] The conveying device may be equipped with a support 11 for picking up or placing individual counterweights 10 and / or automatically carrying the conveyor body 1, so that the weight distribution or the support 11 can be adapted to the upcoming conveying task.

[0073] Figure 4 A transmission body 1 with a distributed permanent magnet array 2 according to a second embodiment is shown. The permanent magnet array 2 consists of two ring subarrays 2a and 2b, which are mechanically and firmly connected to each other via a housing 9. They can be like... Figure 2 and 3 The continuous permanent magnet array 2 is handled by the control device.

[0074] The maximum dimension of the permanent magnet array 2 preferably extends along the direction of the support 11. This arrangement specifically expands the working area of ​​the permanent magnet array 2, enabling it to output a larger torque M_m to compensate for the load caused by the support 11 and the wafer 12. Thus, the counterweight 10 can be omitted when the size is appropriate.

[0075] During operation, the transmission body 1 will heat up due to external influences (such as when used near the space during the heating process) and power losses of the electrical components within it. Heat dissipation of the transmission body 1 is necessary to avoid overheating. This presents a particular challenge when operating in a vacuum, as heat conduction or cooling via convection is not possible during levitation operation.

[0076] To improve heat dissipation of the transporter 1 through thermal radiation, the surface of the transporter 1 has a high emissivity. For example, the emissivity of the metallic housing 9 is increased by coating or structuring the surface. Additionally, heat sources within the housing 9, such as electronic structural elements like microprocessors, are thermally connected to the housing 9 to facilitate heat dissipation.

[0077] An additional measure is to collect the lost heat in a heat accumulator within the transmission body 1. The heat accumulator can be designed as an add-on component (not shown), or it can be used as a heat accumulator to form a functional unit with the counterweight 10. The heat accumulator can consist of a solid or liquid-filled tank, wherein a liquid with a high specific heat capacity is used as the storage medium.

[0078] A heat accumulator, integrated into the transport body 1 and serving as a counterweight 10, is particularly preferred. The heat source is thermally connected to the water tank, and if necessary, is connected by pipes / hooks or supported by a micro-pump. Alternatively, a latent heat accumulator can be used, which uses the transferred heat energy to change the phase from solid to liquid, and thus stores heat.

[0079] During brief interruptions to the normal operation of transmission unit 1, heat discharge occurs by replacing the heat accumulator or the heat accumulator medium, or by removing heat from the heat accumulator through, for example, bringing it into large-area contact with the cold plate of the service station. Heat discharge occurs periodically after a fixed operating duration or when a critical temperature threshold is exceeded.

[0080] To make efficient use of downtime, the charging and heat dissipation processes can occur simultaneously.

[0081] To prevent damage to the wafer 12 due to electrostatic discharge, an electrical contact can be established between the support 11 and the nest before the wafer 12 is picked up or placed into the nest. For this purpose, a superspring contact pin is located on the support 11, which immediately strikes a grounded contact surface on the nest in a point-like manner before the wafer 12 is placed / removed. The restoring force of the superspring is low compared to the force of the transmission body 1, ensuring that the operation is not impaired by the contact process. Alternatively, a grounded, superspring contact pin is fixed to the nest and contacts the contact surface on the support 11.

[0082] In the event of a power outage, the transmitter 1, along with the chip 12, can enter a safety holding state. For this purpose, an uninterrupted current supply is provided, which powers the transmission device for a few seconds after a power outage. During this period, the transmitter 1 stops in a controlled manner and rests at the bottom of the transmission space 30 at the appropriate location. After complete electrical shutdown, a safety function causes the actuator magnet array 25 (see...) Figure 1 Under the influence of magnetic coupling with the permanent magnet array 2 of the transport body 1, it automatically moves to a stable position (mover-clamping). In this position, even in the power-off state, the transport body 1 is fixed against the bottom of the transport space without current. To avoid particle transport, the transport body 1 has at least three flat feet on the underside of the housing, so that mechanical contact in the landing state occurs only pointwise with minimal support surface.

[0083] After restarting the current supply, the control device can make the transmission body 1 re-enter the levitated state and continue the process.

[0084] If the measurement rate of camera module 4 is approximately exactly the same as the measurement rate of inertial sensor 7, the position detection device can operate without inertial sensor 7, because inertial sensor 7 no longer provides any speed advantage in this case.

[0085] The mounting positions of camera module 4 and code arrangement 23 can be interchanged: camera module 4 with LED 35 is mounted in stator 20, viewed from the underside of transmission body 1 where code arrangement 23 is located.

[0086] By omitting the inertial sensor 7 and installing the camera module 4 in the stator 20, the transmission body 1 can operate without current. This eliminates many components in the transmission body 1, making it a purely mechanical unit. The problem of cooling the transmission body 1 is eliminated because there are no longer any electronic devices in the transmission body 1 that dissipate heat loss.

[0087] A transport device is disclosed, configured to simultaneously transport multiple payloads 12, particularly wafers, wherein each payload 12 is assigned a transport body 1 (mover) capable of floating and positioning on the surface of a stator 20. The movement and positioning preferably occur with respect to all six degrees of freedom. The transport body 1 and the assigned payloads 12 are housed within a sealed transport space 30. The stator 20 is arranged below the sealed transport space 30. The bottom of the transport space 30 is arranged above the stator, parallel to the surface of the stator 20. The corresponding housing 9 of the transport body 1 is also sealed.

[0088] List of reference numerals

[0089] 1. Transmission body

[0090] 2 Permanent Magnet Array

[0091] 2a subarray

[0092] 2b subarray

[0093] 4. Camera Module

[0094] 5. Energy Storage

[0095] 6 Control Unit

[0096] 6.1 FSK Modem

[0097] 7. Inertial Sensors

[0098] 8 Devices for energy transfer

[0099] 9. Shell

[0100] 10 counterweights

[0101] 11 Brackets

[0102] 12 Payload / Chip

[0103] 20 stators

[0104] 21 (Stator) Drive Module

[0105] 22 (Driver module) cover plate

[0106] 23 Code Arrangement

[0107] 24 stator coils

[0108] 25 Actuator Magnet Array

[0109] 26 gaps

[0110] 27 (Driver module) housing

[0111] 28 (Drive module) control unit

[0112] 28.1 FSK modem

[0113] 30 Transmission Space

[0114] 32 gates

[0115] 33 Processing Chamber

[0116] 34 Shielding

[0117] 35 LED

[0118] F_c is the weight of the counterweight.

[0119] The gravity of the F_h shell, permanent magnet array, and energy storage device.

[0120] The weight of the F_e support

[0121] F_p is the gravity of the effective load.

[0122] F_m magnetic force

[0123] r_c is the distance from the center of gravity of the counterweight.

[0124] r_h is the distance between the center of gravity of the shell and the permanent magnet array and energy storage device.

[0125] The gravitational force at the center of gravity of the r_e support.

[0126] r_p is the gravitational force at the center of gravity of the payload.

Claims

1. A conveying device for conveying at least one payload, wherein, Each payload is assigned a transmission body (1) capable of floating and positioning on the surface of the stator (20), characterized in that at least one payload (12) and at least one transmission body (1) are housed in a sealed transmission space (30), wherein the stator (20) is arranged outside the sealed transmission space (30). The counterweight (10) is arranged in the housing (9) of the transmission body (1). In the transmission space (30), a service station is arranged, which can periodically or as needed connect with the transmission body (1). The service station is a cooling station or replacement station for the heat accumulator of the transmission body (1) or a cooling station or replacement station for the heat accumulator of the transmission body. The counterweight (10) and the heat accumulator are formed together by a metal block.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, The housing (9) of the transmission body (1) is sealed.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, The transmission space (30) is provided with gas or liquid, or a vacuum or sterile area or an ABC protected area.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, Multiple processing chambers (33) are arranged adjacent to the transmission space (30) for processing the payload (12), and wherein the transmission body (1) has a support (11) on its end section away from the housing (9) for receiving the payload (12).

5. The conveying device according to claim 4, wherein, In order to weaken the magnetic field of the stator (20) relative to the processing chamber (33), a corresponding distance is provided between the stator (20) and the processing chamber (33), which can be bridged by a bracket (11), wherein the distance between the housing (9) and the receiving portion for the payload (12) corresponds at least to the extension of the housing (9) in the direction of the bracket (11) and / or the extension of the payload (12).

6. The conveying device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, At least one of the processing chambers (33) is separated from the transmission space (30) by a gate (32).

7. The transmission device according to claim 1, having an optical position detection device, the optical position detection device having at least one camera module (4) in the housing (9) of the transmission body (1) and a flat code arrangement at the bottom of the transmission space (30).

8. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, At least one permanent magnet array (2) is arranged in the housing (9) of the transmission body (1), which can be connected to the stator (20) and can be moved by the stator.

9. The conveying device according to claim 8, wherein, The center of the permanent magnet array is located at the center of gravity of the transmission body (1).

10. The conveying device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, The counterweight (10) is arranged in the area of ​​the housing (9) that is spaced apart from the support.

11. The conveying device according to claim 10, wherein, The service station is a replacement station for the counterweight (10) of the transmission body (1) or a replacement station with a counterweight for the transmission body.

12. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein, The service station has a charging station or replacement station for an energy storage device for the transmission body (1).

13. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein, A gas mixture is provided in the transmission space (30).

14. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein, An ultra-high vacuum is set in the transmission space (30).

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