Apparatus, system and method for providing an edge clamp substrate reverter

Abstract

An arrangement, system and method for a substrate turner capable of accommodating substrates of different sizes. The apparatus, system, and method may include a base housing providing a rotational feature extending outwardly from the base housing and including a belt drive; a flipping paddle rotatably associated with an outwardly extending portion of the rotational feature; at least two clamping rails, the at least two clamping rails movably residing in a slot on the top of the flipping paddle board, each of the at least two clamping rails being associated with a belt driven by the belt driver; and a pair of clamps on top of each of the at least two clamping rails, where each pair of clamps is opposed to the other pair of clamps, each clamp including a lower wedge having a spring-loaded cam therein and an upper wedge having a spring-loaded cam therein, the spring-loaded cam presses an edge of the accommodated substrate against the upper wedge portion when the belt is held and driven.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 418,877, filed on October 24, 2022, entitled "Apparatus, System, and Method for Providing an Edge - Gripping Substrate Inverter", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to the transfer and processing of objects (such as semiconductor wafers), and more particularly to an apparatus, system, and method for providing an edge - gripping substrate inverter for a substrate being processed.

[0004] Background Description

[0005] The use of robotics is well - established as a manufacturing means, especially in applications where human handling is inefficient and / or undesirable. One such situation is in the semiconductor field, where robots and automated stations are used to process and hold wafers during various process steps. For example, these process 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.

[0006] Current practices for mechanically processing these wafers in semiconductor technology typically involve using an end - effector flipper / aligner operatively attached to a mechanical device, for example, to load semiconductor wafers from a load stack into various processing ports corresponding to the aforementioned exemplary processing steps. The robot is used to configure the flipper / aligner to retrieve wafers from a specific port or stack, for example, before and / or after processing in a related processing chamber, and / or to associate the wafer with a station, such as a station chuck on which the wafer can be placed.

[0007] Thus, wafers can be shuttled between stations by a robot associated with the flipper / aligner for additional processing. When a given wafer processing is complete, the robot can move the processed wafer from its station and return the processed semiconductor wafer to the load port. Typically, during each processing run, multiple stacks of semiconductor wafers are processed in this manner using the movement of the flipper / aligner to the station.

[0008] Accordingly, known techniques use end effectors to flip and rotate wafers and similar substrates, e.g., for inspection during or after processing. However, such known flippers typically cannot handle multiple wafer / substrate sizes. As referenced throughout, not only do silicon wafer sizes vary significantly, but also the sizes of other substrates that may need to be flipped by a flipper vary significantly. Thus, limitations on the modification of the substrate sizes that a known flipper can handle, along with the lack of independent control inputs to vary the substrate handling size of a known flipper in a process, limit the applicability of known flippers across different substrates and different processes and render those known flippers completely non-scalable.

[0009] In addition, known flippers have a substantially open design, i.e., the robot is at least partially unenclosed and thus particles are necessarily generated by the known flipper. Accordingly, known flippers are not designed for cleaning and are not suitable for use in a cleanroom environment.

[0010] In addition, a typical type of end effector actually used in the prior art is an edge-gripping wafer handler. However, these edge grippers may apply undesired friction to the wafer being held, or insufficient friction if the wafer is flipped or rotated laterally, and may thus provide unpredictable release and / or release positioning of the wafer due to excessive or insufficient wedge-induced friction. Further, since edge clamps typically cover a portion of the outer circumference of the wafer, these edge clamps or wafer tools passing near these edge clamps may cause the wafer to be snagged and thus damaged. For example, if the wafer experiences friction and travels past the release point with a wedge clamp rather than being removed from the clamp in a timely manner, the wafer and / or the structures thereon will be damaged.

[0011] That is, the simple angle of the edge clamps of the known technique limits the ability to flip or rotate a wafer associated with the edge clamps, in part because the angle of the edge clamps is insufficient to hold the flipped or rotated wafer. This problem is exacerbated for thin, flexible, or large wafers, which, due to the wafer's ability to flex within the clamp, can cause the wafer to automatically release at an undesired time, which may require more overlap at the circumference of the wafer to hold the wafer, as well as a steeper edge-gripping angle to securely capture the wafer.

[0012] Some semiconductor processing applications may require the use of a rotating wrist end effector. The rotating wrist end effector may require the steeper angles and deeper wedge bases for edge gripping described above such that rotation of the end effector does not unduly self-release the wafer from the edge gripper. However, in such cases, as a non-limiting example, the deeper wedge base and steeper gripping angle are substantially more likely to cause undue friction at the desired release timing and thereby render ineffective the self-release of the wafer, resulting in a lack of the desired release and / or damage to the wafer.

[0013] Accordingly, there is a need for a scalable substrate flipper that provides functionality substantially compliant with cleanroom standards. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Certain embodiments are and include an apparatus, system, and method for a substrate flipper capable of accommodating substrates of different sizes. The apparatus, system, and method can include: a base housing that provides a rotational feature extending outwardly from the base housing and includes a belt drive; a flipping paddle rotatably associated with the outwardly extending portion of the rotational feature; at least two gripping rails movably residing in slots on top of the flipping paddle, each of the at least two gripping rails being associated with a belt driven by the belt drive; and pairs of clamps located on top of each of the at least two gripping rails, where each pair of clamps can oppose another pair of clamps, each clamp including a lower wedge and an upper wedge, the lower wedge having a spring-loaded cam therein that presses the edge of the received substrate against the upper wedge when the belt is driven in a holding manner. After flipping the received substrate, the extraction drive of the belt causes the spring-loaded cam to press in response to an increase in the distance between opposing pairs of clamps, thereby ejecting the pressed edge of the received substrate.

[0015] The imparted rotation can be a back-and-forth rotation of up to 180 degrees. The flipper can be used in a robotic work cell or in a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) load port accessible by a robot. The flipping paddle can include a motor-driven, e.g., servo-driven, self-extracting claw set that can edge-grip the substrate. The self-extracting claws can be used with or without additional Bernoulli vacuum gripping.

[0016] Motor-driven edge clamping allows for automatic adjustment to the appropriate size “on the fly” for any substrate being clamped and flipped. For example, the flipper can handle substrates sized 100 millimeters to 200 millimeters to 300 millimeters to 450 millimeters. As non-limiting examples, such substrates can include membranes, semiconductor wafers, glass photomasks, solar cells, battery panels, laboratory test samples, or hydrogen fuel cell plates.

[0017] Accordingly, the present invention provides at least one apparatus, system, and method for providing a substrate flipper that is scalable and provides functionality substantially meeting cleanroom standards. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Exemplary combinations, systems, and methods will be described below with reference to the drawings, which are given only as non-limiting examples, where:

[0019] Figure 1 is a diagram of a substrate processing system;

[0020] Figure 2 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0021] Figure 3 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0022] Figure 4 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0023] Figure 5 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0024] Figure 6 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0025] Figure 7 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0026] Figure 8 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper;

[0027] Figure 9 is a diagram of aspects of a substrate flipper; and

[0028] Figure 10 shows various aspects of a substrate flipper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The drawings and description provided herein may have been simplified to illustrate aspects relevant to a clear understanding of the apparatus, system, and method described herein, and other aspects that may be found in typical, similar apparatus, systems, and methods have been eliminated for clarity. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that other elements and / or operations may be desirable and / or necessary for implementing the apparatus, system, and method described herein. However, because such elements and operations are known in the art and because they do not facilitate a better understanding of the present disclosure, 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 those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0030] Examples are provided throughout the specification to make the present disclosure thorough and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the disclosed embodiments 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 practiced in different forms. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. As described above, in some embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies may not be described in detail.

[0031] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be 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 indicates otherwise. The terms "comprising", "including", "containing", 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 groups thereof. The steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as preferred or required order of performance. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed in place of, or in combination with, the disclosed aspects.

[0032] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on", "above", "connected to", or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, above, connected to, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present, unless otherwise explicitly stated. In contrast, when an element or layer is referred to as being "directly on", "directly connected to", or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, intervening elements or layers may not be present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar 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.

[0033] In addition, although the term first, second, third etc. can be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts here, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another element, component, region, layer or part. Therefore, unless the context clearly indicates, the terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in this article. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the embodiment, the first element, the first component, the first area, the first layer or the first part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, the second component, the second area, the second layer or the second part.

[0034] Figure 1 An automated substrate processing system 10 is shown that is suitable for accurately processing substrates having varying diameters, compositions, and physical properties, such as semiconductor wafers, thin films, or similar substrates 12. The processing system 10 is capable of processing substrates 12 in rapid, orderly succession for processing.

[0035] The supplied substrates 12 may be manipulated or transferred between various fixed points 13 for processing, in part, by robotics, such as a robotic armature 14 equipped with an end effector / gripping system 16 suitable for performing the aforementioned manipulation and transfer. For some stations 13, such manipulation and transfer may require flipping or partially rotating the wafer for processing at the station 13. The fixed points 13 may then appropriately grip 15 the substrate 12 while in position, such as for the aforementioned processing of the substrate.

[0036] Not only can the shape or diameter of substrates 12 vary, but they are also typically manufactured according to standardized specifications that may require that the surface of substrate 12 be substantially planar and remain substantially planar during processing, in addition to other dimensional tolerances including diameter. Thus, flipping / rotation of the substrate during processing must not adversely affect the planarity of the substrate and must not adversely affect the structures processed on the substrate.

[0037] The substrate 12 for processing may be a silicon wafer such as a 200 mm silicon wafer, for example, which may have a standard diameter of 200 + / - 0.2 mm and a standard thickness of, for example, 675 + / - 25 microns. Typical wafer thickness after processing may be about 500 microns to about 700 microns.

[0038] The illustrated substrate 12 can be held on the end effector 16, for example, by a clamp. Similarly, in the present embodiment, the substrate can be held on the disclosed flip paddle to be flipped by the clamp. Such a clamp can be an "edge" clamp that contacts only the very fine edges of the substrate to avoid the clamp adversely affecting the surface during wafer processing. For example, two pairs of opposing edge clamps can provide edge clamping at four "corners" across the arc of the clamped substrate. That is, the opposing edge clamp pairs can be used in the "corner" configuration of the disclosed flipper. Additionally, in the disclosed flipper, the edge clamp can include holding and extraction features to allow flipping of the substrate without displacing the substrate during flipping.

[0039] More specifically, once clamped, for example, by the edge clamp, the clamped substrate 12 can be rotated by the disclosed substrate flipper. As discussed throughout, the rotation can be imparted by rotating the rotational feature of the flip paddle. As a non-limiting example, the rotational feature can provide rotation from 0° (i.e., the horizontal aspect of the flip paddle located on the horizontal axis) to 180° + / -.05°. The rotational feature, module / base housing, and / or rotational feature can include, as non-limiting examples, travel stops, such as for maintaining position repeatability. For example, the axis of rotation can have a highly precise repeatability, such as in the range of 1 to 5 μm, or more specifically in the range of 2 μm.

[0040] The rotational feature can be disposed within any rigid base housing, such as a billet aluminum or stainless steel base. The base can completely or partially surround the electronics and mechanics for the rotational feature as well as the clamping pair actuators, thereby enhancing workstation cleanliness. In some embodiments, the module / base housing can provide a cleanroom-level enclosure that keeps particulates therein without the risk of contaminating the workspace. Thus, the base enclosure can include vacuum and / or vacuum scavenging and can be formed of a suitable material to maintain cleanliness, such as the stainless steel described above.

[0041] The rotational feature within the base housing can include a gearhead and a motor, the gearhead having one or more bearings rotationally communicating with the rotational feature, and the motor providing the rotation disclosed herein. Although the rotor motor can include a servo motor that can rotate on crossed roller bearings with a high load capacity, other motor types can be used, such as a stepper motor. The disclosed gearhead can also include backlash compensation.

[0042] Now also referring to Figure 2(A) shows an exemplary modular edge - clamping substrate flipper 100. It is noted that although multiple aspects are specifically discussed herein with respect to edge - clamping, vacuum clamping may also be used throughout the text as described. Additionally, although the module shown includes a table - top base housing 102, i.e., a table - top flipping module, those skilled in the art will understand that the module may not be a table - top flipper but still constitutes a modular substrate flipper 100 according to the present disclosure.

[0043] This figure shows a table - top base / column housing 102 that is at least mechanically associated 106 with a flipping paddle 108 within a paddle housing 110. The column housing 102 may provide the mechanical, electrical, and communication aspects discussed throughout the text and enables the flipping paddle 108 (and thus the paddle housing 110) to be flipped, for example, up to 180 degrees. The paddle housing 110 may provide accessibility 120 on its front side (i.e., opposite the column housing 102) to enable access to the substrate 12 by an end - effector 16, such as used in semiconductor processing as mentioned above in Figure 1 the text.

[0044] As an example, Figure 3 (B) shows an end - effector 16 that enters the flipping housing 110 to grip, for example, a semiconductor wafer 12 having a size range of 100 mm - 300 mm through an inlet 120 of the paddle housing 110. Needless to say, the purpose of the penetration is to ultimately associate the substrate 12 with the flipping paddle 108 within the paddle housing 110. Although a typical but not required usage environment of the disclosed embodiments, the Figure 3 end - effector 16 does not have wrist - motion capabilities, i.e., the end - effector 16 will not be able to flip the wafer 12, thus giving rise to the need for the disclosed flipping paddle 108.

[0045] Figure 4 (C) shows more specifically certain aspects of the module / column housing 102. As shown, the module housing 102 may include network and / or user - interface connections 202 for controlling the gripping and flipping of the substrate 12 associated with the flipping paddle 108. The module housing 108 may additionally include electromechanical aspects 204 to allow actuation of the disclosed gripper, vacuum, and / or paddle - rotation features, as described above. Needless to say, the base housing 102 may or may not include a coiled electrical harness having one or more motion connectors / joints that allow the lines to move as the flipper rotates and / or the gripping rails move as discussed throughout the text.

[0046] For example, a servo or stepper motor, such as a servo or stepper motor with precise motor encoding, and a θ-axis pneumatic device, may also be present within the modular housing 102. Of course, many other electrical, mechanical, and / or safety features 204 may also be associated with the modular housing. For example, an impact stop may provide a brake on the rotation of the paddle, such as to prevent damage or loss of the substrate during the rotation of the paddle. By further example, the housing 102 may include a sensor, such as a substrate presence sensor, which may partially control the operation of the flip paddle 108.

[0047] Figure 5 (D) is an illustration of a bottom elevation view of the flip paddle 108. As shown, a rotator 502, such as a programmable stepper motor or servo motor, may engage the flip paddle 108 on its substrate non-contacting side 108a, such as at the lower rear portion of the paddle 108. Thus, the interface between the rotator 502 and the paddle 108 may further include, for example, an electronic interface, an encoder 504, a sensor, etc.

[0048] The substrate side of the paddle may include clamps 510, such as edge gripping components, and these edge gripping components may include adjustable aspects that can be adjusted to accommodate substrates of different sizes, such as those discussed herein. That is, these clamps may be slot-actuated 515. In addition, these edge clamps 510 may include self-retaining and / or self-extraction aspects, such as may be actuated during size adjustment, as described in more detail below.

[0049] In the illustration, the adjustment aspect is a slot drive 515 in the paddle 108 for adjusting the edge clamps 510, although other ways of associating the adjustment with the edge clamps 510 may be employed. Furthermore, although two edge clamps 510 are shown at the upper front portion of the paddle 108, the arc ( Figure 5 Two upper rear clamps are not shown in the figure), but it will be understood that there may be other numbers of clamps at the upper front portion of the flip paddle, such as one, such as in embodiments where an odd number of clamps are used.

[0050] Also shown is an ultrasonic sensor 520 associated with the upper portion of the paddle. Of course, other types of sensors, such as to sense the presence or other substrate characteristics, may be used with or in place of the ultrasonic sensor illustrated; although ultrasonic sensors such as those shown provide the added benefit of being able to sense both opaque and transparent substrates.

[0051] Figure 6(E) shows a top view of the flipping paddle 108. In the illustration, four self-extracting clamps 510 are shown, but other numbers of clamps may be used. Each pair of "right" and "left" clamps 510 is associated with a slot drive 605 clamping rail 610 that moves towards and away from each other when actuated to provide substrate size adjustment and holding / extracting of the substrate to / from the clamps 510 (if self-extracting clamps are used). In the illustrated embodiment, these clamping rails 610 are belt-driven 612 by a single motor drive 614, and thus the expansion or contraction of the slot drive clamps can be synchronous, as shown. The belt 612 can be made of, for example, rubber or polyurethane. The belt 612 can be arranged horizontally or vertically relative to the horizontal plane of the flipping paddle 108. Of course, it should be understood that other methods of driving the rails 610, either synchronously or asynchronously, can be employed.

[0052] Briefly, as shown, the right pair of edge clamps 510 can be slot-driven 605 towards and away from the left pair by the drive belt 612. The reduction in the distance between each pair of edge clamps applies a greater frictional force to the edges of the held substrate clamped therebetween, especially for self-extracting edge clamps, and thus causes the circumferential edges of the substrate between each pair of edge clamps to apply a load pressure, for example, on springs associated with each pair of edge clamps.

[0053] Using self-extracting edge clamps helps ensure that the released component is released when needed and remains substantially or completely in the desired position, such as remaining centered in the edge clamps during flipping. These clamps, as well as the vacuum pads discussed below, can provide improved clamping of the held article and electrostatic dissipation during handling and processing.

[0054] More particularly, the disclosed edge clamps can include spring-loaded sliding cams or "disks" that actively extract the wafer from the clamping of the edge clamps, for example, when the pressure applied by the opposing "corner" edge clamps is released, i.e., when the opposing pairs of rails move closer to another pair of rails. That is, the disclosed extraction can be passive. Of course, based on the discussion herein, those skilled in the art will understand that the extraction cams can be not only passive as disclosed, but also active, such as pneumatically or electrically driven.

[0055] More specifically, and now additionally referring to Figure 7 and 8 (5, 7…B), the application of the load pressure on each self-extracting clamp 510 caused by the reduction in the distance between each pair of edge clamps can elastically load the extraction cam 1114 into the corresponding wedge-shaped housing 1130, thereby clamping the circumferential edge of the substrate within each corresponding edge clamp 510. Thus, this enhanced frictional clamping of the circumferential edge of the substrate allows for an increase in the available angle of the held substrate 12, resulting in improved substrate clamping during flipping.

[0056] Now referring specifically to Figure 7 (5…B), when the edge grippers contract together, the gripping of the substrate 12 causes compression of the springs 1120 associated with each extraction cam 1114, and thus allows each wedge portion to be applied to the circumferential edge of the held substrate 12, thereby firmly gripping the substrate even during flipping. Conversely, an increase in the distance between each pair of edge grippers causes decompression of the springs 1120 on each extraction cam 1114, thereby causing the extraction cams 1114 to pop outwards from the body of each wedge-shaped gripper, thus popping out the edge of the previously gripped substrate.

[0057] More specifically, each edge gripper may include a recessed extraction cam 1114 within a recessed extraction cam guide 1404, which allows the extraction cam 1114 to be placed in a compressed and decompressed position. Additionally, while the springs 1120 of each respective extraction cam 1114 may be physically associated with any aspect of the edge gripper housing to provide a base for applying spring force, the springs 1120 may be specifically associated with one or more screws 1410 on the portion for screwing each wedge-shaped gripper to its respective edge rail.

[0058] Figure 8 (7…B) shows a top cross-sectional view of an exemplary self-extracting edge gripper, which can provide a spring capable of self-extracting, such as the spring used in one of the embodiments. As shown, the extraction cam spring 1120 can be loaded around the mounting screw 1410 for the edge gripper.

[0059] Then, by applying pressure from the circumferential portion of the held substrate, the extraction cam 1114 is pushed inwards from the flush position at the edge of the inclined portion of the edge gripper. The extraction cam 1114 is located within the recessed guide 1404, where the recessed guide 1404 is long enough in length to allow the extraction cam 1114 to be in a fully compressed and fully decompressed position based on the spring-loaded compression pressure applied to the extraction cam 1114 by the substrate edge.

[0060] Figure 9 (G) shows a belt-driven single-motor gripper rail drive system for a self-extracting edge gripping system. As shown, a single belt 612 driven by a grooved drive motor 614 ( Figure 9 not shown in the figure) can change the distance between the above-mentioned edge gripper pairs 510. This change in distance can also actuate the above-mentioned self-extracting edge grippers. Thereafter, as an example, an increase in the groove distance between the edge gripper pairs 510 can cause self-extraction of the referenced wafer after flipping.

[0061] In some embodiments, multiple Bernoulli pads can be added to the upper paddle, such as along the drive guide. These Bernoulli pads can allow for the modification or elimination of the self-extracting edge clamps disclosed. For example, the use of vacuum can allow the clamp to not have a top that holds the substrate during flipping; the vacuum can allow for the elimination of the need for self-extraction of the wafer edge and allow for the use of vacuum closing instead for extraction purposes; or the vacuum can allow for the use of fewer than four edge clamps, such as using zero, two, or three edge clamps.

[0062] The foregoing embodiments are shown in Figure 10 (F). More particularly, in the illustration, multiple Bernoulli pads 1202 are disposed on each slot rail 610, and an additional pair of simple edge restraint clamps 1204 (instead of the self-extracting edge clamps also referenced herein, which can also be used in Figure 10 the embodiments) are disposed at the distal portions of each "right" and "left" slot rail 610. Figure 10 The embodiments of also include ultrasonic sensing 1210 referenced throughout the text.

[0063] The foregoing apparatus, system, and method can also include control of the various robotic and vacuum functionalities mentioned herein. As a non-limiting example, such control can include manual control using one or more user interfaces such as a controller, keyboard, mouse, touch screen, etc. to allow a user to input instructions to be executed by software code associated with the robot and the systems discussed herein. Additionally, as is well known to those skilled in the art, system control can also be fully automated, such as where manual user interaction only occurs to "set up" and program the referenced functions, i.e., the user can only initially program or upload computational code to execute a predetermined sequence of movements and operations discussed throughout this document. In manual or automated embodiments or any combination thereof, the controller can be programmed, for example, to correlate the known positions of the substrate, robot, fixed points, and the relative positions therebetween.

[0064] It should be understood that the systems and methods described herein can operate and / or be controlled according to any computing environment, and thus the computing environment employed does not limit the implementation of the systems and methods described herein to computing environments with different components and configurations. That is, the concepts described herein can be implemented in any of a variety of computing environments using any of a variety of components and configurations.

[0065] In addition, the present disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosed embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate various modifications to the invention, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A substrate flipper capable of accommodating substrates of different sizes, comprising: A base housing that provides a rotational feature extending outward from the base housing and includes a belt drive; A flipping paddle rotatably associated with an outward extension of the rotational feature; At least two clamping rails movably residing in slots on top of the flipping paddle, each of the at least two clamping rails associated with a belt driven by the belt drive; and Pairs of clamps on top of each of the at least two clamping rails, where each pair of clamps can oppose another pair of clamps, each clamp including a lower wedge and an upper wedge, with a spring-loaded cam in the lower wedge, and when the belt is driven to hold, the spring-loaded cam presses the edge of the accommodated substrate against the upper wedge; Wherein, after the flipping of the accommodated substrate, the extraction drive of the belt causes the spring-loaded cam to press in response to an increase in the distance between opposing pairs of clamps, thereby ejecting the pressed edge of the accommodated substrate.

2. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The base housing includes a power and electronic data interface.

3. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The rotation includes 180 degrees with respect to the horizontal axis.

4. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The substrate includes one selected from the group consisting of a film frame, a semiconductor wafer, a processed wafer, and a glass photomask.

5. The substrate flipper according to claim 4, wherein, The diameter of the substrate is in the range of 100 mm to 300 mm.

6. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, further comprising a housing capable of substantially surrounding the flipping paddle and rotating with the flipping paddle.

7. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The actuation of the belt drive is automatic.

8. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor for the substrate.

9. The substrate flipper according to claim 8, wherein, The sensor is ultrasonic.

10. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the clamping rails further includes a plurality of Bernoulli vacuum pads.

11. The substrate flipper according to claim 10, wherein, Vacuum is provided from the base housing to the Bernoulli vacuum pads.

12. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The plane of the drive belt is perpendicular to the horizontal plane provided by the flipping paddle.

13. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The base housing is vacuum purged.

14. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The base housing includes stainless steel.

15. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The base housing includes a wound electronic wire harness that moves with the rotation of two arms.

16. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, The increase in the distance between the rails is synchronous.

17. The substrate flipper according to claim 16, wherein, The synchronization is provided by the drive belt.

18. The substrate flipper according to claim 17, wherein, the drive belt is made of polyurethane.

19. The substrate flipper according to claim 1, wherein, the rotating feature includes a motor.

20. The substrate flipper according to claim 19, wherein, the motor is encoded.

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