End effector and substrate processing device using the same

Abstract

To provide an end effector used for transporting a substrate in a substrate processing system.SOLUTION: An end effector comprises: a paddle that is configured to support a substrate and is flat; a blade part connected to the paddle at a first end of the paddle, where a distal end of the blade part is provided with a front protrusion for positioning a substrate; and multiple pads disposed in each of multiple holes, where the multiple pads contact the substrate when the substrate is transported, and where the multiple holes are disposed in the paddle and the blade part. The end effectors may allow tilting of the pads so that the substrate does not stick.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to end effectors, and more particularly, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to end effectors for transferring substrates and substrate processing apparatus including the end effectors. [Background technology]

[0002] The back-contact type end effector pads currently used on robots (mounted on robot arms) in substrate processing systems can suffer from issues such as a) substrate adhesion and b) wear after extended use. The pads have a relatively short lifespan (i.e., typically 6 months), and if maintenance is not performed in a timely manner, the upper substrate contact area of ​​the pad will wear out.

[0003] Additionally, when handling silicon substrates using a robot, the substrate may bounce off the end effector pads or may be misaligned due to the substrate losing balance upon contact.

[0004] Therefore, the present disclosure presents a new end effector structure that has the ability to absorb shock and automatically correct pad tilt to prevent substrate bounce and improve the condition of the substrate contact area. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This summary is provided to introduce some concepts in a simplified form that are described in more detail below in the detailed description of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0006] According to one embodiment, an end effector may be provided that is used to transport a substrate, the end effector comprising: a flat paddle configured to support a substrate; a blade component connected to the paddle at a first end thereof, the blade component having a forward protrusion at its distal end for positioning the substrate; and a plurality of pads disposed in respective holes that contact the substrate as it is being transported, the holes being disposed in the paddle and the blade component.

[0007] In one aspect, the end effector further comprises a joint section connected to the paddle at a second end of the paddle and configured to be attached to a robotic arm.

[0008] In one embodiment, the number of holes is three or more.

[0009] In one embodiment, the blade component comprises at least one blade.

[0010] In one aspect, each of the plurality of pads comprises a support unit configured to support the substrate on its upper surface when the substrate is transported, and an absorption unit configured to surround the underside of the support unit and fit into a hole, the absorption unit being elastic and flexible so as to absorb impacts and seal the support unit and the hole.

[0011] In one embodiment, the absorption unit is an O-ring, the inside of the hole has a concave shape, and the O-ring is configured to fit the concave shape of the inside of the hole.

[0012] In one aspect, the absorbent unit has a concave shape around its sides and a protrusion on the inside of the hole, the protrusion on the inside of the hole being configured to fit into the concave shape of the absorbent unit.

[0013] In one aspect, the support unit is configured to tilt to some extent in the same direction as the direction of substrate movement as the substrate slides.

[0014] In one aspect, the support unit is configured to have a rounded top shape.

[0015] In one embodiment, the support unit is made of a ceramic and the absorbent unit is made of an elastomer.

[0016] According to another embodiment, there may be provided a back-end robot for transporting a substrate, the back-end robot comprising: a robot arm having at least two arm portions configured to move a substrate from one location to another; and an end effector connected to the robot arm, the end effector configured to move the substrate disposed on the end effector, the end effector being as described above.

[0017] In another embodiment, there may be provided a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber for processing a substrate; a substrate handling chamber attached to the reaction chamber; a back-end robot disposed within the substrate handling chamber, the back-end robot including a robot arm and an end effector attached to the robot arm; and a load lock chamber attached to the substrate handling chamber and configured to load or unload the substrate, wherein the end effector is the end effector described above.

[0018] It will be understood that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a substrate processing system including a robot equipped with an end effector, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a separate, isolated view of a robot (with a robotic arm and end effector) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] Figure 3(a) shows a mode of an end effector (four pads) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3(b) shows a different mode of an end effector (three pads) according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] Figure 4(a) shows separate side views of the support unit and absorber unit of the end effector and the hole in the paddle or blade according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4(b) shows a side view of the support unit of the end effector positioned in the hole and supporting a substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4(c) shows a side view of the support unit of the end effector tilted by movement of the substrate according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5(a) shows a perspective view of a support unit and an absorption unit of an end effector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 5(b) shows a front view of a support unit of an end effector tilted by movement of a substrate according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] While certain specific embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and / or uses of the invention, and obvious variations and equivalents thereof. It is therefore not intended that the scope of the disclosed invention should be limited by the specific disclosed embodiments described below.

[0021] As used in this disclosure, the term "substrate" may refer to any single or multiple underlying materials, such as any single or multiple underlying materials that may be modified or upon which a device, circuit, or film may be formed. A "substrate" may be continuous or discontinuous, rigid or flexible, solid or porous, and combinations thereof. A substrate may be in any form, such as a powder, a plate, or a workpiece. Substrates in plate form may include wafers of various shapes and sizes. Substrates may be made of semiconductor materials, such as, for example, silicon, silicon germanium, silicon oxide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide.

[0022] For example, the substrate in powder form may have applications in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The porous substrate may comprise a polymer. Examples of workpieces may include medical devices (e.g., stents and syringes), jewelry, tooling devices, components for battery manufacturing (e.g., anodes, cathodes, or separators), or components of photovoltaic cells, etc.

[0023] The continuous substrate may extend beyond the boundaries of the process chamber in which the deposition process occurs. In some processes, the continuous substrate may move through the process chamber so that the process continues until the edge of the substrate is reached. The continuous substrate may be supplied from a continuous substrate supply system to enable the manufacture and production of continuous substrates in any suitable form.

[0024] Non-limiting examples of continuous substrates may include sheets, nonwoven films, rolls, foils, webs, flexible materials, bundles of continuous filaments or fibers (e.g., ceramic or polymer fibers). Continuous substrates may also include carriers or sheets onto which non-continuous substrates are placed.

[0025] The examples presented in this disclosure are not meant to be actual representations of any particular materials, structures, or devices, but are merely idealized representations used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] The specific examples shown and described are illustrative of the present invention and its best mode and are not intended to limit the scope of the present aspects or implementations in any way. Also, for the sake of brevity, conventional manufacturing, association, preparation, and other functional aspects of the present system may not be described in detail. Furthermore, connecting lines shown in the various figures are intended to represent example functional relationships and / or physical couplings between the various elements. Many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an actual system and / or may not be present in some embodiments.

[0027] It will be understood that the configurations and / or approaches described in this disclosure are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be construed in a limiting sense, as numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described in this disclosure may represent one or more of several processing strategies. As such, various illustrated operations may be performed in the order illustrated, in other orders, or omitted in some cases.

[0028] The subject matter of this disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems, and configurations, as well as other configurations, functions, operations and / or properties disclosed in this disclosure, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a separate diagram of a robot typically used in a substrate processing system.

[0030] The robot 200 may include a robot arm 210 and an end effector 220 attached to the robot arm 210. The robot arm 210 may include an upper arm component 211 connected to the end effector 220 and a lower arm component 212 attached to a shaft 230. While the robot 200 has a robot arm including two arm components (the outer arm component 211 and the inner arm component 212) in FIG. 1 , there are other applications that use three or more arm components, and FIG. 1 is merely an example, and the outer arm component 211 may be connected to the end effector 220. The shape of each of the arm components may vary according to the requirements of the processing system and the characteristics of the environment.

[0031] For rear-contact type end effectors, the end effector 220 may be configured with several pads. Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show two different end effector modes, such as four pads and three pads, respectively, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] In Figure 3(a), end effector 300A may include a paddle 310, a blade portion 320, and a plurality of pads 340. Each of pads 340 may be disposed within a hole (not shown in Figure 3(a)). Paddle 310 may be flat to support a substrate, and paddle 310 may also be used to position the substrate in its appropriate position.

[0033] The blade portion 320 may be connected to the paddle 310 at one end. The opposite end (distal end) of the blade portion 320 may be provided with forward protrusions (321 a, 321 b) for positioning a substrate on the end effector 300A. The forward protrusions (321 a, 321 b) allow a substrate placed on the end effector 300A to find an appropriate location to remain when transported by the end effector 300A. The joint section 330 may be connected to the paddle 310 at a second end of the paddle 310 and may be configured to be attached to a robot arm (described below).

[0034] Pads 340 may be positioned anywhere within paddle 310 and blade portion 320 generally to position a substrate on end effector 300A. Holes (described below) for positioning pads 340 may be provided so that there may be an equal number of holes and pads in the end effector. Pads 340 may be symmetrically positioned so that a substrate positioned on the end effector contacts pads 340 and remains stable. In FIG. 3(a), the four pads 340 may, for example, form a rectangular shape for symmetry and substrate stability.

[0035] The blade component 320 may have at least one blade. In Fig. 3(a), the blade component 320 may have two blades 320a, 320b as an example. In the case where there may be multiple blades, each blade (320a, 320b) may have its own forward protrusion (321a, 321b).

[0036] Holes (i.e., pads) may be disposed within the paddle 310 or within the blade component 320, and the number of holes (i.e., pads) may be three or more to provide stable support for a substrate disposed on the pad 340.

[0037] In Figure 3(b), end effector 300B may include a paddle 315, a blade portion 325, and a plurality of pads 345. Each of pads 345 may be disposed within a hole (not shown in Figure 3(b)). Paddle 315 may be flat to support a substrate, and paddle 315 may also be used to position the substrate in its appropriate position.

[0038] The blade portion 325 may be connected to the paddle 315 at one end. The opposite (distal) end of the blade portion 325 may be provided with forward protrusions (326a, 326b) for positioning a substrate on the end effector 300B. The forward protrusions (326a, 326b) allow a substrate placed on the end effector 300B to find a suitable location to remain during transport by the end effector 300B. The joint section 335 may be connected to the paddle 315 at a second end of the paddle 315 and may be configured to be attached to a robotic arm (described below).

[0039] Pads 345 may be positioned anywhere within paddle 315 and blade portion 325 generally to position a substrate on end effector 300B. Holes (described below) for positioning pads 345 may be provided so that there may be an equal number of holes and pads on the end effector. Pads 345 may be symmetrically positioned so that a substrate placed on the end effector comes into contact with pads 345 and remains stable. In FIG. 3(b), three pads 345 may be configured to form a triangular shape for symmetry and substrate stability, as an example.

[0040] The blade component 325 may have at least one blade. In Fig. 3(b), the blade component 325 may have two blades 325a, 325b as an example. If there are multiple blades, each blade (325a, 325b) may have its own forward protrusion (326a, 326b).

[0041] Holes (i.e., pads) may be positioned within the paddle 315 and within the blade component 325, and the number of holes (i.e., pads) may be three or more to stably support a substrate placed on the pads 345.

[0042] 4(a)-4(c) illustrate one mode of pad use in an end effector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the pad 400A may include a support unit 430A and an absorption unit 420A. The support unit 430A may support a substrate on its upper side 430A-1 when the substrate is placed on the pad 400A and transported to another area. To prevent damage (e.g., scratches) to the substrate placed on the pad 400A and to prevent particle problems caused by a large contact (substrate-pad contact) area, the upper side 430A-1 of the pad 400A may have a rounded shape as shown in FIG. 4(a). For the reasons mentioned above, the support unit 430A or at least the upper side 430A-1 may be made of ceramic.

[0044] The absorbent unit 420A may be configured to surround the underside 430A-2 of the support unit 430A. For a sealing effect, the absorbent unit 420A may be elastic so as to closely surround the support unit 430A.

[0045] In one embodiment, the absorption unit 420A may be an O-ring. In this case, the inner shape of the hole 411A of the end effector 410A is concave. In this way, the O-ring (absorption unit 420A) can be fitted inside the hole 411A. This embodiment can be shown in FIG. 4(b).

[0046] 4(b), a pad 400B may be fitted into a hole 410B in an end effector 411B (in a paddle or blade component), and a substrate 440B may be placed on the pad 400B. A support unit 430B may be configured to support the substrate 440B with its rounded upper side, and an absorbent unit 420B may be configured to closely surround the lower side of the support unit 430B, and the absorbent unit 420B may be configured to be fitted into the hole 411B. The cross-sectional shape of the absorbent unit 420B may be any shape, but a circular shape (like an O-ring only) is shown for example efficiency.

[0047] When the substrate 440C moves on the end effector 410C in a direction (D1) and a force (F1), the pad 400C, more specifically, the support unit 430C moves together with the substrate 440C in a direction (D11) and a force (F11), which is approximately equal to the direction (D1) of the substrate 440C, but because the absorption unit 420C tightly grips the support unit 430C, the moving force (D11) may be much smaller than the moving force (F1) of the substrate. The support unit 430C may tilt to some extent.

[0048] This type of substrate movement (D1, F1) may mean a displacement of the substrate 440C. Therefore, the original position may be a proper position (or at least a position close to the proper or aligned position) so that it is preferable to restore the substrate 440C to its original position during transportation. Due to the elasticity of the absorption unit 420C, the tilted support unit 430C may move in a certain direction (D12) and force (F12) in the opposite direction. Even though the direction (D12) is opposite to the direction (D1), the force (F12) may be much smaller than the force (F1). This type of tilt (D11, F11) and untilt (D12, F12) movement may also be beneficial because it may solve the problem of substrate adhesion (the substrate sticking to the pad and not moving when it needs to move) because the contact area between the substrate 440C and the support unit 430C may change during the tilt and untilt movements.

[0049] To illustrate a preferred embodiment, the absorbent unit 420A may be an O-ring (having a circular cross-sectional shape), and the shape of the underside 430A-2 of the support unit 430A that the absorbent unit 420 surrounds may be concave to fit within the absorbent unit 420A (i.e., the O-ring). Also, the hole 411A of the end effector may be concave to fit within the absorbent units 420B, 420C, similar to Figures 4(b) and 4(c).

[0050] For sealing effect and elastic movement effect (tilting and non-tilting of the support unit), the absorption unit 420C may be made of elastomer or any material with elasticity and high resistance to high temperature.

[0051] 5(a) and 5(b) illustrate another mode according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0052] In FIG. 5(a), the pad 500A may fit into a hole 511A (in a paddle or blade component) on the end effector 510A, and the substrate 540A may be placed on the pad 500A. The support unit 530A may be configured to support the substrate 540A with its rounded upper side, and the absorbent unit 520A may be configured to closely surround the underside of the support unit 530A, and the absorbent unit 520A may fit into the hole 511A. The cross-sectional shape of the absorbent unit 520A may be any shape, but a rectangular shape is shown as another example. In this mode, the absorbent unit 520A may be configured with a concave shape around its side, and a protrusion 512A is provided inside the hole. The protrusion 512A inside the hole 511A may fit into the concave shape of the absorbent unit 520A.

[0053] When the substrate 540B may move on the end effector 510B in a direction (D2) and a force (F2), the pad 500B, more specifically, the support unit 530B may move in a direction and force (D21, F21) whose direction (D21) is approximately opposite to the direction (D2) of the substrate 540B, but because the absorption unit 520B can firmly grip the support unit 530B, the movement force (D21) may be much reduced compared to the movement force (F2) of the substrate. The support unit 530B may be tilted to some extent.

[0054] This type of substrate movement (D2, F2) may mean a displacement of the substrate 540B. Therefore, the original position may be a proper position (or at least a position close to a proper position or a sufficiently aligned position) so that it is preferable to restore the substrate 540B to its original position when transporting the substrate 540B. Due to the elasticity of the absorbent unit 520B, the tilted support unit 530B may move in a direction and force (D22, F22) opposite to the direction (D2). The direction (D22) may be approximately the same as the direction (D2), but the force (F22) may be much smaller than the force (F2). This reverse tilt-reversing movement of the support unit 530B may result from the combined structure of the support unit 530B and the absorbent unit 520B. Also, the tilt (D21, F21) and untilt (D22, F22) movements can be beneficial because the contact area of ​​the substrate 540B and the support unit 530B can change during the tilt and untilt movements, which can solve the problem of substrate adhesion (the problem of the substrate sticking to the pad and not moving when it needs to move).

[0055] In one example, the absorbent unit 520A may be a block of elastic material (having a rectangular cross-sectional shape), and the lower portion 530A-2 of the support unit 530A that is surrounded by the absorbent unit 520A may be concave to fit into the recess 521A of the absorbent unit 520A. Also, the inner shape of the hole 511A of the end effector may be configured with a protrusion that fits into the side of the absorbent unit 520A, similar to Figures 5(a) and 5(b). In this embodiment mode, the sealing ability of the absorbent unit 520A (entering the hole 511A) may be nearly complete.

[0056] In order to solve the problems of airtight sealing effect, elastic movement effect (tilting and returning of the support unit), and substrate adhesion, the absorption unit 520B may be made of elastomer or any material with elasticity and high resistance to high temperatures.

[0057] 1 is a schematic plan view of a substrate processing system using a robot with an end effector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 100 includes reaction chambers 140a-140d, a substrate handling chamber 150, and a back-end robot 160 disposed within the substrate handling chamber 150. The back-end robot 160 includes a robot arm 162 and an end effector 161 attached to the robot arm 162. The system 100 also includes a load lock chamber 130 adjacent to the substrate handling chamber 150 and configured to load or unload a substrate. The end effector 161 of the system 100 is in one of the modes described herein.

[0058] The above-described arrangements of the devices are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention, and numerous other embodiments and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims along with their full scope of equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 161, 220, 300A, 300B, 410A, 411B, 410C, 511A, 510B End Effector 310, 315 paddles 320, 325 blade parts 340, 345, 400A, 400B, 400C, 500A, 500B pads

Claims

1. an end effector used to transport a substrate, comprising: a paddle configured to support a substrate, the paddle being flat; a blade component connected to the paddle at a first end thereof, the blade component having a forward projection at a distal end thereof for positioning the substrate; a plurality of pads disposed in respective holes, the pads contacting the substrate as the substrate is transported, the plurality of holes being disposed in the paddle and the blade component; An end effector comprising:

2. The end effector of claim 1 , further comprising a joint section connected to the paddle at a second end of the paddle and configured to be attached to a robotic arm.

3. The end effector of claim 2 , wherein the number of holes is three (3) or greater.

4. The end effector of claim 2 , wherein the blade component comprises at least one blade.

5. Each of the plurality of pads is a support unit configured to support the substrate on an upper surface thereof when the substrate is being transported; an absorption unit configured to surround the underside of the support unit and fit into the hole; Equipped with The end effector according to claim 2 , wherein the absorbing unit has elasticity and flexibility so as to absorb shock and seal the supporting unit and the hole.

6. The end effector of claim 5 , wherein the absorption unit is an O-ring, the inside of the hole having a concave shape, and the O-ring configured to fit the concave shape of the inside of the hole.

7. The absorption unit has a concave shape around its side surface, and the inside of the hole has a protrusion, The end effector of claim 5 , wherein the protrusion inside the hole is configured to fit a concave shape of the absorber unit.

8. The end effector according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the support unit is configured to tilt to some extent in the same direction as the direction of substrate movement when the substrate slides.

9. The end effector of claim 5 , wherein the support unit is configured with a rounded top shape.

10. The end effector of claim 5 , wherein the support unit is made of ceramic and the absorption unit is made of elastomer.

11. A back-end robot for transporting substrates, a robotic arm including at least two arm portions, the robotic arm configured to move a substrate from one location to another; An end effector connected to the robot arm, the end effector being configured to move the substrate disposed on the end effector; and A back-end robot equipped with

12. A substrate processing apparatus, a reaction chamber for processing the substrate; a substrate handling chamber attached to the reaction chamber; a back-end robot disposed within the substrate handling chamber, the back-end robot including a robot arm and an end effector attached to the robot arm; a load lock chamber attached to the substrate handling chamber and configured to load or unload the substrate; Equipped with The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the end effector is the end effector according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

Images