6-Degree-of-Freedom Parallel Positioner

Abstract

The present invention relates to a support system (100) for generating movement of a support plate (102), wherein the support plate (102) is configured to transport a workpiece to be moved to a predetermined spatial position relative to a known default position when in use, and the system comprises: a plurality of support assemblies (200), each configured to move freely in all axes (XYZ) and rotate freely around all axes (XYZ), and connected to the support plate (102) to translate the movement of the support plate (102) to several degrees of freedom among six degrees of freedom based on a predetermined position; and one or more motion units (108a-f) each associated with each of the plurality of support assemblies (200). The controller includes one or more motion units (108a-f) configured to drive the support plate (102) to move to a predetermined position, and the number of motion units (108a-f) configured to drive is equal to the number of degrees of freedom required by the movement to move the support plate (102) to a predetermined position.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a corresponding method for moving a support plate in a processing environment, for example, a processing environment for manufacturing electronic devices. Background Technology

[0002] The manufacturing of electronic devices involves multiple processing steps and requires moving components from one step to another or positioning electronic devices at specific locations on specific tools. This is particularly useful when handling semiconductor wafers and the like.

[0003] In a typical manufacturing environment, wafers undergo multiple different processing steps to form the final wafer and all associated components. This requires the wafer to be moved within the manufacturing environment and always demands precise knowledge of the wafer's position and orientation within that environment. Furthermore, this environment must be controlled, and any human intervention must be limited. Consequently, automated systems equipped with supports or platforms are used to move and position wafers within the manufacturing environment.

[0004] To achieve the required precision, wafers must be movable by robots with 6 degrees of freedom. While such robots already exist, they present performance issues in some situations. Furthermore, robots have historically been bulky and possessed large footprints relative to the size of the wafer. Consequently, moving more than one robot in a manufacturing environment presents a challenge. For certain movements, it is common practice to employ multiple robots or stack them to ensure that all 6 degrees of freedom are accounted for. This leads to additional problems. Therefore, there is a need to discover a better method for transporting and moving wafers or similar objects in a manufacturing environment that enables the overcoming of at least some of the issues associated with previous robots and systems.

[0005] It is necessary to address at least some of the known and previous shortcomings of support robots.

[0006] The present invention relates to a support system for generating movement of a support plate, wherein the support plate is configured to transport a workpiece to be moved to a predetermined spatial position relative to a known default position when in use, and the system:

[0007] A plurality of support assemblies, each configured to move freely along each of three axes (XYZ) and rotate freely around all axes (XYZ), and connected to a support plate to translate movement relative to the support plate with at least one of six degrees of freedom based on a predetermined position;

[0008] One or more motion units associated with each of the multiple support assemblies;

[0009] It includes a controller configured to drive one or more motion units so that the support plate moves to a predetermined position, and the number of motion units configured to drive is equal to the number of degrees of freedom required by the movement to move the support plate to a predetermined position.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support system includes three support assemblies connected to a support plate.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, each support assembly includes two motion units configured to drive movement along two different axes.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support assembly includes two motion units each connected to each other by a joint of six degrees of freedom.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a support assembly comprises a first motion unit that imparts movement along the Z-axis with respect to a default position and a second motion unit that imparts movement in the plane of a support plate with respect to a default position.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a first motion unit is positioned on one leg of a support system; said leg is configured to change the height of the system relative to a default position.

[0015] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a second motion unit is positioned at a coupling of the plane of a support plate of a support system and is configured to change the position in the plane of the support plate of the system relative to a default position.

[0016] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the coupling comprises two orthogonal parts—a first coupling extending in one direction in the plane of the support plate and a second coupling extending in one direction in the plane of the support plate—the first coupling is connected to the second coupling, and the coupling is located below the support plate.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support system further comprises a circular support plate, and the circular support plate is attached to a plurality of support assemblies on its circumference.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support assemblies in a plurality of support assemblies are positioned at equal intervals around the perimeter.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support assemblies in a plurality of support assemblies are positioned around the perimeter of a support plate, and the first and second support assemblies are separated by a 90° angle. For example, various movements resulting in the position of the support plate can be measured.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support system further includes at least one sensor for measuring the movement of the support plate.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, at least one sensor includes means for measuring at least one movement of at least a part of a support system, and the support system includes means for calculating the position of a support plate based on the measured movement(s).

[0022] In practice, for example, sensors that measure the position of a support plate are mostly indirect. It is quite difficult to manage the movement of a motor by measuring the resulting position on the support plate. Therefore, the present invention makes it possible to manage at least a portion of various displacements or movements by, for example, measuring the positions of various motion units (or actuators) and calculating the position of the support plate.

[0023] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the support system further includes a spring configured to support the weight of the support plate before, during, or after movement of the support plate in the Z direction.

[0024] According to at least one embodiment thereof, the present invention also relates to a method for moving a support plate in a support system according to any one of the prior claims, wherein the support plate is configured to transport a workpiece to be moved to a predetermined spatial position relative to a known default position when in use, and the method comprises the following steps:

[0025] The method comprises the step of moving one or more support assemblies—each support assembly configured to move freely in all axes (XYZ) and rotate freely around all axes (XYZ), and connected to a support plate to impart movement to the support plate in at least one of six degrees of freedom based on the predetermined position by driving one or more motion units to move the support plate to a predetermined position—and further comprises the step of driving a plurality of motion units to move the support plate to a predetermined position. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0026] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which will be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, and in the drawings: [FIG. 1] is a simplified drawing of a support platform for a workpiece to be processed (or "processed") according to one aspect of the present invention; [FIG. 2] is a schematic plan view of the support platform of FIG. 1 illustrating the relative positions of the leg of the support member and the platform moving motor according to one aspect of the present invention; [Fig. 3a] and [Fig. 3b] respectively illustrate the first coupler and the second coupler in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2; [FIG. 4] is a schematic diagram illustrating an alternative relative position of a leg of a support platform according to one aspect of the present invention; [Fig. 5] is a technical diagram of the support platform of Fig. 1 according to one aspect of the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0027] Various aspects of different embodiments of the fluid detector according to the present invention are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Various aspects of different embodiments of a system and a corresponding method for moving a support plate in a processing environment, for example, a processing environment for manufacturing an electronic device according to the present invention, are described in more detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0029] The present invention relates to a system for moving a platform in an electronic device manufacturing environment, for example, for placing a wafer in a processing position at one or more stages of a wafer or chip manufacturing process. Since the system includes a robotic component capable of automatically moving from one position to another according to a command, it is referred to herein as a system or a robot. The command may, in some cases, be given directly by a user or using an interface and / or computer commands. Various types of commands will be discussed in more detail below. The system may also be used in a method for manufacturing wafers, etc., and various stages of the method may be facilitated by the system through appropriate commands.

[0030] The support system (100) is illustrated in three dimensions (3D) in FIG. 1. The system (100) includes a plate or platform (102) for transporting or transferring a workpiece (not illustrated) from one position to another position at various workpiece processing stages or for any other purpose.

[0031] The support platform generally has a circular shape and has a center point (C) and a radius (r). The support platform may have any other shape, size, or orientation required for different applications. The exact size and shape of the platform are known by the system so that the relative movement of the platform can be programmed and executed.

[0032] In the present invention, the workpiece being processed / handled is in the form of one or more electronic devices, for example, a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer comprises, for example, a plurality of chips or similar elements arranged in an array. The array comprises a specific number of rows and columns of chips, etc., arranged at known distances from each other in a known plane. The array may be centered at a center point (C) and may have a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the support plate (102). The workpiece is attached to a platform or to a tool designed to transport the workpiece while being used by an attachment interface adapted to the platform and the workpiece. The position of the workpiece must be precisely known for each processing step, so that the required processing step follows a predetermined plan for manufacturing the part. The position of the workpiece is directly related to the support platform (102) as described below and can be determined by the system.

[0033] The ability to know the position of a workpiece precisely and move it to a new position for the next processing step or for any other use depends on the precise knowledge of the position of the workpiece at any given time. For this purpose, the position of the workpiece is known as 6 degrees of freedom, and the movement of the support plate (102) is based on a conventional position tracking device and also on programming of movement in these 6 degrees of freedom.

[0034] It is assumed that the platform (102) is in a known plane. For example, it is in an XY plane parallel to the floor. The XY plane includes the X direction (or longitudinal direction) and the Y direction (or lateral direction). The X and Y directions are part of the S (or XYZ) coordinate system illustrated in FIG. 1, which is not illustrated but is understood to apply to all other drawings. This S coordinate system includes the X and Y directions forming the XY plane and the Z (or perpendicular) direction orthogonal to the XY plane. The system (100) is designed to move the plate (102) to at least some of the six degrees of freedom. The six degrees of freedom include translation along the X direction (Xi); rotation around the X direction (θX); translation along the Y direction (Yi); rotation around the Y direction (θY); translation along the Z direction (Zi); and rotation around the Z direction (θZ).

[0035] The coordinate system may include different nomenclatures or schematics as would be understood by a person skilled in the art.

[0036] In the illustrated system, there are three legs (104(a), 104(b), and 104(c)), which are spaced apart in a triangular orientation, and each leg is substantially 120° from the other two legs when measured in the XY plane and is equidistant from the center point (C) between the legs (104). This is illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 3a and 3b, and alternatives for different angle values ​​are shown in FIG. 4. The system (100) is designed so that the legs (104) are supported or carried by a robot to which they extend. The legs (104) are extended from the robot through a support structure (106) that ensures the legs (104) do not move relative to the support plate (102) except by the action of one or more motors (108a-c) corresponding to each leg (104). A ball-and-socket joint (110) is provided at the top of each leg (104). In the illustrated example, the top of the leg (104) includes a spherical end (112) configured to engage with each cup (114) connected to the base of the plate (102). Each cup (114) is connected to the base of the support plate by a plurality of connectors. Other types of joints may also be used if they provide flexibility in all three rotations.

[0037] The first coupling (116) is oriented in the plane of the support plate (102) and perpendicular to the radius (r) of a circle centered at C. The first coupling (116) is attached to its base on the edge of the perimeter of the support plate (102). A second connector (118) is coupled to the first connector (116) and the joint (110). The second connector (118) is perpendicular to the first connector (116) and extends along the radius (r) of a circle in the same plane as the support plate (102).

[0038] The robot includes at least one motion unit or motor (108d-f) for moving the support plate (102) from one position to another with one or more of six degrees of freedom.

[0039] The first connector (116) is oriented in the XY plane and corresponds to a 60° position of the angle between each leg, so that when they extend toward the center (C), they meet. The second connector (118) connects the first connector (116) to the base of the support plate (102) and is oriented perpendicular to the axis of the first connector in the same XY plane.

[0040] The robot includes at least one motion unit or motor (108) that enables the robot to move from one position to another position with one or more of six degrees of freedom.

[0041] In one example, each leg may include a motor (108a, 108b, 108c) on the end (120) closest to the robot. Each of these motors can move each leg in a positive or negative direction, or along the Z-axis. To move the platform (102) in the X and Y directions, three additional motors may be associated with the connectors (116 and 118) and can move the support platform for each leg in the X and Y directions. In one aspect, three motors (108d-f) may be associated with the connectors (116 and 118) and can move the support platform for each leg in the X, Y, and theta-Z directions, respectively.

[0042] Each motor (108) produces movement in at least one of the X, Y, and Z directions or rotation around at least one of the X, Y, and Z axes. In some systems (100), there may be one motor for each type of movement, for example, each of the 6 degrees of freedom, or there may be fewer motors if the same motor is used for more than one movement with different degrees of freedom.

[0043] At any time or at any stage of the process, the current position of the workpiece is known. For a given manufacturing process, the next stage of the process is determined. Based on this stage, the required position for the next required workpiece position is determined. Depending on the difference between the known (current) position and the required (next) position, a series of movements of the support plate (102) is required. Subsequently, the motor or motors associated with the support plate (102) are programmed to perform the required movement with at least one of six degrees of freedom to position the workpiece at the required position.

[0044] A controller (not shown) is used to determine the movement and positioning of the workpiece or platform for the first stage of the process and each subsequent stage. The process may consist of multiple stages, each of which occurs at a specific location using a specific tool. The specific location is spatially known by a set of coordinates for a neutral point located somewhere within the processing environment. For example, the home position of an empty platform is defined as the original position, known as a position where all coordinates of the 6 degrees of freedom are zero. Subsequently, each stage of the process occurs at a predetermined position and orientation defined by the coordinates of the default position. The controller commands the motor to move as much as required to position the platform or workpiece at each subsequent set of coordinates for the processing to be performed. It should be noted that after each processing stage, the size of the workpiece may have changed as a result of the previous processing stage, and this is taken into account when determining the next required position. For example, during the deposition stage, the wafer thickness may change, and subsequent processing stages adapt to this change. The controller identifies these changes and calculates the position required for the next stage accordingly.

[0045] It should be noted that the controller is part of a computer system having a processor, memory, and various other input and output mechanisms. One useful mechanism involves measuring the movement of the support platform and the expected movement required for the next step. The system includes a number of sensors that measure the amount of movement of the platform or support plate (102) in each degree of freedom. Typical sensors include optical linear sensors capable of determining the movement of each leg and the movement of the motor corresponding to the first and second couplings (116 and 118). Other measurements may be used, and other types of sensors may be used to measure these and other parameters. The controller may be used with a list of executable code stored in memory and managed by the processor. Thus, the processor can provide instructions to the motor to move the support plate at each step in the sequence of steps. Additionally, the controller knows the base or neutral position from which all measurements were calculated, as described above.

[0046] Now, the manner in which platform movement is generated will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. The support plate is supported by three support assemblies (200). Each support assembly (200) is configured to movably secure the support plate (102) to the leg (104) (not shown in FIG. 2) by a combination of elements. The mobility of the combined support assemblies must be a total of 6 degrees of freedom if 6 degrees of freedom are required. In the illustrated example, the elements include a joint (110) (not shown separately), a first connector (116), and a second connector (118). In some examples, there are multiple motor directions corresponding to the number of degrees of freedom.

[0047] It should be noted that there may be more support assemblies than described, in which case the support assemblies may not include any motors and may simply be free to move. For example, there may be a fourth support member that has no motor and moves freely on all axes.

[0048] As illustrated in FIG. 1, each leg (104) is equipped with a motor (108a-c), and each leg is controlled to move individually relative to the support (106) on which the motor (108a-c) is located. The illustrated orientation of the system indicates that the motors (108a-c) move the support plate in the Z direction (up and down). As each motor (108a-c) operates individually, the position of the joint (110) and, consequently, the position of the support plate (102) may be moved in various directions at varying rates, or may not be moved at all. A combination of these movements results in a corresponding movement of the support plate (102). Using three motors (108a-c), the support plate (102) may be moved to any height along the Z axis of the system or rotated theta X or theta Y. The precise movement of each leg (104) is determined by a controller to position the workpiece at the required precise position. The precise movement imparted by the motor (108a-c) is determined by the controller and is generated in combination with other movements in the XY plane as described below.

[0049] Each first connector (116) is attached to and below the support plate (102), and each second connector (118) is connected between the first connector (116) and the joint (110). The system includes three support structures (200) positioned at equal distances around the edge of the support plate, i.e., at an angle of 120° to each other.

[0050] Referring to FIG. 3a, each first connector (116) extends tangentially along the circumference of a circle having a center (C) as described above. Each first connector (116) includes an elongated guide (300) in which an elongated support rod (302) acts as a sliding connection. The elongated guide includes a connection part (301) that connects the first connector (116) to the second connector (118). At each end of the elongated rod (302), there are respective upward curved portions (304a and 304b) that extend to the support rod (306) attached to the base (308) of the support plate (102). Inside the guide (300), there is a motor (108) that moves the elongated rod (302) within and relative to the elongated guide (300) when operated. Any movement of the elongated rod (302) relative to the guide (300) results in a corresponding movement of the support plate (102) and, therefore, a corresponding movement of the workpiece. Any movement will result in movement in at least one degree of freedom of the system.

[0051] Similarly, FIG. 3b relates to each second connector (118). Each second coupling (118) includes an elongated guide (310) on which an elongated support rod (312) operates. The elongated guide is attached to the first coupler (116) by a connector (311). At each end of the elongated rod (312), there are each downward curved portions (314a and 314b) that extend to the support rod (316) attached to the joint (110). The guide (310) does not include a motor, but moves freely as a result of the movement of the three motors (108d-f) of the first coupling (116) that move the elongated rod (302) within and relative to the elongated guide (300) when operated. Since the second coupling moves freely, any movement imparted by other motors within the system will produce a corresponding movement of the support plate (102) relative to the second coupling (118) of each support assembly (200). Any movement performed by the first coupling (116) or the second coupling (118) as a result of the movement induced by other motors will result in movement of the support plate (102) in at least one degree of freedom of the system. As illustrated in the drawing, there are six motors, each of which is associated with translational movement of the support plate and the corresponding workpiece in use to at least one of the six degrees of freedom. With the six motors (108a-f), a full range of movement in six degrees of freedom is possible.

[0052] In the illustrated arrangement, there is a motor for each degree of freedom, but it is also possible to have fewer motors and translational motion mechanisms to generate individual movement of the leg (104) or coupling (116). In this case, a multi-degree-of-freedom motor or similar may be positioned at the center, for example, between the legs, and can transmit the driving force required to move each leg as needed through a translational system. It will be understood that the number, nature, and position of the motors may be further adapted as long as movement is possible within the degrees of freedom required for the robot's needs.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 2, there are three support assemblies (200). Each support assembly is spaced at equal intervals around the perimeter of the support plate and has the same angle with respect to the center point. FIG. 4 illustrates a different arrangement of support assemblies (200), where two are perpendicular to each other and the other is located at a point equidistant from the other two around the perimeter. This implies that the angle separation is not equal. Two assemblies are perpendicular to each other, and a third assembly is at 135° from the other two assemblies. This arrangement has several additional advantages. By having two perpendicular motors, the movement generated by the motors is smoother, especially in the XY direction—the two perpendicular motors (108e and 108f) simplify the XY movement. As a result, there is less risk of stepwise movement, and the movement of the support plate (102) is smoother than in some other support assembly orientations. FIGS. 2 and FIGS. 4 refer to two exemplary support assembly positions, and it should be noted that other positions may be used without departing from the invention.

[0054] FIG. 5 illustrates a technical diagram of the system of FIG. 1. The motor, leg, and support assembly are not visible because they are enclosed for protection. FIG. 5 is included to show other advantageous features of the present invention. There are springs (500) between each system support or robot support. The purpose of the array of springs (500), which may be coiled wire, magnetic, or gaseous, is to compensate for a portion of the load on the support plate and thus limit the load on the leg (104). This is useful because it means that the total load of the support plate (102), which may be several kilograms, is not supported by the leg (104) alone. As a result, there is less strain on the motor from the weight of the support plate (102) when movement has been performed for a set period. In another example, the spring (500) extends or retracts by a known amount after the leg has moved to bear the load after one leg has completed its movement. In both cases, the spring can be disengaged whenever necessary to allow movement to continue. As another option, the spring is positioned within a specific tolerance in anticipation of the Z-direction movement being completed and subsequent movement in the XY plane.

[0055] It should be noted that motor movement may occur in parallel or sequentially depending on the case.

[0056] The system can move a workpiece to a predetermined position on a support plate with a very small potential deviation from the desired position. The deviation generally does not exceed 3 mm or 0.5°. This meets the requirements necessary to operate in a given environment and use case.

[0057] The system is illustrated having a fully supported support plate (102) that can be moved in 6 degrees of freedom by a stacked configuration of couplers on top of the legs, all within the perimeter of the support plate (102). Consequently, the robot's footprint is limited by the support plate (102). This means that the space required in the XY plane is less than or equal to the size of the support plate. The height of the system or robot is limited to some extent by the height of the legs, and if the legs are fixed, their size is a known minimum. It should be noted that telescopic legs can be used to reduce the overall height of the system and also to facilitate movement in the Z-axis. Motors (18a-c) can act to extend or compress the legs if the legs are essentially telescopic.

[0058] The above invention describes a situation in which it is used in the manufacture of wafers or chip-powered devices. It is also applied to any other robot control environment depending on the adaptations required for other applications. For example, a support system may transport optical, mechanical, or other devices to take actions, execute processes, etc.

[0059] The various examples described are intended to include variations and other features, more or less than those that will become apparent from the scope of the claims appended herein.

[0060] The above description includes various use cases given merely as examples, and many other uses can be anticipated.

[0061] It should be noted that there are many variations of the features described above that are included within the scope of the appended claims. Explanation of the symbols

[0062] 100 Support System 102 Support Plate Legs 104(a), 104(b), and 104(c) 106 Support Structure 108, (108a-f) motor 110 joints 112 Old end 114 cups 116 1st Coupling 118 Second Coupling 200 support assemblies 300 elongated guide 301 Connection 302 Slender rod end Curved sections of 304a and 304b 306 support rod 308 base 310 Slender Guide 311 Connection 312 Slender rod end Curved sections of 314a and 314b 316 support rod 318 Base 500 springs

Claims

Claim 1 A support system (100) for generating movement of a support plate (102), wherein the support plate (102) is configured to transport a workpiece to be moved to a predetermined spatial position relative to a known default position when in use, and the system comprises: a plurality of support assemblies (200), each configured to move freely along each of three axes (XYZ) and rotate freely around all axes (XYZ), and connected to the support plate (102) to translate movement relative to the support plate (102) with at least one of six degrees of freedom based on the predetermined position; one or more motion units (108a-f) each associated with each of the plurality of support assemblies (200); and a controller configured to drive one or more of the motion units (108a-f) to cause the support plate (102) to move to the predetermined position, wherein the number of motion units (108a-f) configured to be driven is the support A support system (100) equal to the number of degrees of freedom required by movement to move the plate (102) to the predetermined position. Claim 2 A support system (100) according to claim 1, characterized by including three support assemblies (200) connected to the support plate (102). Claim 3 A support system (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each support assembly (200) comprises two motion units (108a-f) configured to drive movement along two different axes. Claim 4 A support system (100) characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 3, the support assembly (200) comprises two motion units (108a-f) each connected to each other by a joint (110, 112, 114) of 6 degrees of freedom. Claim 5 A support system (100), wherein, in any one of claims 1 to 4, the support assembly (200) comprises a first motion unit (108a-c) that provides movement along the Z-axis for the default position and a second motion unit (108d-f) that provides movement in the plane of the support plate (102) for the default position. Claim 6 In claim 5, the first motion unit (108a-c) is positioned on one leg (104) of the support system; the leg (104) is configured to change the height of the system relative to the default position, the support system (100). Claim 7 A support system (100), characterized in that, in claim 5 or 6, the second motion unit (108d-f) is positioned in the coupling of the plane of the support plate of the support system (102) and is configured to change the position in the plane of the support plate of the system relative to the default position. Claim 8 A support system (100) according to claim 7, wherein the coupling comprises two orthogonal parts - a first coupling (116) extending in one direction in the plane of the support plate (102) and a second coupling (118) extending in one direction in the plane of the support plate (102), wherein the first coupling (116) is connected to the second coupling (118) and the coupling is located below the support plate (102). Claim 9 A support system (100) characterized in that, in any one of claims 1 to 8, the system further comprises a circular support plate (102), and the circular support plate (102) is attached to the plurality of support assemblies (200) on its circumference. Claim 10 A support system (100) according to claim 9, wherein the support assemblies in the plurality of support assemblies (200) are positioned at equal intervals around the perimeter. Claim 11 A support system (100) according to claim 9, wherein the support assembly in the plurality of support assemblies is positioned around the perimeter of the support plate, and the first support assembly and the second support assembly are separated by a 90° angle. Claim 12 A support system (100) characterized by further including at least one sensor for measuring the movement of the support plate (102) in any one of claims 1 to 11. Claim 13 A support system (100) characterized in that, in claim 12, at least one sensor includes means for measuring at least one movement of at least one part of the support system, and the support system includes means for calculating the position of the support plate (102) based on the measured movement(s). Claim 14 A support system (100) further comprising, in any one of claims 1 to 13, a spring (500) configured to support the weight of the support plate (102) before, during, or after movement in the Z direction of the support plate. Claim 15 A method for moving a support plate in a support system (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the support plate (102) is configured to transport a workpiece to be moved to a predetermined spatial position relative to a known default position when in use, and the method comprises the following steps: moving one or more support assemblies (200) - each of which is configured to move freely in all axes (XYZ) and rotate freely around all axes (XYZ) and is connected to the support plate (102) to impart movement to the support plate (102) in at least one of six degrees of freedom based on the predetermined position by driving one or more motion units (108a-f) to cause the support plate (102) to move to the predetermined position; and further comprising the step of driving a plurality of motion units (108a-f) to move the support plate (102) to the predetermined position.

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