Adaptive Substrate Placement via Edge Sensor Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Substrate processing systems face challenges in achieving precise and repeatable substrate placement due to factors like vibration, thermal effects, and sensor variability, leading to inaccuracies in calibration and placement precision.
Innovation Solution
An adaptive substrate placement system that uses a robot and multiple edge sensors to detect substrate edges, determining precise sensor locations through calibration, and adjusting the robot's placement location to ensure accurate substrate positioning along a nominal transport path, even when the substrate is misaligned.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If sensors and algorithms are added to detect and correct placement variables, then placement precision is improved, but system complexity and sensitivity to calibration accuracy increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the substrate itself as the calibration fixture during normal operation. The substrate's own edges are detected by the sensors to automatically determine sensor locations and calculate placement corrections, eliminating the need for separate calibration fixtures and reducing system complexity while maintaining high precision
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors substrate edge positions using sensors and automatically adjusts placement locations based on detected deviations from the nominal path. This real-time feedback loop corrects placement errors without requiring complex manual calibration procedures
2Ease of manufacture
If calibration is performed using the nominal transport path, then calibration simplicity is improved, but placement accuracy deteriorates due to substrate misalignment and edge angle variations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts sensor locations and placement corrections based on the actual substrate position and edge angle detected during transport. Instead of using fixed nominal values, the system calculates real-time adjustments that account for substrate misalignment and varying edge angles, maintaining accuracy without complicating calibration
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters used for calibration from fixed nominal values to dynamically determined values based on actual substrate detection. By adjusting sensor locations and placement corrections based on measured substrate positions and edge angles, the system achieves high accuracy while keeping the calibration process simple
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances placement precision and reduces variability by accounting for sensor inconsistencies and misalignment, resulting in improved accuracy and reliability of substrate placement in substrate processing systems.
Implementation Method 1
two or more sensors configured to detect an edge of the substrate as the substrate transport robot moves the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A method of determining a robot place location for a robot, the robot adapted to transport a substrate. The method comprises moving a calibration fixture past one or more edge sensors along a calibration path offset from and substantially parallel to a nominal transport path; determining robot locations when an edge of the calibration fixture changes a state of the one or more edge sensors; determining one or more sensor locations of the one or more edge sensors based on the robot locations; transporting the substrate along the nominal transport path past the one or more edge sensors to a target location; determining the robot place location based on the sensor locations; and placing the substrate at the target location with the robot located at the robot place location.