FOUP Cleaning Robot Hand for Simultaneous Shell and Door Washing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wafer storage container cleaning apparatuses face inefficiencies in throughput, which impede the production efficiency of semiconductor devices due to the need for separate cleaning of the shell and door components of the FOUP, leading to increased processing time and potential contamination risks.
Innovation Solution
A wafer storage container cleaning apparatus with a transfer robot equipped with a robot hand that can individually grip and manipulate the shell and door components, allowing for simultaneous cleaning in a single chamber, optimizing the cleaning process by reducing interference and simplifying the gripping mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the shell and door are cleaned individually in separate cleaning chambers, then the cleaning process is thorough, but the throughput and production efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cleaning processes of the shell and door into a single cleaning chamber. The transfer robot places both components inside the same chamber where they are cleaned simultaneously using spray nozzles and ultrasonic vibration, eliminating the need for separate cleaning chambers and thereby improving throughput while maintaining cleaning quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot hand is segmented into two independent gripping portions: a shell gripping portion with first gripping claws and a door gripping portion with second gripping claws. This segmentation allows the robot to independently grip and position both the shell and door within the single cleaning chamber, enabling simultaneous cleaning without interference.
2Device complexity
If a single robot hand is used to grip both shell and door, then the device complexity is reduced, but the gripping stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The robot hand is divided into two independent gripping portions, each with its own pair of gripping claws. The shell gripping portion has first gripping claws that move along a first straight line, while the door gripping portion has second gripping claws that move along a second straight line intersecting the first. This segmentation provides independent control for each component, ensuring gripping stability while maintaining a unified robot hand structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dimensional differentiation by having the first and second gripping claws move along intersecting straight lines. This orthogonal or angled arrangement of movement paths allows independent manipulation of shell and door in different spatial dimensions, preventing interference while maintaining gripping stability.
3Productivity
If the shell and door are cleaned simultaneously in a single chamber, then the throughput is improved, but the cleaning precision may be affected by interference
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning chamber is effectively segmented into two independent cleaning zones through the use of separate gripping portions and spray nozzle arrangements. The first spray nozzles target the shell while the second spray nozzles target the door, and ultrasonic vibration is applied independently to each component, ensuring cleaning precision is maintained despite simultaneous processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses spatial differentiation by positioning spray nozzles and applying ultrasonic vibration from different directions and locations within the chamber. The shell and door are oriented and cleaned from different spatial positions, preventing interference between cleaning operations while maintaining high cleaning precision for both components.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wafer storage container cleaning apparatus includes a cleaning chamber that cleans a wafer storage container including a shell including an opening on one surface and a gripped portion on another surface crossing the one surface with the opening, and a door detachable from the opening; and a transfer robot including a robot hand that individually grips the shell and the door. The robot hand includes a shell gripping portion including a pair of first gripping claws that are movable toward and away from each other along a first straight line; and a door gripping portion including a pair of second gripping claws movable toward and away from each other along a second straight line intersecting the first straight line in a top view. The cleaning chamber cleans the shell with the opening facing downward.