FOUP End Effector Sensing for Accurate Wafer Transfer Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing devices face challenges in accurately detecting and managing the movement path of end effectors within FOUPs due to limited installation space and interference with existing equipment, leading to potential substrate damage and requiring process halts for maintenance.
Innovation Solution
An integrated data management system equipped with an end effector detection sensor that senses and transmits the movement path data of the end effector to an external server, allowing real-time monitoring and maintenance without halting substrate processing operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the end effector measurement module is coupled to the supply port, then the movement path of the end effector can be detected, but the installation space is limited and it interferes with the workflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places the detection sensor inside the FOUP rather than at the supply port, changing the spatial dimension of installation. The sensor is positioned to detect the end effector's movement path through the FOUP interior, allowing detection functionality without occupying supply port space or interfering with the workflow outside the FOUP.
2Reliability
If the end effector measurement module is installed to detect movement path, then substrate damage can be prevented, but the substrate processing process must be halted for equipment and maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The detection sensor is integrated into the FOUP structure itself, allowing the FOUP to perform both its primary function of holding substrates and the secondary function of enabling end effector path detection. This self-service approach eliminates the need for separate measurement equipment that would require dedicated maintenance time, as the detection capability is inherent to the FOUP's operational structure.
3Ease of operation
If the atmospheric transfer robot uses spindles and arms through chains or belts, then the robot can move the end effector, but the taught path may deviate if the belt loosens or chain stretches
Solution Approach 1:
The detection sensor provides real-time feedback on the end effector's actual movement path within the FOUP. This feedback mechanism allows the system to monitor and verify the end effector's position and trajectory, compensating for any deviations caused by mechanical issues such as loose belts or stretched chains, thereby maintaining measurement precision despite mechanical imperfections.
Data Source
AI summary
A FOUP comprises: an external server; and a substrate processing device for performing substrate processing and transmitting integrated management data to the external server. The substrate processing device comprises: FOUPs for accommodating a plurality of substrates; load ports to which the FOUPs are detachably coupled; a process chamber in which substrate processing is performed; an EFEM, which is provided between the process chamber and the load ports, and has an end effector for getting, into the process chamber, the substrates accommodated in the FOUPs or putting, into the FOUPs, the substrates for which processing is completed in the process chamber; and a control unit for transmitting, if the FOUPs are loaded in the load ports, moving path data of the end effector to the external server when the end effector enters into or retreats from the FOUPs.