Frame Wafer Conveyance Orientation Detection Using Asymmetric Frame
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conveyance systems for frame wafers face challenges in automatically distinguishing the front and back orientations without human intervention, leading to potential contamination and production failures due to incorrect handling and orientation during processing.
Innovation Solution
A conveyance system equipped with detectors and a controller that utilize the asymmetry of the frame wafer to determine its orientation, allowing for automatic discrimination of the front and back sides without human intervention, and includes an inversion mechanism to adjust the orientation as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a worker manually checks the front and back of the frame wafer in the housing, then the orientation can be confirmed, but this leads to troublesome confirmation work and contamination of the internal space of the housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical inspection method with an automated optical detection system. Sensors detect the presence or absence of the frame in specific regions to automatically determine front/back orientation, eliminating the need for workers to enter the housing and thus preventing contamination while maintaining accurate orientation confirmation
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service orientation detection by using detectors that automatically identify the frame wafer's orientation state. The detection system serves itself by continuously monitoring the frame position and providing orientation information without human intervention, thereby avoiding contamination risks
2Device complexity
If the frame wafer is processed without automatic orientation detection, then the system remains simple, but production failure may occur due to incorrect front and back orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the asymmetric structure of the frame wafer as a natural identification feature. By detecting which asymmetric portion appears in specific detection regions, the system can reliably determine front/back orientation without adding complex identification markers or mechanisms, thus maintaining system simplicity while ensuring processing reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical orientation verification mechanisms with simple optical sensors and control logic. The detectors and controller work together to automatically determine orientation based on frame position, providing reliable processing outcomes without introducing complex mechanical systems
3Measurement precision
If detectors and controllers are added to automatically determine frame wafer orientation, then orientation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent leverages the inherent asymmetric geometry of the frame wafer as a built-in identification code. The detectors simply need to identify which asymmetric feature is visible in each detection region, converting a potentially complex orientation measurement problem into a simple presence/absence detection task that maintains high accuracy with minimal added complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The detection system is segmented into multiple independent detectors, each responsible for a specific detection region. This segmentation allows each detector to perform a simple binary detection task rather than one complex detector analyzing the entire frame, thereby improving overall orientation determination accuracy while keeping individual detector components simple
Data Source
AI summary
A conveyance system discriminates the front and back of a frame wafer without human intervention. A frame is partially formed asymmetrically with respect to a predetermined center line when viewed in a direction orthogonal to a surface of a wafer. The conveyance system includes a hand configured to hold the frame so that the frame extends in a predetermined virtual plane, a first sensor configured to detect a portion of the frame held on the hand and located in a predetermined first region in the virtual plane, a second sensor configured to detect a portion of the frame held on the hand and located in a second region opposite to the first region across the center line, and a controller configured to determine the front and back of the frame wafer based on a detection result obtained by the first sensor and a detection result obtained by the second sensor.