Inter-Buffer Delivery Device for Substrate Processing Continuity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In substrate processing systems, when one substrate processing unit breaks down, unprocessed substrates can remain in the buffer for an extended time due to the inability to transfer them to another processing unit, disrupting continuous processing.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an inter-buffer delivery device that transfers unprocessed substrates from the buffer of a malfunctioning substrate processing unit to another substrate processing unit, ensuring continuous processing by utilizing a first and second substrate transfer device and a substrate mounting table with receptacles for substrate processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a substrate processing unit breaks down, then the substrate buffer of that unit accumulates unprocessed substrates, but the processing continuity is disrupted and substrates remain idle for extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate buffer is designed to serve multiple substrate processing units rather than being dedicated to a single unit. When one processing unit breaks down, substrates accumulated in its buffer can be transferred to and processed by other functional processing units, allowing the buffer to fulfill its purpose for multiple units and maintaining overall system productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
A transfer mechanism serves as an intermediary device that enables substrate movement between different substrate buffers and processing units. This mediator facilitates the redirection of substrates from a failed unit's buffer to functional units, resolving the contradiction between buffer accumulation and processing continuity.
2Productivity
If each substrate processing unit has its own dedicated substrate buffer and transfer device, then each unit operates independently, but system flexibility and adaptability decrease when abnormalities occur
Solution Approach 1:
Substrate buffers are designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple processing units. This universal design allows substrates to be dynamically allocated to any functional processing unit, enhancing both processing efficiency and system flexibility when abnormalities occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamic substrate allocation where substrates can be redirected between different processing units based on real-time operational status. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt to failures while maintaining high processing efficiency through flexible resource utilization.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate processing system 10 includes a multiple number of substrate processing units 40A and 40B having substrate processing modules 40a and 40b, respectively; substrate buffers 30a and 30b which respectively correspond to the substrate processing units 40A and 40B; and a first substrate transfer device 50 configured to take out substrates W from substrate receptacles 20 on substrate mounting tables 25 into substrate buffers 30a and 30b. When a second substrate transfer device 60b of the substrate processing unit 40B is broken down, a substrate W remaining in the substrate buffer 30b corresponding to the substrate processing unit 40B is delivered into the substrate buffer 30a corresponding to the substrate processing unit 40A by a substrate delivery device 35.