Robot-Guided Maintenance Quality Control for Substrate Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manual maintenance work in substrate processing systems leads to variations in work quality, necessitating the introduction of a robot to support and ensure consistent maintenance work quality.

Innovation Solution

A maintenance work support system comprising a work robot equipped with sensors to measure work quality, a processor to determine compliance with set criteria, and a control unit to adjust operations until quality is met, along with stowable work robots and conveying robots to assist in maintenance tasks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual maintenance work is performed by workers, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but work quality varies and consistency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework quality consistencyVSAvoidautomation level

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSExtent of automation

Solution Approach 1:

The robot performs maintenance work autonomously without continuous human intervention. The robot independently executes maintenance tasks, measures work quality using sensors, and performs additional operations when quality criteria are not met, enabling the system to serve itself and maintain consistent quality standards.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates sensors that measure work quality during maintenance operations and feed this information back to the control unit. The control unit compares measured values against predetermined criteria and automatically adjusts operations or performs additional maintenance tasks when quality thresholds are not satisfied, ensuring consistent work quality through closed-loop feedback control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If a robot is introduced to perform maintenance work, then work quality consistency is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework quality consistencyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The robot is designed with multi-functionality to perform various maintenance tasks across different work items. The robot can adapt to different maintenance operations, measure different quality parameters using integrated sensors, and execute diverse additional operations based on measured results, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices and simplifying the overall system architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges the maintenance execution function, quality measurement function, and control decision-making function into a single integrated robot system. The sensor unit, control unit, and robot manipulator are combined to work as one cohesive system, eliminating the need for separate manual inspection and adjustment processes and reducing operational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If additional operations are performed until quality is satisfied, then work quality is ensured, but maintenance time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvework quality satisfactionVSAvoidmaintenance time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The robot performs preliminary maintenance operations with parameters optimized to achieve quality satisfaction in the first attempt. The control unit uses predetermined criteria and stored operation data to guide the initial maintenance action, reducing the need for multiple iterative adjustments and minimizing total maintenance time while ensuring quality standards are met.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces manual trial-and-adjustment processes with automated sensor-based measurement and algorithm-driven control decisions. The control unit automatically determines whether additional operations are needed based on objective measured values compared against predetermined criteria, eliminating subjective human judgment and reducing unnecessary iterative operations that would extend maintenance time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20260004258A1Maintenance work support system, control method, and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing control program

Publication Date: 2026.01.01 TOKYO ELECTRON LTD

AI summary

To ensure consistency in quality of maintenance work, a maintenance work support system including a work robot for performing maintenance work for each work item includes: a sensor configured to measure a measurement-target part specified for a target work item every time maintenance work for the work item is performed; a processor; and a memory. The processor functions as: a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a measurement result measured by the sensor satisfies a work quality set for the work item; and a control unit configured to, when it is determined that the work quality is not satisfied, control an additional operation for the maintenance work for the work item to be performed until the determination unit determines that the work quality is satisfied.