Rotating Optical Sensor for Compact Substrate Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing detecting apparatus for substrate housing states in semiconductor manufacturing processes requires a significant horizontal space for sliding mechanisms, leading to increased footprint and inefficient use of space in clean rooms.
Innovation Solution
A detecting apparatus with a rotating supporting shaft and raising/lowering mechanism allows the optical sensor to enter the housing body vertically, eliminating the need for horizontal sliding and reducing the apparatus' size by positioning the detection components between the light emitting and receiving parts within the housing body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the supporting member horizontally slides to allow the optical sensor to enter the cassette, then the optical sensor can detect the housing states of wafers, but the footprint of the apparatus increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the movement direction from horizontal sliding to vertical raising/lowering. The supporting member moves vertically to position the optical sensor above or below the cassette, eliminating the need for horizontal space. This dimensional change resolves the contradiction by maintaining detection capability while reducing footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of moving the optical sensor horizontally into the cassette space, the invention inverts the approach by positioning the sensor vertically above or below the cassette and using vertical movement to achieve detection. This inversion of the movement paradigm eliminates the horizontal space requirement.
2Ease of operation
If the supporting member slides horizontally by the thickness of door opener and door, then the optical sensor can access the cassette interior, but space between mounting table and transfer unit must be secured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the horizontal sliding requirement by implementing vertical movement of the supporting member. The optical sensor accesses the cassette interior by moving vertically above or below it, removing the dependency on horizontal space between the mounting table and transfer unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the horizontal sliding mechanical system with a vertical raising/lowering mechanical system. This substitution changes the spatial requirements from horizontal to vertical, eliminating the need to secure space between the mounting table and transfer unit.
3Reliability
If the detecting apparatus uses a horizontal sliding mechanism, then the optical sensor can enter the cassette, but the apparatus size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces apparatus size by changing the movement from horizontal to vertical. The supporting member with the optical sensor moves vertically above or below the cassette, eliminating the horizontal space required for sliding mechanisms and thereby reducing the overall apparatus volume.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces the horizontal space requirements, enabling a more compact substrate processing apparatus while maintaining effective detection of substrate presence, absence, and attitude at multiple tiers.
Implementation Method 1
an optical sensor including a light emitting part for horizontally applying a linear light and a light receiving part for receiving the light, and capable of optically detecting the housing states of the substrates
Data Source
AI summary
An optical sensor for detecting the housing state such as the thickness of a substrate in the present invention is provided at supporting arms. The supporting arms are attached to a supporting shaft. The supporting arms are in a vertical state in a state before detection of the substrate, but when detecting, the supporting shaft rotates to bring the supporting arms into a horizontal state so that the optical sensor enters a substrate housing body and is set at a predetermined detection position. Accordingly, a space for moving the optical sensor in the horizontal direction becomes unnecessary to reduce the space required for the detecting operation and the like, making it possible to reduce the size of a substrate processing apparatus in which the detecting apparatus is incorporated.