Substrate Transporting Arm Inclined Curved Holder
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, increasing the speed of substrate transporting arms to reduce processing time often results in substrate sliding, which decreases productivity and increases waiting times in reaction chambers.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transporting arm with a body and multiple substrate supporters, each featuring a substrate holder with an inclined portion and a substrate supporter pin made from materials like cerazol, FFPM, ceramic, or glass carbon, which prevents substrate sliding by providing a self-aligning mechanism and minimizing contact area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the moving speed of the substrate transporting arm is increased to reduce transporting time, then the productivity is improved, but the substrate may move or slide on the transporting arm during the transporting process
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate holder includes an inclined portion with a curved surface having a specific curvature (1mm to 10mm). This curved surface allows the substrate to self-align during movement, preventing sliding while maintaining high transporting speeds. The curvature creates a natural guiding effect that stabilizes the substrate position without requiring additional mechanical constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate holder is positioned at a height higher than the upper surface of the substrate, creating a vertical dimension constraint. This dimensional arrangement, combined with the inclined portion, prevents the substrate from moving in multiple directions while allowing smooth transport along the arm's movement path.
2Loss of time
If the substrate transporting arm moves quickly to reduce waiting time in reaction chambers, then the overall process time is reduced, but substrate sliding occurs which decreases productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The curved surface of the inclined portion provides continuous substrate guidance during rapid transport, ensuring that even at high speeds the substrate remains properly positioned. This eliminates repositioning needs and maintains effective processing rates despite increased transport velocity.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate self-aligns on the inclined curved surface during transport, automatically correcting any positional deviations without external intervention. This self-aligning mechanism ensures consistent substrate positioning throughout the transport process, maintaining productivity during rapid transfers.
3Reliability
If the substrate holder contacts the substrate over a larger area to prevent sliding, then positioning stability is improved, but the complexity of the substrate holder structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing overall contact area, the invention concentrates the stabilizing function in the inclined portion with its specific curved surface geometry. This localized feature provides effective substrate guidance through its shape alone, maintaining simplicity while achieving reliable positioning stability.
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
The solution effectively prevents substrate sliding and increases processing speed, thereby enhancing productivity and reducing overall process time by ensuring substrates remain securely positioned on the transporting arm.
Implementation Method 1
an inner side of the substrate holder includes an inclined portion
Implementation Method 2
The substrate holder, at the inclined portion, may have a shape in which a horizontal cross-sectional area of the substrate holder is wide at a lower portion and becomes narrower towards an upper portion of the substrate holder
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transporting arm and a substrate transporting apparatus to prevent a substrate from sliding and increase a process speed of the substrate, thereby improving productivity. The substrate transporting arm includes a body and a plurality of substrate supporters coupled to the body. Each of the plurality of substrate supporters includes a substrate holder and a substrate supporter pin, and an inner side of the substrate holder includes an inclined portion.