Substrate Transport Arm Displacement Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing systems face challenges in transferring substrates between modules due to displacement issues, leading to potential collisions or falls, which necessitate manual intervention and reduce operating efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus equipped with a detection system to determine substrate displacement from a reference position and a control mechanism that adjusts the transport mechanism to either transport the substrate to the next module within an acceptable range or to a substrate stage module for correction, ensuring safe and efficient transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual intervention is used to reset substrate displacement, then substrate position accuracy is improved, but operating efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects substrate displacement using detection sections, calculates the displacement amount, and controls the holding member to correct the position. This self-correcting mechanism eliminates the need for manual intervention while maintaining position accuracy, thus resolving the contradiction between precision and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection section continuously monitors substrate position, and the control section uses this feedback information to calculate displacement and adjust the holding member's position. This closed-loop feedback system ensures accurate substrate positioning while enabling continuous automated operation, improving both precision and efficiency.
2Productivity
If substrate transport continues without correction, then operating efficiency is improved, but substrate safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The detection section detects substrate displacement before transport occurs, and the control section calculates and corrects the position in advance. By performing preliminary detection and correction, the system prevents potential collisions or substrate drops during transport, ensuring safety while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies counter-action by moving the holding member in the opposite direction of the substrate displacement to prevent harmful effects. This preliminary anti-action corrects position deviations before they can cause collisions or substrate drops during the transport process.
3Productivity
If automatic detection and correction system is implemented, then operating efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holding member serves multiple functions: it holds the substrate during transport, acts as a correction mechanism by moving in the opposite direction of displacement, and integrates with the detection and control sections. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate correction devices, managing complexity while enabling automatic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection section, calculation section, and holding member control are integrated into a unified automated system. By merging these functions, the patent achieves automatic substrate position correction without requiring separate manual intervention systems, balancing complexity with operational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique which, when transporting a substrate from one module to another, detects a displacement of the substrate on a holding member and transfers the substrate to another module with the displacement within an acceptable range. Displacement of a wafer on a fork of a transport arm from a reference position is determined when the fork has received the wafer from one module and, when the displacement is within an acceptable range, the wafer is transported by the transport arm to another module. When the displacement is out of the acceptable range, the wafer is transported by the transport arm to a wafer stage module, and then the transport arm receives the wafer from the wafer stage module so that the displacement comes to fall within the acceptable range. The wafer can therefore be transferred to another module with the displacement within the acceptable range.