Substrate Posture Turning Mechanism for Accessible Wafer Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate treating apparatus faces challenges in efficiently accessing and processing substrates that have been posture-turned from vertical to horizontal, particularly when the rotating mechanism receives substrates from a vertical posture at a distance, and there is a need for direct receipt of substrates by the posture turning unit from batch to single-wafer transport mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A substrate treating apparatus is designed with a posture turning mechanism that includes a substrate holder accessible by the batch substrate transport mechanism, a posture turning unit accessible by the single-wafer substrate transport mechanism, and a second batch substrate transport mechanism to facilitate the transfer of substrates from vertical to horizontal posture, using horizontal chucks and auxiliary chucks to support and rotate the substrates, ensuring easy access and preventing substrate damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the rotating mechanism receives substrates from the vertical substrate transporting robot at a position far apart from the horizontal substrate transporting robot, then the batch processing capacity is maintained, but the horizontal substrate transporting robot has difficulty receiving substrates in horizontal posture
Solution Approach 1:
A posture turning mechanism is introduced as an intermediary device between the vertical and horizontal substrate transporting robots. This mechanism receives substrates in vertical posture from the batch substrate transport, turns them to horizontal posture, and delivers them to the single-wafer processing module, thereby resolving the accessibility issue while maintaining batch processing capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate transport system is segmented into distinct functional zones: a batch substrate transport region for receiving substrates in vertical posture, and a single-wafer substrate transport region for processing substrates in horizontal posture. The posture turning mechanism acts as a transition interface between these segmented regions, allowing each to operate independently at optimal positions
2Ease of operation
If the posture turning mechanism is positioned far from the batch substrate transport mechanism, then the single-wafer substrate transport mechanism can access substrates easily, but the transfer process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The posture turning mechanism integrates multiple functions into a single device: it receives substrates from the batch transport, performs the posture turning operation, and delivers substrates to the single-wafer transport. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate transfer mechanisms and simplifies the overall system architecture
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus. In the substrate treating apparatus, a pusher is provided at a position accessible by a first transport mechanism, and a posture turning unit is provided at a position accessible by a center robot. A second transport mechanism receives substrates in a vertical posture held by the pusher, and delivers the substrates to the posture turning unit. The second transport mechanism includes two horizontal chucks configured to hold the substrates in the vertical posture while radially supporting two side portions of each of the substrates. The posture turning unit includes an upper and lower chucks for radially supporting an upper portion and a lower portion of each of the substrates in the vertical posture held by the two horizontal chucks to receive the substrates in the vertical posture from the two horizontal chucks, and upper and lower chuck rotation unit for rotating the upper and lower chucks around a horizontal axis.