Substrate Transport Robot Motion Control for Liquid Film Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate treating systems risk liquid spillage from substrates during transportation due to drying, which can cause pattern collapse on substrates with formed features.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transporting robot with a hand that supports substrates in a horizontal posture, equipped with a moving mechanism and a controller that adjusts acceleration/deceleration based on the state of the liquid film to prevent spillage, utilizing sensors to detect and adjust movement accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the substrate is transported in a horizontal posture with liquid piled up on the top face to prevent drying, then the substrate can be protected from drying, but the liquid may spill during transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The robot dynamically adjusts its movement parameters (acceleration, deceleration, speed) based on real-time liquid film state detection. The controller modifies the motion profile adaptively to match the liquid's stability conditions, transitioning from static to dynamic parameter adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
A sensor detects the liquid film state (thickness, volume, distribution) and feeds this information back to the controller. The controller then adjusts movement parameters based on this feedback, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents liquid spillage while maintaining substrate hydration.
2Productivity
If the hand moves at high speed to improve productivity, then transportation efficiency increases, but liquid spillage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The movement speed is not fixed but dynamically adjusted based on liquid film conditions. The robot can operate at high speeds when the liquid film is stable and reduce speed when spillage risk increases, optimizing both productivity and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes movement parameters (speed, acceleration, deceleration) based on detected liquid film state. When the liquid film is thick or unstable, the robot reduces speed and acceleration; when the liquid film is stable, the robot can maintain higher speeds for improved productivity.
3Loss of time
If the acceleration/deceleration range is widened to reduce transportation time, then productivity improves, but liquid spillage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor continuously monitors liquid film state during acceleration and deceleration phases. If the liquid becomes unstable due to high acceleration, the system receives feedback and adjusts the acceleration profile to prevent spillage while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The acceleration and deceleration profiles are dynamically optimized based on liquid film characteristics. The system determines an optimal range that balances transportation time with liquid stability, adjusting these parameters in real-time rather than using fixed conservative values.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transporting robot includes a hand configured to support the substrate in a horizontal posture, an advancing and withdrawing mechanism and a linear moving mechanism configured to move the hand in a horizontal direction, and a robot controller. The robot controller causes the hand to support the substrate, on whose top face a liquid film is formed, to obtain a first range of an acceleration/deceleration for moving the hand in correspondence to a state of the liquid film, and causes at least either the advancing and withdrawing mechanism or the linear moving mechanism to move the hand at an acceleration/deceleration within the first range.