Substrate Transfer Robot Motion Control for Wafer Position Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate transferring robots struggle to prevent positional deviations of wafers during transfer, as existing devices are ineffective in regulating movement to mitigate acceleration and velocity-related deviations.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transferring robot with a robotic arm and a controlling part that performs operation regulating control, moving the hand along a path with a vertical acceleration component exceeding a given threshold and including horizontal velocity and acceleration components to suppress positional deviations, and normal control for prompt movement when the substrate is not placed, ensuring accurate transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the robot arm moves the hand quickly to improve transfer efficiency, then productivity increases, but positional deviation of the substrate occurs due to excessive acceleration and velocity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the control parameters adaptive rather than fixed. The control unit dynamically adjusts velocity and acceleration commands based on real-time feedback from position detection, creating a dynamic control system that responds to actual movement conditions. This allows the system to optimize transfer speed while maintaining precision through continuous adaptation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control by detecting the actual position of the hand and substrate, comparing it with the target position, and using this information to generate corrected velocity and acceleration commands. The control unit continuously monitors movement state and adjusts control parameters based on feedback, ensuring positional accuracy while maintaining efficient transfer.
2Loss of time
If the robot arm moves with high acceleration to reduce transfer time, then productivity improves, but substrate positional deviation increases due to inertia forces
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts acceleration commands based on real-time position feedback and predicted future positions. Rather than using fixed high acceleration, the system calculates optimal acceleration profiles that minimize transfer time while keeping inertial forces within limits that prevent substrate deviation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit performs preliminary calculation of velocity and acceleration commands based on detected position and target position before executing movement. This preliminary action allows the system to plan optimal movement trajectories that achieve fast transfer while preventing excessive acceleration that would cause substrate deviation.
3Ease of operation
If conventional control methods are used to maintain simple operation, then ease of operation is maintained, but the system cannot prevent positional deviation of the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The control system performs self-adjustment by automatically calculating optimal velocity and acceleration commands based on detected position information. The system serves itself by autonomously optimizing control parameters without requiring complex manual intervention or tuning, maintaining ease of operation while achieving precise substrate transfer.
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
Effectively prevents positional deviations of substrates by regulating movement according to specific thresholds, ensuring precise placement and rapid transfer without interference with the surrounding environment.
Implementation Method 1
the hand is moved in accordance with an operation plan that regulates the movement of the hand in a regulation target section where the hand is moved to have a vertical acceleration component exceeding a given first threshold, the movement of the hand including a horizontal velocity component exceeding a given second threshold
Implementation Method 2
reducing the occurrence of deviations caused by inertia and centrifugal forces
Data Source
AI summary
A robot controlling part (41) of a substrate transferring robot performs an operation regulating control when a substrate is placed on a substrate placing part (12a). The operation regulating control is a control in which a hand (12) is moved in accordance with an operation plan that regulates the movement of the hand in a regulation target section (A) where the hand is moved to have a vertical acceleration component exceeding a given first threshold (L1), the movement of the hand including at least one of a horizontal velocity component exceeding a given second threshold (L2) and an acceleration component exceeding a given third threshold.