Substrate Transfer Correction for Inclination and Protrusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, substrates are prone to damage and transfer errors when unloaded from transfer containers due to inclination and protrusion issues, which existing technologies fail to adequately address, leading to decreased production efficiency and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transfer apparatus and method that includes a detection unit to assess the accommodation status of substrates within the container, a correction device to adjust the substrate position before unloading, and a substrate transfer device to safely unload the substrates, ensuring they are in a stable horizontal position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the cover body is separated from the container main body to unload substrates, then substrate transfer efficiency is improved, but substrate inclination and protrusion occur causing damage and transfer errors
Solution Approach 1:
The detection unit performs preliminary detection of substrate accommodation status before the substrate transfer device enters the container. This early detection allows the system to identify inclination or protrusion issues before they cause damage, enabling preventive correction actions to be taken.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection unit provides real-time feedback on substrate position and status to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the system to monitor substrate accommodation status continuously and trigger correction operations when abnormalities are detected, ensuring reliable transfer operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If a positioning error correction member is provided at the moving and mounting device to correct substrate positioning, then transfer accuracy is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate transfer device utilizes its own operational movements and existing structural components to correct substrate positioning errors, rather than relying on separate dedicated correction mechanisms. The device can adjust its entry position, angle, or movement trajectory to compensate for detected substrate misalignment, achieving positioning correction through self-adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate transfer device is designed to perform multiple functions: it not only transfers substrates but also detects substrate status and corrects positioning errors. By integrating detection and correction capabilities into the transfer device itself, the system eliminates the need for separate specialized correction components, reducing overall device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If the substrate transfer device enters the container main body to unload substrates, then substrate unloading is enabled, but substrate damage may occur due to inclination and protrusion
Solution Approach 1:
The detection unit performs preliminary detection of substrate accommodation status before the substrate transfer device enters the container. This early detection allows the system to identify inclination or protrusion issues before they cause damage, enabling preventive correction actions to be taken.
Solution Approach 2:
The system takes preliminary anti-action by detecting and correcting substrate inclination or protrusion before the transfer device enters the container. By counteracting the potential harmful effects in advance through detection and correction operations, the system prevents substrate damage that would otherwise occur during the transfer operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transfer method is provided. The substrate transfer method comprises: loading the transfer container to a load port, and separating the cover body from the container main body; detecting an accommodation status of the substrate in the container main body by a detection unit; correcting, by a correction device, the accommodation status of the substrate in the container main body in which the accommodation status of the substrate detected by the detection unit is abnormal; and allowing a substrate transfer device to enter the container main body in which the accommodation status of the substrate is corrected, and unloading the substrate from the container main body.