Substrate Transport Device Detection Position Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate processing apparatuses face limitations in achieving high transport accuracy due to deviations between design and actual positions of detectors in the substrate transport device, which affect the precise placement of substrates in processing units.
Innovation Solution
A substrate transport device equipped with a movable element, drivers, detectors, and a transport controller that calculates and corrects deviations between design and actual detector positions, ensuring accurate substrate positioning through a detection position calibration method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the positions of the plurality of detectors are highly accurately adjusted during manufacture or maintenance, then the transport accuracy of the substrate is improved, but the complexity and difficulty of manufacture and maintenance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection position calibration by moving the holder to predetermined positions and calculating deviation amounts between actual and design detector positions before substrate transport. This preliminary calibration stores correction data that compensates for detector position deviations, eliminating the need for highly accurate manual detector adjustment during manufacture or maintenance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the detection system by calculating and applying deviation amount corrections for each detector. Instead of physically adjusting detector positions to match design specifications, the system modifies the detection parameters through calculated corrections that compensate for positional deviations, thereby maintaining high transport accuracy without difficult mechanical adjustments.
2Manufacturing precision
If deviation amounts between design and actual detector positions are calculated and corrected, then the transport accuracy of the substrate is improved, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the detection position calibration process measures actual detector positions, calculates deviation amounts from design positions, and uses these deviations to correct subsequent substrate position detection. This feedback loop automatically compensates for detector position errors without requiring complex manual calibration procedures or additional hardware components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual model of the detector position deviations by calculating deviation amounts and storing them in the control system. This digital copy of the positional errors is then used to correct detection results, replacing the need for complex physical calibration mechanisms or additional sensing hardware while achieving high transport accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
During a detection position calibrating operation and a substrate transport operation, a detection coordinate calculator calculates detection coordinates of an outer periphery of a reference substrate or a substrate placed at a reference position on a hand. During the detection position calibrating operation, an offset calculator calculates offsets of a plurality of detectors based on detection coordinates and design coordinates. During the substrate transport operation, a detection coordinate corrector corrects the detection coordinates based on the offsets of the plurality of detectors, and a coordinate information corrector corrects coordinate information based on the corrected detection coordinates. A movement controller controls an up-and-down direction driving motor, a horizontal direction driving motor and a rotation direction driving motor and controls an upper hand advancing retreating driving motor and a lower hand advancing retreating driving motor, such that the substrate is transported from a reception position to a placement position based on the corrected coordinate information.