Substrate Transport Robot Rotation Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing substrate processing apparatuses face limitations in throughput due to the need for the center robot to rotate extensively during substrate transport between the indexer section, reversing unit, and back surface cleaning units, leading to increased processing time.
Innovation Solution
The substrate processing apparatus is designed with a first transport device that rotates approximately 90 degrees around a vertical axis when transporting substrates between the interface region and the processing section, reducing the distance and time required for transport, and includes reversing units positioned above or below the substrate platform to efficiently reverse and process substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the center robot is positioned between the substrate transport robot and the reversing unit, then the substrate can be transported through the processing section, but the rotation angle of the center robot increases to 180 degrees or more, prolonging the transport time and limiting throughput improvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the reversing unit from the opposite end of the processing section to be adjacent to the substrate transport robot. This spatial reconfiguration changes the transport path geometry, allowing the center robot to rotate approximately 90 degrees instead of 180 degrees or more, thereby reducing transport time and improving throughput
2Ease of manufacture
If the reversing unit is positioned at the opposite end of the processing section, then the substrate processing can be completed, but the center robot has to rotate extensively (180 degrees or more) during substrate transport, increasing processing time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the reversing unit from its conventional position at the opposite end of the processing section and relocates it to be adjacent to the substrate transport robot. This separation of the reversing function from the far end of the processing section simplifies the robot's rotation requirements and reduces operational complexity
Data Source
AI summary
In a processing block, a plurality of back surface cleaning units and a main robot are provided. The main robot is provided between the back surface cleaning units provided on one side of the processing block and the back surface cleaning units provided on the other side of the processing block. A reversing unit used to reverse a substrate and a substrate platform used to transfer and receive substrates between an indexer robot and the main robot are provided adjacent to each other in the vertical direction between the indexer robot and the processing block. The main robot transports substrates among the plurality of back surface cleaning units, the substrate platform, and the reversing unit.