Vacuum Chamber Substrate Transfer Structure for Long-Reach Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate transfer apparatuses face challenges in accurately transferring high-load substrates over long distances due to robot drooping, leading to substrate slip and misalignment at process stations.
Innovation Solution
The substrate transfer apparatus incorporates an elevating robot with a series of hollow elevating shafts and a travel robot with a travel arm platform, allowing for precise positioning and reduced drooping by distributing the load and improving mechanical stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a conventional substrate transfer robot transfers a high-load substrate over a long distance, then the substrate can be moved from one location to another, but the robot droops due to the high load, causing the substrate to tilt and slip at the process station
Solution Approach 1:
The transfer system is divided into multiple segments: an elevating robot with multiple hollow elevating shafts for vertical movement, a travel robot with travel arm platform for horizontal movement, and a transfer robot for substrate handling. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, reducing overall drooping and improving positioning accuracy over long distances
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces vertical elevation movement as an additional dimension to the traditional horizontal transfer path. By using hollow elevating shafts that can extend and retract vertically, the system can adjust the transfer path height to avoid obstacles and optimize the transfer route, thereby reducing the impact of robot drooping on substrate positioning accuracy
2Ease of operation
If the robot structure is simplified for easier operation, then the complexity of the transfer system is reduced, but the ability to accurately position high-load substrates over long distances deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow elevating shafts serve multiple functions: they provide vertical elevation support, guide the travel arm platform movement, and can be extended or retracted to adjust the transfer path. This multi-functionality allows the system to maintain high reliability for accurate substrate positioning while keeping the overall structure relatively simple and easy to operate
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate transfer apparatus transfers a substrate in a vacuum chamber. The substrate transfer apparatus includes an elevating robot, a travel robot and a transfer robot. The elevating robot includes an elevating plate through which through-holes are formed, and hollow elevating shafts, wherein each central axis of the hollow elevating shafts corresponds to each center of the through-holes, wherein the elevating robot is sealably coupled with a vacuum chamber through-hole. The travel robot includes a travel arm platform through which coupling holes are formed, wherein each of the hollow elevating shafts is inserted into each lower space of each of the coupling holes, a first travel arm part including a (1_1)-st and a (1_2)-nd travel link arms, second travel arm parts including a (2_1)-st and a (2_2)-nd travel link arms, and a transfer robot coupling part coupled with the (1_2)-nd and the (2_2)-nd travel link arms.