Wafer Transfer Robot Finger Layout for Aligner Clearance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wafer transfer apparatuses face challenges in achieving high transfer throughput due to limited operation ranges of robot arms, particularly when the length of the robot arm is longer than half the depth dimension of the transfer space.
Innovation Solution
The proposed wafer transfer apparatus includes a wafer transfer robot with an arm body having two rotationally connected arms, a finger for holding the wafer, an arm body drive mechanism, a finger drive mechanism, and an elevating mechanism. The separation dimension between the wafer holding rods is larger than the width dimension of the aligner, allowing the finger to move below the aligner and simplify the transfer operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the robot arm length is increased to reach distant positions, then the transfer range is improved, but the operational complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical dimension to the robot's operation by adding an elevating mechanism. Instead of only moving horizontally with long arms, the robot can now move vertically below the aligner body, creating a three-dimensional workspace that reduces the need for excessively long horizontal arms and simplifies the transfer path.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robot arm length is increased to reach distant positions, then the transfer range is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By adding vertical movement capability through the elevating mechanism, the system achieves extended reach without proportionally increasing horizontal arm length. This dimensional approach simplifies the overall mechanism compared to using only longer horizontal arms to achieve the same transfer range.
3Manufacturing precision
If the finger operates close to the aligner body, then the transfer precision is improved, but the operational freedom is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the finger to operate in the vertical dimension below the aligner body, separating the horizontal positioning function from the vertical approach. This allows the finger to achieve precise transfers near the aligner while maintaining operational freedom through the additional vertical degree of freedom.
4Productivity
If the wafer transfer robot operates independently of the aligner position, then the throughput is improved, but the coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By positioning the finger below the aligner body through vertical movement, the robot can independently perform transfer operations without being constrained by the aligner's horizontal position. This spatial separation enables parallel operations and improved throughput while the control system manages coordination through the added vertical dimension.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the invention is to realize a high transfer throughput in a wafer transfer apparatus in which a wafer transfer robot transfers a wafer via an aligner. A wafer transfer apparatus includes a wafer transfer robot, and a separation dimension between a pair of wafer holding rods forming a finger of the wafer transfer robot is set to be larger than a dimension of a body portion of an aligner in a width direction provided in the wafer transfer apparatus. In addition, an elevating mechanism provided in the wafer transfer apparatus is configured to be able to move the finger to below the body portion of the aligner, thereby achieving the object of the invention.