Wafer Transport Fork Inclination Control for Large Substrates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing substrate transport systems face challenges in accurately adjusting the inclination of forks used to hold semiconductor wafers, particularly as wafer diameters increase, which can lead to increased deflection and difficulty in accessing stacked wafers at narrow intervals.
Innovation Solution
The substrate transport apparatus incorporates an inclination adjusting mechanism with three support pins and a pulling pin to adjust the fork's inclination, allowing for precise control and stabilization, even in vacuum environments, using elevating mechanisms and a bellows to maintain contact and prevent contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the fork is made longer to accommodate larger wafer diameters, then the wafer can be transported, but the fork deflection increases making inclination adjustment difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The inclination adjusting mechanism is segmented into three independent support pins that can be adjusted individually. This segmentation allows precise control of the fork's inclination by adjusting each pin's height independently, compensating for the increased deflection in longer forks used for larger wafers.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism changes the physical parameters (height positions) of the three support pins to adjust the fork's inclination angle. By varying the height parameters of individual pins, the system can precisely control the fork's orientation despite increased length and deflection.
2Strength
If the fork is made more rigid to reduce deflection, then inclination adjustment becomes easier, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The three support pins are designed to be adjustable by the operator themselves without requiring complex external adjustment mechanisms. Each pin can be independently positioned to achieve the desired inclination, making the system self-sufficient and avoiding additional complex machinery.
3Device complexity
If the support mechanism is simplified to reduce device complexity, then manufacturing becomes easier, but the ability to maintain contact and prevent contamination in vacuum environments is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
A bellows (flexible thin-walled structure) is introduced to connect the movable support pin mechanism with the fixed base. This bellows allows the support pins to move and adjust while maintaining vacuum sealing, preventing contamination without requiring complex rigid sealing mechanisms.
4Measurement precision
If the three support pins are used to adjust inclination, then precise control is achieved, but the device complexity increases compared to single-point support
Solution Approach 1:
The three support pins are merged into a single integrated inclination adjusting mechanism that operates together as one system. This combining approach achieves precise inclination control through coordinated adjustment of all three pins, while treating them as a unified mechanism rather than three separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an apparatus for transporting a substrate. The apparatus comprises: an end effector including a fork which holds the substrate and a wrist part which holds a proximal end portion of the fork; an arm provided with the end effector installed thereon and a mechanism which moves the fork; and an inclination adjusting mechanism provided between the fork and the wrist part or between the wrist part and the arm to adjust an inclination of the fork.