Wafer Transfer Robot Layout Without Linear Slides or Handoffs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic transport systems face challenges in efficiently transporting substrates between multiple linearly arranged substrate holding locations without the need for handoffs between robots or the use of linear slides, while maintaining a sealed environment and controlling humidity to prevent damage to semiconductor wafers.
Innovation Solution
A robotic transport apparatus with stationary drive sections and transfer robots that use a static vacuum seal, allowing substrates to be transported sequentially between rectilinearly arranged or clustered processing stations and load locks without linear bearings or motors, using a monolink base arm and rotatably mounted transfer arms with independent drive axes for flexible substrate handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple transfer robots are used to transport substrates between substrate holding locations, then substrate transport capability is improved, but device complexity and number of interfaces to sealed environment increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple substrate holding locations (first, second, and third locations) into a single sealed transfer chamber, allowing one transfer robot to service all locations. This merging approach maintains substrate transport capability while reducing the number of separate robots and interfaces needed, thereby reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The single transfer robot is designed with universal capability to transport substrates between any of the multiple substrate holding locations within the transfer chamber. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated robots at each location, reducing the overall number of components while maintaining full transport functionality.
2Ease of operation
If a linear slide is used to mount the transfer robot, then substrate transport along linear path is achieved, but device complexity and number of interfaces increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the linear slide component from the system by implementing a stationary transfer chamber with multiple substrate holding locations arranged in a linear configuration. The transfer robot operates within this fixed chamber structure, achieving linear substrate transport without requiring a linear slide mechanism, thereby reducing device complexity and number of interfaces.
3Productivity
If cluster tool architecture is used with common main transfer chamber, then substrate processing is enabled, but humidity control and sealed environment maintenance become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transfer chamber into distinct sealed regions with individual substrate holding locations. Each location can be independently sealed and controlled, allowing precise humidity control and maintaining sealed environments even while enabling multi-location substrate processing. This segmentation approach preserves processing capability while improving environmental control and reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A transfer apparatus for transporting substrates in a transfer chamber having a first and second ends and two sides extending between the ends. The transfer apparatus includes a drive section, at least one base arm fixed at one end with respect to the transfer chamber and including at least one arm link rotatably coupled to the drive section and at least one transfer arm rotatably coupled to a common end of the base arm, the at least one transfer arm has two end effectors. The drive section has motors with three independent axes of rotation defining three degrees of freedom. One degree of freedom moves the at least one base arm horizontally for transporting the at least one transfer arm and two degrees of freedom drives the at least one transfer arm to extend and retract the at least one transfer arm and swap the two end effectors.