EP3807926A1

EP3807926A1 - Conveying device for conveying at least one wafer

Info

Publication number: EP3807926A1
Application number: EP19729462.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Heike Raatz; Bas Verhelst; Joachim Frangen
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 2018-06-14
Filing date: 2019-05-28
Publication date: 2021-04-21
Also published as: US20210249291A1; DE102018006259A1; KR20210020019A; WO2019238416A1; CN112236851A; TW202002144A; US11430683B2; TWI794509B

Abstract

The invention relates to a conveying device (10) for conveying at least one wafer (36), comprising at least one transport body (200), wherein the transport body (200) is designed at least for supporting or holding a wafer (36), and wherein the conveying device (10) is designed to move the at least one transport body (200) at least two-dimensionally on a conveying surface (35).

Description

Conveyor device for conveying at least one wafer

description

The present invention relates to a conveying device for conveying at least one wafer and a method for operating the same. Magnetic levitation is preferably used for the floating transport and / or for the positioning and / or orientation of the at least one wafer. The solution presented here can preferably be used in the field of semiconductor production.

State of the art

In the context of semiconductor production, objects such as wafers often have to be transported or positioned. For this purpose, transport systems are conventionally used, which move the wafers in defined lanes or rails. Correspondingly defined lanes or rails generally only allow a movement, also referred to as a one-dimensional movement, which has the disadvantage in particular that the wafers are transported in a defined order and, in particular, it is generally not possible to advance a rear wafer in front of a front one ,

In addition, it is known to use a centrally arranged handling device for wafer transport within a so-called cluster tool, which can transport the wafers along a radial direction (one-dimensional) towards processing stations of the cluster tool arranged in a circle around the handling device. This type of wafer transport within the cluster tool, which has been common until now, leads to restrictions in the design of the cluster tool. It is therefore desirable to provide a conveying device which enables more flexible conveyance of at least one wafer, in particular to a processing station and / or within a processing station.

Disclosure of the invention

Here, according to claim 1, a transport device is proposed for transporting at least one wafer, with at least one transport body, the transport body being set up at least for carrying or holding at least one wafer and the transport device being set up to carry the at least one transport body in at least two dimensions on one To move the transportation area.

Advantageous embodiments are the subject of the subclaims and the following description.

A wafer is generally a disk that is used in particular in microelectronics, photovoltaics and / or microsystem technology, for example circular or square, about one millimeter thick. These wafers or wafers are regularly made from single or polycrystalline (semiconductor) blanks, so-called ingots, and generally serve as a substrate (base plate) for electronic components, including for integrated circuits (IC, "chip"), micromechanical components and / or photoelectric coatings.

The transport body is designed for carrying and / or holding at least one wafer. In this context, the at least one wafer (above) can be positioned on the transport body, below the transport body or next to the transport body. In addition, the transport body can also be designed to carry and / or hold a stack of several wafers. In this context, it is particularly preferred if the transport body is further configured to move individual wafers out of the stack of wafers and, if appropriate, back into the stack. The transport body can have one or more forks, each of which is set up to hold or carry at least one wafer or a stack of several wafers. Alternatively or cumulatively, the transport body can have a tray (in the form of a plate) which is set up in such a way that at least one wafer or a stack of multiple wafers can be deposited. In this context, it is particularly preferred if the tray has a fixing element which is set up to releasably fix one or more wafers placed on the tray (during transport).

The transport device is set up to move the at least one transport body at least two-dimensionally (or possibly even three-dimensionally) on a transport surface. In this context, it is particularly preferred if the transport device is set up to move the at least one transport body along an at least two-dimensional or even three-dimensional transport path (on the transport surface). A two-dimensional movement is characterized in particular by the fact that it takes place in one plane. In addition, (as also discussed below), it is advantageous if the transport body can be moved in six degrees of freedom.

The solution proposed here enables in particular a particularly advantageous trans port system for semiconductor production, in which one or more wafers can be conveyed freely on a conveying surface or in one plane. This movement, also referred to here as two-dimensional, advantageously allows more flexible transport of at least one wafer, in particular to a processing station and / or within a processing station. This also allows the further advantage that semiconductor manufacturing plants, in particular so-called cluster tools, can be better designed.

According to an advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the conveying device is set up to convey the at least one transport body in a controlled manner in a suspended manner. In other words, this relates in particular to a contactless or contactless transport of the transport body. In this context, it is particularly preferred if the conveying device is designed in the manner of a magnetic transport system or the suspended conveyance is implemented magnetically. Pending transportation is particularly advantageous in connection with cleanrooms, such as those used in semiconductor manufacturing, since this can further reduce the risk of possible contamination of the cleanrooms. A magnetic implementation is particularly advantageous here if the transport is to take place under vacuum conditions. In particular outside of such vacuum conditions, compressed air systems could also be used, for example, which provide an air cushion under the transport body, for example. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the conveying device further has a stator, the conveying device being set up to convey the at least one transport body in a controlled manner relative to the stator. Here, the stator can have a plurality of movably arranged adjusting magnets, each of which is connected to the stator via an adjusting element, the adjusting element being set up to change a position and / or an orientation of the associated adjusting magnet relative to the stator in a controlled manner; the at least one transport body has at least two stationary magnets which are connected to the transport body in such a way that the at least two stationary magnets are immovable relative to the transport body; the stator and the at least one transport body can be magnetically coupled by means of the at least two station arm magnets and the plurality of actuating magnets; and the conveying device can be set up to convey the at least one transport body relative to the stator by controlled positioning and / or orientation of the plurality of actuating magnets by means of the actuating elements. Alternatively, the at least one transport body can have a plurality of movably arranged actuating magnets, each of which is connected to the transport body via an actuating element, the actuating element being set up to control the position and / or orientation of the associated actuating magnet relative to the transport body in a controlled manner to change; the stator has at least two stationary magnets which are connected to the stator in such a way that the at least two stationary magnets are immovable relative to the stator; the at least one transport body and the stator can be magnetically coupled by means of the at least two stationary magnets and the plurality of actuating magnets; and the conveying device can be configured to convey the at least one transport body relative to the stator by means of the actuating element by means of a controlled positioning and / or orientation of the plurality of actuating magnets.

In this connection, a transport device with a stator for the controlled transport of a transport body relative to the stator is proposed in particular for providing a floating transport. In this case, a controlled transport of a transport body relative to a stator is advantageously made possible by one of the two elements having a plurality of at least partially movably arranged actuating magnets, the respective position and / or orientation of which relative to this element are predefined in a controlled manner via actuating elements can, and the other of the two elements via at least two immovably connected with this element tionärmagneten, the stationary magnets are magnetically coupled with actuating magnets. The conveying device is set up to convey the transport body relative to the stator by controlled positioning and / or orientation of actuating magnets. Transporting in particular includes bringing the at least one transport body into a desired position and / or orientation relative to the stator.

In particular, this enables complete magnetic levitation of the transport body in six degrees of freedom, i.e. in three translational and three rotational degrees of freedom relative to the stator. This has the advantage that the transport body can be transported more flexibly than with conventional systems.

This also offers the advantage that levitation and / or forward movement of the transport body relative to the stator can be made possible by appropriate positioning and / or orientation of the actuating magnets by means of the respective actuating elements. This makes it possible to dispense with the provision of a complex arrangement and control of magnetic coils. This not only reduces the complexity of the transport device and thus the manufacturing costs, but also allows the use of permanent magnets, which can often provide a much higher flux density than magnetic coils that can be used for such purposes. This in turn can enable a greater lifting height or a larger air gap between the stator and the transport body, which can result in greater freedom of movement for movements in the Z direction and or in the pitch and roll angle range. This also has the advantage that an interruption in the supply of electrical energy does not necessarily lead to a malfunction or even cause damage. In particular, an interruption in the power supply does not lead to a loss of the magnetic field or the magnetic coupling between the stator and the transport body. For example, in the event of an interruption in the power supply, the coupling forces between the actuating magnets and the stationary magnets can increase as soon as the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnets yields to the attractive force of the stationary magnets, whereupon the transport body is pulled onto the stator and thus against uncontrolled Falling back is secured. In addition, this advantageous embodiment offers the advantage that the magnetic coupling between the stator and the transport body can both bring about a levitation of the transport body, ie a stroke above the stator, and also a movement of the transport body relative to the stator, ie transportation, without further touching or non-contacting systems would be absolutely necessary. This enables a contactless transport, so that the transport device can also be used in environments with increased cleanliness requirements (such as the cleanrooms mentioned above in semiconductor production). In example, the transport body can be transported in an environment with increased cleanliness requirements, while the stator is arranged outside in an environment with lower cleanliness requirements. Through an air gap between the stator and the transport body, for example, separating elements can run in order to separate the various areas of cleanliness. The conveying device is thus also suitable for use in chemical processes, for example in the chemical field of semiconductor production, and for example in gas-tight, liquid-tight and / or encapsulated areas.

Furthermore, the advantage can be made possible that magnetic coils do not have to be provided in the transport body or in the stator, so that heating of the transport body and / or the stator by currents occurring in such coils can be avoided. This favors the use of the conveying device in heat-critical environments or for conveying heat-sensitive objects and improves the energy efficiency of the conveying device, since the dissipation of electrical energy can be reduced.

Due to the advantageous levitation or conveyance by means of magnetic coupling, decoupling of the transport body or the conveying device from vibrations and / or vibrations and / or structure-borne sound waves can also be achieved in an efficient manner, as a result of which the conveying device can also be used when conveying sensitive objects, such as Semiconductor products, can be used in a particularly advantageous manner.

The conveying device preferably has a plurality of actuating magnets and / or a plurality of stationary magnets. The actuating magnets and / or the stationary magnets are particularly preferably arranged over a conveying surface in or on the stator or in or on the transport body, so that the transport body can be levitated and / or conveyed along the conveying surface. In this way, a larger Be can be generated, in which the transport body can be transported. Especially before the actuating magnets have a total of a number of degrees of freedom which is at least as large as the number of degrees of freedom of the transport body in which the transport body is to be conveyed or positioned in a controlled manner. For example, if the transport body is to be transported and / or positioned in six degrees of freedom, it is advantageous to provide a plurality of actuating magnets which have a total of six or more degrees of freedom. For example, the control magnets can be set up such that the transport body interacts with at least six control magnets at any time.

Preferably, the magnetic field of the actuating magnets and / or the magnetic field of the at least two stationary magnets faces the conveying surface, i.e. a magnetic pole faces the promotional area. The transport area is the area along which the transport body is transported in a controlled manner relative to the stator. In particular, the conveying surface can coincide with a stator plane and / or an active surface of the stator. The transport area is particularly preferably in a (transport) plane. In addition, the transport surface can also be curved and / or run with at least one kink or discontinuous. For example, a surface lying between the stator and a transport body levitated by the stator can represent the conveying surface. Such an arrangement offers the advantage that the magnetic coupling between the actuating magnet and the stationary magnet can be increased or optimized. Preferably, the magnetic poles of the actuating magnets and stationary magnets face one another or are arranged such that their magnetic fields have an overlap and / or interact. The magnetic fields are preferably minimized in directions facing away from the conveying surface.

According to an advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the conveying device is set up to convey at least two transport bodies on the conveying surface along different transport routes (in a controlled manner relative to the stator), in particular in such a way that a transport body can overtake another transport body. In this context, waiting zones can also be formed, in particular in such a way that one waiting transport body can let another pass. In addition, it can be provided that an overtaking transport body maintains a (predefined) minimum distance from the other transport body. The minimum distance is in this Relationship in particular predefined in such a way that the overtaking transport body does not impair the magnetic levitation of the other transport body.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the conveying device be set up to convey at least two transport bodies on the conveying surface along an at least two-lane conveying path (in a controlled manner relative to the stator). As a result, multi-lane transport routes can advantageously be made possible on the conveying surface, as a result of which the production capacity can be increased before.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, it is proposed that the conveying device is set up to convey the at least one transport body (in a controlled manner relative to the stator) to a (wafer) processing station and / or the wafer transported by means of the transport body in a processing station to position and / or align (orient). The processing station can be, for example, a chemical processing station, a lithographic processing station or an examination station in which the wafer can be examined, for example, by means of a microscope.

Alternatively or cumulatively, the conveying device can be set up to convey the at least one transport body (in a controlled manner relative to the stator) to a warehouse or storage for wafers and / or the wafer transported by means of the transport body in a warehouse or storage to position and / or align (orient) wafers. The conveying device is preferably set up to convey the at least one transport body from and / or from a storage or storage for wafers to egg ner and / or into a processing station.

The conveying device is further preferably configured to convey the at least one transport body (in a controlled manner relative to the stator) through a (wafer) processing station. Furthermore, the conveying device can be set up to convey the at least one transport body (in a controlled manner relative to the stator) along a (wafer) processing station in such a way that the wafer transported by means of the transport body is conveyed through the (wafer) processing station , In addition, the transport device can be set up to use the of the transport body to position and / or align (orient) the wafer transported during the transport through the processing station in the processing station.

For example, an environment with increased cleanliness requirements (clean room) and / or a vacuum can be set in the processing station. In this context, it is particularly preferred if only part of the transport body, for example a holder or gripper or pliers of the transport body, projects into the processing station for moving the wafer into the processing station. This part of the transport body can be arranged upstream of the processing station, for example

Reach through the lock.

Alignment of the wafer (the position of the wafer) in the processing station can take place, for example, by inclining the transport body relative to the transport surface and / or by rotating the transport body about its vertical axis. A positioning of the wafer (the position of the wafer) in the processing station can also be carried out, for example, by a (two-dimensional) movement along the conveying surface and / or a rotation of the transport body about its vertical axis. An inclination of the transport body relative to the conveying surface can also be advantageous during the conveying along the conveying surface, since this may result in an increased conveying speed. For example, a (targeted) inclination of the transport body could prevent the wafer from falling off while the transport body is accelerating.

Preferably, the at least two stationary magnets and / or the actuating magnets each have at least one permanent magnet. This has the advantage that the use of magnetic coils in the stator and / or in the transport body can be reduced or even completely avoided and thus the energy consumption of the transport device can be reduced. Furthermore, a magnetic field that is very strong compared to magnetic coils can be generated by means of permanent magnets, which magnetic field can also be provided in a small space. Also, when using permanent magnets to provide the magnetic field, it is not necessary to supply the magnets with electrical power, as is the case, for example, when using magnetic coils. In addition, permanent magnets do not dissipate electrical power and therefore do not contribute to an undesirable one Heating of the conveyor. A stationary magnet and / or an actuating magnet particularly preferably have only one or more permanent magnets, without additionally having magnet coils. In this way, it can be avoided, for example, that the transport body must be contacted with a supply line for electrical energy which is an obstacle to locomotion.

Preferably, a permanent magnet (at a point on the surface) provides a magnetic flux density of at least 0.05 T, preferably at least 0.1 T, more preferably at least 0.25 T, even more preferably at least 0.5 T, particularly preferably at least 0.75T, most preferably at least 1T. In particular, permanent magnets can be selected such that the forces and moments required for transport and / or positioning of the transport body are achieved through the selected flux densities. Magnets with a larger flux density can serve, for example, to effect a larger stroke and / or to effect higher accelerations and / or to transport heavier loads with the transport body.

A control magnet preferably has a magnet group, which preferably has a plurality of permanent magnets and / or magnet coils. The stationary magnets preferably also form at least one magnet group, the magnet group preferably having a plurality of permanent magnets and / or magnetic coils. In particular, in the event that the plurality of magnets of a magnet group are arranged along a straight line, it may be advantageous to arrange the magnets in such a way that the plurality of magnets are oriented or arranged in such a way that their magnetic dipoles are not aligned in parallel or not point in the same direction, in particular not all are aligned parallel to the straight line. A non-parallel arrangement of the dipoles can be advantageous for a controlled transport or movement of the transport body in all six degrees of freedom.

The plurality of permanent magnets and / or magnetic coils of the at least one magnet group is particularly preferably at least partially arranged according to a Halbach array. This offers the advantage that the magnetic fields generated by the several magnets are strengthened in one direction away from the Halbach array and reduced in another direction away from the Halbach array or even completely extinguished. This can be advantageous, for example, in that the magnetic fields between in one direction the stator and the transport body can be reinforced, while the magnetic fields are reduced in other directions or even completely extinguished. The magnetic field can thus be used for levitation in a particularly efficient manner and / or the magnets having a Halbach array can be arranged adjacent to one another, in particular in a narrow space, without adversely affecting one another. The Halbach arrays are preferably arranged in such a way that a magnetic field of the magnetic group preferably extends to the transport surface or active surface. In particular, the total weight and / or the moment of inertia of the magnets can be reduced by the arrangement as a Halbach array with the same coupling forces and moments. The most preferred are flat arrangements of magnets which form Halbach arrays in different spatial directions in order to transmit high forces and moments in all degrees of freedom.

The actuating element preferably has a drive element which is set up to change the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnet connected thereto in a controlled manner. For example, such a drive element can have an electric motor, which is connected directly or via a gear and / or a linkage to the actuating magnet in order to move it. In addition, a drive element can be set up in such a way that several actuating magnets can be moved with it. Such arrangements have the advantage that the actuating magnets connected to an actuating element can be individually changed in their position or orientation. For example, the actuating element can be set up such that it can rotate the actuating magnet (s) about an axis and / or a center of gravity of the actuating magnet. Furthermore, a drive element can be set up so that more than one degree of freedom of the at least one actuating magnet can be moved. The actuating element further preferably has a sensor element which is set up to determine the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnet connected to the actuating element. This makes it possible to regulate the orientation and / or position of the actuating magnet and to effect the desired effect in an efficient and effective manner by means of the actuating magnet. The actuating element further preferably has a control element which is set up to set the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnet connected to the actuating element to a predetermined value by means of the drive. For example, the control element can have a control and / or regulating unit, by means of which the movement of the actuating magnet is controlled and / or regulated via the drive element. In this way, the Positioning or orientation of the actuating magnet is particularly quick and / or successful.

In addition, a transport device can also have a position determination unit, which is set up to determine a relative position and / or orientation of the at least one transport body relative to the stator. For example, the position determination unit can have optical sensors and / or capacitive sensors and / or magnetic field sensors, such as Hall sensors, which at least partially determine a position and / or orientation of the transport body relative to the stator based on the magnetic field caused by a transport body ,

According to a further aspect, a method for operating a transport device proposed here is also proposed, the at least one transport body being moved freely on the transport surface to a desired position and / or orientation.

The details, features and advantageous configurations discussed in connection with the conveying device can accordingly also occur in the method presented here and vice versa. In this respect, full reference is made to the explanations given there for the more detailed characterization of the features.

Further advantages and refinements of the invention result from the description and the attached drawing.

It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the combination indicated in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own without departing from the present invention.

The invention is illustrated schematically by means of exemplary embodiments in the drawings and is described in detail below with reference to the drawings, but without being limited to the exemplary embodiments shown. The same or similar elements are provided with the same reference numerals. Corresponding explanations are not repeated in the sense of scarcity.

figure description

Figure 1 shows schematically a conveyor device according to a preferred embodiment in a plan view.

FIGS. 2A to 2E show conveying devices according to preferred embodiments in a schematic representation.

Figures 3A and 3B show a transport body according to a preferred embodiment.

FIGS. 4A to 4M show different arrangements of stationary magnets or of magnet groups in a schematic representation in a top view.

FIGS. 5A to 5C show preferred embodiments of a transport body.

Figure 6 shows a transport body according to a preferred embodiment with a set function.

FIGS. 7A to 7D show stators according to preferred embodiments in a schematic illustration.

FIGS. 8A to 8E show exemplary arrangements of magnet groups or actuating magnets.

Figures 9A to 9H show preferred embodiments of actuating magnets and magnet groups and preferred arrangements.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show schematic representations of preferred embodiments of adjusting elements. Figure IOC shows a block diagram of an exemplary principle of operation of a Stellele element.

FIG. 11 shows a preferred embodiment of a position determination unit.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary control diagram.

FIGS. 13A to 13C show preferred embodiments of conveying devices. FIG. 14 shows a preferred embodiment of a conveying device.

FIG. 15 shows an exemplary process flow diagram.

Detailed description of the drawing

Figure 1 shows schematically a conveyor device 10 according to a preferred embodiment from a top view. The conveying device 10 is used for conveying at least one wafer 36. The conveying device 10 here has, for example, two transport bodies 200. Each transport body 200 is designed to carry and / or hold at least one wafer 36, here, for example, by parts of the transport body 200 in the kind of grippers are formed. Furthermore, the conveying device 10 is designed to move the transport body 200 two-dimensionally on a conveying surface 35.

The transport bodies 200 can move substantially freely on the conveying surface 35 because of this and in the process spend wafers 36 towards processing stations 37 and possibly even hold them in the processing stations 37 or even position and / or align them in the processing stations 37. In order to nevertheless be able to ensure the best possible separation of the interior of the machining stations 37 from the surroundings, slot valves 39 can be provided, for example, through which at least the part (s) holding the wafer 36 of the trans port body 200 (with the valve open) can protrude.

FIG. 2A shows a conveyor device 10 according to a preferred embodiment in a schematic representation with associated coordinate systems 900 and 920 The transport device 10 shown is arranged on a machine table 12 and has a stator 100 and a transport body 200. Between the stator 100 and the transport body 200, a levitation field 14 is shown schematically, which in this case is an actively controlled magnetic field. The levitation field 14 is generated by actuating magnets and stationary magnets (not shown) on the active surface 102 of the stator 100, which are formed in the stator 100 and in the transport body 200, respectively. The levitation field 14 is located between the stator 100 and the transport body 200, the transport body 200 floating in the levitation field 14. The dashed line shows schematically an optionally attachable hermetic seal 16, which makes it possible to use the stator 100 outside the hermetic seal 16 to convey the transport body 200 inside the hermetic seal 16. Connections 18 are also shown schematically, by means of which the transport device 10 can be supplied with electrical energy and via which communication data can be supplied and / or discharged.

The position and orientation of the transport body relative to the stator can be represented in a stator coordinate system 900 which is spanned by an x direction 902, a y direction 904 and a z direction 906. The transport body has its own transport body coordinate system 920, which is spanned by an xl direction 922, a yl direction 924, and zl direction 926 and has a roll angle 932, a pitch angle 934 and a yaw angle 936.

The conveying device 10 is preferably regulated in such a way that the transport body 200 levitates in a stable manner and is guided on a predetermined target curve with regard to translation and rotation.

2A shows a conveying device 10 in table mode, that is to say arranged or lying on one level, so that the transport body 200 is accelerated by the force of gravity 940 in the direction of the stator 100, FIG. 2B shows a conveying device 10 in wall mode, in which the Gravity accelerates the transport body essentially parallel to the transport surface. The magnetic coupling between the stator 100 and the transport body 200 is set so that the forces for compensating for gravity also act parallel to the transport surface. The le vitationsfeld 14 prevents slipping and / or falling of the transport body 200. If actuating magnets and stationary magnets (not shown) have permanent magnets, slipping and / or falling can also be prevented if the supply of electrical power is interrupted. The same applies to a conveying device 10 in ceiling operation, which is shown schematically in FIG. 2C.

FIG. 2D shows a schematic representation of a conveying device 10 with three transport bodies 200, which are transported via three adjoining stators 100 or stator modules, the stator modules forming a flat active surface 102. Furthermore, FIG. 2D shows a positioning of the transport bodies 200 at different lifting heights or at different distances in the z direction 906.

FIG. 2E shows a schematic representation of a transport device 10 according to a further preferred embodiment, in which a transport body 200 is transported, positioned or oriented by two separate stators 100, each stator being coupled only to a partial area of the magnet arrangement in the transport body. In this way, the transport body 200 can be rotated by the yaw angle 936 and / or tilted by the roll angle 932 and / or inclined by the pitch angle 934.

FIG. 3A shows a transport body 200 according to a preferred embodiment in a schematic illustration in a cross section in the Xl / Zl plane, the transport body 200 having a magnet group 24 of stationary magnets 22. Figure 3B shows the transport body of Figure 3A in plan view. The transport body 200 also has an upper cover element 202 and a lower cover element 204, which are arranged adjacent to the magnet group 24 above or below. In the embodiment shown, different positions along the zl direction 926 are denoted by top and bottom. On the sides of the transport body 200 in the xl direction 922 and yl direction 924, an edge element 206 is formed adjacent to the magnet group 24.

The transport body 200 can act as a mechanical link between a transport good 20, for. B. a holder for holding a wafer 36, on the one hand and the stator 100 on the other hand. The transport body 200 is preferably designed as a mechanically rigid element and configured to support or transport a transport good 20 on an upper side of the upper cover element 202. The transport goods 20 can preferably be fixed on the transport body 200 and then together with the Transport body 200 guided on a target curve above the stator 100 and / or held stable at a target position. According to the embodiment shown, the transport body 200 is electrically passive, ie it does not require any electrical energy or connections to carry out its function and, in particular, has no actuating magnets.

According to the embodiment shown, the transport body 200 comprises a plurality of stationary magnets 22 in a flat arrangement in the Xl / Yl plane, which are arranged as a magnet group 24 in a geometric arrangement, the geometric arrangement of the stationary magnets 22 fixing relative to the transport body 200 and the stationary magnets 22 therefore do not move relative to the transport body 200. For example, the upper cover element 202 and / or the lower cover element 204 and / or the edge element 206 can be configured to at least partially fix the stationary magnets 22 in their position or in their geometric arrangement. Alternatively or additionally, the transport body 200 can have one or more further components in order to fix the stationary magnets 22. The stationary magnets 22 preferably comprise a permanent magnet and / or are designed as permanent magnets. The stationary magnets 22 particularly preferably have permanent magnets made of rare earth alloys.

The position of a magnet or stationary magnet 22 is preferably understood to mean the position of its center of gravity. A direction of magnetization of the respective stationary magnet is described by a dipole vector, which is symbolically shown as a corresponding arrow. It can be seen in FIG. 3A that, according to the embodiment shown, each stationary magnet 22 is arranged or oriented differently with respect to its direction of magnetization than the respective adjacent arranged stationary magnets 22. In the case shown, they form a Halbach array, the magnetic field of which is Zl direction is particularly strong and is weakened in the opposite direction. Preferably magnets 22 are used as stationary magnets, which are magnetized essentially homogeneously, so that the dipole vectors of individual partial volumes of the respective stationary magnet 22 point approximately in the same direction as the total dipole vector of the stationary magnet 22. The dipole vector points in the direction of the arrowhead. The arrangement of the stationary magnets 22 in the transport body 200 is preferably matched or adapted to an arrangement of actuating magnets 26 (see, for example, FIG. 8) in the stator 100 in such a way that the forces required for transport are on the respective stator 100 in a working area of the transport body 200 and moments can be transmitted from the stator 100 to the transport body 200 and / or all desired degrees of freedom of the transport body 200 can always be controlled independently.

FIGS. 4A to 4M show different arrangements of stationary magnets 22, which form a magnet group 24, in a schematic representation in a top view. In these figures, too, the arrows indicate the magnetization direction of the respective stationary magnet 22, the stationary magnets 22 provided with a point or with an X having a magnetization direction which extends in the zl direction 926 out of the drawing plane or into the drawing plane ,

Figures 4A to 4G show arrangements of stationary magnets 22 in a regular, rectangular grid. A transport body 200 preferably has at least two stationary magnets 22 (see FIG. 4A), which are arranged linearly on a straight line, where at the dipole moment at least one of the stationary magnets is not oriented parallel to this straight line. This is particularly advantageous in order to be able to control or move the transport body 200 in all six degrees of freedom. A transport body 200 preferably has at least three stationary magnets 22 (see FIGS. 4B to 3G), which are located in a spatial plane, for example in the xl-yl plane, and / or which form a complex three-dimensional, spatial arrangement.

Arrangements in which the stationary magnets 22 are all arranged in one arrangement plane are particularly suitable for applications in which predominantly translatory movements are to be carried out parallel to the arrangement plane and / or rotations about the z axis of the stator 100 or the zl axis of the respective transport body 200.

The magnet groups 24 preferably have stationary magnets 22 which are arranged as at least one Halbach array. The Halbach array or arrays are preferably oriented or arranged in such a way that the magnetic field or the magnetic field strength is increased in the direction of the stator 100 and / or in the direction of the transport goods 20 and / or in the direction of possible adjacent transport bodies 200 which may be on the same stator 100 are promoted, is reduced. Exemplary arrangements of stationary magnets 22, which among other things form Halbach arrays, are shown in FIGS. 4D, 4F and 4G. A length l indicates the length of a Halbach period, ie a period of a half-axis array.

FIGS. 4H to 4K show magnet groups 24 in which the stationary magnets 22 are arranged along a hexagonal grid. The arrangements according to FIGS. 41 and 4K are based on a 2-dimensional arrangement of Halbach arrays. Figures 4L and 4M show magnet groups 24 in which the stationary magnets 22 are arranged along a circular grid. In particular, FIG. 4L shows an arrangement in which the stationary magnets 22 are arranged in five Halbach arrays or Halbach periods over an angular range of 72 ° each. The stationary magnets 22 are arranged equidistantly with an angular distance of 18 °. The arrangement in FIG. 4M has, in addition to the arrangement shown in FIG. 4L, five radially arranged Halbach arrays which share a common positional magnet 22 in the center or in the center of the circular arrangement. Such arrangements can advantageously be combined with a stator magnetic arrangement with a square grid. In particular, such an arrangement can be advantageous in order to avoid singularities with respect to the arrangement of Stellmag and stationary magnets relative to each other.

FIGS. 5A to 5C show preferred embodiments of a transport body 200 which have a magnet group 24 in which the stationary magnets 22 are arranged in a three-dimensional arrangement. For a better illustration, the lower cover layer 204 and the upper cover layer 202 are not shown. FIG. 5A shows a partially cylindrical arrangement of the stationary magnets 22, which can provide an enlarged swivel range, for example, when rotated about the yl axis. FIG. 5B shows a spherical segment-shaped arrangement of the stationary magnets 22, which can provide a larger swivel range for rotations about the xl axis and about the yl axis. Both arrangements are not necessarily subject to restrictions with regard to rotatability or pivotability about the zl axis.

The arrangement of the stationary magnets 22 on a curved plane can offer an increased swivel angle range in at least one direction of the transport body 200. For example, a cylindrical transport body 200, the curved outer surface levitated as active surface on a stator 100, if necessary carry out an endless rotation about its cylinder axis. In addition, an endless rotation about the z-axis of the gate 100 may be possible.

By means of a surface curved in two spatial directions, for example the swivel angle range can be expanded in two spatial directions of the transport body 200. For example, a spherical transport body equipped with stationary magnets 22 can, if necessary, perform 200 endless rotations in all spatial directions.

The transport body 200 can also be designed as a cylinder or spherical segment, as shown for example in FIGS. 5A and 5B, with a curved side which is equipped with magnets and a flat side which is designed to receive a transport good. These arrangements can offer, for example, the possibility of realizing a goniometer table with a large swivel angle range (for example 90 degrees), which can additionally perform a rotation about the zl axis and preferably a translation in all spatial directions. This arrangement can, for example, advantageously be used in machining processes such as laser machining or in inspection processes such as industrial image processing, since, for example, a workpiece used as transport goods 20 can be freely positioned and / or oriented under a machining tool or under the test equipment. In addition, workpieces can optionally be transported quickly in and out of a process position, so that an often economically inefficient workpiece changeover time in which the process cannot be used can be minimized.

FIG. 5C shows a transport body 200 according to a further preferred embodiment, in which the stationary magnets 22 are arranged in an angular arrangement. In particular, the transport body 200 shown has stationary magnets 22 which extend horizontally along a first leg in the Xl / Yl plane and along a second leg in the Xl / Zl plane. In this way, a transport body 200 can be provided with two active surfaces, as shown, for example, with a horizontally right and a vertical active surface, for example, at different times or simultaneously from differently arranged stators 100, for example from a horizontally arranged and a vertically arranged stator 100, to be levied or promoted. Such an arrangement can, for example, in a transport body 200 are used, which is continuously operated on differently oriented active surfaces. For example, a transport body 200 can have two active surfaces arranged at a 90 ° angle. If this is operated on an arrangement of two stators, which are also arranged at an angle of 90 ° to one another, one stator 100 being operated horizontally and the other stator 100 being operated vertically, it is possible, for example, to switch from floor to wall operation without mandatory interruption become.

A structural component or housing or scaffold of a transport body 200, which holds, for example, the individual components of the transport body 200, such as the stationary arm 22, is preferably made of non-ferromagnetic material, for example of plastic and / or ceramic and / or non-ferrous metals , Optionally, it has an edge element 206 which is not equipped with magnets and which, for example, serves as a spacer to other transport bodies 200, so that preferably mutual contact forces between two transport bodies 200 in contact are limited and free positioning of both transport bodies 200 preferably not even when they are touched be prevented.

The transport body 200 can be provided on the side facing the stator 100 with a lower cover element 204 which, for example, has a cover layer which preferably acts as a spacer to possible objects in the vicinity of the transport body 200 and preferably the distance and thus the maximum active forces the stati onärmagneten 22 can safely limit. In this way, for example, a reduction in the risk of injury when handling transport bodies 200 can be achieved, such as, for example, the risk of fingers being crushed when an ferromagnetic object is improperly approached. Furthermore, an overload limit for drives or actuating magnets in the stator 100 can preferably be achieved, since the forces and moments exerted by the transport bodies 200 on the actuating magnets in the stator 100 can preferably be limited. In addition, a better cleaning of the transport bodies 200 from adhering ferromagnetic particles can preferably be achieved since the holding forces are lower. An optional integration of additional functions in the lower cover element, such as a coil for inductive energy transmission or a data carrier for identifying the transport body 200, can also be advantageous. A plurality of transport bodies 200 can be coupled mechanically and / or in terms of control technology, for example in order to carry out a function together. For example, passive mechanical rod kinematics, the rods of which are actively driven and positioned by separate transport bodies 200, can perform handling tasks. In another example, a plurality of transport bodies 200 can transport loads that are too heavy for a single transport body 200, for example, in that they are preferably moved or transported in synchronized fashion.

According to a further preferred embodiment, a transport body 200 can also have a greater degree of freedom and, for example, consist of a plurality of components which are movable relative to one another, so that it preferably has a total of more than six degrees of freedom. By providing stationary magnets 22 in several of the components, the more than six degrees of freedom of the transport body 200 can be actively controlled before. As shown in FIG. 6, for example, a disk 208 rotatably mounted in the transport body 200 can be rotated separately, for example to carry out an additional function on the transport body 200, such as a gripping or tensioning function for a transport good 20.

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment, a transport body 200 can be equipped with function groups for further additional functions. For example, a mechanical energy transfer can take place in that a preferably rotatably mounted and magnetically equipped disk in the transport body 200 is actively driven by the stator 100. For the drive, the disk is treated by the stator 100, for example, as a seventh degree of freedom. An electrical, non-contact energy transmission can also be optionally implemented by, for example, integrating coils for inductive energy transmission in the stator 100 and the transport body 200, for example. Alternatively or additionally, for example, a permanently rotating magnet in the stator 100 can induce an AC voltage in a coil in the transport body 200, which can preferably be used for the power supply on the transport body 200. When the transport body 200 moves, the task of exciting the additional function is continuously transferred to other magnet groups 24 or actuating magnets of the stator 100, which lie, for example, in an active region of the induction coil. A contactless data transmission between stator 100 and transport body 200, for example with inductive and / or of optical transmitters and receivers. Furthermore, localization and / or identification of the transport body 200 can optionally be provided. For example, an optical, camera-based sensor in the stator 100 can read a position or identification code which is attached to the side of the transport body 200 facing the stator 100. For example, at least some of the transport bodies 200 can be equipped with an identification element, such as a bar code, by means of which the transport device 10 or the stator 100 can identify the respective transport body 200.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show a schematic illustration of a stator 100 according to a preferred embodiment in a perspective illustration (FIG. 7A) and in a cross-sectional view (FIG. 7B). The stator 100 has a large number of actuating magnets 26, which in turn each have a magnet group 24. The actuating magnets 26 are at least partially enclosed by a structural component 112 of a stator housing. The magnet groups 24 are arranged according to the preferred embodiment shown on a surface or side of the stator 100, which in the case shown is the upper side of the stator 100. Although the magnet groups 24 in the illustration shown in Figure 7A are all aligned, i.e. that their entire or effective dipole vectors, which result from the individual dipole vectors of the mag nets belonging to the magnet group 24, are arranged in parallel, it is pointed out that the magnet groups 24 are designed to be movable in such a way that they are arranged can rotate at least in their order level relative to the stator housing. Although only three magnets are shown in each magnet group in FIG. 24 in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 7B, the magnet groups 24 can have fewer or more than three magnets, which can be arranged in a one, two or three-dimensional arrangement.

The actuating magnets 26 or magnet groups 24 are connected to actuating elements 114, by means of which you can change their position and / or orientation. An actuating element 114 has, for example, at least one drive, such as an electric motor, which is preferably connected to the magnet group 24 via a drive shaft and / or a gear and / or a linkage.

The magnetic fields required for guiding the at least one transport body 200 by a controlled, for example regulated movement of the magnet groups 24 or actuating magnet 26 generated in the stator 100. The magnetic field generated by the magnet groups 24 emerges at least partially from the active surface 102 of the stator 100 and exerts forces and / or moments on the stationary magnets 22 in the transport body 200. The direction and strength of the forces and / or moments in the transport body 200 is influenced by the position or orientation of the actuating magnets 26 or magnet groups 24 in the stator 100.

The position of the actuating magnets 26 or magnet groups 24 in the stator 100 is preferably regulated such that the transport body 200 floats and is guided in all six dimensions in accordance with a predetermined target curve or is kept stable at a predetermined target position with a predetermined target orientation.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the stator 100 has an arrangement of movable actuating magnets 26. Control elements 114 can change the orientation and / or position of the magnet groups 24 or the control magnets 26 in accordance with a target specification. A transport body position determination element 116 is set up to determine an actual position of all transport bodies 200 transported on the stator 100 or all transport bodies in the area of influence of the respective stator 100. For example, the transport body position determination element 116 can have a sensor layer and / or a printed circuit board with sensors. A control element 122 can preferably evaluate the sensor signals provided by the transport body position determination element 116 and provide them, for example, to a higher-level system. The actuating elements 114 can be contacted, for example, via a printed circuit board 120.

Furthermore, according to the preferred embodiment shown, the stator 100 has a magnet position determination element 118, by means of which the actually present position and / or orientation of the magnet groups 24 or the actuating magnets 26 can be determined. For example, the magnetic position determination element 118 can have a sensor layer.

The arrangement of the magnet groups 24 in the stator 100 is preferably flat, i.e. that preferably all magnet groups 24 are arranged in one plane.

FIGS. 7C and 7D show a stator 100 according to a further preferred embodiment, which is similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B and additionally has a cover 112a and an optional coil layer 128. Cover 112a is preferably made of non-ferromagnetic materials. The magnetic field emanating from the magnet groups 24 emerges through the cover 112a, which is made, for example, at least partially of plastic and / or non-magnetic metal and / or ceramic and / or glass. The cover 112a can, for example, shield the interior of the stator 100 against the working space of the transport body 200 and thus prevent particles from entering and / or escaping. Furthermore, the cover 112a can serve to reliably limit the maximum active forces of the actuating magnets 26 in the stator 100 to objects outside the stator 100. The distance can be designed such that a transport body 200 resting on the cover 112a preferably does not lead to a blockage of the actuating elements 114. In addition, an attraction force is preferably limited to ferromagnetic parts which are not deposited on the cover 112a as intended, so that they are easily removable and do not lead to injuries during handling.

The coil layer 128 can be designed, for example, as a multilayer printed circuit board with the coils lying on the inside.

The surface of the cover 112a facing the at least one transport body 200 preferably forms the active surface 102 of the stator 100. Optionally, a mechanical retraction device can be provided (not shown) which increases the distance of all magnet groups 24 of the actuating magnets 26 from the active surface 102. The retraction device can, for example, be activated automatically when the conveying device 10 is at a standstill, so that the magnetic fields emerging from the active surface 102 at a standstill are reliably limited. For example, safe handling in front of the active surface 102 can be made possible and cleaning of adhering ferromagnetic particles can be facilitated.

The stator 100 can preferably be operated in any direction to the force of gravity, for example in table operation (transport body 200 hovers over the active surface 102), in wall operation (transport body 200 hovers next to the active surface 102) or in ceiling operation (transport body 200 hovers under the active surface 102). In principle, it is also possible to operate the overall system in an accelerated reference system or under weightless conditions. The stator 100 is preferably constructed modularly, so that several identical and / or different stator modules can be strung together in a simple manner, preferably seamlessly (see FIG. 2D). The stator modules are preferably equipped with data connections 124, for example with communication channels, so that information about the states of the stator 100 and the transport bodies 200 located thereon can preferably be transmitted in real time.

The transport bodies 200 can preferably slide freely from one stator module to another stator module. In this way, a working area of the transport body 200 can preferably be expanded as required. Each module also preferably has an interface for power supply 126 and mechanical interfaces for coupling to further stator modules and for easy integration into a system.

The magnetic field of the stator 100 is preferably generated by a predominantly flat or planar arrangement of the magnet groups 24. The arrangement of the magnet groups 24 preferably forms a regular square grid of magnet groups 24, but other regular or irregular arrangements are also possible.

FIGS. 8A to 8E show exemplary arrangements of magnet groups 24 or actuating magnets 26. For example, FIG. 8A shows an arrangement of the magnet groups 24 according to a rectangular, in particular square, grid. FIG. 8B shows an arrangement of the magnet groups 24 according to a hexagonal grid. FIG. 8C shows an exemplary arrangement of different magnet groups 24 according to a rectangular grid. For example, the magnetic groups can differ in their magnetic dipole moment. Furthermore, some of the magnet groups can also be fast or slow rotating, can be connected to the drive via different gears and / or can be operated with different drives. Arrangements according to FIGS. 8A to 8C are particularly advantageous when it is intended that the axes of rotation be substantially perpendicular to the arrangement plane. FIGS. 8D and 8E also show arrangements in which the magnet groups are connected to the drives via drive shafts 28, the drive shafts running essentially parallel to the active surface 102. According to the arrangement in FIG. 8D, the drive shafts 28 run parallel, in accordance with the arrangement in FIG. 8E at least approximately radially or circularly. An actuating magnet 26 is formed according to a preferred embodiment by a single magnet, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, alternatively by an arrangement of a plurality of magnets in a magnet group 24, the magnets preferably being mechanically firmly connected to one another, as in the figures 9C and 9D. Alternatively, an actuating magnet 26 can be formed by a magnet group 24 which has several differently magnetized areas. The magnet group 24 preferably forms a Halbach array (see FIGS. 9C and 9D) which is oriented in the direction of the active surface. This offers the advantage that the flux density is increased in the direction of the active surface 102 and reduced in all other directions, in particular in the direction of adjacent magnet groups 24. The actuating magnets 26 or magnet groups 24 shown in FIGS. 9A to 9D are in this case with the Drive shaft 28 connected that the axis of rotation of the drive is perpendicular to the active surface 102. The angle a denotes the setting angle of the drive shaft 28 or the setting magnet 26 or the magnet group 24.

FIGS. 9E and 9F show arrangements in which the actuating magnets 26 and the magnet groups 24 are connected to the respective drive shaft 28 in such a way that the drive shafts 28 run essentially parallel to the active surface 102. In such arrangements, therefore, the actuating magnets 26 or the magnet groups 24 rotate about the X-axis 902.

FIG. 9G schematically shows an arrangement according to a preferred embodiment of 6 × 6 magnet groups 24 according to a square grid in a stator 100, the magnet groups 24 each being designed as a Halbach array. A detailed representation of an individual magnet group 24, in particular with typical dimensions according to a preferred embodiment of such a magnet group 24, is shown in FIG. 9H.

The magnet groups 24 are preferably individually adjustable in the stator 100, so their position and / or orientation can be changed. You can preferably perform a linear movement and / or a rotation and / or a superimposed movement. Before preferably a rotation about a structurally predetermined axis of rotation of the drive shaft 28 is carried out. In order to achieve an effective change in the magnetic field through the rotation, the dominant dipole vector of the magnet group 24 is preferably oriented perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the drive shaft 28. The axes of rotation of the magnet groups 24 can be oriented differently with respect to the active surface 102. They are preferably oriented perpendicular and / or parallel to the active surface 102. The distance between adjacent magnet groups 24 is selected so that the torques on the magnet groups 24, which are caused by their magnetic interaction, are small in relation to the typical torques caused by the transport body 200.

For positioning and / or orientation of the magnet groups 24, actuating elements 114 are used, which can preferably carry out linear movements and / or rotations and / or superimposed movements. An actuating element 114 preferably moves at least one magnet group 24. Preferably, actuating elements 114 are used which can cover an angle range of 360 ° and are preferably able to carry out endless rotations. This can be advantageous for many movements of the transport body 200.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show preferred embodiments of actuating elements 114 in schematic representations. These preferably have a drive which, for example, has a motor 34, such as an electric motor, which optionally has a gear 32 and the drive shaft 28 with the actuating magnet 26 or the magnet group 24 is mechanically connected or coupled. The actuating element 114 preferably has a sensor 30 for determining the actuating angle a and optionally a controller (not shown), which can set or adjust the actuating angle a preferably quickly and precisely to a predetermined desired position.

For example, an actuating element 114 has an electric motor, on the axis of which at least one magnet group 24 is mounted. The sensor 30 measures the angle of rotation a of the drive shaft, a PID controller with an optional downstream drive amplifier preferably controls the motor 34. To increase the torque or speed, a Ge gear 32 can be provided between the motor 34 and the drive shaft 28. The gear 32 can be self-locking, for example, so that the motor 34 does not have to be supplied with current in order to maintain a torque in a constant angular position.

The exemplary, flat arrangements of magnet groups 24 of the same type shown in FIGS. 8A to 8E in a regular grid are preferably such configured such that each of the magnet groups 24 can be driven or moved by a separate actuating element 114. For example, the large and small magnet groups 24 shown in FIG. 8C can be driven by different actuating elements 114, for example large magnet groups 24 being actuated by actuating elements 114 with high torque and great inertia (for example with a gear), while small magnet groups 24 by actuating elements 114 can be controlled with less torque and less inertia. FIG. 8D shows an exemplary arrangement in which the drive shafts 28 run parallel to the active surface 102 and preferably each drive shaft 28 drives a plurality of magnet groups 24.

An actuating element 114 with a plurality of drives can preferably influence a plurality of degrees of freedom of a magnet group 24. For example, a gimbal-mounted magnet group 24 rotatable in two spatial directions by two actuating elements 114 can be rotated in two different spatial directions.

Instead of electric motors, other drive systems can also be used, for example a solenoid or a piezo drive.

To achieve high dynamics, it can be advantageous to rotate the magnet groups 24 about one of their main axes of inertia with a low moment of inertia. The axis of rotation preferably runs through the center of gravity of the respective magnet group 24 in order to avoid vibrations of the stator 100 due to imbalance. In order to compensate for the inertia of the mechanical drives, additional spools can be used, for example, below the active surface 102 (see FIGS. 7c and 7D), which can exert relatively small correction forces and / or moments on the transport body 200 with high dynamics, for example , The active field or levitation field 14 or magnetic field of the stator 100 then results from a superposition of the actuating magnet fields and the coil fields, the coil fields possibly being significantly weaker, but can be changed more quickly.

Since the drives and the drive amplifiers can heat up during operation, a cooling device can be provided which cools the drives and / or drive amplifiers, for example by heat dissipation via a heat sink or ventilation and suitable ventilation ducts in the stator 100 (see, for example, FIG. 7B). FIG. IOC shows in a block diagram an exemplary functional principle of an actuating element 114. In this case, for example, a target position 1001 of the respective magnet group 24 is transmitted to a controller 1002. The drive 1004 can then be controlled via a drive amplifier 1003 in such a way that the magnet group 24 may be controlled accordingly via a gear 1005. The actual angular position or the actual position 1007 of the magnet group 24 can be determined via a corresponding sensor 1006 and fed back to the position controller, so that a control loop is created by means of which the magnet group can be positioned and / or oriented as precisely as possible.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the transport device has a position determination unit. This is preferably set up in such a way that the position and / or orientation of the at least one transport body 200 relative to the active surface of the stator 100 can be detected, preferably cyclically, particularly preferably with a high frequency and low latency. All degrees of freedom of the transport body 200 are preferably recorded. A measurement can be the basis for regulating the position of the transport body, for example. FIG. 11 shows a preferred embodiment of a position determination unit which has a transport body position determination element 116. For example, the transport body position determination element 116 can be configured as a printed circuit board, which preferably has cutouts for the magnet groups 24 or the actuating magnets 26 and / or is equipped with sensors 132, the sensors 132 preferably being designed as magnetic field sensors.

The position determination unit can be at least partially integrated in the stator 100 or installed spatially separate from the stator 100 and transmit the position data to a stator control. However, the position determination unit is preferably integrated in the stator 100, which preferably ensures a constant dimensional reference to the stator 100 and / or simplifies the handling of the overall system. When integrating into the stator 100, for example, the available installation space can also be used efficiently, since the position is determined on the side of the transport body 200 that faces the stator 100, and thus preferably the position is not obstructed or falsified by the goods to be transported. Magnetic field sensors and / or capacitive sensors and / or optical sensors are preferably used as sensors 132. The sensors are preferably arranged in a regular grid below the active surface 102. For example, Hall sensors can detect the magnetic field in the transport body 200 at several locations and / or in different spatial directions. All sensor signals are preferably transmitted to a computer system for evaluation. There, for example, the actual position of the transport body 200 can be determined from the sensor signals and a model description of the magnet arrangements in the transport body 200 and stator 100 using an algorithm.

In order to reduce or eliminate the influence of the magnetic fields in the stator 100 on the position determination of the transport body 200, the sensors 132 are preferably mounted at the greatest possible distance from the magnet groups 24 of the stator 100. In addition, magnetic shielding devices can be present which weaken the influence of the magnetic groups 24 on the sensors 132 designed as magnetic field sensors. For example, the sensor signal of all sensors 132 can be measured as a function of the position of each individual magnet group 24 in a one-time automatic calibration process without the presence of the transport body, and the measured values can be stored permanently in a memory of the computer system as a correction table. In operation, for example, the raw sensor values can be corrected after each measurement by the missing amounts of all magnet groups stored in the correction table - depending on their current position.

According to a further preferred embodiment, an operating interface in the stator 100 provides basic operating and display elements for the setup and / or the operation and / or the service and / or the maintenance. For example, there may be on / off switches, reset buttons and signal lamps for indicating the operating or fault status of the stator 100. More complex setup functions can preferably be operated from a higher-level computer system that is connected to the stator 100, for example, via a communication interface.

An electronic control system preferably detects the sensor signals with at least one computer system, communicates with the higher-level system, with the operator interface and, if appropriate, with further stators and system components, and controls the control elements. A computer system is preferably integrated in each stator 100 or in each stator module. If several stators 100 or stator modules are used, their computer systems can be networked, for example, with bus systems whose topology can be flexibly expanded. An exemplary control diagram is shown in FIG. 12, which has the following elements:

2001: Control of a higher-level system

2002: Central control of the conveyor

2003: Operator interface

2004: Stator 1 module control

2005: Stator 2 module control

2006: Stator 3 module control

2007: Stator 4 module control

2008: Stator 5 module control

2009: Stator 6 module control

The bus systems are able to transfer large amounts of data in a short time without latency. The bus systems can transmit the data in an electrical, optical and / or inductive manner. For example, adjacent stators 100 or stator modules can have optical transmitters and receivers via which they exchange status information. Further computer systems can be integrated in the bus systems.

According to a preferred embodiment, the method for operating the conveying device 10 can be implemented in the form of algorithms on the at least one computer system. A group of several stators 100 can be treated as a functional unit, so that the control of a transport body 200 takes place regardless of whether it is in the area of influence of only one stator 100 or several stators 100. For this purpose, the computer systems are preferably synchronized on a common time base.

The at least one computer system preferably provides all functions that are required for the establishment and / or the safe operation and / or for service and maintenance of each stator 100 and a group of several stators 100. For example, integrated self-diagnosis functions can permanently monitor the correct function that a malfunction can be recognized and reported immediately and / or replacement measures can be taken and the system can automatically go to the safe emergency stop if necessary.

The transport device 10 here has at least one stator 100 or at least one stator module and at least one transport body 200. There are preferably many design parameters that can be influenced to adapt to a target application, e.g. Dimensions of the stator 100 for scaling to the size or weight of the goods to be transported, a maximum torque and / or speed and / or moment of inertia of the drives, a strength and / or arrangement of the actuating magnets 26 and stator magnets in the stator 100 or the transport body 200 , as well as control parameters.

The arrangement of the magnet groups 24 in the stator 100 is preferably matched to the arrangement of the magnet groups 24 in the transport body 200 that a transport body 200 with f degrees of freedom at any point in its working space can be influenced by the forces and moments of at least f magnet groups 24. In particular, the magnet arrangements are designed in such a way that there are no singularities, that is to say no singular areas in the work space where this condition is not met. Exemplary pairings of magnet arrangements in the stator and transport body are as follows:

Stator like Figure 8A and transport body like Figure 4F with y / l = 1/3.

Stator like Figure 8A and transport body like Figure 4G with y / l = 1/3.

Stator like Figure 8A and transport body like Figure 41 with g / l = 1/3.

Stator like FIG. 8A and transport body like FIG. 4M with y / 2r = 1/3.

Stator like Figure 8B and transport body like Figure 4F with y / l = 1/3.

Stator like FIG. 8E and transport body like FIG. 41 with R / r = 1.

While l denotes the period length of a Halbach arrangement of stationary magnets 22 or magnet groups 24 of stationary magnets 22, g denotes a period length of a regular arrangement of actuating magnets 26 or magnet groups 24 (see for example FIG. 8A).

The transport bodies 200 are preferably overdetermined, ie they can be influenced simultaneously by more than f magnet groups 24. The redundancy achieved in this way has advantages, such as improved reliability. If a magnet group 24 is no longer effective is controllable, other magnet groups 24 preferably compensate for the failure at least partially, so that the position of the transport body 200 can be complied with, if necessary. The change in position required for a change in force / torque can preferably be distributed over a plurality of magnet groups 24. This preferably reduces the change in position for each individual magnet group 24. Therefore, the change in position can be carried out faster overall, so that the dynamics of the conveying device 10 increase. The forces and moments to be applied for guiding a transport body 200 are preferably distributed over a plurality of magnet groups 24, so that smaller magnet groups 24 with weaker actuating elements 114 can be used in order to achieve the same effect. This can bring benefits for energy consumption and the cost of the conveyor 10.

The transport device can preferably be combined with classic transfer systems. For example, the transport bodies 200 can be transported over long distances with a belt webbing, for example, by leaving a stator 100, moving from a belt webbing to a new position, and then driving onto a stator or being placed there again. Within the framework of a modular overall system, stators 100 with different capabilities can be combined. For example, there may be stator modules that are optimized for high speed and / or high precision and / or high forces. These modules are preferably used in areas where they are needed.

Stators with curved surfaces, as shown in FIG. 13A, can also be realized by corresponding arrangement of the magnet groups, for example in a round design, as shown in FIGS. 13B and 13C, which have an outer or inner guided transport body 200 and have an internal or external stator 100. In example, such transport devices can be advantageous for use as a me mechanical bearing, for example, to rotatably support a shaft.

To save energy, the actuating elements 114 can preferably be operated temporarily with reduced current or switched off as long as there is no transport body 200 in the feed area of the respective magnet group 24. When a transport body 200 approaches, they are preferably reactivated briefly. The outer surfaces of stator 100 and transport body 200 can preferably be designed in such a way that they are adapted to the respective environmental conditions, for example extreme temperature requirements, high cleanliness requirements, freedom from particles, sterility, easy cleanability, resistance to aggressive materials, use in potentially explosive areas, use are fitted under a liquid or gas atmosphere etc. For example, a wide range of non-ferromagnetic materials are available, such as non-ferrous metals, plastic, Teflon, ceramics, glass,

Rubber, wood and many more

A group of transport bodies 200 can preferably perform a task together. For example, a plurality of transport bodies 200 moved in synchronized fashion can transport a large load that is too heavy for one transport body 200. Or several transport bodies 200 are connected to one another, for example, by means of passive rod kinematics and joints, so that the kinematics can be used as a handling device.

Not all degrees of freedom necessarily have to be levitating, instead individual degrees of freedom can also be realized by mechanical guidance.

For the inexpensive realization of a levitating system with a large transport area, the stator 100 can preferably be combined with classic axis systems or vehicles as a movement device. For example, an axle system or a vehicle with wheels transports a stator 100 in a large work area, while the stator 100 can position a transport body 200 in a small work area in a precise and floating manner.

An intermediate level (particle barrier) is optionally located between stator 100 and transport body 200. The transport body 200 can preferably be in the clean Be rich, however, the vehicle outside. The locomotive function primarily takes over, for example, the vehicle with its classic wheel drive, the levitation function and precision positioning of the stator 100 with the transport body 200.

The principles of action of the stator 100 and the transport body 200 can be interchanged in other preferred embodiments, so that, for example, an arrangement in the stator 100 tion of stationary magnets 22 and actively moving actuating magnets 26 in the transport body 200. In this variant, for example, the transport body 200 can carry the energy supply 38 (for example an accumulator, fuel cell, solar cells) or can be supplied with energy from outside (for example via a cable). In this way, for example, a wafer holder for holding a wafer 36 with an active drive can move without wheels, in which it has a drive 42 with actuating magnets 26, for example in order to travel on a rail or plane attached to the base 40 and equipped with stationary magnets 22 ( see Figure 14).

In the following, a method according to a preferred embodiment is described on the basis of the transport device 10 described above, with which the stable magnetic levitation of at least one transport body 200 is achieved, but without the invention being limited to the method explained.

The at least one transport body 200 experiences forces and moments in a dynamically variable magnetic field, which is generated by the controlled movement of actuating magnets 26 in at least one stator 100.

The Cartesian coordinate systems 900 and 920 are given to describe the position of the at least one transport body 200:

Each transport body i has a coordinate system 920i with the axes (c ,, y ,, z) and a fixed reference to the transport body, its origin lies, for example, in the calculated center of gravity of the magnet arrangement of the transport body.

The stator coordinate system 900 with the axes (X, Y, Z) has a fixed reference to the stator. Its X and Y axes lie in the effective area of the stator, the Z axis is perpendicular to the effective area and points in the direction of the transport body. The position of the trans port body with the index i is described in the stator coordinate system by the location vector, which indicates the origin of the transport body coordinate system. The angular position of the transport body i is expressed by the vector (p _t , the three components of which indicate the angles which are each enclosed by the X, Y and Z axes of the coordinate systems of the stator and transport body. There is also an arrangement of magnet groups in the stator, which are individually movable in at least one dimension relative to the stator and the position of which can be changed with adjusting elements. In the following it is assumed that the rotational position or angular position of the magnet group is variable, the axis of rotation in the stator coordinate system being constant and passing through the center of mass of the magnet group. The current rotational position of the magnet group k is otk. The control system provides the setpoint angle otk.soii, which is implemented quickly and precisely by the controller of the control element, so that after a short time otk = ak, soii.

According to the preferred embodiment, the method is implemented as a program in the control and is run through cyclically at a frequency of 100-10,000 Hz. The functional steps of an exemplary loop run, which is shown by way of example in FIG. 15, is described below.

3000a) Determination of the actual position and the actual speed of the transport body

Magnetic field sensors, capacitive sensors and / or optical sensors are installed in a regular grid below the effective area of the stator. The following description is based on Hall sensors as an example. Each Hall sensor measures three magnetic field components in orthogonal directions. The raw sensor values are read in by a computer, as is the angular position of all magnet groups in the stator. If other stators are adjacent, the measured values determined there at the same time are transmitted to the stator via a data bus. The entire reading process typically takes 0.1 ms - 1 ms.

First, the measured values of each sensor are corrected for the influence of the neighboring magnetic groups. The field contributions of the adjacent magnet groups were determined once for each sensor in an initialization run and are stored in correction tables depending on the angle of rotation. The correction tables are accessed using the currently read rotation angle of the neighboring magnet groups. The field contributions of the neighboring magnet groups are subtracted from all raw sensor values. The corrected sensor values obtained in this way represent the flux density of the transport body magnet arrangement over the active surface. The position of the at least one transport body is then determined. For this purpose, a description of the magnet arrangement of the transport body is stored as a list in the memory of the computer. The list contains the positions and dipole vectors of all actuating magnets and / or magnet groups 24, specified in the transport body coordinate system. With the help of this list, the field equation for a magnetic dipole and the superposition principle, a calculation model of the flux density distribution of the transport body is created. The model can be used to calculate the flux density vectors that are to be expected for a given transport body position at the location of the stator sensors. A scalar error function determines a measure for the mismatch of the measured and modeled flux densities of all transport bodies and magnet groups. The iterative optimization of the position and angular position of the transport body in the model minimizes the error function, i.e. it is adapted to the real measurement data. The iteration process is ended as soon as no further improvement is achieved and / or a previously defined error threshold is undershot.

The 6D position of the at least one transport body i determined in this way is interpreted within the framework of the accuracy of the model as the real position of the transport body i with the location vector and the angle vector <ßi. By numerically differentiating the cyclic sequence of position _values , the actual speed is calculated with the speed vector v _{i soü} for the translation and the angular velocity vector (o _{i SO} u for the rotation.

3000b) Determination of the target position and target speed of the transport body

A higher-level system can inform the control system of the desired movement path of at least one transport body as a result of 6D target positions, target times and / or target speeds. The path can consist of straight lines, circular sections or other basic geometric elements.

The control interpolates the trajectory in space and time. Various interpolation methods that are common in robotics, for example linear, spline or polynomial interpolation, come into consideration for spatial interpolation. For temporal interpolation, the control breaks down the spatially interpolated path into support points. In each cycle, it provides the target position with the location vector f _{l SOÜ} and the angle vector (pi _SO u) for each transport body i and optionally the target speed with the speed vector for the translation and the angular velocity vector w _{ί 50ίί} for the rotation and transfers this to the path controller.

3000c) Path control

The path control is used to quickly and precisely track the actual position of the transport body to the target position. For this purpose, the path controller calculates the control deviation, i.e. the difference between the target and actual position and / or the target and actual speed in all 6 dimensions. He uses this as an input variable for a control algorithm, for example the PID algorithm, which is calculated separately for each dimension to be controlled. As the output variable, the path controller supplies the target force vector F _{i SO} u and the target torque vector M _{i SO} u for each transport body i, which is required to correct the path. The controller parameters, such as gain (P), readjustment time (I) and lead time (D), are either determined once and permanently stored in the control, or are dynamically adapted to the movement and loading status of the transport bodies, such as their total mass or the mass distribution, which can be determined by an observer or an observation device (see 3000f).

3000d) Force / torque control

From the target force vectors and the target torque vectors for all transport bodies, this program part calculates the target positions for all magnet groups that lead to the generation of the target forces and moments. All magnet groups that have an influence on the transport bodies to be controlled are taken into account. For this purpose, the force / torque control uses a spatial model of the magnet arrangement in the stator and in the at least one trans port body. The model is able to approximately calculate the forces and moments that occur at a given position of the magnet groups. The magnet arrangements of the transport bodies are stored in the model as a list of the positions and dipole vectors of all transport body magnets. There is also a list of the magnets in each magnet group. The partial forces and moments between all magnet pairs are first calculated in the model, from which the total force and the total moment acting on each transport body is then calculated. All influences are taken into account in the best possible way, for example the forces and moments exerted on each other between two transport bodies. The following equations are essentially used for the calculation

Magnetic field B of a magnetic dipole ß at location r:

with r = | r |, where m _{0 is} the magnetic field constant.

Magnetic field B _tot as a superposition of the fields B _t (principle of superposition)

where n is the number of overlapping fields.

Force F on a magnetic dipole ß in field B:

F = n (mb).

The torque M that acts on a magnetic dipole ß in field B:

M = ß x B

The additional torque M _{F is} caused by forces F _u that are at a distance from the center of gravity, where n represents the number of forces:

Taking into account the actual position of all control elements and transport bodies, the actual force vector Fi and the actual torque vector M _t that currently act on each transport body i are calculated in the model. The mismatch between the actual and target forces as well as the actual and target moments of all transport bodies is assessed by a scalar error function E:

where m represents the number of transport bodies, F _t or M _t the actual force or the actual moment, F _{i SOll} or M _{i should} the target force or the target torque and F ₀ or M ₀ the reference force or the reference moment. The smaller E, the better the correspondence between the actual and target forces and moments of all transport bodies. The error function can be modified or extended by additional terms, so that energetically more favorable constellations are preferred. For example, the behavior of the overall system can be optimized for minimum power consumption, minimal change in position of the magnet groups or minimal number of magnet groups that are involved in a change in position.

The positions of the magnet groups in the model are changed step by step in an iterative optimization process. After each step, the forces and moments in the model are recalculated and evaluated using the error function. Steps that reduce the error E are retained and form the basis for the next iteration step. As soon as the error cannot be reduced further and / or falls below a preset threshold and / or a predetermined number of iteration steps has been carried out, the optimization loop is ended.

3000e) Output of the target positions to the control elements

The positions of the magnet groups optimized in the model are output to the control elements as target specifications.

3000f) Observer to determine the movement parameters (optional)

An algorithm called an “observer” records the time course of the actual position of the magnet groups and the transport body in response. He uses this information to determine the movement parameters of the transport bodies with the help of an extended model. The extended model is based on the force / moment model described above and is supplemented by further physical variables that describe the state of motion of the transport body, such as mass, damping, center of gravity, gravity vector, inertia tensor or inertial acceleration. In addition, the equations of motion of the transport bodies are calculated in the model, both in translation and in rotation.

Since the motion parameters are not known a priori, their value is estimated at the beginning and then in an iterative calculation of the model using targeted parameter variants. tion optimized. A scalar error function is used to evaluate the mismatch, which evaluates the deviation of the modeled trajectory from the measured trajectory over the period of the last measurements.

As a result, approximate values are available for the motion parameters mentioned above. These can e.g. can be used within the controller to optimize controller parameters such as P, I and D. For example, the total weight m of the transport body with payload can be determined and included in the path control as a factor in the calculation of the target forces and moments, so that twice the weight and torque are output to the transport body and thus the acceleration a = F / m is independent of the mass. The motion parameters can also be output as status information to the higher-level system (Fig. 16), so that it can, for example, infer the loading status from the weight of the transport body and thereby carry out a process control. For example, the conveying device for detecting a loading condition or the total mass of the transport body can have a loading detection device. In another example, a shift in the center of gravity, for example when transporting a sloshing liquid, can be actively regulated so that open containers with liquid can be transported quickly and reliably.

One or more of the following advantageous embodiments, according to which, in particular:

• the at least two stationary magnets (22)

- Two stationary magnets (22) which are arranged on a straight line, where at a dipole moment at least one of the stationary magnets is not oriented parallel to this straight line, or

- three or more stationary magnets (22)

exhibit;

• the at least two stationary magnets (22) and / or the plurality of actuating magnets (26) each have at least one permanent magnet;

The at least one permanent magnet has a magnetic flux density of at least 0.05 T, preferably at least 0.1 T, more preferably at least 0.25 T, even further preferably at least 0.5 T, particularly preferably at least 0.75 T, most preferably at least 1 T;

• the plurality of actuating magnets (26) each have a magnet group (24) and / or the at least two stationary magnets (22) are arranged in a magnet group (24), each actuating magnet (26) preferably having a magnet group (24) and / or wherein preferably each actuating magnet (26) has a magnet group (24), and each magnet group has a plurality of permanent magnets and / o the magnet coils;

• The plurality of permanent magnets and / or magnetic coils of the at least one magnet group (24) are arranged in accordance with at least one Halbach array in such a way that a magnetic field of the magnet group (24) preferably extends to the conveying surface;

• the actuating element (114) has a drive element which is set up to change the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnet (26) connected thereto in a controlled manner; and / or wherein the actuating element (114) has a sensor element which is set up to determine the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnet (26) connected to the actuating element (114); and / o the wherein the actuating element (114) has a control element which is set up to set the position and / or the orientation of the actuating magnet (26) connected to the actuating element (114) to a predetermined value by means of the drive;

• The conveying device (10) further has a position determining unit which is set up to determine a relative position and / or orientation of the at least one transport body (200) relative to the stator (100);

• the conveying device (10) further comprises a movement device which is set up to move the stator relative to an environment;

• the transport body (200) or the stator has an energy store;

• the at least one transport body (200) has at least one internal degree of freedom and preferably has a total of more than six degrees of freedom;

• the stator (100) and / or the transport body (200) further comprise a cover (112a) which is set up to limit forces acting between the stator (100) and the transport body (200); • the stationary magnets (22) are arranged as two-dimensional Halbach arrays and in particular have a rectangular and / or square and / or hexagonal and / or circular arrangement;

• The stationary magnets (22) are arranged in the transport body (200) at least partially in a cylindrical and / or spherical manner such that they have a larger swivel range than the transport body (200) with a flat arrangement of stationary magnets (22);

• the at least one transport body (200) has an identification element and the transport device (10) is set up to identify the transport body (200) on the basis of the identification element;

• The stator has several stator modules, which are preferably arranged adjacent to one another;

• the adjusting elements (114) are designed as rotary actuators, which in particular have an axis of rotation perpendicular to an active surface (102) of the stator (100);

• the stator (100) has a curved active surface (102);

• a number of degrees of freedom of the actuating magnets (26) is at least as large as a number of degrees of freedom along which the at least one transport body (200) is to be conveyed and / or positioned in a controlled manner;

• The conveyor device (10) is formed as a non-contact mechanical bearing;

• the conveying device is set up to fix the at least one transport body to the at least one stator in the event of a power supply interruption;

• the transport device (10) further comprises a load detection device which is set up to determine a load state of the transport body;

• The transport device (10) further comprises an observation device which is set up to determine a mass and / or a center of gravity of the transport body (200) relative to the stator (100).

One or more of the following advantageous refinements, according to which in particular: • The control elements (114) are controlled so that the at least one transport body (200) assumes a desired position and / or orientation relative to the stator (100);

• the desired position and / or orientation has six degrees of freedom;

· The step of actuating the control elements (114) so that the at least one

Transport body (200) assumes a desired position and / or orientation relative to the stator (100), comprises:

- Determining an actual position and / or an actual speed of the trans port body (200) relative to the stator (100);

- Determining a target position and / or a target speed of the trans port body (200) relative to the stator (100);

- Determining a deviation of the actual position and / or the actual speed from the target position or the target speed;

- Calculating target positions of at least some of the actuating magnets (26) such that the respective actuating magnets (26) reduce the deviation from the target position and / or the target speed from the actual position or the actual - Work towards the speed of the transport body.

- Arranging the respective actuating magnets (26) by means of the actuating elements (114) in such a way that the respective actuating magnets assume the desired positions.

Claims

Expectations

1. Transport device (10) for transporting at least one wafer (36), with at least one transport body (200), wherein the transport body (200) is set up at least for carrying or for holding at least one wafer (36) and wherein the conveying device (10) is set up to move the at least one transport body (200) at least two-dimensionally on a transport surface (35).

2. Transport device (10) according to claim 1, wherein the transport device (10) is set up to convey the at least one transport body (200) in a controlled manner in a suspended manner.

3. Transport device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, with a stator (100), wherein the transport device (10) is set up to transport the at least one transport body (200) in a controlled manner relative to the stator (100), wherein:

- The stator has a plurality of movably arranged actuating magnets (26), each of which is connected to the stator (100) via an actuating element (114), the actuating element (114) being set up to provide a position and / or an orientation of the associated actuating magnet (26) relative to the stator (100) to change in a controlled manner;

- The at least one transport body (200) has at least two stationary magnets (22) which are connected to the transport body (200) in such a way that the at least two stationary magnets (22) are immovable relative to the transport body (200);

- The stator (100) and the at least one transport body (200) by means of the at least two stationary magnets (22) and the plurality of actuating magnets (26) are magnetically coupled; and

- The conveying device (10) is set up to promote the at least one transport body (200) by controlled positioning and / or orientation of the several ren actuating magnets (26) by means of the actuating elements (114) relative to the stator (100).

4. Transport device (10) according to claim 1 or 2, with a stator (100), wherein the transport device (10) is set up to transport the at least one transport body (200) in a controlled manner relative to the stator (100), wherein:

- The at least one transport body (200) has a plurality of movably arranged Stellmag neten (26), each of which is connected via an actuating element (114) with the Transportkör by (200), wherein the actuating element (114) is set up, a position and / or to change an orientation of the actuating magnet (26) connected thereto in relation to the transport body (200) in a controlled manner;

- The stator (100) has at least two stationary magnets (22) which are connected to the gate (100) in such a way that the at least two stationary magnets (22) are immovable relative to the stator (100);

- The at least one transport body (200) and the stator (100) by means of the at least two stationary magnets (22) and the plurality of actuating magnets (26) are magnetically coupled; and

- The conveying device (10) is set up to promote the at least one transport body (200) by controlled positioning and / or orientation of the several ren actuating magnets (26) by means of the actuating element (114) relative to the stator (100).

5. Conveyor device (10) according to one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the several ren adjusting magnets (26) and / or the at least two stationary magnets (22) of the conveying surface (35) are arranged facing, the conveying device (10) being set up for this purpose is to transport the at least one transport body (200) along the transport surface (35) in a controlled manner relative to the stator (100).

6. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (10) is set up to transport at least two transport bodies (200) on the transport surface (35) along different transport routes, in particular such that a transport body (200) one can bring other transport body (200) over.

7. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (10) is set up to at least two transport bodies (200) to be conveyed on the conveying surface (35) along an at least two-lane conveying path.

8. Transport device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transport device (10) is set up to convey the at least one transport body (200) at least to a processing station (37) or the wafer (200) transported by means of the transport body (200). 36) at least to position or align in a processing station (37).

9. Transport device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the

Transport device (10) is set up to levitate the at least one transport body (200) relative to the stator (100) by means of the plurality of actuating magnets (26) and the at least two stationary magnets (22).

10. The method for operating a conveying device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one transport body (200) is freely moved on the conveying surface (35) towards a desired position and / or orientation.