Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
  • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
  • B65G49/00—Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for
  • B65G49/05—Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for for fragile or damageable materials or articles
  • B65G49/07—Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for for fragile or damageable materials or articles for semiconductor wafers Not used, see H01L21/677
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
  • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
  • H01L21/683—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping
  • H01L21/687—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
  • H01L21/68707—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
  • B25J9/0009—Constructional details, e.g. manipulator supports, bases
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
  • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
  • B25J9/00—Programme-controlled manipulators
  • B25J9/08—Programme-controlled manipulators characterised by modular constructions

Definitions

• microelectronic devices As the microelectronics industry advances toward efficient and economical
• An automated apparatus used for processing a microelectronic workpiece such as a
• This apparatus utilizes a plurality of workpiece processing modules or
• Workpiece transport units are used to access
• a workpiece cassettes and transfer workpieces throughout the processing apparatus A workpiece
• conveyor supports and guides the workpiece transport units for transferring individual workpieces
• workpiece conveyor also includes a transport unit guide, such as an elongated rail, which defines a transport unit guide
• the workpiece transport units which move along the rail are configured to have a workpiece transfer arm assembly having an end
• the transfer arm assembly can be adjusted in
• Some processing modules require the workpiece to be oriented with
• modules such as electroplating reactors, utilize a processing head which can be "flipped", i.e., rotated, between a first position in which the processing head is positioned to receive the workpiece
• processing requires complicated head operator mechanisms for rotating the processing heads.
• operator mechanisms can require substantially heavy or large structures for rotating the processing
• the present inventors have recognized that reducing or eliminating the requirement for processing modules to turn over or flip a workpiece for processing would simplify the overall
• processing stations may have varying wafer
• the present invention is directed to a workpiece conveyor system that is used for transporting
• the workpiece conveyor system includes an improved workpiece
• transport unit that carries the workpieces within the apparatus on, for example, a conveyor rail or the
• the transport unit includes a vertical member extending from a housing.
• An arm member is a member extending from a housing.
• effector is disposed at a distal end of the arm member and is selectively driven in rotation about a horizontal axis to "flip" the workpiece between a face-up orientation and a face-down orientation.
• the effector is preferably configured to grip an edge of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer,
• the workpiece transport unit In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the workpiece transport unit
• the transport unit can be driven linearly on the rail
• the vertical member can be raised or lowered vertically along a vertical axis (Y).
• the arm member can be rotated about the vertical axis (Zl) and a distal portion of the arm
• the end effector can rotate or "flip" about a
• the arm member preferably includes a rotary actuator
• a workpiece transport unit having a vacuum
• the vacuum gripping mechanism for holding a workpiece to the end effector.
• the vacuum gripping mechanism for holding a workpiece to the end effector.
• two workpiece transport units are slidable on
• At least one of the transport units includes a first end
• the vertical space is sufficiently projected in a horizontal direction for
• the two transport units can be overlapped in plan, and the two transport units can be moved longitudinally along the
• FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a workpiece processing tool incorporating
• FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the improved workpiece conveyor system shown in FIGURE 1;
• FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;
• FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a workpiece transport unit constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
• FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the workpiece transport unit shown in FIGURE 4;
• FIGURE 6 A is a partial exploded perspective view of the robot arm components of the
• FIGURE 6B is a partial exploded perspective view of the robot arm components of
• FIGURE 6A FIGURE 6B being a continuation of FIGURE 6A;
• FIGURE 7 is a side view of the robot arm components of FIGURES 6A, 6B, as
• FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken generally along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7;
• FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken generally along line 9-9 of FIGURE 8.
• FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view from FIGURE 8.
• FIGURE 11 is an enlarged fragmentary right side view taken from FIGURE 7;
• FIGURE 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from FIGURE 8;
• FIGURE 13 is an enlarged perspective view of one embodiment of an end effector
• FIGURE 14 is a rear perspective view of the workpiece transport unit of FIGURE 4 in
• FIGURE 15 is a plan view of the end effector of FIGURE 13;
• FIGURE 16 is a sectional view taken generally along line 16-16 of FIGURE 15;
• FIGURE 17 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from FIGURE 16, shown
• FIGURE 18 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken generally along line 18-18
• FIGURE 19 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from FIGURE 16;
• FIGURE 20 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of an alternative embodiment
• FIGURE 21 is an enlarged view taken from FIGURE 20;
• FIGURE 22 is an end view of an alternative workpiece processing tool having a
• FIGURE 23 is an enlarged view taken from FIGURE 22;
• FIGURE 24 is a plan view of the workpiece processing tool of FIGURE 22;
• FIGURE 25 is an exploded perspective view of an end effector of the robot arm shown in
• FIGURE 20 and a workpiece
• FIGURE 26 is a plan view of the end effector of FIGURE 25;
• FIGURE 27 is a bottom view of the end effector of FIGURE 26;
• FIGURE 28 is an enlarged view taken from FIGURE 26;
• FIGURE 29 is an enlarged view taken from FIGURE 26;
• FIGURE 30 is a sectional view taken along line 30-30 in FIGURE 26;
• FIGURE 31 is a plan view of the end effector of FIGURE 25, holding a workpiece
• FIGURE 32 is a sectional view taken along line 32-32 in FIGURE 31;
• FIGURE 33 is a sectional view taken along line 33-33 in FIGURE 31;
• FIGURE 34 is a sectional view taken along line 34-34 in FIGURE 31.
• FIGURE 1 illustrates an exemplary modular workpiece processing apparatus 10 that may use
• apparatus 10 includes an
• the apparatus 10 also includes
• workpiece processing stations may be secured to one another about the workpiece conveying system
• workpiece conveyor 20 is disposed in the processing chamber so that it can access each of a plurality
• a plurality of the processing modules 14, 16 may be secured in an end-to-end configuration
• the workpiece conveying system 20 of one apparatus 10 is programmed to cooperate with the workpiece conveying system 20 of one or more prior or
• FIGURE 2 illustrates further details of the workpiece conveyor 20 for transporting
• conveyor 20 generally includes one or more workpiece transport units 30,32 that are coupled for
• the transport unit guide 26 preferably
• transport unit guide 26 comprises an elongate spine 26a mounted on a frame 28.
• transport unit guide 26 may
• workpiece conveyor 20 and transport unit guide 26 may be formed as a track or other elongate configuration for guiding workpiece transport units 30, 32 thereon.
• the length and shape of workpiece conveyor 20 and transport unit guide 26 may be varied,
• the workpiece transport unit guide 26 includes a spine that
• Each workpiece transport unit 30, 32 preferably engages a respective pair of the upper and
• Each pair of guide rails can mount one or more transport units
• Each workpiece transport unit 30, 32 is powered along the respective path by a suitable
• drive operators 61, 64 are mounted to respective sides of transport unit guide 26 to provide controllable axial movement of workpiece transport units 30, 32 along the
• the drive operator 61. 64 may be linear magnetic motors for providing
• operators 61 , 64 are preferably linear brushless direct current motors. Such preferred drive operators
• 61, 64 utilize a series of magnetic segments which magnetically interact with a respective
• electromagnet 69 mounted on each of the workpiece transport units 30, 32 to propel the units along
• Cable guards 72, 73 may be connected to respective workpiece transport units 30, 32 and
• Cable guard 72, 73 may comprise
• the workpiece transport unit 30 is coupled with a first side of the
• Each workpiece transport unit 30, 32 can include four linear bearings 136, 140, 138, 142 for
• FIGURE 4 illustrates a workpiece transport unit 30 which is substantially identical to the
• the transport unit 30 includes a robot arm or arm member 100 extending horizontally from a
• the arm member 100 includes a first arm section 110 rotatably
• the first arm section 1 10 is rotatable about a vertical axis
• the second rotatable arm section 114 is rotatable about a vertical axis Z2 with respect to the first arm section 110.
• the end effector 108 is rotatable about a horizontal axis (or "flip" axis) R, perpendicular to the vertical axes Zl and Z2.
• the housing 106 includes a vertically arranged base plate 120, a first top cover plate 122, a
• shroud 128 comprises side walls 129, 130 and a back wall 132.
• lower linear bearings 140, 142 is a brushless motor 69, which acts on the drive operator 61 of the
• a head reader linear encoder 149 provides a position signal
• FIGURE 5 illustrates the various components that are disposed inside of the housing 106.
• a lift assembly 154 and cooperating components of arm assembly 100 are disposed
• the lift assembly 154 includes the various components used drive the arm assembly 100
• the lift assembly 154 includes a lead screw motor 156 which turns a threaded lead screw 158 that, and turn, is disposed for rotation within a lift bracket 160.
• lead screw nut 162 is threaded onto the lead screw 158 and fastened to a lift nut adaptor 164.
• lead screw 158 about its axis will advance the nut 162 and the adaptor 164 upwardly, axially along the lead screw 158. Reverse rotation of the lead screw motor 156 will lower the nut 162 and adaptor
• an absolute position sensor 165 100 along the vertical axis Z2 is provided by an absolute position sensor 165.
• the arm member 100 is connected to vertical rail 176 for movement along the vertical axis Z2.
• a vertical linear bearing assembly 170 having a track 172 and a sliding element 174 is arranged
• the vertical member includes at a base end thereof a carrier plate
• the arm member 100 can be vertically raised and lowered by the adaptor 164 through actuation
• the linear bearing assembly 170 ensures a precise and stable vertical
• a lift encoder 177 is connected to the driven shaft of the lead screw
• FIGURES 6 A and 12 illustrate a first rotational movement motor 200 which, by rotation of
• the motor 200 is connected by a motor mount
• a coupling 214 connects the output shaft 201 of the motor 200 to an input shaft 218 of a tube
• the resolver sensor 226 sends a precise rotary position signal of the tube assembly 220
• FIGURES 6B, 8 and 9 illustrate the connection of tube 220 to a lower housing 242 of the first
• a top cover 245 fits over the lower housing 242 to form a
• FIGURES 6B and 8 through 10 illustrate components for imparting rotation of the second
• a second rotational motor 240 is housed
• the motor 240 is vertically supported by a motor
• flange 248 is also fastened to a top of the motor 240 as shown in FIGURE 8, by fasteners (not
• An output shaft 250 of the motor 240 receives a pulley flange 252, a drive pulley 254 and
• the second rotation motor 240 includes a rotary position encoder (not shown) integrated
• the encoder sends a rotary position signal to a control unit for control of the transport
• a wrist torque tube 260 is mounted for rotation within
• the arm belt 290 is driven by the drive
• a bearing 264 (shown schematically) held by a bearing retainer 266, and a torque tube retainer 272 support and guide the torque tube 260.
• mount 268 is mounted with a rotary absolute encoder 270 to the lower housing 242.
• the rotary rotary absolute encoder 270 is mounted with a rotary absolute encoder 270 to the lower housing 242.
• absolute encoder generates a rotational position signal of the second arm section 114 with respect
• the position signal is provided to a control for the transport unit.
• An absolute encoder cover 274 mates with the bottom of the lower housing 242.
• a robot wrist housing 280 fastened to the lower
• a flip axis amplifier 292 is a flip axis amplifier 292, and a spring loaded belt tensioner 294.
• the tensioner 294 includes an idler pulley 295 for maintaining
• the idler pulley is carried by a plate 297 which is pivoted about a pin
• the plate is spring loaded by a spring (not shown)
• the force of the spring rotates the plate to press the idler pulley 295 against the belt 290.
• the second rotational motor 240 is selectively actuated to circulate the belt 290 which is
• FIGURES 6B and 10 illustrate the flip axis components which allow rotation of the effector
• the flip axis motor 302 is selectively actuated to rotate the end effector
• the flip axis motor is connected to an actuator mount 304.
• bearing housing 306 is located within the cover 300 and holds a bearing 308 (shown schematically)
• a flip axis hub 312 is mounted to the end effector 108.
• the flip axis motor includes an output shaft 350 connected, at a back end of the motor 302,
• the redundant rotary position encoders provide a signal to a
• control unit of the transport unit that corresponds to the rotary position of the effector 108 about the
• flange 356 is attached by fasteners to the flip axis hub 312 (registering fastener holes shown in FIGURE 6B).
• the flip axis hub 312 includes an annular bearing surface 360 which is journaled for rotation
• the bearing 308 is held in place by the bearing retainer 310 which is attached by fasteners to the bearing housing 306 (registering fastener holes shown in FIGURE 6B).
• bearing housing 306 includes a base portion 362 which .s fastened to the wrist torque tube 260 and
• the actuator mount 304 is attached by fasteners 305 to a rear side of the bearing housing 306.
• the actuator mount 304 is attached by fasteners to a front
• a pneumatic cylinder 414 includes a spring 470 which exerts
• Pressurized air introduced into the port 422 acts on the piston 472 in opposition to the force of
• annular space 600 is provided around the pneumatic
• This pneumatic tubing as well as the conductors can be routed from the space 600 backwardly, partly
• circuit cables disposed in cavities 260b. This arrangement winds up or unwinds these cables about
• conductors can then be routed through the encoder housing 224, upwardly into the volume 244
• FIGURES 13 through 16 illustrate one embodiment of the edge-gripping end effector 108.
• the end effector 108 includes a paddle 400 extending from a base portion 400a (shown
• the paddle 400 is substantially Y-shaped with two
• a gripper body 404 is
• the pneumatic actuator 414 is connected
• pneumatic actuator 414 is connected to the rear flange 356 of the effector 108, by fasteners (not
• the pneumatic actuator 414 includes the pressurized air inlet port 422 which can be a
• the gripper body 404 includes a guide tab 428 at a front end thereof, overlying the paddle
• the guide tab includes, on a top surface thereof, a semicylindrical groove 430.
• tab 428 includes a ramp surface 440 on a front end thereof, declined downwardly in a forward
• a workpiece sensor 442 On a front surface of the gripper body 404 is a workpiece sensor 442. The workpiece sensor
• a light emitting and receiving sensor which emits a light beam and, if a workpiece is present on
• the paddle 400 receives a light reflection from the workpiece. If no workpiece is present the
• sensor 442 emits an infrared light beam.
• the pins are preferrably formed from plastic material. For simplicity, only the pin 452 will be
• the pin 452 has a cylindrical body 456 with a radially
• top flange 458 extending top flange 458 and an intermediate base 460.
• the base 460 fits onto a stepped region 462
• the intermediate base 460 has an
• the declined surface 466 ensures that only an edge
• FIGURE 18 illustrates the workpiece W ( shown solid) initially resting on an edge 467 thereof
• the plunger 434 includes a conical tip 434a which has an inclined
• portion 474 that pushes and overlies an edge 475 of the workpiece W to vertically retain the
• the ramp surface 440 ensures that the workpiece is only contacted
• the plunger includes a cylindrical slender forward extension 434b, which includes the tip
• the barrel portion 434c is a cylindrical tool gripping portion 434d having opposing flat surfaces 434e,
• the plunger 434 fits into a stepped bore 476.
• bore 476 includes a forward slender bore 476a for guiding the slender forward extension 434b and
• the workpiece edge is pressed into the vertical contact surface 456a of the pins and between the ramp surface 440 and the inclined surface 474.
• the workpiece can be released by
• FIGURE 20 illustrates an alternative robot arm assembly 500.
• the robot arm assembly is
• a first rotatable arm section 510 includes the electric motor 240 and the
• a vacuum chamber cap 546 is
• the first arm section 510 includes a housing 560
• housing 560 for being connected to a source of vacuum, and is in flow communication with a
• the channel 570 through the wrist tube 540.
• the channel is in flow communication with an indented
• the vacuum chamber cap 546 includes an inlet portion 574 which
• the inlet portion 574 includes a plurality of ports 576
• the inlet nozzle 578 extends upwardly into an axial channel 580
• FIGURE 22 illustrates a processing tool 600 having a central workpiece conveyor system
• the workpiece conveyor system 620 includes a workpiece transport unit guide 26 as previously
• transport units 630, 632 one slidably mounted on each side of the guide as previously described.
• the workpiece transport unit 630, 632 incorporate the robot transfer arm 500 as described
• FIGURE 23 illustrates a compact lateral arrangement of the transport units 630, 631 having
• a lateral outside dimension 640 for compact mutual sliding along the guide rail 26.
• wafer W held thereby can underlie the (left) end effector 562 and wafer W held thereby in close
• the transport unit 630 thereby can overlie the (right) end effector 522 and wafer W held thereby.
• FIGURE 24 illustrates the (left and right) transport units 630, 632 in this compact, retracted
• the transport units can deliver
• FIGURES 22-24 allows for simultaneous linear transfer of wafers by both
• the vacuum cap 546 of the robot arm assembly has an
• the result of the described configuration is a reduced tool footprint, when viewed in plan view, of approximately nine inches in width.
• FIGURE 8 could also be modified to extend the torque tube 260
• FIGURE 25 illustrates an alternative embodiment end effector 700 for gripping a workpiece
• the end effector 700 includes a paddle member 706 and a link member 708.
• the paddle member 706 is fastened to the link member 708.
• the paddle member 706 includes
• paddle member includes four holes which receive locator pins or buttons 714 which locate the wafer
• a link member vacuum closeout 716 closes the vacuum channel 760
• FIGURE 26 illustrates a top surface 706a of the paddle 706.
• the paddle 706 includes parallel
• prongs 722, 724 At the distal end of the prongs are raised wafer supporting ridges or pad areas 726,
• the locator pins 714 are located adjacent to the pad areas 726, 727. At the base end of the
• paddle 706 is an elongated wafer supporting ridge or pad area 730.
• Locator pins 714 are located at opposite ends of the pad area 730.
• the pad areas 726, 727, 730 circumscribe a portion of a circle
• FIGURE 27 illustrates the bottom of the paddle member 706 which includes the elongate
• vacuum channel 740 which is surrounded by a recesssed ledge 742 which corresponds to the shape
• vacuum closeout 710 shown in FIGURE 25. Additionally, within the vacuum channel 740 are located vacuum ports or holes 744 which open the vacuum channel through a thickness of the vacuum closeout 710 shown in FIGURE 25.
• FIGURE 28 illustrates the pad area 727 including a vacuum port 744 therethrough which is
• FIGURE 31 illustrates the wafer W located between the four locator pins 714 and covering
• FIGURE 32 shows the link member vacuum closeout 716 which closes the elongate vacuum
• the closeout 716 includes an inlet opening 764 and an outlet opening 766.
• opening 764 communicates with the vacuum chamber cap 546 as shown in FIGURE 21.
• FIGURES 33 and 34 illustrate one of the locator pins 714 in more detail.
• FIGURES 25-34 The end effector assembly of FIGURES 25-34 provides a vacuum manifold which
• the elevated vacuum pad areas contact the wafer surface only in a preselected
• buttons or locator pins 714 provide guide "furniture” with angled lead-in to precisely locate the wafer relative to the raised pad
• the vacuum gripping end effector of FIGURES 25-34 may offer some advantages over the
• the wafer may cause the wafer to slide relative to the paddle. To prevent the wafer from interfering
• FIGURES 25-34 simplifies robot movement by only requiring a lift up to attach the vacuum pad areas to the wafer.
• the plunger type edge grip requires a wafer presence sensor system separate from the
• grip mechanism This includes an electrical/optic sensor such as described with the previous

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Cited By (26)

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Citations (10)

• 1999
  • 1999-07-09 KR KR1020017000407A patent/KR20010074695A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-07-09 JP JP2000559045A patent/JP2003527737A/ja active Pending
  • 1999-07-09 WO PCT/US1999/015567 patent/WO2000002808A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-07-09 EP EP99933843A patent/EP1112220A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-07-09 CN CN99810360A patent/CN1411420A/zh active Pending
  • 1999-07-12 TW TW088111765A patent/TW496848B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (10)

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