Edge grip aligner with buffering capabilities

• US 20020048506A1
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Ltd. (United Kingdom) (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asyst Technologies Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Babbs, Daniel A., Kim, Jae Hong, Fosnight, William J., Coady, Matt W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,591,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/783
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0206 comprising articulated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/136 including wafer orienting means

Abstract

The present invention is an edge grip aligner with buffering capabilities and a method for increasing the throughput of wafers through the device. According to one embodiment, the present invention has first and second buffer arms, and a chuck arm. A workpiece can be aligned while supported on the chuck arm. Once the workpiece is aligned, the chuck arm transfers the workpiece to the buffer arms so that a second workpiece can be aligned on the chuck arm. While the second workpiece is being aligned, an end effector can transfer the first workpiece away from the buffer arms and retrieve another workpiece to place upon the chuck arm.

Claims

1. A processing tool, comprising:

first and second buffer arms, said first and second buffer arms being adapted to move between an open position and a closed position, and to support a workpiece when said first and second buffer arms are in the closed position; and

a chuck arm adapted to support the workpiece and transfer the workpiece between said chuck arm and said first and second buffer arms.

2. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second buffer arms can rotate independently with respect to each other.

3. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein only one said buffer arm rotates between an open position and a closed position.

4. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said chuck arm has three upwardly extending fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other.

5. The processing tool as recited in claim 4, wherein said fingers support a workpiece along an edge exclusion area.

6. The processing tool as recited in claim 5, wherein said fingers have a downwardly sloping surface that contacts the workpiece.

7. The processing tool as recited in claim 6, wherein the workpiece automatically settles in a centered, identifiable position between the fingers.

8. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second buffer arms and said chuck arm are arcuately shaped.

9. An processing tool, comprising:

first and second buffer arms adapted to rotate between an open position and a closed position, and to support a workpiece when said buffer arms are in the closed position; and

a chuck arm adapted to support a workpiece and vertically transfer the workpiece between said chuck arm and said buffer arms.

10. The processing tool as recited in claim 9, wherein the workpiece automatically settles in a centered, identifiable position when the workpiece is supported by said chuck arm.

11. An processing tool, comprising:

at least one buffer arm adapted to rotate between an open position and a closed position, and to support a workpiece when said at least one buffer arm is in the closed position; and

a chuck arm having means for supporting the workpiece so that the workpiece automatically settles in a centered, identifiable position on said chuck arm, and to transfer the workpiece between said chuck arm and said buffer arm.

12. The processing tool as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for supporting the workpiece are three fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other.

13. The processing tool as recited in claim 12, wherein said fingers support the workpiece only along an edge exclusion area.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(e) receiving a second workpiece from an end effector that places the second workpiece onto the chuck arm while the first workpiece is seated upon the buffer arm;

(f) transferring the first workpiece from said buffer arm, and carrying the first workpiece away from the buffer arm while said steps (b)-(d) are repeated.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

(d) receiving a second workpiece from an end effector that places the second workpiece onto the buffer arm while the first workpiece is being aligned in said step (c);

(e) transferring the first workpiece from the chuck arm, and carrying the first workpiece away from the aligner while said steps (b)-(c) are repeated.

19. The processing tool as recited in claim 18, wherein said operational arm has three upwardly extending fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other.

20. The processing tool as recited in claim 19, wherein said fingers support a workpiece along an edge exclusion area.

14. A method for aligning a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the workpiece from an end effector that places the workpiece onto a chuck arm;

(b) aligning the workpiece while the workpiece remains seated upon the chuck arm;

(c) transferring the workpiece from the chuck arm onto a buffer arm; and

(d) returning the chuck arm to the position the chuck arm was in during said step (a).

16. A method for aligning a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the workpiece from an end effector that places the workpiece onto a buffer arm;

(b) transferring the workpiece from the buffer arm onto the chuck arm; and

(c) aligning the workpiece while the workpiece remains seated upon the chuck arm.

18. A processing tool, comprising:

a buffer arm having an open position and a closed position, said buffer arm supporting a workpiece when said buffer arm is in the closed position; and

an operational arm adapted to support the workpiece during processing and transfer the workpiece between said operational arm and said buffer arm.

21. A method for sequentially processing workpieces, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first workpiece from an end effector that places the workpiece upon an operational arm;

(b) processing the first workpiece while the workpiece remains seated upon the operational arm;

(c) transferring the first workpiece onto a buffer arm so that a second workpiece may be subsequently placed upon the operational arm while the first workpiece remains on the buffer arm; and

(d) processing the second workpiece while the first workpiece is removed from said buffer arm by an end effector.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising the step of:

(e) receiving a third workpiece from an end effector that places the third workpiece onto said buffer arm while the second workpiece is being processed in said step (d);

(f) transferring the second workpiece from said operational arm by an end effector;

(g) transferring the third workpiece from said buffer arm to said operational arm, and processing the third workpiece while a fourth workpiece is placed onto said buffer arm.

24. The processing tool as recited in claim 23, wherein the second workpiece supported by said buffer arm and the workpiece supported by said operational arm are substantially concentric.

23. A processing tool, comprising:

an operational arm being adapted to process a workpiece while the workpiece is supported by said operational arm;

a buffer arm having means for supporting a second workpiece while the workpiece supported by said operational arm is being processed; and

said operational arm further having means for transferring a workpiece between said operational arm and said buffer arm.

25. A processing tool, comprising:

an operational arm being adapted to process a workpiece while the workpiece is supported by said operational arm;

a buffer arm being adapted to support a second workpiece while the workpiece supported by said operational arm is being processed, said buffer arm located such that the second workpiece is substantially concentric with the workpiece supported by said operational arm; and

said operational arm further being adapted to transfer a workpiece between said operational arm and said buffer arm.