APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MOVING A SUBSTRATE

• US 20100255195A1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intermolecular Incorporated (Merck & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symyx Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Ta, Cuong Manh, Lambert, Stephen Mark, Mullins, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 8,511,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/248.100
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00328 Movement by linear translation
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00533 essentially rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00691 using robots
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 13/00 Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles B05C1/0821 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/023 Cartesian coordinate type
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/02 Controlled or contamination-free environments or clean space conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/04 Arrangements of vacuum systems or suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/045 Details of suction cups suction cups
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/061 Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/067 Sheet handling, means, e.g. manipulators, devices for turning or tilting sheet glass suction cups B65G49/061; combined with vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; stacking and destacking B65G49/068
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/43 Spray painting or coating

Abstract

A substrate holder and method for using it to move a substrate. The holder comprises a frame having an inner periphery defining a first opening for receiving the substrate, and a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery of the frame for supporting the substrate in the first frame opening. The shoulder has an inner periphery defining a second opening smaller than the first opening for receiving a substrate support. The holder and a substrate therein is moved to a position above the substrate support and then lowered to a position in which the shoulder of the holder is positioned below a top surface of the substrate support and the substrate is deposited on the top surface of the substrate support.

Claims

1. Apparatus for moving a substrate, comprising:

a substrate holder for holding a substrate; and

a programmable robot programmed for moving both the substrate holder and a substrate held by the holder along X, Y and Z-axes, the X and Y-axes being generally horizontal and the Z-axis being generally vertical,

said substrate holder comprising;

a frame having an upper rim, an inner periphery defining a first opening for receiving a substrate, and a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery for supporting the substrate in the first opening,

said shoulder having an inner periphery defining a second opening smaller than the first opening for receiving a substrate support whereby the robot may transport the holder and a substrate therein to a position above the substrate support and then lower the holder to a position in which the shoulder is positioned below a top surface of the substrate support and the substrate is deposited on the top surface of the substrate support.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising feet extending below the frame positioned for contact with the frame of a second substrate holder whereby two or more substrate holders can be stacked one above the other with a gap between the frames of adjacent holders.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further comprising recesses in the upper rim of the frame of a first substrate holder for receiving respective feet of a second substrate holder stacked on the first substrate holder.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a perforated backing plate for supporting said substrate, said backing plate being configured for receipt in said first opening and to be supported by said shoulder.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a bar code on the substrate holder for identifying the substrate held by the substrate holder.

15. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in combination with said substrate support, and wherein said robot is programmed to transport said frame holding said substrate to a position above said substrate support and to lower said frame to deposit the substrate on the top surface of the substrate support.

16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said substrate support is a vacuum device.

17. Apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said vacuum device has vacuum grooves for holding the substrate in place on the device.

6. A plurality of substrate holders for holding substrates each of said substrate holders comprising:

a frame having an upper rim and an inner periphery, said inner periphery defining a first opening for receiving a respective substrate,

a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery of the frame for supporting the substrate in the first frame opening,

said shoulder having an inner periphery defining a second opening smaller than the first opening for receiving a substrate support whereby the holder and a substrate therein may be moved by an automated transport device to a position above the substrate support and then lowered to a position in which said shoulder of the holder is positioned below a top surface of the substrate support and the substrate is deposited on the top surface of the substrate support, and

wherein said substrate holders are configured for stacking one on top of another while maintaining a spacing between the frames of adjacent substrate holders.

7. A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 6 further comprising feet extending below the frame of each substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders for maintaining said spacing.

8. A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 7 further comprising recesses in the upper rim of the frame of a first substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders for receiving respective feet of a second substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders stacked on the first substrate holder.

9. A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 6, further comprising a perforated backing plate for supporting a substrate on a substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders, said backing plate being configured for receipt in said first opening and to be supported by said shoulder of the substrate holder.

10. A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 6 further comprising a bar code on a substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders for identifying the substrate held by the substrate holder.

18. A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 6, in combination with a plurality of substrates held by said substrate holders, at least one of said substrates having a film deposited thereon.

11. A method of moving a substrate, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a substrate holder comprising a frame having an upper rim, an inner periphery defining an upper opening, and a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery of the frame below the upper rim, the shoulder supporting a substrate thereon in the upper opening, and the shoulder having an inner periphery defining a lower opening below the upper opening and smaller than the upper opening,

b) lifting the substrate holder containing the substrate and transporting the holder to a vacuum device having a substrate supporting surface,

c) lowering the substrate holder to a position in which the vacuum device is received in the lower opening of the holder and the substrate is deposited on the substrate-supporting surface of the vacuum device, and

d) continuing to lower the substrate holder to a position in which the upper rim of the frame is disposed below said substrate-supporting surface.

12. A method as set forth in claim 11 wherein steps b-d are performed by a programmable robot.

13. A method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising forming at least one film on the substrate, and removing the substrate holder and substrate from the vacuum device by lifting the substrate holder to bring the shoulder on the frame into supporting engagement with the substrate.

14. A method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising supporting the substrate on a perforated backing plate during steps b-d.