THIN SUBSTRATE, MASS-TRANSFER BERNOULLI END-EFFECTOR

• US 20130108409A1
• Filed: 07/05/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jing Wen, Junqiang Zheng, Kung Chris Wu, Ruiqiu Yang
• Original Assignee: Jing Wen, Junqiang Zheng, Kung Chris Wu, Ruiqiu Yang
• Inventors: Wu, Kung Chris, Wen, Jing, Yang, Ruiqiu, Zheng, Junqiang
• Application Number:
  US13/807,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20130108409A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/800
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6838 with gripping and holding devices using a vacuum; Bernoulli devices

Abstract

An end effector (20, 20′) for simultaneously transferring a batch of substrates (202). The end effector (20, 20′) includes a set of juxtaposed substrate grippers (22, 22′) having a pitch between pairs of grippers (22, 22″) that does not exceed six (6.00) mm. Each gripper (22, 22′) has a contact surface (54, 54′) against which a substrate (202) becomes clamped upon injecting a gaseous jet into an open groove (56A, 56B, 56′) formed into the contact surface (54, 54′). Due to the close spacing between immediately adjacent pairs of substrate grippers (22, 22′), the open groove (56A, 56B, 56′) must be very shallow. The open groove (56A, 56B, 56′) can be characterized by having a groove depth into the contact surface (54, 54′) that is between two (2 .00) mm and two and four tenths (2.40) mm. Alternatively, the open groove (56A, 56B, 56′) can be characterized by having a groove width at the contact surface (54, 54′) that is at least three (3) times larger than a groove depth into the contact surface of the substrate gripper.

Claims

1. An end effector adapted for simultaneously transferring a batch of substrates, the end effector comprising a plurality of juxtaposed substrate grippers having a pitch between immediately adjacent pairs of substrate grippers that does not exceed six (6.00) mm, each substrate gripper having a contact surface against which a substrate becomes clamped upon injecting a first gaseous jet into a first open groove formed into the contact surface of the substrate gripper, the first open groove having a groove depth into the contact surface of the substrate gripper that is between two (2.00) mm and two and four-tenths (2.40) mm.

3. The end effector of claim 1 wherein the substrate is also clamped to the substrate by injecting a second gaseous jet into a second open groove also formed into the contact surface of the substrate gripper.

4. The end effector of claim 3 wherein the second gaseous jet is injected into the second open groove concurrently with injection of the first gaseous jet into the first open groove.

5. The end effector of claim 3 wherein the second gaseous jet injected into the second open groove is directed diametrically away from the first gaseous jet injected into the first open groove.

6. The end effector of claim 3 wherein the gaseous jet is injected via an air needle into an open groove selected from a group consisting of the first open groove and the second open groove.

2. An end effector adapted for simultaneously transferring a batch of substrates, the end effector comprising a plurality of juxtaposed substrate grippers having a pitch between immediately adjacent pairs of substrate grippers that does not exceed six (6.0) mm, each substrate gripper having a contact surface against which a substrate becomes clamped upon injecting a first gaseous jet into a first open groove formed into the contact surface of the substrate gripper, the first open groove having a groove width at the contact surface of the substrate gripper that is at least three (3) times larger than a groove depth into the contact surface of the substrate gripper.

12. The end effector of claim 2 wherein the substrate is also clamped to the substrate by injecting a second gaseous jet into a second open groove also formed into the contact surface of the substrate gripper.

13. The end effector of claim 12 groove concurrently with injection of the first gaseous jet into the first open groove.

14. The end effector of claim 12 wherein the second gaseous jet injected into the second open groove is directed diametrically away from the first gaseous jet injected into the first open groove.

15. The end effector of claim 12 wherein the gaseous jet is injected via an air needle into an open groove selected from a group consisting of the first open groove and the second open groove.

7. A method for transferring a batch of substrates from a cassette to a process carrier comprising the steps of:

1. juxtaposing contact surfaces of a plurality of substrate grippers, all of which are included in an end effector, individually with a number of substrates disposed in the cassette, the spacing between immediately adjacent pairs of substrate grippers not exceeding six (6.0) mm;

2. injecting gaseous jets into open grooves formed into contact surfaces of the plurality of substrate grippers whereby the substrates become clamped to an adjacent contact surface;

3. while continuing to inject the gaseous jets into open grooves formed into contact surfaces of the plurality of substrate grippers;

a. moving the end effector together with the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers away from the cassette thereby removing the substrates from the cassette;

b. positioning the end effector together with the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers adjacent to the process carrier;

c. aligning the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers with the process carrier whereby the substrates become receivable into the process carrier; and

d. moving the end effector together with the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers toward the process carrier thereby depositing the aligned substrates into the process carrier;

4. terminating the injection of the gaseous jets whereby the substrate grippers release the substrates; and

5. moving the end effector together with the substrate grippers away from the substrates now disposed in the process carrier.

8. A method for transferring a batch of substrates from a process carrier to a cassette comprising the steps of:

1. juxtaposing contact surfaces of a plurality of substrate grippers, all of which are included in an end effector, individually with a number of substrates disposed in the process carrier, the spacing between immediately adjacent pairs of substrate grippers not exceeding six (6.0) mm;

2. injecting gaseous jets into open grooves formed into contact surfaces of the plurality of substrate grippers whereby the substrates become clamped to an adjacent contact surface;

3. while continuing to inject the gaseous jets into open grooves formed into contact surfaces of the plurality of substrate grippers;

a. moving the end effector together with the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers away from the process carrier thereby removing the substrates from the process carrier;

b. positioning the end effector together with the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers adjacent to the cassette;

c. aligning the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers with the cassette whereby the substrates become receivable into the cassette; and

d. moving the end effector together with the substrates clamped to the contact surface of the substrate grippers toward the cassette thereby depositing the aligned substrates into the cassette;

4. terminating the injection of the gaseous jets whereby the substrate grippers release the substrates; and

5. moving the end effector together with the substrate grippers away from the substrates now disposed in the cassette.

9. A substrate gripper comprising a contact surface having an open groove formed thereinto that has groove depth into the contact surface that is between two (2.00) mm and two and four-tenths (2.40) mm, a substrate becoming clamped to the contact surface upon injecting a gaseous jet into the open groove

11. The end effector of claim 9 wherein the gaseous jet is injected into the open groove from an air needle.

10. A substrate gripper comprising a contact surface having an open groove formed thereinto that has groove width at the contact surface that is at least three (3) times larger than a groove depth into the contact surface, a substrate becoming clamped to the contact surface upon injecting a gaseous jet into the open groove.

16. The end effector of claim 10 wherein the gaseous jet is injected into the open groove from an air needle.