Automated opening and closing of ultra clean storage containers

• US 6,142,722 A
• Filed: 06/17/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genmark Automation Incorporated (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Genmark Automation Incorporated (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Todorov, Alexander D., Botev, Roumen G., Genov, deceased, Genco
• Primary Examiner(s): Keenan, James W.
• Application Number:
  US09/098,349
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 414/217, 414/222.07, 414/222.13, 414/225.01, 414/226.01, 414/292, 414/411, 414/416, 414/744.3, 414/744.5, 414/744.7, 414/937, 483/901, 294/2, 294/86.4, 294/902, 901/17, 901/30, 901/41
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70741 Handling masks outside exposure position, e.g. reticle libraries
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7075 Handling workpieces outside exposure position, e.g. SMIF box
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67772 involving removal of lid, door, cover
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/137 including means for charging or discharging wafer cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 483/901 Robot end effectors

Abstract

A substrate handling system is provided with a robot having the dual function of a removing and replacing substrate-containing pod doors and load lock chamber doors, and of transporting the substrates between the pods and various processing stations. The robot is equipped with an end effector having sockets into which interchangeable tools for implementing the various functions are removably mounted. The tools are retrieved from respective parking locations disposed within the system micro environment, and automatic interchangeability of the tools is facilitated by a novel socket mechanism which engages and disengages the tools to the robot arm without introducing contaminants into the micro environment.

Claims

1. A substrate handling system adapted to transport a substrate between a first position and a second position, the substrate when in the first position being disposed within a pod having a removable pod door, the second position being within a micro environment, the substrate handling system comprising:

a load lock chamber having a port for allowing access to the pod in an engagement position and having a removable load lock chamber door for closing the port; and

a robot having an articulating arm comprised of a plurality of links including a proximal link and one or more distal links, wherein at least one of said distal links is provided with at least two degrees of freedom and is configured to support a first tool for removing the load lock chamber door and the pod door to a location within the load lock chamber which is remote from the port, and a second tool for transporting the substrate between the first position and the second position,

wherein said first and second tools are supported by said one of said distal links so as to have at least two degrees of freedom.

2. The of claim 1, wherein the robot arm is provided with kinematically redundant motion.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the arm is capable of R- and θ

-motion in a cylindrical coordinate system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the arm is capable of Z-motion in the cylindrical coordinate system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the arm is mounted for translation along a translation axis which is offset from parallelism with a Z axis defining the Z motion by an angle α

, said angle α

having a predetermined and controllable value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the arm is capable of yaw motion.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the arm is capable of roll motion.

8. The substrate handling system of claim 1, wherein the load lock chamber and the second position comprise regions in a micro environment system.

9. The substrate handling system of claim 8, wherein the substrates are semiconductor wafers, and wherein the micro environment comprises a semiconductor wafer processing environment.

10. The substrate handling system of claim 8, wherein the substrates are flat panel displays, and wherein the micro environment comprises a flat panel display processing environment.

11. The substrate handling system of claim 8, wherein the substrates are reticles, and wherein the micro environment comprises a reticle processing environment.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising a parking location associated with each of the load lock chamber doors and the pod doors, the parking locations supporting the associated doors within the micro environment system.

13. The substrate handling system of claim 12, wherein the arm is adapted for motion in a cylindrical coordinate system defining Z-, R- and θ

-coordinates and wherein the parking location of the pod door and the engagement position of the pod door are different and the parking location of the load lock chamber door and the engagement position of the load lock chamber door are different, the differences being in at least the θ

-coordinate of the cylindrical coordinate system.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot arm is provided with an end effector having supported therein a gripper tool for handling the pod door and the load lock chamber door.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the pod door and the load lock chamber door are each provided with a corresponding latch, the pod door latch removably securing the pod door to the pod and the load lock chamber door latch removably securing the load lock chamber door in the load lock chamber port, the latches being mechanically linked to associated lock sockets for retraction thereby, the gripper tool actuating retraction of the latches through the associated lock sockets.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a parking location associated with each of the load lock chamber doors and the pod doors, the parking locations supporting the associated doors within the micro environment, the gripper tool being adapted to grip the doors during transport to the respective parking locations, the gripping being effected by vacuum action.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a parking location associated with each of the load lock chamber doors and the pod doors, the parking locations supporting the associated doors within the micro environment, the gripper tool being adapted to grip the doors during transport to the respective parking locations, the gripping being effected by a retention mechanism which prevents relative gripper tool-door displacement during latch actuation by the gripper tool.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the gripper tool is detachably supported in the end effector and comprises one of a plurality of tools adapted to be detachably supported by the end effector.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the end effector is provided with one or more sockets each coupling the end effector to one of the plurality of tools, the socket effecting connection of one or more vacuum, pressure, mechanical linkage and electrical lines between the tool and the robot.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each socket is provided with a position sensor for indicating proper coupling between the socket and the tool.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein each socket comprises a biasing member adapted to retain the tool in the socket.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the biasing member comprises a self-contained bellows adapted to receive gas therein and thereby expand towards the tool.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein each socket comprises a movably mounted vacuum actuated piston.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the piston defaults to an engagement position in which the tool is rigidly attached to the socket in the absence of a vacuum.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein each tool of the plurality of tools is provided with a tool parking position within the load lock chamber.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the robot arm is adapted to simultaneously transport the pod door and the load lock door to and from a parking location within the micro environment.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the load lock chamber is adapted to engage a plurality of pods arranged in one or more columns.

28. The system of claim 1, further comprising a latching mechanism for urging the pod to the engagement position.