Position sensor system for substrate transfer robot
First Claim
1. A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate handling chamber;
a first pair of position sensors each comprising;
a light beam emitter configured to emit a beam of light; and
a receiver configured to receive the light beam; and
a substrate transfer robot within the handling chamber, the robot comprising;
an elongated end effector having a distal end and a proximal end, the end effector configured to pick up and hold a semiconductor substrate at the distal end such that the substrate has a same expected position with respect to the end effector every time the substrate is picked up and held by the end effector; and
a robot actuator configured to move the end effector within the handling chamber to transfer substrates among a plurality of substrate stations;
wherein the end effector has a length such that it is possible for an edge of a substrate held in the expected position by the end effector to partially block a light beam emitted from the emitter of one of the position sensors, while the proximal end of the end effector partially blocks a light beam emitted from the emitter of the other position sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate handling chamber, a pair of position sensors, and a substrate transfer robot. Each of the sensors comprises an emitter configured to emit a beam of light, and a receiver configured to receive the light beam. The substrate transfer robot comprises an end effector and a robot actuator. The end effector is configured to hold a substrate such that the substrate has a same expected position with respect to the end effector every time the substrate is held. The robot actuator is configured to move the end effector within the handling chamber to transfer substrates among a plurality of substrate stations. An edge of a substrate held in the expected position by the end effector can partially block a light beam of one of the position sensors, while another end of the end effector partially blocks a light beam of the other position sensor.
457 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A semiconductor substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
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a substrate handling chamber; a first pair of position sensors each comprising; a light beam emitter configured to emit a beam of light; and a receiver configured to receive the light beam; and a substrate transfer robot within the handling chamber, the robot comprising; an elongated end effector having a distal end and a proximal end, the end effector configured to pick up and hold a semiconductor substrate at the distal end such that the substrate has a same expected position with respect to the end effector every time the substrate is picked up and held by the end effector; and a robot actuator configured to move the end effector within the handling chamber to transfer substrates among a plurality of substrate stations; wherein the end effector has a length such that it is possible for an edge of a substrate held in the expected position by the end effector to partially block a light beam emitted from the emitter of one of the position sensors, while the proximal end of the end effector partially blocks a light beam emitted from the emitter of the other position sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of controlling a semiconductor substrate transfer robot, comprising:
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providing a first pair of position sensors, each sensor comprising a light beam emitter and a receiver, the emitter configured to emit a beam of light, the receiver configured to receive the light beam from the emitter; providing a substrate transfer robot within a substrate handling chamber, the robot comprising an elongated end effector and a robot actuator, the end effector having a distal end and a proximal end, the end effector configured to pick up and hold a semiconductor substrate at the distal end such that the substrate has a same expected position with respect to the end effector every time the substrate is picked up and held by the end effector, the robot actuator configured to move the end effector within the handling chamber to transfer substrates among a plurality of substrate stations, wherein the end effector has a length such that it is possible for an edge of a substrate held in the expected position by the end effector to partially block a light beam emitted from the emitter of one of the position sensors, while the proximal end of the end effector partially blocks a light beam emitted from the emitter of the other position sensors; instructing the end effector to hold a substrate in the expected position with respect to the end effector; instructing the robot to move the end effector to a target position while holding the substrate in the expected position with respect to the end effector, wherein the target position of the end effector is such that the distal end of the end effector is near a first sensor of the pair of sensors and the proximal end of the end effector is near a second sensor of the pair of sensors; after said instructing steps, determining one or both of (1) an amount of light received by the receiver of the first sensor from the emitter of the first sensor, and (2) an amount of light received by the receiver of the second sensor from the emitter of the second sensor; and controlling the robot based on said determining. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A semiconductor processing apparatus, comprising:
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a substrate handling chamber; a second substrate chamber adjacent to the handling chamber; a port between the handling chamber and the second chamber; an end effector inside the handling chamber, the end effector comprising; a paddle having a distal end defining a distal end of the end effector, the paddle having one or more clamping elements adapted to clamp against an edge of a substrate supported by the paddle; and a proximal clamping member having one or more proximal clamping elements adapted to clamp against an edge of a substrate supported by the paddle, the proximal clamping member adapted to move toward and away from the distal end of the paddle to clamp and unclamp a substrate between the clamping elements of the paddle and the clamping elements of the proximal clamping member, the proximal clamping member having a proximally extending structure that defines a proximal end of the end effector; a robot actuator configured to move the end effector within the handling chamber to transfer substrates among a plurality of substrate stations; a position sensor comprising; a light beam emitter configured to emit a beam of light; and a receiver configured to receive the light beam; and a control system programmed to; (a) instruct the robot actuator to move the end effector to a target position in which the end effector is oriented along a line extending from the sensor to the port, and in which the distal end of the paddle points toward the port; and (b) determine an amount of light received by the receiver from the emitter. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification