Reconfigurable guide pin design for centering wafers having different sizes

• US 8,567,837 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chang, Hsin, Chen, Hsin-Yu, Tsai, Fang Wen, Lin, Jing-Cheng, Chiou, Wen-Chih, Jeng, Shin-Puu, Yu, Chen-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Assistant Examiner(s): PUIG, GABRIELA M
• Application Number:
  US12/954,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 294/119.1, 294/207, 294/213, 294/902, 414/941
• US Class Current: 294/213
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/90 Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6875 characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20305 Robotic arm

Abstract

An apparatus includes a robot arm, and a plurality of guide pins mounted on the robot arm. Each of the plurality of guide pins includes a plurality of wafer supports at different levels, with each of the plurality of wafer supports configured to support and center a wafer having a size different from wafers configured to be supported and centered by remaining ones of the plurality of wafer supports.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a robot arm comprising a base and arc arms, wherein the arc arms are attached to the base;

a micro stage comprising a fixed part and a movable part, wherein the fixed part is secured onto the robot arm; and

a plurality of guide pins, wherein one of the plurality of guide pins is mounted on the movable part of the micro stage, wherein two of the plurality of guide pins are mounted onto the arc arms and at least one of the plurality of guide pins is mounted to the base, and wherein and wherein the plurality of guide pins is configured to support a wafer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the robot arm comprises two arc arms attached to the base, wherein the apparatus comprises two micro stages, with the micro stage being one of the two micro stages, wherein each of the two micro stages is mounted on one of the two arc arms, and two of the plurality of guide pins are mounted on movable parts of the two micro stages.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising an additional micro stage comprising a fixed part mounted on the base of the robot arm, with one of the plurality of guide pins mounted on a movable part of the additional micro stage.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the micro stage is electrically drivable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the movable part of the micro stage is configured to travel toward and away from a center of a circle defined by the plurality of guide pins.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a top portion of the one of the plurality of guide pins mounted to the movable part of the micro stage with a screw.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the robot arm is a part of process robot arm (PRA) module.

8. An apparatus comprising:

an robot arm comprising;

a base;

a first arc arm attached to the base;

a second arc arm attached to the base, and

a first micro stage comprising a first fixed part and a first movable part, the first fixed part being secured to the first arc arm;

a first guide pin mounted on the base; and

a second guide pin mounted on the first movable part; and

a third guide pin mounted on the second arc arm, the first, the second, and the third guide pins being configured to support a wafer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first, the second, and the third guide pins define a circle having a first diameter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first movable part of the first micro stage is configured to travel toward and away from a center of the circle.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the wafer has a second diameter, the second diameter being less than the first diameter by a first spacing, the first spacing being greater than zero.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a second micro stage comprising a second fixed part and a second movable part, the second fixed being secured to the second arc arm, and the third guide pin being mounted on the second movable part.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a third micro stage comprising a third fixed part and a third movable part, the third fixed part being secured to the base of the robot arm, and the first guide pin being mounted on the third movable part.