Edge grip aligner with buffering capabilities

• US 6,591,960 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2001
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Asyst Technologies Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Babbs, Daniel A., Kim, Jae Hong, Fosnight, William J., Coady, Matt W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Valenza, Joseph E.
• Application Number:
  US09/943,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20020048506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 198/346.2, 198/379, 198/395, 198/468.8, 198/409, 198/414, 414/222.02, 414/223.01, 414/226.05, 414/936, 414/754
• US Class Current: 198/346.2
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0206 comprising articulated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/136 including wafer orienting means

Abstract

The present invention is an edge grip aligner with buffering capabilities and a method for increasing the throughput of wafers through the device. According to one embodiment, the present invention has first and second buffer arms, and a chuck arm. A workpiece can be aligned while supported on the chuck arm. Once the workpiece is aligned, the chuck arm transfers the workpiece to the buffer arms so that a second workpiece can be aligned on the chuck arm. While the second workpiece is being aligned, an end effector can transfer the first workpiece away from the buffer arms and retrieve another workpiece to place upon the chuck arm.

Claims

1. A processing tool, comprising:

first and second buffer arms being adapted to move between an open position and a closed position, said first and second buffer arms capable of supporting the workpiece when said first and second buffer arms are located in said closed position;

a rotating chuck arm for rotating a workpiece seated on said chuck arm substantially about its geometric center, and for transferring the workpiece between said chuck arm and said first and second buffer arms; and

a chuck arm drive system being adapted to move said rotating chuck arm between an uppermost position where a workpiece seated on said rotating chuck arm is located above said buffer arms and a lowermost position where said rotating chuck arm is capable of rotating the workpiece.

2. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second buffer arms can rotate independently with respect to each other.

3. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein only one said buffer arm rotates between an open position and a closed position.

4. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said chuck arm has three upwardly extending fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other.

5. The processing tool as recited in claim 4, wherein said fingers support a workpiece along an edge exclusion area.

8. The processing tool as recited in claim 1, wherein said first and second buffer arms and said chuck arm are arcuately shaped.

6. A processing tool, comprising:

first and second buffer arms, said first and second buffer arms being adapted to move between an open position and a closed position, said first and second buffer arms capable of supporting a workpiece when said first and second buffer arms are located in said closed position;

a chuck arm having three upwardly extending fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other, each said finger including a downwardly sloping surface that contacts the peripheral edge of the wafer, said chuck arm adapted to support the workpiece and transfer the workpiece between said chuck arm and said first and second buffer arms; and

a chuck arm drive being adapted to move the workpiece seated on said chuck arm between an uppermost position where the workpiece is located above said fingers and a lowermost position where said chuck arm is capable of rotating the workpiece.

7. The processing tool as recited in claim 6, wherein the workpiece automatically settles in a centered, identifiable position between the fingers.

9. A processing tool, comprising:

first and second buffer arms being adapted to rotate between an open position and a closed position, said first and second buffer arms capable of supporting a workpiece when said first and second buffer arms are located in said closed position;

a chuck arm capable of supporting a workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation and rotating the workpiece substantially about its center; and

a chuck arm drive system capable of moving said chuck arm between an uppermost position where a workpiece seated on said chuck arm is located above said buffer arms and a lowermost position where said chuck arm drive is capable of rotating said chuck arm.

10. The processing tool as recited in claim 9, wherein the workpiece automatically settles in a centered, identifiable position when the workpiece is supported by said chuck arm.

11. A processing tool for aligning and storing substantially flat workpieces that have a top and bottom surface, comprising:

a first buffer arm and a second buffer arm adapted to rotate between an open position and a closed position, said first and second buffer arms having workpiece supports adapted to support a workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation when said first and second buffer arms are located in said closed position;

a chuck arm having means for supporting a workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation; and

a chuck arm drive system capable of rotating said chuck arm in order to align the workpiece, and moving said chuck arm between an uppermost position where the bottom surface of the workpiece seated on said chuck arm is located above said buffer arms and a lowermost position where said chuck arm drive system is capable of rotating said chuck arm.

12. The processing tool as recited in claim 11, wherein the means for supporting the workpiece are three fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other.

13. The processing tool as recited in claim 12, wherein said fingers support the workpiece only along an edge exclusion area.

14. A method for aligning a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the workpiece from an end effector that places the workpiece onto a chuck arm;

(b) aligning the workpiece by rotating the chuck arm while the workpiece remains seated upon the chuck arm;

(c) transferring the workpiece from the chuck arm onto a buffer arm by vertically raising the chuck arm until the workpiece is located above the buffer arm and subsequently lowering the chuck arm until the workpiece is supported by the buffer arm; and

(d) returning the chuck arm to the position the chuck arm was in during said step (a).

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

(e) receiving a second workpiece from an end effector that places the second workpiece onto the chuck arm while the first workpiece is seated upon the buffer arm;

(f) transferring the first workpiece from said buffer arm, and carrying the first workpiece away from the buffer arm while said steps (b)-(d) are repeated.

16. A method for aligning a workpiece, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the workpiece from an end effector that places the workpiece onto a buffer arm;

(b) transferring the workpiece from the buffer arm onto the chuck arm;

(c) aligning the workpiece while the workpiece remains seated upon the chuck arm;

(d) receiving a second workpiece from an end effector that places the second workpiece onto the buffer arm while the first workpiece is being aligned in said step (c); and

(e) transferring the first workpiece from the chuck arm, and carrying the first workpiece away from the aligner while said steps (b)-(c) are repeated.

17. A processing tool, comprising:

a storage mechanism having a first buffer arm and a second buffer arm capable of pivoting between an open position and a closed position, said storage mechanism capable of supporting a workpiece when said first and second buffer arms are located in said closed position; and

an operational arm adapted to support a workpiece, said operational arm capable of rotating substantially about its center in order to align a workpiece seated on said operational arm; and

an operational arm drive being adapted to move said operational arm between an uppermost position where a workpiece seated on said operational arm is located above said first and second buffer arms and a lowermost position where said operational arm drive is capable of rotating said operational arm.

18. The processing tool as recited in claim 17, wherein said operational arm has three upwardly extending fingers respectively positioned 120°

apart from each other.

19. The processing tool as recited in claim 18, wherein said fingers support a workpiece along an edge exclusion area.

20. A method for sequentially processing workpieces, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a first workpiece from an end effector that places the workpiece upon an operational arm;

(b) processing the first workpiece by rotating the operational arm substantially about its center while the workpiece remains seated upon the operational arm;

(c) transferring the first workpiece onto a buffer arm by initially raising the operational arm until the workpiece is located above the buffer arm and subsequently lowering the operational arm until the workpiece is seated on the buffer arm so that a second workpiece may be placed upon the operational arm after the operational arm returns to the position in said step (a) and while the first workpiece remains on the buffer arm; and

(d) processing the second workpiece while the first workpiece is removed from the buffer arm by an end effector.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising the step of:

(e) receiving a third workpiece from an end effector that places the third workpiece onto said buffer arm while the second workpiece is being processed in said step (d);

(f) transferring the second workpiece from said operational arm by an end effector;

(g) transferring the third workpiece from said buffer arm to said operational arm, and processing the third workpiece while a fourth workpiece is placed onto said buffer arm.

22. A processing tool for processing substantially flat workpieces having a top and bottom surface, comprising:

an operational arm being adapted to support a workpiece in a substantially horizontal orientation and process the workpiece while the workpiece is supported by said operational arm;

a first buffer arm and a second buffer arm being adapted to rotate between an open position and a closed position, said first and second buffer arms capable of supporting the workpiece when said first and second buffer arm are located in said closed position, said first and second buffer arms located such that the geometric center of a second workpiece supported by said first and second buffer arms is substantially concentric with the geometric center of a first workpiece that is simultaneously supported by said operational arm; and

an operational arm drive being adapted to move said operational arm between an uppermost position where the bottom surface of the workpiece seated on said operational arm is located above said first and second buffer arm and a lowermost position where said operational arm drive is capable of rotating said operational arm.