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US 11,780,108 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for substrate stripping
AssigneeHighcon Systems Ltd.
InventorsDavid Ben-David, Eli Ireni, Michael Zimmer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for stripping away portions of substrate are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a flexible and/or soft impact-element(s) rotates around a rotation axis to drive a peripheral portion across a substrate plane of the substrate and/or to repeatedly collide with the substrate. At least some of the collisions are effective to partially dislodge or to strip away portion(s) of substrate.
Claims17
An apparatus for stripping away portions of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a substrate handling arrangement adapted to horizontally support a flat, thin substrate so as to define a substrate-plane;
- b. a first and second stripping assemblies respectively defining first and second rotation axes that are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate plane;
- c. an inspection system configured to detect an extent of stripping-error(s) in the post-stripping substrate;
- and
- d. a stripping-assembly-controller configured to update operating-parameter(s) of the first stripping assembly in response to the detected extent of stripping-errors, wherein:
- i. the first stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a first impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the first rotation axis;
- and
- B. a first rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the first impact-element-set around the first rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the first impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- ii. the second stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a second impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the second rotation axis;
- and
- B. a second rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the second impact-element-set around the second rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the second impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- wherein the first and second stripping assemblies are configured so that during operation when substrate is present on the substrate plane:
- i. an impact element of the first impact-element-set collides with the substrate so as to rotate a portion of the substrate out of the substrate plane so that the rotated portion is partially dislodged from the remaining substrate portion;
- and
- ii. subsequently, an impact element of the second impact-element-set completely disengages the partially dislodged rotated portion of substrate from the remaining substrate portion;
- and
- wherein the operating-parameter(s) include at least one of a rotation-speed and an elevation of the first rotation axis above the substrate plane.
16 more elements
An apparatus for stripping away portions of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a substrate handling arrangement adapted to horizontally support a flat, thin substrate so as to define a substrate-plane;
- and
- b. a first and second stripping assemblies respectively defining first and second rotation axes that are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate plane, wherein:
- i. the first stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a first impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the first rotation axis;
- and
- B. a first rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the first impact-element-set around the first rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the first impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- ii. the second stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a second impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the second rotation axis;
- and
- B. a second rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the second impact-element-set around the second rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the second impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- wherein the first and second stripping assemblies are configured so that during operation when substrate is present on the substrate plane:
- i. an impact element of the first impact-element-set collides with the substrate so as to rotate a portion of the substrate out of the substrate plane so that the rotated portion is partially dislodged from the remaining substrate portion;
- and
- ii. subsequently, an impact element of the second impact-element-set completely disengages the partially dislodged rotated portion of substrate from the remaining substrate portion,
- wherein:
- i. the first stripping assembly is vertically movable so that (A) when the first rotation axis is in a first height-range, each rotating impact-element of the first impact-element-set reaches the substrate plane and (B) when the first rotation axis is in a second height-range, higher than the first height-range, each rotating impact-element of the second impact-element-set always remains above the substrate plane;
- ii. the first stripping assembly comprises a translation-drive system configured to raise and lower the first stripping assembly to respectively raise and lower the first rotation-axis to move the first rotation axis back and forth between the first and second height-ranges, and
- wherein:
- i. the substrate handling arrangement is further adapted to deliver sheets of the substrate to a stripping location that is located underneath the first stripping assembly, each sheet having a respective leading-edge and trailing edge;
- ii. the system further comprises a controller configured to regulate operation of the translation-drive system of the first stripping assembly to:
- A. raise the first stripping assembly from the first height-range to the second height-range in response to a trailing edge of a first substrate-sheet exiting the stripping location;
- and
- B. subsequently, lower the first stripping assembly from the second height-range to the first height-range in response to a leading edge of a subsequent substrate-sheet reaching the stripping location.
21 more elements
An apparatus for stripping away portions of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a substrate handling arrangement adapted to horizontally support a flat, thin substrate so as to define a substrate-plane;
- and
- b. a first and second stripping assemblies respectively defining first and second rotation axes that are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate plane, wherein:
- i. the first stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a first impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the first rotation axis;
- and
- B. a first rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the first impact-element-set around the first rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the first impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- ii. the second stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a second impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the second rotation axis;
- and
- B. a second rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the second impact-element-set around the second rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the second impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- wherein the first and second stripping assemblies are configured so that during operation when substrate is present on the substrate plane:
- i. an impact element of the first impact-element-set collides with the substrate so as to rotate a portion of the substrate out of the substrate plane so that the rotated portion is partially dislodged from the remaining substrate portion;
- and
- ii. subsequently, an impact element of the second impact-element-set completely disengages the partially dislodged rotated portion of substrate from the remaining substrate portion,
- wherein the first and second rotation axes are not vertically aligned with each other.
13 more elements
An apparatus for stripping away portions of a substrate, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a substrate handling arrangement adapted to horizontally support a flat, thin substrate so as to define a substrate-plane;
- and
- b. a first and second stripping assemblies respectively defining first and second rotation axes that are disposed on opposite sides of the substrate plane, wherein:
- i. the first stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a first impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the first rotation axis;
- and
- B. a first rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the first impact-element-set around the first rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the first impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- ii. the second stripping assembly comprises:
- A. a second impact-element-set of one or more flexible impact-elements that are each disposed around the second rotation axis;
- and
- B. a second rotation-drive positioned and configured to rotate each impact-element of the second impact-element-set around the second rotation-axis so as to repeatedly drive a peripheral portion of each impact-element of the second impact-element-set across the substrate-plane;
- wherein the first and second stripping assemblies are configured so that during operation when substrate is present on the substrate plane:
- i. an impact element of the first impact-element-set collides with the substrate so as to rotate a portion of the substrate out of the substrate plane so that the rotated portion is partially dislodged from the remaining substrate portion;
- and
- ii. subsequently, an impact element of the second impact-element-set completely disengages the partially dislodged rotated portion of substrate from the remaining substrate portion,
- wherein the substrate handling arrangement is configured to move the substrate in a first direction and the first and second rotation axes extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.