# US 11,908,722 B2 · Automatic teaching of substrate handling for production and process-control tools > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,722 B2 - Document ID: US11908722B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/013,213 - Filed: 2020-09-04 - Published: 2021-03-11 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-09 - Assignees: KLA Corporation - Applicants: KLA Corporation - Inventors: Avner Safrani; Shai Mark; Amir Aizen; Maor Arbit - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908722B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/53: {using optical controlling means} - H10P 72/0606: {Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A teaching substrate is loaded into a load port of an equipment front-end module (EFEM) of a fabrication or inspection tool. The EFEM includes a substrate-handling robot. The teaching substrate includes a plurality of sensors and one or more wireless transceivers. The tool includes a plurality of stations. With the teaching substrate in the EFEM, the substrate-handling robot moves along an initial route and sensor data are wirelessly received from the teaching substrate. Based at least in part on the sensor data, a modified route distinct from the initial route is determined. The substrate-handling robot moves along the modified route, handling the teaching substrate. Based at least in part on the sensor data, positions of the plurality of stations are determined. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: loading a teaching substrate into a load port of an equipment front-end module of a fabrication or inspection tool, wherein: the equipment front-end module comprises a substrate-handling robot comprising an end-effector to carry substrates, the teaching substrate comprises a plurality of sensors and one or more wireless transceivers, the plurality of sensors comprising a first camera to image regions outward to a side of the teaching substrate and a second camera to image regions below the teaching substrate, the tool comprises a plurality of stations, and the plurality of stations comprises a chuck in a chamber of the tool distinct from the equipment front-end module, the chamber being separated from the equipment front-end module by a hatch; with the teaching substrate in the equipment front-end module, moving the substrate-handling robot along an initial route, comprising, with the teaching substrate on the end-effector, positioning the teaching substrate in front of the hatch with the hatch in the field of view of the first camera; with the teaching substrate in the equipment front-end module, wirelessly receiving sensor data from the teaching substrate, the sensor data comprising an image of the hatch, taken by the first camera with the teaching substrate positioned in front of the hatch, and an image taken with the second camera; based at least in part on the sensor data, determining a modified route distinct from the initial route; moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route, comprising handling the teaching substrate with the substrate-handling robot; and based at least in part on the sensor data, determining positions of the plurality of stations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a production route through the equipment front-end module, based at least in part on the determined positions of the plurality of stations; unloading the teaching substrate from the equipment front-end module; and after unloading the teaching substrate: loading production substrates into the equipment front-end module; and using the substrate-handling robot to move the production substrates along the production route through the equipment front-end module. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein moving the substrate-handling robot along the initial route, wirelessly receiving the sensor data from the teaching substrate, determining the modified route, moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route, and determining the positions of the plurality of stations are performed automatically without user intervention. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the second camera is positioned on the teaching substrate to image regions below the center of the teaching substrate; the plurality of sensors further comprises a third camera to image regions below an edge of the teaching substrate; and the sensor data further comprise an image taken with the third camera. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a fourth camera to image regions below the first camera; and the sensor data further comprise an image taken with the fourth camera. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a distance-measuring sensor facing downward with respect to the teaching substrate; and the sensor data further comprise a distance, determined by the distance-measuring sensor, to a surface below the teaching substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a distance-measuring sensor facing sideways with respect to the teaching substrate; and the sensor data further comprise a distance, determined by the distance-measuring sensor, to an object beside the teaching substrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises an accelerometer; and the sensor data further comprise data from the accelerometer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: loading the teaching substrate into the load port comprises loading a substrate pod into the load port, the substrate pod containing the teaching substrate and a target fixture; moving the substrate-handling robot along the initial route comprises inserting the end-effector into the substrate pod; and the sensor data comprise an image, taken by the second camera, showing the end-effector and the target fixture. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein: moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route comprises raising the end-effector toward the teaching substrate; the plurality of sensors further comprises a distance-measuring sensor; the sensor data further comprise a distance of the end-effector from the teaching substrate, as measured by the distance-measuring sensor after raising the end-effector toward the teaching substrate; and determining the positions of the plurality of stations comprises determining positioning of the teaching substrate in the substrate pod, based at least in part on the distance of the end-effector from the teaching substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of stations comprises a pre-aligner; moving the substrate-handling robot along the initial route comprises, with the teaching substrate on the end-effector, carrying the teaching substrate toward the pre-aligner; the sensor data comprise a side image of the pre-aligner taken by the first camera; moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route comprises, after the first camera has taken the side image of the pre-aligner, moving the teaching substrate above the pre-aligner; and the sensor data further comprise a top image of the pre-aligner taken by the second camera with the teaching substrate above the pre-aligner. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the top image is a first top image of the pre-aligner; moving the teaching substrate above the pre-aligner comprises moving the teaching substrate to multiple positions above the pre-aligner; the sensor data further comprise respective top images of the pre-aligner, including the first top image, taken from respective positions of the multiple positions by the second camera; and determining the positions of the plurality of stations comprises identifying the location of the pre-aligner based at least in part on the respective top images. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a distance-measuring sensor; the sensor data further comprise a distance from the teaching substrate to the pre-aligner, as determined by the distance-measuring sensor with the teaching substrate above the pre-aligner; and determining the positions of the plurality of stations comprises identifying the location of the pre-aligner based at least in part on the distance from the teaching substrate to the pre-aligner. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a third camera to image regions below an edge of the teaching substrate; moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route comprises inserting the teaching substrate into the chamber through the hatch with the teaching substrate positioned above the chuck; the sensor data further comprise an image of the chuck taken by the third camera with the teaching substrate positioned above the chuck; and determining the positions of the plurality of stations comprises identifying the location of the chuck based at least in part on the image of the chuck taken by the third camera. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route further comprises, before inserting the teaching substrate into the chamber, re-positioning the teaching substrate in front of the hatch with the third camera facing the hatch. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising determining the orientation of the chuck based at least in part on the image of the chuck taken by the third camera. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the plurality of sensors further comprises a distance-measuring sensor facing sideways with respect to the teaching substrate; moving the substrate-handling robot along the modified route comprises: re-positioning the teaching substrate in front of the hatch with the distance-measuring sensor facing the hatch, and inserting the re-positioned teaching substrate into the chamber through the hatch; the sensor data further comprise distance measurements taken by the distance-measuring sensor to scan the side of the chuck; and determining the positions of the plurality of stations comprises identifying the location of the chuck based at least in part on the distance measurements. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein: the chuck has slots to receive the end-effector; and identifying the location of the chuck comprises identifying the locations of the slots based at least in part on the distance measurements.