# US 12,183,612 B2 · Substrate transfer apparatus, substrate transfer method, and substrate processing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,612 B2 - Document ID: US12183612B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/573,387 - Filed: 2022-01-11 - Published: 2022-07-14 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2021-01-12 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Tatsuo Hatano; Naoki Watanabe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183612B2 ## CPC - H02K 41/02: Linear motors; Sectional motors - H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices} - H02K 41/031: {of the permanent magnet type} - H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement} - H10P 72/0464: {characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber} - H10P 72/0466: {characterised by the construction of the load-lock chamber} - H10P 72/0606: {Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection} - H10P 72/3204: {using magnetic elements} - H10P 72/53: {using optical controlling means} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks - H02K 2201/18: Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom - H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a transfer unit including a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, and a base having therein a magnet and configured to move the substrate holder; a planar motor including a main body, a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed in the main body, and a linear driver configured to supply a current to the electromagnetic coils, and magnetically levitate and linearly drive the base; a substrate detection sensor configured to detect the substrate when the substrate held by the substrate holder passes by; and a transfer controller configured to calculate an actual position of the substrate held by the substrate holder based on detection data of the substrate detection sensor, calculate correction values for a logical position that has been set, and correct a transfer position of the substrate based on the correction values. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate, comprising: a transfer unit including a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, and a base having therein a magnet and configured to move the substrate holder; a planar motor including a main body, a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed in the main body, and a linear driver configured to supply a current to the electromagnetic coils, and magnetically levitate and linearly drive the base; a substrate detection sensor configured to detect the substrate when the substrate held by the substrate holder passes by; and a transfer controller configured to calculate an actual position of the substrate held by the substrate holder based on detection data of the substrate detection sensor, calculate correction values for a logical position that has been set, and correct a transfer position of the substrate based on the correction values, wherein the transfer unit has two bases and further includes a link mechanism configured to connect each of the bases and the substrate holder, and an extension distance of the substrate holder is changed by controlling the current supplied to the electromagnetic coils such that a gap between the bases becomes a desired gap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer controller calculates a physical center of the substrate held by the substrate holder as the actual position of the substrate, and calculates correction values for a logical center of the substrate that has been set as the logical position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer apparatus is disposed in a transfer chamber connected to a processing chamber for processing a substrate and is configured to transfer the substrate to the processing chamber, and the main body of the planar motor constitutes a bottom wall of the transfer chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate transfer apparatus of claim 3, wherein the substrate detection sensor is disposed at a position in the transfer chamber corresponding to a substrate loading/unloading port of the processing chamber, and detects the substrate at the time of transferring the substrate holder holding the substrate to the processing chamber. ### Claim 5 A substrate transfer method for transferring a substrate using a substrate transfer apparatus, the substrate transfer apparatus including: a transfer unit including a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate and a base having therein a magnet and configured to move the substrate holder; and a planar motor including a main body, a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed in the main body, and a linear driver configured to supply a current to the electromagnetic coils, and magnetically levitate and linearly drive the base, wherein the transfer unit has two bases and further includes a link mechanism configured to connect each of the bases and the substrate holder, and an extension distance of the substrate holder is changed by controlling the current supplied to the electromagnetic coils such that a gap between the bases becomes a desired gap, and the substrate transfer method comprising: detecting the substrate at the time of transferring the substrate held by the substrate holder using a substrate detection sensor; calculating an actual position of the substrate held by the substrate holder based on detection data of the substrate detection sensor and calculating the actual position of the substrate for a logical position that has been set; and correcting the transfer position of the substrate based on the correction values. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The substrate transfer method of claim 5, wherein a physical center of the substrate held by the substrate holder is calculated as the actual position of the substrate, and the correction values for a logical center of the substrate that has been set as the logical position are calculated. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The substrate transfer method of claim 5, wherein the substrate transfer apparatus is disposed in a transfer chamber connected to a processing chamber for processing a substrate, and transfers the substrate to the processing chamber, wherein the main body of the planar motor constitutes a bottom wall of the transfer chamber. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The substrate transfer method of claim 7, wherein the substrate detection sensor is disposed at a position in the transfer chamber corresponding to the substrate loading/unloading port of the processing chamber, and detects the substrate at the time of transferring the substrate holder holding the substrate to the processing chamber. ### Claim 9 A substrate processing system comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber; and a substrate transfer apparatus disposed in the transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate to a transfer position in the processing chamber, wherein the substrate transfer apparatus includes: a transfer unit including a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate and a base having therein a magnet and configured to move the substrate holder; a planar motor including a main body, a plurality of electromagnetic coils disposed in the main body, and a linear driver configured to supply a current to the electromagnetic coils, and magnetically levitate and linearly drive the base; a substrate detection sensor configured to detect the substrate when the substrate held by the substrate holder passes by; and a transfer controller configured to calculate an actual position of the substrate held by the substrate holder based on detection data of the substrate detection sensor, calculate correction values for a logical position that has been set, and correct a transfer position of the substrate based on the correction values, wherein the transfer unit has two bases and further includes a link mechanism configured to connect each of the bases and the substrate holder, and an extension distance of the substrate holder is changed by controlling the current supplied to the electromagnetic coils such that a gap between the bases becomes a desired gap. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate processing system of claim 9, wherein the transfer controller calculates a physical center of the substrate held by the substrate holder as the actual position of the substrate, and calculates correction values for a logical center of the substrate that has been set as the logical position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The substrate processing system of claim 9, wherein the main body of the planar motor constitutes a bottom wall of the transfer chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The substrate processing system of claim 9, wherein the substrate detection sensor is disposed at a position corresponding to a substrate loading/unloading port of the processing chamber.