# US 12,224,193 B2 · Control method and substrate transfer system

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- Number: US 12,224,193 B2
- Document ID: US12224193B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/474,644
- Filed: 2021-09-14
- Published: 2022-03-17
- Granted: 2025-02-11
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-17
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Takehiro Shindo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12224193B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices}
- B25J 9/1694: {characterised by use of sensors other than normal servo-feedback from position, speed or acceleration sensors, perception control, multi-sensor controlled systems, sensor fusion}
- H10P 72/0606: {Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection}
- H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece}
- H10P 72/3402: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices}
- H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

An control method of a transfer mechanism is provided. The transfer mechanism transfers a substrate and has a holder for holding the substrate. In the control method, an outer edge of the substrate transferred by the transfer mechanism is detected and a center position of the substrate using a preset adjustment value corresponding to a path for transferring the substrate is measured. Further, in the control method, a target position is corrected based on the amount of displacement between the center position of the substrate and a preset reference position of the holder, and the transfer mechanism is controlled such that the reference position of the holder becomes the corrected target position.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control method of a transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate and having a holder for holding the substrate, comprising:
detecting an outer edge of the substrate transferred by the transfer mechanism and measuring a center position of the substrate using a preset adjustment value corresponding to a path for transferring the substrate;
correcting a target position based on an amount of displacement between the center position of the substrate and a reference position of the holder; and
controlling the transfer mechanism such that the reference position of the holder becomes the corrected target position,
wherein the measuring of the center position of the substrate is performed by:
acquiring a position information of the sensor with respect to the transfer mechanism as a calibration data in a state where the substrate is held by the holder such that the reference position of the holder and the center position of the substrate coincide with each other;
storing the calibration data for each transfer path as the preset adjustment value; and
calculating the center position of the substrate using the preset adjustment value corresponding to the path for transferring the substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control method of claim 1, wherein the holder has a protruding portion protruding from the substrate held by the holder, and
in addition to that the outer edge of the transferred substrate is detected, the reference position of the holder is measured by detecting an outer edge of the protruding portion.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The control method of claim 2, wherein the outer edge of the protruding portion has an arc shape centered on the reference position of the holder.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment value corresponding to a temperature of the transfer mechanism is stored, and
the center position of the substrate is measured using the path for transferring the substrate and the adjustment value corresponding to the temperature of the transfer mechanism.

### Claim 5

A transfer system comprising:
a transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate and having a holder for holding the substrate;
a measurer for detecting an outer edge of the substrate transferred by the transfer mechanism and measuring a center position of the substrate; and
a controller for controlling the transfer mechanism,
wherein the measurer measures the center position of the substrate by: acquiring a position information of the measurer with respect to the transfer mechanism as a calibration data in a state where the substrate is held by the holder such that a reference position of the holder and the center position of the substrate coincide with each other; storing the calibration data for each transfer path as a preset adjustment value; and calculating the center position of the substrate using the preset adjustment value corresponding to the path for transferring the substrate, and
the controller corrects a target position based on the reference position of the holder and an amount of displacement between the center position of the substrate and the reference position of the holder, and controls the transfer mechanism such that the reference position of the holder becomes the corrected target position.

### Claim 6

A substrate transfer system comprising:
a transfer mechanism for transferring a substrate and having a holder for holding the substrate;
a measurer for detecting an outer edge of the substrate transferred by the transfer mechanism and measuring a center position of the substrate; and
a controller for controlling the transfer mechanism,
wherein the holder has a protruding portion that protrudes from the substrate held by the holder, and
the controller causes the measurer to measure the center position of the substrate by: acquiring a position information of the measurer with respect to the transfer mechanism as a calibration data in a state where the substrate is held by the holder such that a reference position of the holder and the center position of the substrate coincide with each other; storing the calibration data for each transfer path as a preset adjustment value; and calculating the center position of the substrate using the preset adjustment value corresponding to the path for transferring the substrate, corrects a target position based on the center position of the substrate and the reference position of the holder, and controls the transfer mechanism such that the reference position of the holder becomes the corrected target position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The substrate transfer system of claim 6, wherein the outer edge of the protruding portion has an arc shape centered on the reference position of the holder.