Charging system and method for controlling charging system
AssigneesKawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kawasaki Robotics (USA), Inc.
InventorsHaruhiko Tan, Simon Jeyapalan, Theodore Philliber, Ryan Le, Avish Ashok Bharwani, Nobuyasu Shimomura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A charging system according to this disclosure includes a particle absorption tool configured to be electrostatically charged so as to build up a static electric charge for absorbing particles; a charger configured to electrostatically charge the particle absorption tool so as to build up the static electric charge; and a charger container configured to accommodate the charger, arranged in a place where a FOUP for accommodating substrates is arranged, and having an opening that is opened toward an interior of a substrate conveyor.
Claims14
A charging system comprising:
- a particle absorption tool configured to be electrostatically charged so as to build up a static electric charge for absorbing particles;
- a charger configured to electrostatically charge the particle absorption tool so as to build up the static electric charge;
- and
- a charger container configured to accommodate the charger, arranged in a place where a FOUP for accommodating substrates is arranged, and having an opening that is opened toward an interior of a substrate conveyor, wherein
- the charger includes a voltage applier configured to contact the particle absorption tool and to apply a voltage to the particle absorption tool;
- and
- the charging system further comprises
- a robot arm,
- a hand attached to the robot arm and configured to hold the particle absorption tool, and
- a controller configured to perform operations comprising operations to:
- direct the hand of the robot arm to hold the particle absorption tool;
- and to direct the robot arm to move to bring the particle absorption tool held by the hand into contact with the voltage applier so as to charge the particle absorption tool.
A method for controlling a charging system comprising:
- electrostatically charging a particle absorption tool configured to build up a static electric charge so as to absorb particles by using a charger accommodated in a charger container arranged in a place where a FOUP for accommodating substrates is arranged and having an opening that is opened toward an interior of a substrate conveyor;
- and
- absorbing the particles by using the particle absorption tool building up the static electric charge, wherein
- electrostatically charging a particle absorption tool comprises
- contacting the particle absorption tool by a voltage applier to apply a voltage to the particle absorption tool;
- directing a hand of a robot arm to hold the particle absorption tool;
- and
- directing the robot arm to move to bring the particle absorption tool held by the hand into contact with the voltage applier so as to charge the particle absorption tool.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.