Automatic calibration method for substrate carrier handling robot and jig for performing the method

A jig for use in a robot calibration process, comprising:

• a vertically extending body;
• a first plate mounted at a lower end of the body and having at least one slit formed in the plate and adapted to allow a beam of a carrier-present sensor to pass through the slit;
• and
• a horizontal flange mounted at a top of the body and adapted to emulate an overhead transport flange of a standard substrate carrier.

A jig for use in a robot calibration process, comprising:

• a vertically extending body;
• a base plate mounted on a bottom of the body and extending horizontally away from the body and having three guide grooves formed in a bottom surface of the base plate, the guide grooves emulating guide grooves formed in the bottom of a substrate carrier to interact with locator pins on a carrier storage location;
• a first vertical plate extending upwardly from a front edge of the base plate, the first vertical plate having a pair of slits formed therein, the slits extending in parallel in a vertical direction and spaced from each other, the slits adapted to allow beams from carrier-present sensors to pass through the slits;
• a second vertical plate mounted at a lower end of the body and inwardly from and parallel to the first vertical plate, the second vertical plate having a pair of vertically-extending slits formed therein in respective positions corresponding to the slits of the first vertical plate;
• a set of at least two columns extending upwardly from an upper end of the body;
• and
• a horizontal flange mounted on the set of columns, the flange adapted to emulate an overhead transport flange of a standard substrate carrier.

A method of calibrating a substrate carrier handling robot, comprising the steps of:

• juxtaposing a jig with a substrate carrier storage location;
• moving an end effector of the robot relative to the substrate carrier storage location;
• allowing a sensor associated with one of the end effector and the substrate carrier storage location to interact with the jig;
• and
• detecting a location of the end effector at a time when the sensor interacts with the jig.

A method of calibrating a substrate carrier handling robot, comprising the steps of:

• emitting a sensor beam via a sensor installed at a substrate carrier storage location;
• moving a jig relative to a substrate carrier storage location via the substrate handling robot;
• detecting when a sensor beam passes through a slit formed in the jig;
• and
• determining a position of the substrate handling robot relative to the substrate carrier storage location, based on a position of the substrate handling robot when the sensor beam passes through the slit formed in the jig.

A method of calibrating a substrate carrier handling robot, comprising the steps of:

• placing a jig on a substrate carrier storage location to actuate at least one sensor pin provided at the storage location;
• raising the jig from the storage location;
• and
• during the raising step, detecting a location at which the jig ceases to actuate the at least one sensor pin.

A method of calibrating a substrate carrier handling robot, comprising the steps of:

• (a) engaging a jig with an end effector of the robot;
• (b) moving the jig relative to a substrate carrier storage location;
• (c) allowing a sensor beam to pass through a slit formed in the jig, wherein the sensor beam is emitted by a sensor installed at the substrate carrier storage location;
• (d) detecting a location of the end effector at a time when the beam passes through the slit;
• (e) calculating an initial horizontal placement position based on a result of the detecting step;
• (f) placing the jig on the substrate carrier storage location at the initial horizontal placement position so that the jig engages locator pins provided on the substrate carrier storage location;
• (g) moving the end effector vertically to detect a location of a top flange of the placed jig by means of a first sensor mounted on the end effector;
• (h) determining a vertical place position on the basis of the detected location of the top flange of the jig;
• (i) moving the end effector horizontally to detect a location of at least one column of the jig by means of a second sensor mounted on the end effector;
• (j) determining a final horizontal placement position based on a result of step (i);
• (k) engaging the placed jig by the end effector and lifting the jig from the locator pins to deactuate sensors that detect the jig's contact with the top of the locator pins;
• (l) detecting a location of the end effector when the deactuated sensors detect the jig's lack of contact with the top of the locator pins;
• (m) determining a vertical pick position based on a result of step (l);
• and
• (n) storing the determined vertical place position, the final horizontal placement position and the vertical pick position.