# US 2015/0147148 A1 · Substrate handling system for aligning and orienting substrates during a transfer operation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2015/0147148 A1 - Document ID: US20150147148A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/089,439 - Filed: 2013-11-25 - Published: 2015-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-25 - Assignees: Brooks Automation, Inc. - Applicants: Brooks Automation, Inc. - Inventors: Matthew W. Coady - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20150147148A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment - 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 system for sensing, orienting, and transporting wafers in an automated wafer handling process that reduces the generation of particles and contamination so that the wafer yield is increased. The system includes a robotic arm for moving a wafer from one station to a destination station, and an end-effector connected to an end of the robotic arm for receiving the wafer. The end-effector includes a mechanism for gripping the wafer, a direct drive motor for rotating the wafer gripping mechanism, and at least one sensor for sensing the location and orientation of the wafer. A control processor calculates the location of the center and the notch of the wafer based on measurements by the sensor(s) and generates an alignment signal for rotating the wafer gripping mechanism so that the wafer is oriented at a predetermined position on the end-effector while the robotic arm is moving to another station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate transport apparatus comprising: a movable transport arm; and an end effector movably connected to the transport arm, and being adapted for holding a substrate thereon, the end effector has an integral aligner and comprises a base and a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB being dependent from the base and forms at least part of a motive portion of the aligner. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end effector has at least one sensor thereon to sense a predetermined characteristic of the semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined characteristic is at least one of an edge of the semiconductor substrate or a fiducial feature of the semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a controller in communication with the at least one sensor and the aligner, and wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the aligner for positioning the semiconductor substrate held by the aligner based on information from the at least one sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the substrate with the aligner substantially simultaneously with the transport arm moving the semiconductor substrate from one station to another station. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end effector has a support member supporting the aligner, said support member being defined by the PCB, the aligner comprising a rotatable passive grip chuck being rotatably mounted relative to the support member to rotate relative to the support member, and wherein the axis of movement is an axis of rotation of an aligner motor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the motor is a brushless motor and is located on the support member of the end effector supporting the rotatable passive grip chuck, the brushless motor being located on the support member at a location under the rotatable passive grip chuck. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a positional resolver connected to the rotatable passive grip chuck for providing position information of the rotatable passive grip chuck to a controller operating the motor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aligner comprises a motor with a stator and a rotor, the stator being integral to the PCB, and the rotor being integral to the rotatable passive grip chuck. ### Claim 10 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: at least one substrate transport apparatus, the at least one substrate transport apparatus including a movable transport arm, an end effector movably connected to the transport arm, the end effector having an integral aligner with a rotatable passive grip chuck including fixed substrate edge grip supports adapted for passively holding a semiconductor substrate when the semiconductor substrate is rotated by the rotatable passive grip chuck, and a motor configured to rotate the rotatable passive grip chuck of the aligner. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the end effector has at least one sensor thereon to sense at least one of an edge of the semiconductor substrate and a fiducial feature of the semiconductor substrate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a controller in communication with the at least one sensor and the motor, and wherein the controller is programmed to actuate the motor for positioning the semiconductor substrate held by the rotatable passive grip chuck based on information from the at least one sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to rotate the rotatable passive grip chuck with the motor substantially simultaneously with the transport arm moving the semiconductor substrate from one station to another station. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the end effector has a support member supporting the rotatable passive grip chuck, the rotatable passive grip chuck being rotatably mounted relative to the support member to rotate relative to the support member, and wherein the axis of movement is an axis of rotation of the motor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the motor is a brushless motor and is located on a support member of the end effector supporting the rotatable passive grip chuck, the brushless motor being located on the support member at a location under the rotatable passive grip chuck. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a positional resolver connected to the rotatable passive grip chuck for providing position information of the rotatable passive grip chuck to a controller operating the motor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the motor comprises a stator and a rotor, the stator being integral to a base of the end effector, and the rotor being integral to the rotatable passive grip chuck. ### Claim 18 An end effector for a substrate transport apparatus, the end effector comprising: a support member; and an aligner connected to the support member, and having a rotatable passive grip chuck disposed on the support member, the rotatable passive grip chuck including fixed substrate edge grip supports adapted for passively holding a semiconductor substrate when the semiconductor substrate is rotated by the rotatable passive grip chuck; and wherein the aligner has a motor disposed on the support member and configured to rotate the rotatable passive grip chuck. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The end effector according to claim 18, wherein the motor is a brushless motor and is configured to support the rotatable passive grip chuck. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the motor comprises a stator and a rotor, the stator being integral to the support member and the rotor being integral to the rotatable passive grip chuck.