Process apparatus with on-the-fly substrate centering
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorLeigh F. SHARROCK
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate processing apparatus including a frame defining a chamber with a substrate transport opening and a substrate transfer plane defined therein, a valve mounted to the frame and being configured to seal an atmosphere of the chamber when closed, the valve having a door movably disposed to open and close the substrate transport opening, and at least one substrate sensor element disposed on a side of the door and oriented to sense substrates located on the substrate transfer plane.
Claims25
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
- a frame defining a chamber with a substrate transport opening and a substrate transfer plane defined therein;
- a valve mounted to the frame and being configured to seal an atmosphere of the chamber when closed, the valve having a door movably disposed to open and close the substrate transport opening;
- and
- at least one substrate alignment element disposed on a side of the door and oriented and positioned by the door so that the at least one substrate alignment element interacts with substrates passing through the substrate transport opening and located on the substrate transfer plane so that the substrate alignment element effects registration of an alignment determinative characteristic of the substrates passing through the substrate transport opening on the substrate transfer plane.
A method of aligning a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus, the method comprising:
- providing a frame defining a chamber with a substrate transport opening and a substrate transfer plane defined therein;
- providing a valve mounted to the frame, the valve sealing an atmosphere of the chamber when closed, the valve having a door movably disposed to open and close the substrate transport opening;
- and
- effecting registration of an alignment determinative characteristic of the substrates passing through the substrate transport opening on the substrate transfer plane with at least one substrate alignment element disposed on a side of the door and oriented and positioned by the door so that the at least one substrate alignment element interacts with substrates passing through the substrate transport opening and located on the substrate transfer plane.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
- a substrate station having an aperture closure for blocking a loading and unloading aperture of the station where the aperture is configured for loading and unloading substrates from a substrate cassette along a substrate transfer plane;
- an apparatus including a door drive configured to remove a door of the substrate cassette to open the substrate cassette and for operating the aperture closure to open the aperture;
- and
- at least one substrate alignment element disposed on a side of the aperture closure, the door drive being configured to move the aperture closure and position, with the aperture closure, the at least one substrate alignment element in a predetermined interaction position and orientation so that the at least one substrate alignment element interacts with substrates, from the predetermined interaction position and orientation, located on and traversing along the substrate transfer plane so that the substrate alignment element effects registration of an alignment determinative characteristic of the substrates passing through the aperture closure on the substrate transfer plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.