Systems, apparatus, and methods for an improved substrate handling assembly
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorEdwin Velazquez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, apparatus, and methods for an improved substrate handling assembly. Embodiments include a pair of actuated arms; a pair of substrate capture tips, each capture tip formed in a different distal end of each actuated arm; an actuator coupled to a proximate end of the actuated arms and operative to actuate the actuated arms; and a hard stop positioned to prevent the actuator from closing the actuated arms more than a predefined amount so that in a closed position, the actuated arms do not contact a substrate positioned to be picked up by the substrate handing assembly. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
Claims20
A substrate handling assembly comprising:
- a pair of actuated arms;
- a pair of substrate capture tips, each capture tip formed in a different distal end of each actuated arm;
- an actuator coupled to a proximate end of the actuated arms and operative to actuate the actuated arms;
- and
- a hard stop positioned to prevent the actuator from closing the actuated arms more than a predefined amount so that in a closed position, the actuated arms do not contact a substrate positioned to be picked up by the substrate handing assembly.
A running beam robot comprising:
- a gantry spanning above a plurality of processing stations;
- a substrate handling assembly suspended from the gantry and adapted to be moved along the gantry to each of the processing stations;
- an elevator adapted to raise and lower the substrate handling assembly;
- and
- a controller operative to control operation and positioning of the substrate handling assembly, wherein the substrate handling assembly includes:
- a pair of actuated arms;
- a pair of substrate capture tips, each capture tip formed in a different distal end of each actuated arm;
- an actuator coupled to a proximate end of the actuated arms and operative to actuate the actuated arms;
- and
- a hard stop positioned to prevent the actuator from closing the actuated arms more than a predefined amount so that in a closed position, the actuated arms do not contact a substrate positioned to be picked up by the substrate handing assembly.
A method of handling a substrate, the method comprising:
- positioning a pair of substrate capture tips of a substrate handling assembly below a center of a vertically positioned substrate;
- moving the capture tips toward each other so that a distance between the capture tips is less than a diameter of the substrate;
- and
- raising the capture tips to engage an edge of the substrate and to secure the substrate in a substrate pocket formed by the capture tips.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.