Substrate cassette mapper
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorsChristopher A. Hofmeister, Ulysses Gilchrist
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanism for mapping the contents of a cassette which is used for delivering substrates to a system for processing semiconductor and similar materials which is independent of load port or loading robot movement. The mapping mechanism includes a U-shaped probe having a photo emitter/receptor mounted on opposing surfaces of its legs. The U-shaped probe is mounted on a carriage for rotation about its longitudinal axis. The carriage is, in turn, mounted on a track for movement over the height of the cassette. The mapping mechanism is mounted on the loading port frame of the processing system adjacent to the load port and is moved into and out of it sensing position by interaction with a cam.
Claims29
A mechanism for mapping slots in an enclosure, said enclosure constructed to present substrates to a substrate processing system, to enable delivery of said substrates from said enclosure to a load port of a loading module which is part of said substrate processing system, said mapping mechanism comprising:
- a probe supported on an elongated lever arm wherein said probe is constructed having a sensing plane extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of said lever arm;
- a through beam sensor mounted on said probe and defining said sensing plane, to generate a signal when said beam is interrupted;
- a mounting mechanism, positioned adjacent to a load port of said processing system, on which said probe is mounted for both rotational movement about said longitudinal axis and for linear movement to traverse the enclosure, the linear movement being transverse to the longitudinal axis and the lever arm being engaged to the mounting mechanism and extending longitudinally across an edge of a load port opening through which the substrates in the enclosure are accessed;
- and
- a control mechanism for rotating said sensing plane of said probe about said longitudinal axis from a stored position to a sensing position, wherein, in said sensing position, said sensing plane extends into said enclosure and said substrates present in said enclosure will interrupt said beam as the probe is moved past said substrate.
Apparatus for delivering substrates to a load module of a substrate processing system through a load port thereof, said load port having a load port opening through which substrates are delivered to the substrate processing system, the load port opening having an opening border the apparatus comprising:
- an enclosure having a series of slots for retaining substrates for delivery, said enclosure positioned in front of said load port during delivery of said substrates;
- a mapping mechanism, mounted on said opening border, for mapping said slots to determine the presence of substrates in said slots, said mapping mechanism mounted independently of all load port doors and all loading robots, said apparatus further comprises:
- a probe supported on an elongated lever arm wherein said probe is constructed having a sensing plane extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of said lever arm;
- a through beam sensor mounted in said sensing plane to generate a signal when said beam is interrupted;
- a travel rail mounted on said opening border adjacent to said load port opening of said processing system;
- a carriage mounted for movement on said travel rail, said lever arm attached to said carriage for movement therewith on said rail and for rotation about said longitudinal axis thereof;
- a drive system for moving said carriage on said travel rail to traverse the cassette;
- and
- a control mechanism for rotating said sensing plane of said probe from a stored position to a sensing position, wherein, in said sensing position, substrates present in said enclosure will interrupt said beam as the probe is moved passed said substrate.
A method of mapping the location of substrates in a substrate loading enclosure, said enclosure constructed to present substrates to a substrate processing system, to enable delivery of said substrates from said enclosure to a load port of a loading module which is part of said substrate processing system, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning an enclosure, having a stack of slots for retaining substrates, in relation to a load port opening of said load port for delivery of said substrates;
- constructing a mapping mechanism having a probe supported on an elongated lever arm and a sensing plane extending transverse to a longitudinal axis of said lever arm, said probe further having a through beam sensor mounted in said sensing plane to generate a signal when said beam is interrupted;
- mounting said mapping mechanism adjacent said load port to map the slots of said enclosure, the mapping mechanism is arranged relative to the load port opening so that the elongated arm extends longitudinally across an edge of the load port opening;
- moving said mapping mechanism in a linear manner independently of movement of a load port door or a loading robot to traverse said stack of slots;
- rotating said probe about said longitudinal axis of said lever arm from a stored position to a sensing position, wherein, in said stored position said sensing plane is parallel to said load port and in said sensing position said sensing plane is rotated to be parallel with a plane of said substrate slots, wherein a substrate will interrupt said beam during said linear movement of said mapping mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.