Robot calibration system and method
AssigneeStrasbaugh
InventorDaniel P. Saraliev
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot calibration system and method for robots in semiconductor wafer processing systems is disclosed. The calibration system comprises a calibration array, a dummy wafer and a control system programmed with a calibration routine. The calibration array has an plurality of inductive proximity sensors to determine parallelism of the robot relative to a station and a center locating sensor to determine the center of the station.
Claims13
A calibration system for use with a wafer processing system having a station and a robot with an end effector sized and dimensioned to handle a semiconductor wafer comprising:
- a calibration array sized and dimension for holding by the end effector, said calibration array comprising a plurality of proximity sensors and an optical sensor;
- a dummy wafer sized and dimensioned for placement in the station, said dummy wafer having an aperture disposed in approximately its center;
- and
- a control system in electrical communication with the calibration array and the robot wherein the control system is programmed to determine the distance of the station relative to the robot using the proximity sensors and programmed to determine the approximate center of the station with the optical sensor when the calibration array is placed in proximity to the dummy wafer.
A method for calibrating a robot for use with a wafer processing system having a station, said a robot having an end effector sized and dimensioned to handle semiconductor wafers, said method comprising:
- providing a calibration array sized and dimension for holding by the end effector, said calibration array comprising a plurality of proximity sensors and an optical sensor;
- providing a dummy wafer sized and dimensioned to for placement in the station, said dummy wafer having a void disposed in approximately its center;
- disposing the calibration array in the end effector;
- disposing the dummy wafer in the station;
- determining the planarity of the dummy wafer relative to the calibration array.
A method for calibrating a robot for use with a wafer processing system having a station, said a robot having an end effector sized and dimensioned to handle semiconductor wafers, said method comprising:
- providing a calibration array sized and dimension for holding by the end effector, said calibration array comprising a z+ proximity sensor, z− proximity senor, x+ proximity sensor, an x− proximity sensor and an optical sensor;
- providing a dummy wafer sized and dimensioned to for placement in the station, said dummy wafer having a void disposed in approximately its center;
- disposing the calibration array in the end effector;
- disposing the dummy wafer in the station;
- moving the end effector with the calibration array towards the dummy wafer in the y-direction;
- recording the location at which the z+ sensor trips;
- moving the end effector in the z− direction a distance of Δz;
- moving the end effector in the y-direction until the z+ sensor trips a second time;
- recording the location at which the z+ sensor trips the second time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.