# US 8,511,664 B2 · Apparatus and method for moving a substrate

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- Number: US 8,511,664 B2
- Document ID: US8511664B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/599,065
- Filed: 2007-05-07
- Published: 2010-10-07
- Granted: 2013-08-20
- Earliest claimed: 2007-05-07
- Assignees: Intermolecular, Inc.
- Applicants: Stephen Mark Lambert; Cuong Manh Ta; Dennis Mullins
- Inventors: Stephen Mark Lambert; Cuong Manh Ta; Dennis Mullins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8511664B2

## CPC

- B05C 13/00: Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles {(B05C1/0821 takes precedence)}
- B25J 9/023: {Cartesian coordinate type}
- B65G 49/061: {Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames (suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066)}
- B65G 49/067: {Sheet handling, means, e.g. manipulators, devices for turning or tilting sheet glass (suction cups B65G49/061; combined with vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; stacking and destacking B65G49/068)}
- B01J 2219/00328: Movement by linear translation
- B01J 2219/00533: essentially rectangular
- B01J 2219/00691: using robots
- B65G 2249/02: Controlled or contamination-free environments or clean space conditions
- B65G 2249/04: Arrangements of vacuum systems or suction cups
- B65G 2249/045: Details of suction cups suction cups
- Y10S 901/43: Spray painting or coating
- B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08)
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A substrate holder and method for using it to move a substrate. The holder comprises a frame having an inner periphery defining a first opening for receiving the substrate, and a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery of the frame for supporting the substrate in the first frame opening. The shoulder has an inner periphery defining a second opening smaller than the first opening for receiving a substrate support. The holder and a substrate therein is moved to a position above the substrate support and then lowered to a position in which the shoulder of the holder is positioned below a top surface of the substrate support and the substrate is deposited on the top surface of the substrate support.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus for moving a substrate, comprising:
a substrate holder for holding a substrate;
a programmable robot programmed for moving both the substrate holder and a substrate held by the holder along X, Y and Z-axes, the X and Y-axes being generally horizontal and the Z-axis being generally vertical,
said substrate holder comprising:
a frame having an upper rim, an inner periphery defining a first opening for receiving a substrate, and a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery for supporting the substrate in the first opening,
said shoulder having an inner periphery defining a second opening smaller than the first opening for receiving a substrate support whereby the robot may transport the holder and a substrate therein to a position above the substrate support and then lower the holder to a position in which the shoulder is positioned below a top surface of the substrate support and the substrate is deposited on the top surface of the substrate support; and
feet extending below the frame positioned for contact with the frame of a second substrate holder whereby two or more substrate holders can be stacked one above the other with a gap between the frames of adjacent holders.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising recesses in the upper rim of the frame of a first substrate holder for receiving respective feet of the second substrate holder stacked on the first substrate holder.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a perforated backing plate for supporting said substrate, said backing plate being configured for receipt in said first opening and to be supported by said shoulder.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a bar code on the substrate holder for identifying the substrate held by the substrate holder.

### Claim 5

A plurality of substrate holders for holding substrates each of said substrate holders comprising:
a frame having an upper rim and an inner periphery, said inner periphery defining a first opening for receiving a respective substrate,
a shoulder projecting laterally inward from the inner periphery of the frame for supporting the substrate in the first frame opening,
said shoulder having an inner periphery defining a second opening smaller than the first opening for receiving a substrate support whereby the holder and a substrate therein may be moved by an automated transport device to a position above the substrate support and then lowered to a position in which said shoulder of the holder is positioned below a top surface of the substrate support and the substrate is deposited on the top surface of the substrate support,
wherein said substrate holders are configured for stacking one on top of another while maintaining a spacing between the frames of adjacent substrate holders;
feet extending below the frame of each substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders for maintaining said spacing; and
recesses in the upper rim of the frame of a first substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders for receiving respective feet of a second substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders stacked on the first substrate holder.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 5, further comprising a perforated backing plate for supporting a substrate on a substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders, said backing plate being configured for receipt in said first opening and to be supported by said shoulder of the substrate holder.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 5 further comprising a bar code on a substrate holder of said plurality of substrate holders for identifying the substrate held by the substrate holder.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in combination with said substrate support, and wherein said robot is programmed to transport said frame holding said substrate to a position above said substrate support and to lower said frame to deposit the substrate on the top surface of the substrate support.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said substrate support is a vacuum device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

Apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said vacuum device has vacuum grooves for holding the substrate in place on the device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 5)

A plurality of substrate holders as set forth in claim 5, in combination with a plurality of substrates held by said substrate holders, at least one of said substrates having a film deposited thereon.