# US 9,434,076 B2 · Robot blade design > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,434,076 B2 - Document ID: US9434076B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/959,851 - Filed: 2013-08-06 - Published: 2015-02-12 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-06 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Lee-Chuan Tseng; Chih-Jen Chan; Shih-Wei Lin; Che-Ming Chang; Chung-Yen Chou; Yuan-Chih Hsieh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434076B2 ## CPC - B25J 11/0095: {Manipulators transporting wafers} - B25J 15/0014: {having fork, comb or plate shaped means for engaging the lower surface on a object to be transported} - H10P 72/3402: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - 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}) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a wafer transfer robot having a robot blade that can be used to handle substrates that are patterned on both sides without causing warpage of the substrates. In some embodiments, the wafer transfer robot has a robot blade coupled to a transfer arm that varies a position of the robot blade. The robot blade has a wafer reception area that receives a substrate. Two or more spatially distinct contact points are located at positions along a perimeter of the wafer reception area that provide support to opposing edges of the substrate. The two or more contact points are separated by a cavity in the robot blade. The cavity mitigates contact between a backside of the substrate and the robot blade, while providing support to opposing sides of the substrate to prevent warpage of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wafer transfer robot, comprising a robot blade comprising a wafer reception area configured to receive a substrate, wherein the wafer reception area comprises a plurality of contact structures located at positions along a perimeter of the wafer reception area, which have a plurality of contact points configured to contact the substrate and provide support to opposing edges of the substrate and that are separated by a cavity in the robot blade; a transfer arm connected to the robot blade at a first connection point and configured to vary a position of the robot blade; wherein one or more of the plurality of contact structures have a tapered sidewall comprising a first one of the plurality of contact points; and wherein one or more of the plurality of contact structures comprise a stepped structure having a first step with a horizontal surface comprising a second one of the plurality of contact points. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wafer transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contact points are located on a plurality of contact structures that protrude above the cavity as positive reliefs, so that the plurality of contact points are configured to contact the substrate and the cavity does not. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wafer transfer robot of claim 1, wherein tapered sidewall has an angle that is in a range of between approximately 30° and approximately 60°. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wafer transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the robot blade has a length, extending in a direction outward from the transfer arm, which is greater than or equal to a length of the substrate to be received. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The wafer transfer robot of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of contact points are disposed on a buffer layer comprising a polymer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The wafer transfer robot of claim 1, further comprising: a first buffer layer arranged on the horizontal surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The wafer transfer robot of claim 6, wherein the first buffer layer is laterally set back from the cavity by a non-zero distance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The wafer transfer robot of claim 6, further comprising: a second buffer layer arranged on a tapered sidewall of the cavity and extending from a lower surface of the cavity to a height. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The wafer transfer robot of claim 8, wherein the first buffer layer and the second buffer layer comprise sponges. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The wafer transfer robot of claim 1, wherein the tapered sidewall extends from within the cavity to a location that is at a height that is vertically over the first one of the plurality of contact points. ### Claim 11 A robot blade for a wafer transfer robot, comprising: a wafer reception area configured to receive a semiconductor wafer; a plurality of spatially distinct contact structures, respectively comprising one or more contact points disposed at positions along a perimeter of the wafer reception area and configured to provide support to outer edges of the semiconductor wafer; a cavity comprising a negative relief separating two or more of the plurality of spatially distinct contact structures; wherein one or more of the plurality of spatially distinct contact structures comprise an angled sidewall having a constant slope, which is directly connected to both a horizontal surface and a vertical surface, and wherein one or more of the contact points are arranged along the angled sidewall; and wherein one or more of plurality of contact structures comprise a stepped structure having a first step having a horizontal surface, wherein a first contact point is located on the horizontal surface of the first step. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The robot blade of claim 11, wherein one or more of plurality of contact structures have a tapered sidewall extending from a lower surface of the cavity to a height and comprising a second contact point. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The robot blade of claim 11, wherein at least one of the one or more contact points is located along a sidewall of the cavity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The robot blade of claim 11, wherein the vertical surface is connected to a second horizontal surface arranged along a bottom of the robot blade. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The robot blade of claim 11, wherein the angled sidewall has an angle that is in a range of between approximately 30° and approximately 60°. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The robot blade of claim 11, wherein the one or more contact points are disposed on a buffer layer comprising a polymer. ### Claim 17 A robot blade for a wafer transfer robot, comprising: a wafer reception area arranged over an upper surface of a wafer blade and configured to receive a semiconductor wafer; a first contact point located along a tapered sidewall of a first contact structure, wherein the tapered sidewall is directly connected to a first horizontal surface and a vertical surface, wherein the vertical surface is further connected to a second horizontal surface arranged along a bottom of the wafer blade; a second contact point located on a second contact structure that protrudes outward from the first horizontal surface; a transfer arm connected to the wafer blade at a first connection point and configured to vary a position of the wafer blade; and wherein the second contact point is located on a third horizontal surface arranged along an upper surface of the second contact structure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The wafer transfer robot of claim 17, wherein the first contact structure and the second contact structure are distinct protrusions that are spatially separated from one another. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The wafer transfer robot of claim 17, further comprising: a first buffer layer arranged over the tapered sidewall and extending from the upper surface of the wafer blade to a location vertically over the first contact point; and a second buffer layer arranged on the upper surface of the second contact structure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The wafer transfer robot of claim 17, wherein the vertical surface is located at an end of the wafer blade.