Inertial wafer centering end effector and transport apparatus
AssigneeBrooks Automation, Inc.
InventorsAnthony V. DiBella, Dennis Poole, William Fosnight
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A substrate transport apparatus for a processing tool. The apparatus has a drive section, a movable arm, and an end effector. The arm is operably connected to the drive section. The end effector is connected to the movable arm for holding and transporting the substrate in the processing tool. The apparatus has a substrate inertial capture edge grip connected to the end effector and arranged so that the grip effects capture and centering of the substrate onto the end effector from substrate inertia.
Claims22
A substrate transport apparatus for a substrate processing tool, the transport apparatus comprising:
- a drive section;
- a movable arm operably connected to the drive section;
- an end effector connected to the moveable arm for holding and transporting a substrate in the processing tool;
- and
- a substrate inertial capture edge grip connected to the end effector and arranged so that the grip effects capture and centering of the substrate onto the end effector from substrate inertia.
A flat work piece transport apparatus for transporting a flat work piece, the apparatus comprising:
- a drive section including a drive shaft;
- at least one movable arm connected to the drive shaft;
- and
- at least one end effector connected to the at least one movable arm, wherein the at least one end effector includes asymmetric front and rear pads mounted to an end effector blade for supporting a perimeter of the flat work piece, at least one of the asymmetric front rear pads having asymmetric work piece support surfaces relative to another of the front and rear pads, and at least one end effector includes a beam sensor mounted within the end effector blade for mapping a workpiece holding station, and for detecting and positioning the flat work piece on the asymmetric front and rear pads;
- wherein the asymmetry of the front and rear pads defines a skewed and eccentric position for the flat work piece on the support surfaces of the front and rear pads, and causes simultaneous centering and capture of the flat work piece on the at least one end effector when the flat work piece is displaced by inertia from the skewed and eccentric position.
A method of transporting a flat work piece comprising:
- providing a flat work piece transport apparatus comprising a drive shaft, a movable arm connected to the drive shaft, an end effector connected to the moveable arm, wherein the end effector includes asymmetric front and rear pads mounted to the end effector blade and a thru beam sensor mounted within the end effector blade, and a controller for coordinating the drive section, the moveable arm, the end effector and the thru beam sensor;
- mapping with the thru beam sensor the position of the flat work piece in a work piece holding station relative to a predetermined position;
- picking up the flat work piece with the end effector in a skewed and eccentric position on the support surfaces of the front and rear pads of the end effector blade;
- and
- moving the end effector to inertially displace the flat work piece from the skewed and eccentric position, to the asymmetric front and rear pads operating on the flat work piece when inertially displaced to simultaneously center and capture the flat work piece on the end effector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.