Transport apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137576-B2
Application number	US-201214365277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2012
Priority date	Dec 16, 2011
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A substrate transport apparatus for transporting substrates, the substrate transport apparatus including a frame, at least one transfer arm connected to the frame, at least one end effector mounted to the at least one transfer arm and at least one substrate support pad disposed on the at least one end effector, the at least one substrate support pad has a configuration that effects increased friction force, resulting from an increased friction coefficient, in at least one predetermined direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate transport apparatus for transporting substrates, the substrate transport apparatus comprising:
a frame;
at least one transfer arm connected to the frame;
at least one end effector mounted to the at least one transfer arm; and
at least one passive substrate support pad disposed on the at least one end effector so that the at least one passive substrate support pad is fixed to the at least one end effector in a fixed position relative to the at least one end effector so as to hold a substrate on the at least one passive substrate support pad, the at least one passive substrate support pad has a configuration that passively effects, substantially coincident with the substrate coming in contact with the at least one end effector by coming into contact with at least one predetermined contact area of the at least one passive substrate support pad along a common contact plane defined by the substrate on the at least one passive substrate support pad, a substantially predetermined coefficient of friction, passively determined by and substantially coincident with the substrate coming in contact with the at least one end effector and the at least one predetermined contact area, that is directionally variable so that the predetermined coefficient of friction, on a common portion of the at least one predetermined contact area contacting the common contact plane, has a predetermined passive variance in magnitude with respect to different coplanar directions coincident with the common contact plane to provide an increased friction force, independently and passively affixing the substrate to the at least one passive substrate support pad along the common contact plane, resulting from an increased friction coefficient, in at least one predetermined direction of the different coplanar directions that is larger than a coefficient of friction in another predetermined direction of the coplanar directions.

2. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad is configured to apply a directional friction force in the plane of the substrate substantially without providing an increased force on the substrate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

3. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad forms a monolithic structure with a respective one of the at least one end effector.

4. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the friction forces are directional friction forces where a direction in which the increased friction force, from the increased friction coefficient, of each of the at least one passive substrate support pads acts is dependent on an acceleration vector of the substrate along the plane of the substrate.

5. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one passive substrate support pad includes at least one directional friction pad where each directional friction pad includes surface features configured to apply the increased friction force, resulting from an increased friction coefficient, in at least one predetermined direction of the different coplanar directions.

6. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the at least one directional friction pad includes more than one directional friction pad where the at least one predetermined direction of each directional friction pad converges at a common point.

7. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad includes more than one substrate support where the at least one predetermined direction of each substrate support pad converge on a common point of a respective one of the at least one end effector.

8. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least one passive substrate support pad includes one or more of microscopic and nanoscopic structures that provide the friction forces.

9. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad is controllable so that an orientation of the at least one substrate support changes from one direction to another direction.

10. The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad is configured to support a hot wafer.

11. A substrate holding device comprising:
a drive section; and
a substrate support connected to the drive section, the substrate support includes at least one passive substrate support pad fixed to the substrate support at a fixed position relative to the substrate support and having a configuration that passively effects, substantially coincident with the substrate coming in contact with the substrate support by coming into contact with at least one predetermined contact area of the at least one passive substrate support pad along a common contact plane defined by the substrate on the at least one passive substrate support pad, a substantially predetermined coefficient of friction, passively determined by and substantially coincident with the substrate coming in contact with the substrate support and the at least one predetermined contact area, that is directionally variable so that the predetermined coefficient of friction, on a common portion of the at least one predetermined contact area contacting the common contact plane, has a predetermined passive variance in magnitude with respect to different coplanar directions coincident with the common contact plane to provide an increased friction force, independently and passive affixing the substrate to the at least one passive substrate support pad along the common contact plane, resulting from an increased friction coefficient, in at least one predetermined direction of the different coplanar directions that is larger than a coefficient of friction in another predetermined direction of the different coplanar directions.

12. The substrate holding device of claim 11 , wherein the drive section is configured to rotate the substrate support about an axis of rotation.

13. The substrate holding device of claim 12 , wherein at least one predetermined direction of each of the at least one passive substrate support pad is oriented tangentially relative to rotation of the substrate support.

14. The substrate holding device of claim 12 , wherein the substrate holding device includes at least one arm link rotatably coupled to the drive section and the at least one substrate support is rotatably coupled to the at least one arm link.

15. The substrate holding device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad is configured to apply a directional friction force in the plane of the substrate substantially without providing an increased force on the substrate in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the substrate.

16. The substrate holding device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one passive substrate support pad forms a monolithic structure with a respective one of the at least one substrate support.

17. The substrate holding device of claim 11 , wherein each of the at least one passive substrate support pad includes at least one directional friction pad where each directional friction pad includes surface features configured to apply the increased friction force, resulting from an increased friction coefficient, in at least one predetermined direction of the different coplanar directions.

18. The substrate holding device of claim 17 , wherein the at least one directional friction pad includes more

Assignees

• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Gilchrist Ulysses
• Moura Jairo Terra

Classifications

• H10P72/7616

  characterised by a coating, a hardness or a material · CPC title

• H10P72/7614

  characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions · CPC title

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/3402

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3302 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title