Substrate rotary loader

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10403533-B2
Application number	US-201514703851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2015
Priority date	May 4, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A method and apparatus for loading substrates in an inspection station is disclosed herein. In one embodiment a loading module for a substrate inspection station is disclosed herein. The loading module includes two arms, a plurality of substrate grippers, two rotatable support members, a conveyor, and at least one actuator. Each arm has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is opposite the first end. Each substrate gripper is disposed at a respective end of each arm. Each rotatable support member is coupled to a respective one of the arms. The conveyor is disposed between the rotatable support members. The at least one actuator is configured to rotate the arms about the rotatable support members to selectively position the grippers over the conveyor in a location that allows a substrate held by the gripper to be released onto the conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A loading module for a substrate inspection system, the loading module comprising:
first and second arms, each of the first and second arms having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is fixed relative to the first end;
a plurality of substrate grippers, each substrate gripper disposed at each respective end of each of the first and second arms;
first and second rotatable support members, the first rotatable support member coupled to the first arm between the first end and the second end, and the second rotatable support member coupled to the second arm between the first end and the second end;
a conveyor system comprising a conveyor belt disposed between the first and second rotatable support members, a first substrate release location defined over the conveyor belt accessible to each of the first arms and the second arm;
a first cassette holder and a second cassette holder disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor belt, the first cassette holder beyond a range of motion of the second arm; and
at least one actuator coupled to the first and second rotatable support members, the at least one actuator configured to rotate the first arm about the first rotatable support member to selectively position the first end of the first arm over the first cassette holder and the second end of the first arm over the first substrate release location while the first end of the second arm is selectively positioned away from the first substrate release location, the at least one actuator further configured to sequentially position the first end of the second arm over the first substrate release location while neither the first end of the first arm or the second end of the first arm are positioned over the first cassette holder or the first substrate release location.

2. The loading module of claim 1 , wherein each substrate gripper comprises:
a Bernoulli vacuum nozzle.

3. The loading module of claim 2 , wherein each substrate gripper further comprises:
a plurality of stops extending further from each of the first arm and the second arm than the Bernoulli vacuum nozzle.

4. The loading module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator further comprises:
a single actuator configured to move both the first arm and the second arm simultaneously.

5. The loading module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator further comprises:
a first actuator operable to move the first arm; and
a second actuator operable to move the second arm.

6. The loading module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator further comprises at least one of a stepper motor, a servo motor, a rotary actuator, or an air motor.

7. The loading module of claim 1 , wherein the at least one actuator is configured to rotate at least one of the first and second arms in indexing fashion between one of the first and second cassette holders and the substrate release location.

8. The loading module of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more metrology stations adapted to receive substrates from the conveyor system.

9. A loading module for substrate inspection system, the loading module comprising:
a conveyor system comprising a first conveyor belt;
a first cassette holder and a second cassette holder disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor belt;
a first arm and a second arm disposed on opposite sides of the first conveyor belt, each of the first and second arm comprising:
a first end;
a second end fixed relative to the first end;
a first gripper disposed on a first end; and
a second gripper disposed on a second end;

a first rotatable support member coupled to the first arm between the first end and the second end;
a second rotatable support member coupled to the second arm between the first end and the second end, the conveyor belt being disposed between the first rotatable support member and the second rotatable support member;
a first actuator coupled to the first rotatable support member, the first actuator configured to rotate the first arm about the first rotatable support member to selectively position the first gripper on the first end of the first arm over the conveyor belt in a first substrate release location while the second gripper on the second end of the first arm is positioned over the first cassette holder; and
a second actuator coupled to the second rotatable support member, the second actuator configured to rotate the second arm about the second rotatable support member to selectively position the second gripper of the second arm over the the first substrate release location when the first end of the first arm is neither over the first substrate release location or the first cassette holder.

10. The loading module of claim 9 , wherein the first gripper comprises:
a Bernoulli vacuum nozzle.

11. The loading module of claim 10 , wherein the first gripper further comprises:
a plurality of stops extending further from the first arm than the Bernoulli vacuum nozzle.

12. The loading module of claim 9 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to move the first arm and the second arm simultaneously.

13. The loading module of claim 9 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to rotate the first arm and the second arm in indexing fashion.

14. The loading module of claim 9 further comprising:
one or more metrology stations adapted to receive substrates from the conveyor system.

15. The loading module of claim 9 , wherein the first actuator is configured to rotate the first arm and the second actuator is configured to rotate the second arm such that each of the first arm and the second arm rotates in an indexing fashion between positions that allow the first arm to transfer substrates between the first cassette holder and the first substrate release position disposed over the conveyor belt and allow the second arm to transfer substrates between the second cassette holder and the first substrate release position disposed over the conveyor belt.

16. A method for loading substrates, the method comprising:
rotating a first end of a first arm a predetermined amount in a first direction to pick up a first substrate from a first cassette holder;
positioning the first substrate on a conveyor belt in a first substrate release position, wherein positioning the first substrate comprises:
rotating the first end of the first arm in the first direction to position the first arm over the first substrate release position, wherein a second end of the first arm is positioned over the first cassette holder and picks up a second substrate from the first cassette holder when the first end of the first arm is positioned over the first substrate release position; and
releasing the first substrate on to the conveyor belt when the first arm is positioned in the first substrate release position;

rotating a second arm a predetermined amount in a second direction to pick up a third substrate from a second cassette holder, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction and wherein the first cassette holder is positioned beyond a range of motion of the second arm;
positioning the third substrate on the conveyor belt in the first substrate release position while the first end of the first arm is positioned neither over the first cassette holder or the first substrate release position, wherein positioning the third substrate comprises:
rotating the second arm in the second direction to position the second arm over the first substrate release position; and
releasing the third substrate to position the third substrate on to th

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Stopper Markus J
• Schlezinger Asaf

Classifications

• H10P72/3222

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title

• H10P72/3402 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/32 Primary

  between different workstations · CPC title

• H01L21/67766 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L21/67736

  Electricity · mapped topic