Adaptable end effector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9754812-B2
Application number	US-201615046527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Feb 22, 2015
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

An adaptable end effector may include a substrate interface may be configured to support a substrate. The substrate interface may include multiple groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a plurality of types of substrates. A vacuum system may be configured to supply vacuum only to one or more selected groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a given type of substrates when the adaptable end effector supports a substrate of the given type of substrates.

First claim

I claim:

1. An adaptable end effector that comprises:
a substrate interface that is configured to support a substrate; wherein the substrate interface comprises multiple groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a plurality of types of substrates; wherein the plurality of types of substrates comprise a diced substrate and a non-diced substrate;
wherein the multiple groups of vacuum opening comprise a first group of vacuum openings that is associated with the diced substrate and a second group of vacuum openings that is associated with the non-diced substrate;
a vacuum system that is configured to supply vacuum only to one or more selected groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a given type of substrates when the adaptable end effector supports a substrate of the given type of substrates;
wherein the first group of vacuum openings comprises two first sub-groups of vacuum openings;
wherein the second group of vacuum openings is positioned between the two first sub-groups of vacuum openings; and
wherein at least one of the following is true:
(i) wherein the second group of vacuum openings are formed within multiple trenches that are spaced apart from each other by elevated inter-trench areas; and
(ii) the adaptable end effector comprises a pair of arms; wherein the two first sub-groups of vacuum openings comprise (a) proximal peripheral vacuum openings that are located in proximity to a proximal end of the adaptable end effector; and (b) distal peripheral vacuum openings that are located in proximity to a distal end of each of the pair of arms.

2. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the first group of vacuum openings is positioned at a location that corresponds to a location of a frame of the diced substrate when the diced substrate is supported by the substrate interface.

3. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the second group of vacuum openings is positioned at a location that corresponds to a location of a center of the non-diced substrate when the non-diced substrate is supported by the substrate interface.

4. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum openings of the first group of vacuum openings surround the vacuum openings of the second group of vacuum openings.

5. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum openings of the first group of vacuum openings differ by shape from the vacuum openings of the second group of vacuum openings.

6. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum openings of the first group of vacuum openings are positioned within a virtual ring shaped area of the substrate interface.

7. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum system is configured to supply vacuum only to one or more first selected groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a first type of substrates when the adaptable end effector supports a substrate of the first type of substrates; and wherein the vacuum system is configured to supply vacuum only to one or more second selected groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a second type of substrates when the adaptable end effector supports a substrate of the second type of substrates.

8. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 comprising multiple opening conduits that are formed within the substrate interface and are configured to supply vacuum to the multiple groups of vacuum openings.

9. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum system comprises: (a) an input vacuum conduit for receiving vacuum, (b) multiple opening vacuum conduits for supplying vacuum to the multiple groups of vacuum openings, and (c) at least one switch for providing the vacuum only to one or more selected opening conduits that provide vacuum only to the one or more selected groups of vacuum openings when the adaptable end effector supports the substrate of the given type of substrates.

10. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum system comprises multiple input vacuum conduits that are associated with the plurality of types of substrates, wherein only a selected input vacuum conduit that is associated with a given type of substrates provides vacuum when the adaptable end effector supports a substrate of the given type of substrates.

11. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 comprising sensors for sensing a type of substrate that is supported by the adaptable end effector.

12. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 comprising the pair of arms; wherein the two first sub-groups of vacuum openings comprise (a) proximal peripheral vacuum openings that are located in proximity to the proximal end of the adaptable end effector; and (b) distal peripheral vacuum openings that are located in proximity to the distal end of each of the pair of arms.

13. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the two first sub-groups of vacuum openings differ from each other by a number of vacuum openings.

14. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the second group of vacuum openings are formed within multiple trenches that are spaced apart from each other by elevated inter-trench areas.

15. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein the second group of the vacuum openings is positioned at a center of each arm of the pair of arms.

16. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein distances between vacuum openings of the second group and a proximal end of the adaptable end effector differ than distances between the proximal end of the adaptable end effector and vacuum openings of the first group.

17. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein some of the vacuum openings of the first group of vacuum openings are closer to the proximal end of the adaptable end effector than the second group of vacuum openings.

18. The adaptable end effector according to claim 1 wherein some of the vacuum openings of the first group of vacuum openings are more distance from the proximal end of the adaptable end effector than the second group of vacuum openings.

19. A method for supporting a substrate, the method comprises: selecting or receiving a selection of a given type of substrate that is either supported by an adaptable end effector or is scheduled to be supported by the adaptable end effector; and supplying vacuum only to one or more selected groups of vacuum openings that are associated with the given type of substrates; wherein the one or more selected group of vacuum openings belong to multiple groups of vacuum openings that are associated with a plurality of types of substrates; wherein the plurality of types of substrates comprise a diced substrate and a non-diced substrate;
wherein the multiple groups of vacuum openings comprise a first group of vacuum openings that is associated with a diced substrate and a second group of vacuum openings that is associated with a non-diced substrate;
wherein at least one of the following is true:
(i) the second group of vacuum openings are formed within multiple trenches that are spaced apart from each other by elevated inter-trench areas; and
(ii) the adaptable end effector comprises a pair of arms; wherein the two first sub-groups of vacuum openings comprise (a) proximal peripheral vacuum openings that are located in proximity to a proximal end of the adaptable end effector; and (b) distal peripheral vacuum openings that are located in proximity to a distal end of each of the pair of arms.

Assignees

• Camtek Ltd

Inventors

• Ben-Natan Arnon

Classifications

• H10P72/7602

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

• H10P72/78 Primary

  using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks · CPC title

• B25J11/0095

  Manipulators transporting wafers · CPC title

• B25J15/0616

  with vacuum · CPC title

• H01L21/68707

  Electricity · mapped topic