Conveyance base and conveyance system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9947564-B2
Application number	US-201314650316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2013
Priority date	Dec 12, 2012
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a conveyance system that adjusts the position of a conveyed substrate, prevents damage resulting from the heat of another apparatus in a conveyance base, prevents insufficient electrical power of another apparatus in the conveyance base, and can move the conveyance base smoothly. A substrate processing system is provided with a conveyance chamber and a sliding box moving within the conveyance chamber. A plurality of processing modules are connected, and the sliding box is provided with: a conveyance arm that moves wafers; a servo motor that moves the conveyance arm; and a servo motor driver that controls the electrical power supplied to the servo motor. A servo motor controller that controls the servo motor driver is disposed outside a transfer module, and the servo motor driver and servo motor controller perform optical communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A conveyance base, comprising:
a conveyance arm moving a substrate;
a motor driving the conveyance arm; and
a motor driver controlling power supplied to the motor,
wherein the conveyance base moves horizontally within a conveyance chamber,
wherein a servo motor control apparatus instructing the motor driver to drive the motor is disposed at a place other than the conveyance base, the servo motor control apparatus receiving process information from a host computer through a wire and receiving information about a location of a wafer from sensors through wires, generating a control signal for the motor to properly adjust the location of the wafer based on the information from the host computer and the sensors and sending the control signal to the motor driver, and
wherein the motor driver communicates with the servo motor control apparatus-using a wireless communication device.

2. The conveyance base of claim 1 , wherein an inside of the conveyance chamber is decompressed.

3. The conveyance base of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device includes a first optical communication device disposed in the conveyance base and a second optical communication device for optical communication with the first optical communication device, the second optical communication device being disposed outside the conveyance base and connected to the servo motor control apparatus through a wire.

4. A conveyance system, comprising:
a conveyance chamber; and
a conveyance base moving horizontally within the conveyance chamber,
wherein the conveyance system is connected to at least one processing chamber,
wherein the conveyance base comprises a conveyance arm moving a substrate, a motor driving the conveyance arm, and a motor driver controlling power supplied to the motor,
wherein a servo motor control apparatus instructing the motor driver to drive the motor is disposed at a place other than the conveyance base, the servo motor control apparatus receiving process information from a host computer through a wire and receiving information about a location of a wafer from sensors through wires, generating a control signal for the motor to properly adjust the location of the wafer based on the information from the host computer and the sensors and sending the control signal to the motor driver, and
wherein the motor driver communicates with the servo motor control apparatus-using a wireless communication device.

5. The conveyance system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a movement unit moving the conveyance base horizontally, and
a driver of the movement unit disposed at a place other than the conveyance base,
wherein the driver of the movement unit communicates with the servo motor control apparatus through a wire.

6. The conveyance system of claim 4 , wherein an inside of the conveyance chamber is decompressed.

7. The conveyance system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless communication device performs serial communication wirelessly.

8. The conveyance system of claim 7 , wherein a communication rate of the serial communication is 10 Mbps or more.

9. The conveyance system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless communication device uses radio, sound wave, or light.

10. The conveyance system of claim 4 , wherein the wireless communication device includes a first optical communication device disposed in the conveyance base and a second optical communication device for optical communication with the first optical communication device, the second optical communication device being disposed outside the conveyance base and connected to the servo motor control apparatus through a wire.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Hiroki Tsutomu
• Nakayama Takehiro

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0464 Primary

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/3202 Primary

  Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts · CPC title

• B25J11/0095

  Manipulators transporting wafers · CPC title

• H01L21/67196

  Electricity · mapped topic