Robot and adaptive placement system and method

{
  "publication_number": "US9548231B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Robot and adaptive placement system and method",
  "abstract": "An apparatus including a drive; a movable arm assembly; a plurality of sets of end effectors; and a controller. The end effectors are connected to the drive by the movable arm assembly. A first one of the sets of end effectors includes at least two of the end effectors, where the drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to move the at least two end effectors substantially in unison from a retracted position towards an extended position towards two different respective target locations. The at least two end effectors are at least partially independently movable relative to each other on the moveable arm assembly. The controller is configured to detect an offset of respective substrates on the at least two end effectors and adjust movement of the at least two end effectors relative to each other prior to placement of the substrates at the respective target locations.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus comprising: a drive; a movable arm assembly connected to the drive; a plurality of sets of end effectors, where the end effectors are connected to the drive by the movable arm assembly, where a first one of the sets of end effectors comprises at least two of the end effectors and a second one of the sets of end effectors comprising at least one other one of the end effectors, where the drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to move the at least two end effectors of the first set substantially in unison from a retracted position towards an extended position towards two different respective target locations, and where the at least two end effectors of the first set are at least partially independently movable relative to each other on the moveable arm assembly; and a controller connected to the drive, where the controller is configured to detect an offset of respective substrates, on the at least two end effectors of the first set, relative to one another and adjust movement of the at least two end effectors of the first set relative to each other prior to placement of the substrates at the respective target locations.",
    "2. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the second set of end effectors comprises at least two other ones of the end effectors, where the drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to move the at least two other end effectors substantially in unison from the retracted position towards the extended position towards the two respective target locations, and where the at least two other end effectors are at least partially independently movable relative to each other on the moveable arm assembly.",
    "3. An apparatus as in claim 2 where the first and second sets of end effectors are connected by a common upper arm of the movable arm assembly to a common rotational axis of the drive.",
    "4. An apparatus as in claim 2 where the first and second sets of end effectors are connected by respective independently driven upper arms of the movable arm assembly to a common rotational axis of the drive.",
    "5. An apparatus as in claim 2 where the first and second sets of end effectors are connected by respective independently driven upper arms of the movable arm assembly to spaced parallel rotational axes of the drive.",
    "6. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the at least two end effectors of the first set of end effectors are connected to the movable arm assembly by a common wrist, where the wrist is configured to at least partially independently rotate the at least two end effectors relative to each other.",
    "7. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising sensors connected to the controller, where the sensors are configured to sense location of the respective substrates relative to each other as the apparatus moves the at least two end effectors towards the extended position prior to the substrates reaching the target locations.",
    "8. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising at least one camera connected to the controller where, based upon images from the at least one camera, the controller is configured to sense location of the respective substrates relative to each other as the apparatus moves the at least two end effectors towards the extended position and prior to the substrates reaching the target locations.",
    "9. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the controller is configured to detect the offset of the respective substrates relative to each other based, at least partially, upon detecting a fiducial on each of the substrates.",
    "10. A method comprising: providing a robot comprising a drive, a movable arm assembly connected to the drive, and a plurality of sets of end effectors, where the end effectors are connected to the drive by the movable arm assembly, where a first one of the sets of end effectors comprises at least two of the end effectors and a second one of the sets of end effectors comprising at least one other one of the end effectors, where the drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to move the at least two end effectors of the first set substantially in unison from a retracted position towards an extended position towards two different respective target locations, and where the at least two end effectors of the first set are independently movable relative to each other on the moveable arm assembly; and at least partially independently moving the end effectors in the first set relative to each other by the robot, where a controller connected to the drive detects an offset of respective substrates, on the at least two end effectors of the first set, relative to one another and adjusts movement of the at least two end effectors of the first set relative to each other prior to placement of the substrates at the respective target locations.",
    "11. A method as in claim 10 where the second set of end effectors comprises at least two other ones of the end effectors, where the drive and the movable arm assembly move the at least two other end effectors substantially in unison from the retracted position towards the extended position towards the two respective target locations, and where the at least two other end effectors are partially independently moved relative to each other on the moveable arm assembly.",
    "12. A method as in claim 11 where the first and second sets of end effectors are moved by a common upper arm of the movable arm assembly on a common rotational axis of the drive.",
    "13. A method as in claim 11 where the first and second sets of end effectors are moved by respective independently driven upper arms of the movable arm assembly on a common rotational axis of the drive.",
    "14. A method as in claim 11 where the first and second sets of end effectors are moved by respective independently driven upper arms of the movable arm assembly on spaced parallel rotational axes of the drive.",
    "15. A method as in claim 10 where the at least two end effectors of the first set of end effectors are connected to the movable arm assembly by a common wrist, where the wrist is moved to at least partially independently rotate the at least two end effectors relative to each other.",
    "16. A method as in claim 10 further comprising sensors connected to the controller, where the sensors sense location of the respective substrates relative to each other as the robot moves the at least two end effectors towards the extended position and prior to placement of the substrates at the target locations.",
    "17. A method as in claim 10 further comprising at least one camera connected to the controller where, based upon images from the at least one camera, the controller senses location of the respective substrates relative to each other as the robot moves the at least two end effectors towards the extended position and prior to placement of the substrates at the target locations.",
    "18. A method as in claim 10 where the controller determines the offset of the respective substrates relative to each other based, at least partially, upon detecting a fiducial on each of the substrates.",
    "19. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for performing operations, the operations comprising: determining positions of a first set of end effectors of a robot, where the robot comprises a drive, a movable arm assembly connected to the drive, and a plurality of sets of the end effectors, where the end effectors are connected to the drive by the movable arm assembly, where the first set of end effectors comprises at least two of the end effectors and a second one of the sets of end effectors comprises at least one other one of the end effectors, where the drive and the movable arm assembly are configured to move the at least two end effectors of the first set substantially in unison from a retracted position towards an extended position towards two different respective target locations, and where the at least two end effectors of the first set are independently movable relative to each other on the moveable arm assembly; and at least partially independently moving the end effectors in the first set relative to each other by the robot, where an offset of respective substrates, on the at least two end effectors is detected and movement of the at least two end effectors of the first set, relative to each other is adjusted prior to placement of the substrates at the respective target locations."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Technical Field The exemplary and non-limiting embodiments relate generally to a robot and an adaptive placement system and method and more particularly to a substrate transport robot and an adaptive substrate placement system and method. Brief Description of Prior Developments Substrate processing systems for semiconductor, LED or other suitable applications often require very accurate transfer and placement of substrates within the system to facilitate low process variability. Variables which affect the placement precision may include vibration, movement of the substrates on the transport system or within process modules of the processing system, thermal effects or otherwise. To overcome such variability, systems have added sensors and algorithms that attempt to detect and correct for such variables which affect the placement precision. In practice, the amount of error and variability is very sensitive to factors such as calibration accuracy, sensor variability or otherwise. Accordingly, there is a desire for a substrate transport robot and substrate placement system that is repeatable, precise and insensitive.\n\nThe following summary is merely intended to be exemplary. The summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 72/53",
    "B25J 9/1682",
    "G05B 2219/39109",
    "G05B 2219/45031",
    "H01L 21/67742",
    "H01L 21/681",
    "H10P 72/3302"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 9/16",
    "G05B 19/418",
    "H01L 21/677",
    "H01L 21/68"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "PERSIMMON TECHNOLOGIES CORP"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "HOSEK MARTIN",
    "HOFMEISTER CHRISTOPHER",
    "POOLE DENNIS"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-06-04",
  "publication_date": "2017-01-17",
  "grant_date": "2017-01-17",
  "priority_date": "2013-06-05",
  "application_number": "US-201414295419-A",
  "family_id": "52006113",
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