Abstract: Specimen edge-gripping prealigners (8, 80) grasp a wafer (10) by at least three edge-gripping capstans (12) that are equally spaced around a periphery (13) of the wafer. Each edge-gripping capstan is coupled by a continuous synchronous belt (14) to a drive hub (15, 84) that is rotated by a drive motor (18, 88). The belts are tensioned by idler pulleys (22, 92) that are rotated by a motive force (25, 96, 102). The edge-gripping capstans and the drive drums are mounted to hinged bearing housings (28, 112) that are spring biased to urge the capstans away from the drive hub. Deactivating the motive force rotates the idler plates into a belt tensioning position that draws the capstans inward to grip the periphery of the wafer. Once gripped, rotation of the drive hub is coupled through the tensioned belts to the capstans. Driving all the capstans provides positive grasping and rotation of the wafer without surface contact with the wafer and thereby reduces wafer damage and particle contamination.

Abstract: A SMIF box cover hold down latch and box door latch actuating mechanism installed in the port door of a SMIF system has two box door latch actuating pins extending from a central pivot shaft of the actuating mechanism to mate with corresponding holes in the cam component of the box door latch mechanism. In a preferred embodiment the central pivot shaft moves about a central pivot axis between first and second predetermined angular positions. Movement to the first angular position imparts linear movement of trucks attached to first and second rod members and causes push pins to retract from their corresponding box cover hold down latches to secure the box cover to the port plate and imparts angular movement to the two actuating pins and causes them to operate the box door latch mechanism to release the box door from the box cover.

Abstract: Two multiple link robot arms (10) are mounted to a torso link (11), and each of them includes an offset hand (30) and two motors (50, 52) capable of independent operation that provides movement of the offset hand along along combinations of angular, radial, linear, and curvilinear paths. The first motor rotates a forearm (22) about an elbow axis (24), and the second motor rotates an upper arm (14) about a shoulder axis (16). A motor controller (54) controls the first and second motors in two operational states that respectively enable linear extension or retraction of the robot arm radial to the shoulder axis and enable angular displacement of the hand about the shoulder axis. A distal end (34) of each offset hand is offset such that during first operational state motion, the distal end follows paths parallel to lines radial to the shoulder axis.

Abstract: A unitary prealigner and four link robot arm includes an upper arm, a middle arm, a forearm, and a hand that is equipped with vacuum pressure outlets to securely hold a specimen. The robot arm is carried atop a tube that is controllably positionable along a Z-axis direction. The prealigner is attached to the tube by a movable carriage that is elevatable relative to the robot arm. The prealigner further includes a rotatable chuck having a vacuum pressure outlet for securely holding a specimen in place within an edge detector assembly that senses a peripheral edge of the specimen. The prealigner may be elevated to receive a specimen from the robot arm or it may be lowered to allow clearance for the robot arm to rotate. In operation, the robot arm retrieves a specimen and places it on the prealigner, which performs an edge scanning operation to determine the effective center and specific orientation of the specimen.

Abstract: A robot arm system (8) includes a multiple link robot arm mechanism (10) mounted at a shoulder axis (16) to a torso link (12) that is capable of 360-degree rotation about a torso axis (14). The robot arm mechanism couples an upper arm (15) and a forearm (22) to a hand (30) that is capable of linear or radial motion relative to the shoulder axis. The robot arm system minimizes its moment of inertia by arranging first (50), second (52), and third (92) motors triaxially about the torso axis to permit rapid movement of the hand. The first motor is coupled through endless belts (55, 68) to rotate the forearm about an elbow axis (24), the second motor is coupled through an endless belt (74) to rotate the upper arm about the shoulder axis, and the third motor rotates the torso link about the torso axis. A motor controller (100) operates in at least three operational states.

Abstract: A robot arm mechanism (10) maximizes available torque and control accuracy by arranging first and second high torque motors (50, 52) in a concentric relationship about a shoulder axis (16). The first motor is coupled through a 1:1 ratio endless belt to rotate a forearm (22) about an elbow axis (32). The second motor is 1:1 directly coupled to rotate an upper arm (14) about the shoulder axis. A motor controller (100) controls the first and second motors in at least two operational states. The first operational state equally contrarotates the first and second motors to linearly extend or retract a hand (30), and the second operational state equally rotates the first and second motors to angularly displace the hand about the shoulder axis. The robot arm mechanism has a 1:1:1:2 overall drive ratio and an indexing vane (130) for eliminating positional ambiguity problems stemming from a continuous rotation capability of the robot arm mechanism.

Abstract: A unitary prealigner and robot arm includes an upper arm, a forearm, and a hand that is equipped with vacuum pressure outlets to securely hold a specimen. The robot arm is carried atop a tube that is controllably positionable along a Z-axis direction. The prealigner is attached to the tube by a movable carriage that is elevatable relative to the robot arm. The prealigner further includes a rotatable chuck having a vacuum pressure outlet for securely holding a specimen in place within an edge detector assembly that senses a peripheral edge of the specimen. The prealigner may be elevated to receive a specimen from the robot arm or it may be lowered to allow clearance for the robot arm to rotate. In operation, the robot arm retrieves a specimen and places it on the prealigner, which performs an edge scanning operation to determine the effective center and specific orientation of the specimen.

Abstract: A scribe mark reader (10) uses a source of circularly polarized light and a holographic beam-shaping optical element (40) to uniformly illuminate an area of a substrate (20) that includes a scribe mark (18). Light incident on the substrate at a scribe mark is predominantly scattered, whereas light incident on the substrate at a processed area (30) of the wafer surface between the pits (28) of the scribe mark is predominantly specularly reflected. The phase-reversed, specularly reflected light from the processed area is blocked by a circular analyzer that passes light scattered from the scribe mark. Light passing the polarizer can then be used to form an image of the scribe mark. The intensity of the images formed are sufficiently consistent that the automatic gain control of the CCD camera can be used and the images formed can be readily interpreted by optical character recognition software.

Abstract: A rotary stage (26) is positionable in precise angular increments that are determined by a virtual absolute position encoder disk (106). The angular increments are determined to a 2,400 arc-second absolute resolution by a bar code scale (110) and to a 0.125 arc-second relative resolution by interpolating interference patterns generated by a diffraction grating-based incremental encoder scale (108). The position encoder may be considered a virtual absolute encoder because as little as 0.66 degrees of rotation is required to know the absolute angular position of the rotary stage. The bar code scale eliminates the need for stop bits and quiet zones, which results in increased bar code resolution. The preferred bar code format includes a continuously abutting series of 15-bar slot position bar code patterns positioned as a single track encircling the encoder disk.

Abstract: A scribe mark reader (10) uses a source of circularly polarized light and a holographic beam-shaping optical element (40) to uniformly illuminate an area of a substrate (20) that includes a scribe mark (18). Light incident on the substrate at a scribe mark is predominantly scattered, whereas light incident on the substrate at a processed area (30) of the wafer surface between the pits (28) of the scribe mark is predominantly specularly reflected. The phase-reversed, specularly reflected light from the processed area is blocked by a circular analyzer that passes light scattered from the scribe mark. Light passing the polarizer can then be used to form an image of the scribe mark. The intensity of the images formed are sufficiently consistent that the automatic gain control of the CCD camera can be used and the images formed can be readily interpreted by optical character recognition software.

Abstract: A multiple link robot arm system has straight line motion, extended reach, corner reacharound, and continuous bidirectional rotation capabilities for transporting specimens to virtually any location in an available work space that is free of lockout spaces. Each of two embodiments includes two end effectors or hands. A first embodiment comprises two multiple link robot arm mechanisms mounted on a torso link that is capable of 360 degree rotation about a central axis. Each robot arm mechanism includes an end effector having a single hand. A second embodiment has only one of the robot arm mechanisms and has an end effector with two oppositely extending hands. Each robot arm mechanism uses two motors capable of synchronized operation to permit movement of the robot arm hand along a curvilinear path as the extension of the hand changes.

Abstract: A multiple link robot arm mechanism uses first and second motors capable of synchronized operation to permit movement of the robot arm hand along a curvilinear path as the extension of the hand changes. A motor controller controls the first and second motors in two preferred operational states to enable the robot arm mechanism to perform two principal motion sequences. The first operational state maintains the position of the first motor and rotates the second motor so that the mechanical linkage causes linear displacement (i.e., extension or retraction) of the hand. The second operational state rotates the first and second motors so that a mechanical linkage causes angular displacement of the hand about a shoulder axis. The second operational state can provide an indefinite number of travel paths for the hand, depending on coordination of the control of the first and second motors.

Abstract: A method of loading a specimen carrier in an automated specimen processing system facilitates loading into or removing from a tiltable specimen carrier holder a fully loaded specimen carrier by a user with much less risk of repetitive stress injuries than is associated with prior art ways of performing those acts. The tiltable carrier holder has a receiving member and a bottom member. The receiving member is equipped with a guide. The user loads the carrier into the carrier holder by placing in the guide a guide member formed on a back of the carrier. During this action, the holder is oriented in a load position in which a front opening of the carrier faces generally upward and a back opening of the carrier faces generally downward. The carrier is then tilted so that it is supported by its base on the bottom member in an operating position with the front opening oriented for presentation of the specimens to the processing system.

Abstract: The present invention is a compact specimen inspection station (10) that processes vertically oriented specimens. Specimen storage, transport, and inspection components (26,28, and 30) are all mounted to a vibration-damped support structure (14) and are designed to handle specimens (34) positioned with a generally vertical orientation. The station is designed to minimize undesirable specimen motion and contamination caused by an operator (42). The station is also equipped with a microscope (32) and a display monitor (36) that provide a real image and a video image, respectively, of a microscopic region of the specimen under inspection. The station is equipped with failsafe mechanisms (176 and 182) that prevent the dropping of a specimen during an electrical power failure or a vacuum pressure loss.

Abstract: A tiltable specimen holder (48) in an apparatus (46) for performing an automated operation on a selected one of multiple specimens (12) contained in a specimen carrier (10) has a receiving member (60) that, when oriented in a load position (48C; FIG. 10), receives the carrier from, or presents the carrier to, the hand (108) of a human being (110) without substantial flexure of the human being's wrists (112). The holder also has a bottom member (62) that cooperates with the receiving member and a support member (32, 34) of the carrier to place and hold the carrier in a predetermined alignment relative to the receiving member. The receiving member has beveled edges (84, 86, 88) that cooperate with a guide member (28, 30) of the carrier to guide the carrier to self-align into grooves (90, 92) defined by the beveled edges. Rollers (94) in the grooves cooperate with the guide members to guide the carrier to the predetermined alignment.

Abstract: A prealigner (10) employs an X-Y stage (20) and a rotary stage (26) to position and orient a specimen (12) without centering it on the prealigner. The rotary stage is mounted on the X-Y stage and receives a semiconductor wafer (12) in a substantially arbitrary position and orientation. The prealigner employs the rotary stage and translation in only an X-axis direction to scan a peripheral edge (76) of the wafer across an optical scanning assembly (36, 270) to form a polar coordinate map of the wafer. A microprocessor (162) determines the location and orientation of the wafer from the map and cooperates with a motor drive controller (122, 280) to generate control signals for positioning and orienting the wafer in the preselected alignment without changing the location at which the wafer is held.

Abstract: A prealigner (10) employs an X-Y stage (20) and a rotary stage (26) to position and orient a specimen (12) without centering it on the prealigner. In a preferred embodiment, the rotary stage is mounted on the X-Y stage and receives a semiconductor (12) in a substantially arbitrary position and orientation. The prealigner employs the rotary stage and translation in only an X-axis direction to scan the peripheral edge (76) of the wafer across an optical scanning assembly (36) to form a polar coordinate map of the wafer. A microprocessor (162) determines the location and orientation of the wafer from the map and cooperates with a motor drive controller (122) to generate control signals for positioning and orienting the wafer in the preselected alignment without changing the location at which the wafer is held.

Abstract: The present invention is a compact specimen processing station (10) that processes vertically oriented specimens. Specimen storage, transport, and inspection components (26, 28, and 30) are all mounted to a vibration-damped support structure (14) and are designed to handle specimens (34) positioned with a generally vertical orientation. The station is designed to minimize undesirable specimen motion and contamination caused by an operator (42). A specimen processing station (10) that performs inspection functions is equipped with a processing means (32) and a display monitor (36) that provide a real image and a video image, respectively, of a microscopic region of the specimen under inspection. The station is equipped with failsafe mechanisms (176 and 182) that prevent the dropping of a specimen during an electrical power failure or a vacuum pressure loss.

Abstract: Specimen carrier carousels adapted to support a plurality of specimen carriers in a radial configuration and selectively position specimen carriers at associated processing stations are disclosed. Specimen carriers mounted on the carousel are automatically tilted during rotation of the carousel to properly seat the specimens in their respective carriers and to prevent specimen movement during rotation. Specimen carrier platforms are also disclosed. A scanning assembly is provided in association with a carrier platform or at least one carrier station of a carrier carousel to monitor and verify the orientation of specimens within a carrier prior to commencement of processing operations. A subtilt assembly may be provided to correct the orientation of specimens identified as mispositioned during the scanning operation and to facilitate detection of the presence and location of specimens in a carrier.

Abstract: The present invention is a compact specimen inspection station (10) that processes vertically oriented specimens. Specimen storage, transport, and inspection components (26,28, and 30) are all mounted to a vibration-damped support structure (14) and are designed to handle specimens (34) positioned with a generally vertical orientation. The station is designed to minimize undesirable specimen motion and contamination caused by an operator (42). The station is also equipped with a microscope (32) and a display monitor (36) that provide a real image and a video image, respectively, of a microscopic region of the specimen under inspection. The station is equipped with failsafe mechanisms (176 and 182) that prevent the dropping of a specimen during an electrical power failure or a vacuum pressure loss.