IP Library Granted Patent US 12661695
Granted Patent B2
US 12661695 · App. 18/396,052 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Particle removal system and method for controlling particle removal system

Inventors: Haruhiko Tan (Kobe, JP); Ryan Le (Sacrament, CA); Theodore Philliber (San Jose, CA); Simon Jeyapalan (Newark, CA); Nobuyasu Shimomura (San Jose, CA); Avish Ashok Bharwani (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignees: KAWASAKI JUKOBYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA; KAWASAKI ROBOTICS (USA), INC.
B08B6/00B08B1/14B08B1/50B25J15/0019
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12661695
App. No.
18/396,052
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A particle removal system according to this disclosure includes a particle absorption tool configured to absorb particles, and a robot. The robot is configured to perform absorption operation that includes at least one of moving the particle absorption tool and pressing the particle absorption tool down in the target area in a target area for absorption of particles during the absorption of particles.

Claims (24)

1 . A particle removal system comprising:

an electrostatic particle absorption tool configured to be electrostatically charged in order to absorb particles;

a receiving part to receive a substrate; and

a robot configured to perform absorption operation that includes at least one of moving the particle absorption tool and pressing the particle absorption tool in a target area for absorption of particles during the absorption of particles, wherein

the robot includes a hand configured to hold the substrate and the particle absorption tool and place the substrate in the receiving part, and

the hand is configured to repeatedly reposition the particle absorption tool to change a position of the particle absorption tool by repeatedly moving the particle absorption tool in a horizontal plane of the receiving part.

2 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 , wherein

the robot is configured to convey the particle absorption tool to the target area while holding the particle absorption tool by using the hand, and to perform the absorption operation that includes at least one of moving the particle absorption tool by using the hand and pressing the particle absorption tool in the target area during the absorption of particles after conveying the particle absorption tool.

3 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation by moving the particle absorption tool being placed on a placement position in the target area during the absorption of particles.

4 . The particle removal system according to claim 3 , wherein the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation by sliding the particle absorption tool being placed on the placement position.

5 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation by repositioning the particle absorption tool being placed on the target area while changing the placement position of the particle absorption tool in the target area.

6 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 , wherein the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation in a substrate receiving part as the target area on which a substrate is placed.

7 . The particle removal system according to claim 6 , wherein

the particle absorption tool has a disk shape similar to the substrate, and

the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation by placing the disk-shaped particle absorption tool on the substrate receiving part of at least one of an interior of a substrate conveyor and an interior of a substrate processor by using the hand.

8 . The particle removal system according to claim 6 , wherein the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation by pressing the particle absorption tool being placed on the substrate receiving part.

9 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 further comprising a controller comprising a processor configured to perform operations comprising operations to control operation of the robot so as to cause the robot to perform the absorption operation.

10 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 further comprising a detector comprising a camera and a charge meter configured to detect a degree of particle absorption by the particle absorption tool.

11 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 further comprising a cleaner configured to clean the particle absorption tool, wherein

the robot is configured to, after perform the absorption operation, to move the particle absorption tool to the cleaner.

12 . The particle removal system according to claim 1 , wherein

the particle absorption tool is configured to be electrostatically charged so as to build up a static electric charge for absorbing particles;

the particle removal system further comprises a charger configured to electrostatically charge the particle absorption tool so as to build up the static electric charge; and

the robot is configured to perform the absorption operation by using the particle absorption tool building up the static electric charge by being electrostatically charged by the charger.