Robot blade for wafers and workpieces and thin wafers and workpieces

1 . A transfer blade, comprising:

a first end and a second end opposite to the first end;

a first prong at the first end with a first raised region;

a second prong at the first end with a second raised region;

a gap that extends from the first prong to the second prong, the gap separates and spaces apart the first prong from the second prong;

a first wing structure extending in a first direction, the first wing structure being between the first end and the second end, and the first wing structure including a third raised region;

a second wing structure extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second wing structure being between the first end and the second end, and the second wing structure including a fourth raised region, and wherein the first wing structure and the second wing structure have a parabolic profile;

a mounting structure at the second end;

a barrier structure between the mounting structure and the first and second wing structures; and

a fifth raised region between the barrier structure and the first and second wing structures.

2 . The transfer blade of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth raised regions are configured to, in operation, contact a backside of a workpiece.

3 . The transfer blade of claim 1 , wherein:

the first prong includes a first hooked structure at a respective end of the first prong; and

the second prong includes a second hooked structure at a respective end of the second prong.

4 . The transfer blade of claim 1 , wherein the third, fourth, and fifth raised regions are curved.

5 . The transfer blade of claim 1 , further comprising a first axis extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and wherein:

the first wing structure and the second wing structure are mirrored about the first axis; and

the first prong and the second prong are mirrored about the first axis.

6 . The transfer blade of claim 5 , wherein the barrier structure is asymmetrical about the first axis.

7 . The transfer blade of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first dimension between a first point of the first prong furthest away from the second prong and a second point of the second prong furthest away from the first prong; and

a second dimension between a third point of the first wing structure furthest away from the second wing structure and a fourth point of the second wing structure furthest away from the first wing structure, wherein the second dimension is greater than the first dimension.

8 . The transfer blade of claim 1 , further comprising a lower region that extends from the first and second raised regions to the fifth raised region and extends from the third raised region to the fourth raised region.

9 . The transfer blade of claim 8 , wherein the lower region extends continuously from the first and second raised regions to the fifth raised region and extends continuously from the third raised region to the fourth raised region.

10 . A system, comprising:

a transfer robot arm (TRA); and

a transfer blade mounted to the transfer robot arm, the transfer blade including:

a first end and a second end opposite to the first end;

a first prong at the first end with a first raised region;

a second prong at the first end with a second raised region;

a gap that extends from the first prong to the second prong, the gap separates and spaces apart the first prong from the second prong;

a first wing structure extending in a first direction, the first wing structure being between the first end and the second end, and the first wing structure including a third raised region;

a second wing structure extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second wing structure being between the first end and the second end, and the second wing structure including a fourth raised region;

a mounting structure at the second end;

a barrier structure between the mounting structure and the first and second wing structures;

a fifth raised region between the barrier structure and the first and second wing structures; and

a first axis extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, and

wherein the first wing structure and the second wing structure are mirrored about the first axis, and the first prong and the second prong are mirrored about the first axis, and

wherein the barrier structure is asymmetrical about the first axis.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth and fifth raised regions are configured to, in operation, contact a backside of a workpiece.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein:

the first prong includes a first hooked structure at a respective end of the first prong; and

the second prong includes a second hooked structure at a respective end of the second prong.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the third, fourth, and fifth raised regions are curved.

14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising a sensor configured to, in operation, determine a presence of a respective workpiece on the transfer blade.

15 . A method, comprising:

positioning a transfer blade under a workpiece, the transfer blade including:

a first end and a second end opposite to the first end;

a first prong at the first end with a first raised region;

a second prong at the first end with a second raised region;

a gap that extends from the first prong to the second prong, the gap separates and spaces apart the first prong from the second prong;

a first wing structure extending in a first direction, the first wing structure being between the first end and the second end, and the first wing structure including a third raised region; and

a second wing structure extending in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the second wing structure being between the first end and the second end, and the second wing structure including a fourth raised region, and wherein the first wing structure and the second wing structure have a parabolic profile;

raising the transfer blade to contact a backside of the workpiece with the first raised region, the second raised region, the third raised region, and the fourth raised region; and

lifting the workpiece off one or more support structures by raising the transfer blade when the first, second, third, and fourth, raised regions are in contact with the backside of the workpiece.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the transfer blade further includes:

a fifth raised region closer to the second end than the first end.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the third, fourth, and fifth raised regions are curved.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein:

raising the transfer blade to contact the backside of the workpiece with the first raised region, the second raised region, the third raised region, and the fourth raised region further includes contacting the backside of the workpiece with the fifth raised region; and

lifting the workpiece off one or more support structure by raising the transfer blade when the first, second, third, and fourth raised regions are in contact with the backside of the workpiece further includes lifting the workpiece off one or more support structure by raising the transfer blade when the fifth raised region is in contact with the backside of the workpiece.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the first prong includes a first hooked structure at a respective end of the first prong; and

the second prong includes a second hooked structure at a respective end of the second prong.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the raising the transfer blade to contact the backside of the workpiece with the first raised region, the second raised region, the third raised region, and the fourth raised region further includes positioning the first hooked structure and the second hooked structure in close proximity to an edge of the workpiece to retain the workpiece on the transfer blade.