IP Library Granted Patent US 12,489,012
Granted Patent B2
US 12,489,012 · App. 17/545,219 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Substrate transportation hand, substrate transportation system, storage medium, and method for producing article

Inventor: Osamu Yasunobe (Tochigi, JP)
Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
H01L21/6838G03F7/70733
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,489,012
App. No.
17/545,219
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate transportation hand for transporting a substrate includes: at least one first holding part provided on an upper surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate; at least one second holding part provided on a lower surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate; and a drive unit for independently turning on/off sucking using the first holding part and the second holding part, in order to provide a substrate transportation hand which can efficiently transport while preventing dust in accordance with a form of a substrate.

Claims (46)

1 . A substrate transportation hand for transporting a substrate, comprising:

at least one first holding part provided on an upper surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate;

at least one second holding part provided on a lower surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate; and

a drive unit for independently turning on/off sucking using the first holding part and the second holding part,

wherein the first holding part is connected to a vacuum source via a first vacuum flow path, and the second holding part is connected to the vacuum source via a second vacuum flow path,

wherein the first holding part and the second holding part are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side, and

wherein the first vacuum flow path and the second vacuum flow path are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side.

2 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate transportation hand has distal end portions divided into two portions and the first holding part and the second holding part are disposed at the distal end portions.

3 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate transportation hand is made of conductive ceramic.

4 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 3 , wherein the substrate transportation hand is grounded.

5 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 3 , wherein the distal end portions of the substrate transportation hand have absorbing ports for absorbing dust, and the first holding part and the second holding part independently perform an absorbing operation.

6 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit includes a vacuum suction apparatus.

7 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 1 , wherein the drive unit includes an electrostatic adsorption apparatus.

8 . The substrate transportation hand according to claim 1 , wherein the first holding part and the second holding part are respectively disposed at positions on the upper surface side of the substrate transportation hand and the lower surface side of the substrate transportation hand such that an imaginary line passing through a diameter of the substrate being transported by the hand intersects both of the first holding part and the second holding part.

9 . A substrate transportation system which uses a substrate transportation hand for transporting a substrate, comprising:

at least one first holding part provided on an upper surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate;

at least one second holding part provided on a lower surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate;

a drive unit for independently turning on/off sucking using the first holding part and the second holding part; and

a controller causing, using the substrate transportation hand, one substrate to be selectively held from a substrate accommodation apparatus having a plurality of substrates accommodated therein and causing the substrate to be transported to a substrate processing apparatus,

wherein the first holding part is connected to a vacuum source via a first vacuum flow path, and the second holding part is connected to the vacuum source via a second vacuum flow path,

wherein the first holding part and the second holding part are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side, and

wherein the first vacuum flow path and the second vacuum flow path are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side.

10 . The substrate transportation system according to claim 9 , wherein the substrate accommodation apparatus includes an inversion unit which inverts the front surface and the back surface of the substrate which is selectively held by the substrate transportation hand.

11 . The substrate transportation system according to claim 9 , wherein the substrate accommodation apparatus includes a position measuring unit which measures and corrects misalignment of the substrate which is selectively held by the substrate transportation hand.

12 . The substrate transportation system according to claim 9 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes at least one lithography apparatus.

13 . The substrate transportation system according to claim 12 , wherein the lithography apparatus includes an imprinting apparatus.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer program to control a substrate transportation system configured to have:

at least one first holding part provided on an upper surface side of a substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding a substrate;

a least one second holding part provided on a lower surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate;

a drive unit for independently turning on/off sucking using the first holding part and the second holding part; and

a controller causing, using the substrate transportation hand, one substrate to be selectively held from a substrate accommodation apparatus having a plurality of substrates accommodated therein and causing the substrate to be transported to a substrate processing apparatus,

wherein the first holding part is connected to a vacuum source via a first vacuum flow path, and the second holding part is connected to the vacuum source via a second vacuum flow path,

wherein the first holding part and the second holding part are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side, and

wherein the first vacuum flow path and the second vacuum flow path are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side.

15 . A method for producing an article using a substrate transportation system,

wherein the substrate transportation system includes:

at least one first holding part provided on an upper surface side of a substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding a substrate;

at least one second holding part provided on a lower surface side of the substrate transportation hand and capable of sucking and holding the substrate;

a drive unit for independently turning on/off the sucking using the first holding part and the second holding part; and

a controller causing, using the substrate transportation hand, one substrate to be selectively held from a substrate accommodation apparatus having a plurality of substrates accommodated therein and causing the substrate to be transported to a substrate processing apparatus,

wherein the first holding part is connected to a vacuum source via a first vacuum flow path, and the second holding part is connected to the vacuum source via a second vacuum flow path,

wherein the first holding part and the second holding part are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side,

wherein the first vacuum flow path and the second vacuum flow path are disposed at positions shifted from each other when the substrate transportation hand is viewed from the upper surface side, and

wherein the method for producing an article comprising:

a substrate processing step of processing a substrate in the substrate processing apparatus using the substrate transportation system; and

a step of producing an article by processing the substrate processed through the substrate processing step.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2021
From: YASUNOBE, OSAMU
To: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 058594/0052 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-004204 · Jan 14, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220223461A1 · Jul 14, 2022
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