Pri Automation, Inc.

Jean-Pascal Rouland

Malek Charif

Chuckson Yokota

Joseph Mann

Ted Hwang

An edge gripping device grips and ungrips a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer. A blade extends in a distal direction from a base of the device. At least one distal contact member is provided at the tip of the blade. Two proximal lever arms are pivotally coupled for synchronized, oppositely directed rotation to the base. Each lever arm has at least one proximal contact member at an outer end. A biasing member is coupled to the two proximal lever arms and to an actuator to effect pivoting movement of the lever arms. The pivoting motion moves the ends of the arms generally radially toward and away from the center of the substrate to be gripped or ungripped, thereby minimizing sliding of the substrate. The biasing member is biased to retain the lever arms in a closed position in the event of a power failure. Ramps are provided next to each contact member. The contact members and ramps are profiled to minimize the zone of the substrate edge that is contacted. The lever arms are pivotally mounted with flexural pivot members having no sliding motion, to minimize particle generation.

Robot arm edge gripping device for handling substrates

An edge gripping device for a robot arm grips and ungrips substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. A base is fixed to an end of the robot arm. A blade, having a distal contact location thereon, and a pusher bar, having preferably two proximal contact locations thereon, are movably mounted to the base via a linkage mechanism. The linkage mechanism includes two four-bar linkages. The first four-bar linkage has a stationary link and three movable links connected in a parallelogram configuration. The pusher bar is fixed to one of the movable links of the first linkage for movement therewith. The second four-bar linkage has a stationary link and three movable links connected in a trapezoidal configuration. The blade is fixed to one of the movable links of the second linkage for movement therewith. The two linkages share a stationary pivot point. An actuator having one end fixed with respect to the first linkage and an opposite end fixed with respect to the second linkage is operative to move the first linkage and the second linkage. The proximal contact location moves substantially horizontally and the distal contact location moves vertically and horizontally.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Jean-Pascal Rouland