US20070297885A1 - Product designed to be used with handling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A product (Pr) can be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries, where the product is capable of being gripped by a handling system (Bm). The product can include: a plate (1) made of silicon, quartz, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, arsenic, and/or gallium arsenide, comprising one first (2) and one second (3) opposite faces, a plateau (4) defined by at least one face (5) opposite the plate, an attachment means (7) of the plate (1) on the plateau (4) so that the at least one face (5) of the plateau (4) is opposite the first (2) or second (3) face of the plate, and a first gripping means (11) mounted in association with the plateau (4), where these said first gripping means is able to cooperate and is removable with second gripping means (12) in addition to the first gripping means (11), the second additional gripping means belonging to the handling system (Bm). Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a system for handling the product.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS NOT APPLICABLEFIELD OF THE INVENTION
• Embodiments of the invention relate to a product, designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical), flat screen and/or solar cell industries, the product being able to be gripped by a handling arm, the product comprising a plate made from an inorganic material such as silicon, quartz, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, arsenic, and/or gallium arsenide, comprising first and second opposite faces. Embodiments of the invention, relate to, among others, the systems which permit these products to be handled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• In microelectronics, for example, a relatively thin disc such as silicon or other similar material is called a “wafer”. The disc acts as a support for the fabrication of micro structures using techniques such as doping, etching, deposition of other materials or photolithography. The disc is therefore of crucial importance especially in the fabrication of integrated circuits.
• Such a disc may have different diameters, for example, between 25 and 300 mm, for a thickness generally between about 0.15 mm and 1 mm. A tendency today is to use discs of the largest possible diameter in order to be able to etch more electronic circuits like chips simultaneously, while limiting the material losses, especially on the edge of the disc. This is because the cost of manufacturing these discs is very high, taking into account the treatments involved and the precautions that must be taken for their fabrication: clean rooms, controlled atmosphere, protection of the personnel, etc.
• In order to be able to operate correctly on the disc with machines, which the technicians in this field are familiar with, the disc has an identifier such as a brand, a sign, etc. to define the orientation of the crystalline planes of the semiconductor. The identifier may be a flat on the edge of the disc, a slot, etc.
• It is clear that these discs are made in specific production units and that they must then be transferred onto the machines for the fabrication of integrated or other circuits.
• It may be conceived that, for the transfer and positioning of these discs on these machines, robot type means or similar means is be used, which will firstly collect the discs from where they are stored after fabrication, and then take them to the machines and finally to position them on these machines according to the desired orientation by means of the identifier defined above. These robot type or similar means essentially comprise a handling system capable of gripping each disc, pointing out that, by handling system, it is meant any device which, regardless of its structure, essentially comprising an arm, has for its minimal functions the gripping and/or transporting of objects from one place to another and/or their orientation in space with respect to a given reference.
• It can be imagined that each contact of a handling arm with a disc as described above is a potential source of pollution of this disc, for example, the generation of particles by tearing or friction and/or the contamination by physical—chemical transfers (diffusion of metallic ions, etc.) between the arm and the disc. These particles and physical-chemical transfers are able to destroy electronic circuits such as chips, micro processors, etc. mentioned previously, and consequently reduce the number of electronic circuits that it is possible to create on the discs.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• One purpose of this invention is to create a product designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries, which permits the above disadvantages to be limited as much as possible.
• Another purpose of this invention is to create a product designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries that can be handled easily.
• Another purpose of this invention is to create a handling system for these products designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries, to grip, transport and orient them in space.
• More specifically, the purpose of this invention is a product, designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries, the product being able to be gripped by a handling system, the product comprising:
• • a plate made from an inorganic material such as silicon, quartz, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, arsenic, and/or gallium arsenide, comprising one first and one second opposite faces,
• characterized in that it comprises among others:
• • a plateau defined by at least one face opposite the plate,
  • attachment means of the plate on the plateau so that the at least one face of the plateau is opposite the first or second face of the plate, and
  • first gripping means assembled in association with the plateau, the first gripping means being capable of cooperating and also removable with second gripping means in addition to the first gripping means, the second additional gripping means belonging to the handling system.
• The presence of a plateau between the plate and, for example, a handling arm of a handling system has one essential advantage in that the arm no longer comes into contact with the plate, but with an intermediate part, the plateau. In this way, the contamination due to the contact between the arm and the plate, and the relative movement between the plate and the arm is greatly reduced, as the plateau is temporarily fixed to the plate and therefore immobile with respect to the latter while it is being handled. For example, every time the plate is taken and deposed, it is always the same part of the plateau that is in contact with the plate as the plateau has not left the plate.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the attachment means of the plate on the plateau is composed of means of attaching the plate by adhesion to the plateau.
• This characteristic proposes attachment of the plate to the plateau with reduced contamination due to adhesion attachment means.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the means of attaching the plate by adhesion to the plateau comprises a plurality of pins each equipped with an adhesive material.
• The adhesive pins allow the plate to be associated advantageously to the plateau by determined attachment points advantageously defining a reduced contact surface on the plate permitting the liaison surface area to be reduced to a necessary minimum and thus to limit the contamination.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the attachment means is composed of means of clamping the plateau on the edge of the plate.
• This attachment means is an example of an alternative to the previous attachment means, presenting the advantage of attaching the plate by its periphery.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the means of clamping the plateau on the edge of the plate is composed of at least three fingers capable of gripping the edge of the plate, and means that may be controlled to connect the fingers with the plateau.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the first gripping means is composed of at least one of the following means: a large rest surface and one of the two parts of a male-female connection.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the product according to the invention comprises means of exerting a traction force on the plateau so that the plateau is able to be pressed against at least one part of the handling system.
• This characteristic proposes a means of association by simple contact of the plateau on the handling system, due to the presence of a liaison force drawing them to one another. This characteristic permits contamination to be reduced while limiting or avoiding relative movements of the plateau equipped with the plate with respect to the handling system in which a contact, for example, by friction or rolling between these members, would be maintained.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the traction force is one of the following forces: magnetic force, suction force, gravitational force, or a combination of at least two of these three types of forces.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the product according to the invention comprises first centering means to apply the centering forces on the plateau so that the plateau is able to be centered with respect to one part of the handling system.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, first centering means is composed by at least one magnet generally of an annular shape, continuous or discontinuous, whose internal and external circular faces are respectively polarized North and South, wherein the annular magnet is mounted protrudingly on the face of the plateau opposite the face of the latter which is opposite the plate, so that the North-South polarization plane of the annular magnet is more or less parallel to the general plane of the face of the plateau that is opposite the plate, wherein the annular magnet is moreover disposed to be able to be plunged into an additional recess in the handling system, the additional recess comprising a magnetized ring according to one North-South polarization plane more or less the same as the North-South polarization plane of the annular magnet.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the plateau comprises a central thrust portion connected to the face of the plateau opposite to the face which is opposite the plate, on which a translation force may be applied to move the plateau in a translation direction that is more or less perpendicular to the face opposite the plate and a rotation moment to pivot the plateau around the translation direction.
• This characteristic permits a joint orientation of the plateau and the associated plate, by exerting the required forces on the plateau for the dissociation of the handling system and once the plateau has been dissociated, a moment required for the rotation of the latter so as to orientate the plate that is attached to it.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the plateau is composed of an external ring, a central core and spokes linking the central core to the external ring.
• Another purpose of this invention is a handling system for handling a product as defined above, characterized by the fact that it comprises:
• • a deck,
  • second additional gripping means of the first gripping means, wherein the second gripping means is created in the deck, and
  • means for moving the deck in a desired trajectory.
• The gripping system according to the invention permits the product composed of the plate and its associated plateau to move in space, for example, in order to transfer the plate of one processing tool to another processing tool.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the handling system according to the invention comprises among others:
• • an aligning device comprising a body and a control rod for a rotation moment mounted in cooperation with the body so as to form a part which extends beyond the body, wherein the control rod can pivot around the translation direction more or less perpendicularly to the face opposite the plate, and
  • means so that the axis of rotation of the control rod can pass more or less by the centre of the central orifice and is more or less perpendicular to the plane of this central orifice.
• This characteristic proposes a complete alignment system for the product, integrating an aligning device, which may or may not be on board the means of moving the deck, which is to say on the robot on which the deck is mounted, so that the deck and the aligning device may cooperate so as to align the plateau and plate assembly.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the end of the rod extending beyond the body comprises means of connecting it in rotation with the plateau when this end of the rod comes into contact with the central thrust portion.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the handling system according to the invention comprises among others means of storing a plurality of interchangeable plateaus each comprising first gripping means capable of cooperating and removable with the second gripping means of the deck.
• This characteristic permits highly flexible use, in that, for a given deck, the plateau may be replaced on request, for example, to suit the constraints of the plates to be handled.
• According to one advantageous characteristic, the handling system according to the invention comprises among others means of cleaning a plateau.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear in the following description provided in reference to the appended drawings, provided by way of illustration but in no way restrictively, in which:
• FIG. 1 shows the principle diagram of the product according to the invention in its first definition, designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries.
• FIGS. 2 to 5 show, in diagrammatical form, four possible embodiments of the product according to the invention in accordance with the diagram shown inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 6 shows, in a perspective view, an assembly illustrating a first example of an embodiment of a handling system according to the invention that may be used to handle the product according to the invention as shown diagrammatically inFIGS. 1 to 5.
• FIG. 7 shows a partial axial cross sectional view of the example ofFIG. 6.
• FIG. 8 shows a partial axial cross sectional view of the example ofFIG. 6 according to one variant of the embodiment.
• FIG. 9 shows, in a perspective view, an assembly illustrating a second example of an embodiment of a handling system according to the invention.
• FIG. 10 shows, in a perspective view, an assembly illustrating a third example of an embodiment of a handling system according to the invention.
• It is first of all pointed out that, in the figures, the same references designate the same members, regardless of the figure in which they appear and regardless of the form in which these members are represented. Similarly, if the members are not specifically referenced on one of the figures, their references may be easily found by referring to another figure.
• It is also pointed out that the figures show several embodiments of the object according to the invention, but there may be other embodiments which satisfy the definition of this invention.
• Among others it is pointed out that, when, according to the definition of the invention, the object of the invention comprises “at least one” member with a given function, the embodiment described may comprise several of these members. In return, if the embodiment of the object according to the invention as shown comprises several members with identical functions and if, in the description, it is not stated that the object according to this invention must necessarily comprise a particular number of these members, the object of the invention may be defined as comprising “at least one” of these members.
• Finally, it is pointed out that when, in this description, an expression alone defines, without any specific mentions concerning it, a set of structural characteristics, these characteristics may be taken, for the definition of the object of the requested protection, when this is technically possible, either separately, or in total or partial combination.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• This invention relates to a product Pr designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries as mentioned in the introduction of this description. This invention relates more particularly to a product that is designed to be gripped by a handling system Bm of which a preferential embodiment will be provided below.
• In reference toFIGS. 1 to 5, this product comprises aplate1, for example, made of a silicon semiconductor or intended to be a semiconductor, comprising first2 and second3 opposite plate faces. Among others, it is pointed out that thisplate1 may be of any shape, but generally it has the shape of a disc (or other similar shape).
• The product Pr comprises, among others, aplateau4 defined by at least oneplateau face5 opposite the first or second face of theplate1, which is to say thesecond face3 onFIG. 1. The product Pr also comprises a mechanism such as ameans7 of attaching theplate1 to theplateau4 so that theplateau face5 of the plateau is opposite oneface3 of the plate, and a first gripping mechanism such as a first gripping means11 mounted in association with theplateau4, wherein the components of the first gripping means are capable of cooperating and are removable, as described below, with a preferred embodiment of the handling system, with a second gripping mechanism such as a second gripping means12 in addition to the firstgripping means11, the second additional gripping means belonging to the handling system Bm.
• FIG. 1 shows one embodiment an attachment mechanism such as attachment means7 for attaching the plate on the plateau, which is composed ofmeans15 of clamping the plateau onto theedge16 of theplate1. The means15 of clamping the plateau on the edge of the plate is, for example, composed of at least threefingers17 disposed, for example, at 120 degrees fitted so that they can grip theedge16 of theplate1, and a controlling mechanism such as means18 that can be controlled to connect thesefingers17 with theplateau4. These controllable liaison means18 may be of any type, for example, electromagnetic coupled with return springs as shown inFIG. 1. However, other embodiments of these controllable liaison means18 may be provided, that are themselves known to those skilled in the art and which consequently will not be described in fuller detail here purely to simplify the description.
• Among others, it is noted that the controllable liaison means18 shown inFIG. 1 may indeed be present in the four other embodiments shown inFIGS. 2 to 5, but which, in the aim of simplifying the representation of the diagrams in theseFIGS. 2 to 5, have deliberately not been shown.
• It should be noted that the face of theplate1 opposite theplateau4 will preferably not be in contact with theface5 of the plateau. In the case of the attachment means by clamp or the like, the clamping means15 will preferably be in contact with the peripheral part of theplate1, and only these means. In the case of the means for attaching theplate1 to theplateau4 by adhesion, only an adhesive material, for example, an adhesive polymer, is designed to be in contact with theplate1. This adhesive material may be spread over several contact pins, for example, three pins.
• As concerns the first gripping means11 defined above, it is advantageously composed by at least one of the following means: a support surface that is advantageously flat19,FIGS. 1 to 5, and/or one20 of the twoparts20,21 of a male-female connection,FIGS. 3 and 5. According to the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, the firstgripping means11 is composed of themale part20 of a flattened revolution cone male-female connection that is able to fit into the additionalfemale part21.
• Furthermore, in the aim of perfectly pressing theplateau4 onto part of the handling system Bm as previously mentioned and as will be explained below, theplateau4 comprises among others means30 of exerting on it a traction force.
• It is understood that these traction means30 may be made in different ways. However, it will be preferably chosen from the means that is capable of creating one of the following forces: magnetic force (for example: a permanent magnet positioned opposite another magnet with inverted polarity or opposite a magnetic material, an embodiment according toFIG. 5), suction force (for example, by means of a vacuum pump, embodiment according toFIG. 4, gravitational force (vertically stacked so that theplateau4 is in a horizontal position, below the plate1), or a combination of at least two of these three types of force (embodiments according toFIGS. 2 to 5).
• Among others, the first centering means40 may be provided to apply the centering forces onto theplateau4 so that it is possible to centre the plateau and/or so that it centers itself automatically with respect to a part of the handling arm Bm, as for example, in the case of the embodiments according toFIGS. 3 and 5.
• As shown diagrammatically inFIG. 5, the first centering means40 is, for example, composed by at least one magnet generally of anannular shape42, continuous or discontinuous, whose internal and external circular faces43,44, are respectively polarized North and South, wherein theannular magnet42 is mounted, by any means (glue, attachment pin, etc.), so that it protrudes from theface45 of theplateau4 opposite thecontact face5 so that the North-South polarization plane Pp of theannular magnet42 is more or less parallel to the general plane of thecontact face5. Theannular magnet42 may adopt a minimal form composed by at least three sectors positioned in an annular configuration.
• Among others, theannular magnet42 is fitted so that it may be plunged (or placed), for example, in anadditional recess46,FIG. 5, created in the handling system Bm. Theadditional recess46 comprising amagnetized ring47 is in a North-South polarization plane more or less the same as the North-South polarization plane of theannular magnet42. Themagnetized ring47 is able to surround theannular magnet42 when the plateau is in contact with part of the handling system Bm as shown diagrammatically inFIG. 5, so that the internal face of the annular ring has a polarity that is inverted with respect to that of theexternal face44 of theannular magnet42. By using the terms magnetizedring47 and/orannular magnet42, it is understood that this means complete rings or portions of rings positioned in a circle or similar configuration so that the assembly is magnetically equivalent to a complete ring.
• In the aim of being able to adapt the position of theplateau4 with respect to the part of the handling system on which it has to rest during the handling, for example, to transport and position it so that the silicon plate is correctly orientated, theplateau4 advantageously comprises acentral thrust portion50 connected, either directly or indirectly, to theface45 of the plateau opposite itsface5 opposite theplate1. On thiscentral thrust portion50, it is possible to apply a translation force Fp to move theplateau4 and its associated plate in a translation direction, in one direction or the other, more or less perpendicularly to theface5 opposite theplate1, and a rotation moment Fr to pivot theplateau4, and thus simultaneously theplate1, more or less around the translation direction, very advantageously when the plateau is no longer in contact with the deck.
• Thiscentral thrust portion50 may have different forms. It may be composed of the central part itself of theface45 defined above, as in the embodiments according toFIGS. 1,2 and4, or by the small base of the male part of the flattened cone connection,FIG. 3, or by a pin that is also used to compose the attachment means of the support of theannular magnet42 according to the embodiment ofFIG. 5 described above.
• In fact, it should be remembered that it is known that theplate1 comprises an identifier to orientate it angularly with respect to a reference connected to the deck or robot bearing it.
• To orientate the plate connected to4, which is to say in fact the product, it is preferable that the product not be pressed on the second gripping means12 of the handling system Bm. To this end, the product must be moved away from the second gripping means12 by exerting the force Fp on the product, then pivoting it by exerting on it the moment Fr until the identifier connected to the plate is in the correct position. The product is then brought towards the handling system so that its firstgripping means11 cooperates with the secondgripping means12.
• It may be conceived that there are different possible embodiments of a handling system to grip, transport and orientate the product designed to be used in the semiconductor, MEM, flat screen and/or solar cell industries, according to the invention as described above.
• However, another purpose of this invention is to create a handling system Bm specially structured to cooperate with the product Pr defined above.
• One embodiment of the handling system according to the invention is shown inFIG. 6.
• This handling system Bm of the product Pr comprises adeck60, second gripping means12 in addition to the first gripping means11 defined above, wherein the second gripping means12 is made in thedeck60, and known means61 of moving thedeck60 according to a desired trajectory (not entirely shown). These means61 for moving thedeck60 is only shown very diagrammatically inFIG. 6. In general, it is of the robot type with at least three axes or more. One example of an embodiment of thesemeans61 is described and shown in the publication WO 99/57752, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• Thedeck60 is composed of a pallet that may have different forms.FIG. 6 shows a pallet in the form of a U shaped fork that may be positioned on theface45 of theplateau4. It may also be presented in the form of a crown with a central orifice.
• To permit the product to be handled according to the embodiment shown inFIG. 4, at least one of the two arms of the U shaped pallet comprises a duct which opens onto the face of the pallet, that can come into contact with theface45 of theplateau4, advantageously with a flared opening with respect to the diameter of the duct to create a suction cup which, when the vacuum is obtained in the duct by means of a vacuum pump (not shown), will maintain the plateau pressed onto the pallet.
• To permit the product to be handled according to the embodiments shown inFIGS. 3 and 5, the pallet defines a concave recess, of a flattenedcone shape21 to house themale part20 of the product, or cylindrical so that theannular magnet42 can be plunged into the space of themagnetized ring47, which is at least partially attached to the pallet.
• The space defined between the two arms of the pallet when it is U shaped, or the central orifice when it is crown shaped, forms acentral orifice63 designed, as will be explained below, to provide free access to thecentral thrust portion50 of the plateau.
• Thiscentral orifice63 is created so that, when the firstgripping means11 cooperates with the second additional grippingmeans12, theplateau4 is more or less centered on it and therefore thecentral thrust portion50 is aligned with thiscentral orifice63.
• Advantageously, in order to be able to apply the force Fp and the moment Fr automatically onto thecentral thrust portion50 of the product Pr, the handling system comprises an aligningdevice65 which is a device that is well known to those skilled in the art and which will not be detailed further here. However, there is a simple diagrammatical reminder that an example of this type of device comprises abody66 and, mounted in cooperation with thisbody66, arotary control rod68 for the moment of rotation Fr defined above, thebody66 comprising means of controlling therod68 in rotation, the latter forming a protrusion extending or in relief of thebody66, wherein thecontrol rod68 is able to extend beyond thebody66, to permit translation of theplateau4 and the associated plate, in a translation direction more or less perpendicular to theface5 opposite theplate1, as explained below, and to pivot around this same translation direction.
• To this end, thebody66 of the aligning device can be on board themeans61 of moving thedeck60 in a desired trajectory, as explained below, in cooperation with thedeck60 so that the axis of rotation of thecontrol rod68 is able to pass more or less via the centre of thecentral orifice63 and is more or less perpendicular to the plane of thiscentral orifice63.
• Preferably, theend69 of therod68 which extends beyond thebody66 comprises means70 to connect it in rotation with theplateau4 when the latter comes into contact with thecentral thrust portion50 and to orientate the product as described above. As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8, the handling system Bm advantageously comprises second centering means80 to centre theend69 of therod68 of the aligning device on thecentral thrust portion50 of theplateau4, when they later come into contact with one or the other, in order to improve the performance of the angular orientation of the plateau. These second centering means may be made by means of a male-female type connection80, for example, conical, wherein amale cone81 can thus be formed on theend69 of therod68 of the aligningdevice65 that is capable of fitting into an associatedfemale cone82 formed in thecentral thrust portion50 of theplateau4, the axis ofrevolution83 of the male and female cones being the same as the axis of rotation on which the moment of rotation Fr is applied. Alternatively, the second centering means may adopt the form of a plurality of conical connections as described above, spread out on the plateau so that they are equidistant from the axis of rotation on which the moment of rotation Fr is applied.
• The handling system with aligning device operates as follows, described by way of example. In order to raise and align the product Pr associated to thedeck60, the latter is brought above theend69 of therod68 extending beyond thebody66 of the aligning device. To do so, a relative movement between the aligningdevice65 and thedeck60 is possible. To this end, the means so that the axis of rotation of thecontrol rod68 may pass more or less via the centre of thecentral orifice63 and be more or less perpendicular to the plane of thecentral orifice63, may be composed by means61 for moving thedeck60 described above.
• Once thecentral thrust portion50 of the product Pr has been positioned above theend69 of therod68 and aligned with it, thedeck60 carrying the product Pr is brought into contact with thecentral thrust portion50 and theend69 so as to create a rotary connection between these two members, by all known means, for example, an adhesive connection, induced by a magnetic force or a gravitational force, or any other connection in particular controlled by an actuator. Thedeck60 then continues its relative movement with respect to the aligning device so as to move the product Pr away from the deck. The end of therod68 is immobile with respect to the deck in movement and exerts the translation force Fp described above, this being made possible by theend69 of therod68 extending beyond the aligning device which will be such that thedeck60 can be separated from the plateau. To permit separation of the plateau and the deck, themeans30 of exerting a traction force on theplateau4 so that it can be pressed against at least one part of the handling system, will of course be deactivated.
• FIG. 6 shows a product Pr cooperating with a handling system Bm in accordance with the invention. This figure, which is a perspective view, shows the respective positions of the product Pr and thedeck60 when the latter is in a position distant from the product Pr, so that the product Pr may be easily pivoted to obtain the desired orientation by the control rod of the aligning device.
• It should be noted that, in the embodiment according toFIG. 6, theplate1, in the form of a disc, is shown transparently. With regard to theplateau4, it is composed of anexternal ring401 and acentral core402 composing thecentral thrust portion50 defined previously, wherein the central core is connected to theexternal ring401 byspokes403. This embodiment allows aplateau4 to be obtained that is both rigid and light, made of a metallic material or a composite material, for example, in carbon fibers embedded in a polymerizable resin.
• It should be noted that as an alternative to the configuration described above with the aid ofFIG. 6, the aligningdevice65 may be dissociated from the robot and disposed in a determined place distant from the robot. In order to orientate the product Pr, the deck equipped with the latter will be brought above the aligning device so that the axis of rotation of the rod is aligned with the translation direction, themeans70 of theend69 of therod68, to connect it in rotation theplateau4 being positioned above itscentral thrust portion50 and lowered onto it so that theplateau4 comes into contact with therod68 of the aligningdevice65. Thedeck60 is then lowered so that theplateau4 and the associatedplate1 are raised to arrive finally at the same configuration as that previously explained in the case where the aligning device is on board the robot. Such a configuration may have the advantage of lightening the robot, but reduces the simultaneous alignment and movement possibilities of the plateau and the associated plate; the alignment is only made at the position where the aligning device is situated.
• A handling system Bm equipped with aplateau4 in compliance with the invention described above, may be brought to grip, with thesame plateau4, several different types of plates, for example, semiconductors, stored in different containers, these different plates having coatings or levels of cleanliness that are incompatible with one another. In order to avoid one of the coatings contaminating the plateau then the contaminated plateau in turn contaminating another plate, it may be possible to change the plateau to suit the type of plate to be handled. In this case, it is possible to use a clean plateau, which is to say decontaminated and cleaned for each plate transfer. As shown inFIG. 9, the system Bm may be controlled so that it searches, in aplate4magazine200, the plateau that is appropriate for the type of plate or type of processing that the plate is to undergo. Themagazine200 may, for example, be in the form of a plurality ofidentical supports201 stacked on top of one another, each comprising adeck202 capable of holding thecentral core402 of aplateau4, as shown inFIG. 9. To this end, thedeck202 of eachsupport201 may adopt a similar form to that of theend69 of therod68 of the aligningdevice65 described above, which also holds thecentral core402 of aplateau4. Thesupport201 may adopt any suitable form, preferably freeing up a space next to the firstgripping means11, which is to say in the example is a space next to theexternal ring401 of theplateau4, in order to permit thedeck60 to have access so that it can deposit and collect aplateau4 by itsexternal ring401. The assembly of thesupports201 may be fixed in a container (not shown) provided to stock theplateaus4 and located at a determined position accessible to the deck.
• Theplateau4 on the deck may be replaced by another plateau of another type if the handling mode of the plate has to be changed. For example, plateaus may be envisaged to handle the plates by gripping them by their rear face or plateaus that touch and grip the plates by their edge, all these different plateaus comprising the same first gripping means11 so as to associate to asame deck60 equipped with second gripping means12 in addition to the firstgripping means11.
• It is also possible to adapt the plateaus to handle plates of different thicknesses in particular ultra-thin plates that are particularly flexible. To handle thick plates, which is to say whose thickness is greater than approximately 0.5 mm, three support points under the plate may be sufficient, wherein these points are advantageously spread out homogeneously on the edge of the plateau. For thinner plates, and therefore more flexible, it may be necessary to increase the number of support points and in particular to add one or several support points on the rear face of the plate close to the centre of the plateau. This increase in the number of support points permits the flexing of the ultra thin plates to be minimized.
• Given that a cleaning module is accessible to the movement means61 of thedeck60, theplateaus4 not used could be advantageously cleaned while another plateau is used to transfer plates. The machine for processing the plates equipped withmeans61 for moving thedeck60 may thus continue to operate during the cleaning phases, thus increasing the rate of availability. Automation of the cleaning of the plateaus may be envisaged in the plateaus magazine. This cleaning may be carried out by clean air blast or suction, vibrations, ultra sound, chemical dip, gas vaporization and/or by cryogenic cleaning, as well as any other known cleaning process or combination of these means.FIG. 10 shows an example of an embodiment of acleaning module300. Thismodule300 is in the form of asupport301 of theplateau4, equipped with adeck302 capable of holding thecentral core402 of aplateau4, as shown inFIG. 10. To this end, thedeck302 of thesupport301 may adopt a form similar to that of theend69 of therod68 of the aligningdevice65 described above, which also holds thecentral core402 of aplateau4. Asupport301 may adopt any suitable form, preferably freeing up a space next to the firstgripping means11, which is to say in the example is a space next to theexternal ring401 of theplateau4, in order to allow thedeck60 access so that aplateau4 may be collected and deposited by itsexternal ring401. Thesupport301 comprises acleaning head303 directed towards the part of the plateau to be cleaned, which is to say theexternal ring401 in the example shown inFIG. 10. The cleaninghead303 is supplied in cleaning fluids, substances, and/or waves via afeed duct304, for example, channeling pressurized ionized nitrogen. Thedeck302 is advantageously mounted rotarily on thesupport301 so as to allow all of the parts of the plateau to be cleaned to pass, below the cleaninghead303, by rotation of the latter. It should be noted that a plateaus storage magazine may be combined with a cleaning module, for example, by equipping eachplateau support201 of themagazine300 ofFIG. 9, with a cleaning head acting on the parts of the stored plateau to be cleaned; in this case, thedeck202 supporting the plateau will be advantageously mounted rotarily.
• For the traceability of the plateaus, it may be advantageous to provide identification means (not shown) for each plateau. The identification means will make it possible to determine when and where the plateau has been used, if it requires maintenance, if it is adapted to the type of handling desired, etc. This identification means may, for example, take on the form of an alpha-numerical code, a bar code, or a 2D or data-matrix type code, or a combination of these codes. These codes may be etched or written on one of the faces of theplateau4, preferably on the lower face that is not located oppositeplate1. In order to identify advantageously the identification code automatically, the presence of a means of indexing the plateau is required, whose position with respect to that of the identification code is predetermined, so as to permit angular orientation of the plateau in rotation so that the identification means is situated in the reading position. The indexing means may be, for example, created by a mark, a slot on theplateau4, or a magnet integrated into the plateau that actuates a Hall effect sensor.
• The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, it being recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed. Moreover, any one or more features of any embodiment of the invention may be combined with any one or more other features of any other embodiment of the invention, without departing from the scope of the invention.
• All references, patent applications, and patents mentioned above are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. None of them are admitted to be prior art to the presently claimed inventions.
• One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention.
• A recitation of “a”, “an” or “the” is intended to mean “one or more” unless specifically indicated to the contrary.

Claims (21)

1. A product capable of being gripped by a handling system, the product comprising:

a plate comprising an inorganic material, and comprising a first face and a second face; and

a plateau defined by at least one plateau face opposite the plate;

an attachment mechanism that attaches the plate to the plateau, such that the at least one plateau face is opposite to the first face or the second face of the plate, and

a first gripping mechanism associated with the plateau, where the first gripping mechanism is able to cooperate with a second gripping mechanism, wherein the second gripping mechanism is part of a handling system.

2. The product ofclaim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises an adhesive.

3. The product ofclaim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a plurality of pins, each equipped with an adhesive material.

4. The product ofclaim 1 wherein the attachment mechanism includes a clamping mechanism for clamping the plateau to the edge of the plate.

5. The product ofclaim 4, wherein the clamping mechanism comprises at least three fingers capable of gripping the edge of the plate, and a controlling mechanism connecting the fingers to the plateau.

6. The product ofclaim 1 wherein the first gripping mechanism comprises at least one of the following: a flat support surface, and at least one of two parts of a male-female connection.

7. The product ofclaim 1 comprising a mechanism for exerting a traction force on the plateau so that the plateau is able to be pressed onto at least one part of the handling system.

8. The product ofclaim 7 wherein the traction force is one of the following forces: magnetic force, suction force, gravitational force, or any combination therof.

9. The product ofclaim 1 further comprising a first centering mechanism for applying centering forces on the plateau so that the plateau is able to be centered with respect to one part of the handling system.

10. The product ofclaim 1 wherein the first centering mechanism comprises at least one magnet having a generally annular shape, which is continuous or discontinuous, and whose internal and external circular faces, are respectively polarized North and South, South, wherein the annular magnet is mounted protrudingly on the face of the plateau opposite the face of the latter which is opposite the plate, so that the North-South polarization plane of the annular magnet is substantially parallel to the general plane of the face of the plateau that is opposite the plate, wherein the annular magnet is moreover disposed to be able to be plunged into an additional recess in the handling system, the additional recess comprising a magnetized ring according to one North-South polarization plane more or less the same as the North-South polarization plane of the annular magnet.

11. The product ofclaim 1 wherein the plateau comprises one central thrust portion connected to the plateau face of the plateau opposite to the face which is opposite the plate, on which a translation force may be applied to move the plateau in a translation direction that is substantially perpendicular to the plateau face opposite the plate and a rotation moment to pivot the plateau substantially around the translation direction.

12. The product ofclaim 1 wherein the plateau comprises an external ring, a central core and spokes connecting the central core to the external ring.

13. The product ofclaim 1 wherein the plateau comprises an identification mechanism.

14. The product ofclaim 13 wherein the plateau comprises an indexation mechanism whose position with respect to the identification mechanism is predetermined.

15. A handling system for handling a product according toclaim 1, wherein the material handling system comprises:

a deck,

second gripping mechanism in addition to the first gripping mechanism, the second gripping mechanism associated with the deck, and

a moving mechanism moving the deck in a desired trajectory.

16. The handling system ofclaim 15 further comprising a central orifice created in the deck so that, when the first gripping mechanism cooperates with the second gripping mechanism, the plateau is substantially centered on the central orifice.

17. The handling system ofclaim 16 further comprising:

an aligning device comprising a body and a control rod in cooperation with the body so as to form a part which extends beyond the body, wherein the control rod is able to pivot; and

wherein an axis of rotation of the control rod is able to pass substiantially through a centre of the central orifice and is substantially perpendicular to a plane of the central orifice.

18. The handling system ofclaim 16 wherein the end of the rod extending beyond the body comprises a mechanism for connecting it in rotation with the plateau when the end of the rod comes into contact with a central thrust portion of the plateau.

19. The handling system ofclaim 18 further comprising a second centering mechanism for centering the end of the control rod of the aligning device on the plateau when the end of the rod comes into contact with the central thrust portion.

20. The handling system ofclaim 15 further comprising a storage mechanism for a plurality of interchangeable plateaus each comprising a gripping mechanism capable of cooperating and removable with the second gripping mechanism of the deck.

21. The handling system ofclaim 15 further comprising a cleaning mechanism for cleaning the plateau.

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