US 12,330,289 B2
Determining the center position of a semiconductor wafer
Frantisek Pavlik, Los Altos Hills, CA (US); and James Thomas McCartney, III, Conroe, TX (US)
Assigned to WaferPath, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US)
Filed by WaferPath, Inc., Milpitas, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/396,039.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/070,428, filed on Aug. 26, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063109 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B25J 19/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/687 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 11/0095 (2013.01) [B25J 13/088 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01); B25J 19/021 (2013.01); H01L 21/67259 (2013.01); H01L 21/68707 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
6. A robot system, comprising:
a robot arm;
an end effector coupled to the robot arm for receiving an item, the end effector having an aperture defined therein that is within the end effector, the aperture being partially covered by the item along a first edge of the item when the item is received by the end effector, the end effector having a plurality of sensor regions located adjacent to the aperture that are obscured when the item is received by the end effector, the plurality of sensor regions being spaced apart on the end effector along a direction that is transverse to a central axis of movement of the end effector; and
a sensor module coupled to the end effector, the sensor module being directed at the plurality of sensor regions on the end effector, the sensor module and the plurality of sensor regions in combination being operable to detect when the item obscures each individual sensor region of the plurality of sensor regions when the end effector is moved relative to the item.