Show description

During testing the robot operates under normal operating conditions while being exposed to one or more discharges at the end-effector. This simulates the discharge from a highly charged substrate to a robot end-effector. The robot passes the test if it continues under normal operation as specified by the manufacturer. Conductive and dissipative surfaces The use of conductive or dissipative materials and the grounding of all surfaces is a basic equipment design rule. This also applies to robotic systems.

Also, ceramics are electrical insulators. If electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a problem, ceramic end-effectors must be grounded to prevent damage to the substrate from ESD events. Common ceramics are alumina (aluminum oxide, Al2O3) and silicon carbide (SiC). 9%. Silicon carbide is often used for high-temperature and thermalshock applications. 5 lists some selected properties of these materials. 2 Grease and lubricants Outgassed substances from ordinary grease and lubricants are a contamination risk to substrates, sensors, and instrument optics.

The vertical axis is usually implemented with a linear ball spline and driven by a ball screw. This SCARA-type kinematic structure has several advantages over more complex robot manipulators:      Small foot print relative to the work envelope Good vertical arm stiffness Rugged against minor collisions Short pick-and-place time Good horizontal repeatability. The robotic technology used in FPD manufacturing is similar to that in semiconductor manufacturing, although robots are scaled up in size for handling the large glass substrates.