Review on Vibration Control of Wafer Handling Robot

Abstract

The wafer handling robot serves as the pivotal component of the wafer transfer system, wherein its operational speed and motion precision exert a direct influence on both the yield and productivity of wafer processing. With the semiconductor manufacturing process advancing towards nanoscale linewidths and heightened throughput, the time-varying stiffness characteristics of the flexible joints in wafer handling robots, along with the resultant end vibration issues, have emerged as critical challenges that constrain overall performance. A comprehensive understanding of the stiffness change mechanisms, coupled with enhancements in control methodologies, plays an indispensable role in the effective vibration control of wafer handling robots. To facilitate research in pertinent areas, this paper systematically reviews the cutting-edge methods for vibration suppression in variable stiffness flexible joint wafer handling robots, concentrating on the following core aspects: The impacts of diverse dynamic stiffness identification methodologies on the accuracy of stiffness identification are thoroughly examined; This paper also explores the potential of collaborative optimization strategies involving trajectory planning, control methodologies, and lightweight intelligent algorithms in enhancing real-time control. Furthermore, it evaluates the application scenarios and feasibility of passive vibration absorbers and semi-active adjustable dampers within the context of broadband vibration suppression technologies. In conclusion, this paper synthesizes and critically discusses the advantages and limitations inherent in various research findings, while also constructing a “model-control-vibration suppression” closed-loop optimization system aimed at facilitating ultra-precision vibration control of wafer handling robots under conditions of high dynamic operation. By elucidating the bottlenecks present in existing technologies alongside the trajectory for future interdisciplinary integration, this work provides theoretical support for the intelligent advancement of wafer handling robots and fosters the expedited and reliable development of wafer transfer systems.

Keywords

Wafer handling robot / Dynamic stiffness identification / Compliance control / Vibration suppression / Semiconductor manufacturing

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, L.Z. and J.Z.; Methodology, H.J. and Y.Z.; Software, H.J. and Y.Z.; Validation, H.J., J.Z. and C.L.; Formal Analysis, J.Z.; Investigation, H.J., Y.Z. and J.Z.; Resources, Y.Z. and J.Z.; Data Curation, H.J. and Y.Z.; Writing—Original Draft Preparation, H.J. and Y.Z.; Writing—Review & Editing, L.Z.; Visualization, J.Z.; Supervision, L.Z.; Project Administration, L.Z.; Funding Acquisition, L.Z.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data availability is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China 51352375412 and Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities [N2203011].

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

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