NSF Award
9960653
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project presents a unique integrated planar positioner for flexible manufacturing and automation. Next-generation intrabay and interbay automation in microelectronics manufacturing requires a compact, lightweight, and rigid structure for material handling and processing. The proposed planar positioning technology is a significant advance and simplification of existing positioners that employ a two-dimensional concentrated-field magnet matrix. In this positioner, only a single integrated motor is required for extended planar motion generation. The other degrees of freedom can be controlled by feedback or made open-loop stable. There is no mechanical contact between the single moving part and the machine frame, and no particulate contamination, which makes this technology suitable for clean-room operations. In Phase I, we will design, fabricate, and demonstrate a prototype two-dimensional positioner in order to prove feasibility.<br/><br/>The semiconductor market is recovering from a recent recession. The long-term outlook for growth of the industry is extremely good. As the complexity of the overall process and the size of the wafer grow, automatic material handling becomes ever more important in semiconductor fabrication. Reliable low cost planar positioning for manufacturing processes for clean room, extreme-temperature, or vacuum environments will be a priority in microelectronics manufacturing, packaging, machine tool, and high-precision inspection stage industries.
