Magnetically levitated transport system for a controller-free carrier

Abstract

In this work, a magnetic levitation (maglev) system is developed to transport a wafer between semiconductor fabrication process modules in clean rooms to take advantages of eliminating particle and oil contamination that normally exist in conventional transport systems due to contact motion of mechanical components. A main feature of the maglev system developed in this work is that a controller and power supplying part are not mounted on the moving carrier but on the stationary track, which is defined a controller-free carrier, to reduce carrier's weight. Iron-core electromagnets and irons are used for levitation, and air-core electromagnets and permanent magnets are used for stabilization. Analysis, design, and modeling of the magnetically levitated transport system are presented. The performance of the maglev system is experimentally demonstrated.