Sensor for articles such as wafers on end effector

Claim 1

A system for sensing close proximity of an article such as a wafer comprising in combination two adjacent capacitor plates having substantially coplanar surfaces, said capacitor plates including a ground plate and a sensor plate which forms a capacitance with respect to said ground plate which is essentially zero until it increases greatly as an article approaches in substantially the same close proximity to said surfaces of both said plates, whereby sensitivity of the system to the close proximity of an article is enhanced, an oscillator having an input connected to said sensor plate and having a frequency which varies as said capacitance varies, whereby said frequency indicates the magnitude of said capacitance, whereby said frequency indicates close proximity of an article to said surfaces of both said plates, a substantial length of triaxial cable having a center conductor connected to said sensor plate, an inner shield and an outer shield connected to said ground plate, a voltage follower circuit connected to drive said inner shield from said center conductor, and signal conditioning circuits to convert the frequency of said oscillator to an analog or digital output signal which indicates the magnitude of said capacitance.

Claim 2

A system for sensing close proximity of an article such as a wafer comprising in combination two adjacent capacitor plates having substantially coplanar surfaces, said capacitor plates including a ground plate and a sensor plate which forms a capacitance with respect to said ground plate which is essentially zero until it increases greatly as an article approaches in substantially the same close proximity to said surfaces of both said plates, whereby sensitivity of the system to the close proximity of an article is enhanced, an oscillator having an input connected to said sensor plate and having a frequency which varies as said capacitance varies, whereby said frequency indicates the magnitude of said capacitance, whereby said frequency indicates close proximity of an article to said surfaces of both said plates, a substantial length of triaxial cable having a center conductor connected to said sensor plate, an inner shield and an outer shield connected to said ground plate, a voltage follower circuit connected to drive said inner shield from said center conductor, and signal conditioning circuits to convert the frequency of said oscillator to an analog or digital output signal which indicates the magnitude of said capacitance.

Claim 6

A device for detecting close proximity of an article such as a wafer to a capacitor plate by producing a signal having a frequency which varies as the capacitance between said article and said capacitor plate varies, whereby said signal indicates the magnitude of said capacitance and hence close proximity of said article to said capacitor plate, comprising in combination a capacitive ground plate having an aperture and defining a first surface near which to place the article, a sensor plate 2 in said aperture close to but insulated from said ground plate and having a second surface co-extensive with said first surface, whereby a portion of the capacitance between said sensor plate and said ground plate is created by the mutual geometry of said sensor plate and said ground plate and whereby said capacitance is essentially zero until it is increased greatly when an article comes in substantially the same close proximity to both said first and second surfaces whereby sensitivity of the device to the close proximity of an article is enhanced, a driven shield 3 placed so as to shield said sensor plate from any other major capacitance between said sensor plate and said ground plate, an oscillator 12,13,2,1 having an input connected to said sensor plate and having a frequency which varies as said capacitance varies, whereby said frequency indicates the magnitude of said capacitance, means 3,9,14 for nullifying the voltage between said shield and said sensor plate during the oscillations, and means for measuring said frequency, whereby said presence of said article is detected.

Claim 7

A device for detecting close proximity of an article such as a wafer to a capacitor plate by producing a signal having a frequency which varies as the capacitance between said article and said capacitor plate varies, whereby said signal indicates the magnitude of said capacitance and hence close proximity of said article to said capacitor plate, comprising in combination a capacitive ground plate having an aperture and defining a first surface near which to place the article, a sensor plate 2 in said aperture close to but insulated from said ground plate and having a second surface co-extensive with said first surface, whereby a portion of the capacitance between said sensor plate and said ground plate is created by the mutual geometry of said sensor plate and said ground plate and whereby said capacitance is essentially zero until it is increased greatly when an article comes in substantially the same close proximity to both said first and second surfaces whereby sensitivity of the device to the close proximity of an article is enhanced, a driven shield 3 placed so as to shield said sensor plate from any other major capacitance between said sensor plate and said ground plate, an oscillator 12,13,2,1 having an input connected to said sensor plate and having a frequency which varies as said capacitance varies, whereby said frequency indicates the magnitude of said capacitance, means 3,9,14 for nullifying the voltage between said shield and said sensor plate during the oscillations, and means for measuring said frequency, whereby said presence of said article is detected.