Dynamic Error Budgeting Based Optimization of Narrow-Band Multi-Mode Active Vibration Control for an Industrial Wafer Gripper

Abstract

This thesis investigates the industrial implementation of narrow-band multi-mode Active Vibration Control (AVC) for vibration attenuation of a state-of-the-art semiconductor wafer gripper. The wafer gripper is a wishbone like ceramic end-effector of the In-Vacuum Robot (IVR),  which is used in the wafer handler systems of lithography machines.
The structural dynamics, operational disturbances, and dominant noise sources are identified, providing the models required for loop shaping and Dynamic Error Budgeting (DEB). A DEB based simulation is constructed to predict the response at the gripper tips and identify the individual disturbance and noise contributions when active vibration control is introduced. The system requires multi-mode attenuation of the dominant vibrations while preserving the low-frequency dynamics. To meet these requirements, a narrow-band band-pass filter (NBPF) is adopted and compared with conventional Positive Position Feedback (PPF). An optimization based on DEB with loop shaping constraints is proposed and both optimized controllers predict a clear reduction in vibrations at the wafer gripper tip, while NBPF introduces less low frequency spillover than PPF. The results demonstrate the feasibility of narrow-band multi-mode active vibration control of a wafer gripper in an industrial environment and highlight the potential of combining DEB and loop shaping for active vibration control in industrial precision mechatronic systems.