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JP-7855679-B2 - Substrate transport system and transfer robot control device

JP7855679B2JP 7855679 B2JP7855679 B2JP 7855679B2JP-7855679-B2

Inventors

  • 百木 格

Assignees

  • 平田機工株式会社

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20230330
Priority Date
20220330

Claims (12)

  1. A transport section that defines the range in which the substrate is transported, The first mounting section and the second mounting section on which the substrate is placed, A transfer robot is provided inside the transport unit to transport the substrate from the first mounting unit to the second mounting unit, Equipped with, The aforementioned transfer robot is The main body is supported within the transport section, A swivel support unit connected to the main body and rotating relative to the main body, An arm support portion connected to the aforementioned pivot support portion and rotating relative to the aforementioned pivot support portion, An arm portion connected to the arm support portion and rotating relative to the arm support portion, It comprises a holding part connected to the arm portion and holding the substrate, The aforementioned arm portion is The first arm is supported by the aforementioned arm support portion, A second arm that supports the holding portion and is supported by the first arm, Equipped with, The aforementioned pivot support part rotates in a plan view with the connection part with the main body as the axis of rotation. The arm support portion rotates in a plan view with the connection portion with the pivot support portion as the axis of rotation. The aforementioned arm portion rotates in a plan view with the aforementioned arm support portion as the axis of rotation. The holding portion rotates relative to the second arm in a plan view, with the portion supported by the second arm as the axis of rotation . The aforementioned arm support portion is A pivot mounting portion connected to the pivot support portion, The arm portion is connected to an arm mounting portion, The rotational centerline of the arm support portion relative to the pivot support portion and the rotational centerline of the arm portion relative to the arm support portion are set to lie on the same line. PCB transport system.
  2. The aforementioned transfer robot is A swivel motor that rotates the swivel support portion relative to the main body portion, An arm support drive motor that rotates the arm support portion relative to the pivot support portion, An arm motor that rotates the arm portion relative to the arm support portion, Equipped with, The substrate transport system according to claim 1.
  3. The arm support portion includes an arm motor that includes an arm drive mechanism for operating the arm portion. The substrate transport system according to claim 1.
  4. The system includes a robot control unit that controls the transport operation of the substrate by the transfer robot, The robot control unit is When transferring the substrate between a first mounting position set on the first mounting section and a first pre-mounting position set opposite the first mounting section, the operation of the arm support section, the arm section, and the holding section is controlled so as to move the holding section while maintaining the orientation of the holding section that holds the substrate along a planar center line connecting the first mounting position and the first pre-mounting position in a predetermined direction; and when transferring the substrate between a second mounting position set on the second mounting section and a second pre-mounting position set opposite the second mounting section, the operation of the arm support section, the arm section, and the holding section is controlled so as to move the holding section while maintaining the orientation of the holding section that holds the substrate along a planar center line connecting the second mounting position and the second pre-mounting position in a predetermined direction. The substrate transport system according to claim 1.
  5. The system includes a robot control unit that controls the transport operation of the substrate by the transfer robot, The robot control unit is When transferring the substrate between a first pre-mounting position set opposite to the first mounting position set on the first mounting section and a second pre-mounting position set opposite to the second mounting position set on the second mounting section, the operation of the swivel support section, the arm support section, the arm section, and the holding section are controlled so as to move the holding section while maintaining the orientation of the holding section that holds the substrate along a central line in a plan view connecting the first pre-mounting position and the second pre-mounting position in a predetermined direction. The arm support portion is controlled by the robot control unit to rotate independently of the pivot support portion and the arm portion. The substrate transport system according to claim 1.
  6. The robot control unit is When the holding portion moves between the first pre-mounting position and the second pre-mounting position, the movement of the swivel support portion, the arm support portion, and the arm portion is controlled so as to rotate the swivel support portion in the first direction and rotate the arm support portion in the second direction. The substrate transport system according to claim 5 .
  7. The system includes a robot control unit that controls the transport operation of the substrate by the transfer robot, The robot control unit is The operation of the pivot support, the arm support, the arm, and the holding part is controlled so that the rotation angle of the second arm relative to the first arm in a plan view is 180 degrees or less clockwise in a plan view from the state in which the first arm and the second arm are positioned in the same direction. A substrate transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
  8. The substrate is transported between the first mounting section and the second mounting section located inside the transport section. The main body is supported inside the transport section, A swivel support unit connected to the main body and rotating relative to the main body, An arm support portion connected to the aforementioned pivot support portion and rotating relative to the aforementioned pivot support portion, An arm portion connected to the arm support portion and rotating relative to the arm support portion, A holding part connected to the arm portion and holding the substrate, Equipped with, The aforementioned arm portion is The first arm is supported by the aforementioned arm support portion, The holding portion is supported by a second arm which is supported by the first arm, The aforementioned pivot support part rotates in a plan view with the connection part with the main body as the axis of rotation. The arm support portion rotates in a plan view with the connection portion with the pivot support portion as the axis of rotation. The aforementioned arm portion rotates in a plan view with the aforementioned arm support portion as the axis of rotation. The holding portion rotates relative to the second arm in a plan view, with the portion supported by the second arm as the axis of rotation. The aforementioned arm support portion is A pivot mounting portion connected to the pivot support portion, The arm portion is connected to an arm mounting portion, A control device for controlling the transport operation of the substrate by a transfer robot, wherein the rotational centerline of the arm support portion relative to the pivot support portion and the rotational centerline of the arm portion relative to the arm support portion are set to lie on the same line, Memory unit and, Processing unit and Equipped with, The processing unit comprises a target position acquisition unit, a target position determination unit, and an operation control unit. The storage unit stores pre-set position information, including position information for the first mounting position set in the first mounting unit, position information for the first pre-mounting position set opposite the first mounting unit, position information for the second mounting position set in the second mounting unit, and position information for the second pre-mounting position set opposite the second mounting unit. The target position acquisition unit acquires position information from the set position information as target position information, which corresponds to at least the movement target position of the holding unit when the substrate is transported between the first mounting unit and the second mounting unit, and sends the acquired position information to the target position determination unit. The target position determination unit determines movement information from the current position of the holding unit to the moving target position, based at least on the current position information of the holding unit and the target position information of the moving target position acquired by the target position acquisition unit. The motion control unit controls the rotation of the swivel support unit relative to the main body, the rotation of the arm support unit relative to the swivel support unit, the rotation of the arm unit relative to the arm support unit, and the rotation of the holding unit relative to the arm unit, based on the movement information, when moving to the target position. Transfer robot control device.
  9. The arm portion rotates in the opposite direction to the pivot support portion in a plan view, with the connection portion with the arm support portion as the axis of rotation. The motion control unit controls the rotation direction, amount of rotation, and rotation angle of the pivot support unit and the arm unit according to the target position of the holding unit. The transfer robot control device according to claim 8 .
  10. The aforementioned processing unit, The device includes an operation determination unit that determines the operation of the pivot support unit, the arm support unit, and the arm unit to either a linear interpolation operation in a plan view that moves to the target position or a stopping operation, and an operation determination unit that determines the operation of the holding unit to either a linear interpolation operation in a plan view that moves to the target position in accordance with the rotational movement in a plan view of the pivot support unit, the arm support unit, and the arm unit, or a stopping operation. The transfer robot control device according to claim 9 .
  11. The motion control unit controls the operation of the pivot support unit, the arm support unit, the arm unit, and the holding unit so that the rotation angle of the second arm relative to the first arm in a plan view is 180 degrees or less clockwise in a plan view from the state in which the first arm and the second arm are positioned in the same direction. A transfer robot control device according to any one of claims 8 to 10 .
  12. A transport section that defines the range in which the substrate is transported, The first mounting section and the second mounting section on which the substrate is placed, The transport unit includes a transfer robot provided inside the transport unit for transporting the substrate from the first mounting unit to the second mounting unit, The aforementioned transfer robot is The main body is supported within the transport section, A swivel support unit connected to the main body and rotating relative to the main body, An arm support portion connected to the aforementioned pivot support portion and rotating relative to the aforementioned pivot support portion, An arm portion connected to the arm support portion and rotating relative to the arm support portion, It comprises a holding part connected to the arm portion and holding the substrate, The aforementioned arm portion is The first arm is supported by the aforementioned arm support portion, The holding portion is supported by a second arm which is supported by the first arm, The aforementioned pivot support part is, The first end portion is rotatably connected to the main body portion, The arm support portion comprises a second end portion on which a first shaft member is arranged, to which the arm support portion is rotatably connected, The aforementioned arm support portion is A pivot mounting portion connected to the pivot support portion, The system includes an arm mounting section on which a second axis member, to which the aforementioned arm portion is connected, is positioned. A substrate transport system in which the first axis member and the second axis member are arranged on the same line.

Description

This invention relates to a substrate transport system and a transfer robot control device. This application claims priority under the international patent application PCT/JP2022/016231, filed in Japan on March 30, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. A substrate transport system is known in which a transfer robot is installed in a chamber (cleanroom) under a vacuum environment to transport semiconductor substrates (wafers), and the wafers are transported from a load port attached to the front of the chamber. In the above substrate transport system, the wafers taken into the chamber by the transfer robot are transported to a process module inside the chamber or attached to the chamber, where various semiconductor processes such as film deposition are performed. After processing in the process module, the wafers are transported again to the load port by the transfer robot and sent to the next process. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a substrate transport system in which a transfer robot is fixed inside a chamber, and wafers are transported without the transfer robot moving within the chamber, thereby preventing the stirring up of particles and turbulence of airflow within the chamber. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-119556Japanese Patent No. 5199117Japanese Patent No. 4746027 This is a plan view showing the substrate transport system according to the present invention.This is a perspective view showing the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a perspective view showing the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a block diagram of a robot control device for a transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a partial plan view showing the operating procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operating procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention.This is a plan view showing the substrate transport system according to the present invention.This is a flowchart illustrating the control method for the substrate transport system according to the present invention.This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A, as shown in Figure 2.This is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B, as shown in Figure 2.This is a plan view showing another embodiment of the substrate transport system according to the present invention. Embodiments of the substrate transport system and transfer robot control device according to the present invention will be described below. As shown in Figure 1, the substrate transport system 1 comprises a transport unit 2 for which the transport operation range is set, a first placement unit 3, a plurality of second placement units 4, and a transfer robot 5. The substrate transport system 1 is a transport system that transports the substrate 10 from the first mounting section 3 to the second mounting section 4 by operating a transfer robot 5. The substrate 10 is a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, "substrate 10" will be referred to as "wafer 10"). The wafer 10 has markings (for example, orientation flats and notches) 10a that indicate the orientation and surface of the wafer 10. The transport unit 2 is formed, for example, as a rectangular shell in plan view. The transport unit 2 defines the range over which the substrate is transported. The transport unit 2 comprises a first long wall 2a and a second long wall 2b arranged opposite each other and extending in a first direction X, and a first short wall 2c and a second short wall 2d arranged perpendicular to the first direction and opposite each other. The first long wall 2a and the second long wall 2b have a first length. The first short wall 2c and the second short wall 2d have a second length different from the first length. The transport unit 2 is provided with a lower support 2e at its bottom that connects to the first long wall 2a, the second long wall 2b, the first short wall 2c, and the second short wall 2d. The transport unit 2 comprises a plurality of mounting sections on whi