Conveyor device and workpiece handling device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a conveying device, a workpiece processing device, a control method for a conveying device, and a recording medium storing a program, which suppress dew condensation in the conveying device. The conveying device includes: a main body portion; a rotating portion that is rotatably provided relative to the main body portion; an arm supported by the rotating portion; and an end effector provided at the tip of the arm for holding a workpiece. The conveying device further includes: a gas supply unit that supplies gas to the base of the arm side of the end effector and / or the internal space of the arm side at the tip of the arm; and an exhaust unit provided in the internal space on the main body side communicating with the internal space of the arm side, and exhausting the gas in the internal space of the arm side and / or the internal space on the main body side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device, a workpiece processing device, a control method for a conveying device, and a recording medium storing a program. Background Art

[0002] In a workpiece processing device for processing workpieces such as semiconductor wafers (or substrates, wafers), and a component inspection device for various devices such as semiconductor devices, a conveying device such as a handling robot is used to convey workpieces within the device. In such a conveying device, various structures have been adopted for the purpose of stable conveyance, processing, and / or inspection of workpieces. Patent Document 1 describes the following structure: an air inlet for introducing clean air and a movable slit window for adjusting the amount of introduced air are provided on the upper surface of a cylindrical support body that houses a wafer conveyor. Patent Document 2 describes the following structure: the inside of a transfer chamber where a substrate is transferred in and out, a transfer chamber that houses a transfer mechanism, and a processing chamber that performs a predetermined process on the substrate are previously maintained under reduced pressure, or purged with an inert gas at atmospheric pressure or near atmospheric pressure to maintain a clean atmosphere. Patent Document 3 describes the following structure: a gas supply unit is provided in a housing that houses an arm, and gas is supplied from the gas supply unit toward a wafer holding area of the arm, thereby adjusting the atmosphere of the conveyed wafer. Patent Document 4 describes the following structure: dry air is supplied into an arm box that houses an adsorption unit for adsorbing a device and a vertical moving arm that moves the adsorption unit up and down, thereby suppressing dew formation on the surface of the device.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Specification of Japanese Patent No. 3342803

[0006] Patent Document 2: Specification of Japanese Patent No. 3638393

[0007] Patent Document 3: Specification of Japanese Patent No. 3983481

[0008] Patent Document 4: Specification of Japanese Patent No. 6120031

[0009] In a CMP apparatus, which is an example of a workpiece processing apparatus, when cleaning a substrate after polishing, for the purpose of suppressing adhesion of slurry, a transfer robot is used to convey the substrate in a wet state to a cleaning module. At this time, since the transfer robot operates in a wet environment, the transfer robot is exposed to a high humidity environment. Here, in order to stably convey the substrate in the wet environment, the transfer robot adopts a highly sealed structure by means such as providing a sealing mechanism and sealing components for preventing water and high humidity air from entering the inside of the transfer robot. However, high humidity air sometimes flows into the inside of the transfer robot through minute gaps in the portions where the sealing mechanism and sealing components are provided. In addition, when certain malfunctions occur in the sealing mechanism, or when the sealing performance is impaired due to deterioration of the sealing components over time, etc., the inside of the transfer robot becomes a high humidity state. As a result, there is a possibility of condensation occurring inside the transfer robot. If condensation occurs, problems such as corrosion of internal components and misdetection by sensors may occur, and there is a possibility that stable substrate conveyance by the transfer robot becomes difficult, and the lifespan of the transfer robot is reduced and the number of inspections / maintenance increases.

[0010] Such problems are not limited to occurring in the transfer robot for conveyance to the cleaning module in the CMP apparatus, and there is also a possibility of occurring in other conveyance devices that convey in a wet environment. Summary of the Invention

[0011] An object of the present invention is to solve at least a part of the above problems.

[0012] One aspect of the present invention relates to a conveyance device, which includes: a main body portion; a rotating portion that is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the main body portion; an arm that is supported by the rotating portion; and an end effector that is provided at the tip of the arm and holds a workpiece. The conveyance device further includes: a gas supply unit that supplies gas to the arm side base portion of the end effector and / or the internal space on the arm side at the tip of the arm; and an exhaust unit that is provided in the internal space on the main body side that communicates with the internal space on the arm side and exhausts the gas in the internal space on the arm side and / or the internal space on the main body side.

[0013] One aspect of the present invention relates to a method for controlling a conveying device for workpieces. The conveying device has: a main body portion; a revolving portion that is provided to be rotatable relative to the main body portion; an arm supported by the revolving portion; and an end effector provided at the tip of the arm for holding a workpiece. The method includes: a gas supply step of supplying gas to the arm-side base of the end effector and / or the inner space on the arm side at the tip of the arm; a supply amount control step of controlling the supply amount of the gas supplied to the inner space on the arm side; and an exhaust step of exhausting the gas in the inner space on the arm side and / or the inner space on the main body side. The supply amount control step includes the following control steps: performing on / off control and / or supply amount control of the gas supplied to the inner space on the arm side according to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment of the conveying device or the exhaust amount of the exhaust step.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention relates to a non-volatile recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to operate to execute a method for controlling a conveying device for workpieces. The conveying device for workpieces has: a main body portion; a revolving portion that is provided to be rotatable relative to the main body portion; an arm supported by the revolving portion; and an end effector provided at the tip of the arm for holding a workpiece. The conveying device for workpieces includes: a gas supply unit that supplies gas to the arm-side base of the end effector and / or the inner space on the arm side at the tip of the arm; a supply amount control unit that controls the supply amount of the gas supplied to the inner space on the arm side; and an exhaust unit that exhausts the gas in the inner space on the arm side and / or the inner space on the main body side. The program includes the following: performing on / off control and / or supply amount control of the gas supplied to the inner space on the arm side according to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment of the conveying device or the exhaust amount of the exhaust unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. is a view showing a grinding device as an example of a workpiece processing device according to the first embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 FIG. is a side view schematically showing the arrangement of a transfer robot in a cleaning section.

[0017] Figure 3 FIG. is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of a transfer robot according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 4It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the transfer robot according to the second embodiment.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the transfer robot according to the third embodiment.

[0020] Figure 6 It shows an experimental example of measuring the humidity change inside the transfer robot.

[0021] Figure 7 It is a flowchart for controlling the supply amount of gas according to the air pressure of the external environment.

[0022] Symbol Explanation

[0023] 1 Housing

[0024] 2 Loading / Unloading Unit

[0025] 3 Grinding Unit

[0026] 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D Grinding Units

[0027] 4 Cleaning Unit

[0028] 5 Control Device

[0029] 6 First Linear Transfer Device

[0030] 7 Second Linear Transfer Device

[0031] 10 Grinding Pad

[0032] 11 Lift

[0033] 12 Swing Transfer Device

[0034] 20 Front Loading Unit

[0035] 21 Traveling Mechanism

[0036] 22 Transfer Robot

[0037] 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D Grinding Tables

[0038] 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D Top Rings

[0039] 32A, 32B, 32C, 32D Grinding Fluid Supply Mechanisms

[0040] 33A, 33B, 33C, 33D Dressers

[0041] 34A, 34B, 34C, 34D Sprayers

[0042] 72 Temporary Placement Table

[0043] 73 Primary cleaning machine

[0044] 74 Secondary cleaning machine

[0045] 75 Dryer

[0046] 77 First transfer robot

[0047] 78 Second transfer robot

[0048] 80 On-line film thickness measuring device

[0049] 702 Main body part

[0050] 702a Opening part

[0051] 702b Gap

[0052] 703 Rotating part

[0053] 704 First arm

[0054] 704a, 704c Cover

[0055] 704b, 704d O-ring

[0056] 705 Second arm

[0057] 705a, 705c Cover

[0058] 705b, 705d O-ring

[0059] 706 End effector

[0060] 706a Base end part of end effector

[0061] 706b End effector holding part

[0062] 706c, 706d Claw part

[0063] 710, 710A Supply pipeline

[0064] 720 Gas supply unit

[0065] 721, 722 Supply pipeline

[0066] 723 Supply port

[0067] 724 Supply amount control part

[0068] 730 Exhaust unit

[0069] 731 Exhaust pipeline

[0070] 731a Exhaust port

[0071] 734 Drive fluid supply pipeline

[0072] 732 Injector

[0073] 733 Filter

[0074] 740 Exhaust pipeline

[0075] 741 Muffler

[0076] 750 Drive fluid supply unit

[0077] 751, 752 Drive pipelines

[0078] 753a Forward side drive pipeline

[0079] 753b Retraction side drive pipeline

[0080] 754 Switching valve

[0081] 755 Clamping mechanism

[0082] 755a Cylinder

[0083] 755b Shaft

[0084] 755c Pressing member

[0085] 770 Gas supply source Detailed implementation manners

[0086] (First implementation manner)

[0087] Hereinafter, the implementation manners of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a polishing device as an example of a workpiece processing device according to the first implementation manner. As Figure 1 shown, this polishing device includes a loading / unloading unit 2, a polishing unit 3, and a cleaning unit 4. As Figure 1 shown, the loading / unloading unit 2, the polishing unit 3, and the cleaning unit 4 are partitioned by partition walls 1a, 1b inside a substantially rectangular housing 1. In addition, a control device 5 for controlling the operations of the respective parts of the polishing device is provided inside or outside the housing 1. The workpiece to be polished can be any workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer, a printed circuit board, a liquid crystal substrate, or a MEMS. In the following description, the workpiece to be polished will be simply referred to as a substrate or a wafer.

[0088] The loading / unloading unit 2 includes a front loading unit 20 that mounts a cassette for storing one or more wafers. In this loading / unloading unit 2, a traveling mechanism 21 is laid along the arrangement of the front loading unit 20, and two transfer robots (loaders) 22 capable of moving in the arrangement direction of the cassettes are provided on the traveling mechanism 21. The transfer robot 22 can access the cassettes mounted on the front loading unit 20 by moving on the traveling mechanism 21. Further, in this example, an in-line film thickness measuring device 80 is provided adjacent to the transfer robot 22 (described later). A wafer (substrate) as a component to be polished is transported by the transfer robot 22 to the in-line film thickness measuring device 80 before and / or after polishing, and the film thickness of the wafer is measured here.

[0089] The polishing unit 3 is an area for polishing wafers and includes a first polishing unit 3A, a second polishing unit 3B, a third polishing unit 3C, and a fourth polishing unit 3D. As Figure 1 shown, the first polishing unit 3A includes: a first polishing table 30A on which a polishing pad 10 having a polishing surface is mounted; a first top ring 31A that holds a wafer and presses the wafer against the polishing pad 10 on the polishing table 30A while polishing; a first polishing liquid supply mechanism 32A that supplies a polishing liquid (e.g., slurry) and a dressing liquid (e.g., pure water) to the polishing pad 10; a first dresser 33A that dresses the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10; and a first sprayer 34A that sprays a mixed fluid of a liquid (e.g., pure water) and a gas (e.g., nitrogen) or a liquid (e.g., pure water) in a mist form onto the polishing surface.

[0090] Similarly, the second polishing unit 3B includes: a second polishing table 30B on which a polishing pad 10 is mounted, a second top ring 31B, a second polishing liquid supply mechanism 32B, a second dresser 33B, and a second sprayer 34B. Similarly, the third polishing unit 3C includes: a third polishing table 30C on which a polishing pad 10 is mounted, a third top ring 31C, a third polishing liquid supply mechanism 32C, a third dresser 33C, and a third sprayer 34C. Similarly, the fourth polishing unit 3D includes: a fourth polishing table 30D on which a polishing pad 10 is mounted, a fourth top ring 31D, a fourth polishing liquid supply mechanism 32D, a fourth dresser 33D, and a fourth sprayer 34D.

[0091] The polishing of the wafer is carried out as follows. The top ring 31A and the polishing table 30A are rotated respectively, and the polishing liquid (slurry) is supplied from the polishing liquid supply mechanism 32A to the polishing pad 10. In this state, the top ring 31A holding the wafer on its lower surface lands (contacts) the wafer on the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10 and presses it. The surface of the wafer is polished by the mechanical action of the abrasive grains contained in the polishing liquid and the chemical action of the polishing liquid. After the polishing is completed, the polishing surface is trimmed (adjusted) by the dresser 33A, and then a high-pressure fluid is supplied from the sprayer 34A to the polishing surface to remove the polishing debris, abrasive grains, etc. remaining on the polishing surface.

[0092] In Figure 1 it, a first linear transfer device 6 is arranged adjacent to the first polishing unit 3A and the second polishing unit 3B. The first linear transfer device 6 is a mechanism for transferring the wafer between four transfer positions (the first transfer position TP1, the second transfer position TP2, the third transfer position TP3, and the fourth transfer position TP4). In addition, a second linear transfer device 7 is arranged adjacent to the third polishing unit 3C and the fourth polishing unit 3D. The second linear transfer device 7 is a mechanism for transferring the wafer between three transfer positions (the fifth transfer position TP5, the sixth transfer position TP6, and the seventh transfer position TP7).

[0093] The wafer is transferred by the first linear transfer device 6 to the polishing units 3A and 3B. The top ring 31A of the first polishing unit 3A moves between the upper position above the polishing table 30A and the second transfer position TP2 by its swinging motion. Therefore, the transfer of the wafer to the top ring 31A is carried out at the second transfer position TP2. Similarly, the top ring 31B of the second polishing unit 3B moves between the upper position above the polishing table 30B and the third transfer position TP3, and the transfer of the wafer to the top ring 31B is carried out at the third transfer position TP3. The top ring 31C of the third polishing unit 3C moves between the upper position above the polishing table 30C and the sixth transfer position TP6, and the transfer of the wafer to the top ring 31C is carried out at the sixth transfer position TP6. The top ring 31D of the fourth polishing unit 3D moves between the upper position above the polishing table 30D and the seventh transfer position TP7, and the transfer of the wafer to the top ring 31D is carried out at the seventh transfer position TP7.

[0094] An elevator 11 for receiving the wafer from the transfer robot 22 is arranged adjacent to the first transfer position TP1. The wafer is transferred from the transfer robot 22 to the first linear transfer device 6 via the elevator 11. A gate (not shown) is provided in the partition wall 1a so as to be located between the elevator 11 and the transfer robot 22. When transferring the wafer, the gate is opened to transfer the wafer from the transfer robot 22 to the elevator 11.

[0095] A swing transfer device 12 is disposed between the first linear transfer device 6, the second linear transfer device 7, and the cleaning unit 4. The transfer of the wafer from the first linear transfer device 6 to the second linear transfer device 7 is performed by the swing transfer device 12. The wafer is transferred by the second linear transfer device 7 to the third grinding unit 3C and / or the fourth grinding unit 3D.

[0096] A wafer temporary placement table 72 is disposed beside the swing transfer device 12. The wafer temporary placement table 72 is provided on a frame (not shown). The temporary placement table 72 is disposed adjacent to the first linear transfer device 6 and is located between the first linear transfer device 6 and the cleaning unit 4. The swing transfer device 12 moves between the fourth transfer position TP4, the fifth transfer position TP5, and the temporary placement table 72. The wafer placed on the temporary placement table 72 is transferred to the cleaning unit 4 by the first transfer robot 77 of the cleaning unit 4. In the above-described embodiment, when the wafer is transferred between the respective grinding units 3A - 3D, the wafer is detached from the top ring and is transferred to another grinding unit via the linear transfer devices 6 and 7. However, the wafer transfer mechanism between the grinding units is not limited to the above example. For example, the wafer may also be transferred by directly moving the top ring to another grinding unit while holding the wafer.

[0097] The cleaning unit 4 includes a primary cleaning machine 73, a secondary cleaning machine 74, and a dryer 75. The primary cleaning machine 73 and the secondary cleaning machine 74 clean the ground wafer using a cleaning liquid, and the dryer 75 dries the cleaned wafer. A first transfer robot 77 is disposed between the primary cleaning machine 73 and the secondary cleaning machine 74. The first transfer robot 77 operates as follows: It transfers the wafer from the temporary placement table 72 to the primary cleaning machine 73 and then from the primary cleaning machine 73 to the secondary cleaning machine 74. A second transfer robot 78 is disposed between the secondary cleaning machine 74 and the dryer 75. The second transfer robot 78 operates to transfer the wafer from the secondary cleaning machine 74 to the dryer 75.

[0098] The dried wafer is taken out from the dryer 75 by the transfer robot 22 and is returned to the wafer cassette. In this way, a series of processes including grinding, cleaning, drying, and film thickness measurement are performed on the wafer.

[0099] The control device 5 controls the wafer processing operation by controlling the operations of the respective parts of the above-mentioned polishing device. The control device 5 includes a memory 5A that stores various setting data and various programs, and a CPU 5B that executes the programs stored in the memory. The storage medium constituting the memory may include a volatile storage medium and / or a non-volatile storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of any storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and floppy disk. The programs stored in the memory include, for example, a program for controlling the conveyance of each transfer robot, a program for controlling the air supply amount and / or exhaust amount inside each transfer robot, a program for controlling the polishing process of each polishing unit, a program for controlling the processes of the cleaning machine and dryer in the cleaning unit, and a program for controlling the process of the film thickness measuring device. In addition, the control device 5 is configured to be able to communicate with an unillustrated upper controller that centrally controls the polishing device and other related devices, and to be able to exchange data with the database possessed by the upper controller. The control device 5 controls each part of the transfer robot such as the supply amount control unit 724, the ejector 732, and the switching valve 754 (described later). In addition, the control device 5 and / or one or more other control units may cooperate or individually control each part of the transfer robot such as the supply amount control unit 724, the ejector 732, and the switching valve 754.

[0100] Figure 2 It is a side view schematically showing the arrangement of the transfer robot in the cleaning unit. Here, the first transfer robot 77 arranged between the primary cleaning machine 73 and the secondary cleaning machine 74 is taken as an example for explanation, but the second transfer robot 78 arranged between the secondary cleaning machine 74 and the dryer 75 has the same arrangement. A robot area 700 is provided between the primary cleaning machine 73 and the secondary cleaning machine 74, and the first transfer robot 77 is arranged in the robot area 700. An air introduction part is provided above the robot area 700, and clean air is introduced from the introduction part via, for example, a fan filter unit 701. The primary cleaning machine 73 includes an upper cleaning module 73a and a lower cleaning module 73b, and the secondary cleaning machine 74 includes an upper cleaning module 74a and a lower cleaning module 74b. The transfer robot 77 is configured to be able to move in the vertical direction by a lifting mechanism (not shown), access the upper cleaning modules 73a, 74a and the lower cleaning modules 73b, 74b, and carry in and out workpieces to and from each module. In the arrangement of the second transfer robot 78, Figure 2The primary cleaning machine 73, the first transfer robot 77, and the secondary cleaning machine 74 in [description] are respectively replaced with the secondary cleaning machine 74, the second transfer robot 78, and the dryer 75. The dryer 75 also has an upper drying module and a lower drying module in the same manner as the primary and secondary cleaning machines. In addition, although an example is shown here in which each module (cleaning machine, dryer) has a two-stage module structure, the structure of each module is not limited to the illustrated structure. The number of stages of each module can be one stage or three or more stages, or the number of stages of some modules can be different from that of other modules.

[0101] Figure 3 FIG. [figure number] is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the transfer robot according to the first embodiment. Here, the first transfer robot 77 is taken as an example for description, but the second transfer robot 78 also has the same structure. The first transfer robot 77 includes a main body portion 702, a rotating portion 703, a first arm 704, a second arm 705, and an end effector 706. The first transfer robot 77 has a highly sealed space that can suppress or prevent moisture and high-humidity air from invading from the external environment. This space includes an arm-side internal space formed by the first arm 704, the second arm 705, and / or the end effector 706, and a main body-side internal space formed by the rotating portion 703 and the main body portion 702 that is in communication with this internal space.

[0102] The main body portion 702 is configured to move in the vertical direction and rotate in the horizontal direction by a lifting member and a rotating member (not shown). The main body portion 702 is composed of a hollow member that has a space inside, and the main body portion 702 is provided with an opening 702a for receiving the rotating portion 703.

[0103] In the opening 702a, a minute gap 702b is formed between the rotating portion 703 and the main body portion 702. An exhaust pipeline 731 that is fluidly connected to an exhaust unit 730 (described later) is disposed in the internal space of the first arm 704. An exhaust port 731a is provided at the top end of the exhaust pipeline 731, and is configured to suck air in the arm-side internal space formed by the first arm 704, the second arm 705, and the end effector 706 from the exhaust port 731a. The exhaust pipeline 731 is disposed and / or fixed in the first arm 704 by any fixing method.

[0104] A supply pipeline 722 that is fluidly connected to a gas supply unit 720 (described later) and a supply port 723 as its opening are disposed in the internal space of the base end portion 706a of the end effector. Gas such as dry air is supplied from the supply port 723 to the internal space of the base end portion 706a of the end effector. The supplied gas sequentially flows into the arm-side internal space and the main body-side internal space, and the entire internal space of the transfer robot 77 is filled with gas such as dry air.

[0105] Inside the inner space of the arm side, there are a motor (not shown) for rotating the second arm 705, a pulley for transmitting the power from the motor, etc., and these structures can become sources of fine particles. In the present embodiment, gas is supplied into the base end portion 706a of the end effector, but there is a possibility that the air pressure in the inner space of the transfer robot 77 gradually becomes higher than the external air pressure. In order to suppress the rise of this air pressure, an exhaust port 731a is provided in the inner space of the arm side that becomes the source of fine particles, and the gas in the inner space of the arm side is exhausted to keep the inner space of the arm side at a negative pressure with respect to the external environment, thereby preventing fine particles from leaking to the outside (dust from the first transfer robot 77).

[0106] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the transfer robot according to the second embodiment. The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that an exhaust port 731a is provided in the inner space of the main body side, and the air in the inner space of the main body side is sucked from the exhaust port 731a.

[0107] Inside the inner space of the main body side, there are a motor (not shown) for rotating the turning part 703, a pulley for transmitting the power from the motor, etc., and these structures can become sources of fine particles. In the present embodiment, by exhausting the inner space of the main body side that becomes the source of fine particles to keep it at a negative pressure with respect to the external environment, fine particles are prevented from leaking to the outside (dust from the first transfer robot 77).

[0108] Figure 3 、 Figure 4 The turning part 703 in Figure 4 is inserted into the opening 702a of the main body part 702 and is supported so as to be rotatable with respect to the main body part 702. The turning part 703 is configured to rotate by the power from a motor (not shown). The turning part 703 is a hollow member having an inner space, and the space inside the turning part 703 is fluidly connected to the space inside the main body part 702, constituting the inner space of the main body side.

[0109] The first arm 704 is fixed to the turning part 703 so as to rotate together with the turning part 703. The first arm 704 is a hollow member having a space inside, and the inner space of the first arm 704 is fluidly connected to the inner space of the turning part 703. The first arm 704 has openings on the upper surface and the lower surface for maintenance, etc., and each opening is closed by covers 704a, 704c. O-rings 704b, 704d are arranged between each cover 704a, 704c and each opening to seal the space inside the first arm 704. With this structure, it is possible to suppress or prevent moisture and high-humidity air in the external environment from invading from the gap between the opening of the first arm 704 and the cover.

[0110] The second arm 705 is mounted on the first arm 704 in a manner capable of rotating relative to the first arm 704. The second arm 705 is a hollow member having a space inside, and the internal space of the second arm 705 is in fluid communication with the internal space of the first arm 704. The second arm 705 has openings for maintenance and the like on its upper and lower surfaces, and each opening is closed by covers 705a, 705c. O-rings 705b, 705d are disposed between each cover 705a, 705c and each opening to seal the space inside the second arm 705. With this structure, it is possible to suppress or prevent moisture and high-humidity air in the external environment from invading through the gap between the opening of the second arm 705 and the cover.

[0111] The end effector 706 is mounted on the second arm 705 in a manner capable of rotating relative to the second arm 705. The end effector 706 includes an end effector base end portion 706a and an end effector holding portion 706b. The end effector base end portion 706a is a hollow member having a space inside, and the internal space of the end effector base end portion 706a is in fluid communication with the internal space of the second arm 705. The end effector holding portion 706b is a member for holding a workpiece, and has two claw portions 706c and two claw portions 706d on its tip side and base end side respectively. In Figure 3 , Figure 4 one claw portion 706c and one claw portion 706d are described, but there are other claw portions on the back side of the paper surface. A workpiece is placed between these claw portions 706c, 706d, and the outer peripheral portion of the workpiece is supported and held by the claw portions 706c, 706d. In addition, the number and arrangement of the claw portions 706c, 706d are an example, and claw portions of any number and arrangement can be provided. The end effector 706 is a so-called drop-in type end effector that holds a workpiece by dropping the workpiece between a plurality of claw portions. In addition, an opening (not shown) can also be provided in the end effector base end portion 706a and closed by a cover with an O-ring interposed therebetween. Alternatively, the end effector can be a hand that holds the workpiece by clamping.

[0112] Except for the gap 702b, the first transfer robot 77 is sealed, and the inside of the first transfer robot 77 is substantially sealed to suppress or prevent the intrusion of moisture and high-humidity air. As described above, the gap 702b is a portion where there is a possibility of particulate leakage due to the pressure relationship between the inside and outside of the first transfer robot 77, etc., but it is sealed to such an extent that moisture and high-humidity air can be suppressed or prevented from invading from the external environment. In addition, in the above, a structure in which an O-ring is used to seal the openings of the end effector, arm, etc. is exemplified, but other sealing structures can also be adopted.

[0113] The first arm 704, the second arm 705, and the end effector 706 are connected by a connecting rod, for example, and can be configured so that the second arm 705 and the end effector 706 rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the first arm 704 caused by the swivel portion 703 while moving forward or backward. In addition, the driving mechanism of the first handling robot 77 is an example, and any driving mechanism can be used. In addition, the first handling robot 77 can also be a multi-joint robot in which an end effector is connected to an arm (arm unit), and is a conveying device in which the end effector is fluidically connected to the internal space of an arm unit. In addition, more than three arms can also be provided.

[0114] (Gas supply unit)

[0115] The first handling robot 77 involved in the first embodiment and the second embodiment is equipped with a gas supply unit 720. Since the first handling robot 77 conveys the substrate after the grinding process to the cleaning part, there is a case where the substrate is conveyed in a wet state for the purpose of suppressing the adhesion of the slurry. During the conveyance in a wet environment, the external environment of the first handling robot 77 is high humidity. Due to the reasons explained in the subject, the inside of the first handling robot 77 is also prone to high humidity, and there is a possibility of condensation inside the handling robot. Therefore, the gas supply unit 720 is provided to purge the internal space of the first handling robot 77 with dry air, etc., thereby suppressing or preventing the generation of condensation.

[0116] The gas supply unit 720 supplies gas to the internal spaces of the end effector 706, the second arm 705, the first arm 704, the swivel unit 703, and / or the main body unit 702. The gas supply unit 720 directly introduces the gas from the gas supply source 770 outside the first transfer robot 77 into the internal space of the first transfer robot 77. The gas supply unit 720 includes supply pipelines 721 and 722, a supply port 723, and a supply amount control unit 724. The supply amount control unit 724 can include at least one of structures capable of controlling the flow rate, such as a flow control valve, an on-off valve, and an orifice. The supply pipeline 721 is connected to the supply pipeline 710 outside the robot. The supply pipeline 710 is connected to a gas supply source 770 such as clean dry air (CDA) or nitrogen. The gas supply source 770 is a gas supply source outside the first transfer robot 77. The gas supply source 770 can be set as, for example, an existing common pipeline of a workpiece processing device. The common pipeline is a pipeline for supplying power, water, fluid, and / or fuel required for the operation of the workpiece processing device. In this case, since gas is utilized from the existing common pipeline of the workpiece processing device, there is no need to separately prepare a gas supply source, and the complication of the piping and / or the increase in cost can be suppressed. A part or all of the supply pipelines 710, 721, and 722 can be constituted by flexible piping. Each of the supply pipelines 710, 721, and 722 can be constituted by a single or multiple pipes. The supply amount control unit 724 is provided midway in the supply pipeline 722, and the supply amount of the gas can be adjusted by the supply amount control unit 724. The supply pipeline 722 extends from the internal space of the main body unit 702 through the internal spaces of the swivel unit 703, the first arm 704, and the second arm 705, and extends into the internal space of the end effector base end portion 706a. The supply port 723 that opens into the internal space of the end effector base end portion 706a is provided in the supply pipeline 722. The gas supplied from the supply pipeline 710 passes through the supply pipelines 721 and 722 and is supplied from the supply port 723 to the internal space of the end effector base end portion 706a. The gas supplied to the internal space of the end effector base end portion 706a fills the main body side internal space of the main body unit 702 through the arm side internal spaces of the second arm 705, the first arm 704, and the swivel unit 703. As a result, the entire internal space of the transfer robot 77 is purged. The supply port 723 is not limited to being disposed in the internal space of the end effector 706, and can be disposed at other positions in the arm side internal space, in the internal space of either the swivel unit 703 or the main body unit 702, or multiple supply ports can be provided. In addition, the respective structures of the gas supply unit 720 are appropriately arranged and / or fixed in the transfer robot 77 by any fixing method.

[0117] Here, the reason for providing the supply amount control unit 724 will be described. A transfer robot used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which is an example of a workpiece processing apparatus, generally requires a cleanliness level specified in ISO Class 1 to 2. To meet this standard, it is necessary to set the supply amount of the purging gas (dry air, nitrogen) within a desired range. When the supply amount is excessive, the air pressure in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77 becomes higher than the outside, which causes particulate leakage. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the supply amount control unit 724 is employed as a supply amount adjustment mechanism, and the gas supply amount is adjusted by the supply amount control unit 724 such that: particulate diffusion generated in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77 can be suppressed or prevented, and / or particulate leakage from the internal space of the first transfer robot 77 to the outside can be suppressed or prevented. In other words, the gas supply amount is adjusted by the supply amount control unit 724 to be less than the supply amount at which particulate leaks from the inside to the outside of the first transfer robot 77. Thereby, it is possible to both suppress particulate leakage and maintain the desired cleanliness level, and to suppress or prevent dew condensation in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77.

[0118] The type, temperature, and supply amount of the gas supplied by the gas supply unit 720 are selected to be able to suppress or prevent dew condensation in the internal space of the transfer robot 77 and to be able to suppress or prevent generation of particulates (dust) from the first transfer robot 77. In addition, the supply amount of the gas can be adjusted by the supply amount control unit 724 to be able to suppress or prevent dew condensation in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77 and to be able to suppress or prevent generation of particulates from the first transfer robot 77. Further, when making the supply amount of the gas variable, the supply amount control unit 724 can provide a control valve, and when it is not variable, a throttle orifice can be provided instead of the control valve. In this case, considering the supply amount of the gas supplied from the outside, a throttle orifice that can supply a desired gas supply amount (a supply amount that can suppress or prevent dew condensation in the internal space of the transfer robot and can suppress or prevent generation of particulates from the transfer robot) is selected or formed and provided. In addition, both a control valve and a throttle orifice can be provided. In this case, the degree of freedom in adjusting the range and accuracy of the gas supply amount can be increased.

[0119] In addition, the supply of gas into the first transfer robot 77 can also be controlled to be turned on / off or the supply amount can be changed according to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment, thereby suppressing or preventing dust generation (leakage of fine particles) from the first transfer robot 77 to maintain cleanliness and suppressing condensation. Inside a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, generally, there is a difference in pressure between the robot area where a transfer robot is installed and the inside of a module that processes wafers. The atmospheric pressure in the robot area is high (positive pressure), and the atmospheric pressure inside the module is lower than that in the robot area (negative pressure). A situation where the possibility of dust generation inside the transfer robot is high is a situation where the negative pressure inside the transfer robot with respect to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment cannot be ensured. Therefore, at the moment when the transfer robot accesses the module, the supply of gas is turned off or the supply amount of gas is reduced, thereby enabling the negative pressure with respect to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment to be ensured and reducing the possibility of dust generation from the transfer robot.

[0120] For example, by using an opening / closing valve in the supply amount control unit 724 and using the opening / closing valve to turn on / off the supply of gas, it is possible to suppress or prevent dust generation from the first transfer robot 77. The opening / closing valve is, for example, an electromagnetic valve and is arranged on the flow path of the supply pipeline 721 or 722. In this case, at the moment when the atmospheric pressure inside the space of the first transfer robot 77, such as when the first transfer robot 77 accesses the module, is higher than the atmospheric pressure of the external environment, the opening / closing valve is closed (turned off), thereby enabling the negative pressure inside the first transfer robot 77 to be maintained and suppressing or preventing dust generation from the first transfer robot 77. In addition, at the moment when the atmospheric pressure inside the space of the first transfer robot 77, such as when the first transfer robot 77 accesses the module, is higher than the atmospheric pressure of the external environment, the opening degree of the opening / closing valve (electromagnetic valve) of the supply amount control unit 724 is changed to reduce the gas supply amount, thereby enabling the negative pressure inside the first transfer robot 77 to be maintained and suppressing or preventing dust generation from the first transfer robot 77.

[0121] Figure 7 It is a flowchart for controlling the gas supply amount according to the atmospheric pressure of the outside air environment. This process is executed, for example, by the control device 5 during the process of supplying gas by the gas supply unit 720. The gas supply by the gas supply unit 720 is also executed by, for example, the control device 5.

[0122] In step S11, it is judged whether it is the moment when the first transfer robot 77 accesses the module (cleaning module, drying module). The judgment of whether it is the moment of accessing the module can be performed, for example, by the control device 5 detecting the following content: the moment when the instruction for the first transfer robot 77 to access the module (including loading or unloading of the substrate) arrives. It can be performed by using a transfer program (in one example, stored in the control device 5): detecting the instruction for the first transfer robot 77 to access the module and its moment.

[0123] When it is determined in step S11 that it is the time to access the module, the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the supply control unit 724 reduces the supply amount of the gas or stops the supply of the gas to maintain a negative pressure inside the first transfer robot 77 with respect to the air pressure inside the module when accessing the module. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, when it is not determined in step S11 that it is the time to access the module, step S11 is repeated.

[0124] In step S13, it is determined whether the first transfer robot 77 has detached from the module. The process of step S13 is repeated until it is determined that the robot has detached from the module. The determination of whether the robot has detached from the module can be made, for example, by detecting the following: the end effector 706 of the first transfer robot 77 is separated from the module, and the gate valve (not shown) of the module is closed. When it is determined in step S13 that the robot has detached from the module, the process proceeds to step S14. In step S14, the supply control unit 724 increases the supply amount of the gas to the original supply amount or opens the on-off valve to restart the supply of the gas.

[0125] (Exhaust unit)

[0126] The first transfer robot 77 according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment includes an exhaust unit 730. The exhaust unit 730 has the following functions: when a high-humidity atmosphere in the external environment enters the first transfer robot 77, it exhausts the high-humidity atmosphere to suppress or prevent the high-humidity atmosphere from circulating inside the first transfer robot 77. In addition, since the air pressure inside the first transfer robot 77 rises due to the gas supplied by the gas supply unit 720, the exhaust unit 730 is used to exhaust the inside of the first transfer robot 77, thereby preventing the air pressure from rising and being able to keep the inside of the first transfer robot 77 at a negative pressure relative to the external environment. It has the function of suppressing or preventing the leakage of fine particles inside the first transfer robot 77 to the outside by maintaining a negative pressure. The exhaust unit 730 includes an exhaust pipeline 731, an ejector 732 provided on the exhaust pipeline 731, and a filter 733. An exhaust port 731a is provided at the top end of one side of the exhaust pipeline 731 and opens in the internal space on the main body side of the main body portion 702. In addition, the exhaust port 731a can be arranged in the internal space on the main body side of the rotating portion 703, or can be arranged in the internal space on the arm side formed by the first arm 704, the second arm 705, and / or the end effector 706. In addition, a plurality of them can be arranged at positions where there is a possibility of entry of a high-humidity atmosphere in the external environment, such as near the opening 702a of the main body portion 702 and near the openings of each arm. When the internal spaces of the respective structures of the first transfer robot 77 communicate with each other, regardless of which structure the exhaust port 731a is arranged in, the entire internal space that communicates with each other (the entire internal space of the first transfer robot 77) can be exhausted. The exhaust pipeline 731 is connected to an external exhaust pipeline 740 via an ejector 732 and a filter 733 on the other side. A silencer 741 is connected to the exhaust pipeline 740, and the noise of the exhaust is reduced by the silencer 741. A drive fluid supply pipeline 734 is connected to the ejector 732, and gas is supplied from the drive fluid supply pipeline 734. The drive fluid supply pipeline 734 branches from the supply pipeline 721 of the gas supply unit 720. The ejector 732 is configured to exhaust the internal space on the main body side of the main body portion 702 by supplying the gas as the drive fluid from the drive fluid supply pipeline 734. The exhaust gas attracted by the ejector 732 is filtered by the filter 733, then silenced by the silencer 741 and discharged. Part or all of each of the exhaust pipelines 731 and 740 and the drive fluid supply pipeline 734 can be composed of flexible pipes. Each of the exhaust pipelines 731 and 740 and the drive fluid supply pipeline 734 can be composed of a single or multiple pipes. The exhaust volume of the exhaust unit 730 can be controlled by adjusting the supply amount of the drive fluid (gas) from the drive fluid supply pipeline 734. The control of the supply amount can be performed using, for example, a flow control valve, an on-off valve, a throttle orifice (not shown).Regarding the control of the exhaust volume, for example, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and / or a pressure sensor (not shown) can be used, and the increase or decrease of the exhaust volume can be performed based on the detected values of the temperature, humidity, and / or pressure in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77 and the external environment of the first transfer robot 77. Additionally, the gas supply amount of the gas supply unit 720 can be increased or decreased according to the air pressure in the external environment of the transfer robot 77 and / or the increase or decrease of the exhaust volume. Furthermore, each structure of the exhaust unit 730 is appropriately arranged and / or fixed within the transfer robot 77 by any fixing method.

[0127] Alternatively, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and / or a pressure sensor (not shown) can be provided in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77, and the gas supply amount of the gas supply unit and / or the exhaust volume of the exhaust unit can be controlled based on the detected values of the temperature, humidity, and / or pressure. Additionally, alternatively, based on the comparison between the detected values of the temperature sensor, humidity sensor, and / or pressure sensor (not shown) provided in the external space of the first transfer robot 77 and the sensor detected values in the internal space of the first transfer robot 77, the gas supply amount of the gas supply unit and / or the exhaust volume of the exhaust unit can be controlled.

[0128] (Third Embodiment)

[0129] Figure 5 FIG. is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the structure of the transfer robot according to the third embodiment. The difference between this embodiment and the above-described embodiment is that the gas supply unit 720 receives the supply of gas from an existing gas supply pipeline that supplies gas to the clamping mechanism. Other aspects have the same structure as the above-described embodiment, so only the differences will be described, and the description of other structures will be omitted.

[0130] In this embodiment, in the end effector 706, a clamping mechanism 755 is provided instead of the claw portion 706d of the first embodiment. This end effector is a so-called edge gripping (clamping) type end effector. The clamping mechanism 755 is driven by gas supplied from a drive fluid supply unit 750. The clamping mechanism 755 includes a pressing member 755c, a shaft 755b connected to the pressing member 755c, and a cylinder 755a connected to the shaft 755b. The cylinder 755a has a piston (not shown) that can reciprocate in the internal space, and the internal space is divided into two chambers by the piston. The shaft 755b is connected to the piston so as to be able to advance or retract by the reciprocating movement of the piston. An advance side drive pipeline 753a is connected to one chamber of the cylinder 755a, and a retraction side drive pipeline 753b is connected to the other chamber. The advance side drive pipeline 753a and the retraction side drive pipeline 753b are connected to the drive pipeline 752 via a switching valve 754. The switching valve 754 is, for example, an electromagnetic valve. The drive pipeline 752 is connected to an external supply pipeline 710A via a drive pipeline 751. The supply pipeline 710A is connected to a gas supply source 770 such as dry air (CDA) or nitrogen. The gas supply source 770 is a gas supply source outside the first transfer robot 77. The gas supply source 770 can be set as, for example, an existing common pipeline of a workpiece processing device. Part or all of each of the drive pipelines 751, 752, 753a, and 753b can be composed of flexible piping. Each of the drive pipelines 751, 752, 753a, and 753b can be composed of a single or multiple pipes. By switching the supply of gas from the drive pipeline 752 to either the advance side drive pipeline 753a or the retraction side drive pipeline 753b by the switching valve 754, the piston of the cylinder 755a advances or retracts, and the pressing member 755c connected to the shaft 755b advances or retracts.

[0131] The gripping and release of the substrate based on the clamping mechanism 755 are performed as follows. When the substrate is placed on the claw portion 706c and the pressing member 755c of the end effector 706, the pressing member 755c advances by the cylinder 755a, and the substrate is pressed by the pressing member 755c toward the claw portion 706c, and the substrate is gripped between the claw portion 706c and the pressing member 755c. The pressing member 755c retracts by the cylinder 755a, thereby releasing the gripping of the substrate by the pressing member 755c.

[0132] In the present embodiment, the gas supply unit 720 is configured to receive the supply of gas from the drive fluid supply unit 750 (drive pipeline 751) that supplies gas as the drive fluid to the clamping mechanism 755. Specifically, the supply pipeline 722 of the gas supply unit 720 is configured to branch from the drive pipeline 751 that supplies gas as the drive fluid to the clamping mechanism 755. In this structure, the gas supply unit 720 receives the supply of gas from the drive pipeline 751 that supplies the drive fluid (gas) to the clamping mechanism 755, and supplies the gas from the supply port 723 to the internal space of the first transfer robot 77. According to this embodiment, since the gas supply unit 720 receives the supply of gas from the existing supply pipeline for the clamping mechanism 755, there is no need to separately prepare a gas supply source and an external supply pipeline for the gas supply unit 720 for dew condensation suppression. In addition, there is no need to change the housing of the transfer robot for connecting the external supply pipeline for the gas supply unit.

[0133] Figure 6 An experimental example showing the measurement of the humidity change inside the transfer robot is presented. In this figure, the horizontal axis represents time, the left vertical axis represents temperature, and the right vertical axis represents humidity. Curves C1 and C2 are the measurement results of temperature and humidity while supplying gas to the internal space of the transfer robot in the transfer robot of the embodiment through the gas supply unit. Curves C3 and C4 are the measurement results of temperature and humidity related to the comparative example, which are measurement examples in the case where no gas supply unit for supplying gas to the internal space of the transfer robot is provided. In this experiment, after approximately 4 minutes from the start of measurement, water was sprayed onto the entire transfer robot at a flow rate of 1 liter / minute for 1 minute by manual shower to make the external environment of the transfer robot have high humidity, and the changes in temperature and humidity of the internal space of the transfer robot were measured. As can be seen from the measurement results of this figure, in the comparative example where no gas is supplied to the internal space of the transfer robot, the humidity in the internal space of the transfer robot increased significantly after the start of the manual shower, but in the transfer robot according to the present embodiment, the rise in humidity after the start of the manual shower was significantly suppressed. This indicates that according to the present embodiment, even when the external environment of the transfer robot is of high humidity, it is possible to suppress the humidity in the internal space of the transfer robot and maintain a state where dew condensation is difficult to occur. In addition, the transfer robot of the embodiment was repeatedly made to perform a turning motion, and the atmosphere in the robot area was measured with a particle counter. As a result, it was confirmed that the same degree of cleanliness as that of the existing transfer robot without gas supply to the inside of the transfer robot was maintained.

[0134] The structure of the transfer robot described in the above embodiment is an example of a conveying device, and the conveying device can adopt any other structure such as an end effector, an arm, a turning part, and / or having an internal space in the main body part.

[0135] In the above-described embodiment, an example of a transfer robot that transfers a substrate from the grinding unit of a grinding apparatus to a cleaning unit has been described. However, the above-described embodiment can be applied to any transfer device that has a space inside at least a part of a component. That is, the above-described embodiment can be applied to any workpiece processing device (e.g., an inclined surface grinding device, an electroplating device, a workpiece cleaning device), a transfer device of other devices, and a transfer device disposed at any part inside a workpiece processing device or other devices. In particular, it can be suitably applied to a transfer device that performs transfer in a wet environment.

[0136] At least the following technical ideas can be grasped from the above-described embodiment.

[0137] According to a first aspect, there is provided a transfer device including: a main body portion; a rotating portion that is provided to be rotatable relative to the main body portion; an arm that is supported by the rotating portion; and an end effector that is provided at a tip portion of the arm and holds a workpiece. The transfer device further includes: a gas supply unit that supplies gas to an arm-side base portion of the end effector and / or an arm-side internal space at a tip portion of the arm; and an exhaust unit that is provided in a main body-side internal space communicating with the arm-side internal space and exhausts gas in the arm-side internal space.

[0138] According to this aspect, by supplying gas to the arm-side internal space, the supplied gas passes through and fills the arm-side internal space and the main body-side internal space communicating with the arm-side internal space. As a result, the entire internal space of the transfer robot can be purged.

[0139] In addition, by supplying gas to the arm-side internal space, the humidity of the arm-side internal space can be controlled, and dew condensation can be suppressed.

[0140] In addition, by providing the exhaust unit for exhausting the gas in the inner space of the arm side, when the high-humidity atmosphere in the external environment enters the inner space of the arm side, the high-humidity atmosphere can be exhausted to suppress or prevent the high-humidity atmosphere from circulating inside the handling robot. Moreover, the air pressure rise in the inner space of the arm side is prevented and maintained at a negative pressure, so that both the leakage of fine particles from the inner space of the arm side and condensation can be suppressed. Since the inner space of the arm side is in fluid communication with the inner space of the main body side, gas can also be supplied to the inner space of the main body side via the inner space of the arm side. In this case, in addition to the inner space of the arm side, condensation in the entire handling robot including the inner space of the main body side can be suppressed. In addition, the gas in the inner space of the main body side can be exhausted via the inner space of the arm side, so that the negative pressure of the entire conveying device can be maintained, and the leakage of fine particles from the inner space of the conveying device can be suppressed.

[0141] The exhaust unit may also be provided to exhaust the gas in the inner space of the main body side. According to this method, when the high-humidity atmosphere in the external environment enters the inner space of the main body side, the high-humidity atmosphere can be exhausted to suppress or prevent the high-humidity atmosphere from circulating inside the handling robot. In addition, by preventing the air pressure rise in the inner space of the main body side and maintaining it at a negative pressure, both the leakage of fine particles from the inner space of the main body side and condensation can be suppressed. In addition, the gas in the inner space of the arm side can be exhausted via the inner space of the main body side, so that the negative pressure of the entire handling robot can be maintained, and the leakage of fine particles from the inner space of the handling robot can be suppressed.

[0142] According to the second method, in the conveying device of the first method, a supply amount control unit for controlling the supply amount of the gas supplied to the inner space of the arm side is provided, and the supply amount control unit performs on / off control and / or supply amount control of the gas supply to the inner space of the arm side according to the air pressure in the external environment of the handling robot or the exhaust amount of the exhaust unit. The gas supply unit has a supply amount control unit for controlling the supply amount of the gas. When the supply amount of the gas is variable, the supply amount control unit provides a control valve and can accurately adjust the supply amount of the gas supplied to the inner space of the arm base of the end effector and / or the tip of the arm.

[0143] In addition, when the supply amount of the gas is unchangeable, an orifice can be provided instead of the control valve. According to this method, the supply amount of the gas supplied to the internal space of the arm base portion of the end effector and / or the tip portion of the arm can be appropriately adjusted by the orifice. When the supply amount of the gas from the gas supply source is constant, the orifice is provided so that the supply amount of the gas supplied to the internal space becomes the desired supply amount, whereby the supply amount of the gas can be appropriately adjusted. In this case, the control valve can also be omitted, and cost reduction can be achieved. In addition, the orifice and the control valve can be used in combination, and this case can expand the flow rate adjustment range and improve the adjustment accuracy. According to the above content, by providing the supply amount control unit to accurately adjust the supply amount of the gas, the gas can be supplied at the following supply amount: condensation in the internal space of the transfer robot can be suppressed or prevented, and fine particles generated from the internal space of the transfer robot can be suppressed or prevented.

[0144] According to the third method, in the transfer device of the first or second method, the main body portion is configured to move in the vertical direction and rotate in the horizontal direction by the lifting member and the rotating member. According to this method, even if the structure of each module has two or more levels of modules, the transfer robot including the main body portion can be accessed, and the production cycle time can be shortened and the occupied space of the entire system can be reduced.

[0145] According to the fourth method, in the transfer device of any one of the first to third methods, the exhaust unit includes an ejector fluidly connected to the gas supply unit. According to this method, the gas from the gas supply unit can be used as the driving fluid of the ejector, and the ejector is used to exhaust the internal space of the transfer device. There is no need to separately provide a gas source for ejector driving, and simplification of the exhaust unit can be achieved.

[0146] According to the fifth method, in the transfer device of any one of the first to fourth methods, the end effector has a clamping mechanism that presses and holds the workpiece by a pressing member that moves by a cylinder, and the gas supply unit supplies a part of the gas supplied to the cylinder to the internal space of the arm side. In this case, the existing gas supply path for the clamping mechanism is used, so there is no need to separately prepare a gas supply source for the gas supply unit and an external supply path. In addition, there is no need to modify the frame of the transfer device in order to connect the external supply path for the gas supply unit.

[0147] According to the sixth method, in the transfer device of any one of the first to fifth methods, the gas supply unit has a flexible pipe disposed in the transfer device. According to this method, the degree of freedom in setting the positions of the gas inlet and outlet in the transfer device can be increased by the flexible pipe.

[0148] According to the seventh aspect, in the conveying device of any one of the first to sixth aspects, the conveying device is of a type that conveys workpieces in a wet environment. According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress dew condensation in the internal space of the conveying device during conveyance in a wet environment where the internal space of the conveying device easily becomes a high-humidity state.

[0149] According to the eighth aspect, in the conveying device of any one of the first to seventh aspects, the gas supply unit supplies a gas containing dry air and / or nitrogen. According to this aspect, by using a gas containing dry air and / or nitrogen, it is possible to effectively reduce the humidity in the internal space of the conveying device.

[0150] According to the ninth aspect, in the conveying device of any one of the first to eighth aspects, the conveying device is disposed within a workpiece processing device and is fluidly connected to a common pipeline of the workpiece processing device, and the gas supply unit receives the supply of the gas from the common pipeline. According to this aspect, since the gas is utilized from the existing common pipeline of the workpiece processing device, there is no need to separately prepare a gas supply source, and it is possible to suppress the complication of piping and / or cost increase. In addition, since the gas from an external gas supply source is directly introduced into the internal space on the arm side, the humidity adjustment effect is high.

[0151] According to the tenth aspect, in the conveying device of any one of the first to ninth aspects, the conveying device is a multi-joint robot to which the end effector and at least one arm unit are connected, and the internal spaces of the end effector and the at least one arm unit are fluidly connected. According to this aspect, if gas is introduced into any one of the internal spaces, since the internal spaces are fluidly connected to each other, it is possible to supply gas to a plurality of the internal spaces and suppress dew condensation.

[0152] According to the eleventh aspect, there is provided a workpiece processing device including: a conveying device of any one of the first to tenth aspects and a workpiece processing unit that processes the workpiece conveyed by the conveying device. According to this aspect, the above-described effects are achieved in the conveying device of the workpiece processing device.

[0153] According to the twelfth aspect, in the workpiece processing device of the eleventh aspect, the conveying device performs workpiece transfer to the workpiece processing unit that processes the workpiece in a wet environment. According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress dew condensation in the internal space of the conveying device during workpiece transfer in a wet environment where the internal space of the conveying device easily becomes a high-humidity state.

[0154] According to the thirteenth aspect, there is provided a method which is a control method for a workpiece conveying device, and includes the following steps: a gas supply step of supplying gas to the arm-side base of the end effector and / or the inner space on the arm side at the tip of the arm; a supply amount control step of controlling the supply amount of the gas supplied to the inner space on the arm side; and an exhaust step of exhausting the gas in the inner space on the arm side and / or the main body-side inner space communicating with the inner space on the arm side. Further, the supply amount control step includes the following control steps: performing on / off control of the supply of gas to the inner space on the arm side and / or controlling the supply amount according to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment of the conveying device or the exhaust amount of the exhaust step. According to this aspect, the same effects as those of the second aspect are achieved.

[0155] According to the fourteenth aspect, there is provided a non-volatile recording medium storing a program, and the program causes a computer to operate to execute a control method for a workpiece conveying device. The program includes the following: performing on / off control of the supply of gas to the inner space on the arm side and / or controlling the supply amount according to the atmospheric pressure of the external environment of the conveying device or the exhaust amount of the exhaust unit. According to this aspect, the same effects as those of the second aspect are achieved.

[0156] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described based on several examples. However, the above-described embodiments of the invention are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can of course be changed and improved without departing from its gist, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention. In addition, any combination or omission of the respective components described in the claims and the specification can be made within the scope of solving at least a part of the above problems or achieving at least a part of the effects.

[0157] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-74397 filed on April 9, 2019. The entire disclosure including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract of Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-74397 filed on April 9, 2019 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The entire disclosure including the specification, claims, drawings, and abstract of Japanese Patent No. 3342803 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent No. 3638393 (Patent Document 2), Japanese Patent No. 3983481 (Patent Document 3), and Japanese Patent No. 6120031 (Patent Document 4) is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A conveying device, characterized in that, it comprises: a main body part; a rotating part which is arranged to be rotatable relative to the main body part; an arm which is supported by the rotating part; and an end effector which is arranged at the top end of the arm and holds a workpiece, the conveying device further comprises: a gas supply unit which supplies gas to the base of the arm side of the end effector and / or the internal space of the arm side at the top end of the arm; and an exhaust unit which is arranged in the internal space on the main body side communicated with the internal space of the arm side and exhausts the gas in the internal space of the arm side and / or the internal space on the main body side.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that, it further comprises a supply amount control part which controls the supply amount of the gas supplied to the internal space of the arm side, the supply amount control part performs on / off control and / or supply amount control of the gas supplied to the internal space of the arm side according to the air pressure of the external environment of the conveying device or the exhaust amount of the exhaust unit.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the main body part is configured to move in the vertical direction and rotate in the horizontal direction through a lifting member and a rotating member.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the exhaust unit comprises an ejector which is fluidly connected to the gas supply unit.

5. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the end effector has a clamping mechanism which presses and holds the workpiece by a pressing member moved by a cylinder, the gas supply unit supplies a part of the gas supplied to the cylinder to the internal space of the arm side.

6. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the gas supply unit has a flexible pipe arranged in the conveying device.

7. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the conveying device conveys the workpiece in a wet environment.

8. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the gas supply unit supplies a gas containing dry air and / or nitrogen.

9. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the conveying device is arranged in a workpiece processing device and is fluidly connected to the common pipeline of the workpiece processing device, the gas supply unit receives the supply of the gas from the common pipeline.

10. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the conveying device is a multi-joint robot connected with the end effector and at least one arm, and the internal spaces of the end effector and the at least one arm are fluidly communicated.

11. A workpiece processing device, characterized in that, it comprises: the conveying device according to claim 1 or 2; and a workpiece processing part which processes the workpiece conveyed by the conveying device.

12. The workpiece processing device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The conveying device transfers workpieces to and from the workpiece processing unit that processes workpieces in a wet environment.

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