Gas supply system, atmospheric robot arm, wafer transfer equipment and method

Abstract

The present invention provides an air supply system, an atmospheric robot arm, a wafer transfer device and a method, which relate to the technical field of semiconductor production equipment and are invented to solve the technical problem that the internal pipelines of the atmospheric robot arm are easily entangled and bent during the extension or retraction process. The atmospheric robot arm comprises a left robot arm and a right robot arm, and the air supply system comprises a first air supply path and a second air supply path, which respectively supply air to the air-consuming components inside the two end effectors. The first air supply path and the second air supply path both have a telescopic margin to adapt to the extension or retraction state of the left robot arm and the right robot arm. The first air supply path and the second air supply path of the present invention have reserved telescopic margins, which can prevent the first air supply path and the second air supply path from being entangled and bent during the extension and retraction of the arm when the robot arm is in the extension or retraction state, thereby ensuring that the first air supply path and the second air supply path can smoothly supply air to the end effector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor production equipment, and more specifically, relates to an air supply system, an atmospheric robot arm, a wafer conveying device and a method. Background Art

[0002] In the field of semiconductor production, wafer transfer equipment completes the functions of wafer sorting and transmission throughout the production line. It is a bridge connecting the material handling system and the wafer processing system, and is an indispensable and important part of the wafer production line. The atmospheric manipulator is the core component of the wafer transfer equipment for handling and processing wafers. It consists of multiple joints and can move and rotate freely in three-dimensional space. It can accurately grasp, transport and place wafers.

[0003] The existing atmospheric robotic arms for wafer transfer generally include a left robotic arm and a right robotic arm. An end effector is provided at the end of the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm. The left robotic arm and the right robotic arm perform linear or curved motions, and the end effector grasps and transports the wafer. However, during the extension or retraction of the existing atmospheric robotic arms, the internal gas pipelines are prone to entanglement, bending, and position displacement, resulting in poor air flow in the pipelines, affecting the normal use of the end effector. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an air supply system, an atmospheric robot arm, a wafer transfer device and a method, so as to at least solve the technical problem that the internal air pipeline is easily entangled, bent and displaced during the extension or retraction of the atmospheric robot arm.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: the first aspect of the present invention provides an air supply system, which is applied to an atmospheric robot arm, wherein the atmospheric robot arm comprises a left robot arm and a right robot arm, respectively used to drive the two robot arms to extend or retract and coaxially arranged left drive shaft and right drive shaft, wherein the end effectors of the left robot arm and the right robot arm both have air-consuming components inside, and the characteristic is that: the air supply system comprises a first air supply gas path and a second air supply gas path, respectively supplying air to the air-consuming components inside the two end effectors, and the first air supply gas path and the second air supply gas path both have telescopic margins to adapt to the extended or retracted state of the left robot arm and the right robot arm;

[0006] One of the driving shafts has an axially penetrating through hole, and a through hole communicating with the through hole is formed on a radial side wall of the driving shaft;

[0007] The first air supply path penetrates from the through hole and is connected to the air-consuming component inside the end effector of the left robot arm through the through hole;

[0008] The second air supply path is connected to the air-consuming component inside the end effector of the right robot arm through the through hole;

[0009] The first air supply path is provided with a guide bracket at the air path portion connected to the left robotic arm at the perforation position. The cross-section of the guide bracket is a vortex line. The position close to the vortex center of the guide bracket is the initial end of the threading, and the position away from the vortex center of the guide bracket is the end of the threading.

[0010] The first air supply path of the air supply system passes through the through hole and is connected to the air-consuming component inside the end effector of the left robotic arm through the through hole. The second air supply path is connected to the air-consuming component inside the end effector of the right robotic arm through the through hole. The first air supply path and the second air supply path both have expansion margins, which can prevent the first air supply path and the second air supply path from getting entangled or bent during the rotation of the arms when the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm are extended or retracted, thereby ensuring that the first air supply path and the second air supply path can smoothly supply air to the end effector.

[0011] In one embodiment, the through hole is located on the side of the right drive shaft away from the left robotic arm, and a threading barrel is provided at the through hole. The through hole of this embodiment is located on the side of the right drive shaft away from the left robotic arm, which can make the first air supply path have more expansion margin at the transition between the right drive shaft and the left robotic arm, further avoiding the first air supply path from bending at the transition, and by providing a threading barrel at the through hole, the first air supply path can smoothly pass through the through hole.

[0012] In one embodiment, a plurality of threading holes are provided along the path from the initial end to the final end. The cross section of the drainage bracket of this embodiment is a spiral line, and the first air supply path passes through the threading holes of the drainage bracket. The drainage bracket supports the air pipeline, ensures smooth air flow of the air supply pipeline, and prevents the air supply pipeline from being knotted during the rotation of the right robotic arm.

[0013] In one embodiment, the threading hole is an oblique hole or a straight hole. When the threading hole of this embodiment is an oblique hole, the threading hole can match the threading trajectory, so that the air supply pipeline is attached to the inner and outer walls of the drainage bracket, avoiding bending of the pipeline of the first air supply pipeline.

[0014] In one embodiment, a limited space for accommodating the expansion and contraction margin of the first air supply line is provided on the outer side of the right drive shaft. In this embodiment, by providing a limited space for accommodating the expansion and contraction margin of the first air supply line on the outer side of the right drive shaft, the position of the air supply line can be prevented from being offset.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides an atmospheric robotic arm, comprising: a left robotic arm and a right robotic arm;

[0016] A left drive shaft and a right drive shaft respectively used to drive the two robotic arms to extend and retract and are coaxially arranged, and a rotating shaft used to drive the two robotic arms to rotate;

[0017] A gas supply system as described above;

[0018] The left drive shaft, the right drive shaft and the rotating shaft are coaxially arranged; the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm each include a large arm shell, a small arm shell rotatably connected to the large arm shell, and an end effector rotatably connected to the small arm shell; the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm each have an extended state and a retracted state, and at least one of the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm has a accommodating space, and the accommodating space is used to accommodate a part of the robotic arm adjacent to it in the retracted state.

[0019] The atmospheric robotic arm reduces its size in the length direction by coaxially arranging the left drive shaft, the right drive shaft and the rotating shaft. At least one of the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm has a accommodating space, and the accommodating space accommodates a part of the adjacent robotic arm in the retracted state, thereby reducing the size of the atmospheric robotic arm in the height direction. Compared with the existing atmospheric robotic arm, the atmospheric robotic arm saves space in both the length direction and the height direction.

[0020] In one embodiment, the upper arm housing and the lower arm housing of the left robotic arm and the upper arm housing and the lower arm housing of the right robotic arm at least partially overlap. This embodiment further reduces the space of the atmospheric robotic arm in the length direction.

[0021] In one embodiment, there is an escape space on the end effector of the left robotic arm or on the forearm housing of the left robotic arm, and in the retracted state, at least part of the forearm housing of the right robotic arm is located in the escape space. In this embodiment, by providing an escape space for accommodating the forearm housing of the right robotic arm on the end effector of the left robotic arm or on the forearm housing of the left robotic arm, the occupied space of the atmospheric robotic arm is further reduced in the retracted state.

[0022] In one embodiment, the left robotic arm comprises a left upper arm shoulder driving wheel, a left upper arm elbow driving wheel, a left upper arm shaft, a left upper arm elbow driven wheel, a left forearm wrist driven wheel and a left forearm shaft, one end of the left upper arm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the left driving shaft, and the other end is fixedly connected to the left upper arm shaft, the left upper arm elbow driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the left upper arm shaft, one end of the left forearm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the left upper arm elbow driving wheel, and the other end is fixedly provided with the left forearm shaft, and the left forearm wrist driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the left forearm shaft to drive the end effector to extend or retract;

[0023] The right robotic arm comprises a right upper arm shoulder driving wheel, a right upper arm elbow driving wheel, a right upper arm shaft, a right forearm shaft, a right upper arm elbow driven wheel and a right forearm wrist driven wheel, one end of the right upper arm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the right driving shaft, and the other end is fixedly connected to the right upper arm shaft, the right upper arm elbow driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the right upper arm shaft, one end of the right forearm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the right upper arm elbow driving wheel, and the other end is fixedly provided with the right forearm shaft, and the right forearm wrist driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the right forearm shaft to drive the end effector to extend or retract;

[0024] The left upper arm shoulder driving wheel and the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel are coaxially fixedly arranged, and the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. The left mechanical arm and the right mechanical arm of this embodiment have simple structures.

[0025] The third aspect of the present invention provides a wafer conveying device, comprising a driving mechanism and the atmospheric robot arm as described above; the driving mechanism comprises a first driving motor connected to the left driving shaft, a second driving motor connected to the rotating shaft, and a third driving motor connected to the right driving shaft, and the first driving motor, the second driving motor and the third driving motor are all direct drive motors. The first driving motor, the second driving motor and the third driving motor of the wafer conveying device are all direct drive motors, with low damping, high transmission efficiency and convenient control.

[0026] In one embodiment, the wafer transfer device further comprises a lifting drive mechanism, and the lifting drive mechanism is used to drive the atmospheric robot arm to rise or fall. In this embodiment, the lifting drive mechanism drives the left robot arm or the right robot arm to rise or fall before or after the end effector of the left robot arm or the right robot arm grasps the wafer.

[0027] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a wafer transfer method, which is applied to the wafer transfer device as described above, and the method comprises:

[0028] Control the left drive shaft to rotate so that the left robotic arm extends or retracts, and control the right drive shaft to rotate so that the right robotic arm extends or retracts;

[0029] The rotation axis is controlled to rotate so that the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm rotate at a preset angle at the same time.

[0030] The wafer conveying method can realize the extension or retraction of the left robotic arm by controlling the rotation of the left driving shaft, the extension or retraction of the right robotic arm by controlling the rotation of the right driving shaft, and the simultaneous rotation of the left and right robotic arms by controlling the rotation of the rotating shaft. The control method of the wafer conveying method is simple. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a wafer transfer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of an atmospheric robot arm of a wafer transfer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of the right robotic arm of the atmospheric robotic arm provided by an embodiment of the present invention in an extended state;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of an atmospheric robot arm of a wafer transfer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the gas supply system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the structure of the right drive shaft perforation position and the left mechanical arm transition position in the air supply system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 A schematic structural diagram of a gas supply system drainage bracket provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Among them, the reference numerals in the figure are:

[0040] Atmospheric robot arm; 10-finger; 11-left robot arm; 12-right robot arm; 13-left drive shaft; 14-right drive shaft; 15-rotation shaft; 16-first accommodating space; 17-second accommodating space; 18-avoidance space; left big arm shell; 112-left small arm shell; 113-upper end effector; 114-left big arm shoulder drive wheel; 115-left big arm elbow drive wheel; 116-left big arm shaft; 117-left upper arm elbow driven wheel; 118-left forearm wrist driven wheel; 119-left forearm shaft; 120-connecting flange; 121-right upper arm housing; 122-right forearm housing; 123-lower end effector; 124-right upper arm shoulder driving wheel; 125-right upper arm elbow driving wheel; 126-right upper arm shaft; 127-right upper arm elbow driven wheel; 128-right forearm wrist driven wheel; 129-right forearm shaft;

[0041] 2-driving mechanism; 21-first driving motor; 22-second driving motor; 23-third driving motor; 3-lifting driving mechanism;

[0042] 4-air supply system; 41-first air supply path; 42-second air supply path; 43-drainage bracket; 44-air slip ring; 45-first baffle; 46-second baffle; 141-through hole; 142-first through hole; 143-first threading barrel; 144-second through hole; 145-second threading barrel; 146-end cover; 431-threading hole; 441-stator end of air slip ring; 442-rotor end of air slip ring;

[0043] 5-Air source connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0045] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof used herein are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or apparatus comprising a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or apparatuses.

[0046] It should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by terms such as "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0047] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0048] The gas supply system, the atmospheric robot arm and the wafer conveying method provided by the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the wafer conveying equipment.

[0049] Figure 1 For a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer transfer device provided in an embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 1 The wafer transfer device provided in this embodiment includes an atmospheric robot arm 1 and a driving mechanism 2. The atmospheric robot arm 1 includes a left robot arm 11, a right robot arm 12, a left driving shaft 13 for driving the left robot arm 11 to extend and retract, a right driving shaft 14 for driving the right robot arm 12 to extend and retract, and a rotating shaft 15 for driving the left robot arm 11 and the right robot arm 12 to rotate. The left driving shaft 13, the right driving shaft 14 and the rotating shaft 15 are coaxially arranged.

[0050] The left robotic arm 11 of this embodiment includes a left upper arm housing 111, a left lower arm housing 112 rotatably connected to the left upper arm housing 111, and an upper end effector 113 rotatably connected to the left lower arm housing 1112. The right robotic arm 12 includes a right upper arm housing 121, a right lower arm housing 122 rotatably connected to the right upper arm housing 121, and a lower end effector 123 rotatably connected to the right lower arm housing 122; the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 both have an extended state and a retracted state, and at least one of the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 has a receiving space, and the receiving space is used to accommodate a part of the robotic arm adjacent thereto in the retracted state.

[0051] The left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 of this embodiment share a rotating shaft 15, and the left drive shaft 13, the right drive shaft 14 and the rotating shaft 15 are coaxially arranged, which saves radial space compared to the existing left-right symmetrical robotic arms. When the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 are retracted, at least one of the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 has a accommodating space for accommodating a part of the other robotic arm, thereby reducing the size of the atmospheric robotic arm in the thickness direction when the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 are retracted.

[0052] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of an atmospheric robot arm of a wafer transfer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 For a structural diagram of the right mechanical arm of the atmospheric mechanical arm provided in an embodiment of the present invention in an extended state, please refer to Figure 1-Figure 3For example, in this embodiment, a first accommodating space 16 is provided between the left upper arm shell 111 and the left lower arm shell 112 of the left robotic arm 11, and when the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 are in a retracted state, at least part of the right upper arm shell 121 of the right robotic arm 12 is located in the first accommodating space 16.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a second accommodating space 17 is provided on the upper end effector 113 of the left robotic arm 11 , and when the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 are in the retracted state, at least part of the lower end effector of the right robotic arm 12 is located in the second accommodating space 17 .

[0054] The end effectors of the left robot arm 11 and the right robot arm 12 of this embodiment are used to grasp and carry wafers. The upper end effector 113 and the lower end effector 123 of this embodiment both include fingers 10 for taking and placing wafers. In this embodiment, each end effector is provided with two fingers 10. The roots of the fingers 10 on the upper end effector 113 and the lower end effector 123 of this embodiment are widened to improve the stability during wafer handling. The upper end effector 113 and the lower end effector 123 of this embodiment both have two fingers 10, and each end effector can take two wafers at the same time, thereby improving work efficiency. Optionally, the upper end effector 113 and the lower end effector 123 of this embodiment can be edge gripping or vacuum gripping actuators.

[0055] See also Figure 2 Furthermore, the left upper arm housing 111 and the left lower arm housing 112 of the left robotic arm 11 and the right upper arm housing 121 and the right lower arm housing 122 of the right robotic arm 12 at least partially overlap, further reducing the space occupied by the atmospheric robotic arm in the length direction.

[0056] Furthermore, an escape space 18 is provided on the upper end effector 113 of the left robotic arm 11 or on the left arm housing 112 of the left robotic arm 11, and in the retracted state, at least a portion of the right arm housing 122 of the right robotic arm 12 is located in the escape space 18. In this embodiment, by providing an escape space 18 on the upper end effector 113 of the left robotic arm 11 or on the left arm housing 112 of the left robotic arm 11, when the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 are retracted, at least a portion of the right arm housing 122 of the right robotic arm 12 is located in the escape space 18, further reducing the size of the atmospheric robotic arm in the length direction and the height direction.

[0057] See also Figure 1-Figure 4Exemplarily, the left robotic arm 11 of the present embodiment further includes a left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114, a left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115, a left upper arm shaft 116, a left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117, a left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 and a left forearm shaft 119. One end of the left upper arm housing 111 is rotationally fixedly connected to the left driving shaft 13, and the other end is fixedly connected to the left upper arm shaft 116. The left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 is rotationally fixedly connected to the left upper arm shaft 116. One end of the left forearm housing 112 is rotationally fixedly connected to the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115, and the other end is fixedly provided with the left forearm shaft 119. The left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 is rotationally fixedly connected to the left forearm shaft 119 to drive the upper end effector 113 to extend or retract.

[0058] Specifically, the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114, the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115, the left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117, and the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 of the present embodiment are all circular pulleys, the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 is synchronously connected with the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 through a transmission belt, the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 is installed on the outer peripheral wall of the left upper arm shaft 116 through a bearing, the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 is synchronously connected with the left forearm housing 112 through a connecting tube, the left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 is fixedly connected with the left upper arm shaft 116, the left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 is synchronously connected with the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 through a transmission belt, and the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 is installed on the outer peripheral wall of the left forearm shaft 119 through a bearing. The left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 of this embodiment is synchronously connected to the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 through a transmission belt, and the left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 is synchronously connected to the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 through a transmission belt. The left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 is fixedly connected to the upper end effector 113 through a connecting tube. Of course, in other embodiments, the synchronous movement of the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 and the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115, and the synchronous movement of the upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 and the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 can also be achieved by chain and gear transmission.

[0059] Exemplarily, the right robotic arm includes a right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124, a right upper arm elbow driving wheel 125, a right upper arm shaft 126, a right upper arm elbow driven wheel 127, a right forearm wrist driven wheel 128, and a right forearm shaft 129. One end of the right upper arm housing 121 is rotationally fixedly connected to the right driving shaft 14, and the other end is fixedly connected to the right upper arm shaft 126. The right upper arm elbow driven wheel 127 is rotationally fixedly connected to the right upper arm shaft 126. One end of the right forearm housing 122 is rotationally fixedly connected to the right upper arm elbow driving wheel 125, and the other end is fixedly provided with the right forearm shaft 129. The right forearm wrist driven wheel 128 is rotationally fixedly connected to the right forearm shaft 129 to drive the lower end effector 123 to extend or retract.

[0060] Specifically, the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124, the right upper arm elbow driving wheel 125, the right upper arm elbow driven wheel 127, and the right forearm wrist driven wheel 128 of this embodiment are all circular pulleys, the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124 is synchronously connected with the right upper arm elbow driving wheel 125 through a transmission belt, the right upper arm elbow driving wheel 125 is installed on the outer peripheral wall of the right upper arm shaft 126 through a bearing, the right upper arm elbow driving wheel 125 is synchronously connected with the right forearm housing 122 through a connecting tube, the right upper arm elbow driven wheel 127 is fixedly connected with the right upper arm shaft 126, the right upper arm elbow driven wheel 127 is synchronously connected with the right forearm wrist driven wheel 128 through a transmission belt, and the right forearm wrist driven wheel 128 is installed on the outer peripheral wall of the right forearm shaft 129 through a bearing. The right forearm wrist driven wheel 128 is fixedly connected with the lower end effector 123 through a connecting tube.

[0061] In this embodiment, the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 and the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124 are fixedly connected via a connecting flange 120 , and the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 is rotationally fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 15 .

[0062] The principle of the left mechanical arm 11 of the atmospheric mechanical arm of this embodiment extending or retracting in the width direction is as follows: the left driving shaft 13 rotates, the right driving shaft 14 and the rotating shaft 15 do not rotate, and the left driving shaft 13 drives the left arm housing 111 to extend or retract in the width direction. At this time, the left arm elbow driving wheel 115 is stationary. The position of the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 relative to the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 changes, the contact position of the transmission belt and the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 changes, the transmission belt drives the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 to rotate, and the left upper arm elbow driving wheel 115 drives the left forearm shell 112 to rotate through the connecting tube. At this time, the position of the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 relative to the left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 changes, the contact position of the left upper arm elbow driven wheel 117 and the transmission belt changes, the transmission belt drives the left forearm wrist driven wheel 118 to rotate, and then drives the upper end effector 113 to extend or retract through the connecting tube; the principle of extending or retracting the right robotic arm 12 along the width direction is the same as that of the left robotic arm 11, and will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0063] See also Figure 1 The driving mechanism 2 of this embodiment includes a first driving motor 21 connected to the left driving shaft 13, a second driving motor 22 connected to the rotating shaft 15, and a third driving motor 23 connected to the right driving shaft 14. The first driving motor 21, the second driving motor 22 and the third driving motor 23 are all direct drive motors.

[0064] The first drive motor 21 of the wafer conveying equipment of this embodiment is connected to the left drive shaft 13, and the rotor end of the first drive motor 21 drives the left robotic arm 11 to extend or retract through the left drive shaft 13; the third drive motor 23 of the wafer conveying equipment is connected to the right drive shaft 14, and the rotor end of the third drive motor 23 drives the right robotic arm 12 to extend or retract through the right drive shaft 14; the second drive motor 22 of the wafer conveying equipment is connected to the rotating shaft 15, and the rotor end of the second drive motor 22 drives the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 to rotate through the rotating shaft 15.

[0065] The first drive motor 21, the second drive motor 22 and the third drive motor 23 of this embodiment are all direct drive motors. Direct drive motors do not need a speed reduction mechanism to change the direction. The motor rotor directly drives the driven component, consumes less energy, is not prone to wear between the stator and the rotor, and has a higher transmission system efficiency. Moreover, the speed of the direct drive motor is consistent with the speed of the driven component, there is no speed deviation, the control accuracy is high, and the response speed is fast.

[0066] Furthermore, the wafer transfer device further includes a lifting drive mechanism 3, which is used to drive the atmospheric robot arm to rise or fall. Exemplarily, the lifting drive mechanism 3 is a screw structure, including a motor, a screw and a nut, the rotor end of the motor drives the screw to rotate, and the nut rises or falls along the height direction of the screw under the action of engaging with the screw thread.

[0067] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the gas supply system provided in an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the right drive shaft perforation position and the left mechanical arm transition position of the air supply system provided by the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 and Figure 6 The air supply system 4 provided in the embodiment of the present invention is applied to the atmospheric manipulator provided in the above embodiment. The upper end effector 113 of the left manipulator 11 and the lower end effector 123 of the right manipulator 12 of the atmospheric manipulator both have air-consuming components inside. The air supply system 4 includes a first air supply path 41 and a second air supply path 42, which respectively supply air to the air-consuming components inside the two end effectors. The first air supply path 41 and the second air supply path 42 both have a telescopic margin to adapt to the left manipulator. The arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 are in an extended or retracted state; the right drive shaft 14 has an axially penetrating through hole 141, and a first through hole 142 connected to the through hole 141 is opened on the side wall of the right drive shaft 14; the first air supply path 41 penetrates from the through hole 141, and is connected to the air-consuming component inside the upper end effector 113 of the left robotic arm 11 through the first through hole 142; the second air supply path 42 is connected to the air-consuming component inside the lower end effector 123 of the right robotic arm 12 through the through hole 141.

[0068] Optionally, the gas-consuming element inside the end effector of this embodiment is a vacuum suction cup or a Bernoulli suction cup.

[0069] Preferably, the first through hole 142 is located on the side of the right drive shaft 14 away from the left robotic arm 11, and a first threading barrel 143 is provided at the first through hole 142. In this embodiment, by arranging the first through hole 142 on the side of the right drive shaft 14 away from the left robotic arm 11, the first air supply path 41 has more expansion margin at the junction of the right drive shaft 14 and the left robotic arm 11, further avoiding the first air supply path 41 from bending at the junction. The left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 and the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124 of this embodiment are fixedly connected through the connecting flange 120. The connecting flange 120 of this embodiment is provided with a second through hole 144. The pipeline of the first air supply path 41 extending from the first through hole 142 passes through the second through hole 144. The second through hole 144 of this embodiment is provided with a second threading barrel 145. The air path passing through the first threading barrel 143 is connected to the gas-consuming element inside the upper end effector 113 of the left robotic arm 11 through the second threading barrel 145. In this embodiment, by providing the first threading barrel 143 at the first through hole 142 and the second threading barrel 145 at the second through hole 144 of the connecting flange 120, the pipeline of the first air supply path 41 passes smoothly at the junction of the right drive shaft 14 and the left robotic arm 11. Of course, in other examples, the first threading barrel 143 and the second threading barrel 145 may not be provided, and the first through hole 142 and the second through hole 144 may be rounded to ensure smoothness of the pipeline.

[0070] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a guide bracket 43 is provided at the gas path portion connected to the left robotic arm 11 at the position of the first through hole 142, and the guide bracket 43 is used to prevent the first gas supply gas path 41 from bending or winding during the extension or retraction of the right robotic arm 12. This embodiment does not particularly limit the specific form of the guide bracket 43.

[0071] Figure 7 For a schematic diagram of the structure of the gas supply system provided by the embodiment of the present invention, please refer to Figure 7 Preferably, the cross-section of the drainage bracket 43 is a spiral line shape, the vortex center position close to the drainage bracket 43 is the initial end of the threading, and the vortex center position away from the drainage bracket 43 is the end of the threading, and a plurality of threading holes 431 are opened along the path from the initial end to the end end.

[0072] See also Figure 6 and Figure 7The guide bracket 43 of this embodiment is sleeved on the outside of the right driving shaft 14 and is located on the inner side of the connecting flange 120 of the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 and the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124. There is a gap between the guide bracket 43 and the right driving shaft 14 and the connecting flange 120 respectively. The initial end of the guide bracket 43 is arranged opposite to the first threading barrel 143, and the rear end of the guide bracket 43 is arranged opposite to the second threading barrel 145. A plurality of threading holes 431 are provided along the path from the initial end to the rear end. The threading holes 431 are provided 31 can be a straight hole or an inclined hole to match the threading trajectory so that the air pipeline is attached to the inner and outer walls of the guide bracket 43 to avoid bending of the pipeline; the pipeline of the first air supply circuit 41 of this embodiment first passes through the first threading tube 143 on the side wall of the right drive shaft 14, and then passes through the initial end of the guide bracket 43 from the inside to the outside through the first threading hole 431, and then passes through the adjacent threading hole 431 from the outside to the inside, and repeats the above actions until the pipeline passes out through the rear end of the guide bracket 43.

[0073] The drainage bracket 43 of this embodiment is made of Teflon material, which has excellent heat resistance, sliding property and corrosion resistance.

[0074] The guiding bracket 43 of this embodiment plays a certain supporting role on the pipeline, avoiding the compression of the pipelines and ensuring the smooth flow of air in the pipeline. At the same time, the guiding bracket 43 guides the pipeline to give it more margin, preventing the pipeline from getting tangled during the rotation of the right robot arm 12. The guiding bracket 43 arranges the layout of the pipeline to prevent the pipeline position from being offset.

[0075] In this embodiment, pipeline racks and pipeline grooves for fixing the air supply circuit are arranged on the upper arm shell 111 and in the lower arm shell 112 of the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12. The left upper arm shaft 116 and the left lower arm shaft 119, and the right upper arm shaft 126 and the right lower arm shaft 129 are all hollow shafts.

[0076] Specifically, see Figure 3-Figure 7The pipeline of the first air supply path 41 is connected from the air source connector 5 to the stator end 441 of the air slip ring 44, and then passes through the through hole 141 of the right drive shaft 14 after being output from the rotor end 442 of the air slip ring 44, and then passes through the first threading hole 431 from the inside to the outside from the initial end of the drainage bracket 43, and then passes through the adjacent threading hole 431 from the outside to the inside, and the above actions are repeated until the pipeline passes through The rear end of the guide bracket 43 passes outward, then passes through the second threading tube 144 on the connecting flange 120, and then passes through the left upper arm pipeline rack and the left upper arm pipeline groove to the insertion end of the hollow part of the left upper arm shaft 116, and then passes through the protruding end of the hollow part of the left upper arm shaft 116, the left forearm pipeline rack and the left forearm pipeline groove to extend into the hollow part of the left forearm core shaft 119, and finally connects to the suction cups at the two fingers 10 of the upper end actuator 113.

[0077] The pipeline of the second air supply circuit 42 of the present embodiment is connected from the air source connector 5 to the stator end of the air slip ring 44, passes through the rotor end of the air slip ring 44, and then passes through the through hole 141 of the right drive shaft 14, and then passes through the through hole 141 of the right drive shaft 14, and then passes through the right big arm pipeline rack and the right big arm pipeline groove to the extension end of the hollow part of the right big arm shaft 126, and then passes through the extension end of the hollow part of the right big arm shaft 126, the right small arm pipeline rack and the right small arm pipeline groove to extend into the hollow part of the right small arm shaft 129, and finally connects to the suction cups at the two fingers 10 of the lower end effector 123.

[0078] The air supply system of this embodiment guides, supports and fixes the pipeline through the air slip ring 44, pipeline rack, pipeline groove and guide bracket 43, thereby preventing the air pipeline from being entangled, bent and deviated during the extension and retraction of the robot arm.

[0079] The outer side of the right drive shaft 14 of this embodiment is provided with a limited space for accommodating the expansion and contraction margin of the first air supply circuit 41. Specifically, the expansion and contraction margin of the first air supply circuit 41 of this embodiment is located on the outer side of the right drive shaft 14 and the inner side of the connecting flange 120, wherein the upper side of the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel 114 is provided with a first baffle 45, and the lower side of the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel 124 is provided with a second baffle 46, wherein the outer side wall of the right drive shaft 14, the inner side wall of the connecting flange 120, the first baffle 45 and the second baffle 46 enclose the above-mentioned limited space, and in this embodiment, by providing the first baffle 45 and the second baffle 46, the expansion and contraction margin of the first air supply circuit 41 is limited in the axial direction by the first baffle 45 and the second baffle 46, so that the pipeline is more regular.

[0080] In the above embodiments, the corners of the components in contact with the pipelines of the first air supply circuit 41 and the second air supply circuit 42 are rounded, for example, the upper opening position of the end cover 146 of the right drive shaft 14, the openings at both ends of the first threading tube 143 and the second threading tube 145, the opening corners of the extension ends of the left upper arm shaft 116, the left lower arm shaft 119, the right upper arm shaft 126, and the right lower arm shaft 129, the edge of the threading hole 431 of the guide bracket 43, etc.

[0081] In the above embodiment, a bearing is installed at the extended end of the left boom shaft 116 to prevent friction and wear between the left boom elbow driven wheel 117 and the pipeline of the first air supply path 41 during rotation. A bearing is installed at the extended end of the right boom shaft 126 to prevent friction and wear between the right boom elbow driven wheel 127 and the pipeline of the second air supply path 42 during rotation.

[0082] The wafer conveying method provided in the embodiment of the present invention is applied to the wafer conveying device described in the above embodiment, and the method includes:

[0083] Control the left drive shaft 13 to rotate so that the left robotic arm 11 extends or retracts, and control the right drive shaft 14 to rotate so that the right robotic arm 12 extends or retracts;

[0084] The rotation shaft 15 is controlled to rotate so that the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 rotate at a preset angle simultaneously.

[0085] The wafer conveying method of this embodiment can realize the extension or retraction of the left robotic arm 11 by controlling the rotation of the left driving shaft 13, the extension or retraction of the right robotic arm 12 by controlling the rotation of the right driving shaft 14, and the simultaneous rotation of the left robotic arm 11 and the right robotic arm 12 by controlling the rotation of the rotating shaft 15. The control mode of the circular conveying method is simple and can improve the wafer conveying efficiency.

[0086] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be replaced by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An air supply system, applied to an atmospheric robot arm, the atmospheric robot arm comprises a left robot arm and a right robot arm, respectively used to drive the two robot arms to extend or retract and coaxially arranged left drive shaft and right drive shaft, the end effectors of the left robot arm and the right robot arm both have air-consuming components inside, characterized in that: The air supply system comprises a first air supply circuit and a second air supply circuit, which respectively supply air to the air-consuming components inside the two end effectors, and the first air supply circuit and the second air supply circuit both have a telescopic margin to adapt to the extension or retraction state of the left robot arm and the right robot arm; One of the driving shafts has an axially penetrating through hole, and a through hole communicating with the through hole is formed on a radial side wall of the driving shaft; The first air supply path penetrates from the through hole and is connected to the air-consuming component inside the end effector of the left robot arm through the through hole; The second air supply path is connected to the air-consuming component inside the end effector of the right robot arm through the through hole; The first air supply path is provided with a guide bracket at the air path portion connected to the left robotic arm at the perforation position. The cross-section of the guide bracket is a vortex line. The position close to the vortex center of the guide bracket is the initial end of the threading, and the position away from the vortex center of the guide bracket is the end of the threading.

2. The gas supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The through hole is located at a side of the right driving shaft away from the left mechanical arm, and a threading barrel is provided at the through hole.

3. The gas supply system according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of threading holes are provided along the path from the initial end to the rear end.

4. The gas supply system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The threading hole is an oblique hole or a straight hole.

5. The gas supply system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A limited space for accommodating the expansion and contraction margin of the first air supply path is provided on the outer side of the right driving shaft.

6. An atmospheric robotic arm, characterized in that: include: A left robotic arm and a right robotic arm; A left drive shaft and a right drive shaft respectively used to drive the two robotic arms to extend and retract and are coaxially arranged, and a rotating shaft used to drive the two robotic arms to rotate; The gas supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 5; The left drive shaft, the right drive shaft and the rotating shaft are coaxially arranged; the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm each include a large arm shell, a small arm shell rotatably connected to the large arm shell, and an end effector rotatably connected to the small arm shell; the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm each have an extended state and a retracted state, and at least one of the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm has a accommodating space, and the accommodating space is used to accommodate a part of the robotic arm adjacent to it in the retracted state.

7. The atmospheric manipulator arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper arm shell and the lower arm shell of the left robotic arm and the upper arm shell and the lower arm shell of the right robotic arm at least partially overlap.

8. The atmospheric manipulator arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: An escape space is provided on the end effector of the left robotic arm or on the forearm housing of the left robotic arm, and in the retracted state, at least a portion of the forearm housing of the right robotic arm is located in the escape space.

9. The atmospheric manipulator arm according to claim 6, characterized in that: The left robotic arm comprises a left upper arm shoulder driving wheel, a left upper arm elbow driving wheel, a left upper arm shaft, a left upper arm elbow driven wheel, a left forearm wrist driven wheel and a left forearm shaft, one end of the left upper arm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the left driving shaft, and the other end is fixedly connected to the left upper arm shaft, the left upper arm elbow driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the left upper arm shaft, one end of the left forearm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the left upper arm elbow driving wheel, and the other end is fixedly provided with the left forearm shaft, and the left forearm wrist driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the left forearm shaft to drive the end effector to extend or retract; The right robotic arm comprises a right upper arm shoulder driving wheel, a right upper arm elbow driving wheel, a right upper arm shaft, a right forearm shaft, a right upper arm elbow driven wheel and a right forearm wrist driven wheel, one end of the right upper arm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the right driving shaft, and the other end is fixedly connected to the right upper arm shaft, the right upper arm elbow driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the right upper arm shaft, one end of the right forearm housing is rotatably fixedly connected to the right upper arm elbow driving wheel, and the other end is fixedly provided with the right forearm shaft, and the right forearm wrist driven wheel is rotatably fixedly connected to the right forearm shaft to drive the end effector to extend or retract; The left upper arm shoulder driving wheel and the right upper arm shoulder driving wheel are coaxially fixedly arranged, and the left upper arm shoulder driving wheel is rotationally fixedly connected to the rotating shaft.

10. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that: It comprises a driving mechanism and an atmospheric robot arm as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 9; The driving mechanism includes a first driving motor connected to the left driving shaft, a second driving motor connected to the rotating shaft, and a third driving motor connected to the right driving shaft. The first driving motor, the second driving motor and the third driving motor are all direct drive motors.

11. The wafer transfer device according to claim 10, characterized in that: It also includes a lifting drive mechanism, which is used to drive the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm to rise or fall.

12. A wafer conveying method, applied to the wafer conveying device according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that: The method comprises: Control the left drive shaft to rotate so that the left robotic arm extends or retracts, and control the right drive shaft to rotate so that the right robotic arm extends or retracts; The rotation axis is controlled to rotate so that the left robotic arm and the right robotic arm rotate at a preset angle at the same time.

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