A drive assembly, a wafer transport device and a wafer transport method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a drive assembly, a wafer handling device and a wafer handling method, which relate to the field of semiconductor technology. The drive assembly at least includes a drive integration unit, and the drive integration unit includes a plurality of direct drive motors arranged in parallel and having a plurality of transmission level heights; wherein one of the direct drive motors in the drive integration unit drives the first arm to rotate around the elbow rotation center of the second arm, and the other direct drive motors respectively drive at least two end effectors to rotate relative to each other at different heights around the wrist rotation center of the first arm. The present invention is used to drive the end driver during wafer handling, and the drive assembly is used to provide driving force during wafer handling, and the drive assembly at least solves the technical problem that the longitudinal overlap of the motor occupies a large space; the wafer handling device is used to carry wafers, and the wafer handling device at least solves the technical problem that the rotation angle of the end effector is limited and the wafer transmission rhythm efficiency is low.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a drive component, a wafer transport device and a wafer transport method. Background Art

[0002] The atmospheric manipulator is an important component for transferring wafers between devices during wafer production and manufacturing. It is used to grasp and transfer wafers and is widely used in the integrated circuit manufacturing industry.

[0003] In the prior art, the wafer is grasped by controlling the end effector in the robot arm through lines. Therefore, the lines will become entangled during the rotation of the end effector. Especially in the case where there are multiple end effectors, the rotation angle of the end effector is limited during the rotation of the end effector, which will consume more time during the transportation process.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new drive assembly, a wafer handling device and a wafer handling method to solve the above problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a drive assembly, a wafer handling device and a wafer handling method, which at least solve the following technical problems:

[0006] 1. The drive assembly solves the technical problem of the motor longitudinal overlap occupying a large space in the prior art;

[0007] 2. The wafer handling device solves the problem of limited rotation angle of the end effector and low wafer transfer efficiency in the prior art;

[0008] 3. The wafer handling method solves the problem that the prior art requires the use of a reducer, which has large damping and is inconvenient to control.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0010] In a first aspect, the present invention discloses a drive assembly, which is applied to a wafer handling device, wherein the wafer handling device comprises a first arm, a second arm and at least two end effectors that can rotate relative to each other, wherein the drive assembly is arranged at a shoulder joint of the second arm, wherein the drive assembly comprises a drive integration unit, wherein the drive integration unit comprises a plurality of direct drive motors arranged in parallel and having a plurality of transmission level heights;

[0011] Among them, one of the direct drive motors in the drive integration unit drives the first arm to rotate around the elbow rotation center of the second arm, and the other direct drive motors respectively drive at least two end effectors to rotate relative to each other at different heights around the wrist rotation center of the first arm.

[0012] By adopting the above technical solution, multiple direct-drive motors are integrated and arranged in parallel, and the multiple direct-drive motors have multiple transmission level heights, which effectively improves the problem of large space occupied by the longitudinal overlap of the motors and reduces the longitudinal space occupied in the driving mode. At the same time, the direct-drive motors are integrated in the horizontal direction to reduce the overall thickness.

[0013] Optionally, the driving ends of the plurality of direct-drive motors have a plurality of transmission level heights in the axial direction, and there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one of the driving ends and the transmission level heights of the other driving ends;

[0014] and / or,

[0015] The driving end of each direct-drive motor is synchronously connected to a shoulder pulley, and the plurality of shoulder pulleys have a plurality of transmission level heights, and there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one of the shoulder pulleys and the transmission level heights of the other shoulder pulleys.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, multiple direct-drive motors with multiple transmission level heights can be selected, multiple shoulder pulleys with multiple transmission level heights can be selected, or multiple direct-drive motors and multiple shoulder pulleys can both have multiple transmission level heights, so as to ensure that the direct-drive motors output at different transmission level heights, so that the input processes of the multiple direct-drive motors will not interfere with each other.

[0017] Optionally, the driving ends of the multiple direct-drive motors have the same transmission level height in the axial direction, the driving end of each of the direct-drive motors is synchronously connected to a shoulder pulley, the multiple shoulder pulleys have multiple transmission level heights in the axial direction, and there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one of the shoulder pulleys and the transmission level heights of the other shoulder pulleys.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any shoulder pulley and the transmission level height of other shoulder pulleys, so that multiple shoulder pulleys are placed at different transmission level heights. During the driving process of multiple direct-drive motors, multiple shoulder pulleys placed at different transmission level heights will not interfere with each other.

[0019] In a second aspect, the present invention discloses a wafer handling device, including a main support body, a driving assembly; and

[0020] A first arm, one end of which is rotatably disposed on the main support body;

[0021] At least two coaxially arranged end effectors capable of relative rotation are rotatably arranged at the other end of the first arm, and each of the end effectors can continuously and infinitely rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction;

[0022] an actuator rotation unit, connected to the end actuator and used to drive the end actuator to rotate; the actuator rotation unit at least comprises a first rotating cylinder and a second rotating cylinder arranged coaxially, the first rotating cylinder and the second rotating cylinder both have an input end and an output end, and the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder and the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder are both connected to the direct drive motor;

[0023] A first transmission member, two ends of which are respectively connected to the actuator rotation unit and the rotating shaft of the end effector;

[0024] In the working state, the direct-drive motor drives the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder to rotate, and the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder is connected to the first transmission member. The rotation of the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder drives the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder to rotate, so that one of the end effectors rotates; the direct-drive motor drives the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder to rotate, and the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder is connected to the first transmission member. The rotation of the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder drives the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder to rotate, so that the other end effector rotates.

[0025] By adopting the above technical scheme, the actuator rotation unit drives the end actuator to rotate through the first transmission member. The rotation angle of the end actuator will not be restricted during the rotation process, which can effectively improve the film transfer rhythm and save time. At the same time, there is no need to use a reducer in this scheme, which has the advantages of small damping and convenient control. That is, the end actuator can be driven by the direct drive motor and can continue to rotate infinitely in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction, which solves the problem of limited rotation angle of the end actuator and low film transfer rhythm efficiency in the prior art, and facilitates the wafer handling process.

[0026] Optionally, the first rotating cylinder is inserted into the second rotating cylinder, and the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder and the output end A2 of the first rotating cylinder are both placed outside the second rotating cylinder; a first bearing is arranged between the first rotating cylinder and the second rotating cylinder, and the inner ring of the first bearing abuts against the outer wall of the first rotating cylinder, and the outer ring abuts against the inner wall of the second rotating cylinder.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, the first rotating cylinder is arranged inside the second rotating cylinder, and the input end A3 of the first rotating cylinder and the output end B3 of the first rotating cylinder are both placed outside the second rotating cylinder, which is convenient for separate control of the first rotating cylinder and the second rotating cylinder. There will be no interference between the rotation of the first rotating cylinder and the rotation of the second rotating cylinder, which is convenient for controlling the rotation process of the end effector.

[0028] Optionally, at least two second transmission members and the direct drive motor are provided on the main support body, and the first drive member is used to drive the second transmission member to move; one end of the second transmission member is connected to the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder, and the other end is connected to the direct drive motor; one end of the other second transmission member is connected to the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder, and the other end is connected to the direct drive motor.

[0029] By adopting the above technical solution, the first driving member is used to drive the first rotating cylinder and the second rotating cylinder to rotate. The two first driving members are respectively connected to the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder and the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder through the second transmission member. At the same time, since the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder is placed outside the second rotating cylinder, the movements of the two second transmission members will not interfere with each other. At this time, the heights of the two first driving members correspond to the heights of the input ends A1 of the first rotating cylinder and A2 of the second rotating cylinder, respectively.

[0030] Optionally, it further includes a driving member, which is rotatably disposed on the main support body and is coaxially disposed with the second rotating cylinder, wherein the driving member has an input end A3 and an output end B3, and the output end B3 of the driving member is fixedly disposed on the first arm;

[0031] In the working state, the input end A3 of the driving member rotates, driving the output end B3 of the driving member to rotate, thereby driving the first arm to rotate.

[0032] By adopting the above technical solution, the driving member controls the rotation of the first arm. During operation, the first arm rotates in coordination with the end effector, thereby increasing the stroke of the end effector and facilitating the transportation of wafers.

[0033] Optionally, the second rotating cylinder is passed through the driving member, the output end B2 and the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder are both placed outside the driving member, a second bearing is arranged between the driving member and the second rotating cylinder, the inner ring of the second bearing abuts against the outer wall of the second rotating cylinder, and the outer ring abuts against the inner wall of the driving member.

[0034] By adopting the above technical solution, the output end B2 and the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder are both placed outside the driving member, so the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder and the input end A3 of the driving member can be controlled at the same time, which is convenient for synchronously controlling the rotation of the first arm and the end effector, and at the same time, the rotation processes of the first arm and the end effector will not be interfered with each other.

[0035] Optionally, a second driving member and the direct drive motor are provided on the main support body, the second driving member is used to drive the third transmission member to move, one end of the third transmission member is connected to the direct drive motor, and the other end is connected to the input end a of the driving member.

[0036] By adopting the above technical solution, the second driving member drives the driving member to move through the third transmission member, and drives the input end A3 of the driving member to rotate, thereby driving the driving member to rotate as a whole, which is convenient for controlling the rotation process of the first arm.

[0037] Optionally, the end of the main support body has a second arm, one end of the first arm is rotatably arranged at the end of the second arm away from the main support body, and the other end is rotatably arranged with the end effector.

[0038] By adopting the above technical solution, the second arm extends the main support body, and the first arm is rotatably arranged on the second arm, thereby enhancing the movement stroke of the first arm and the movement stroke of the end effector.

[0039] Optionally, a driver for driving the main support body to rotate in a horizontal direction is disposed at the bottom of the main support body.

[0040] By adopting the above technical solution, the driver drives the main support body to rotate, thereby driving the second arm to rotate, cooperating with the first arm and the end effector to complete the control of the position change of the end effector in the horizontal direction.

[0041] Optionally, it further includes an air supply component, which includes a main air supply structure and a transmission component; the transmission component includes an air supply pipeline and a transmission part, and both ends of the air supply pipeline are respectively connected to the main air supply structure and the transmission part;

[0042] The transmission part is used to connect to the end effector and transmit the gas in the gas supply pipeline to the gas-consuming element on the end effector.

[0043] By adopting the above technical solution, the gas supply assembly is used to supply gas to the gas-consuming components on the end effector, wherein the main supply structure provides gas, and the gas enters the gas-consuming components of the end effector after passing through the gas supply pipeline and the transmission part, thereby facilitating the gas supply process for the wafer handling device.

[0044] Optionally, a power supply component is also included, and a power supply line of the power supply component passes through the spindle member and is electrically connected to a circuit element on the end effector.

[0045] By adopting the above technical solution, it is convenient to control the circuit elements on the end effector and to detect the wafer.

[0046] In a third aspect, the present invention further discloses a wafer handling method, comprising the following steps:

[0047] Controlling the main support body to rotate, driving the second arm to rotate, so as to change the positions of the first arm and the end effector;

[0048] Controlling the first arm to rotate and changing the position of the end effector;

[0049] Controlling the direct drive motor to start, so as to drive the first rotating cylinder and the second rotating cylinder to rotate;

[0050] The two first transmission members move to drive the two end effectors to rotate, so that the two end effectors rotate independently, and the two end effectors move in a horizontal direction to carry or transfer the wafer.

[0051] By adopting the above technical solution, during the wafer transportation process, the second arm is first controlled to rotate, driving the first arm to rotate, and preliminarily adjusting the position of the end effector. Then, the first rotating cylinder and the second rotating cylinder in the actuator rotation unit are controlled to rotate, driving the two end effectors to rotate, clamping the wafer, and transporting it to the specified position. During the entire wafer transportation process, no reducer is required, and the control of wafer transportation is more convenient.

[0052] The beneficial effects of a drive assembly, a wafer handling device and a wafer handling method provided by the present invention include at least:

[0053] 1. Multiple direct-drive motors are integrated in the horizontal direction, which reduces the overall thickness of the drive assembly. At the same time, multiple direct-drive motors have multiple transmission level heights, which effectively improves the problem of large space occupied by the longitudinal overlap of the motors and reduces the longitudinal space occupied in the driving mode;

[0054] 2. The direct drive motor drives the end effector to rotate. During the rotation process, the rotation angle of the end effector will not be restricted, which can effectively improve the film transmission cycle and save time;

[0055] 3. In this solution, there is no need to use a reducer, which has the advantages of small damping and easy control. There will be no interference between multiple end effectors, which facilitates the wafer handling process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] Figure 1 This is an axonometric view of a wafer handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the driving and transmission parts of the wafer handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] Figure 3 A top view of a drive assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention (a diagram showing the positional arrangement of a direct drive motor);

[0059] Figure 4 It is a partial cross-sectional view of the specific structure of the actuator rotation unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting principle of the wafer handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0061] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the gas supply pipeline routing position and the transmission unit installation position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0062] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the positions of the gas-consuming components and the clamping block according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0063] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the transmission part of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0064] Fig. 9 A cross-sectional view of the structure of a first connecting member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0065] Fig.10 A cross-sectional view of the structure of a second connecting member according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0066] Fig.11 A schematic diagram of the wiring method of the power supply line and the installation position of the transmission unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0067] Fig.12 This is a top view of the installation position of the electric slip ring structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0068] Reference numerals:

[0069] 100, main support body; 110, first arm; 120, end effector; 121, upper end effector; 122, lower end effector; 130, actuator rotation unit; 131, first rotating cylinder; 132, second rotating cylinder; 133, first bearing; 134, driving member; 135, second bearing; 140, first transmission member; 150, direct drive motor; 160, second transmission member; 170, shoulder pulley; 180, The third transmission member; 190, driver; 200, second arm; 210, wire opening; 300, support housing; 310, lifting motor; 320, lead screw; 330, lifting seat; 340, slide rail; 350, nut; 360, sliding block; 400, main supply structure; 401, compressed air outlet; 402, compressed air inlet; 403, electric input connector; 404, electric output connector; 410, transmission assembly; 411 , air supply pipeline; 412, power supply line; 500, transmission part; 501, spindle member; 5011, first boss; 502, first drive member; 5021, second boss; 503, first air channel; 504, second air channel; 505, third air channel; 506, fourth air channel; 507, fifth air channel; 510, first connecting member; 511, first annular groove; 512, second annular groove; 513, connecting hole; 520, output part ; 521, second driving member; 522, second connecting member; 523, third ring groove; 524, fourth ring groove; 525, connecting hole; 530, first starting member; 540, second starting member; 550, gas-consuming element; 551, slide plate; 552, clamping block; 553, stopper; 600, electric slip ring structure; 610, slip ring part; 620, slip ring seat; 700, electric rotary joint; 710, stator end; 720, rotor end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0070] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below. 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. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein should be understood by people with general skills in the field to which the present invention belongs. "Including" and similar words used in this article mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0071] The specific implementation modes of the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0072] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a drive assembly, which is applied to a wafer handling device, wherein the wafer handling device includes a first arm 110, a second arm 200 and at least two end effectors 120 that can rotate relative to each other, and the drive assembly is arranged at the shoulder joint of the second arm 200, wherein the first arm 110 is rotatably arranged at the elbow rotation center of the second arm 200, and the end effector 120 is rotatably arranged at the wrist rotation center of the first arm 110; Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The drive assembly includes a drive integration unit, which includes a plurality of direct-drive motors 150, which are arranged in parallel, and a shoulder pulley 170 is fixedly arranged at the rotating shaft of the direct-drive motor 150 by interference fit, and two adjacent shoulder pulleys 170 have a certain interval along their own axial direction, so that the plurality of direct-drive motors 150 have multiple transmission level heights; the direct-drive motor 150 is used to drive the end effector 120, and the plurality of direct-drive motors 150 are fixedly arranged on the same horizontal plane and evenly distributed on the same horizontal plane, and the direct-drive motor 150 There are multiple direct drive motors 150. Specifically in this embodiment, there are three direct drive motors 150, one of the three direct drive motors 150 is used to control the rotation of the first arm 110, and the other two are used to control the rotation of the two end effectors 120 respectively; at the same time, the external covers of the three direct drive motors 150 are provided with a machine cover, which can be selectively connected to the wafer handling device or directly connected to the direct drive motor 150. The machine cover integrates multiple direct drive motors 150 together to form a complete drive integration part. In addition, the machine cover can also protect the direct drive motor 150.

[0073] One of the direct drive motors 150 of the drive integration unit is connected to the first arm 110, and drives the first arm 110 to rotate around the elbow rotation center of the second arm 200, and the other direct drive motors 150 respectively drive at least two end effectors 120 to rotate relative to each other at different heights around the wrist rotation center of the first arm 110; the situation in which the rotation angle of the end effector is limited due to the use of servo motor drive in the prior art is improved, so that the rotation angle of the end effector 120 will not be limited, and the direct drive motors 150 are fixedly arranged on the same horizontal plane and evenly distributed on the same horizontal plane, so that the transmission process between the three direct drive motors 150 will not be interfered, which facilitates the wafer handling process, and the direct drive motors 150 will not overlap vertically and occupy less space.

[0074] In some embodiments, the driving shafts of multiple direct-drive motors 150 have multiple transmission level heights in the axial direction, wherein the transmission level height of any one driving end has a height difference from the transmission level heights of other driving ends, and the driving end of each direct-drive motor 150 is synchronously connected to a shoulder pulley 170. Since the driving shaft of the direct-drive motor 150 has multiple transmission level heights in the axial direction, the driving shaft of the direct-drive motor 150 works at different transmission level heights during the driving process of the direct-drive motor 150. Different parts, such as a bevel gear or a shoulder pulley 170, can be installed on the driving shaft of the direct-drive motor 150 according to requirements, to ensure that the transmission process between the multiple direct-drive motors 150 will not be interfered with;

[0075] Or, the driving end of each direct-drive motor 150 is synchronously connected with a shoulder pulley 170, and the connection method can be a bolt connection or an interference fit. In this embodiment, an interference fit connection method is adopted between the shoulder pulley 170 and the driving end of the direct-drive motor, and multiple shoulder pulleys 170 have multiple transmission level heights, so that the direct-drive motor 150 can work at different transmission level heights, wherein the transmission level height of any shoulder pulley 170 has a height difference with the transmission level height of other shoulder pulleys 170, ensuring that each shoulder pulley 170 is placed at a different transmission level height and transmits at different transmission level heights; there is a certain interval between two adjacent shoulder pulleys 170 in the vertical direction, and multiple shoulder pulleys 170 are placed at different heights in the vertical direction, ensuring that the transmission process between multiple direct-drive motors 150 will not be interfered;

[0076] Alternatively, the driving shafts of multiple direct-drive motors 150 have multiple transmission level heights in the axial direction, and at the same time, the driving end of each direct-drive motor 150 is synchronously connected to a shoulder pulley 170, and the multiple shoulder pulleys 170 have multiple transmission level heights, that is, there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one driving end and the transmission level height of other driving ends; at the same time, there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one shoulder pulley 170 and the transmission level height of other shoulder pulleys 170, that is, there is a certain interval between two adjacent shoulder pulleys 170 in the vertical direction, and the multiple shoulder pulleys 170 are placed at different heights in the vertical direction, to ensure that the transmission process between the multiple direct-drive motors 150 will not be interfered with.

[0077] Specifically in this embodiment, the driving ends of the multiple direct-drive motors 150 have the same transmission level height in the axial direction, that is, the multiple direct-drive motors 150 have the same specifications, and the driving end of each direct-drive motor 150 is synchronously connected with a shoulder pulley 170, which can be connected by interference fit or bolted. In this embodiment, the shoulder pulley 170 is fixed to the rotating shaft of the direct-drive motor 150 by interference fit. The multiple shoulder pulleys 170 have multiple transmission level heights in the axial direction, and the transmission level height of any one of the shoulder pulleys 170 has a height difference with the transmission level heights of other shoulder pulleys 170. During transmission, the multiple shoulder pulleys 170 are transmitted at different transmission level heights, so that the transmission process of the multiple direct-drive motors 150 will not be interfered with;

[0078] Among them, the end effector 120 includes an upper end effector 121 and a lower end effector 122; the upper end effector 121 and the lower end effector 122 are coaxially arranged, and the shoulder pulley 170 on the direct-drive motor 150 for driving the upper end effector 121 to rotate around the wrist rotation center of the first arm 110 is in the middle position; the shoulder pulley 170 on the direct-drive motor 150 for driving the lower end effector 122 to rotate around the wrist rotation center of the first arm 110 is in the lowest position, and the shoulder pulley 170 on the direct-drive motor 150 for driving the first arm 110 to rotate around the elbow rotation center of the second arm 200 is in the highest position; at the same time, the three direct-drive motors 150 can be arranged in parallel or in non-parallel. In the present embodiment, the three direct-drive motors 150 are arranged in a triangular shape; such an arrangement effectively avoids the overlap of transmission levels, and the specific connection method is described below.

[0079] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer transport device, referring to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The wafer handling device includes: a main support body 100, which mainly plays a supporting role and is used to support the parts arranged on the main support body 100. The main support body 100 is cylindrical, and the interior of the main support body 100 is hollow. A first arm 110 is arranged on the main support body 100, and the first arm 110 is rotatably arranged on the main support body 100. An end effector 120 is rotatably arranged on the first arm 110. The end effector 120 can be one or more. In this embodiment, two end effectors 120 are used, and the two end effectors 120 are coaxially arranged. The first arm 110 is provided with a first end rotatably mounted on the main support body 100, and an end effector 120 is rotatably mounted on the other end. Synchronous pulleys are fixedly mounted on the rotating shafts of the two end effectors 120, and the synchronous pulleys on the two end effectors 120 are located at different transmission level heights. The end effector 120 is also connected with an actuator rotation unit 130, which is arranged at the elbow rotation center of the first arm 110 around the second arm 200. The actuator rotation unit 130 is used to drive the end effector 120 to rotate. The end effector 120 and the actuator rotation unit 130 are connected to each other. A first transmission member 140 is arranged between the actuator 30, and the two ends of the first transmission member 140 are respectively connected to the rotating shafts of the actuator rotating unit 130 and the end actuator 120. The first transmission member 140 mainly plays a transmission role, and can be a synchronous belt drive or a gear drive. When the transmission mode of the first transmission member 140 is a gear drive, the first transmission member 140 is a transmission rod with bevel gears fixedly arranged at both ends. Bevel gears are fixedly arranged on the rotating shaft of the end actuator 120 and the rotating shaft of the actuator rotating unit 130. The bevel gears at both ends of the first transmission member 140 are respectively connected to the end actuator 120. The bevel gear on the actuator 120 and the bevel gear on the actuator rotation unit 130 are meshed, and the transmission of the bevel gears is used to drive the end actuator 120 to rotate; in this embodiment, the transmission method of the first transmission member 140 is pulley transmission, that is, the first transmission member 140 is a transmission belt. During use, the two ends of the first transmission member 140 are respectively mounted on the side walls of the synchronous pulleys on the rotating shafts of the actuator rotation unit 130 and the end actuator 120. The actuator rotation unit 130 rotates, driving the first transmission member 140 to rotate, thereby driving the end actuator 120 to rotate.

[0080] The actuator rotation unit 130 mentioned above is specifically described below with an example, and can be flexibly configured according to actual production requirements to achieve the relatively independent rotation of the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 .

[0081] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The actuator rotating unit 130 at least includes a first rotating cylinder 131 and a second rotating cylinder 132, wherein the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 are both cylindrical rotating shafts. In addition, the actuator rotating unit 130 may also have more rotating cylinders inside, wherein the number of rotating cylinders is the same as the number of the end actuator 120, the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 are coaxially arranged, and the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 both have an input end and an output end, and synchronous pulleys are fixedly arranged on the output end and input end of the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132, and a synchronous pulley is fixedly arranged on the rotating shaft of the end actuator 120, that is, two ends of one of the first transmission members 140 are respectively sleeved on the synchronous pulley at the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 and the side wall of the synchronous pulley on the rotating shaft of one of the end actuator 120; two ends of another first transmission member 140 are respectively sleeved on the output end of the second rotating cylinder 132 B2 and the side wall of the synchronous pulley on the rotating shaft of the other end effector 120. Therefore, the rotation of the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 can be converted into the rotation of the end effector 120 through the first transmission member 140. In the working state, the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 is connected to the first transmission member 140, that is, the first transmission member 140 is sleeved on the synchronous pulley of the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder 131, driving the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 to rotate, thereby driving the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 to rotate, so that one of the end effectors 120 rotates; the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 is connected to the first transmission member 140, that is, one end of the first transmission member 140 is sleeved on the synchronous pulley of the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder 132, controlling the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate, thereby driving the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate, so that the other end effector 120 rotates.

[0082] In actual production, the two end effectors 120 may need to rotate relative to each other to carry or transfer wafers at different positions. To achieve this possibility, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 can be arranged in parallel in the same axial direction, or the first rotating cylinder 131 can be arranged inside the second rotating cylinder 132. In this embodiment, the first rotating cylinder 131 is selected to pass through the second rotating cylinder 132, and the outer wall diameter of the first rotating cylinder 131 is smaller than the inner wall diameter of the second rotating cylinder 132. At the same time, the output end B1 and the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 are both placed outside the second rotating cylinder 132, that is, the length of the first rotating cylinder 131 is greater than the length of the second rotating cylinder 132. This arrangement ensures that the synchronous pulleys on the first rotating cylinder 131 and the synchronous pulleys on the second rotating cylinder 132 will not contact each other, and the two have different transmission level heights. In the first rotating cylinder 131, When the second rotating cylinder 132 rotates, there will be no interference between the synchronous pulleys on the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132. A first bearing 133 is arranged between the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132. One end of the first bearing 133 abuts against the outer wall of the first rotating cylinder 131, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the second rotating cylinder 132, and is connected to the two by an interference fit. By providing the first bearing 133, the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 can rotate relative to each other, and the rotation process will not be interfered with. The two end effectors 120 can be controlled to rotate infinitely in the clockwise or counterclockwise direction at the same time, so that the rotation angle of the two end effectors 120 will not be limited, which is convenient for the wafer clamping process.

[0083] In order to control the independent rotation of the first rotating drum 131 and the second rotating drum 132, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4, a second transmission member 160 and a direct-drive motor 150 are provided on the main support body 100, at least two second transmission members 160 are provided, the number of second transmission members 160 corresponds to the number of end effectors 120, a plurality of direct-drive motors 150 are provided, and the plurality of direct-drive motors 150 are fixedly provided on the main support body 100, the direct-drive motor 150 is used to drive the second transmission member 160 to move, in the present embodiment, two direct-drive motors 150 for connecting with the second transmission member 160 are provided, the second transmission member 160 is connected to the actuator rotating unit 130, in the present embodiment, the transmission mode of the second transmission member 160 adopts the transmission mode of a synchronous pulley, that is, the second transmission member 160 is a transmission belt, wherein one end of a second transmission member 160 is connected to the synchronous pulley on the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder 131, and the other end is connected to the direct-drive motor 1 50; one end of the other second rotating member is connected to the synchronous pulley on the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder 132, and the other end is connected to the direct drive motor 150; that is, specifically in this embodiment, the synchronous pulley at the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 corresponds to the position of the lowest shoulder pulley 170, and the synchronous pulley at the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 corresponds to the position of the shoulder pulley 170 in the middle position; in the working state, the two direct drive motors 150 are started, and the driving end of the direct drive motor 150 drives the shoulder pulley 170 on the direct drive motor 150 to rotate, thereby driving the second transmission member 160 to rotate, respectively driving the synchronous pulley on the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 and the synchronous pulley on the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate, thereby driving the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate.

[0084] When the robot arm performs scara action, the first arm 110 needs to rotate relative to the main support body 100. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The wafer handling device also includes a driving member 134, which is cylindrical and rotatably arranged on the main support body 100. The driving member 134 and the second rotating cylinder 132 are coaxially arranged. The driving member 134 and the second rotating cylinder 132 can be arranged in parallel in the axial direction, or the second rotating cylinder 132 can be inserted into the driving member 134. In this embodiment, the second rotating cylinder 132 is inserted into the driving member 134; the driving member 134 has an input end A3 and an output end B3. The output end B3 is fixedly arranged on the first arm 110. In addition to the direct drive motor 150 for driving the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate, the main support body 100 is also provided with a direct drive motor 150 for driving the driving member 134 to rotate, and a third transmission member 180. The third transmission member 180 is a transmission belt, wherein the first transmission member 140, the second transmission member 160 and the third transmission member 180 are made of the same material, and can be a belt, a steel belt, or other parts that can realize pulley transmission. The direct drive motor 150 is used to drive the driving member 134 to rotate. The third transmission member 180 is used to drive the movement. One end of the third transmission member 180 is connected to the direct drive motor 150, and the other end is connected to the input end A3 of the driving member 134. Specifically, in this embodiment, the synchronous pulley at the input end A1 of the driving member 134 corresponds to the position of the uppermost shoulder pulley 170. The third transmission member 180 mainly plays a transmission role. In this embodiment, the shoulder pulley 170 is fixedly provided on the direct drive motor 150, and the input end A3 of the driving member 134 is fixedly provided with a synchronous pulley, that is, one end of the third transmission member 180 is sleeved It is arranged on the shoulder pulley 170 of the direct drive motor 150, and the other end is sleeved on the synchronous pulley of the input end A3 of the driving member 134. The direct drive motor 150 is started to drive the third transmission member 180 to move, thereby driving the driving member 134 to rotate, so that the first arm 110 rotates relative to the main support body 100, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the position of the end effector 120; the direct drive motor 150 improves the defect of the servo motor drive in the prior art with large damping, makes the control more convenient, and at the same time the rotation angle of the end effector 120 will not be restricted.

[0085] In order to prevent the rotation of the synchronous pulley from being interfered when the synchronous pulley is installed on the second rotating cylinder 132 and the driving member 134, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The second rotating cylinder 132 is penetrated by the driving member 134, and the input end A2 and the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 are both placed outside the driving member 134. The input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 and the input end A3 of the driving member 134 have different transmission level heights, and the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 and the output end B3 of the driving member 134 have different transmission level heights; such an arrangement prevents interference between the synchronous pulley on the second rotating cylinder 132 and the synchronous pulley on the driving member 134; a second bearing 135 is arranged between the driving member 134 and the second rotating cylinder 132, one end of the second bearing 135 abuts against the outer wall of the second rotating cylinder 132, and the other end abuts against the inner wall of the driving member 134. The arrangement of the second bearing 135 allows the driving member 134 and the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate relative to each other, and the rotation process will not be interfered with.

[0086] In order to increase the travel of the first arm 110 and the end effector 120, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 4The main support body 100 has a second arm 200 at its end, and the second arm 200 extends to the outside of the main support body 100. The first arm 110 is arranged on the second arm 200. Specifically, in this embodiment, the first arm 110 is rotatably arranged at the elbow rotation center of the second arm 200, and a plurality of direct drive motors 150 are integrated on the second arm 200. In addition, a wire opening 210 is provided on the second arm 200. The wire opening 210 on the second arm 200 is used for passing lines or pipelines. In this embodiment, the wire opening 210 There are two of them, and the two wire openings 210 are respectively placed between the two direct-drive motors 150. The rotation of the main support body 100 can drive the second arm 200 to rotate. During the working process, the main support body 100 and the second arm 200 rotate, which can drive the position change of the first arm 110, so as to facilitate the control of the position change of the end effector 120; a driver 190 is arranged at the bottom of the main support body 100, and the driver 190 is used to drive the main support body 100 to rotate. In this embodiment, the driver 190 adopts a motor, and the rotating shaft of the driver 190 is fixed to the bottom of the main support body 100. When the driver 190 is started, it drives the main support body 100 to rotate, thereby driving the second arm 200 to rotate, so as to facilitate the adjustment of the position of the first arm 110 and the end effector 120; in the process of driving the upper end effector 121 and the lower end effector 122 to rotate, the lowest direct-drive motor 150 and the shoulder pulley 170 drive the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 to rotate, and the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder 131 rotates synchronously, and drives the lower end effector 122 to rotate. The direct drive motor 150 and the shoulder pulley 170 in the middle drive the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate, and the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder 132 rotates synchronously, and drives the upper end effector 121 to rotate; the uppermost direct drive motor 150 and the shoulder pulley 170 drive the input end A3 of the driving member 134 to rotate, and the output end B3 of the driving member 134 rotates synchronously to drive the first arm 110 to rotate. At the same time, in order to avoid entanglement of pipes and lines, the rotation angle of the first arm 110 is less than 360°;

[0087] In the actual working process, since the direct drive motor 150 is used to drive and the two end effectors 120 are driven to rotate through the pulley transmission, the end effector 120 can infinitely rotate at different angles in any direction, and the rotation angle includes 360° and any angle within 360°, such as 30°, 45°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 240° or other rotation angles. In addition, the end effector 120 can also perform continuous wireless rotation in any direction, such as 360°, 720°, 1440° or other rotation angles.

[0088] During wafer handling, the position of the end effector 120 in the vertical direction also needs to be adjusted. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5The wafer handling device also includes a lifting motor 310, and a screw rod 320 is fixedly arranged at the rotating shaft of the lifting motor 310. The fixing method thereof can be a rigid direct connection, a clamping connection or a bolt fixing, etc., which can realize other methods of connecting the two. In this embodiment, it is preferred that the screw rod 320 and the rotating shaft of the lifting motor 310 are rigidly directly connected; a lifting seat 330 is connected to the screw rod 320, and the main support body 100 is abutted against the lifting seat 330. By controlling the lifting seat 330 to move on the screw rod 320, the main support body 100 can be driven to move axially along the screw rod 320 The wafer handling device further includes a slide rail 340, the axis direction of which is parallel to the axis direction of the screw rod 320. A sliding block 360 is fixedly arranged on the lifting seat 330, and the fixing method thereof may be bonding, clamping or bolt fixing. In the present embodiment, the sliding block 360 is preferably fixed to the lifting seat 330 by bolt fixing, and the sliding block 360 is slidably connected to the slide rail 340. The sliding block 360 cooperates with the slide rail 340 to limit the lifting seat 330. A nut 350 is fixedly arranged on the lifting seat 330, and the nut 350 is threadedly connected to the screw rod 320, so that the lifting seat 330 is connected to the screw rod 320. In the working state, the lifting motor 310 is started to drive the screw rod 320 to rotate. Under the limiting action of the sliding block 360 and the sliding rail 340, the rotation of the screw rod 320 is converted into the axial movement of the lifting seat 330 along the screw rod 320, thereby driving the main support body 100 to move, that is, the lifting motor 310 drives the lifting seat 330 to move along the axial direction of the screw rod 320 and promotes the movement of the main support body 100; The transport device also includes a support shell 300, a main support body 100 is slidably set in the support shell 300, a lifting motor 310 is fixedly set inside the support shell 300 by bolts, and a slide rail 340 is fixedly set inside the support shell 300 by bolts. During operation, the lifting motor 310, the slide rail 340, and the lifting seat 330 cooperate to drive the main support body 100 to move, thereby driving the robot arm to move, that is, driving the first arm 110, the second arm 200, and the end drive 190 to move in the axial direction of the screw rod 320.

[0089] The wafer handling device is also provided with an air supply assembly, see Figure 6 and Figure 7The gas supply assembly includes a main supply structure 400 and a transmission assembly 410, the transmission assembly 410 includes a gas supply pipeline 411 and a transmission part 500, the two ends of the gas supply pipeline 411 are respectively connected and connected to the main supply structure 400 and the transmission part 500, and the transmission part 500 includes at least two groups of gas circuits, the two groups of gas circuits are respectively connected to the gas consumption elements 550 on the two end effectors 120, and are used to supply gas to the gas consumption elements 550 on the two end effectors 120; wherein the main supply structure 4 00 is transmitted to the transmission part 500 through the gas supply pipeline 411 and enters into the two groups of gas paths. The transmission part 500 supplies gas to the gas-consuming components 550 in at least two end effectors 120 through the two groups of gas paths respectively. The transmission part 500 converts the fixed gas supply mode of the gas supply pipeline 411 into a rotating gas supply mode. In addition, each group of gas paths in the transmission part 500 can rotate relative to each other, so that each group of gas paths can adapt to the infinite rotation of each end effector 120.

[0090] The gas-consuming element 550 may be a cylinder, or a vacuum suction cup, a Bernoulli gas disc or other elements. In the present embodiment, the gas-consuming element 550 is a cylinder. The transmission part 500 is connected to the gas-consuming element 550 of the end effector 120. The main supply structure 400 is used to provide gas. The gas enters the transmission part 500 through the gas supply pipeline 411, and then the transmission part 500 transports the gas to the gas-consuming element 550 of the end effector 120. In the present embodiment, the main supply structure 400 is a rotating gas-electric slip ring. The rotating gas-electric slip ring has a compressed air inlet 402 and a compressed air outlet 401. The gas supply pipeline 411 is connected to the compressed air outlet 401. During use, the gas enters the rotating gas-electric slip ring through the compressed air inlet 402, and is transferred to the gas supply pipeline 411 through the compressed air outlet 401, which facilitates the gas supply process. At the same time, the rotating gas-electric slip ring can also transmit electrical signals, which is described in detail below.

[0091] The gas needs to satisfy each group of gas paths to adapt to the infinite rotation of each end effector 120 when passing through the transmission part 500, refer to Figure 6 and Figure 8The transmission part 500 includes a spindle 501, and the spindle 501 is used to determine the position of the transmission part 500. The outer wall of the spindle 501 is rotatably provided with a first driving member 502. The first driving member 502 is cylindrical, and the first driving member 502 and the spindle 501 are coaxially arranged. The first driving member 502 is used to fix the end effector 120 and drive the end effector 120 to move. During the working process, the end effector 120 is fixed on the first driving member 502, and its fixing method can be clamping, bolt fixing or other fixing methods. In this embodiment, the end effector 120 is fixed to the outer wall of the first driving member 502 by bolt fixing. The first driving member 502 rotates to drive the end effector 120 to move. The end actuator 120 rotates, and at least a first air channel 503 is provided on the spindle member 501, and multiple air channels can also be provided on the spindle member 501. In the present embodiment, two air channels are provided on the spindle member 501, namely the first air channel 503 and the third air channel 505; at least a second air channel 504 is provided on the first driving member 502, and multiple air channels can also be provided on the first driving member 502. In the present embodiment, two air channels are provided on the first driving member 502, namely the second air channel 504 and the fourth air channel 506, wherein the first air channel 503 is connected to the second air channel 504, and the third air channel 505 is connected to the fourth air channel 506. Here, the first air channel 503 and the second air channel 504 are described first.

[0092] During the rotation of the first driving member 502, the first air channel 503 and the second air channel 504 remain connected to ensure that the first air channel 503 and the second air channel 504 can adapt to the infinite rotation of each end effector 120. Figure 8 and Fig. 9The first drive member 502 has a first connecting member 510 disposed on its inner wall. The first connecting member 510 is cylindrical and coaxial with the first drive member 502. The first connecting member 510 can be fixed or detachable. In this embodiment, the first connecting member 510 is fixedly disposed on the inner wall of the first drive member 502. At the same time, the inner wall of the first drive member 502 has a first connecting groove for disposing the first connecting member 510, so that the inner wall of the first connecting member 510 and the first drive member 502 are connected. The inner wall of the first connecting member 510 is in contact with the outer wall of the spindle member 501. Since the first driving member 502 is rotatably disposed on the spindle member 501, the first connecting member 510 is rotatably disposed on the spindle member 501. The inner wall of the first connecting member 510 is provided with a first annular groove 511, and the outer wall is provided with a second annular groove 512. At the same time, the inner wall of the first connecting member 510 is provided with a connecting hole 513, which penetrates the side wall of the first connecting member 510 and connects the first annular groove 511 with the second annular groove 512. There are multiple connecting holes 513, and the multiple connecting holes 513 are provided. The connecting holes 513 are evenly distributed around the axis of the first connecting member 510, and the two ends of the connecting holes 513 are respectively connected to the first annular groove 511 and the second annular groove 512. At the same time, the first air channel 503 is connected to the first annular groove 511, and the second air channel 504 is connected to the second annular groove 512. In the working state, the gas in the air supply pipeline 411 is passed into the first air channel 503, and the second air channel 504 is connected to the end effector 120. During the rotation of the first driving member 502, the gas passes through the first air channel 503 in sequence. 3. The first annular groove 511, the connecting hole 513, the second annular groove 512, and the second air duct 504 enter the gas-consuming element 550 of the end effector 120. Since the first annular groove 511 and the second annular groove 512 are annular, during the rotation of the first driving member 502, the first annular groove 511 always remains connected with the first air duct 503, and the air intake process will not be interfered. At the same time, the first air duct 503 and the second air duct 504 can adapt to the action with the infinite rotation of each end effector 120.

[0093] During the air supply process, it is necessary to supply air to the air-consuming components 550 on the multiple end effectors 120 at the same time. Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10The spindle member 501 is provided with a third air channel 505, the first driving member 502 is provided with a fourth air channel 506, the third air channel 505 and the fourth air channel 506 are communicated with each other through a first connecting member 510, and an output portion 520 is arranged outside the first driving member 502, the output portion 520 is connected to another end effector 120, and the fourth air channel 506 is communicated with the output portion 520. In the working state, the gas of the air supply pipeline 411 enters the third air channel 505. During the rotation of the first driving member 502, the third air channel 505 and the fourth air channel 506 are communicated with each other through the first connecting member 510. After passing through the fourth air channel 506, the gas enters the output portion 520, and then enters the gas-consuming element 550 of the end effector 120 through the output portion 520, so as to simultaneously control multiple gas-consuming elements 550. 0 for air supply, and at the same time, the third air channel 505 is connected with the first annular groove 511, and the fourth air channel 506 is connected with the second annular groove 512, wherein the third air channel 505 and the first air channel 503 can be connected to the same first annular groove 511, and can also be connected to different first annular grooves 511. In this embodiment, the third air channel 505 and the first air channel 503 are connected to different first annular grooves 511, that is, in this embodiment, at least two first annular grooves 511 are provided, and at least two second annular grooves 512 are provided, the first air channel 503 and the third air channel 505 are respectively connected to the two first annular grooves 511, and the second air channel 504 and the fourth air channel 506 are respectively connected to the two second annular grooves 512, so that the processes of supplying air to the air-consuming components 550 of the multiple end effectors 120 are independent of each other and will not be interfered.

[0094] During the process of supplying air to the gas-consuming element 550 on the end effector 120, it is necessary to make the output part 520 adapt to the wireless rotation of the end effector 120, referring to Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10The output part 520 includes a coaxially arranged second driving member 521 and a second connecting member 522. The second driving member 521 and the second connecting member 522 are both cylindrically arranged, and the second driving member 521 and the second connecting member 522 are coaxially arranged. The second connecting member 522 is arranged inside the second driving member 521. The second connecting member 522 and the second driving member 521 can be fixedly arranged or detachably arranged. In this embodiment, the second connecting member 522 is fixedly arranged on the second driving member 521, and the second connecting member 522 is rotatably arranged on the first driving member 502, so that the second The driving member 521 is rotatably arranged on the outer wall of the first driving member 502, and a fifth air channel 507 is opened on the second driving member 521. One end of the fifth air channel 507 is communicated with the gas-consuming element 550 on the end effector 120, and the other end is communicated with the fourth air channel 506 through the second connecting member 522. The inner wall of the second connecting member 522 is provided with at least a third annular groove 523, and the outer wall is provided with at least a fourth annular groove 524. The number of the third annular groove 523 and the fourth annular groove 524 is determined according to actual conditions. In this embodiment, the third annular groove 523 and the fourth annular groove 524 are both provided with one, and the fourth annular groove 524 is provided with one. The second connecting member 522 is provided with a connecting hole 525, and there are a plurality of connecting holes 525, and the plurality of connecting holes 525 are evenly distributed around the axis of the second connecting member 522, and the two ends of the connecting hole 525 are respectively connected to the third annular groove 523 and the fourth annular groove 524, the fourth air channel 506 is connected to the third annular groove 523, and the fifth air channel 507 is connected to the fourth annular groove 524. During the rotation of the second driving member 521, the gas passes through the third air channel 505, the fourth air channel 506, the third annular groove 523, the connecting hole 525, the fourth annular groove 524, and the fifth air channel 507 in sequence to enter the terminal execution The gas-consuming element 550 of the device 120, since the third annular groove 523 and the fourth annular groove 524 are annular, the third annular groove 523 always remains connected with the fourth air channel 506 during the rotation of the second driving member 521, and the air intake process will not be interfered with, and the two air supply pipelines 411 are used to supply air to the first air channel 503 and the third air channel 505 respectively; the two end effectors 120 are respectively fixed on the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521, that is, in this embodiment, the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521 are used as the rotating shafts of the two end effectors 120, respectively.

[0095] In order to facilitate the rotation of the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521, refer to Figure 8 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10The side wall of the spindle member 501 is fixedly provided with a first boss 5011 by an integral molding method, and a first starting member 530 is rotatably provided on the side wall of the first boss 5011. The first starting member 530 is fixedly provided on the first driving member 502. In the present embodiment, the first starting member 530 is a synchronous pulley. During operation, the first starting member 530 is driven to rotate by pulley transmission, thereby driving the first driving member 502 to rotate, so as to drive the end effector 120 to rotate; a second boss 5021 is fixedly provided on the outer side wall of the second driving member 521, and a second starting member 540 is rotatably provided on the side wall of the first driving member 502. The second starting member 540 is fixed to the second driving member 521, so that the second starting member 540 rotates and drives the second driving member 521 to rotate. The fixing method of the second starting member 540 and the second driving member 521 can be clamping, bonding or bolting, etc. In the present embodiment, The second starting member 540 is connected to the second driving member 521 by bolt fixing. In the present embodiment, the second starting member 540 is a synchronous pulley, which drives the second starting member 540 to rotate by pulley transmission, thereby driving the second driving member 521 to rotate, so as to facilitate driving multiple end effectors 120 to rotate; such an arrangement makes the connection between the spindle member 501, the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521 more stable, and enhances the stability of the transmission part 500. At the same time, the inner walls of the first starting member 530 and the second starting member 540 are both provided with bearings, so as to facilitate the rotation process of the first starting member 530 and the second starting member 540; such an arrangement does not require additional pipelines during the air supply process, and during the rotation of a single or multiple end effectors 120, the air path can adapt to the wireless rotation of the end effector 120, and there is no possibility of entanglement of the air supply pipeline 411.

[0096] During wafer handling, the above-mentioned gas supply device and wafer handling equipment need to be installed and combined, refer to Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The main supply structure 400 is fixedly arranged inside the main support body 100, and the side wall of the main support body 100 is provided with an air intake connector A4 and an air intake connector B4, which are respectively connected to the two compressed air inlets 402 of the main supply structure 400, so as to facilitate the external air to enter the main supply structure 400; the spindle 501 in the transmission part 500 is fixedly arranged at the wrist rotation center of the first arm 110, that is, the transmission part 500 is arranged on the main support body 100, and the end effector 120 is arranged The transmission part 500 is provided with two output connectors, and the two output connectors are respectively connected to the gas consumption elements 550 on the two end effectors 120, so as to facilitate the gas transfer process;

[0097] The gas-consuming element 550 is fixed to the end effector 120 by bolts, and a slide plate 551 is fixedly provided at the end of the gas-consuming element 550. The fixing method here can be clamping or bolting, or other fixing methods that can connect the two. In this embodiment, the slide plate 551 is bolted to the end of the piston rod of the gas-consuming element 550, and a clamping block 552 is slidably provided on the end effector 120. The gas-consuming element 550 is started to drive the slide plate 551 to move, and the slide plate 551 drives the clamping block 552 to move in a direction close to or away from the wafer to clamp the wafer or separate from the wafer. A stopper 553 is also fixedly provided on the end effector 120. The stopper 553 is used to cooperate with the clamping block 552 to clamp the wafer. During the clamping process, the stopper 553 and the clamping block 552 both abut against the side wall of the wafer, thereby clamping the wafer. In the present embodiment, the upper end effector 121 is fixedly arranged on the side wall of the first driving member 502, the second air channel 504 is connected to the gas-consuming element 550 on the upper end effector 121 through one of the output connectors, the lower end effector 122 is fixedly arranged on the second driving member 521, and the fifth air channel 507 is connected to the gas-consuming element 550 of the lower end effector 122 through another output connector, so as to supply air to the two end effectors 120 respectively.

[0098] In the process of driving the end effector 120 to rotate, since the two end effectors 120 are respectively fixed to the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521, and the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521 respectively serve as the rotating shafts of the two end effectors 120, in the process of controlling the rotation of the end effector 120, the first rotating cylinder 131 is connected with the first starting member 530 on the first driving member 502 through the first transmission member 140, so that the first rotating cylinder 131 rotates to drive the first starting member 530 to rotate, thereby driving the first driving member 502 to rotate and causing the upper end effector 121 to rotate; the second rotating cylinder 132 is connected with the second starting member 540 on the second driving member 521 through the second transmission member 160, so that the second rotating cylinder 132 rotates to drive the second starting member 540 to rotate, thereby driving the second driving member 521 to rotate and causing the lower end effector 122 to rotate.

[0099] The wafer handling device also includes a power supply component, see Figure 8 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 The power supply assembly also includes a main supply structure 400 and a transmission assembly 410. In addition to the above-mentioned air supply pipeline 411 and the transmission part 500, the transmission assembly 410 also includes at least two sets of power supply lines 412. One end of the power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the main supply structure 400, and the other end is electrically connected to the transmission part 500, and is electrically connected to the electrical components on the end effector 120 through the transmission part 500. In the working state, the electrical signal of the main supply structure 400 is transmitted to the transmission part 500 through the power supply line 412, and the electrical components in at least two end effectors 120 are respectively powered through the transmission part 500, so as to control the end effector. The electrical components on 120 are started, and the transmission part 500 converts the fixed power supply mode of the power supply line 412 into a rotating power supply mode. Relative rotation can occur between each group of circuits in the transmission part, so that each group of circuits can adapt to the infinite rotation of each end effector 120; in this embodiment, an electrical output connector 404 is also fixedly provided on the main supply structure 400, and the power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the electrical output connector 404 of the main supply structure 400. During the actual power supply process, the electrical signal is transmitted to the power supply line 412 via the main supply structure 400 through the electrical output connector 404, which facilitates the transmission of electrical signals during the wafer transportation process.

[0100] During the transmission of the electrical signal, it is necessary to ensure that the power supply line 412 will not be entangled during the rotation of the end effector 120. Figure 8 , Fig.11 and Fig.12The spindle member 501 is hollow, and the power supply line 412 is passed through the spindle member 501. An electric rotary joint 700 is arranged inside the spindle member 501. The power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the electric rotary joint 700. The electric rotary joint 700 includes a stator end 710 and a rotor end 720. The stator end 710 is fixedly arranged inside the spindle member 501, and the fixing method thereof can be bonding, interference fit or other methods of connecting the two. In this embodiment, the stator end 710 is interference fit with the inner wall of the spindle member 501, and the rotor end 720 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the end effector 120. During the rotation of the end effector 120, the position of the stator end 710 does not change, and the rotor end 720 is rotatably connected to the stator end 710. The two sets of circuits are electrically connected to the stator end 710, that is, the two power supply lines 412 are electrically connected to the stator end 710. After the electric signal enters the stator end 710 of the electric rotary joint 700, the rotor end 720 outputs the electric signal. When the power supply line 412 passes through the spindle 501, a part of the power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the stator end 710, and the other part of the power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the rotor end 720. The power supply line 412 electrically connected to the rotor end 720 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the end effector 120. The electric rotary joint 700 prevents the power supply line 412 from twisting during the rotation. When there are multiple power supply lines 412, the multiple power supply lines 412 will not be entangled.

[0101] When the multiple end effectors 120 rotate, each set of circuits needs to adapt to the infinite rotation of each end effector 120. Figure 8 , Fig.11 and Fig.12The transmission part 500 also includes an electric slip ring structure 600, which includes a slip ring part 610 and a slip ring seat 620. The slip ring part 610 is annular and fixedly arranged on the side wall of the first driving member 502. The slip ring part 610 and the first driving member 502 are coaxially arranged. The slip ring seat 620 is fixedly arranged on the second driving member 521 by bolts. At the same time, the slip ring seat 620 is electrically connected to the slip ring part 610. An annular structure formed by a circuit is arranged on the slip ring seat 620, and the annular structure is sleeved on the slip ring part 610. During the relative rotation between the slip ring seat 620 and the slip ring part 610, the annular structure formed by the circuit on the slip ring seat 620 is always in contact with the side wall of the slip ring part 610 and maintains electrical connection. In the working state, the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521 are fixedly connected with the end effector. 120, one group of lines passes through the spindle member 501 and is directly electrically connected to the end effector 120 fixedly arranged on the first driving member 502; the other power supply line 412 passes through the spindle member 501 and is first electrically connected to the slip ring part 610, and is connected to the connector on the slip ring part 610, and the slip ring seat 620 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the end effector 120 fixedly arranged on the second driving member 521, so that the power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the end effector 120 fixed on the second driving member 521; in this way, during the operation of the two end effectors 120, the power supply lines 412 will not be entangled, and the rotation angle of the end effector 120 will not be limited. At the same time, under the action of the electric slip ring structure 600, each group of circuits adapts to the infinite rotation of each end effector 120.

[0102] During wafer handling, the circuits in the above power supply device and the wafer handling equipment need to be installed and combined, refer to Figure 8 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 , the power supply line 412 passes through the main support body 100, the second arm 200 and the first arm 100 in sequence and is electrically connected to the transmission part 500, the two end effectors 120 are respectively fixedly arranged on the first driving member 502 and the second driving member 521, and the power supply line 412 in the transmission part 500 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the end effector 120; at the same time, the main support body 100 is provided with an inlet connector A5 and an inlet connector B5, and the inlet connector A5 and the inlet connector B5 are both electrically connected to the main supply structure 400. During use, the inlet connector A5 and the inlet connector B5 are powered by an external power supply device, and the electrical signal enters the power supply line 412 after passing through the main supply structure 400. The main supply structure 400 is provided with an electrical input connector 403, and the inlet connector A5 and the inlet connector B5 are connected to the electrical input connector 403, so that the electrical signal enters the main supply structure 400;

[0103] The electrical components on the end effector 120 are at least fixedly provided with a first sensor, a cylinder sensor, a filter, a solenoid valve and a speed regulating valve; in this embodiment, the electrical components are fixed by bolts, the first sensor is a through-beam sensor, used to detect whether the wafer is protruding or overlapping; the cylinder sensor is used to detect and read the extended and retracted position of the cylinder; the filter is used to filter the gas discharged from the cylinder to prevent contamination of the wafer; the solenoid valve is used to control the on and off of the air path in the pneumatic circuit or change the flow direction of the compressed air; the speed regulating valve is used to adjust the running speed of the cylinder;

[0104] The power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the upper end effector 121 after passing through the transmission part 500. The power supply line 412 is electrically connected to the electrical components on the lower end effector 122 through the electric slip ring structure 600, so that the power supply line 412 will not be entangled during the rotation of the upper end effector 121 and the lower end effector 122.

[0105] In this embodiment, the power supply line 412 and the gas supply line 411 are both connected to the main supply structure 400. At the same time, the power supply line 412 and the gas supply line 411 are connected to the transmission part 500 after passing through the main support body 100, the second arm 200, and the first arm 110 in turn, and are connected to the elements on the end effector 120 through the transmission part 500. The electrical signal or gas passes through the stationary end of the main supply structure 400 and enters the corresponding power supply line 412 or gas supply line 411 through the rotating end of the main supply structure 400. Since in this embodiment, the main supply structure 400 is a rotating gas-electric slip ring, the electrical signal or gas passes through the stator end and the rotor end of the main supply structure 400 in turn and enters the corresponding power supply line 412 or gas supply line 411.

[0106] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention discloses a wafer handling method, comprising the following steps:

[0107] Step 1: Control the main support body 100 to rotate, drive the second arm 200 to rotate, so as to change the positions of the first arm 110 and the end effector 120;

[0108] Step 2, controlling the first arm 110 to rotate and changing the position of the end effector 120;

[0109] Step 3, controlling the direct drive motor 150 to start, driving the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate;

[0110] Step 4: The two first transmission members 140 move to drive the two end effectors 120 to rotate, so that the two end effectors 120 rotate independently, and the two end effectors 120 move in a horizontal direction to carry or transfer the wafer;

[0111] Step 5: The main supply structure 400 transmits the gas to the transmission part 500 through the gas supply pipeline 411;

[0112] Step 6: The gas passes through the first gas channel 503 and the second gas channel 504 to supply gas to the gas-consuming component 550 on the upper end effector 121; the gas passes through the third gas channel 505, the fourth gas channel 506, and the fifth gas channel 507 to supply gas to the gas-consuming component 550 on the lower end effector 122;

[0113] Step 7: The gas-consuming element 550 is started to drive the slide plate 551 to move, and the clamping block 552 is pushed to move to clamp the wafer;

[0114] Step 8, the main supply structure transmits the electrical signal to the transmission part 500 through the power supply line 412;

[0115] Step nine: the circuit elements on the end effector 120 are activated.

[0116] In step one, before controlling the first arm 110 to rotate, it is necessary to start the driver 190, and the driver 190 drives the main support body 100 to rotate. Since the second arm 200 is arranged at the end of the main support body 100, during the rotation of the main support body 100, the second arm 200 rotates synchronously, changing the initial position of the first arm 110, thereby increasing the stroke of the end actuator 120.

[0117] The implementation principle of a driving component, a wafer handling device and a wafer handling method of the present invention is as follows: start the lifting motor 310, the lifting motor 310 drives the lead screw 320 to rotate, and under the restriction of the slide rail 340, the lifting seat 330 moves axially along the lead screw 320, pushes the main support body 100 to move, and adjusts the vertical position of the end effector 120; start the driver 190 to drive the main support body 100 to rotate, so as to drive the second arm 200 to rotate, and the rotation of the second arm 200 controls the rotation of the first arm 110, driving the position change of the actuator rotating unit 130; the two first driving members 502 are started, respectively driving the first rotating cylinder 131 and the second rotating cylinder 132 to rotate, thereby driving the two end effectors 120 to rotate, and the end effectors 120 clamp the wafer and transfer it to the specified position. During this process, the rotation angle of the two end effectors 120 will not be limited, and the two end effectors 120 can rotate independently.

[0118] Although the embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention as described in the claims. Moreover, the present invention described herein may have other embodiments and may be implemented or realized in a variety of ways.

Claims

1. A drive assembly, applied to a wafer handling device, the wafer handling device comprising a main support body (100), a first arm (110), a second arm (200) and at least two end effectors (120) capable of relative rotation, characterized in that: The end of the main support body (100) is provided with the second arm (200), the second arm (200) extends to the outside of the main support body (100), the drive assembly is arranged at the shoulder joint of the second arm (200), the drive assembly comprises a drive integration part, the drive integration part comprises a plurality of direct drive motors (150) arranged in parallel, and has a plurality of transmission level heights; Wherein, one of the direct drive motors (150) of the drive integration unit drives the first arm (110) to rotate around the elbow rotation center of the second arm (200), and the other direct drive motors (150) respectively drive at least two end effectors (120) to rotate relatively at different heights around the wrist rotation center of the first arm (110); The main support body (100) is cylindrical, and the interior of the main support body (100) is hollow. The plurality of direct drive motors (150) are fixedly arranged on the main support body (100). A driver (190) for driving the main support body (100) to rotate in a horizontal direction is arranged at the bottom of the main support body (100). The driver (190) is started to drive the main support body (100) to rotate, thereby driving the second arm (200) to rotate.

2. The drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving ends of the plurality of direct drive motors (150) have a plurality of transmission level heights in the axial direction, and there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one of the driving ends and the transmission level heights of the other driving ends; and / or, The driving end of each direct drive motor (150) is synchronously connected to a shoulder pulley (170), and the plurality of shoulder pulleys (170) have a plurality of transmission level heights, and the transmission level height of any one of the shoulder pulleys (170) has a height difference from the transmission level heights of the other shoulder pulleys (170).

3. The drive assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving ends of the multiple direct-drive motors (150) have the same transmission level height in the axial direction, and the driving end of each of the direct-drive motors (150) is synchronously connected to a shoulder pulley (170). The multiple shoulder pulleys (170) have multiple transmission level heights in the axial direction, and there is a height difference between the transmission level height of any one of the shoulder pulleys (170) and the transmission level height of the other shoulder pulleys (170).

4. A wafer transport device, characterized in that: It comprises a main support body (100), a driving assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3; and A first arm (110), one end of which is rotatably disposed on the main support body (100); At least two coaxially arranged end effectors (120) capable of relatively rotating, rotatably arranged at the other end of the first arm (110), each of the end effectors (120) being capable of continuously and infinitely rotating in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; an actuator rotation unit (130), connected to the end actuator (120) and used to drive the end actuator (120) to rotate; the actuator rotation unit (130) comprises at least a first rotating cylinder (131) and a second rotating cylinder (132) which are coaxially arranged, the first rotating cylinder (131) and the second rotating cylinder (132) both having an input end and an output end, the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) and the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder (132) both being connected to the direct drive motor; A first transmission member (140), two ends of which are respectively connected to the actuator rotating unit (130) and the rotating shaft of the end actuator (120); In the working state, the direct drive motor drives the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) to rotate, and the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) is connected to the first transmission member (140). The rotation of the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) drives the output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) to rotate, so that one of the end effectors (120) rotates; the direct drive motor drives the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder (132) to rotate, and the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder (132) is connected to the first transmission member (140). The rotation of the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder (132) drives the output end B2 of the second rotating cylinder (132) to rotate, so that the other end effector (120) rotates.

5. The wafer transport device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first rotating cylinder (131) is inserted into the second rotating cylinder (132); an input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) and an output end B1 of the first rotating cylinder (131) are both arranged outside the second rotating cylinder (132); a first bearing (133) is arranged between the first rotating cylinder (131) and the second rotating cylinder (132); an inner ring of the first bearing (133) abuts against an outer wall of the first rotating cylinder (131), and an outer ring abuts against an inner wall of the second rotating cylinder (132).

6. The wafer transport device according to claim 4, characterized in that: At least two second transmission members (160) are arranged on the main support body (100), and the direct drive motor (150) is used to drive the second transmission members (160) to move; one end of one of the second transmission members (160) is connected to the input end A1 of the first rotating cylinder (131), and the other end is connected to the direct drive motor (150); one end of the other second transmission member (160) is connected to the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder (132), and the other end is connected to the direct drive motor (150).

7. The wafer transport device according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a driving member (134), the driving member (134) is rotatably disposed on the main support body (100) and is coaxially disposed with the second rotating cylinder (132), the driving member (134) has an input end A3 and an output end B3, and the output end B3 of the driving member (134) is fixedly disposed on the first arm (110); In the working state, the input end A3 of the driving member (134) rotates, driving the output end B3 of the driving member (134) to rotate, thereby driving the first arm (110) to rotate.

8. The wafer transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second rotating cylinder (132) is inserted into the driving member (134); the output end B2 and the input end A2 of the second rotating cylinder (132) are both placed outside the driving member (134); a second bearing (135) is arranged between the driving member (134) and the second rotating cylinder (132); the inner ring of the second bearing (135) abuts against the outer wall of the second rotating cylinder (132), and the outer ring abuts against the inner wall of the driving member (134).

9. The wafer transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A third transmission member (180) is provided on the main support body (100), and the direct drive motor (150) is used to drive the third transmission member (180) to move; one end of the third transmission member (180) is connected to the direct drive motor (150), and the other end is connected to the input end A3 of the driving member (134).

10. The wafer transport device according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that: The end of the main support body (100) has a second arm (200), one end of the first arm (110) is rotatably arranged at the end of the second arm (200) away from the main support body (100), and the other end is rotatably arranged with the end effector (120).

11. The wafer transport device according to claim 10, characterized in that: A driver (190) is provided at the bottom of the main support body (100) for driving the main support body (100) to rotate in a horizontal direction.

12. The wafer transport device according to claim 11, characterized in that: It also includes an air supply assembly, which includes a main supply structure (400) and a transmission assembly (410); the transmission assembly (410) includes an air supply pipeline (411) and a transmission part (500), and two ends of the air supply pipeline (411) are respectively connected to the main supply structure (400) and the transmission part (500); The transmission part (500) is used to connect to the end effector (120) and to transmit the gas in the gas supply pipeline (411) to the gas consuming element (550) on the end effector (120).

13. The wafer transport device according to claim 12, characterized in that: It also includes a power supply component, wherein a power supply line (412) of the power supply component is electrically connected to a circuit element on the end effector (120).

14. A wafer transport method, comprising the wafer transport device according to claim 13, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Controlling the main support body (100) to rotate, driving the second arm (200) to rotate, so as to change the positions of the first arm (110) and the end effector (120); Controlling the first arm (110) to rotate and changing the position of the end effector (120); Controlling the direct drive motor (150) to start, thereby driving the first rotating cylinder (131) and the second rotating cylinder (132) to rotate; The two first transmission members (140) move to drive the two end effectors (120) to rotate, so that the two end effectors (120) rotate independently, thereby realizing the movement of the two end effectors (120) in a horizontal direction to carry or transfer the wafer.

Images