Manipulator, substrate conveying device, holding unit and substrate taking-out method

Abstract

The invention provides a manipulator, a substrate conveying device, a holding unit and a substrate taking-out method, which are suitable for coping with substrates which are thin and are accommodated in containers with narrow intervals, and can cope with warpage of the substrates. The invention provides a robot hand, a substrate conveying apparatus including a substrate conveying robot using the robot hand, a holding unit mounted on the robot hand, and a substrate taking-out method for taking out a substrate using the robot hand. The robot hand includes: a hand member that holds a substrate; a support part provided on the hand member and supporting a lower surface of the substrate; and a first drive unit provided on the hand member and driving the support unit, the first drive unit moving the support unit between an in-out position above the upper surface of the hand member and a retracted position below the in-out position, the entrance / exit position is set at a position farther from the upper surface of the hand member than a maximum amount of warpage assumed for the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a robot, a substrate conveying device, a holding unit and a substrate taking-out method. Background Art

[0002] Previously, in the manufacturing field of semiconductors, etc., there has been a technology that uses an industrial substrate handling robot to take out a substrate (e.g., a wafer, a glass substrate, etc.) from a container that accommodates the substrate, and transports it to various processing devices to process the transported substrate. Among them, the industrial substrate handling robot includes a robot arm and a robot installed at the front end of the robot arm, which holds the substrate transported by the robot arm. For example, as a method of transporting a substrate using an industrial substrate handling robot, various technologies related to a substrate removal method are disclosed, wherein the substrate removal method causes the robot arm to abut against the substrate from the front end or rear end of the substrate, or causes the robot arm to support the substrate from the bottom of the substrate, thereby lifting the substrate from the substrate support portion in the container, and taking the substrate out of the container along with the movement of the robot arm.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6752061 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In recent years, in the field of semiconductor devices, the integration of devices has increased, and on the other hand, the miniaturization of devices has also developed. Along with this, a packaging technology for devices with high integration, called panel level packaging (hereinafter referred to as PLP) is becoming popular. PLP is a method of manufacturing multiple semiconductor packages at the same time by arranging multiple chips on a rectangular panel. Various industrial robots are used in the production line of semiconductor packages using PLP. In PLP, there is a process of coating (sealing) the upper surface of the panel carrying multiple chips with resin, etc. The panels processed on the production line of semiconductor packages using PLP are prone to large warping in the upward and downward directions (upward warping, downward warping) and other problems.

[0008] In the front opening unified pod (FOUP) which is a storage container for substrates, substrate support parts (hereinafter referred to as slots) are formed at equal intervals, and the spacing between the slots is being narrowed to improve the storage efficiency of the substrates. When the substrate is taken out from the FOUP using a substrate transfer robot, the robot is inserted into the FOUP. However, based on the narrow spacing between the slots in the FOUP, when the substrate is warped upward or downward, the gap between the slots where the robot is inserted becomes uneven. Therefore, in the narrow gap area, the robot and the substrate may come into contact when the robot is inserted. In addition, the lower surface of the substrate used in the PLP is predetermined to have an area that the robot can contact. In order to suppress the adhesion of particles to the substrate caused by the contact between the robot and the substrate, the robot is required to use support members such as support pins in the said area to minimize the area in contact with the substrate for support. In addition, regardless of the warping form of the substrate, the robot is required to support the substrate in a manner that the lower surface of the substrate does not contact the hand member of the robot described later. In addition, the robot arm is also required to have sufficient rigidity in order to handle heavy objects such as substrates with chips mounted thereon.

[0009] Based on the above, the structure of the robot is a structure that can be inserted into a portion with a narrow gap, and the supporting member can be stored inside the robot. After the robot is inserted into the container, the supporting member can protrude from the upper surface of the robot. In order to further reliably support the substrate, the supporting member needs to protrude to a level greater than the warping amount of the substrate.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention provides a robot, a substrate transporting device equipped with a substrate transporting robot including the robot, a holding unit installed on the robot, and a substrate removal method using the robot to remove the substrate. The robot is suitable for dealing with substrates accommodated in containers with narrow groove spacing and can deal with warping caused by the substrates.

[0011] Technical means of solving problems

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a robot arm, characterized in that it includes: a hand member for holding a substrate; a support portion, which is arranged on the hand member and supports the lower surface of the substrate; and a first driving portion, which is arranged on the hand member and drives the support portion, and the first driving portion moves the support portion between an entry and exit position above the upper surface of the hand member and a retreat position below the entry and exit position, and the entry and exit position is set at a position farther away from the upper surface of the hand member than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

[0013] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a substrate transporting device, which is characterized by comprising: a substrate transporting robot including the manipulator; a substrate transporting module in which the substrate transporting robot is arranged; a detection unit for detecting the relative position of the manipulator and the substrate; and a control unit for driving the supporting unit to move the supporting unit, wherein the control unit starts controlling the first driving unit of the manipulator and drives the supporting unit based on the detection result of the detection unit.

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a holding unit, which is installed on a hand member of a robot having an upper surface including a recess and holds a substrate. The holding unit is characterized in that it includes: a base portion, which is arranged on the bottom surface of the recess of the hand member and has a receiving opening divided by a side wall; a support portion, which is arranged on the base portion and supports the lower surface of the substrate; and a first transmission mechanism, which is arranged on the base portion and connected to the support portion, the base portion being constituted into a frame shape by the receiving opening, and its thickness is smaller than the distance between the upper surface of the hand member and the bottom surface of the recess, the support portion is located in the receiving opening surrounded by the side wall, the first transmission mechanism drives the support portion by the driving force of a driving source to move it between an ascending position above the upper surface of the hand member and a descending position below the upper surface of the hand member, and the ascending position is set at a position farther away from the upper surface of the hand member than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

[0015] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a substrate taking-out method, wherein a manipulator provided on a substrate handling robot takes out a substrate supported by a substrate supporting portion of a container, wherein the manipulator is installed on an arm of the substrate handling robot which can be extended and rotated in a horizontal plane and can also be lifted and lowered in an up-and-down direction, and comprises: a hand member for holding the substrate; a supporting portion provided on the hand member; and a first driving portion provided on the hand member for driving the movement of the supporting portion, wherein the substrate taking-out method is characterized in that it comprises: an insertion step for inserting the manipulator into the substrate below; a support portion moving process, causing the support portion to move to support the lower surface of the substrate; and a removal process, causing the robot to move to remove the substrate from the substrate support portion, the insertion process is performed when the support portion is located at a retreat position lower than the upper surface of the hand member, the support portion moving process is driven by the first driving unit to move the support portion from the retreat position to an entry-exit position, and the entry-exit position is set at a position higher than the upper surface of the hand member and farther away from the upper surface of the hand member than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] Through the present invention, a robot, a substrate transport device, a holding unit and a substrate removal method can be provided, which can insert the robot into the container when using the robot to remove a substrate with a large warp contained in a container with a narrow groove spacing, but can prevent the robot from contacting the substrate during the insertion, and can hold and remove the substrate with a large warp in a state preventing contact with the robot. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] [ Figure 1 ] is a three-dimensional illustration of a robot according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] [ Figure 2 ]yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the robot arm with the upper cover of the hand member removed.

[0020] [ Figure 3 ]yes Figure 1 The illustrated robot arm is mounted on a substrate transport robot in a perspective view.

[0021] [ Figure 4 ]yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the holding unit when the support portion and the first restricting portion of the robot are located at the advancing and retreating positions.

[0022] [ Figure 5 ]yes Figure 1 The perspective view of the holding unit when the support portion and the first restriction portion of the robot are located at the retracted position is shown.

[0023] [ Figure 6 ]yes Figure 4 A side view of the holding unit when the supporting portion and the first restricting portion are located at the advancing and retreating positions.

[0024] [ Figure 7 ]yes Figure 5 A side view of the holding unit when the supporting portion and the first restricting portion are located at the retracted position.

[0025] [ Figure 8 ]yes Figure 1 A perspective illustration of another holding unit when the support portion of the robot arm is located at the in-and-out position.

[0026] [ Fig. 9 ] is to make Figure 1 A top view illustrating the displacement support mechanism for displacing the third support portion of the robot shown.

[0027] [ Fig.10 ]yes Figure 1The figure is a side view illustrating a state in which the support portion of the robot is located at the advancing and retreating position and holds a warped substrate.

[0028] [ Fig.11 ]yes Fig.10 A side view of a warped substrate is shown.

[0029] [ Fig.12 ] is a three-dimensional diagram showing the substrate transporting device of the present invention.

[0030] [ Fig.13 ]yes Fig.12 The structural configuration diagram of the substrate transfer device shown.

[0031] [ Fig.14 ] is to accommodate the applicable Figure 1 The robot and Fig.12 An illustration of a substrate container of a substrate transport device.

[0032] [ Fig.15 ] is applicable Figure 1 The robot and Fig.12 Flow chart of a substrate removal method of a substrate transfer device.

[0033] [ Fig.16 ]yes Figure 1 The robot is in Fig.15 A side view illustrating a first state corresponding to the steps of the flowchart of the substrate removing method.

[0034] [ Fig.17 ]yes Figure 1 The robot is in Fig.15 A side view illustrating a second state corresponding to the step of the flowchart of the substrate removal method.

[0035] [ Fig.18 ]yes Figure 1 The robot is in Fig.15 A side view illustrating a third state corresponding to the step of the flowchart of the substrate removing method.

[0036] [ Fig.19 ]yes Figure 1 The robot is in Fig.15 A side view illustrating a fourth state corresponding to the steps of the flowchart of the substrate removing method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Figures 1 to 19In combination, the robot 100 of this embodiment, the substrate transporting device 20 equipped with the substrate transporting robot 30 including the robot 100, the holding unit 200 installed in the robot 100, and the process of the substrate taking out method using the robot 100 to take out the substrate W are described, and the spatial coordinate system XYZ is described as the left-right direction X, the front-back direction Y, and the up-down direction Z, but this is just an example of the present invention and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0038] In this embodiment, the robot 100 ( Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) is installed on a substrate transport robot 30 ( Figure 3 The robot 100 includes a base 112, a hand member 114, a support portion 120, a limiting portion 130, and a driving portion 140. The substrate transport robot 30 may be installed in a substrate transport device 20 ( Fig.12 The robot 100 is a mobile robot (shown in FIG. 1 ), and the robot 100 is, for example, a robot installed on the arm 32 of the substrate transport robot 30 and holds the substrate W transported as the arm 32 moves. As an example, the support portion 120 includes a first support portion 120A, a second support portion 120B, and a third support portion 120C, the limiting portion 130 includes a first limiting portion 130A and a second limiting portion 130B, and the driving portion 140 includes a first driving portion 140A and a second driving portion 140B, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0039] Specifically, the robot 100 includes a base 112 connected to the arm 32, and a hand member 114 extending from the base 112 and holding the substrate W, and is configured in a substantially Y-shape. The support portion 120 is provided on the hand member 114, and supports the lower surface of the substrate W. In addition, the support portion 120 is provided in plurality on the hand member 114, and includes a first support portion 120A provided on the front end side of the hand member 114, a second support portion 120B provided on the base end side of the base 112 side of the hand member 114, and a third support portion 120C provided between the first support portion 120A and the second support portion 120B in the extension direction of the hand member 114 (for example, the front-to-back direction Y). The first limiting portion 130A is provided on the front end side of the hand member 114, and faces or abuts against the front end surface of the substrate W. The second limiting portion 130B is provided on the base end side of the base 112 side of the hand member 114, and faces or abuts against the rear end surface of the substrate W.

[0040] Furthermore, the first driving portion 140A is provided on the hand member 114, and drives the supporting portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A. The supporting portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A move in the up-down direction Z. In detail, the supporting portion 120 moves in the up-down direction Z along with the rotational action through a rotation mechanism (a first transmission mechanism 144A described later). Therefore, the supporting portion 120 supports the substrate W in a manner of lifting the lower surface of the substrate W upward in the up-down direction Z. In addition, the movement amount of the supporting portion 120 in the up-down direction Z is set to be larger than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate W. The first limiting portion 130A moves in the up-down direction Z along with the rotational action through a rotation mechanism (a second transmission mechanism 144B described later). Therefore, the first limiting portion 130A can also be opposed to the front end surface of the substrate W in a substantially vertical direction, or abutted against the front end surface of the substrate W in a manner of approaching from a substantially vertical direction. The first driving unit 140A moves the support unit 120 and the first limiting unit 130A to the in-and-out position P1 above the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (for example, the subsequent Figure 4 and Figure 6 The state shown in FIG. 1 is a state in which the in-and-out position P2 is located below the in-and-out position P1 (for example, the subsequent Figure 5 and Figure 7 The in-and-out position P1 is, for example, a position where the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A can protrude from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 to lift and hold the substrate W. In addition, relative to the support portion 120 for supporting the lower surface of the substrate W, the in-and-out position P1 is set at a position farther from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate W (the details will be described later). The retreat position P2 is, for example, a position where the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are recessed into the hand member 114 and away from the substrate W.

[0041] Here, preferably: Figure 2 As shown, a recess 116 is provided on the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114, and the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are provided in the recess 116. Thus, the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are accommodated in the recess 116 when they are located at the retreat position P2, so that the hand member 114 can be configured to be thin. Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , an upper cover 115 for covering the recess 116 is provided on the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 1 As shown, a reflection sensor 118 is provided on the front end side of the hand member 114. The reflection sensor 118 functions as a detection unit 22 described later and can detect the front end surface of the substrate W, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0042] In addition, the second driving unit 140B is provided on the hand member 114, and drives the second limiting unit 130B. The second limiting unit 130B moves along the front-rear direction Y. As an example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in the figure, a second driving unit 140B is disposed between the central portion of the hand member 114 and the second limiting unit 130B, but in other embodiments not shown, a pair of second driving units 140B may be disposed on both sides of the hand member 114 and located on the left and right sides of the second limiting unit 130B. Specifically, the second limiting unit 130B abuts against the rear end surface of the substrate W in a manner of approaching from a vertical direction. The second driving unit 140B makes the second limiting unit 130B abut against the rear end surface of the substrate W in the advanced position P3 (for example, Figure 1 The state shown in FIG. 1 is a state in which the back position P4 is closer to the base end side than the forward position P3 (shown in FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 The forward position P3 is, for example, a position where the second limiting portion 130B abuts against the rear end surface of the substrate W and can clamp the front and rear end surfaces of the substrate W together with the first limiting portion 130A, but the present invention is not limited to this. The retreated position P4 is, for example, a position where the second limiting portion 130B retreats away from the substrate W. The forward position P3 and the retreated position P4 are also shown in FIG. Figure 16 to Figure 19 .

[0043] That is, as an example, the plurality of support parts 120 and the first limiting part 130A are driven by the first driving part 140A, and the second limiting part 130B is driven by the second driving part 140B. The purpose of driving the support parts 120 and the first limiting part 130A by the same driving part (i.e., the first driving part 140A) is to move the support parts 120 and the first limiting part 130A integrally. When not used to hold the substrate W, the support parts 120 and the first limiting part 130A are integrally moved to the retreat position P2 and accommodated in the recess 116, thereby making the robot 100 thin. Therefore, the robot 100 can be easily moved below the substrate W. In addition, when used to hold the substrate W, the support parts 120 and the first limiting part 130A are integrally moved to the in-and-out position P1, thereby making it possible to hold the substrate W simultaneously by the support parts 120 and the first limiting part 130A. Therefore, the robot 100 is suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in containers with narrow spacing.

[0044] Correspondingly, in the present embodiment, the purpose of driving the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B by different driving portions (i.e., the first driving portion 140A and the second driving portion 140B) is to drive the movement of the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B at different timings. First, the first limiting portion 130A that moves along the up-down direction Z with the rotational motion is moved from the retreat position P2 to the in-and-out position P1 that faces the front end surface of the substrate W in the front-to-back direction Y. Next, the second limiting portion 130B that moves along the front-to-back direction Y is moved from the retreat position P4 to the advance position P3 that abuts against the rear end surface of the substrate W. By the second limiting portion 130B moving from the retreat position P4 to the advance position P3, the substrate W is pressed to a position abutting against the first limiting portion 130A. The first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B can reliably abut against the front end surface and the rear end surface of the substrate W, so that the holding stability of the substrate W is improved.

[0045] However, in other embodiments not shown in the figure, the manipulator 100 can move the adjacent first support portion 120A and the first limiting portion 130A as a whole through different driving portions, or can move them at different times through the same first driving portion 140A or different driving portions. The present invention is not limited to this. In addition, the manipulator 100 can also move only the adjacent first support portion 120A and the first limiting portion 130A as a whole through the drive of the first driving portion 140A, and the second support portion 120B and the third support portion 120C are moved by the drive of another driving portion. It is not limited to moving multiple support portions 120 as a whole through the same first driving portion 140A. In addition, the manipulator 100 can also use a single driving portion to drive the movement of multiple support portions 120 and multiple limiting portions 130 at the same time. The present invention is not limited to the multiple support portions 120 in the manipulator 100 being driven by the first driving portion 140A and moving as a whole with the first limiting portion 130A, nor is it limited to the multiple limiting portions 130 being unable to move as a whole. The number, position and connection relationship of the supporting portion 120 , the limiting portion 130 and the driving portion 140 can be adjusted as needed.

[0046] In addition, in other embodiments not shown in the figure, the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B of the robot 100 may not abut against the end surface of the substrate. That is, the first limiting portion 130A may face the front end surface of the substrate W with a gap at the in-and-out position P1, and the second limiting portion 130B may face the rear end surface of the substrate W with a gap at the forward position P3. In this case, the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B limit the excessive movement of the substrate W in the front-back direction Y when the substrate W is transported, thereby suppressing the substrate W from falling off the robot 100. In addition, although the gaps between the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B and the front and rear end surfaces of the substrate W depend on the size of the area on the lower surface of the substrate W that is allowed to contact the robot 100, for example, it is ideally about 1 mm. In addition, as an example, the robot 100 may not be provided with the limiting portion 130. In the above embodiment, the first driving portion 140A drives the supporting portion 120.

[0047] In addition, in the present embodiment, the hand member 114 of the robot 100 is provided with a plurality of symmetrically existing supporting parts 120 to stably support the substrate W. The recessed part 116 is provided in the hand member 114, which may be an elongated groove extending along the extending direction Y of the hand member 114, or may be a plurality of rectangular grooves dispersedly arranged along the extending direction Y of the hand member 114. The purpose of providing the plurality of supporting parts 120 in the hand member 114 is to support the lower surface of the substrate W from the front end side of the hand member 114 by the first supporting part 120A, to support the lower surface of the substrate W from the base end side of the hand member 114 by the second supporting part 120B, and to support the lower surface of the substrate W from the middle of the hand member 114 by the third supporting part 120C.

[0048] However, in other embodiments not shown, the manipulator 100 is provided with a first support portion 120A corresponding to the front end side and a second support portion 120B corresponding to the base end side, and the third support portion 120C corresponding to the middle may be omitted, or only one of the first support portion 120A, the second support portion 120B, and the third support portion 120C may be provided, or more than four support portions 120 may be provided. In addition, the manipulator 100 is not limited to being provided as a combination of the base portion 112 and the hand member 114, and may also include a hand member configured as a rectangular plate portion, and the support portion 120 may also be provided at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the plate portion as required. In addition, in the case where three support portions 120 corresponding to the front end side, the base end side, and the middle are provided, the third support portion 120C is not limited to being located in the center of the first support portion 120A and the second support portion 120B. The position of the third support portion 120C may be close to the first support portion 120A or close to the second support portion 120B according to conditions such as the position where the substrate W is warped or bent.

[0049] In addition, if Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first driving portion 140A includes a driving shaft 142, a transmission mechanism 144, and a driving source 146 for driving the movement of the driving shaft 142. The driving shaft 142 is inserted into the interior of the hand member 114 along the extension direction Y, for example, and moves along the extension direction Y between the front end side and the base end side of the hand member 114. The transmission mechanism 144 enables the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A to be linked with the driving shaft 142. The transmission mechanism 144 enables the support portion 120 (for example, the first support portion 120A) and the first limiting portion 130A to move integrally between the entry and exit position P1 and the retreat position P2. The second support portion 120B and the third support portion 120C can also be connected via the corresponding transmission mechanism 144 (refer to the following description). Figure 8 ) and moves integrally with the drive shaft 142, but is not limited to this.

[0050] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the transmission mechanism 144 includes a first transmission mechanism 144A and a second transmission mechanism 144B. The first transmission mechanism 144A links the support portion 120 with the drive shaft 142, so that the support portion 120 moves between the entry and exit position P1 and the retreat position P2. The second transmission mechanism 144B links the first limiting portion 130A with the drive shaft 142, so that the first limiting portion 130A moves between the entry and exit position P1 and the retreat position P2. In this way, the first drive portion 140A moves between the front end side and the base end side of the hand member 114 through the drive shaft 142, and can simultaneously drive the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B, thereby driving the movement of the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A via the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B. As described above, the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are driven by the transmission mechanism 144 driven by a common driving source 146, so the cost of the driving source or the energy consumption can be reduced compared to the case where the driving mechanism and the driving source are separately provided for each of the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A, or each of the plurality of support portions 120. Furthermore, by reducing the components of the robot 100, the robot 100 or the substrate transfer device 20 equipped with the substrate transfer robot 30 including the robot 100 can be miniaturized.

[0051] As an example, the drive shaft 142 is connected to the first transmission mechanism 144A via the slider B1, and is connected to the second transmission mechanism 144B via the slider B2. When the drive shaft 142 moves toward the front end side along the extension direction Y of the hand member 114, the drive shaft 142 moves the sliders B1 and B2 toward the front end side along the extension direction Y, thereby simultaneously driving the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B, so that the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A move to the in-and-out position P1, and the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A protrude toward the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. Correspondingly, when the driving shaft 142 moves toward the base end side along the extension direction Y of the hand member 114, the driving shaft 142 causes the sliders B1 and B2 to move toward the base end side along the extension direction Y, thereby simultaneously driving the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B, so that the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A move to the retreat position P2, and the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are recessed into the recess 116 provided on the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114.

[0052] Therefore, the robot 100 can adjust the positions of the support part 120 and the first limiting part 130A as needed. For example, when the robot 100 is not used to hold the substrate W, the support part 120 and the first limiting part 130A are moved to the retreat position P2 as a whole and are accommodated in the recess 116, and the hand member 114 can be configured to be thin and can be easily moved under the substrate W. When the robot 100 is used to hold the substrate W, the support part 120 and the first limiting part 130A are moved to the in-and-out position P1 as a whole, thereby the substrate W can be held by the support part 120 and the first limiting part 130A at the same time. Therefore, the robot 100 is suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in containers with narrow spacing.

[0053] Furthermore, the robot 100 further includes a holding unit 200 disposed on the hand member 114. The holding unit 200 includes a base portion 210 disposed on the hand member 114, a first support portion 120A as a support portion 120, a first limiting portion 130A as a limiting portion 130, a first transmission mechanism 144A, and a second transmission mechanism 144B. The holding unit 200 is suitable for being mounted on the hand member 114 of the robot 100 having an upper surface including a recess 116 (i.e., the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114) and holding the substrate W, for example, being disposed on the hand member 114 and located in the recess 116. Here, the first support portion 120A is disposed on one side of the base portion 210, the first limiting portion 130A is disposed on the other side of the base portion 210 facing the first support portion 120A, and the first support portion 120A and the first limiting portion 130A are arranged in parallel at positions facing each other across the drive shaft 142 of the first drive portion 140A. In other words, the first transmission mechanism 144A connected to the first support portion 120A and the second transmission mechanism 144B connected to the first limiting portion 130A are arranged in parallel at positions facing the drive shaft 142 that moves axially (i.e., the extension direction of the drive shaft 142, which corresponds to the front-to-back direction Y here) across the driving force of the drive source 146. Here, the base portion 210 includes a drive shaft configuration portion R1, one of the configuration portions R2, and another configuration portion R3. The drive shaft configuration portion R1 is configured with the drive shaft 142. One of the configuration portions R2 is disposed on one side of the drive shaft configuration portion R1, and is configured with the first transmission mechanism 144A. The other configuration portion R3 is disposed on the other side of the drive shaft configuration portion R1, and is configured with the second transmission mechanism 144B.

[0054] The base portion 210 is disposed on the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116 formed on the hand member 114 (see Fig.10), and has a receiving opening 214 divided by a side wall 212. The first supporting portion 120A as the supporting portion 120 is arranged on the base portion 210, and supports the lower surface of the substrate W. The first transmission mechanism 144A is arranged on the base portion 210 and connected to the first supporting portion 120A. Similarly, the first limiting portion 130A as the limiting portion 130 is arranged on the base portion 210, and is arranged to face or be able to abut against the front end surface of the substrate W. The second transmission mechanism 144B is arranged on the base portion 210, and is connected to the first limiting portion 130A as the limiting portion 130. That is, in this embodiment, the first support portion 120A and the first limiting portion 130A, which are adjacently arranged, are arranged on the base portion 210 to constitute the holding unit 200, and the transmission mechanism 144 (including the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B) is also arranged on the base portion 210, so that the assembled holding unit 200 can be easily installed as a component on the recess 116 provided on the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. In addition, as an example, the manipulator 100 may not be provided with the limiting portion 130. In the embodiment (the holding unit 200A described later), only the support portion 120 and the transmission mechanism connected thereto are arranged on the base portion 210.

[0055] The base portion 210 is formed into a frame shape by the receiving opening 214, and its thickness (i.e., the dimension in the up-down direction Z) is smaller than the distance between the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 and the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116. Thus, the base portion 210 installed on the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116 is accommodated in the recess 116. In addition, the upper surface 210a of the base portion 210 installed on the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116 is lower than the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. In addition, the first support portion 120A as the support portion 120 is located in the receiving opening 214 surrounded by the side wall 212. Therefore, when the first support portion 120A is located in the retreat position P2, the first support portion 120A does not protrude toward the upper surface 210a of the base portion 210, but can be located at a lower position than the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. Similarly, when the first limiting portion 130A as the limiting portion 130 is located at the retreat position P2, the first limiting portion 130A may also be located at a position lower than the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. Therefore, the robot 100 using these holding units 200 can be suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in containers with narrow spacing. If the support portion 120 and the limiting portion 130 at the retreat position P2 are located at a position lower than the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114, they may also protrude from the upper surface 210a of the base portion 210.

[0056] The first transmission mechanism 144A drives the first support portion 120A as the support portion 120 by the driving force of the driving source 146 to move the first support portion 120A to a raised position above the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 and capable of supporting the substrate W (i.e., Figure 4 and Figure 6 The in-and-out position P1 shown in the figure), and the descending position below the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 As another embodiment, the first transmission mechanism 144A may also drive the first support portion 120A as the support portion 120 by the driving force of the driving source 146 to move the first support portion 120A to a raised position (i.e., a position above the upper surface 210a of the base portion 210) that can support the substrate W. Figure 4 and Figure 6 The entry and exit position P1 shown in the figure), and the descending position below the ascending position (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 The first transmission mechanism 144A is a transmission mechanism for transmitting the first transmission mechanism 144A to the first transmission mechanism 144A. The ... Therefore, the first support portion 120A as the support portion 120 moves in the axial direction (ie, the front-rear direction Y) of the first connecting member C1 and the linkage of the first driving member L1 and the second driving member L2. Figure 4 and Figure 6 The in-and-out position P1 shown) and the lowered position (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 Moves between the retreat position P2) shown in the figure.

[0057] In addition, the base portion 210 is further provided with a second guide hole O2 formed on the side wall 212 and extending in the axial direction (i.e., the front-to-rear direction Y). The first transmission mechanism 144A also includes a second connecting member C2, a first driven member L3, a second driven member L4, and a connecting member C3. The second connecting member C2 and the connecting member C3 are, for example, pins for connection, and the first driven member L3 and the second driven member L4 are, for example, connecting rods, but are not limited thereto. The second connecting member C2 is inserted into the second guide hole O2 and can move in the axial direction in the second guide hole O2. The first end E31 of the first driven member L3 is connected to the second connecting member C2. The first end E41 of the second driven member L4 can be rotatably disposed on the base portion 210, and its second end E42 can be relatively rotatably connected to the first driven member L3. The connecting member C3 can relatively rotatably connect the second end E12 of the first driving member L1 and the second end E32 of the first driven member L3. Therefore, the first support portion 120A as the support portion 120 corresponds to the connecting member C3, and moves in the ascending position (ie, Figure 4 and Figure 6 The in-and-out position P1 shown) and the lowered position (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 The first driving member L1 moves between the retreat position P2 shown in the figure, and the first driven member L3, the second driven member L4, and the second connecting member C2 are linked together through the connecting member C3.

[0058] In addition, if Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the connecting member C3 has a bulge 122 at the middle position of its axial direction (i.e., the left-right direction X), and the bulge 122 can be used as a support portion 120 to abut against the lower surface of the substrate W and support the lower surface of the substrate W. As an example, the bulge 122 can also be a cylindrical member that can be rotatably embedded in the pin used for connection as the connecting member C3. When the cylindrical member is circular in shape when viewed in the axial direction, it is in line contact with the lower surface of the substrate W, so the area in contact with the substrate W can be supported to a minimum. When the shape is polygonal in shape when viewed in the axial direction, it is in surface contact with the lower surface of the substrate W, so the holding force of the substrate W can be ensured to be large. In addition, the cylindrical member is preferably made of a material that is not easy to generate particles. For example, when it contains elastic polyurethane resin, it can be crushed according to the weight of the substrate W, so that the contact area with the lower surface of the substrate W can be increased, and the holding force of the substrate W can be ensured to be greater. In other embodiments not shown, the bulging portion 122 may be a portion bulging from the outer peripheral surface of the connection pin as the connection member C3 and formed integrally, or the bulging portion 122 may not be provided. The present invention is not limited thereto.

[0059] In addition, the bottom surface 116a of the recessed portion 116 includes a pin 116b protruding upward from the hand member 114. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the pin 116b is located in the moving area of ​​the support portion 120 that moves in the up-down direction Z, and defines the position of the support portion 120 at the retreat position P2. The pin 116b defines the position of the support portion 120 at the retreat position P2, thereby limiting the first drive member L1 and the second drive member L2, and the first driven member L3 and the second driven member L4 that constitute the first transmission mechanism 144A and the axial direction of the drive shaft 142 to be horizontal. As an example, the support portion 120 at the retreat position P2 abuts against the pin 116b located below the support portion 120, thereby limiting its downward movement from the retreat position P2 to be horizontal with the axial direction of the drive shaft 142. That is, the first drive member L1 and the second drive member L2, and the first driven member L3 and the second driven member L4 at the retreat position P2 are prevented from being arranged in a straight line that is horizontal with the axial direction of the drive shaft 142. Therefore, by the action of the pin 116b, the first driving member L1 and the second driving member L2, and the first driven member L3 and the second driven member L4 can be maintained in a state of being easily bent, so that the support portion 120 can reliably move from the retreat position P2 to the entry and exit position P1. The pin 116b is provided on the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116 of the hand member 114, but in other embodiments not shown, it can also be provided integrally with the base portion 210. As an example, the base portion 210 is provided with a bottom surface connected to the side wall 212 below the side wall 212, and the pin 116b is provided on the bottom surface to define the position of the support portion 120 at the retreat position P2. In addition, the defining member that defines the position of the support portion 120 is not limited to the pin 116b, and the shape or position of the defining member can be adjusted as needed.

[0060] The second transmission mechanism 144B drives the first limiting portion 130A as the limiting portion 130 by the driving force of the driving source 146, so that it is at a raised position (i.e., Figure 4 and Figure 6 The in-and-out position P1 shown in the figure), and the descending position below the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 As another embodiment, the second transmission mechanism 144B may also drive the first limiting portion 130A as the limiting portion 130 by the driving force of the driving source 146, so that it is in a raised position (i.e., Figure 4 and Figure 6 The entry and exit position P1 shown in the figure), and the descending position below the ascending position (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 The second transmission mechanism 144B is configured to move between the retreat position P2 shown in the figure. Here, a third guide hole O3 formed on the side wall 212 and extending in the axial direction (i.e., the front-to-back direction Y) is provided in the base portion 210. The second transmission mechanism 144B includes a third connecting member C4, a third driving member L5, and a fourth driving member L6. The third driving member L5 has a function as the first limiting portion 130A, and the second end 52 abuts against the front end surface of the substrate W. The third connecting member C4 is, for example, a connecting pin, and the third driving member L5 and the fourth driving member L6 are, for example, connecting rods, but are not limited to this. The third connecting member C4 is inserted into the third guide hole O3 and is connected to the drive shaft 142, and can move axially in the third guide hole O3. The first end E51 of the third driving member L5 is connected to the third connecting member C4. The first end E61 of the fourth driving member L6 is rotatably provided on the base portion 210, and its second end E62 is relatively rotatably connected to the third driving member L5. Therefore, the first limiting portion 130A (the second end 52 of the third driving member L5) as the limiting portion 130 rotates around the first end E61 of the fourth driving member L6 rotatably provided on the base portion 210 as the third connecting member C4 moves in the axial direction (i.e., the front-to-back direction Y) and the third driving member L5 and the fourth driving member L6 are linked, and at the same time, in the ascending position (i.e., Figure 4 and Figure 6 The in-and-out position P1 shown) and the lowered position (ie, Figure 5 and Figure 7 Moves between the retreat position P2) shown in the figure.

[0061] In addition, the base portion 210 includes a positioning member 220 extending from the side wall 212 to another configuration portion R3. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the positioning member 220 is located in the moving area of ​​the first limiting portion 130A that moves in the up-down direction Z accompanying the rotational movement, and defines the position of the first limiting portion 130A at the retreat position P2. The positioning member 220 limits the third drive member L5 and the fourth drive member L6 constituting the second transmission mechanism 144B to be horizontal with the axial direction of the drive shaft 142 by defining the position of the first limiting portion 130A at the retreat position P2. As an example, the first limiting portion 130A located at the retreat position P2 abuts against the positioning member 220 located below the first limiting portion 130A to limit its downward movement from the retreat position P2 to be horizontal with the axial direction of the drive shaft 142. That is, the third drive member L5 and the fourth drive member L6 located at the retreat position P2 are prevented from being arranged in a straight line that is horizontal with the axial direction of the drive shaft 142. Therefore, by the action of the positioning member 220, the third driving member L5 and the fourth driving member L6 can be maintained in a state where they are easily bent, so that the first limiting portion 130A can be reliably moved from the retreat position P2 to the entry and exit position P1. The positioning member 220 is provided integrally with the base portion 210, but in other embodiments not shown in the figure, it can also be provided on the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116 of the hand member 114. As an example, a positioning member 220 protruding toward the top of the hand member 114 is provided at a position close to the outside of the bottom surface 116a of the recess 116 and another configuration portion R3 to define the position of the first limiting portion 130A at the retreat position P2. In addition, the positioning member 220 that defines the position of the first limiting portion 130A is not limited to a block shape as shown in the figure, and the shape or position of the positioning member 220 can be adjusted as needed.

[0062] Based on the above, the first transmission mechanism 144A is provided with a first connecting member C1, a first driving member L1, a second driving member L2, a second connecting member C2, a first driven member L3, a second driven member L4, and a connecting member C3. The connecting member C3 is set as the support part 120, so that the support part 120 can move between the rising position and the falling position through a more stable action process. Specifically, the first transmission mechanism 144A can set the connecting member C3 as the first support part 120A, so that the first support part 120A can move between the in-and-out position P1 and the retreat position P2 through a more stable action process. Correspondingly, the second transmission mechanism 144B is provided with a third connecting member C4, a third driving member L5, and a fourth driving member L6. The third driving member L5 can be set as the limiting part 130, so that the limiting part 130 can move between the rising position and the falling position through a simpler structure. Specifically, the second transmission mechanism 144B can set the third driving member L5 as the first limiting portion 130A, so that the first limiting portion 130A can move between the entry and exit position P1 and the retreat position P2 through a simpler structure. However, in other embodiments not shown in the figure, the same structure can also be selected as the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B. For example, the first transmission mechanism 144A can also omit the second connecting member C2, the first driven member L3, the second driven member L4, and the connecting member C3, and set the first driving member L1 as the support portion 120 (first support portion 120A) to support the lower surface of the substrate W. Alternatively, other structures not shown in the figure can also be selected as the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0063] The above content is explained by taking the following content as an example: the first supporting portion 120A as the supporting portion 120, the first limiting portion 130A as the limiting portion 130, and the transmission mechanism 144 connected thereto (including the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B) are arranged adjacent to each other on the base portion 210 as the holding unit 200. Here, the driving shaft 142 of the first driving portion 140A is connected to the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B through the base portion 210, through the corresponding sliders B1, B2, etc. In this way, the first supporting portion 120A, the first limiting portion 130A, and the transmission mechanism 144 thereof, which are arranged adjacent to each other, can be easily installed on the hand member 114 (refer to Figure 1), and the first supporting portion 120A and the first limiting portion 130A provided and installed as the holding unit 200 can be integrally moved between the in-and-out position P1 and the retreat position P2 by driving the driving shaft 142 of the first driving portion 140A. That is, the robot 100 can install the supporting portion 120 and the limiting portion 130 by an easier method. In addition, the robot 100 using these holding units 200 can be suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in containers with narrow pitches.

[0064] In addition, in the present embodiment, even if it is not provided adjacent to the restricting portion 130, the second supporting portion 120B as the supporting portion 120 may be provided on the base portion 210 and installed as the holding unit 200A. Figure 8 As shown, the holding unit 200A includes a base portion 210, a second support portion 120B as the support portion 120, and a first transmission mechanism 144A. Figure 8 The holding unit 200A is omitted Figure 4 and Figure 5 The portion (another configuration portion R3) of the holding unit 200 corresponding to the first limiting portion 130A and the second transmission mechanism 144B is installed in the Figure 1 The hand member 114 shown provides a second support portion 120B as a support portion 120 that is not disposed adjacent to the limiting portion 130. That is, the holding unit 200A can be easily mounted as a component on the recess 116 disposed on the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. Therefore, the support portion 120 and its transmission mechanism 144 can be provided as a holding unit 200 or a holding unit 200A and easily mounted on the hand member 114, and the plurality of support portions 120 provided and mounted as the holding unit 200 or the holding unit 200A can be moved integrally between the in-and-out position P1 and the retreat position P2 by the drive shaft 142 of the first drive portion 140A. That is, the robot 100 can mount a plurality of support portions 120 by an easier method. Furthermore, the robot 100 to which these holding units 200 or holding units 200A are applied can be suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in containers with narrow spacing. Similarly, the restriction portion 130 disposed adjacent to the support portion 120 may also be disposed on the same base portion 210 as the support portion 120 , and may be easily mounted on the hand member 114 as the holding unit 200 .

[0065] In addition, the third support portion 120C provided between the first support portion 120A and the second support portion 120B may be provided as a holding unit 200A not provided adjacent to the limiting portion 130, as in the case of the second support portion 120B. Furthermore, as an example, the third support portion 120C may be provided so as to protrude from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 by the driving of the first driving portion 140A and to be recessed according to the weight of the substrate W held by the hand member 114. Specifically, as Fig. 9 As shown, the first driving part 140A further includes a displacement support mechanism 148 capable of driving the third support part 120C to move in the emerging and disappearing direction. The displacement support mechanism 148 is, for example, disposed at Figure 8 The third support portion 120C is provided with a movable member 148a, a connecting member 148b, and an elastic member 148c. The movable member 148a is fixed to the drive shaft 142 and moves integrally with the drive shaft 142. The connecting member 148b is relatively movable relative to the drive shaft 142 and is connected to the third support portion 120C. As an example, the connecting member 148b is connected to the first connecting member C1 of the first transmission mechanism 144A connected to the third support portion 120C, but is not limited thereto. The elastic member 148c is interposed between the movable member 148a and the connecting member 148b.

[0066] Therefore, the displacement support mechanism 148 displaces the third support portion 130C between the in-and-out position P1 and a position above the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 according to the weight of the substrate W held by the hand member 114. That is, when the third support portion 120C protrudes from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 toward the in-and-out position P1 by the driving of the first driving unit 140A, the third support portion 120C supporting the lower surface of the substrate W is pressed to a position below the in-and-out position P1 according to the weight of the held substrate W, and the connecting member 148b connected to the first connecting member C1 used by the third support portion 120C moves relative to the driving shaft 142, and approaches the moving member 148a while compressing the elastic member 148c. As a result, the third support portion 120C is sunken from the in-and-out position P1 toward the upper surface 114a side of the hand member 114, and does not move to the in-and-out position P1 as the first support portion 120A and the second support portion 120B do. Thus, the third support portion 120C supporting the substrate W at the middle position in the extending direction of the hand member 114 can freely emerge and retract according to the weight of the substrate W, and thus can support the substrate W held by the robot 100 in a more stable posture. In addition, due to the elastic force of the elastic member 148c or the width of the elastic member 148c itself, the third support portion 120C does not move further downward than the retreat position P2. However, the present invention is not limited to using the displacement support mechanism 148 as a component that can make the third support portion 120C move concavely according to the weight of the substrate W, nor is it limited to setting the third support portion 120C to be displaceable according to the weight of the substrate W.

[0067] In other embodiments not shown, the robot 100 is not limited to using the holding unit 200 or the holding unit 200A as described above. That is, the first support portion 120A, the second support portion 120B, the third support portion 120C as the support portion 120 and the first restriction portion 130A as the restriction portion 130 may be directly mounted on the recessed portion 116 of the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (see Figure 1 ) and the base portion 210 is omitted, and similarly, the driving shaft 142 of the first driving portion 140A and the transmission mechanism 144 (including the first transmission mechanism 144A and the second transmission mechanism 144B) or other transmission mechanisms not shown in the figure can also be directly set on the hand component 114.

[0068] Furthermore, if Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , it is preferable to assume that the support part 120 of the robot 100 is located at the in-and-out position P1 and holds the warped substrate W, and set the support part 120. That is, the first support part 120A, the second support part 120B, and the third support part 120C as the support part 120 are set to protrude to a position higher than the maximum warpage amount assumed for the substrate W. Fig.11The so-called warpage amount of the substrate W is the surface interval (distance D) between the imaginary surface D1 parallel to the imaginary horizontal plane at the part of the lower surface of the substrate W that is in contact with the imaginary horizontal plane and the imaginary surface D2 parallel to the imaginary horizontal plane at the part of the lower surface of the substrate W that is farthest from the imaginary horizontal plane when the substrate W is placed on the imaginary horizontal plane. In addition, the so-called maximum warpage amount assumed for the substrate W is the maximum value of the surface interval determined according to the definition, and is obtained by direct measurement of the actual substrate or calculation based on simulation. In addition, the warpage amount of the substrate W may not be based on the state of being placed on the imaginary horizontal plane. As an example, it can also be obtained based on the state in which the substrate W is supported by the robot 100 or the state in which it is supported by the groove S of the container H described later. In this case, the surface equivalent to the imaginary horizontal plane becomes the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (or the upper surface of the upper cover 115) or the plane connecting the groove S.

[0069] Correspondingly, the support part 120 protrudes from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (or the upper surface of the upper cover 115) to a predetermined height (protrusion amount L) to support the lower surface of the substrate W. Here, the predetermined height (protrusion amount L) is set to be larger than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate W. Therefore, the in-and-out position P1 of the support part 120 moved by the drive of the first drive part 140A is set at a position farther from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (or the upper surface of the upper cover 115) than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate W, that is, it is set at a position higher than the assumed warping amount of the substrate W. As an example, the length of the support part 120 (also called the protrusion amount L) is set to be larger than the assumed maximum warping amount of the substrate W, and the contact point with the substrate W when the support part 120 is located at the in-and-out position P1 is set at a position higher than the assumed warping amount of the substrate W. That is, at the in-and-out position P1, the support portion 120 protrudes from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 (or the upper surface of the upper cover 115), and the protrusion amount L of the support portion 120 is larger than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate W. For example, when the maximum warping amount of the substrate W is assumed to be 6 mm, the in-and-out position P1 of the support portion 120 is set to be more than 6 mm from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114, that is, the protrusion amount L of the support portion 120 is preferably set to be more than 6 mm. Therefore, even if the upward warping or downward warping of the substrate W is large (see Fig.10 ), the support part 120 may also support the substrate W in a state where the lower surface of the substrate W is not in contact with the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. That is, the lowermost surface of the substrate W supported by the support part 120 is not in contact with the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. In addition, the warpage of the substrate W described here also includes the bending of the substrate W. As an example, the displacement caused by the expansion and contraction of the substrate W caused by the heat effect in the processing step of the substrate W is defined as Fig.10The warping of the substrate W shown in FIG. 1 , the displacement in the gravity direction caused by the weight or rigidity of the substrate W is defined as the deflection of the substrate W. The length (also referred to as the protrusion amount L) of the support portion 120 can be set to correspond to the warping amount of the substrate W including the deflection of the substrate W. That is, the inlet and outlet position P1 of the support portion 120 is set at a position higher than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate W including the assumed deflection amount of the substrate W. Therefore, even if the substrate W is deflected, the support portion 120 can support the substrate W in a state where the lower surface of the substrate W is not in contact with the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, the manipulator 100 is installed on a substrate transport robot 30 that transports a substrate W and holds the substrate W. The substrate transport robot 30 includes an arm 32, a main body 34, the manipulator 100, and an arm driving unit 36. The arm 32 is mounted on the upper end of the main body 34 relative to the main body 34 in a manner that it can be extended and rotated in a horizontal plane (an imaginary horizontal plane formed by the left-right direction X and the front-back direction Y) and can also be raised and lowered in the up-down direction Z. The manipulator 100 is mounted on the front end of the arm 32. The arm driving unit 36 ​​is, for example, a motor or a transmission mechanism built into the main body 34, which applies a driving force to the arm 32, but can also be mounted on the outside of the main body 34. Therefore, the substrate transport robot 30 drives the arm 32 through the arm driving unit 36, thereby allowing the manipulator 100 to move freely (lift, lower, rotate, forward and backward).

[0071] In addition, if Fig.12 and Fig.13 As shown, the substrate transport robot 30 is provided in the substrate transport device 20. As an example, the substrate transport device 20 includes the substrate transport robot 30 having the manipulator 100, the detection unit 22, the control unit 24, and the substrate transport module 26 in which the substrate transport robot 30 is arranged. The substrate transport module 26 includes: an equipment front end module (Equipment Front End Module, EFEM) 26a, the substrate transport robot 30 arranged in the shell of the EFEM 26a, a moving body 26b, and a guide structure 26c. The moving body 26b is equipped with the substrate transport robot 30. As an example, the main body 34 of the substrate transport robot 30 is installed on the moving body 26b, and is movably arranged by the moving body 26b. The moving body 26b is installed on the guide structure 26c (for example, a slide rail structure, a conveyor drive device, etc.) for guiding the movement in the left and right direction X, and the substrate transport robot 30 can be moved (slid) in the left and right direction X. In addition, the substrate transfer device 20 further includes a frame structure 28 for mounting components such as the moving body 26 b and the guide structure 26 c , but is not limited thereto.

[0072] The detection unit 22 detects the relative position between the robot 100 and the substrate W. As the detection unit 22, Figure 1 As shown, a reflection sensor 118 is used which is arranged on the front end side of the hand member 114. The reflection sensor 118 includes a light projecting portion which irradiates detection light toward the upper side, and a light receiving portion which detects detection light (hereinafter referred to as reflected light) reflected from the lower surface of the substrate W. When the light receiving portion detects the reflected light, the reflection sensor 118 outputs an ON signal to the control portion 24, and when the light receiving portion does not detect the reflected light, the reflection sensor 118 outputs an OFF signal to the control portion 24. According to this characteristic, when the hand member 114 is inserted below the substrate W supported by the slot S of the FOUP which is a storage container for the substrate W, that is, when the hand member 114 is moved relative to the substrate W in the front-to-back direction Y, the reflection sensor 118 switches the output of the ON signal and the OFF signal at the time of passing below the front end surface of the substrate W. In this embodiment, the front end surface of the substrate W is detected (such as by switching the output of the ON signal and the OFF signal of the reflection sensor 118). Figure 1 As shown, the front end surface of the substrate W is detected at a position substantially consistent with the reflective sensor 118 as the detection unit 22). In addition, the installation position of the reflective sensor 118 is set so that when the position of the front end surface of the substrate W is detected and the support unit 120 is moved from the retreat position P2 to the entry and exit position P1, the contact-allowed area of ​​the lower surface of the substrate W faces the support unit 120.

[0073] The control unit 24 drives the support unit 120 (for example, the first support unit 120A, and may also include the second support unit 120B and the third support unit 120C) and the first limiting unit 130A to move integrally. Furthermore, the control unit 24 may also drive the second limiting unit 130B to move. The control unit 24 is, for example, provided on the substrate transport device 20, and is electrically connected to the detection unit 22 and the moving body 26b on which the substrate transport robot 30 is installed (see Fig.13 ). The control unit 24 determines the position of the robot 100 based on the detection result of the detection unit 22, and starts the first driving unit 140A of the robot 100 (see Figure 1 , Figure 4 , Figure 5) to drive the support part 120 and the first limiting part 130A integrally. Specifically, the control unit 24 switches the signal output from the reflection type sensor 118 as the detection unit 22 from the on signal to the off signal, and when the robot 100 inserted below the substrate W moves to the correct position, in other words, when the support part 120 moves from the retreat position P2 to the entry and exit position P1, the control unit 24 determines that the robot 100 is located at a position where the contact-allowed area of ​​the lower surface of the substrate W faces the support part 120, and starts driving the driving unit 140. However, although the detection unit 22 uses the reflection type sensor 118 provided on the front end side of the hand member 114, the type or position of the detection unit is not limited thereto, and can be adjusted as needed.

[0074] In addition, if Fig.12 and Fig.14 As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate W is, for example, a glass substrate for PLP, and is stored in a FOUP as a storage container for the substrate W. The FOUP is, for example, a container H having 12 layers of carriers, and each of the 12 layers of carriers stores a substrate W, thereby being able to store a plurality of substrates W. In addition, in this embodiment, an example of storing 12 substrates W in the FOUP is described, but the number of substrates W stored in the FOUP can be appropriately selected (in Fig.14 1 shows a container H having six layers of slots S). In addition, the FOUP as the container H has a take-out opening OP as a take-out port for the substrate W, and a plurality of slots S as substrate support parts for supporting the substrate W. The slots S are provided in the container H for accommodating a plurality of substrates W, and include a plurality of partitions that separate the plurality of substrates W in the container H and are arranged in parallel up and down.

[0075] In addition, if Fig.12 As shown, the EFEM 26a of the substrate transfer module 26 is formed on the front surface of the outer wall of the housing in the EFEM 26a (at Fig.12 A plurality of loading ports 50 are connected to the rear surface of the outer wall of the housing in the EFEM 26a (on the left side). Fig.12The substrate transport robot 30 disposed inside the EFEM 26a is supported by the movable body 26b, and the movable body 26b is freely movable inside the EFEM 26a through the guide structure 26c. Thus, the substrate transport robot 30 can also freely access a plurality of loading ports 50 and any of the processing devices 10 or the load lock chamber. Here, the loading port 50 is a device for opening / closing the door of the FOUP as the container H. The FOUP is placed on the loading port 50. By opening the door of the FOUP at the loading port 50, the substrate W stored in the FOUP faces the inner wall of the shell of the EFEM 26a, and the substrate W can be transferred between the FOUP and the substrate transport robot 30. Then, the substrate transport robot 30 moves to the port door position of the loading port 50 through the moving body 26b, moves the port door downward to open the door of the FOUP, and then the arm driving unit 36 ​​moves the arm 32 to move the robot 100 downward to the corresponding substrate W. Specifically, the robot 100 moves downward to the substrate W through the movement of the arm 32, holds the substrate W through the support unit 120, and takes the corresponding substrate W out of the FOUP serving as the container H.

[0076] Reference Figure 15 to Figure 19 , the substrate removal method in the present embodiment is described. The substrate removal method is suitable for removing a substrate W supported by a slot S as a substrate supporting portion of a FOUP as a container H by a manipulator 100 provided in a substrate transport robot 30. The substrate removal method includes the following steps. Insertion step S01: insert the hand member 114 of the manipulator 100 under the substrate W. Detection step S02: detect the position of the front end surface of the substrate W by the detection unit 22 provided on the front end side of the hand member 114. Support part moving step S03: move the support part 120 to support the lower surface of the substrate W. First limiting part moving step S04: move the first limiting part 130A to face (or abut) the front end surface of the substrate W. Second limiting part moving step S05: move the second limiting part 130B to face (or abut) the rear end surface of the substrate W. Lifting step S06: The hand member 114 of the robot 100 inserted under the substrate W is raised, and the substrate W is lifted from the slot S as a substrate support portion by the support portion 120 located at the entry and exit position P1. Removing step S07: The hand member 114 of the robot 100 is moved to remove the substrate W from the slot S as a substrate support portion.

[0077] To describe in detail, the insertion process S01 inserts the hand member 114 of the robot 100 provided in the substrate transport robot 30 below the substrate W along the insertion direction (for example, the front in the front-to-back direction Y) facing the take-out opening OP of the FOUP serving as the container H according to the movement of the arm 32 of the substrate transport robot 30 in the front-to-back direction Y and the up-to-down direction Z. The insertion process S01 inserts the hand member 114 of the robot 100 between the adjacent upper slot S1 and lower slot S2 among the plurality of slots S, so that the hand member 114 of the robot 100 is located below the substrate W supported by the upper slot S1. At this time, as shown in FIG. Fig.16 As shown, the inserting step S01 is performed when the supporting portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are located at the retreat position P2 below the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. Furthermore, the inserting step S01 is performed when the second limiting portion 130B is located at the retreat position P4 away from the substrate W, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Therefore, the robot 100 is suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in a FOUP having a narrow pitch (the distance between the upper slot S1 and the lower slot S2).

[0078] Next, in the detection step S02, the reflective sensor 118 (see FIG. 1 ) as the detection unit 22 provided at the front end side of the hand member 114 is used. Figure 1 ), the position of the front end surface of the substrate W supported by the upper groove S1 is detected. The detection process S02 detects the front end surface of the substrate W by moving the robot 100 inserted into the container H along the front-to-back direction Y to switch the signal output from the reflection sensor 118 to the control unit 24, thereby detecting the relative position of the robot 100 with respect to the substrate W. Specifically, the detection process S02 is a state in which the robot 100 moves toward the inner side (front in the front-to-back direction Y) of the container H since the hand member 114 is located below the substrate W and the reflection sensor 118 outputs an on signal. When the robot 100 moves to the inner side of the container H beyond the front end surface of the substrate W, the reflection sensor 118 outputs an off signal, and the movement of the robot 100 is stopped, completing the detection process S02. At this point in time, Fig.17 As shown in FIG. 1 , the robot 100 itself is located below the substrate W, so the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A located at the retreat position P2 do not contact the substrate W. The position where the output of the reflective sensor 118 switches from an on signal to an off signal is a state where the robot 100 is located at a correct position relative to the substrate W, and is a position where the subsequent support portion moving step S03 and the first limiting portion moving step S04 can be performed.

[0079] In addition, the detection step S02 may be performed simultaneously with the insertion step S01. That is, in the insertion step S01, the hand member 114 may be inserted below the substrate W along the insertion direction (frontward in the front-rear direction Y) facing the take-out opening OP of the FOUP serving as the container H, and at the same time, as the detection step S02, the output change of the signal output from the reflection sensor 118 to the control unit 24 is monitored. In this case, the insertion step S01 and the detection step S02 are performed until the output of the reflection sensor 118 switches from the on signal to the off signal. The position where the output of the reflection sensor 118 switches from the on signal to the off signal is a state where the robot 100 is located at the correct position relative to the substrate W, and is a position where the subsequent support portion moving step S03 and the first limiting portion moving step S04 can be performed.

[0080] Next, in the support portion moving step S03, the support portion 120 is driven by the first driving portion 140A to move from the retreat position P2 to the in-and-out position P1, wherein the in-and-out position P1 is set at a position higher than the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 and further from the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114 than the maximum warpage amount assumed for the substrate W. In the first limiting portion moving step S04, the first limiting portion 130A is driven by the first driving portion 140A to move from the retreat position P2 to the in-and-out position P1 located higher than the upper surface 114a of the hand member 114. Fig.18 As shown, the support part moving process S03 and the first limiting part moving process S04 are executed simultaneously according to the drive of the first driving part 140A, that is, the support part 120 and the first limiting part 130A are moved integrally. Here, the support part 120 that moves integrally with the first limiting part 130A may refer to the first support part 120A, or may refer to three support parts 120, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In this way, the robot 100 is suitable for holding substrates W accommodated in FOUPs with narrow spacing. In addition, the support part moving process S03 and the first limiting part moving process S04 may be executed simultaneously by different driving parts, or may be executed at different times by the same first driving part 140A or different driving parts. In addition, in an embodiment in which the first limiting part 130A is not provided, the first limiting part moving process S04 may also be omitted, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0081] Next, the second limiting portion moving step S05 is driven by the second driving unit 140B to move the second limiting portion 130B from the retreated position P4 away from the substrate W to the advanced position P3 closer to the substrate W than the retreated position P4. The second limiting portion moving step S05 is performed between the supporting portion moving step S03 and the first limiting portion moving step S04 that are performed simultaneously and the subsequent taking-out step S07. Fig.19As shown, in the second limiting portion moving step S05, the second limiting portion 130B moves from the retreat position P4 to the advance position P3 and presses the substrate W to a position abutting against the first limiting portion 130A. In this way, the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B can firmly abut against the front end surface and the rear end surface of the substrate W, thereby improving the holding stability of the substrate W. In addition, the first limiting portion moving step S04 and the second limiting portion moving step S05 can also be performed simultaneously by different driving parts or the same first driving part. In addition, in an embodiment in which the second limiting portion 130B is not provided, the second limiting portion moving step S05 can also be omitted, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0082] Next, the lifting process S06 causes the hand member 114 of the robot 100 inserted under the substrate W to rise (for example, the arm 32 is moved upward in the vertical direction Z), and the substrate W is lifted from the slot S (for example, the upper slot S1 of the container H) by the support portion 120 located at the entry and exit position P1. The lifting process S06 is performed after the support portion 120 and the first limiting portion 130A are located at the retreat position P2, and after the hand member 114 is inserted under the substrate W, after the support portion moving process S03, the first limiting portion moving process S04, and the second limiting portion moving process S05 are performed, and before the subsequent removal process S07. Therefore, while maintaining Fig.19 In the state shown, after the substrate W is lifted by the support portion 120 located at the in-and-out position P1 (ie, the lifting process S06 ), the substrate W is away from the upper slot S1 , and then, the substrate W can be taken out from the container H in the taking-out process S07 .

[0083] Finally, in the removal step S07, the hand member 114 of the robot 100 moves along the removal direction (for example, the rear direction in the front-rear direction Y) away from the removal opening OP and opposite to the insertion direction, and the substrate W is removed from the slot S as the substrate support portion. For example, the arm 32 moves to the rear of the front-rear direction Y to remove the substrate W supported by the upper slot S1 from the upper slot S1. In the removal step S07, the substrate W is supported by the first support portion 120A, the second support portion 120B, and the third support portion 120C, and is firmly clamped by the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B. Therefore, the robot 100 can be applied to holding the substrate W that is configured as a thin container H and is accommodated in a narrow spacing (that is, the distance between the upper slot S1 and the lower slot S2). In addition, in other embodiments not shown, the substrate W may not be clamped by the first limiting portion 130A and the second limiting portion 130B in the removal step S07. In this case, the robot 100 minimizes the area of ​​contact with the substrate W, thereby preventing the substrate W from falling off during transportation.

[0084] In summary, the robot of the present invention can be raised and lowered, and is provided with a support portion and a first limiting portion that can be moved integrally to hold the substrate, thereby being applicable to holding substrates that are constructed to be thin and accommodated in containers with narrow spacing. In addition, the substrate transport device of the present invention is equipped with a robot, thereby being applicable to holding substrates that are constructed to be thin and accommodated in containers with narrow spacing. In addition, the holding unit of the present invention is provided with a support portion that can be raised and lowered to hold the substrate, thereby being applicable to handling substrates that are constructed to be thin and accommodated in containers with narrow spacing, and being easily installed on the robot. Furthermore, the substrate removal method of the present invention uses the robot to remove the substrate, thereby being applicable to holding substrates accommodated in containers with narrow spacing.

[0085] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not limited thereto. The present invention is described in detail with reference to the embodiments, but those skilled in the art can certainly understand that the technical solutions described in the embodiments can still be modified or part or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents, but these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0086] Industrial Applicability

[0087] The robot arm, substrate transfer device, holding unit, and substrate removal method of the present invention are suitable for handling substrates that are thin and accommodated in containers with narrow pitches, and can handle warping of the substrates.

[0088] Explanation of symbols

[0089] 10: Processing device

[0090] 20: Substrate transport device

[0091] 22: Inspection Department

[0092] 24: Control Department

[0093] 26: Substrate transfer module

[0094] 26a: EFEM

[0095] 26b: Mobile

[0096] 26c: Boot structure

[0097] 28: Framework structure

[0098] 30: Substrate transport robot

[0099] 32: Arm

[0100] 34: Ontology Department

[0101] 36: Arm drive unit

[0102] 50: Loading port

[0103] 100: Robotic Arm

[0104] 112: Base

[0105] 114: Hand Components

[0106] 114a: Upper surface

[0107] 115: Upper cover

[0108] 116: concave part

[0109] 116a: Bottom

[0110] 116b: Pin

[0111] 118: Reflective sensor

[0112] 120: Support

[0113] 120A: First support part

[0114] 120B: Second support part

[0115] 120C: The third support part

[0116] 122: bulge

[0117] 130: Restriction Department

[0118] 130A: First restriction part

[0119] 130B: Second limiting part

[0120] 140: Drive unit

[0121] 140A: First drive unit

[0122] 140B: Second drive unit

[0123] 142: Drive shaft

[0124] 144: Transmission Agency

[0125] 144A: First transmission mechanism

[0126] 144B: Second transmission mechanism

[0127] 146: Driving source

[0128] 148: Displacement support mechanism

[0129] 148a: Mobile components

[0130] 148b: Connecting member

[0131] 148c: Elastic member

[0132] 200, 200A: Holding unit

[0133] 210: Base

[0134] 210a: Upper surface

[0135] 212: Sidewall

[0136] 214: Containment Opening

[0137] 220: Positioning components

[0138] C1: First connecting member

[0139] C2: Second connecting member

[0140] C3: Connecting components

[0141] C4: The third connecting member

[0142] D: Distance

[0143] D1: Imaginary surface

[0144] D2: Imaginary surface

[0145] E11, E21, E31, E41, E51, E61: First end

[0146] E12, E22, E32, E42, E62: Second end

[0147] H: Container

[0148] L: Protrusion

[0149] L1: First driving member

[0150] L2: Second driving member

[0151] L3: First driven member

[0152] L4: Second driven member

[0153] L5: The third driving member

[0154] L6: Fourth drive member

[0155] O1: First guide hole

[0156] O2: Second guide hole

[0157] O3: The third guide hole

[0158] OP: Take out the opening

[0159] P1: Entry and exit position

[0160] P2: Retreat position

[0161] P3: Forward position

[0162] P4: Reverse position

[0163] R1: Drive shaft configuration part

[0164] R2: One of the configuration parts

[0165] R3: Another configuration section

[0166] S: Slot

[0167] S01: Insertion process

[0168] S02: Detection process

[0169] S03: Support part moving process

[0170] S04: First restriction portion moving step

[0171] S05: Second limiting portion moving step

[0172] S06: Lifting process

[0173] S07: Removal process

[0174] S1: Upper slot

[0175] S2: Lower tank

[0176] W: substrate

Claims

1. A robot, characterized in that: include: A hand member for holding the substrate; A support portion, disposed on the hand member and supporting a lower surface of the substrate; as well as A first driving unit is provided on the hand member and drives the supporting unit. The first driving unit moves the support unit between an in-and-out position above the upper surface of the hand member and a retracted position below the in-and-out position. The in-and-out position is set at a position farther from the upper surface of the hand member than a maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the in-and-out position, the support portion protrudes from the upper surface of the hand member, The protrusion amount of the support portion is larger than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

3. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes a first limiting portion, The first limiting portion is disposed on the front end side of the hand member and faces the front end surface of the substrate. The first driving portion moves the supporting portion and the first restricting portion integrally between the advancing and withdrawing position and the retreating position.

4. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes a second limiting portion, The second restricting portion is provided on the base end side of the hand member and faces the rear end surface of the base plate.

5. The robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes a second driving unit, The second driving portion is provided on the hand member and drives the second restricting portion. The second driving portion moves the second restricting portion between an advanced position in contact with the rear end surface of the substrate and a retracted position closer to the base end side than the advanced position.

6. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first driving unit comprises: a drive shaft that moves between the front end side and the base end side of the hand member; and The transmission mechanism enables the support portion and the first limiting portion to be linked with the drive shaft. The transmission mechanism moves the support portion and the first restriction portion integrally between the advance / exit position and the retreat position.

7. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The transmission mechanism comprises: a first transmission mechanism, which links the support portion with the drive shaft and moves the support portion between the in-and-out position and the retracted position; and The second transmission mechanism causes the first restriction portion to interlock with the drive shaft and causes the first restriction portion to move between the advancing and withdrawing position and the retreating position.

8. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: comprising a base, and the hand member extending from the base, The support portion is provided in plurality on the hand member and includes: A first support portion, disposed on the front end side of the hand member; A second support portion provided on the base end side of the hand member; and The third support portion is provided between the first support portion and the second support portion in the extending direction of the hand member.

9. The robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first driving part further includes a displacement support mechanism, and the displacement support mechanism can drive the third support part to move in an emerging direction. The displacement support mechanism comprises: A moving member, fixed to the driving shaft and moving integrally with the driving shaft; a connecting member capable of relative movement with respect to the driving shaft and connected to the third supporting portion; as well as an elastic member, interposed between the moving member and the connecting member, The displacement support mechanism displaces the third support portion between the in-and-out position and a position above the upper surface of the hand member according to the weight of the substrate held by the hand member.

10. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: Also includes a holding unit disposed on the hand member, The holding unit includes: a base portion provided on the hand member, the supporting portion, and the first limiting portion, The support portion is arranged on one side of the base portion, The first limiting portion is disposed on the other side of the base portion facing the supporting portion. The support portion and the first restriction portion are arranged in parallel at positions facing each other across the driving shaft of the first driving portion.

11. A substrate transporting device, characterized in that: include: A substrate transport robot, comprising a manipulator as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10; A substrate transport module, in which the substrate transport robot is arranged; A detection unit detects the relative position of the robot and the substrate; and A control unit drives the support unit to move, wherein The control unit starts controlling the first driving unit of the robot based on the detection result of the detection unit, and drives the supporting unit.

12. A holding unit mounted on a hand member of a robot having an upper surface with a recessed portion and holding a substrate, the holding unit comprising: A base portion, disposed on the bottom surface of the recessed portion of the hand member, and having a receiving opening divided by a side wall; A support portion, disposed on the base portion and supporting a lower surface of the substrate; as well as A first transmission mechanism is disposed on the base portion and connected to the support portion. The base portion is formed into a frame shape by the receiving opening, and its thickness is smaller than the distance between the upper surface of the hand member and the bottom surface of the recessed portion. The support portion is located in the receiving opening surrounded by the side wall, The first transmission mechanism drives the support portion by a driving force of a driving source to move the support portion between a raised position above the upper surface of the hand member and a lowered position below the upper surface of the hand member. The raised position is set at a position farther from the upper surface of the hand member than a maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

13. The holding unit according to claim 12, characterized in that: The base portion is provided with a first guide hole formed in the side wall and extending in the axial direction. The first transmission mechanism comprises: a first connecting member, inserted into the first guide hole, connected to a driving shaft that moves in the axial direction by a driving force of the driving source, and capable of moving in the axial direction within the first guide hole; A first driving member, a first end of which is connected to the first connecting member; and A second driving member, a first end of which is rotatably disposed on the base portion, and a second end of which is relatively rotatably connected to the first driving member. The support portion moves between the raised position and the lowered position in accordance with the movement of the first connecting member in the axial direction and the linkage of the first driving member and the second driving member.

14. The holding unit according to claim 13, characterized in that: The base portion is further provided with a second guide hole formed in the side wall and extending along the axial direction. The first transmission mechanism also includes: a second connecting member, inserted into the second guide hole and capable of moving along the axial direction in the second guide hole; A first driven member, a first end of which is connected to the second connecting member; and a second driven member, a first end of which is rotatably disposed on the base portion, and a second end of which is relatively rotatably connected to the first driven member; and a connecting member that connects the second end of the first driving member and the second end of the first driven member so as to be relatively rotatable, The support portion corresponds to the connecting member, and moves between the ascending position and the descending position as the first connecting member moves in the axial direction and the first driving member and the second driving member are linked, and the first driving member links the first driven member, the second driven member, and the second connecting member through the connecting member.

15. The holding unit according to claim 12, characterized in that: Also includes: A limiting portion, disposed on the base portion and facing the end surface of the substrate; as well as A second transmission mechanism is disposed on the base portion and connected to the limiting portion. The second transmission mechanism moves the restriction portion between the raised position and the lowered position by the driving force of the driving source.

16. The holding unit according to claim 15, characterized in that: The first transmission mechanism connected to the support portion and the second transmission mechanism connected to the restriction portion are arranged in parallel at positions facing each other across a drive shaft that moves in the axial direction by a drive force from the drive source. The base portion comprises: A drive shaft configuration unit, used to configure the drive shaft; One of the configuration parts is disposed on one side of the drive shaft configuration part and is used to configure the first transmission mechanism; and Another configuration portion is disposed on the other side of the drive shaft configuration portion and is used to configure the second transmission mechanism.

17. A method for taking out a substrate, wherein a manipulator provided on a substrate transport robot takes out a substrate supported by a substrate supporting portion of a container, wherein The manipulator is mounted on the arm of the substrate transport robot which can be extended and rotated in a horizontal plane and can also be lifted and lowered in an up and down direction, and includes: A hand member is used to hold the substrate; a support portion is provided on the hand member; and a first driving unit, which is disposed on the hand member and drives the movement of the supporting unit, The substrate removal method is characterized by comprising: An inserting step of inserting the robot arm below the substrate; a support portion moving step of moving the support portion to support the lower surface of the substrate; and The taking-out step is to move the robot arm to take out the substrate from the substrate support portion. The inserting step is performed when the support portion is located at a retreat position below the upper surface of the hand member. The support part moving process moves the support part from the retreat position to an entry / exit position according to the driving of the first driving part, and the entry / exit position is set at a position higher than the upper surface of the hand member and farther from the upper surface of the hand member than the maximum warping amount assumed for the substrate.

18. The substrate removal method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The robot further includes a first limiting portion provided at the front end side of the hand member, and the first driving portion drives the supporting portion and the first limiting portion to move integrally. The substrate removal method further includes a first limiting portion moving step, The first limiting portion moving step moves the first limiting portion so as to face the front end surface of the substrate. The inserting step is performed when the supporting portion and the first limiting portion are located at a retreat position below the upper surface of the hand member. The first restricting portion moving step moves the first restricting portion from the retreat position to the advance / exit position according to the driving of the first driving portion, The supporting portion moving step and the first restricting portion moving step are simultaneously performed by the driving of the first driving unit.

19. The substrate removal method according to claim 18, characterized in that: The robot further includes: a second limiting portion provided at the base end side of the hand member; and a second driving portion provided at the hand member and driving the movement of the second limiting portion. The substrate removal method further includes a second limiting portion moving step, The second limiting portion moving step moves the second limiting portion so as to face the rear end surface of the substrate. The second limiting portion moving step moves the second limiting portion from a retreated position away from the substrate to an advanced position closer to the substrate than the retreated position according to the driving of the second driving portion. The second restricting portion moving step is performed between the supporting portion moving step and the first restricting portion moving step that are performed simultaneously and the subsequent taking-out step.

20. The substrate removal method according to claim 19, characterized in that: In the second restricting portion moving step, the second restricting portion moves from the retreated position to the advanced position to press the substrate to a position where the second restricting portion contacts the first restricting portion.

21. The substrate removal method according to claim 17, characterized in that: It also includes the lifting process. The lifting step causes the robot inserted under the substrate to rise, and the substrate is lifted from the substrate support portion by the support portion located at the entry and exit position. The lifting process is performed before the taking out process.

22. The substrate removal method according to claim 17, characterized in that: The substrate support portion is disposed in the container for accommodating the plurality of substrates, and the container has a take-out opening. The substrate removal method further comprises: In the inserting step, the robot is inserted below the substrate along an inserting direction facing the removal opening. In the removal step, the robot arm is moved in a removal direction away from the removal opening and opposite to the insertion direction to remove the substrate from the substrate support portion.

23. The substrate removal method according to claim 22, characterized in that: The substrate supporting portion includes a plurality of grooves, wherein the grooves separate the plurality of substrates in the container and are arranged in parallel up and down. The substrate removal method further comprises: In the inserting step, the robot is inserted between adjacent upper and lower grooves among the plurality of grooves, so that the robot is located below the substrate supported by the upper groove. In the taking-out step, the robot is moved to take out the substrate supported by the upper tank from the upper tank.

Images