Conveying robot, conveying unit, and conveying robot system

Abstract

The invention relates to a transfer robot, a transfer unit and a transfer robot system. A transfer robot configured to identify a position of and interface with another robot loaded with a carrier, the transfer robot providing a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the transfer robot comprising: a lower platform providing a first space for loading the carrier, the carrier is loaded on the other robot; a first camera disposed on the first surface and configured to recognize the position of the other robot and generate position information of the other robot; the robot arm is configured to grab the object carrier; a driving unit capable of aligning the transfer robot with the other robot by moving the transfer robot; and a controller electrically connected to the first camera, the robot arm, and the driving unit to receive the position information generated by the first camera.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0097699 filed on July 26, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. Technical Field

[0003] One or more embodiments relate to a transfer unit and a transfer robot system, and more particularly, to a transfer unit including a transfer robot that transfers a carrier containing an object therein, and a transfer robot system. Background Art

[0004] Generally, to manufacture semiconductor devices, various processes such as a deposition process, a photolithography process, and an etching process are performed, and devices that perform each of these processes are placed within a semiconductor production line. Objects such as wafers that are processed to manufacture semiconductor devices can be provided to each semiconductor processing device while being stored in a container such as a front opening pod (FOUP). In addition, the objects that have been processed can be recovered from each semiconductor processing device into a container, and the recovered container can be returned to the outside.

[0005] In order to improve the processing efficiency for semiconductor device manufacturing, it is necessary to shorten the time for a transfer robot to transfer a container between semiconductor processing devices such as an automatic motor robot (AMR). A plurality of transfer robots may be provided, and as long as one transfer robot fails to transfer a container due to a malfunction, error, or discharge, there is a problem that the processing efficiency of semiconductor device manufacturing is reduced. Summary of the invention

[0006] One or more embodiments include a transfer unit and a transfer robot system that can maintain process efficiency when manufacturing semiconductor devices by docking a normally operating transfer robot with a malfunctioning transfer robot.

[0007] Problems to be solved by the technical spirit of the present inventive concept are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

[0008] Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure.

[0009] According to one or more embodiments, a transfer robot is configured to identify the position of another robot loaded with a carrier and dock with the other robot; the transfer robot provides a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; the transfer robot includes: a lower platform providing a first space for loading the carrier, the carrier being loaded on the other robot; a first camera, disposed on the first surface and configured to identify the position of the other robot and generate position information of the other robot; a robot arm, configured to grab the carrier; a drive unit, capable of aligning the transfer robot with the other robot by moving the transfer robot; and a controller, electrically connected to the first camera, the robot arm and the drive unit to receive the position information generated by the first camera, wherein the controller is configured to send a drive signal to the drive unit so that the transfer robot docks with the other robot based on the position information.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the transfer robot may further include a first landmark attached to the first surface and a second landmark attached to the second surface, wherein the first landmark may include position information, i.e., the surface to which the first landmark is attached is the first surface; and the second landmark may include position information, i.e., the surface to which the second landmark is attached is the second surface.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the first landmark and the second landmark are two-dimensional code images.

[0012] According to an embodiment, when the transfer robot docks with the other robot, the controller may send an electrical signal to the robot arm to pick up the carrier loaded on the other robot.

[0013] According to an embodiment, the transfer robot may further include an upper platform providing a second space for loading the carrier, wherein a vertical height of the upper platform from the lowest surface of the transfer robot is higher than a vertical height of the lower platform from the lowest surface of the transfer robot.

[0014] According to one or more embodiments, the conveying unit includes: a first conveying robot, which provides a space, a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface for conveying and loading a carrier containing objects on a shelf arranged in the left-right direction and the up-down direction; a second conveying robot, which provides a space, a third surface, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface for conveying and loading the carrier; and a conveyor belt coupled to the first conveying robot and the second conveying robot, wherein the first conveying robot includes a first landmark attached to the first surface, a second landmark attached to the second surface, and a first driving unit for moving the first conveying robot in the left-right direction or the up-down direction; wherein the second conveying robot includes a third landmark set on the third surface, a fourth landmark set on the fourth surface, and a second driving unit for moving the second conveying robot in the left-right direction or the up-down direction.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the first landmark may include information that the surface to which the first landmark is attached is the first surface of the first transfer robot; the second landmark may include information that the surface to which the second landmark is attached is the second surface of the first transfer robot; the third landmark may include information that the surface to which the third landmark is attached is the third surface of the second transfer robot; and the fourth landmark may include information that the surface to which the fourth landmark is attached is the fourth surface of the second transfer robot.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the first transfer robot may include a first lower platform providing a first space for loading the carrier; and a first upper platform providing a second space for loading the carrier, wherein a vertical height of the first upper platform from the lowest surface of the first transfer robot may be higher than a vertical height of the first lower platform from the lowest surface of the first transfer robot.

[0017] According to an embodiment, in the left-right direction, the first lower platform may be positioned closer to the first landmark than the first upper platform.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the second transfer robot may include a second lower platform providing a third space for loading the carrier and a second upper platform providing a fourth space for loading the carrier, wherein the vertical height of the second upper platform from the lowest surface of the second transfer robot may be higher than the vertical height of the second lower platform from the lowest surface of the second transfer robot.

[0019] According to an embodiment, in the left-right direction, the second upper platform may be positioned closer to the fourth landmark than the second lower platform.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the first transfer robot may include a first camera disposed on the first surface, a second camera disposed on the second surface, and a first controller electrically connected to the first driving unit, the first camera, and the second camera.

[0021] According to an embodiment, the first camera may be configured to receive position information about the second transfer robot by photographing the fourth landmark of the second transfer robot, and transmit a driving signal of the first transfer robot to the first controller based on the position information.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the second transfer robot may include a third camera disposed on the third surface, a fourth camera disposed on the fourth surface, and a second controller electrically connected to the second driving unit, the third camera, and the fourth camera.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the third camera may be configured to receive position information about the first transfer robot by photographing the second landmark of the first transfer robot, and send a driving signal of the second transfer robot to the second controller based on the position information.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the first landmark, the second landmark, the third landmark, and the fourth landmark may be two-dimensional (QR) code images.

[0025] According to one or more embodiments, a transfer robot system includes a first transfer robot, a second transfer robot for loading a carrier loaded with semiconductor wafers onto shelves arranged in a left-right direction and a top-bottom direction, and a conveyor belt coupled to the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot; the first transfer robot providing a first surface includes: a first lower platform providing a first space for loading the carrier; a first upper platform positioned at a vertical height higher than the first lower platform and providing a second space for loading the carrier; a first landmark attached to the first surface, the first landmark including position information, i.e., the surface to which the first landmark is attached is the first surface; a first camera disposed on the first surface; and a first machine configured to grasp the carrier. a robot arm; the second transfer robot providing a second surface includes: a second lower platform providing a second space for loading the carrier; a second upper platform positioned at a vertical height higher than the second lower platform and providing a second space for loading the carrier; a second camera configured to identify the first landmark of the first transfer robot and generate position information of the first landmark; a second robot arm configured to grab the carrier; and a driving unit capable of moving the second transfer robot in one direction using the conveyor belt, wherein, when the first surface of the first transfer robot and the second surface of the second transfer robot face each other, the second transfer robot drives the second robot arm to transfer the carrier loaded on the first upper platform.

[0026] According to an embodiment, in the left-right direction, the first lower platform is located closer to the first landmark than the first upper platform.

[0027] According to an embodiment, the second transfer robot may include a second landmark attached to the second surface, the second landmark including position information, i.e., the surface to which the second landmark is attached is the second surface, wherein when the first surface of the first transfer robot and the second surface of the second transfer robot face each other, the first transfer robot drives the first robot arm to transfer the carrier loaded on the second upper platform.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the first landmark and the second landmark may be two-dimensional (QR) code images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 is a top view of a conveying system according to an embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic front cross-sectional view explaining a hopper according to an embodiment;

[0032] Figure 3 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view of a hopper according to an embodiment;

[0033] Figure 4 is a structural diagram briefly showing a system of multiple transfer robots according to an embodiment;

[0034] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a plurality of transfer robots according to an embodiment;

[0035] Figure 6 Observed from the front Figure 5 A plan view of a first transfer robot shown in ;

[0036] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a plurality of transfer robots according to another embodiment;

[0037] Figure 8 Observed from the front Figure 7 A plan view of a first transfer robot shown in ;

[0038] Fig. 9 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a control method of a conveying unit according to an embodiment; and

[0039] Fig.10 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a control method of a conveying unit according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout. In this regard, the present embodiments may have different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the description set forth herein. Therefore, the embodiments are described below only by reference to the accompanying drawings to explain various aspects of this specification. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items. When located after a list of elements, expressions such as "at least one of..." modify the entire list of elements rather than modifying a single element of the list.

[0041] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art can readily understand. However, embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the following description. In addition, when describing the inventive concept, when the actual description of the related known functions and configurations may unnecessarily obscure the scope of the inventive concept, the description thereof will be omitted. In addition, in all drawings, the same symbols are used for components that perform similar functions and actions.

[0042] It should be understood that, unless otherwise defined, when a component in the specification "includes" or "comprises" an element, it does not exclude other elements, but may further include other elements. Specifically, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" when used in this specification indicate the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0043] Singular forms include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clearer explanation.

[0044] The conveying system according to the embodiment can be used for transporting containers. In particular, the conveying system according to the embodiment can convey containers containing articles. The articles can be substrates such as wafers or reticles. The container in which the articles are stored can be a front-opening wafer transport box (FOUP). In addition, the container in which the articles are stored can be a pod box (POD). In addition, the container in which the articles are stored can be a carrier C. In addition, the container in which the articles are stored can include a box for storing a plurality of printed circuit boards, a tray for storing a plurality of semiconductor packages, etc.

[0045] An example is given below in which a transport system transports a cassette containing substrates such as wafers to a semiconductor processing device located in a semiconductor production line. Figures 1 to 10 In addition, hereinafter, a direction perpendicular to a first direction (X direction) when viewed from the top is defined as a second direction (Y direction), and a direction perpendicular to the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction) is defined as a third direction (Z direction).

[0046] Figure 1 is a top view of a conveying system S according to an embodiment. Figure 1 , the conveying system S according to the embodiment may include a first facility area 10 , a second facility area 20 , a conveying area 30 , and a stocker 100 .

[0047] The first facility area 10 and the second facility area 20 are areas where the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus A is installed. The transfer area 30 is an area where a rail 31 is installed, and the rail 31 supports the carrier C (see Figure 2 ) and allow delivery vehicles to travel at high speeds.

[0048] The first facility area 10 may be installed with a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing devices A and extend longitudinally in a first direction (X direction). The second facility area 20 may be installed with a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing devices A and extend longitudinally in a first direction (X direction). For example, the plurality of semiconductor manufacturing devices A may be devices capable of performing processes such as photolithography, etching, ashing, ion implantation, thin film deposition, and cleaning. The first facility area 10 and the second facility area 20 may be provided to be symmetrical to each other relative to the transfer area 30. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first facility area 10 and the second facility area 20 may be modified in various ways.

[0049] The stocker 100 can store the carriers C (see Figure 2 ), the substrate can be stored in the carrier C. The stocker 100 can store the carrier C (see Figure 2 The stocker 100 may be provided in the first facility area 10 and / or the second facility area 20.

[0050] Figure 2 is a schematic front cross-sectional view explaining a stocker 100 according to an embodiment, and Figure 3 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view showing a stocker 100 according to the embodiment.

[0051] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the stocker 100 may include a first shelf 110 , a cart receiving unit 120 , a transfer robot 1400 , and a port 160 .

[0052] The first shelf 110 may be provided in a structure that can accommodate the carrier C. The first shelf 110 may be provided in plurality. The first shelf 110 may be arranged in the second direction (Y direction) and the third direction (Z direction). For example, as shown in the figure, the first shelf 110 may be arranged in two rows facing each other relative to the conveyor belt 144 of the transfer robot 1400. As another example, although not shown, the first shelf 110 may be arranged in a row.

[0053] The cart receiving unit 120 may provide a space for accommodating the cart 130. The cart receiving unit 120 may be arranged in parallel with the first shelf 110. The cart receiving unit 120 may have an internal space for accommodating the cart 130, and may have a substantially hollow hexahedral shape. One side of the cart receiving unit 120 may be open to allow the cart 130 to enter and exit. In addition, the cart receiving unit 120 may include a docking plate 122, a baffle 124, a docking rail 126, a cart detection sensor (not shown), and a docking detection sensor (not shown).

[0054] When the cart 130 is accommodated in the cart receiving unit 120, the docking plate 122 may dock and fix the cart 130. The docking plate 122 may be arranged to extend upward and downward at an end in a direction in which the cart 130 moves to be accommodated in the cart receiving unit 120. The docking plate 122 may have a groove into which the cart 130 is inserted to dock with the cart 130, or a cylinder may be provided to fix the cart 130.

[0055] The docking rail 126 may extend on the bottom surface of the cart receiving unit 120 in the direction in which the cart 130 moves. The docking rail 126 may provide a path to guide the cart 130 so that the cart 130 docks to the docking plate 122. Thus, the cart 130 may dock with the docking plate 122 accurately and smoothly.

[0056] A balance detection sensor (not shown) may be provided adjacent to the docking plate 122. For example, a cart detection sensor (not shown) may be provided on the bottom or side adjacent to the docking plate 122. The cart detection sensor (not shown) detects the presence of the cart 130 within the cart receiving unit 120. The vehicle detection sensor (not shown) may be a proximity sensor. A docking detection sensor (not shown) may be provided on the docking plate 122, and detects whether the cart 130 is fixed to the docking plate 122. For example, a docking detection sensor (not shown) may be provided in a groove of the docking plate 122 to detect whether the cart 130 is inserted into the groove, or whether the cart 130 is coupled to the cylinder of the docking plate 122. Therefore, a docking defect in the cart 130 may be quickly confirmed using the cart detection sensor (not shown) and the docking detection sensor (not shown). Therefore, the cart 130 may be docked to the docking plate 122 accurately and smoothly.

[0057] The cart 130 is received in the cart receiving unit 120 through one open side of the cart receiving unit 120, and docked and fixed with the docking plate 122 of the cart receiving unit 120. The cart 130 receives a plurality of carriers C. Semiconductor wafers may be received in the plurality of carriers C.

[0058] Specifically, the cart 130 may include a body 132, a door 134, a running wheel 136, and a docking wheel 138. The body 132 has a hollow hexahedral shape with one side open. The body 132 is provided with a plurality of second shelves 133. The carrier C may be stored in the second shelves 133.

[0059] The door 134 may be provided on one side of the body 132 and may be able to move up and down. At this time, a guide provided on the body 132 may guide the vertical movement of the door 134. Therefore, the door 134 may open and close the open portion of the body 132. An O-ring (not shown) may be provided between the body 132 and the door 134 for sealing. For example, an O-ring may be provided along the circumference of one side of the body 132. Therefore, if the open portion of the body 132 is blocked by the door 134, the interior of the body 132 may be in a sealed state. Therefore, when the carrier C is loaded on the cart 130 for transportation, the carrier C may be prevented from being contaminated by external particles.

[0060] A running wheel 136 may be provided on the lower surface of the body 132 to move the body 132. An example of the running wheel 136 may be a rotatable caster. Since the running wheel 136 is provided, the operator can easily move the cart 130. A docking wheel 138 is provided on the lower surface of the body 132. At this time, the docking wheel 138 is fixed and does not rotate. The docking wheel 138 is used only when the cart 130 is docked with the docking plate 122, and is not used when the cart 130 moves.

[0061] The docking wheels 138 may move along the docking rails 126. Because the cart 130 is guided by the docking rails 126, the cart 130 may be docked to the docking plate 122 stably.

[0062] The docking wheel 138 may be located on another line, rather than the same line as the running wheel 136. Therefore, when the docking wheel 138 moves along the docking track 126, the docking wheel 138 may not be interfered by the running wheel 136.

[0063] In addition, the height of the docking wheel 138 may be higher than the height of the running wheel 136. Therefore, the docking wheel 138 may easily enter the docking track 126 provided on the inner bottom surface of the cart receiving unit 120.

[0064] The height of the docking wheel 138 may be the same as the height of the traveling wheel 136 .

[0065] The cart receiving unit 120 may further include a baffle 124. If the cart 130 is accommodated in the cart receiving unit 120 and docked with the docking plate 122, the baffle 124 may be provided to face a door 134 of the cart 130.

[0066] The baffle 124 may have a receiving groove 125 for receiving a connection block 135 protruding from the door 134 of the cart 130. At this time, the connection block 135 and the receiving groove 125 are set at corresponding heights and positions. The baffle 124 moves toward the cart 130 to receive the connection block 135 in the receiving groove 125, and thus the baffle 124 and the door 134 are coupled. When the baffle 124 and the door 134 are coupled, the baffle 124 moves vertically, that is, moves up and down, and at the same time, the door 134 of the cart 130 can be opened and closed.

[0067] The transfer robot 1400 may transport the carrier C in the stocker 100. The transfer robot 1400 may load the carrier C onto the first shelf 110 and the second shelf 133, or remove the carrier C from the first shelf 110 and the second shelf 133. In addition, the transfer robot 1400 may transfer the carrier C between the first shelf 110 and the second shelf 133 and between the first port 150 and the second port 160, which will be described below.

[0068] The transfer robot 1400 may be provided between the first racks 110 arranged in two rows. That is, based on the conveyor belt 144 of the transfer robot 1400, some first racks 110 are disposed on one side of the conveyor belt 144, and other first racks 110 may be disposed on the other side of the conveyor belt 144.

[0069] The robot arm 1440 of the transfer robot 1400 may be configured to move toward the first shelf 110 and the second shelf 133. For example, the robot arm 1440 included in the transfer robot 1400 may be provided so that the length of the robot arm 1440 can be extended and / or retracted. In addition, the robot arm 1440 may have a hand capable of loading or removing a carrier C into or from the first shelf 110, the first port 150, and the second port 160, as will be described below. The hand of the robot arm 1440 may grab and transport the carrier C.

[0070] The conveyor belt 144 may guide the robot arm 1440 in the second direction (Y direction). The lifting belt 146 may guide the robot arm 1440 in the third direction (Z direction). In addition, the transfer robot 1400 may include a driver (not shown) so that the robot arm 1440 can move along the conveyor belt 144 and the lifting belt 146. As an example, the transfer robot 1400 may be configured to include a drive motor and a power transmission device including a synchronous belt and a pulley.

[0071] In addition, according to the accumulator 100 of the embodiment, the port 160 may include a port 160. The port 160 may be provided in a shelf shape. One side of the port 160 may be opened toward the guide rail 144 of the transfer robot 1400. Both sides of the port 160 are open so that the carrier C stored and returned to the accumulator 100 can be taken out from the accumulator 100 through the port 160.

[0072] Figure 4 is a structural diagram briefly showing a system of a plurality of transfer robots according to an embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a plurality of transfer robots according to an embodiment, and Figure 6 Observed from the front Figure 5 A plan view of the first transfer robot 1400 is shown in FIG.

[0073] Reference Figures 4 to 6 , the first transfer robot 1400 according to the embodiment may include a first body 1410, a first lower platform 1420, a first upper platform 1430, a first robot arm 1440, a landmark 1450, a first camera 1460, a first drive unit 1470, and a first controller 1480. The first controller 1480 may be electrically connected to the first camera 1460, the first drive unit 1470, and the first robot arm 1440, and may send a drive signal thereto. The first controller 1480 may include a storage device (such as a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM)), and a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc.) configured to perform predetermined operations and algorithms.

[0074] The configurations of the first transfer robot 1400 and the second transfer robot 1500 are described in detail below. The first body 1410 of the first transfer robot 1400 may serve as a support at a lower end of the first transfer robot 1400 and provide a first surface 1410a and a second surface 1410b opposite to the first surface 1410a.

[0075] In addition, the first transfer robot 1400 may include a first lower platform 1420 and a first upper platform 1430 that provide a space to accommodate the carrier C on the first body 1410. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , the first lower platform 1420 may be disposed closer to the first surface 1410a of the first body 1410 than to the first upper platform 1430. That is, based on Figure 6, observing the first transfer robot 1400 from the front from left to right, the first lower platform 1420 may be disposed closer to the first surface 1410a of the first body 1410 and the landmark 1450 than to the first upper platform 1430. On the other hand, the first upper platform 1430 may be disposed closer to the second surface 1410b of the first body 1410 than to the first lower platform 1420.

[0076] A vertical height h1 of the first upper platform 1430 relative to the lowermost surface of the first body 1410 may be higher than a vertical height h2 of the first lower platform 1420 relative to the lowermost surface of the first body 1410. The first lower platform 1420 may provide a first space for loading the carrier C, and the first upper platform 1430 may provide a second space for loading the carrier C.

[0077] The first transfer robot 1400 may include a first robot arm 1440 disposed on a surface at the same vertical height h1 as the first upper platform 1430. The first robot arm 1440 may be configured to grab a carrier C that may be located on the first lower platform 1420 or the first upper platform 1430.

[0078] According to one embodiment, the landmark 1450 may be attached to the first surface 1410a of the first body 1410 of the first transfer robot 1400. For example, the landmark 1450 may be a two-dimensional (QR) code including information that the surface to which the landmark 1450 is attached is the first surface 1410a of the first transfer robot 1400.

[0079] According to one embodiment, the first driving unit 1470 of the first transfer robot 1400 may use the conveyor belt 144 (see Figure 3 ) or lifting belt 146 (see Figure 2 ) moves the first transfer robot 1400 in one direction. At this time, one direction can be as follows Figure 5 The left-right direction is indicated by the arrow shown in , or it may be the front-rear direction.

[0080] The second transfer robot 1500 according to the embodiment may include a second body 1510, a second lower platform 1520, a second upper platform 1530, a second robot arm 1540, a second camera 1560, a second drive unit 1570, and a second controller 1580. In the components of the second transfer robot 1500 and the components of the first transfer robot 1400, the corresponding components may be substantially the same as each other. The second controller 1580 may be electrically connected to the second camera 1560, the second drive unit 1570, and the second robot arm 1540, and may send a drive signal to these components. The second controller 1580 may include a storage device (such as ROM and RAM), and a processor (e.g., a microprocessor, a CPU, a GPU, etc.) configured to perform predetermined operations and algorithms.

[0081] The second body 1510 of the second transfer robot 1500 may serve as a support at a lower end of the second transfer robot 1500 , and provide a third surface 1510 a and a fourth surface 1510 b (not shown) opposite to the third surface 1510 a .

[0082] In addition, the second transfer robot 1500 may include a second lower platform 1520 and a second upper platform 1530 that provide a space to accommodate the carrier C on the second body 1510. The second lower platform 1520 may be disposed closer to the third surface 1510a of the second body 1510 than to the second upper platform 1530. That is, based on the front face of the second transfer robot 1500, in the left-right direction, the second lower platform 1520 may be disposed closer to the third surface 1510a of the second body 1510 than to the second upper platform 1530.

[0083] A vertical height h1 of the second upper platform 1530 relative to the lowermost surface of the second body 1510 may be higher than a vertical height h2 of the second lower platform 1520 relative to the lowermost surface of the second body 1510. The second lower platform 1520 may provide a third space for loading the carrier C, and the second upper platform 1530 may provide a fourth space for loading the carrier C.

[0084] The second transfer robot 1500 may include a second robot arm 1540 disposed on a surface at the same vertical height h1 as the second upper platform 1530. The second robot arm 1540 may be configured to grab the carrier C that may be located on the second lower platform 1520 or the second upper platform 1530.

[0085] According to one embodiment, the second driving unit 1570 of the second transfer robot 1500 may move the second transfer robot 1500 in one direction using a lifting belt. At this time, one direction may be as follows: Figure 5The left-right direction is indicated by the arrow shown in , or it may be the front-rear direction.

[0086] According to one embodiment, the second camera 1560 of the second transfer robot 1500 may be configured to photograph the first landmark of the first transfer robot 1400 and receive position information about the first transfer robot 1400. The second controller 1580 of the second transfer robot 1500 may be configured to generate a driving signal of the second transfer robot 1500 based on the position information about the first transfer robot 1400 received from the second camera 1560, and transmit the position information to the second driving unit 1570. That is, the second transfer robot 1500 may approach and align with the first transfer robot 1400 based on the information about the position of the first transfer robot 1400. The second transfer robot 1500 approaching the first transfer robot 1400 may transfer or load the carrier C through the second robot arm 1540. The second robot arm 1540 may be disposed closer to the fourth surface 1510b than to the third surface 1510a of the second transfer robot 1500. In addition, the second robot arm 1540 may be disposed closer to the second upper platform 1530 than to the second lower platform 1520. Therefore, the second robot arm 1540 of the second transfer robot 1500 approaching the first transfer robot 1400 may pick up the carrier C from the second upper platform 1530 and load the carrier C on the first lower platform 1420 of the first transfer robot 1400. That is, the second camera 1560 photographs the landmark 1450 of the first transfer robot 1400, and if the second controller 1580 electrically connected to the second camera 1560 determines that the fourth surface 1510b of the second transfer robot 1500 faces the first surface 1410a of the first transfer robot 1400, the second robot arm 1540 picks up and / or loads the carrier C.

[0087] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing a plurality of transfer robots according to another embodiment, and Figure 8 Observed from the front Figure 7 A plan view of the first transfer robot 1400 is shown in FIG.

[0088] when Figure 7 and Figure 8 The first transfer robot 1400 and the second transfer robot 1500 shown in FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 6 Compared with the first transfer robot 1400 and the second transfer robot 1500 shown in FIG, they are almost the same or similar except that each of the first transfer robot 1400 and the second transfer robot 1500 includes two cameras and two landmarks. Figure 5 and Figure 6Descriptions of components already given are simplified or omitted.

[0089] According to one embodiment, the first body 1410 of the first transfer robot 1400 may provide a first surface 1410a and a second surface 1410b opposite to the first surface 1410a. At this time, the first transfer robot 1400 may include a first landmark 1450a attached to the first surface 1410a and a second landmark 1450b attached to the second surface 1410b. The second body 1510 of the second transfer robot 1500 may provide a third surface 1510a and a fourth surface 1510b opposite to the third surface 1510a. At this time, the second transfer robot 1500 may include a third landmark 1550a attached to the third surface 1510a and a fourth landmark 1550b attached to the fourth surface 1510b.

[0090] At this time, the first landmark 1450a may include information that the surface to which the first landmark 1450a is attached is the first surface 1410a of the first transfer robot 1400, and the second landmark 1450b may include information that the surface to which the second landmark 1450b is attached is the second surface 1410b of the first transfer robot 1400. The third landmark 1550a may include information that the surface to which the third landmark 1550a is attached is the third surface 1510a of the second transfer robot 1500, and the fourth landmark 1550b may include information that the surface to which the fourth landmark 1550b is attached is the fourth surface 1510b of the second transfer robot 1500.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the first transfer robot 1400 may include a first camera 1460a disposed on the first surface 1410a and a second camera 1460b disposed on the second surface 1410b. In addition, the second transfer robot 1500 may include a third camera 1560a disposed on the third surface 1510a and a fourth camera 1560b disposed on the fourth surface 1510b. The first transfer robot 1400 may include a first controller 1480, which may be electrically connected to the first drive unit 1470, the first camera 1460a, and the second camera 1460b of the first transfer robot 1400. In addition, the second transfer robot 1500 may include a second controller 1580, which may be electrically connected to the second drive unit 1570, the third camera 1560a, and the fourth camera 1560b of the second transfer robot 1500.

[0092] Figure 714 is a schematic diagram showing a situation when the first surface 1410a of the first transfer robot 1400 and the fourth surface 1510b of the second transfer robot 1500 face each other. The fourth camera 1560b of the second transfer robot 1500 may be configured to receive position information about the first transfer robot 1400 by photographing the first landmark 1450a of the first transfer robot 1400. The second controller 1580 of the second transfer robot 1500 may be configured to generate a driving signal of the second transfer robot 1500 based on the position information about the first transfer robot 1400 received from the fourth camera 1560b, and send the driving signal to the second driving unit 1570. That is, the second transfer robot 1500 may approach and align with the first transfer robot 1400 based on the position information about the first transfer robot 1400. The second transfer robot 1500 that has approached the first transfer robot 1400 may transfer or load the carrier C using the second robot arm 1540. The second robot arm 1540 may be disposed closer to the fourth surface 1510b of the second transfer robot 1500 than to the third surface 1510a. In addition, the second robot arm 1540 may be placed closer to the second upper platform 1530 than to the second lower platform 1520. Therefore, the second robot arm 1540 of the second transfer robot 1500, which has approached the first transfer robot 1400, may pick up the carrier C from the second upper platform 1530 and load the carrier C to the first lower platform 1420 of the first transfer robot 1400. That is, the fourth camera 1560b photographs the first landmark 1450a of the first transfer robot 1400, and if the second controller 1580 electrically connected to the fourth camera 1560b determines that the fourth surface 1510b of the second transfer robot 1500 faces the first surface 1410a of the first transfer robot 1400, the second robot arm 1540 picks up and / or loads the carrier C.

[0093] On the other hand, although not shown in the drawings, the second surface 1410b of the first transfer robot 1400 and the third surface 1510a of the second transfer robot 1500 may face each other. In this case, the third camera 1560a of the second transfer robot 1500 may be configured to photograph the second landmark 1450b of the first transfer robot 1400 and receive position information about the first transfer robot 1400. The second controller 1580 of the second transfer robot 1500 may be configured to generate a driving signal of the second transfer robot 1500 based on the position information about the first transfer robot 1400 received from the third camera 1560a, and send the driving signal to the second driving unit 1570. That is, the second transfer robot 1500 may approach and align with the first transfer robot 1400 based on the position information about the first transfer robot 1400. The second transfer robot 1500 that has approached the first transfer robot 1400 may transfer or load the carrier C using the second robot arm 1540. The second robot arm 1540 of the second transfer robot 1500 that has approached the first transfer robot 1400 may pick up the carrier C from the second upper platform 1530, and transfer and load the carrier C on the first lower platform 1420 of the first transfer robot 1400. That is, the third camera 1560a photographs the second landmark 1450b of the first transfer robot 1400, and if the second controller 1580 electrically connected to the third camera 1560a determines that the third surface 1510a of the second transfer robot 1500 faces the second surface 1410b of the first transfer robot 1400, the second robot arm 1540 picks up and / or loads the carrier C.

[0094] Fig. 9 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a control method of a conveying unit according to an embodiment.

[0095] For ease of explanation, see Fig. 9 as well as Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8, the control method of the conveying unit according to the embodiment may first include an operation of the first conveying robot 1400 approaching the second conveying robot 1500 (S110). Secondly, the control method of the conveying unit may include recognizing the fourth landmark 1550b set on the fourth surface 1510b of the second conveying robot 1500 by the first camera 1460a set on the first surface 1410a of the first conveying robot 1400 (S120). At this time, the fourth landmark 1550b may include information that the surface to which the fourth landmark 1550b is attached is the fourth surface 1510b of the second conveying robot 1500. The first camera 1460a may send information about the position of the second conveying robot 1500 to the first controller 1480. Then, the control method of the conveying unit may include docking the first conveying robot 1400 to the second conveying robot 1500 (S130). The first controller 1480 may generate information about the driving of the first conveying robot 1400 based on the information about the position of the second conveying robot 1500 received from the first camera 1460a. In addition, the first controller 1480 may transmit information about driving of the first transfer robot 1400 to the first driving unit 1470 , and the first transfer robot 1400 may dock with the second transfer robot 1500 through the first driving unit 1470 .

[0096] Thereafter, the control method of the transfer unit may include transferring the carrier C loaded on the second upper platform 1530 of the second transfer robot 1500 to the first lower platform 1420 of the first transfer robot 1400 through the first robot arm 1440 (S140). After completing the transfer of the carrier C, the control method of the transfer unit may include detaching the first transfer robot 1400 from the second transfer robot 1500 (S150).

[0097] Fig.10 is a flowchart sequentially illustrating a control method of a conveying unit according to another embodiment.

[0098] For ease of explanation, see Fig.10 as well as Figure 4 , Figure 7 and Figure 8, the control method of the conveying unit according to the embodiment may first include an operation of the second conveying robot 1500 approaching the first conveying robot 1400 (S210). Thereafter, the control method of the conveying unit may include recognizing the first landmark 1450a set on the first surface 1410a of the first conveying robot 1400 by the fourth camera 1560b set on the fourth surface 1510b of the second conveying robot 1500 (S220). At this time, the first landmark 1450 may include information that the surface to which the first landmark 1450a is attached is the first surface 1410a of the first conveying robot 1400. The fourth camera 1560b may send information about the position of the first conveying robot 1400 to the second controller 1580. Thereafter, the control method of the conveying unit may include docking the second conveying robot 1500 to the first conveying robot 1400 (S230). The second controller 1580 may generate information about the driving of the second conveying robot 1500 based on the information about the position of the first conveying robot 1400 received from the fourth camera 1560b. The second controller 1580 may transmit information about driving of the second transfer robot 1500 to the second driving unit 1570 , and the second transfer robot 1500 may dock with the first transfer robot 1400 through the second driving unit 1570 .

[0099] Thereafter, the control method of the transfer unit may include transferring the carrier C loaded on the second upper platform 1530 of the second transfer robot 1500 to the first lower platform 1420 of the first transfer robot 1400 through the second robot arm 1540 (S240). After completing the transfer of the carrier C, the control method of the transfer unit may include detaching the second transfer robot 1500 from the first transfer robot 1400 (S250).

[0100] As described above, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been disclosed in the drawings and the specification. In this specification, the exemplary embodiments are described by using some specific terms, but the terms used are only used for the purpose of describing the technical scope of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the meaning or technical scope described in the claims. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes can be made to the form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not limited by the detailed description of the present invention, but by the appended claims.

[0101] It should be understood that the embodiments described herein should be considered to be merely illustrative and not for limiting purposes. The description of features or aspects in each embodiment should generally be considered to be applicable to other similar features or aspects in other embodiments. Although one or more embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A transfer robot configured to identify the position of another robot loaded with a carrier and dock with the other robot, The transfer robot provides a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the transfer robot comprises: A lower platform, providing a first space for loading the carrier, wherein the carrier is loaded on the other robot; a first camera, disposed on the first surface and configured to identify the position of the other robot and generate position information of the other robot; a robotic arm configured to grasp the carrier; a driving unit capable of aligning the transfer robot with the other robot by moving the transfer robot; and a controller electrically connected to the first camera, the robot arm and the drive unit to receive the position information generated by the first camera, Wherein, the controller is configured to send a driving signal to the driving unit so that the transfer robot docks with the other robot based on the position information.

2. The transfer robot according to claim 1, further comprising: a first landmark attached to the first surface; and a second landmark attached to the second surface, wherein the first landmark includes position information, that is, the surface to which the first landmark is attached is the first surface, and The second landmark includes position information, ie, the surface to which the second landmark is attached is the second surface.

3. The transfer robot according to claim 2, wherein: The first landmark and the second landmark are two-dimensional code images.

4. The transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein: When the transfer robot docks with the other robot, the controller sends an electrical signal to the robot arm to pick up the carrier loaded on the other robot.

5. The transfer robot according to claim 1, further comprising: The upper platform provides a second space for loading the carrier, Wherein, the vertical height of the upper platform from the lowest surface of the transfer robot is higher than the vertical height of the lower platform from the lowest surface of the transfer robot.

6. A transmission unit, comprising: a first transfer robot providing a space, a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface for transferring and loading a carrier loaded with objects on shelves arranged in the left-right direction and the up-down direction; a second transfer robot providing a space for transferring and loading the carrier, a third surface, and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface; and a conveyor belt coupled to the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot, Wherein, the first transfer robot comprises: a first landmark attached to the first surface; a second landmark attached to the second surface; and a first driving unit, configured to move the first transfer robot in the left-right direction or the up-down direction; Wherein, the second transfer robot comprises: a third landmark, disposed on the third surface; a fourth landmark disposed on the fourth surface; and The second driving unit moves the second transfer robot in the left-right direction or the up-down direction.

7. The transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein: The first landmark comprises information that the surface to which the first landmark is attached is the first surface of the first transfer robot, the second landmark comprises information that the surface to which the second landmark is attached is the second surface of the first transfer robot, The third landmark includes information that the surface to which the third landmark is attached is the third surface of the second transfer robot, and The fourth landmark includes information that the surface to which the fourth landmark is attached is the fourth surface of the second transfer robot.

8. The transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein: The first transfer robot comprises: A first lower platform, providing a first space for loading the carrier; and The first upper platform provides a second space for loading the carrier, Wherein, a vertical height of the first upper platform from the lowest surface of the first transfer robot is higher than a vertical height of the first lower platform from the lowest surface of the first transfer robot.

9. The conveying unit according to claim 8, wherein: In the left-right direction, the first lower platform is located closer to the first landmark than the first upper platform.

10. The transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein: The second transfer robot comprises: A second lower platform provides a third space for loading the cargo rack; and The second upper platform provides a fourth space for loading the carrier, Wherein, a vertical height of the second upper platform from the lowest surface of the second transfer robot is higher than a vertical height of the second lower platform from the lowest surface of the second transfer robot.

11. The conveying unit according to claim 10, wherein: In the left-right direction, the second upper platform is located closer to the fourth landmark than the second lower platform.

12. The transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein: The first transfer robot comprises: A first camera, disposed on the first surface; A second camera is disposed on the second surface; and The first controller is electrically connected to the first driving unit, the first camera and the second camera.

13. The conveying unit according to claim 12, wherein: The first camera is configured to receive position information about the second transfer robot by photographing the fourth landmark of the second transfer robot, and transmit a driving signal of the first transfer robot to the first controller based on the position information.

14. The transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein: The second transfer robot comprises: A third camera is arranged on the third surface; A fourth camera is disposed on the fourth surface; and The second controller is electrically connected to the second driving unit, the third camera and the fourth camera.

15. The conveying unit according to claim 14, wherein: The third camera is configured to receive position information about the first transfer robot by photographing the second landmark of the first transfer robot, and transmit a driving signal of the second transfer robot to the second controller based on the position information.

16. The transmission unit according to claim 6, wherein: The first landmark, the second landmark, the third landmark, and the fourth landmark are two-dimensional code images.

17. A transfer robot system, comprising: First delivery robot; a second transfer robot for loading the carrier loaded with the semiconductor wafers onto shelves arranged in the left-right direction and the up-down direction; and a conveyor belt coupled to the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot, The first transfer robot providing the first surface comprises: A first lower platform, providing a first space for loading the carrier; a first upper platform, positioned at a higher vertical height than the first lower platform and providing a second space for loading the carrier; a first landmark, attached to the first surface, the first landmark comprising position information, namely, the surface to which the first landmark is attached is the first surface; A first camera, disposed on the first surface; and a first robotic arm configured to grasp the carrier, and The second transfer robot providing the second surface comprises: A second lower platform provides a second space for loading the cargo rack; a second upper platform, positioned at a higher vertical height than the second lower platform and providing a second space for loading the carrier; a second camera configured to identify the first landmark of the first transfer robot and generate position information of the first landmark; a second robotic arm configured to grasp the carrier; and a driving unit capable of moving the second transfer robot in one direction using the conveyor belt, Wherein, when the first surface of the first transfer robot and the second surface of the second transfer robot face each other, the second transfer robot drives the second robot arm to transfer the carrier loaded on the first upper platform.

18. The transfer robot system according to claim 17, wherein: In the left-right direction, the first lower platform is located closer to the first landmark than the first upper platform.

19. The transfer robot system according to claim 17, wherein: The second transfer robot comprises: a second landmark, attached to the second surface, the second landmark comprising position information, i.e., the surface to which the second landmark is attached is the second surface, Wherein, when the first surface of the first transfer robot and the second surface of the second transfer robot face each other, the first transfer robot drives the first robot arm to transfer the carrier loaded on the second upper platform.

20. The transfer robot system according to claim 19, wherein: The first landmark and the second landmark are two-dimensional code images.

Images