Wafer handling robot

Abstract

The present application relates to a wafer handling robot. An arm material taking structural member is arranged on a main rotating member and is used to rotate under the drive of the main rotating member; a first rotating assembly is arranged on the main rotating member, a second rotating assembly is rotatably arranged on the first rotating assembly, and a material taking assembly is arranged on the second rotating assembly; a driving motor is arranged in the main rotating member and is connected to the first rotating assembly, and is used to drive the first rotating assembly to rotate, drive the second rotating assembly to rotate, and drive the material taking assembly to move linearly in a state where the first rotating assembly and the second rotating assembly rotate. Only one driving motor is used to drive the first rotating assembly, the second rotating assembly and the material taking assembly to achieve linkage, and the material taking assembly can be driven to move linearly without the cooperation of multiple motors so as to achieve material taking and handling. Therefore, wafer handling can be carried out quickly, accurately and efficiently, and it is applicable to handling wafers of various different specifications, and has the advantages of wide applicability, small volume, simple structure, low power consumption, simple and efficient control, etc.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of chip manufacturing, and particularly to a wafer handling robot. Background Art

[0002] Traditional wafer handling robots have complex internal structures and extremely high hardware costs. At the same time, secondary development is particularly difficult. Usually, they are relatively targeted to adapt to the handling of a certain type or model of wafer, resulting in high prices and development difficulties.

[0003] Moreover, when a wafer handling robot transports wafers, multiple motors are usually required to operate cooperatively, resulting in a complex structure, large volume, and high power consumption. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a wafer handling robot.

[0005] An embodiment of this application is a wafer handling robot, which includes a main rotating member and an arm material taking structure member;

[0006] The arm material taking structure member is arranged on the main rotating member and is used to rotate under the drive of the main rotating member;

[0007] The arm material taking structure member includes a driving motor, a first rotating assembly, a second rotating assembly, and a material taking assembly;

[0008] The first rotating assembly is arranged on the main rotating member, the second rotating assembly is rotatably arranged on the first rotating assembly, and the material taking assembly is arranged on the second rotating assembly;

[0009] The driving motor is arranged in the main rotating member and is connected to the first rotating assembly, and is used to drive the first rotating assembly to rotate, drive the second rotating assembly to rotate, and drive the material taking assembly to move linearly when the first rotating assembly and the second rotating assembly are rotating.

[0010] For the above-mentioned wafer handling robot, through the cooperation of the main rotating member and the arm material taking structure member, only one driving motor is used to drive the first rotating assembly, the second rotating assembly, and the material taking assembly to achieve linkage. Without the need for multiple motors to cooperate, the material taking assembly can be driven to move linearly to achieve material taking and handling. Therefore, wafer handling can be carried out quickly, accurately, and efficiently, and it can be applied to the handling of various different specifications of wafers. Therefore, it has the advantages of wide applicability, small volume, simple structure, low power consumption, simple and efficient control, etc.

[0011] Exemplarily, in some of the embodiments, the rotation axes of the second rotation assembly and the first rotation assembly are located on a preset rotation plane, and the moving direction of the material taking assembly is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane; in the state where the first rotation assembly and the second rotation assembly rotate, the first angle of the first rotation assembly relative to the preset rotation plane is the same as the second angle of the second rotation assembly relative to the preset rotation plane. That is, the first rotation assembly and the second rotation assembly have the same angle relative to the preset rotation plane.

[0012] In some of the embodiments, the rotation axes of the main rotating member, the first rotation assembly, and the second rotation assembly are parallel; or,

[0013] The moving direction of the material taking assembly is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the first rotation assembly and the second rotation assembly.

[0014] In some of the embodiments, the arm material taking structural member further includes a crossed roller bearing;

[0015] The first rotation assembly includes a first joint arm and a first driving gear, a first toothed belt, and a first driven gear located in the first joint arm;

[0016] The driving motor is connected to the first joint arm and is used to drive the first joint arm to rotate. The first joint arm is connected to the first driven gear and the crossed roller bearing;

[0017] The first driving gear is fixed on the main rotating member and is in transmission connection with the first driven gear through the first toothed belt;

[0018] The second rotation assembly includes a second joint arm and a second synchronous gear, a second toothed belt, and a second driven gear located in the second joint arm;

[0019] The second joint arm is fixed on the first driven gear, and the second driven gear is fixed under the material taking assembly;

[0020] The second synchronous gear is fixed on the first joint arm and is in transmission connection with the second driven gear through the second toothed belt to drive the material taking assembly to move.

[0021] In some of the embodiments, the first driving gear and the first driven gear have a first gear ratio, the second driven gear and the second synchronous gear have a second gear ratio, and the first gear ratio is the same as the second gear ratio.

[0022] In some of these embodiments, the gear ratio of the first driving gear to the first driven gear is 2:1, and the gear ratio of the second synchronous gear to the second driven gear is 1:2; or,

[0023] The driving motor drives the first joint arm and the second joint arm to rotate synchronously. In the state where the first joint arm and the second joint arm rotate, the first joint arm and the second joint arm have the same included angle relative to the preset rotation plane, and the moving direction of the material taking assembly is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane.

[0024] In some of these embodiments, the number of the arm material taking structural members is two;

[0025] The material taking assemblies of the two arm material taking structural members have overlapping or parallel moving directions;

[0026] And the moving paths of the two arm material taking structural members do not interfere with each other.

[0027] In some of these embodiments, the material taking assemblies of the two arm material taking structural members have the same material taking position; or,

[0028] The material taking assemblies of the two arm material taking structural members have stepped material taking positions.

[0029] In some of these embodiments, the material taking assembly has a pneumatic gripper ceramic arm or a ceramic suction cup; and / or,

[0030] The material taking assembly includes a negative pressure adsorption arm and a steering connecting member. The negative pressure adsorption arm is arranged on the second rotating assembly through the steering connecting member. The steering connecting member is used to define the connection direction between the negative pressure adsorption arm and the second rotating assembly, so that the moving direction of the material taking assembly is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane;

[0031] The wafer handling robot further includes a negative pressure tube connecting the negative pressure adsorption arm. The negative pressure tube sequentially passes through the second rotating assembly, the first rotating assembly and the main rotating member for connecting a negative pressure generating device.

[0032] Exemplarily, in some of these embodiments, the negative pressure tube passes through the second driven gear and enters the second joint arm, passes through the second synchronous gear and the first driven gear and enters the first joint arm, passes through the first driving gear and enters the main rotating member, and is exposed through the main rotating member for connecting a negative pressure generating device.

[0033] Exemplarily, in some of the embodiments, the first driving gear and the second driven gear are respectively provided with first pipe-passing holes for the negative pressure pipe to pass through at positions deviating from the central axis, the second synchronous gear and the first driven gear are respectively provided with second pipe-passing holes for the negative pressure pipe to pass through at the central axis, the negative pressure pipe in the second joint arm passes through the two second pipe-passing holes and then protrudes outside the first joint arm, and then enters the first joint arm through the through hole of the first joint arm. The arm material taking structure further includes a protective housing, and the protective housing is arranged under the first joint arm to cover the negative pressure pipe protruding outside the first joint arm.

[0034] In some of the embodiments, the wafer handling robot further includes a wafer probing sensor arranged on the material taking assembly for detecting the state of the wafer in the device to be taken.

[0035] Exemplarily, in some of the embodiments, the wafer probing sensor is arranged on the negative pressure adsorption arm of the material taking assembly or on the steering connecting piece of the material taking assembly.

[0036] In some of the embodiments, the wafer handling robot further includes a lifting assembly, and the main rotating member is arranged on the lifting assembly for lifting under the drive of the lifting assembly;

[0037] The lifting direction of the lifting assembly, the rotation axis of the main rotating member, the rotation axes of the first rotating assembly, and the rotation axes of the second rotating assembly are parallel to each other. Description of the Drawings [[ID=…]]

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0039] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the wafer handling robot described in the present application.

[0040] Figure 2 For Figure 1 Another direction schematic diagram of the illustrated embodiment.

[0041] Figure 3 For Figure 1 A partial structural schematic diagram of the illustrated embodiment.

[0042] Figure 4 For Figure 3 Another direction schematic diagram of the illustrated embodiment.

[0043] Figure 5 Another schematic diagram of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 4 is shown in FIG.

[0044] Figure 6 Another schematic diagram of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 5 is shown in FIG.

[0045] Figure 7 Another schematic diagram of the application state of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 6 is shown in FIG.

[0046] Figure 8 Another schematic diagram of a partial structure of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 3 is shown in FIG.

[0047] Figure 9 Another schematic diagram of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 8 is shown in FIG.

[0048] Figure 10 Another schematic diagram of another identification of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 9 is shown in FIG.

[0049] Figure 11 Another schematic diagram of another state of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 9 is shown in FIG.

[0050] Figure 12 Another schematic diagram of another identification of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 11 is shown in FIG.

[0051] Figure 13 Another schematic diagram of the sectional view in the A-A direction of the embodiment shown in the direction Figure 12 is shown in FIG.

[0052] Reference numerals: wafer handling robot 100, lifting assembly 200, main rotating member 300, drive motor 400, first rotating assembly 500, second rotating assembly 600, picking component 700, crossed roller bearing 800, wafer probing sensor 900, wafer 999;

[0053] First arm picking structural member 101, second arm picking structural member 102, top cover 310, first drive motor 410, second drive motor 420, first included angle 501, protective housing 502, first pipe through hole 503, second pipe through hole 504, first articulated arm 510, first drive gear 520, first toothed belt 530, first driven gear 540, second included angle 601, second articulated arm 610, second synchronous gear 620, second toothed belt 630, second driven gear 640, moving direction 701, preset rotating surface 702, negative pressure adsorption arm 710, steering connecting member 720. Detailed implementation manners

[0054] To make the above objects, features, and advantages of the present application more apparent and understandable, the following provides a detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0055] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there can also be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", and similar expressions used in the specification of the present application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation manner.

[0056] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0057] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the first feature can be in direct contact with the second feature "on" or "under" the second feature, or the first feature and the second feature can be in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature can be directly above or obliquely above the second feature "above", "over", and "on top of" the second feature, or it only means that the first feature is at a higher horizontal height than the second feature. The first feature can be directly below or obliquely below the second feature "below", "beneath", and "underneath" the second feature, or it only means that the first feature is at a lower horizontal height than the second feature.

[0058] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the specification of the present application have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used in the specification of the present application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0059] The present application discloses a wafer handling robot, which includes some or all of the technical features of the following embodiments; that is, the wafer handling robot includes some or all of the following structures. In one embodiment of the present application, a wafer handling robot includes a main rotating member and an arm picking structure member; the arm picking structure member is disposed on the main rotating member and is configured to rotate under the drive of the main rotating member; the arm picking structure member includes a driving motor, a first rotating assembly, a second rotating assembly, and a picking assembly; the first rotating assembly is disposed on the main rotating member, the second rotating assembly is rotatably disposed on the first rotating assembly, and the picking assembly is disposed on the second rotating assembly; the driving motor is disposed in the main rotating member and is connected to the first rotating assembly for driving the first rotating assembly to rotate, driving the second rotating assembly to rotate, and driving the picking assembly to linearly move in a state where the first rotating assembly and the second rotating assembly rotate. The above-mentioned wafer handling robot, through the cooperation of the main rotating member and the arm picking structure member, only uses one driving motor to drive the first rotating assembly, the second rotating assembly, and the picking assembly to achieve linkage, and can drive the picking assembly to linearly move to achieve picking and handling without the cooperation of multiple motors. Therefore, it can quickly, accurately, and efficiently perform wafer handling, and is applicable to handling wafers of various different specifications. Therefore, it has the advantages of wide applicability, small volume, simple structure, low power consumption, simple and efficient control, etc. The following combines Figures 1 to 13 , and will make a detailed description of the wafer handling robot.

[0060] In some of the embodiments, a wafer handling robot 100 is as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, which includes a main rotating member 300 and an arm picking structure member; the arm picking structure member is disposed on the main rotating member 300 and is configured to rotate under the drive of the main rotating member 300; combined with Figure 3, the arm material taking structure includes a driving motor 400, a first rotating assembly 500, a second rotating assembly 600, and a material taking assembly 700; the first rotating assembly 500 is arranged on the main rotating member 300, the second rotating assembly 600 is rotatably arranged on the first rotating assembly 500, and the material taking assembly 700 is arranged on the second rotating assembly 600; the driving motor 400 is arranged in the main rotating member 300 and connected to the first rotating assembly 500, and is used to drive the first rotating assembly 500 to rotate, drive the second rotating assembly 600 to rotate, and drive the material taking assembly 700 to move linearly when the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 are rotating, that is, the moving direction 701 of the material taking assembly 700 is a straight line. With such a design, through the cooperation of the main rotating member 300 and the arm material taking structure, only one driving motor 400 is used to drive the first rotating assembly 500, the second rotating assembly 600, and the material taking assembly 700 to achieve linkage, and the material taking assembly 700 can be driven to move linearly without the cooperation of multiple motors to achieve material taking and handling. Therefore, the wafer can be transported quickly, accurately, and efficiently, and it can be applied to transporting wafers of various different specifications. Therefore, it has the advantages of wide applicability, small volume, simple structure, low power consumption, simple and efficient control, etc.

[0061] In some embodiments, Figure 1 and Figure 2 the wafer handling robot 100 further includes a lifting assembly 200, and the main rotating member 300 is arranged on the lifting assembly 200 and is used to lift under the drive of the lifting assembly 200; combined with Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the lifting direction of the lifting assembly 200, the rotation axis of the main rotating member 300, the rotation axis of the first rotating assembly 500, and the rotation axis of the second rotating assembly 600 are parallel. With such a design, it is beneficial to flexibly adjust the position of the main rotating member 300, such as the relative height, to adjust the position of the material taking assembly 700, so as to facilitate the material taking assembly 700 to obtain the wafer 999 on its linear moving path, as shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 .

[0062] In each embodiment, the arm material taking structure is arranged on the main rotating member 300 and is used to rotate under the drive of the main rotating member 300; the arm material taking structure includes a driving motor 400, a first rotating assembly 500, a second rotating assembly 600, and a material taking assembly 700. The number of the arm material taking structures can be one, two, or more, as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the number of the arm picking and placing structural members is two, including a first arm picking and placing structural member 101 and a second arm picking and placing structural member 102. The first arm picking and placing structural member 101 and the second arm picking and placing structural member 102 are respectively arranged on the main rotating member 300; in some embodiments, the number of the arm picking and placing structural members is two; the moving directions 701 of the picking and placing assemblies 700 of the two arm picking and placing structural members coincide or are parallel; and the moving paths of the two arm picking and placing structural members do not interfere with each other. Exemplarily, when the number of the arm picking and placing structural members is at least two, as Figure 4 shown, the moving directions 701 of the picking and placing assemblies 700 of the respective arm picking and placing structural members are arranged to be the same, that is, the picking directions of the respective picking and placing assemblies 700 are arranged to be the same, and it can also be understood that the moving directions 701 of the picking and placing assemblies 700 of the respective arm picking and placing structural members coincide or are parallel. In some embodiments, the picking and placing assemblies 700 of the two arm picking and placing structural members have the same picking position. In some embodiments, as Figure 4 shown, the picking and placing assemblies 700 of the two arm picking and placing structural members have stepped picking positions.

[0063] It can be understood that each arm picking and placing structural member includes and only includes one driving motor 400, and the number of the driving motors 400 corresponds to the number of the arm picking and placing structural members. As Figure 3 and Figure 5 shown, the number of the arm picking and placing structural members is two, and the number of the driving motors 400 is also two, including a first driving motor 410 and a second driving motor 420, which respectively drive different first rotating assemblies 500. Such a structural design is beneficial to improving the working efficiency of the wafer handling robot 100.

[0064] In each embodiment, the first rotating assembly 500 is disposed on the main rotating member 300, the second rotating assembly 600 is rotatably disposed on the first rotating assembly 500, and the material taking assembly 700 is disposed on the second rotating assembly 600; Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the rotation axes of the second rotating assembly 600 and the first rotating assembly 500 are located in a preset rotation plane 702, and the moving direction 701 of the material taking assembly 700 is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane 702; In a state where the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 rotate, a first angle 501 of the first rotating assembly 500 relative to the preset rotation plane 702 is the same as a second angle 601 of the second rotating assembly 600 relative to the preset rotation plane 702. That is, the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 have the same angle relative to the preset rotation plane 702. Such a design realizes effective control of the linear movement of the material taking assembly 700, enables the driving motor 400, the first rotating assembly 500, the second rotating assembly 600, and the material taking assembly 700 to be accurately linked, and converts the rotation of the driving motor 400 adjusted by the rotation of the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 into the linear movement of the material taking assembly 700. Therefore, only one driving motor 400 is used to drive the first rotating assembly 500, the second rotating assembly 600, and the material taking assembly 700, so that multiple structures can be linked, and thus the material taking assembly 700 can be driven to move linearly without the cooperation of multiple motors to realize material taking and handling. Moreover, since the material taking assembly 700 moves linearly, the wafer can be transported quickly, accurately, and efficiently. And because it is a simple linear movement, with an appropriate design of the material taking assembly 700, it can be applied to transporting wafers of various different specifications, and has the advantages of wide applicability, small volume, simple structure, low power consumption, simple and efficient control, etc.

[0065] In each embodiment, the driving motor 400 is disposed in the main rotating member 300 and connected to the first rotating assembly 500, and is used to drive the first rotating assembly 500 to rotate, drive the second rotating assembly 600 to rotate, and drive the material taking assembly 700 to move linearly in a state where the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 rotate. As an example, as Figure 6 and Figure 7 shown, the material taking assembly 700 moves linearly to obtain the wafer 999. In this embodiment, the wafer handling robot 100 further includes a wafer probing sensor 900 disposed on the material taking assembly 700, which is used to detect the state of the wafer in the device to be taken, that is, to detect the state of the wafer 999 in the device to be taken. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, in combination with Figure 8, the chip detecting sensor 900 is disposed on the negative pressure adsorption arm 710 of the material taking assembly 700 or on the steering connecting member 720 of the material taking assembly 700. With such a design, the state of the wafer 999 can be obtained by the chip detecting sensor 900, and then accurate material taking operation can be performed.

[0066] In some embodiments, the rotating shafts of the main rotating member 300, the first rotating assembly 500, and the second rotating assembly 600 are parallel to each other; in some embodiments, the moving direction 701 of the material taking assembly 700 is perpendicular to the rotating shafts of the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600. In some embodiments, the rotating shafts of the main rotating member 300, the first rotating assembly 500, and the second rotating assembly 600 are parallel to each other, and the moving direction 701 of the material taking assembly 700 is perpendicular to the rotating shafts of the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600. With such a design, it is beneficial to accurately control the linear movement and the position of the linear movement of the material taking assembly 700. By driving the first rotating assembly 500 to rotate through the driving motor 400, the second rotating assembly 600 is driven to rotate, and the material taking assembly 700 is driven to linearly move. Only one driving motor 400 is required to complete the position control of the material taking assembly 700, and multi-motor coordination is not required. Therefore, a miniaturized design solution can be achieved.

[0067] In some embodiments, as Figure 13 shown, the arm material taking structural member further includes a crossed roller bearing 800; in combination with Figure 8 and Figure 9, the first rotating assembly 500 includes a first joint arm 510 and a first driving gear 520, a first toothed belt 530, and a first driven gear 540 located in the first joint arm 510; the driving motor 400 is connected to the first joint arm 510 for driving the first joint arm 510 to rotate, and the first joint arm 510 is connected to the cross roller bearing 800 of the first driven gear 540; the first driving gear 520 is fixed on the main rotating member 300 and is in transmission connection with the first driven gear 540 through the first toothed belt 530; the second rotating assembly 600 includes a second joint arm 610 and a second synchronous gear 620, a second toothed belt 630, and a second driven gear 640 located in the second joint arm 610; the second joint arm 610 is fixed on the first driven gear 540, and the second driven gear 640 is fixed under the material taking assembly 700; the second synchronous gear 620 is fixed on the first joint arm 510 and is in transmission connection with the second driven gear 640 through the second toothed belt 630 to drive the material taking assembly 700 to move. With such a design, as an example rather than a limitation of using only one driving motor 400 to drive the linear movement of the material taking assembly 700, only one driving motor 400 is used to drive the first rotating assembly 500, the second rotating assembly 600 and the material taking assembly 700 to achieve linkage, and the material taking assembly 700 can be driven to move linearly without the cooperation of multiple motors, so as to realize material taking and handling. Therefore, the wafer handling can be carried out quickly, accurately and efficiently, and it can be applied to handling wafers of various different specifications. Therefore, it has the advantages of wide applicability, small volume, simple structure, low power consumption, simple and efficient control, etc.

[0068] In some embodiments, the first driving gear 520 and the first driven gear 540 have a first gear ratio, the second driven gear 640 and the second synchronous gear 620 have a second gear ratio, and the first gear ratio is the same as the second gear ratio. In some embodiments, the gear ratio of the first driving gear 520 to the first driven gear 540 is 2:1, and the gear ratio of the second synchronous gear 620 to the second driven gear 640 is 1:2; that is, both the first gear ratio and the second gear ratio are 2. With such a design, on the one hand, it is beneficial to maintain the relative position of the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600, that is, to maintain the relative position of the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610, and on the other hand, it is beneficial to cooperate with the embodiment having the cross roller bearing 800 to improve the rotation stability of the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610.

[0069] In some of these embodiments, the drive motor 400 drives the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610 to rotate synchronously. In the state where the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610 are rotating, the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610 have the same included angle relative to the preset rotation plane 702, and the moving direction 701 of the material taking assembly 700 is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane 702. As an example, as Figure 10 and Figure 11 shown, the drive motor 400 drives the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610 to rotate synchronously. No matter where the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610 rotate to, in the state where the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 are rotating, the first included angle 501 of the first rotating assembly 500 relative to the preset rotation plane 702 is the same as the second included angle 601 of the second rotating assembly 600 relative to the preset rotation plane 702; that is, in the state where the first joint arm 510 and the second joint arm 610 are rotating, the first included angle 501 of the first joint arm 510 relative to the preset rotation plane 702 is the same as the second included angle 601 of the second joint arm 610 relative to the preset rotation plane 702. Such a design realizes the effective control of the linear movement of the material taking assembly 700. The rotation of the drive motor 400 is adjusted through the rotation of the first rotating assembly 500 and the second rotating assembly 600 and converted into the linear movement of the material taking assembly 700. Therefore, only one drive motor 400 is used to drive the first rotating assembly 500, the second rotating assembly 600 and the material taking assembly 700, and the multi-structure linkage can be realized, so that the material taking assembly 700 can be driven to move linearly without the cooperation of multiple motors, thereby realizing material taking and handling. Moreover, since the material taking assembly 700 moves linearly, the wafer can be transported quickly, accurately and efficiently.

[0070] In some of these embodiments, the material taking assembly 700 has a pneumatic gripper ceramic arm or a ceramic suction cup. In some of these embodiments, in combination with Figure 9 and Figure 12, the material taking assembly 700 includes a negative pressure adsorption arm 710 and a steering connecting piece 720. The negative pressure adsorption arm 710 is arranged on the second rotating assembly 600 through the steering connecting piece 720. The steering connecting piece 720 is used to define the connection direction between the negative pressure adsorption arm 710 and the second rotating assembly 600, so that the moving direction 701 of the material taking assembly 700 is perpendicular to the preset rotating surface 702. The wafer handling robot 100 further includes a negative pressure pipe connecting the negative pressure adsorption arm 710. The negative pressure pipe sequentially passes through the second rotating assembly 600, the first rotating assembly 500 and the main rotating part 300 for connecting a negative pressure generating device. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the negative pressure pipe passes through the second driven gear 640 and enters the second joint arm 610, passes through the second synchronous gear 620 and the first driven gear 540 and enters the first joint arm 510, passes through the first driving gear 520 and enters the main rotating part 300, and passes through the main rotating part 300 and is exposed for connecting the negative pressure generating device. Exemplarily, in some embodiments, the first driving gear 520 and the second driven gear 640 are respectively provided with first pipe passing holes 503 for the negative pressure pipe to pass through at positions deviating from the central axis, the second synchronous gear 620 and the first driven gear 540 are respectively provided with second pipe passing holes 504 for the negative pressure pipe to pass through at the central axis, the negative pressure pipe in the second joint arm 610 passes through the two second pipe passing holes 504 and then is exposed outside the first joint arm 510, and then enters the first joint arm 510 through the through hole of the first joint arm 510. The arm material taking structural member further includes a protective shell 502. The protective shell 502 is arranged under the first joint arm 510 to cover the negative pressure pipe exposed outside the first joint arm 510. Such a design enables the negative pressure pipe, that is, the negative pressure transmission pipeline, to be completely inside the wafer handling robot 100. Even the part exposed outside the arm material taking structural member, that is, the part exposed outside the first joint arm 510 after passing through the two second pipe passing holes 504, is protected by the protective shell 502. In this way, the whole wafer handling robot 100 has no exposed air pipes, thus avoiding the risk problems caused by the exposed pipelines, greatly improving the safety of the product, especially suitable for the large amount of rotation and movement of the arm material taking structural member, and further improving the safe service life of the product.

[0071] Continue to combine below with Figures 1 to 13, An example is used to illustrate the wafer handling robot 100. In some embodiments, the wafer handling robot 100 includes a lifting assembly 200 that moves along the Z-axis, a main rotating member 300 that rotates about the R-axis, the rotating shafts of two arms including a first arm picking structure member 101 and a second arm picking structure member 102, a vacuum ceramic arm or a pneumatic gripper arm, and a wafer probing device, i.e., a wafer probing sensor 900, etc. The picking assembly 700 can support the picking and placing of wafers of various specifications, such as wafers from 4 inches to 8 inches.

[0072] The lifting assembly 200 includes a high-precision guide rail, a lead screw, a servo motor, etc. Through belt drive, the Z-axis precision can reach 0.01 mm, which reduces costs, noise, and maintenance costs while meeting the precision requirements.

[0073] The main rotating member 300 consists of a precision hollow rotary table and a servo motor. The precision hollow rotary table has high planar precision and good rigidity, reducing a lot of machining costs. When paired with a servo motor, the response speed is fast and smooth and stable.

[0074] Each arm picking structure member includes a precision harmonic reducer and a servo motor as the power source. The precision harmonic reducer has extremely high precision and good rigidity, which is beneficial to the accurate rotation of the two rotating components, especially the articulated arms, i.e., the arms. At the same time, through the specific ratio transmission of crossed roller bearings 800 and two toothed belts, one power source in one arm picking structure member can convert the rotation into the translational motion of the end picking assembly 700 and keep the relative angle of the end picking assembly 700 unchanged; the picking assembly 700 can use a vacuum ceramic arm, which is processed from dense ceramic and is antistatic treated to protect the wafer 999; when the wafer probing sensor 900 cooperates with the lifting assembly 200, it can detect and judge the wafers in the wafer cassette, such as whether the wafers are stored properly and whether the wafers are placed squarely, etc., so as to improve the efficiency and stability of handling in subsequent handling.

[0075] Double-arm material-taking structure member. Each arm material-taking structure member has two articulated arms. Each arm material-taking structure member has a harmonic reducer and a motor. Only one power is used for the three rotating shafts of each arm material-taking structure member. Through the design of the gear transmission ratio or the synchronous pulley synchronous belt transmission ratio, it is ensured that the end material-taking assembly 700 only moves in a straight line. There is a crossed roller bearing 800 at the connection part of the two articulated arms, with good rigidity and flatness, and the middle can be penetrated by wires and negative pressure pipes. The wire of the first articulated arm 510 passes through from below, comes up from the reverse side, and then penetrates into the second articulated arm 610. The first driving gear 520 inside the first articulated arm 510 is provided with a first pipe-passing hole 503. The first driven gear 540 inside the first articulated arm 510 and the second synchronous gear 620 of the second articulated arm 610 are both provided with second pipe-passing holes 504, and the wire is passed through the central axis. The first driving gear 520 in the first articulated arm 510 of the arm material-taking structure member is fixed to the top cover 310 at the upper end of the main rotating member 300; the first driven gear 540 in the first articulated arm 510 is fixed to the second articulated arm 610.

[0076] As an example, the crossed roller bearing 800 is fixed on the first articulated arm 510. The first driven gear 540 is fixed to the inner ring of the crossed roller bearing 800 to play a role in rotational support, and the inner ring of the crossed roller bearing 800 passes through wires and pipes.

[0077] In this way, the structure of the wafer handling robot 100 is optimized. Structural components such as the harmonic reducer, servo motor, and high-precision crossed roller bearing 800 are used in the main rotating member 300 and other structures, making the structure of the wafer handling robot 100 simple. The traditional design uses precision machining installation parts in combination with angular contact ball bearings, which requires extremely high machining requirements and correspondingly high machining costs. In this embodiment, the use of the crossed roller bearing 800 not only has high precision but also good rigidity, and can adapt to the applications in more wafer handling occasions. The Z-axis lifting is realized by the lifting assembly 200, which can be composed of precision guide rails and lead screws. The servo system is driven by a synchronous belt, with good sound insulation effect and low cost. In addition, the arm material-taking structure member is equipped with a laser detection sensor as the wafer detection sensor 900, which can cooperate with the Z-axis to detect and judge the presence or absence of wafers in the cassette, whether the wafers are placed correctly, etc., enhancing the operation stability of the wafer handling robot 100; and the wafer handling robot 100 has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, wider adaptation range, relatively larger load-bearing capacity, etc.

[0078] It should be noted that other embodiments of the present application further include wafer handling robots formed by combining the technical features in the above embodiments and capable of being implemented.

[0079] The technical features of the above-described embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, it should be considered as the scope recorded in this specification.

[0080] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation manners of the present application. The description is relatively specific and detailed, but it should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that for those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, several modifications and improvements can still be made, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer handling robot (100), characterized in that, It includes a main rotating part (300) and an arm material taking structure; The arm material-retrieving structural component is arranged on the main rotating component (300) and is used for rotating under the drive of the main rotating component (300); The arm material-retrieving structure comprises a driving motor (400), a first rotating assembly (500), a second rotating assembly (600), and a material-retrieving assembly (700); The first rotating assembly (500) is arranged on the main rotating member (300), the second rotating assembly (600) is rotatably arranged on the first rotating assembly (500), and the material taking assembly (700) is arranged on the second rotating assembly (600); The driving motor (400) is arranged in the main rotating member (300) and is connected to the first rotating assembly (500), and is used to drive the first rotating assembly (500) to rotate, drive the second rotating assembly (600) to rotate, and drive the material taking assembly (700) to move linearly when the first rotating assembly (500) and the second rotating assembly (600) are rotating; The arm material taking structure also includes a cross roller bearing (800); The first rotating assembly (500) comprises a first articulated arm (510), a first driving gear (520), a first toothed belt (530), and a first driven gear (540) located in the first articulated arm (510); The driving motor (400) is connected to the first articulated arm (510) and is used to drive the first articulated arm (510) to rotate. The first articulated arm (510) is connected to the cross roller bearing (800) of the first driven gear (540); The first driving gear (520) is fixed to the main rotating member (300) and is transmission-connected to the first driven gear (540) via the first toothed belt (530); The second rotating assembly (600) comprises a second articulated arm (610), a second synchronous gear (620), a second toothed belt (630), and a second driven gear (640) located in the second articulated arm (610); The second articulated arm (610) is fixed to the first driven gear (540), and the second driven gear (640) is fixed under the material taking assembly (700); The second synchronous gear (620) is fixed on the first articulated arm (510) and is transmission-connected to the second driven gear (640) via the second toothed belt (630) to drive the material-retrieving assembly (700) to move.

2. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The rotation axis of the main rotating member (300), the rotation axis of the first rotating assembly (500), and the rotation axis of the second rotating assembly (600) are parallel.

3. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein The moving direction (701) of the material taking component (700) is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first rotating component (500) and the rotation axis of the second rotating component (600).

4. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The first driving gear (520) and the first driven gear (540) have a first gear ratio, the second driven gear (640) and the second synchronizing gear (620) have a second gear ratio, and the first gear ratio is the same as the second gear ratio.

5. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gear ratio between the first driving gear (520) and the first driven gear (540) is 2:1, and the gear ratio between the second synchronizing gear (620) and the second driven gear (640) is 1:

2.

6. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein The driving motor (400) drives the first joint arm (510) and the second joint arm (610) to rotate synchronously. When the first joint arm (510) and the second joint arm (610) are rotating, the first joint arm (510) and the second joint arm (610) have the same included angle relative to the preset rotation plane (702), and the moving direction (701) of the material taking component (700) is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane (702).

7. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein The number of the arm material taking structural members is two; The material taking components (700) of the two arm material taking structural members have overlapping or parallel moving directions (701); And the moving paths of the two arm material taking structural members do not interfere with each other.

8. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The material taking components (700) of the two arm material taking structural members have the same material taking position.

9. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 6, wherein, The material taking components (700) of the two arm material taking structural members have stepped material taking positions.

10. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material taking component (700) has a pneumatic gripper ceramic arm or a ceramic suction cup.

11. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The material taking component (700) includes a negative pressure adsorption arm (710) and a steering connecting member (720). The negative pressure adsorption arm (710) is arranged on the second rotating component (600) through the steering connecting member (720). The steering connecting member (720) is used to define the connection direction between the negative pressure adsorption arm (710) and the second rotating component (600), so that the moving direction (701) of the material taking component (700) is perpendicular to the preset rotation plane (702); The wafer handling robot (100) further includes a negative pressure pipe connecting the negative pressure adsorption arm (710). The negative pressure pipe sequentially passes through the second rotating component (600), the first rotating component (500) and the main rotating member (300) for connecting a negative pressure generating device.

12. The wafer handling robot (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The wafer handling robot (100) further includes a wafer probing sensor (900) arranged on the material taking component (700) for detecting the state of the wafer in the device to be material taken.

13. The wafer handling robot (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The wafer handling robot (100) further includes a lifting component (200). The main rotating member (300) is arranged on the lifting component (200) and is used for lifting under the drive of the lifting component (200); The lifting direction of the lifting component (200), the rotation axis of the main rotating member (300), the rotation axes of the first rotating component (500) and the second rotating component (600) are parallel to each other.

Images