Substrate conveying device

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for transporting a substrate, a system for processing a substrate, and a method for transporting a substrate, which can adjust the inclination of a fork member. The substrate transport apparatus includes: an end effector having a fork member holding a substrate and a wrist portion holding a root end portion of the fork member; and an arm on which the end effector can be mounted and which has a mechanism for moving the fork member, and wherein a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the fork member is provided between the arm and a wrist part for holding the base end part of the fork member of the substrate transport device, the tilt adjustment mechanism comprising: three support pins for supporting the wrist part from the lower surface side; a height adjustment unit for changing the height positions of the upper ends of the support pins relative to each other; and a traction pin provided to pull the fork member toward one side of the support pin.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an application entitled "Apparatus for conveying substrate, system for processing substrate, and method for conveying substrate" with the application number 202111499716.7 and the filing date of December 9, 2021. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to an apparatus for conveying a substrate. BACKGROUND

[0003] A conveying apparatus for conveying a substrate, i.e., a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices is configured so that a fork that holds the wafer is movable. As a technique for adjusting the tilt of the fork, Patent Literature 1 proposes a mechanism that adjusts the sag of the fork using a mounting angle.

[0004] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT LITERATURE

[0006] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-61920 SUMMARY

[0007] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0008] The present application provides a technique capable of adjusting the tilt of a fork.

[0009] TECHNICAL SOLUTION FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0010] The present application provides an apparatus for conveying a substrate, comprising:

[0011] an end effector having a fork for holding the above-mentioned substrate and a wrist portion for holding a root portion of the fork;

[0012] an arm capable of mounting the above-mentioned end effector, having a mechanism for moving the above-mentioned fork; and

[0013] a tilt adjustment mechanism provided between the above-mentioned fork and the above-mentioned wrist portion, or between the above-mentioned wrist portion and the above-mentioned arm, for adjusting the tilt of the above-mentioned fork,

[0014] the above-mentioned tilt adjustment mechanism comprises:

[0015] three support pins provided for supporting the above-mentioned fork or the above-mentioned wrist portion from the lower surface side, respectively arranged at positions forming the vertices of a triangle when viewed from above;

[0016] a height adjustment portion capable of changing the height positions of the upper ends of the above-mentioned three support pins relative to each other; and

[0017] A draw pin is disposed inside the triangle in order to maintain the state in which the upper end of each of the support pins is in contact with the lower surface of the fork member or the wrist portion, and is configured to be able to draw the fork member toward the side of the support pins.

[0018] Inventive Effects

[0019] According to the present application, the inclination of the fork member can be adjusted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a processing system according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a substrate transport device according to an embodiment.

[0022] Figure 3A is a perspective view of a part of an end effector according to an embodiment.

[0023] Figure 3B is a plan view of the end effector.

[0024] Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the end effector and an inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0025] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a part of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0026] Figure 6A is a longitudinal sectional side view of the operation of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0027] Figure 6B is a longitudinal sectional side view of the operation of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0028] Figure 6C is a longitudinal sectional side view of the operation of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0029] Figure 6D is a longitudinal sectional side view of the operation of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0030] Figure 7A is a longitudinal sectional side view of a part of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0031] Figure 7B is a longitudinal sectional side view of a part of the inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0032] Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional side view of a substrate transport device according to a second embodiment.

[0033] Figure 9is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the substrate transport device of the third embodiment.

[0034] Figure 10 is a side view showing the substrate transport device of the fourth embodiment.

[0035] Figure 11 is a side view showing the substrate transport device of the fifth embodiment.

[0036] Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the substrate transport device of the sixth embodiment.

[0037] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing a part of the tilt adjustment mechanism of the above-mentioned sixth embodiment.

[0038] Figure 14 is a perspective view showing a fork member that holds a sensor substrate.

[0039] Figure 15 is a characteristic diagram showing an example of acquisition and an example of prediction of tilt data.

[0040] Figure 16A is a first side view showing a transport posture of a wafer when the wafer is transported using the substrate transport device.

[0041] Figure 16B is a second side view showing a transport posture of a wafer when the wafer is transported using the substrate transport device.

[0042] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0043] W semiconductor wafer

[0044] 2 substrate transport device

[0045] 3 end effector

[0046] 31 fork member

[0047] 32 wrist

[0048] 4 arm

[0049] 5 tilt adjustment mechanism

[0050] 51 to 53 support pins

[0051] 511, 521 lifting mechanism

[0052] 55 traction pin DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] <PROCESSING SYSTEM>

[0054] REFERENCE Figure 1, which illustrates an embodiment of a system for processing wafers as substrates (hereinafter referred to as "processing system"). Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of the processing system 1. The processing system 1 is configured to include a load module 11 for performing in-out of wafers as substrates, a load lock chamber 12, a vacuum transfer chamber 13, and a plurality of (for example, four) vacuum processing chambers 14. The load module 11 includes an atmospheric transfer chamber 15 for performing wafer transfer by an atmospheric transfer mechanism 21, and has a plurality of (for example, four) load ports 16 connected to a container 10 (for example, FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) that accommodates a plurality of wafers. Further, two load lock chambers 12 are connected to the atmospheric transfer chamber 15, and it is possible to transfer wafers between the container 10 on the load port 16 and the load lock chamber 12 by the atmospheric transfer mechanism 21. Figure 1 In the figure, the reference sign GV indicates a gate valve.

[0055] The two load lock chambers 12 are connected to the atmospheric transfer chamber 15 and the vacuum transfer chamber 13, respectively, and the inside thereof is configured to be adjustable between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum pressure atmosphere. The vacuum transfer chamber 13 is maintained at a predetermined vacuum degree, and a vacuum transfer mechanism 22 for performing wafer transfer between the load lock chamber 12 and each vacuum processing chamber 14 is provided. The vacuum processing chamber 14 is configured as a processing chamber that accommodates wafers inside and performs processing of the wafers, and is configured to be able to perform processing such as etching, film formation, and the like on wafers placed on a stage inside the vacuum processing chamber 14 in a vacuum environment, for example. Each vacuum processing chamber 14 can be a module that performs the same step in the manufacturing process, or a module that performs a different step.

[0056] The processing system 1 includes a control section 100 configured by a computer, and the control section 100 has a program. The program is stored in a storage medium such as an optical disk, a hard disk, a magneto-optical disk, a DVD, and the like, and is installed to the control section 100. The control section 100 outputs control signals to each part of the processing system 1 through the program, and controls the operation of each part. Specifically, the program controls the operation of wafer transfer by a wafer transfer device 2 described later in the processing system 1, vacuum processing of wafers in each vacuum processing chamber 14, and the like. Also, the program arranges a step group so as to be able to perform the operation of inclination adjustment of a fork member of the wafer transfer device 2 described later, and teaching.

[0057] The transport path of the wafer in the processing system 1 will be explained. First, the wafer before processing is taken out from the container 10 connected to the load port 16 by the atmospheric transport mechanism 21, and is transported to the load lock chamber 12 in the atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Next, the load lock chamber 12 is set to a predetermined vacuum degree, and then the wafer is taken out from the load lock chamber 12 by the vacuum transport mechanism 22 and is transported to a certain vacuum processing chamber 14 in which the wafer is processed. Next, the wafer after processing is transported from the vacuum processing chamber 14 to the load lock chamber 12 set to the above-mentioned vacuum degree by the vacuum transport mechanism 22. In the case where different steps in the manufacturing process are performed in a plurality of vacuum processing chambers 14, the wafer can be transported among these plurality of vacuum processing chambers 14 before being transported to the load lock chamber 12. Next, the inside of the load lock chamber 12 is adjusted to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere, and then the wafer in the load lock chamber 12 is taken out by the atmospheric transport mechanism 21 and is transported to the container 10 connected to the load port 16.

[0058] The wafer transport device 2 of the present application is a device for transporting a wafer between a wafer placement position and the vacuum processing chamber 14, and constitutes at least one of the atmospheric transport mechanism 21 and the vacuum transport mechanism 22. The above-mentioned wafer placement position is a position for placing a wafer before and after processing in the vacuum processing chamber 14. Therefore, in the case where the wafer transport device 2 of the present application is the atmospheric transport mechanism 21, the above-mentioned wafer placement position corresponds to a position for transporting a wafer by the atmospheric transport mechanism 21, such as a position in the container 10 on the load port 16, a wafer placement position in the load lock chamber 12. Further, in the case where the wafer transport device 2 of the present application is the vacuum transport mechanism 22, the above-mentioned wafer placement position corresponds to a position for transporting a wafer by the vacuum transport mechanism 22, such as a wafer placement position in the load lock chamber 12, a position on the placement table in each vacuum processing chamber 14.

[0059] <First Embodiment of Wafer Transport Device>

[0060] Reference will now be made to Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figure 3B , with the first embodiment of the wafer transport device 2 being described by way of example as applied to the atmospheric transport mechanism 21. The wafer transport device 2 includes an end effector 3, an arm 4, and a tilt adjustment mechanism 5.

[0061] As shown in these figures, the end effector 3 includes a fork member 31 for holding a wafer, and a wrist portion 32 for holding the root end portion of the fork member 31. The fork member 31 in this example includes a front end portion 311 formed of a plate-like body which is substantially U-shaped in plan view, and a root end portion 312 connected to the wrist portion 32, and is capable of placing a wafer on the side of the front end portion 311.

[0062] The wrist 32 is formed of a plate-shaped body of a rectangular shape in plan view made of aluminum, for example, and is connected to the fork member 31 with the root end portion 312 of the fork member 31 placed on a step portion 321 formed at the front end thereof. The fork member 31 is mounted so as to be horizontal when the wrist 32 is horizontal. In this example, the fork member 31 and the wrist 32 are formed of separate members, but the fork member 31 and the wrist 32 can be formed as one body.

[0063] Let Figure 2 , Figure 3A and Figure 3B the X direction be the front-rear direction of the end effector 3, the Y direction be the left-right direction of the end effector 3, and the front end side of the end effector 3 be the front and the root end side be the rear. In Figure 3A , the reference numeral 33 denotes a roll axis, and the reference numeral 34 denotes a pitch axis. The roll axis 33 is an axis that passes through the center of the left-right direction of each of the fork member 31 and the wrist 32 when the end effector 3 is viewed from the front, and is a rotation axis when the end effector 3 is tilted in the left-right direction. The pitch axis 34 is an axis orthogonal to the roll axis 33, and is a rotation axis when the end effector 3 is tilted in the front-rear direction.

[0064] The arm 4 is mounted to the end effector 3, and has a mechanism for moving the fork member 31. In this example, the arm 4 has a structure in which a plurality of arm portions are connected to each other in a rotatable manner via joint portions. The plurality of arm portions include a first arm portion 41, a second arm portion 42, and a base body 43. The first arm portion 41 is rotatably supported to the base body 43 via a first joint portion 44. The second arm portion 42 is rotatably supported to the first arm portion 41 via a second joint portion 45. Further, the wrist 32 of the end effector 3 is connected to the second arm portion 42 via a tilt adjusting mechanism 5, a third joint portion 46.

[0065] The first joint portion 44, the second joint portion 45, and the third joint portion 46 each include a rotation mechanism 47 (in Figure 2In a longitudinal sectional view, a rotation mechanism 47 of the second joint portion 45 and the third joint portion 46 is illustrated. The rotation mechanism 47 constitutes a mechanism that moves the fork member 31. The rotation mechanism 47 is described taking the second joint portion 45 as an example, and includes, for example, a rotation shaft 471 connected to the lower surface of the second arm portion 42, a motor 472 as a driving mechanism, and a gear mechanism 473 that transmits the driving force of the motor 472 to the rotation shaft 471. In this way, by driving the motor 472, the rotation shaft 471 rotates around the vertical axis, so that the second arm portion 42 is configured to be rotatable. The first joint portion 44 is also provided with the same rotation mechanism, so that the first arm portion 41 is configured to be rotatable, and the third joint portion 46 is also provided with the same rotation mechanism 47, so that the end effector 3 is configured to be rotatable via the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 described later. The substrate transport device 2 also includes a lifting mechanism not illustrated that lifts the base 43, for example, so that the end effector 3 is configured to be liftable.

[0066] Next, the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 is described with reference to Figure 3B , Figure 4 and Figure 5 . The tilt adjustment mechanism 5 of this example is provided between the wrist portion 32 and the arm 4, and is used to adjust the tilt of the fork member 31. The tilt adjustment mechanism 5 includes three support pins 51, 52, 53 that are provided so as to support the wrist portion 32 from the lower surface side, and are respectively arranged at positions that form the vertices of a triangle when viewed from above. In this example, one of the support pins 51 is arranged at the roll axis 33 when viewed from above, and the other two support pins 52, 53 are arranged at positions that are symmetric to each other in the left-right direction with the roll axis 33 in between. The upper ends of these support pins 51 to 53 are formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, for example.

[0067] As shown in Figure 4 , the lower end sides of the support pins 52, 53 are connected to lifting mechanisms 521, 531. These lifting mechanisms 521, 531 correspond to height adjustment portions, and are constituted by electric cylinders, for example. In this way, by changing the height positions of the upper ends of the two support pins 52, 53 arranged on the front side, the height positions of the upper ends of the three support pins 51, 52, 53 including the fixed support pin 51 can be changed relative to each other. On the lower surface of the wrist portion 32 supported by these support pins 51, 52, 53, plate-shaped constituent members 541, 542, 543 are provided in regions that abut against the upper ends of the support pins 51, 52, 53, for example. These constituent members 541 to 543 are formed of stainless steel, for example, and are replaceable.

[0068] A housing 6 is provided below the wrist portion 32, and the lifting mechanisms 521, 531 are disposed in the housing 6. The housing 6 constitutes a part of the arm 4. A top plate 61 of the housing 6 is provided in a manner to be horizontally opposite to the wrist portion 32. Support pins 52, 53 connected to the lifting mechanisms 521, 531 are provided so as to be lifted by passing through through-holes 62, 63 formed in the top plate 61, respectively. On the other hand, the support pin 51 is constituted so as to be connected to the upper surface of the top plate 61 of the housing 6, and a fixed pin whose height position of the upper end does not change.

[0069] Thus, in this example, the three support pins 51, 52, 53 include two lifting pins that can be independently lifted by the lifting mechanisms 521, 531, and one fixed pin whose height position of the upper end is fixed. Since the support pin 52 and the support pin 53 are provided as the lifting pins, and the support pin 51 is provided as the fixed pin, hereinafter, the lifting pins 52, 53 and the fixed pin 51 are sometimes also referred to as the lifting pins 52, 53 and the fixed pin 51.

[0070] The tilt adjustment mechanism 5 further includes a pulling pin 55. In order to maintain a state in which the upper ends of the support pins 51, 52, 53 are in contact with the lower surface of the wrist portion 32, the pulling pin 55 is provided so as to be able to pull the fork-shaped member 31 toward the support pins 51, 52, 53. The pulling pin 55 is disposed inside a triangle formed by the three support pins 51, 52, 53 when viewed from above. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when viewed from above, the pulling pin 55 is disposed at the intersection of the roll axis 33 and the pitch axis 34 in the region inside the above-mentioned triangle. Figure 3B and Figure 5 As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when viewed from above, the pulling pin 55 is disposed at the intersection of the roll axis 33 and the pitch axis 34 in the region inside the above-mentioned triangle.

[0071] The pulling pin 55 includes a head portion 551 that expands in a flange shape at the upper end portion thereof. For example, the lower surface side of the head portion 551 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, and a pin extends downward from the lower end of the substantially hemispherical head portion 551. On the other hand, in the wrist portion 32, a through-hole 322 is formed in a region opposite to the second arm portion 42, through which the pulling pin 55 passes. The wrist portion 32 is further provided with an opening portion 323 connected to the through-hole 322, in which the upper surface of the opening portion 323 is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape in correspondence with the lower surface shape of the head portion 551 of the pulling pin 55.

[0072] The upper surface of the opening portion 323 constitutes the upper surface of the wrist portion 32 that abuts against the lower surface of the head portion 551 of the pulling pin 55. In this example, the region to which the pulling pin 55 abuts is formed of, for example, stainless steel, and is replaceable. In addition, the pulling pin 55 of this example is constituted so as to be able to be lifted by a lifting portion 552 so as to change the height position of the upper end of the pulling pin 55 in accordance with the lifting operation of the lifting pins 52, 53. The lifting portion 552 is constituted of, for example, an electric cylinder.

[0073] The lifting portion 552 is housed inside the housing 6, and the lifting pin 55 is lifted through the through-hole 64 of the top plate 61 of the housing 6. The lower surface of the head portion 551 is brought into abutment with the upper surface of the opening portion 323 (the upper surface of the wrist portion 32) formed in the wrist portion 32, and the lifting portion 552 is used to pull downward. The head portion 551 and the opening portion 323 are shaped in a semispherical manner, so that the lifting pin 55 can be used to pull even in a state in which the lower surface of the wrist portion 32 is inclined with respect to the top plate 61 of the housing 6.

[0074] In addition, the inclination adjustment mechanism 5 includes an extensible bellows 65 that is provided to connect between the wrist portion 32 and the arm 4. The bellows 65 of this example is provided, as shown in Figure 4 , in a manner that surrounds the periphery of the region in which the support pins 51 to 53 and the lifting pin 55 are provided, between the lower surface of the wrist portion 32 and the top plate 61 of the housing 6. As described above, the housing 6 forms a part of the arm 4, and therefore it can also be said that the bellows 65 is provided to connect between the wrist portion 32 and the arm 4.

[0075] By providing the bellows 65 in this manner, a region in which the support pins 51 to 53 and the lifting pin 55 are lifted can be partitioned, and therefore particles can be prevented from entering this region. In addition, for example, there are cases in which components included in a film formed on the surface of a wafer by a film formation process react with moisture in the atmosphere delivery chamber 15 to generate a corrosive gas. Even in such a case in which a corrosive gas is generated, the corrosive gas can be inhibited from entering the region in which the support pins 51 and the like are lifted, and the support pins 51 and the like can be inhibited from coming into contact with the corrosive gas.

[0076] The substrate transport apparatus 2 is configured to control, by the control portion 100, the movement of the fork member 31 by the arm 4 and the inclination adjustment of the fork member 31 by the inclination adjustment mechanism 5.

[0077] Next, the inclination adjustment of the fork member 31 by the inclination adjustment mechanism 5 will be described with reference to Figure 6A , Figure 6B , Figure 6C , Figure 6D . In these drawings, the wrist portion 32 and the housing 6 are simplified.

[0078] Figure 6A and Figure 6B indicate an example in which the wrist portion 32 is rotated about the pitch axis 34, and the fork member 31 is inclined in the front-rear direction. Figure 6A is an example in which the inclination adjustment is performed so that the height position of the front end side of the fork member 31 is higher than the root end side. In this case, the height positions of the upper ends of the lifting pins 52 and 53 are set to positions that are higher than the height position of the upper end of the fixed pin 51 and are identical to each other. Figure 6Bis an example in which the inclination adjustment is performed so that the height position of the front end side of the fork member 31 is lower than the root end side. In this case, the height positions of the upper ends of the lift pins 52, 53 are set to positions lower than the height position of the upper end of the fixing pin 51 and are identical to each other.

[0079] Figure 6C and Figure 6D indicates an example in which the wrist portion 32 rotates around the roll axis 33 and the fork member 31 is inclined in the left-right direction. Figure 6C is an example in which the inclination adjustment is performed so that the height position of the left side is higher than the right side when viewed from the front of the fork member 31, in which case the height position of the upper end of the lift pin 53 is set to a position higher than the height position of the upper end of the lift pin 52. Figure 6D is an example in which the inclination adjustment is performed so that the height position of the left side is lower than the right side when viewed from the front of the fork member 31, in which case the height position of the upper end of the lift pin 53 is set to a position lower than the height position of the upper end of the lift pin 52.

[0080] In addition, by combining the rotation around the pitch axis 34 and the rotation around the roll axis 33, it is also possible to incline the fork member 31 obliquely in a direction other than along these axes 34, 33.

[0081] In the inclination adjustment mechanism 5, the lift pins 52, 53 function as pushing screws that push the wrist portion 32 upward from the lower surface, and the draw pin 55 functions as a draw screw that draws the wrist portion 32 to the side of these lift pins 52 and the like. Therefore, when adjusting the inclination of the fork member 31 with the inclination adjustment mechanism 5, it is possible to maintain the state in which the lower surface of the wrist portion 32 is in contact with the upper ends of the lift pins 52, 53, the fixing pin 51, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to stably maintain the attitude of the fork member 31 after the inclination adjustment. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper ends of the lift pins 52, 53, the fixing pin 51 are formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, so even if the wrist portion 32 is inclined with respect to the housing 6, it is possible to maintain the state in which the upper ends of these lift pins 52 and the like are in contact with the lower surface of the wrist portion 32. Figures 6A-6D

[0082] The height position of the draw pin 55 changes in accordance with the height positions of the lift pins 52, 53, whereby even if the height positions of the lift pins 52, 53 change, it is possible to draw the draw pin 55 downward with the lift portion 552. For example, the draw pin 55 is configured to be pulled downward by the lift portion 552 with a certain force, so that even if the height positions of the lift pins 52, 53 change, the upper ends of the lift pins 52, 53 are always in contact with the lower surface of the wrist portion 32.

[0083] ​Further, the height position of the draw pin 55 can be controlled in conjunction with the other lift pins 52, 53. In this case, for example, corresponding data relating the height position of the upper end of the lift pins 52, 53 to the height position of the upper end of the draw pin 55 is obtained in advance. Then, for example, when the height position of the lift pins 52, 53 is set, the lift section 552 can be controlled by the control section 100 so that the height position of the draw pin 55 becomes an appropriate position.

[0084] Here, when the lower surface of the wrist section 32 is made to be inclined from horizontal by the inclination adjustment of the fork member 31, the positional relationship of the draw pin 55 to the wrist section 32 changes. Therefore, by forming the contact region of the head section 551 with the wrist section 32 in a semispherical shape so that the head section 551 can move with respect to the opening section 323, the wrist section 32 can be drawn toward the lower side even if the wrist section 32 is inclined with respect to the housing 6.

[0085] As such, with the inclination adjustment mechanism 5, the inclination of the fork member 31 about both the pitch axis 34 and the roll axis 33 can be adjusted. Further, one of the three support pins 51 to 53 is the fixed pin 51 whose upper end is fixed in height, so this fixed pin 51 becomes a reference for the height position, and the inclination adjustment of the fork member 31 can be easily performed.

[0086] <Other Examples>

[0087] In the substrate transport device 2 described above, as shown in Figs. 27 and 28, a recessed section 33 for positioning the support pin 51 can be formed in the lower surface of the wrist section 32. Figure 7A Figure 7B The recessed section 33 is formed in a conical shape, and the upper end 57 of the support pin 51 is formed in a conical shape so as to be fitted in the recessed section 33. Figure 7A Figure 7B Figs. 29 and 30 are views showing an example in which the recessed section 33 is formed in a semispherical shape, and the upper end 57 of the support pin 51 is formed in a semispherical shape so as to be fitted in the recessed section 33.

[0088] Figure 7A Figs. 29 and 30 are views showing an example in which the recessed section 33 is formed in a semispherical shape, and the upper end 57 of the support pin 51 is formed in a semispherical shape so as to be fitted in the recessed section 33.

[0089] Further, the height position of the draw pin 55 can be controlled in conjunction with the other lift pins 52, 53. In this case, for example, corresponding data relating the height position of the upper end of the lift pins 52, 53 to the height position of the upper end of the draw pin 55 is obtained in advance. Then, for example, when the height position of the lift pins 52, 53 is set, the lift section 552 can be controlled by the control section 100 so that the height position of the draw pin 55 becomes an appropriate position. Figure 7B ​​The figure shows an example in which a roughly hemispherical recess 34 is formed, and a ball 58 is provided between the support pins 51 to 53 and the recess 34. The area 59 of the support pins 51 to 53 that contacts the ball 58 is formed into a spherical shape in a manner corresponding to the ball 58. In this case, the support pins 51 to 53 contact the arm 32 via the ball 58, so the upper ends of the support pins 51 to 53 correspond to the ball 58, and the recess 34 is formed into a shape that can fit with the ball 58. In this example, the positional accuracy of the support pins 51 to 53 when contacting the arm 32 is also improved. In addition, the support pins 51 to 53 contact the arm 32 via the rotatable ball 58, so that compared with the case where the recess 34 directly contacts the support pins 51 to 53, wear on both can be suppressed.

[0090] According to the substrate transport apparatus 2 described above, the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 can adjust the relative height of the upper ends of the support pins 51-53 while pulling the fork member 31 toward the support pins 51-53 using the pulling pin 55. Therefore, the tilt of the fork member 31 can be adjusted while maintaining contact between the upper ends of the support pins 51-53 and the lower surface of the arm 32. As a result, the tilt of the fork member 31 can be adjusted with high precision, and the posture of the fork member 31 after tilt adjustment can be maintained in a stable state.

[0091] In recent years, as substrates, or semiconductor wafers, have become larger in diameter, the fork member 31 has tended to become longer, and the tilt (deflection) of the fork member 31 has increased. Furthermore, to reduce the footprint of the processing system 1, it is necessary to remove and store wafers stacked vertically in multiple layers at narrow intervals. This has led to an increasing demand for maintaining the fork member 31 at a highly precise level. As described above, the substrate transport device 2 of the present invention is capable of highly precise adjustment of the tilt of the fork member 31. Therefore, even in cases where the fork member 31 is significantly tilted, the fork member 31 can be adjusted to be horizontal with high precision.

[0092] <Second embodiment of substrate transport device>

[0093] Next, refer to Figure 8, the second embodiment of the substrate conveying device is described by taking the case of application to the vacuum conveying mechanism 22 as an example. The substrate conveying device 2A of this example is constructed so that in the top plate 61 constituting the housing 6, at the through-holes 62, 63, and 64 through which the support pins 52, 53, and the traction pin 55 pass, there are respectively provided sealing components 66 (661, 662, 663) composed of, for example, O-rings. The sealing component 66 serves to isolate the internal space of the housing 6 from the external vacuum atmosphere. The support pins 52, 53, and the traction pin 55 pass through the top plate 61 constituting the housing 6 and are inserted into the area of ​​the vacuum atmosphere surrounded by the bellows 65. The other structures are constructed in the same manner as the first embodiment described above.

[0094] According to this structure, the area where the support pins 52, 53 and the traction pin 55 are raised and lowered is maintained in a vacuum atmosphere by the sealing member 66 and the bellows 65, and the lifting mechanisms 521, 531 and the lifting portion 552 are arranged within the housing 6, which is isolated from the vacuum atmosphere. Therefore, compared to the case where the lifting mechanism 521 and the like are arranged in a vacuum atmosphere, when the tilt of the fork member 31 is adjusted in a vacuum atmosphere, there is no need to separately provide the lifting mechanism 521 and the like with a structure capable of handling a vacuum atmosphere, and a simpler structure can be adopted.

[0095] <Third embodiment of substrate transport device>

[0096] Next, refer to Figure 9 The third embodiment of the substrate transport device will be described, using the case of a vacuum transport mechanism 22 as an example. The substrate transport device 2B in this example is constructed to include a cover member that seals the through-hole 322 of the arm 32. The through-hole 322 allows the traction pin 55 to pass through the arm 32A. The cover member is positioned above the head 551 to seal the through-hole 322. In this example, the cover member 324 forms the upper surface of the arm 32A. The lower side of the cover member 324 forms a recess 35 formed from the lower surface of the arm 32A. This recess 35 forms the through-hole 322 and an opening corresponding in shape to the lower surface of the head 551 of the traction pin 55. Thus, the upper side of the head 551 is sealed by the cover member 324 formed by the upper surface of the arm 32A. This structure allows the area surrounded by the bellows 65 and the interior space of the housing 6 to be isolated from the external vacuum atmosphere. The other structures are configured in the same manner as those of the first embodiment described above.

[0097] In this example, the lifting mechanisms 521, 531 of the support pins 52, 53 and the lifting section 552 of the pull pin 55 are also arranged in the housing 6 isolated from the vacuum atmosphere. Therefore, compared with the case where the lifting mechanisms 521 and the like are arranged in the vacuum atmosphere, a simple structure can be employed when the inclination adjustment of the fork member 31 is performed in the vacuum atmosphere. In addition, in the case where the bellows 65 are arranged on the lower surface of the wrist portion 32 and the ceiling 61 of the housing 6 by welding, respectively, an atmosphere with a higher degree of vacuum can be maintained.

[0098] <Fourth Embodiment of the Wafer Transport Apparatus>

[0099] Reference Figure 10 A fourth embodiment of the wafer transport apparatus will be described with an example in which the atmospheric transport mechanism 21 is applied. The wafer transport apparatus 2C of this example is configured to include an arm portion side inclination adjustment mechanism 7 for adjusting the inclination of the fork member 31. The arm portion side inclination adjustment mechanism 7 is connected to one arm portion, and adjusts the inclination of the fork member 31 at the front end side by adjusting the inclination of the other arm portion arranged at a position closer to the fork member 31 than the one arm portion.

[0100] Specifically, the wafer transport apparatus 2C includes a first arm inclination adjustment mechanism 71 for adjusting the inclination of the first arm portion 41 and a second arm inclination adjustment mechanism 72 for adjusting the inclination of the second arm portion 42. In addition, in this embodiment, the base 43 constituting a part of the arm 4 is also regarded as an arm portion rotatably connected to the first arm portion 41 via the first joint portion 44.

[0101] At this time, the first arm inclination adjustment mechanism 71 is configured to be connected to the base 43 constituting one arm portion via the first joint portion 44, and to adjust the inclination of the fork member 31 by the inclination adjustment of the first arm portion 41 as the other arm portion. The second arm inclination adjustment mechanism 72 is configured to be connected to the first arm portion 41 constituting one arm portion via the second joint portion 45, and to adjust the inclination of the fork member 31 by the inclination adjustment of the second arm portion 42 as the other arm portion.

[0102] These first arm adjustment mechanism 71 and second arm adjustment mechanism 72 are configured in the same manner as the inclination adjustment mechanism 5 described above. In Figure 10In the example shown, the second arm tilt adjustment mechanism 72 includes three arm support pins 731-733, which are provided to support the second arm 42, the other arm, from the bottom surface. These pins are located at the vertices of a triangle when viewed from above. These three arm support pins 731-733 are configured so that the height positions of their respective top ends can be adjusted relative to one another using a lifting mechanism 74, which constitutes the arm height adjustment unit. In this example, one of the three arm support pins 731-733 is configured as an arm fixing pin 731, which maintains the top end at a constant height position. An arm pulling pin 75 is also located within the triangle. To maintain contact between the top ends of the three arm support pins 731-733 and the bottom surface of the second arm 42, the arm pulling pin 75 is configured to pull the second arm 42 toward the arm support pins 731-733.

[0103] The shape of the head portion 751 at the upper end of the arm pulling pin 75 and the shape of the component 421 provided on the second arm portion 42 side and in contact with the lower surface of the head portion 751 of the arm pulling pin 75 are similar to those of the pulling pin 5 of the first embodiment. Figure 10 In the figure, reference numeral 76 denotes a lifting portion that changes the height position of the upper end of the arm pulling pin 75, reference numeral 77 denotes a shell, and 78 denotes a bellows, which are constructed in the same manner as the lifting portion 552, shell 6, and bellows 65 of the first embodiment.

[0104] According to this structure, the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 and the arm tilt adjustment mechanism 7 can be used to share the load of adjusting the tilt of the fork member 31. Therefore, for example, the arm tilt adjustment mechanism 7 can be used to adjust the tilt of the entire arm 4, and the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 can be used to adjust the tilt of the fork member 31, thereby reducing the respective adjustment amounts and making the adjustment easier. In addition, even when the tilt of the fork member 31 is large, by having the arm 4 bear part of the adjustment amount, it is possible to achieve a functional division such as coarse adjustment on the arm side and fine adjustment on the fork member 31 side. In addition, as the arm tilt adjustment mechanism 7, at least one of the first arm tilt adjustment mechanism 71 and the second arm tilt adjustment mechanism 72 is sufficient.

[0105] <Fifth Embodiment of Substrate Transport Device>

[0106] Reference Figure 11The differences between the fifth embodiment of the substrate transport apparatus and the above-described embodiments will be described. In this example, in the substrate transport mechanism 2D provided with a plurality of (for example, two) end effectors, the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 is provided between the wrist 32C of the lower end effector 3C and the arm 4 (in this example, the second arm portion 42). The upper and lower end effectors 3B, 3C are each configured in the same manner as the end effector 3 of the first embodiment, and the wrist 32B of the upper end effector 3B is provided on the wrist 32C of the lower end effector 3C. The tilt adjustment mechanism 5 and other components are configured in the same manner as the first embodiment described above.

[0107] In this configuration, the tilt of the fork member 31 of the lower layer is adjusted via the wrist 32C of the lower layer by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5. Also, the tilt of the wrist 32B of the upper layer is adjusted via the wrist 32C of the lower layer by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5, whereby the tilt of the fork member 31 of the upper layer is simultaneously adjusted.

[0108] <Sixth Embodiment of Substrate Transport Apparatus>

[0109] Reference Signs Figure 12 and Figure 13 The differences between the sixth embodiment of the substrate transport apparatus and the above-described embodiments will be described. In the substrate transport apparatus 2E of this example, in the tilt adjustment mechanism 8, the three support pins 81, 82, 83 are independently movable up and down by the lifting mechanisms 811, 821, 831 that constitute the height adjustment portion. In addition, the drag pin 84 is configured by a fixed pin whose upper end is fixed in height, and is fixedly provided on the upper surface of the top plate 61 of the housing 6, for example. Except that the support pins 81 to 83 are configured to be liftable and the upper end of the drag pin 84 is fixed in height, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0110] In this configuration, by making the height positions of the upper ends of the support pins 82, 83 identical and relatively changing the height positions of the upper ends of the support pins 82, 83 and the support pin 81, the wrist 32 is rotated about the pitch axis 34, and the tilt of the fork member 31 in the front-rear direction is adjusted. Also, for example, the height position of the upper end of the support pin 81 is set to the position when the wrist 32 is horizontal, and the height positions of the upper ends of the support pins 82, 83 are relatively changed, whereby the wrist 32 is rotated about the roll axis 33, and the tilt of the fork member 31 in the left-right direction is adjusted.

[0111] <Control Unit of Substrate Transport Apparatus>

[0112] Next, a case where teaching is performed using the substrate transport apparatus 2 will be described. As described above, as the wafer becomes larger in diameter, the tilt of the fork member 31 becomes larger, and in the substrate transport apparatus 2 using a multi-joint arm, the tilt of the fork member 31 changes depending on the posture, so adjustment of the tilt corresponding to the posture of the fork member 31 at the time of transport is required. In addition, at the time of handover of the wafer, the fork member 31 needs to be horizontal, and in order to increase the throughput by transporting the wafer at high speed, teaching to make the fork member 31 horizontal is also required.

[0113] At the time of such teaching, the control section 100 is configured to be able to acquire tilt data indicating the direction and magnitude of the tilt occurring with respect to the basic posture from the sensor substrate 8 described later. Also, the control section 100 is configured to be able to control the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 to cancel the tilt of the fork member 31 at the time of transport of the wafer based on the result of acquiring the tilt data by transporting the sensor substrate 8 from the transport start position of the wafer to the transport destination. Also, by using the sensor substrate 8, it is also possible to determine the deviation of the position of the sensor substrate 8 grasped by the control section 100 from the actual position of the sensor substrate 8, and perform control to cancel the deviation. The transmission and reception of data between the sensor substrate 8 and the control section 100 is implemented, for example, by wireless communication.

[0114] The sensor substrate 8 is configured to be able to be transported in a state held by the fork member 31, and is a substrate provided with an acceleration sensor 81 for detecting the direction and magnitude of the tilt occurring with respect to the basic posture. As shown in FIG. 6, the sensor substrate 8 is formed, for example, in the same shape as the wafer, and the acceleration sensor 81 is provided thereon. As the acceleration sensor 81, for example, the structure described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-264053 is employed, which is configured to include, for example, a movable configuration portion movable in three-dimensional directions, and is able to detect a change in stress corresponding to the movement of the movable configuration portion as a change in resistance. Figure 14

[0115] The acceleration sensor 81 detects the components of the acceleration acting on the acceleration sensor 81 in the X, Y, and Z axial directions, and outputs them to the control section 100. From the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 81, it is possible to detect each vector component of the gravitational acceleration generated due to the tilt with respect to the basic posture, and to calculate the tilt data indicating the direction and magnitude of the tilt occurring with respect to the basic posture. The basic posture refers to the posture of the fork member 31 in which the horizontal is achieved in both the front-back direction and the left-right direction, and when the acceleration sensor 81 is placed on the fork member 31 in this posture, the posture of the acceleration sensor 81 is the basic posture. Therefore, the tilt data acquired by the sensor substrate 8 indicates the direction and magnitude of the tilt occurring with respect to the basic posture of the fork member 31.

[0116] ​Further, from the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 81, acceleration data indicating the direction and magnitude of the inertial force applied with the movement of the sensor substrate 8 can also be obtained. From the above acceleration data, the position data of the sensor substrate 8 can be calculated. The position data is, for example, the position of the sensor substrate 8 in the X, Y, Z axis directions conveyed by the fork member 31. The position data can be calculated by calculating the moving speed based on the acceleration data acting in each axis direction, and grasped by time-integrating the moving speed.

[0117] For example, in the tilt data, for the tilt and magnitude in the front-back direction around the pitch axis 34, the case of the basic attitude (horizontal) is set as the tilt of "0", the tilt of lowering the front is set as the positive tilt, and the tilt of raising the front is set as the negative tilt. Further, for the tilt and magnitude in the left-right direction around the roll axis 33, the case of the basic attitude is set as the tilt of "0", the tilt of lowering the left is set as the negative tilt, and the tilt of raising the left is set as the positive tilt. The direction of each tilt is also described in the above-mentioned Figure 3A Figure 5 Figure 13

[0118] First Example of Teaching

[0119] Next, a first example of teaching performed with the sensor substrate 8 mounted on the substrate conveying device 2 of the present application will be described. The teaching is for moving the fork member 31 along a pre-set conveying path while maintaining the fork member 31 in the basic attitude (horizontal) when conveying a wafer from a conveying start point to a conveying destination. The teaching is performed, for example, at the time of device startup or after maintenance. In the teaching, the sensor substrate 8 provided with, for example, the acceleration sensor 81 is configured to have the same weight as the wafer.

[0120] In the following example, a case where the sensor substrate 8 is held on the fork member 31, and the sensor substrate 8 is conveyed by the atmospheric conveying mechanism 21 as the substrate conveying device 2 to acquire tilt data will be described. As the conveying path, a case where the sensor substrate 8 is conveyed from the container 10 of the load port 16, which is the conveying start point of the wafer, to the load lock chamber 12, which is the conveying destination, will be described. Further, a case where the conveying start point of the wafer is set to the load lock chamber 12, and the sensor substrate 8 is conveyed to the conveying destination, for example, any one of the vacuum processing chambers 14 by the vacuum conveying mechanism 22 as the substrate conveying device 2 to acquire tilt data can also be performed. In this step, for example, the atmospheric conveying mechanism 21 takes out the sensor substrate 8 from the container 10, and conveys the sensor substrate 8 to the conveying destination from the conveying start point at a pre-set height position with the sensor substrate 8 mounted on the fork member 31. At this time, the acceleration acting on the sensor substrate 8 is detected by the sensor substrate 8 at all times, and output to the control section 100. ​​​

[0121] Then, in the control section 100, the tilt data, the acceleration data, the position data described above are calculated based on the acceleration acting in each direction obtained from the sensor substrate 8. Then, a step of controlling the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 is implemented to cancel the tilt of the fork member 31 at the time of conveying the wafer. In addition, with respect to the deviation between the position on the conveying path (hereinafter, also referred to as "conveying position") grasped by the control section 100 and the actual position data, the deviation is canceled by controlling the rotation mechanism 47 of the fork member 31 or the arm 4, the lifting mechanism of the base 43, the moving mechanism.

[0122] One example of the control of the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 will be described. For example, in the control section 100, the tilt data obtained from the sensor substrate 8 is acquired in association with the position information of the sensor substrate 8 held by the atmospheric conveying mechanism 21. As described above, the position of the sensor substrate 8 can be determined from the position information used for the control section 100 to control the atmospheric conveying mechanism 21 and the position data obtained using the acceleration sensor 81.

[0123] Further, in this case, when the arm 4 or the fork member 31 is tilted, even if the base 43 is raised to a predetermined height position, sometimes the sensor substrate 8 cannot reach the set height position. In this case, a deviation will occur between the position information used in the control of the atmospheric conveying mechanism 21 and the position data grasped using the acceleration sensor 81. Therefore, in the present teaching, the deviation is grasped and used for the correction of the position information in the control of the conveying.

[0124] The position information on the control section 100 side is grasped based on the extension and retraction amount of the arm 4 and the fork member 31, the rotation amount, the lifting amount, and the moving amount of the base 43. The tilt data and the position data obtained using the sensor substrate 8 are associated with the conveying position determined by the control section 100. From the tilt data, the direction and the size of the tilt of the fork member 31 from the basic attitude at each position on the conveying path can be grasped. Also, based on the position data of the sensor substrate 8, the actual position of the sensor substrate 8 held by the fork member 31 is calculated. Then, at each conveying position, the direction and the size of the tilt of the fork member 31 at that position, and the direction and the amount of deviation between the actual position of the sensor substrate 8 and the conveying position grasped by the control section 100 are determined. Then, the correction data to cancel these tilts and the amount of deviation of the conveying position so that the fork member 31 is in the basic attitude at the correct conveying position is generated.

[0125] As described above, the control section 100 acquires tilt data capable of determining the direction and magnitude of the tilt with respect to the tilt in the fore-aft direction. Therefore, correction data is generated which controls in such a manner that the correction amount of the tilt is equal to the magnitude of the tilt and the direction of the correction is opposite to the tilt data. Similarly, the control section 100 acquires tilt data capable of determining the direction and magnitude of the tilt with respect to the tilt in the lateral direction. Then, correction data is generated which controls in such a manner that the correction amount of the tilt is equal to the magnitude of the tilt and the direction of the correction is opposite to the tilt data. In this way, the correction data of the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 at each transport position is generated.

[0126] In addition, with respect to the deviation between the transport position grasped by the control section 100 and the position data of the sensor substrate 8, correction data is generated which offsets the deviation.

[0127] As one example, a case where sagging of each arm 4 to the fork member 31 side occurs due to the load of the sensor substrate 8 when the arm 4 is elongated is described. In this case, adjustment in the pitch direction is performed only by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5, and it is not necessarily possible to correct the deviation in the holding height of the wafer due to the sagging of the arm 4 side. Therefore, as described above, correction data is generated so that the fork member 31 is adjusted to be horizontal by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5, and the height in the Z-axis direction of the fork member 31 is corrected by the lifting mechanism of the base 43.

[0128] Next, in order to confirm the result of the above correction, the sensor substrate 8 is held on the fork member 31 of the atmospheric transport mechanism 21, the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 and the like are controlled based on the generated correction data, and the sensor substrate 8 is transported from the transport start point (the container 10) to the transport destination (the load lock chamber 12). Then, at each transport position, it is confirmed whether the tilt in the roll direction and the pitch direction is within the permissible tilt range, and whether the fork member 31 substantially maintains the basic attitude (horizontal), and then the teaching is ended.

[0129] In this example, the control of the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 is performed based on the tilt data of the fork member 31 acquired by transporting the sensor substrate 8 from the wafer transport start point to the transport destination. Therefore, even in the attitude of the substrate transport device 2 in the middle of transporting the wafer, the tilt of the fork member 31 can be grasped. Also, the control of the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 is performed so as to offset the tilt of the fork member 31 at the time of transporting the wafer, and thus it is possible to perform teaching for all the attitudes at the time of transporting the wafer in a simple manner.

[0130] In the present teaching, with respect to the tilt of the fork member 31 around the pitch axis 34 and the tilt around the roll axis 33, adjustment can be performed by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5.

[0131] Further, in the present teaching, a positional deviation between the position data of the sensor substrate 8 and the position information on the transport path obtained from the control section 100 is grasped. And, the control of the arm 4 and the lifting mechanism of the base 43 of the substrate transport device 2 is performed in a manner to offset the positional deviation. Thus, even in the case where the arm 4 is deflected due to the load of a wafer having the same weight as the sensor substrate 8, it is possible to transport the wafer along the preset transport path. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wafer from being transported on a path deviating from the correct transport path due to the deflection, thereby causing a failure such as the wafer contacting other equipment.

[0132] Further, since the teaching can be performed by transporting the sensor substrate 8, it is possible to shorten the time required for the teaching. And, in the case where the teaching is performed by the operator, there is a case where the teaching cannot be performed in a narrow space in the processing system 1 which the operator cannot enter. In contrast to this, according to the method of the example, since the teaching is performed by holding and transporting the sensor substrate 8 by the substrate transport mechanism 2, it is possible to perform the teaching for the entire path of the wafer transport.

[0133] <Second Example of Teaching>

[0134] The control section 100 can also be configured to correct the offset amount of the inclination of the fork member 31 according to the weight of the wafer or other transport object based on the inclination data obtained using the sensor substrate 8 as described above. In the following description, for example, the sensor substrate 8 provided with the acceleration sensor 81 is composed of a substrate heavier than the wafer.

[0135] In this case, the weight of the transport object is changed, and the teaching is performed at least twice. For example, in the first teaching, the sensor substrate 8 is placed on the fork member 31 and transported from the transport start point to the transport destination, and the acceleration data and the inclination data are obtained from the sensor substrate 8 as in the first example described above. From the acceleration data, the position data of the sensor substrate 8 can be obtained. Then, these acceleration data, inclination data, and position data are correlated with the position information of the sensor substrate 8. Here, the position information of the sensor substrate 8 is obtained from the control section 100, and as described above, this position information can be grasped based on the extension and retraction amount of the arm 4 and the fork member 31, the rotation amount, the lifting amount, and the moving amount of the base 43, as in the first example. Next, the second teaching is performed by the same method as the first teaching except that the sensor substrate 8 loaded with the counterweight is held on the fork member 31 for the teaching. As a result, the acceleration data, inclination data, and position data can be correlated with the position information of the sensor substrate 8 under the condition that the weight of the transport object is different from the first time.

[0136] Figure 15Indicates the tilt data related to the tilt in the pitch direction obtained in the above-mentioned two teachings. Figure 15 In , the horizontal axis represents the distance along the conveying path (conveyance position) from the position of the conveying destination (starting position), and the vertical axis represents the tilt in the pitch direction. Figure 15 In FIG. 1 , the solid line represents tilt data D1 acquired using the sensor substrate 8 , and the dashed-dotted line represents tilt data D2 acquired using the sensor substrate 8 on which a weight is placed.

[0137] The positive (+) direction of the pitch direction tilt is the direction in which the front end of the fork-shaped member 31 droops, and a larger value indicates a larger droop. For example, there is a tendency that the droop of the fork-shaped member 31 increases when the arm 4 is extended, and the droop of the fork-shaped member 31 decreases when the arm 4 is retracted. Figure 5 It is also seen that the sagging increases as the load of the conveyed object increases, and the sagging decreases as the load decreases.

[0138] In addition, the Figure 15 The data are given for the sake of convenience of explanation and do not represent the actual sagging state change of the fork member 31.

[0139] Thus, there is a correlation between the weight of the object carried on the fork member 31 and the tilt data. While the fork member 31 tilts in the same direction at all conveying positions, as mentioned above, the heavier the object, the greater the tilt. Therefore, by acquiring tilt data for both conveying the sensor substrate 8 and conveying the sensor substrate 8 with a weight attached, the relationship between weight and tilt data can be understood. Thus, for conveyed objects with a weight different from that of the sensor substrate 8, an estimated value of the fork member 31 tilt data corresponding to the weight of the object can be acquired.

[0140] exist Figure 15 In the figure, the thin dashed line D3 represents the estimated value of the tilt data of a wafer lighter than the sensor substrate 8, and the thick dashed line D4 represents the estimated value of the tilt data of an object being transported that is heavier than the sensor substrate 8. An example of an object being transported that is heavier than the sensor substrate 8 is a case where a replacement component such as a focus ring placed on a mounting table in the vacuum processing chamber 14 is transported by the substrate transport device 2.

[0141] The control unit 8 is configured to correct the amount of offsetting the tilt of the fork member 31 to be achieved by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 based on the tilt data acquired based on the weight of the transport object. The correction of the amount of offsetting the tilt of the fork member 31 can be performed, for example, by determining the amount of offsetting the tilt of the fork member to be achieved by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 when the transport object is being transported based on an estimated value of the tilt data.

[0142] For example, consider a case where the tilt θ in the pitch direction linearly changes with the weight w of the conveyed object in the acquired two pieces of tilt data Dl, D2. For example, let the weight of the sensor substrate 8 be Wl, the weight of the counterweight be W, and let the tilt of the tilt data Dl at a certain conveying position be θ(Dl) and the tilt of the tilt data D2 be θ(D2). In this case, the tilt θ of the fork member 31 at an arbitrary conveying position when the conveyed object is conveyed can be given by the following (1).

[0143] θ = θ(Dl) + [(θ(D2) - θ(Dl)) / W] * (w - Wl) (1)

[0144] The control section 100 generates correction data of the posture of the fork member 31 in such a manner as to cancel the tilt θ calculated by the above method. Also, in this example, the tilt in the pitch direction is adjusted, but the tilt in the roll direction can also be corrected by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 in accordance with the weight of the conveyed object.

[0145] Next, a method of correcting the positional deviation of the position information on the conveying path from the control section 100 based on the position data obtained by the above two teaching will be described. For example, in the case where the output of the motor of the rotation mechanism 47, the lifting mechanism of the base 43, and the moving mechanism that drives the arm 4 is constant, the heavier the conveyed object, the smaller the acceleration acting on the conveyed object. Therefore, the correspondence between the weight of the conveyed object and the acceleration acting on the conveyed object can be grasped by the two teaching. Thus, even in the case where the actual weight of the conveyed object is different from the weight at the time of the two teaching, the acceleration data acting on the conveyed object at each conveying position can be calculated. For example, the calculated value of the acceleration data can be obtained by interpolating / extrapolating the change in the above correspondence at the time of the teaching.

[0146] After the calculated value of the acceleration data is obtained, the position data can be calculated by finding the moving speed of the conveyed object and time-integrating the moving speed. Thus, the direction and the amount of deviation between the conveying position grasped by the control section 100 and the position data of the conveyed object are determined, and correction data is generated in such a manner as to cancel the deviation, which is the same as the teaching of the first example.

[0147] According to the second example, even if the tilt data is not acquired using the sensor substrate 8 having the same weight as the conveyed object, the amount of cancellation of the tilt of the fork member 31 to be achieved by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 can be grasped, and the teaching can be easily performed.

[0148] <Example of wafer conveying method>

[0149] This example is implemented to suppress movement of the wafer held by the fork member 31 from a predetermined holding position due to inertial force acting on the wafer when the wafer moves in the lateral direction. The lateral direction refers to the horizontal direction, including any of the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. In this example, the control section 100 is configured to control tilting of the fork member 31 by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 so that the height position of the front end side of the wafer is lower than the height position of the rear end side when viewed in the direction of conveyance of the wafer.

[0150] As shown in FIG. 6, when the arm 4 is advanced forward with the wafer held by the fork member 31, the wafer is accelerated and subjected to inertial force, and there is a case where the wafer moves rearward from the holding position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the fork member 31 is tilted by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 so that the height position of the front end side of the wafer is lower than the height position of the rear end side. By tilting the fork member 31 like this, even if the wafer is accelerated and moved rearward, the inertial force becomes a force that presses the wafer against the fork member 31, and movement of the wafer from the holding position can be suppressed. In this example, the amount of tilting of the fork member 31 can be grasped by preliminary experiments or the like, in which the fork member 31 holding the wafer is moved in a state in which acceleration is generated, and the amount of tilting that suppresses movement of the wafer rearward from the holding position is grasped. Furthermore, data associating the acceleration, the position at which the acceleration is generated, and the amount of tilting can be acquired, and based on this data, the fork member 31 can be tilted by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 at a position at which acceleration that can cause movement of the wafer is generated. Figure 16A Figure 16B As shown in FIG. 6, when the arm 4 is advanced forward with the wafer held by the fork member 31, the wafer is accelerated and subjected to inertial force, and there is a case where the wafer moves rearward from the holding position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the fork member 31 is tilted by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 so that the height position of the front end side of the wafer is lower than the height position of the rear end side. By tilting the fork member 31 like this, even if the wafer is accelerated and moved rearward, the inertial force becomes a force that presses the wafer against the fork member 31, and movement of the wafer from the holding position can be suppressed. In this example, the amount of tilting of the fork member 31 can be grasped by preliminary experiments or the like, in which the fork member 31 holding the wafer is moved in a state in which acceleration is generated, and the amount of tilting that suppresses movement of the wafer rearward from the holding position is grasped. Furthermore, data associating the acceleration, the position at which the acceleration is generated, and the amount of tilting can be acquired, and based on this data, the fork member 31 can be tilted by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 at a position at which acceleration that can cause movement of the wafer is generated.

[0151] In addition, for example, when the arm 4 is reversed rearward with the wafer held by the fork member 31, there is a case where the wafer moves forward from the holding position due to inertial force. Therefore, in order to suppress this case, the control section 100 is configured to control tilting of the fork member 31 by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 so that the height position of the front end side of the wafer is higher than the height position of the rear end side. In this way, by tilting the fork member 31 so that the direction in which the wafer moves due to inertial force is raised, a state in which the wafer is difficult to move forward can be formed, and movement of the wafer from the holding position can be suppressed.

[0152] Furthermore, for example, when the arm 4 is rotated with the wafer held by the fork member 31, there is a case where the wafer moves in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation from the holding position due to inertial force. In order to suppress this case, the control section 100 is configured to control tilting of the fork member 31 in the left-right direction by the tilt adjustment mechanism 5 so that the height position of the front end side of the wafer in the direction of rotation (the direction of rotation) is lower than the height position of the rear end side when viewed in the direction of conveyance of the wafer.

[0153] ​In recent years, as a countermeasure against particle contamination and organic contamination during conveyance and a countermeasure for conveying a high-temperature wafer, there is a case where a ceramic is used to hold the back surface of the wafer. However, in this configuration, the wafer easily slips, and it is difficult to convey the wafer at high speed.

[0154] To this end, in the present example, control is performed to tilt the fork member 31 using the tilt adjustment mechanism 5, to suppress movement of the wafer on the fork member 31 due to inertial force. Therefore, even in a case where the conveyance speed of the wafer is increased, and the wafer is subjected to a large inertial force, movement of the wafer due to the inertial force can be suppressed, and the conveyance accuracy is improved. Thus, high-speed wafer conveyance can be achieved, and throughput can be improved.

[0155] In each of the embodiments described above, the tilt adjustment mechanism can also be provided between the fork member and the wrist portion in the wafer conveyance device. In this case, the support pins are provided to support the fork member from the lower surface side. In addition, in a case where the traction pin has a head portion that expands in a flange shape, the traction pin is configured to pass through the fork member opposite the wrist portion, and to pull downward by making the lower surface of the head portion abut against the upper surface of the fork member. In addition, in a case where a recess for positioning the support pin is provided as shown in Figs. 9A and 9B, the recess is provided on the lower surface of the fork member, and the bellows is provided in a manner connected between the fork member and the wrist portion. Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B In a case where a recess for positioning the support pin is provided as shown in Figs. 9A and 9B, the recess is provided on the lower surface of the fork member, and the bellows is provided in a manner connected between the fork member and the wrist portion.

[0156] In addition, the support pins are respectively arranged at positions that form the vertices of a triangle in plan view, and the traction pin can be located inside the triangle. In the above example, a case where the fixed pin is located on the roll axis in plan view, and the traction pin is located at a point where the roll axis and the pitch axis intersect in plan view is described, but the arrangement is not limited to this. For example, the traction pin can be arranged at a point where the roll axis and the pitch axis intersect in plan view, and three support pins can be arranged at positions that deviate from the direction along the roll axis in plan view. In addition, the support pins and the traction pin can all be arranged at positions that deviate from the directions along the roll axis and the pitch axis in plan view. In addition, in a case where there are four or more support pins, as long as the following arrangement relationship is included, it is included in the technical scope of the present application: there are support pins that are respectively arranged at positions that form the vertices of a triangle in plan view, and the traction pin is located inside the above triangle.

[0157] In addition, in the above example, the traction pin is configured to change the height position of the upper end thereof using the elevation portion, but can be configured to pull the traction pin toward the support pin side using a spring. In addition, instead of the example in which the lower surface of the head portion of the traction pin is formed in a spherical shape, the lower surface of the head portion can be formed in a conical shape, and a curved surface for receiving the conical lower surface of the head portion can be formed in the wrist portion.

[0158] In addition, the arm can also be a structure having one arm portion, and the shape of the fork-shaped member is not limited to a U shape in plan view. In addition, it is not necessary to provide a rotation mechanism between the end effector and the arm portion. Furthermore, when the substrate conveying device is an atmospheric conveying mechanism, it is not necessary to provide a bellows connecting the fork-shaped member and the wrist portion, or the wrist portion and the arm, in a case where the influence of the mixing of particles is small. Moreover, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0159] <Other Applications>

[0160] The embodiments disclosed this time are illustrative and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments can be omitted, replaced, changed, or combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for conveying a substrate, characterized in that: include: an end effector having a fork-shaped member for holding the substrate and a wrist for holding a root end of the fork-shaped member; an arm capable of mounting the end effector and having a mechanism for moving the fork-shaped member; as well as A tilt adjustment mechanism is provided between the fork-shaped member and the wrist, or between the wrist and the arm, for adjusting the tilt of the fork-shaped member. The tilt adjustment mechanism comprises: three support pins, the three support pins being provided to support the fork-shaped member or the wrist from the lower surface side, and being respectively arranged at positions forming vertices of a triangle when viewed from above; and A height adjustment portion capable of changing the height positions of the upper ends of the three support pins relative to each other, The tilt adjustment mechanism is configured to be able to adjust the tilt of the fork member while maintaining a state in which the upper ends of the three support pins are in contact with the lower surface of the fork member or the arm.

2. The device for conveying a substrate according to claim 1, wherein: The three support pins are composed of two lifting pins and one fixed pin, wherein the two lifting pins can be independently moved up and down by the height adjustment unit, and the height position of the upper end of the fixed pin is fixed. The substrate conveying device includes a traction pin, which is arranged on the inner side of the triangle in order to maintain the upper end of each support pin in contact with the fork-shaped member or the lower surface of the wrist, and is configured to be able to pull the fork-shaped member toward the support pin. The traction pin is provided with a lifting portion, and the lifting portion changes the height position of the upper end of the traction pin in accordance with the lifting and lowering operation of the two lifting pins.

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