Single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transmission manipulator

Abstract

The invention provides a single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transmission manipulator, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor carrying. Aiming at the problems of poor flexibility and low efficiency of a vacuum wafer transmission manipulator, the invention provides a single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transmission manipulator, which comprises a manipulator body and a manipulator arm, a separator is arranged between the manipulator body and the manipulator arm, the separator is connected with a vacuum chamber, and the manipulator body is located outside the vacuum chamber. The mechanical arm is located in the vacuum chamber; a first driving mechanism, a second driving mechanism and a third driving mechanism are arranged in the manipulator body, and the power tail ends of the three driving mechanisms penetrate through the separator and extend into the manipulator arm; the mechanical arm comprises a big arm connected with a third driving mechanism; a first transmission group and a second transmission group are stacked at the tail end of the big arm; the first transmission group comprises a first small arm and a first finger part which are linked, and the first small arm is connected with the first driving mechanism; the second transmission set comprises a second small arm and a second finger part which are in linkage, and the second small arm is connected with the second driving mechanism. The flexibility and transmission efficiency of the wafer transmission manipulator are improved through the large arm, the first transmission group and the second transmission group at the tail end of the large arm and independent driving of the large arm, the first transmission group and the second transmission group.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor handling, in particular to a single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot. BACKGROUND

[0002] The semiconductor vacuum transfer robot is a core automated equipment in chip manufacturing, mainly used for safely, accurately and non-pollutingly transferring wafers (silicon slices) in a vacuum or super-clean environment. Its core uses include: automatically taking and placing wafers between or inside the vacuum chambers of process equipment (such as photoetching machines, etching machines and thin film deposition equipment), acting as an "intermediary" between the equipment and the atmospheric environment, transferring wafers through a load lock to avoid the pollution of the process chamber, realizing the rapid and continuous automatic transfer of wafers between multiple process steps, improving the production speed and capacity, strictly preventing particle, organic and metal pollution, avoiding human contact and ensuring that wafers are processed in a super-clean environment, which is the key to maintaining a high yield.

[0003] The mechanism principle diagram of the existing vacuum robot is shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 . Figure 1 It is a double-arm double-fork robot, and the arm part is composed of two large arms and two small arms. Figure 2 It is a single-arm single-fork robot, and the arm part is composed of one large arm and one small arm.

[0004] The above-mentioned robot has the following disadvantages:

[0005] (1) Figure 1 The double-arm double-fork robot shown in needs a larger rotation space to avoid interference between the cavity and the robot during wafer taking and placing. In some semiconductor process, there is a clear requirement for the size of the transition cavity where the robot is located, and the smaller the better, especially for the vacuum chamber, which has a small thickness and diameter.

[0006] (2) Figure 2 The single-arm single-fork robot shown in can only take and place one wafer at a time, which is low in efficiency. In some process machines with short process time, it will affect the yield of the machine. SUMMARY

[0007] The present application aims to solve the problems of poor flexibility and low efficiency of the existing vacuum wafer transfer robot. Therefore, the present application provides a single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot, which improves the flexibility and transfer efficiency of the wafer transfer robot by independently driving the large arm, the first transfer group and the second transfer group at the end of the large arm.

[0008] The embodiment of the present application provides a single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transfer manipulator, which comprises a manipulator body and a manipulator arm, and an isolator is arranged between the manipulator body and the manipulator arm, the isolator is connected with a vacuum chamber, and the manipulator body is located outside the vacuum chamber and the manipulator arm is located in the vacuum chamber.

[0009] A first driving mechanism, a second driving mechanism and a third driving mechanism are arranged in the manipulator body, and power ends of the three driving mechanisms penetrate the isolator and extend into the manipulator arm.

[0010] The manipulator arm comprises a large arm connected with the third driving mechanism, a first transfer group and a second transfer group are arranged in a stack at the end of the large arm, the first transfer group comprises a first small arm and a first finger part connected in linkage, and the first small arm is connected with the first driving mechanism, and the second transfer group comprises a second small arm and a second finger part connected in linkage, and the second small arm is connected with the second driving mechanism.

[0011] By using the above technical scheme, the manipulator arm can be independently located in the vacuum chamber through the isolator, so that the space required for operation can be effectively controlled; by arranging the first small arm and the second small arm at the end of the large arm and connecting the first finger part and the second finger part correspondingly, two wafers can be carried at one time, and the transfer efficiency is improved; and the first small arm, the second small arm and the large arm can be independently controlled through the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism, the manipulator arm can realize various postures through cooperation of the three, the transfer flexibility is improved, the posture adjustment efficiency is high, the energy consumption can be significantly reduced, and the beat can be improved.

[0012] In some embodiments, first, second, third and fourth transmission wheels are arranged in a stack along a rotation axis at the rotation connection positions of the large arm, the first small arm and the second small arm.

[0013] The first transmission wheel and the second transmission wheel are rotatable relative to the rotation axis, and the third transmission wheel and the fourth transmission wheel are fixed relative to the rotation axis.

[0014] The first driving mechanism drives the first small arm to rotate relative to the large arm through the second transmission wheel, and drives the first finger part to rotate relative to the first small arm through the third transmission wheel, so as to realize the expansion and contraction of the first transfer group.

[0015] The second driving mechanism drives the second small arm to rotate relative to the large arm through the first transmission wheel, and drives the second finger part to rotate relative to the second small arm through the fourth transmission wheel, so as to realize the expansion and contraction of the second transfer group.

[0016] Adopting the technical scheme, the first finger part is driven to rotate by the cooperation of the second transmission wheel and the third transmission wheel, the second finger part is driven to rotate by the cooperation of the first transmission wheel and the fourth transmission wheel, the number of driving power sources is effectively controlled, the small arm and the finger part are synchronously linked, the control steps are simplified, and the transmission reliability is improved.

[0017] In some embodiments, the large arm end is provided with a mounting seat, a fixed shaft is fixedly connected to the mounting seat, a rotating shaft is inserted through the fixed shaft, and the axes of the fixed shaft and the rotating shaft are both coincident with the rotating axis;

[0018] Both ends of the rotating shaft are fixedly connected to the first transmission wheel and the shell of the second small arm;

[0019] The third transmission wheel and the fourth transmission wheel are fixedly connected to the fixed shaft;

[0020] The second transmission wheel is rotatably arranged on the fixed shaft and fixedly connected to the shell of the first small arm.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first small arm and the first finger part are rotatably connected through a fifth transmission wheel, and the fifth transmission wheel and the third transmission wheel are drivingly connected;

[0022] The second small arm and the second finger part are rotatably connected through a sixth transmission wheel, and the sixth transmission wheel and the fourth transmission wheel are drivingly connected;

[0023] The first transmission wheel, the second transmission wheel, the third transmission wheel, the fourth transmission wheel, the fifth transmission wheel and the sixth transmission wheel are all synchronous pulleys and are drivingly connected through synchronous belts.

[0024] Adopting the technical scheme, the transmission is realized through synchronous pulleys and synchronous belts, the transmission precision is improved, and the transmission reliability is further improved.

[0025] In some embodiments, the second transmission wheel is fixedly connected to the bottom of the shell of the first small arm through a first connecting cylinder, the top of the shell of the first small arm is connected with a second connecting cylinder, and the shell of the second small arm is rotatably connected to the second connecting cylinder.

[0026] In some embodiments, angular contact ball bearings are arranged between the first transmission wheel and the fixed shaft and between the second connecting cylinder and the fixed shaft;

[0027] A plurality of deep groove ball bearings are arranged between the first connecting cylinder and the fixed shaft.

[0028] A cross roller bearing is arranged between the first connecting cylinder and the housing of the large arm, and between the second connecting cylinder and the housing of the second small arm.

[0029] In some embodiments, the diameters of the third transmission wheel and the fifth transmission wheel, and the fourth transmission wheel and the sixth transmission wheel are in a ratio of 1:n, where n>1.

[0030] With the above technical solution, the finger part rotates at a reduced speed relative to the small arm, that is, the speed of the end of the finger part is slowed down, thereby improving the transmission stability.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism each include a servo motor, a speed reducer and a transmission wheel connected in sequence.

[0032] The manipulator body is provided with an inner shaft, a middle shaft and an outer shaft which are sequentially sleeved and sealed by a magnetic fluid dynamic seal, and are respectively in transmission connection with the transmission wheels of the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism.

[0033] The inner shaft is in transmission connection with the first small arm, the middle shaft is in transmission connection with the second small arm, and the outer shaft is in transmission connection with the large arm.

[0034] With the above technical solution, the servo motor and the speed reducer provide driving power, which is small in size and high in precision, thereby controlling the volume of the manipulator body and improving the transmission reliability.

[0035] In some embodiments, the inner shaft, the middle shaft and the outer shaft are sequentially coaxially connected with an inner shaft transmission wheel, a middle shaft transmission wheel and an outer shaft transmission wheel, and the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism are distributed in a circumferential direction around the outer shaft and have a height difference to be respectively in transmission connection with the inner shaft transmission wheel, the middle shaft transmission wheel and the outer shaft transmission wheel.

[0036] In some embodiments, the manipulator body is provided with a lifting driving mechanism, the lifting driving mechanism is connected with a mounting table, the first driving mechanism, the second driving mechanism and the third driving mechanism are arranged on the mounting table, and a bellows is arranged between the mounting table and the isolation member.

[0037] Other features and corresponding advantages of the present application are described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least some of the advantages become apparent from the description in the specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a double-arm double-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art;

[0039] Figure 2Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art;

[0040] Figure 3 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art;

[0041] Figure 4 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art;

[0042] Figure 5 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art; Figure 4 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art;

[0043] Figure 6 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art; Figure 5

[0044] Figure 7 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art.

[0045] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a single-arm single-fork vacuum manipulator in the prior art.

[0046] 100, manipulator arm; 110, large arm; 120, first small arm; 121, first finger part; 130, second small arm; 131, second finger part;

[0047] 200, manipulator body; 210, first driving mechanism; 211, servo motor; 212, speed reducer; 213, transmission wheel; 220, second driving mechanism; 230, third driving mechanism; 240, lifting driving mechanism; 250, mounting table; 260, bellows;

[0048] 300, isolation piece;

[0049] 11, first transmission wheel; 12, second transmission wheel; 13, third transmission wheel; 14, fourth transmission wheel; 15, fifth transmission wheel; 16, sixth transmission wheel;

[0050] 20, mounting seat; 21, fixed shaft; 22, rotating shaft;

[0051] 31, first connecting cylinder; 32, second connecting cylinder;

[0052] 41, angular contact ball bearing; 42, deep groove ball bearing; 43, crossed roller bearing;

[0053] 51, inner shaft; 52, middle shaft; 53, outer shaft; 54, inner shaft transmission wheel; 55, middle shaft transmission wheel; 56, outer shaft transmission wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] ​The advantages and effects of the present application can be easily understood by those skilled in the art from the disclosure of the present application. Although the present application will be described in connection with the preferred embodiments, this is not intended to limit the features of the present application to those embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in connection with the embodiments is to cover other alternatives or modifications that can be extended based on the claims of the present application. In order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application, many specific details will be included in the following description. The present application can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or ambiguity of the present application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0055] It should be noted that in the present specification, similar reference numbers and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0056] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, the features limited by "first", "second", etc. can explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more. Unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connection" should be broadly understood, for example, it can be fixedly connected, or it can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; it can be mechanically connected, or it can be electrically connected; it can be directly connected, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be connected inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0057] At present, the requirement for clean environment in semiconductor process is higher and higher, therefore, a vacuum chamber appears. The vacuum chamber is established among the entrances of multiple process chambers of process equipment (such as a photoetching machine, an etching machine, and a thin film deposition equipment), and a wafer transmission robot is arranged in the vacuum chamber to realize safe, accurate, and pollution-free transmission of wafers (silicon slices).

[0058] Since the cost of maintaining the vacuum chamber environment is extremely high, the vacuum chamber pursues smaller and smaller space while meeting the wafer transmission, which requires the size and the rotation radius of the wafer transmission robot to be smaller and smaller. The present application is especially suitable for transmitting wafers in a vacuum chamber.

[0059] Please refer to Figures 3-4 and Figure 7 , Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of the present application; Figure 4 is a top view schematic diagram of the robot arm 100 in the present application; Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of the robot body 200 in the present application.

[0060] The embodiment of the present application provides a single-arm double-fork vacuum wafer transmission robot, which comprises a robot body 200 and a robot arm 100. An isolation piece 300 is arranged between the robot body 200 and the robot arm 100. The isolation piece 300 is connected with a vacuum chamber, and the robot body 200 is located outside the vacuum chamber, and the robot arm 100 is located inside the vacuum chamber, so as to effectively control the space required for wafer transmission operation, and is suitable for application in a vacuum chamber.

[0061] Preferably, the isolation piece 300 is a flange, so that the robot arm 100 is installed in the vacuum chamber through the flange, and the robot body 200 is installed outside the vacuum chamber through the flange.

[0062] The robot arm 100 of the wafer transmission robot comprises a large arm 110, a first transmission group and a second transmission group which are stacked at the end of the large arm 110. The first transmission group comprises a first small arm 120 and a first finger part 121 which are connected in linkage, and the second transmission group comprises a second small arm 130 and a second finger part 131 which are connected in linkage, so that two wafers can be carried at a time through the first finger part 121 and the second finger part 131, and the transmission efficiency is improved. Moreover, the first small arm 120 and the second small arm 130 can be moved by the single large arm 110, which can reduce interference avoidance, is more flexible, and requires smaller operation space, compared with a conventional double-arm double-fork robot.

[0063] The robot body 200 is provided with a first driving mechanism 210, a second driving mechanism 220 and a third driving mechanism 230. The power ends of the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230 all extend into the robot arm 100 through the isolation piece 300.

[0064] The first driving mechanism 210 is connected with the first small arm 120, the second driving mechanism 220 is connected with the second small arm 130, and the large arm 110 is connected with the third driving mechanism 230, so that the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230 can be used to control the first small arm 120, the second small arm 130 and the large arm 110 respectively, and the three can be used to realize various postures of the mechanical arm 100, for example, the first transmission group, the second transmission group are controlled to stretch and retract and rotate synchronously respectively, the single arm is static or the double arms are synchronous, the transmission flexibility is improved, the posture adjustment efficiency is high, for example, two wafers are taken or placed at the same position at the same time, and the two small arms can rotate independently, the rotation time in the process is reduced, the energy consumption can be reduced significantly and the beat can be improved. Meanwhile, the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230 are arranged in the mechanical hand body 200, that is, no driving power source is arranged in the mechanical arm 100, so that the volume of the mechanical arm 100 can be controlled, and the mechanical arm 100 is more suitable for being applied to a vacuum chamber.

[0065] Please refer to Figures 5-6 , Figure 5 for Figure 4 the schematic view of A-A cross section in FIG. 1; Figure 6 for Figure 5 the schematic view of the partial enlarged structure in FIG. 1.

[0066] In one embodiment, the first transmission wheel 11, the second transmission wheel 12, the third transmission wheel 13 and the fourth transmission wheel 14 are arranged in the large arm 110, the first small arm 120 and the second small arm 130 in sequence along the rotation axis 22.

[0067] The first transmission wheel 11 and the second transmission wheel 12 can rotate relative to the rotation axis 22, and the third transmission wheel 13 and the fourth transmission wheel 14 are fixed relative to the rotation axis 22.

[0068] The first driving mechanism 210 drives the first small arm 120 to rotate relative to the large arm 110 through the second transmission wheel 12, and drives the first finger part 121 to rotate relative to the first small arm 120 through the third transmission wheel 13, so as to realize the stretching and retracting of the first transmission group. That is, through the cooperation of the second transmission wheel 12 and the third transmission wheel 13, the first small arm 120 is driven to rotate while driving the first finger part 121 to rotate.

[0069] The second driving mechanism 220 drives the second small arm 130 to rotate relative to the large arm 110 through the first transmission wheel 11, and drives the second finger part 131 to rotate relative to the second small arm 130 through the fourth transmission wheel 14, so as to realize the stretching and retracting of the second transmission group. That is, through the cooperation of the first transmission wheel 11 and the fourth transmission wheel 14, the second small arm 130 is driven to rotate while driving the second finger part 131 to rotate.

[0070] The above method effectively controls the number of driving power sources, and the small arm and the finger part are synchronously linked, thereby simplifying the control steps and improving transmission reliability.

[0071] In one embodiment, the distal end of the large arm 110 is provided with a mounting seat 20, the mounting seat 20 is fixedly connected with a fixed shaft 21, the fixed shaft 21 is internally penetrated and arranged with a rotating shaft 22, and the axis lines of the fixed shaft 21 and the rotating shaft 22 are both coincident with the rotating shaft 22.

[0072] The two ends of the rotating shaft 22 are respectively fixedly connected with the first transmission wheel 11 and the shell of the second small arm 130, so as to realize the rotation of the second small arm 130 driven by the first transmission wheel 11.

[0073] The second transmission wheel 12 is rotatably arranged on the fixed shaft 21 and is fixedly connected with the shell of the first small arm 120, so as to realize the rotation of the first small arm 120 driven by the second transmission wheel 12.

[0074] The third transmission wheel 13 and the fourth transmission wheel 14 are fixedly connected on the fixed shaft 21, so that the third transmission wheel 13 and the fourth transmission wheel 14 are fixed and not rotated.

[0075] In one embodiment, the first small arm 120 and the first finger part 121 are rotatably connected through the fifth transmission wheel 15, and the fifth transmission wheel 15 and the third transmission wheel 13 are transmissionally connected.

[0076] The second small arm 130 and the second finger part 131 are rotatably connected through the sixth transmission wheel 16, and the sixth transmission wheel 16 and the fourth transmission wheel 14 are transmissionally connected.

[0077] The above method realizes the rotation of the small arm to drive the rotation of the finger part, and the structure is simple.

[0078] Preferably, the first transmission wheel 11, the second transmission wheel 12, the third transmission wheel 13, the fourth transmission wheel 14, the fifth transmission wheel 15, and the sixth transmission wheel 16 are all synchronous pulleys, and are transmissionally connected through synchronous belts, so as to improve the transmission accuracy and further improve the transmission reliability.

[0079] In one embodiment, the second transmission wheel 12 is fixedly connected with the bottom of the shell of the first small arm 120 through the first connecting cylinder 31, the top of the shell of the first small arm 120 is connected with the second connecting cylinder 32, and the shell of the second small arm 130 is rotatably connected on the second connecting cylinder 32.

[0080] In one embodiment, an angular contact ball bearing 41 is arranged between the first transmission wheel 11 and the fixed shaft 21, and between the second connecting cylinder 32 and the fixed shaft 21. A plurality of deep groove ball bearings 42 are arranged between the first connecting cylinder 31 and the fixed shaft 21. A cross roller bearing 43 is arranged between the first connecting cylinder 31 and the housing of the large arm 110, and between the second connecting cylinder 32 and the housing of the second small arm 130.

[0081] In this way, different types of bearings are usually used in different rotating positions, which improves the rotating stability and reliability of the first small arm 120 and the second small arm 130, thereby improving the transmission stability and reliability.

[0082] In one embodiment, the diameters of the third transmission wheel 13 and the fifth transmission wheel 15, and the fourth transmission wheel 14 and the sixth transmission wheel 16 are in a ratio of 1:n, where n>1. Therefore, during operation of the transmission group, the ratio of the rotating speed of the finger part to the rotating speed of the small arm is 1:n, so that the finger part rotates at a reduced speed relative to the small arm, i.e., the speed of the end of the finger part (where a tool for fixing a wafer is installed) is reduced, which avoids shaking of the finger part during picking and placing of wafers, thereby improving the transmission stability.

[0083] Preferably, n is 2, and taking the third transmission wheel 13 and the fifth transmission wheel 15 as an example, the first finger part 121 rotates at a reduced speed relative to the first small arm 120, and when the first small arm 120 rotates by 90°, the first finger part 121 rotates by 45°.

[0084] Further preferably, the initial posture of the wafer transmission robot is L-shaped, and taking the first transmission group as an example (the posture of the second transmission group is the same as that of the first transmission group), the large arm 110 and the first small arm 120 are located on the same straight line, and the first finger part 121 is perpendicular to the first small arm 120. This initial posture allows the wafer transmission robot to meet the action requirements and have a small space requirement for rotation.

[0085] In one embodiment, the first drive mechanism 210, the second drive mechanism, and the third drive mechanism 230 each include a servo motor 211, a speed reducer 212, and a transmission wheel 213 connected in sequence. The servo motor 211 and the speed reducer 212 provide driving power. Compared with a conventional DD motor, this embodiment has a small size, low cost, low noise, large torque, and high precision, thereby allowing the size of the robot body 200 to be controlled and improving the transmission reliability.

[0086] In one embodiment, the robot body 200 is provided with an inner shaft 51, a middle shaft 52, and an outer shaft 53 that are sequentially sleeved and sealed by a magnetic fluid dynamic seal, and are respectively in transmission connection with the transmission wheels of the first drive mechanism 210, the second drive mechanism 220, and the third drive mechanism 230.

[0087] The inner shaft 51 is in transmission connection with the first small arm 120, the middle shaft 52 is in transmission connection with the second small arm 130, and the outer shaft 53 is in transmission connection with the large arm 110, so as to realize independent control of the first small arm, the second small arm 130 and the large arm 110 by the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230 respectively.

[0088] In an embodiment, the inner shaft 51, the middle shaft 52 and the outer shaft 53 are coaxially connected with the inner shaft transmission wheel 54, the middle shaft transmission wheel 55 and the outer shaft transmission wheel 56 in sequence, the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230 are distributed in the circumferential direction of the outer shaft 53, and the three have a height difference to be in transmission connection with the inner shaft transmission wheel 54, the middle shaft transmission wheel 55 and the outer shaft transmission wheel 56 respectively, so as to control the required installation space of the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230, and further control the volume of the manipulator body 200.

[0089] In an embodiment, the inner shaft 51 and the middle shaft 52 are also provided with the inner shaft transmission wheel 54 and the middle shaft transmission wheel 55 at the end away from the first driving mechanism 210 and the second driving mechanism 220, so as to facilitate transmission connection with the first transmission wheel 11 and the second transmission wheel 12.

[0090] In an embodiment, the manipulator body 200 is provided with a lifting driving mechanism 240, the lifting driving mechanism 240 is connected with a mounting table 250, and the first driving mechanism 210, the second driving mechanism 220 and the third driving mechanism 230 are arranged on the mounting table 250, so as to realize lifting of the manipulator arm 100 and improve the flexibility of the wafer transfer manipulator.

[0091] Preferably, a bellows 260 is arranged between the mounting table 250 and the isolation member 300, so as to improve the sealing property in the lifting process and be suitable for application in a vacuum chamber.

[0092] Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and not to limit them; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that: it can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacement for part or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot, characterized in that, It includes a robotic arm body and a robotic arm, with a separator between them. The separator is connected to a vacuum chamber, and the robotic arm body is located outside the vacuum chamber, while the robotic arm is located inside the vacuum chamber. The robotic arm body is provided with a first drive mechanism, a second drive mechanism and a third drive mechanism, and the power ends of the three mechanisms all extend into the robotic arm through the isolation member; The robotic arm includes a large arm connected to the third drive mechanism; a first transmission group and a second transmission group are stacked at the end of the large arm; the first transmission group includes a first forearm and a first finger, and the first forearm is connected to the first drive mechanism; the second transmission group includes a second forearm and a second finger, and the second forearm is connected to the second drive mechanism.

2. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first transmission wheel, the second transmission wheel, the third transmission wheel, and the fourth transmission wheel are stacked along the axis of rotation at the rotatable connection between the upper arm, the first forearm, and the second forearm. The first and second transmission wheels are rotatable relative to the rotation axis, while the third and fourth transmission wheels are fixed relative to the rotation axis. The first drive mechanism drives the first forearm to rotate relative to the upper arm via the second transmission wheel, and drives the first finger portion to rotate relative to the first forearm via the third transmission wheel, so as to realize the extension and retraction of the first transmission group; The second drive mechanism drives the second forearm to rotate relative to the upper arm via the first transmission wheel, and drives the second finger portion to rotate relative to the second forearm via the fourth transmission wheel, so as to realize the extension and retraction of the second transmission group.

3. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper arm is provided with a mounting base, and a fixed shaft is fixedly connected to the mounting base. A rotating shaft is inserted through the fixed shaft, and the axes of the fixed shaft and the rotating shaft are both coincident with the rotating axis. The two ends of the rotating shaft are respectively fixedly connected to the housing of the first transmission wheel and the housing of the second forearm; The third transmission wheel and the fourth transmission wheel are fixedly connected to the fixed shaft; The second transmission wheel is rotatably sleeved on the fixed shaft and is fixedly connected to the housing of the first forearm.

4. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The first forearm and the first finger are rotatably connected by a fifth transmission wheel, and the fifth transmission wheel is pulsatorically connected to the third transmission wheel; The second forearm and the second finger are rotatably connected by a sixth transmission wheel, and the sixth transmission wheel is pulsatorically connected to the fourth transmission wheel; The first transmission wheel, the second transmission wheel, the third transmission wheel, the fourth transmission wheel, the fifth transmission wheel, and the sixth transmission wheel are all synchronous belt pulleys and are connected by synchronous belt drive.

5. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second transmission wheel is fixedly connected to the bottom of the housing of the first forearm via the first connecting cylinder. The top of the housing of the first forearm is connected to the second connecting cylinder, and the housing of the second forearm is rotatably connected to the second connecting cylinder.

6. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, An angular contact ball bearing is provided between the first transmission wheel and the fixed shaft, and between the second connecting cylinder and the fixed shaft; Multiple deep groove ball bearings are provided between the first connecting cylinder and the fixed shaft; Crossed roller bearings are provided between the first connecting cylinder and the housing of the upper arm, and between the second connecting cylinder and the housing of the second lower arm.

7. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The diameter ratio of the third and fifth transmission wheels, and the fourth and sixth transmission wheels, is 1:n, where n > 1.

8. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, and the third drive mechanism each include a servo motor, a reducer, and a transmission wheel connected in sequence; The robotic arm body is provided with an inner shaft, a middle shaft and an outer shaft that are sequentially sleeved and sealed by a magnetohydrodynamic seal, and are respectively connected to the transmission wheels of the first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism and the third drive mechanism; The inner shaft is driven to the first forearm, the middle shaft is driven to the second forearm, and the outer shaft is driven to the upper arm.

9. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The inner shaft, middle shaft, and outer shaft are coaxially connected in sequence with an inner shaft drive wheel, a middle shaft drive wheel, and an outer shaft drive wheel. The first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, and the third drive mechanism are distributed circumferentially around the outer shaft, and the three have a height difference to be connected to the inner shaft drive wheel, the middle shaft drive wheel, and the outer shaft drive wheel respectively.

10. The single-arm, double-fork vacuum wafer transfer robot according to claim 8, characterized in that, The robotic arm body is provided with a lifting drive mechanism, which is connected to a mounting platform. The first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, and the third drive mechanism are mounted on the mounting platform, and a corrugated pipe is provided between the mounting platform and the isolation component.

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