Manipulator for preventing wafer from being scratched and automatic teaching method

Abstract

The invention provides a mechanical arm capable of preventing a wafer from being scratched and a wafer scratch-proof method.The mechanical arm capable of preventing the wafer from being scratched comprises a controller, a mechanical arm, an adjusting mechanism, a clamping piece and a sensor, the mechanical arm, the adjusting mechanism and the sensor are electrically connected with the controller, and the clamping piece is connected to the adjusting mechanism; the adjusting mechanism drives the clamping piece to rotate and drives the clamping piece to swing, the number of the sensors is multiple, the multiple sensors are evenly distributed on the clamping piece, and the controller generates the position posture of a target wafer according to the sequence that the multiple sensors abut against the target wafer. And according to the position posture of the target wafer, the position posture of the clamping piece is adjusted to correspond to the position posture of the target wafer, so that the clamping piece scratches the surface of the target wafer in the process of taking and placing the target wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more specifically, relates to a robotic arm and an automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, robot teaching for semiconductor equipment relies entirely on manual operation by operators based on their work experience. This is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also lacks standardized procedures. Furthermore, because the actual performance of the robotic arm, loading port, and wafer transfer box varies from machine to machine, and the grippers on the robotic arm used to transfer wafers can only perform fixed linear movements and cannot be dynamically adjusted according to the actual condition of the wafers, the wafer surface is easily scratched due to positioning deviations during the wafer handling process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a robotic arm and an automatic teaching method to prevent wafer scratches, so as to solve the technical problem in the prior art that robotic arms easily scratch the wafer surface when picking up and placing wafers.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, a first aspect of this application is to provide a robotic arm for preventing wafer scratches, comprising: Controller; The robotic arm is electrically connected to the controller; An adjustment mechanism is connected to the robotic arm and electrically connected to the controller; A clamping member is connected to the adjusting mechanism, which drives the clamping member to rotate and drives the clamping member to swing relative to the rotation axis of the clamping member. The sensor is multiple, and the multiple sensors are evenly distributed on the clamping member, and the multiple sensors are electrically connected to the controller; The controller generates the position and orientation of the target wafer according to the order in which the multiple sensors abut against the target wafer, and adjusts the position and orientation of the clamping member to correspond to the position and orientation of the target wafer according to the position and orientation of the target wafer.

[0005] Optionally, the adjustment mechanism includes: A rotating assembly is connected to the robotic arm, and the gripper is rotatably connected to the rotating assembly. The rotating assembly is used to drive the gripper to rotate. A swing assembly is rotatably connected to the rotating assembly and the clamping member, and is used to drive the clamping swing.

[0006] Optionally, the rotating assembly includes A rotary motor is connected to the robotic arm and electrically connected to the controller; The rotating base is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotary motor and is driven to rotate by the rotary motor. The clamping member is rotatably connected to the rotating base.

[0007] Optionally, the swing mechanism includes: A swing drive is rotatably connected to the rotating seat and to the clamping member, and is used to drive the clamping member to swing.

[0008] Optionally, the clamping member includes: A first clamping part and a second clamping part that are parallel to each other; The first clamping part is provided with N sensors, and the N sensors on the first clamping part are evenly spaced along the length direction of the first clamping part; The second clamping part is provided with N sensors, and the N sensors on the second clamping part are evenly spaced along the length direction of the second clamping part; Where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0009] Optionally, it also includes: A position detector is disposed on the adjustment mechanism and electrically connected to the controller and the adjustment mechanism, and is used to detect the position information of the gripper relative to the robotic arm.

[0010] Optionally, it also includes: The encoder, electrically connected to the adjustment mechanism and the controller, is used to read the position information of the gripper relative to the robotic arm and transmit the position information to the storage module in the controller for storage.

[0011] The beneficial effects of the wafer scratch prevention robot provided in this application are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the wafer scratch prevention robot of this application includes a controller, a robotic arm, an adjustment mechanism, a gripper, and sensors. The robotic arm, the adjustment mechanism, and the sensors are all electrically connected to the controller. The gripper is connected to the adjustment mechanism. The adjustment mechanism drives the gripper to rotate and swing. There are multiple sensors, which are evenly distributed on the gripper. The controller generates the position and orientation of the target wafer according to the order in which the multiple sensors abut against the target wafer, and adjusts the position and orientation of the gripper to correspond to the position and orientation of the target wafer, so that the gripper scratches the surface of the target wafer during the process of picking up and placing the target wafer.

[0012] Secondly, this application provides an automated teaching method for preventing wafer scratches, employing the robotic arm for preventing wafer scratches described in any of the above-mentioned methods, comprising the following steps: S1. Calculate the position and orientation of the target wafer by measuring the time interval between the contact time between multiple sensors on the robotic arm and the target wafer, and store the position and orientation; S2. Store the position and orientation of the target wafer at multiple target locations within the wafer transfer box; S3. Store the position and orientation of the target wafers in multiple target locations within multiple wafer transfer boxes at the same loading position; S4. Calculate the average position and orientation of the target wafer within each target location, and store the average value.

[0013] Optionally, in step S1: If the position and orientation of the target wafer exceed the preset position and orientation, the position and orientation of the robot arm are adjusted to match the position and orientation of the target wafer.

[0014] Optionally, it also includes: S5. Perform steps S1-S4 for multiple loader positions.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches provided in this application are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches in this application calculates the position and orientation of the target wafer by measuring the interval between the contact time between multiple sensors on the robotic arm and the target wafer, and stores the position and orientation. Then, by repeating the above steps, the position and orientation of the target wafer in multiple target positions in the wafer transfer box are stored, and the position and orientation of the target wafer in multiple target positions in multiple wafer transfer boxes are stored at the same loading position. The average value of the position and orientation of the target wafer in each target position is calculated and stored to achieve teaching of the robotic arm. The controller adjusts the position and orientation of the gripper based on the stored average value, so that the gripper quickly corresponds one-to-one with the position and orientation of multiple target wafers in the wafer transfer box, thereby preventing the gripper from scratching the surface of the target wafer during the picking and placing of the target wafer. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a robotic arm for preventing wafer scratches provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the adjustment mechanism provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position and orientation of the clamping component in this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping component in this application; Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the clamping component from another perspective in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping device in this application gripping the target wafer; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping component in this application after adjustment according to the position and orientation of the wafer; Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches in this application.

[0018] The following are the labeling elements in the figure: 10. Robotic arm; 20. Adjustment mechanism; 21. Rotating assembly; 211. Rotary motor; 212. Rotating seat; 22. Swing assembly; 221. Swing drive; 222. Lead screw nut; 223. Adjusting lead screw; 23. First rotating shaft; 24. Second rotating shaft; 25. Third rotating shaft; 30. Clamping component; 31. First clamping part; 32. Second clamping part; 33. Detection area; 40. Sensor; 50. Target wafer; 60. Position detector; 70. Encoder; 80. Wafer transfer box. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0020] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0021] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0023] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 8 The robotic arm and automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described.

[0024] The first aspect of this application is to provide a robotic arm for preventing wafer scratches, including a controller, a robotic arm 10, an adjustment mechanism 20, a gripper 30, and a sensor 40.

[0025] For details, please refer to Figure 1 The controller is the controller of the robotic arm 10, or the controller is the machine controller on which the robotic arm 10 is located. The robotic arm 10 is electrically connected to the controller, which is used to move the robotic arm 10 in the vertical and horizontal directions according to control commands, and the robotic arm 10 is an articulated robotic arm or a Cartesian coordinate robotic arm.

[0026] The adjustment mechanism 20 is connected to the robotic arm 10 and is electrically connected to the controller. The clamping member 30 is connected to the adjustment mechanism 20. The controller causes the adjustment mechanism 20 to drive the clamping member 30 to rotate and to drive the clamping member 30 to swing relative to the rotation axis of the clamping member 30 according to the control command, thereby adjusting the position and posture of the clamping member 30.

[0027] like Figure 3 As shown, there are multiple sensors 40, which are evenly distributed on the clamping member 30. All sensors 40 are electrically connected to the controller, and the detection ends of all sensors 40 are located on the end face of the clamping member 30 that is used to contact the target wafer 50.

[0028] The controller generates the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 according to the order in which multiple sensors 40 come into contact with the target wafer 50, and adjusts the position and orientation of the clamping member 30 to correspond with the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 according to the position and orientation of the target wafer 50.

[0029] For ease of explanation, when the target wafer 50 is set inside the wafer transfer box 80 and parallel to the horizontal direction, the target wafer 50 is in a preset position and posture, and the target wafer 50 is provided with multiple detection points that correspond one-to-one with the sensor 40.

[0030] When the clamping member 30 grips the target wafer 50, the robotic arm 10, through the adjustment mechanism 20, moves the clamping member 30 closer to the target wafer 50 and below it. Then, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to move the clamping member 30 upwards, so that multiple sensors 40 on the clamping member 30 respectively come into contact with the detection points on the target wafer 50. When the target wafer 50 comes into contact with the clamping member 30, the sensors 40 detect the detection points on the target wafer 50. When any sensor 40 generates a detection signal, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to reduce its upward movement speed and move upwards at a constant speed until multiple sensors 40 come into contact with the target wafer 50.

[0031] Among the multiple sensors 40, any one sensor 40 generates a detection signal when it detects a corresponding detection site on the target wafer 50, and transmits the detection signal to the controller. Since the position of each sensor 40 is fixed and the robotic arm 10 moves at a constant speed in the vertical direction, when any one sensor 40 generates a detection signal before the others, it indicates that the height of the detection site corresponding to that sensor 40 is lower than the heights of the detection sites corresponding to the others. Therefore, the controller generates height information for multiple detection sites according to the order in which the detection signals are generated, thereby generating the position and orientation on the target wafer 50.

[0032] If the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 match the preset position and orientation, then the end faces of the multiple clamping members 30 that are in contact with the target wafer 50 are parallel to the bottom wall of the target wafer 50. That is, multiple detectors can simultaneously abut against the target wafer 50. At this time, the controller controls the clamping members 30 to remove the target wafer 50 located in the wafer transfer box 80 through the robotic arm 10. Since the end faces of the clamping members 30 that are in contact with the target wafer 50 are parallel to the bottom wall of the target wafer 50, the bottom wall of the target wafer 50 is not easily scratched when the clamping members 30 abut against it.

[0033] If the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 do not match the preset position and orientation, that is, the target wafer 50 is tilted at an angle to the horizontal direction, then the target wafer 50 has two ends: a high end and a low end.

[0034] If the height difference between the high end and the low end of the target wafer 50 is within the preset error range, such as 0 < height difference ≤ 0.4mm, the controller controls the clamping member 30 to continue to remove the target wafer 50 from the wafer transfer box 80.

[0035] If the height difference between the high end and the low end of the target wafer 50 is greater than the preset error range, such as 0.4mm < height difference, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to disengage the clamping member 30 from the target wafer 50 and exit the wafer transfer box 80. Subsequently, the controller controls the clamping member 30 to rotate and swing through the adjustment mechanism 20, adjusting the position and posture of the clamping member 30 so that the end face of the clamping member 30 that contacts the target wafer 50 is parallel to the bottom wall of the target wafer 50. Then, the controller controls the clamping member 30 to remove the target wafer 50 from the wafer transfer box 80 through the robotic arm 10, thereby preventing the clamping member 30 from scratching the bottom wall of the target wafer 50 when clamping it.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the robotic arm for preventing wafer scratches in this application includes a controller, a robotic arm 10, an adjustment mechanism 20, a gripper 30, and sensors 40. The robotic arm 10, adjustment mechanism 20, and sensors 40 are all electrically connected to the controller. The gripper 30 is connected to the adjustment mechanism 20. The adjustment mechanism 20 drives the gripper 30 to rotate around the horizontal direction and to swing. There are multiple sensors 40, which are evenly distributed on the gripper 30. The controller generates the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 according to the order in which the multiple sensors 40 come into contact with the target wafer 50, and adjusts the position and orientation of the gripper 30 to correspond to the position and orientation of the target wafer 50, so that the gripper 30 scratches the surface of the target wafer 50 during the process of picking up and placing the target wafer 50.

[0037] In one embodiment of this application, sensor 40 is a pressure sensor.

[0038] In this application, the adjustment mechanism 20 includes a rotating component 21 and a swinging component 22.

[0039] Please see Figure 2 and Figure 3 The rotating assembly 21 is connected to the robotic arm 10, and the gripper 30 is rotatably connected to the rotating assembly 21. The rotating assembly 21 is used to drive the gripper 30 to rotate. The swing assembly 22 is rotatably connected to the rotating assembly 21 and the gripper 30, and is used to drive the gripper to swing.

[0040] Specifically, when the height difference between the high end and the low end of the target wafer 50 is greater than the preset error range, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to disengage the clamping component 30 from the target wafer 50 and exit the wafer transfer box 80. The controller adjusts the position and orientation of the clamping component 30 according to the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 through the rotating component 21 and the swing component 22 so that the position and orientation of the clamping component 30 matches the position and orientation of the wafer. Then, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to move the clamping component 30 to below the target wafer 50 again, and causes the robotic arm 10 to move the clamping component 30 upward to fit against the target wafer 50, thus completing the clamping of the target wafer 50.

[0041] In this application, the rotating assembly 21 includes a rotating motor 211 and a rotating base 212.

[0042] Please refer to it again. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Specifically, the rotary motor 211 is connected to the robotic arm 10 and electrically connected to the controller. The rotating base 212 is connected to the rotating shaft of the rotary motor 211 and is driven to rotate by the rotary motor 211. The clamping member 30 is rotatably connected to the rotating base 212. When the rotating shaft of the rotary motor 211 rotates, it drives the clamping member 30 to rotate.

[0043] In one embodiment of this application, the rotary motor 211 is a servo motor.

[0044] In this application, the swing mechanism includes a swing drive 221.

[0045] The swing drive 221 is rotatably connected to the rotating seat 212 and connected to the clamping member 30, and is used to drive the clamping member 30 to swing.

[0046] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, specifically, the swing drive 221 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 23 and the rotating seat 212, and is rotatably connected to the clamping member 30 via the second rotating shaft 24. The clamping member 30 is rotatably connected to the rotating seat 212 via the third rotating shaft 25. The first rotating shaft 23, the second rotating shaft 24 and the third rotating shaft 25 are parallel and spaced apart.

[0047] In one embodiment of the application, a lead screw nut 222 is rotatably connected to the clamping member 30. The lead screw nut 222 rotates relative to the clamping member 30 around a second rotation axis. The swing drive member 221 is a servo motor. An adjusting lead screw 223 is provided on the rotating shaft of the rotation drive member. The adjusting lead screw 223 is threadedly connected to the lead screw nut 222. When the swing drive member 221 is started, the swing of the clamping member 30 is adjusted by adjusting the lead screw 223 and the lead screw nut 222.

[0048] Optionally, the clamping member 30 includes a first clamping portion 31 and a second clamping portion 32 that are spaced apart in parallel.

[0049] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 In this application, the first clamping part 31 is provided with N sensors 40, which are evenly spaced along the length direction of the first clamping part 31. The second clamping part 32 is provided with N sensors 40, which are evenly spaced along the length direction of the second clamping part 32. Wherein, N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.

[0050] The detection ends of N sensors 40 are respectively set on the first clamping part 31 and the second clamping part 32, and the line connecting them forms an annular detection area 33. The outer diameter of the detection area 33 is smaller than the diameter of the target wafer 50, so that each sensor 40 can detect the corresponding detection site.

[0051] Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, the number of N is 2.

[0052] The application also includes a position detector 60 for the robotic arm that prevents wafer scratches.

[0053] like Figure 3 As shown, the position detector 60 is disposed on the adjustment mechanism 20 and electrically connected to the controller and the adjustment mechanism 20, and is used to detect the position information of the gripper 30 relative to the robotic arm 10.

[0054] Specifically, in this application, the position detector 60 is mounted on the rotary motor 211 and is electrically connected to the rotary motor 211 and the swing drive 221 in the adjustment mechanism 20.

[0055] When the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 do not match the preset position and orientation, that is, the target wafer 50 is tilted in the wafer transfer box 80, since the tilt of the target wafer 50 is not high, such as when the height difference between the high end and the low end of the target wafer 50 is 0.5mm, the clamping member 30 does not need to rotate or swing at a large angle. Therefore, the position detector 60 needs to detect the rotation angle and swing angle of the clamping member 30 and transmit the rotation angle and swing angle of the clamping member 30 to the controller. If the rotation angle or swing angle of the clamping member 30 exceeds the preset angle, the controller controls the rotary motor 211 or the swing drive 221 to stop working so that the clamping member 30 rotates or swings within the preset angle.

[0056] In one embodiment of this application, to improve the detection accuracy of the rotation angle and swing angle of the clamping member, the position detector 60 is an absolute encoder. The absolute encoder 70 is used to detect the rotation angle of the rotary motor 211 and the swing angle of the swing drive 221, and transmits the rotation angle of the rotary motor 211 and the swing angle of the swing drive 221 to the controller, so that the controller can detect the rotation angle of the rotary motor 211 and the swing angle of the swing drive 221, thereby realizing the detection of the rotation angle and swing angle of the clamping member 30.

[0057] The application also includes an encoder 70 for the robotic arm that prevents wafer scratches.

[0058] like Figure 3 As shown, the encoder 70 is electrically connected to the adjustment mechanism 20 and the controller, and is used to read the position information of the gripper 30 relative to the robotic arm 10, and transmit the position information to the storage module in the controller for storage.

[0059] Specifically, in this application, the encoder 70 is electrically connected to the rotary motor 211 and the swing drive 221 in the adjustment mechanism 20, and is used to read the rotation angle of the rotary motor 211 and the swing angle of the swing drive 221, and transmit the rotation angle of the rotary motor 211 and the swing angle of the swing drive 221 to the storage module in the controller for storage.

[0060] In one embodiment of this application, a connector is provided on the rotary motor 211 or the robotic arm 10, and the sensor 40, the swing drive 221, the position detector 60 and the encoder 70 are electrically connected to the controller through the connector.

[0061] Secondly, this application provides an automated teaching method for preventing wafer scratches, employing a robotic arm for preventing wafer scratches according to any of the above-mentioned methods, comprising the following steps: S1. Calculate the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 by using the interval between the contact time between the multiple sensors 40 on the robotic arm and the target wafer 50, and store the position and orientation; S2. Store the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 in multiple target locations within the wafer transfer box 80; S3. Store the position and orientation of target wafers 50 in multiple target locations within multiple wafer transfer boxes 80 at the same loading position; S4. Calculate the average position and orientation of the target wafer 50 within each target location, and store the average value.

[0062] Specifically, the automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches involves teaching the wafers inside the wafer transport box 80. To facilitate the explanation of this automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches, the following explanation will use an example with four sensors 40.

[0063] Step S1 specifically includes the following operational steps: The controller adjusts the end face of the clamping member 30 that abuts against the target wafer 50 to be parallel to the horizontal direction via the adjustment mechanism 20. Specifically, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to move the clamping member 30 below the target wafer 50, and then controls the robotic arm 10 to move the clamping member 30 upwards. When the target wafer 50 abuts against the clamping member 30, and when any one of the four sensors 40 generates a detection signal, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to reduce its upward movement speed and move upwards at a constant speed until three or four sensors 40 abut against the target wafer 50. At this point, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to stop moving the clamping member upwards at a constant speed.

[0064] When all four sensors 40 generate detection signals simultaneously, the time interval between the signals generated by the four sensors 40 is zero. This indicates that the target wafer 50 is positioned parallel to the horizontal direction within the wafer cassette, meaning its position matches a preset orientation. At this point, the controller, via the robotic arm 10, controls the gripper 30 to remove the target wafer 50 from the wafer transfer box 80 and stores its position.

[0065] When the four sensors 40 generate detection signals in sequence, the clamping member 30 moves upward at a constant speed after the first sensor 40 generates a detection signal. When three or four sensors 40 generate detection signals, the controller calculates the distance between the bottom and top of the target wafer 50 based on the movement speed of the clamping member 30 and the time interval between the generation of multiple detection signals, thereby generating the position and orientation of the target wafer 50. At this time, the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 does not match the preset position and orientation, that is, the target wafer 50 is tilted at an angle to the horizontal direction.

[0066] If the height difference between the high end and the low end of the target wafer 50 is within the preset error range, such as 0 < height difference ≤ 0.4mm, the controller controls the clamping member 30 to continue to take out the target wafer 50 from the wafer transfer box 80 and stores the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 in that position.

[0067] In this application, if the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 exceeds the preset position and orientation, the position and orientation of the robot arm are adjusted so that the position and orientation of the robot arm are adapted to the position and orientation of the target wafer 50.

[0068] Specifically, in this application, if the height difference between the high end and the low end of the target wafer 50 is greater than a preset error range, such as 0.4mm < height difference, the controller controls the robotic arm 10 to disengage the clamping member 30 from the target wafer 50 and exit the wafer transfer box 80. Subsequently, the controller controls the clamping member 30 to rotate and swing according to the current position and orientation of the target wafer 50 through the adjustment mechanism 20, adjusting the position and orientation of the clamping member 30 so that the end face of the clamping member 30 that contacts the target wafer 50 is parallel to the bottom wall of the target wafer 50. Then, the controller controls the clamping member 30 to remove the target wafer 50 located in the wafer transfer box 80 through the robotic arm 10 and stores the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 in that position.

[0069] In step S2, since there are multiple target locations, such as 25, within the wafer transfer box 80, multiple target wafers 50 are stored in the wafer transfer box 80. The operation of step S1 is performed sequentially on the target wafers 50 within the multiple target locations in the wafer transfer box 80, so as to sequentially collect and store the position and orientation of the multiple target wafers 50 within the wafer transfer box 80.

[0070] In step S3, since there are various specifications or models of wafer transfer boxes 80, it is necessary to collect and store the position and orientation of the target wafers 50 in multiple target positions within the wafer transfer boxes 80 of various models or specifications in sequence at the same loading station.

[0071] In step S4, the average position and orientation of the target wafer 50 at the same target position within the wafer transfer box 80 of various specifications or models is calculated and stored as a reference orientation for the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 within the target position, thereby completing the automatic teaching of the loading machine position.

[0072] When the clamping member 30 subsequently clamps or places the target wafer 50 from the target position, the controller adjusts the clamping position and orientation quickly through the adjustment mechanism 20 according to the average value of the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 at the target position, so that the position and orientation of the clamping member 30 is adapted to the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 corresponding to the position, thereby preventing the clamping member 30 from scratching the surface of the target wafer 50.

[0073] Compared with the prior art, the automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches in this application calculates the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 by measuring the time interval between the contact time between multiple sensors 40 on the robotic arm and the target wafer 50, and stores the position and orientation. Then, by repeating the above steps, the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 in multiple target positions within the wafer transfer box 80 are stored, and the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 in multiple target positions within multiple wafer transfer boxes 80 are stored at the same loading position. The average position and orientation of the target wafer 50 in each target position is calculated and stored to teach the robotic arm. The controller adjusts the position and orientation of the gripper 30 based on the stored average value, so that the gripper 30 quickly corresponds one-to-one with the position and orientation of multiple target wafers 50 in the wafer transfer box 80, thereby preventing the gripper 30 from scratching the surface of the target wafer 50 during the picking and placing of the target wafer 50.

[0074] In this application, when the machine tool has multiple loading positions, such as three, the application also includes: Steps S1-S4 are executed for multiple loader positions, that is, steps S1 to S4 are repeated for several other loader positions, thereby completing the automatic teaching of the machine.

[0075] After teaching the machine to the machine, the controller can quickly adjust the position and orientation of the clamping member 30 according to the average value of the position and orientation of the target wafer 50 at any target position in the wafer transfer box 80, so as to prevent the clamping member 30 from scratching the surface of the wafer during the process of clamping or placing the target wafer 50.

[0076] The above are merely preferred embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer scratching prevention robot, comprising: a controller; a mechanical arm electrically connected to the controller; an adjusting mechanism connected to the mechanical arm and electrically connected to the controller; a clamping member connected to the adjusting mechanism, the adjusting mechanism driving the clamping member to rotate and to swing relative to the rotation axis of the clamping member; a plurality of sensors distributed on the clamping member and electrically connected to the controller; the controller generating the position and posture of a target wafer according to the order of the plurality of sensors abutting against the target wafer, and adjusting the position and posture of the clamping member to correspond to the position and posture of the target wafer. The adjusting mechanism comprises: a rotating assembly connected to the mechanical arm, the clamping member being rotationally connected to the rotating assembly, the rotating assembly being configured to drive the clamping member to rotate; a swinging assembly rotationally connected to the rotating assembly and the clamping member, and configured to drive the clamping member to swing. The rotating assembly comprises: a rotating motor connected to the mechanical arm and electrically connected to the controller; a rotating seat connected to the rotating shaft of the rotating motor and driven by the rotating motor to rotate, the clamping member being rotationally connected to the rotating seat. The swinging mechanism comprises: a swinging drive member rotationally connected to the rotating seat and connected to the clamping member, and configured to drive the clamping member to swing. The clamping member comprises: a first clamping part and a second clamping part in parallel and spaced apart; N sensors are arranged on the first clamping part, the N sensors on the first clamping part being uniformly spaced along the length direction of the first clamping part; N sensors are arranged on the second clamping part, the N sensors on the second clamping part being uniformly spaced along the length direction of the second clamping part; wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Further comprising: a position detector arranged on the adjusting mechanism and electrically connected to the controller and the adjusting mechanism, and configured to detect the position information of the clamping member relative to the mechanical arm. Further comprising: an encoder electrically connected to the adjusting mechanism and the controller, and configured to read the position information of the clamping member relative to the mechanical arm, and transmit the position information to a storage module in the controller for storage.

2. The wafer scratching prevention robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein The method comprises the following steps: S1. calculating the position and posture of the target wafer according to the interval between the abutting time of the plurality of sensors on the robot and the target wafer, and storing the position and posture; S2. storing the position and posture of the target wafers in a plurality of target positions in a wafer transfer box; S3. storing the position and posture of the target wafers in a plurality of target positions in a plurality of wafer transfer boxes in the same loader; S4. calculating the average value of the position and posture of the target wafers in each target position, and storing the average value. In step S1, if the position and posture of the target wafer exceeds the preset position and posture, the position and posture of the robot are adjusted to adapt to the position and posture of the target wafer. Further comprising:

3. The wafer scratching prevention robot as set forth in claim 2, wherein ​ ​ ​ 4. The wafer scratching prevention robot as set forth in claim 3, wherein ​ ​ 5. The wafer scratching prevention robot as claimed in claim 1 or 4, wherein ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6. The wafer scratching prevention robot as claimed in claim 1 or 4, wherein ​ ​ 7. The wafer scratching prevention robot as set forth in claim 6, wherein ​ ​ 8. An automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches, using the robot for preventing wafer scratches according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 9. The automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches as described in claim 8, characterized in that, ​ ​ 10. The automatic teaching method for preventing wafer scratches as described in claim 9, characterized in that, ​ S5. Steps S1-S4 are performed for a plurality of load positions.

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