Vacuum robot control method, system, device and storage medium

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and discloses a control method, system and device of a vacuum manipulator and a storage medium. The control method of the vacuum manipulator comprises the following steps: establishing a kinematics model between a motor coordinate system and a joint coordinate system of each manipulator; after receiving a motion instruction, planning an initial motion path from a starting point to an initial target point for each manipulator indicated by the motion instruction; generating a control instruction of a motor corresponding to each manipulator based on the kinematics model and the initial motion path planned for each manipulator, so that each manipulator is driven to perform asynchronous motion; in the process that each manipulator moves to the initial target point according to the initial motion path, a dynamic correction operation is executed in real time, the manipulator is controlled to move from a current position on the initial motion path to a correction target position along a correction motion path, and the placement of a wafer is completed. The technical scheme of the application improves the transmission efficiency of the manipulator and also improves the transmission accuracy of the manipulator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a control method, system, device and storage medium for a vacuum manipulator. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, vacuum robots are critical transport devices, and their performance directly affects the efficiency and yield of wafer processing. Vacuum robots are responsible for the precise transfer of wafers between the loading stage and the process reaction module; their positional accuracy and transport speed are the core indicators determining the performance of the transport system. Especially in mass production equipment, the transport cycle for a single wafer must be controlled within a few seconds. Multi-axis collaborative robot systems enable parallel operation, effectively shortening process intervals and thus increasing the wafer throughput per unit time.

[0003] Currently, there are two main technical solutions for wafer transfer requirements: The first solution uses an independently driven upper and lower arm configuration. Each arm is equipped with two motors, controlling the movement of the upper and lower arms respectively. The extension and retraction of the robotic arm are achieved through the linkage of the two motors. In this structure, the upper and lower arms (ARMs) can perform single wafer pick-and-place operations independently during wafer transfer. However, due to mechanical and control constraints, it is impossible for both ARMs to perform pick-and-place operations simultaneously. In other words, the first technical solution cannot support simultaneous wafer pick-and-place operations by both ARMs, limiting the system's parallel processing capability and transfer efficiency. The second solution is an upper and lower SCARA robotic arm structure, where the extension movement of a single ARM can be controlled by a single motor, thus supporting simultaneous wafer pick-and-place operations by both ARMs. In this structure, when a single ARM of the robotic arm performs a wafer placement operation, it can support AWC (Active Wafer Centering) functionality, that is, static correction adjustment is performed after the robotic arm extends to the target station. However, this solution cannot enable AWC (Automatic Wafer Control) when both ARMs are transferring wafers simultaneously, and its correction action is performed only after the wafer is in place, rather than dynamically during movement, affecting overall transmission efficiency. In other words, the second technical solution cannot implement AWC when both ARMs are transferring wafers simultaneously, and its correction method is static station correction, not dynamic real-time adjustment, resulting in reduced transmission efficiency. Furthermore, both of the above technologies require synchronous transmission between the two ARMs, and cannot support asynchronous independent operation between different ARMs, thus limiting the transmission efficiency of the vacuum robot and restricting the flexibility of transmission scheduling. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical problems in existing vacuum robotic arms where the two ARMs cannot simultaneously pick up and place two wafers, and where the correction of each ARM's actions during wafer placement can only be completed at the workstation, resulting in low transmission efficiency, this invention provides a control method, system, device, and storage medium for a vacuum robotic arm.

[0005] In a first aspect, this application provides a control method for a vacuum manipulator, used in a vacuum manipulator device, the vacuum manipulator device comprising multiple manipulators, the method comprising:

[0006] Establish the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm;

[0007] Upon receiving a motion command, an initial motion path is planned for each robot arm indicated by the motion command, from the starting point to the initial target point, wherein the initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system;

[0008] Based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot, control commands are generated for the motors corresponding to each robot to drive each robot to perform asynchronous motion.

[0009] During the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot arm is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm, and the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position is planned based on the current motion state of each robot arm and the correction target position.

[0010] The robotic arm is controlled to carry the wafer from its current position on the initial motion path to the correction target position along the correction motion path, so as to complete the wafer placement.

[0011] Beneficial effects: The technical solution of this application establishes a kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot, realizing precise and real-time mapping from the motor rotation angle to the pose of the robot's end effector in space. This provides crucial accuracy assurance for the subsequent realization of asynchronous motion and dynamic correction of multiple robots.

[0012] By planning motion paths independently for each robotic arm in the joint coordinate system, while a single robotic arm is performing pick-up and drop-off and dynamic correction actions, other robotic arms can perform different tasks in parallel. This breaks through the bottleneck of multi-arm operation that must be synchronized in traditional technology and improves the transmission efficiency of robotic arms.

[0013] Furthermore, during the movement of each robotic arm towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, this application determines the correction target position of each robotic arm based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robotic arm. Based on the current motion state and correction target position of each robotic arm, a correction motion path is planned for each robotic arm to move from its current position to the correction target position. The robotic arm carrying the wafer is controlled to move from its current position on the initial motion path along the correction motion path to the correction target position, thereby completing the wafer placement. This allows for real-time dynamic correction operations during the movement of each robotic arm towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path. Since this correction operation is performed dynamically during the extension of the robotic arm, it not only improves the accuracy of the wafer placement position but also ensures that there is no additional correction time during robotic arm transport, further improving the efficiency of robotic arm transport.

[0014] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, after receiving the motion command, an S-shaped planning algorithm is used to plan an initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command, and the initial motion path includes seven planning segments: acceleration segment, uniform acceleration segment, deceleration segment, uniform speed segment, acceleration-deceleration segment, uniform deceleration segment, and deceleration-deceleration segment.

[0015] By using smooth acceleration changes, or jerk control, the impact, vibration, and jitter during the movement of the robotic arm can be reduced, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the robotic arm's movement trajectory.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the position of each of the seven planning segments is calculated using the following formula:

[0017] Acceleration segment: q(t) = q0 + v0 * t + j max * t 3 / 6;

[0018] Uniform acceleration segment: q(t) = q0 + v0 * t + a lima * (3 * t 2 – 3 * T j1 * t + T j1 2 ) / 6;

[0019] Deceleration / acceleration phase: q(t) = q0 + (v lim + v0) * T a / 2 – v lim * (T a – t) – j min * (Ta – t) 3 / 6;

[0020] Uniform velocity segment: q(t) = q0 + (v lim + v0) * T a / 2 + v lim * (t – T a );

[0021] Acceleration / deceleration segment: q(t) = q1 – (v lim + v1) * T d / 2 + v lim * (t – T + T d ) – j max * (t –T + T d ) 3 / 6;

[0022] Uniformly decelerated segment: q(t) = q1 – (v lim + v1) * T d / 2 + v lim * (t – T + T d ) – a limd * (3 *(t – T + Td) 2 – 3 * T j2 * (t – T + T d ) + T j2 2 ) / 6;

[0023] Deceleration segment: q(t) = q1 – v1* (T – t) – j max * (T – t) 3 / 6;

[0024] The meanings of each parameter are as follows:

[0025] q0: Current position of the robotic arm, v0: Current velocity of the robotic arm, j max The maximum jerk of the robotic arm, a lima The maximum acceleration of the robotic arm, T j1 The robotic arm accelerates for a short period of time, v lim The maximum speed of the robotic arm, T a The robotic arm accelerates for a short period of time, j min : Minimum jerk of the robotic arm, q1: Target position of the robotic arm, v1: Target velocity of the robotic arm, T d During the deceleration period of the robotic arm, a limd The maximum deceleration of the robotic arm, T j2 : The acceleration and deceleration time of the robotic arm; T: The total motion time of the robotic arm; t: Time.

[0026] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, a correction motion path for the robot to move from its current position to the correction target position is planned based on the robot's current motion state and the correction target position using the following fifth-order polynomial fitting algorithm:

[0027] q(t) = a0 + a1 * t + a2 * t² + a3 * t³ + a4 * t 4 + a5 * t 5 ,

[0028] The coefficients a0 to a5 are calculated based on the current motion state of the robot and the boundary conditions of the correction target position.

[0029] The correction path planned using a fifth-order polynomial fitting algorithm exhibits continuous and smooth position, velocity, and acceleration. This effectively avoids rigid impacts and vibrations during the robot's movement.

[0030] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the boundary conditions of the current motion state of the manipulator include the current position, velocity, and acceleration of the manipulator; the boundary conditions of the correction target position include the correction target position, target velocity, and target acceleration.

[0031] By defining the boundary conditions as the position, velocity, and acceleration of the starting and ending points, the correction path planned by the fifth-order polynomial can achieve smooth transitions at the acceleration level, thereby avoiding abrupt acceleration changes. This makes the robot's movement smooth with less impact and vibration, which not only ensures high-precision correction and positioning but also improves the stability and control accuracy of the vacuum robot during high-speed dynamic response.

[0032] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, the deviation value of the center position is obtained in the following way:

[0033] During the extension of the robotic arm, multiple positional information of the robotic arm is recorded when the wafer edge triggers the sensor;

[0034] The actual center position of the wafer is calculated based on multiple positional information of the robotic arm;

[0035] The actual center position is compared with the expected center position to obtain the center position deviation value.

[0036] This calculation method enables the present application to quickly and automatically complete the detection and deviation calculation of the wafer center position during the normal extension of the robotic arm. The entire process does not require interruption of the robotic arm's movement, thereby achieving efficient and real-time deviation feedback and laying a data foundation for subsequent accurate deviation correction.

[0037] In one possible implementation of the first aspect, obtaining the correction target position based on the detected center position deviation includes:

[0038] The coordinates of the initial target point are added to the deviation value of the center position to obtain the coordinates of the correction target position.

[0039] The target position for correction is obtained by directly superimposing coordinate values ​​and deviation values. The calculation principle is simple and the response is fast. It can achieve real-time dynamic compensation with a small computational overhead, thus ensuring the speed and accuracy of the correction operation. At the same time, it avoids complex coordinate transformations and reduces system complexity and latency.

[0040] Secondly, this application provides a control system for a vacuum manipulator, comprising:

[0041] The kinematic model building module is used to build the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm;

[0042] The initial motion path planning module is used to plan an initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command after receiving the motion command, wherein the initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system;

[0043] An asynchronous control module is used to generate control commands for the motors of each robot arm based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot arm, so as to drive each robot arm to perform asynchronous motion;

[0044] The dynamic correction module is used to determine the correction target position of each robot arm based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm during the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, and to plan the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position based on the current motion state of each robot arm and the correction target position.

[0045] The correction motion control module is used to control the robot arm to move the wafer from the current position of the initial motion path along the correction motion path to the correction target position, so as to complete the placement of the wafer.

[0046] Thirdly, this application provides a vacuum manipulator device, comprising:

[0047] The system comprises a Z-axis motor, multiple robotic arms, and multiple rotary motor groups, wherein each robotic arm corresponds to one rotary motor group, the rotary motor group is used to drive the rotation and extension movements of the corresponding robotic arm, and the Z-axis motor is used to drive the lifting and lowering movements of the robotic arm.

[0048] Multiple sensors are positioned along the wafer transport path and are communicatively connected to the control system of the vacuum manipulator to detect the center position of the wafer carried by each manipulator in real time.

[0049] The control system of the vacuum manipulator as described in the second aspect is communicatively connected to the Z-axis motor, the rotary motor assembly, and the sensor; wherein the control system of the vacuum manipulator is configured as follows:

[0050] Establish the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm;

[0051] Upon receiving a motion command, an initial motion path is planned for each robot arm indicated by the motion command, from the starting point to the initial target point, wherein the initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system;

[0052] Based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot, control commands are generated for the motors corresponding to each robot to drive each robot to perform asynchronous motion.

[0053] During the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot arm is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm, and the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position is planned based on the current motion state of each robot arm and the correction target position.

[0054] The robotic arm is controlled to carry the wafer from its current position on the initial motion path to the correction target position along the correction motion path, so as to complete the wafer placement.

[0055] Fourthly, this application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform a control method for a vacuum manipulator as described in the first aspect and any possible implementation thereof.

[0056] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0057] The technical solution of this application establishes a kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm, achieving precise and real-time mapping from the motor rotation angle to the pose of the robot arm's end effector in space. This provides crucial accuracy assurance for the subsequent asynchronous movement and dynamic correction of multiple robots. By independently planning the motion path for each robot arm in the joint coordinate system, while a single robot arm performs wafer pick-and-place and dynamic correction actions, other robots arm can perform different tasks in parallel, thus overcoming the bottleneck of synchronous operation required in traditional multi-arm technology and improving the transmission efficiency of the robots. Simultaneously, during the movement of each robot arm towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot arm is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm. Based on the current motion state and correction target position of each robot arm, a correction motion path is planned for each robot arm to move from its current position to the correction target position. The robot arm carrying the wafer is controlled to move from its current position along the correction motion path to the correction target position, thereby completing the wafer placement. In other words, as each robotic arm moves towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, a dynamic correction operation is performed in real time. This correction operation is carried out dynamically during the extension of the robotic arm, which not only improves the accuracy of wafer placement but also ensures that there is no extra correction time during robotic arm transfer, further improving the efficiency of robotic arm transfer. Attached Figure Description

[0058] Figure 1 According to some embodiments of this application, a structural block diagram of a vacuum manipulator device is shown;

[0059] Figure 2 According to some embodiments of this application, a structural schematic diagram of a vacuum dual independent manipulator device is shown;

[0060] Figure 3 According to some embodiments of this application, a flowchart of a control method for a vacuum manipulator is shown;

[0061] Figure 4 According to some embodiments of this application, it is shown that Figure 2 The general process of asynchronous control of ARM A and ARM B in the diagram;

[0062] Figure 5 According to some embodiments of this application, it is shown that Figure 2 The illustrated procedure is a specific flow of dynamic correction operation.

[0063] Figure 6 According to some embodiments of this application, a control system block diagram of a vacuum manipulator is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0064] The illustrative embodiments of this application include, but are not limited to, a control method, system, device, and storage medium for a vacuum manipulator.

[0065] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of 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 not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0066] As mentioned earlier, the existing technology of vacuum robotic arms has the technical problem that the two ARMs cannot pick up and place two wafers at the same time, and the correction of the movement of each ARM during the wafer placement process can only be completed at the workstation, resulting in low transmission efficiency of the vacuum robotic arm.

[0067] In view of this, the present invention provides a control method, system, device and storage medium for a vacuum manipulator.

[0068] Specifically, this invention establishes a kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm, achieving precise and real-time mapping from the motor rotation angle to the pose of the robot arm's end effector in space. This provides crucial accuracy assurance for the subsequent realization of asynchronous motion and dynamic correction of multiple robot arms.

[0069] By planning motion paths independently for each robotic arm in the joint coordinate system, while a single robotic arm is performing pick-up and drop-off and dynamic correction actions, other robotic arms can perform different tasks in parallel. This breaks through the bottleneck of multi-arm operation that must be synchronized in traditional technology and improves the transmission efficiency of robotic arms.

[0070] Furthermore, during the movement of each robotic arm towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, this application determines the correction target position of each robotic arm based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robotic arm. Based on the current motion state of each robotic arm and the correction target position, a correction motion path is planned for each robotic arm to move from its current position to the correction target position. The robotic arm carrying the wafer is controlled to move from its current position on the initial motion path along the correction motion path to the correction target position, thereby completing the wafer placement. This allows for real-time dynamic correction operations during the movement of each robotic arm towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path. Since this correction operation is performed dynamically during the extension of the robotic arm, it not only improves the accuracy of the wafer placement position but also ensures that there is no additional correction time during robotic arm transfer, further improving the efficiency of robotic arm transfer.

[0071] Figure 1According to some embodiments of this application, a vacuum manipulator device 10 is shown, including: a Z-axis motor 13, multiple manipulators 15, multiple rotary motor groups 14, a control system 12 for the vacuum manipulator, and multiple sensors 11. The sensors 11 are disposed on the wafer transport path and are communicatively connected to the control system 12 of the vacuum manipulator for real-time detection of the center position of the wafer carried by each manipulator 15. Each manipulator 15 corresponds to a rotary motor group 14, which drives the rotation and extension movements of the corresponding manipulator 15. The Z-axis motor 13 drives the lifting and lowering movements of the manipulator 15. The sensors 11 can be AWC (Active Wafer Centering) sensors. The trigger point position can be obtained through the sensors 11. The trigger point position refers to the position data of the manipulator recorded when the edge of the wafer blocks the beam of the AWC sensor. Combined with the geometric model of the manipulator and the known radius of the wafer, the actual position of the wafer edge point can be deduced through mathematical calculation, thereby fitting the position of the entire center.

[0072] The control system 12 of the vacuum manipulator is communicatively connected to the Z-axis motor 13, the rotary motor assembly 14, and the sensor 11; wherein, the control system 12 of the vacuum manipulator is configured as follows:

[0073] Establish a kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm 15. The joint coordinate system is used to describe the extension joint position, rotation joint position and lifting joint position of each robot arm 15. The motor coordinate system is used to describe the rotation angle of the Z-axis motor 13 and the rotation angle of each motor in a rotary motor group 14 corresponding to each robot arm 15.

[0074] After receiving the motion command, the robot 15 is planned to move from the starting point to the initial target point. The initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system.

[0075] Based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot arm 15, control commands are generated for the motors corresponding to each robot arm 15 to drive each robot arm 15 to perform asynchronous motion.

[0076] During the process of each robot arm 15 moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot arm 15 is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm 15, and the correction motion path of each robot arm 15 from the current position to the correction target position is planned based on the current motion state and correction target position of each robot arm 15.

[0077] The control robot 15 carries the wafer from its current position on the initial motion path to the correction target position along the correction motion path to complete the wafer placement.

[0078] Figure 1 Only one robotic arm 15 and one rotary motor assembly 14 are shown. It should be understood that the vacuum robotic arm device 10 provided in this application may actually include multiple robotic arms 15 and multiple rotary motor assemblies 14.

[0079] Figure 2 According to some embodiments of this application, a vacuum dual independent robotic arm device 20 is illustrated, with reference to... Figure 2 The vacuum dual independent robotic arm device 20 provided in this application includes a robotic arm body 21, robotic arms ARM A 22 and ARMB 23, and a sensor 11, and in Figure 2 The diagram shows workstation location 25.

[0080] To address the limitations of existing vacuum manipulator technologies, where synchronous transmission between the two armatures (ARMs) restricts transmission efficiency and scheduling flexibility due to the inability to support asynchronous independent operation between different ARMs, this application proposes a control method for vacuum manipulators. By establishing a kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each manipulator, precise and real-time mapping from the motor rotation angle to the pose of the manipulator's end effector in space is achieved. This provides crucial accuracy assurance for subsequent asynchronous motion and dynamic correction of multiple manipulators. By independently planning motion paths for each manipulator in the joint coordinate system, while a single manipulator performs pick-and-place operations and dynamic correction, other manipulators can perform different tasks in parallel. This overcomes the bottleneck of synchronous operation required for multiple arms in traditional technologies, improving the transmission efficiency of the manipulator. Meanwhile, as each robotic arm moves toward the initial target point according to the initial motion path, a dynamic correction operation is performed in real time. In other words, this correction operation is performed dynamically during the extension of the robotic arm, which not only improves the accuracy of the wafer placement position, but also ensures that there is no extra correction time during the transfer of the robotic arm, further improving the efficiency of the robotic arm transfer.

[0081] Figure 3 According to some embodiments of this application, a flowchart of a control method for a vacuum manipulator is shown, for use in a vacuum manipulator device, referenced. Figure 3 This application provides a control method for a vacuum manipulator, comprising the following steps:

[0082] Step S11: Establish the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot.

[0083] The joint coordinate system is used to describe the position of the extension joint, rotation joint, and lifting joint of each robot arm, while the motor coordinate system is used to describe the rotation angle of the Z-axis motor and the rotation angle of each motor in a rotary motor group corresponding to each robot arm.

[0084] For example, a vacuum robotic arm device includes one Z-axis motor and four rotary motors T1, T2, T3, and T4, wherein rotary motors T1 and T2 are controlled by... Figure 2 The ARM A22 in the diagram controls rotary motors T3 and T4 respectively. Figure 2 The ARM B23 in the model allows for the establishment of kinematic models relating the rotation angles of rotary motors T1 and T2 (corresponding to ARM A22) to the extension, rotation, and lifting joint positions of ARM A22. Similarly, kinematic models relating the rotation angles of rotary motors T3 and T4 (corresponding to ARM B23) to the extension, rotation, and lifting joint positions of ARM B23 can be established. These kinematic models reflect the mapping relationship between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot. By converting the rotation angles of each motor in the motor coordinate system into the corresponding extension, rotation, and lifting joint positions of the ARM, the extension, rotation, and lifting movements of the ARM are achieved.

[0085] Step S12: After receiving the motion command, plan the initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command. The initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system.

[0086] In some embodiments, upon receiving a motion command, an S-shaped planning algorithm is used to plan an initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command. The initial motion path includes seven planning segments: acceleration segment, uniform acceleration segment, deceleration segment, uniform speed segment, acceleration / deceleration segment, uniform deceleration segment, and deceleration / deceleration segment. Through smooth acceleration changes, i.e., jerk control, the impact, vibration, and jitter during the robot arm's movement can be reduced, thereby improving the accuracy and stability of the robot arm's motion trajectory.

[0087] It should be noted that these seven planning segments were achieved under the condition that the maximum acceleration / maximum speed is achievable in the S-shaped planning.

[0088] Figure 4 It indicates Figure 2The general process of asynchronous control of ARM A22 and ARM B23 in the vacuum robotic arm is described below. The control system of the vacuum robotic arm supports multi-tasking and can start multiple tasks simultaneously. It can receive motion commands from ARM A22 and ARM B23. After receiving the motion commands from ARM A22 and ARM B23, it uses the S-curve planning algorithm to plan the positions of each segment of the initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point.

[0089] It should be understood that when a vacuum robotic arm device includes two or more ARMs, it can also support more task expansion, such as supporting the simultaneous asynchronous movement of four ARMs.

[0090] In some embodiments, the position of each of the seven planning segments is calculated using the following formula:

[0091] Acceleration segment: q(t) = q0 + v0 * t + j max * t 3 / 6;

[0092] Uniform acceleration segment: q(t) = q0 + v0 * t + a lima * (3 * t 2 – 3 * T j1 * t + T j1 2 ) / 6;

[0093] Deceleration / acceleration phase: q(t) = q0 + (v lim + v0) * T a / 2 – v lim * (T a – t) – j min * (Ta – t) 3 / 6;

[0094] Uniform velocity segment: q(t) = q0 + (v lim + v0) * T a / 2 + v lim * (t – T a );

[0095] Acceleration / deceleration segment: q(t) = q1 – (v lim + v1) * T d / 2 + v lim * (t – T + T d ) – j max * (t –T + T d ) 3 / 6;

[0096] Uniformly decelerated segment: q(t) = q1 – (v lim + v1) * T d / 2 + v lim * (t – T + T d ) – a limd * (3 *(t – T + Td) 2 – 3 * T j2 * (t – T + T d ) + T j2 2 ) / 6;

[0097] Deceleration segment: q(t) = q1 – v1* (T – t) – j max * (T – t) 3 / 6;

[0098] The meanings of each parameter are as follows:

[0099] q0: Current position of the robotic arm, v0: Current velocity of the robotic arm, j max The maximum jerk of the robotic arm, a lima The maximum acceleration of the robotic arm, T j1 The robotic arm accelerates for a short period of time, v lim The maximum speed of the robotic arm, T a The robotic arm accelerates for a short period of time, j min : Minimum jerk of the robotic arm, q1: Target position of the robotic arm, v1: Target velocity of the robotic arm, T d During the deceleration period of the robotic arm, a limd The maximum deceleration of the robotic arm, T j2 : The acceleration and deceleration time of the robotic arm; T: The total motion time of the robotic arm; t: Time.

[0100] Taking ARM A22 as an example, the robot arm ARM A22 extends from its retracted position at station 1 to its extended position, corresponding to the S-shaped planning calculation parameters. The joint coordinates of the robot arm ARM A22 are defined as: [R, T, Z], where: R is the extension joint position (in meters), T is the robot arm rotation joint position (in degrees), and Z is the robot arm lifting joint position (in meters). The joint coordinates corresponding to the current retracted position are: [504.000, 96.960, 139.132], and the joint coordinates corresponding to the current station position are: [1182.900, 96.960, 139.132]. Based on the current position information and parameters, the following S-shaped planning method parameters can be calculated:

[0101] q0: 504.000mm, v0: 0mm / ms, jmax: 0.0000175mm / ms3, alima: 0.00075mm / ms2, Tj1: 42.856ms, vlim: 0.6975mm / ms, Ta: 973.104ms , jmin: -0.0000175mm / ms3, q1: 1182.900mm, v1: 0mm / ms, Td: 973.104ms, alimd: -0.00075mm / ms2, Tj2: 42.856ms, T: 1948.208ms.

[0102] Based on the above parameters and the calculation formulas corresponding to the seven planning segments, the location points of the planning segments can be interpolated. Similarly, the location points of the planning segment corresponding to ARM B23 can also be obtained.

[0103] During the planning process, it is necessary to transform the joint coordinate system and the motor coordinate system of the robot arm using forward / reverse kinematics algorithms. Taking ARM A22 as an example, the joint coordinates of the robot arm are defined as [R, T, Z], and the motor coordinates are defined as [Tz, T1, T2]. The Z-axis joint position is directly converted to the Tz motor (i.e., the Z-axis motor), while the R / T joint positions are achieved through the coupled motion of the T1 / T2 motors.

[0104] Step S13: Based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot, generate control commands for the motors corresponding to each robot to drive each robot to perform asynchronous motion.

[0105] For example, after obtaining the position points of the planning segments corresponding to ARM A22 and ARM B23 respectively, control commands corresponding to the motors of ARM A22 and ARM B23 are generated based on the kinematic model and the position points of the planning segments corresponding to ARM A22 and ARM B23 respectively, thereby driving ARM A22 and ARM B23 to move asynchronously.

[0106] Step S14: During the process of each robot moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot. Based on the current motion state and correction target position of each robot, the correction motion path of each robot from the current position to the correction target position is planned.

[0107] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 During the process of each robotic arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the real-time dynamic correction operation includes the following steps:

[0108] Step S141: Real-time detection of the center position deviation of the wafer carried by each robotic arm using sensors;

[0109] Step S142: Obtain the correction target position based on the detected center position deviation value;

[0110] Step S143: Based on the current motion state of the robot and the correction target position, plan the correction motion path for the robot to move from the current position to the correction target position;

[0111] In some embodiments, the above-mentioned center position deviation value is obtained in the following manner:

[0112] During the extension of the robotic arm, multiple positional information of the robotic arm is recorded when the wafer edge triggers the sensor;

[0113] The actual center position of the wafer is calculated based on multiple positional information from the robotic arm;

[0114] The actual center position is compared with the expected center position to obtain the center position deviation value.

[0115] In some embodiments, the target position for correction is obtained based on the detected deviation value of the center position, including:

[0116] The coordinates of the initial target point are added to the deviation value of the center position to obtain the coordinates of the target position for correction.

[0117] In some embodiments, the following fifth-order polynomial fitting algorithm is used to plan the correction motion path of the robot from its current position to the correction target position, based on the robot's current motion state and the correction target position:

[0118] q(t) = a0 + a1 * t + a2 * t² + a3 * t³ + a4 * t 4 + a5 * t 5 ,

[0119] The coefficients a0 to a5 are calculated based on the current motion state of the robot and the boundary conditions of the correction target position.

[0120] The correction path planned using a fifth-order polynomial fitting algorithm exhibits continuous and smooth position, velocity, and acceleration. This effectively avoids rigid impacts and vibrations during the robot's movement.

[0121] By defining the boundary conditions as the position, velocity, and acceleration of the starting and ending points, the correction path planned by the fifth-order polynomial can achieve smooth transitions at the acceleration level, thereby avoiding abrupt acceleration changes. This makes the robot's movement smooth with less impact and vibration, which not only ensures high-precision correction and positioning but also improves the stability and control accuracy of the vacuum robot during high-speed dynamic response.

[0122] In some embodiments, the boundary conditions for the current motion state of the robotic arm include the position, velocity, and acceleration of the robotic arm at the current moment; the boundary conditions for the correction target position include the correction target position, target velocity, and target acceleration.

[0123] For example, during the extension process of the robotic arm, the wafer can obtain the Cartesian coordinates of four trigger points (x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3), and (x4, y4) through the AWC sensor. Based on these Cartesian coordinates, the actual center position of the wafer is calculated. The actual center position is compared with the expected center position to obtain the center position deviation value (ΔR, ΔT). In order to achieve dynamic correction, the planned path needs to be re-fitted and calculated. A fifth-order polynomial is used to fit the dynamic path. When the AWC deviation is calculated, the position of the robotic arm is (Rc, Tc), the velocity is (Rvc, Tvc), and the acceleration is (Rac, Tac). The final correction position is (Rstn+ΔR, Tstn+ΔT), the velocity is (0, 0), the acceleration is (0, 0), and (Rstn, Tstn) is the workstation position. The position formula for a fifth-degree polynomial is: q(t) = a0 + a1*t + a2*t 2 + a3* t 3 +a4* t 4 +a5* t 5 。 Differentiating the position formula yields the velocity and acceleration equations. Then, based on the robot's position / velocity parameters during AWC deviation calculation and the final correction position, the coefficients of the fifth-degree polynomial can be calculated.

[0124] Finally, based on the fitted fifth-order polynomial equation, the dynamic planned position, which is the dynamic correction target position, is obtained, enabling the robot to achieve dynamic correction.

[0125] Step S15: Control the robotic arm to carry the wafer from the current position of the initial motion path to the correction target position along the correction motion path to complete the wafer placement.

[0126] Dynamic correction operations are performed in real time during the movement of the robotic arm. This correction operation is carried out dynamically during the extension of the robotic arm, which not only improves the accuracy of wafer placement, but also ensures that there is no extra correction time during the transfer of the robotic arm, thereby further improving the efficiency of the robotic arm's transfer.

[0127] It is understood that the execution order of steps S11 to S15 above is only an illustration. In other embodiments, other execution orders may be used, and some steps may be split or combined. This is not limited here.

[0128] The technical solution of this application establishes a kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm, achieving precise and real-time mapping from the motor rotation angle to the pose of the robot arm's end effector in space. This provides crucial accuracy assurance for the subsequent asynchronous movement and dynamic correction of multiple robots. By independently planning the motion path for each robot arm in the joint coordinate system, while a single robot arm performs wafer pick-and-place and dynamic correction actions, other robots can perform different tasks in parallel, thus overcoming the bottleneck of synchronous operation required for multiple arms in traditional technology and improving the transmission efficiency of the robots. Simultaneously, as each robot arm moves towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, a dynamic correction operation is performed in real time. This means that the correction operation is performed dynamically during the extension of the robot arm, which not only improves the accuracy of wafer placement but also ensures that there is no additional correction time during robot arm transfer, further improving the transmission efficiency of the robots.

[0129] In addition, refer to Figure 6 This application also provides a control system 600 for a vacuum manipulator, comprising:

[0130] The kinematic model building module 601 is used to build the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm;

[0131] The initial motion path planning module 602 is used to plan an initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command after receiving the motion command, wherein the initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system;

[0132] The asynchronous control module 603 is used to generate control commands for the motors of each robot arm based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot arm, so as to drive each robot arm to perform asynchronous motion;

[0133] The dynamic correction module 604 is used to determine the correction target position of each robot arm based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm during the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, and to plan the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position based on the current motion state and correction target position of each robot arm.

[0134] The correction motion control module 605 is used to control the robot arm to move the wafer from the current position of the initial motion path along the correction motion path to the correction target position, so as to complete the placement of the wafer.

[0135] Regarding the control system 600 of the vacuum manipulator in the above embodiments, the specific methods by which each module performs operations have been described in detail in the embodiments related to the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0136] In addition, this application also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the control method of the vacuum manipulator as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0137] Various embodiments of the mechanisms disclosed in this invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or combinations of these implementations. Embodiments of this invention can be implemented as computer programs or program code executable on a programmable system, the programmable system including at least one processor, a storage system (including volatile and non-volatile memories and / or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device.

[0138] It should be noted that the units / modules mentioned in the various device embodiments of the present invention are all logical units / modules. Physically, a logical unit / module can be a physical unit / module, a part of a physical unit / module, or a combination of multiple physical units / modules. The physical implementation of these logical units / modules themselves is not the most important factor; the combination of functions implemented by these logical units / modules is the key to solving the technical problem proposed by the present invention. Furthermore, to highlight the innovative aspects of the present invention, the above-described device embodiments of the present invention have not introduced units / modules that are not closely related to solving the technical problem proposed by the present invention. This does not mean that the above-described device embodiments do not contain other units / modules.

[0139] It should be noted that in the examples and description of this invention, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0140] Although the invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A control method for a vacuum manipulator, characterized in that, For a vacuum robotic arm device, the vacuum robotic arm device comprising a plurality of robotic arms, the method includes: Establish the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm; After receiving the motion command, the S-shaped planning algorithm is used to plan the initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command. The initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system and includes seven planning segments: acceleration segment, uniform acceleration segment, deceleration segment, uniform speed segment, acceleration and deceleration segment, uniform deceleration segment, and deceleration and deceleration segment. The position of each of the seven planning segments is calculated using the following formula: Acceleration segment: q(t) = q0 + v0 t + j max t 3 / 6; Uniform acceleration segment: q(t) = q0 + v0 t + a lima (3 t 2 – 3 T j1 t + T j1 2 ) / 6; Deceleration / acceleration phase: q(t) = q0 + (v lim + v0) T a / 2 – v lim (T a – t) – j min (Ta – t) 3 / 6; Uniform velocity segment: q(t) = q0 + (v lim + v0) T a / 2 + v lim (t – T a ); Acceleration / deceleration segment: q(t) = q1 – (v lim + v1) T d / 2 + v lim (t – T + T d ) – j max (t – T + T d ) 3 / 6; Decelerating section: q(t) = q1– (v lim + v1) T d / 2 + v lim (t – T + T d ) – a limd (3 (t – T +Td) 2 – 3 T j2 (t – T + T d ) + T j2 2 ) / 6; Deceleration segment: q(t) = q1 – v1 (T – t) – j max (T – t) 3 / 6; The meanings of each parameter are as follows: q0: Current position of the robotic arm, v0: Current velocity of the robotic arm, j max The maximum jerk of the robotic arm, a lima The maximum acceleration of the robotic arm, T j1 The robotic arm accelerates for a short period of time, v lim The maximum speed of the robotic arm, T a The robotic arm accelerates for a short period of time, j min : Minimum jerk of the robotic arm, q1: Target position of the robotic arm, v1: Target velocity of the robotic arm, T d During the deceleration period of the robotic arm, a limd The maximum deceleration of the robotic arm, T j2 : The acceleration and deceleration time of the robotic arm; T: The total motion time of the robotic arm; t: Time. Based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot, control commands are generated for the motors corresponding to each robot to drive each robot to perform asynchronous motion. During the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot arm is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm, and the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position is planned based on the current motion state of each robot arm and the correction target position. The robotic arm is controlled to carry the wafer from its current position on the initial motion path to the correction target position along the correction motion path, so as to complete the wafer placement.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Using the following fifth-order polynomial fitting algorithm, based on the current motion state of the robotic arm and the target position, the correction motion path for the robotic arm to move from its current position to the target position is planned: q(t) = a0 + a1 t + a2 t² + a3 t³ + a4 t 4 + a5 t 5 , The coefficients a0 to a5 are calculated based on the current motion state of the robot and the boundary conditions of the correction target position.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The boundary conditions for the current motion state of the robotic arm include the position, velocity, and acceleration of the robotic arm at the current moment; the boundary conditions for the correction target position include the correction target position, target velocity, and target acceleration.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deviation value of the center position is obtained in the following way: During the extension of the robotic arm, multiple positional information of the robotic arm is recorded when the wafer edge triggers the sensor; The actual center position of the wafer is calculated based on multiple positional information of the robotic arm; The actual center position is compared with the expected center position to obtain the center position deviation value.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method of determining the correction target position of each robot arm based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm includes: The coordinates of the initial target point are added to the deviation value of the center position to obtain the coordinates of the correction target position.

6. A control system for a vacuum manipulator, characterized in that, include: The kinematic model building module is used to build the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm; The initial motion path planning module is used to plan an initial motion path from the starting point to the initial target point for each robot arm indicated by the motion command after receiving the motion command, wherein the initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system; An asynchronous control module is used to generate control commands for the motors of each robot arm based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot arm, so as to drive each robot arm to perform asynchronous motion; The dynamic correction module is used to determine the correction target position of each robot arm based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm during the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, and to plan the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position based on the current motion state of each robot arm and the correction target position. The correction motion control module is used to control the robot arm to move the wafer from the current position of the initial motion path along the correction motion path to the correction target position, so as to complete the placement of the wafer.

7. A vacuum robotic arm device, characterized in that, include: The system comprises a Z-axis motor, multiple robotic arms, and multiple rotary motor groups, wherein each robotic arm corresponds to a rotary motor group, the rotary motor group is used to drive the rotation and extension movements of the corresponding robotic arm, and the Z-axis motor is used to drive the lifting and lowering movements of the robotic arm. Multiple sensors are positioned along the wafer transport path and are communicatively connected to the control system of the vacuum manipulator to detect the center position of the wafer carried by each manipulator in real time. The control system of the vacuum manipulator as described in claim 6 is communicatively connected to the Z-axis motor, the rotary motor assembly, and the sensor; wherein the control system of the vacuum manipulator is configured as follows: Establish the kinematic model between the motor coordinate system and the joint coordinate system of each robot arm; Upon receiving a motion command, an initial motion path is planned for each robot arm indicated by the motion command, from the starting point to the initial target point. The initial motion path is planned in the joint coordinate system. Based on the kinematic model and the initial motion path planned for each robot, control commands are generated for the motors corresponding to each robot to drive each robot to perform asynchronous motion. During the process of each robot arm moving towards the initial target point according to the initial motion path, the correction target position of each robot arm is determined based on the real-time detected deviation value of the center position of the wafer carried by each robot arm, and the correction motion path of each robot arm from the current position to the correction target position is planned based on the current motion state of each robot arm and the correction target position. The robotic arm is controlled to carry the wafer from its current position on the initial motion path to the correction target position along the correction motion path, so as to complete the wafer placement.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer-readable storage medium stores instructions that, when executed on an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform the control method of the vacuum manipulator as described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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