Manipulator

Abstract

The utility model provides a manipulator for transmitting wafers. The manipulator comprises a body; the at least one clamping structure is used for clamping and fixing a wafer, the clamping structure comprises a fixed clamping piece protruding out of the body and a movable clamping piece, the fixed clamping piece is fixedly connected to the first edge of the body, the movable clamping piece is movably arranged on the second edge of the body, and the first edge and the second edge are two opposite edges of the body; the sides, close to the body, of the fixed clamping piece and the movable clamping piece are each provided with an inclined face. The driving structure is fixed to the body and connected with the side, close to the body, of the movable clamping piece, and the driving structure is used for driving the movable clamping piece to be away from the body so that the wafer can be close to the body along the inclined face and is used for driving the movable clamping piece to be close to the body so that the movable clamping piece can be matched with the fixed clamping piece to clamp and fix the wafer. According to the technical scheme, when the wafer slides, the movable clamping piece is driven to be far away from the body, so that the wafer is close to the body along the inclined surface, and the position of the wafer is adjusted.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor technology, in particular to a manipulator. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, a robot is usually used to transport wafers to the reaction chamber of a machine. The wafer is transferred between various parts of the machine by the robot, and the wafer needs to remain stable during this process. Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the robot protrusion and the wafer. The robot can fix the wafer 10 through the four protrusions 11 at the head and tail. The position of the protrusions 11 relative to the wafer 10 is as follows: Figure 1 When the wafer 10 needs to be moved, the robot will be inserted under the wafer 10 and lift the wafer 10. If the position is correct, the four protrusions 11 can just hold the wafer 10.

[0003] During the operation of the machine, the position of the wafer 10 relative to the machine may deviate from the position set by the program. At this time, the robot arm lifting the wafer 10 will cause the wafer 10 to slip. Figure 2 Schematic diagram of wafer slip on an existing robot. Figure 2 As shown, one side of the wafer 10 is above the protrusion 11, and the protrusion 11 cannot hold the wafer 10, and the horizontal position of the wafer 10 will also deviate. When there is a sliding problem with the machine, if the position deviation is not large, it is generally tried to use the hand operator to control the manipulator to place the wafer on the pre-vacuum transfer body (Load Lock) to adjust the position. If it fails or the position deviation is large, it is necessary to open the machine and manually push the wafer back. In the above processing, personnel are required to manually adjust the wafer position according to the wafer deviation. If the machine is turned on, the machine status must be confirmed and the monitoring (Monitor) results must be correct before the machine can be restarted. It can be seen that turning on the machine will have a great impact on the state of the machine, and the hand operator controls the manipulator to reset the wafer and the subsequent restart will take a lot of time, which seriously affects production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, how to reduce the wafer resetting time and improve production efficiency is a problem that needs to be solved at present. Summary of the invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is how to reduce the time of resetting wafers and improve production efficiency, and a mechanical arm is provided.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the utility model provides a robot arm for transferring wafers, comprising: a main body; at least one clamping structure for clamping and fixing the wafer, the clamping structure comprising a fixed clamping member protruding from the main body and a movable clamping member, the fixed clamping member being fixedly connected to a first edge of the main body, the movable clamping member being movably arranged at a second edge of the main body, the first edge and the second edge being two opposite edges of the main body, and a side of the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member close to the main body having an inclined surface; a driving structure, fixed to the main body and connected to a side of the movable clamping member close to the main body, the driving structure being used to drive the movable clamping member away from the main body so that the wafer approaches the main body along the inclined surface, and being used to drive the movable clamping member close to the main body so that the movable clamping member cooperates with the fixed clamping member to clamp and fix the wafer.

[0007] The above technical solution, by arranging a movable clamping part and a driving structure for driving the movable clamping part on the manipulator, when the wafer slips, the movable clamping part is driven away from the body so that the wafer approaches the body along the inclined surface of the movable clamping part, thereby adjusting the position of the wafer; and after the wafer approaches the body along the inclined surface, the movable clamping part is driven close to the body to cooperate with the fixed clamping part to clamp the fixed wafer. The manipulator provided by the utility model can automatically adjust the position of the wafer when the wafer slips. Compared with the prior art, the position of the deviation is adjusted by a hand operator and the position of the deviation is manually dialed back by opening the machine when the deviation is large. The manipulator provided by the utility model can solve the problem of position deviation of different degrees. The position of the wafer is adjusted by the manipulator without opening the machine, which reduces the number of times the machine is opened and reduces the impact on the internal environment of the machine. The use of a manipulator to automatically reset the wafer can effectively save the time of resetting the machine. According to experiments, the use of a manipulator to automatically reset the wafer can reduce the time of resetting the machine by 1 to 2 hours, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0008] It should be understood that the above general description and the detailed description below are only exemplary and explanatory and cannot limit the present invention. The techniques, methods and devices known to ordinary technicians in the relevant field may not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the techniques, methods and devices should be considered as part of the authorization specification. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific implementation of the utility model, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for the description of the specific implementation. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some specific implementations of the utility model. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0010] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the robot protrusion and the wafer.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of wafer slip occurring on an existing robot.

[0012] Figure 3 It is a side structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the robot arm of the utility model.

[0013] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the driving structure of the robot arm of the utility model.

[0014] Figure 5 It is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the driving structure of the robot arm of the utility model.

[0015] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the top structure of another embodiment of the robot arm of the utility model. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The technical scheme in the embodiment of the utility model will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiment is only a part of the embodiment of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiment of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0017] See also Figure 3 , which is a side view structural diagram of an embodiment of the robot described in the utility model. Figure 3As shown, the robot is used to transfer a wafer 30, and includes: a body 31, at least one clamping structure 32, and a driving structure 33. The clamping structure 32 is used to clamp and fix the wafer 30, and the clamping structure 32 includes a fixed clamping member 321 and a movable clamping member 322 protruding from the body 31, the fixed clamping member 321 is fixedly connected to a first edge of the body 31, the movable clamping member 322 is movably disposed at a second edge of the body 31, the first edge and the second edge are two opposite edges of the body 31, and the fixed clamping member 321 and the movable clamping member 322 have an inclined surface 329 on one side close to the body 31. The driving structure 33 is fixed to the main body 31 and connected to the side of the movable clamping member 322 close to the main body 31. The driving structure 33 is used to drive the movable clamping member 322 away from the main body 31 so that the wafer 30 approaches the main body 31 along the inclined surface 329, and is used to drive the movable clamping member 322 close to the main body 31 so that the movable clamping member 322 cooperates with the fixed clamping member 321 to clamp and fix the wafer 30.

[0018] The above technical solution, by arranging a movable clamping part and a driving structure for driving the movable clamping part on the manipulator, when the wafer slips, the movable clamping part is driven away from the body so that the wafer approaches the body along the inclined surface of the movable clamping part, thereby adjusting the position of the wafer; and after the wafer approaches the body along the inclined surface, the movable clamping part is driven close to the body to cooperate with the fixed clamping part to clamp the fixed wafer. The manipulator provided by the utility model can automatically adjust the position of the wafer when the wafer slips. Compared with the prior art, the position of the deviation is adjusted by a hand operator and the position of the deviation is manually dialed back by opening the machine when the deviation is large. The manipulator provided by the utility model can solve the problem of position deviation of different degrees. The position of the wafer is adjusted by the manipulator without opening the machine, which reduces the number of times the machine is opened and reduces the impact on the internal environment of the machine. The use of a manipulator to automatically reset the wafer can effectively save the time of resetting the machine. According to experiments, the use of a manipulator to automatically reset the wafer can reduce the time of resetting the machine by 1 to 2 hours, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0019] See also Figure 4 , which is a structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the driving structure of the manipulator of the utility model. Figure 4As shown, the driving structure 33 further includes: a hollow tube 41, a first fixing member 42, a moving rod 43, and a power assembly 44. The hollow tube 41 is fixed to the body 31 along the moving direction of the movable clamping member 322 relative to the body 31. The first fixing member 42 is fixed in the hollow tube 41. The moving rod 43 passes through the first fixing member 42 along the axial direction of the hollow tube 41 (the same as the moving direction), and the moving rod 43 has a first end 431 and a second end 432 opposite to each other. The first end 431 of the moving rod 43 protrudes from the hollow tube 41 and is connected to the movable clamping member 322. The moving rod 43 can move in a direction away from or close to the body 31 to drive the movable clamping member 322 away from or close to the body 31. The power assembly 44 is connected to the second end 432 of the moving rod 43 to provide power for the movement of the moving rod 43. The first fixing member 42 can ensure the stability of the moving rod 43 on the one hand, and prevent the moving rod 43 from rotating under the action of the motor 441 on the other hand.

[0020] In this embodiment, the power assembly 44 includes a motor 441, and the motor 441 can provide power for the moving rod 43. In this embodiment, the motor 441 is connected to an external circuit via a wire 442, and the wire 442 is used for power supply.

[0021] In some embodiments, a pressure sensor (not shown) is provided in the motor 441. The pressure sensor is used to sense the sensor signal obtained by the pressure of the wafer 30 on the moving rod 43 and transmit it to the motor 441. The motor 441 further provides corresponding power to the moving rod 43 according to the sensor signal. The motor 441 may be provided with a plurality of preset power thresholds and a plurality of sensor signals corresponding to the plurality of preset power thresholds. When the sensor signal obtained by the pressure sensor sensing the pressure of the wafer 30 on the moving rod 43 reaches a certain preset power threshold, the motor 441 provides the moving rod 43 with power of the corresponding preset power threshold according to the sensor signal. By precisely adjusting the power applied to the moving rod 43, the wafer position can be effectively adjusted while avoiding damage to the wafer.

[0022] In this embodiment, the end of the hollow tube 41 close to the power assembly 44 is provided with an internal thread 410, and the second end 432 of the moving rod 43 is provided with an external thread 430 matching the internal thread 410, and the power assembly 44 drives the moving rod 43 to move in a direction away from or close to the body 31 through thread transmission. Thread transmission refers to a mechanical transmission that realizes the relative rotation of two parts by twisting the thread, and realizes the conversion of rotary motion and linear motion by the engagement of the spiral and the thread surface. The first end 431 of the moving rod 43 is connected to the movable clamp 322, and the second end 432 with the external thread 430 is connected to the motor 441. The motor 441 provides power to rotate the moving rod 43 along the thread, thereby moving in a direction away from or close to the body 31.

[0023] In some embodiments, the thread pitch of the internal thread 410 is less than a preset threshold. Setting a smaller thread pitch can more accurately control the extension and retraction of the moving rod 43.

[0024] In this embodiment, the power assembly 44 further includes a second fixing member 45, which is located in the hollow tube 41 and between the first fixing member 42 and the internal thread 410; the moving rod 43 further passes through the second fixing member 45 along the axial direction of the hollow tube 41. The second fixing member 45 can further fix the moving rod 43 to ensure the stability of the moving rod 43 and prevent the moving rod 43 from rotating under the action of the motor 441.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first fixing member 42 and the second fixing member 45 are solid fixing parts. The first fixing member 42 and the second fixing member 45 can ensure the stability of the moving rod 43 on the one hand, and prevent the moving rod 43 from rotating under the action of the motor 441 on the other hand.

[0026] In this embodiment, the driving structure 33 is fixed below the body 31. Accordingly, the movable clamping member 332 has a protrusion protruding from the upper surface of the body 31 and a protrusion protruding from the lower surface of the body 31; the protrusion of the movable clamping member 332 protruding from the upper surface of the body 31 has an inclined surface 329 on one side close to the body 31, and the protrusion of the movable clamping member 332 protruding from the lower surface of the body 331 is used to connect the driving structure 33.

[0027] The utility model adds the driving structure 33 below the body 31 of the manipulator to move the movable clamping member 322 of the manipulator. When the wafer 30 slips, the machine alarms, and the movable clamping member 322 moves in a direction away from the body 31 under the drive of the driving structure 33 so that the wafer 30 approaches the body 31 along the inclined surface 329, thereby adjusting the position of the wafer 30. The driving structure 33 can drive the movable clamping member 322 away from the body 31 after the wafer 30 approaches the body 31 along the inclined surface 329. In this process, the inclined surface 329 applies an oblique upward force to the wafer 30, and the movable clamping member 322 and the fixed clamping member 321 force the wafer 30 to return to the correct position of the manipulator along the inclined surface 329, so as to complete the clamping and fixing of the wafer 30 by the manipulator.

[0028] In this embodiment, when the wafer 30 slips, the motor 441 rotates and pushes the moving rod 43 through threaded transmission to move the movable clamp 322 away from the body 31. The pressure sensor senses the pressure on the moving rod 43, obtains the sensing signal and transmits it to the motor 441. The motor 441 further provides corresponding power to the moving rod 43 according to the sensing signal to accurately adjust the movement amount of the moving rod 43. After the wafer 30 approaches the body 31 along the inclined surface 329, the motor 441 rotates and makes the movable clamp 322 approach the body 31, forcing the wafer 30 to return to the correct position. During this process, the pressure sensor constantly senses the pressure to ensure that the pressure on the wafer 30 is within the tolerance range until the wafer 30 successfully returns to its position.

[0029] Considering the problem of motor failure that may occur when the moving rod is driven by a motor, the utility model also provides another embodiment of the driving structure, which drives the moving rod by air pressure.

[0030] See also Figure 5 , which is a structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the driving structure of the manipulator of the utility model. Figure 5As shown, the driving structure 33 further includes: a hollow tube 51, a first fixing member 52, a moving rod 53, and a power assembly 54. The hollow tube 51 is fixed to the body 31 along the moving direction of the movable clamping member 322 relative to the body 31. The first fixing member 52 is fixed in the hollow tube 51. The moving rod 53 passes through the first fixing member 52 along the axial direction of the hollow tube 51 (the same as the moving direction), and the moving rod 53 has a first end 531 and a second end 532 opposite to each other. The first end 531 of the moving rod 53 protrudes from the hollow tube 51 and is connected to the movable clamping member 322. The moving rod 53 can move in a direction away from or close to the body 51 to drive the movable clamping member 322 away from or close to the body 31. The power assembly 54 is connected to the second end 532 of the moving rod 53, and is used to provide power for the movement of the moving rod 53.

[0031] Figure 5 The embodiment shown is Figure 4 The embodiment shown differs in that Figure 5 The power assembly 54 shown includes: an air pipe 541, a piston 542 and an elastic member 544. The air pipe 541 is located at the second end 532 of the moving rod 53 and is connected to the hollow tube 51 for conveying power gas. The piston 542 is located in the hollow tube 51 and between the first fixing member 52 and the air pipe 541. A gas chamber 543 is formed between the piston 542 and the air pipe 541. The piston 542 and the first fixing member 52 are connected by the elastic member 544. The second end 532 of the moving rod 53 is connected to the piston 542, and the elastic member 544 is sleeved on the moving rod 53. The piston 542 is driven by the power gas in the gas chamber 543 to push the moving rod 53 to move in a direction away from the body 31, or the piston 542 is driven by the elastic member 544 to drive the moving rod 53 to move in a direction close to the body 31.

[0032] In some embodiments, the power assembly 54 further includes a pressure sensor 545, which is located between the first fixing member 52 and the elastic member 544. The pressure sensor 545 is used to sense the pressure on the elastic member 544 to ensure that the elastic member 544 is in a suitable compression state. The pressure values ​​corresponding to the different compression states of the elastic member 544 can be measured in advance, so that the compression state of the elastic member 544 can be obtained according to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 545; or, the pressure value corresponding to the compression state of the elastic member 544 when the wafer 30 is in a suitable position can be measured in advance, so that the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor 545 can be used to determine whether the elastic member 544 is in a suitable compression state.

[0033] In this embodiment, the elastic member 544 is a spring; and the power gas is an inert gas.

[0034] In this embodiment, when the wafer 30 slides, the machine delivers the power gas to the gas chamber 543 of the hollow tube 51 through the gas pipe 541 to apply air pressure to the piston 542. When the power gas pushes the piston 542, the pressure on the elastic member 544 is sensed by the pressure sensor 545 to ensure that the elastic member 544 is in a suitable compression state. The piston 542 pushes the moving rod 53 to move away from the body 31, allowing the wafer 30 to approach the body 31 along the inclined surface 329 and return to the horizontal. Then, the air pressure of the power gas is reduced, so that the piston 542 drives the moving rod 53 to move toward the body 31 under the drive of the elastic member 544, and the movable clamping member 322 is close to the body 31, forcing the wafer 30 to return to the correct position. In this process, the pressure sensor 545 constantly detects the pressure to ensure that the pressure on the wafer 30 is within the tolerance range until the wafer 30 successfully returns to the position.

[0035] In view of the fact that there are two manipulators on the machine, adding a driving structure below the manipulator may affect the operation of the manipulator below. Therefore, the utility model also provides another embodiment of the manipulator. Figure 6 , which is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of another embodiment of the manipulator described in the utility model. Figure 6 The embodiment shown is Figure 3 The embodiment shown is different in that the driving structure 63 is fixed to the side of the body 61 to avoid affecting the operation of the robot below. Accordingly, the movable clamping member 632 has a protrusion protruding from the upper surface of the body 61 and a protrusion protruding from the side of the body 61; the protrusion of the movable clamping member 632 protruding from the upper surface of the body 61 has an inclined surface 629 on the side close to the body 61, and the protrusion of the movable clamping member 632 protruding from the side of the body 631 is used to connect the driving structure 63.

[0036] The above technical solution, by arranging a movable clamping part and a driving structure for driving the movable clamping part on the manipulator, when the wafer slips, the movable clamping part is driven away from the body so that the wafer approaches the body along the inclined surface of the movable clamping part, thereby adjusting the position of the wafer; and after the wafer approaches the body along the inclined surface, the movable clamping part is driven close to the body to cooperate with the fixed clamping part to clamp the fixed wafer. The manipulator provided by the utility model can automatically adjust the position of the wafer when the wafer slips. Compared with the prior art, the position of the deviation is adjusted by a hand operator and the position of the deviation is manually dialed back by opening the machine when the deviation is large. The manipulator provided by the utility model can solve the problem of position deviation of different degrees. The position of the wafer is adjusted by the manipulator without opening the machine, which reduces the number of times the machine is opened and reduces the impact on the internal environment of the machine. The use of a manipulator to automatically reset the wafer can effectively save the time of resetting the machine. According to experiments, the use of a manipulator to automatically reset the wafer can reduce the time of resetting the machine by 1 to 2 hours, thereby improving production efficiency.

[0037] It should be noted that references in the specification to "an embodiment", "an embodiment", "an exemplary embodiment", "some embodiments", etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, it is within the knowledge of a technician in the relevant art to implement such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0038] Typically, a term can be understood at least in part from usage in context. For example, the term "one or more" as used herein depends at least in part on the context and can be used to describe any feature, structure or characteristic in a singular sense, or can be used to describe a combination of features, structures or features in a plural sense. Similarly, terms such as "one", "a" or "the" can also be understood to express singular usage or to express plural usage, depending at least in part on the context. In addition, the term "based on" can be understood to not necessarily be intended to express a set of exclusive factors, but can alternatively, also at least in part depending on the context, allow for the presence of other factors that are not necessarily explicitly described. It should also be noted in this specification that "connected / coupled" refers not only to the direct coupling of one component to another component, but also to the indirect coupling of one component to another component through an intermediate component.

[0039] It should be noted that the terms "including" and "having" and their variations involved in the documents of the present utility model are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. The terms "first", "second", etc. are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, it should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged under appropriate circumstances. In addition, the embodiments of the present utility model and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict. In addition, in the above description, the description of well-known components and technologies is omitted to avoid unnecessary confusion of the concepts of the present utility model. In the above-mentioned embodiments, each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same / similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0040] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be pointed out that ordinary technicians in this technical field can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot for transferring wafers, characterized in that: include: ontology; At least one clamping structure, used for clamping and fixing the wafer, the clamping structure includes a fixed clamping member and a movable clamping member protruding from the body, the fixed clamping member is fixedly connected to a first edge of the body, the movable clamping member is movably arranged at a second edge of the body, the first edge and the second edge are two opposite edges of the body, and the fixed clamping member and the movable clamping member have an inclined surface on one side close to the body; A driving structure is fixed to the main body and connected to a side of the movable clamping member close to the main body, and the driving structure is used to drive the movable clamping member away from the main body so that the wafer approaches the main body along the inclined surface, and is used to drive the movable clamping member close to the main body so that the movable clamping member cooperates with the fixed clamping member to clamp and fix the wafer.

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving structure further comprises: a hollow tube fixed to the body along the moving direction of the movable clamp relative to the body; A first fixing member, fixed in the hollow tube; a moving rod, which penetrates the first fixing member along the axial direction of the hollow tube, the moving rod having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end of the moving rod protruding from the hollow tube and connected to the movable clamping member, and the moving rod can move in a direction away from or close to the body to drive the movable clamping member to move away from or close to the body; The power assembly is connected to the second end of the moving rod and is used to provide power for the movement of the moving rod.

3. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power assembly includes a motor, and the motor can provide power for the moving rod.

4. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The motor is connected to an external circuit via electric wires, and the electric wires are used to supply electricity.

5. The robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: A pressure sensor is arranged in the motor.

6. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: An end of the hollow tube close to the power assembly is provided with an internal thread, and a second end of the moving rod is provided with an external thread matching the internal thread. The power assembly drives the moving rod to move in a direction away from or close to the body through thread transmission.

7. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The thread pitch of the internal thread is smaller than a preset threshold.

8. The robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The power assembly further includes a second fixing member located in the hollow tube and between the first fixing member and the internal thread; the moving rod further penetrates the second fixing member along the axial direction of the hollow tube.

9. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The power assembly comprises: A gas delivery pipe, located at the second end of the moving rod and connected to the hollow tube, for delivering power gas; A piston is located in the hollow tube and between the first fixing member and the gas pipe, a gas cavity is formed between the piston and the gas pipe, and the piston is connected to the first fixing member via an elastic member; The second end of the moving rod is connected to the piston, and the elastic member is sleeved on the moving rod. The piston is driven by the power gas in the gas chamber to push the moving rod to move in a direction away from the main body, or the piston is driven by the elastic member to drive the moving rod to move in a direction close to the main body.

10. The robot according to claim 9, characterized in that: The power assembly further includes a pressure sensor located between the first fixing member and the elastic member.

11. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that: The driving structure is fixed at the bottom or side of the body.

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