Substrate transfer mechanism

Abstract

The utility model discloses a base plate transfer mechanism which comprises a base, a first rotating mechanism and a second rotating mechanism, the first rotating mechanism is rotatably arranged around a first axis relative to the base, and the second rotating mechanism is rotatably arranged around a second axis relative to the first rotating mechanism. The first rotating mechanism is provided with a rotating rod extending in the horizontal direction, the second rotating mechanism is provided with a grabbing assembly used for grabbing a base plate, the grabbing assembly is arranged on the lower surface of the rotating rod, the base plate transferring mechanism has a working state and a standby state, and when the base plate transferring mechanism is in the working state, the base plate transferring mechanism can transfer the base plate. In the standby state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged away from the second rotating mechanism, in the standby state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged close to the second rotating mechanism, and the second rotating mechanism is folded below the rotating rod.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of substrates of semiconductor element processing equipment, and particularly relates to a substrate transfer mechanism. Background Art

[0002] The substrate transfer mechanism is an indispensable key component in semiconductor manufacturing. In the complex process flow of semiconductor manufacturing, the substrate needs to be transferred within different processing units inside the process equipment through the substrate transfer mechanism.

[0003] The motion control of the substrate transfer mechanism is very crucial. It needs to achieve flexible motion with multiple degrees of freedom to adapt to the requirements of grasping and placing substrates at different positions and angles. The existing substrate transfer mechanism has a complex structure and occupies a large space during its operation, so it is not suitable for use in a narrow environment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a substrate transfer mechanism with a novel structure.

[0005] To solve the above technical problem, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is as follows:

[0006] A substrate transfer mechanism, comprising: a base, a first rotating mechanism and a second rotating mechanism. The first rotating mechanism is rotatably arranged relative to the base around a first axis line, and the second rotating mechanism is rotatably arranged relative to the first rotating mechanism around a second axis line. The first rotating mechanism has a rotating rod extending in the horizontal direction, and the second rotating mechanism has a grasping assembly for grasping the substrate. The grasping assembly is arranged on the lower surface of the rotating rod. The substrate transfer mechanism has a working state and a standby state. When in the working state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged away from the second rotating mechanism. When in the standby state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged closer to the second rotating mechanism, and the second rotating mechanism is retracted below the rotating rod.

[0007] In some embodiments, the substrate transfer mechanism includes a lifting mechanism. The substrate transfer mechanism has a picking and placing state. When in the picking and placing state, the lifting mechanism controls the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism to lift and lower to change the height of the substrate so as to pick and place the substrate.

[0008] In some embodiments, the grasping assembly includes a fixed pin and a movable pin, and the movable pin is arranged to move horizontally relative to the fixed pin.

[0009] In some embodiments, when in the working state, the fixing pin is movably arranged by the rotation of the first rotating mechanism around the first axis line and / or the rotation of the second rotating mechanism around the second axis line.

[0010] In some embodiments, both the fixing pin and the movable pin have an annular groove for placing the substrate.

[0011] In some embodiments, when in the standby state, one end of the fixing pin is close to the rotating rod, and the other end of the movable pin is close to the rotating rod.

[0012] In some embodiments, the grasping assembly has two fixing pins and two movable pins, and the distance between the two fixing pins is greater than the distance between the two movable pins.

[0013] In some embodiments, the grasping assembly includes a fixing plate and a sliding plate. The sliding plate is slidably arranged on the fixing plate. The fixing plate is rotatably connected to the other end of the rotating rod around the second axis line. The fixing pin is arranged on the fixing plate, and the movable pin is arranged on the sliding plate. When in the standby state, both the fixing plate and the sliding plate are retracted below the rotating rod.

[0014] In some embodiments, the substrate transfer mechanism includes a first driving mechanism for driving the rotating rod to rotate around the first axis line, and / or the substrate transfer mechanism includes a second driving mechanism for driving the second rotating mechanism to rotate around the second axis line, and / or the substrate transfer mechanism includes a third driving mechanism for driving the sliding plate to slide relative to the fixing plate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional width of the rotating rod and the cross-sectional width of the grasping assembly are both less than 200 mm.

[0016] In some embodiments, the substrate transfer mechanism includes a first driving mechanism for driving the rotating rod to rotate around the first axis line, and / or the substrate transfer mechanism includes a second driving mechanism for driving the second rotating mechanism to rotate around the second axis line, and / or the substrate transfer mechanism includes a third driving mechanism for driving the sliding plate to slide relative to the fixing plate.

[0017] Due to the application of the above technical solutions, the present utility model has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0018] 1. For the substrate transfer mechanism of the present utility model, by providing the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism, the transfer of the substrate can be realized in a narrow space by controlling the two rotating mechanisms;

[0019] 2. In the standby state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged close to the second rotating mechanism, saving space;

[0020] 3. The rotation of the two rotating mechanisms in the horizontal plane realizes the scheduling of the substrate between different workstations, saving the space required for substrate scheduling;

[0021] 4. Compared with the equipment with four axes (one linear axis and three rotating axes) in the prior art, when the substrate transfer mechanism of the present invention is provided with a lifting mechanism, only one linear axis and two rotating axes need to be set, which can realize the transfer of the substrate in a smaller occupied space and has high flexibility. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Figure 1 Stereo schematic diagram of the substrate transfer mechanism in the standby state in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 2 Right view of the substrate transfer mechanism in the standby state in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 Stereo schematic diagram of the substrate transfer mechanism in the standby state in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 4 Stereo enlarged view of the fixed pin or movable pin in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5 Bottom view of the part of the rotating rod and the second rotating mechanism in the substrate transfer mechanism in the working state in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 6 Top view of the part of the rotating rod and the second rotating mechanism in the substrate transfer mechanism when grasping the substrate in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 ;

[0028] Figure 7 Top view of the part of the rotating rod and the second rotating mechanism in the substrate transfer mechanism when grasping the substrate in an embodiment of the present invention Figure 2 ;

[0029] Among them, the reference numerals in the drawings:

[0030] 1 - Base; 21 - Rotating rod; 211 - One end of the rotating rod; 212 - The other end of the rotating rod; 22 - Matching rod; 31 - Fixed plate; 32 - Sliding plate; 33 - Fixed pin; 34 - Movable pin; 36 - Annular groove; 41 - Lifting frame; 42 - Through hole; 5 - Substrate. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0031] The following will elaborate on the preferred embodiments of the present utility model in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present utility model can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art. It should be noted here that the description of these embodiments is for helping to understand the present utility model, but does not constitute a limitation to the present utility model. In addition, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the present utility model described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0032] Refer to Figures 1 - 7 As shown, the substrate transfer mechanism of the present utility model includes a base 1, a first rotation mechanism, a second rotation mechanism, and a lifting mechanism.

[0033] The first rotation mechanism includes a rotating rod 21 extending in the horizontal direction and a cooperating rod 22 extending in the vertical direction. The upper end of the cooperating rod 22 is fixedly connected to one end 211 of the rotating rod. The cooperating rod 22 is rotationally connected to the base 1 around a first axis line (not shown in the figure) extending in the vertical direction.

[0034] The second rotation mechanism extends in the horizontal direction. One end of the second rotation mechanism is rotationally connected to the other end 212 of the rotating rod around a second axis line (not shown in the figure) extending in the vertical direction. The first axis line and the second axis line are not coincident and are parallel to each other. The second rotation mechanism includes a grasping assembly for grasping the substrate. The grasping assembly is disposed on the lower surface of the rotating rod 22. In some embodiments, the grasping assembly includes a fixing plate 31 and a sliding plate 32. The sliding plate 32 is slidably disposed on the fixing plate 31. The sliding direction of the sliding plate 32 is in the horizontal direction. The fixing plate 31 is rotationally connected to the other end 212 of the rotating rod around the second axis line. A fixing pin 33 is disposed on the fixing plate 31, and a movable pin 34 is disposed on the sliding plate 32. In some embodiments, one end 211 of the rotating rod is the distal end, and the other end 212 of the rotating rod is the proximal end. As Figure 4 shown, the fixing pin 33 and the movable pin 34 are cylindrical and both have an annular groove 36 for placing the substrate 5. The grasping assembly has two fixing pins 33 and two movable pins 34. The distance between the two fixing pins 33 is greater than the distance between the two movable pins 34. Horizontally, the two movable pins 34 are closer to the second axis line relative to the two fixing pins 33. In other embodiments, the grasping assembly can also be provided with other structures for grasping the substrate 5, such as by magnetic adsorption or by a support plate for receiving. In some embodiments, the substrate 5 is circular. In other embodiments, the substrate 5 can also be square or other structures.

[0035] The substrate transfer mechanism includes a first driving mechanism (not shown in the figure) for driving the rotating rod to rotate around the first axis, a second driving mechanism (not shown in the figure) for driving the second rotating mechanism to rotate around the second axis, and a third driving mechanism (not shown in the figure) for driving the sliding plate to slide relative to the fixed plate. By respectively providing three driving mechanisms, independent control of the first rotating mechanism, the second rotating mechanism, and the grasping assembly is achieved. In some embodiments, the three driving mechanisms can be three independently provided motors.

[0036] The lifting mechanism is used to lift the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism, so that the substrate transfer mechanism can control the vertical movement of the substrate 5, such as taking out and putting the substrate 5 into the processing station. In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism includes a lifting frame 41, the lifting frame 41 is fixedly connected to the base 1, a through hole 42 for the cooperation rod 22 to pass through is formed on the lifting frame 41, and the lifting frame 41 is driven by a fourth driving mechanism (not shown in the figure), and the output end of the fourth driving mechanism is fixedly connected to the side wall of the lifting frame 41. In some embodiments, the fourth driving mechanism can be a motor.

[0037] The substrate transfer mechanism has a working state and a standby state, such as Figures 5 - 7 shown. When in the working state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged away from the second rotating mechanism. In this working state, the grasping assembly can move to the position of the substrate 5, grasp the substrate 5, move the substrate 5, release the substrate 5, and reset. The fixed pin 33 is movably arranged by the rotation of the first rotating mechanism around the first axis and / or the rotation of the second rotating mechanism around the second axis, and the movable pin 34 is arranged to horizontally move relative to the fixed pin 33. Specifically, the fixed plate 31 rotates around the second axis to a position away from the rotating rod 21, so as to facilitate the grasping assembly to grasp the substrate 5, such as Figure 6 shown. At this time, neither the fixed pin 33 nor the movable pin 34 of the grasping assembly holds the substrate 5. Rotate the fixed plate 31 around the second axis to make the fixed pin 33 on the fixed plate 31 further approach the substrate 5. When grasping the substrate 5, the fixed pin 33 and the movable pin 34 approach the substrate 5 synchronously. The movable pin 34 slides towards the substrate 5, and the fixed pin 33 approaches the substrate through the rotation of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism. During the whole process, the positions of the fixed pin 33 and the movable pin 34 relative to the substrate 5 are mirror-symmetrical, avoiding damage to the substrate 5 due to relative sliding between the substrate 5 and the substrate transfer mechanism during the process of grasping the substrate 5. Finally, as Figure 7As shown, the substrate 5 is placed in the annular grooves 36 of the fixed pin 33 and the movable pin 34 to realize the grasping of the substrate 5 by the grasping component. Then, the lifting mechanism is controlled to raise the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism, so that the substrate 5 is separated from the original placement platform. At this time, the fixed plate 31 is adjusted to rotate around the second axis line and the rotating rod 21 is adjusted to rotate around the first axis line. When the substrate 5 is transported to the appropriate position, the lifting mechanism is controlled to lower the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism, and the substrate 5 is released by adjusting the sliding of the sliding plate 32 relative to the fixed plate 31. As Figures 1 - 3 shown, when in the standby state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged close to the second rotating mechanism, and the second rotating mechanism is retracted below the rotating rod 21. Specifically, both the fixed plate 31 and the sliding plate 32 are retracted below the rotating rod 21. One end 211 of the fixed pin 33 close to the rotating rod, and the other end 212 of the movable pin 34 close to the rotating rod. In some embodiments, at this time, the extending direction of the second rotating mechanism in the horizontal direction is the same as the extending direction of the rotating rod in the horizontal direction, so that the substrate transfer mechanism can save space and will not interfere with the operation of other devices. In some embodiments, the cross-sectional width of the rotating rod 21 and the cross-sectional width of the grasping component are both less than 200 mm. By setting the relatively narrow rotating rod 21 and the grasping component, the entire substrate transfer mechanism is relatively compact in the standby state and does not occupy too much space. The substrate transfer mechanism also has a pick-and-place state. When in the pick-and-place state, the lifting mechanism controls the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism to lift and lower to change the height of the substrate so as to pick and place the substrate.

[0038] In the description of the present invention, the directions such as "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" involved are all defined with reference to the directions observed by the user during use. That is, as Figure 2 shown, the left side direction in the figure is "rear", the right side direction in the figure is "front", the upper side direction in the figure is "upper", the lower side direction in the figure is "lower", and the directions perpendicular to the viewing angle in the figure are "left" and "right". The definition of the above directions is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

[0039] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and characteristics of the present invention, and their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate transfer mechanism, characterized in that, Comprising: A base, a first rotating mechanism and a second rotating mechanism. The first rotating mechanism is rotatably arranged relative to the base around a first axis line. The second rotating mechanism is rotatably arranged relative to the first rotating mechanism around a second axis line. The first rotating mechanism has a rotating rod extending in the horizontal direction. The second rotating mechanism has a gripping assembly for gripping a substrate. The gripping assembly is arranged on the lower surface of the rotating rod. The substrate transfer mechanism has a working state and a standby state. When in the working state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged away from the second rotating mechanism. When in the standby state, the first rotating mechanism is arranged closer to the second rotating mechanism, and the second rotating mechanism is retracted below the rotating rod.

2. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate transfer mechanism includes a lifting mechanism. The substrate transfer mechanism has a picking and placing state. When in the picking and placing state, the lifting mechanism controls the lifting of the first rotating mechanism and the second rotating mechanism to change the height of the substrate so as to pick and place the substrate.

3. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The gripping assembly includes a fixed pin and a movable pin. The movable pin is arranged to move horizontally relative to the fixed pin.

4. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: When in the working state, the fixed pin is movably arranged by the rotation of the first rotating mechanism around the first axis line and / or the rotation of the second rotating mechanism around the second axis line.

5. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 3, wherein: Both the fixed pin and the movable pin have an annular groove for placing the substrate.

6. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 3, wherein: When in the standby state, one end of the fixed pin close to the rotating rod, and the other end of the movable pin close to the rotating rod.

7. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 6, wherein: The gripping assembly has two fixed pins and two movable pins. The distance between the two fixed pins is greater than the distance between the two movable pins.

8. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 3, wherein: The gripping assembly includes a fixed plate and a sliding plate. The sliding plate is slidably arranged on the fixed plate. The fixed plate is rotatably connected to the other end of the rotating rod around the second axis line. The fixed pin is arranged on the fixed plate, and the movable pin is arranged on the sliding plate. When in the standby state, both the fixed plate and the sliding plate are retracted below the rotating rod.

9. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 8, wherein: The substrate transfer mechanism includes a first driving mechanism for driving the rotating rod to rotate around the first axis line, and / or the substrate transfer mechanism includes a second driving mechanism for driving the second rotating mechanism to rotate around the second axis line, and / or the substrate transfer mechanism includes a third driving mechanism for driving the sliding plate to slide relative to the fixed plate.

10. The substrate transfer mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The cross-sectional width of the rotating rod and the cross-sectional width of the gripping assembly are both less than 200 mm.

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