Robot carrying fork and conveying system

Abstract

The utility model provides a robot carrying fork and a conveying system. The robot carrying fork comprises a carrying fork body and a conveying device, the carrying fork body is provided with a pick-and-place end, and the pick-and-place end is used for bearing a target object when the carrying fork body conveys the target object; the face, making contact with the target object, of the taking and placing end is provided with a contact piece protruding outwards, and the contact piece keeps making contact with the target object in the process that the carrying fork body conveys the target object. When the contact element has different contact areas with the target object, different current values are generated. According to the configuration, the outwards-protruding contact piece is arranged on the carrying fork body, and different current values are generated when the contact areas of the target object and the contact piece are different, so that the position condition of the target object on the carrying fork body can be judged based on the current information, and then position compensation can be performed on the target object; the problem that due to the fact that the repeatability precision of the robot carrying fork is reduced, the preventing position of the target object deviates, and the product yield is affected is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to a robot fork and a conveying system. Background Art

[0002] In the mask production process, since it is carried out under a high vacuum state, it is necessary to minimize the physical alignment of the electronic component device to the product. Therefore, during the production process, the mask is transported under a high vacuum state, and the robot fork picks and places the grinding depending on the friction of the fork, so as to prevent the mask from shifting during the transportation process. With continuous production, the repetitive accuracy of the robot changes, and the position of the mask placed on the process table shifts slightly, resulting in a decrease in the product yield.

[0003] Based on this, how to reduce the change in the product yield caused by the change in the repetitive accuracy during the process of the robot repeatedly transporting the mask has become a technical problem that needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a robot fork and a conveying system to solve the problem that in the prior art, during the process of the robot repeatedly transporting the target object, the product yield is reduced due to the influence of the change in the repetitive accuracy.

[0005] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides a robot fork, including: a fork body;

[0006] The fork body has a pick-up and placement end, and the pick-up and placement end is used to carry the target object when the fork body transports the target object;

[0007] An outwardly protruding contact member is provided on the surface of the pick-up and placement end in contact with the target object, and the contact member remains in contact with the target object during the process of the fork body transporting the target object;

[0008] When the contact area of the contact member with the target object is different, different current values are generated.

[0009] Optionally, the fork body includes a connecting section and a fork arm, the fork arm is arranged at the pick-up and placement end and extends outward in a direction away from the connecting section, one end of the fork arm is connected to the connecting section, and the other end is a free end, and the contact member is arranged at a position on the fork arm close to the free end.

[0010] Optionally, the fork body includes two fork arms, the two fork arms are located on the same side of the connecting section and are arranged in parallel, the contact members are respectively arranged at positions on the two fork arms close to the free ends, and the contact members on the two fork arms correspond to each other one by one.

[0011] Optionally, the contact member includes a contact bump, and the size of the contact bump is adapted to the size of the fork arm.

[0012] Optionally, the contact member includes a plurality of contact points, and the plurality of contact points are evenly distributed on the fork arm.

[0013] Optionally, the contact area between the target object and the contact member is the sum of the contact areas between the target object and each of the contact points.

[0014] Optionally, the areas of the respective contact points are equal or unequal.

[0015] To achieve the above object, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a conveying system, including: a driving device, a control device, and the robot fork as described above;

[0016] The driving device is connected to the robot fork for driving the robot fork to move and / or rotate;

[0017] The control device is communicatively connected to the driving device and the robot fork respectively. The control device is configured to obtain current information generated by the contact member, and based on the current information, drive the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device to achieve position compensation.

[0018] Optionally, the fork body includes two fork arms, and the contact members are disposed on both of the two fork arms. The control device is communicatively connected to the two fork arms respectively to obtain the current values generated by the contact members on the two fork arms respectively.

[0019] Optionally, the robot fork is configured to convey the target object into a target chamber, and there is a target position in the target chamber. The control device drives the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device to place the target object at the target position.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the robot fork and the conveying system provided by the present application have the following advantages:

[0021] For the robot fork provided by the present application, by providing a contact member protruding outward on the fork body, during the process of conveying the target object, the pick-and-place end bears the target object, and the target object comes into contact with the contact member to generate a current value. When the contact area between the target object and the contact member is different, different current values are generated, so that the position of the target object on the fork body can be judged based on the current information, and then the position of the target object can be compensated, avoiding the problem that the placement position of the target object is shifted due to the reduction of the repetitive accuracy of the robot fork, which affects the product yield.

[0022] The conveying system provided by this application is respectively communicatively connected to the robotic fork and the driving device through a control device. After obtaining the current information generated by the contact member, the control device can drive the robotic fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device, thereby completing position compensation, so that the target object can be conveyed to the target position even when the repeatability accuracy of the robotic fork is reduced, effectively avoiding the problem of reduced product yield caused by position deviation.

[0023] Furthermore, the control device is respectively communicatively connected to two fork arms to respectively obtain the current values generated by the contact members on the two fork arms, and then can compare the two current values to obtain more accurate position deviation information of the target object, so as to achieve more accurate compensation for the position of the target object. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1 It is a top view of the robotic fork provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a side view of the robotic fork provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a top view of the robotic fork carrying the target object provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a side view of the robotic fork carrying the target object provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first type of contact member provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0029] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the second type of contact member provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a schematic structural diagram of the third type of contact member provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0031] Figure 8 It is a schematic structural diagram of the conveying system provided by an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0032] Among them, the descriptions of the reference numerals are as follows:

[0033] 1 - Fork body; 10 - Pick-and-place end; 11 - Connection section; 12 - Fork arm; 13 - Contact member; 131 - Contact bump; 132 - Contact point;

[0034] 2 - Target object; 3 - Driving device; 4 - Control device. Detailed Embodiments

[0035] To make the objectives, advantages and features of the present utility model clearer, the following further describes the present utility model in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in very simplified forms and are not drawn to scale, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the objectives of the embodiments of the present utility model. In addition, the structures shown in the accompanying drawings are often part of the actual structures. In particular, the accompanying drawings need to show different emphases and sometimes use different scales.

[0036] As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural objects. The term "or" is usually used in the sense of including "and / or". The term "several" is usually used in the sense of including "at least one". The term "at least two" is usually used in the sense of including "two or more". In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first", "second", "third" may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of such features. "One end" and "the other end", as well as "proximal end" and "distal end" usually refer to two corresponding parts, which not only include the endpoints. The terms "mounted", "connected", "coupled" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and may be the internal communication of two components or the interaction relationship between two components. In addition, as used in this specification, when an element is provided on another element, it usually only indicates that there is a connection, coupling, cooperation or transmission relationship between the two elements, and the two elements may be directly or indirectly connected, coupled, cooperated or transmitted through an intermediate element, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the spatial position relationship between the two elements, that is, an element may be inside, outside, above, below or on one side of another element in any orientation, unless otherwise clearly specified in the content. The terms "upper", "lower", "top", "bottom" are usually relative position relationships arranged in the direction of gravity; the terms "vertical, vertical direction" usually refer to the direction along the gravity direction, which is generally perpendicular to the ground, and the "horizontal, horizontal plane direction" is usually along the direction parallel to the ground; for those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in this specification can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0037] The objective of the present utility model is to provide a robot fork and a conveying system to solve the problem that in the prior art, during the process of a robot repeatedly conveying a target object, the product yield is reduced due to the influence of repetitive precision changes.

[0038] Those skilled in the art can understand that in the semiconductor manufacturing process, affected by the equipment accuracy, it is usually necessary to place wafers, masks, etc. at preset positions to ensure the smooth progress of subsequent processes. Therefore, robots are widely used in transporting wafers, masks, and panels due to their high repeatability. However, during the long-term repeated transportation process, robots may also cause deviations in the transportation position due to the reduction of repeatability accuracy, and these deviations will lead to a decrease in the yield of the produced products, thus affecting production efficiency. Based on this, the present application provides a robot fork and a transportation system. By adding a contact member to the fork, an electric current is generated during the contact between the target object and the contact member, and different current values are generated when the contact area is different, so as to be able to judge the position deviation of the target object on the fork, and then be able to compensate for the position deviation in a timely manner, so that the target object can be placed at the target position, thereby improving the product yield.

[0039] Please refer to Figures 1 to 4 , the present utility model provides a robot fork, including: a fork body 1; the fork body 1 has a pick-and-place end 10, and the pick-and-place end 10 is used to carry the target object 2 when the fork body 1 transports the target object 2; a contact member 13 protruding outward is provided on the surface of the pick-and-place end 10 in contact with the target object 2, and the contact member 13 remains in contact with the target object 2 during the process of the fork body 1 transporting the target object 2; different current values are generated when the contact area of the contact member 13 with the target object 2 is different. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the target object 2 is transported under a high vacuum state, so the pick-and-place of the target object 2 can be realized only by relying on the friction force between the fork body 1 and the target object 2. In some other embodiments, when the target object 2 is transported under normal pressure, suction holes need to be configured on the fork body 1 to generate a pressure difference to adsorb the target object 2 for transportation. The target object 2 can be a wafer, a mask, a panel, etc. The contact member 13 is made of a piezoelectric material. Those skilled in the art can understand that a piezoelectric material is a crystal material that will have a voltage between its two end faces when subjected to a pressure. The piezoelectric material can be used to realize the mutual conversion between mechanical vibration and alternating current. Common piezoelectric materials usually include piezoelectric crystals and piezoelectric ceramics. Piezoelectric crystals include quartz, potassium sodium tartrate, etc., and piezoelectric ceramics include barium titanate, lead zirconate titanate, etc. The above materials have the advantages of large piezoelectric constant, good characteristics, excellent mechanical properties, high temperature stability, etc., so they are widely used. In this embodiment, any of the above materials can be used to make the contact member 13, which can be directly made of the above materials, or a thin film can be attached to the outside of the above materials to prevent wear during handling. For the specific materials and structures of the contact member 13, reference can be made to the prior art, and this embodiment will not be elaborated here.

[0040] With such a configuration, by providing a protruding contact member 13 on the fork carrier body 1, during the process of conveying the target object 2, the picking and placing end 10 carries the target object 2, and the target object 2 comes into contact with the contact member 13 to generate a current value. When the contact area between the target object 2 and the contact member 13 is different, different current values are generated. Thus, it is possible to determine the position of the target object 2 on the fork carrier body 1 based on the current information, and further perform position compensation on the target object 2, avoiding the problem that the placement position of the target object 2 is shifted due to the reduction of the repetitive accuracy of the robot fork, which affects the product yield.

[0041] As an optional embodiment, the fork carrier body 1 includes a connecting section 11 and a fork arm 12. The fork arm 12 is provided at the picking and placing end 10 and extends outward in a direction away from the connecting section 11. One end of the fork arm 12 is connected to the connecting section 11, and the other end is a free end. The contact member 13 is provided at a position on the fork arm 12 close to the free end. Further, the fork carrier body 1 includes two fork arms 12. The two fork arms 12 are located on the same side of the connecting section 11 and are arranged in parallel. The contact members 13 are respectively provided at positions on the two fork arms 12 close to the free ends, and the contact members 13 on the two fork arms 12 correspond to each other one by one. Figures 1 to 4 In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the fork carrier body 1 includes two fork arms 12. The two fork arms 12 are located on the same side of the connecting end and simultaneously extend outward in a direction away from the connecting section 11. The contact members 13 are provided on both of the two fork arms 12 and correspond to each other one by one. Therefore, when the target object 2 is correctly placed on the fork carrier body 1, the current values formed by the contact members 13 on the two fork arms 12 should be equal. Once the current values formed by the contact members 13 on the two fork arms 12 are not equal, it indicates that the position of the target object 2 is deviated. At this time, the deviation condition of the current target object 2 can be analyzed based on the current values on the two fork arms 12, and then position compensation can be performed in real time to avoid the problem that the target object 2 is not placed at the target position in the target chamber, which affects the product yield. In some other embodiments, the fork carrier body 1 may also be provided with only one fork arm 12. Those skilled in the art can select a fork carrier body 1 with a suitable size for conveying according to the actual situation of the target object 2 to be conveyed. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0042] The following Figures 5 to 7 further illustrates the configuration of the contact member 13 in this embodiment.

[0043] In an optional embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 . The contact member 13 includes a contact bump 131, and the size of the contact bump 131 is adapted to the size of the fork arm 12. Figure 5For example, the contact member 13 is a rectangular bump, and the areas of the contact bumps 131 located on the two picking arms 12 are equal. At this time, the picking arm 12 picks up the target object 2, the contact member 13 contacts the picking arm 12 and generates a current value. When the contact areas of the target object 2 with the contact member 13 on the two picking arms 12 are equal (for example, on the two picking arms 12, the target object 2 contacts two-thirds of the contact member 13), the generated current values are also equal, then it is determined that the current target object 2 has not shifted; and when the contact areas of the target object 2 with the contact member 13 on the two picking arms 12 are not equal (for example, the target object 2 contacts two-thirds of the contact member 13 on one picking arm 12 and contacts one-half of the contact member 13 on the other picking arm 12), then the current values generated by the contact members 13 on the two picking arms 12 are not equal. At this time, it can be determined that the position of the target object 2 is deviated, and position compensation for the target object 2 is required. In some other embodiments, the contact member 13 can also be a circular bump, a trapezoidal bump or other irregularly shaped bumps, as long as the shapes and areas of the contact bumps 131 on the two picking arms 12 are the same. Those skilled in the art can configure this according to the actual situation, and this embodiment is not limited.

[0044] In another alternative embodiment, please refer to Figures 6 to 7 , the contact member 13 includes a plurality of contact points 132, and the plurality of contact points 132 are evenly distributed on the picking arm 12. Further, the contact area between the target object 2 and the contact member 13 is the sum of the contact areas between the target object 2 and each contact point 132. Furthermore, the areas of the respective contact points 132 are equal or unequal. In Figure 6 the exemplary embodiment shown, the plurality of contact points 132 are arranged in a matrix, and the area of each contact point 132 is equal, and the arrangement forms of the contact points 132 on the two picking arms 12 are the same; in Figure 7 the exemplary embodiment shown, the plurality of contact points 132 are also arranged in a matrix, but the area of each contact point 132 is unequal, and the arrangement forms of the contact points 132 on the two picking arms 12 are also the same. In Figure 6 and Figure 7 the exemplary embodiments shown, the contact area between the target object 2 and the contact member 13 should be the sum of the contact areas between the target object 2 and each contact point 132. Through the difference in the contact areas between the target object 2 and the corresponding contact points 132 on the two picking arms 12, compared with the design of the contact bump 131, the position of the target object 2 can be judged more accurately, so as to achieve more accurate position compensation. Of course, in some other alternative embodiments, the plurality of contact points 132 can also be arranged in a circular ring shape, or arranged irregularly, as long as the arrangement forms of the contact points 132 on the two picking arms 12 are the same.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 8, in another embodiment, the embodiment of the present utility model further provides a conveying system, including: a driving device 3, a control device 4, and the robot fork as described above; the driving device 3 is connected to the robot fork for driving the robot fork to move and / or rotate; the control device 4 is respectively communicatively connected to the driving device 3 and the robot fork. The control device 4 is used to obtain the current information generated by the contact member 13, and based on the current information, drive the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device 3 to achieve position compensation. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the control device 4 can be a hardware device directly obtained by means of an embedded chip, and the driving device 3 can be a motor. The specific structures and operating principles of the control device 4 and the driving device 3 can refer to the prior art, and will not be elaborated herein. The control device 4 and the robot fork can be connected through a transmission wire, and the transmission wire is used to transmit the current value generated by the contact member 13 under pressure to the control device 4. In some other embodiments, the control device 4 and the robot fork can also directly use wireless transmission to interact information, and this embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0046] With such a configuration, by using the above-mentioned robot fork and combining the control device 4 communicatively connected to the robot fork and the driving device 3 respectively, the control device 4 can, after obtaining the current information generated by the contact member 13, drive the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device 3, thereby completing position compensation, so that the target object 2 can be conveyed to the target position even when the repeatability accuracy of the robot fork is reduced, effectively avoiding the problem of reduced product yield caused by position deviation.

[0047] As a preferred embodiment, the fork body 1 includes two fork arms 12, and contact members 13 are provided on both of the two fork arms 12. The control device 4 is respectively communicatively connected to the two fork arms 12 to respectively obtain the current values generated by the contact members 13 on the two fork arms 12. It should be noted that after the control device 4 respectively obtains the current values generated by the contact members 13 on the two fork arms 12, a comparison is made in real time. When the two current values are not equal, it is determined that the target object 2 has a position deviation, and finally the robot fork is driven to move and / or rotate through the driving device 3, and finally the target object 2 is placed at the target position in the target chamber, ensuring an improvement in the product yield of subsequent production.

[0048] Furthermore, the robot carrier fork is used to transport the target object 2 into a target chamber (not shown in the figure), and the target chamber has a target position (not shown in the figure). The control device 4 drives the robot carrier fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device 3 to place the target object 2 at the target position. It should be noted that since the movement path of the robot carrier fork is pre-set, once the robot carrier fork is offset when taking the target object 2, it will definitely cause the target object 2 to be offset when placed. The control device 4 in this embodiment can drive the robot carrier fork to move forward and backward and / or rotate left and right based on the current value generated by the contact members 13 on the two fork-taking arms 12, so as to straighten the target object 2, so that the target object 2 can be placed at the target position under the transportation of the robot carrier fork. In other embodiments, the control device 4 can also control the robot carrier fork to perform position compensation in other ways, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0049] In summary, in the robot fork carrier and conveying system provided in the embodiments of the utility model, the robot fork carrier includes: a fork carrier body; the fork carrier body has a pick-up and placement end, and the pick-up and placement end is used to carry the target object when the fork carrier body conveys the target object; a contact piece protruding outward is provided on the surface of the pick-up and placement end that contacts the target object, and the contact piece maintains contact with the target object during the process of the fork carrier body conveying the target object; when the contact area with the target object is different, the contact piece generates different current values.

[0050] With such configuration, by arranging an outwardly protruding contact piece on the fork carrier body, during the process of conveying the target object, the pick-up and placement end carries the target object, and the target object contacts the contact piece to generate a current value, and when the contact area between the target object and the contact piece is different, different current values are generated, so that the position of the target object on the fork carrier body can be judged based on the current information, and then the position of the target object can be compensated, thereby avoiding the problem of the target object being prevented from shifting due to the reduced repeatability accuracy of the robot fork carrier, thereby affecting the product yield.

[0051] Furthermore, the robot fork and the driving device are respectively connected by communication through the control device. After obtaining the current information generated by the contact piece, the control device can drive the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device, thereby completing position compensation, so that even when the repeatability accuracy of the robot fork is reduced, the target object can be transported to the target position, effectively avoiding the problem of reduced product yield due to position offset.

[0052] Furthermore, the control device is respectively connected to the two fork arms for respectively obtaining the current values generated by the contact members on the two fork arms, and then can compare the two current values to obtain more accurate position deviation information of the target object, so as to achieve more accurate compensation for the position of the target object.

[0053] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiments of the present utility model, and does not limit any scope of the present utility model. Any changes and modifications made by those of ordinary skill in the art of the present utility model according to the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A robot-mounted fork, characterized in that, Comprising: The fork body; The fork body has a pick-up end, and the pick-up end is used to carry the target object when the fork body conveys the target object; An outwardly protruding contact member is provided on the surface of the pick-up end in contact with the target object, and the contact member remains in contact with the target object during the process of the fork body conveying the target object; When the contact area of the contact member with the target object is different, different current values are generated.

2. The robotic forklift according to claim 1, wherein The fork body includes a connecting section and a fork arm. The fork arm is arranged at the pick-up end and extends outward in a direction away from the connecting section. One end of the fork arm is connected to the connecting section, and the other end is a free end. The contact member is arranged at a position on the fork arm close to the free end.

3. The robotic forklift according to claim 2, wherein, The fork body includes two fork arms. The two fork arms are located on the same side of the connecting section and are arranged in parallel. The contact members are respectively arranged at positions on the two fork arms close to the free ends, and the contact members on the two fork arms correspond to each other one by one.

4. The robotic forklift according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The contact member includes a contact bump, and the size of the contact bump is adapted to the size of the fork arm.

5. The robotic forklift according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The contact member includes a plurality of contact points, and the plurality of contact points are evenly distributed on the fork arm.

6. The robotic fork according to claim 5, wherein, The contact area between the target object and the contact member is the sum of the contact areas between the target object and each of the contact points.

7. The robotic fork according to claim 6, wherein The areas of each of the contact points are equal or unequal.

8. A conveying system, characterized in that, Comprising: A driving device, a control device, and a robot fork as described in any one of claims 1 to 7; The driving device is connected to the robot fork and is used to drive the robot fork to move and / or rotate; The control device is respectively communicatively connected to the driving device and the robot fork. The control device is used to obtain the current information generated by the contact member, and based on the current information, drive the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device to achieve position compensation.

9. The conveying system according to claim 8, wherein, The fork body includes two fork arms, and the contact members are arranged on both of the two fork arms. The control device is respectively communicatively connected to the two fork arms to respectively obtain the current values generated by the contact members on the two fork arms.

10. The conveying system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The robot fork is used to convey the target object into a target chamber, and there is a target position in the target chamber. The control device drives the robot fork to move and / or rotate through the driving device to place the target object at the target position.

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