Manipulator with wafer offset detection function

Abstract

The utility model provides a manipulator with a wafer offset detection function, which comprises a finger piece, a first arm support, a first adjusting assembly, a reflection sensor, a second arm support and a second adjusting assembly, the first arm support and the second arm support are arranged in an overlapped mode, and two sides of the tail end of the finger piece extend to form supporting arms. The first arm support and the second arm support are connected through the supporting arms, detection ports are defined between the supporting arms, the finger pieces are connected to the front ends of the first arm support and the second arm support through the supporting arms respectively, and the reflection sensors are connected to the first arm support and the second arm support through the first adjusting assembly and the second adjusting assembly respectively, distributed in the detection ports of the finger pieces and on the outer sides of the supporting arms and basically flush with the finger pieces. The detection part of each reflection sensor is adjusted to a track position tangent to a preset outer circle size through the first adjusting assembly and the second adjusting assembly. Therefore, wafer offset detection is achieved, and meanwhile the requirement that multiple layers of mechanical arms are arranged in an overlapped mode is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a semiconductor wafer transmission technology, in particular to a robot capable of detecting wafer deviation. Background Art

[0002] Passive friction conveying is a common method for transporting semiconductor wafers. It relies primarily on the friction between the wafer and a friction block mounted on a robotic arm to stabilize the wafer's position for transport. However, friction blocks wear out over time, reducing their frictional force. Consequently, the risk of wafers slipping and breaking increases with age.

[0003] To this end, the existing technology proposes a detection scheme in which a through-beam sensor is set on the robot arm to detect the sliding range of the wafer through the through-beam sensor, and then accurately estimate the life of the friction block, so as to solve the risk of wafer slipping and improve the wafer transmission accuracy by timely replacement.

[0004] However, the existing through-beam sensor solutions still have certain defects. For example, the spacing between wafers in a traditional 12-inch 25-slot FOUP wafer box is 10 mm, and the traditional through-beam detection solution, such as Figure 1 As shown, this type of traditional through-beam sensor has a long through-beam detection distance limitation. Generally, a high platform is required to support the through-beam sensor and increase the through-beam detection distance. Therefore, it is difficult to use through-beam detection in a narrow spacing space. As a result, this type of sensor solution cannot meet the requirement of 10mm between the two-finger layers and cannot be used on multi-layer robots. Utility Model Content

[0005] Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a robot with wafer offset detection, which adopts a reflective sensing solution to achieve wafer offset detection while meeting the requirements of multi-layer robot stacking settings.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, according to one aspect of the present invention, a robot with wafer offset detection is provided, which includes: a finger piece, a first arm, a first adjustment component, a reflection sensor, a second arm, and a second adjustment component, wherein the first arm and the second arm are arranged to overlap each other, and support arms extend on both sides of the tail end of the finger piece to define a detection port between the support arms, and each of the finger pieces is connected to the front end of the first and second arms respectively through the support arms, and the reflection sensors are connected to the first and second arms respectively through the first and second adjustment components, and are distributed in the detection ports of each layer of finger pieces and on the outside of each support arm, and are basically flush with the finger pieces, wherein the detection part of each reflection sensor is adjusted to a trajectory position tangent to the preset outer circle size through the first and second adjustment components.

[0007] Preferably, a first connecting platform is provided at the first and second positions at the front end of the first arm, a first connecting port is provided at the third position, and a first frame port is provided at the fourth position. The finger member is connected to the first and second connecting platforms via a support arm, and the first adjustment component is connected to the first and second connecting platforms respectively to carry the reflection sensors extending from the first frame port and the first connection port.

[0008] Preferably, the first adjustment component includes: a first carrier, a second carrier, and an adjustment member, the adjustment member is provided with a positioning groove and an adjustment waist hole, the reflection sensor is fixed in its positioning groove, wherein the first carrier is connected to the first connecting platform, the second carrier is bridged between the first connecting platforms, and the adjustment member is respectively connected to the first and second connecting platforms by bolt adjustment through the adjustment waist hole.

[0009] Preferably, a second connecting platform extends from the first position at the front end of the second arm, a second connecting port is provided at the second position, and a second frame port is provided at the third position. The finger member is connected to the second connecting platform via the support arm, and the second adjustment component is connected to the second connecting platform to carry the reflection sensor extending from the second frame port and the second connecting port.

[0010] Preferably, the second adjustment component includes: an adjustment member, the adjustment member is provided with a positioning groove and an adjustment waist hole, the reflection sensor is fixed in the positioning groove, and the adjustment member is connected to the second connecting platform through the adjustment waist hole by bolt adjustment.

[0011] Preferably, the reflective sensors and finger members on the first arm and the second arm are arranged in symmetrical positions.

[0012] Preferably, the first and second connecting platforms are arranged at heights that allow the spacing between the finger members on the first and second arm supports to be ≤10 mm.

[0013] Preferably, the friction blocks on the finger piece are arranged on the fingertips and the palm of the finger piece, and are distributed at four points.

[0014] Preferably, a wafer detection port is further provided at the front end of the detection port of each layer of the finger member, wherein at least one reflective sensor is correspondingly arranged in the wafer detection port of each layer of the finger member.

[0015] Preferably, the detection parts of the reflective sensors in the detection ports of the finger members of each layer and on the outer sides of the support arms are respectively arranged at track positions tangent to different preset outer circle sizes.

[0016] The robot with wafer offset detection provided by the utility model cleverly sets the reflection sensor to be flush with the finger part, and uses the first and second adjustment components to adjust the position of the detection part of the reflection sensor. Therefore, it can not only support the detection of wafer offset in a narrow spacing space, making this solution possible to be implemented in a stacked manner and meeting the requirements of multi-layer robot stacking settings, but also support the adjustment of the detection part position of the reflection sensor to adapt to the offset detection of wafers of different sizes, and can automatically set the warning offset, so that the robot can support the loading and refined detection of various types of wafers, thereby improving versatility. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which constitute part of this application, are intended to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are intended to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 This is an example diagram of a robot structure for an existing through-beam detection solution in the background technology;

[0019] Figures 2 to 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the robot with wafer offset detection capability of the present invention;

[0020] Figures 5 and 6 This is a schematic diagram of the first-layer structure of the robot with wafer offset detection capability of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the finger component with wafer offset detection of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the first arm structure with wafer offset detection capability of the present invention;

[0023] Figures 9 and 10 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the first adjustment component and the reflective sensor with wafer offset detection function of the present invention;

[0024] Figures 11 to 12 This is a schematic diagram of the second-layer structure of the robot with wafer offset detection capability of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the second arm structure with wafer offset detection capability of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 14 This is a schematic structural diagram of the detection portion of the reflective sensor with wafer offset detection function of the present invention at track positions tangent to different preset outer circle sizes.

[0027] Description of Reference Numerals

[0028] Finger member 1, first arm 2, second arm 3, reflection sensor 4, support arm 11, detection port 12, wafer detection port 13, friction block 14, first connecting platform 21, first connecting port 22, first frame port 23, second connecting platform 31, second connecting port 32, second frame port 33, first group of reflection sensors 41, second group of reflection sensors 42, first supporting member 51, second supporting member 52, adjusting member 53, positioning groove 531, adjusting waist hole 532. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Generally, the components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0030] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but rather merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are also within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0032] In the description of the present utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or are the orientation or positional relationship in which the utility model product is usually placed when in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present utility model. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions.

[0033] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal," "vertical," and "overhanging" do not necessarily imply that a component must be absolutely horizontal or overhanging, but rather that it can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but rather that it can be slightly tilted.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "setting", "layout", "installation", "connection", and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be a connection between the two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in combination with the existing technology according to the specific circumstances. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict. And one or more of the components in the diagram may be necessary or non-essential, and the relative positional relationship between the components in the above diagram can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0035] In order to realize wafer offset detection and meet the requirements of multi-layer robot stacking setting, such as Figures 1 to 13 As shown, the utility model provides a robot with wafer offset detection, wherein the example exemplifies a two-layer finger structure, which includes: a finger part 1, a first arm 2, a first adjustment component, a reflection sensor 4, a second arm 3, and a second adjustment component.

[0036] Among them Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the first arm 2 and the second arm 3 are arranged in an overlapping manner. Figure 7 As shown, support arms 11 extend from both sides of the tail end of the finger piece 1 to define a detection port 12 between the support arms 11, and each of the finger pieces 1 is connected to the front end of the first and second arm frames 2 and 3 respectively through the support arms 11, and the reflection sensors 4 are connected to the first and second arm frames 2 and 3 respectively through the first and second adjustment components, and are distributed in the detection port 12 of each layer of finger pieces 1 and on the outside of each support arm 11, and are basically flush with the finger pieces 1, wherein the detection part of each reflection sensor 4 is adjusted to a trajectory position tangent to the preset outer circle size through the first and second adjustment components.

[0037] Specifically, to meet the requirements of stacking multiple layers of manipulators, the spacing between multiple layers of manipulators needs to be maintained at 10mm or less during design. For this reason, this example preferably uses an ultra-thin reflective sensor (such as the Keyence FU-F38), which is only 2.5mm thick. To further reduce the thickness of each layer of manipulator structure, this example designs the first and second arms 2 and 3 so that the reflective sensor 4 can be placed flush with the finger member 1. This ensures that the finger members 1 of the two layers of manipulators are spaced at least 10mm apart, and there is no excess structure that interferes with wafer loading and inspection.

[0038] Among them Figures 5 and 6 、 Figure 8 As shown, in this example, first connecting platforms 21 are provided at intervals at the first and second positions of the front end of the first arm 2, a first connecting port 22 is provided at the third position, and a first frame port 23 is provided at the fourth position, wherein each of the finger members 1 is connected to the first and second connecting platforms 21 and 31 respectively through the support arm 11, and the first adjustment component is connected to the first and second connecting platforms 21 and 31 respectively to carry the reflection sensor 4 extending from the first frame port 23 and the first connection port 22.

[0039] Among them Figures 9 and 10 As shown, the first adjustment component includes: a first carrier 51, a second carrier 52, and an adjustment member 53. The adjustment member 53 is provided with a positioning groove 531 and an adjustment waist hole 532. The reflection sensor 4 is fixed in its positioning groove 531, wherein the first carrier 51 is connected to the first connecting platform 21, and the second carrier 52 is bridged between the first connecting platforms 21. The adjustment member 53 is respectively connected to the first and second connecting platforms 21 and 31 through the adjustment waist hole 532.

[0040] With this setting, if Figure 5 As shown, on the first layer of the robot, a portion of the first set of reflective sensors 41 is housed in the detection port 12 of the finger piece 1, and the second set of reflective sensors 42 is disposed at both ends of the finger piece 1. This arrangement allows both sets of reflective sensors 4 to be flush with the finger piece 1, without occupying upper and lower space. Figure 14As shown, due to the adjustability of the first adjustment component and the distribution positions of each group of reflection sensors 4, the two groups of reflection sensors 4 can correspond to different arc sensing trajectories, thereby determining the position of the wafer offset on the current finger member 1. For example, when the first group of reflection sensors 41 does not detect the wafer at the same time, it means that the wafer may be offset to the right side of the figure; if the second group of reflection sensors 42 detects the wafer at the same time, it means that the wafer may be offset to the left side of the figure; in addition, if at least one side of the first and second groups of reflection sensors 41 and 42 senses the wafer at the same time, it means that the wafer may be offset to the upper or lower side of the figure. Such sensing results, after logical analysis, can realize the evaluation of the friction force of the friction blocks 14 on each side of the finger member 1.

[0041] Furthermore, in order to ensure the spacing between the finger pieces after the two layers of manipulators are stacked, as shown in FIG. Figures 11 to 13 As shown, a second connecting platform 31 extends from the first position at the front end of the second arm 3, wherein the second connecting platform 31 has a certain setting height to correspond to the first connecting platform 21, allowing the spacing between the finger pieces 1 on the first and second arm 2 and 3 to be lifted to be ≤10mm, and a second connecting port 32 is provided at the second position of the second arm 3, and a second frame port 33 is provided at the third position. The finger piece 1 is connected to the second connecting platform 31 via the support arm 11, and the second adjustment component is connected to the second connecting platform 31 to carry the reflection sensor 4 extending from the second frame port 33 and the second connecting port 32.

[0042] The second adjustment assembly includes an adjustment member 53 with a positioning slot 531 and an adjustment hole 532. The reflective sensor 4 is fixed in the positioning slot 531. The adjustment member 53 is bolted to the second connecting platform 31 via the adjustment hole 532. Under the adjustment of the adjustment member 53, the reflective sensors 4 on the first and second arms 2 and 3 are arranged symmetrically. This allows the detection portions of the reflective sensors 4 within the detection ports 12 of each layer of the finger members 1 and on the outside of each support arm 11 to support wafer offset detection at different outer diameter trajectory positions.

[0043] In addition, in an optional embodiment, in order to further detect whether the finger 1 carries a wafer, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 and Figure 11As shown, a wafer detection port 13 is further provided at the front end of the detection port 12 of the finger member 1 of each layer, wherein the wafer detection port 13 is deeper into the front end of the finger member 1 than the detection port 12, basically exceeding the maximum distance that the wafer can be offset, wherein at least one reflection sensor 4 is correspondingly arranged in the wafer detection port 13 of the finger member 1 of each layer, wherein the reflection sensor 4 is similar to the above example, on the first arm 2, the reflection sensor 4 is connected to the second supporting member 52 via the adjusting member 53, and is adjusted to penetrate into the wafer detection port 13 of the finger member 1 of this layer; and on the second arm 3, the reflection sensor 4 is connected to the second connecting platform 31 via the adjusting member 53, and is adjusted to penetrate into the wafer detection port 13 of the finger member 1 of this layer.

[0044] In addition, if Figure 7 As shown, corresponding to the layout positions of the reflection sensors 4 on the above-mentioned layers of manipulators, the friction blocks 14 on the finger parts 1 are arranged at the fingertips and palms of the finger parts 1, and are distributed at 4 points. Such a setting can facilitate the results of the reflection sensors 4 at each position to evaluate the service life of the friction blocks 14 at each position.

[0045] To sum up, the robot with wafer offset detection provided by the present invention has an ingenious structural design and is easy to install and debug. The reflection sensor 4 is designed to be flush with the finger part 1, and the first and second adjustment components are used to adjust the position of the detection part of the reflection sensor 4. Therefore, it can not only support the detection of wafer offset in a narrow spacing space, so that this solution has the possibility of stacking implementation and meets the requirements of multi-layer robot stacking settings. At the same time, it can also support the adjustment of the detection part position of the reflection sensor 4 to adapt to the offset detection of wafers of different sizes, and can automatically set the warning offset, so that the robot can support the loading and refined detection of various types of wafers, thereby improving versatility.

[0046] The preferred embodiments of the utility model disclosed above are only used to help illustrate the utility model. The preferred embodiments do not describe all the details in detail, nor do they limit the utility model to only the specific implementation methods described. Obviously, many modifications and changes can be made based on the contents of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments in order to better explain the principles and practical applications of the utility model, so that technical personnel in the relevant technical field can well understand and utilize the utility model. The utility model is only limited by the claims and their full scope and equivalents. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the utility model should be included in the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0047] In addition, the various implementations of the embodiments of the present invention may be arbitrarily combined, and as long as they do not violate the concept of the embodiments of the present invention, they should also be regarded as the contents disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot with wafer offset detection, characterized in that include: A finger piece, a first arm, a first adjustment component, a reflection sensor, a second arm, and a second adjustment component, wherein the first arm and the second arm are arranged to overlap each other, support arms extend on both sides of the tail end of the finger piece to define a detection port between the support arms, and each of the finger pieces is connected to the front end of the first and second arms respectively via support arms, and the reflection sensors are connected to the first and second arms respectively via the first and second adjustment components, and are distributed in the detection ports of each layer of finger pieces and on the outside of each support arm, and are basically flush with the finger pieces, wherein the detection part of each reflection sensor is adjusted to a trajectory position tangent to a preset outer circle size via the first and second adjustment components.

2. The robot with wafer offset detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first connecting platform is provided at the first and second positions at the front end of the first arm, a first connecting port is provided at the third position, and a first frame port is provided at the fourth position. The finger member is connected to the first and second connecting platforms via a support arm, and the first adjustment component is connected to the first and second connecting platforms respectively to carry the reflection sensor extending from the first frame port and the first connecting port.

3. The robot with wafer offset detection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first adjustment component includes: a first carrier, a second carrier, and an adjustment member. The adjustment member is provided with a positioning groove and an adjustment waist hole. The reflection sensor is fixed in its positioning groove. The first carrier is connected to the first connecting platform, and the second carrier is bridged between the first connecting platforms. The adjustment member is respectively connected to the first and second connecting platforms through the adjustment waist hole with bolts.

4. The robot with wafer shift detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second connecting platform extends at the first position of the front end of the second arm, a second connecting port is provided at the second position, and a second frame port is provided at the third position. The finger member is connected to the second connecting platform via the support arm, and the second adjustment component is connected to the second connecting platform to carry the reflection sensor extending from the second frame port and the second connecting port.

5. The robot with wafer shift detection according to claim 4, characterized in that: The second adjustment component includes an adjustment member, which is provided with a positioning groove and an adjustment waist hole. The reflection sensor is fixed in the positioning groove, wherein the adjustment member is connected to the second connecting platform through the adjustment waist hole by bolt adjustment.

6. The robot with wafer shift detection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The reflection sensors and finger members on the first arm and the second arm are arranged in symmetrical positions.

7. The robot with wafer shift detection function according to claim 4, wherein: The first and second connecting platforms are arranged at heights that allow the spacing between the finger members on the first and second arm supports to be ≤10 mm.

8. The robot with wafer shift detection function according to claim 1, wherein: The friction blocks on the finger piece are arranged on the fingertips and the palm of the finger piece and are distributed at four points.

9. The robot with wafer shift detection function according to claim 1, wherein: A wafer detection port is further provided at the front end of the detection port of the finger member of each layer, wherein at least one reflection sensor is correspondingly arranged in the wafer detection port of the finger member of each layer.

10. The robot with wafer shift detection function according to claim 1, wherein: The detection parts of the reflective sensors in the detection ports of the finger pieces of each layer and on the outer sides of each support arm are respectively arranged at track positions tangent to different preset outer circle sizes.

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