Multi-finger independent driving type mechanical arm and wafer conveying system

Abstract

The utility model discloses a multi-finger independent driving type mechanical arm which comprises a finger assembly, a driving assembly and a driving assembly. The finger assembly comprises a plurality of at least two fingers distributed at intervals in the height direction. The grading transmission assembly comprises a plurality of supports corresponding to the finger assemblies, each support comprises a first end and a second end, the first ends are arranged on the same horizontal datum plane in a coplanar mode, the second ends are located at different height levels respectively, and the second end of each support is connected with the corresponding finger; the driving assembly comprises a plurality of driving sources which are horizontally arranged on the same mounting plane side by side, and the power output ends of the driving sources are located on the same horizontal plane and are in driving connection with the first ends of the corresponding supports; the driving force of the driving source is transmitted to the fingers at different height levels through the grading transmission assembly. By the adoption of the scheme, the thickness of the multi-finger independent drive type mechanical arm is reduced under the condition that the conveying capacity is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor wafer transport equipment technology, and in particular to a multi-finger independent drive manipulator and a wafer transport system. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing and precision electronic device processing fields, wafer handling is a crucial link connecting various process units, and its level of automation and handling accuracy directly affects production yield and production line efficiency. Faced with smaller process nodes and higher cleanliness requirements, traditional manual or semi-automatic handling methods are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of modern large-scale, continuous production. As a result, automated handling robots have become a core piece of equipment widely adopted in the industry.

[0003] Most automated wafer handling robots currently on the market employ a drive structure arranged in parallel along the height direction to enable independent operation of multiple fingers. To ensure independent gripping and placement by each finger, the drive components and transmission mechanisms are often concentrated on the same mounting surface, resulting in increased overall thickness and a larger vertical space requirement, thus limiting the robot's vertical travel range and flexibility. Furthermore, the bulky structure also presents numerous inconveniences for modular integration and subsequent maintenance. In addition, as the industry's demands for collaborative handling by multi-finger robots, compact space utilization, and high-precision transmission continue to increase, existing robots struggle to maintain sufficient range of motion within limited mounting heights while simultaneously ensuring accurate power transmission and controllable positioning errors during multi-finger operations. To date, no viable solution has been found that can simultaneously meet both requirements without increasing the overall thickness.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a multi-finger independently driven robotic arm and wafer transfer system to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a multi-finger independent drive robotic arm and a wafer transfer system, so as to reduce the thickness of the multi-finger independent drive robotic arm while ensuring transfer capacity.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this utility model is as follows:

[0007] Multi-finger independently driven robotic arms, including:

[0008] A finger assembly comprising at least two fingers spaced apart along the height direction;

[0009] The graded transmission assembly includes multiple brackets corresponding to the finger assembly. Each bracket includes a first end and a second end. The multiple first ends are coplanarly disposed on the same horizontal reference plane, and the multiple second ends are respectively located at different height levels. The second end of each bracket is connected to the corresponding finger.

[0010] The drive assembly includes multiple drive sources arranged horizontally side by side on the same mounting plane, with the power output end of each drive source located on the same horizontal plane and drivenly connected to the first end of the corresponding bracket.

[0011] The driving force of the drive source is transmitted to the fingers at different height levels via the graded transmission assembly.

[0012] The advantages of the multi-finger independent drive manipulator provided by this utility model are as follows: Since all drive sources are arranged horizontally side by side on the same mounting plane, the multi-finger independent drive manipulator of this utility model avoids the stacking of drive units in the height direction, thereby significantly reducing the thickness of the mechanism; at the same time, by means of a graded transmission bracket, the power of each drive source is directly transmitted to the finger components at different heights, which not only ensures the horizontal extension and synchronous operation capability of the multi-finger at each level, but also releases a larger vertical stroke to meet the high-precision, multi-level wafer handling requirements.

[0013] Furthermore, the finger assembly includes a first finger, a second finger, and a third finger; the graded transmission assembly includes a first support, a second support, and a third support; and the drive assembly includes three sets of drive members arranged side by side along a horizontal plane.

[0014] Furthermore, the driving element includes:

[0015] The drive pulley is coaxially arranged with the power output end of the drive source;

[0016] A first idler pulley is connected to the drive pulley by a transmission belt, and the first idler pulley is connected to the drive pulley by the transmission belt.

[0017] The slide rail is arranged parallel to the drive belt described in part;

[0018] The sliding part is fixedly connected to the transmission belt and slides in cooperation with the slide rail as the transmission belt moves.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes a second idler pulley, which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the drive pulley with the first idler pulley. The drive pulley, the first idler pulley and the second idler pulley form a triangular transmission layout, so that the transmission belt forms a local parallel transmission segment in the extension direction of the slide rail, and the extension direction of the slide rail is consistent with the direction of the local parallel transmission segment.

[0020] Furthermore, it also includes a tensioning pulley that elastically abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the transmission belt, and the axial direction of the tensioning pulley is parallel to the axis of the drive pulley.

[0021] Furthermore, the sliding part includes:

[0022] The clamping block has a contoured groove that matches the cross-sectional shape of the transmission belt, and the inner and outer sides of the transmission belt are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the contoured groove.

[0023] The slider is slidably connected to the slide rail;

[0024] A movable block is fixedly connected to the slider, and the movable block is fixedly connected to the first end of the bracket.

[0025] Furthermore, the three sets of driving components are arranged side by side, with the driving source of one set of driving components located on one side, and the driving sources of the other two sets of driving components arranged side by side on the other side.

[0026] This utility model also provides a wafer transfer system, including the multi-finger independently driven robotic arm as described above, comprising:

[0027] A frame assembly forms a protective space for surrounding the multi-finger independently driven manipulator. A lifting mechanism is provided within the frame assembly for driving the multi-finger independently driven manipulator to move up and down in the height direction.

[0028] A rotation drive component, connected to the frame component, is used to drive the frame component to rotate circumferentially about its own axis;

[0029] Furthermore, the multi-finger independently driven manipulator has a retracted state, in which the multi-finger independently driven manipulator is located within the protective space, and the vertical projection area of ​​the multi-finger independently driven manipulator does not exceed the base contour of the frame assembly.

[0030] Furthermore, the frame assembly includes two opposing side covers that extend along the height direction to form guide rails; a chassis fixedly connected to the bottom of the two side covers; and a top plate fixedly connected to the top of the two side covers. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the pulley positioning and retaining component according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a dual-arm atmospheric manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the air supply status of the dual-arm atmospheric manipulator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the drive control mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the boom pulley structure of an embodiment of this utility model;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the driver structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0038] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device structure according to an embodiment of the present utility model.

[0039] Reference numerals: 1. Finger assembly; 11. First finger; 12. Second finger; 13. Third finger; 14. Wafer; 2. Hierarchical transmission assembly; 21. First support; 211. First end; 212. Second end; 22. Second support; 23. Third support; 3. Drive assembly; 31. Drive source; 32. Drive pulley; 33. First idler wheel; 331. Idler wheel fixing seat; 34. Transmission belt; 35. Slide rail; 36. Sliding part; 361. Clamping block; 362. Slider; 363. Moving block; 37. Second idler wheel; 38. Tensioner wheel; 4. Frame assembly; 41. Protective space; 42. Side cover; 43. Chassis; 44. Top plate; 5. Rotation drive assembly; 6. Mounting plate. Detailed Implementation

[0040] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which this utility model pertains. The terms "comprising" and similar expressions used herein mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed following the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or objects.

[0041] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1-8 The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described in detail below.

[0042] The embodiments of this utility model take a semiconductor wafer handling device as an example.

[0043] Firstly, such as Figures 1-2 As shown, an embodiment of this utility model provides a multi-finger independently driven robotic hand, including a finger assembly 1, a hierarchical transmission assembly 2, and a drive assembly 3.

[0044] The finger assembly 1 includes at least two fingers spaced apart along the height direction. In some specific embodiments of this invention, the finger assembly 1 includes a first finger 11, a second finger 12, and a third finger 13 sequentially distributed along the height direction. Each finger can extend and retract independently in the horizontal direction to grasp wafers 14 or carriers at different height levels. Through the staggered multi-finger design, multi-level wafers 14 can be processed in parallel within the same work cycle, improving handling concurrency; and the fingers do not interfere with each other, increasing coverage of targets at different heights and operational flexibility.

[0045] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 The graded transmission assembly 2 consists of multiple brackets corresponding to the number of fingers. The first end 211 of each bracket is located on the same horizontal plane, and the second end 212 is located at different heights. The second end 212 is connected to the corresponding finger to guide the power on the horizontal plane to each height level. The stepped structure of the brackets ensures the rigidity of the power transmission path, and the staggered arrangement of the first ends 211 of the brackets eliminates the need to stack the drive source 31 in the vertical direction, thus ensuring direct power delivery while maintaining a compact mechanism.

[0046] In some specific embodiments of this utility model, the multiple supports are respectively a first support 21, a second support 22, and a third support 23. The drive assembly 3 includes multiple drive sources 31 arranged horizontally side by side on the same mounting plane. The power output end of each drive source 31 is located on the same horizontal plane and connected to the first end 211 of the corresponding support. The number of drive sources 31 is consistent with the number of fingers. The power generated by the drive sources 31 is transmitted to fingers at different heights through the corresponding supports. The planar arrangement of the drive sources 31 eliminates the structural thickness caused by height stacking, greatly reducing the overall thickness. Each drive source 31 acts independently on the corresponding support, and the power path is clear and simple, ensuring high precision and high reliability of multi-finger synchronous operation. In other different embodiments, the number of fingers, the number of supports, and the number of drive sources 31 can be greater than three, and there is no specific limitation. The drive assembly 3 includes three sets of drive components, which are arranged side by side along the horizontal plane.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3In some embodiments of this utility model, the driving component in the driving assembly 3 includes a mounting plate 6 and multiple sets of driving components mounted on the mounting plate 6. The driving component includes a driving pulley 32, a first idler pulley 33, a transmission belt 34, a slide rail 35, and a sliding part 36. The first idler pulley 33 and the second idler pulley 37 are mounted on the idler pulley fixing seat 331. The driving pulley 32 is coaxially arranged with the power output end of the driving source 31 and is used to output rotational power. The first idler pulley 33 is located on one side of the driving pulley 32 and is connected to the driving pulley 32 through the transmission belt 34. In some embodiments, the transmission belt 34 is a double transmission belt 34. The slide rail 35 is arranged parallel to the partial transmission belt 34, and the sliding part 36 is fixedly connected to the transmission belt 34 and slides in cooperation with the slide rail 35. The specific slide rail 35 can be mounted on the driving source 31 or fixed in other positions. When the driving source 31 is started, the power is transmitted to the transmission belt 34 through the driving pulley 32 and drives the sliding part 36 to move horizontally along the slide rail 35, thereby driving the corresponding bracket to realize the extension and retraction action of the finger assembly 1. The above-mentioned transmission scheme has high transmission efficiency and sensitive response. The sliding part 36 does not require additional guidance, which helps to reduce mechanical backlash and improve motion accuracy.

[0048] Reference Figure 3 In some other embodiments of this utility model, the driving component further includes a second idler wheel 37, which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the driving pulley 32 opposite to the first idler wheel 33. The three together form a triangular transmission layout, so that the transmission belt 34 forms a local parallel transmission section in the extension direction of the slide rail 35. This layout can effectively improve the linear motion stability of the sliding part 36, reduce the vibration of the transmission belt 34, improve the repeatability of positioning accuracy, and meet the high precision requirements of multi-finger collaborative handling operations.

[0049] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some other embodiments of this utility model, the driving component further includes a tensioning pulley 38, whose axis is parallel to the axis of the driving pulley 32 and elastically abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the transmission belt 34. The tensioning pulley 38 can apply a constant elastic force to the transmission belt 34, compensating for any slack that may occur during long-term operation, thereby maintaining the system tension and preventing slippage and loss of synchronization. In specific implementations, the tensioning pulley 38 can be preloaded axially or radially by a spring assembly to ensure real-time following and active compensation during the operation of the transmission belt 34. Alternatively, an adjustable slider 362 structure can be used, allowing for manual or automatic adjustment of the tension force according to usage conditions to adapt to different operating conditions and load conditions; no limitations are imposed here.

[0050] Reference Figure 7Furthermore, in some other embodiments of this invention, to optimize the overall structural layout, an asymmetrical arrangement is adopted in the three sets of driving components. The driving source 31 of one set of driving components is arranged on one side, while the driving sources 31 of the other two sets are arranged side-by-side on the other side. This arrangement avoids the increased lateral dimension caused by placing all three sets of driving sources 31 on the same side, effectively compressing the overall lateral width of the robot. Simultaneously, due to the large mass of the driving source 31, this distribution also plays a role in torque balancing, reducing inertial impact during operation and improving the overall dynamic stability of the robot.

[0051] In some other specific embodiments of this utility model, the sliding part 36 includes a clamping block 361, a slider 362, and a moving block 363. The clamping block 361 has a contoured groove matching the cross-sectional shape of the transmission belt 34. The inner and outer sides of the transmission belt 34 are reliably connected to the inner wall of the contoured groove, thereby ensuring the contact area and ensuring that the sliding part 36 can firmly follow the movement of the transmission belt 34, preventing accuracy deviations due to relative slippage. The slider 362 is slidably connected to the slide rail 35 to ensure guiding accuracy; the moving block 363 is fixedly connected to the slider 362 and further fixedly connected to the first end 211 of the bracket, directly converting the movement of the sliding part 36 into a driving action on the bracket and finger assembly 1. Using the above scheme, the clamping block 361 achieves highly stable attachment to the transmission belt 34. Simultaneously, the height of the sliding part 36 structure in physical space is controllable, facilitating the formation of a unified mounting surface in the parallel arrangement of multiple transmission systems and reducing the thickness increase caused by stacking.

[0052] Secondly, referring to Figure 8 This utility model also provides a wafer transfer system, including the multi-finger independently driven robotic arm as described above, and a support frame system with lifting and rotation capabilities built on it to adapt to the flexible handling requirements of wafers in multi-process and multi-level spaces. Specifically, the wafer transfer system also includes: a frame assembly 4, a lifting mechanism, and a rotation drive assembly 53, which together constitute the mounting and movement platform for the robotic arm.

[0053] In some embodiments of this utility model, the frame assembly 4 is used to construct the external mounting structure and protective space 41 of the multi-finger independently driven robotic arm. Its interior forms a vertical working cavity, allowing the robotic arm to extend and perform grasping actions during operation, and to retract into the frame for protection during non-operation. In some specific embodiments, the frame assembly 4 includes two opposing side covers 42, which extend along the height direction and integrate guide rails on their inner sides to provide a rigid sliding path for the lifting mechanism. Furthermore, the frame also includes a chassis 43 connected to the bottom of the two side covers 42 and a top plate 44, which together form a closed structure to ensure the safety of the robotic arm during movement and meet the requirements for use in clean environments.

[0054] In some embodiments of this utility model, a lifting mechanism is provided inside the frame assembly 4 to achieve controllable vertical movement of the multi-finger independently driven robotic arm. This lifting mechanism can adopt a structure such as a ball screw, electric push rod, or slide rail 35, slider 362, and pulley assembly to achieve stable and precise vertical displacement. The specific lifting form is not limited. Through lifting motion, the multi-finger robotic arm can perform wafer pick-and-place operations on multiple height planes, meeting the handling needs of stacked wafer cassettes or multi-layer conveyor racks. Simultaneously, the lifting mechanism is embedded inside the frame, without affecting the overall dimensions.

[0055] In some embodiments of this invention, a rotary drive assembly 53 is also included. This assembly is installed under the bottom chassis 43 of the frame assembly 4 and can drive the entire frame assembly 4 to rotate circumferentially around a vertical axis. In spaces with densely arranged process equipment, the rotary drive capability enables the robot to flexibly switch between multiple process stations, storage units, or buffer zones, significantly improving the efficiency of collaboration between equipment.

[0056] In some other specific embodiments of this utility model, in order to improve the spatial safety and adaptability of the system during rotation, in some embodiments of this utility model, the multi-finger independently driven manipulator is defined to have a retracted state and an extended state, such as... Figure 1 This refers to the finger retracted position, such as... Figure 5 The image shows the robot arm in its extended position. In the retracted position, the entire robot arm is located within the protective space 41 constructed by the frame assembly 4, and its vertical projection area is completely enveloped within the base contour of the frame. This structural design effectively prevents collisions and interference between the robot arm and surrounding equipment, fixtures, or conveyor paths when the frame rotates, making it particularly suitable for the space-constrained semiconductor manufacturing environment.

[0057] In summary, by arranging all drive sources 31 horizontally side by side on the same mounting plane, this utility model's multi-finger independently driven manipulator avoids the stacking of drive units in the height direction, thus significantly reducing the thickness of the mechanism. At the same time, by using a graded transmission bracket to directly transmit the power of each drive source 31 to the finger components 1 at different heights, it not only ensures the horizontal extension and synchronous operation capabilities of the multi-finger at various levels, but also releases a larger vertical stroke to meet the high-precision, multi-level wafer handling requirements.

[0058] Although the embodiments of this utility model have been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. However, it should be understood that such modifications and variations fall within the scope and spirit of this utility model as described in the claims. Moreover, the utility model described herein may have other embodiments and can be implemented or realized in various ways.

Claims

1. A multi-finger independently driven robotic arm, characterized in that, include: The finger assembly (1) includes at least two fingers spaced apart along the height direction; The graded transmission assembly (2) includes a plurality of brackets corresponding to the finger assembly (1). Each bracket includes a first end (211) and a second end (212). The plurality of first ends (211) are coplanarly disposed on the same horizontal reference plane, and the plurality of second ends (212) are respectively located at different height levels. The second end (212) of each bracket is connected to the corresponding finger. The drive assembly (3) includes multiple drive sources (31) arranged horizontally side by side on the same mounting plane, with the power output end of each drive source (31) located on the same horizontal plane and drivenly connected to the first end (211) of the corresponding bracket; The driving force of the driving source (31) is transmitted to the fingers at different height levels via the graded transmission assembly (2).

2. The multi-finger independently driven robotic arm according to claim 1, characterized in that, The finger assembly (1) includes a first finger (11), a second finger (12) and a third finger (13), the graded transmission assembly (2) includes a first bracket (21), a second bracket (22) and a third bracket (23), and the drive assembly (3) includes three sets of drive members arranged side by side along the horizontal plane.

3. The multi-finger independently driven robotic arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, The driving component includes: The drive pulley (32) is coaxially arranged with the power output end of the drive source (31); A transmission belt (34) is provided between the first idler pulley (33) and the drive pulley (32), and the first idler pulley (33) is connected to the drive pulley (32) through the transmission belt (34); The slide rail (35) is arranged parallel to the partially described transmission belt (34); The sliding part (36) is fixedly connected to the transmission belt (34) and slides in cooperation with the slide rail (35) as the transmission belt (34) moves.

4. The multi-finger independently driven robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, It also includes a second idler wheel (37), which is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the drive pulley (32) with the first idler wheel (33). The drive pulley (32), the first idler wheel (33) and the second idler wheel (37) form a triangular transmission layout, so that the transmission belt (34) forms a local parallel transmission section in the extension direction of the slide rail (35). The extension direction of the slide rail (35) is consistent with the direction of the local parallel transmission section.

5. The multi-finger independently driven robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that, It also includes a tensioning pulley (38) that elastically abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the transmission belt (34), and the axial direction of the tensioning pulley (38) is parallel to the axis of the drive pulley (32).

6. The multi-finger independently driven robotic arm according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sliding part (36) includes: The clamping block (361) has a contoured groove that matches the cross-sectional shape of the transmission belt (34), and the inner and outer sides of the transmission belt (34) are fixedly connected to the inner wall of the contoured groove. The slider (362) is slidably connected to the slide rail (35); The movable block (363) is fixedly connected to the slider (362), and the movable block (363) is fixedly connected to the first end (211) of the bracket.

7. The multi-finger independently driven robotic arm according to claim 4, characterized in that, The three sets of driving components are arranged side by side, with the driving source (31) of one set of driving components located on one side, and the driving sources (31) of the other two sets of driving components arranged side by side on the other side.

8. A wafer transfer system, comprising a multi-finger independently driven robotic arm as described in any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: The frame assembly (4) forms a protective space (41) for surrounding the multi-finger independent drive manipulator. The frame assembly (4) is provided with a lifting mechanism for driving the multi-finger independent drive manipulator to move up and down in the height direction. The rotation drive assembly (5) (3) is connected to the frame assembly (4) and is used to drive the frame assembly (4) to rotate circumferentially around its own axis.

9. The wafer transfer system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The multi-finger independent drive manipulator has a retracted state. In the retracted state, the multi-finger independent drive manipulator is located within the protective space (41), and the vertical projection area of ​​the multi-finger independent drive manipulator does not exceed the base contour of the frame assembly (4).

10. The wafer transfer system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The frame assembly (4) includes two opposing side covers (42) that extend along the height direction to form guide rails; a chassis (43) fixedly connected to the bottom of the two side covers (42); and a top plate (44) fixedly connected to the top of the two side covers (42).

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