Substrate transfer robot and control method of the same

Abstract

To provide a substrate transfer robot which may properly adjust an inclination between a substrate placement part on which a substrate is placed and a substrate holding hand regardless of whether or not a substrate is placed on the substrate placement part, and to provide a control method of the substrate transfer robot.SOLUTION: A substrate transfer robot 100 includes: a substrate holding hand 10 which holds a substrate W; a tilt mechanism 30 which adjusts an inclination of the substrate holding hand 10; a detection part which detects a substrate placement part 103; and a control unit 50 which causes the tilt mechanism 30 to operate to adjust a relative inclination between the substrate placement part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 based on a detection result of the substrate placement part 103 by the detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transport robot and a method for controlling a substrate transport robot. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, substrate transport robots are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a robot for transporting substrates. The robot described in Patent Document 1 includes a substrate detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a substrate. The substrate detection unit is disposed in a robot hand that holds the substrate. Before removing the substrate from a substrate storage device and transporting it, the robot described in Patent Document 1 detects the substrate with the substrate detection unit, thereby inspecting the inclination of the substrate relative to the robot hand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-43554 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, although not described in the above Patent Document 1, the substrate storage device as a substrate placement unit may have a different inclination with respect to the robot hand, which is a substrate holding hand that holds the substrate, between a state in which the substrate is placed and a state in which the substrate is not placed, due to the weight of the substrate. In that case, even if the inclination of the substrate holding hand is adjusted based on the detected inclination by detecting the inclination of the substrate placed on the substrate placement unit with respect to the substrate holding hand as in the robot described in the above Patent Document 1, the inclination of the substrate holding hand with respect to the substrate placement unit is not appropriately adjusted due to the degree of inclination of the substrate placement unit changing depending on the presence or absence of the substrate. As a result, when a loading operation is performed to load a substrate into the substrate placement unit, a deviation occurs in the inclination between the loaded substrate and the substrate placement unit. Therefore, it is desired to appropriately adjust the inclination between the substrate placement unit on which the substrate is placed and the substrate holding hand, regardless of the presence or absence of a substrate on the substrate placement unit.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and one object of this disclosure is to provide a substrate transport robot and a control method for a substrate transport robot that are capable of appropriately adjusting the tilt between a substrate mounting part on which a substrate is placed and a substrate holding hand, regardless of whether or not there is a substrate on the substrate mounting part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A substrate transport robot according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a substrate holding hand that holds a substrate to be placed on a substrate mounting portion, a tilt adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt of the substrate holding hand, a detection unit that detects the substrate mounting portion, and a control unit that adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting portion and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate mounting portion by the detection unit.

[0007] As described above, the substrate transport robot according to the first aspect of this disclosure includes a control unit that adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate placement part by the detection unit. This makes it possible to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate placement part, regardless of the presence or absence of a substrate. As a result, it is possible to appropriately adjust the tilt between the substrate placement part on which a substrate is placed and the substrate holding hand, regardless of the presence or absence of a substrate on the substrate placement part.

[0008] A control method for a substrate transport robot according to a second aspect of this disclosure obtains detection results of a substrate mounting portion on which a substrate is placed, and adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting portion and the substrate holding hand by operating a tilt adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt of the substrate holding hand that holds the substrate placed on the substrate mounting portion based on the detection results of the substrate mounting portion.

[0009] As described above, the control method for a substrate transport robot according to a second aspect of the disclosure adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part and the substrate holding hand by operating a tilt adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt of the substrate holding hand that holds a substrate mounted on the substrate mounting part based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part. This makes it possible to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part, regardless of the presence or absence of a substrate. As a result, it is possible to provide a control method for a substrate transport robot that can appropriately adjust the tilt between the substrate mounting part on which a substrate is mounted and the substrate holding hand, regardless of the presence or absence of a substrate on the substrate mounting part. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, the inclination between the substrate mounting part on which the substrate is placed and the substrate holding hand can be appropriately adjusted regardless of the presence or absence of a substrate on the substrate mounting part. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a substrate transport robot according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a tilt mechanism according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tilt mechanism taken along the vertical direction. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining a detection unit in the substrate holding hand. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of a substrate transport robot. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams for explaining detection of a holding member at a plurality of positions in the up-down direction. [Figure 7] 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining detection of a holding member from a plurality of approach directions. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining detection of a substrate placed on a substrate placement part. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart illustrating a control method for a substrate transport robot according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a substrate transport robot according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining detection of a holding member based on a captured image. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining detection of a substrate based on a captured image. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view for explaining a substrate holding hand according to a first modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining a substrate holding hand according to a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] [First embodiment] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The configuration of a substrate transport robot 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 8. In the following, two directions perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane are defined as the X direction and the Y direction, respectively. Also, the up-down direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane (XY plane) is defined as the Z direction.

[0014] (Configuration of the substrate transport robot) 1, a substrate transport robot 100 is disposed in a heat treatment apparatus 101. In the heat treatment apparatus 101, the substrate transport robot 100 performs a transport operation of a substrate W between a FOUP 102 (Front Opening Unified Pod) and a substrate placement part 103. The transport operation by the substrate transport robot 100 includes both the loading of the substrate W placed in the FOUP 102 into the substrate placement part 103 and the unloading of the substrate W from the substrate placement part 103 to the FOUP 102. In other words, the transport operation by the substrate transport robot 100 includes the operation of placing the substrate W on the substrate placement part 103 and the operation of removing the substrate W placed on the substrate placement part 103.

[0015] The FOUP 102 is a substrate storage container in which a plurality of substrates W are stored. The substrate placement portion 103 is disposed in the heat treatment device 101, and a plurality of substrates W are placed thereon. In the heat treatment device 101, a heat treatment is performed on the plurality of substrates W placed on the substrate placement portion 103. The substrate placement portion 103 has a columnar holding member 103a that holds the plurality of substrates W aligned along the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. Three holding members 103a are disposed on the substrate placement portion 103 so as to extend along the Z direction. The peripheral portion of each of the plurality of substrates W is held by each of the plurality of claws disposed on the holding member 103a, so that the plurality of substrates W are aligned along the Z direction on the substrate placement portion 103 with their main surfaces facing each other. The substrate W is a semiconductor wafer having a disk-like shape. The substrate W is formed of, for example, silicon, germanium, or quartz glass.

[0016] The substrate transport robot 100 includes a substrate holding hand 10, a drive mechanism 20, and a control unit 50. The drive mechanism 20 includes a blade holding unit 21, a horizontal movement mechanism 22, a rotation mechanism 23, an attachment unit 24, and a lifting mechanism 25. In the substrate transport robot 100 according to the first embodiment, a tilt mechanism 30 is disposed in the drive mechanism 20. The tilt mechanism 30 is an example of an inclination adjustment mechanism.

[0017] The substrate holding hand 10 has a plurality of blade members 11 each having a bifurcated tip. The substrate holding hand 10 holds the substrate W by the plurality of bifurcated blade members 11. In the substrate holding hand 10, the blade members 11 are arranged side by side in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. For example, two, five, six, thirteen, or N of the plurality of blade members 11 are arranged. N is an integer of two or more. Each of the plurality of blade members 11 holds one substrate W. The substrate holding hand 10 is a passive hand that holds the substrate W by placing the substrate W on the upper surface of the plate-like blade member 11 having a bifurcated shape in the Z direction. The substrate holding hand 10 moves by the operation of a drive mechanism 20.

[0018] The blade holding unit 21 is connected to the base end of the blade members 11 on the opposite side to the two divided tip ends. The horizontal movement mechanism 22 has a support 22a extending in the horizontal direction. The blade holding unit 21 is attached to the support 22a of the horizontal movement mechanism 22 and moves horizontally relative to the support 22a. The horizontal movement mechanism 22 moves the substrate holding hand 10 together with the blade holding unit 21 in the horizontal direction. The horizontal movement mechanism 22 switches between an operation of moving the multiple blade members 11 of the substrate holding hand 10 together in the horizontal direction and an operation of moving the lowest one of the multiple blade members 11 in the horizontal direction. The turning mechanism 23 has a rotating shaft unit 23a extending in the Z direction. The supporting body 22a is attached to the rotating shaft unit 23a. The turning mechanism 23 rotates the substrate holding hand 10 together with the supporting body 22a and the blade holding unit 21 in the rotation direction around the Z direction around the rotating shaft unit 23a. The rotating shaft portion 23a is rotated by a motor 23b, which will be described later.

[0019] The tilt mechanism 30 adjusts the inclination of the substrate holding hand 10. The tilt mechanism 30 is disposed between the support 22a and the mounting portion 24. The tilt mechanism 30 tilts the attitude of the substrate holding hand 10 by changing the inclination of the support 22a of the horizontal movement mechanism 22, the blade holding portion 21, and the substrate holding hand 10 relative to the mounting portion 24. That is, the tilt mechanism 30 changes the inclination of the substrate holding hand 10 by changing the inclination of the support 22a and the blade holding portion 21. In addition, the rotation shaft portion 23a is attached to the tilt mechanism 30. The lifting mechanism 25 has a support 25a extending in the Z direction, and the mounting portion 24 is attached to the support 25a. The lifting mechanism 25 moves the mounting portion 24 in the Z direction. That is, the lifting mechanism 25 raises and lowers the substrate holding hand 10 in the Z direction together with the mounting portion 24, the tilt mechanism 30, the rotation mechanism 23, the horizontal movement mechanism 22, and the blade holding portion 21.

[0020] <Tilt mechanism details> As shown in FIG. 2, the tilt mechanism 30 has a plate-shaped lower member 31 arranged below the mounting portion 24 in the Z direction, and an upper member 32 arranged opposite the lower member 31 in the Z direction, which is the up-down direction. The lower member 31 is attached to the mounting portion 24. A support 22a is attached to the upper member 32 via a rotating shaft portion 23a. The support 22a rotates around the rotating shaft portion 23a as an axis of rotation. The tilt mechanism 30 also has three spherical plain bearings 33, 34, and 35 arranged at different positions between the lower member 31 and the upper member 32 when viewed from the Z direction, which is the up-down direction.

[0021] The spherical plain bearing 35 is disposed at the tip of an imaginary center line L that extends from the base end to the tip through the center in the X direction, which is the width direction of the tilt mechanism 30. The spherical plain bearings 33 and 34 are each disposed closer to the base end of the substrate transport robot 100 than the spherical plain bearing 35. Moreover, the spherical plain bearings 33 and 34 are each disposed so as to be line-symmetrical with respect to the imaginary center line L as the axis of symmetry, as viewed from the Z direction. The spherical plain bearings 33 and 34 are disposed at the same height position, higher than the spherical plain bearing 35.

[0022] 3, the spherical plain bearing 35 has an inner ring 35a and an outer ring 35b. The outer ring 35b of the spherical plain bearing 35 is attached to the lower member 31 via an intermediate member 35c, and the inner ring 35a is attached to the upper member 32 via a bolt 35d. The tilt mechanism 30 has two height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37 arranged corresponding to two of the spherical plain bearings 33 and 34 out of the three spherical plain bearings 33, 34, and 35. It should be noted that no height position adjustment mechanism is arranged for the spherical plain bearing 35.

[0023] The spherical plain bearing 33 has an inner ring 33a and an outer ring 33b. The inner ring 33a of the spherical plain bearing 33 is attached to the lower member 31 via the intermediate member 33c and the height position adjustment mechanism 36, and the outer ring 33b is attached to the upper member 32. The height position adjustment mechanism 36 has a male screw member 36a and a female screw member 36b. The male screw member 36a is screwed into the female screw member 36b and rotated by a motor 36c described later. The female screw member 36b moves in the Z direction as the male screw member 36a rotates. The female screw member 36b is fitted into the inner hole of the inner ring 33a and attached to the upper member 32 via the spherical plain bearing 33. The height position of the upper member 32 is changed as the female screw member 36b moves in the Z direction.

[0024] The spherical plain bearing 34 has the same configuration as the spherical plain bearing 33. That is, the spherical plain bearing 34 has an inner ring 34a and an outer ring 34b. The inner ring 34a of the spherical plain bearing 34 is attached to the lower member 31 via the intermediate member 34c and the height position adjustment mechanism 37, and the outer ring 34b is attached to the upper member 32. The height position adjustment mechanism 37 has the same configuration as the height position adjustment mechanism 36. That is, the height position adjustment mechanism 37 has a male screw member 37a and a female screw member 37b. The male screw member 37a is screwed into the female screw member 37b and rotated by a motor 37c described later. The female screw member 37b moves in the Z direction by rotating the male screw member 37a. In addition, the female screw member 37b is fitted into the inner hole of the inner ring 34a and attached to the upper member 32 via the spherical plain bearing 34. By moving the female screw member 37b in the Z direction, the height position of the upper member 32 is changed.

[0025] The inclination of upper member 32 relative to lower member 31 is changed by changing the height position of upper member 32 by at least one of height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37. Changing the inclination of upper member 32 relative to lower member 31 changes the inclination of support 22a relative to mounting portion 24, thereby tilting the attitude of substrate holding hand 10. Furthermore, when tilting upper member 32 by changing the height position of upper member 32, upper member 32 is tilted while the outer ring of spherical plain bearing 33, 34 or 35 is sliding on the surface of the inner ring, so that upper member 32 can be tilted without being distorted.

[0026] Configuration of the detection unit and control unit As shown in FIG. 4, in the first embodiment, the substrate transport robot 100 includes a detection unit 40. The detection unit 40 is disposed in the substrate holding hand 10, and is a photoelectric sensor including an irradiation unit 41 that irradiates detection light LT and a light receiving unit 42 that detects the detection light LT irradiated by the irradiation unit 41. The irradiation unit 41 has a light emitting element such as a laser diode or an LED (Light-Emitting Diode). The light receiving unit 42 has a light receiving element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, or a photodiode. The irradiation unit 41 and the light receiving unit 42 of the detection unit 40 are disposed at each of the two divided tip portions of the blade member 11 having a bifurcated shape in the substrate holding hand 10. The detection unit 40 is a mapping sensor that detects the presence or absence of a substrate W by detecting whether or not the detection light LT irradiated from one of the two divided tip portions of the blade member 11 having a bifurcated shape in the substrate holding hand 10 to the other is blocked. For example, the detection unit 40 detects the substrate W placed on each of the FOUP 102 and the substrate placement part 103 by detecting whether the detection light LT is blocked or not. The detection unit 40 is disposed on the lowest blade member 11 of the plurality of blade members 11 arranged in the vertical direction in the substrate holding hand 10. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates only the lowest one of the plurality of blade members 11 in the substrate holding hand 10. In the first embodiment, the detection unit 40 detects the shape of the substrate placement part 103 by irradiating the detection light LT. Specifically, the detection unit 40 detects the substrate placement part 103 in a state in which the substrate W is not placed thereon. The detection unit 40 detects a columnar holding member 103a extending in the vertical direction in the substrate placement part 103. The detection unit 40 outputs a detection signal indicating the detection result of whether the detection light LT is blocked or not to the control unit 50.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 50 controls the operation of each unit of the substrate transport robot 100. Specifically, the control unit 50 controls the horizontal movement mechanism 22, the turning mechanism 23, the lifting mechanism 25, and the tilt mechanism 30 to control the transport operation of the substrate transport robot 100. Specifically, the horizontal movement mechanism 22, the turning mechanism 23, the lifting mechanism 25, the height position adjustment mechanism 36, and the height position adjustment mechanism 37 are provided with motors 22b, 23b, 25b, 36c, and 37c as driving sources, respectively. The control unit 50 controls the motors 22b, 23b, 25b, 36c, and 37c to control the transport operation of the substrate W by the substrate transport robot 100. Each of the motors 22b, 23b, 25b, 36c, and 37c is a servo motor. The control unit 50 also acquires a detection signal from the detection unit 40.

[0028] The control unit 50 includes a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memories such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device such as a hard disk. The control unit 50 executes control processing by the calculation device based on programs and parameters stored in the storage device. The control unit 50 also includes a main CPU that controls the overall operation of the substrate transport robot 100, and a servo CPU that controls the current supplied to the drive sources including the motors 22b, 23b, 25b, 36c, and 37c.

[0029] The control unit 50 adjusts the tilt of the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30. For example, when the substrate transport robot 100 is installed or during periodic maintenance, the control unit 50 executes a tilt setting operation for setting a setting value for operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on a detection signal from the detection unit 40. The control unit 50 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by the tilt setting operation.

[0030] <Tilt setting operation> The control unit 50 performs a transport operation of the substrate W with respect to the substrate placement unit 103, including a carry-in operation and a carry-out operation, in a state in which the tilt mechanism 30 sets the tilt of the substrate holding hand 10 to a predetermined value based on a preset value set by the tilt setting operation. In the tilt setting operation, in the first embodiment, the control unit 50 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection result of the substrate placement unit 103 by the detection unit 40. Specifically, the control unit 50 acquires the shape of the columnar holding member 103a of the substrate placement unit 103 detected by the detection unit 40 as the detection result. In order to eliminate the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10, the control unit 50 adjusts the tilt of the blade holding unit 21 with respect to the attachment unit 24 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection result by the detection unit 40, thereby adjusting the relative tilt of the substrate holding hand 10 with respect to the substrate placement unit 103. Based on the detection result by the detection unit 40, the control unit 50 adjusts the tilt of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 by using the height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37. In this way, the control unit 50 makes an adjustment to eliminate the relative tilt of the substrate holding hand 10 relative to the substrate placement unit 103. For example, when the magnitude of the relative tilt of the substrate holding hand 10 relative to the substrate placement unit 103 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 50 sets a setting value for operating the tilt mechanism 30 so that the magnitude of the tilt becomes smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 6, in the tilt setting operation, the control unit 50 sets the setting value of the tilt mechanism 30 in the loading operation of the substrate W. In the tilt setting operation in the loading operation, the control unit 50 moves the substrate holding hand 10 to approach the holding member 103a along the XY plane, and acquires the timing at which the detection light LT is blocked by the holding member 103a of the substrate placing unit 103 based on the detection result from the detection unit 40 that detects the substrate placing unit 103 in a state in which the substrate W is not placed. As a result, the control unit 50 detects the position of the holding member 103a of the substrate placing unit 103 in the approach direction in which the substrate holding hand 10 is brought closer. Note that FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which the X direction is the approach direction. In addition, the detection unit 40 detects the columnar holding member 103a extending along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction, at five different positions in the up-down direction. The control unit 50 obtains five detection results obtained by the detection unit 40 at five mutually different positions of the columnar holding member 103a in the Z direction, which is the up-down direction.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 50 moves the substrate holding hand 10 close to the holding member 103a from a plurality of approaching directions different from each other at each of five different positions in the vertical direction. That is, the control unit 50 moves the substrate holding hand 10 close to the holding member 103a while changing the moving direction of the substrate holding hand 10 in the XY plane to a plurality of approaching directions, thereby acquiring the detection result from the detection unit 40 in each of the plurality of approaching directions. The control unit 50 acquires the shape of the substrate placement unit 103 based on the detection result from the detection unit 40 in each of the plurality of approaching directions. Specifically, the control unit 50 acquires the position of the holding member 103a in the XY plane by acquiring the detection result of the detection of the columnar holding member 103a by the detection unit 40 in each of the plurality of approaching directions. The control unit 50 acquires the three-dimensional shape of the holding member 103a by acquiring the position of the holding member 103a in the XY plane based on the detection result of the detection unit 40 at each of five different positions in the vertical direction. For example, the control unit 50 obtains the positions of the holding member 103a on the XY plane at five positions in the vertical direction, and calculates the shape of the holding member 103a by approximating it to a curve.

[0033] In this way, the control unit 50 acquires the relative inclination of the holding member 103a of the substrate placement unit 103 with respect to the substrate holding hand 10 from the acquired shape of the holding member 103a based on the five detection results from the detection unit 40. The control unit 50 acquires a setting value of the adjustment amount of the inclination by the tilt mechanism 30 based on the acquired relative inclination of the substrate placement unit 103 with respect to the substrate holding hand 10. For example, the control unit 50 sets the operation of the tilt mechanism 30 so that the surface on the upper side in the Z direction of the blade member 11, which is the surface on which the substrate W is placed in the substrate holding hand 10, and the placement surface on which the substrate W is placed in the substrate placement unit 103 are parallel to each other. That is, the control unit 50 operates the tilt mechanism 30 in the transport operation of the substrate W so that the substrate W held by the substrate holding hand 10 and the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103 are parallel to each other. The set value of the amount of tilt adjustment by the tilt mechanism 30 may be changed depending on the position of the holding member 103a in the up-down direction, or may be a fixed value.

[0034] The setting value of the tilt mechanism 30 set by the tilt setting operation is stored in the storage device by the control unit 50. For example, the control unit 50 stores the setting values ​​of the height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37 of the tilt mechanism 30 in the operation of loading the substrate W as the adjustment result of the tilt mechanism 30 in the tilt setting operation. The control unit 50 loads the substrate W held by the substrate holding hand 10 into the substrate loading part 103 in a state in which the relative tilt between the substrate loading part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 has been adjusted by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection result of the substrate loading part 103 in a state in which the substrate W is not placed thereon.

[0035] 8, the control unit 50 sets a setting value of the tilt mechanism 30 in the unloading operation of the substrate W in the tilt setting operation. In the tilt setting operation in the unloading operation, the detection unit 40 detects the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103. The control unit 50 moves the substrate holding hand 10 to approach the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103 along the XY plane, and detects the relative tilt of the substrate W with respect to the substrate holding hand 10 based on the detection result of the substrate W by the detection unit 40. For example, the control unit 50 moves the substrate holding hand 10 in the vertical direction after approaching the substrate W with the detection light LT blocked by the substrate W. The control unit 50 detects the relative tilt of the substrate W in the roll direction with the approach direction of the substrate holding hand 10 as the rotation axis by comparing the vertical width of the region where the detected detection light LT is blocked with the vertical width of the actual substrate W. The control unit 50 detects the inclination of the substrate W in a plurality of directions by bringing the substrate holding hand 10 close to the substrate W from a plurality of different approaching directions, similar to the detection of the inclination of the holding member 103a of the substrate placement unit 103. The control unit 50 also detects the inclination of the substrate W at each of five different positions in the vertical direction, similar to the detection of the inclination of the holding member 103a of the substrate placement unit 103. In this manner, the control unit 50 obtains the relative inclination of the substrate holding hand 10 with respect to the substrate W. Then, the control unit 50 sets the operation of the tilt mechanism 30 so that the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103 in the unloading operation and the surface on which the substrate W is placed in the substrate holding hand 10 are parallel to each other. The set value of the inclination adjustment amount by the tilt mechanism 30 in the unloading operation may be changed according to the position of the substrate placement unit 103 in the vertical direction, similar to the loading operation, or may be a constant value.

[0036] In this manner, the setting value for the unloading operation of the tilt mechanism 30 is set by the control unit 50 through the tilt setting operation for the unloading operation and stored in the storage device. The control unit 50 operates the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection result of the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103 by the detection unit 40, thereby unloading the substrate W from the substrate placement unit 103 in a state in which the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 has been adjusted.

[0037] (Method of controlling substrate transport robot) A control method for the substrate transport robot 100 in the first embodiment will be described based on a flowchart with reference to Fig. 9. The control process from step S1 to step S5 is executed by the control unit 50.

[0038] First, in step S1, the tilt adjustment operation is started, and a detection result is obtained by detecting the substrate mounting part 103. Specifically, the tilt adjustment operation in the load operation is started, and a detection result is obtained by detecting the columnar holding member 103a extending in the vertical direction in the substrate mounting part 103 in a state where the substrate W is not placed thereon, at least three different positions in the vertical direction, that is, five positions.

[0039] Next, in step S2, the tilt mechanism 30 is operated based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part 103 to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10. Specifically, the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 is adjusted based on the detection result in which the columnar holding members 103a of the substrate mounting part 103 are detected at five different positions in the vertical direction. That is, the relative tilt of the substrate mounting part 103 with respect to the substrate holding hand 10 is acquired based on the detection results at the five positions acquired in step S1, and the setting value of the tilt mechanism 30 at which the acquired tilt is eliminated is stored as the setting value for the load operation.

[0040] Next, in step S3, the tilt adjustment operation in the unloading operation is started, and a detection result is obtained in which the substrate W placed on the substrate placement part 103 is detected by the detection part 40. As in step S1, a detection result is obtained in which the substrate W is detected at five positions, which are at least three mutually different positions in the vertical direction.

[0041] Next, in step S4, the tilt mechanism 30 is operated to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10, based on the detection results of the substrate W. As in step S2, the relative tilt of the substrate mounting part 103 on which the substrate W is placed with respect to the substrate holding hand 10 is obtained based on the five detection results obtained in step S3, and the setting value of the tilt mechanism 30 that eliminates the obtained tilt is stored as the setting for the unloading operation.

[0042] Then, in step S5, the tilt mechanism 30 is operated using the set value that has been set, and the transport operation of the substrate W, including the loading and unloading operations, is performed with the relative inclination of the substrate mounting portion 103 with respect to the substrate holding hand 10 adjusted.

[0043] [Effects of the first embodiment] The substrate transport robot 100 includes a control unit 50 that adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating a tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part 103 by the detection unit 40. This makes it possible to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part 103, regardless of the presence or absence of the substrate W. As a result, it is possible to appropriately adjust the tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 on which the substrate W is mounted and the substrate holding hand 10, regardless of the presence or absence of the substrate W on the substrate mounting part 103.

[0044] The detection unit 40 detects the substrate placement unit 103 in a state where the substrate W is not placed thereon. The control unit 50 operates the tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate placement unit 103 in a state where the substrate W is not placed thereon, and then loads the substrate W held by the substrate holding hand 10 into the substrate placement unit 103 in a state where the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 is adjusted. This allows the tilt mechanism 30 to be operated based on the detection result of detecting the substrate placement unit 103 before the substrate W is placed thereon to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10, so that when the substrate W is loaded into the substrate placement unit 103, the tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0045] The detection unit 40 detects the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103. The control unit 50 operates the tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103 by the detection unit 40, thereby adjusting the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10, and then carries the substrate W out of the substrate placement unit 103. Here, in the substrate placement unit 103 on which the substrate W is placed, it may be difficult for the detection unit 40 to detect the substrate placement unit 103 due to physical interference of the placed substrate W. In contrast, in the first embodiment, the detection unit 40 detects the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103. As a result, the tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 in the substrate W carrying-out operation can be appropriately adjusted based on the detection result of the detection of the substrate W. As a result, the inclination between the substrate mounting portion 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10 can be appropriately adjusted both in the unloading operation of unloading the substrate W from the substrate mounting portion 103 and in the loading operation of loading the substrate W into the substrate mounting portion 103.

[0046] The detection unit 40 detects the shape of the substrate mounting part 103. The control unit 50 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism based on the shape of the substrate mounting part 103 detected by the detection unit 40. In this way, by detecting the shape of the substrate mounting part 103, the relative tilt of the substrate mounting part 103 with respect to the substrate holding hand 10 can be easily detected. As a result, the tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 on which the substrate W is mounted and the substrate holding hand 10 can be easily and appropriately adjusted.

[0047] The detection unit 40 is disposed in the substrate holding hand 10, and detects the shape of the substrate mounting part 103 by irradiating it with detection light LT. This allows the shape of the substrate mounting part 103 to be detected by the detection unit 40, which has a relatively simple configuration for irradiating detection light LT, and thus makes it possible to suppress the complexity of the device configuration. Furthermore, by detecting the shape of the substrate mounting part 103 by a common detection unit 40 that detects the presence or absence of the substrate W by irradiating detection light LT as in the first embodiment, it is possible to further suppress the complexity of the device configuration compared to the case where a configuration for detecting the substrate mounting part 103 is provided separately from the detection unit 40 that detects the presence or absence of the substrate W.

[0048] The detection unit 40 detects the columnar holding members 103a extending in the vertical direction in the substrate placement unit 103 having the columnar holding members 103a for holding a plurality of substrates W aligned in the vertical direction. The control unit 50 adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 based on the detection result of the detection of the columnar holding members 103a by the detection unit 40. In this way, by detecting the columnar holding members 103a extending in the vertical direction, the inclination of the substrate placement unit 103 with respect to the vertical direction can be easily detected. Therefore, by adjusting the relative inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 based on the detection result of the holding members 103a, the inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10 can be easily and appropriately adjusted.

[0049] The detection unit 40 detects the columnar holding member 103a extending in the vertical direction at at least three different positions in the vertical direction. The control unit 50 adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 based on at least three (five) detection results of the detection unit 40 detecting the columnar holding member 103a at at least three (five) different positions in the vertical direction. As a result, even if the inclination degree of the holding member 103a extending in the vertical direction differs depending on the position in the vertical direction, the holding member 103a can be detected so as to correspond to the difference in the inclination degree of the holding member 103a extending in the vertical direction by detecting the holding member 103a at least three positions in the vertical direction. Therefore, the relative inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 can be adjusted so as to correspond to the difference in the inclination degree of the holding member 103a. As a result, the inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10 can be adjusted more appropriately.

[0050] The tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism includes a lower member 31, an upper member 32 arranged facing the lower member 31 in the vertical direction, three spherical plain bearings 33, 34, and 35 arranged at different positions from each other when viewed in the vertical direction between the lower member 31 and the upper member 32, and two height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37 provided corresponding to the spherical plain bearings 33 and 34, which are two of the three spherical plain bearings 33, 34, and 35. The control unit 50 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by adjusting the tilt of the upper member 32 with respect to the lower member 31 using the height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37 based on the detection result by the detection unit 40. This allows the relative inclination between the substrate mounting portion 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 to be adjusted using the three spherical plain bearings 33, 34, and 35 and the two height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37 without distorting the lower member 31 and the upper member 32 relative to each other, thereby more appropriately adjusting the inclination between the substrate mounting portion 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10.

[0051] The substrate holding hand 10 includes a plurality of blade members 11 each holding a substrate W. The substrate transport robot 100 includes a blade holding unit 21 to which the plurality of blade members 11 are connected. The control unit 50 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by adjusting the tilt of the blade holding unit 21 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result by the detection unit 40. This allows the tilt of the blade holding unit 21 to be connected to the plurality of blade members 11 to be adjusted collectively by adjusting the tilt of the blade holding unit 21 by the tilt mechanism 30. As a result, the device configuration can be prevented from becoming complicated as compared to the case where the tilt of the plurality of blade members 11 is adjusted separately.

[0052] The detection unit 40 detects the substrate placement part 103 arranged in the heat treatment device 101 where the heat treatment is performed on the substrate W. Here, the substrate placement part 103 arranged in the heat treatment device 101 may be deformed by the heat treatment on the substrate W. In this case, a deviation occurs in the inclination between the substrate placement part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10. Therefore, by detecting the substrate placement part 103 arranged in the heat treatment device 101 by the detection unit 40, the inclination between the substrate placement part 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10 can be effectively and appropriately adjusted.

[0053] (Effect of the control method for the substrate transport robot) In the first embodiment, as described above, the control unit 50 is provided which adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part 103 by the detection unit 40. This makes it possible to adjust the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the detection result of the substrate mounting part 103, regardless of the presence or absence of the substrate W. As a result, it is possible to provide a method for controlling the substrate transport robot 100 which can appropriately adjust the tilt between the substrate mounting part 103 on which the substrate W is mounted and the substrate holding hand 10, regardless of the presence or absence of the substrate W on the substrate mounting part 103.

[0054] The control method of the substrate transport robot 100 includes obtaining detection results of the columnar holding members 103a extending in the vertical direction at least three different positions in the vertical direction in the substrate placement unit 103 having the columnar holding members 103a for holding a plurality of substrates W arranged in the vertical direction, and adjusting the relative inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 based on the at least three detection results of the columnar holding members 103a detected at the at least three different positions in the vertical direction. As a result, even if the degree of inclination of the holding members 103a extending in the vertical direction differs depending on the position in the vertical direction, the holding members 103a can be detected so as to correspond to the difference in the degree of inclination of the holding members 103a extending in the vertical direction by detecting the holding members 103a at least three positions in the vertical direction. Therefore, the relative inclination between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 can be adjusted so as to correspond to the difference in the degree of inclination of the holding members 103a. As a result, it is possible to provide a method for controlling the substrate transport robot 100 that can more appropriately adjust the inclination between the substrate placement part 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10.

[0055] [Second embodiment] Next, the configuration of a substrate transport robot 200 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In the second embodiment, unlike the substrate transport robot 100 of the first embodiment in which the detection unit 40, which is a photoelectric sensor, is arranged, the substrate transport robot 200 is arranged with an imaging unit 240 as a detection unit that detects the substrate placement unit 103. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0056] 10, a substrate transport robot 200 according to the second embodiment, like the substrate transport robot 100 according to the first embodiment, transports a substrate W between a FOUP 102 and a substrate placement unit 103 in a heat treatment device 101. The substrate transport robot 200 includes a substrate holding hand 10, a drive mechanism 20, a tilt mechanism 30, an imaging unit 240, and a control unit 250. The imaging unit 240 is an example of a detection unit and an imaging unit.

[0057] The imaging unit 240 is disposed in the blade holding unit 21 to which the blade members 11 of the substrate holding hand 10 are connected. The imaging unit 240 is disposed, for example, above the blade holding unit 21 so as to include a plurality of blade members 11 in its imaging range. The imaging unit 240 has an imaging element such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, and captures an image of the substrate placement unit 103. The imaging unit 240 outputs a signal acquired by the imaging element to the control unit 250.

[0058] The control unit 250, like the control unit 50 in the first embodiment, controls the operation of each unit of the substrate transport robot 200. The hardware configuration of the control unit 250 is similar to that of the control unit 50 in the first embodiment. Like the control unit 50 in the first embodiment, the control unit 250 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by a tilt setting operation.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 250 generates a captured image P1 based on a signal from the imaging unit 240. In the second embodiment, the control unit 250 adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 by operating the tilt mechanism 30 based on the shape of the substrate mounting unit 103 in the captured image P1 by the imaging unit 240. In the second embodiment, the imaging unit 240 captures an image of the substrate mounting unit 103 in a state in which the substrate W is not placed thereon in a tilt adjustment operation for setting a set value of the tilt mechanism 30 in the loading operation. The control unit 250 detects the shape of the columnar holding member 103a in the captured image P1. For example, the control unit 250 detects the shape of the holding member 103a in the captured image P1 by a pattern matching process with a preset reference image. The control unit 250 captures images of the holding member 103a from multiple directions in the XY plane at at least three positions in the vertical direction by the imaging unit 240, similar to the detection using the detection unit 40 in the first embodiment. The control unit 250 detects the shape of the holding member 103a in each of the captured images P1 captured from a plurality of directions to obtain the relative inclination of the holding member 103a of the substrate mounting unit 103 relative to the substrate holding hand 10. Based on the obtained relative inclination of the holding member 103a, the control unit 250 adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10, and sets the setting value of the tilt mechanism 30, as in the first embodiment. Thus, in the second embodiment, the control unit 250 operates the tilt mechanism 30 based on the captured image P1 of the substrate mounting unit 103 in a state in which the substrate W is not placed thereon, thereby loading the substrate W held by the substrate holding hand 10 into the substrate mounting unit 103 in a state in which the relative inclination between the substrate mounting unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 has been adjusted by the inclination setting operation in the loading operation.

[0060] 12, the imaging section 240 images the substrate W placed on the substrate placement section 103 in the tilt adjustment operation for setting the setting value of the tilt mechanism 30 in the unloading operation. The control section 250 generates a captured image P2 of the substrate W in the tilt adjustment operation of the unloading operation. Then, the control section 250 detects the shape of the substrate W from the captured image P2, similar to the tilt adjustment operation of the load operation. For example, the control section 250 detects the shape of the substrate W in the captured image P2 by pattern matching processing, similar to the holding member 103a of the substrate placement section 103. The control section 250 detects the relative tilt of the substrate W with respect to the substrate holding hand 10, based on the shape of the substrate W detected in the captured image P2. As in the first embodiment, the control unit 250 operates the tilt mechanism 30 based on the image P2 of the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 103 captured by the imaging unit 240, thereby unloading the substrate W from the substrate placement unit 103 in a state in which the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 has been adjusted by the tilt setting operation in the unloading operation. Other configurations of the substrate transport robot 200 according to the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0061] [Effects of the second embodiment] The substrate transport robot 200 includes an imaging section 240 that images the substrate placement section 103. The control section 250 adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate placement section 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 based on the shape of the substrate placement section 103 in the image P1 captured by the imaging section 240. This makes it possible to easily detect the shape of the substrate placement section 103 based on the image P1 captured by the imaging section 240, and therefore to easily obtain the relative inclination of the substrate placement section 103 with respect to the substrate holding hand 10. As a result, it is possible to easily and appropriately adjust the inclination between the substrate placement section 103 on which the substrate W is placed and the substrate holding hand 10. Other effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0062] [Variations] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0063] For example, in the above first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the relative inclination between the substrate placement part 103 and the substrate holding hand 10 arranged in the heat treatment device 101 is adjusted by operating the tilt mechanism 30 as the inclination adjustment mechanism, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the relative inclination between a FOUP as a substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand may be adjusted by operating the inclination adjustment mechanism. Also, the relative inclination between a substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand arranged in a treatment device in which etching treatment or processing other than heat treatment is performed on a substrate may be adjusted. Also, the relative inclination of the substrate holding hand with respect to a substrate placement part such as a load lock part on which a substrate is placed in an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module), or a substrate placement part in an aligner device for adjusting the orientation of the substrate, may be adjusted. That is, in a transport operation between any of FOUPs serving as substrate placement parts, substrate placement parts arranged in a processing device, substrate placement parts such as a load lock part, and substrate placement parts in an aligner device, the relative tilt may be adjusted by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism. Also, in a transport operation between any of FOUPs serving as substrate placement parts, substrate placement parts arranged in a processing device, substrate placement parts such as a load lock part, and substrate placement parts in an aligner device, the relative tilt may be adjusted by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the detection unit 40 arranged on the bifurcated substrate holding hand 10 for irradiating the detection light LT detects the substrate placement part 103 when the substrate W is not placed thereon, and detects the substrate W placed on the substrate placement part 103. In the second embodiment, the imaging unit 240 as a detection unit arranged on the blade holding part 21 to which the blade member 11 of the substrate holding hand 10 is connected images the substrate placement part 103 when the substrate W is not placed thereon, and images the substrate W placed on the substrate placement part 103. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the detection unit or imaging unit may be arranged in a location other than the substrate holding hand or the blade holding part to which the substrate holding hand is connected. For example, the imaging unit or detection unit may be arranged on a drive mechanism for moving the substrate holding hand, on a base part of the substrate transport robot, or in a position separated from the substrate transport robot. In addition, the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand may be detected by using different detection parts for the tilt adjustment during the loading operation and the tilt adjustment during the unloading operation. For example, the substrate placement part on which no substrate is placed may be imaged by the imaging part, and the substrate placed on the substrate placement part may be detected by a detection part such as a photoelectric sensor different from the imaging part. Also, a jig simulating a substrate may be detected instead of the substrate.

[0065] In the above first embodiment, the detection unit 40 that outputs the detection light LT is disposed, and in the second embodiment, the imaging unit 240 is disposed as a detection unit to detect the shape of the substrate placement unit 103, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the shape of the substrate placement unit may not be detected by the detection unit. For example, the detection unit may be a capacitance sensor or a distance sensor, and may detect the relative inclination of the substrate placement unit with respect to the substrate holding hand without detecting the shape, outer shape, or appearance. Also, a marker member may be disposed on the substrate placement unit, and the relative inclination of the substrate placement unit with respect to the substrate holding hand may be detected by detecting the marker member. Also, a plurality of detection units may be disposed. Also, when a detection unit is disposed on a substrate holding hand that holds a plurality of substrates, a detection unit may be disposed on each of a plurality of blade members. In that case, for example, when there is one tilt adjustment mechanism, the detection results for each of the plurality of blade members may be averaged to operate the tilt adjustment mechanism. Also, a plurality of tilt adjustment mechanisms may be disposed so as to correspond to each of the plurality of blade members. When a plurality of tilt adjustment mechanisms are arranged to correspond to each of a plurality of blade members, the corresponding tilt adjustment mechanisms may be controlled separately based on the detection results for each of the plurality of blade members.

[0066] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the relative inclination of the substrate holding hand 10 with respect to the substrate mounting part 103 in the loading operation is adjusted by detecting the shape of the substrate mounting part 103 in a state where the substrate W is not placed thereon. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the shape of the substrate mounting part in a state where the substrate is placed thereon may be detected by the detection part. In addition, in a substrate mounting part on which a plurality of substrates are placed, the shape of the substrate mounting part in an area where the substrate is not placed may be detected by the detection part when the substrate is partially placed thereon. For example, when a plurality of substrates are transported in order from the top to the bottom in the substrate mounting part, the detection part may detect the substrate mounting part in the part where the substrate is not placed on the lower side in the substrate mounting part in a state where the substrate is partially placed thereon. In addition, when a plurality of substrates are transported in order, the setting value of the inclination adjustment mechanism may be set in real time by detecting the substrate mounting part by the detection part during the substrate transport operation, rather than when the substrate transport robot is installed or during periodic maintenance.

[0067] In the above first and second embodiments, examples have been shown in which detection results in each of a plurality of approach directions are obtained by performing detection by the detection unit 40 or the imaging unit 240 on the substrate placement unit 103 and the substrate W from a plurality of approach directions, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a detection result from one direction may be obtained. Even if detection is performed by the detection unit from one direction, the substrate placement unit may be rotated to relatively obtain detection results from a plurality of directions.

[0068] In the first and second embodiments, the substrate placement unit 103 having the columnar holding member 103a is detected at five different positions in the vertical direction, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the shape of the holding member may be detected in a curved manner by detecting the columnar holding member at least three different positions in the vertical direction. Also, by detecting the holding member at two positions in the vertical direction. The inclination of the holding member may be detected linearly. The inclination of two or more columnar holding members may be detected. In this case, the average of the inclinations of the multiple holding members may be obtained as the relative inclination with respect to the substrate holding hand of the substrate placement unit. Similarly, when detecting a substrate placed on the substrate placement unit, at least three positions may be detected, or two positions may be detected. Also, when detecting a substrate placed on the substrate placement unit, the relative inclination may be obtained by detecting one substrate.

[0069] In the above first and second embodiments, the blade member 11 in the substrate holding hands 10 and 210 is a passive hand having a bifurcated shape, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a flat substrate holding hand not having a bifurcated shape may be arranged, such as a substrate holding hand 310 according to a first modified example shown in FIG. 13. In this case, the detection unit or the imaging unit may be arranged in the flat substrate holding hand, or may be arranged at a position other than the flat substrate holding hand. In addition, instead of a passive hand, a vacuum type hand that adsorbs the substrate, or an active type hand having a chuck that fixes the substrate may be arranged as the substrate holding hand.

[0070] In the above first and second embodiments, the tilt mechanism 30 as the tilt adjustment mechanism has three spherical plain bearings 33, 34, and 35 and two height position adjustment mechanisms 36 and 37, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a tilt adjustment mechanism that does not have a spherical plain bearing may be arranged. Also, the height position adjustment mechanism may not be arranged in the tilt adjustment mechanism. For example, the tilt adjustment mechanism may be arranged to adjust the tilt by arranging a rotation mechanism. Also, the drive source of the tilt adjustment mechanism may be an actuator using a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder, a piezoelectric element, a solenoid coil, a linear motor, or the like.

[0071] In the above first and second embodiments, the substrate transport robots 100 and 200 include the horizontal movement mechanism 22 as the drive mechanism 20, and the substrate holding hand 10 is provided with a plurality of blade members 11 each of which holds a substrate W. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the substrate transport robot may include a robot arm having a plurality of joint shafts as a drive mechanism for moving the substrate holding hand. In this case, the robot arm may be a horizontal multi-joint or a vertical multi-joint. The substrate transport robot may also have a drive mechanism with a parallel link structure. Also, the substrate holding hand 410 may hold one substrate, as in the substrate holding hand 410 according to the second modified example shown in FIG. 14. In the second modified example shown in FIG. 14, the substrate holding hand 410 is attached to a robot arm portion 420 as a drive mechanism. In this case, the tilt mechanism 30 as a tilt adjustment mechanism is disposed, for example, between the tip portion of the robot arm portion 420 and the substrate holding hand 410. In this case as well, the detection unit or the imaging unit may be disposed in the substrate holding hand 410 or in the robot arm unit 420. Also, a plurality of substrate holding hands each holding one substrate may be disposed. For example, one substrate holding hand each holding one substrate may be disposed on each of a plurality of robot arms.

[0072] In the above first embodiment, an example is shown in which the detection unit 40 is disposed on the bottom blade member 11 of the multiple blade members 11 arranged in a vertical line, and in the above second embodiment, an example is shown in which the imaging unit 240 as a detection unit is disposed above the blade holding unit 21 to which the multiple blade members 11 are connected, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the detection unit may be disposed on the top blade member of the multiple blade members arranged in a vertical line, or on the central blade member. Also, the detection unit may be disposed on each of the multiple blade members.

[0073] In the above first and second embodiments, the control units 50 and 250 that control the operation of each unit of the substrate transport robots 100 and 200 acquire the relative tilt between the substrate holding hand 10 and the substrate placement unit 103 based on signals from the detection unit 40 and the imaging unit 240 as a detection unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a control device separate from the control device that controls the operation of the substrate transport robot may perform arithmetic processing to detect the relative tilt between the substrate holding hand and the substrate placement unit based on the detection result by the detection unit. Also, the control unit of the substrate transport robot may be configured by one CPU.

[0074] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general purpose processors, special purpose processors, integrated circuits, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. Processors are considered processing circuits or circuits because they include transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0075] [Aspects] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0076] (Aspect 1) a substrate holding hand that holds a substrate placed on the substrate placement part; a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the substrate holding hand; A detection unit that detects the substrate placement unit; a control unit that adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate placement part by the detection unit.

[0077] (Aspect 2) The detection unit detects the substrate placement unit in a state where the substrate is not placed thereon, The substrate transport robot of aspect 1, wherein the control unit transports the substrate held by the substrate holding hand into the substrate mounting part in a state in which the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part and the substrate holding hand is adjusted by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on a detection result of the substrate mounting part in a state in which the substrate is not placed thereon.

[0078] (Aspect 3) The detection unit detects the substrate placed on the substrate placement unit, The control unit operates the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate placed on the substrate placement part by the detection unit, thereby adjusting the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand, and then removes the substrate from the substrate placement part.

[0079] (Aspect 4) The detection unit detects a shape of the substrate placement unit, A substrate transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the shape of the substrate mounting part detected by the detection unit.

[0080] (Aspect 5) 5. The substrate transport robot according to aspect 4, wherein the detection unit is disposed on the substrate holding hand and detects a shape of the substrate placement unit by irradiating the substrate with detection light.

[0081] (Aspect 6) the detection unit includes an imaging unit that images the substrate placement unit, 5. The substrate transport robot according to aspect 4, wherein the control unit adjusts a relative inclination between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand based on a shape of the substrate placement part in an image captured by the imaging unit.

[0082] (Aspect 7) the detection unit detects a columnar holding member extending in a vertical direction in the substrate mounting unit having the columnar holding members that hold the plurality of substrates aligned in a vertical direction, A substrate transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting unit and the substrate holding hand based on a detection result in which the detection unit detects the columnar holding member.

[0083] (Aspect 8) The detection unit detects the columnar holding member extending along a vertical direction at at least three different positions in the vertical direction, A substrate transport robot as described in aspect 7, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting portion and the substrate holding hand based on at least three detection results detected by the detection unit in at least three different positions in the vertical direction of the columnar holding member.

[0084] (Aspect 9) The tilt adjustment mechanism includes: A lower member; an upper member provided so as to face the lower member in the up-down direction; Three spherical plain bearings are provided between the lower member and the upper member and are arranged at different positions when viewed from the up-down direction; two height position adjustment mechanisms provided corresponding to two of the three spherical plain bearings, respectively; A substrate transport robot as described in any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting portion and the substrate holding hand by adjusting the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member using the height position adjustment mechanism based on the detection result by the detection unit.

[0085] (Aspect 10) the substrate holding hand includes a plurality of blade members each of which holds the substrate; a blade holding portion to which the plurality of blade members are connected, A substrate transport robot described in any of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism to adjust the tilt of the blade holding unit based on the detection result by the detection unit.

[0086] (Aspect 11) The substrate transport robot according to any one of aspects 1 to 10, wherein the detection unit detects the substrate placement unit disposed in a heat treatment device that performs a heat treatment on the substrate.

[0087] (Aspect 12) A detection result of detecting a substrate placement portion on which a substrate is placed is obtained; A method for controlling a substrate transport robot, comprising: adjusting the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand by operating an tilt adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt of a substrate holding hand that holds the substrate placed on the substrate placement part based on a detection result of the substrate placement part.

[0088] (Aspect 13) In the substrate mounting unit having a columnar holding member that holds the plurality of substrates in a vertical arrangement, detection results are obtained by detecting the columnar holding member extending in the vertical direction at at least three mutually different positions in the vertical direction; A control method for a substrate transport robot described in aspect 12, which adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting portion and the substrate holding hand based on at least three detection results obtained by detecting the columnar holding member at least three different positions in the vertical direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10, 310, 410 Board holding hand 11 Blade material 21 Blade holder 30 Tilt mechanism (tilt adjustment mechanism) 31 Lower part 32 Upper member 33, 34, 35 Spherical plain bearing 36, 37 Height position adjustment mechanism 40 Detection unit 50, 250 Control section 100, 200 Substrate transport robot 101 Heat treatment equipment 103 Substrate placement section 103a Holding member 240 Imaging unit (detection unit, imaging unit)

Claims

1. a substrate holding hand that holds a substrate placed on the substrate placement part; a tilt adjustment mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the substrate holding hand; A detection unit that detects the substrate placement unit; a control unit that adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the detection result of the substrate placement part by the detection unit.

2. The detection unit detects the substrate placement unit in a state where the substrate is not placed thereon, 2. The substrate transport robot of claim 1, wherein the control unit transports the substrate held by the substrate holding hand into the substrate mounting part while adjusting the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on a detection result of the substrate mounting part in a state where the substrate is not placed thereon.

3. the detection unit detects the substrate placed on the substrate placement unit, 3. The substrate transport robot of claim 2, wherein the control unit operates the tilt adjustment mechanism based on a detection result of the substrate placed on the substrate placing part by the detection unit, thereby adjusting the relative tilt between the substrate placing part and the substrate holding hand, and then removes the substrate from the substrate placing part.

4. The detection unit detects a shape of the substrate placement unit, The substrate transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate mounting part and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism based on the shape of the substrate mounting part detected by the detection unit.

5. The substrate transport robot according to claim 4 , wherein the detection unit is disposed in the substrate holding hand and detects the shape of the substrate placement unit by irradiating the substrate with detection light.

6. the detection unit includes an imaging unit that images the substrate placement unit, The substrate transport robot according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit adjusts a relative inclination between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand based on a shape of the substrate placement part in an image captured by the imaging unit.

7. the detection unit detects a columnar holding member extending in a vertical direction in the substrate mounting unit having the columnar holding members that hold the plurality of substrates aligned in a vertical direction, The substrate transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting unit and the substrate holding hand based on a detection result in which the detection unit detects the columnar holding member.

8. The detection unit detects the columnar holding member extending along a vertical direction at at least three different positions in the vertical direction, 8. The substrate transport robot of claim 7, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting portion and the substrate holding hand based on at least three detection results obtained by the detection unit detecting the columnar holding member at at least three mutually different positions in the vertical direction.

9. The tilt adjustment mechanism includes: A lower member; an upper member provided so as to face the lower member in the up-down direction; Three spherical plain bearings are provided between the lower member and the upper member and are arranged at different positions when viewed from the up-down direction; two height position adjustment mechanisms provided corresponding to two of the three spherical plain bearings, respectively; The substrate transport robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative inclination between the substrate mounting unit and the substrate holding hand by adjusting the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member using the height position adjustment mechanism based on the detection result by the detection unit.

10. the substrate holding hand includes a plurality of blade members each of which holds the substrate; a blade holding portion to which the plurality of blade members are connected, A substrate transport robot as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit adjusts the relative tilt between the substrate placement unit and the substrate holding hand by operating the tilt adjustment mechanism to adjust the tilt of the blade holding unit based on the detection result by the detection unit.

11. 4. The substrate transport robot according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects the substrate placement unit that is disposed in a heat treatment device that performs a heat treatment on the substrate.

12. A detection result of detecting a substrate placement portion on which a substrate is placed is obtained; A method for controlling a substrate transport robot, comprising: adjusting the relative tilt between the substrate placement part and the substrate holding hand by operating an tilt adjustment mechanism that adjusts the tilt of a substrate holding hand that holds the substrate placed on the substrate placement part based on a detection result of the substrate placement part.

13. In the substrate mounting unit having a columnar holding member that holds the plurality of substrates in a vertical arrangement, detection results are obtained by detecting the columnar holding member extending in the vertical direction at at least three mutually different positions in the vertical direction; 13. A method for controlling a substrate transport robot as described in claim 12, further comprising adjusting a relative inclination between the substrate placement portion and the substrate holding hand based on at least three detection results obtained by detecting the columnar holding member at at least three mutually different positions in the vertical direction.

Images