Substrate transfer robot system, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and control method

Abstract

To provide a robot system effective for improving arrangement accuracy of a substrate.SOLUTION: The substrate transfer robot system 7 includes the robot 10 having the plurality of links 20 including the hand link 23 including the hand 24 that supports the substrate W and one or more links coupled to the hand link 23, the calculation unit 111 that calculates the length of each of the plurality of links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 in a state in which the robot 10 is in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in a state in which the robot 10 is in the second posture different from the first posture, and the control unit 112 that controls the robot 10 to arrange the substrate W at the target position based on the calculated length of each of the plurality of links 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer robot system, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and a control method. [Background technology]

[0002] A system is disclosed that calculates the extension of each link of the robot based on the reach of the robot when the robot's wrist passes a sensor, and corrects the robot's position based on the calculated extension of each link. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-134747 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a robot system that is effective in improving the placement accuracy of substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A robot system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a robot having a plurality of links, including a hand link including a hand that supports a substrate and one or more links connected to the hand link; a calculation unit that calculates the length of each of the robot's links based on the position of the hand link when the robot is in a first posture and the position of the hand link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture; and a control unit that controls the robot to place the substrate at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the links.

[0006] A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes a robot having a plurality of links including one or more process chambers for accommodating and processing substrates, a hand link including a hand for supporting the substrate, and one or more links connected to the hand link, and transporting the substrate to a target position in the one or more process chambers, a calculation unit that calculates the length of each of the plurality of links of the robot based on the position of the hand link when the robot is in a first posture and the position of the hand link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture, and a control unit that controls the robot to place the substrate at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links.

[0007] A control method according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure includes calculating the length of each of the multiple links of the robot based on the position of the hand link when the robot is in a first posture, the hand link including a hand that supports a substrate and one or more links connected to the hand link, and the position of the hand link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture, and controlling the robot to place the substrate at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot system that is effective in improving the placement accuracy of a substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a substrate transport robot system. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the substrate transport robot. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating processing by a calculation unit. [Figure 5]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of detection of hand positions in a first posture and a second posture, respectively. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of detection of a hand position based on detection results of a first line and a second line. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a first marker and a second marker. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing modified examples of the first marker and the second marker. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of detection of positional deviation of a substrate. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of processing by a calculation unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a controller. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for obtaining reference data. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a substrate transfer procedure. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing a modified example of a substrate transport procedure. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a modified example of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. [Figure 16] 16 is a plan view showing a handle of the substrate transport robot in FIG. 15. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] [Semiconductor manufacturing equipment] FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that performs at least a part of a semiconductor manufacturing process. For example, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 performs processes such as film formation and etching on a substrate W (e.g., a semiconductor wafer). For example, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a semiconductor transport apparatus 2 and a plurality of peripheral chambers 3. The semiconductor transport apparatus 2 transports the substrate W to be processed. Each of the plurality of peripheral chambers 3 performs a process on the substrate W transported by the semiconductor transport apparatus 2.

[0012] The multiple peripheral chambers 3 may include one or more process chambers 4 and one or more load lock chambers 5. Each of the one or more process chambers 4 accommodates a substrate W and performs processing such as film formation or etching. The one or more load lock chambers 5 accommodates the substrate W at the boundary between the atmosphere and a vacuum and performs processing to change the atmospheric pressure around the substrate W to the atmospheric pressure of the destination before the substrate W is released into a vacuum or the atmosphere. In this way, processing on the substrate W also includes processing to adjust the environment around the substrate W.

[0013] The semiconductor transfer apparatus 2 includes a transfer chamber 6 and a substrate transfer robot system 7. The transfer chamber 6 accommodates a substrate W among a plurality of peripheral chambers 3. As an example, the one or more process chambers 4 and the transfer chamber 6 are depressurized to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure (e.g., vacuum or near vacuum). The one or more process chambers 4 and the transfer chamber 6 are in the "vacuum" described above. The one or more load lock chambers 5 are depressurized to the air pressure inside the transfer chamber 6 before being opened into the transfer chamber 6, and are returned to the air pressure outside the transfer chamber 6 before being opened outside the transfer chamber 6.

[0014] The substrate transfer robot system 7 includes a robot 10 and a controller 100. The robot 10 includes a plurality of links 20 including a hand link 23 and one or more links 21 and 22. The hand link 23 includes a hand 24 that supports the substrate W. The one or more links 21 and 22 are connected to the hand link 23.

[0015] The controller 100 controls the robot 10 to transport the substrate W within the transport chamber 6 and to load or unload the substrate W into or from each of the plurality of peripheral chambers 3. For example, the controller 100 displaces the hand 24 supporting the substrate W using links 21, 22 and a hand link 23. The controller 100 controls the robot 10 to transport the substrate W to a target position within each of the plurality of peripheral chambers 3. As processing becomes more precise, there is a demand for improved accuracy in placing the substrate W at the target position.

[0016] Therefore, the controller 100 is configured to calculate the length of each of the multiple links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture and the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a second posture different from the first posture, and to control the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20.

[0017] The lengths of the links 20 may change due to thermal expansion and other factors. The temperature distribution among the links 20 is not necessarily uniform. For example, heat generated by entering the process chamber 4 or other factors is concentrated in the hand link 23. Furthermore, when the motors of the robot 10 are concentrated at the base of the links 20, the links 20 closer to the base are more susceptible to the heat generated by the motors than the links 20 further from the base. Even when the motors of the robot 10 are distributed among the links 20, the temperatures of the links 20 may differ depending on the heat generation state of each motor. These factors change the temperature distribution among the links 20, and therefore the relationship between the elongation amounts of the links 20 due to thermal expansion also changes. In response to this, the substrate transport robot system 7 calculates the lengths of the links 20 (hereinafter referred to as "link lengths") based on the positions of the hand link 23 in a first position and the positions of the hand link 23 in a second position different from the first position. Therefore, even if the relationship between the links in terms of the amount of elongation due to thermal expansion or the like is unknown, the link lengths can be calculated with high reliability, and the substrate W can be placed at the target position with high accuracy based on the calculation results, which is effective in improving the placement accuracy of the substrate W.

[0018] Although the configuration in which the substrate transport robot system 7 transports the substrate W in a vacuum has been exemplified above, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is not necessarily limited to a configuration in which the substrate transport robot system 7 transports the substrate W in a vacuum. Further examples of the configuration of the substrate transport robot system 7 will be described below.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a substrate transfer robot system 7. The diagram of the robot 10 included in FIG. 2 is a side view of the robot 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the robot 10 has a base 11, a link 21, a link 22, a hand link 23, and motors M1, M2, and M3. The base 11 is fixed to the transfer chamber 6. For example, the base 11 is fixed to the bottom plate of the transfer chamber 6.

[0020] The link 21 is connected to the top of the base 11 so as to be rotatable around a vertical joint axis Ax1, and extends away from the joint axis Ax1. The link 22 is connected to the top of the end of the link 21 so as to be rotatable around a vertical joint axis Ax2, and extends away from the joint axis Ax2. The hand link 23 is connected to the top of the end of the link 22 so as to be rotatable around a vertical joint axis Ax3, and extends away from the joint axis Ax3. The hand link 23 includes a hand 24. The hand 24 forms the tip of the hand link 23 and extends along a horizontal plane. The hand 24 supports the substrate W from below. Hereinafter, the "joint angle" of the robot 10 means the rotation angle of the link 21 relative to the base 11, the rotation angle of the link 22 relative to the link 21, and the rotation angle of the hand link 23 relative to the link 22.

[0021] Motors M1, M2, and M3 drive the links 21 and 22 and the hand link 23, respectively, to change the joint angles of the robot 10. For example, motor M1 rotates the link 21 about joint axis Ax1, motor M2 rotates the link 22 about joint axis Ax2, and motor M3 rotates the hand link 23 about joint axis Ax3. As shown in the figure, motors M1, M2, and M3 may be built into the base 11. In this case, motors M2 and M3 drive the link 22 and the hand link 23, respectively, via a transmission mechanism such as a belt and pulley.

[0022] The robot 10 may further include a flange 12. The flange 12 extends horizontally between the base 11 and the link 21 and separates the base 11 from the link 21. The flange 12 is fixed to the base 11. The flange 12 closes an opening formed in the bottom of the transfer chamber 6 to allow the robot 10 to be loaded into the transfer chamber 6. When the flange 12 closes the opening, the base 11 is disposed outside the transfer chamber 6, and the links 21, 22, and the hand link 23 are disposed inside the transfer chamber 6. The robot 10 may be configured to displace the hand 24 using at least a plurality of links 20, and the configuration exemplified above may be modified. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the motor M2 may be built into either the link 21 or 22 at the joint axis Ax2. The motor M3 may be built into either the link 22 or the hand link 23 at the joint axis Ax3.

[0023] The controller 100 has, as functional components (hereinafter referred to as "functional blocks"), a calculation unit 111, a control unit 112, and a storage unit 113. The storage unit 113 stores an operation program that is generated in advance so that the robot 10 can transport the substrate W to a target position. The operation program includes a plurality of operation commands arranged in chronological order. Each of the plurality of operation commands includes a hand target position and a hand target posture for positioning the hand 24.

[0024] The calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture and the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a second posture different from the first posture. The control unit 112 controls the semiconductor transport device 2 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the operation program stored in the memory unit 113 and the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 calculated by the calculation unit 111.

[0025] For example, the control unit 112 sets the robot 10 to a first posture and a second posture based on an operation program stored in the memory unit 113. The calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is set to the first posture by the control unit 112 and the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is set to the second posture by the control unit 112. After the length of each of the multiple links 20 is calculated, the control unit 112 controls the semiconductor transport device 2 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the operation program stored in the memory unit 113 and the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20.

[0026] 4, the calculation unit 111 acquires a first data set D1 and a second data set D2. The first data set D1 includes information representing a first posture PS1 and information representing a position P1 of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in the first posture PS1. The second data set D2 includes information representing a second posture PS2 and information representing a position P2 of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in the second posture PS2. The information representing the first posture PS1 and the information representing the second posture PS2 is, for example, information about the joint angles of the robot 10.

[0027] When the relationship between the lengths of the multiple links 20 is unknown, the length of each of the multiple links 20 cannot be uniquely determined based on the first data set D1 alone. Similarly, the length of each of the multiple links 20 cannot be uniquely determined based on the second data set D2 alone. The calculation unit 111 acquires constraints that uniquely determine the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 by combining the first data set D1 and the second data set D2, even when the relationship between the lengths of the multiple links 20 is unknown, and calculates the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 based on the acquired constraints. For example, in an equation in which the length L1 of link 21, the length L2 of link 22, and the length L3 of hand link 23 are independent variables, the calculation unit 111 acquires constraints that uniquely determine the values ​​of the lengths L1, L2, and L3 based on the combination of the first data set D1 and the second data set D2. The calculation unit 111 individually calculates each of the lengths L1, L2, and L3 based on the acquired constraints.

[0028] 2, the substrate transfer robot system 7 may further include one or more sensors 60 for detecting the handle 23. The one or more sensors 60 are fixed at positions away from the robot 10 and detect the handle 23 in a non-contact manner. The sensor 60 may be, for example, an optical sensor. For example, the sensor 60 may be fixed outside the transfer chamber 6 and detect the handle 23 through a glass window or the like.

[0029] For example, the one or more sensors 60 may be one or more object sensors, each of which detects the presence or absence of an object at a specific detection position. Examples of object sensors include laser, capacitance, and ultrasonic sensors. The object sensors detect that a predetermined detection target portion of the handle 23 is located at the detection position of the object sensor.

[0030] For example, the substrate transfer robot system 7 may include a pair of sensors 60 (object sensors) for each of the multiple peripheral chambers 3. The pair of sensors 60 are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the substrate W is taken in and out of the corresponding peripheral chamber 3 (see FIG. 1).

[0031] The object sensor is merely an example, and the sensor 60 is not necessarily limited to an object sensor. For example, the sensor 60 may be a camera, a laser tracker, or the like. A camera can detect the position of the detection target part within the field of view of the camera based on the position of the detection target part in the captured image. A laser tracker can detect the position of the detection target part within the detection target range of the laser tracker.

[0032] The controller 100 may further include a hand position detection unit 114. The hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture based on the detection results of the hand link 23 by the one or more sensors 60. If the one or more sensors 60 are one or more object sensors, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture based on which part of the hand link 23 in the first posture is detected by which object sensor. Similarly, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture based on which part of the hand link 23 in the second posture is detected by which object sensor.

[0033] The hand link 23 may have a first portion and a second portion located at different positions. The first portion and the second portion may be located at positions not hidden by the board W (the board W supported by the hand 24) as viewed from the sensor 60. The hand position detection unit 114 may detect the positions of the hand link 23 in the first and second positions based on the detection results of the first and second portions by the same sensor. For example, the hand link 23 has a first portion 31 and a second portion 32 located at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the hand link 23. For example, the hand link 23 has a protrusion 40 and a protrusion 50 that protrude laterally (in either the longitudinal direction or the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction) at different positions in the longitudinal direction. The protrusion 40 is located more distal to the protrusion 50 relative to the joint axis Ax3. For example, the distance from the joint axis Ax3 to the protrusion 40 in the longitudinal direction is greater than the distance from the joint axis Ax3 to the protrusion 50.

[0034] For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the control unit 112 places the first part 31 in the detection area SA of the sensor 60 in the first orientation PS1. The hand position detection unit 114 detects a position P1 in the first orientation PS1 based on the detection result of the first part 31 by the sensor 60. Similarly, the control unit 112 places the second part 32 in the second orientation PS2 within the detection area SA where the first part 31 was placed. The hand position detection unit 114 detects a position P2 in the second orientation PS2 based on the detection result of the second part 32 by the sensor 60. The configuration including the first part 31 and the second part 32 allows the robot 10 to efficiently detect the position P1 in the first orientation PS1 and the position P2 in the second orientation PS2 by utilizing the period when the hand link 23 of the robot 10 is moving in one direction. For example, if the sensor 60 is an object sensor, both the position P1 in the first orientation PS1 and the position P2 in the second orientation PS2 can be detected by a series of operations in which the same object sensor detects the first part 31 and the second part 32 in sequence. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both high operational efficiency of the robot 10 and high positioning accuracy of the substrate W. The operational efficiency is expressed, for example, by the shortness of the moving distance of the substrate W when transporting the substrate W, the energy consumption of the robot 10 when transporting the substrate W, etc.

[0035] Both the first position PS1 and the second position PS2 may be positions for moving the hand 24 into and out of the peripheral chamber 3 along a predetermined input / output line 90. For example, both the first position PS1 and the second position PS2 may be positions for moving the hand link 23 back and forth along the predetermined input / output line 90 to transport the substrate W between the inside and outside of the peripheral chamber 3. The position P1 in the first position PS1 and the position P2 in the second position PS2 can be efficiently detected by utilizing the period during which the robot 10 moves the hand link 23 in one direction to load or unload the substrate W into or from the peripheral chamber 3. For example, the distance from the position P1 in the first position PS1 to the peripheral chamber 3 is greater than the distance from the position P2 in the second position PS2 to the peripheral chamber 3.

[0036] The hand position detection unit 114 may detect a position P1 at the first position PS1 and a position P2 at the second position PS2 while the robot 10 moves the hand 24 from inside the peripheral chamber 3 to outside the peripheral chamber 3 along the input / output line 90. The position P1 at the first position PS1 and the position P2 at the second position PS2 can be detected by using the operation of unloading the substrate W from inside the peripheral chamber 3. In this case, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position P1 at the first position PS1 after detecting the position P2 at the second position PS2. The calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 after the substrate W is transported from inside the peripheral chamber 3 to outside the peripheral chamber 3. The control unit 112 may control the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a next target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20.

[0037] The control unit 112 may control the robot 10 to place the next substrate W at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20. The next substrate W is the substrate W that the hand 24 will next support after the substrate W transported from inside the peripheral chamber 3 to outside the peripheral chamber 3 leaves the hand 24 at the next target position or the like.

[0038] The hand position detection unit 114 may detect the position P1 in the first position PS1 and the position P2 in the second position PS2 while the robot 10 moves the hand link 23 (hand 24) from outside the peripheral chamber 3 to inside the peripheral chamber 3 along the inlet / outlet line 90 to transport the substrate W from inside the peripheral chamber 3 to outside the peripheral chamber 3. To unload the substrate W from the peripheral chamber 3, the position P1 in the first position PS1 and the position P2 in the second position PS2 can be detected by using the operation of moving the hand link 23 into the peripheral chamber 3. In this case, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position P1 in the first position PS1 and then the position P2 in the second position PS2. The calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 after the hand link 23 moves from outside the peripheral chamber 3 to inside the peripheral chamber 3. The control unit 112 may control the robot 10 to place the hand link 23 at a target position for obtaining the substrate W to be unloaded, based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20. Furthermore, the control unit 112 may control the robot 10 to place the substrate W at the next target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20.

[0039] Each of the multiple links 20 may have a known reference length in a first environment, and at least one of the multiple links 20 may have a length different from the reference length in a second environment different from the first environment, and the calculation unit 111 may calculate the length of each of the multiple links 20 in the second environment based on the detection results in the second environment of position P1 in PS and position P2 in the second attitude PS2. Regardless of the difference between the first environment and the second environment, the substrate can be placed at the target position with high accuracy.

[0040] The first environment is an environment (e.g., a room temperature environment) in which thermal expansion and contraction are negligibly small in any of the multiple links 20. Room temperature is a temperature within the range of fluctuations in atmospheric temperature on the ground. The second environment is an environment in which each of the multiple links 20 expands due to thermal expansion, such as due to heating in the process chamber 4. The second environment may also be an environment in which each of the multiple links 20 contracts because it is lower than room temperature.

[0041] The calculation unit 111 may calculate the length of each of the multiple links 20 based on the detection results of the position P1 in the first orientation PS1 and the position P2 in the second orientation PS2 in both the first environment and the second environment. As described above, since the reference length is known, the detection results in both the first environment and the second environment can provide equations with a number greater than the number of variables, making it possible to uniquely determine values ​​of variables other than the lengths L1, L2, and L3. Therefore, for example, even if the positions of one or more sensors 60 are unknown, the length of each of the multiple links 20 can be calculated.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6 , the first section 31 may have a first marker 41. The first marker 41 may include a first line 42 and a second line 43 that intersect with each other when viewed from above. The first marker 41 may be, for example, a right-angled triangle (e.g., a right-angled isosceles triangle). The first line 42 may be the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle, and the second line 43 may be one of the perpendicular sides. The control unit 112 may move the hand link 23 (hand 24) along a line that intersects with the first line 42 and the second line 43 (e.g., perpendicular to the second line 43). For example, the first marker 41 is provided so that the first line 42 and the second line 43 intersect with the entry / exit line 90 (e.g., so that the second line 43 is perpendicular to the entry / exit line 90), and the control unit 112 moves the hand link 23 (hand 24) along the entry / exit line 90. The hand position detection unit 114 may detect the position (two-dimensional position) of the hand link 23 in a plane (e.g., a horizontal plane) including the first line 42 and the second line 43 as position P1 in the first posture PS1 based on the detection results of the first line 42 and the second line 43 by the same sensor 60, which is an object sensor.

[0043] As an example, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position P1 in the first posture PS1 when the second line 43 is detected by the sensor 60 after the first line 42 is detected by the sensor 60. For convenience of explanation, the direction intersecting the first line 42 and the second line 43 (e.g., the direction along the input / output line 90) will be referred to as the "Y direction," and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction in the horizontal plane will be referred to as the "X direction." For example, the hand position detection unit 114 detects that the position of the second line 43 in the Y direction is the position of the sensor 60. Furthermore, the hand position detection unit 114 geometrically calculates the position of the first marker 41 in the X direction (e.g., the relative position XD with respect to the sensor 60) based on the displacement length YD of the hand link 23 from the time the first line 42 is detected by the sensor 60 until the time the second line 43 is detected by the sensor 60.

[0044] In this way, the position of the hand link 23 in both the X and Y directions can be obtained in a short time by a series of operations in which the first marker 41 passes the same sensor 60. This further improves both the operation efficiency of the robot 10 and the placement accuracy of the substrate W. The control unit 112 may move the hand link 23 so that the first line 42 is detected by the sensor 60 after the second line 43 is detected by the sensor 60.

[0045] The first marker 41 may have any configuration as long as it can be detected by the sensor 60. For example, the first marker 41 may be formed by the boundary between an opening that penetrates the protruding portion 40 and the periphery of the opening. The first marker 41 may be formed by the boundary between a protrusion that protrudes upward from the protruding portion 40 and the periphery of the protrusion. The first marker 41 may also be formed by the boundary between regions of different colors. For example, the first marker 41 may be formed by the boundary between a black region and a white region. The first marker 41 may also be formed by the edge line of the protruding portion 40 itself.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7 , the second section 32 may have a second marker 51 similar to the first marker 41. When viewed from above, the second section 32 may include a third line 52 and a fourth line 53 that intersect with each other. The second marker 51 may be, for example, a right-angled triangle (e.g., a right-angled isosceles triangle). The third line 52 may be the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle, and the fourth line 53 may be one of the perpendicular sides. The control unit 112 may move the hand link 23 along a line that intersects with the third line 52 and the fourth line 53 (e.g., perpendicular to the fourth line 53). For example, the second marker 51 is provided so that the third line 52 and the fourth line 53 intersect with the entry / exit line 90 (e.g., so that the fourth line 53 is perpendicular to the entry / exit line 90), and the control unit 112 moves the hand link 23 along the entry / exit line 90. The hand position detection unit 114 may detect the position (two-dimensional position) of the hand link 23 in a plane (e.g., a horizontal plane) including the third line 52 and the fourth line 53 as position P2 in the second posture PS2 based on the detection results of the third line 52 and the fourth line 53 by the same sensor 60, which is an object sensor.

[0047] Similar to the case where the position P1 in the first orientation PS1 is calculated using the first marker 41, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position P2 in the second orientation PS2 at the point in time when the fourth line 53 is detected by the sensor 60 after the third line 52 is detected by the sensor 60. For example, the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position P2 in the X direction and the Y direction.

[0048] The hand position detection unit 114 acquires information on the joint angles of the robot 10 at the time when the fourth line 53 is detected by the sensor 60 as information representing the second posture PS2, and includes the information representing the second posture PS2 and the information representing the position P2 in the second data set D2 described above. As shown in this example, the second posture PS2 does not have to be determined in advance, but may be a posture determined at the time when the fourth line 53 is detected by the sensor 60. After the fourth line 53 is detected by the sensor 60, the control unit 112 may move the hand link 23 so that the third line 52 is detected by the sensor 60.

[0049] By two-dimensionally representing position P2 in addition to position P1, it is possible to make redundant the information specifying the length of each of the multiple links 20. This allows the link lengths to be calculated with higher reliability. Therefore, it is possible to further achieve both the operational efficiency of the robot 10 and the placement accuracy of the substrate W.

[0050] The first portion 31 and the second portion 32 may be arranged so that they pass the same sensor 60 at different times while the handle 23 moves along the input / output line 90. The position P1 at the first position PS1 and the position P2 at the second position PS2 can be detected by utilizing the operation of loading and unloading the substrate W into and from the process chamber 4. This makes it possible to further improve both the operational efficiency of the robot 10 and the positioning accuracy of the substrate W.

[0051] For example, the first line 42 and the second line 43 of the first marker 41 and the third line 52 and the fourth line 53 of the second marker 51 may be formed to align along the input / output line 90 while the handling link 23 moves along the input / output line 90. In this case, a two-dimensional position P1 and a two-dimensional position P2 can be obtained by a series of operations for loading or unloading the substrate W into or from the peripheral chamber 3. From the two-dimensional position P1 and the two-dimensional position P2, four equations can be obtained for three lengths L1, L2, and L3 as follows: f1x(length L1, L2, L3)=X1 f1y(length L1, L2, L3) = Y1 f2x(length L1, L2, L3)=X2 f2y(length L1, L2, L3)=Y2 X1: Position P1 in the X direction Y1: Position P1 in the Y direction X2: Position P2 in the X direction Y2: Position P2 in the Y direction Because the number of equations is redundant with respect to the number of variables, the lengths L1, L2, and L3 can be calculated with greater precision.

[0052] Although an example has been shown in which the first region 31 and the second region 32 have similar first markers 41 and second markers 51, the markers in the second region 32 may be different from the markers in the first region 31. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a modified example of the markers in the second region 32. In the example of FIG. 8, both the first region 31 and the second region 32 are formed on a single protrusion 40. The first region 31 includes the first marker 41 described above. The second region 32 is aligned with the first marker 41 along the inlet / outlet line 90. The second region 32 includes a line parallel to the second line 43. The line in the second region 32 is formed, for example, by the edge line 44 of the protrusion 40.

[0053] 8, the information on position P2 is limited to the Y direction, reducing the number of equations. Even though the number is reduced, the same number of equations as the number of variables can be obtained, making it possible to calculate lengths L1, L2, and L3.

[0054] 2, the controller 100 may further include a positional deviation detection unit 115. The positional deviation detection unit 115 detects positional deviation of the substrate W based on the detection result of the substrate W by one or more sensors 60 (object sensors). By using one or more sensors 60 for multiple purposes, the substrate transport robot system 7 can be simplified.

[0055] For example, the positional deviation detection unit 115 detects a positional deviation of a substrate W based on the detection results from the same sensor 60 of the substrate W moving from outside the peripheral chamber 3 to inside the peripheral chamber 3 along the inlet / outlet line 90 (the substrate W supported by the hand 24 moving from outside the peripheral chamber 3 to inside the peripheral chamber 3 along the inlet / outlet line 90). For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the control unit 112 loads the substrate W into the peripheral chamber 3, the positional deviation detection unit 115 detects points P11, P12, P13, and P14 on the periphery of the substrate W based on the detection results from the pair of sensors 60. The positional deviation detection unit 115 calculates a center position CP11 of the substrate W based on the positions of the points P11, P12, P13, and P14, and detects a positional deviation PE of the center position CP11 with respect to a reference center position CP1. The center position CP1 is detected and stored in advance by the positional deviation detection unit 115. For example, when the control unit 112 loads the substrate W into the peripheral chamber 3 with the positional deviation PE at zero, the positional deviation detection unit 115 detects points PO1, PO2, PO3, and PO4 on the periphery of the substrate W based on the detection results of the substrate W by the pair of sensors 60. The positional deviation detection unit 115 calculates the center position CP1 based on the positions of the points PO1, PO2, PO3, and PO4.

[0056] The control unit 112 may control the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 calculated by the calculation unit 111 and the positional deviation of the substrate W detected by the positional deviation detection unit 115. For example, the control unit 112 calculates the error between the position where the hand link 23 actually reaches according to the operation program and the hand target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20. The control unit 112 corrects the target position based on the detected positional deviation of the substrate W and the calculated error, and controls the robot 10 based on the corrected target position and the operation program. This can speed up the calculation to place the substrate at the target position.

[0057] Although the above describes an example in which the position P1 at the first position PS1 and the position P2 at the second position PS2 are detected based on the detection results of the same sensor 60, this is not limiting. The substrate transport robot system 7 may be configured to detect the position P1 at the first position PS1 and the position P2 at the second position PS2 based on the detection results of different sensors 60. For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a first process chamber 4A and a second process chamber 4B. The controller 112 controls the robot 10 to advance and retract the hand link 23 along a predetermined first inlet / outlet line 91 to transport the substrate W between the inside and outside of the first process chamber 4A, and to advance and retract the hand link 23 along a predetermined second inlet / outlet line 92 to transport the substrate W between the inside and outside of the second process chamber 4B. The one or more sensors 60 include a first sensor 61 provided to detect a substrate W moving along the first input / output line 91 (a substrate W supported by a hand 24 moving along the first input / output line 91), and a second sensor 62 provided to detect a substrate W moving along the second input / output line 92 (a substrate W moving along the second input / output line 92). The hand position detection unit 114 detects a position P1 in the first position PS1 based on the detection result of the hand link 23 by the first sensor 61, and detects a position P2 in the second position PS2 based on the detection result of the hand link 23 by the second sensor 62. The position P1 in the first position PS1 and the position P2 in the second position PS2 can be easily detected by using the first sensor 61 corresponding to the first process chamber 4A and the second sensor 62 corresponding to the second process chamber 4B.

[0058] The calculation unit 111 acquires a first data set D11 and a second data set D12, and calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 based on the first data set D11 and the second data set D12. The first data set D11 includes information representing a first orientation PS1 and information representing a position P1 detected based on the first sensor 61. The second data set D12 includes information representing a second orientation PS2 and information representing a position P2 detected based on the second sensor 62.

[0059] The positional deviation detection unit 115 may detect the positional deviation of the substrate W based on the detection result by the second sensor 62 of the substrate W moving from outside the second process chamber 4B into the second process chamber 4B. The control unit 112 may control the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position in the second process chamber 4B based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20 and the positional deviation of the substrate W. Using the second sensor 62 for multiple purposes can simplify the system.

[0060] 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 100. As shown in Fig. 11, the controller 100 includes a circuit 190. The circuit 190 includes a processor 191, a memory 192, a storage 193, an input / output port 194, and a driver circuit 195.

[0061] The storage 193 includes, for example, one or more nonvolatile storage media. The nonvolatile storage medium includes one or more storage devices. Examples of the one or more storage devices include a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive, and a flash memory. The nonvolatile storage medium may also include a portable storage medium such as an optical disk. The storage 193 stores a program for causing the controller 100 to control the robot 10. The program causes the controller 100 to calculate the lengths of the multiple links 20 of the robot 10 based on the positions of the handle links 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture and the positions of the handle links 23 when the robot 10 is in a second posture different from the first posture, and to control the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the calculated lengths of the multiple links 20. For example, the program causes the controller 100 to configure the above-mentioned functional blocks.

[0062] The memory 192 includes one or more volatile storage media. The volatile storage media includes one or more memory devices. An example of the one or more memory devices is a random access memory. The memory 192 temporarily stores a program loaded from the storage 193. The processor 191 includes one or more arithmetic devices. Examples of the arithmetic device include a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 191 executes the program loaded in the memory 192, causing the controller 100 to configure the above-mentioned functional blocks. The processor 191 may temporarily store the calculation results in the memory 192.

[0063] The input / output port 194 inputs and outputs electrical signals to and from one or more sensors 60 in response to a request from the processor 191. The driver circuit 195 supplies drive power to the motors M1, M2, and M3 in response to a request from the processor 191.

[0064] [Control procedure] As an example of the control method, a control procedure executed by the controller 100 is illustrated. This procedure includes calculating the length of each of the multiple links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture and the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a second posture, and controlling the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20.

[0065] As an example, this control procedure includes a reference data acquisition procedure and a control procedure. The reference data acquisition procedure is a procedure for acquiring a first data set D1 and a second data set D2 in a first environment in which each of the multiple links 20 has a reference length. The control procedure is a procedure for controlling the robot 10 in a second environment different from the first environment. The control procedure is executed after the reference data acquisition procedure.

[0066] (Procedure for obtaining reference data) 12, the controller 100 first executes steps S01 and S02. In step S01, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to move the handling unit 23 to a position just before the destination (for example, one of the peripheral chambers 3). In step S02, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to start the entry of the handling unit 23 into the destination.

[0067] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S03, S04, S05, and S06. In step S03, the calculation unit 111 acquires a first data set D1 including information on the first orientation PS1 and position P1 based on the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detects the first line 42 and the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detects the second line 43. In step S04, the calculation unit 111 acquires a second data set D2 including information on the second orientation PS2 and position P2 based on the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detects the third line 52 and the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detects the fourth line 53. In step S05, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to stop the hand link 23 from entering the destination. In step S06, the calculation unit 111 registers (for example, stores in a storage medium) reference data that associates the first data set D1, the second data set D2, and the reference lengths of each of the multiple links 20 with identification information of the transport destination.

[0068] Next, the controller 100 executes step S07. In step S07, the control unit 112 checks whether registration of reference data has been completed for all transfer destinations (e.g., all of the multiple peripheral chambers 3). If it is determined in step S07 that one or more peripheral chambers 3 for which reference data has not been registered remain, the controller 100 executes step S08. In step S08, the control unit 112 selects one of the one or more peripheral chambers 3 for which reference data has not been registered as the next transfer destination. Thereafter, the controller 100 returns the process to step S01, and repeats the above procedure until registration of reference data for all transfer destinations has been completed.

[0069] If it is determined in step S07 that the registration of reference data has been completed for all transport destinations, the controller 100 completes the reference data acquisition procedure. It is not necessary to acquire reference data for all transport destinations. For example, if link length correction is performed for some of multiple transport destinations but not for others, it is sufficient to acquire reference data for at least the transport destinations for which correction is to be performed. Furthermore, if reference data is acquired for some transport destinations but not for others, the reference data for some transport destinations may be used to correct the link length for the other transport destinations.

[0070] (Control Procedure) This procedure is a procedure for calculating the length of each of the multiple links 20 when transporting the substrate W from inside the peripheral chamber 3 to outside the peripheral chamber 3, and controlling the robot 10 based on the calculated lengths. As shown in Fig. 13, the controller 100 first executes steps S11 and S12.

[0071] In step S11, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to load the substrate W into the peripheral chamber 3. In step S12, the control unit 112 causes the robot 10 to start to withdraw the handling 23 from the peripheral chamber 3, leaving the substrate W behind.

[0072] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S13 and S14. In step S13, the calculation unit 111 acquires a second data set D2 including information on the second orientation PS2 and the position P2 based on the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the fourth line 53 and the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the third line 52. In step S14, the calculation unit 111 acquires a first data set D1 including information on the first orientation PS1 and the position P1 based on the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the second line 43 and the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the first line 42.

[0073] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S15 and S16. In step S15, the calculation unit 111 selects reference data corresponding to the destination to which the substrate W has been carried in. In step S16, the calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 based on the second data set D2 acquired in step S13, the first data set D1 acquired in step S14, and the reference data selected in step S15.

[0074] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S17 and S18. In step S17, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to acquire the next substrate W (support the next substrate W with the hand 24). In step S18, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to move the handle 23 to just before the destination of the next substrate W.

[0075] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S21 and S22. In step S21, the control unit 112 causes the robot 10 to start transporting the next substrate W to the destination. In step S22, the positional deviation detection unit 115 detects the positional deviation of the substrate W based on the detection result of the substrate W by the sensor 60.

[0076] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S23, S24, and S25. In step S23, the control unit 112 calculates the error between the position to which the hand link 23 actually reaches and the hand target position based on the calculated link length. In step S24, the control unit 112 corrects the hand target position based on the positional deviation of the substrate W detected in step S22 and the error calculated in step S23. In step S25, the control unit 112 moves the hand link 23 to the corrected hand target position and places the substrate W at the target position.

[0077] (Modification of control procedure) A modified example of the control procedure is shown below. This modified example is a procedure in which, when the hand link 23 is moved from outside the peripheral chamber 3 to inside the peripheral chamber 3 in order to transport the substrate W from inside the peripheral chamber 3 to outside the peripheral chamber 3, the length of each of the multiple links 20 is calculated and the robot 10 is controlled based on the calculated lengths. As shown in Fig. 14, the controller 100 first executes steps S31 and S32.

[0078] In step S31, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to move the handling mechanism 23 to the front of the source of the substrate W (the peripheral chamber 3 containing the substrate W). In step S32, the control unit 112 causes the robot 10 to start moving the handling mechanism 23 into the source of the substrate W.

[0079] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S33 and S34. In step S33, the calculation unit 111 acquires a first data set D1 including information on the first orientation PS1 and position P1 based on the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the first line 42 and the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the second line 43. In step S34, the calculation unit 111 acquires a second data set D2 including information on the second orientation PS2 and position P2 based on the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the third line 52 and the orientation of the robot 10 and the position of the hand link 23 when the sensor 60 detected the fourth line 53.

[0080] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S35 and S36. In step S35, the calculation unit 111 selects reference data corresponding to the entering source. In step S36, the calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 based on the first data set D1 acquired in step S33, the second data set D2 acquired in step S34, and the reference data selected in step S35.

[0081] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S37 and S38. In step S37, the control unit 112 causes the robot 10 to stop the handling 23 from entering the source position. In step S38, the control unit 112 causes the robot 10 to transport the substrate W from the source position and to transport the substrate W to the next destination.

[0082] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S41 and S42. In step S41, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to acquire the next substrate W (support the next substrate W with the hand 24). In step S42, the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to move the handle 23 to a position just before the destination of the next substrate W.

[0083] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S43 and S44. In step S43, the control unit 112 causes the robot 10 to start transporting the next substrate W to the destination. In step S44, the positional deviation detection unit 115 detects the positional deviation of the substrate W based on the detection result of the substrate W by the sensor 60.

[0084] Next, the controller 100 executes steps S45, S46, and S47. In step S45, the control unit 112 calculates the error between the position to which the hand link 23 actually reaches and the hand target position based on the calculated link length. In step S46, the control unit 112 corrects the hand target position based on the positional deviation of the substrate W detected in step S44 and the error calculated in step S25. In step S47, the control unit 112 moves the hand link 23 to the corrected hand target position and places the substrate W at the target position.

[0085] [Modification] FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a modified example of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1A shown in FIG. 5 is obtained by replacing the robot 10 of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 with a robot 10A. The robot 10A is obtained by replacing the hand link 23 of the robot 10 with a hand link 23A. The hand link 23A has a pair of sub-links 72 and 82. Each of the pair of sub-links 72 and 82 includes a pair of hands 71 ​​and 81. Each of the pair of hands 71 ​​and 81 supports a substrate W. For example, the pair of sub-links 72 and 82 extend in opposite directions from the joint axis Ax3 and are bent in the same direction midway. The hand 71 is provided at the end of the sub-link 72, and the hand 81 is provided at the end of the sub-link 82. The robot 10A can simultaneously move the pair of hands 71 ​​and 81 into and out of a pair of adjacent peripheral chambers 3. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between a pair of adjacent peripheral chambers 3, one will be referred to as a first peripheral chamber 3 and the other will be referred to as a second peripheral chamber 3.

[0086] The robot 10A may be a dual-arm robot having a pair of arms 13 and 14. In the dual-arm robot 10A, each of the pair of arms 13 and 14 has a hand link 23A and links 21 and 22. The link 21 of the arm 13 and the link 21 of the arm 14 may be fixed to each other. Each of the arms 13 and 14 performs an extend operation to move the hand link 23A away from Ax1 and a retract operation to move the hand link 23A closer to Ax1 in accordance with the rotation of the link 21 around Ax1. The extend operation allows the pair of hands 71 ​​and 81 to enter the pair of peripheral chambers 3, respectively, and the retract operation allows the pair of hands 71 ​​and 81 to exit the pair of peripheral chambers 3, respectively.

[0087] The calculation unit 111 may calculate the respective lengths of the sublink 72 and the links 21 and 22 based on the position of the sublink 72 when the robot 10A is in a first posture and the position of the sublink 72 when the robot 10A is in a second posture different from the first posture, and may calculate the respective lengths of the sublink 82 and the links 21 and 22 based on the position of the sublink 82 when the robot 10A is in a third posture and the position of the sublink 82 when the robot 10A is in a fourth posture different from the third posture.

[0088] The first position, the second position, the third position, and the fourth position may all be position for simultaneously inserting and removing the hands 71, 81 into and from a pair of peripheral chambers 3 (e.g., a pair of process chambers 4) along a predetermined input / output line 90. As an example, each of the sub-links 72, 82 may have the above-described first portion 31 and second portion 32. For example, the first position is a position when the first portion 31 of the sub-link 72 is detected by one or more sensors 60, and the second position is a position when the second portion 32 of the sub-link 72 is detected by one or more sensors 60. The third position is a position when the first portion 31 of the sub-link 82 is detected by one or more sensors 60, and the second position is a position when the second portion 32 of the sub-link 82 is detected by one or more sensors 60.

[0089] The first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the sub-link 72 and the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the sub-link 82 may be arranged so as to be detected by different sensors 60 when the hands 71, 81 are simultaneously moved in and out of the pair of peripheral chambers 3, respectively. For example, the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the sub-link 72 are arranged so as to pass through the sensor 60 corresponding to the first peripheral chamber 3. The first portion 31 and the second portion 32 of the sub-link 82 are arranged so as to pass through the sensor 60 corresponding to the second peripheral chamber 3. By a series of operations of simultaneously moving the hands 71, 81 in and out of the pair of peripheral chambers 3, respectively, the position of the sub-link 72 in the first position, the position of the sub-link 72 in the second position, the position of the sub-link 82 in the third position, and the position of the sub-link 82 in the fourth position can be easily detected.

[0090] 16 , the first portion 31 of each of the sub-links 72, 82 may have the above-described first marker 41, and the second portion 32 of each of the sub-links 72, 82 may have the above-described second marker 51. In each of the sub-links 72, 82, the first line 42 and second line 43 of the first marker 41 and the third line 52 and fourth line 53 of the second marker 51 may be formed to align along the inlet / outlet line 90. The above four redundant equations are obtained for each of the sub-links 72, 82, allowing the link length to be calculated with higher accuracy.

[0091] 〔summary〕 The above disclosure includes the following configurations. (1) A substrate transport robot system 7 comprising: a robot 10 having a plurality of links 20, each of which includes a hand link 23 including a hand 24 for supporting a substrate W and one or more links connected to the hand link 23; a calculation unit 111 that calculates the length of each of the plurality of links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture and the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a second posture different from the first posture; and a control unit 112 that controls the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links 20. The lengths of the multiple links 20 may change due to thermal expansion or the like. The temperature distribution among the multiple links 20 is not necessarily uniform. For example, heating due to entry into the process chamber 4 or the like is concentrated in the hand link 23. Furthermore, when multiple robot 10 actuators are concentrated at the base of the multiple links 20, links closer to the base are more susceptible to the heat generated by the multiple robot 10 actuators than links farther from the base. These factors change the temperature distribution among the multiple links 20, and therefore the relationship between the link elongations due to thermal expansion also changes. In response to this, the robot 10 system calculates the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 (hereinafter referred to as "link lengths") based on the positions of the hand link 23 in a first position and the position of the hand link 23 in a second position different from the first position. Therefore, even if the relationship between the link elongations due to thermal expansion or the like is unknown, the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 can be calculated with high reliability, and the substrate W can be placed at the target position with high accuracy based on the calculation results. This is therefore effective in improving the placement accuracy of the substrate W.

[0092] (2) The substrate transport robot system 7 described in (1) further comprises one or more sensors 60 for detecting the hand link 23, and a hand position detection unit 114 for detecting the position of the hand link 23 in the first position and the position of the hand link 23 in the second position based on the detection results of the hand link 23 by the one or more sensors 60. By using the object sensor 60, the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture can be easily obtained.

[0093] (3) The substrate transport robot system 7 described in (2) has a hand link 23 having a first part 31 and a second part 32 which are positioned differently from each other, and the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture based on the detection results of the first part 31 and the second part 32 by the same sensor 60. The position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture can be detected efficiently by utilizing the period during which the robot 10 is moving the hand link 23.

[0094] (4) The substrate transport robot system 7 described in (3), wherein the first and second positions are both positions for moving the hand link 23 forward and backward along a predetermined input / output line 90 to move the hand 24 in and out of the process chamber 4. By utilizing the period during which the robot 10 moves the hand link 23 along the input / output line 90, the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture can be efficiently detected.

[0095] (5) The substrate transfer robot system 7 according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the one or more sensors 60 are one or more object sensors 60 that detect the presence or absence of an object at a specific detection position. The use of the object sensor 60 can simplify the system configuration.

[0096] (6) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in (5) further comprising a positional deviation detection unit 115 that detects positional deviation of the substrate W based on the detection results of the substrate W by one or more object sensors 60, and the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20 and the detected positional deviation of the substrate W. By using one or more object sensors 60 for multiple purposes, the system can be simplified.

[0097] (7) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in (5) or (6), in which the hand link 23 has a first part 31 and a second part 32 provided at different positions from each other, and the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture, respectively, based on the detection results of the first part 31 and the second part 32 by the same object sensor 60. The position of the hand link 23 in both the first and second positions can be detected by a series of operations in which the same object sensor 60 detects the first portion 31 and the second portion 32 in turn. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both high operational efficiency of the robot 10 and high placement accuracy of the substrate W.

[0098] (8) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in (7), in which the first portion 31 has a first marker 41 including a first line 42 and a second line 43 that intersect with each other, and the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in a plane including the first line 42 and the second line 43 as the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture based on the detection results of the first line 42 and the detection results of the second line 43 by the same object sensor 60. The positions of the handle 23 in two intersecting directions can be acquired in a short time by a series of operations in which the first marker 41 passes the same object sensor 60. Therefore, it is possible to further improve both the operation efficiency of the robot 10 and the placement accuracy of the substrate W.

[0099] (9) The substrate transport robot system 7 described in (8) has a second marker 51 including a third line 52 and a fourth line 53 that intersect with each other, and the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in a plane including the third line 52 and the fourth line 53 as the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture based on the detection results of the third line 52 and the detection results of the fourth line 53 by the same object sensor 60. By making the information specifying the length of each of the multiple links 20 redundant, the link lengths can be calculated with higher reliability. Therefore, it is possible to further achieve both the operational efficiency of the robot 10 and the placement accuracy of the substrate W.

[0100] (10) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in any one of (7) to (9), wherein the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to move the hand 24 in and out of the process chamber 4 along a predetermined input / output line 90, and the first part 31 and the second part 32 are arranged so as to pass the same object sensor 60 at different times while the hand link 23 moves along the input / output line 90. The position of the handle 23 in the first position and the position of the handle 23 in the second position can be detected by utilizing the operation of loading and unloading the substrate W into and from the process chamber 4. Therefore, it is possible to further improve both the operation efficiency of the robot 10 and the positioning accuracy of the substrate W.

[0101] (11) The substrate transport robot system 7 described in (10) further includes a positional deviation detection unit 115 that detects positional deviation of the substrate W supported by the hand 24 moving along the input / output line 90 based on the detection results by the same object sensor 60. The positional deviation of the substrate W can be further detected by utilizing the operation of loading and unloading the substrate W into and from the process chamber 4. Therefore, it is possible to further achieve both the operational efficiency of the robot 10 and the positioning accuracy of the substrate W.

[0102] (12) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in any one of (4) to (11), wherein the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first position and the position of the hand link 23 in the second position while the robot 10 moves the hand 24 from inside the process chamber 4 to outside the process chamber 4 along the input / output line 90, and the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to place the substrate W at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20. By utilizing the operation of unloading the substrate W from the process chamber 4, the position of the handle 23 in the first position and the position of the handle 23 in the second position can be detected.

[0103] (13) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in any one of (4) to (11), wherein the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture while the robot 10 moves the hand 24 from outside the process chamber 4 to inside the process chamber 4 along the input / output line 90 in order to transport the substrate W from inside the process chamber 4 to outside the process chamber 4, and the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to place the substrate W at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20. In order to remove the substrate W from the process chamber 4, the position of the handle 23 in the first position and the position of the handle 23 in the second position can be detected by using the operation of moving the handle 23 into the process chamber 4.

[0104] (14) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in any one of (1) to (13), wherein each of the multiple links 20 has a reference length in a first environment, and the length of at least one of the multiple links 20 has a length different from the reference length in a second environment different from the first environment, and the calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 in the second environment based on the detection results in the second environment of the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture. The substrate W can be placed at the target position with high accuracy regardless of the difference between the first environment and the second environment.

[0105] (15) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in (14), wherein the calculation unit 111 calculates the length of each of the multiple links 20 based on the detection results of the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture and the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture in both the first environment and the second environment. Even if the positions of one or more sensors 60 are unknown, the lengths of each of the multiple links 20 can be calculated.

[0106] (16) The control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to move the hand link 23 back and forth along a predetermined first input / output line 91 to transport the substrate W between the inside and outside of the first process chamber 4A, and to move the hand link 23 back and forth along a predetermined second input / output line 92 to transport the substrate W between the inside and outside of the second process chamber 4B, the one or more sensors 60 including a first sensor 61 configured to detect the substrate W moving along the first input / output line 91 and a second sensor 62 configured to detect the substrate W moving along the second input / output line 92, and the hand position detection unit 114 detects the position of the hand link 23 in the first posture based on the detection result of the hand link 23 by the first sensor 61, and detects the position of the hand link 23 in the second posture based on the detection result of the hand link 23 by the second sensor 62, in the substrate transport robot system 7 described in (2). By utilizing the first object sensor 60 corresponding to the first process chamber 4A and the second object sensor 60 corresponding to the second process chamber 4B, the position of the hand link 23 in the first position and the position of the hand link 23 in the second position can be easily detected.

[0107] (17) A substrate transport robot system 7 described in (16) further comprising a positional deviation detection unit 115 that detects a positional deviation of the substrate W based on the detection result by the second sensor 62 of the substrate W moving from outside the second process chamber 4B into the second process chamber 4B, and the control unit 112 controls the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position within the second process chamber 4B based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20 and the positional deviation of the substrate W. By using the second sensor 62 for multiple purposes, the system can be simplified.

[0108] (18) The substrate transport robot system 7 described in (6) further includes a memory unit 113 that stores a program for positioning the hand link 23 at a target position of the hand 24 corresponding to the target position based on the reference length of each of the multiple links 20, and the control unit 112 calculates the error between the position where the hand link 23 actually reaches and the target position of the hand 24 based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20 using the program, corrects the target position based on the detected positional deviation of the substrate W and the calculated error, and controls the robot 10 based on the corrected target position and the program. This makes it possible to speed up the calculation for placing the substrate W at the target position.

[0109] (19) A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 comprising: one or more process chambers 4 for accommodating substrates W and performing processing on the accommodated substrates W; a robot 10 having a plurality of links 20 including a hand link 23 including a hand 24 for supporting the substrate W and one or more links connected to the hand link 23, and transporting the substrate W to a target position in the one or more process chambers 4; a calculation unit 111 for calculating the length of each of the plurality of links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture and the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a second posture different from the first posture; and a control unit 112 for controlling the robot 10 to place the substrate W at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links 20.

[0110] (20) A control method including: calculating the length of each of the multiple links 20 of the robot 10 based on the position of the hand link 23 when the robot 10 is in a first posture, the multiple links 20 including a hand link 23 including a hand 24 that supports the substrate W and one or more links connected to the hand link 23; and controlling the robot 10 to place the substrate W at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the multiple links 20. Although the embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1...semiconductor manufacturing equipment, W...substrate, 4...process chamber, 7...substrate transport robot system, 10...robot, 24...hand, 23...hand link, 20...multiple links, 111...calculation unit, 112...control unit, 113...memory unit, 60...sensor, 114...hand position detection unit, 31...first part, 32...second part, 90...input / output line, 41...first marker, 42...first line, 43...second line, 51...second marker, 52...third line, 53...fourth line, 115...position deviation detection unit, 4A...first process chamber, 91...first input / output line, 4B...second process chamber, 92...second input / output line, 61...first sensor, 62...second sensor.

Claims

1. a robot having a plurality of links including a hand link including a hand for supporting a substrate and one or more links connected to the hand link; a calculation unit that calculates the length of each of the plurality of links of the robot based on a position of the hand link when the robot is in a first posture and a position of the hand link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture; a control unit that controls the robot so as to place the substrate at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links; A substrate transfer robot system comprising:

2. one or more sensors for detecting said handling; a hand position detection unit that detects the position of the hand link in the first posture and the position of the hand link in the second posture based on the detection results of the hand link by the one or more sensors; Further comprising: The substrate transport robot system according to claim 1 .

3. the hand link has a first portion and a second portion at different positions; the hand position detection unit detects the position of the hand link in the first posture and the position of the hand link in the second posture based on detection results of the first portion and the second portion by the same sensor, 3. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 2.

4. 4. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 3, wherein the first posture and the second posture are both postures for moving the hand link forward and backward along a predetermined entry / exit line to move the hand in and out of a process chamber.

5. 3. The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more sensors are one or more object sensors each detecting the presence or absence of an object at a specific detection position.

6. a positional deviation detection unit that detects a positional deviation of the substrate based on a detection result of the substrate by the one or more object sensors, the control unit controls the robot to place the substrate at the target position based on the calculated lengths of the plurality of links and the detected positional deviation of the substrate.

6. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 5.

7. the hand link has a first portion and a second portion provided at different positions from each other; the hand position detection unit detects the position of the hand link in the first posture and the position of the hand link in the second posture based on detection results of the first portion and the second portion by a single object sensor, 6. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 5.

8. the first portion has a first marker including a first line and a second line that intersect with each other; the hand position detection unit detects the position of the hand link in a plane including the first line and the second line as the position of the hand link in the first posture based on the detection result of the first line and the detection result of the second line by the same object sensor; 8. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 7.

9. the second portion has a second marker including a third line and a fourth line that intersect with each other; the hand position detection unit detects the position of the hand link in a plane including the third line and the fourth line as the position of the hand link in the second posture based on the detection result of the third line and the detection result of the fourth line by the same object sensor. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 8 .

10. the control unit controls the robot to move the hand into and out of a process chamber along a predetermined entry / exit line; the first portion and the second portion are arranged so as to pass the same object sensor at different times while the hand link is moving along the entry / exit line; 8. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 7.

11. a positional deviation detection unit that detects a positional deviation of the substrate supported by the hand that moves along the input / output line based on a detection result by the same object sensor, The substrate transport robot system according to claim 10.

12. the hand position detection unit detects a position of the hand link in the first posture and a position of the hand link in the second posture while the robot moves the hand from inside the process chamber to outside the process chamber along the entry / exit line; the control unit controls the robot to place the substrate at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links.

5. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 4.

13. the hand position detection unit detects a position of the hand link in the first posture and a position of the hand link in the second posture while the robot moves the hand from outside the process chamber to inside the process chamber along the entry / exit line in order to transport the substrate from inside the process chamber to outside the process chamber; the control unit controls the robot to place the substrate at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links.

5. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 4.

14. each of the plurality of links having a reference length in a first environment; a length of at least one of the plurality of links is different from the reference length in a second environment different from the first environment; the calculation unit calculates a length of each of the plurality of links in the second environment based on detection results of the position of the hand link in the first posture and the position of the hand link in the second posture in the second environment. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 1 .

15. the calculation unit calculates the length of each of the plurality of links based on detection results of the position of the hand link in the first posture and the position of the hand link in the second posture in both the first environment and the second environment.

15. The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 14.

16. the control unit controls the robot to move the hand into and out of a first process chamber along a predetermined first entry / exit line, and to move the hand into and out of a second process chamber along a predetermined second entry / exit line; the one or more sensors include a first sensor provided to detect the substrate supported by the hand moving along the first input / output line, and a second sensor provided to detect the substrate supported by the hand moving along the second input / output line, the hand position detection unit detects the position of the hand link in the first posture based on a detection result of the hand link by the first sensor, and detects the position of the hand link in the second posture based on a detection result of the hand link by the second sensor; 3. The substrate transport robot system according to claim 2.

17. The handling a first sub-link including the hand; a second sub-link including a second hand that supports the substrate at a position spaced apart from the hand; and The calculation unit calculating lengths of the first sub-link and one or more links based on a position of the first sub-link when the robot is in a first posture and a position of the first sub-link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture; calculating lengths of the second sub-link and one or more links based on a position of the second sub-link when the robot is in a third posture and a position of the second sub-link when the robot is in a fourth posture different from the third posture; The substrate transport robot system according to claim 1 .

18. 18. The substrate transport robot system of claim 17, wherein the first position, the second position, the third position, and the fourth position are all positional positions for simultaneously moving the hand and the second hand into and out of a first process chamber and a second process chamber, respectively, along a predetermined entry / exit line.

19. one or more process chambers for receiving and processing substrates; a robot having a plurality of links including a hand link including a hand for supporting the substrate and one or more links connected to the hand link, the robot transporting the substrate to a target position in the one or more process chambers; a calculation unit that calculates the length of each of the plurality of links of the robot based on a position of the hand link when the robot is in a first posture and a position of the hand link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture; a control unit that controls the robot so as to place the substrate at the target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links; A semiconductor manufacturing device comprising:

20. calculating the length of each of the plurality of links of the robot based on a position of the hand link when the robot is in a first posture, the position of the hand link including a hand for supporting a substrate and one or more links connected to the hand link, and a position of the hand link when the robot is in a second posture different from the first posture; controlling the robot so as to place the substrate at a target position based on the calculated lengths of each of the plurality of links; A control method comprising:

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