Transfer robot and substrate handling system

Abstract

This system provides a highly efficient wafer transport system that minimizes the operating trajectory, minimizing the movement of the arm. [Solution] The substrate transport system 1 for transporting the substrate 10 comprises a transport unit 2, a first mounting unit 3 and a second mounting unit 4 on which the substrate is placed, and a transfer robot 5 provided inside the transport unit for transporting the substrate from the first mounting unit to the second mounting unit. The transfer robot comprises a main body 51, a swivel support unit 52, an arm support unit 53, an arm unit 54, and a holding unit 55. The swivel support unit comprises a first end rotatably connected to the main body and a second end to which the arm support unit is rotatably connected. The swivel support unit rotates around the connection point with the main body as the axis of rotation, and the arm unit is rotatably connected in a plan view around the connection point with the arm support unit as the axis of rotation. The transfer robot is positioned such that the center of the swivel support unit supported by the main body is located in the center of the transport unit's range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer robot and a substrate transfer system. This application claims priority based on International Patent Application PCT / JP2022 / 016244 filed in Japan on March 30, 2022, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a substrate transfer system in which a transfer robot for transferring a semiconductor substrate (wafer) is installed in a chamber (clean room) under a vacuum environment, and the wafer is transferred from a load port attached to the front surface of the chamber. In the above substrate transfer system, the wafer taken into the chamber by the transfer robot is transferred to a process module attached in the chamber or to the chamber, and various semiconductor processes such as film formation processing are performed. The wafer processed in the process module is transferred again to the load port by the transfer robot and sent to the next process.

[0003] For example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose a substrate transfer system in which a transfer robot is fixed in a chamber, the wafer is transferred in the chamber without the transfer robot traveling, and no particle entrainment or airflow disturbance is generated in the chamber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The above substrate transport system includes a robot that transports wafers within a chamber having a predetermined length in the first direction, and a plurality of wafer transport destination ports located outside the chamber and arranged at predetermined intervals in the first direction. The robot is equipped with multiple arms that can rotate horizontally to transfer wafers to each port within the chamber, where the range of motion is limited. The length of each arm is set to correspond to the distance traveled in the first direction within the chamber. The length of the arms is limited by the length of the chamber in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0006] Therefore, the robot's position in the second direction is set as far away from the port as possible, and the distance in the second direction is increased to secure space for the robot's arm to rotate. As a result, the arm's operating distance is increased, posing a challenge to the efficiency of the transport operation. Furthermore, if another port is configured on the other side of the second direction opposite to a port configured on one side of the second direction, the length of the second direction will need to be even greater, potentially reducing the efficiency of the transport operation.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a transfer robot and a substrate transport system that can efficiently transport substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The substrate transport system according to the present invention comprises a transport section in which a range over which substrates are transported is defined, a first mounting section and a second mounting section on which the substrates are placed, and a transfer robot provided inside the transport section for transporting the substrates from the first mounting section to the second mounting section, wherein the range of the transport section is set to a predetermined first length in a first direction that allows multiple first mounting sections and second mounting sections to be arranged side by side, and a second length in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction that is shorter than the first length, and the transfer robot comprises a main body disposed within the transport section, a swivel support section connected to the main body, an arm support section connected to the swivel support section, an arm section connected to the arm support section, and a holding section connected to the arm section for holding the substrate, wherein the swivel support section has a first end section that is rotatably connected to the main body and The transfer robot is a substrate transport system in which the main body is positioned such that the center of the pivot support portion supported by the main body is located in the center of the transport area.

[0009] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the transport unit may include a robot support unit that supports the main body of the transfer robot, and a plurality of mounting and installation units on which the first mounting unit and the second mounting unit are provided.

[0010] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the spacing between the plurality of mounting and installation parts arranged in the first direction may be set to the same value as the diameter of the circle formed by the circumferential trajectory of the rotation axis of the pivot support part to which the arm support part is connected.

[0011] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, when the number of mounting parts described above is odd, the center of the pivot support unit and the center of the mounting part described above installed in the center may be set to the same position in the first direction. When the number of mounting parts described above is even, the center between each adjacent mounting part described above and the center of the pivot support unit may be set to the same position in the first direction.

[0012] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the range in which the substrate is transported in the transport section may be defined as a first region on one side of the second direction and a second region on the other side of the second direction, with the main body as the boundary. The lengths of the first region and the second region may be set to a distance equivalent to the swivel tip length, which is set as the length between the first rotation axis set at the first end of the swivel support section and the outer tip on the second end side of the swivel support section.

[0013] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the second arm may be supported by the first arm so as to be rotatable about the connection portion with the first arm as the axis of rotation. When transferring the substrate between a plurality of the first mounting portions and the second mounting portions, the direction of the bending posture of the arm portion of the second arm that bends about the axis of rotation that rotates relative to the first arm may be maintained in either a first posture in which it bends in one direction, or a second posture in which it bends in a direction different from the one direction.

[0014] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the main body may be equipped with a robot control unit that controls the drive of the transfer robot.

[0015] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the first arm may include a first arm base end rotatably connected to the arm support portion, and a first arm movable end opposite to the first arm base end, which rotatably supports the second arm. The second arm may include a second arm base end rotatably connected to the first arm movable end, and a second arm movable end opposite to the second arm base end, which rotatably supports the holding portion.

[0016] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the holding portion comprises a first holding hand and a second holding hand provided below the first holding hand, and the first holding hand and the second holding hand may each comprise a hand tip portion for holding the substrate and a hand base portion that is rotatably supported with respect to the second arm moving end portion.

[0017] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the first mounting section and the second mounting section are arranged along the periphery of the transport section, and the transfer robot may be positioned between the first mounting section and the second mounting section.

[0018] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, the first mounting section and the second mounting section are provided in a plurality of locations facing each other along the perimeter of the transport section with the transfer robot in between in a plan view, and the plurality of first mounting sections and the plurality of second mounting sections may be arranged at a certain interval in the first direction.

[0019] In the substrate transport system according to the present invention, a plurality of transfer robots are provided in the transport section, comprising a first transport section that can be transported by a first transfer robot and a second transport section that can be transported by a second transfer robot, a first group of mounting sections provided in the first transport section for placing the substrates, a second group of mounting sections provided in the second transport section for placing the substrates, and an intermediate mounting section for transferring the substrates between the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot, wherein the intermediate mounting section may be provided around the transport section, between the first group of mounting sections and the second group of mounting sections.

[0020] The transfer robot according to the present invention is a transfer robot that transports a substrate from a first mounting section to a second mounting section provided along a transport section that defines the range in which the substrate is transported, and comprises a main body disposed inside the transport section, a swivel support section connected to the main body, an arm support section connected to the swivel support section, an arm section connected to the arm support section, and a holding section connected to the arm section for holding the substrate, wherein the swivel support section comprises a first end rotatably connected to the main body and a second end to which the arm support section is rotatably connected, and the arm section comprises a first arm connected to the arm support section and the holding section A transfer robot comprising a second connecting arm, wherein the swivel support is rotatably connected in a plan view with the connection to the main body as the axis of rotation, the arm support is rotatably connected in a plan view with the connection to the swivel support as the axis of rotation, the center line of rotation of the arm support with respect to the second end of the swivel support and the center line of rotation of the arm with respect to the arm support are set to lie on the same line, the arm is rotatably connected in a plan view with respect to the connection to the arm support as the axis of rotation, and the main body is positioned such that the center of the swivel support supported by the main body is located in the center of the range of the transport unit.

[0021] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, the range of the transport unit may be set to a predetermined first length that can arrange a plurality of the first placement units and the second placement units side by side in a first direction, and a second length shorter than the first length in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The distance between the rotation axis to which the arm support part is connected and the rotation axis to which the turning support part is connected on the main body part of the arm support part may be set to half of the distance between the plurality of first placement parts and the second placement parts arranged in the first direction.

[0022] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, the turning tip length set as the length between the first rotation axis set at the first end of the turning support part and the outer shape tip on the second end side of the turning support part may be set to the same length as the length of one region where the first placement part and the second placement part are arranged around the main body part.

[0023] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, the main body part may be provided with a robot control unit that controls the drive of the transfer robot.

[0024] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, a turning motor that rotates the turning support part with respect to the main body part, an arm support drive motor that rotates the arm support part with respect to the turning support part, and an arm motor that rotates the arm part with respect to the arm support part may be provided.

[0025] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, the arm support part may include the arm motor and an arm drive mechanism that operates the arm part.

[0026] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, the first arm may include a first arm base end rotatably connected to the arm support portion, and a first arm moving end opposite to the first arm base end, which rotatably supports the second arm. The second arm may include a second arm base end rotatably connected to the first arm moving end, and a second arm moving end opposite to the second arm base end, which rotatably supports the holding portion.

[0027] In the transfer robot according to the present invention, the holding portion comprises a first holding hand and a second holding hand provided below the first holding hand, and the first holding hand and the second holding hand may each comprise a hand tip portion for holding the substrate and a hand base portion that is rotatably supported with respect to the second arm moving end portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate transport system and a transfer robot that can efficiently transport substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the substrate transport system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 4A] This is a partial plan view showing the operating procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 4B] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 4C] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 5A] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 5B]This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 6A] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 6B] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 7A] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operation procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 7B] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the operating procedure of the transfer robot according to the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a plan view showing the substrate transport system according to the present invention. [Figure 9A] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view along line AA. [Figure 9B] Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view along line BB. [Figure 10] This is a plan view showing another embodiment of the substrate transport system according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Embodiments of the substrate transport system and transfer robot according to the present invention will be described below.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate transport system 1 comprises a transport unit 2 for which the transport work range is set, a first placement unit 3, a plurality of second placement units 4, and a transfer robot 5.

[0032] The substrate transport system 1 is a transport system that transports the substrate 10 from the first mounting section 3 to the second mounting section 4 by operating a transfer robot 5. The substrate 10 is a disc-shaped semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, "substrate 10" will be referred to as "wafer 10"). The wafer 10 has markings (for example, orientation flats and notches) 10a (see Figure 4B) that indicate the orientation and surface of the wafer 10.

[0033] The transport unit 2 is formed, for example, as a rectangular shell in plan view. The transport unit 2 defines the range over which the substrate is transported. The transport unit 2 comprises a first long wall 2a and a second long wall 2b arranged opposite each other and extending in a first direction X, and a first short wall 2c and a second short wall 2d arranged perpendicular to the first direction and opposite each other. The first long wall 2a and the second long wall 2b have a first length. The first short wall 2c and the second short wall 2d have a second length different from the first length. The transport unit 2 is provided with a lower support 2e at its bottom that connects to the first long wall 2a, the second long wall 2b, the first short wall 2c, and the second short wall 2d. The transport unit 2 comprises a plurality of mounting sections on which a first mounting section 3 and a plurality of second mounting sections 4 are installed. The transport unit 2 has a first mounting section 3 provided on a mounting section provided on the first long wall 2a, and a plurality of second mounting sections 4 connected at regular intervals along the second long wall 2b to a plurality of mounting sections provided on the second long wall 2b. The first length is a length that allows multiple first mounting sections 3 and / or second mounting sections 4 to be arranged side by side in the first direction X. The transport unit 2 has a robot support section 2e1 provided on the lower support 2e that supports the transfer robot 5.

[0034] Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the transport unit 2, which is the first direction (the direction in which the first long wall 2a and the second long wall 2b extend), will be referred to as the X direction, the short direction of the transport unit 2, which is perpendicular to the first direction and is the second direction (the direction in which the first short wall 2c and the second short wall 2d extend), will be referred to as the Y direction, and the height direction (up and down direction) of the transport unit 2, which is perpendicular to the X and Y directions, will be referred to as the Z direction.

[0035] The transport unit 2 is defined as a mobile area A, the area enclosed by the first long wall 2a, the second long wall 2b, the first short wall 2c, and the second short wall 2d, which is the scope of transport operations. The transport unit 2 has a transfer robot 5 positioned inside, and a first mounting section 3 and multiple second mounting sections 4 are positioned around the transport unit 2. The transfer robot 5 is positioned in the center of the mobile area A. The mobile area A is divided into two parts: the area on one side in the Y direction, defined as the first mobile area A1 (first area), and the area on the other side in the Y direction, defined as the second mobile area A2 (second area). The first mobile area A1 is the area on the second long wall 2b side where the second mounting sections 4 are installed. The second mobile area A2 is the area on the first long wall 2a side where the first mounting section 3 is installed.

[0036] The interior of the transport unit 2 is controlled so that the airflow moves from top to bottom, and is normally maintained in a positive pressure state. The transport unit 2 has a load port 21, which serves as the first mounting section 3, connected to the first long wall 2a, and multiple processing ports 22, which serve as multiple second mounting sections 4, connected to the second long wall 2b. The multiple processing ports 22 are connected at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the second long wall 2b. The transport unit 2 maintains a clean interior by keeping the internal air pressure in a positive state and controlling the airflow from top to bottom.

[0037] The load port 21 is a port for supplying and retrieving wafers 10, and the multiple processing ports 22 are ports used as relays between the loading port 21 and processing ports 22 for various semiconductor surface treatment processes such as film deposition on the wafers 10. The wafers 10 are transported from the load port 21 to the processing ports 22 by the transfer robot 5. In this case, the load port 21 corresponds to the first loading section 3, and the processing ports 22 correspond to the second loading section 4. After surface treatment, the wafers 10 are placed in the processing ports 22, and then transported again from the processing ports 22 to the load port 21 by the transfer robot 5 to be replaced with the next wafer 10 to be surface treated. In this case, the processing ports 22 correspond to the first loading section 3, and the load port 21 corresponds to the second loading section 4. A container containing multiple wafers 10 is placed on the load port 21, and the wafers are sequentially transported to the processing ports 22 by the transfer robot 5. The container can be configured such that a predetermined number of wafers 10, such as 25, are stacked in the Z direction at predetermined intervals. The load port 21 and processing port 22 are provided with entry and exit points for loading and unloading wafers 10 from the transport unit 2. The entry and exit points for wafers 10 in the multiple processing ports 22 are formed to be aligned in the same direction.

[0038] The load port 21 is connected to a load port mounting section 2a1 located in the center of the first long wall 2a in the X direction. In the illustrated example, four processing ports 22 are provided at equal intervals in the X direction and are connected to processing port mounting sections 2b1 located on the second long wall 2b. The multiple processing ports 22 are arranged such that the center C1 of the X-direction distance L1 between two processing ports 22, 22 located in the center of the X direction substantially coincides with the center of the first long wall 2a in the X direction.

[0039] The transfer robot 5 is located inside the transport unit 2 and transports the wafer 10 between the load port 21 and the multiple processing ports 22. The transfer robot 5 is configured to place the wafer 10 on and move it. The transport of the wafer 10 includes exchange transport, in which the wafer 10 is exchanged between the multiple processing ports 22, and sequential transport, in which the wafer 10 is transported to the multiple processing ports 22 in a predetermined order. In a plan view, the transfer robot 5 is positioned midway in the Y direction between the first long wall 2a and the second long wall 2b, and is positioned between the load port 21 and the multiple processing ports 22 in a plan view. In other words, the transfer robot 5 is positioned between the load port 21 and the multiple processing ports 22 in a plan view. The load port 21 and the multiple processing ports 22 face each other with the transfer robot 5 in between in a plan view.

[0040] The transfer robot 5, load port 21, and processing port 22 are arranged such that the center of the transfer robot 5 in a plan view is center C2, the center of the load port 21 in a plan view is center C3, and the center of the X-direction distance L1 between the two processing ports 22, 22 located in the X-direction center is center C1, with the respective positions of centers C1 to C3 in the X-direction approximately coinciding on a line extending in the Y-direction. If the number of load ports 21 and processing ports 22 is odd, the center of the port located in the X-direction center in a plan view is center C3. If the number of load ports 21 and processing ports 22 is even, the center of the X-direction distance between the two ports located in the X-direction center in a plan view is center C1. The center C2 of the transfer robot 5 is set to the center in the Y-direction of the transport unit 2.

[0041] Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the transfer robot 5. Figure 3 is a simplified view of the transfer robot 5, with some parts omitted. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the transfer robot 5 comprises a main body 51, a swivel support 52, an arm support 53, an arm 54, and a holding 55.

[0042] As shown in Figure 3, the main body 51 comprises a base 511, a lifting unit 512, a lifting motor 513, a swivel motor 514, an arm support drive motor 515, a control unit 516, and a storage unit 517. As shown in Figure 2, the base 511 is fixed to a robot support unit 2e1 provided on the lower support 2e, which is the bottom of the transport unit 2. The main body 51 is supported within the transport unit 2 via the base 511. As shown in Figure 3, the lifting unit 512, the lifting motor 513, the swivel motor 514, and the arm support drive motor 515 are housed within the storage unit 517. The arm support drive motor 515 is located on the upper end side in the Z direction within the storage unit 517. The control unit 516 is located inside the storage unit 517 on the base 511.

[0043] The lifting section 512 is provided so as to be able to move up and down within the storage body 517 on the base 511. A swivel support section 52 is rotatably supported above the lifting section 512. As the lifting mechanism of the lifting section 512 by the lifting motor 513, for example, a ball screw mechanism is employed, which includes a ball screw extending in the lifting direction and a guide member (nut) that is screwed onto the ball screw and moves in the lifting direction as the ball screw operates, and is connected to the lifting section 512. The lifting section 512 moves up and down together with the main body 51 by rotating the ball screw with the lifting motor 513, thereby moving the swivel support section 52, arm support section 53, arm section 54, and holding section 55, which are located above the main body 51 in the Z direction. The transfer robot 5 can change the holding height of the wafer 10 according to the respective arrangement heights of the load port 21 and the multiple processing ports 22 by adjusting the height using the lifting section 512. Furthermore, by configuring the first mounting section 3 and the second mounting section 4 to be adjustable in height, the lifting section 512 and the lifting motor 513 of the transfer robot 5 may be omitted.

[0044] The control unit 516 is located inside the storage unit 517 and controls the transport operation of the wafer 10 by the transfer robot 5. The transfer robot 5 positions the control unit 516 close to the control equipment (for example, output equipment such as various motors and detection equipment such as sensors) that are configured in the transfer robot 5 by placing the control unit 516 on the base 511 of the main body 51. This makes it possible to shorten the length of electrical wiring, including control lines, and improve the control speed.

[0045] The swivel support section 52 is positioned on the upper part of the main body 51 in the Z direction. The swivel support section 52 is positioned on the upper part of the main body 51 in the Z direction, with a first end 52a provided on one side connected to the upper end of the lifting section 512 of the main body 51. The swivel support section 52 has an arm shape extending in the lateral direction, and the first end 52a, which is one end in the longitudinal direction, is connected to the upper end of the lifting section 512 of the main body 51. The swivel support section 52 rotates relative to the main body 51 in a plan view with the first end 52a as the axis of rotation (hereinafter referred to as the "first axis of rotation 61") by a swivel motor 514. The first axis of rotation 61 is centered on the same center line CZ1 as the center C2. The swivel support section 52 comprises a first end 52a corresponding to the center line CZ1 and a second end 52b corresponding to a different center line CZ2. The first rotating shaft 61 is positioned along the Z direction and rotates around the center line CZ1. The swivel support section 52 rotates approximately horizontally around the center line CZ1. The main body 51 is positioned within the transport section 2 such that the center (center) of the swivel support section 52 is at the same position as the center C2.

[0046] The arm support portion 53 comprises a swivel mounting portion 53a and an arm mounting portion 53b. The arm support portion 53 is located above the swivel support portion 52 in the Z direction. Below the swivel mounting portion 53a in the Z direction is a second end portion 52b of the swivel support portion 52, opposite to the first end portion 52a in the longitudinal direction. The swivel mounting portion 53a is connected to the second end portion 52b of the swivel support portion 52. The arm mounting portion 53b is located above in the Z direction and is connected to the arm portion 54.

[0047] As shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the second end 52b of the swivel support section 52 is equipped with an arm support rotation mechanism 530. The arm support rotation mechanism 530 comprises an arm support drive motor 515, a drive pulley 515a, a transmission member 514c, a driven pulley 51b, and a rotating body 515d. The transmission member 515c transmits the rotation of the arm support drive motor 515 to the drive pulley 515a. The transmission member 515c is, for example, a steel belt. The drive pulley 515a and the driven pulley 51b engage with the transmission member 515c. The rotating body 515d includes a swivel mounting section 53a. The swivel mounting section 53a is connected to the driven pulley 515b and the arm support section 53 is attached to it. Furthermore, the arm support rotation mechanism 530 includes a first shaft member 62a on which the rotating body 515d and the driven pulley 515b are mounted so as to be rotatable about the center line CZ2.

[0048] The arm support section 53 rotates relative to the swivel support section 52 in a plan view by the arm support section rotation mechanism 530. The rotational driving force of the arm support drive motor 515 is transmitted to the rotating body 515d via the drive pulley 515a, the transmission member 515c, and the driven pulley 51b. The transmitted rotational driving force causes the rotating body 515d to rotate around the first shaft member 62a.

[0049] The second end portion 52b has a center line CZ2, and the arm support portion 53 is supported by the swivel support portion 52 so as to be rotatable about the center line CZ2. The arm support portion 53 is equipped with an arm motor 543. The arm motor 543 includes an arm drive mechanism 543a that operates the arm portion 54 about the center line CZ2.

[0050] The arm drive mechanism 543a comprises a transmission member 543a2, a driven pulley 543a3, and a rotating body 543a4. The transmission member 543a2 transmits the rotation of the arm motor 543 to the driven pulley 543a3. The transmission member 543a2 is, for example, a steel belt. The driven pulley 543a3 engages with the transmission member 543a2. The rotating body 543a4 is connected to the driven pulley 543a3 and includes an arm mounting portion 53b to which the arm portion 54 is attached. The arm drive mechanism 543a also includes a second shaft member 62b to which the rotating body 543a4 and the driven pulley 543a3 are mounted so as to be rotatable around the center line CZ2.

[0051] The arm section 54 comprises a first arm 541, a second arm 542, an arm operating mechanism 54a, a first holding hand motor 544, a second holding hand motor 545, and a hand drive transmission mechanism 546. The arm section 54 is positioned above the arm support section 53 in the Z direction. The arm operating mechanism 54a transmits the driving force of the arm motor 543 to cause the first arm 541 and the second arm 542 to perform predetermined movements.

[0052] The first arm 541 comprises a first end 541a as the base end of the first arm and a second end 541b as the movable end of the first arm. The first end 541a is rotatably supported by the arm support portion 53 and connected to the arm mounting portion 53b. The second end 541b rotatably supports the second arm 542. The first end 541a and the second end 541b are located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the first arm 541. The first arm 541 is supported by the arm support portion 53, with the first end 541a connected to the arm mounting portion 53b of the arm support portion 53. The first arm 541 is positioned below the second arm 542. The first end 541a side of the first arm 541 is connected to the arm drive mechanism 543a.

[0053] The first arm 541 rotates relative to the pivot support 52 in a plan view, with its first end 541a as the axis of rotation (hereinafter referred to as the "second axis of rotation 62") as the arm mounting portion 53b rotates. The first arm 541 also rotates relative to the arm support 53 in a plan view, with its first end 541a as the axis of rotation (hereinafter referred to as the "second axis of rotation 62") as the rotational operation of the arm drive mechanism 543a by the arm motor 543. The second axis of rotation 62 is centered on a center line CZ2 which is different from the center line CZ1. The center line CZ2 is a line along the Z direction and is parallel to the center line CZ1. At its first end 541a, the first arm 541 rotates around the second axis of rotation 62 with the center line CZ2 as the center. The rotational centerline CZ2 of the arm support portion 53 relative to the second end portion 52b of the swivel support portion 52 and the rotational centerline CZ2 of the arm portion 54 relative to the arm support portion 53 are set to lie on the same line.

[0054] The arm support section 53 serves as the pivot base for the swivel support section 52 and the arm section 54, which are located vertically in the Z direction. The arm support section 53 rotates independently of the swivel support section 52 and the arm section 54. Specifically, the arm support section 53 is rotated independently of the swivel support section 52 by the arm support drive motor 515. The arm section 54 is rotated independently of the arm support section 53 by the arm motor 543.

[0055] The second arm 542 comprises a first end 542a, which serves as a second arm base end and is rotatably connected to a second end 541b, which serves as the first arm's moving end, and a second end 542b, which serves as a second arm's moving end and rotatably supports the holding portion 55. The first end 542a and the second end 542b are located at both ends of the second arm 542 in the longitudinal direction. The second arm 542 is supported by the first arm 541, with the first end 542a connected to the second end 541b of the first arm 541. The second arm 542 rotates relative to the first arm 541 in a plan view, with the first end 542a as the axis of rotation (hereinafter referred to as the "third axis of rotation 63") by the rotational operation of the arm drive mechanism 543a by the arm motor 543. The third axis of rotation 63 is centered on a center line CZ3 that is different from the center lines CZ1 and CZ2. The center line CZ3 is a line that lies along the Z direction and is parallel to the center lines CZ1 and CZ2. The second arm 542 rotates around the third rotation axis 63 with respect to the center line CZ3 at its first end 542a.

[0056] The second arm 542 incorporates a first holding hand motor 544 and a second holding hand motor 545, and a hand drive transmission mechanism 546 is incorporated on the second end 542b side. The first holding hand motor 544 and the second holding hand motor 545 are arranged in parallel in the Y direction. The hand drive transmission mechanism 546 includes a first hand drive transmission mechanism 546a that transmits the driving force of the first holding hand motor 544, and a second hand drive transmission mechanism 546b that transmits the driving force of the second holding hand motor 545.

[0057] The hand drive transmission mechanism 546 includes a first hand drive transmission mechanism 546a that transmits the driving force of the first holding hand motor 544, and a second hand drive transmission mechanism 546b that transmits the driving force of the second holding hand motor 545.

[0058] The arm section 54 adjusts the maximum length of the arm section 54 by causing the first arm 541 and the second arm 542 to rotate according to a predetermined movement in a plan view, by transmitting the driving force of the arm motor 543 via the arm drive mechanism 543a, thereby causing the entire arm section 54 to bend and extend around the center line CZ3. Specifically, the arm section 54 adjusts the length of the arm section 54 by causing the second end 542b, which is the second arm moving end, to move closer to or further away from the first end 541a, which is the first arm base end, along the straight line connecting the center line CZ2 and the center line CZ4.

[0059] The holding portion 55 includes a first holding hand 551, a second holding hand 552, a first support portion 553, and a second support portion 554. The holding portion 55 is positioned at the upper part of the arm portion 54 in the Z direction.

[0060] The first holding hand 551 and the second holding hand 552 are arranged at a constant distance from each other in the Z direction. The first holding hand 551 is provided on the upper part of the second holding hand 552. The first holding hand 551 includes a first hand tip 551a for holding the wafer 10. The second holding hand 552 includes a second hand tip 552a for holding the wafer 10. The first holding hand 551 and the second holding hand 552 each hold the wafer 10 at the first hand tip 551a and the second hand tip 552a, respectively, by a holding mechanism not shown. The method of holding the wafer 10 is not limited; for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the hand is inserted under the wafer 10, the wafer 10 is scooped up and placed, and then the wafer 10 is held by suction to the hand using negative pressure.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, the first support portion 553 and the second support portion 554 are held by the second arm 542. The first support portion 553 includes a first hand base portion 551c that is rotatably supported by the second arm 542. The first holding hand 551 is connected to the distal end 551b of the first support portion 553. The second support portion 554 includes a second hand base portion 552c that is rotatably supported by the second arm 542. The second holding hand 552 is connected to the distal end 552b of the second support portion 554.

[0062] The first support part 553 rotates relative to the second arm 542 in a plan view by the first holding hand motor 544 shown in Figure 3. The second support part 554 rotates relative to the second arm 542 in a plan view by the second holding hand motor 545 shown in Figure 3. Hereinafter, the rotation axis of the first support part 553 will be referred to as the fourth rotation axis 64, and the rotation axis of the second support part 554 will be referred to as the fifth rotation axis 65. The centers of the fourth rotation axis 64 and the fifth rotation axis 65 coincide with a center line CZ4 that is different from the center lines CZ1, CZ2, and CZ3. The center line CZ4 is a line along the Z direction and is parallel to the center lines CZ1, CZ2, and CZ3. The first support part 553 and the second support part 554 rotate around the fourth rotation axis 64 and the fifth rotation axis 65, which are centered on the center line CZ4. The first support portion 553 and the second support portion 554 rotate independently of each other. For example, the first support portion 553 and the second support portion 554 rotate independently in forward and reverse directions.

[0063] In the transport system 1, as shown in Figure 1, the first mounting section 3 and the second mounting section 4 are set as mounting positions where the wafer 10 is placed, and the pre-mounting positions are set as positions in front of the mounting sections, corresponding to the respective mounting positions of the first mounting section 3 and the second mounting section 4, and are set within the range of the transport section 2. In this embodiment, the load port 21 corresponding to the first mounting section 3 is set as mounting position 21Pa as the position of the mounting section 210, and the pre-mounting position 21Fa is set as the position in front of the mounting section 210. In addition, the multiple processing ports 22 corresponding to the second mounting section 4 are set as mounting positions 22Pa to 22Pd as the positions of the mounting sections 220a to 220d corresponding to each processing port 22, and the pre-mounting positions 22Fa to 22Fd are set as positions in front of the mounting sections 220a to 220d.

[0064] The control unit 516 (robot control unit) controls the movement of the holding unit 55 via the respective mounting positions and pre-mounting positions set according to the respective operation control when controlling the transport operation of the wafer 10 by the transfer robot 5 or the removal operation of the wafer 10.

[0065] The control unit 516 includes a first movement control that moves the holding unit 55 between the loading position 21Pa and the pre-loading position 21Fa set on the load port 21, or between the loading positions 22Pa to 22Pd set on each processing port 22 and the pre-loading positions 22Fa to 22Fd set corresponding to each loading position 22Pa to 22Pd. The control unit 516 also includes a second movement control that moves the holding unit 55 between the respective pre-loading positions 22Fa to 22Fd set along at least a first direction inside the transport unit 2.

[0066] The first movement control includes a second linear interpolation movement control that linearly interpolates the movement of the holding portion 55 along a second direction. The second movement control includes a first linear interpolation movement control that linearly interpolates the movement of the holding portion 55 along a first direction, a rotational movement control that rotates the swivel support portion 52 in a predetermined rotational direction, and an operation control (counter-action control) that rotates the arm support portion 53 in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the swivel support portion 52.

[0067] The control unit 516 can move the holding unit 55 while maintaining the markers 10a on the wafer 10 in a constant, consistent direction relative to each placement position, by either executing a first movement control with the holding unit 55's movement control set to move in a second direction, or executing a second movement control with the holding unit 55's movement control set to move in a first direction, thereby enabling efficient transport of substrates in the substrate transport system 1.

[0068] The method for transporting the wafer 10 by the transfer robot 5 in the above-described substrate transport system 1 will be explained below with reference to Figures 4A to 7B. Hereinafter, the swivel support section 52, arm support section 53, arm section 54, and holding section 55 of the transfer robot 5 will be collectively referred to as the arm 50.

[0069] In the substrate transport system 1, as shown in Figure 1, the transfer robot 5 receives the wafer 10 from the load port 21 and operates the arm 50 to transport it to the processing port 22. The wafer 10 is first transported from the mounting section 210 (first mounting section 3) in the load port 21 to the mounting section 220a (second mounting section 4) in the first processing port 22a, and then transported to the surface treatment process via the first processing port 22a. The movement of the arm 50 is controlled by a control unit 516 provided in the main body 51.

[0070] As shown in Figure 4A, the transfer robot 5 removes the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220a by moving the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 with the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, moving the second arm 542 of the arm section 54 relative to the first arm 541 with the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation, and moving the holding section 55 with either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation.

[0071] The transfer robot 5 removes the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220a and rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 in the same direction in a plan view, according to the direction of movement of the holding section 55 and the wafer 10, using the second rotation axis 62 and the third rotation axis 63 as rotation axes. The first holding hand 551 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction using the fourth rotation axis 64 as the rotation axis, and the second holding hand 552 is rotated in a predetermined rotation direction using the fifth rotation axis 65 as the rotation axis. Through these rotations, the holding section 55 is positioned at the pre-mounting position 22Fa in the Y direction in front of the mounting section 220a while maintaining the mark 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction. The arm portion 54 adjusts the arm length by bending and extending the second end portion 542b, which is the moving end portion of the second arm, along the straight line connecting the center line CZ2 and the center line CZ4, toward or away from the first end portion 541a, which is the base end portion of the first arm, by rotating the second arm 542 in the opposite direction relative to the first arm 541 in a plan view, with the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation.

[0072] When the arm portion 54 is bent while maintaining the left arm position, it rotates counterclockwise, and when it is extended, it rotates counterclockwise. In other words, in Figures 4A to 4C, when the arm support 53 is located to the right of the main body 51, the movement of the processing port 22d relative to the mounting portion 220d at a position greater than the length of the swivel support 52 is clockwise from the mounting position 22Pd to the pre-mounting position 22Fd, and when it is moved from the pre-mounting position Fd to the mounting position Pd, it is counterclockwise. When the arm support 53 is located to the left of the main body 51, the movement of the processing port 22a relative to the mounting portion 220a at a position greater than the length of the swivel support 52 is counterclockwise from the mounting position 22Pa to the pre-mounting position 22Fa, and when it is moved from the pre-mounting position 22Fa to the mounting position 22Pa, it is clockwise.

[0073] As shown in Figure 4A, after positioning the wafer 10 in front of the mounting section 220a in the Y direction, the first arm 541 is rotated clockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, and the second arm 542 is rotated clockwise in a plan view using the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation so as to maintain the orientation of the wafer 10 relative to the amount of rotation of the first arm 541. By rotating the arms 50, the wafer 10 is transported from the pre-mounting position 22Fa to the mounting position 22Pa while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10, and the wafer 10 is transported to the first surface treatment process via the first processing port 22a.

[0074] As shown in Figure 4A, once the wafer 10 that has undergone the first surface treatment is placed on the mounting section 220a of the first processing port 22a, the wafer 10 is transported from the mounting section 220a (first mounting section 3) to the mounting section 220b (second mounting section 4) in the second processing port 22b, as shown in Figures 4B to 5A. As shown in Figure 4B, the transfer robot 5 rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 with respect to the first arm 541 of the arm section 54, with respect to the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, in a counterclockwise direction in plan view. The holding section 55 is rotated with respect to either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. These rotations maintain the wafer 10's orientation while keeping the wafer 10's mark 10a in a predetermined direction, and the wafer 10 is removed from the mounting section 220a and transported again to the pre-mounting position 22Fa, which is a position in front of the mounting section 220a in the Y direction.

[0075] Under the control of the control device 516, when transporting the wafer 10 to the mounting section 220a and when removing the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220a, the arm 50 moves the holding section 55 along the center line VL21, which is parallel to the Y direction and connects the center 22Pa in plan view of the mounting section 220a and the position 22Fa before mounting, thereby transporting the wafer 10. Specifically, the holding section 55 is moved along the center line VL21 (see Figure 4A) while maintaining the direction of the mark 10a on the wafer 10 held by the holding section 55.

[0076] As shown in Figure 4C, when the transfer robot 5 transports the wafer 10 to one side in the X direction (first direction), it rotates the swivel support unit 52 clockwise in a plan view using the first rotation axis 61 as the axis of rotation (rotational movement), and rotates the arm support unit 53 counterclockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation (rotational movement) to transport the wafer 10. Alternatively, when the transfer robot 5 transports the wafer 10 to the other side in the X direction (first direction), it rotates the swivel support unit 52 counterclockwise in a plan view using the first rotation axis 61 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the arm support unit 53 clockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation to transport the wafer 10. By performing these transports, the wafer 10 can be transported from one pre-placement position 22Fa to 22Fd to another different pre-placement position while maintaining the marker 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction. For example, while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10, the wafer 10 can be moved from a pre-installation position 22Fa, which is one of the pre-installation positions 22Fa to 22Fd, in the Y direction towards the installation section 220a, to the installation section 220b, which is located in the X direction, and the wafer 10 can be transported while maintaining the marker 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction at the pre-installation position 22Fb, which is in the Y direction towards the installation section 220b. Rotational movement means moving while rotating.

[0077] After positioning the wafer 10 at the pre-placement position 22Fb in the Y direction in front of the mounting section 220b, as shown in Figure 5A, the transfer robot 5 rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 clockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the second arm 542 of the arm section 54 clockwise in a plan view relative to the first arm 541 using the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation. In addition, the holding section 55 is rotated using either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. Through these rotations, the wafer 10 is transported from the pre-placement position 22Fb to the mounting section 220b while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 and keeping the mark 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction, and the wafer 10 is transported to the second surface treatment process via the second processing port 22b.

[0078] When the wafer 10 that has undergone the second surface treatment is placed on the mounting section 220b of the second processing port 22b, the wafer 10 is transported from the mounting section 220b (first mounting section 3) to the mounting section 220c (second mounting section 4) in the third processing port 22c, as shown in Figure 5B. The transfer robot 5 rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 counterclockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the second arm 542 of the arm section 54 counterclockwise in a plan view relative to the first arm 541 using the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation. In addition, the holding section 55 is rotated using either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. Through these rotations, the wafer 10 is removed from the mounting section 220b while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 and maintaining the mark 10a on the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction, and then transported again to the pre-mounting position 22Fb, which is a position in front of the mounting section 220b in the Y direction.

[0079] Under the control of the control device 516, when transporting the wafer 10 to the mounting section 220b and when removing the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220b, the arm 50 moves the holding section 55 along the center line VL22, which is parallel to the Y direction and connects the center 22Pb in the plan view of the mounting section 220b and the position 22Fb before mounting, thereby transporting the wafer 10. Specifically, the holding section 55 is moved along the center line VL22 while maintaining the direction of the mark 10a on the wafer 10 held by the holding section 55.

[0080] As shown in Figure 6A, after positioning the wafer 10 from the pre-placement position 22Fb to the pre-placement position 22Fc in the Y direction in front of the placement section 220c, the transfer robot 5 rotates the swivel support section 52 counterclockwise in a plan view using the first rotation axis 61 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 counterclockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation. In addition, the holding section 55 is rotated using either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. Through these rotations, the wafer 10 is transported to the placement section 220c while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 and keeping the mark 10a on the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction, and the wafer 10 is transported to the third surface treatment process via the third processing port 22c.

[0081] As shown in Figure 6A, when the wafer 10 that has undergone the third surface treatment is placed on the mounting section 220c of the third processing port 22c, the wafer 10 is transported from the mounting section 220c (first mounting section 3) to the mounting section 220d (second mounting section 4) in the fourth processing port 22d, as shown in Figure 6B. The transfer robot 5 rotates the swivel support section 52 clockwise in a plan view using the first rotation axis 61 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the arm support section 53 and arm section 54 clockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, thereby maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 while keeping the mark 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction, and transports the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220c to the pre-mounting position 22Fc, which is a position in front of the mounting section 220c in the Y direction.

[0082] Under the control of the control device 516, when transporting the wafer 10 to the mounting section 220c and when removing the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220c, the arm 50 moves the holding section 55 along the center line VL23 (see Figure 4A), which is parallel to the Y direction and connects the center 22Pc in the plan view of the mounting section 220c and the position 22Fc before mounting, thereby transporting the wafer 10. Specifically, the holding section 55 is moved along the center line VL23 while maintaining the direction of the mark 10a on the wafer 10 held by the holding section 55.

[0083] As shown in Figure 7A, after moving the wafer 10 from the pre-placement position 22Fc to the pre-placement position 22Fd in the Y direction in front of the placement section 220d, the transfer robot 5 rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 clockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the second arm 542 of the arm section 54 counterclockwise in a plan view relative to the first arm 541 using the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation. In addition, the holding section 55 is rotated using either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. Through these rotations, the wafer 10 is transported from the pre-placement position 22Fd to the placement section 220d while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 and keeping the mark 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction, and the wafer 10 is transported to the fourth surface treatment process via the fourth processing port 22d.

[0084] As shown in Figure 7A, when the wafer 10 that has undergone the fourth surface treatment is placed on the mounting section 220d of the fourth processing port 22d, the wafer 10 is transported again from the mounting section 220d (first mounting section 3) to the mounting section 210 (second mounting section 4) in the load port 21, as shown in Figure 7B. The transfer robot 5 rotates the arm support section 53 and the arm section 54 clockwise in a plan view using the second rotation axis 62 as the axis of rotation, and rotates the second arm 542 of the arm section 54 clockwise in a plan view relative to the first arm 541 using the third rotation axis 63 as the axis of rotation. In addition, the holding section 55 is rotated using either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. Through these rotations, the wafer 10 is removed from the mounting section 220d while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 and maintaining the mark 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction, and transported again to the pre-mounting position 22Fd in the Y direction in front of the mounting section 220d.

[0085] Under the control of the control device 516, when transporting the wafer 10 to the mounting section 220d and when removing the wafer 10 from the mounting section 220d, the arm 50 moves the holding section 55 along the center line VL24, which is parallel to the Y direction and connects the planar center 22Pd of the mounting section 220d and the pre-mounting position 22Fd, thereby transporting the wafer 10. Specifically, the holding section 55 is moved along the center line VL24 (see Figure 4A) while maintaining the direction of the mark 10a on the wafer 10 held by the holding section 55.

[0086] After transporting the wafer 10 again to the pre-placement position 22Fd in the Y direction of the mounting section 220d, the swivel support section 52 and the arm section 54 are rotated clockwise in a plan view. The holding section 55 is also rotated using either the fourth rotation axis 64 or the fifth rotation axis 65 as the axis of rotation. Then, the wafers 10 that have undergone all surface treatment at each processing port 22 are transported to the mounting section 210, completing the surface treatment of the wafers 10. If multiple wafers 10 placed on the load port 21 are to be stored in a single container, the above operation is repeated to sequentially perform surface treatment on all wafers 10 stored in the container.

[0087] The substrate transport system 1 may simultaneously transport two wafers 10 by shifting their positions in a plan view, by having the first holding hand 551 and the second holding hand 552 each hold a wafer 10, and rotating them relative to each other in a plan view, thereby performing continuous surface treatment. In this case, when transporting wafers 10 to each processing port 22, the transfer robot 5 first transports one of the wafers 10 to the mounting section of the processing port 22. Then, the wafer 10 is transported to the surface treatment process via the transported processing port 22, and the surface treatment of the wafer 10 is performed. When the wafer 10 whose surface treatment is complete is placed on the mounting section of the corresponding processing port 22, the transfer robot 5 takes it out to the pre-mounting position, which is a position in front of the mounting section of the processing port 22 in the Y direction.

[0088] Subsequently, the transfer robot 5 rotates the first support section 553 and the second support section 554 around the center line CZ4 in a plan view, and places the untreated wafer 10 at a pre-placement position 22Fa, which is in front of the placement section of the processing port 22 in the Y direction, and transports it to the placement section of the processing port 22 using the same procedure. The wafer 10 is then transported to the surface treatment process via the transported processing port 22, where it undergoes surface treatment. After the surface treatment is completed, when the surface-treated wafer 10 is placed on the placement section of the processing port 22, the transfer robot 5 removes the surface-treated wafer 10 from the placement section of the processing port 22.

[0089] The rotation direction of the pivot support unit 52 and the arm unit 54 in plan view during transport to each second mounting unit 4 is not limited to the above and may be determined according to conditions such as the layout of the substrate transport system 1 and the order of transport to each mounting unit. When the pivot support unit 52 and the arm unit 54 rotate, the arm support unit 53 intervenes and operates so that the orientation of the wafer 10 is always held in a predetermined direction on one or the other side of the Y direction (second direction).

[0090] The rotation of the arm support portion 53 and the arm portion 54 is an operation that prevents the movement trajectory of the wafer 10 supported by the holding portion 55 from deviating from the center line connecting the center of the second mounting portion 4 in a plan view and the pre-mounting position which is a position in front of the second mounting portion 4 in the Y direction.

[0091] When the wafer 10 is placed in the pre-placement position in front of the second mounting section 4 in the Y direction, if the height of the wafer 10 and the second mounting section 4 are different in the Z direction, the height of the wafer 10 is adjusted by the lifting / lowering section 512 of the main body 51.

[0092] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, the first moving region A1 is defined as the distance between the center C2 in a plan view where the main body 51 of the transfer robot 5 is installed and the second long wall 2b, with the first region length A1L set as the distance between the first rotation axis 61 set at the first end 52a of the swivel support 52 and the outer tip on the second end 52b side of the swivel support 52, which is set as the distance between the swivel tip length 52La.

[0093] The second movement region A2 is defined as the distance between the center C2 in a plan view where the main body 51 of the transfer robot 5 is installed and the first long wall 2a, with the second region length A2L set as the distance between the first rotation axis 61 set at the first end 52a of the swivel support 52 and the outer tip on the second end 52b side of the swivel support 52, which is set as the distance between the first rotation axis 61 set at the first end 52a of the swivel support 52 and the outer tip on the second end 52b side of the swivel support 52. In other words, the second region length A2L is set to the same distance as the first region length A1L, and the second movement region A2 is equivalent to the first movement region A1.

[0094] The swivel support unit 52 is connected to the main body 51 so as to be movable around the central point C2 in a plan view, where the main body 51 of the transfer robot 5 is installed, relative to the first movement area A1 and the second movement area A2. In other words, the swivel support unit 52 can rotate freely within the movement area A.

[0095] The port distance 22L is set as the spacing between the multiple processing ports 22 arranged along the second long wall 2b provided on the first moving area A1 side of the conveying unit 2. The port distance 22L is set as twice the length of the pivot axis length 52L, which is set as the length between the first pivot axis 61 set at the first end 52a of the pivot support unit 52 and the second pivot axis 62 set at the second end 52b of the pivot support unit 52. In other words, the pivot axis length 52L is set to half the port distance 22L. That is, they are arranged at the same distance as the diameter of the circle having the circumferential orbit of the second pivot axis 62, which is set at the second end 52b of the pivot support unit 52 and pivots around the center C2. The port distance 22L is set to the same value as the diameter of the circle having the circumferential orbit of the second pivot axis 62.

[0096] When there is an odd number of processing ports 22 to be installed, the mounting position of one of the inner processing ports 22, which is positioned between other processing ports 22, is set to coincide with the position of a straight line passing through the center C2. The inner processing port 22 and the other processing ports 22 on either side are spaced apart by a distance equal to the port distance 22L.

[0097] When the number of processing ports 22 to be installed is even, the position between two processing ports 22, 22 that are placed between other processing ports 22 coincides with the position of a straight line passing through the center C2. The port distance 22La of the processing ports 22 located on one side and the other side of the position between the two processing ports 22, 22 is the same distance as the radius of the circle having a circular orbit on which the second rotation axis 62, set at the second end 52b of the pivot support part 52 that pivots around the center C2 moves. The other processing ports 22 located outside the two processing ports 22, 22 are each spaced at intervals equivalent to the port distance 22L.

[0098] As described above, the arrangement positions of the multiple processing ports 22 are set at intervals that are integer multiples of the port distance 22La, which is set to be the same distance as the pivot axis length 52L around the center C2. When an odd number of ports are arranged and when an even number is arranged, they are shifted by the distance of one port distance 22La. In addition, the load port 21, which is arranged along the first long wall 2a provided on the second moving area A2 side, is also positioned at a location set by the port distance 22La as the location for the processing ports 22.

[0099] As described above, the position and length of the first moving area A1 and the second moving area A2 provided in the substrate transport system 1, the load port 21 as the first mounting part 3 arranged around the moving area A, the multiple processing ports 22 as the multiple second mounting parts 4, and the pivot axis length 52L and pivot tip length 52La of the pivot support part 52 of the transfer robot 5 are set with respect to the center C2. This setting allows the transfer robot 5 to move efficiently. In addition, the wafer 10 can be transported by positioning the marker 10a on the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction relative to the load port 21 and the multiple processing ports 22. Furthermore, the movement trajectory of the wafer 10 within the moving area A can be set to the shortest distance.

[0100] The effects and advantages of the substrate transport system and transfer robot according to this embodiment will be described.

[0101] The substrate transport system 1 can simplify computational control for movement within the first movement area A1 and the second movement area A2 by providing an arm support section 53 between the pivot support section 52 and the arm section 54 of the arm 50 of the transfer robot 5. Furthermore, by providing an arm support section 53 between the pivot support section 52 and the arm section 54 of the arm 50 of the transfer robot 5, the movement trajectory of the arm 50 can be made to the minimum possible. As a result, the range of movement areas A1 and A2 (the length of movement areas A1 and A2 in the Y direction) can be narrowed. Therefore, the transport unit 2 on which the transfer robot 5 is installed can be made more compact. The transfer robot 5 can transport wafers 10 with high efficiency by making the movement of the arm 50 compact by providing an arm support section 53 between the pivot support section 52 and the arm section 54 of the arm 50.

[0102] The substrate transport system 1 includes an arm support section 53 between the pivot support section 52 and the arm section 54 of the arm 50 of the transfer robot 5. This configuration allows the wafer 10 to be transported while maintaining the orientation of the wafer 10 and keeping the mark 10a of the wafer 10 in a predetermined direction. Therefore, there is no need to adjust the orientation of the wafer 10 when taking the wafer 10 into each mounting section, and the surface treatment of the wafer 10 in the processing steps connected via each processing port 22 can be performed efficiently. The transfer robot 5 is equipped with an arm support section 53 between the pivot support section 52 and the arm section 54 and is also controlled to move. This control allows the wafer 10 to be transported with its orientation aligned with the first mounting section 3 and the second mounting section 4, thus enabling efficient transport of the wafer 10.

[0103] In the substrate transport system 1, the transfer robot 5, load port 21, and multiple processing ports 22 are arranged such that the X-direction position of the center C1 of the transfer robot 5 in plan view, the X-direction center C3 of the load port 21 in plan view, and the X-direction position of the center C1 of the X-direction spacing L1 between the two processing ports 22, 22 at the center in the X direction substantially coincide in the Y direction. With the above configuration, the transfer robot 5 is equipped with an arm support part 53 between the pivot support part 52 and the arm part 54, and is positioned at the center C2 in plan view within the transport section 2, and the load port 21 and multiple processing ports 22 are set based on the pivot axis length 52L and pivot tip length 52La of the pivot support part 52 with respect to the center C2. As a result, the travel distance of the arm 50 can be shortened, and the transport of the wafer 10 can be made more efficient.

[0104] The substrate transport system 1 can remove wafers 10 from each mounting section parallel to the Y direction while maintaining the position of the wafer's marker 10a by rotating the arm 50 of the transfer robot 5. When moving wafers 10 between multiple processing ports 22 arranged in the X direction, the substrate transport system 1 can move wafers 10 parallel to the X direction while maintaining the position of the wafer's marker 10a by rotating the arm 50. The transfer robot 5 transports wafers 10 by linear movement while maintaining the wafer's orientation. Therefore, the transfer robot 5 can shorten the operation of aligning the wafer 10 and transport wafers 10 efficiently.

[0105] The substrate transport system 1 can retrieve wafers 10 from each mounting section parallel to the Y direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to make each port and each mounting section large to accommodate the operating range of the arm 50 when transporting the wafers 10, thus suppressing the increase in the size of the device. Furthermore, the substrate transport system 1 can move the wafers 10 in a linear direction. Therefore, the control of the direction of the arm when transporting the wafers 10 to the second mounting section 4 becomes less complex, and the control of the arm can be simplified.

[0106] The arm 50 of the substrate transport system 1 performs its movement while the arm section 54, which includes two connecting arms that can bend around a connecting point, is maintained in either a first position where it bends in one direction or a second position where it bends in the other direction. With this configuration, the arm 50 can transport wafers 10 without changing the direction of the bending position of the arm section 54. Therefore, shocks and vibrations when changing the bending position of the arm section 54 can be eliminated.

[0107] (Another form of substrate transport system) Another configuration of the substrate transport system of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 10. As shown in Figure 10, the substrate transport system 100 is equipped with two transfer robots 105A and 105B in the transport section 102.

[0108] The transport unit 102 is configured as a transportable area, with the area that can be transported by the first transfer robot 105A designated as the first transport unit 111, and the area that can be transported by the second transfer robot 105B designated as the second transport unit 112. A first group of mounting sections 121 on which substrates can be placed is provided around the first transport section 111, and a second group of mounting sections 122 on which substrates can be placed is provided around the second transport section 112.

[0109] The transport unit 102 is equipped with a relay mounting unit 130 that transfers substrates between the first transfer robot 105A and the second transfer robot 105B. The relay mounting unit 130 is included in the transportable areas of the first transport unit 111 and the second transport unit 112, and is provided between the first mounting unit group 121 and the second mounting unit group 122.

[0110] For example, the substrate is transported by the first transfer robot 105A from a relay port (not shown) to the first port 121a of the first mounting unit group 121, where the substrate undergoes a first process. Subsequently, the substrate is transported by the first transfer robot 105A from the first port 121a to the second port 121b, where the substrate undergoes a second process.

[0111] The substrate that has undergone the second processing is transported by the first transfer robot 105A to the first relay port 130a of the relay mounting section 130.

[0112] The substrate transported to the first relay port 130a of the relay mounting unit 130 is transported to the third port 122a by the second transfer robot 105B, where the substrate undergoes the third processing. Subsequently, the substrate is sequentially transported by the second transfer robot 105B from the third port 122a to the fourth port 122b and the fifth port 122c, which are aligned in one direction from the transport direction. The substrate transported to the fourth port 122b and the fifth port 122c undergoes the fourth processing at the fourth port 122b and the fifth processing at the fifth port 122c. The substrate that has undergone the fifth process is transported from the fifth port 122c to the sixth port 122d by the second transfer robot 105B, where it undergoes the sixth process.

[0113] The substrates that have undergone the sixth process are sequentially transported by the second transfer robot 105B from the sixth port 122d to the seventh port 122e and the eighth port 122f, which are arranged in the opposite direction to the transport direction. The substrates transported to the seventh port 122e and the eighth port 122f undergo the seventh process at the seventh port 122e and the eighth process at the eighth port 122f.

[0114] The substrates that have undergone up to the eighth processing step are transported to the second relay port 130b, and then transported by the first transfer robot 105A to a relay port (not shown). In the transport unit 102, the wafers 10 are transported sequentially clockwise from the first relay port 130a, as indicated by arrow D in Figure 10.

[0115] The substrate transport system 100 configured in this way also provides the same effects and advantages as the embodiment described above. The arrangement of the transport unit, the mounting unit group, and the relay mounting unit can be arbitrarily set, and each unit should be appropriately arranged within the range that can be transported by the transfer robot.

[0116] The substrate transport system 1 comprises one load port 21 and four processing ports 22, but is not limited to the above configuration. The substrate transport system 1 may also have a configuration comprising, for example, one load port 21 and three processing ports 22. The substrate transport system 1 may also have a configuration comprising, for example, three load ports 21 and three processing ports 22. The substrate transport system 1 may also have a configuration comprising, for example, multiple load ports 21 and one processing port 22. If there is one load port 21 and one processing port 22 and two or more of the other, the transfer robot 5 may be positioned facing any one of the two or more mounting sections in the Y direction.

[0117] The substrate transport system 1 has a load port 21 positioned on the first long wall 2a in the Y direction and a processing port 22 positioned on the second long wall 2b in the Y direction, with the transfer robot 5 in between. However, the system is not limited to the above configuration. The substrate transport system 1 may also be configured such that the load port 21 and the processing port 22 are arranged in parallel in either the X or Y direction. In the above configuration, multiple transfer robots 5 may be arranged in the same direction as the arrangement of the load port 21 and the processing port 22, and a relay section may be provided between adjacent transfer robots 5, 5 to temporarily place the wafer 10 in order to relay the wafer 10 between the load port 21 and the processing port 22. In the above configuration, the relay section becomes a second placement section 4 when the transported wafer 10 is temporarily placed, and a first placement section 3 when the temporarily placed wafer 10 is removed.

[0118] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design modifications that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are included in the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0119] The substrate transport system and transfer robot enable efficient transport of substrates. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0120] 1. 100-inch substrate transport system 2, 102 Conveyor Unit 3 First loading section 4 Second loading section 5, 105A, 105B Transfer Robots 10 wafers (substrates) 51 Main body 52 Swivel support section 53 Arm support section 54 Arm section 55 Holding part 516 Control Unit (Robot Control Unit)

Claims

1. A transfer robot installed in a transport section where substrates are transported, The main body is arranged within the transport section, A pivot support unit connected to the main body, An arm support portion connected to the aforementioned pivot support portion, The arm portion connected to the aforementioned arm support portion, A holding part connected to the arm portion and holding the substrate, The main body is provided with a robot control unit that controls the drive of the transfer robot, The aforementioned arm portion is The first arm is connected to the arm support portion, The holding portion is connected to a second arm which is connected to the first arm, and the collection comprises: The aforementioned pivot support part is, The first end portion is rotatably connected to the main body portion, The arm support portion comprises a second end portion on which a first shaft member is arranged, to which the arm support portion is rotatably connected, The aforementioned arm support portion is A swivel mounting portion connected to the second end, The first arm is rotatably connected to an arm mounting portion on which a second shaft member is arranged, The aforementioned pivot support portion is connected so as to be rotatable in a plan view about the rotation axis located at the first end, The arm support portion is connected so as to be rotatable in a plan view about the central axis of the first shaft member, The central axis of the first shaft member and the central axis of the second shaft member are set to lie on the same line. The arm portion is connected so as to be rotatable in a plan view about the axis of rotation of the connection portion with the arm support portion, The robot control unit controls the rotation of the arm support portion independently of the pivot support portion and the arm portion, respectively. Transfer robot.

2. The main body includes a housing that houses the robot control unit. The transfer robot according to claim 1.

3. The robot control unit rotates the arm support portion independently relative to the swivel support portion and the arm portion, while moving the holding portion so that the orientation of the holding portion that holds the substrate is maintained in a predetermined direction. The transfer robot according to claim 1.

4. The transfer robot according to claim 1, A transport unit that defines the range over which the substrate is transported, It comprises a first mounting section and a second mounting section provided along the aforementioned transport section, The transfer robot is positioned such that the center of the pivot support portion supported by the main body is located in the center of the range of the transport portion. PCB transport system.

5. The range in the transport section over which the substrate is transported is set to a first length that extends in a first direction and allows for the arrangement of multiple first and second mounting sections side by side, and a second length that extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and is shorter than the first length. The main body is positioned such that the center of rotation of the first end is located in the center of at least one of the first and second directions. The substrate transport system according to claim 4.

6. In the transport unit, the range in which the substrate is transported is defined as a first movement area located in one of the second directions, with the main body as the boundary, and a second movement area located in the other of the second directions. The second arm is connected to the first arm so as to be rotatable in a plan view about the axis of rotation of the connection portion with the first arm, When transferring the substrate between a plurality of first mounting parts and second mounting parts arranged in either the first or second moving region, the second arm bends about a rotation axis that rotates relative to the first arm, maintaining either a first posture in which it bends in one direction, or a second posture in which it bends in a direction different from the first direction. The substrate transport system according to claim 5.

7. When the number of first mounting units is odd, the center of the first mounting unit installed in the central part is positioned in the same location as the center of rotation of the first end relative to the main body in the first direction. When the number of second mounting sections is odd, the center of the second mounting section installed in the central part is positioned at the same location as the center of rotation of the first end relative to the main body in the first direction. When the number of first mounting sections is even, the center between adjacent first mounting sections closest to the central portion is set to the same position as the center of rotation of the first end relative to the main body in the first direction. When the number of second mounting sections is even, they are arranged such that the center between adjacent second mounting sections closest to the central section is set to the same position as the center of rotation of the first end relative to the main body in the first direction. The substrate transport system according to claim 5.

8. The first mounting section and the second mounting section are provided in a plurality of locations facing each other along the perimeter of the transport section, with the transfer robot in between in a plan view. The plurality of first mounting portions and the plurality of second mounting portions are arranged at constant, equal intervals in the first direction based on the position of the center of rotation of the first end portion located in the central part. The substrate transport system according to claim 4.

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