robot

Abstract

This invention provides a robot that can suppress the complexity of its configuration even when transporting different objects individually. [Solution] This substrate transport robot 100 is equipped with a blade section 41 that includes a passive hand 40 for transporting both the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 that supports the semiconductor wafer W, and a robot arm 30 to which the hand 40 is attached.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been disclosed a robot that holds a semiconductor wafer and a ring frame that supports the semiconductor wafer via an adhesive tape. The robot disclosed in Patent Document 1 comprises: a lower hand having wafer holding means that suction-holds a semiconductor wafer; and an upper hand having ring frame holding means that holds a ring frame by sandwiching the ring frame. This robot also comprises selection means for selecting either the wafer holding means or the ring frame holding means. When either the wafer holding means or the ring frame holding means is selected by the selection means, the hand having the selected means is driven, and the wafer or the ring frame is held and transported.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the wafer holding means and the ring frame holding means are arranged on different hands from each other, there is a problem in that the number of hands increases, and the configuration of the robot becomes complicated.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the problems described above, and one object of the present disclosure is to provide a robot that can suppress complication of the configuration of the robot even when different transported objects are transported individually.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] A robot according to the first aspect of this disclosure comprises a passive or suction-type hand that transports either a substrate or a support fixture that supports the substrate using a blade portion, and a robotic arm to which the hand is attached.

[0007] The robot according to the first aspect of this disclosure, as described above, is equipped with a passive or suction-type hand that transports either the substrate or the support fixture that supports the substrate using a blade section. As a result, since the hand is a passive type that holds the transported object by placing it on top of the blade or a suction type that holds the transported object by suction, even if the size and shape of the substrate and the support fixture are different, the substrate or the support fixture can be held simply by placing it on the blade section or by suction. Therefore, the substrate and the support fixture can be transported individually by a single hand. Consequently, even when transporting different transported objects such as the substrate and the support fixture individually, the complexity of the robot's configuration can be suppressed.

[0008] The robot according to the second aspect of this disclosure comprises a hand that transports both a semiconductor wafer and a support fixture that supports the semiconductor wafer using a blade portion; a robot arm to which the hand is attached; and a control unit that controls the robot arm such that when transporting the support fixture with the semiconductor wafer in place, the support fixture is held at the base of the hand, and when transporting only the semiconductor wafer, only the semiconductor wafer is held at the tip of the hand, compared to when transporting the support fixture.

[0009] The robot according to the second aspect of this disclosure, as described above, is equipped with a hand that transports both the semiconductor wafer and the support fixture that supports the semiconductor wafer using a blade. This allows the semiconductor wafer and the support fixture to be transported individually by a single hand. As a result, even when transporting different items, such as semiconductor wafers and support fixtures, individually, the complexity of the robot's configuration can be suppressed. Furthermore, if the space for arranging the semiconductor wafer inside the hoop is narrow, the tip of the hand may interfere with the back wall of the hoop when the hand enters the hoop. Therefore, in this disclosure, the control unit controls the robot arm so that when transporting only the semiconductor wafer into the hoop, it holds only the semiconductor wafer closer to the tip of the hand than when transporting the support fixture. As a result, when the hand enters the hoop, the semiconductor wafer is held in an offset position towards the tip of the hand. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer can be placed in the hoop without having to insert the hand into the hoop until it interferes with the back wall of the hoop. In other words, the semiconductor wafer can be placed in the hoop while suppressing interference between the hoop and the hand. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, even when transporting different objects individually, it is possible to suppress the complexity of the robot's configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a top view of a substrate processing system equipped with a substrate transport robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This figure shows a support jig and a semiconductor wafer supported by the support jig. [Figure 3] This is a side view of a substrate processing system equipped with a substrate transport robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a top view of the lower and upper hands of a substrate transport robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a side view of the lower and upper hands of a substrate transport robot according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing a hand on which a support jig supporting a semiconductor wafer is placed. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing a state where a hand on which only a semiconductor wafer is placed has entered into a hoop. [Figure 8] It is a flow diagram for explaining conveyance of a semiconductor wafer supported by a support jig. [Figure 9] It is a flow diagram for explaining conveyance of only a semiconductor wafer. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing a hand according to a modified example. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing an upper hand according to a modified example. [Figure 12] It is a top view of a substrate processing system including a substrate transfer robot according to a modified example. [Figure 13] It is a top view of a substrate transfer robot according to a modified example. [Figure 14] It is a perspective view of a substrate transfer robot according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure embodying the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] The substrate transfer robot 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. The substrate transfer robot 100 is an example of a robot. In the present specification, the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction. The upward direction is defined as the Z1 direction, and the downward direction is defined as the Z2 direction.

[0014] (Substrate processing system) The configuration of the substrate processing system 200 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 200 includes an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 201, a FOUP 202, a pass 203, and a processing apparatus 204. The EFEM 201 is located on the front surface of the processing apparatus 204 that processes semiconductor wafers W, and is an apparatus that transfers semiconductor wafers W between the FOUP 202 and the processing apparatus 204. In addition, the EFEM 201 sorts the semiconductor wafers W by processing step or the like. The EFEM 201 is connected to the FOUP 202, and the interior thereof includes, for example, an atmospheric space 201a. The space 201a is filled with a high-purity atmospheric gas. The space 201a is a space where contamination control is performed, in which airborne fine particles in the air are controlled to be below a limited cleanliness level, and environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and pressure are also controlled as necessary. In the present embodiment, the space 201a is maintained at a cleanliness that does not adversely affect the processing of the semiconductor wafers W. As the cleanliness, for example, CLASS 1 defined by the International Organization for Standardization (abbreviated as ISO) is adopted. Note that the semiconductor wafer W is an example of a substrate.

[0015] The FOUP 202 is a sealed container for transporting and storing semiconductor wafers W to another process. For example, four FOUPs 202 are arranged, and each FOUP 202 is connected to the space 201a via a door 205. The four FOUPs 202 are referred to as FOUPs 202a, 202b, 202c and 202d. For example, among the four FOUPs 202, three FOUPs 202a, 202b and 202c accommodate semiconductor wafers W supported by the support jig 210 shown in FIG. 2. The remaining one FOUP 202d accommodates a semiconductor wafer W that is not supported by the support jig 210.

[0016] The pass 203 is arranged between the space 201a of the EFEM 201 and the processing apparatus 204. The semiconductor wafer W is transferred between the space 201a and the processing apparatus 204 via the pass 203.

[0017] The processing apparatus 204 is, for example, a device for cleaning a semiconductor wafer W. Alternatively, the processing apparatus 204 may be a polishing device for polishing the semiconductor wafer W, or a device for performing etching or firing processes on the semiconductor wafer W. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a robot 204a is positioned inside the processing apparatus 204. The robot 204a transports the semiconductor wafer W between the path 203 and the processing apparatus 204. The robot 204a includes, for example, a horizontally articulated robot arm, which moves vertically. The inside of the processing apparatus 204 is, for example, at atmospheric pressure. The inside of the processing apparatus 204 is filled with a highly clean atmospheric gas, similar to space 201a.

[0018] The semiconductor wafer W includes, for example, a silicon wafer, a gallium nitride wafer, a sapphire wafer, and the like. The semiconductor wafer W has, for example, a disc shape.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the semiconductor wafer W is supported by a support jig 210 and transported by a substrate transport robot 100. In some cases, only the semiconductor wafer W is transported by the substrate transport robot 100. In this embodiment, the support jig 210 includes a ring portion 211 having an annular shape and a sheet-like member 212 arranged on the back surface of the ring portion 211 to which the semiconductor wafer W is attached. The ring portion 211 has, for example, a substantially annular shape. In Figure 2, an example is shown in which a part of the substantially annular ring portion 211 is cut out in a straight line. The ring portion 211 is made of resin, metal, or the like. The sheet-like member 212 is arranged to cover the circular opening 211a in the center of the substantially annular ring portion 211 from the back surface on the Z2 side. In Figure 2, the sheet-like member 212 is represented by hatching. The sheet-like member 212 is also adhesive. The semiconductor wafer W is attached to the Z1-side surface of the sheet-like member 212 inside the ring portion 211. The diameter of the semiconductor wafer W is smaller than, for example, the diameter of the circular opening 211a in the center of the ring portion 211. Multiple support jigs 210 are prepared according to the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W. The support jigs 210 are called ring frames or tape frames. For example, if the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W is 300 mm, the diameter of the support jig 210 is 400 mm. If the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W is 200 mm, the diameter of the support jig 210 is 300 mm. The relationship between the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W and the diameter of the support jig 210 is defined by SEMI-G074. SEMI stands for Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, an international industry association of semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturers and the like.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the substrate transport robot 100 comprises a base 10, a lifting unit 20, a robot arm 30, a hand 40, and a control unit 50. The base 10, lifting unit 20, robot arm 30, hand 40, and control unit 50 are arranged within space 201a. The control unit 50 may be located outside space 201a. The lifting unit 20 includes a drive unit, such as a motor. The drive unit causes the lifting unit 20 to move up and down in the Z direction, thereby causing the robot arm 30 to move up and down in the Z direction within space 201a.

[0021] The robot arm 30 is, for example, a horizontal articulated robot arm 30. The robot arm 30 includes, for example, a lower arm 30a and an upper arm 30b. The lower arm 30a and the upper arm 30b are stacked. The base end of the lower arm 30a is rotatably connected to the lifting unit 20. The tip of the lower arm 30a and the base end of the upper arm 30b are rotatably connected. A hand 40 is rotatably connected to the tip of the upper arm 30b. The robot arm 30 has a drive unit, such as a servo motor, which rotates the joints, and the lower arm 30a, the upper arm 30b and the hand 40 are rotated by the drive unit. The drive unit also includes an encoder and a reduction gear. The drive unit is located inside the robot arm 30.

[0022] (Specific hand composition) Next, the specific configuration of the hand 40 will be described. As shown in Figure 4, the hand 40 includes a blade portion 41 and a base portion 42 to which the blade portion 41 is connected. In this embodiment, the hand 40 is a passive type hand 40 that transports either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 that supports the semiconductor wafer W using the blade portion 41. That is, the hand 40 does not use the suction force of the air being sucked in or the gripping force of the chuck, but simply places the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 on the blade portion 41. For this reason, the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 is not aligned with the blade portion 41 in the hand 40.

[0023] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the hand 40 includes a lower hand 40a and an upper hand 40b stacked on the lower hand 40a. That is, the hand 40 is a double-hand type. The base ends of the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b are rotatably connected to the tip of the upper arm 30b. The base ends of the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b also rotate coaxially. Furthermore, the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b rotate independently.

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b have the same configuration. That is, both the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b are passive hands capable of transporting either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210. In addition, the blade portion 41, base portion 42, detection portion 43, projection portion 44, etc., included in the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b, respectively, are made of the same material.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the blade portion 41 has a substantially Y-shape, including a pair of claw portions 41a and a connecting portion 41b that connects the pair of claw portions 41a. The claw portions 41a extend along direction A, from which the blade portion 41 extends. Direction A is perpendicular to the Z direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the substrate transfer robot 100 includes a detection unit 43 that detects whether or not a semiconductor wafer W or a support jig 210 is placed on the surface of the blade unit 41. The detection unit 43 includes a substrate detection unit 43a that detects the semiconductor wafer W and a support jig detection unit 43b that detects the support jig 210. The detection result of the detection unit 43 is transmitted to the control unit 50.

[0027] The detection unit 43 includes at least one of a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, and a capacitive sensor. In this embodiment, the detection unit 43 is a reflective optical sensor. Both the substrate detection unit 43a and the support jig detection unit 43b are reflective optical sensors. A reflective optical sensor detects an object by emitting light onto the object and detecting the light reflected from the object. A transmissive optical sensor has an emitting unit that emits light and a light-receiving unit that receives light, and detects an object based on the object blocking the light between the emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. A capacitive sensor detects an object based on the change in capacitance when the object enters an electric field. The detection unit 43 also includes a main body 431 that detects the object and an output unit 432 that outputs the signal detected by the main body 431. The main body 431 has, for example, a flat plate shape. Furthermore, the output section 432 is, for example, a flat, strip-shaped signal line.

[0028] In this embodiment, the support jig detection unit 43b is located at the base of the hand 40, and the substrate detection unit 43a is located at the tip of the hand 40, relative to the support jig detection unit 43b. For example, the support jig detection unit 43b is located at the connection portion 41b of the blade portion 41. For example, the support jig detection unit 43b is located in the center of the connection portion 41b in direction B, which is perpendicular to directions A and Z. Furthermore, when detecting the substantially annular ring portion 211 of the support jig 210, the support jig detection unit 43b is positioned in direction A so as to fit within the width W1 of the ring portion 211 shown in Figure 6. For example, if the diameter of the support jig 210 is 400 mm, the width W1 is 50 mm. Note that the above arrangement range of the support jig detection unit 43b is just an example and is not limited thereto. Also, the support jig detection unit 43b protrudes from the connection portion 41b toward the tip of the blade portion 41 along direction A. Therefore, the support jig detection unit 43b does not overlap with the pair of claws 41a and the connecting part 41b when viewed from the Z1 direction. As a result, the light emitted from the support jig detection unit 43b in the Z1 direction hits the support jig 210 without being obstructed by the pair of claws 41a and the connecting part 41b.

[0029] The substrate detection unit 43a is located on the Z1 side surface of one of the pair of claw portions 41a. For example, the substrate detection unit 43a is located on the base end side of the claw portion 41a, which is halfway along its longitudinal direction. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the substrate detection unit 43a is located in the range from the center of the claw portion 41a (C) to a position that is one-quarter the length of the diameter R of the semiconductor wafer W towards the base end. If the diameter R of the semiconductor wafer W is 300 mm, then one-quarter of the diameter R is 75 mm. The above arrangement range of the substrate detection unit 43a is just an example and is not limited to this. For example, the substrate detection unit 43a may be located on the tip side of the center C. In addition, the portion 41c of the claw portion 41a where the substrate detection unit 43a is located is formed in a concave shape. In Figure 4, the concave portion 41c is represented by a dashed line. By positioning the substrate detection unit 43a in the concave portion 41c, the substrate detection unit 43a is prevented from protruding from the Z1 side surface of the claw portion 41a.

[0030] In this embodiment, the hand 40 includes projections 44 positioned on the Z1-side surface of the blade portion 41. For example, multiple projections 44 are provided. Multiple projections 44 are provided on each of the pair of claw portions 41a. For example, the positions and number of multiple projections 44 provided on the pair of claw portions 41a are equal to each other. The multiple projections 44 are also provided extending from the tip end to the base end of the claw portion 41a. As shown in Figure 5, when viewed from direction A or B, the projections 44 have a substantially hemispherical shape obtained by cutting a sphere with a plane. The Z1 side of the projection 44 is spherical. The substrate detection portion 43a and the support jig detection portion 43b are positioned below the top portion 44a of the projection 44. That is, the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 are placed on the top portion 44a of the projection 44. Therefore, a gap is created between the semiconductor wafer W and the substrate detection portion 43a in the Z direction. Similarly, a gap is created between the support jig 210 and the support jig detection unit 43b in the Z direction.

[0031] The control unit 50 shown in Figure 3 is a robot controller that controls the operation of each part of the substrate transport robot 100. The control unit 50 includes, for example, a computing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 50 also includes memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and a storage device such as a hard disk. The control unit 50 executes control processing by the computing device based on programs and parameters stored in the storage device. For example, the control unit 50 controls the operation of the drive unit of the robot arm 30 and the operation of the drive unit of the lifting unit 20. For example, the control unit 50 has a main CPU that controls the entire substrate transport robot 100 and a servo CPU that controls the power supplied to each servo motor of the drive unit. Note that the overall control of the substrate transport robot 100 and the control of the power supplied to each servo motor of the drive unit may be performed by a single CPU.

[0032] (Operation of the circuit board transport robot) Next, the operation of the substrate transport robot 100 in the substrate processing system 200 will be described. The operation of the substrate transport robot 100 is controlled by the control unit 50.

[0033] (Transportation of semiconductor wafers supported by a support jig) The transport of the semiconductor wafer W supported by the support jig 210 will now be described. As shown in Figure 8, in step S1, the substrate transport robot 100 inserts its lower hand 40a into one of the hoops 202, for example, hoops 202a, 202b, and 202c, and holds the semiconductor wafer W supported by the support jig 210. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, when transporting the support jig 210 with the semiconductor wafer W supported, the control unit 50 controls the robot arm 30 to hold the support jig 210 at the base of the hand 40.

[0034] In step S2, the presence or absence of the support jig 210 supported by the lower hand 40a is detected by the support jig detection unit 43b.

[0035] In step S3, the control unit 50 determines whether the presence of the support jig 210 has been detected by the support jig detection unit 43b. If the presence of the support jig 210 is detected by the support jig detection unit 43b, in step S4, the substrate transport robot 100 places the support jig 210, which is held by the lower hand 40a and supports the semiconductor wafer W, onto the path 203. If the presence of the support jig 210 is not detected by the support jig detection unit 43b in step S3, the process returns to step S1.

[0036] In step S5, the semiconductor wafer W, supported by the support jig 210 placed on the path 203, is transported to the processing apparatus 204 for processing.

[0037] In step S6, the semiconductor wafer W, supported by the processed support jig 210, is placed on the path 203.

[0038] In step S7, the substrate transport robot 100 holds the semiconductor wafer W, which is supported by the support jig 210 after processing, with its upper hand 40b.

[0039] In step S8, the presence or absence of the support jig 210 supported by the upper hand 40b is detected by the support jig detection unit 43b.

[0040] In step S9, the control unit 50 determines whether the presence of the support jig 210 has been detected by the support jig detection unit 43b. If the presence of the support jig 210 is detected by the support jig detection unit 43b, the semiconductor wafer W that was supported by the support jig 210 in step S10 is returned to the hoop 202. If the presence of the support jig 210 is not detected by the support jig detection unit 43b in step S9, the process returns to step S7.

[0041] (Transportation of semiconductor wafers only) The transport of semiconductor wafers W only will be described. As shown in Figure 9, in step S11, as shown in Figure 7, the substrate transport robot 100 inserts its lower hand 40a into the hoop 202d and holds only the semiconductor wafers W. In this embodiment, when transporting only the semiconductor wafers W, the control unit 50 controls the robot arm 30 so that it holds only the semiconductor wafers W closer to the tip of the hand 40 than when transporting the support jig 210. In other words, it is possible to hold the semiconductor wafers W without inserting the lower hand 40a all the way into the back of the hoop 202d.

[0042] In step S12, the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W supported by the lower hand 40a is detected by the substrate detection unit 43a.

[0043] In step S13, the control unit 50 determines whether or not the presence of the semiconductor wafer W has been detected by the substrate detection unit 43a. If the presence of the semiconductor wafer W is detected by the substrate detection unit 43a in step S13, in step S14, the substrate transport robot 100 places the semiconductor wafer W held by the lower hand 40a onto the path 203. If the presence of the semiconductor wafer W is not detected by the substrate detection unit 43a in step S13, the process returns to step S11.

[0044] In step S15, the semiconductor wafer W placed on the path 203 is placed on the support jig 210 and transported to the processing device 204 for processing.

[0045] In step S16, the semiconductor wafer W, supported by the processed support jig 210, is placed on the path 203.

[0046] In step S17, the substrate transport robot 100 holds the semiconductor wafer W, which is supported by the support jig 210 after processing, with its upper hand 40b.

[0047] In step S18, the presence or absence of the support jig 210 supported by the hand 40 is detected by the support jig detection unit 43b.

[0048] In step S19, the control unit 50 determines whether the presence of the support jig 210 has been detected by the support jig detection unit 43b. If the presence of the support jig 210 is detected by the support jig detection unit 43b, the semiconductor wafer W supported by the support jig 210 in step S20 is returned to an empty hoop 202 other than hoop 202d. The semiconductor wafer W housed in hoop 202d is used to confirm whether it has been processed appropriately by the processing device 204. For example, if the processing device 204 is a cleaning processing device, the semiconductor wafer W after cleaning is transported to a measuring device that measures the amount of remaining particles, and the amount of remaining particles is measured. If the presence of the support jig 210 is not detected by the support jig detection unit 43b in step S19, the process returns to step S17.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the lower hand 40a can transport either the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 before processing the semiconductor wafer W. In other words, the lower hand 40a can hold either the semiconductor wafer W alone or the support jig 210 in a state supporting the semiconductor wafer W, before processing the semiconductor wafer W. The upper hand 40b, as described above, can hold the support jig 210 in a state with the semiconductor wafer W placed on it after processing the semiconductor wafer W. For example, after processing the semiconductor wafer W, the support jig 210 may be removed from the support jig 210 in a state with the semiconductor wafer W placed on it in pass 203. In this case, the upper hand 40b can hold only the semiconductor wafer W after processing the semiconductor wafer W. In other words, the upper hand 40b can transport either the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 after processing the semiconductor wafer W.

[0050] [Effects of this embodiment] The substrate transfer robot 100 is equipped with a passive hand 40 that uses a blade section 41 to transfer either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 that supports the semiconductor wafer W. Because the hand 40 is a passive type that holds the object being transferred by placing it on it, even if the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 are different in size and shape, the hand 40 can hold either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 simply by placing it on the blade section 41. As a result, the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 can be transferred individually by a single hand 40. Consequently, even when transferring different objects such as the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 individually, the complexity of the substrate transfer robot 100's configuration can be suppressed.

[0051] The substrate transfer robot 100 includes a detection unit 43 that detects whether or not a semiconductor wafer W or a support jig 210 is placed on the surface of the blade unit 41. This allows the robot to detect both the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210, regardless of whether the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 is placed on the blade unit 41.

[0052] The detection unit 43 includes a substrate detection unit 43a for detecting the semiconductor wafer W and a support jig detection unit 43b for detecting the support jig 210. This allows the substrate detection unit 43a and the support jig detection unit 43b to be positioned appropriately for detecting the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210, respectively, thereby enabling proper detection of the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210.

[0053] The support jig 210 includes a ring portion 211 having an annular shape and a sheet-like member 212 positioned on the back surface of the ring portion 211 to which the semiconductor wafer W is attached. The semiconductor wafer W is positioned on the surface of the sheet-like member 212 inside the ring portion 211. The support jig detection unit 43b is positioned on the base side of the hand 40, and the substrate detection unit 43a is positioned on the tip side of the hand 40 than the support jig detection unit 43b. As a result, the ring portion 211 is positioned on the outer circumference side of the semiconductor wafer W. In other words, the portion of the ring portion 211 closer to the base of the hand 40 is positioned on the base side of the hand 40 than the semiconductor wafer W. Therefore, the support jig 210 can be properly detected by the support jig detection unit 43b positioned on the base side of the hand 40. Furthermore, since the semiconductor wafer W is positioned closer to the tip of the hand 40 than to the base of the ring portion 211, the substrate detection unit 43a, which is positioned closer to the tip than the support jig detection unit 43b, can properly detect the semiconductor wafer W.

[0054] The hand 40 includes a projection 44 positioned on the surface of the blade portion 41. The substrate detection portion 43a and the support jig detection portion 43b are positioned below the top portion 44a of the projection 44. This prevents interference between the substrate detection portion 43a and the support jig detection portion 43b and the semiconductor wafer W, which is suppressed by the projection 44. Furthermore, a gap is created between each of the substrate detection portion 43a and the support jig detection portion 43b and the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210, so that the light emitted from each of the substrate detection portion 43a and the support jig detection portion 43b is appropriately reflected by the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210, allowing for proper detection of the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210.

[0055] The detection unit 43 includes at least one of a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, and a capacitive sensor. This allows the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 to be detected by the above-mentioned sensors with a relatively simple configuration.

[0056] The control unit 50 controls the robot arm 30 so that when transporting the support jig 210 on which the semiconductor wafer W is supported, it holds the support jig 210 at the base of the hand 40, and when transporting only the semiconductor wafer W, it holds only the semiconductor wafer W at the tip of the hand 40 compared to when transporting the support jig 210. As a result, when the hand 40 enters the hoop 202d which contains only the semiconductor wafer W that is not supported by the support jig 210, the semiconductor wafer W is held in an offset position towards the tip of the hand 40. Therefore, the semiconductor wafer W can be placed in the hoop 202d and removed from the hoop 202d without having to enter the hoop 202d until the hand 40 interferes with the back wall of the hoop 202d. In other words, the semiconductor wafer W can be placed in the hoop 202d and removed while suppressing interference between the hoop 202d and the hand 40.

[0057] The hand 40 includes a lower hand 40a and an upper hand 40b stacked on the lower hand 40a. Both the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b are passive types capable of transporting either semiconductor wafers W or support fixtures 210. As a result, since both the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b are capable of transporting either semiconductor wafers W or support fixtures 210, a larger variety of transportable objects can be transported with fewer hands 40.

[0058] The lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b have the same configuration. This allows the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b to be formed from common parts, thus suppressing an increase in the number of types of parts that make up the substrate transfer robot 100. Furthermore, because the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b have the same configuration, it is possible to suppress complexity in controlling the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b.

[0059] One of the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b can transport either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 before processing, while the other of the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b can transport either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 after processing. As a result, the two hands 40, the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b, can transport four types of objects: the semiconductor wafer W before processing, the support jig 210 before processing, the semiconductor wafer W after processing, and the support jig 210 after processing. Consequently, unlike the case where only one type of object can be transported by one hand 40, the complexity of the substrate transport robot 100's configuration can be suppressed.

[0060] [Differentiation] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the claims rather than the description of the embodiments above, and includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0061] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the robot arm 30 of the substrate transfer robot 100 is raised and lowered by the lifting unit 20, but the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the substrate transfer robot does not have to have a lifting unit.

[0062] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the hand 40 is of a passive type, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in the first modified example of Figure 10, the hand 140 may be of a suction type. In the hand 140, a hole 142 is provided in the blade portion 141 for sucking up the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 by the suction force of air.

[0063] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the robot arm 30 is of the horizontal articulation type, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the robot arm may be of the vertical articulation type. Alternatively, the robot may include a linear axis to which a hand is rotatably mounted and which moves linearly in the horizontal direction, and a vertical axis that moves vertically along the linear axis.

[0064] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the detection unit 43 detects both the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in cases where it is sufficient to detect only one of the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210, the detection unit 43 may detect only one of the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210.

[0065] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the substrate detection unit 43a and the support jig detection unit 43b are arranged separately, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, if both the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210 can be detected by a single detection unit, the substrate detection unit and the support jig detection unit may be a common detection unit.

[0066] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the support jig 210 includes a ring portion 211 and a sheet-like member 212, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the support jig may be a flat plate-shaped member or a tray.

[0067] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a projection 44 is arranged on the surface of the blade portion 41, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, if the detection unit 43 does not interfere with the semiconductor wafer W and the support jig 210, the projection 44 does not need to be arranged.

[0068] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the projection 44 has a substantially hemispherical shape, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the projection may have a cylindrical or prismatic shape.

[0069] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the detection unit 43 includes at least one of a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, and a capacitive sensor, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In the disclosure, the detection unit may be a sensor other than those described above. For example, the detection unit may be an imaging unit, and the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W and support jig 210 may be detected based on an image captured by the imaging unit.

[0070] In the embodiments described above, an example was shown in which a semiconductor wafer W is used as the substrate of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Other substrates than semiconductor wafer W may be used as the substrate of the present disclosure.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the control unit 50 controls the robot arm 30 so that when transporting only the semiconductor wafer W, it holds only the semiconductor wafer W closer to the tip of the hand 40 than when transporting the support jig 210. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. For example, if the space in the depth direction of the hoop 202 is relatively large, when transporting only the semiconductor wafer W, only the semiconductor wafer W may be held at the same position of the hand 40 as when transporting the support jig 210.

[0072] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the hand 40 includes a lower hand 40a and an upper hand 40b, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In the disclosure, the hand 40 may include only a single hand.

[0073] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which both the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b can transport either the semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in the upper hand 240 in the second modified example in Figure 11, the upper hand 240 may transport not only the semiconductor wafer W but also the support jig 210. In this case, since there is no need to detect the semiconductor wafer W, the substrate detection unit 43a is not provided in the upper hand 240.

[0074] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the lower hand 40a and the upper hand 40b have the same configuration, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the configurations of the lower hand and the upper hand may be different depending on the type of conveyed object and the configuration of the conveying destination. For example, the length and width of the blade portion may be different.

[0075] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the support jig 210 before processing is transported by the lower hand 40a and only the processed semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 is transported by the upper hand 40b, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In the disclosure, the support jig 210 before processing may be transported by the upper hand 40b and only the processed semiconductor wafer W or the support jig 210 may be transported by the lower hand 40a.

[0076] In the above embodiment, an example was shown where the inside of the processing apparatus 204 is at atmospheric pressure, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, as shown in Figure 12, the inside of the processing apparatus 304 may be a vacuum. In this case, a vacuum chamber 302 in which the robot 204a is placed is located between the EFEM 201 and the processing apparatus 304. The EFEM 201 and the vacuum chamber 302 are connected by a load lock 303.

[0077] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the substrate transfer robot 100 is a double-hand type in which a lower hand 40a and an upper hand 40b are stacked, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In this disclosure, as shown in Figure 13, the substrate transfer robot 100a may be a twin-arm type including a pair of robot arms 30. One of the hands 340 attached to the pair of robot arms 30 corresponds to the lower hand 40a, and the other corresponds to the upper hand 40b. Also, as shown in Figure 14, the substrate transfer robot 100b may be a linear-motion type in which a plurality of hands 440 move in a linear motion. One of the plurality of hands 440 corresponds to the lower hand 40a, and the rest correspond to the upper hand 40b.

[0078] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuits. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the enumerated functions, or hardware programmed to perform the enumerated functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein, or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the enumerated functions. If the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, then the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or the processor.

[0079] [Aspect] Those skilled in the art will understand that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0080] (Aspect 1) A passive or suction-type hand that transports both the substrate and the support jig that supports the substrate using a blade section, A robot comprising a robotic arm to which the aforementioned hand is attached.

[0081] (Aspect 2) The robot according to embodiment 1, further comprising a detection unit for detecting whether or not the substrate or the support jig is placed on the surface of the blade portion.

[0082] (Aspect 3) The robot according to embodiment 2, wherein the detection unit includes a substrate detection unit for detecting the substrate and a support jig detection unit for detecting the support jig.

[0083] (Aspect 4) The support jig includes a ring portion having an annular shape and a sheet-like member disposed on the back surface of the ring portion to which the substrate is attached. The substrate is positioned on the surface of the sheet-like member inside the ring portion. The support jig detection unit is located on the base side of the hand, The robot according to embodiment 3, wherein the substrate detection unit is located on the tip side of the hand than the support jig detection unit.

[0084] (Appendix 5) The hand includes a projection positioned on the surface of the blade portion, The robot according to embodiment 4, wherein the substrate detection unit and the support jig detection unit are positioned below the top of the projection.

[0085] (Aspect 6) The robot according to any one of embodiments 2 to 5, wherein the detection unit includes at least one of a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, and a capacitive sensor.

[0086] (Aspect 7) The substrate includes a semiconductor wafer, A robot according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, comprising a control unit that controls the robot arm to hold the support jig on which the semiconductor wafer is supported at the base of the hand when transporting the support jig, and to hold only the semiconductor wafer at the tip of the hand than when transporting the support jig when transporting only the semiconductor wafer.

[0087] (Pattern 8) The aforementioned hand includes a lower hand and an upper hand stacked on the lower hand, The robot according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, wherein both the lower hand and the upper hand are passive or suction-type hands capable of transporting either the substrate or the support jig.

[0088] (Aspect 9) The robot according to embodiment 8, wherein the lower hand and the upper hand have the same configuration.

[0089] (Aspect 10) One of the lower hand and the upper hand is capable of transporting either the substrate or the support jig before the substrate is processed. The robot according to embodiment 8 or embodiment 9, wherein the other of the lower hand and the upper hand is capable of transporting either the substrate or the support jig after the substrate has been processed.

[0090] (Aspect 11) A passive or suction-type hand that transports a semiconductor wafer or a support jig that supports the semiconductor wafer using a blade section, A robotic arm to which the aforementioned hand is attached, A robot comprising: a control unit that controls the robot arm such that when transporting the support jig on which the semiconductor wafer is supported, the control unit holds the support jig at the base of the hand, and when transporting only the semiconductor wafer, the control unit holds only the semiconductor wafer at the tip of the hand, compared to when transporting the support jig. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 30 Robot Arms 40 hands 40a Lower Hand 40b Upper Hand 41 Blade section 43 Detection unit 43a Substrate detection unit 43b Support jig detection unit 44 Protrusion 44a Top 50 Control Unit 100, 100a, 100b robots 210 Support fixture 211 Ring section 212 Sheet-like member 340, 440 hands W Semiconductor wafer (substrate)

Claims

1. A passive or suction-type hand that transports both the substrate and the support jig that supports the substrate using a blade section, A robot comprising a robotic arm to which the aforementioned hand is attached.

2. The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a detection unit for detecting whether or not the substrate or the support jig is placed on the surface of the blade portion.

3. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit includes a substrate detection unit for detecting the substrate and a support jig detection unit for detecting the support jig.

4. The support jig includes a ring portion having an annular shape and a sheet-like member disposed on the back surface of the ring portion to which the substrate is attached. The substrate is positioned on the surface of the sheet-like member inside the ring portion. The support jig detection unit is located on the base side of the hand, The robot according to claim 3, wherein the substrate detection unit is located on the tip side of the hand than the support jig detection unit.

5. The hand includes a projection positioned on the surface of the blade portion, The robot according to claim 4, wherein the substrate detection unit and the support jig detection unit are arranged below the top of the projection.

6. The robot according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit includes at least one of a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, and a capacitive sensor.

7. The substrate includes a semiconductor wafer, The robot according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the robot arm to hold the support jig on which the semiconductor wafer is supported at the base of the hand when transporting the support jig, and to hold only the semiconductor wafer at the tip of the hand than when transporting the support jig when transporting only the semiconductor wafer.

8. The aforementioned hand includes a lower hand and an upper hand stacked on the lower hand, The robot according to claim 1, wherein both the lower hand and the upper hand are passive or suction-type hands capable of transporting either the substrate or the support jig.

9. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the lower hand and the upper hand have the same configuration.

10. One of the lower hand and the upper hand is capable of transporting either the substrate or the support jig before the substrate is processed. The robot according to claim 8, wherein the other of the lower hand and the upper hand is capable of transporting either the substrate or the support jig after the substrate has been processed.

11. A hand that transports both the semiconductor wafer and the support jig that supports the semiconductor wafer using a blade section, A robotic arm to which the aforementioned hand is attached, A robot comprising: a control unit that controls the robot arm such that when transporting the support jig on which the semiconductor wafer is supported, the control unit holds the support jig at the base of the hand, and when transporting only the semiconductor wafer, the control unit holds only the semiconductor wafer at the tip of the hand, compared to when transporting the support jig.

Images