Hand, transport device, and substrate processing device

Abstract

To more stably absorb compressing load applied from a top ring.SOLUTION: A hand for holding a substrate includes a hand main body 620 and a plurality of seating members 630 which are mounted to the hand main body 620, and on which the substrate is seated. Each of the plurality of seating members 630 comprises: a shaft member 632 supported by the hand main body 620; a lever member 634 which is supported by the shaft member 632 and includes a first end portion 634-1 having a seating portion 634-1a on which the substrate is seated and a second end portion 634-2 provided at the opposite side of the first end portion 634-1 with the shaft member 632 interposed between the seating portion 634-1a and the second end portion 634-2; bearings 633 for supporting both end portions of the shaft member 632; and elastic members 635 for supporting the bearings 633.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to a hand, a transport device, and a substrate processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, substrate processing apparatuses have come into use to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor wafers, etc. One example of the substrate processing apparatus is a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus for performing polishing processes and the like on substrates.

[0003] As described in Patent Document 1, the CMP apparatus includes a polishing apparatus for polishing a substrate, a cleaning apparatus for cleaning and drying the substrate, and a load / unload apparatus for transferring the substrate to the polishing apparatus and receiving the substrate that has been cleaned and dried by the cleaning apparatus. The CMP apparatus also includes a transport apparatus for transporting the substrate between the polishing apparatus, the cleaning apparatus, and the load / unload apparatus. The CMP apparatus sequentially performs various processes, such as polishing, cleaning, and drying, while transporting the substrate by the transport apparatus.

[0004] The transport device includes a hand for holding a substrate and a drive mechanism for moving the hand. The hand includes a plurality of pins on which the substrate is seated, and a first blade to which the plurality of pins are attached. When the substrate seated on the plurality of pins is transferred to a top ring of the polishing device, the top ring receives the substrate by pressing a membrane (adsorption surface) against an upper surface of the substrate to vacuum-adsorb it. The hand includes a second blade disposed below and facing the first blade, and supports the first blade via elastic members such as a plurality of springs attached to the second blade, thereby absorbing the pressing load from the top ring. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-50436 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of absorbing the pressing load from the top ring more stably.

[0007] In other words, in the conventional technology, when the membrane of the top ring is pressed against the substrate, the entire first blade absorbs the pressing load. Therefore, for example, if the membrane makes contact with the substrate only on one side, part of the first blade is pressed down and tilted, which may cause unstable absorption of the pressing load.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to more stably absorb the pressing load from the top ring. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to one embodiment, a hand for holding a substrate includes a hand body and a plurality of seating members attached to the hand body on which the substrate is seated, each of the plurality of seating members including a shaft member supported by the hand body and a lever member supported by the shaft member, the lever member including a first end having a seating portion on which the substrate is seated and a second end provided on the opposite side of the shaft member from the first end, bearings for supporting both ends of the shaft member, and elastic members for supporting the bearings; A hand is disclosed comprising: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a CMP apparatus as an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a polishing apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view and a side view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view that illustrates a first linear transporter of the conveying device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the hand. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a perspective view that typically illustrates the configuration of the first seating member. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6A. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a perspective view that typically illustrates the configuration of the second seating member. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a diagram illustrating the transfer of the substrate from the hand to the top ring. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along line C'-C' in FIG. 6A. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of the hand. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a perspective view that illustrates a schematic configuration of the guide member. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view that illustrates a schematic configuration of the guide member. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of the hand. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration of the positioning member. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a side view diagrammatically illustrating the configuration of the positioning member. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a hand and a hand support. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is an enlarged perspective view of the hand support portion of FIG. 10A. [Figure 11A]FIG. 11A is a perspective view illustrating the attachment of a hand to a support member. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a perspective view that illustrates a schematic configuration of the hand support. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C is a side view and a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the hand support. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, a hand, a transport device, and a substrate processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0012] <Polishing equipment> Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a CMP apparatus as an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the CMP apparatus 1000 includes a substantially rectangular housing 1. The interior of the housing 1 is partitioned by partitions 1a and 1b into a load / unload apparatus 2, a polishing apparatus 3, and a cleaning apparatus 4. The load / unload apparatus 2, the polishing apparatus 3, and the cleaning apparatus 4 are each assembled independently and evacuated independently. The cleaning apparatus 4 also includes a power supply member that supplies power to the polishing apparatus, and a control device 5 that controls the processing operation.

[0013] <Load / unload device> The load / unload device 2 is equipped with two or more (four in this embodiment) front load members 20 on which substrate cassettes for stocking a large number of objects to be processed (for example, disk-shaped substrates (wafers)) are placed. These front load members 20 are disposed adjacent to the housing 1 and aligned along the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the polishing apparatus. An open cassette, a Standard Manufacturing Interface (SMIF) pod, or a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) can be mounted on the housing member 20. Here, the SMIF and FOUP are airtight containers that can store substrate cassettes inside and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering them with a partition wall.

[0014] In addition, in the load / unload device 2, a traveling mechanism 21 is installed along the arrangement of the front load members 20. Two transport robots (loaders, transport mechanisms) 22 that can move along the arrangement direction of the substrate cassettes are installed on the traveling mechanism 21. The transport robots 22 can access the substrate cassettes mounted on the front load members 20 by moving on the traveling mechanism 21. Each transport robot 22 has two hands, one above and one below. The upper hand is used when returning a processed substrate to the substrate cassette. The lower hand is used when removing an unprocessed substrate from the substrate cassette. In this way, the upper and lower hands can be used differently. Furthermore, the lower hand of the transport robot 22 is configured to be able to invert the substrate.

[0015] <Polishing equipment> The polishing apparatus 3 is an apparatus for polishing (planarizing) a substrate. The polishing apparatus 3 includes a first polishing apparatus 3A, a second polishing apparatus 3B, a third polishing apparatus 3C, and a fourth polishing apparatus 3D. The first polishing apparatus 3A, the second polishing apparatus 3B, the third polishing apparatus 3C, and the fourth polishing apparatus 3D are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the polishing apparatus as shown in FIG.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the first polishing apparatus 3A includes a polishing table 30A on which a polishing pad (polishing tool) 10 having a polishing surface is attached, a top ring 31A for holding a substrate and polishing it while pressing it against the polishing pad 10 on the polishing table 30A, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32A for supplying a polishing liquid or a dressing liquid (e.g., pure water) to the polishing pad 10, a dresser 33A for dressing the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10, and an atomizer 34A for spraying a mixed fluid of liquid (e.g., pure water) and gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) or liquid (e.g., pure water) to remove slurry and polishing products from the polishing surface, as well as polishing pad residues due to dressing.

[0017] Similarly, the second polishing apparatus 3B includes a polishing table 30B, a top ring 31B, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32B, a dresser 33B, and an atomizer 34B. The third polishing apparatus 3C includes a polishing table 30C, a top ring 31C, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32C, a dresser 33C, and an atomizer 34C. The fourth polishing apparatus 3D includes a polishing table 30D, a top ring 31D, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32D, a dresser 33D, and an atomizer 34D.

[0018] Since the first polishing apparatus 3A, the second polishing apparatus 3B, the third polishing apparatus 3C, and the fourth polishing apparatus 3D have the same configuration, only the first polishing apparatus 3A will be described below.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first polishing apparatus 3A. The top ring 31A is supported by a top ring shaft 36. A polishing pad 10 is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 30A. The upper surface of the polishing pad 10 forms a polishing surface for polishing the substrate W. A fixed abrasive may be used instead of the polishing pad 10. The top ring 31A and the polishing table 30A are configured to rotate around their axes as shown by the arrows. The substrate W is held by vacuum suction on the lower surface of the top ring 31A. During polishing, the substrate W to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10 by the top ring 31A while a polishing liquid is supplied from a polishing liquid supply nozzle 32A to the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10, and polished.

[0020] <Cleaning equipment> Fig. 3 is a plan view and a side view showing a schematic configuration of the cleaning device. Fig. 3(a) is a plan view showing the cleaning device 4, and Fig. 3(b) is a side view showing the cleaning device 4. As shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 3(b), the cleaning device 4 is partitioned into roll cleaning chambers 190, 300, a first transport chamber 191, a pen cleaning chamber 192, a second transport chamber 193, a drying chamber 194, and a third transport chamber 195.

[0021] In the roll-type cleaning chamber 190, an upper roll-type cleaning module 201A and a lower roll-type cleaning module 201B are arranged in the vertical direction. The upper roll-type cleaning module 201A and the lower roll-type cleaning module 201B are cleaning machines that clean a substrate by pressing two rotating roll sponges against the front and back surfaces of the substrate while supplying a cleaning liquid to the front and back surfaces of the substrate. A temporary placement table 204 for the substrate is provided between the upper roll-type cleaning module 201A and the lower roll-type cleaning module 201B. In the roll-type cleaning chamber 300, an upper roll-type cleaning module 300A and a lower roll-type cleaning module 300B similar to the upper roll-type cleaning module 201A and the lower roll-type cleaning module 201B arranged in the roll-type cleaning chamber 190 are arranged.

[0022] In the pen cleaning chamber 192, an upper pen cleaning module 202A and a lower pen cleaning module 202B are arranged in a vertical direction. The upper pen cleaning module 202A and the lower pen cleaning module 202B are cleaning devices that clean a substrate by pressing a rotating pencil sponge against the surface of the substrate and oscillating in the radial direction of the substrate while supplying a cleaning liquid to the surface of the substrate. A temporary placement table 203 for a substrate is provided between the upper pen cleaning module 202A and the lower pen cleaning module 202B. A temporary placement table 180 for a substrate W mounted on a frame (not shown) is provided on the side of the first transfer chamber 191.

[0023] An upper drying module 205A and a lower drying module 205B arranged along the vertical direction are disposed in the drying chamber 194. Filter fan devices 207A and 207B are provided at the tops of the upper drying module 205A and the lower drying module 205B to supply clean air into the drying modules 205A and 205B, respectively.

[0024] A first conveying device 209 capable of moving up and down is disposed in the first conveying chamber 191. A second conveying device 210 capable of moving up and down is disposed in the second conveying chamber 193. A third conveying device 213 capable of moving up and down is disposed in the third conveying chamber 195. The first conveying device 209, the second conveying device 210, and the third conveying device 213 are supported movably on support shafts 211, 212, and 214 extending in the vertical direction, respectively. The first conveying device 209, the second conveying device 210, and the third conveying device 213 each have an elevation drive mechanism such as a motor therein, and are movable up and down along the support shafts 211, 212, and 214. The first conveying device 209 has two hands, one above the other, like the conveying robot 22. 3(a), the first transport device 209 is disposed in a position where its lower hand can access the temporary placement table 180. When the lower hand of the first transport device 209 accesses the temporary placement table 180, a shutter (not shown) provided on the partition wall 1b opens.

[0025] The first transport device 209 operates to transport the substrate W between the temporary placement table 180, the upper roll cleaning module 201A, the lower roll cleaning module 201B, the temporary placement table 204, the temporary placement table 203, the upper pen cleaning module 202A, and the lower pen cleaning module 202B. The first transport device 209 uses the lower hand when transporting a substrate before cleaning (a substrate having slurry attached thereto), and uses the upper hand when transporting a substrate after cleaning.

[0026] The second transport device 210 operates to transport the substrate W between the upper pen cleaning module 202A, the lower pen cleaning module 202B, the temporary placement table 203, the upper drying module 205A, and the lower drying module 205B. The second transport device 210 transports only cleaned substrates and is therefore equipped with only one hand. The transport robot 22 shown in FIG. 1 uses its upper hand to take out a substrate from the upper drying module 205A or the lower drying module 205B and return the substrate to the substrate cassette. When the upper hand of the transport robot 22 accesses the drying modules 205A and 205B, a shutter (not shown) provided on the partition wall 1a opens.

[0027] The third transport device 213 operates to transport the substrate W between the upper roll cleaning module 300A, the lower roll cleaning module 300B, and the temporary placement table 204. The third transport device 213 uses the lower hand when transporting a substrate before cleaning (a substrate having slurry attached thereto), and uses the upper hand when transporting a substrate after cleaning.

[0028] <Transportation equipment> Next, a transfer device for transferring a substrate will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, a first linear transporter (transfer device) 6 is disposed adjacent to the first polishing apparatus 3A and the second polishing apparatus 3B. The first linear transporter 6 is a device for transferring a substrate between four transfer positions (in order from the load / unload device side, the first transfer position TP1, the second transfer position TP2, the third transfer position TP3, and the fourth transfer position TP4) along the direction in which the polishing apparatuses 3A and 3B are arranged.

[0029] Further, adjacent to the third polishing apparatus 3C and the fourth polishing apparatus 3D, a second linear transporter (transport apparatus) 7 is disposed. The second linear transporter 7 is an apparatus that transports substrates between three transfer positions (the fifth transfer position TP5, the sixth transfer position TP6, and the seventh transfer position TP7, in that order from the load / unload apparatus side) along the direction in which the polishing apparatuses 3C and 3D are arranged.

[0030] The substrate is transported to the polishing apparatuses 3A and 3B by the first linear transporter 6. The top ring 31A of the first polishing apparatus 3A moves between the polishing position and the second transfer position TP2 by the swinging motion of the top ring head. Therefore, the transfer of the substrate to the top ring 31A is performed at the second transfer position TP2. Similarly, the top ring 31B of the second polishing apparatus 3B moves between the polishing position and the third transfer position TP3, and the transfer of the substrate to the top ring 31B is performed at the third transfer position TP3. The top ring 31C of the third polishing apparatus 3C moves between the polishing position and the sixth transfer position TP6, and the transfer of the substrate to the top ring 31C is performed at the sixth transfer position TP6. The top ring 31D of the fourth polishing apparatus 3D moves between the polishing position and the seventh transfer position TP7, and the transfer of the substrate to the top ring 31D is performed at the seventh transfer position TP7.

[0031] At the first transfer position TP1, a lifter 11 is disposed for receiving a substrate from the transfer robot 22. The substrate is transferred from the transfer robot 22 to the first linear transporter 6 via the lifter 11. A shutter (not shown) is provided on the partition wall 1a between the lifter 11 and the transfer robot 22, and the shutter is opened during transfer of the substrate so that the substrate is transferred from the transfer robot 22 to the lifter 11. A swing transporter 12 is disposed between the first linear transporter 6, the second linear transporter 7, and the cleaning device 4. The swing transporter 12 has a hand that can move between the fourth transfer position TP4 and the fifth transfer position TP5. The transfer of the substrate from the first linear transporter 6 to the second linear transporter 7 is performed by the swing transporter 12. The substrate is transported by the second linear transporter 7 to the third polishing apparatus 3C and / or the fourth polishing apparatus 3D. Also, the polishing machine 3 polishes the The substrate is then transported to the cleaning device 4 via the swing transporter 12 .

[0032] 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of the first linear transporter 6. The first linear transporter 6 includes first, second, third and fourth hands 600-1, 600-2, 600-3 and 600-4 for holding a substrate. The first linear transporter 6 also includes a support member 610 for supporting the first to fourth hands 600-1 to 600-4, respectively. The first linear transporter 6 also includes a drive mechanism 680 for moving the first to fourth hands 600-1 to 600-4 via the support member 610. The drive mechanism 680 includes three lifting drive mechanisms (for example, motor drive mechanisms using ball screws or air cylinders) 680A, 680B, and 680C for vertically moving the second, third, and fourth hands 600-2, 600-3, and 600-4, respectively, three linear guides 682A, 682B, and 682C for supporting the first to fourth hands 600-1 to 600-4 so that they can move horizontally, and three horizontal drive mechanisms 684A, 684B, and 684C for driving the first to fourth hands 600-1 to 600-4 in the horizontal direction. In this embodiment, each of the horizontal drive mechanisms 684A, 684B, and 684C includes a pair of pulleys 686, a belt 687 hung around the pulleys 686, and a servo motor 688 for rotating one of the pair of pulleys.

[0033] The first hand 600-1 is supported by a first linear guide 682A and driven by a first horizontal drive mechanism 684A to move between the first transfer position TP1 and the fourth transfer position TP4. This first hand 600-1 is a pass hand for receiving the substrate from the lifter 11 and transferring it to the second linear transporter 7. Therefore, the first hand 600-1 is used when the substrate is not polished by the first polishing apparatus 3A and the second polishing apparatus 3B but is polished by the third polishing apparatus 3C and the fourth polishing apparatus 3D. This first hand 600-1 is not provided with a lifting drive mechanism and is movable only in the horizontal direction.

[0034] The second hand 600-2 is supported by the second linear guide 682B and driven by the second horizontal drive mechanism 684B to move between the first transfer position TP1 and the second transfer position TP2. This second hand 600-2 functions as an access hand for transferring the substrate from the lifter 11 to the first polishing apparatus 3A. That is, the second hand 600-2 moves to the first transfer position TP1, where it receives the substrate from the lifter 11. Then, the second hand 600-2 moves again to the second transfer position TP2, where it delivers the substrate held by the second hand 600-2 to the top ring 31A. The first lift drive mechanism 680A is connected to the second hand 600-2, and they move together in the horizontal direction. When transferring the substrate to the top ring 31A, the second hand 600-2 is driven by the first lifting and lowering mechanism 680A to move up, and after transferring the substrate to the top ring 31A, is driven by the first lifting and lowering mechanism 680A to move down.

[0035] The third hand 600-3 and the fourth hand 600-4 are supported by a third linear guide 682C. The third hand 600-3 and the fourth hand 600-4 are connected to each other by an air cylinder 692, and are driven by a third horizontal drive mechanism 684C to move in the horizontal direction together. The air cylinder 692 functions as a gap adjustment mechanism that adjusts the gap between the third hand 600-3 and the fourth hand 600-4. The reason for providing this air cylinder (gap adjustment mechanism) 692 is that the gap between the first transfer position TP1 and the second transfer position TP2 may differ from the gap between the second transfer position TP2 and the third transfer position TP3. The air cylinder 692 can perform a gap adjustment operation while the third hand 600-3 and the fourth hand 600-4 are moving.

[0036] A second lifting drive mechanism 680B is connected to the third hand 600-3, and a fourth hand 6 A third lifting drive mechanism 680C is connected to the third hand 600-4, and the third hand 600-3 and the fourth hand 600-4 can be lifted and lowered independently. The third hand 600-3 moves between the first transfer position TP1, the second transfer position TP2, and the third transfer position TP3, and at the same time, the fourth hand 600-4 moves between the second transfer position TP2, the third transfer position TP3, and the fourth transfer position TP4.

[0037] The third hand 600-3 functions as an access hand for transporting the substrate from the lifter 11 to the second polishing apparatus 3B. That is, the third hand 600-3 moves to the first transfer position TP1, receives the substrate from the lifter 11, and then moves to the third transfer position TP3 to transfer the substrate to the top ring 31B. The third hand 600-3 also functions as an access hand for transporting the substrate polished by the first polishing apparatus 3A to the second polishing apparatus 3B. That is, the third hand 600-3 moves to the second transfer position TP2, receives the substrate from the top ring 31A, and then moves to the third transfer position TP3 to transfer the substrate to the top ring 31B. When transferring a substrate between the third hand 600-3 and the top ring 31A or the top ring 31B, the third hand 600-3 is driven by the second lifting and lowering mechanism 680B to rise, and after the transfer of the substrate is completed, is driven by the second lifting and lowering mechanism 680B to fall.

[0038] The fourth hand 600-4 functions as an access hand for transporting the substrate polished by the first polishing apparatus 3A or the second polishing apparatus 3B to the swing transporter 12. That is, the fourth hand 600-4 moves to the second transfer position TP2 or the third transfer position TP3, receives the substrate polished from the top ring 31A or the top ring 31B, and then moves to the fourth transfer position TP4. When receiving the substrate from the top ring 31A or the top ring 31B, the fourth hand 600-4 is driven by the third lifting and lowering mechanism 680C to move up, and after receiving the substrate, is driven by the third lifting and lowering mechanism 680C to move down.

[0039] The second linear transporter 7 differs from the first linear transporter 6 in that it does not have a part equivalent to the first hand 600-1, but otherwise has basically the same configuration as the first linear transporter 6, so detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0040] <Hand> Next, the hand will be described in detail. Since the first to fourth hands 600-1 to 600-4 have the same configuration, only one hand (for convenience, referred to as "hand 600") will be described. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the hand.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, the hand 600 includes a hand body 620 and a plurality of (five in this embodiment) seating members 630-1 to 630-5 attached to the hand body 620. The hand body 620 is a plate-like member formed in a substantially U-shape so as to surround the seating area SA of the substrate. The seating members 630-1 to 630-5 are members on which the substrate is seated. The seating members 630-1 to 630-5 are attached to the hand body 620 at intervals so as to surround the seating area SA. Note that, although an example in which the hand 600 includes five seating members 630-1 to 630-5 is shown in this embodiment, the number of seating members 630 is arbitrary. The hand 600 may include three or more seating members 630 capable of holding the substrate W as horizontally as possible and distributing the weight of the substrate W evenly.

[0042] The seating members 630-1 to 630-5 are divided into two types depending on whether they have a seating sensor for detecting that the substrate is seated on the hand 600. In this embodiment, the seating members 630-1, 630-3, and 630-5 are equipped with seating sensors, while the seating members 630-2 and 630-4 are not equipped with seating sensors. In the following, in order to distinguish between the two, they will be referred to as seating members 630- The seating members 630-1, 630-3, and 630-5 are referred to as the "first seating members," and the seating members 630-2 and 630-4 are referred to as the "second seating members."

[0043] FIG. 6A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the first seating member. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 6A. FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 6A. As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C, each of the first seating members 630-1, 630-3, and 630-5 includes a base 631 attached to the hand body 620, an axis member 632 supported by the hand body 620 via the base 631, and a lever member 634 supported by the axis member 632. The lever member 634 is a rod-shaped member disposed in a groove formed in the base 631. The lever member 634 includes a first end 634-1 having a seating portion 634-1a on which the substrate is seated, and a second end 634-2 provided on the opposite side of the first end 634-1 across the axis member 632. The lever member 634 is supported by the shaft member 632 such that a first end 634-1 projects into the seating area SA.

[0044] Further, each of the first seating members 630-1, 630-3, and 630-5 includes a biasing member 636 for applying a force to the lever member 634 to rotate the lever member 634. The biasing member 636 applies a force to the lever member 634 to rotate the lever member 634 so that the second end 634-2 moves downward. Therefore, when the board is not seated on the lever member 634 as shown by the broken line in FIG. 6B, the second end 634-2 is in a state of moving downward. In this embodiment, the biasing member 636 is a compression spring. Specifically, the compression spring is configured such that one end is attached to a housing 639 that covers the upper part of the lever member 634, and the other end is attached to a bottom surface of a hole 634b formed in the upper surface of the lever member 634 on the second end 634-2 side from the shaft member 632. The biasing member 636 is not limited to a compression spring, but may be any member that applies the above-mentioned biasing force to the lever member 634, and may be any elastic body such as rubber.

[0045] Each of the first seating members 630-1, 630-3, and 630-5 further includes a seating sensor 638 for detecting that the substrate is seated on the hand 600. Specifically, the seating sensor 638 is configured to detect that the second end 634-2 has moved upward. That is, when the substrate is not seated on the lever member 634 in FIG. 6B, the biasing member 636 biases the lever member 634 so that the second end 634-2 is positioned downward as shown by the broken line. On the other hand, when the substrate is seated on the seating portion 634-1a of the lever member 634, the weight of the substrate causes the lever member 634 to rotate around the shaft member 632, so that the first end 634-1 moves downward and the second end 634-2 moves upward. A magnet 634-2a is provided on the second end 634-2 of the lever member 634. The seating sensor 638 includes a magnetic sensor that detects that the magnet 634-2a has moved upward. When the magnet 634-2a moves upward and approaches the magnetic sensor, the seating sensor 638 detects a change in magnetic resistance, thereby detecting that the second end 634-2 has moved upward, in other words, that the board has been seated on the seating portion 634-1a of the lever member 634.

[0046] The hand body 620 is provided with a wiring cover 622 that is aligned along the outer shape of the hand body 620. A cable connected to the seating sensor 638 is routed through the inside of the wiring cover 622. The first seating members 630-1, 630-3, 630-5 each include a housing 639 configured to cover the second end 634-2 of the lever member 634 and the seating sensor 638.

[0047] According to this embodiment, the accuracy of the seating detection of the board can be improved. That is, in the conventional technology, the seating detection is performed by using an optical sensor provided on the seating portion 634-1a. Here, the seating portion 634-1a is located at a position protruding into the seating area SA, and Since the area SA contains cleaning water used in the cleaning process and slurry used in the polishing process, the light of the optical sensor is diffused by the cleaning water or slurry, which may result in erroneous detection of the seating of the substrate. In contrast, in this embodiment, the seating sensor 638 is configured to detect the seating by detecting the upward movement of the second end 634-2. The second end 634-2 is located on the opposite side of the shaft member 632 from the first end 634-1 including the seating portion 634-1a, and is away from the seating area SA, so that it is less susceptible to disturbances caused by cleaning water or slurry, and as a result, the accuracy of the seating detection of the substrate can be improved. In addition, in this embodiment, the second end 634-2 and the seating sensor 638 are covered by the housing 639, so that it is even less susceptible to disturbances caused by cleaning water or slurry, and as a result, the accuracy of the seating detection of the substrate can be improved.

[0048] In this embodiment, the seating sensor 638 includes an auto-switch type sensor that detects the magnet 634-2a provided on the second end 634-2 by a magnetic sensor, but is not limited thereto. For example, the seating sensor 638 may include an optical sensor having a light-emitting component and a light-receiving component. In this case, the light-emitting component and the light-receiving component are disposed near the second end 634-2. The lever member 634 is supported by the shaft member 632 so as to shield the light-emitting component and the light-receiving component when the second end 634-2 moves upward. As a result, when the board is not seated on the lever member 634, the second end 634-2 is located downward, and the light-receiving component can detect the light output from the light-emitting component. On the other hand, when the second end 634-2 moves upward, the light-receiving component cannot detect the light output from the light-emitting component, so that it is possible to detect that the board is seated on the lever member 634.

[0049] In this embodiment, the seating is determined by the movement of the magnet 634-2a between the positions indicated by the two-dot chain line and the solid line in FIG. 6B. In this embodiment, the seating sensor 638 is disposed beside (on the side of) the second end 634-2, but may be disposed at the lower surface of the bolt of the housing 639 facing the upper surface of the magnet 634-2a. The seating sensor 638 may include an electric sensor. In this case, a first electric contact is provided at the second end 634-2 of the lever member 634. The seating sensor 638 has a second electric contact that comes into contact with the first electric contact when the second end 634-2 moves upward, and can detect that the board is seated on the lever member 634 by a change in voltage. The seating sensor 638 may include a piezoelectric sensor (pressure sensor) or a strain gauge sensor. In this case, a piezoelectric sensor (pressure sensor) or strain gauge sensor can be installed on the tip or contact portion of the end of second end 634-2 to detect pressure or strain changes, thereby detecting that the substrate has been seated on lever member 634. The seating member described in this embodiment can be applied not only to movable hands, but also to a temporary placement table for substrates during transport and a positioning table for aligning the orientation of a notch or orientation flat.

[0050] FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the second seating member. The second seating members 630-2 and 630-4 are different from the first seating members 630-1, 630-3, and 630-5 in that they do not include a biasing member 636 and a seating sensor 638. Other components have similar functions, so the same reference numerals are used for components having similar functions. As shown in FIG. 7A, the second seating members 630-2 and 630-4 each include a base 631 attached to the hand body 620, a shaft member 632 supported by the hand body 620 via the base 631, and a lever member 634 supported by the shaft member 632. The lever member 634 includes a first end 634-1 having a seating portion 634-1a on which the substrate is seated, and a second end 634-2 provided on the opposite side of the shaft member 632 to the first end 634-1. The lever member 634 is supported by the shaft member 632 such that the first end 634-1 protrudes into the seating area SA. The lever member 634 and the shaft member 632 are covered by a housing 639.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A, each of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 includes a pair of bearings 633 for supporting both ends of the shaft member 632, and a pair of elastic members 635 for supporting the pair of bearings 633. The elastic members 635 are spring members in this embodiment. The spring members are configured such that one end is attached to the lower surface of the bearings 633 and the other end is attached to the bottom surface of a hole formed in the upper surface of the hand body 620. With this configuration, the lever member 634 is supported by the hand body 620 via the elastic members 635. Note that the elastic members 635 are not limited to spring members, and may be any members capable of absorbing the pressing load from the top ring.

[0052] FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the transfer of the substrate from the hand to the top ring. FIG. 7B is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the line BB in FIG. 8A described later. The top ring 31 includes an annular retainer ring 312, a membrane 320 surrounded by the retainer ring 312, and the like. As shown in FIG. 7B, the housing 639 of the seating member has an L-shaped cross section. The retainer ring 312 is arranged so as to be accommodated in a space surrounded by the L-shape of the housing 639 when the substrate W is transferred from the hand 600 to the top ring 31. This makes it easy to confirm the positional relationship between the hand 600 and the top ring 31. Also, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the substrate W is transferred from the hand to the top ring 31, the membrane 320 is pressed against the substrate W to be vacuum-adsorbed. In this regard, the lever member 634 on which the substrate W is seated is supported by the hand body 620 via an elastic member 635. Therefore, when the substrate W is pressed down by the membrane 320, the pressing load is absorbed by the elastic member 635.

[0053] According to this embodiment, the pressing load from the top ring can be absorbed more stably. That is, in the conventional technology, the hand is configured to include two blades (upper and lower blades), one above the other, and an elastic member is provided between the blades to absorb the pressing load from the top ring. In this case, when the membrane of the top ring is pressed against the substrate W, the entire upper blade receives the pressing load. Therefore, for example, when the membrane makes partial contact with the substrate W, a part of the upper blade is pressed down and the upper blade is tilted, which may cause unstable absorption of the pressing load.

[0054] In contrast, in this embodiment, since each of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 has an elastic member 635 supporting the lever member 634, the hand body 620 can be constructed with one piece, and costs can be reduced. In addition, since the lever member 634 of each of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 is supported by one hand body 620 via the elastic member 635, for example, when the membrane 320 hits the substrate W on one side, one of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 corresponding to the part where the membrane 320 hits absorbs the pressing load, so the hand body 620 is unlikely to tilt. As a result, according to this embodiment, the pressing load from the top ring can be absorbed more stably. Note that the elastic member 635 may not be provided for the hand (for example, the first hand 600-1) that does not receive the pressing load from the top ring among the first to fourth hands 600-1 to 600-4. The hand 600 of this embodiment supports and fixes the substrate W, and furthermore, the method of inserting and positioning the substrate W into the support portion is to drop the substrate W horizontally. The hand 600 of this embodiment does not move horizontally from both side directions of the substrate W to grip it in a pinching manner.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 each include a pair of bearings 633 for supporting both ends of the shaft member 632 and a pair of elastic members 635 for supporting the pair of bearings 633, but the present invention is not limited to this. Below, modified examples of the pair of bearings 633 and the pair of elastic members 635 will be described. FIG. 7C shows a case where the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 are arranged at positions C in FIG. 6A. 7C is a cross-sectional view taken along line '-C'. As shown in Fig. 7C, each of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 may include a bearing 633' for supporting both ends of the shaft member 632. The bearing 633' is a single member extending across both ends of the shaft member 632 below the shaft member 632. Also, as shown in Fig. 7C, each of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 may include a single elastic member 635' supporting the center of the lower surface of the bearing 633'.

[0056] According to this modification, similarly to the above embodiment, the lever members 634 of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 are supported by one hand body 620 via the elastic members 635', so that the pressing load from the top ring can be absorbed more stably.

[0057] <Guide members and positioning members> Next, a guide member and a positioning member provided in the hand 600 will be described. Fig. 8A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the hand. Fig. 8B is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the guide member. Fig. 8C is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of the guide member.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, the hand 600 includes a plurality of guide members 640 (four in this embodiment). The plurality of guide members 640 are attached to the hand body 620 at a predetermined interval from each other so as to surround the seating area SA. Each of the plurality of guide members 640 has a cylindrical guide body 641 extending in the vertical direction and a board receiving surface 642 formed on the guide body 641 so as to incline downward toward the seating area SA. A support member 644 for supporting the guide body 641 is fixed to the lower surface of the hand body 620. In addition, a cylindrical member 645 is attached to the through hole of the hand body 620. The guide body 641 is inserted inside the cylindrical member 645 and is supported by the support member 644 via an elastic member 646 (spring member). This allows the elastic member 646 to absorb the load applied to the guide body 641.

[0059] The substrate receiving surface 642 is formed on the guide body 641, thereby providing a substrate scooping diameter WC larger than the diameter of the seating area SA, as shown in Fig. 8A. The substrate scooping diameter WC is the diameter of a circle connecting the upper ends of the substrate receiving surfaces 642 of the multiple guide bodies 641. Even if the substrate is delivered outside the seating area SA when receiving the substrate from the top ring, the hand 600 can seat the substrate in the seating area SA as long as it is within the substrate scooping diameter WC. This point will be described later together with the positioning member described below.

[0060] FIG. 9A is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the hand. FIG. 9B is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the positioning member. FIG. 9C is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the positioning member. As shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, the hand 600 includes a plurality of positioning members 650 (four in this embodiment). The plurality of positioning members 650 are attached to the hand body 620 at a predetermined interval from each other so as to surround the seating area SA. Each of the plurality of positioning members 650 has a positioning portion 652 that contacts the outer edge of the seating area SA. Specifically, each of the positioning members 650 includes a positioning post 654 formed in a cylindrical shape extending vertically upward from the upper surface of the hand body 620, and the positioning portion 652 is formed on the side of the positioning post 654 that contacts the substrate W. By forming the positioning member 650 as the cylindrical positioning post 654, the contact area between the substrate and the positioning post 654 can be reduced, and therefore defects on the substrate surface can be reduced.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 9A, the four positioning members 650 are arranged so that the intervals between adjacent positioning members 650 are approximately equal. Making the intervals between adjacent positioning members 650 equal (arranging the four positioning members 650 at 90° intervals) has the effect of preventing the substrate W from jumping out of the hand 600 when the substrate W is transported (especially when transported in the horizontal direction). In the embodiment, due to the shape of the hand body 620 (upper limit of the longitudinal dimension of the hand body 620), the positioning members 650 are not arranged completely evenly, but are arranged approximately evenly, so that the substrate W can be prevented from jumping out of the hand 600 when the substrate W is transported. Furthermore, when there is a possibility that the substrate W runs up on the positioning member 650 described below, it is possible to prevent the substrate W from falling from the opposite position of the running up part. Also, as shown in FIG. 9A, the four positioning members 650 are arranged so that the diameter of a circle connecting the respective positioning parts 652 (substrate positioning diameter WP) includes a slight margin with respect to the diameter of the substrate W. Also, as shown in FIG. 9C, the lower end 642a of the substrate receiving surface 642 is formed at a position corresponding to the outer edge of the seating area SA. The diameter of the circle connecting the positioning members 650 needs to be larger than the diameter of the circle connecting the lower end 642a of the substrate receiving surface 642 of the guide member 640. This is because there is a possibility that the substrate W runs up on the positioning member 650. Moreover, the positioning member 650 needs to be positioned inside the inner diameter of the retaining ring 312. This is to prevent the positioning member 650 from coming into contact with the membrane when the substrate W is transferred to the top ring 31.

[0062] According to this embodiment, when the substrate W is received from the top ring 31, the substrate W is prevented from falling from the hand, and the substrate W can be positioned in a predetermined seating area SA. That is, when the hand 600 receives the substrate W from the top ring 31, a fluid is supplied to the suction surface of the substrate W suctioned to the membrane 320 of the top ring 31, so that the substrate W is detached from the membrane 320. In this case, there is no problem when the substrate W is detached from the membrane 320 while maintaining a horizontal state, but there is a case where the substrate W descends to the hand 600 in an inclined state due to only one side of the substrate W being detached from the membrane 320. In such a case, according to this embodiment, one side of the substrate W descending in an inclined state descends inside the outer edge of the seating area SA, but since the lever members 634 of the seating members 630-1 to 630-5 protrude into the seating area SA, one side of the substrate W is supported by the seating portion 634-1a of any one of the lever members 634. Next, the opposite side of the substrate W descends, but since one side is supported by the lever member 634 inside the outer edge of the seating area SA, the opposite side of the substrate W is supported by the substrate receiving surface 642 formed on the guide body 641 at the opposing position. Since the substrate receiving surface 642 is inclined downward toward the seating area SA, the opposite side of the substrate W slides down the substrate receiving surface 642, and the substrate W is seated in the seating area SA. At this time, since a plurality of positioning members 650 having positioning portions 652 that contact the outer edge of the seating area SA are arranged around the seating area SA, the substrate W is positioned in the seating area SA.

[0063] <Hand support> Next, a mechanism for attaching the hand 600 to the support member 610 will be described. FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the hand and the hand support. FIG. 10B is an enlarged perspective view of the hand support portion of FIG. 10A. As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the first linear transporter 6 includes a hand support 660 for attaching the hand 600 to the support member 610 as shown in FIG. 4. The hand support 660 is a member configured to support the lower surface 620b of the hand main body 620, and is fixed to the hand main body 620 by a bolt 662. The hand support 660 has bolt holes 660a and 660b for fixing the hand support 660 to the support member 610. The hand 600 can be attached to the support member 610 by fixing the hand support 660 and the support member 610 by a bolt.

[0064] In the embodiment of FIG. 10, an example in which the hand support 660 is directly attached to the support member 610 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. Hand supports of other embodiments will be described below. FIG. 11A is a perspective view that shows a model of the attachment of a hand to a support member. FIG. 11B is a perspective view that shows a model of the configuration of the hand support. FIG. 11C is a side view and a plan view that show a model of the configuration of the hand support.

[0065] 11A to 11C, hand support 670 includes a first hand support 672 attached to hand 600, and a second hand support 674 attached to support member 610. First hand support 672 is a plate-shaped member configured to support the lower surface of hand body 620. First hand support 672 has bolt holes 672a for fixing first hand support 672 to hand body 620 with a bolt.

[0066] The second hand support 674 includes a plate-like lower support 674-1 and a plate-like upper support 674-3 that are spaced apart from each other, and a connecting member 674-2 that connects the ends of the two, and is roughly shaped like a U-shaped groove. A connecting region 674c into which the first hand support 672 is inserted is formed between the lower support 674-1 and the upper support 674-3. The upper support 674-3 has bolt holes 674-3a and 674-3b for fixing the second hand support 674 to the support member 610 with bolts.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 11C, the hand body 620 is fixed to the first hand support 672 by a bolt 662. The first hand support 672 is formed with a pin hole 672b for connecting the first hand support 672 and the second hand support 674 by a pin 675. The bottom surface 672f of the first hand support 672 is formed with a tapered surface 672c that is tapered toward the second hand support 674. The side surface 672g of the first hand support 672 on the second hand support 674 side is formed with a trapezoidal notch 672d in a plan view. The notch 672d has a pair of tapered surfaces 672e formed in the trapezoidal leg portion. In this embodiment, an example in which the notch 672d is formed with a trapezoidal shape in a plan view has been shown, but the shape of the notch 672d is arbitrary.

[0068] On the other hand, the lower support 674-1 is formed with a pin hole 674-1b for connecting the first hand support 672 and the second hand support 674 with a pin 675. Also, a tapered surface 674-1c inclined to correspond to the tapered surface 672c is formed in the connecting region 674c. Specifically, a tapered surface 674-1c inclined upward toward the connecting member 674-2 is formed on the upper surface 674-1a of the lower support 674-1. The tapered surface 674-1c is inclined to correspond to the tapered surface 672c.

[0069] In addition, a protrusion 674-2d having a tapered surface 674-2e inclined corresponding to a pair of tapered surfaces 672e of the trapezoidal leg portion of the notch 672d is formed in the connecting region 674c. Specifically, the protrusion 674-2d is formed protruding from the connecting member 674-2 toward the first hand support 672. The protrusion 674-2d has a shape corresponding to the notch 672d and is trapezoidal in plan view. A pair of tapered surfaces 674-2e is formed in the trapezoidal leg portion of the protrusion 674-2d. Note that, in the present embodiment, an example in which the notch 672d is formed in the first hand support 672 and the protrusion 674-2d is formed in the second hand support 674 is shown, but is not limited thereto. For example, a notch may be formed in the second hand support 674, and a protrusion having a shape corresponding to the notch may be formed in the first hand support 672.

[0070] In this embodiment, the hand support 670 can attach the hand 600 to the support member 610 by inserting the first hand support 672 into the connection region 674c and connecting the first hand support 672 and the second hand support 674 with a pin 675.

[0071] According to the hand support 670 of this embodiment, the hand 600 can be attached to the support member 610 at a precise position in a short time. Seat members 630-1 to 630-5 that come into contact with the substrate are desirably replaced periodically due to concerns about wear, etc. In order to replace the parts, the hand 600 must be removed from the support member 610, and after the part replacement, it must be reattached to the support member 610. Here, for example, if the hand support 660 is attached directly to the support member 610 as shown in Fig. 10, it is difficult to position the hand 600, and it takes time to attach it with high accuracy, resulting in poor work efficiency.

[0072] In contrast, according to the hand support 670, when the first hand support 672 is inserted into the connecting region 674c, the tapered surface 672c is guided by the tapered surface 674-1c, and the pair of tapered surfaces 672e is guided by the tapered surface 674-2e, so that the first hand support 672 can be easily positioned at an accurate position in the connecting region 674c. When the first hand support 672 is positioned at an accurate position, the positions of the pin hole 672b and the pin hole 674-1b are aligned, so that the first hand support 672 and the second hand support 674 can be easily connected by inserting the pin 675 without bolt tightening. In this embodiment, an example in which the first hand support 672 is attached to the hand 600 and the second hand support 674 is attached to the support member 610 has been shown, but this is not limiting. The first hand support 672 may be attached to the support member 610, and the second hand support 674 may be attached to the hand 600.

[0073] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof. Furthermore, any combination or omission of each component described in the claims and specification is possible within the scope of solving at least a part of the above-mentioned problems or achieving at least a part of the effects.

[0074] The present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand for holding a substrate, the hand including a hand body and a plurality of seating members attached to the hand body on which the substrate is seated, each of the plurality of seating members comprising an axial member supported by the hand body, a lever member supported by the axial member and including a first end having a seating portion on which the substrate is seated and a second end provided on the opposite side of the first end across the axial member, bearings for supporting both ends of the axial member, and an elastic member for supporting the bearings.

[0075] Furthermore, as one embodiment, the present application discloses a hand, wherein the bearing includes a pair of bearings for respectively supporting both ends of the shaft member, and the elastic member includes a pair of elastic members for respectively supporting the pair of bearings.

[0076] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand in which the bearing includes a single bearing extending across both ends of the shaft member below the shaft member, and the elastic member includes a single elastic member supporting the center of the underside of the single bearing.

[0077] Furthermore, as one embodiment, the present application discloses a hand, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of seating members further include a biasing member for applying a force to the lever member to rotate the lever member so that the second end moves downward, and a seating sensor configured to detect that the second end has moved upward.

[0078] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand in which a magnet is provided on the second end of the lever member, and the seating sensor includes a magnetic sensor that detects that the magnet has moved upward.

[0079] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand in which the seating sensor includes an optical sensor having a light-emitting component and a light-receiving component, and the lever member is supported on the shaft member so as to block the gap between the light-emitting component and the light-receiving component when the second end moves upward.

[0080] Furthermore, as one embodiment, the present application discloses a hand in which a first electrical contact is provided on the second end of the lever member, and the seating sensor includes an electrical sensor having a second electrical contact that contacts the first electrical contact when the second end moves upward.

[0081] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand, in which at least a portion of the plurality of seating members further include a housing configured to cover the second end of the lever member and the seating sensor.

[0082] Furthermore, as one embodiment, the present application discloses a hand in which the multiple seating members are attached to the hand body at a predetermined interval from each other so as to surround a seating area on which a substrate is seated, and the lever member is supported on the shaft member so that the first end protrudes into the seating area.

[0083] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand further comprising a plurality of guide members attached to the hand body at a predetermined interval from each other so as to surround a seating area where a substrate is seated, and a plurality of positioning members attached to the hand body at a predetermined interval from each other so as to surround the seating area, each of the plurality of guide members having a substrate receiving surface that slopes downward toward the seating area, and each of the plurality of positioning members having a positioning portion that contacts the outer edge of the seating area.

[0084] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand in which each of the plurality of positioning members includes a positioning post formed in a cylindrical shape.

[0085] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a hand further including a support member for supporting the hand, and a hand support for attaching the hand to the support member, the hand supports including a first hand support attached to either the hand or the support member, and a second hand support attached to the other of the hand or the support member, a tapered surface inclined toward the second hand support being formed on a bottom surface of the first hand support, the second hand support having a connection area into which the first hand support is inserted, and a tapered surface inclined to correspond to the tapered surface of the first hand support being formed in the connection area.

[0086] Furthermore, as one embodiment, the present application discloses a hand in which a notch is formed in a side surface of the first hand support facing the second hand support, and a protrusion having a tapered surface that is inclined corresponding to the tapered surface formed in the notch is formed in the connecting area.

[0087] Furthermore, the present application discloses, as one embodiment, a transport device including any one of the hands described above and a drive mechanism for moving the hand.

[0088] Furthermore, the present application relates to, as one embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus including a polishing apparatus configured to polish a substrate, a cleaning apparatus configured to clean the substrate, and any one of the transport apparatuses described above configured to transport a substrate to be processed in the polishing apparatus or the cleaning apparatus. A processing apparatus is disclosed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 6. First Linear Transporter (Transportation Device) 7. Second Linear Transporter 600 hands 600-1 First Hand 600-2 Second Hand 600-3 Third Hand 600-4 Fourth Hand 610 Support member 620 Hand body 630 Seat member 631 Pedestal 632 Shaft member 634 Lever member 634-1 First end 634-1a Seating area 634-2 Second end 634-2a magnet 635 Elastic Members 636 Pressurizing member 638 Seat Sensor 639 Housing 640 Guide member 641 Guide body 642 Circuit Board Receiving Surface 680 Drive Mechanism 650 Positioning member 652 Positioning part 654 Positioning post 660 Hand Support 670 Hand Support 672 First Hand Support 672c Tapered surface 672d Cutout 672e Tapered surface 672f Bottom 672g Side 674 Second Hand Support 674-1c Tapered surface 674-2d Projection 674-2e Tapered surface 674c Concatenation area 1000 CMP equipment SA Seating Area W substrate

Claims

1. A hand for holding a substrate, the hand includes a hand body and a plurality of seating members attached to the hand body on which a substrate is seated; Each of the plurality of seating members includes a shaft member supported by the hand body, a lever member supported by the shaft member, the lever member including a first end having a seat portion on which a substrate is seated, and a second end provided on the opposite side of the shaft member from the first end, bearings for supporting both ends of the shaft member, and elastic members for supporting the bearings. Equipped with The bearing includes a pair of bearings for supporting both ends of the shaft member, The hand, wherein the elastic member includes a pair of elastic members for respectively supporting the pair of bearings.

2. A hand for holding a substrate, the hand includes a hand body and a plurality of seating members attached to the hand body on which a substrate is seated; Each of the plurality of seating members includes a shaft member supported by the hand body, a lever member supported by the shaft member, the lever member including a first end having a seat portion on which a substrate is seated, and a second end provided on the opposite side of the shaft member from the first end, bearings for supporting both ends of the shaft member, and elastic members for supporting the bearings. Equipped with The bearing includes a single bearing extending across both ends of the shaft member below the shaft member, The elastic member includes a single elastic member supporting the center of the lower surface of the single bearing. hand.

3. A hand for holding a substrate, the hand includes a hand body and a plurality of seating members attached to the hand body on which a substrate is seated; Each of the plurality of seating members includes a shaft member supported by the hand body, a lever member supported by the shaft member, the lever member including a first end having a seat portion on which a substrate is seated, and a second end provided on the opposite side of the shaft member from the first end, bearings for supporting both ends of the shaft member, and elastic members for supporting the bearings. Equipped with At least some of the seating members further include a biasing member for applying a force to the lever member to rotate the lever member so that the second end moves downward, and a seating sensor configured to detect that the second end has moved upward. hand.

4. At least some of the seating members further include a biasing member for applying a force to the lever member to rotate the lever member so that the second end moves downward, and a seating sensor configured to detect that the second end has moved upward. The hand according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A magnet is provided at the second end of the lever member; The seating sensor includes a magnetic sensor that detects that the magnet has moved upward.

5. The hand according to claim 3 or 4.

6. the seating sensor includes an optical sensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, the lever member is supported by the shaft member so as to shield the light emitting component and the light receiving component when the second end portion moves upward; 5. The hand according to claim 3 or 4.

7. a first electrical contact provided at the second end of the lever member; the seating sensor includes an electrical sensor having a second electrical contact that contacts the first electrical contact when the second end moves upward; 5. The hand according to claim 3 or 4.

8. At least a portion of the plurality of seating members further include a housing configured to cover the second end of the lever member and the seating sensor. A hand according to any one of claims 3 to 7.

9. the plurality of seating members are attached to the hand body at predetermined intervals so as to surround a seating area on which a substrate is seated; The lever member is supported by the shaft member such that the first end projects into the seating area. A hand according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The hand includes a plurality of guide members attached to the hand body at predetermined intervals so as to surround a seating area where the substrate is seated, and a plurality of positioning members attached to the hand body at predetermined intervals so as to surround the seating area, Further equipped with Each of the guide members has a substrate receiving surface that slopes downward toward the seating area. Has Each of the positioning members has a positioning portion that contacts an outer edge of the seating area. A hand according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. Each of the positioning members includes a positioning post formed in a cylindrical shape. The hand according to claim 10.

12. A support member for supporting the hand; a hand support for attaching the hand to the support member; Further comprising: the hand support includes a first hand support attached to one of the hand and the support member, and a second hand support attached to the other of the hand and the support member; A tapered surface is formed on a bottom surface of the first hand support so as to taper toward the second hand support, The second hand support has a connection region into which the first hand support is inserted, and a tapered surface inclined to correspond to the tapered surface of the first hand support is formed in the connection region. A hand according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A hand for holding a substrate, the hand includes a hand body and a plurality of seating members attached to the hand body on which a substrate is seated; Each of the plurality of seating members includes a shaft member supported by the hand body, a lever member supported by the shaft member, the lever member including a first end having a seat portion on which a substrate is seated, and a second end provided on the opposite side of the shaft member from the first end, bearings for supporting both ends of the shaft member, and elastic members for supporting the bearings. Equipped with A support member for supporting the hand; a hand support for attaching the hand to the support member; Further comprising: the hand support includes a first hand support attached to one of the hand and the support member, and a second hand support attached to the other of the hand and the support member; A tapered surface is formed on a bottom surface of the first hand support so as to taper toward the second hand support, The second hand support has a connection region into which the first hand support is inserted, and a tapered surface inclined to correspond to the tapered surface of the first hand support is formed in the connection region. hand.

14. A notch is formed in a side surface of the first hand support on the second hand support side, A protrusion having a tapered surface inclined in correspondence with the tapered surface formed in the notch is formed in the connecting region. A hand according to claim 12 or 13.

15. A hand according to any one of claims 1 to 14; A drive mechanism for moving the hand; A conveying device comprising:

16. a polishing apparatus configured to polish a substrate; a cleaning apparatus configured to clean the substrate; A transport apparatus according to claim 15 configured to transport a substrate to be processed in the polishing apparatus or the cleaning apparatus; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

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