Height adjustment equipment and manufacturing equipment

Abstract

To provide a height adjustment device capable of easily adjusting a height of an upper member constituting a portion of a device body with respect to that of a lower member constituting another portion of the device body.SOLUTION: This height adjustment device 30 comprises: a lower member 31 constituting a portion of a manufacturing device body 100a; an upper member 32 constituting another portion of the manufacturing device body 100a; and a height adjustment unit that is provided between the lower member 31 and the upper member 32 and includes a spherical sliding bearing 33a, a spherical sliding bearing 33b, and a spherical sliding bearing 33c disposed at positions differing from one another when viewed from the height direction and three lifting parts 35 that are provided correspondingly to the spherical sliding bearing 33a, the spherical sliding bearing 33b, and the spherical sliding bearing 33c, respectively, to adjust a height of the upper member 32 with respect to that of the lower member 31. The height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of the upper member 32 with respect to that of the lower member 31 by driving the three lifting parts 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a height adjustment device and a manufacturing device, and more particularly to a height adjustment device and a manufacturing device that adjusts the height of an apparatus main body. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, manufacturing devices such as semiconductor manufacturing devices have been known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus equipped with a wafer transfer device. This wafer transfer device includes a wafer support member that supports a wafer. Also, a cassette that stores multiple wafers and an inspection device for inspecting the wafers are provided near the wafer transfer device. After the wafer transfer device pulls out a wafer from the cassette, it rotates toward the inspection device and places the wafer into the inspection device. The wafer is then inspected in the inspection device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-141158 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although not explicitly stated in Patent Document 1, in semiconductor manufacturing equipment such as that described in Patent Document 1, for example, the height of the wafer support member may deviate from the desired height. In this case, there is a problem in that it is difficult to adjust the height of the wafer support member by adjusting the height of the upper member that constitutes one part of the equipment body relative to the lower member that constitutes another part of the equipment body. The above problem also exists in equipment other than semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[0006] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of this disclosure is to provide a height adjustment device and a manufacturing device that can easily adjust the height of an upper member that constitutes one part of the device body relative to a lower member that constitutes another part of the device body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a height adjustment device according to a first aspect of this disclosure is a height adjustment device provided in a predetermined device main body, and includes: a lower member constituting a part of the predetermined device main body; an upper member constituting another part of the predetermined device main body and provided so as to face the lower member in the height direction; a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing provided between the lower member and the upper member and arranged at different positions as viewed in the height direction; and a first elevating section, a second elevating section, and a third elevating section provided corresponding to the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing, respectively, for adjusting the height of the upper member relative to the lower member; and the height adjustment unit includes: a lower member constituting a part of the predetermined device main body; an upper member constituting another part of the predetermined device main body and provided so as to face the lower member in the height direction; The first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing are disposed in the upper member. do.

[0008] In a height adjustment device according to a first aspect of this disclosure, as described above, a height adjustment unit is provided, including a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing, and a first lifting unit, a second lifting unit, and a third lifting unit provided corresponding to the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing, respectively. The height of the upper member relative to the lower member is adjusted by driving the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, and the third lifting unit. This allows the height of the upper member relative to the lower member to be adjusted using the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing without distorting the lower and upper members relative to each other. As a result, the height of the upper member, which constitutes a part of a given device main body, can be easily adjusted relative to the lower member, which constitutes another part of the given device main body. Furthermore, the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing can be used to adjust the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member without distorting the lower and upper members relative to each other, making it possible to easily adjust the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above object, a manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes a manufacturing apparatus main body and a height adjustment device provided in the manufacturing apparatus main body, the height adjustment device including a lower member constituting a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body, an upper member constituting another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body and provided so as to face the lower member in the height direction, a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing provided between the lower member and the upper member and arranged at different positions as viewed in the height direction, and a first lifting / lowering unit, a second lifting / lowering unit, and a third lifting / lowering unit provided corresponding to the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing, respectively, for adjusting the height of the upper member relative to the lower member, and the height adjustment device adjusts the height of the upper member relative to the lower member by driving the first lifting / lowering unit, the second lifting / lowering unit, and the third lifting / lowering unit. The first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing are disposed in the upper member. do.

[0010] In a manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of this disclosure, as described above, a height adjustment device is provided, including a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing, and a first lifting unit, a second lifting unit, and a third lifting unit, respectively, corresponding to the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing. The height of the upper member relative to the lower member is adjusted by driving the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, and the third lifting unit. This allows the height of the upper member relative to the lower member to be adjusted using the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing without distorting the lower and upper members relative to each other. As a result, the height of the upper member, which constitutes a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body, relative to the lower member, which constitutes another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body, can be easily adjusted. Furthermore, the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing can be used to adjust the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member without distorting the lower and upper members relative to each other, making it possible to easily adjust the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, as described above, it is possible to easily adjust the inclination and height of the upper member that constitutes a part of the device body relative to the lower member that constitutes the other part of the device body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a height adjustment device according to one embodiment; [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a height adjustment device according to an embodiment taken along a height direction; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a lifting unit of a height adjustment device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a worm gear of a height adjustment device according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a spherical plain bearing, a male screw member, and a female screw member of a height adjustment device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views along the height direction of a spherical plain bearing and its surrounding parts of a height adjustment device according to one embodiment, where (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state before adjusting the tilt of the robot, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after adjusting the tilt of the robot. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are cross-sectional views along the height direction of a height adjustment device according to one embodiment, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state before adjusting the height of the robot, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after adjusting the height of the robot. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a blade and a sensor according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are views of a blade according to one embodiment viewed from the tip side, where (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state before adjusting the blade inclination, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after adjusting the blade inclination. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are views of a blade according to one embodiment viewed from the tip side, in which (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state before adjusting the pitch between the blades, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state after adjusting the pitch between the blades. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a manufacturing apparatus according to a first modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a manufacturing apparatus according to a second modified example. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a manufacturing apparatus according to a third modified example. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a spherical plain bearing according to a fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] The configuration of a manufacturing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0015] (Configuration of manufacturing equipment) As shown in FIG. 1, a manufacturing apparatus 100 according to one embodiment is an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors. Specifically, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a robot 10 for holding and transporting a semiconductor substrate S as a wafer, and a control unit 20 for controlling the operation of the robot 10. The robot 10 constitutes a manufacturing apparatus main body 100a. The robot 10 includes a base body 11 extending in the height direction, an arm unit 12 attached to the base body 11, and a hand unit 13 attached to the tip of the arm unit 12. The manufacturing apparatus main body 100a is an example of a predetermined apparatus main body.

[0016] The arm unit 12 moves the hand unit 13. The arm unit 12 is a horizontal articulated robot arm. The base end of the arm unit 12 is connected to the base body 11. The arm unit 12 also has a plurality of (two) link units 121. The link units 121 are rotatable around the end of the link unit 121 as the center of rotation. The link units 121 are also connected to each other by joints equipped with servo motors.

[0017] The hand unit 13 is provided to hold a semiconductor substrate S. The hand unit 13 has a lower hand 131 and an upper hand 132. The lower hand 131 and the upper hand 132 are arranged side by side in the height direction. The lower hand 131 has a plate-shaped blade 131a for holding the semiconductor substrate S and a holding member 131b for holding the base end of the blade 131a. The upper hand 132 has a plate-shaped blade 132a for holding the semiconductor substrate S and a holding member 132b for holding the base end of the blade 132a. The blades 131a and 131b have a bifurcated shape at the tip end. The blades 131a and 132a are arranged adjacent to each other in the height direction. The blade 131a is an example of a first mechanism and a first blade. The blade 132a is an example of a second mechanism and a second blade.

[0018] The control unit 20 includes a control circuit including a processor for controlling the operation of the robot 10, and a memory in which a program for controlling the operation of the robot 10 and the like are stored.

[0019] In this embodiment, the manufacturing apparatus 100 further includes a height adjustment device 30 provided in the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a. The height adjustment device 30 is provided in the robot 10 constituting the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a. The height adjustment device 30 is provided between the arm unit 12 and the hand unit 13 of the robot 10. The height adjustment device 30 is provided for each of the blade 131a of the lower hand 131 and the blade 132a of the upper hand 132. The height adjustment device 30 is disposed on each of the holding member 131b of the lower hand 131 and the holding member 132b of the upper hand 132. The height adjustment device 30 is an example of a height adjustment unit.

[0020] (Configuration of height adjustment device) 2, the height adjustment device 30 includes a plate-shaped lower member 31 provided on the arm unit 12 side, and a plate-shaped upper member 32 provided on the hand unit 13 side so as to face the lower member 31 in the height direction. The lower member 31 is a member that constitutes a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a. The upper member 32 is a member that constitutes another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a. The height adjustment device 30 is provided to adjust the height and inclination of the upper member 32, which constitutes another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a, relative to the lower member 31, which constitutes a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a.

[0021] Height adjustment device 30 is provided between lower member 31 and upper member 32 and further includes three spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c that are arranged at different positions when viewed in the height direction. Note that spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c are examples of a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing, respectively.

[0022] Spherical plain bearing 33c is provided on the tip side of a central axis L that extends from the base end of robot 10 toward the tip end, through the center in the width direction of height adjustment device 30. Spherical plain bearings 33a and 33b are each provided closer to the base end of robot 10 than spherical plain bearing 33c. Furthermore, spherical plain bearings 33a and 33b are each arranged so as to be symmetrical with respect to central axis L as the axis of symmetry, when viewed from the height direction. Furthermore, spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c are arranged at approximately the same height position.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, spherical plain bearing 33a has an inner ring 331 and an outer ring 332. In spherical plain bearing 33a, inner ring 331 is attached to lower member 31, and outer ring 332 is attached to upper member 32. Intermediate member 34 and lifting unit 35 are interposed between inner ring 331 and lower member 31. Lower member 31, lifting unit 35, and intermediate member 34 are fixed to one another by bolts 36a and 36b, which pass through lower member 31 and lifting unit 35 and reach intermediate member 34.

[0024] Note that spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c have the same structure as spherical plain bearing 33a, and like spherical plain bearing 33a, inner ring 331 is attached to lower member 31 and outer ring 332 is attached to upper member 32. Therefore, similar descriptions of spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c will not be repeated here. Note that height adjustment device 30 is equipped with three lifting units 35 provided corresponding to spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c, respectively. Furthermore, lifting unit 35 provided corresponding to spherical plain bearing 33a, lifting unit 35 provided corresponding to spherical plain bearing 33b, and lifting unit 35 provided corresponding to spherical plain bearing 33c are examples of a first lifting unit, a second lifting unit, and a third lifting unit, respectively.

[0025] 3 and 4, the lifting section 35 has a motor unit 351, a male screw member 352 that is rotationally driven by a motor 351a of the motor unit 351, and a female screw member 353 that serves as a moving member that moves in the height direction as the male screw member 352 rotates. The female screw member 353 can move in the height direction as it is rotationally driven by the motor 351a.

[0026] 4 and 5, motor unit 351 has motor 351a, encoder 351b for detecting the rotational position of motor 351a, housing 351c fixed to motor 351a, and worm gear 351d disposed within housing 351c for reducing the power of motor 351a and outputting it to male screw member 352 and female screw member 353. Worm gear 351d is provided as a speed reduction mechanism.

[0027] The worm gear 351d includes a rod-shaped worm 351e that is driven to rotate by the motor 351a, and a gear-shaped worm wheel 351f that meshes with the worm 351e. The thread groove formed on the outer surface of the worm 351e has a relatively small lead angle. Because the thread groove formed on the outer surface of the worm 351e has a relatively small lead angle, even if an external force is applied in the axial direction of the worm 351e, the component that rotates the worm 351e due to the external force is small. Therefore, the height adjustment device 30 can achieve a self-locking mechanism that does not require a motor brake.

[0028] The male screw member 352 is fixed to the center of the worm wheel 351f of the worm gear 351d and is provided to extend in the height direction. The male screw member 352 rotates integrally with the worm wheel 351f. The thread groove formed on the outer surface of the male screw member 352 is formed with a relatively small lead angle. Since the lead angle of the thread groove formed on the outer surface of the male screw member 352 is also formed with a relatively small lead angle, this structure also makes it possible to obtain a self-locking mechanism similar to the worm 351e. The female screw member 353 is threadedly engaged with the male screw member 352 and moves in the height direction as the male screw member 352 rotates.

[0029] 6, the female screw member 353 has a cylindrical shaft portion 353a with a thread groove formed on its inner wall, and a flange 353b provided at the base end of the shaft portion 353a. An annular groove 353c is formed at the tip end portion of the shaft portion 353a.

[0030] The shaft portion 353a of the female screw member 353 is passed through the shaft hole 331a of the inner ring 331 of the spherical plain bearing 33a. When the lower end of the inner ring 331 of the spherical plain bearing 33a is brought into contact with the upper surface of the flange 353b, the groove 353c of the shaft portion 353a is positioned along the upper end of the inner ring 331. In this state, the spherical plain bearing 33a is fixed to the female screw member 353 by fitting an arc-shaped clasp 353d into the groove 353c. In addition, the male screw member 352 is inserted into the female screw member 353 while being screwed into the shaft hole of the female screw member 353 from the flange 353b side.

[0031] As described above, the lifting unit 35 is attached to the spherical plain bearing 33a. Similar lifting units 35 are also attached to the spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c. Therefore, similar descriptions of the spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c will not be repeated here.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, the spherical plain bearing 33a to which the lifting part 35 is attached is inserted into a through hole 321 provided in the upper member 32, and the outer edge portion of the lower surface of the outer ring 332 is placed on a protrusion 322 that protrudes from the lower end of the inner wall of the through hole 321.

[0033] Additionally, the outer edge portion of the upper surface of the outer ring 332 abuts against the central portion of the lower surface of the cover member 323 (specifically, the portion around the shaft hole on the lower surface of the cover member 323). The cover member 323 is fitted into a recess 324 formed in the upper member 32. The recess 324 has a through hole 321 formed in its central portion when viewed in the height direction.

[0034] Then, the cover member 323 is fitted into the recess 324 of the upper member 32 and fixed to the recess 324 by bolts 36c and 36d, etc. By fixing the cover member 323 to the recess 324 of the upper member 32 in this manner, the spherical plain bearing 33a is positioned within the through hole 321 provided in the upper member 32.

[0035] In this embodiment, the height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height and inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 by driving three lifting units 35. Furthermore, the height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of the upper member 23 relative to the lower member 31 and the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 under the control of the control unit 20, which controls the driving of the three lifting units 35.

[0036] The height adjustment device 30 adjusts the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 by driving at least one of the three lifting units 35 under the control of the control unit 20.

[0037] The height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 by driving all three lifting / lowering units 35 under the control of the control unit 20. For example, the height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 by driving all three lifting / lowering units 35 by an equal distance. Furthermore, the height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height while adjusting the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 by driving the three lifting / lowering units 35 by different driving distances.

[0038] (Adjusting the robot's tilt) Next, an example of adjusting the tilt of the robot 10 using the height adjustment device 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Note that the following description will be given of a case in which one side portion of the blade 131a corresponding to the left side portion of the upper member 32 in Fig. 3 is lower than the other side portion of the blade 131a corresponding to the right side of the upper member 32, and the resulting tilt of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted by the height adjustment device 30.

[0039] First, from the state shown in FIG. 7(A), the male screw member 352 is rotated by the motor 351a via the worm gear 351d.

[0040] When the male screw member 352 is rotationally driven by the motor 351a, the height position of the male screw member 352 itself does not change, but the female screw member 353 that screws into the male screw member 352 moves in the height direction. Fig. 7(B) shows how the male screw member 352 rotates clockwise, causing the female screw member 353 to be sent out upward (in other words, how the female screw member 353 moves in the height direction).

[0041] When female screw member 353 moves upward, inner ring 331 of spherical plain bearing 33a, which is fixed to female screw member 353 by clasp 353d, also moves upward integrally. At this time, the height positions of spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c do not change, so outer ring 332 of spherical plain bearing 33a slides on the contact surface of inner ring 331 and tilts with respect to a plane perpendicular to the height direction.

[0042] As described above, when the outer ring 332 of the spherical plain bearing 33a tilts relative to a plane perpendicular to the height direction, the upper member 32 fixed to the outer ring 332 also tilts relative to the plane perpendicular to the height direction. At this time, the outer rings 332 of the spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c also tilt relative to the plane perpendicular to the height direction while sliding on the contact surface of the inner ring 331.

[0043] Here, the lower member 31 is attached to the holding member 131b, and the upper member 32 is attached to the blade 131a. Therefore, by tilting the upper member 32 relative to a plane perpendicular to the height direction as described above, the tilt of the blade 131a relative to the holding member 131b can be adjusted.

[0044] Here, consider a case where the height adjustment device 30 is not provided with spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c, and the tilt of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted by two lifting units 35 arranged at different positions in the height direction. In such a case, if the upper member 32 is tilted relative to the lower member 31 by operating one of the two lifting units 35, the upper member 32 will become distorted. Furthermore, the female screw member 353 will tend to tilt integrally with the upper member 32, and the male screw member 352 will not be able to rotate inside the female screw member 353.

[0045] On the other hand, the height adjusting device 30 according to this embodiment has the spherical plain bearing 33a as described above. When the height position is adjusted by the lifting unit 35, the outer rings 332 of the spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c are tilted with respect to a plane perpendicular to the height direction. This allows the upper member 32 to be tilted with respect to the lower member 31 without distortion of the upper member 32 and without the male screw member 352 being unable to rotate inside the female screw member 353. As a result, the height adjustment device 30 according to this embodiment can reliably adjust the tilt of the upper member 32, which constitutes a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a, with respect to the lower member 31, which constitutes another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a.

[0046] In the above, we have described a case where the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted by adjusting the height position of the spherical plain bearing 33a using the lifting unit 35, but if necessary, the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 may also be adjusted by adjusting the height positions of the spherical plain bearings 33b and 33c using the lifting unit 35.

[0047] In addition, in the above description, the inclination of blade 131a is adjusted by adjusting the inclination of upper member 32 relative to lower member 31, but the inclination of blade 132a can also be adjusted in the same way as blade 131a.

[0048] (Robot height adjustment) Next, an example of adjusting the height of the robot 10 using the height adjustment device 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. In the following, a case will be described in which the height of the upper member 32 is adjusted to be higher relative to the lower member 31 by simultaneously driving all three lifting sections 35 of the height adjustment device 30 by an equal distance.

[0049] First, from the state shown in Fig. 8(A), in the three lifting / lowering units 35, the male screw members 352 are rotationally driven by the motors 351a via the worm gears 351d. When the male screw members 352 are rotationally driven by the motors 351a in the three lifting / lowering units 35, the female screw members 353 that are threadedly engaged with the male screw members 352 in the three lifting / lowering units 35 move in the height direction. In Fig. 8(B), the male screw members 352 in the three lifting / lowering units 35 rotate clockwise, and as a result, the female screw members 353 are sent upward by equal distances in the three lifting / lowering units 35.

[0050] When the female screw member 353 of the three lifting units 35 moves upward, the three spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c fixed to the female screw member 353 by the clasp 353d also move upward together. Furthermore, the upper member 32 to which the three spherical plain bearings 33a, 33b, and 33c are attached moves upward while maintaining its inclination. This adjusts the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31. Furthermore, since the lower member 31 is attached to the holding member 131b and the upper member 32 is attached to the blade 131a as described above, the height of the blade 131a relative to the holding member 131b is adjusted by the movement of the upper member 32 in the height direction.

[0051] 8 shows an example in which the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted while the upper member 32 is parallel to a plane perpendicular to the height direction, but the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 may also be adjusted while the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted, as in the example shown in FIG. 7. In this case, the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted while the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the plane perpendicular to the height direction is maintained while the upper member 32 is inclined relative to the plane perpendicular to the height direction. In this case, too, the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 can be adjusted without distortion of the upper member 32 or preventing the male screw member 352 from becoming unable to rotate inside the female screw member 353.

[0052] In the above, we have described the case where the height of blade 131a is adjusted by adjusting the inclination of upper member 32 relative to lower member 31, but the height of blade 132a can also be adjusted in the same way as blade 131a.

[0053] (Adjusting the pitch between blades) 9 to 11, the height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of at least one of the blades 131a and 132a, thereby adjusting the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a. Specifically, the height adjustment device 30 (manufacturing apparatus 100) further includes sensors 131c and 131d that detect the distance between the blades 131a and 132a. The height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of at least one of the blades 131a and 132a based on the distance between the blades 131a and 132a detected by the sensors 131c and 131d, thereby adjusting the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a. The sensors 131c and 131d are examples of a first sensor and a second sensor, respectively.

[0054] In this embodiment, sensor 131c is provided on the tip side of blade 131a. Sensor 131d is provided on the base end side of blade 131a. Height adjustment device 30 adjusts the pitch P between blade 131a and blade 132a based on the distance between blade 131a and blade 132a detected by sensors 131c and 131d, and also adjusts the inclination of blade 132a relative to blade 131a. Sensors 131c and 131d are optical sensors such as laser displacement meters that can detect distance.

[0055] 9, a sensor 131c is provided at each of the first and second ends of the bifurcated blade 131a. That is, two sensors 131c are provided. The sensor 131c at the first end of the blade 131a detects the heightwise distance D1 between the first end of the blade 131a and the first end of the blade 132a and outputs the detected distance to the control unit 20. The sensor 131c at the second end of the blade 131a detects the heightwise distance D2 between the second end of the blade 131a and the second end of the blade 132a and outputs the detected distance to the control unit 20.

[0056] One sensor 131d is provided at the center of the base end of blade 131a. Sensor 131d detects a height direction distance D3 between the base end of blade 131a and the base end of blade 132a, and outputs the detected height direction distance D3 to control unit 20.

[0057] 10, the control unit 20 controls the operation of at least one of the two height adjustment devices 30 to adjust the inclination of the blade 132a relative to the blade 131a based on the distances D1, D2, and D3 detected by the sensors 131c and 131d. Specifically, the control unit 20 controls the operation of at least one of the two height adjustment devices 30 based on the distances D1, D2, and D3 so that the blades 131a and 132a become substantially parallel. In other words, the control unit 20 controls the operation of at least one of the two height adjustment devices 30 so that the distances D1, D2, and D3 become substantially equal.

[0058] For example, from the state shown in Fig. 10(A), the control unit 20 adjusts the inclination of the blade 132a using the height adjustment device 30 provided for the blade 132a. As a result, the blades 131a and 132a become substantially parallel to each other, as shown in Fig. 10(B). Note that the inclination of the blade 131a may be adjusted by the height adjustment device 30 provided for the blade 131a, or the inclinations of both the blades 131a and 132a may be adjusted by two height adjustment devices 30.

[0059] 11, the control unit 20 controls the operation of at least one of the two height adjustment devices 30 to adjust the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a based on the distances D1, D2, and D3 detected by the sensors 131c and 131d. That is, the control unit 20 controls the operation of at least one of the two height adjustment devices 30 so that the distances D1, D2, and D3 become approximately equal to the target pitch P.

[0060] For example, from the state shown in Fig. 11(A), the control unit 20 adjusts the height of the blade 132a using the height adjustment device 30 provided for the blade 132a. As a result, as shown in Fig. 11(B), the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a is changed to the target pitch P. Note that the height of the blade 131a may be adjusted by the height adjustment device 30 provided for the blade 131a, or the heights of both the blades 131a and 132a may be adjusted by two height adjustment devices 30.

[0061] (Effects of this embodiment) In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0062] In this embodiment, as described above, a height adjustment device 30 is provided, which includes spherical plain bearing 33a, spherical plain bearing 33b, and spherical plain bearing 33c, and three lifting units 35 provided corresponding to spherical plain bearing 33a, spherical plain bearing 33b, and spherical plain bearing 33c, respectively. The height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 is adjusted by driving the three lifting units 35. This makes it possible to adjust the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 using spherical plain bearing 33a, spherical plain bearing 33b, and spherical plain bearing 33c without distorting the lower member 31 and the upper member 32 relative to each other. As a result, the height of the upper member 32, which constitutes a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a, can be easily adjusted relative to the lower member 31, which constitutes another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a. Furthermore, by using spherical plain bearing 33a, spherical plain bearing 33b, and spherical plain bearing 33c, the inclination of upper member 32 relative to lower member 31 can be adjusted without distorting lower member 31 and upper member 32 relative to each other. As a result, the inclination of upper member 32 relative to lower member 31 can be easily adjusted.

[0063] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a has the blade 131a and the blade 132a adjacent to the blade 131a in the height direction. Furthermore, the height adjustment device 30 is provided for each of the blades 131a and 132a. This allows the height and inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 to be adjusted for each of the blades 131a and 132a. As a result, the degree of freedom in adjusting the height and inclination can be improved compared to when the height adjustment device 30 is provided for only one of the blades 131a and 132a.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a is adjusted by adjusting the height of at least one of the blades 131a and 132a using the height adjustment device 30. This makes it possible to adjust the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a by effectively utilizing the height adjustment device 30. As a result, it is possible to adjust the pitch P between the blades 131a and 132a while suppressing an increase in the number of parts.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, height adjustment device 30 (manufacturing apparatus 100) further includes sensors 131c and 131d that detect the distance between blade 131a and blade 132a. Height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of at least one of blade 131a and blade 132a based on the distance between blade 131a and blade 132a detected by sensors 131c and 131d, thereby adjusting pitch P between blade 131a and blade 132a. This makes it possible to accurately adjust pitch P between blade 131a and blade 132a based on the distance between blade 131a and blade 132a detected by sensors 131c and 131d.

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the manufacturing apparatus main body 100a includes the robot 10 for holding and transporting the semiconductor substrate S. The robot 10 also has the blade 131a and the blade 132a for holding the semiconductor substrate S. This allows the height and inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 to be adjusted for each of the blades 131a and 132a. As a result, the robot 10 for a semiconductor manufacturing process, which includes the blades 131a and 132a, can have an improved degree of freedom in adjusting the height and inclination.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the manufacturing apparatus 100 includes the control unit 20 that controls the driving of the three lifting units 35. Furthermore, the height adjustment device 30 adjusts the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 and the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 under the control of the control unit 20 that controls the driving of the three lifting units 35. As a result, under the control of the control unit 20, the height adjustment device 30 can be automatically adjusted to the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 and the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31. As a result, unlike when an operator manually adjusts the inclination of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 and the height of the upper member 32 relative to the lower member 31 using the height adjustment device 30, the operator's effort can be saved.

[0068] In this embodiment, as described above, sensors 131c and 131d include sensor 131c provided on the distal end side of blade 131a and sensor 131d provided on the proximal end side of blade 131a. Height adjustment device 30 adjusts pitch P between blade 131a and blade 132a and adjusts the inclination of blade 132a relative to blade 131a based on the distance between blade 131a and blade 132a detected by sensors 131c and 131d. This allows adjustment of both pitch P between blade 131a and blade 132a and the inclination of blade 132a relative to blade 131a based on the distance between blade 131a and blade 132a detected by sensors 131c and 131d. As a result, blade 131a and blade 132a can be adjusted to be approximately parallel to each other, aligning their inclinations, while adjusting pitch P between blade 131a and blade 132a.

[0069] (Variation) It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a height adjustment device is provided in a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing semiconductors, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the height adjustment device may be provided in a manufacturing apparatus (such as an industrial robot) for manufacturing a product other than a semiconductor. Furthermore, the height adjustment device may be provided in a device other than a manufacturing apparatus. For example, the height adjustment device may be provided in an automatic guided vehicle (AGV), an operating table, a medical bed, or the like.

[0071] When provided on an automated guided vehicle, the height adjustment device can tilt or raise the body of the automated guided vehicle depending on the traveling conditions of the automated guided vehicle.

[0072] Furthermore, when the height adjustment device is provided on an operating table or a medical bed, the height adjustment device can lower the height of the operating table or medical bed when a person gets on or off the operating table or medical bed, and can also tilt the operating table or medical bed.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a height adjustment device was provided between the arm unit and the hand unit, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as in a first modified example shown in FIG. 12, a height adjustment device 30a may be provided between the base body 11 and the base end of the arm unit 12. In this case, the height and inclination of the arm unit 12 relative to the base body 11 can be easily adjusted. The structure of the height adjustment device 30a is the same as the structure of the height adjustment device 30 in the above embodiment.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, as in a second modified example shown in FIG. 13, a height adjustment device 30b may be provided between the floor surface and the base body 11. In this case, the height and inclination of the base body 11 relative to the floor surface can be easily adjusted. The structure of the height adjustment device 30b is the same as the structure of the height adjustment device 30 in the above embodiment. In the first and second modified examples, if the amount of height adjustment possible with the height adjustment device 30a or 30b is sufficiently large, it is not necessary to provide a mechanism for moving in the height direction other than the height adjustment device 30a or 30b.

[0075] In the above embodiment, a height adjustment device is provided on a robot for holding and transporting semiconductor substrates. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as shown in a third modified example in FIG. 14 , a storage device 200 serving as a manufacturing device for storing multiple semiconductor substrates S stacked in the height direction is provided near the robot 10. The storage device 200 is, for example, a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) capable of storing multiple semiconductor substrates S in a sealed state. The storage device 200 includes a storage device main body 200a. In the third modified example, a height adjustment device 30c is provided between the floor surface and the storage device main body 200a. In this case, the height and inclination of the storage device 200 relative to the floor surface can be easily adjusted. The structure of the height adjustment device 30c is similar to the structure of the height adjustment device 30 in the above embodiment. The storage device 200 is an example of a manufacturing device. The storage device main body 200a is an example of a manufacturing device main body and a predetermined device main body.

[0076] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the robot hand unit includes two hands, an upper hand and a lower hand, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the robot hand unit may include only one hand.

[0077] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the robot hand unit was equipped with two blades, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the robot hand unit may be equipped with one blade or three or more blades.

[0078] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the height adjustment device includes three spherical plain bearings and lifting units, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the height adjustment device may include four or more spherical plain bearings and lifting units.

[0079] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the inner ring of the spherical plain bearing is attached to a lower member, the outer ring is attached to an upper member, and an elevator is interposed between the inner ring and the lower member. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the outer ring of the spherical plain bearing may be attached to a lower member, and the inner ring may be attached to an upper member. That is, it is sufficient that the spherical plain bearing has either the inner ring or the outer ring attached to the lower member, and the other of the inner ring or the outer ring attached to the upper member. Furthermore, for example, the spherical plain bearing may have an elevator interposed between the outer ring and the upper member. It is sufficient that the spherical plain bearing has an elevator interposed between at least one of the inner ring or the outer ring and the lower member, and between the other of the inner ring or the outer ring and the upper member.

[0080] In the above embodiment, the spherical plain bearing is attached to the upper member using a cover member, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, as in a fourth modified example shown in Fig. 15, the spherical plain bearing 33d may have a flange portion 332a as a fixing portion provided on the outer ring 332. In this case, the spherical plain bearing 33d is attached to the upper member 32 by fixing the flange portion 332a with bolts.

[0081] In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the three spherical plain bearings were arranged at approximately the same height, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the three spherical plain bearings may be arranged at different heights. Furthermore, two of the three spherical plain bearings may be arranged at approximately the same height, and the remaining one may be arranged at a different height.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the lifting unit includes a motor for rotating the male screw member, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the lifting unit may include an operating unit for manually rotating the male screw member.

[0083] In the above embodiment, a worm gear (reduction mechanism) is provided between the motor and the male screw member, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a reduction mechanism other than a worm gear may be provided between the motor and the male screw member. Furthermore, the motor and the male screw member may be directly connected.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the first and second mechanical units are blades provided on a robot for holding and transporting semiconductor substrates, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the first and second mechanical units may be substrate holders provided on a storage device for holding and storing semiconductor substrates.

[0085] In the above embodiment, an example in which a sensor is provided on only one of the two blades has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, a sensor may be provided on both of the two blades. Furthermore, when a sensor is provided on only one of the two blades, the sensor may be provided on either of the two blades.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the sensor is provided on both the distal end and the proximal end of the blade, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the sensor may be provided only on the distal end of the blade, or only on the proximal end. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 10. Robot 20 Control Unit 30 Height adjustment device (height adjustment unit) 31 Lower part 32 Upper member 33a Spherical plain bearing (first spherical plain bearing) 33b Spherical plain bearing (second spherical plain bearing) 33c Spherical plain bearing (third spherical plain bearing) 35 Elevation section (first elevation section, second elevation section, third elevation section) 100a Manufacturing device body (predetermined device body) 100 Manufacturing equipment 131a Blade (first mechanism, first blade) 131b Blade (Second Mechanism, Second Blade) 131c Sensor (1st sensor) 131d Sensor (Second Sensor) 200 Storage equipment (manufacturing equipment) 200a Storage device body (predetermined device body, manufacturing device body) Pitch S Semiconductor substrate

Claims

1. A height adjustment device provided on a predetermined device body, a lower member constituting a part of the predetermined device body; an upper member that constitutes another part of the device main body and is provided so as to face the lower member in a height direction; a height adjustment unit including a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing that are provided between the lower member and the upper member and are arranged at different positions from each other when viewed in a height direction, and a first lifting unit, a second lifting unit, and a third lifting unit that are provided corresponding to the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing, respectively, and that adjust the height of the upper member relative to the lower member; adjusting a height of the upper member relative to the lower member by driving the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, and the third lifting unit; The height adjustment device, wherein the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing are disposed on the upper member.

2. the predetermined device body has a first mechanism portion and a second mechanism portion adjacent to the first mechanism portion in a height direction, The height adjustment device according to claim 1 , wherein the height adjustment unit is provided for each of the first mechanism portion and the second mechanism portion.

3. The height adjustment device according to claim 2, wherein the height adjustment unit adjusts the pitch between the first mechanism portion and the second mechanism portion by adjusting the height of at least one of the first mechanism portion and the second mechanism portion.

4. a sensor for detecting a distance between the first mechanism and the second mechanism; 4. The height adjustment device of claim 3, wherein the pitch between the first mechanism and the second mechanism is adjusted by adjusting the height of at least one of the first mechanism and the second mechanism based on the distance between the first mechanism and the second mechanism detected by the sensor.

5. the predetermined apparatus body includes a robot for holding and transporting a semiconductor substrate, The height adjustment device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the robot has a first blade as the first mechanism part and a second blade as the second mechanism part for holding the semiconductor substrate.

6. A height adjustment device described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the height adjustment unit adjusts the height of the upper member relative to the lower member and the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member under the control of a control unit that controls the drive of the first lifting section, the second lifting section, and the third lifting section.

7. A manufacturing device body; a height adjustment device provided on the manufacturing apparatus body, The height adjustment device is a lower member constituting a part of the manufacturing apparatus main body; an upper member that constitutes another part of the manufacturing apparatus main body and is provided so as to face the lower member in a height direction; a first spherical plain bearing, a second spherical plain bearing, and a third spherical plain bearing provided between the lower member and the upper member and arranged at different positions as viewed in a height direction; a first lifting unit, a second lifting unit, and a third lifting unit, which are provided corresponding to the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing, respectively, and which adjust the height of the upper member relative to the lower member, the height adjustment device adjusts the height of the upper member relative to the lower member by driving the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, and the third lifting unit; The manufacturing apparatus, wherein the first spherical plain bearing, the second spherical plain bearing, and the third spherical plain bearing are disposed on the upper member.

8. the manufacturing apparatus main body includes a robot for holding and transporting a semiconductor substrate, the robot has a first blade and a second blade for holding the semiconductor substrate; The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the height adjustment device is provided for each of the first blade and the second blade.

9. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the height adjustment device adjusts the pitch between the first blade and the second blade by adjusting the height of at least one of the first blade and the second blade.

10. a sensor for detecting a distance between the first blade and the second blade; 10. The manufacturing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the height adjustment device adjusts the pitch between the first blade and the second blade by adjusting the height of at least one of the first blade and the second blade based on the distance between the first blade and the second blade detected by the sensor.

11. the sensors include a first sensor and a second sensor provided on a distal end side and a proximal end side of at least one of the first blade and the second blade, respectively; 11. The manufacturing apparatus of claim 10, wherein the height adjustment device adjusts the pitch between the first blade and the second blade and adjusts the inclination of the second blade relative to the first blade based on the distance between the first blade and the second blade detected by the first sensor and the distance between the first blade and the second blade detected by the second sensor.

12. a control unit that controls driving of the first lifting unit, the second lifting unit, and the third lifting unit, The manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the height adjustment device adjusts the height of the upper member relative to the lower member and the inclination of the upper member relative to the lower member under the control of the control unit.

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