Substrate transfer robot

Abstract

This substrate transport robot (100) is provided with: support parts (30, 40, 50) that support hands (11, 12) that hold a substrate (101); and a housing (61) that has a groove-shaped opening (61a) in which the support part (50) that slides linearly is disposed. The substrate transfer robot (100) is also provided with: a belt-shaped seal member (80) that seals the groove-shaped opening (61a) of the housing (61); and an opposing part (62) that makes the peripheral edge of the opening (61a) and the seal member (80) face each other while having a labyrinth structure.

Description

Substrate transport robot

[0001] This disclosure relates to a substrate transfer robot.

[0002] Conventionally, substrate transfer robots have been disclosed. International Publication No. 2022 / 049789 discloses a substrate transfer robot including a substrate holding hand that holds a substrate and an arm that moves the substrate holding hand. This substrate transfer robot includes a columnar housing that covers an arm lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the arm. The housing has an opening in which the arm that moves up and down is disposed. A transport belt is disposed in the opening.

[0003] International Publication No. 2022 / 049789

[0004] Here, when a linear sliding movement such as an up-and-down movement is performed during substrate transport, as in the substrate transport robot described in International Publication No. 2022 / 049789, a groove-shaped opening is arranged in the housing. In this case, as in the substrate transport robot described in International Publication No. 2022 / 049789, a belt-shaped member may be arranged to cover the opening. However, even when a belt-shaped member is arranged to cover the opening, foreign matter such as liquid may enter the interior of the housing in which the opening is located from the outside due to a gap generated between the opening and the belt-shaped member. Furthermore, particles generated from inside the housing may leak through a gap generated between the opening and the belt-shaped member. Therefore, when a linear sliding movement is performed during substrate transport, it is desirable to suppress the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter from the opening of the housing.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of this disclosure is to provide a substrate transport robot that can prevent foreign matter from entering and leaking out from an opening in a housing when a linear sliding movement is performed to transport a substrate.

[0006] A substrate transport robot according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a support part that supports a hand that holds a substrate, a housing having a groove-shaped opening in which the support part that slides linearly is arranged, a belt-shaped sealing member that seals the groove-shaped opening, and an opposing part that makes the periphery of the opening and the sealing member face each other while having a labyrinth structure.

[0007] As described above, a substrate transport robot according to one aspect of this disclosure includes a belt-shaped seal member that seals the groove-shaped opening, and a facing portion that positions the periphery of the opening and the seal member facing each other while forming a labyrinth structure. Thus, by positioning the facing portion so that the periphery of the opening of the groove-shaped opening of the housing faces the seal member that seals the opening, a labyrinth structure is formed between the periphery of the opening and the seal member, thereby preventing the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter through a gap between the seal member and the periphery of the opening. As a result, when a substrate is transported by linearly sliding, the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter through the opening of the housing can be prevented.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when a linear sliding movement is performed during transportation of a substrate, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering or leaking out through an opening in a housing.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing system including a substrate transfer robot according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a substrate transfer robot. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate transfer robot from the side. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a facing part. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a substrate transfer robot according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration of a facing part and a seal member in a sliding part. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a seal member and a facing part according to a first modified example of the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a seal member and a facing part according to a second modified example of the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0010] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] A substrate transport robot 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

[0012] (Substrate Processing System) As shown in FIG. 1 , a substrate transfer robot 100 is disposed in a substrate processing system 102. The substrate processing system 102 includes the substrate transfer robot 100 and a processing device 103. The substrate transfer robot 100 performs a transfer operation that includes both loading and unloading of a substrate 101 onto and from a substrate placement unit 104 of the processing device 103. The processing device 103 includes a plurality of substrate placement units 104. The substrate transfer robots 100 are disposed spaced apart from each other in the Z direction, which is the vertical direction, and each include a hand 11 and a hand 12 that hold a substrate 101. The substrate 101 is, for example, a wafer for producing a semiconductor. The substrate 101 has a disk shape. The substrate 101 includes, for example, a silicon wafer, a gallium nitride wafer, a sapphire wafer, etc. The processing device 103 is, for example, a polishing device that polishes the substrate 101. Note that the processing device 103 may also be a device that performs processing such as etching or baking on the substrate 101. The hand 11 and the hand 12 are examples of a first hand and a second hand, respectively.

[0013] The substrate transfer robot 100 includes an upper arm 30, a lower arm 40, an arm support unit 50, a lifting unit 60, and a control unit 70. In the substrate transfer robot 100 according to the first embodiment, the hand 11 is supported by the upper arm 30 and the arm support unit 50, and the hand 12 is supported by the lower arm 40 and the arm support unit 50. That is, the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50 are an example of a support unit. The upper arm 30 is an example of a horizontal movement unit and a robot arm unit. The lower arm 40 is also an example of a horizontal movement unit and a robot arm unit. The lifting unit 60 is an example of a lifting movement unit.

[0014] The hands 11 and 12 hold the substrates 101 one by one. The hands 11 and 12 have a bifurcated shape with two tips. The hands 11 and 12 are, for example, active-type substrate holding hands that securely hold the substrate 101 by edge gripping the peripheral edge of the substrate 101. The hands 11 and 12 have a holding mechanism that moves from the base end to the tip to contact the substrate 101. The holding mechanism has, for example, an air cylinder as a drive source. Furthermore, a hand rotation unit that rotates the hands 11 and 12 about a horizontal axis of rotation may be disposed at the base end of each of the hands 11 and 12.

[0015] The upper arm 30 is a horizontally articulated robot arm that moves the hand 11 horizontally. The lower arm 40 is disposed separately from the upper arm 30 and is a horizontally articulated robot arm that moves the hand 12 horizontally. The upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40 operate independently of each other. The hand 11 is disposed at the tip of the upper arm 30. The hand 11 rotates horizontally relative to the upper arm 30. The hand 12 is disposed at the tip of the lower arm 40. The hand 12 rotates horizontally relative to the lower arm 40. The upper arm 30 is connected to the Z1 side, which is above the arm support unit 50. The lower arm 40 is connected to the Z2 side, which is below the arm support unit 50. As shown in FIG. 2 , the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40 each have a drive unit 30a and a drive unit 40a that rotate each of the multiple joints. Each of the drive units 30a and 40a includes, for example, a servo motor. Each of the drive units 30a and 40a has a transmission mechanism, such as a timing belt or gears, that transmits the driving force of the motor. Each of the drive units 30a and 40a also includes an encoder and a reducer. The drive unit 30a is disposed, for example, inside the housing of the upper arm 30 or inside the housing of the arm support unit 50. The drive unit 40a is disposed inside the housing of the lower arm 40 or inside the housing of the arm support unit 50.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3 , the upper arm 30 includes link members 31 and 32 that rotate relative to each other along the XY plane, which is a horizontal plane. The lower arm 40 similarly includes link members 41 and 42 that rotate relative to each other along the XY plane, which is a horizontal plane. The link members 31 and 32 of the upper arm 30 and the link members 41 and 42 of the lower arm 40 are arm members of a robot arm that are arranged to extend horizontally. In the upper arm 30, the link member 31 is arranged at the base end, and the link member 32 is arranged at the tip end. The link members 31 and 32 are connected to each other so as to rotate via a joint. In the lower arm 40, the link member 41 is arranged at the base end, and the link member 42 is arranged at the tip end. The link members 41 and 42 are connected to each other so as to rotate via a joint. The link members 31 and 41 have the same shape, and the link members 32 and 42 have the same shape.

[0017] The upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40 rotate independently relative to the arm support unit 50 along a horizontal plane, which is the XY plane. The upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40 rotate relative to the arm support unit 50 around a common rotation axis A1 shown in FIG. 3 . The rotation axis A1 is disposed to extend along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction. Specifically, in the upper arm 30, the link member 31 is connected to a surface on the Z1 direction side, which is the upper side of the arm support unit 50, via a first joint, on the Z2 direction side, which is the lower side of the base end, so as to rotate around the rotation axis A1. The link member 32 is connected to a surface on the Z1 direction side, which is the upper side of the tip end of the link member 31, via a second joint, on the Z2 direction side, which is the lower side of the base end, so as to rotate around the rotation axis A12. The hand 11 is connected to the Z1 direction side, which is the upper side of the tip end of the link member 32, via a third joint, so as to rotate around the rotation axis A13. Similarly, in the lower arm 40, the link member 41 is connected to a surface of the arm support portion 50 on the Z2 side (i.e., on the Z1 side, which is above the base end) via a first joint so as to rotate about a rotation axis A1. The link member 42 is connected to a surface of the link member 41 on the Z2 side (i.e., on the Z1 side, which is above the base end) via a second joint so as to rotate about a rotation axis A22. The hand 12 is connected to the link member 42 on the Z2 side (i.e., on the Z2 side, which is below the tip end) via a third joint so as to rotate about a rotation axis A23.

[0018] In the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40, multiple joints are arranged so that the rotation axes A1, A12, A13, A22, and A23 are parallel to one another and aligned along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. A drive unit 30a is arranged at each joint of the rotation axes A1, A12, and A13 of the upper arm 30. Similarly, a drive unit 40a is arranged at each joint of the rotation axes A1, A22, and A23 of the lower arm 40.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the lifting unit 60 moves the arm support unit 50 up and down, thereby moving the hands 11 and 12 up and down in the Z direction. The lifting unit 60 linearly slides the arm support unit 50 along the Z direction. Note that the term "sliding movement" used here does not refer to linear movement of the arm support unit 50 by the operation of link members that rotate relative to each other, but rather refers to linear movement of the arm support unit 50 sliding along the housing 61, which is a linearly extending columnar member. In other words, the sliding movement refers to linear movement of the lifting unit 60, which is a linearly arranged member, along the housing 61. Specifically, the lifting unit 60 is connected to the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40 via the arm support unit 50. The lifting unit 60 moves the arm support unit 50 up and down, thereby moving the upper arm 30, to which the hand 11 is connected, and the lower arm 40, to which the hand 12 is connected, up and down in conjunction with each other. The lifting unit 60 has a columnar housing 61 extending in the Z direction, which is the up-down direction. The lifting unit 60 moves the arm support unit 50 up and down along the housing 61. As shown in FIG. 2 , the lifting unit 60 also includes a drive unit 60a. The drive unit 60a includes, for example, a servo motor as a drive source. The drive unit 60a also includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism and a linear guide. The arm support unit 50 is connected to the X1-side side of the lifting unit 60, and the drive force of the drive unit 60a moves the arm support unit 50 up and down in the Z direction.

[0020] The control unit 70 is a robot controller that controls the operation of each part of the substrate transfer robot 100. The control unit 70 includes, for example, a calculation device such as a central processing unit (CPU). The control unit 70 also includes memories such as a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM), and a storage device such as a hard disk. The control unit 70 executes control processing using the calculation device based on programs and parameters stored in the storage device. Specifically, the control unit 70 controls the operation of each of the holding mechanisms of the hand 11 and the hand 12. The control unit 70 also controls the operation of the drive unit 30 a of the upper arm 30, the drive unit 40 a of the lower arm 40, and the drive unit 60 a of the lifting unit 60. For example, the control unit 70 has a main CPU that performs overall control of the substrate transport robot 100, and a servo CPU that controls the power supplied to each servo motor of the drive unit 30 a, the drive unit 40 a, and the drive unit 60 a. As shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 70 is disposed, for example, separately from the hands 11 and 12, the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the lifting unit 60, and is connected to a housing 61 of the lifting unit 60 via a cable member. The control unit 70 outputs signals for controlling the operation of each unit via the cable member connected to the lifting unit 60.

[0021] The control unit 70 executes a transport operation of the substrate 101 based on a control amount that has been taught and set in advance. The control unit 70, for example, performs a transport operation of transporting the substrate 101 supplied to a supply position of the substrate processing system 102 from the supply position to the substrate placement unit 104 by having the hand 11 or the hand 12 hold the substrate 101. The control unit 70 also performs a transport operation of transporting the substrate 101 placed on the substrate placement unit 104 of the processing device 103 to an unloading position for unloading the substrate 101 from the substrate placement unit 104 by having the hand 11 or the hand 12 hold the substrate 101. The supply position and the unloading position may be the same position or may be different positions. Furthermore, the control unit 70 causes the hand 11 or the hand 12 to hold the substrate 101 placed on one of the plurality of substrate placement units 104 of the processing apparatus 103, and performs a transport operation to transport the held substrate 101 again to the same substrate placement unit 104 or to another substrate placement unit 104 different from the first substrate placement unit 104. For example, the control unit 70 holds the substrate 101 placed on the first substrate placement unit 104 of the processing apparatus 103 with the hand 11. The control unit 70 operates the upper arm 30 and the lifting unit 60 to place the substrate 101 on another substrate placement unit 104 different from the first substrate placement unit 104 of the processing apparatus 103 on the same substrate placement unit 104 or on the same substrate placement unit 104.

[0022] The control unit 70 controls each of the operation of transporting the substrate 101 by the hand 11 and the operation of transporting the substrate 101 by the hand 12. The operation of holding and transporting the substrate 101 by the hand 11 and the operation of transporting the substrate 101 by the hand 12 may be performed independently at different times, or may be performed in combination with one of the hands 11 and 12 performing a transport operation while the other hand 11 and 12 performs a transport operation. For example, the control unit 70 performs an operation of holding the substrate 101 in each of the hands 11 and 12, and then sequentially performs an operation of placing the substrate 101 held by the hand 11 on the substrate placement unit 104 and an operation of placing the substrate 101 held by the hand 12 on the substrate placement unit 104. For example, in the processing device 103, which is a polishing device, the control unit 70 causes the hand 11 to hold the substrate 101 before processing, and the hand 12 to hold the substrate 101 after processing. The processing in the processing device 103 referred to here may be a polishing process of the substrate 101 or a cleaning process of the polished substrate 101. Alternatively, the hand 12 may hold the substrate 101 before processing, and the hand 11 may hold the substrate 101 after processing. In a polishing device that polishes the substrate 101, a chemical for polishing the substrate 101 or a liquid such as a cleaning liquid for cleaning the substrate 101 adheres to the substrate 101. By using the hand 11 and the hand 12 separately before and after processing, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the substrate 101 before the polishing process or after the cleaning process.

[0023] (Details of the Elevation Unit and Sealing Member) As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing 61 of the elevation unit 60 has a groove-shaped opening 61a. The arm support unit 50, which is moved up and down by linearly sliding movement by the elevation unit 60, is disposed in the opening 61a. That is, the arm support unit 50 is connected to a drive unit 60a disposed inside the elevation unit 60 via the opening 61a. The opening 61a is disposed on the X1-side side surface of the housing 61 of the elevation unit 60 so as to extend along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction. The substrate transport robot 100 according to the first embodiment includes a belt-shaped sealing member 80 disposed so as to extend along the groove-shaped opening 61a. The sealing member 80 seals the groove-shaped opening 61a of the housing 61. The sealing member 80 may be formed of a sheet-shaped resin or a sheet-shaped metal.

[0024] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the ball screw mechanism of the drive unit 60a is disposed inside the housing 61 of the lifting unit 60 so as to extend along the Z direction, which is the vertical direction. The servo motor of the drive unit 60a is disposed, for example, on the Z1 side, which is above the ball screw mechanism. The threaded portion 51 of the arm support unit 50 is disposed in a state where it is threadedly engaged with the ball screw mechanism of the drive unit 60a. The lifting unit 60 raises and lowers the threaded portion 51, which is threadedly engaged with the ball screw mechanism of the drive unit 60a, thereby raising and lowering the arm support unit 50, which moves integrally with the threaded portion 51, in the Z direction. The arm support unit 50 is disposed inside the housing 61 so that the threaded portion 51 is threadedly engaged with the drive unit 60a and extends from the threaded portion 51 toward the outside of the housing 61 in the X1 direction through an opening 61a disposed on the X1 side of the housing 61. The opening 61a is disposed to correspond to the range of movement of the arm support unit 50 during its vertical movement. Opening 61a is disposed from the bottom end to the top end of housing 61. In this specification, the top and bottom ends of the housing are described as a broad concept that includes not only the top and bottom ends themselves but also the surrounding areas close to the top and bottom ends.

[0025] The belt-shaped seal member 80 is disposed in the opening 61a of the housing 61 so as to extend along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction. The seal member 80 is disposed with one surface facing the interior of the housing 61 and the other surface facing the exterior of the housing 61. That is, the seal member 80 is a flat member disposed in the opening 61a so that both surfaces of the seal member 80 face each other in the X direction. The belt-shaped seal member 80 is disposed along the opening 61a so that the Z direction, which is the up-down direction, is its longitudinal direction and the Y direction, which is the left-right direction, is its transverse direction. The belt-shaped seal member 80 is disposed in an annular shape inside the housing 61. Specifically, the belt-shaped seal member 80 is disposed in the opening 61a on the X1 side, which is the front side of the housing 61, so as to extend along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction, and is disposed at the top and bottom of the housing 61 so as to extend back and forth along the X direction. The seal member 80 is disposed on the X2 side, which is the back side of the housing 61, so as to extend in the Z direction, which is the up-down direction. In the first embodiment, the belt-shaped seal member 80 is connected to the arm support part 50. One end of the belt-shaped seal member 80, which is arranged in a circular shape, is connected to a connecting part 52a above the arm support part 50, and the other end is connected to a connecting part 52b below the arm support part 50. The connecting parts 52a and 52b are arranged in positions on the arm support part 50 that overlap the opening 61a in the X direction.

[0026] Specifically, the sealing member 80 is wound around four pulleys 81a, 81b, 81c, and 81d arranged inside the housing 61 and rotating with the Y direction as its rotation axis. Specifically, the sealing member 80 is arranged so as to extend upward along the opening 61a from the upper connection portion 52a of the arm support portion 50, and is wound around the pulley 81a at the upper end inside the housing 61 and guided rearward. The sealing member 80 extends rearward toward the X2 side so as to be stretched across from the pulley 81a to the pulley 81b arranged at the rear of the upper part of the housing 61, and is then wound around the pulley 81b so as to be guided to extend downward toward the Z2 side on the X2 side rear of the housing 61. The seal member 80 extends to the lower end of the housing 61, is wound around a pulley 81c, and is guided toward the front of the housing 61. The seal member 80 is wound around a pulley 81d disposed in front of the lower end of the housing 61, and is arranged to extend along the opening 61a on the front side of the housing 61 to the connection part 52b of the arm support part 50. Therefore, the belt-like seal member 80 moves integrally with the arm support part 50 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the arm support part 50 in the up and down direction. When the arm support part 50 is moved up and down by the operation of the drive part 60a of the lifting part 60, the pulleys 81a, 81b, 81c, and 81d are rotated, and the seal member 80 moves up and down in the longitudinal direction of the opening 61a, following the movement of the arm support part 50.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate transfer robot 100 of the first embodiment includes facing portions 62 at the periphery of the opening 61 a of the housing 61. The facing portions 62 are arranged on each of the peripheries of the seal member 80 in the left-right direction, which is the short-side direction of the seal member 80, with the seal member 80 arranged in the up-down direction in the opening 61 a. As shown in FIG. 4 , the facing portions 62 cause the periphery of the opening 61 a and the seal member 80 to face each other while forming a labyrinth structure. The facing portions 62 are arranged at the periphery of the opening 61 a, facing the seal member 80 while forming a labyrinth structure. Specifically, the facing portions 62 are arranged at the periphery of the opening 61 a, and are arranged facing the seal member 80 while forming a labyrinth structure by sandwiching the facing portions 62 at both ends of the belt-shaped seal member 80 in the Y direction, which is the short-side direction, against both ends of the seal member 80 in the short-side direction. The facing portion 62 has a bent member 63 disposed inside the housing 61 at the periphery of the opening 61a. The bent member 63 is a bent plate-like member and disposed at the periphery of the opening 61a of the housing 61. The bent member 63 is formed, for example, from a sheet metal member. The facing portion 62 is disposed so as to form a labyrinth structure with respect to the seal member 80, with the bent member 63 and the periphery of the opening 61a sandwiching the belt-shaped seal member 80 from both the front and back sides of the seal member 80. That is, in the first embodiment, the facing portion 62 is configured by the bent member 63 and the periphery of the opening 61a of the housing 61, sandwiching the seal member 80 from both sides in the X direction. The facing portion 62 is disposed along the lateral periphery of the opening 61a from the lower end to the upper end so as to face the short-side end of the seal member 80. The opposing portions 62 are not disposed on the periphery of the opening 61 a on the vertical Z-direction side. That is, a pair of bending members 63 extending in the vertical direction are disposed on each of the horizontal Y-direction sides of the opening 61 a.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5 , the bending member 63 has a portion 63a, a portion 63b, and a portion 63c. The portion 63a is disposed inside the housing 61 and along the surface of the housing 61. The portion 63a is disposed outside the opening 61a of the housing 61 relative to the sealing member 80 in the Y direction (the left-right direction). The portion 63a is fastened to the peripheral portion of the opening 61a of the housing 61 by fastening members 64. The fastening members 64 include screws or bolts, and are disposed side by side along the vertical direction on the peripheral portion of the opening 61a. The portion 63b is disposed so as to bend from the portion 63a toward the X2 side, which is the interior side of the housing 61, and extend in a direction away from the surface of the housing 61. That is, the portion 63a is disposed along the YZ plane so as to follow the surface of the housing 61, while the portion 63b is bent along the XZ plane so as to rise from the peripheral portion of the opening 61a toward the interior side of the housing 61. Portion 63b is arranged to extend to the X2 side, which is the back surface side of seal member 80, and portion 63c is arranged to extend from portion 63b and cover seal member 80. Portion 63c is arranged along the YZ plane parallel to portion 63a. That is, portion 63c is arranged along the YZ plane so as to face the back surface of seal member 80. Portions 63a, 63b, and 63c are examples of a fastening portion, a separating portion, and a cover portion, respectively.

[0029] The facing portion 62 is disposed so as to form a labyrinth structure with respect to the sealing member 80, with the belt-shaped sealing member 80 sandwiched between the peripheral edge of the opening 61a and the portion 63c of the bending member 63. The portion 63c of the bending member 63 is disposed so as to extend from the upper end to the lower end of the opening 61a in the vertical direction. The labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62 includes at least a U-shaped path portion in which the entry path for liquid from the outside is bent twice. The size of the sealing member 80 in the short direction is larger than the size of the opening 61a of the housing 61 in the left-right direction. The sealing member 80 is disposed inside the housing 61. As shown by the arrows in FIG. 5 , in the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62, liquid from the outside of the housing 61 first enters along the YZ plane between the surface of the sealing member 80 and the peripheral edge of the opening 61a. Liquid from the outside is guided toward the X2 side by the portion 63b of the bending member 63 at the left and right ends of the seal member 80, around the back surface of the seal member 80. The liquid from the outside is guided on the YZ plane between the portion 63c of the bending member 63 and the back surface of the seal member 80. Therefore, the entry path of liquid from the outside of the housing 61 is bent at least twice before reaching the inside of the housing 61. This makes it difficult for liquid from the outside to enter the housing 61 due to the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62. Similarly, particles generated inside the housing 61 are also difficult to leak to the outside due to the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62. The liquid from the outside guided by the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62 moves downward in the housing 61 due to gravity and is discharged to the outside through the drain hole 61b located at the bottom of the housing 61 shown in FIG. 3 . The drain hole 61b is an example of a "hole."

[0030] [Effects of the First Embodiment] As described above, the substrate transport robot 100 includes the belt-shaped seal member 80 that seals the groove-shaped opening 61 a and the facing portion 62 that positions the periphery of the opening 61 a and the seal member 80 facing each other while forming a labyrinth structure. Thus, by positioning the facing portion 62 so that the periphery of the groove-shaped opening 61 a in the housing 61 faces the seal member 80 that seals the opening 61 a, a labyrinth structure is formed between the periphery of the opening 61 a and the seal member 80, thereby preventing foreign matter from entering or leaking through a gap between the seal member 80 and the periphery of the opening 61 a. As a result, when the substrate 101 is slid linearly during transport, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering or leaking through the opening 61 a in the housing 61.

[0031] The facing portions 62 are arranged on the periphery of the opening 61 a, and are arranged facing the seal member 80 at both ends in the short direction of the belt-shaped seal member 80 while forming a labyrinth structure. As a result, when the belt-shaped seal member 80 is arranged to extend along the groove-shaped opening 61 a, the facing portions 62 are arranged on both sides in the short direction of the belt-shaped seal member 80, so that a labyrinth structure can be appropriately formed along the groove-shaped opening 61 a. Therefore, the groove-shaped opening 61 a can be appropriately sealed, and therefore the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter through the opening 61 a of the housing 61 can be appropriately suppressed.

[0032] The facing portions 62 are arranged to face both ends of the seal member 80 in the lateral direction and sandwich the same, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with the seal member 80. As a result, a labyrinth structure is formed so that the facing portions 62 sandwich both ends of the belt-shaped seal member 80 in the lateral direction, which can further prevent foreign matter from entering and leaking through the gap between the seal member 80 and the opening 61 a of the housing 61. Therefore, the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter from the opening 61 a of the housing 61 can be further prevented.

[0033] The facing portion 62 includes a bent plate-like folding member 63 arranged on the periphery of the opening 61 a of the housing 61, and the folding member 63 and the periphery of the opening 61 a sandwich the belt-like seal member 80 from both the front and back sides of the seal member 80, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with respect to the seal member 80. As a result, by combining the folding member 63 with the periphery of the opening 61 a of the housing 61, the belt-like seal member 80 can be easily sandwiched from both sides. Therefore, a labyrinth structure that properly seals the opening 61 a of the housing 61 can be easily formed, making it possible to easily prevent foreign matter from entering and leaking from the opening 61 a of the housing 61.

[0034] The bending member 63 has a portion 63a as a fastening portion that fits along the surface of the housing 61 and is fastened to the peripheral portion of the opening 61a by fastening members 64, a portion 63b as a separating portion that extends in a direction away from the surface of the housing 61, and a portion 63c as a cover portion that extends from portion 63b and covers the seal member 80. The facing portion 62 is arranged in a labyrinth structure relative to the seal member 80, with the peripheral portion of the opening 61a and portion 63c of the bending member 63 sandwiching the belt-shaped seal member 80 from both sides between the peripheral portion of the opening 61a and the portion 63c of the bending member 63. As a result, the bending member 63 has a portion 63a that is fastened to the peripheral portion of the opening 61a, so that the bending member 63 can be more easily positioned on the peripheral portion of the opening 61a. Furthermore, because the folding member 63 has a portion 63b spaced apart from the surface of the housing 61 and a portion 63c that covers the seal member 80, simply by fastening and attaching the portion 63a to the peripheral edge of the opening 61a, the belt-shaped seal member 80 can be more easily sandwiched from both sides by the portion 63c that covers the seal member 80 and the peripheral edge of the opening 61a. Therefore, by the relatively simple operation of fastening the fastening member 64, the seal member 80 can be sandwiched from both sides to more easily form a labyrinth structure, making it easier to prevent foreign matter from entering and leaking from the opening 61a of the housing 61.

[0035] The facing portion 62 has a labyrinth structure that includes at least a U-shaped path portion where the entry path for liquid from the outside is bent twice. As a result, the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62 includes a U-shaped path portion where the entry path for liquid from the outside is bent twice, and therefore the entry of liquid from the outside can be more reliably prevented in the gap between the seal member 80 and the periphery of the opening 61 a. As a result, the entry and leakage of foreign matter from the opening 61 a of the housing 61 can be more reliably prevented.

[0036] The substrate transfer robot 100 includes a lifting unit 60 serving as a lifting / moving unit that lifts and moves the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50 as support units. The facing unit 62 has a labyrinth structure and is disposed opposite the seal member 80 around the periphery of an opening 61a where the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50, which are lifted and moved by the lifting unit 60, are disposed. This allows the opening 61a in the housing 61 of the lifting / moving unit 60 to be appropriately sealed by the seal member 80 when the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50 are lifted and moved by sliding movement. Therefore, even when the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50 are lifted and moved, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering or leaking from the opening 61a in the housing 61. As a result, the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting unit 60 can expand the accessible area of ​​the hands 11 and 12 in the vertical direction, and can effectively prevent foreign matter from entering or leaking into the housing 61 of the lifting unit 60, which slides for lifting and lowering movement.

[0037] The substrate transfer robot 100 includes an upper arm 30 and a lower arm 40 as horizontal movement units that move the hands 11 and 12 in the horizontal direction. The facing unit 62 has a labyrinth structure and is disposed opposite the seal member 80 around the periphery of the opening 61a where the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40, which are raised and lowered by the elevator unit 60 as an elevator movement unit, are disposed. This prevents foreign matter from entering or leaking from the opening 61a of the housing 61 when the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40, which move the hands 11 and 12 in the horizontal direction, are raised and lowered by sliding movement. As a result, the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40 can expand the operating range of the hands 11 and 12 in the horizontal direction and more effectively prevent foreign matter from entering or leaking from the opening 61a of the housing 61.

[0038] The substrate transfer robot 100 includes an upper arm 30 as a horizontally articulated robot arm unit having a plurality of link members 31 and 32 that rotate relative to each other along a horizontal plane, and a lower arm 40 as a horizontally articulated robot arm unit having a plurality of link members 41 and 42 that rotate relative to each other along a horizontal plane. The opposing portion 62 has a labyrinth structure and is disposed opposite the seal member 80 at the periphery of the opening 61a where the horizontally articulated upper arm 30 and lower arm 40 are disposed. This prevents foreign matter from entering or leaking from the opening 61a of the housing 61 even when the horizontally articulated upper arm 30 and lower arm 40 move the hands 11 and 12 along the horizontal plane. As a result, the horizontally articulated upper arm 30 and lower arm 40 can further expand the operating range of the hands 11 and 12 in the horizontal direction and more effectively prevent foreign matter from entering or leaking from the opening 61a of the housing 61.

[0039] The upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50 serving as support units support the hand 11 as a first hand and the hand 12 as a second hand, which separately hold the substrate 101. The facing unit 62 has a labyrinth structure and is disposed opposite the seal member 80 at the periphery of the opening 61a where the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50, which support the hand 11 and the hand 12, respectively, are disposed. As a result, even when the two hands 11 and 12 are supported by the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support unit 50 in the substrate transport robot 100, the labyrinth structure is formed, allowing the seal member 80 to properly seal the opening 61a. Therefore, even when the substrate 101 is transported using the two hands 11 and 12 in the substrate transport robot 100, the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter through the opening 61a of the housing 61 can be prevented, so that the work efficiency of the transport operation of the substrate 101 can be improved by the two hands 11 and 12, and the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter can be effectively prevented in the housing 61 of the lifting section 60 for sliding the hands 11 and 12.

[0040] The belt-like seal member 80 is connected to the arm support section 50 of the upper arm 30, lower arm 40, and arm support section 50 that serve as support sections, and moves integrally with the upper arm 30, lower arm 40, and arm support section 50 in conjunction with the sliding movements of the upper arm 30, lower arm 40, and arm support section 50. As a result, even when the upper arm 30, lower arm 40, and arm support section 50 that support the hands 11 and 12 slide, the belt-like seal member 80 moves in conjunction with the sliding movements, thereby preventing gaps from forming in the opening 61 a due to the sliding movements. As a result, the intrusion and leakage of foreign matter from the opening 61 a of the housing 61 can be further prevented.

[0041] The facing portion 62 is disposed facing the seal member 80 while having a labyrinth structure at the periphery of the opening 61a where the upper arm 30, the lower arm 40, and the arm support portion 50 are disposed as support portions for supporting the hands 11 and 12 that hold the substrate 101 in the polishing apparatus that polishes the substrate 101. Here, in the polishing apparatus, liquids such as chemicals for polishing the substrate 101 or cleaning liquids for cleaning the substrate 101 adhere to the substrate 101. Therefore, in the substrate transport robot 100 that transports the substrate 101 in the polishing apparatus, sealing the opening 61a of the housing 61 with the seal member 80 can effectively prevent the liquid adhering to the substrate 101 from entering the interior of the housing 61. Furthermore, in the substrate transport robot 100 that transports the substrate 101 in the polishing apparatus, the facing portion 62 is disposed facing the seal member 80 while having a labyrinth structure, so that the liquid adhering to the substrate 101 can be more effectively prevented from entering the interior through the opening 61a of the housing 61. As a result, abnormalities in the operation of the lifting unit 60 caused by liquids such as chemicals for polishing the substrate 101 or cleaning liquids for cleaning the substrate 101 can be more effectively prevented.

[0042] The housing 61 has drainage holes 61b as holes for discharging liquid from the outside that is guided into the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62. As a result, the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62 can prevent liquid from entering through the opening 61a of the housing 61, and can also properly discharge liquid to the outside through the drainage holes 61b.

[0043] 6 and 7, a substrate transfer robot 200 according to a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, a labyrinth structure is formed by opposing portions 62 in the lifting / lowering section 60, and a labyrinth structure is formed by opposing portions 292 in the horizontal sliding section 290. In the figures, parts having the same configuration as in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0044] 6 , the substrate transfer robot 200 according to the second embodiment includes a hand 11, a hand support unit 220, a sliding unit 290, a lifting support unit 250, a lifting unit 60, a sealing member 80, and a sealing member 280. In the substrate transfer robot 200 according to the second embodiment, the hand 11 is supported by the hand support unit 220, the sliding unit 290, and the lifting support unit 250, and the hand support unit 220, the sliding unit 290, and the lifting support unit 250 slide vertically as a unit by the lifting unit 60. Furthermore, the hand support unit 220, which supports the hand 11, slides via the sliding unit 290. Therefore, in the second embodiment, the hand support unit 220, the lifting support unit 250, and the sliding unit 290 combined are an example of a support unit, and the hand support unit 220 alone is an example of a support unit. Furthermore, the sliding portion 290 is an example of a horizontal moving portion and also an example of a horizontal sliding portion.

[0045] In the second embodiment, the lifting / lowering support part 250 is moved up and down by the lifting / lowering part 60. The lifting / lowering support part 250 is arranged in an opening 61a of a housing 61 of the lifting / lowering part 60, similar to the arm support part 50 of the first embodiment. The opening 61a is sealed by a seal member 80, similar to the first embodiment. In the lifting / lowering part 60, similar to the first embodiment, an opposing part 62 is arranged on the periphery of the opening 61a and faces the seal member 80 while having a labyrinth structure. The configuration of the lifting / lowering support part 250 for the lifting / lowering part 60 is similar to that of the arm support part 50 of the first embodiment. The labyrinth structure formed by the opposing part 62 in the lifting / lowering part 60 is also similar to that of the first embodiment.

[0046] The sliding unit 290 slides the hand 11 horizontally by sliding the hand support unit 220, which supports the hand 11, horizontally. The sliding unit 290 has a drive unit such as a servo motor driven under the control of the control unit 70, and linearly slides the hand 11 using, for example, a ball screw mechanism or a belt-and-pulley mechanism. The sliding unit 290 is disposed on the upper surface of the lifting support unit 250, which is moved up and down by the lifting unit 60. That is, the sliding unit 290 is moved up and down by the lifting unit 60. The sliding unit 290 rotates around a rotation axis A201 in a horizontal plane relative to the lifting support unit 250. The rotation axis A201 extends along the Z direction, which is the up-down direction, and is disposed in the center of the lifting support unit 250 in the Y direction, which is the left-right direction. The lifting support unit 250 has a drive unit such as a servo motor for rotating the sliding unit 290 in a horizontal plane. In the substrate transport robot 200, the transport operation of the substrate 101 held by the hand 11 is performed by the lifting and lowering movement of the lifting section 60, the rotational movement of the slide moving section 290 relative to the lifting and lowering support section 250, and the sliding movement of the hand 11 by the slide moving section 290.

[0047] The sliding movement unit 290 has a box-shaped housing 291. The housing 291 has a groove-shaped opening 291a in which the hand support unit 220 is disposed. The opening 291a is disposed on a side surface of the housing 291 and is disposed so as to extend along the direction in which the hand 11 is moved by the sliding movement unit 290. The hand support unit 220 is an L-shaped member that extends upward from the opening 291a and bends along the horizontal direction. In the second embodiment, a seal member 280 is disposed in the sliding movement unit 290 separately from the lifting / lowering unit 60. The seal member 280 is a belt-shaped member that seals the groove-shaped opening 291a, similar to the seal member 80 for the lifting / lowering unit 60. In the example of the arrangement shown in FIG. 6 , the seal member 280 is disposed in the opening 291a so as to extend along the X direction. That is, the belt-shaped sealing member 280 is a flat member that is arranged in the opening 291a with the X direction as its longitudinal direction and the Z direction as its short side direction, and both sides are arranged facing each other along the Y direction.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 7 , the sliding portion 290 has a facing portion 292 disposed at the periphery of the opening 291 a. Similar to the facing portion 62 of the first embodiment, the facing portion 292 has a labyrinth structure and is disposed opposite the seal member 280. Specifically, similar to the facing portion 62, the facing portion 292 is disposed opposite the seal member 280 at both ends in the Z direction, which is the short direction of the belt-shaped seal member 280, by sandwiching the seal member 280 from both sides in the Y direction together with the periphery of the opening 291 a of the housing 291, thereby forming a labyrinth structure. The facing portion 292 also has a folding member 293, similar to the folding member 63 of the facing portion 62. Similar to the folding member 63 of the facing portion 62, the folding member 293 is a folded plate-like member and is disposed at the periphery of the opening 291 a of the housing 291. Similar to the facing portion 62, the facing portion 292 is disposed so as to form a labyrinth structure with respect to the seal member 280, with the folding member 293 and the periphery of the opening 291a sandwiching the belt-shaped seal member 280 from both sides. That is, in the second embodiment, a labyrinth structure is formed with both the seal member 280 disposed in the opening 61a of the lifting unit 60 and the seal member 280 disposed in the opening 291a of the sliding unit 290 that slides the hand 11 along a horizontal plane. The labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 292 with respect to the seal member 280 is similar to the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion 62 with respect to the seal member 80 in the first embodiment. That is, the seal member 280 is disposed in an annular shape inside the housing 291 and moves integrally with the hand support unit 220 in conjunction with its movement. The other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0049] [Effects of the Second Embodiment] In the second embodiment, as described above, the substrate transport robot 200 includes the sliding unit 290 as a horizontal sliding unit that slides the hand 11 along the horizontal direction. The facing unit 292 has a labyrinth structure and is disposed opposite the seal member 280 at the periphery of the opening 291a in which the hand support unit 220, which serves as a support unit that slides along the horizontal direction by the sliding unit 290, is disposed. As a result, even in the sliding unit 290 that slides the hand 11 along the horizontal direction, the facing unit 292 can form a labyrinth structure with the seal member 280 at the opening 291a, thereby effectively preventing foreign matter from entering and leaking from the opening 291a. Note that other effects of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment.

[0050] [Modifications] 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, not by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, and includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0051] For example, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the facing portions 62 and 292 are arranged to face the seal members 80 and 280 while having a labyrinth structure at both ends in the lateral direction of the seal members 80 and 280, respectively, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the facing portions may be arranged to face each other while having a labyrinth structure at only one end in the lateral direction of the seal members.

[0052] In the first embodiment, the hand 11 as the first hand and the hand 12 as the second hand are active-type substrate holding hands that securely hold the substrate 101 by edge gripping, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the hand may be an active-type hand other than an edge grip hand, such as a vacuum-type hand. Furthermore, the hand may be a passive-type hand that does not have a structure for securing the substrate.

[0053] In the first embodiment, the facing portions 62 sandwich the seal member 80 from both sides, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with respect to the seal member 80. In the second embodiment, the facing portions 292 sandwich the seal member 280 from both sides, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with respect to the seal member 280. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, facing portions may be arranged on only one side of the seal member, forming a labyrinth structure. For example, as in the seal member 380 according to a first modified example shown in FIG. 8 , a labyrinth structure may be formed by bending the short-side end of the seal member 380 and forming facing portions 362 facing only one side of the seal member 380. Alternatively, a protrusion may be arranged at a position spaced from the short-side end of the seal member, rather than at the end, so that the labyrinth structure is formed by arranging the facing portions along the shape of the protrusion. Furthermore, when the end of the sealing member is bent or when the protrusion is disposed at a position spaced apart from the end, a labyrinth structure may be formed by sandwiching the sealing member from both sides.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the facing portions 62 and 292 include plate-shaped folded members 63 and 293, respectively. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the facing portions may be integrally formed with the peripheral edge of the opening of the housing. Furthermore, the facing portions may be formed by casting or machining, rather than bending a plate-shaped member. Furthermore, the facing portions may be formed by combining multiple members. Furthermore, the peripheral edge of the opening of the housing may be folded and a linear plate-shaped member may be disposed, sandwiching the sealing member between the folded peripheral edge of the opening and the linear plate-shaped member. Furthermore, the facing portions may be formed by members disposed separately from the peripheral edge of the opening of the housing, sandwiching the short-side end of the sealing member. For example, as in the facing portion 462 according to a second modified example shown in FIG. 9 , the sealing member 80 may be sandwiched between Y-shaped members 463. Furthermore, the facing portions may be disposed on the sealing member rather than the opening of the housing.

[0055] In the first and second embodiments, the bending members 63 and 293 of the facing portions 62 and 292 are fastened together to form the facing portions on the peripheries of the housings 61 and 291, respectively. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the facing portions may be arranged on the peripheries of the openings of the housings by adhesion, welding, or the like.

[0056] In the first and second embodiments, an example has been shown in which the path for liquid to enter from the outside has one U-shaped path portion in the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portions 62 and 292. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the path for liquid to enter from the outside may have multiple U-shaped path portions by bending the folding member of the facing portion multiple times.

[0057] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, an example was shown in which a labyrinth structure was formed in both the seal member 80 arranged at the opening 61 a of the housing 61 of the lifting unit 60 and the seal member 280 arranged at the opening 291 a of the housing 291 of the sliding unit 290, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a labyrinth structure may not be formed in the seal member arranged at the opening of the housing of the lifting unit that moves the support unit up and down. For example, a labyrinth structure may be formed by the opposing portion of the seal member only at the opening of the housing of the horizontal sliding unit that moves the support unit that supports the hand along the horizontal direction.

[0058] In the first embodiment, the hands 11 and 12 are moved along a horizontal plane by the upper arm 30 and the lower arm 40, which are horizontally articulated robot arm units. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the substrate transport robot may have only one robot arm unit, or may have three or more robot arm units. Furthermore, multiple robot arm units may be arranged together above or below the arm support unit.

[0059] In the second embodiment, an example is shown in which the slide moving unit 290 is disposed as one horizontal slide moving unit that moves one hand 11 in the horizontal direction, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a plurality of slide moving units that linearly slide the support units that support the hands may be disposed.

[0060] In the first and second embodiments, examples have been described in which the seal members 80 and 280 move integrally with the support parts, that is, the arm support part 50, the lift support part 250, and the hand support part 220. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the seal members may not move in conjunction with the movement of the support parts.

[0061] In the first and second embodiments, the substrate transport robots 100 and 200 are disposed in the processing device 103, which is a polishing device for the substrate 101, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the substrate transport robots may be disposed in a processing device that performs processing other than polishing. Furthermore, the substrate transport robots may be disposed in a transport device that transports substrates, rather than in a processing device.

[0062] In the first embodiment, the hand 11 as the first hand and the hand 12 as the second hand each hold one substrate 101, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, at least one of the first hand and the second hand may hold multiple substrates. Furthermore, the number of hands may be one, or three or more.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the control unit 70 includes a main CPU that performs overall control of the substrate transfer robot 100 and a servo CPU that controls the power supplied to the servo motors. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the control unit may include a single computing device such as a CPU. Furthermore, the operations of the hand holding mechanism, the upper arm and lower arm drive units, and the lifting unit drive unit may be performed by control units arranged as different pieces of hardware, or any of these may be controlled by a common control unit.

[0064] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0065] Aspects It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0066] (Mode 1) A substrate transport robot comprising: a support part for supporting a hand that holds a substrate; a housing having a groove-shaped opening in which the support part that slides linearly is disposed; a belt-shaped sealing member that seals the groove-shaped opening; and an opposing part that positions the periphery of the opening and the sealing member opposite each other while forming a labyrinth structure.

[0067] (Aspect 2) A substrate transport robot according to Aspect 1, wherein the opposing portion is arranged on the periphery of the opening, and is arranged facing the sealing member at both ends of the belt-shaped sealing member in the short direction while having a labyrinth structure.

[0068] (Aspect 3) The substrate transport robot according to aspect 2, wherein the facing portions are disposed to face both ends of the sealing member in a lateral direction and sandwich the sealing member therebetween, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with respect to the sealing member.

[0069] (Aspect 4) A substrate transport robot according to Aspect 3, wherein the opposing portion includes a bent plate-shaped bending member arranged on the periphery of the opening of the housing, and the bending member and the periphery of the opening sandwich the belt-shaped sealing member from both the front and back sides of the sealing member, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with respect to the sealing member.

[0070] (Aspect 5) A substrate transport robot as described in Aspect 4, wherein the bending member has a fastening portion that follows the surface of the housing and is fastened to the peripheral portion of the opening by a fastening member, a separation portion that extends in a direction away from the surface of the housing, and a cover portion that extends from the separation portion and covers the sealing member, and the opposing portion is arranged to have a labyrinth structure with respect to the sealing member by sandwiching the belt-shaped sealing member from both sides between the peripheral portion of the opening and the cover portion of the bending member.

[0071] (Aspect 6) The substrate transport robot according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein the facing portion has a labyrinth structure including at least a U-shaped path portion where an entry path for a liquid from outside is bent twice.

[0072] (Aspect 7) A substrate transport robot according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, further comprising a lifting and moving part that lifts and moves the support part, wherein the opposing part has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support part that is lifted and moved by the lifting and moving part is positioned.

[0073] (Aspect 8) A substrate transport robot as described in Aspect 7, wherein the support portion includes a horizontal movement portion that moves the hand along a horizontal direction, and the opposing portion has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the peripheral portion of the opening where the support portion, including the horizontal movement portion that is moved up and down by the lifting movement portion, is positioned.

[0074] (Aspect 9) A substrate transport robot as described in Aspect 8, wherein the support portion includes a horizontally articulated robot arm portion having a plurality of link members that rotate relative to each other along a horizontal plane as the horizontal movement portion, and the opposing portion is arranged opposite the sealing member while having a labyrinth structure at the peripheral portion of the opening where the support portion including the horizontally articulated robot arm portion is arranged.

[0075] (Aspect 10) A substrate transport robot described in any of Aspects 1 to 9, wherein the support portion supports the hands including a first hand and a second hand that hold the substrate separately from each other, and the opposing portion has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the peripheral portion of the opening where the support portion that supports each of the first hand and the second hand is positioned.

[0076] (Aspect 11) The substrate transport robot according to any one of Aspects 1 to 10, wherein the belt-shaped sealing member is connected to the support portion and moves integrally with the support portion in conjunction with the sliding movement of the support portion.

[0077] (Aspect 12) A substrate transport robot according to any one of Aspects 1 to 11, wherein the opposing portion has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support portion supporting the hand that holds the substrate is positioned in a polishing apparatus that polishes the substrate.

[0078] (Aspect 13) A substrate transport robot according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, further comprising a horizontal sliding unit that slides the hand along a horizontal direction, wherein the opposing unit has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support unit that slides along the horizontal direction by the horizontal sliding unit is positioned.

[0079] (Aspect 14) The substrate transfer robot according to any one of Aspects 1 to 13, wherein the housing has a hole for discharging a liquid from the outside that is guided by the labyrinth structure formed by the facing portion.

Claims

1. A substrate transport robot comprising: a support part for supporting a hand that holds a substrate; a housing having a groove-like opening in which the support part that slides linearly is disposed; a belt-like sealing member that seals the groove-like opening; and an opposing part that positions the periphery of the opening and the sealing member opposite each other while forming a labyrinth structure.

2. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 1, wherein the opposing portion is arranged on the periphery of the opening and is arranged opposite the sealing member at both ends of the belt-shaped sealing member in the short direction while having a labyrinth structure.

3. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 2, wherein the opposing portions are arranged to sandwich the sealing member in opposing relation to both ends of the sealing member in the lateral direction, forming a labyrinth structure with the sealing member.

4. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 3, wherein the opposing portion includes a bent plate-like bending member arranged on the periphery of the opening of the housing, and the bending member and the periphery of the opening sandwich the belt-like sealing member from both the front and back sides of the sealing member, thereby forming a labyrinth structure with respect to the sealing member.

5. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 4, wherein the bending member has a fastening portion that follows the surface of the housing and is fastened to the peripheral portion of the opening by a fastening member, a separation portion that extends in a direction away from the surface of the housing, and a cover portion that extends from the separation portion and covers the sealing member, and the opposing portion is arranged to have a labyrinth structure with respect to the sealing member by sandwiching the belt-shaped sealing member from both sides between the peripheral portion of the opening and the cover portion of the bending member.

6. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the facing portion has a labyrinth structure including at least a U-shaped path portion where a liquid from outside enters by being bent twice.

7. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 1, further comprising a lifting and moving part that moves the support part up and down, wherein the opposing part has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support part that is moved up and down by the lifting and moving part is positioned.

8. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 7, wherein the support part includes a horizontal movement part that moves the hand along a horizontal direction, and the opposing part has a labyrinth structure and is arranged opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support part including the horizontal movement part that moves up and down by the lifting and lowering part is arranged.

9. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 8, wherein the support section includes a horizontally articulated robot arm section having a plurality of link members that rotate relative to each other along a horizontal plane as the horizontal moving section, and the opposing section has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support section including the horizontally articulated robot arm section is positioned.

10. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 1, wherein the support portion supports the hands including a first hand and a second hand that hold the substrate separately from each other, and the opposing portion has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support portion that supports each of the first hand and the second hand is positioned.

11. The substrate transport robot according to claim 1, wherein the belt-shaped sealing member is connected to the support portion and moves integrally with the support portion in conjunction with the sliding movement of the support portion.

12. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 1, wherein the opposing portion has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support portion that supports the hand that holds the substrate is positioned in a polishing device that polishes the substrate.

13. A substrate transport robot as described in claim 1, further comprising a horizontal sliding section that slides the hand along a horizontal direction, wherein the opposing section has a labyrinth structure and is positioned opposite the sealing member at the periphery of the opening where the support section that slides along the horizontal direction by the horizontal sliding section is positioned.

14. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a hole for discharging liquid from the outside that is guided into the labyrinth structure formed by the opposing portion.

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