JP2003158170A - Slot detector of cassette for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the need for troublesome teaching for a substrate carrying robot when a cassette of substrates is replaced. SOLUTION: A double arm substrate carrying robot 1 comprises a detector for detecting the slot 101 of a cassette 100 of substrates. The slot detector comprises sensors 51-53 which can advance/retract into/from the cassette 100 of substrates and is movable along the arranging direction of a large number of slots 101. Position of each slot in the cassette 100 is detected based the output signals from the sensors 51-53 when they are moved in the arranging direction of the slots in the cassette 100.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a semiconductor wafer,
The present invention relates to a slot detection device for a substrate cassette that detects a slot of a substrate cassette that stores various substrates such as glass substrates of FPDs (flat panel displays) such as LCDs, PDPs, and FEDs.

[0002]

In the case of a horizontal type cassette, the substrate cassette is constructed, for example, as shown in FIG.
Inside the substrate cassette 100, a large number of slots 101 for accommodating the substrates 200 are vertically arranged.

However, even in the case of the substrate cassette 100 that accommodates substrates 200 of the same size, the specifications differ for each substrate cassette manufacturer, and the slot shape and the pitch between slots are different for each manufacturer, and ,
It is the current situation that the pitches between slots are different within the tolerance range even for the substrate cassettes 100 manufactured by the same manufacturer.

Therefore, conventionally, when the substrate 200 is carried in and out of the substrate cassette 100 by the substrate carrying robot, the substrate carrying robot is taught each time the substrate cassette 100 is replaced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and by detecting the slot of the substrate cassette, even if the substrate cassette is replaced, teaching is troublesome for the substrate transfer robot. The purpose is to avoid doing.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A slot detecting device for a substrate cassette according to the present invention is a sensor that can move in and out of a substrate cassette and can be moved along the arrangement direction of a large number of slots in the substrate cassette. A slot position in the substrate cassette is detected based on a sensor output signal when the sensor is moved along the slot arrangement direction in the substrate cassette. To do.

The sensor includes a slot position detecting sensor for detecting a repeating concave and convex shape formed by the large number of slots, and a wall surface of the substrate cassette located on the starting end side in the slot arrangement direction. A cassette start end confirmation sensor for detecting the presence and a cassette end confirmation sensor for detecting the presence of a wall surface of the substrate cassette located on the end side in the slot arrangement direction.

The slot position detecting sensor, the cassette start end confirming sensor, and the cassette end confirming sensor are provided at the tip of the detecting arm of the double arm type substrate transfer robot.

The detection arm includes a substrate presence / absence sensor, and the substrate presence / absence sensor detects the presence / absence of a substrate in the substrate cassette.

The slot position detecting sensor, the cassette start end confirming sensor and the cassette end confirming sensor are provided at the tip of the transfer arm of the single arm type substrate transfer robot.

The transfer arm includes a substrate presence / absence sensor, and the substrate presence / absence sensor detects the presence / absence of a substrate in the substrate cassette.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-arm type substrate transfer robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory view of a slot position detection sensor, and FIG. 3 is a cassette start end confirmation sensor and a cassette. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the terminal confirmation sensor, FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view of the slot detection device, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view of the slot detection device of the single-arm type substrate transfer robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of attachment of a slot position detection sensor, a cassette start end confirmation sensor and a cassette end confirmation sensor to a hand. , Fig. 7
8A and 8B are various transfer layout diagrams, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the substrate cassette.

1 to 4, a double-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 according to the first embodiment is a conventional double-arm type substrate transfer robot of a scalar type,
One of the two SCARA type arms (conveyance arms) 2 and 3 is replaced with a detection arm for conveyance. The detection arm 2 is provided with a second arm 21 and a first arm 22 that are configured and can operate in the same manner as the second arm 31 and the first arm 32 of the transfer arm 3, and the first arm 21. At the tip of the
The sensor holding portion 23 corresponding to the hand 33 and capable of performing the same operation as the hand 33 is connected. The second arm 31 of the transfer arm 3 and the second arm 21 of the detection arm 2 are attached to a common machine base 5 that can be vertically moved (Z-axis direction) with respect to the main body 4 of the robot 1. There is. An encoder 6 for detecting the height position of the machine base 5 is built in the main body portion 4.

At the tip of the sensor holding portion 23, there are provided a slot position detecting sensor 51, a cassette start end confirmation sensor 52, and a cassette end confirmation sensor 53. Also,
A U-shaped member 24 for avoiding interference with the substrate 200 held by the hand 33 of the transfer arm 3 is provided at the base of the sensor holding portion 23. This U-shaped member 24
A substrate presence / absence sensor 54 is provided in the.

The slot position detecting sensor 51 is composed of, for example, a light reflection type sensor comprising a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and as shown in FIG.
It is used to detect the vertical position of each slot 101 by detecting the concave-convex repeating shape of a large number of slots 101 (see FIG. 8).

The cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 is composed of, for example, a light reflection type sensor consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and as shown in FIG. 3, when the detection arm 2 is lowered in the substrate cassette 100, Substrate cassette 10
It is used to confirm the lower limit position of the detection arm 2 in the substrate cassette 100 by detecting the presence of the lower end wall surface 102 of 0.

The cassette end confirmation sensor 53 is composed of, for example, a light reflection type sensor composed of a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and as shown in FIG. 3, when the detection arm 2 is raised in the substrate cassette 100, Substrate cassette 10
It is used to confirm the upper limit position of the detection arm 2 in the substrate cassette 100 by detecting the presence of the upper end wall surface 0 of 0.

Next, an example of the operation of the double arm type substrate transfer robot 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. Note that this operation example corresponds to the work of transferring the substrate 200 from the inside of the load side cassette (actual cassette) 100A to the inside of the unload side cassette (empty cassette) 100B.

The substrate transfer robot 1 includes an actual cassette 100.
At the front position of A, the presence or absence of the substrate 200 in the actual cassette 100A is detected by the substrate presence / absence sensor 54 while moving the machine base 5 in the folded state of the detection arm 2 (FIG. )reference).

When the presence or absence of the substrate 200 in the actual cassette 100A is detected by the above-described substrate presence / absence detection operation in the actual cassette, the substrate transfer robot 1 detects the detection arm 2
In the folded state, the robot moves to the front position of the empty cassette 100B, and the board presence / absence sensor 54 detects whether or not there is a board 200 in the empty cassette 100B while moving the machine base 5 in the vertical direction. When the slot position detection work to be described later is started before the empty cassette inboard presence / absence detection work is performed for the empty cassette 100B, the substrate 200 in the empty cassette 100B is detected.
This is because a problem that the substrate 200 and the detection arm 2 interfere with each other when there is such a problem occurs, and such a problem is avoided and the slot position detection work is performed favorably.

When it is detected that there is no substrate 200 in the empty cassette 100B by the above-mentioned substrate presence / absence detection operation in the empty cassette, the substrate transfer robot 1 extends the detection arm 2 after half rotation (see the solid line in FIG. 3). Corresponds to the state.) Then, the machine base 5 is lowered, and the cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 is moved to the lower end wall surface 102 of the empty cassette 100B.
The machine base 5 is stopped when is detected (corresponding to the state of the one-dot chain line in FIG. 3). Next, the machine base 5 is lifted up and a large number of slots 1 are detected by the slot position detecting sensor 51.
The uneven shape of 01 is detected (see FIG. 4B). Then, the cassette end confirmation sensor 53 is set to the empty cassette 100.
When the upper end wall surface 103 of B is detected, the machine base 5 is stopped (corresponding to the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3).

In the slot position detecting work as described above, the height position of the slot position detecting sensor 51 is set to the machine base 5.
The height position of the machine stand 5 is detected by the encoder 6 inside the main body 4, so that the height position of the slot position detecting sensor 51 can be detected by the encoder 6. it can. Further, the slot position detecting sensor 51 outputs a pulse train signal (for example, a pulse train signal in which the concave portions are at the Hi level and the convex portions are at the Lo level) in accordance with the concave and convex repeated shapes of the large number of slots 101. Therefore, the height position of the slot position detection sensor 51 by the encoder 6 and the slot position detection sensor 51
It is possible to make one-to-one correspondence with the pulse train signal of, and the height position of each slot 101 (in other words, the number of slot stages)
Can be detected. The height position of each slot 101 of this empty cassette 100B is set to the robot 1
It is stored in the storage device of the main body unit 4 as slot data of the empty cassette 100B, and then used when the substrate 200 is transferred from the actual cassette 100A to the empty cassette 100B.

Thereafter, the substrate transfer robot 1 uses the transfer arm 3 to take out the substrate 200 from the actual cassette 100A and directly transfer it to the predetermined slot 101 in the empty cassette 100B, or once the substrate 200 is transferred. The substrate 200 after being transported to the processing apparatus is transferred to the predetermined slot 101 in the empty cassette 100B.

As described above, the double-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 according to the first embodiment is provided with a device for detecting the slot 101 of the substrate cassette 100. This slot detection device is provided inside and outside the substrate cassette 100. A large number of slots 1 that can be moved in and out of the cassette 100 for substrates.
In the substrate cassette 100, the sensors 51 to 53 that are movable along the arrangement direction of 01 are provided.
3 is configured to detect the position of each slot in the substrate cassette 100 based on the sensor output signal when the device 3 is moved along the slot arrangement direction. For this reason, when a new substrate cassette 100 is used, each slot position of the substrate cassette 100 can be automatically detected without complicated teaching to the substrate transfer robot 1 as in the conventional case. This makes it possible to automate the work prior to using the cassette.

The sensors 51 to 53 are a slot position detecting sensor 51 for detecting the repeated shape of the unevenness formed by a large number of slots 101, and a wall surface of the substrate cassette 100 on the starting end side in the slot arrangement direction. A cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 for detecting the presence of the wall surface (lower end wall surface 102) located, and the substrate cassette 100.
And a cassette end confirmation sensor 53 for detecting the presence of a wall surface (upper end wall surface 103) located on the end side in the slot arrangement direction, the starting end position (lower end position) and Each slot position can be detected while checking the end position (upper end position).

Further, since the slot position detecting sensor 51, the cassette start end confirming sensor 52 and the cassette end confirming sensor 53 are provided at the tip end of the detecting arm 2 of the double arm type substrate transfer robot, the conventional double arm type. By replacing one of the two arms of the substrate transfer robot with the detection arm 2, one transfer robot 1 can simultaneously perform the two functions of substrate transfer and slot detection.

The detection arm 2 is provided with a substrate presence / absence sensor 54, and the substrate presence / absence sensor 54 is used for the substrate cassette 1.
Since the presence or absence of the substrate 200 in 00 is detected,
When the substrate 200 is present in the substrate cassette 100, the detection arm 2 detects the substrate 20 by performing slot detection.
It is possible to avoid the trouble of interfering with 0.

Next, a second embodiment will be described.

5 and 6, the single-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 according to the second embodiment is similar to the conventionally known scalar type single-arm type substrate transfer robot in that it has the second arm 31 and the first arm 32. The second arm 31 is provided with a transfer arm 3 including a hand 33 and a hand 33.
The robot 1 is mounted on a machine base 5 that can be vertically moved (Z-axis direction) with respect to the main body 4 of the robot 1. An encoder 6 for detecting the height position of the machine base 5 is built in the main body portion 4.

As shown in FIG. 6, a slot position detection sensor 51, a cassette start end confirmation sensor 52, and a cassette end confirmation sensor 53 are provided at the tip of the hand 33. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a substrate presence / absence sensor 54 is provided at the base of the hand 33.

The slot position detecting sensor 51 is constructed in the same manner as the slot position detecting sensor 51 of the first embodiment, and each slot 10 is detected by detecting the concave-convex repeating shape of a large number of slots 101 in the substrate cassette 100.
It is used to detect the vertical position of 1.

The cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 has the same structure as the cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 of the first embodiment.
Used to confirm the lower limit position of the transfer arm 3 in the substrate cassette 100 by detecting the presence of the lower end wall surface 102 of the substrate cassette 100 when the transfer arm 3 is lowered in the substrate cassette 100. To be

The cassette end confirmation sensor 53 has the same structure as the cassette end confirmation sensor 53 of the first embodiment.
Used to confirm the upper limit position of the transfer arm 3 in the substrate cassette 100 by detecting the presence of the upper end wall surface 103 of the substrate cassette 100 when the transfer arm 3 is raised in the substrate cassette 100. To be

Next, an example of the operation of the single arm type substrate transfer robot 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that this operation example corresponds to the work of transferring the substrate 200 from the inside of the load side cassette (actual cassette) 100A to the inside of the unload side cassette (empty cassette) 100B.

The substrate transfer robot 1 includes an actual cassette 100.
At the front position of A, the substrate presence / absence sensor 54 detects whether or not the substrate 200 is present in the actual cassette 100A while moving the machine base 5 in the folded state of the transfer arm 3 (see FIG. )reference).

When it is detected that there is a substrate 200 in the actual cassette 100A by the above-described substrate presence / absence detection operation in the actual cassette, the substrate transfer robot 1 causes the transfer arm 3 to move.
In the folded state, the robot moves to the front position of the empty cassette 100B, and the board presence / absence sensor 54 detects whether or not there is a board 200 in the empty cassette 100B while moving the machine base 5 in the vertical direction. When the slot position detection work to be described later is started before the empty cassette inboard presence / absence detection work is performed for the empty cassette 100B, the substrate 200 in the empty cassette 100B is detected.
This is because a problem that the substrate 200 and the transfer arm 3 interfere with each other when there is such a problem occurs, so that such a problem is avoided and the slot position detection work is performed favorably.

When it is detected that there is no substrate 200 in the empty cassette 100B by the above-mentioned substrate presence / absence detection operation in the empty cassette, the substrate transfer robot 1 makes a half rotation and then extends the transfer arm 3 to move the hand 33 to the empty cassette. 100
Enter into B. Then, the machine base 5 is lowered, and when the cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 detects the lower end wall surface 102 of the empty cassette 100B, the machine base 5 is stopped. Next, the machine base 5 is raised to detect the concave and convex shapes of many slots 101 by the slot position detecting sensor 51.
Then, the cassette end confirmation sensor 53 is set to the empty cassette 10.
When the upper end wall surface 103 of 0B is detected, the machine base 5 is stopped.

In the slot position detecting work as described above, the height position of the slot position detecting sensor 51 is set to the machine base 5.
The height position of the machine stand 5 is detected by the encoder 6 inside the main body 4, so that the height position of the slot position detecting sensor 51 can be detected by the encoder 6. it can. Further, the slot position detecting sensor 51 outputs a pulse train signal (for example, a pulse train signal in which the concave portions are at the Hi level and the convex portions are at the Lo level) in accordance with the concave and convex repeated shapes of the large number of slots 101. Therefore, the height position of the slot position detection sensor 51 by the encoder 6 and the slot position detection sensor 51
It is possible to make one-to-one correspondence with the pulse train signal of, and the height position of each slot 101 (in other words, the number of slot stages)
Can be detected. The height position of each slot 101 of this empty cassette 100B is set to the robot 1
It is stored in the storage device of the main body unit 4 as slot data of the empty cassette 100B, and then used when the substrate 200 is transferred from the actual cassette 100A to the empty cassette 100B.

Thereafter, the substrate transfer robot 1 uses the transfer arm 3 to take out the substrate 200 from the actual cassette 100A and directly transfer it to the predetermined slot 101 in the empty cassette 100B, or temporarily transfer the substrate 200. The substrate 200 after being transported to the processing apparatus is transferred to the predetermined slot 101 in the empty cassette 100B.

As described above, the single-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 according to the second embodiment detects the slot 101 of the substrate cassette 100, like the double-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 according to the first embodiment. This slot detection device is provided with a device, and is capable of advancing and retracting in and out of the substrate cassette 100 and movable along the arrangement direction of the multiple slots 101 in the substrate cassette 100.
1 to 53, and is configured to detect each slot position in the substrate cassette 100 based on a sensor output signal when the sensors 51 to 53 are moved in the substrate cassette 100 along the slot arrangement direction. . For this reason, when a new substrate cassette 100 is used, the substrate cassette 10 can be automatically operated without complicated teaching to the substrate transfer robot 1 as in the conventional case.
It becomes possible to detect each slot position of 0, and it becomes possible to automate the work prior to the use of the cassette.

Further, the sensors 51 to 53 are a slot position detecting sensor 51 for detecting the repeated shape of irregularities formed by a large number of slots 101, and a wall surface of the substrate cassette 100 on the starting end side in the slot arrangement direction. A cassette start end confirmation sensor 52 that detects the presence of a wall surface (lower wall surface 102) that is located, and a cassette that detects the presence of a wall surface of the substrate cassette 100 that is located on the end side in the slot arrangement direction (upper wall surface 103). Since it is composed of the end confirmation sensor 53, each slot position can be detected while confirming different start end positions (lower end positions) and end positions (upper end positions) depending on the individual substrate cassettes 100.

Further, since the slot position detecting sensor 51, the cassette start end confirming sensor 52 and the cassette end confirming sensor 53 are provided at the tip of the transfer arm 3 of the single arm type substrate transfer robot, the transfer arm 3 allows The two functions of substrate transfer and slot detection can be exhibited simultaneously.

The transfer arm 3 is provided with a substrate presence / absence sensor 54, and the substrate presence / absence sensor 54 is used for the substrate cassette 1.
Since the presence or absence of the substrate 200 in 00 is detected,
When the substrate 200 is present in the substrate cassette 100, the carrying arm 3 detects the slot by detecting the slot.
It is possible to avoid the trouble of interfering with 0.

Although the above-described first and second embodiments are both described with respect to the scalar type substrate transfer robot,
The present invention is not limited to the scalar type, and can be easily applied to a linear motion type substrate transfer robot. In addition, in the first and second embodiments, the substrate transfer robot is of a type that can move in the left-right direction as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, that is, a type having a robot traveling axis. Is not limited to this, and FIG.
As shown in (A), (B), (C), and (D), it can be applied to a type that does not have a robot traveling axis (note that FIG. 7B corresponds to the case of a horizontal articulated robot). Yes.),
Further, as shown in FIG. 7 (E), the substrate 2 is provided for three or more substrate cassettes 100 having a robot traveling axis.
It can also be applied to a type of carrying out and carrying in 00.

The present invention is also applicable to a vertical type substrate cassette 100, that is, a substrate cassette 100 in which the arrangement direction of the slots 101 is set horizontally and the substrates 200 are accommodated in a vertical state. .

[0047]

According to the present invention, by detecting the slot of the substrate cassette, it is possible to avoid troublesome teaching for the substrate transfer robot even if the substrate cassette is replaced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a double-arm type substrate transfer robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of a slot position detection sensor.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of a cassette start end confirmation sensor and a cassette end end confirmation sensor.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the slot detection device.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the slot detection device of the single-arm type substrate transfer robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of attachment of a slot position detection sensor, a cassette start end confirmation sensor, and a cassette end confirmation sensor to a hand.

FIG. 7 is a layout diagram of various conveyances.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a substrate cassette.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 substrate transfer robot (double arm type substrate transfer robot, single arm type substrate transfer robot) 2 detection arm 3 transfer arm 51 slot position detection sensor 52 cassette start end confirmation sensor 53 cassette end confirmation sensor 54 substrate presence / absence sensor 100 for substrate Cassette 101 Slot 102 Lower end wall 103 Upper end wall 200 Substrate

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) B65G 49/07 B65G 49/07 E (72) Inventor Katsuhiko Kato 2-7-30, Takagi, Ichinomiya, Aichi No. 72, Inventor, Itech Co., Ltd. Kiyonori Nakano, 2-7-30, Takagi, Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture F-term, Itech Co., Ltd. (reference) 3C007 AS03 AS24 BS15 BS26 CT04 CV07 CW07 KS03 KS06 KS17 KV01 KV11 KX05 KX07 LT06 MT10 NS11 NS13 5F031 CA02 CA05 DA01 FA01 FA07 FA11 FA19 GA02 GA36 GA43 GA48 GA49 GA50 JA01 JA06 JA13 JA23

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A sensor that is capable of advancing and retracting in and out of a substrate cassette and is movable along the arrangement direction of a large number of slots in the substrate cassette, wherein the sensor is arranged in the slot arrangement direction in the substrate cassette. A slot detecting device for a substrate cassette, which is configured to detect each slot position in the substrate cassette based on a sensor output signal when the substrate cassette is moved along. 2. The sensor is a slot position detecting sensor for detecting a repeating concave and convex shape formed by the plurality of slots, and a wall surface of the substrate cassette, which is located on the starting end side in the slot arrangement direction. A cassette start end confirmation sensor that detects the presence of a wall surface, and a cassette end confirmation sensor that detects the presence of a wall surface of the substrate cassette located on the end side in the slot arrangement direction. Item 2. A slot detection device for a substrate cassette according to Item 1. 3. The slot position detecting sensor, the cassette start end confirming sensor, and the cassette end confirming sensor are provided at a tip end of a detecting arm of a double-arm type substrate transfer robot. Board cassette slot detector. 4. The slot for a substrate cassette according to claim 3, wherein the detection arm includes a substrate presence / absence sensor, and the substrate presence / absence sensor detects the presence / absence of a substrate in the substrate cassette. Detection device. 5. The slot position detection sensor, the cassette start end confirmation sensor, and the cassette end confirmation sensor are provided at the tip of a transfer arm of a single-arm substrate transfer robot. Board cassette slot detector. 6. The slot of the substrate cassette according to claim 5, wherein the transfer arm includes a substrate presence / absence sensor, and the substrate presence / absence sensor detects the presence / absence of a substrate in the substrate cassette. Detection device.