JP2016072424A - Carrier robot and hand for carrier robot - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hand capable of supporting as stably as possible a wafer with circuits formed on both sides.SOLUTION: A hand 101 for supporting a wafer W includes: a fixed part 1 which is fixed in a distal end of an arm of a carrier robot; and a first support part 2 and a second support part 3 which extend from the fixed part 1 toward the same direction and on which the wafer W is placed. The first support part 2 includes: a first side end supporting part 22 which is positioned in a lower part of one side end portion of the placed wafer W; and a first distal end supporting part 23 which is positioned in a lower part of a distal end portion of the wafer W. The second support part 3 includes: a second side end supporting part 32 which is positioned in a lower part of another side end portion of the placed wafer W; and a second distal end supporting part 33 which is positioned in the lower part of the distal end portion of the wafer W. A buffering member 21a or the like is disposed on the first distal end supporting part 23 and the second distal end supporting part 33 inside of the side end portion of the placed wafer W and on surfaces of the first side end supporting part 22 and the second side end supporting part 32 at a side where the wafer W is placed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer robot for transferring a thin plate-like workpiece such as a semiconductor substrate or a liquid crystal substrate, and a hand for a transfer robot that supports the thin plate-like workpiece.

  In the manufacturing process of semiconductor substrates, liquid crystal substrates, etc., multiple substrates are stored in multiple stages in a substrate transport container called a cassette, and the cassette is transported to a process device or inspection device to process or inspect the substrate in the cassette. Is done. In the process apparatus and the inspection apparatus, a transfer robot is used as an industrial robot for storing a substrate in a transferred cassette or taking out a substrate from the cassette.

  The transfer robot supports the substrate with the hand and stores it in the cassette or takes it out. Examples of the configuration of the hand include, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 and the like. The hand described in these documents includes two supporting members for supporting the substrate and a fixing member for fixing the supporting member.

JP 2011-228616 A JP 2011-2222839 A JP 2013-77667 A

  In recent years, circuits are frequently formed on both sides of a substrate. In this case, it is necessary to avoid the support member of the hand from coming into contact with the circuit forming portion of the substrate. Moreover, even if it is a board | substrate before forming a circuit, it is better that a support member does not contact as much as possible so that the part in which a circuit is formed may not be damaged. In the case of the hands described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, since it is not assumed that a circuit is formed on the back surface of the substrate, the circuit forming portion is supported by the support member.

  It can be considered that the interval between the support members is widened so that each support member supports only the side end portion of the substrate while avoiding the circuit forming portion. However, when the substrate is large and thin (for example, when the length of each side is 1 meter or more and the thickness is 1 millimeter or less), the center portion largely bends downward due to the weight of the substrate. Further, when the hand moves in the vertical direction, the central portion of the substrate is vibrated by the acceleration, and the deflection is increased. Due to the deflection of the central portion, the substrate is deformed and damaged, or the support of the substrate becomes unstable. In some cases, the substrate may fall out of the support portion.

  The present invention has been conceived under the circumstances described above, and provides a hand that can support a substrate on which a circuit is formed on both sides as stably as possible, and a transport robot including the hand. Its purpose is to do.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.

  The hand provided by the first aspect of the present invention is a transfer robot that transfers a thin plate-like workpiece, and is a hand that supports the workpiece, and is a fixed portion that is fixed to a tip of an arm of the transfer robot; The first support part and the second support part that extend in the same direction from the fixed part and on which the work is placed, and the surfaces of the first support part and the second support part on the side on which the work is placed And a buffer member that contacts the workpiece, wherein the first support portion includes a first side end support portion that is positioned below one side end portion of the placed workpiece, and a front side. A first tip support portion located below the tip portion of the workpiece placed, and the second support portion is a first tip located below the other side end portion of the workpiece placed above. 2 side end support part and the lower part of the tip part of the work placed above A second tip support portion located on the inner side of the first tip support portion and the second tip support portion from the side end portion of the previously placed workpiece, and the first tip support portion. It is arrange | positioned at the side end support part and the said 2nd side end support part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hand further includes a base end support portion positioned below a base end portion of the workpiece placed as described above, and the buffer member further includes the base end support. Is disposed on the inner side of the side end portion of the workpiece placed above.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the first support portion and the second support portion includes the base end support portion.

  The hand provided by the second aspect of the present invention is a transfer robot that transfers a thin plate-like workpiece, and is a hand that supports the workpiece, and is a fixed portion that is fixed to a tip of an arm of the transfer robot; The first support part and the second support part that extend in the same direction from the fixed part and on which the work is placed, and the surfaces of the first support part and the second support part on the side on which the work is placed And a buffer member that contacts the workpiece, wherein the first support portion includes a first side end support portion that is positioned below one side end portion of the placed workpiece, and a front side. A first base end support portion positioned below the base end portion of the workpiece placed, and the second support portion is positioned below the other side end portion of the work placed above. The second side end supporting part, and the lower part of the base end part of the workpiece placed above A second base end support portion that is positioned, and the buffer member is inside the side end portion of the workpiece placed above the first base end support portion and the second base end support portion, and It arrange | positions at the said 1st side end support part and the said 2nd side end support part, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first support portion further includes a first tip support portion positioned at a lower portion of the tip portion of the workpiece placed as described above, and the second support portion includes a front The apparatus further includes a second tip support portion located at a lower portion of the tip portion of the described workpiece, wherein the buffer member is further placed on the first tip support portion and the second tip support portion. It is arranged inside the side edge of the workpiece.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fixed portion, the first support portion, and the second support portion are integrally formed.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first support portion and the second support portion extend from the fixed portion to the tip end side of the workpiece, and the intermediate portions each have a trapezoidal shape on the side end portion side of the workpiece. It has a protruding shape.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first side end support portion and the second side end support portion each include a protruding portion protruding outward, and the first side end support portion and the first side end support portion are provided. The buffer member of the two side end support portion is disposed on the protruding portion.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the buffer member is made of rubber.

  The transport robot provided by the third aspect of the present invention includes the hand provided by the first or second aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, the first side end support portion, the second side end support portion, the first tip end support portion, and the second tip end support portion (or the first base end support portion and the second base end support portion) are disposed. The workpiece is supported by the buffer member. Therefore, the workpiece can be supported so as not to contact the circuit forming portion of the workpiece. Further, the buffer members of the first tip support portion and the second tip support portion (or the first base end support portion and the second base end support portion) are not on the side end portions of the placed work but on the inner side. Be placed. Therefore, since not only the side end portion of the workpiece is supported but also the tip portion (or the base end portion) is supported, the center portion of the workpiece can be prevented from being greatly bent downward. Thereby, compared with the case where only a side edge part is supported, a workpiece | work can be supported stably.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a figure for demonstrating the conveyance robot which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the hand which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating a board | substrate. It is a figure for demonstrating a buffer member. It is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing method of a hand. It is a figure for demonstrating the method in which a hand mounts a board | substrate in a slot. It is a figure for demonstrating the bending of a board | substrate at the time of using the hand of the conventional structure. It is a figure for demonstrating the bending of a board | substrate at the time of using the hand of another conventional structure. It is a figure for demonstrating the other Example of a hand. It is a figure for demonstrating the other Example of a hand. It is a figure for demonstrating the other Example of a hand. It is a figure for demonstrating the other Example of a hand. It is a figure for demonstrating the other Example of a hand.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a transfer robot 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating an example of a transfer robot.

  The transfer robot 100 takes out the substrates W stored in multiple stages in the cassette 200 from the cassette 200 and, for example, transfers them to a processing apparatus such as a process apparatus or an inspection apparatus (not shown) disposed on the opposite side of the cassette 200. On the contrary, an operation of discharging the processed substrate W from the processing apparatus and returning it to the cassette 200 is performed.

  With the transfer robot 100 facing the cassette 200, a local coordinate system is set in which the direction from the transfer robot 100 toward the cassette 200 is the X direction, the direction orthogonal to the X direction is the Y direction in the horizontal plane, and the vertical direction is the Z direction. When set, the transfer robot 100 includes an X-direction drive mechanism 102, a Y-direction drive mechanism 103, and a Z-direction drive mechanism 104 for independently moving the hand 101 supporting the substrate W in each of XYZ directions. ing. In the following, description may be made using this local coordinate system.

  The Y-direction drive mechanism 103 mounts the entire transfer robot 100 and also has a base board 103a configured to be movable along a guide rail 105 laid on the bottom surface, and a Y-direction in which a drive source such as a motor is stored. A drive unit 103b is provided.

  The Z-direction drive mechanism 104 is fixed at an appropriate position on the base board 103a. The Z-direction drive mechanism 104 moves the Z-axis 104b, which is composed of a prismatic support 104a, a Z-axis 104b supported in the support 104a so as to be movable up and down, a motor, a hydraulic cylinder, and the like. Z-direction drive unit. In addition, since the Z direction drive part is provided in the bottom part in the support body 104a, it is not visible in the figure.

  The X direction drive mechanism 102 is provided on the upper surface of the Z axis 104b. The X-direction drive mechanism 102 includes a link in which a pair of arms 102a and 102b are rotatably connected, and a hand 101 is attached to the tip of the arm 102b. Details of the hand 101 will be described later. The upper surface of the hand 101 is a substrate placement surface on which the substrate W is placed. The transfer robot 100 places the substrate W on the substrate placement surface while keeping the hand 101 horizontal, and moves the hand 101 up and down in this state to rotate or move the XY plane, thereby moving the cassette 200. Placed in the slot 201 (storage of the substrate W in the cassette 200) or received by the hand 101 the substrate W placed in the slot 201 and taken out of the cassette 200 (takeout of the substrate W from the cassette 200) Or

  The cassette 200 forms a rectangular parallelepiped box, and at least a side surface facing the transfer robot 100 is opened as a surface for taking in and out the substrate W. A plurality of slots 201 for storing the substrates W in multiple stages are provided on both side surfaces of the cassette 200 so as to protrude inward. The substrate W is placed on the upper surface of the pair of slots 201 at the same height position, so that the substrate W is accommodated in the step at the height position. The gap between the pair of slots 201 facing each other in the cassette 200 is arranged so that the hand 101 can move up and down without interfering with the slots 201 in the cassette 200. It is set longer than the length in the direction (the width of the hand 101).

  FIG. 1B is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of the transfer robot 100.

  The transfer robot 100 includes a movement control device 106 that controls the movement of the hand 101, a servo controller 107, a manipulator 108, and a teach pendant 109 for an operator to perform teaching work or manual operation. The manipulator 108 corresponds to the multi-joint mechanism including the hand 101, the X-direction drive mechanism 102, the Y-direction drive mechanism 103, and the Z-direction drive mechanism 104 shown in FIG. The servo controller 107 is a controller that controls driving of each servo motor provided in the manipulator 108.

  The movement control device 106 controls the servo controller 107 based on teaching information taught in advance, and performs control for moving the hand 101 of the manipulator 108 along the taught movement locus.

  The movement control device 106 includes a microcomputer as a main component. The movement control device 106 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an input / output interface, and the like that are connected to each other. The movement control device 106 controls the movement of the hand 101 by executing a control program stored in advance in the ROM. The movement control device 106 includes a control unit 106a and a teaching information storage unit 106b as functional blocks.

  The control unit 106a controls driving of the servo controller 107 based on the teaching information stored in the teaching information storage unit 106b. Further, the control unit 106 a controls the drive of the servo controller 107 based on information input from the teach pendant 109.

  The teaching information storage unit 106 b stores teaching information for indicating the locus of movement of the hand 101. The teaching information storage unit 106b is set in a predetermined storage area of the RAM. The teaching information includes information on several teaching points for indicating the locus of movement of the hand 101. The information on the teaching point may be information indicating a position or information on each axis of the manipulator 108 at each teaching point. Information on the teaching point is acquired in advance by teaching processing and stored in the teaching information storage unit 106b.

  Next, the hand 101 will be described. 2-6 is a figure for demonstrating the hand which concerns on 1st Embodiment.

  2A is a view of the hand 101 as viewed from above (the positive direction of the Z-axis of the local coordinate system), and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. It is. The hand 101 supports the substrate W placed on the upper surface. In FIG. 2A, the substrate W is shown through a broken line so that a member located below can be seen. The same applies to FIGS. 6 to 13 below.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the substrate W. FIG. The board | substrate W is a circuit board and the circuit is formed in both surfaces. The substrate W may be a circuit substrate before a circuit is formed, or a liquid crystal substrate. A central portion W1 (region surrounded by a broken line) of the substrate W is a region where a circuit is formed. Since no circuit is formed in the outer region (W2 to W5) of the central portion W1, the hand 101 may contact. The hand 101 supports the substrate W in this outer region (W2 to W5). With reference to the direction in which the substrate W is supported by the hand 101 and travels straight (indicated by a thick arrow in the figure, the positive direction of the X axis of the local coordinate system), the region W2 is the tip and the region W3 is the base. The end portion, the region W4 is defined as a first side end portion, and the region W5 is defined as a second side end portion. The substrate W is, for example, a positive direction of 2 meters in length (length in the X direction shown in the drawing) and 2 meters in width (length in the Y direction shown in the drawing), and has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less. The widths of the regions W2 to W5 (the lengths in the X direction in the regions W2 and W3 and the length in the Y direction in the regions W4 and W5) are each about 20 millimeters, for example. In addition, each dimension of the board | substrate W is not restricted to this. The substrate W may be rectangular instead of square.

  Returning to FIG. 2A, the hand 101 includes a fixed portion 1, a first support portion 2, and a second support portion 3.

  The fixing portion 1 fixes the first support portion 2 and the second support portion 3 and is rotatably attached to the arm 102b. The first support part 2 and the second support part 3 support the substrate W, and are fixed to the fixing part 1.

  The first support portion 2 is integrally formed of, for example, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), for example, a first base end support portion 21, a first side end support portion 22, a first tip support portion 23, and a connection portion 24. , 25. In addition, the material of the 1st base end support part 21, the 1st side end support part 22, the 1st front end support part 23, and the connection parts 24 and 25 is not limited to a carbon fiber reinforced plastic, Other fiber reinforced plastics ( FRP), ceramic, synthetic resin, aluminum, and other lightweight and high strength materials may be used. In addition, the first base end support portion 21, the first side end support portion 22, the first tip end support portion 23, and the connection portions 24 and 25 are not limited to being integrally formed, and a plurality of members are combined. And may be fixed. However, the integral molding is preferable because the strength is increased, the weight can be reduced, and the assembly process can be simplified.

  Further, the first support portion 2 includes, for example, rubber buffer members 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, and 23a for contacting the substrate W. FIG. 4A is a view showing the first base end support portion 21 and the buffer member 21a of the first support portion 2. The upper view is a cross-sectional view seen from the side, and the lower view is seen from the top. It is a figure. As shown in FIG. 4A, the buffer member 21a has a tapered shape in which a cross section perpendicular to the central axis is a circle, and a hole for passing a screw is provided in the central axis portion. The buffer member 21a is fixed to the first base end support portion 21 with a screw passing through the hole. The same applies to the buffer members 22a, 22b, 22c, and 23a. The buffer member 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, 23a supports the substrate W on the first support portion 2 without sliding or being damaged. The material of the buffer members 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, and 23a is not limited to rubber, and may be other materials such as silicon. Further, the fixing method of the buffer members 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, and 23a is not limited to fixing with screws, but may be other methods such as fixing with an adhesive. Moreover, the shape of the buffer members 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, and 23a is not limited. For example, the cross section orthogonal to the central axis may be an ellipse (see FIG. 4B) or a quadrangle. Further, instead of the tapered shape, for example, a cylindrical shape may be used. Further, the number of buffer members arranged is not limited.

  The first base end support portion 21 extends from the fixed portion 1 in the straight direction of the hand 101 (X direction shown in the drawing) and supports the base end portion of the substrate W. A buffer member 21 a is disposed on the upper surface side of the first base end support portion 21. The position where the buffer member 21 a is arranged is designed according to the position of the base end portion of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the hand 101.

  The first side end support portion 22 is located in the positive X direction and the negative Y direction of the first base end support portion 21 and extends in the X direction. To support. The first side end support portion 22 is provided with three protruding portions that protrude outward (side in the negative direction of Y shown in the drawing). Buffer members 22a, 22b, and 22c are arranged on the upper surface side of the protrusions, respectively. The position of the first side end support portion 22 is designed such that when the substrate W is placed on the hand 101, the buffer members 22a, 22b, and 22c come into contact with the first side end portion of the substrate W. The first base end support portion 21 and the first side end support portion 22 are connected by a connection portion 24.

  The first tip support portion 23 is located in the extending direction of the first base end support portion 21 and extends in the X direction, and supports the tip portion of the substrate W. A buffer member 23 a is disposed on the upper surface side of the first tip support portion 23. The position where the buffer member 23 a is arranged is designed according to the position of the tip of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the hand 101. The first side end support part 22 and the first tip support part 23 are connected by a connection part 25.

  When viewed as a whole, the first support portion 2 extends in the X direction from the fixed portion 1, and the intermediate portion has a trapezoidal shape on the first side end portion side of the substrate W (a shape that gradually becomes narrower toward the protruding side in the convex shape). ) Overhangs the shape. In addition, the shape which protruded in convex shape instead of trapezoid shape (namely, the connection parts 24 and 25 is orthogonally crossed with respect to the 1st base end support part 21, the 1st side end support part 22, and the 1st front end support part 23. Shape). However, when the connection parts 24 and 25 and the first base end support part 21, the first side end support part 22 and the first tip support part 23 have a trapezoidal shape with an angle of about 45 °, the substrate W There is a good balance between the area to avoid contact with and the amount of material used. That is, as the angle increases and approaches 90 °, the area for avoiding the substrate W increases, but the amount of material used increases, the amount of deflection of the hand 101 itself increases, and the load applied to the hand 101 itself. Becomes larger. Conversely, as the angle decreases and approaches 0 °, the amount of material used decreases and the load on the hand 101 itself decreases. However, when the angle is close to 0 °, the first support portion 21 and the first tip support portion 23 can support the base end portion and the vicinity of the center of the tip portion of the substrate W, respectively. When 2 is disposed, the possibility that the first support portion 2 is in contact with the vicinity of the center of the substrate W is increased. Further, if the first support portion 2 is arranged outside so that the first support portion 2 does not come into contact with the vicinity of the center of the substrate W, the deflection of the center portion of the substrate W becomes large. The middle of about 45 ° is desirable because the balance between the area avoiding contact with the substrate W and the amount of material used is good. Further, as will be described later, about 45 ° is desirable from the viewpoint of increasing the efficiency of a mold (see FIG. 5A) for forming the first support portion 2. However, when the shape of the substrate W is a rectangular substrate having a large aspect ratio, the angle is not necessarily about 45 °, and the angle needs to be designed according to the aspect ratio. The length, thickness, and thickness of each portion of the first support portion 2 are not limited, and may be appropriately designed according to the size and weight of the substrate W to be placed and the shape and interval of the slot 201. That's fine.

  The second support part 3 is paired with the first support part 2, and the same material is used, and the second support part 3 has a symmetrical structure with the first support part 2. The second support portion 3 includes a second base end support portion 31, a second side end support portion 32, a second tip support portion 33, and connection portions 34 and 35. Moreover, the 2nd support part 2 is provided with buffer member 31a, 32a, 32b, 32c, 33a. The buffer members 31a, 32a, 32b, 32c, and 33a have the same material and shape as the buffer members 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, and 23a, and are similarly fixed to the support portions.

  The second base end support portion 31 extends in the X direction from the fixed portion 1 and supports the base end portion of the substrate W. A buffer member 31 a is disposed on the upper surface side of the second base end support portion 31. The position where the buffer member 31 a is arranged is designed according to the position of the base end portion of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the hand 101.

  The second side end support portion 32 is located in the positive X direction and the positive Y direction of the second base end support portion 31 and extends in the X direction. The second side end support portion 32 extends the second side end portion of the substrate W. To support. The second side end support portion 32 is provided with three protrusions that protrude outward (side in the positive direction of Y shown in the drawing). Buffer members 32a, 32b, and 32c are disposed on the upper surface side of the protruding portion, respectively. When the substrate W is placed on the hand 101, the position of the second side end support portion 32 is designed so that the buffer members 32a, 32b, and 32c abut on the second side end portion of the substrate W. The second base end support part 31 and the second side end support part 32 are connected by a connection part 34.

  The second tip support portion 33 is located in the extending direction of the second base end support portion 31 and extends in the X direction, and supports the tip portion of the substrate W. A buffer member 33 a is disposed on the upper surface side of the second tip support portion 33. The position where the buffer member 33 a is arranged is designed according to the position of the tip of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the hand 101. The second side end support part 32 and the second tip support part 33 are connected by a connection part 35.

  When viewed as a whole, the second support portion 3 extends in the X direction from the fixed portion 1, and has an intermediate portion protruding in a trapezoidal shape on the second side end portion side of the substrate W. In addition, it is not trapezoidal shape but the shape which protruded in convex shape (namely, the connection parts 34 and 35 are orthogonally crossed with respect to the 2nd base end support part 31, the 2nd side end support part 32, and the 2nd front end support part 33. Shape). However, it is desirable that the connection portions 34 and 35, and the second base end support portion 31, the second side end support portion 32, and the second tip support portion 33 have a trapezoidal shape with an angle of about 45 °. The length, thickness, and thickness of each portion of the first support portion 2 are not limited, and may be appropriately designed according to the size and weight of the substrate W to be placed and the shape and interval of the slot 201. That's fine. The first support part 2 and the second support part 3 are desirably symmetrical structures, but are not limited to symmetrical structures, and may be asymmetric structures.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the hand 101 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the member which becomes the origin of the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3 is formed using the metal mold | die which shows an example in Fig.5 (a). In this embodiment, since the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3 are made into the symmetrical structure, the same member can be used without distinguishing both. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the whole shape of the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3 is made into the shape which the intermediate part protruded in trapezoid shape, as shown to Fig.5 (a), one metal mold | die Thus, when forming a plurality of members, the mold can be made smaller.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the first support portion 2 and the second support portion 3 are formed by providing screw holes for fixing the buffer member to the member formed by the mold, and fixed respectively. Fix to part 1. In the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3, the surface which provides a screw hole becomes reverse.

  And as shown in FIG.5 (c), a buffer member is each fixed to the position of the screw hole provided in the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3 with a screw (refer Fig.4 (a)). . 4A shows a state in which the buffer member 21a is fixed to the first base end support portion 21 of the first support portion 2 with screws.

  Next, a method in which the hand 101 places the substrate W in the slot 201 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6A, the hand 101 on which the substrate W is placed moves in the direction of the arrow (the positive direction of X). At this time, the position of the hand 101 in the vertical direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6, the Z direction) is above the upper surface of the slot 201. The hand 101 moves to the center of the slot 201 (see FIG. 6B).

  Next, the hand 101 moves downward at the position shown in FIG. The shape of the inner periphery of the slot 201 and the shape of the outer periphery of the hand 101 are designed so that even if the hand 101 moves in the vertical direction at this position, it does not come into contact. By the downward movement of the hand 101, the substrate W is placed on the upper surface of the protruding portion on the inner periphery of the slot 201.

  Then, after the position of the hand 101 in the vertical direction moves from the lower surface of the slot 201 to the lower side, the hand 101 moves in the negative X direction (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6C).

  The method in which the hand 101 takes out the substrate W placed in the slot 201 is the reverse of the above procedure. That is, in the state of FIG. 6C, the hand 101 moves in the positive direction of X (the direction opposite to the arrow). At this time, the vertical position of the hand 101 is below the lower surface of the slot 201. After the hand 101 has moved to the position shown in FIG. 6B, it moves upward, so that the substrate W is placed on the upper surface of the hand 101. Then, after the position of the hand 101 in the vertical direction moves from the upper surface of the slot 201 to the upper side, the hand 101 moves in the negative X direction (the direction opposite to the arrow in FIG. 6A).

  Next, the operation and effect of the hand 101 will be described.

  The hand 101 supports the front end portion of the substrate W with a buffer member 23a disposed on the upper surface of the first front end support portion 23 and a buffer member 33a disposed on the upper surface of the second front end support portion 33. The base end portion of the substrate W is supported by the buffer member 21 a disposed on the top surface of the base end support portion 21 and the buffer member 31 a disposed on the top surface of the second base end support portion 31. Further, the hand 101 supports the first side end portion of the substrate W by the buffer members 22 a, 22 b, and 22 c disposed on the upper surface of the first side end support portion 22, and the upper surface of the second side end support portion 32. The buffer member 32a, 32b, 32c arranged supports the second side end of the substrate W. Therefore, the substrate W can be supported so as not to contact the circuit forming portion of the substrate W.

  In addition, the hand 101 supports not only the first side end and the second side end of the substrate W but also the front end and the base end of the substrate W. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the central portion of the substrate W from being greatly bent downward.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the downward deflection of the central portion of the substrate W is suppressed and is only slightly bent. Further, the bending (shown by a broken line in FIG. 2B) due to vibration at the center of the substrate when the hand 101 moves in the vertical direction (for example, vertical movement at the position shown in FIG. 6B) is suppressed. Has been.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the deflection of the substrate W when the hand 101 ′ having the conventional configuration is used, and is for comparison with the hand 101 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7A is a view of the hand 101 ′ as viewed from above, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 7A.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, the hand 101 ′ supports only the first side end and the second side end of the substrate W, and does not support the front end and the base end of the substrate W. . In this case, as shown in FIG. 7B, the central portion of the substrate W is greatly bent downward. Further, the deflection (shown by a broken line in FIG. 7B) due to the vibration of the central portion of the substrate when the hand 101 'moves in the vertical direction is also increased. Due to the deflection of the central portion, the substrate is deformed and damaged, or the support of the substrate becomes unstable. In some cases, the substrate may fall out of the support portion.

  As described above, when the hand 101 is used, the deflection of the central portion of the substrate W can be suppressed more than when the hand 101 'is used. Therefore, the hand 101 can support the substrate W more stably than the conventional hand 101 ′.

  8 is a view for explaining the deflection of the substrate W when the hand 101 ″ having another conventional configuration is used, and is for comparison with the hand 101 according to the present embodiment. (A) is the figure which looked at hand 101 '' from the upper part, FIG.8 (b) is CC sectional view taken on the line in Fig.8 (a).

  As shown in FIG. 8 (a), the hand 101 ″ is provided with three support portions so as to be orthogonal to the outside of the first support portion 2, so that it is also orthogonal to the outside of the second support portion 3. Three support portions are provided, and buffer members 22a, 22b, 22c, 32a, 32b, and 32c are arranged in the vicinity of the front ends of the respective support portions. The base end, the first side end, and the second side end are supported. In this case, the deflection of the central portion of the substrate W is suppressed, but the circuit forming portion of the substrate W contacts the first support portion 2 and the second support portion 3 as shown in FIG. Even when the height of each buffer member is increased so that the circuit forming portion of the substrate W does not come into contact with the first support portion 2 and the second support portion 3 (see FIG. 8C), the hand 101 ″ can be moved in the vertical direction. The circuit forming portion of the substrate W comes into contact with the first support portion 2 and the second support portion 3 due to the deflection caused by the vibration of the central portion of the substrate W when moving to (1) (indicated by a broken line in FIG. 8C). If the height of each buffer member is increased, the center of gravity of the substrate W becomes higher than the hand 101 ″, and the stability of the substrate W is lowered.

  On the other hand, in the case of the hand 101 according to the present embodiment, there is no portion in contact with the substrate W between the first side end support portion 22 and the second side end support portion 32. The problem of contacting the hand 101 does not occur. Therefore, since it is not necessary to increase the height of each buffer member, the position of the center of gravity of the substrate W does not increase. Therefore, the stability of the substrate W can be maintained.

  The configuration of the hand 101 is not limited to that described above. For example, as shown to Fig.9 (a), the fixing | fixed part 1, the 1st support part 2, and the 2nd support part 3 may be formed integrally. In this case, the production process can be simplified. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, a buffer member may be disposed on the fixed portion 1 and the base end portion of the substrate W may be supported by the buffer member. In this case, the fixing portion 1 corresponds to the “base end support portion” of the present invention.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10A, a third support portion 4 and a fourth support portion 5 are provided between the first support portion 2 and the second support portion 3, and the tip side of the third support portion 4 is provided. The buffer member 4 a may be provided on the upper surface, and the buffer member 5 a may be provided on the upper surface on the distal end side of the fourth support portion 5. In this case, the third support portion 4 and the fourth support portion 5 each correspond to a “base end support portion” of the present invention. In addition, the number of the support parts provided between the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3 is not limited to two, It is good also as one and good also as three or more.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, the first side end support portion 22 and the second side end support portion 32 may not be provided with a protruding portion. In this case, the shape of the inner periphery of the slot 201 may be set as shown in the figure, for example.

  Moreover, it is good also as a shape as shown to Fig.11 (a), (b) of the shape of the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3. FIG. The shape of the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3 should just be the thing which can arrange | position the buffer member which each contact | abuts to the front-end | tip part of a board | substrate W, a base end part, a 1st side end part, and a 2nd side end part. .

  In this embodiment, although the case where the hand 101 supports both the front-end | tip part and base end part of the board | substrate W was demonstrated, it is not restricted to this. The hand 101 may support either the front end or the base end of the substrate W. FIG. 12A shows an example in which the distal end portion of the substrate W is supported but the proximal end portion is not supported, and FIG. 12B supports the proximal end portion of the substrate W, but the distal end portion is not supported. It is an example in the case of not supporting. Even in these cases, the hand 101 supports the distal end portion (or the base end portion) of the substrate W in addition to the first side end portion and the second side end portion of the substrate W. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the substrate W can be stably supported. However, in order to suppress the deflection more and support the substrate W more stably, it is desirable to support both the front end portion and the base end portion of the substrate W.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the hand 101 supports the substrate W has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied when the hand 101 supports a workpiece other than the substrate W, for example, a glass plate, an iron plate, a paper plate, or the like.

  In this embodiment, although the case where the board | substrate W was a square was demonstrated, it is not restricted to this. The substrate W may have a shape other than a quadrangle. The hand 101 may be appropriately designed according to the shape of the substrate W to be placed. The hand 101 for supporting the circular substrate W ′ will be described below.

  FIG. 13A is a diagram for explaining a circular substrate W ′. The substrate W ′ is, for example, a silicon wafer. A central portion W1 (a region surrounded by a broken line) of the substrate W ′ is a region where contact with the hand 101 is desired to be avoided. Similarly to the case of the substrate W, the substrate W ′ is supported by the region (W2 to W5) outside the central portion W1. With reference to the direction in which the substrate W ′ is supported by the hand 101 and travels straight (indicated by a thick arrow in the figure, the positive direction of the X axis in the local coordinate system), the region W2 is the tip and the region W3 is The base end portion, the region W4 is a first side end portion, and the region W5 is a second side end portion.

  FIG. 13B is a diagram for explaining the hand 101 that supports the substrate W ′. The hand 101 is obtained by shifting the placement positions of the buffer members 22a, 22c, 32a, and 32c in the hand 101 shown in FIG. The buffer members 22a and 22c are shifted in the positive direction of Y from the case of FIG. 2, and the buffer members 32a and 32c are shifted in the negative direction of Y from the case of FIG. Thereby, the hand 101 can appropriately support the distal end portion, the proximal end portion, the first side end portion, and the second side end portion of the substrate W ′. In addition, you may make it change the shape of the 1st support part 2 and the 2nd support part 3. FIG.

  The transfer robot and the transfer robot hand according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments. The specific configuration of each part of the transfer robot and the transfer robot hand according to the present invention can be varied in design in various ways.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Transfer robot 101 Hand 1 Fixed part 2 1st support part 21 1st base end support part 22 1st side end support part 23 1st front end support part 24,25 Connection part 21a, 22a, 22b, 22c, 23a Buffer member 3 2nd support part 31 2nd base end support part 32 2nd side end support part 33 2nd front end support part 34, 35 Connection part 31a, 32a, 32b, 32c, 33a Buffer member 4 3rd support part 4a Buffer member 5 1st 4 Supporting part 5a Buffer member 102 X direction driving mechanism 102a, 102b Arm 103 Y direction driving mechanism 103a Base panel 103b Y direction driving part 104 Z direction driving mechanism 104a Support body 104b Z axis 105 Guide rail 106 Movement control device 200 Cassette 201 Slot W substrate

Claims (10)

In a transfer robot for transferring a thin plate-like workpiece, a hand for supporting the workpiece,
A fixing portion fixed to the tip of the arm of the transfer robot;
A first support part and a second support part, which extend in the same direction from the fixed part and on which the workpiece is placed;
A buffer member disposed on a surface of the first support portion and the second support portion on the side on which the workpiece is placed and contacting the workpiece;
With
The first support portion includes a first side end support portion positioned below one side end portion of the placed workpiece and a first tip support positioned below the tip portion of the previously placed workpiece. Department, and
The second support portion includes a second side end support portion positioned below the other side end portion of the workpiece placed above, and a second tip support positioned below the tip portion of the workpiece placed above. Department, and
The buffer member includes an inner side of the first end support part and the second tip support part from a side end part of the previously placed workpiece, the first side end support part, and the second side end support part. Arranged in the
Hand characterized by that. It further includes a base end support portion positioned below the base end portion of the workpiece placed above,
The buffer member is further arranged on the inner side of the side end portion of the workpiece placed on the base end support portion.
The hand according to claim 1. Each of the first support part and the second support part includes the base end support part.
The hand according to claim 2. In a transfer robot for transferring a thin plate-like workpiece, a hand for supporting the workpiece,
A fixing portion fixed to the tip of the arm of the transfer robot;
A first support part and a second support part, which extend in the same direction from the fixed part and on which the workpiece is placed;
A buffer member disposed on a surface of the first support portion and the second support portion on the side on which the workpiece is placed and contacting the workpiece;
With
The first support portion includes a first side end support portion positioned at a lower portion of one side end portion of the placed workpiece, and a first base positioned at a lower portion of a base end portion of the previously placed workpiece. An end support, and
The second support portion includes a second side end support portion located below the other side end portion of the workpiece placed above, and a second base located below the base end portion of the workpiece placed above. An end support, and
The buffer member includes an inner side of the side end portion of the workpiece placed on the first base end support portion and the second base end support portion, the first side end support portion, and the second side end support. Part, and
Hand characterized by that. The first support portion further includes a first tip support portion located at a lower portion of the tip portion of the work placed above,
The second support portion further includes a second tip support portion located at a lower portion of the tip portion of the workpiece placed above,
The shock-absorbing member is further disposed on the inner side of the side end portion of the workpiece placed on the first tip support portion and the second tip support portion.
The hand according to claim 4. The fixed part, the first support part and the second support part are integrally formed,
The hand according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The first support part and the second support part extend from the fixed part to the tip end side of the work, and have intermediate shapes protruding in a trapezoidal shape on the side end part side of the work,
The hand according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Each of the first side end support portion and the second side end support portion includes a protruding portion protruding outward,
The buffer members of the first side end support portion and the second side end support portion are disposed on the protrusion.
The hand according to claim 1. The buffer member is made of rubber.
The hand according to claim 1. The hand according to claim 1 is provided.
A transport robot characterized by that.

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