JP3781071B2 - Vacuum robot - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vacuum robot used in a vacuum environment in a semiconductor manufacturing process or the like, and more particularly to improvement of a bearing portion of a drive motor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the semiconductor manufacturing process, processes such as etching and sputtering are performed on the wafer in a vacuum. A so-called vacuum robot as a transfer mechanism is used for transferring a single wafer in such a vacuum. A vacuum robot generally has a structure in which a body having a built-in drive motor is fixed to a vacuum chamber, and an arm portion connected by an indirect portion is operated in a vacuum by driving the drive motor.
[0003]
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a bearing portion of a drive motor in a conventional vacuum robot. A flange 5 is attached to the attachment hole 3 formed in the vacuum chamber 1 from the inside of the vacuum chamber 1. Sealing means 7 is provided between the flange 5 and the vacuum chamber 1, and the sealing means 7 hermetically seals between the flange 5 and the vacuum chamber 1. A first arm 9 is rotatably supported on the inner surface side of the flange 5 in the vacuum chamber 1. A second arm 13 is further rotatably supported at the tip of the first arm 9 via an indirect portion 11.
[0004]
A main body 15 is attached to the outer surface side of the flange 5 exposed from the attachment hole 3. The main body 15 includes a base portion 17 hermetically sealed to the flange 5, a drive motor 19 provided on the base portion 17, and a vacuum case that is connected to the base portion 17 and seals the drive motor 19. 21. In the main body 15, for example, a drive shaft 23 for pivotally driving the second arm 13 passes through the flange 5 and the base portion 17 and projects so as to be rotatable. The drive motor 19 includes a stator 25, a rotor 27, a bearing 29, and a rotor frame 31. The stator 25 is fixed to the base portion 17 via a bracket 33. The rotor frame 31 is fixed to the bracket 33. A rotor 27 is fixed to the drive shaft 23 so as to face the stator 25, and the rotor 27 is supported on the rotor frame 31 via a bearing 29.
[0005]
In the vacuum robot configured as described above, when driving power is applied to the coil of the stator 25, the rotor 27 supported by the bearing 29 is rotated, and the rotation of the rotor 27 causes the vacuum chamber 1 to pass through the driving shaft 23. The inner second arm 13 is operated.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the above-described vacuum robot, the drive motor 19 is driven in the vacuum in the vacuum case 21. Generally, the friction coefficient of a sliding part such as a bearing part in a vacuum is increased as compared with that in the atmosphere. For this reason, the bearing 29 is reduced in the generation of frictional heat by using vacuum resistant vacuum grease.
However, in the conventional vacuum robot described above, the bearing 29 that supports the rotor 27 is covered with the rotor frame 31, so that the vacuum grease can be supplied to the bearing 29 while the vacuum robot is attached to the vacuum chamber 1. First, when the vacuum grease is deteriorated and drowned, the vacuum robot is removed from the vacuum chamber 1, the vacuum robot is disassembled, and an overhaul such as replenishment of the vacuum grease to the bearing 29 or replacement with a new bearing 29 is performed. There is a problem that the period of grease breakage becomes an overhaul period.
The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum robot capable of replenishing grease without removing and disassembling the vacuum robot, and to extend the overhaul period.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the vacuum robot according to the present invention comprises an arm that operates in a vacuum chamber, a main body provided outside the vacuum chamber, and projects through the vacuum chamber into the main body. A drive shaft for driving the arm in the vacuum chamber by movement, a rotor fixed to the tip of the drive shaft protruding into the main body, a rotor frame fixed in the main body, and the rotor on the rotor frame. In a vacuum robot having a bearing that is rotatably supported and a vacuum case that hermetically seals the inside of the main body with the outside on the atmosphere side, a hole penetrating in the radial direction is formed in the bearing, and the hole is formed in the hole. A matching grease injection hole is formed in the rotor frame, a grease injection work hole corresponding to the grease injection hole is formed in the vacuum case, and a lid for hermetically sealing the grease injection work hole is the true seal. In which detachably provided in the case.
[0008]
In the vacuum robot configured as described above, the grease injection hole formed in the rotor frame is exposed by removing the lid, and the vacuum grease is injected into the grease injection hole from the grease injection work hole using a syringe or the like. The vacuum grease can be supplied to the bearing while the robot is attached to the vacuum chamber.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of a vacuum robot according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing a bearing portion of a drive motor of a vacuum robot according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion A in FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the member same as the member shown in FIG.
A flange 5 is attached to the attachment hole 3 formed in the vacuum chamber 1 from the inside of the vacuum chamber 1. Sealing means 7 is provided between the flange 5 and the vacuum chamber 1, and the sealing means 7 hermetically seals between the flange 5 and the vacuum chamber 1. A first arm 9 is rotatably supported on the inner surface side of the flange 5 in the vacuum chamber 1. A second arm 13 is further rotatably supported at the tip of the first arm 9 via an indirect portion 11.
[0010]
A main body 41 is attached to the outer surface side of the flange 5 exposed from the attachment hole 3. The main body 41 includes a base 17 that is hermetically sealed to the flange 5, a drive motor 43 provided on the base 17, and a vacuum case that is connected to the base 17 and seals the drive motor 43. 45. In the main body 41, for example, a drive shaft 23 for rotating the second arm 13 passes through the flange 5 and the base portion 17 and protrudes freely. The drive motor 43 includes a stator 25, a rotor 27, a bearing (for example, a cross roller bearing) 47, and a rotor frame 49. The stator 25 is fixed to the base portion 17 via a bracket 33. A rotor frame 49 is fixed to the bracket 33. A rotor 27 is fixed to the drive shaft 23 so as to face the stator 25, and the rotor 27 is supported by a rotor frame 49 via a bearing 47.
[0011]
The bearing 47 includes an inner ring (inner race) 47a and an outer ring (outer race) 47b that comes into contact with the inner ring 47a via a roller (not shown). The bearing 47 supports the load of the rotor 27 on the rotor frame 49 by rolling contact with rollers by fixing the rotor 27 to the inner ring 47 a and fixing the outer ring 47 b to the rotor frame 49.
[0012]
A hole 51 penetrating the outer ring 47b in the radial direction is formed in the outer ring 47b of the bearing 47, and the hole 51 communicates the outer periphery of the outer ring 47b with the inner ring 47a and the outer ring 47b. The rotor frame 49 is provided with a grease injection hole 53 that penetrates the rotor frame 49 in the radial direction, and the grease injection hole 53 is disposed so as to coincide with the hole 51 of the outer ring 47b. Therefore, the inner ring 47a and the outer ring 47b that have not conventionally opened to the outside of the rotor frame 49 are opened to communicate with the outside of the rotor frame 49 through the hole 51 and the grease injection hole 53. ing. Further, a grease injection work hole 55 is formed in a portion of the vacuum case 45 corresponding to the grease injection hole 53. A lid 57 that hermetically seals the grease injection work hole 55 is detachably screwed into the grease injection work hole 55 by, for example, a bolt 59.
[0013]
To assemble the drive motor 43, the hole 47 and the grease injection hole 53 are visually aligned to position the bearing 47, and then a pointed jig is inserted from the grease injection hole 53, and the bearing is inserted at the tip of the jig. The 47 holes 51 are aligned, and the rotor frame 49 is screwed to the bracket 33 with bolts 61 to complete the assembly.
[0014]
According to the vacuum robot configured as described above, the vacuum robot is removed from the vacuum chamber 1 by removing the lid 57 and injecting the vacuum grease into the grease injection hole 53 from the grease injection operation hole 55 using a syringe or the like. The vacuum grease can be easily replenished to the bearing 47 while being attached to the vacuum chamber 1. As a result, by periodically supplying the vacuum grease, it is possible to greatly extend the overhaul period in which the vacuum robot had to be disassembled to replenish the vacuum grease.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the vacuum robot of the present invention, the bearing is formed with a hole penetrating in the radial direction, the grease injection hole corresponding to the hole is formed in the rotor frame, and the grease injection hole is formed. The grease injection work hole corresponding to is formed in the vacuum case, and the lid that hermetically seals the grease injection work hole is detachably attached to the vacuum case, so the lid is removed and vacuum is applied from the grease injection work hole using a syringe or the like. By injecting the grease into the grease injection hole, the vacuum grease can be easily supplied to the bearing without removing the vacuum robot from the vacuum chamber. As a result, the overhaul period can be greatly extended, and the reliability can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a bearing portion of a drive motor of a vacuum robot according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part A in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a bearing portion of a drive motor in a conventional vacuum robot.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum chamber 9 1st arm 13 2nd arm 23 Drive shaft 27 Rotor 41 Main body 45 Vacuum case 47 Bearing 49 Rotor frame 51 Hole 53 Grease injection hole 55 Grease injection work hole 57 Cover

Claims (1)

An arm that operates in a vacuum chamber; a main body provided outside the vacuum chamber; a drive shaft that passes through the vacuum chamber and protrudes into the main body and drives the arm in the vacuum chamber by rotation; and the main body A rotor fixed to the tip of the drive shaft protruding inward, a rotor frame fixed in the main body, a bearing for rotatably supporting the rotor on the rotor frame, and the interior of the main body on the atmosphere side In a vacuum robot equipped with a vacuum case that hermetically seals with an outside,
A hole penetrating the bearing in the radial direction is drilled, a grease injection hole corresponding to the hole is drilled in the rotor frame, and a grease injection work hole corresponding to the grease injection hole is formed in the vacuum case, A vacuum robot, wherein a lid for hermetically sealing the grease injection work hole is detachably provided on the vacuum case.

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