JPH06338557A - Component detecting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a component detecting mechanism which is able to surely and precisely detect that a component is present or not even if a robot arm faces in any direction or even if a component supported by the robot arm is warped and to enable a robot arm to dispense with a useless motion that it faces in a predetermined direction so as to be lessened in transfer time. CONSTITUTION:A reflection-type component detecting sensor 7 is provided at a detection position 3 on the upper wall of a robot chamber 1 located above the rotation center O of a robot arm 4, and a mis-detection preventing hole 6 is provided to the rotation center O of a robot arm 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for rotating a transfer robot about a rotation axis and transferring a component supported by a robot arm rotated about the same rotation center in a desired direction. The present invention relates to a component detection mechanism capable of detecting the presence / absence of a component in any direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 is an explanatory cross-sectional plan view showing the structure of an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using a parts conveying apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGS. An explanatory cross-sectional plan view showing the configuration of an example of a conventional mechanism provided in a robot room and a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line aa for explaining its action, and FIGS. 4A and 4B are respectively detected by the conventional mechanism. It is an explanatory cross-sectional plan view and an explanatory vertical cross-sectional view showing two examples in the case where it is not possible. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 is a robot chamber in which a vacuum atmosphere is provided, and 4 is a rotation axis (not shown) of a transfer robot.
A robot arm which is rotated about the same and is rotated about the same rotation center O, 2 is an object to be processed, 8A, 8
B and 8C are processing chambers adjacent to a plurality of chamber walls of the robot room 1, respectively.
It is transported between A, 8B, and 8C. 9A, 9B, 9C
Is a load lock valve.

For example, an example of a conventional mechanism will be described for the case where the glass substrate 2 is transported between the robot chamber 1 and the preliminary / cooling chamber 8A, the heating chamber 8B and the film forming chamber 8C. In the conventional mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 3 (A) and 3 (B) in the apparatus of FIG. 2, the robot arm 4 deviates from the rotation center O of the robot arm 4 and the robot arm 4 faces the film forming chamber 8C. At the detection position 3 on the upper wall of the robot room 1 that is set during the operation, a reflective component detection sensor 7 that projects light onto the glass substrate 2 and receives the reflected light to detect the glass substrate 2 is installed. There is.

In the above structure, when the robot arm 4 is oriented toward the film forming chamber 8C as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A, the load lock valve 9A is opened to move the robot arm 4 to the position shown in FIG. 2, the film deposition chamber 8C shown in FIG. 3 (A) is directed toward the preliminary / cooling chamber 8A, and is inserted into the preliminary / cooling chamber 8A.
It is placed on the robot arm 4 in cooperation with the vertical movement of the pin in A, transported to the robot chamber 1, and loaded into the load lock valve 9A.
Close.

Next, the orientation of the robot arm 4 is shown in FIGS.
It is rotated to the position shown in (A), and the presence / absence of the glass substrate 2 is detected by the reflective component detection sensor 7 using the signal indicating the end of robot operation as a timing signal. When the glass substrate 2 is detected, the load lock valve 9B is opened, the robot arm 4 is rotated by 180 ° in the direction of the heating chamber 8B to convey the glass substrate 2 into the heating chamber 8B, and the pins in the chamber 8B are moved up and down. The robot arm 4 is returned to the robot chamber 1, and the valve 9B is closed to heat the glass substrate 2 in the heating chamber 8B. After heating the glass substrate 2, the glass substrate 2 is returned to the inside of the robot chamber 1, rotated by 180 ° to detect the glass substrate 2, and then conveyed into the film forming chamber 8C to form a film on the surface of the glass substrate 2.

[0006]

In the conventional example as described above, the robot arm 4 faces in a predetermined direction (direction of the film forming chamber 8C) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3A. Since the reflective component detection sensor 7 can detect only the glass substrate 2 supported by the robot arm 4 while the robot is in the home position (at the home position), the presence or absence of the glass substrate 2 can be detected. ) As shown in FIG.
When the robot arm 4 is supported in a direction other than the predetermined direction such as when the robot arm 4 supporting the robot is returned from the spare / cooling chamber 8A into the robot chamber 1, the incident light 5A from the reflective component detection sensor 7 Is reflected by the robot arm 4 and the reflected light 5B is input to the sensor 7. Therefore, even if the glass substrate 2 is not present, it is detected that there is a glass substrate, and the presence or absence of the glass substrate 2 can be accurately and reliably detected. Cannot be detected.

Further, since the glass substrate 2 is heated in the heating chamber 8B or the film forming chamber 8C and then conveyed, the heat is applied to the glass substrate 2 as shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), there is a problem in that the reflected light 5B is not input to the reflective component detection sensor 7 and the presence or absence of the glass substrate 2 cannot be accurately and reliably detected in this case as well. is there. Furthermore, since it is necessary to detect the presence or absence of the glass substrate 2 after the robot arm 4 is oriented in a predetermined direction, it is necessary to perform an operation of orienting the robot arm 4 in a certain direction, which increases the transfer time. There is also.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the mechanism of the present invention installs the reflection type component detection sensor 7 above the rotation center O of the robot arm 4 of the transfer robot, and the robot arm 4 The erroneous detection preventing hole 6 is provided at the center of rotation of the.

[0009]

With such a structure, whether or not the robot arm 4 is facing in any direction and the component 2 supported by the robot arm 4 is warped, the presence or absence of the component 2 can be accurately confirmed. Not only can it be detected, but also the movement of the robot arm 4 in a predetermined direction is not required, and the transfer time can be shortened accordingly.

[0010]

1 (A) and 1 (B) are a cross-sectional plan view for explaining the structure and operation of an embodiment of the mechanism of the present invention and a vertical sectional view taken along the line aa for explanation, respectively. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has already been described in the related art, and therefore its description is omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a transfer robot provided in the robot chamber 1 is rotated about a rotation axis (not shown), and the robot arm 4 is rotated about the same rotation center O.
A device for carrying and processing the glass substrate 2 supported by the robot chamber 1 between the robot chamber 1 and the preliminary / cooling chamber 8A, the heating chamber 8B and the film forming chamber 8C which are respectively adjacent to the plurality of chamber walls of the robot chamber 1. In FIG. 1, the reflective component detection sensor 7 is installed at the detection position 3 on the upper wall of the robot chamber 1 located above the rotation center O of the robot arm 4, and at the rotation center of the robot arm 4, The detection preventing hole 6 is provided.

In this embodiment, as described above, the reflection type component detection sensor 7 is installed at the detection position 3 on the upper wall of the robot chamber 1 located above the rotation center O of the robot arm 4 to rotate the robot arm 4. Since the erroneous detection preventing hole 6 is provided in the central portion, even if the robot arm 4 faces the film forming chamber 8C as shown in FIGS. 1 (A) and 2, other spare / cooling chambers 8A and the heating chamber 8B, or even if the glass substrate 2 is warped as shown in FIG.
The glass substrate 2 on the robot arm 4 reflects the incident light 5A from the reflection type component detection sensor 7 and the reflected light 5B always enters the sensor 7, so that the glass substrate 2 can be detected. , Incident light 5 if there is no glass substrate 2
Since A passes through the false detection preventing hole 6 and there is no reflected light 5B input to the sensor 7, there is no risk of false detection.

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention, the reflective component detection sensor 7 is installed above the rotation center O of the robot arm 4 of the transfer robot, and the rotation center portion of the robot arm 4 is erroneously installed. Since the detection prevention hole 6 is provided, whether or not the robot arm 4 is facing in any direction or the component 2 supported by the robot arm 4 is warped, the presence or absence of the component 2 can be accurately and reliably ensured. Not only can it be detected, but it is not necessary to move the robot arm 4 in a predetermined direction, and the transfer time can be shortened accordingly.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are respectively a cross-sectional plan view for explaining the structure and operation of an embodiment of the mechanism of the present invention and its explanation a.
It is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line a.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory horizontal cross-sectional plan view showing the configuration of an example of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using the component transfer apparatus according to the present invention.

3 (A) and 3 (B) are respectively explanatory cross-sectional plan views showing the configuration of an example of a conventional mechanism provided in the robot chamber of the apparatus of FIG. It is a side view.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are an explanatory cross-sectional plan view and an explanatory vertical cross-sectional view showing two examples in the case where detection cannot be performed by a conventional mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Robot room 2 Parts (object to be processed, glass substrate) 3 Detection position 4 Robot arm 5A Incident light 5B Reflected light 6 False detection prevention hole 7 Reflective part detection sensor 8A Processing room (spare / cooling room) 8B Processing room ( Heating chamber) 8C processing chamber (deposition chamber)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A robot arm (4) which rotates a transfer robot about a rotation axis and is rotated about the same rotation center O.
In a device for transporting a component (2) supported by a target in a desired direction, a reflective component detection sensor (7) is installed above a rotation center O of a robot arm (4) of a transport robot. Then, a component detection mechanism in which an erroneous detection preventing hole (6) is provided at the center of rotation of the robot arm (4). 2. A component (2) to be transferred is between a robot chamber (1) and processing chambers (8A, 8B ...) Adjacent to a plurality of chamber walls of the robot chamber (1). The component detection mechanism according to claim 1, which is an object to be processed that is conveyed.