KR20170029293A - Robot arm aligning apparatus and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a robot arm aligning device which aligns a plurality of robot arms which are sequentially arranged in one direction and provided. The robot arm aligning device comprises: a support frame which comprises a first frame, a second frame facing the first frame, and a third frame connecting the first frame to the second frame and provides a space capable of accommodating a plurality of the robot arms; a guide unit which is installed on the third frame; a moving plate which is arranged between the first frame and the second frame and is installed in the guide unit to be able to move along the guide unit; and a screw unit which is joined to the moving plate and adjusts the distance between the first frame and the moving plate by moving the moving plate.

Description

Technical Field [0001] The present invention relates to a robot arm aligning apparatus and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the same,

The present invention relates to a robot arm aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality of robot arms sequentially provided in one direction and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus having the robot arm aligning apparatus.

The robot arm provided in the index robot for transferring the substrate stored in the carrier to the process chamber is composed of a plurality of robots and is configured to transfer a plurality of substrates at the same time to improve the productivity of the semiconductor manufacturing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot arm aligning apparatus used for aligning a plurality of robot arms.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the robot arm aligning apparatus.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a robot arm aligning apparatus for aligning a plurality of robot arms sequentially arranged in one direction, comprising: a first frame; And a third frame connecting the first frame and the second frame, the support frame providing a space in which the plurality of robot arms can be accommodated, A moving plate disposed between the first frame and the second frame and provided to the guide unit so as to be movable along the guide unit; and a moving plate connected to the moving plate, And a screw portion for adjusting a distance between one frame and the moving plate.

In one embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention, one surface of the first frame facing each other and one surface of the moving plate are substantially parallel.

In one embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention, the first frame and the third frame are substantially perpendicular.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the screw portion includes a central shaft accommodated in a through hole formed in the second frame and connected to the moving plate, and a head portion disposed at one end of the central shaft. do.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the guide portion may include an LM guide rail installed on the third frame, and a guide rail provided on the LM guide rail so as to be movable along the LM guide rail, And an LM guide block.

In one embodiment of the technical idea of the present invention, the robot arm alignment apparatus further comprises measurement means configured to indicate a distance between the moving plate and the first frame, And an indicator for moving along the LM guide block.

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an index robot including a plurality of robot arms sequentially arranged in one direction, And a robot arm alignment device for aligning the plurality of robot arms at the same time by exerting an external force in the lateral direction of the plurality of robot arms.

In one embodiment of the technical idea of the present invention, the robot arm aligning apparatus has a first frame capable of contacting with one side of the plurality of robot arms and a second frame opposing the first frame, A support frame provided in the support frame for providing a space in which the robot arms can be accommodated, a guide part provided on the support frame, a guide part provided between the first frame and the second frame, And a screw unit connected to the moving plate and adjusting the distance between the first frame and the moving plate by moving the moving plate.

In one embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention, one surface of the first frame facing each other and one surface of the moving plate are substantially parallel.

In one embodiment of the technical concept of the present invention, the screw portion includes a central shaft accommodated in a through hole formed in the second frame and connected to the moving plate, and a head portion disposed at one end of the central shaft, And the axis is linearly moved in accordance with the rotation of the head part.

The robot arm alignment apparatus according to the technical idea of the present invention applies an external force acting in a lateral direction to a plurality of robot arms arranged in one direction, and the external force can align a plurality of robot arms. Also, since the robot arm aligning device arranges a plurality of robot arms at a time, the process time can be shortened.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a view schematically showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a front view showing a robot arm alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the robot arm alignment apparatus for explaining the operation of the screw portion, and Fig. 4B is a side view of the robot arm alignment apparatus for explaining the operation of the screw portion.
5 is a perspective view showing the guide portion.
Figure 6 is a front view of a portion of a robot arm alignment device for indicating measurement means.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments of the present invention are described in order to more fully explain the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the following embodiments may be modified into various other forms, The present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be more thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the thickness and size of each layer are exaggerated for convenience and clarity of explanation.

It is to be understood that, throughout the specification, when an element is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element, it is to be understood that the said element is directly " It can be interpreted that there may be other components that are in contact or intervening therebetween. On the other hand, when one element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected" to another element, it is interpreted that there are no other elements intervening therebetween. Like numbers refer to like elements. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed items.

Although the terms first, second, etc. are used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or portions, these members, components, regions, layers and / It is obvious that no. These terms are only used to distinguish one member, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first member, component, region, layer or section described below may refer to a second member, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Also, relative terms such as "top" or "above" and "under" or "below" can be used herein to describe the relationship of certain elements to other elements as illustrated in the Figures. Relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in addition to those depicted in the Figures. For example, if one element is turned over in the figures, the elements depicted as being on the upper surface of the other elements will have a direction on the lower surface of the other elements described above. Thus, the example "top" may include both "under" and "top" directions depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Relative descriptions used herein may be interpreted accordingly if the components are oriented in different directions (rotated 90 degrees with respect to the other direction).

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include singular forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, " comprise "and / or" comprising "when used herein should be interpreted as specifying the presence of stated shapes, numbers, steps, operations, elements, elements, and / And does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, operations, elements, elements, and / or groups.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings schematically showing ideal embodiments of the present invention. In the figures, for example, variations in the shape shown may be expected, depending on manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of the regions illustrated herein, but should include, for example, changes in shape resulting from manufacturing. The following embodiments may be constructed by combining one or a plurality of embodiments.

It should be noted that the robot arm alignment apparatus and the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described below may have various configurations, and only the necessary configurations are exemplarily shown here, and the contents of the present invention are not limited thereto.

1 is a plan view schematically illustrating a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1 may include an index unit 10 and a processing unit 20. The index section 10 and the process processing section 20 are arranged in a line. The direction in which the index portion 10 and the processing portion 20 are arranged is referred to as a first direction x and the direction perpendicular to the first direction x is referred to as a second direction y when viewed from above. , And a direction perpendicular to the plane including the first direction (x) and the second direction (y) is defined as a third direction (z).

The index portion 10 is disposed in front of the first direction x of the substrate processing system 1. [ The index portion 10 includes a load port 12 and a transfer frame 14.

In the load port 12, a carrier 11 containing a substrate is seated. A plurality of load ports 12 are provided and are arranged in a line along the second direction y. The number of load ports 12 may increase or decrease depending on the process efficiency and footprint conditions of the substrate processing system 1. [ As the carrier 11, a front opening unified pod (FOUP) may be used. The carrier 11 is formed with a plurality of slots for accommodating the substrates horizontally arranged with respect to the paper surface.

The transfer frame 14 is disposed in the first direction adjacent to the load port 12. [ The transfer frame 14 is disposed between the load port 12 and the buffer section 30 of the processing section 20. The transfer frame 14 includes an index rail 15 and an index robot 17. An index robot (17) is seated on the index rail (15). The index robot 17 transfers the substrate between the buffer unit 30 and the carrier 11. [ The index robot 17 is provided with a robot arm, and the robot arm may be composed of two or more. The index robot 17 linearly moves along the index rail 15 in the second direction or rotates about the third direction z.

The processing section 20 is disposed behind the substrate processing system 1 along the first direction x adjacent to the index section 10. The processing unit 20 includes a buffer unit 30, a moving path 40, a main transfer robot 50, and a process chamber 60. [

The buffer unit 30 is disposed in front of the processing unit 20 along the first direction x. The buffer unit 30 is a place where the substrate is temporarily stored and waited before the substrate is transported between the process chamber 60 and the carrier 11. [ The buffer portion 30 is provided with a slot in which the substrate lies, and a plurality of slots are provided so as to be spaced apart from each other in the third direction z.

The transfer passage 40 is disposed in correspondence with the buffer section 30. [ The moving passage 40 is arranged such that its longitudinal direction is parallel to the first direction x. The transfer passage 40 provides a passage through which the main transfer robot 50 moves. On both sides of the transfer passage 40, the process chambers 60 are disposed facing each other along the first direction x. The main transfer robot 50 moves along the first direction x and the upper and lower layers of the process chamber 60 and the movable rails capable of moving up and down to the upper and lower layers of the buffer unit 30 Respectively.

The main transfer robot 50 is installed in the transfer passage 40 and transfers the substrate between the process chamber 60 and the buffer unit 30 or between the process chambers 60. The main transfer robot 50 linearly moves along the moving path 400 in the second direction y or rotates about the third direction z.

A plurality of process chambers 60 are provided and are disposed on both sides of the travel passage 40 along the second direction y. Some of the process chambers 60 are disposed along the longitudinal direction of the transfer passage 40. In addition, some of the process chambers 60 are stacked together. That is, at one side of the transfer passage 40, the process chambers 60 may be arranged in an array of A X B. Where A is the number of process chambers 60 provided in a row along the first direction x and B is the number of process chambers 60 provided in a row along the second direction y. If four or six process chambers 60 are provided on one side of the transfer passage 40, the process chambers 60 may be arranged in an array of 2 X 2 or 3 X 2. The number of process chambers 60 may increase or decrease. Unlike the above, the process chamber 60 may be provided only on one side of the transfer passage 40. Also, unlike the above, the process chamber 60 can be provided as a single layer on one side and on both sides of the transfer passage 40.

The process chamber 60 provides a space in which the substrate is processed, and the substrate can be subjected to processes such as an etching process, a cleaning process, and a deposition process. Each of the process chambers 60 may have a different structure depending on the process and type to be performed, and, alternatively, each process chamber 60 may have the same structure.

2 is a view schematically showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a front view showing a robot arm alignment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 includes an index robot 200 having a plurality of robot arms 210 that are sequentially arranged in one direction and a plurality of robot arms 210 The robot arm alignment apparatus 100 may include a plurality of robot arm alignment apparatuses 100a and 100b.

The index robot 200 can transport a substrate from a carrier (for example, 11 in Fig. 1) in which a plurality of substrates are housed, and transfer the substrate to a chamber in which the process for the substrate proceeds. The index robot 200 may be the index robot 17 of FIG. 1 (FIG. 1).

The index robot 200 may include a plurality of robot arms 210 for transferring a plurality of substrates at a time. Since the index robot 200 handles a plurality of substrates at one time at the same time, the productivity can be improved. However, if the plurality of robot arms 210 are not aligned, there is a possibility that the robot arm 210 may collide with a slot provided in the carrier, or the substrate may be detached from the robot arm 210 during substrate transfer. Accordingly, the robot arm 210 must be provided in an aligned state before transferring the substrate.

The robot arms 210 provided in a plurality of two or more can be sequentially arranged in the vertical direction. For example, the robot arm 210 may be composed of four as shown in the drawing. At this time, the four robot arms 210 can be simultaneously driven, and the upper two robot arms 210 and the lower two robot arms 210 can be driven together.

The robot arm 210 may include a distal end portion 212 for supporting the substrate during the transfer process and a connection portion 214 extending from the distal end portion 212 at one end thereof. The plurality of robot arms 210 may have the same size and shape, and the connection portion 214 of the plurality of robot arms 210 may have a constant width w.

The robot arm aligning apparatus 100 includes a support frame 110, a moving plate 120, a screw portion 130, and a support portion 140. The robot arm aligning apparatus 100 includes a plurality of robot arms 210 arranged in one direction, And a guide portion 140. As shown in FIG.

The support frame 110 may provide a space in which a plurality of robot arms 210 can be accommodated. The support frame 110 includes a first frame 111 and a second frame 113 arranged to face each other and a first frame 111 and a second frame 113 between the first frame 111 and the second frame 113 And a third frame 115 connecting the first and second frames 113 and 113 to each other. The first frame 111 may be in contact with the side surfaces of the plurality of robot arms 210 and one side 111s of the first frame 111 in contact with the robot arm 210 may be formed in a plane. The third frame 115 may be placed on the uppermost robot arm 210 and one side 115s of the third frame 115 contacting the uppermost robot arm 210 may be configured as a plane .

The guide part 140 may be installed in the third frame 115. The guide unit 140 may include an LM guide rail 141 extending in one direction and an LM guide block 141 coupled to the LM guide rail 141 to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the LM guide rail 141 143).

The moving plate 120 may be disposed between the first frame 111 and the second frame 113 and may be installed on the guide unit 140 so as to be movable along the guide unit 140. Specifically, the moving plate 120 may be engaged with the LM guide block 143 and moved along the movement path provided by the LM guide rail 141 together with the LM guide block 143. Alternatively, the moving plate 120 may be integrally formed with the LM guide block 143 so as to be directly contacted with the LM guide rail 141.

The screw portion 130 may be provided to adjust the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111. The screw portion 130 can move the moving plate 120 by external force. The screw part 130 may apply an external force to the plurality of robot arms 210 positioned between the first frame 111 and the moving plate 120 in the lateral direction to align the plurality of robot arms 210 .

The one surface 111s of the first frame 111 and the one surface 120s of the moving plate 120 that can contact the side surfaces of the plurality of robot arms 210 may have a plane parallel to each other. One side 111s of the first frame 111 and one side 120s of the moving plate 120 may have an area enough to exert an external force in the lateral direction of the plurality of robot arms 210. [ The first frame 111 and the moving plate 120 having one side parallel to each other can simultaneously align a plurality of robot arms 210 sandwiched and aligned therebetween.

Further, the first frame 111 and the third frame 115 may be substantially perpendicular. One side 115s of the third frame 115 may contact the uppermost robot arm 210 while the robot arms 210 are aligned. One side 115s of the third frame 115 is connected to the first frame 111 ). ≪ / RTI >

The screw part 130 may include a head part 131 and a center shaft 133 coupled with the head part 131. [

The head portion 131 may be a portion to which external power is applied, and the head portion 131 may be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise by the external power. The head portion 131 may have a cylindrical shape having a predetermined thickness, and a knurling process may be performed on the outer periphery of the head portion 131.

The center shaft 133 may be configured such that one end of the center shaft 133 is coupled to the head portion 131 and is integrally formed with the head portion 131 and rotated together with the rotation of the head portion 131. [ The other end of the center shaft 133 opposite to the one end may be connected to the moving plate 120, and may be coupled via, for example, a bearing.

Fig. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the robot arm alignment device for explaining the operation of the screw portion, and Fig. 4B is a side view of the robot arm alignment device for explaining the operation of the screw portion.

Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B together with FIGS. 2 and 3, the central shaft 133 is received movably in the through hole 113H formed in the third frame 115, (135) may be configured to engage a thread formed in the through hole (113H).

The center shaft 133 is rotated according to the rotation of the head part 131 and the thread 135 formed on the center shaft 133 is engaged with the thread formed on the through hole 113H, can do. The moving plate 120 coupled to the other end of the center shaft 133 by the linear movement of the center shaft 133 can also perform linear motion. For example, the center shaft 133 can move the moving plate 120 in the direction adjacent to the first frame 111 by the clockwise rotation of the head part 131, The center shaft 133 can move the moving plate 120 in a direction away from the first frame 111 by the counterclockwise rotation.

A method of aligning the plurality of robot arms 210 using the screw unit 130 according to an embodiment is as follows.

The first frame 111 and the moving plate 120 surround the side surfaces of the plurality of robot arms 210 and the second frame 113 is disposed at the uppermost stage So as to be in contact with the robot arm 210. At this time, the fixing bolts fixing the plurality of robot arms 210 are loosened.

The distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111 is reduced by rotating the head portion 131 in one direction using external power. The head 131 is further rotated in one direction in a state in which the side surfaces of the plurality of robot arms 210 are in contact with the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111 so that the lateral forces of the robot arms 210 . The external force simultaneously aligns the robot arms 210 sandwiched between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111. The robot arm alignment apparatus 100 according to the present invention can align two or more robot arms 210 at the same time, thereby saving time required for the alignment operation.

The central axis 133 can be connected to the central portion of the moving plate 120 so that the external force applied to the plurality of robot arms 210 is not concentrated on the upper side or the lower side, And can be prevented from being deformed by the pressure concentrated on the lower side.

5 is a perspective view showing the guide portion.

Referring to FIG. 5 together with FIG. 3, the guide unit 140 may include an LM guide rail 141 and an LM guide block 143. The LM guide rail 141 provides a path through which the moving plate 120 can move and the LM guide block 143 can be provided to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the LM guide rail 141.

The LM guide rail 141 may be formed such that the mounting hole 145 penetrates vertically through one surface and the other surface. The mounting hole 145 can receive a coupling member such as a bolt and the coupling member received in the mounting hole 145 can fix the LM guide rail 141 to the third frame 115.

The LM guide block 143 may be coupled to the LM guide rail 141 so as to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the LM guide rail 141. Further, the LM guide block 143 may be coupled to the moving plate 120, and the LM guide block 143 and the moving plate 120 may be moved together.

Although not shown in the drawing, a rolling member may be formed on the contact surface between the LM guide rail 141 and the LM guide block 143. The rolling member may be provided in the form of a ball, for example, and the LM guide block 143 may form a rolling contact with the LM guide rail 141 via the rolling member. The rolling member can reduce frictional force by allowing the LM guide rail 141 and the LM guide block 143 to come into rolling contact with each other.

The guide portion 140 can prevent the robot arm alignment device 100 from being deformed by allowing the movement plate 120 to smoothly move linearly.

The guide portion 140 may include a plurality of LM guide rails 141 and an LM guide block 143. At this time, the plurality of LM guide rails 141 may extend substantially in parallel.

Figure 6 is a front view of a portion of a robot arm alignment device for indicating measurement means.

Referring to FIG. 6, the measuring means 150 may include a scale unit 151 and an instruction unit 153. The measuring means 150 may be provided to measure the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111.

The scale part 151 may be provided on one side of the third frame 115. Each scale provided in the scale unit 151 may indicate the distance between the scale units from the first frame 111. [

The instruction unit 153 may be provided in the LM guide block 143 or the moving plate 120 and moves together with the LM guide block 143 or the moving plate 120. The numerical value indicated by the indicator 153 may indicate the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111.

The user can measure the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111 by reading the scale indicated by the instruction unit 153 and the moving plate 120 can be moved by a distance corresponding to the width of the robot arm 210 It can be determined whether or not the first frame 111 is close to the first frame 111.

That is, the scale of the measuring means 150 is checked to confirm whether or not the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111 corresponds to the width of the robot arm 210. If the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111 corresponds to the width of the robot arm 210, the alignment operation is terminated and the fixing bolts are tightened so that the plurality of robot arms 210 can maintain alignment do. On the other hand, if the distance between the moving plate 120 and the first frame 111 does not correspond to the width of the robot arm 210, the head portion 131 is further rotated to rearrange the robot arms 210.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. .

Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are intended to illustrate rather than limit the technical spirit of the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of the present invention should be construed according to the following claims, and all technical ideas which are within the scope of the same should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

1: substrate processing system 2: semiconductor manufacturing apparatus
100: robot arm alignment device 110: support frame
120: moving plate 130: screw part
140: guide part 150: measuring means
200: index robot 210: robot arm

Claims (10)

A robot arm alignment apparatus for aligning a plurality of robot arms sequentially provided in one direction, comprising:
Wherein the robot arm alignment apparatus comprises:
A first frame, a second frame opposing the first frame, and a third frame connecting the first frame and the second frame, the support frame providing a space in which the plurality of robotic arms can be accommodated, frame;
A guide unit installed on the third frame;
A moving plate disposed between the first frame and the second frame, the moving plate being installed on the guide unit to be movable along the guide unit; And
And a screw portion connected to the moving plate and moving the moving plate to adjust a distance between the first frame and the moving plate. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein one surface of the first frame facing each other and one surface of the moving plate are substantially parallel. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the first frame and the third frame are substantially perpendicular to each other. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the screw portion includes a central shaft accommodated in the through-hole formed in the second frame and connected to the moving plate, and a head portion disposed at one end of the central shaft. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the guide portion includes an LM guide rail mounted on the third frame and an LM guide block mounted on the LM guide rail and connected to the moving plate so as to be movable along the LM guide rail. Alignment device. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the robot arm alignment device further comprises measuring means configured to indicate a distance between the moving plate and the first frame,
Wherein the measuring means includes a scale part provided on one side of the third frame and an instruction part moving along the LM guide block. An index robot including a plurality of robot arms sequentially provided in one direction; And
And a robot arm alignment device arranged to surround both sides of the plurality of robot arms and applying an external force in the lateral direction of the plurality of robot arms to align the plurality of robot arms at the same time, . 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the robot arm alignment apparatus comprises:
A support frame having a first frame capable of being contacted with one side of the plurality of robot arms and a second frame opposing the first frame, the support frame providing a space in which the plurality of robot arms can be accommodated;
A guide part installed on the support frame;
A moving plate disposed between the first frame and the second frame, the moving plate being installed on the guide unit so as to be movable along the guide unit;
And a screw portion connected to the moving plate and moving the moving plate to adjust a distance between the first frame and the moving plate. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein one surface of the first frame facing each other and one surface of the moving plate are substantially parallel. 9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the screw portion includes a central shaft that is received in the through hole formed in the second frame and is connected to the moving plate, and a head portion disposed at one end of the central shaft,
Wherein the center axis linearly moves in accordance with the rotation of the head portion.

Images