TW571378B - Slot detector of cassette for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

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

Description

571378 V. Description of the invention (1) β [Explanation of the invention] [Technical field to which the invention belongs]-The present invention relates to a slot detection device for a substrate cassette, which is used to detect a semiconductor wafer and a liquid crystal display (LCD). , Plasma display panel (PDP), FED and other flat panel display (FPD) glass substrate substrate slot for slot. [Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As shown in FIG. 8, the structure of the horizontal-type substrate cassette is such that a large number of slots 1 0 1 for accommodating the substrate 200 are arranged inside the substrate card E 100 in the vertical direction. . φ However, 'Even if it is a board card H100 for housing the same-size board 2000', the specifications of each cassette manufacturer are different, and the shape of the notch and the distance between the notches also depend on each manufacturer. Each of them is different, and even if the substrate cassette 100 manufactured by the same manufacturer has a gap between its notches within an error range. Therefore, in the past, when the substrate 200 was transferred into or out of the substrate cassette 100 by the substrate transfer robot, the substrate transfer robot had to be taught every time the substrate cassette was changed. '' The present invention was developed in view of the conventional problems mentioned above, and its purpose is to detect the slot of the substrate cassette so that the substrate cassette can be replaced without the need for complicated teaching of the substrate transfer robot. . [Means for solving the problem] The slot detection device of the substrate cassette according to the present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a device capable of advancing forward and backward toward the inside and outside of the substrate card holder, and can smoothly follow the substrate card inside / outside.

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Most sensors that move in the alignment direction of the notches can be moved in the above-mentioned notch alignment direction within the cassette for the substrate according to the above-mentioned induction; 4Lu? To detect the position of each slot in the substrate cassette. The structure of the above-mentioned sensor includes: a slot position detecting sensor for detecting a repeated concave-convex shape formed by the above-mentioned plurality of slots; a cassette starting point confirmation sensor for detecting a wall surface of the above-mentioned substrate cassette In addition, the presence or absence of the wall surface at the starting point side in the above-mentioned slot arrangement direction and the box end confirmation sensor are used to detect the wall surface of the substrate card ^, that is, in the above-mentioned slot arrangement direction. The presence or absence of the wall surface on the end side. / 、 The sensor for detecting the slot position, the sensor for detecting the start point of the cassette, and the sensor for detecting the end point of the card are provided on the front cock part of the arm for detecting the two-arm type substrate carrier. The detection arm has a tombboard sensor, and the substrate sensor is used to detect whether a substrate is contained in the substrate cassette. The notch position detection sensor, the cassette start point confirmation sensor, and the card E end point confirmation sensor are provided at a front end portion of a transfer arm portion of a single-arm substrate transfer robot. The transfer arm has a substrate sensor, and the substrate sensor is used to detect whether a substrate is contained in the substrate cassette. [Implementation Mode of the Invention] The embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dual-arm substrate transfer robot according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an operation explanatory diagram of a notch position detection sensor.

Page 7 571378 V. Description of the invention (3) '" " Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram of the cassette start point confirmation sensor and the cassette end point confirmation sensor, and Figure 4 is an operation illustration of the slot detection device Fig. 5 is a slot inspection of a single-arm substrate transfer robot according to the second embodiment of the present invention: an operation diagram of the device, and Fig. 6 is a notch position detection sensor, a w-box starting point confirmation sensor, and a card. A diagram showing the state of the end-of-box detection sensor installed on the hand. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of various conveying methods, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a substrate cassette. In FIGS. 1 to 4, the configuration of the dual-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 of the i-th embodiment is a horizontal multi-joint type dual-arm type substrate transfer robot that is known for employment. Part (transport arm part) _ 2 One of the transport arm part 2 is replaced with a detection arm part. The detection arm portion 2 includes a second arm 21 and a first arm 2 2 'which are the same as the second arm 3 i and the first J32 of the transport arm portion 3 and can perform the same operation. A sensor holder 23 corresponding to the hand 33 of the transfer arm 3 and capable of performing the same operation as the hand 33 is connected to the butt end. The second arm 31 of the transport arm portion 3 and the second arm 21 of the detection arm portion 2 are mounted on a common machine 5 that can be used to move the main body 邛 4 of the robot 丨 in the direction of the vertical axis). An encoder 6 for detecting the height position of the machine 5 is provided inside the main body 44. The front end of the sensor holding section 23 is provided with a notch position detection call: 3 responder 51, and a click start point. Confirmation sensor 52 and Cali end point confirmation sensor-5 The base of the sensor holding portion 23 is provided to prevent interference with the substrate 200 held by the hand 33 of the transfer arm portion 3 -U-shaped member 24. A substrate sensor is provided on the υ-shaped member 24,

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The notch position detection sensor 51 is composed of, for example, a light-reflective sensor formed by a light-emitting element and a forest element, and is as shown in FIG. 2 to first: used for detecting a substrate card E100 (refer to Section 1) (Figure 8): 1.01 repeats the concave-convex shape to detect the vertical direction of each slot 101. The cardmaker's starting point confirmation sensor 52 is composed of, for example, a light-emitting element and a light-reflective sensor formed. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, when the detection arm 2 is lowered within the substrate card 100, the detection arm is cleaned by the presence of the end wall surface 102 below the substrate cassette 100. The lower limit of the portion 2 within the substrate card ^. 、 No, the detection end detection sensor 53 for card detection is composed of, for example, a light-emitting element and a light-reflective sensor formed there. The upper position of the cassette 100 also allows the presence of the upper end wall surface 103 of the substrate cassette 100 to be detected to detect the upper limit position of the arm portion 2 in the substrate cassette. "No" " for tolerance detection. Next, an example of the operation of the robot 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Moreover, this operation is performed by the load side card (Ka Kuang) 10. Erzha; =: the substrate Ka Kun) 100b operation. # 至 Unloading side card E (The empty board transfer robot 1 is stacked on the front measurement arm 2 of the real card E100A, and the board 5 is inspected by the board sensor 54 while the machine 5 is placed upward. Real card Ε1〇〇Α = =? 200 (see Figure 4). Does it have a substrate?

Page 9 571378 V. Description of the invention (5) The presence or absence of the detection of the substrate in the real cassette on the right shows that there is a substrate 200 in the real cassette 100A, and the substrate transfer robot: 2 is stacked and moves to the empty state. The front of the card E1_ is checked, and the stage 5 is moved up and down, and the board sensor 54 is used to determine whether there is a board 200 in the work card H100B. Because if the position detection operation is performed before the detection of the presence or absence of the internal substrate of the ten-card empty card, the substrate 200 is included in the empty card. The two substrates 200 and the detection arm 2 are mutually connected. In the case of interference, the presence or absence of the detection operation of the substrate in the cassette can avoid such an undesirable situation, and can perform the mouth position detection operation well. : When the above-mentioned empty card & inner substrate presence detection operation detects that there is no substrate 200 in the empty cassette 100B, the substrate transfer robot 丨 will rotate half of the δ arm 2 (corresponding to the solid line state shown in Figure 3) 2. Make the machine 5 continue to descend until the start of the cassette confirmation sensor 52 $ detects the bottom wall surface 1002 of the empty card g100B (corresponding to the state of the 3rd = no-dot point line). Next, the machine 5 is raised, and the unevenness 2 of the plurality of notches 101 is continuously detected by the sensor 51 for detecting the position of the opening 2 (see FIG. 4 (B)). When the upper end wall surface of the mB is detected by the cassette end confirmation sensor 53, the ascent of the machine 5 is stopped (corresponding to the state of the two-point chain line shown in FIG. 3). e! ΛΑ 上 ^ 述 # In the slot position detection operation, the position of the slot position detection sensor 5 ^ is a single definition based on the height position of the machine 5. Since the height position of the machine 5 is It is detected by the internal code of the main body part 4 as 6, and the household weight can be determined by the height position of the notch position detection sensor 51.

Page 10 571378 V. Description of the invention (6) It is detected by the encoder 6. In addition, the exposed output corresponds to most of the notches 10 = heavy; two sets of f-measurement sensors 51 will (for example, the concave part is at a high level, and the convex neighbor = the wide-shaped pulse train signal Λ m, and one convex P Is a low-level pulse train signal). Therefore, it is possible to make the position of the slot position detection sensor ^ 1 measured by the encoder 6 measured by the encoder 6 σ y y 丨 j and the position of the slot position detection method from Fang Can at the same time. The pulse train signals of the induction gain 5 1 correspond to each other and the height position of each slot 1 01 can be detected (in other words, the number of segments of the slot). The 'cabb JJ' and each slot 101 of the empty cassette 100B are stored in the memory device of the robot body 4 as the slot data of the empty cassette 100B, and can be stored in. ^ ^ ^ ^ μ "can be used when the substrate 200 is transferred from the real cassette 100A to the empty card H100B.丨: Yes, the substrate transfer robot! Use the transfer arm 3 to take out the substrate 200 from the magazine 100A and directly transfer it to the predetermined slot 101 in the empty card 100B, or after temporarily transferring the substrate 200 to the processing device, Then, the processed substrate 200 is transferred to a predetermined slot 101 in the empty cassette 100β. ^ As explained above, the dual-arm substrate transfer robot j of the first embodiment is a device having a slot 丨 〇j for detecting a substrate cassette 丨 〇〇, and the mouth detection device is provided with a substrate facing Use the inside and outside of the cassette 丨 〇〇 to move forward and backward X, that is, the sensors 51 to 53 that can be moved in the direction of the arrangement of the majority of the cards E1101 in the card for the substrate £ 100; The sensor outputs signals when the cassette 100 moves in the slot arrangement direction to detect the position of each slot in the substrate < card H 100. Therefore, when a new substrate cassette 100 is used, it is possible to automatically detect the position of each slot of the substrate cassette 丨 oo without tedious teaching of the substrate transfer robot 丨 as in the past. Operations before the cartridge is used can be automated. P.11 571378 Description of the invention (7) Its structure is 5 1 to 5 3 because the sensor includes a slot position detection sensor 5 1 to detect the repeated concave-convex shape formed by a large number of slots 1 〇 1 ; The start point confirmation sensor 52 of the cassette is used to detect the presence or absence of the wall surface (lower end wall surface 10 2) on the wall side of the substrate cassette 100, that is, the starting point side in the slot arrangement direction; and the card; The end-of-box confirmation sensor 53 is used to detect the presence or absence of the wall surface (top wall surface 丨 〇3) of the slot on the end side in the alignment direction of the substrate cassette 00, so that the Each substrate cassette 100—Check the notches while checking the different starting positions (lower known positions) and end positions (upper positions).

s position. Also, since the notch position detection sensor 51, the cassette start confirmation sensor 52, and the cassette end confirmation sensor 53 are provided at the front end of the detection arm 2 of the two-arm substrate transfer robot, it is possible to use Knowing that one of the two arms (transfer arm) of the two-arm substrate transfer robot is replaced with the detection arm 2 'With one transfer robot 1, both substrate transfer and slot detection can be performed simultaneously. Features. In addition, the detection arm 2 is provided with a substrate sensor 54, and since the substrate sensor 54 is used to detect whether the substrate cassette 100 is included in the substrate cassette 100, the substrate cassette 100 is used. When the substrate 200 is provided inside, the detection notch can avoid the problem that the detection arm 2 and the substrate 200 interfere with each other. Next, a second embodiment will be described. In FIGS. 5 to 6, the single-arm type substrate transfer robot of the second embodiment is the same as the conventional horizontal multi-joint dual-arm type substrate transfer robot.

Page 12 571378 V. Description of the invention (8) ---- The roll is provided by the second arm portion 31, the first arm portion 32, and the hand portion 33 = body portion 3, and the second arm portion 31 is mounted on a common machine 5 that can lift and lower the main body 4 of the robot 丨. An encoder 6 for detecting the height position of the machine 5 is provided inside the main body 4. As shown in Fig. 6, a notch position detection is provided at the front end portion of the hand 33. The sensor 51, the cassette start confirmation sensor 52, and the cassette end confirmation sensor 53. Further, as shown in Fig. 5, a substrate reactor 54 is provided at the base of the hand 33. The slot and mouth position detection sensor 51 has the same structure as the notch position detection sensor 51 of the first embodiment, and is used to detect most of the slots in the substrate_use cassette 100 The repeating concave-convex shape of 101 is used to detect the vertical position of each notch 101. The card start point confirmation sensor 5 2 has the same structure as the cassette start point confirmation sensor 52 of the first embodiment, and when the transport arm portion 3 is lowered in the substrate card 100, the substrate is detected. The presence or absence of the end wall surface 102 below the cassette 100 is used to confirm the lower limit position of the transfer arm 3 in the substrate cassette 10 (). The cassette end point confirmation sensor 53 has the same structure as the cassette end point tolerance sensor 5 3 of the first embodiment type, and is used to raise the transport arm portion 3 in the substrate tortoise cassette 100. By detecting the presence or absence of the end wall surface of the substrate cassette №00: 103, the upper limit position of the transport arm portion 3 in the substrate cassette 100 is confirmed. Next, referring to Fig. 5, an example of an operation of the single-arm substrate transfer robot 1 will be described. In addition, this operation example corresponds to removing the substrate 200 from the loading side card.

Page 13 571378 V. Description of the invention (9) The job of moving the inside of 100A to the unloading side cassette (empty cassette) ι〇〇Β. The substrate transfer robot 1 is positioned in front of the real cassette i 00A, and the transport arm 3 is stacked, and the real cassette is detected by the substrate sensor 54 while moving the table 5 in the vertical direction. ιοοΑ Whether there is a substrate 200 (see Fig. 5). 〃 If the above-mentioned detection operation of the substrate in the real cassette detects that there is a substrate 200 in the real cassette 100A, the substrate transfer robot 1 will move to the empty cassette with the transfer arm 3 being stacked. In the forward position of 008, the substrate sensor 54 is used to detect whether there is a substrate 200 in the empty card 一边 100B while moving the machine 5 in the vertical direction. This is because if the notch position detection operation described below is started before the empty card cassette 1 0 B is inspected for the presence of the substrate in the empty cassette, the substrate will occur when the substrate 200 is included in the empty cassette 100β. 200 and the transfer arm 3 interfere with each other. Therefore, the presence or absence of the inspection operation of the substrate in the cassette can avoid such an unfavorable situation, and the slot position detection operation can be performed well. If the substrate presence detection operation in the empty cassette detects that there is no substrate 200 in the empty cassette 100B, the substrate conveying machine will rotate the conveying arm 3 after half a rotation to allow the hand 33 to enter the empty card. Within the box 100β. Next, the machine 5 is continuously lowered until the cassette start confirmation sensor 52 detects the lower end wall surface 102 of the empty cassette 100B, and then stops. Next, the machine 5 is raised, and the groove shape detection sensor 5 丨 continuously detects the concave-convex shape of the plurality of slots 1 0 1. When the upper end wall surface 103 of the empty card S100B is detected by the cassette end confirmation sensor 53, the ascent of the machine 5 is stopped.

Page 14 571378 V. Description of the invention (10) In the above-mentioned notch position detection 51, the height and position of the injured position M is not detected. The notch position is detected by the sensor 6 because the second position is available. The internal coding of the unit 4 is detected by the encoder 6 ^^ The position detection sensor 51 1 can be turned out to correspond to most ladders ^ 7 ^, the slot position detection sensor 51 will (for example · The recess is a pulse train signal with repeated concave and convex shapes. Therefore, if I, = the convex part is the height position of the pulse train signal 51 at a low level, the notch position detection sensor-opposite-ground phase measured by the sensor 51-the pulse of the position detection sensor 51, (:: Phase: Correspondence, and can detect the height position of each slot ιι. The number of words:: ??). The empty card £ 1_ is inserted into each slot 101 box 1 :: of the slot, and the memory device of the secondary robot body 4 is memorized into the empty card as "holding :: shell material." Used when transferring from real cassette 100A to empty cassette 1006. / Λ — Lu Zhi's substrate transfer robot 1 uses the transfer arm 3 to remove the substrate 2 0 0 from the Beka magazine 100A and directly transfer it to the predetermined slot 1/1 in the empty magazine, or temporarily remove the substrate After 200 is transferred to the processing device, the processed substrate 200 is transferred to a predetermined slot in the empty cassette ιββ. As described above, the single-arm type substrate transfer robot 1 in the second embodiment is the same as the two-arm type robot 1 in the first penetration type, and is a device having a slot 101 for detecting the substrate cassette 100. The notch detection device is provided with sensors 51 to 53 that can move forward and backward toward the inside and outside of the substrate cassette 100 and can move along the arrangement direction of most of the cassettes 101 in the substrate cassette i 0 0; and Can be arranged along the slot in the substrate cassette 1 0 0 according to the sensors 5 1 to 5 3

Page 15 571378 V. Description of the invention (11) The sensor outputs signals during movement to detect the position of each slot in the substrate cassette 100. Therefore, when a new substrate cassette 100 is used, it is possible to automatically detect each slot of the substrate cassette 100 without teaching the substrate transport robot 1 as it is. Position, so that the job before the cartridge is used can be automated. Secondly, because the structure of the sensors 51 to 53 includes: the sensor 51 for detecting the position of the slot, which is used to detect the repeated concave-convex shape formed by the majority of the slots; To detect the presence or absence of the wall surface (lower end wall surface 102) on the wall surface of the substrate cassette 100, that is, the starting point side in the slot arrangement direction; and the cassette end confirmation sensor 53 for detecting the The presence or absence of the wall surface of the substrate cassette 丨 〇〇, that is, the wall surface (upper end wall surface 103) located on the end side in the slot arrangement direction, can be confirmed by the substrate cassette 1 00 Different start position (lower end position) and end position (upper end position), while detecting each slot at -5 5 at the slot position detection sensor 51, the cassette start confirmation sensor 5 2 and the card end confirmation sensor 5 3 series is installed at the front end of the transfer arm 3 of the single-arm substrate transfer machine. Therefore, the transfer arm 3 can perform the two functions of substrate transfer and slot detection in the same%. The substrate sensor 54 is provided, and the base * Π = detects whether the substrate card S10 has a substrate 2 or not. 〇So if there is a substrate 200 in the right substrate card £ 100, borrowing can avoid the mutual interference between the transport arm 3 and the substrate 200] Case 0 & 571378 V. Description of the invention (12) Board The first and second implementations of the moving method are described using horizontal multi-joint type examples, but the present invention is not limited to the horizontal multi-joint type, and can also be applied.> In addition, as shown in FIG. 4 And the second: transfer robots on linear action type plates. The transport robot can move to the left and right = H, the second pass type _ is the type that moves the substrate ... ± to the left and right direction, that is, the type with the machine 5 | person moving axis will be described. Organic benefit is applicable to Figure 7 (Α), (βΓ r could not be a type of human movement axis, or it is equipped with a robot movement axis and can be applied to the 3rd ... substrate 2. For carrying out and carrying in, there are "more than one card for substrates." The present invention can also be applied to a vertical substrate card. The arrangement direction of the card is set to the horizontal direction and stored in a vertical state. Substrate cassette 100 for substrate 2000. [Effects of the invention] According to the present invention, by detecting the slot of the substrate cassette, the cassette for the US board can be replaced without having to perform complicated operations on the substrate transfer robot. Teachings.

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Brief Description of Drawings [Simplified Description of Drawings] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a two-arm type substrate transfer machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of a notch position detection sensor. Fig. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the cassette start confirmation sensor and the cassette end confirmation sensor. Fig. 4 (A) and (B) are operation explanatory diagrams of the notch detection device. Figures 5 (A) and (B) are operation explanatory diagrams of the slot detection device of the single-arm substrate transfer robot of the second embodiment of the present invention: (Ϊ: Figure 6 is a slot position detection sensor and card Box starting point confirmation sensor and card E, end 'point confirmation sensor, and illustration for mounting the device on the hand. = (二: 士 (",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ^) Figure 8 is an oblique view of a substrate-use cassette. Fig. [Symbol description] Single arm 1 ... substrate transfer robot-type substrate transfer robot) 2 ... detection arm 3 ... transfer arm 4 ... main body (two-arm substrate transfer robot 5 ... machine 6 ... encoder 2 1 ... Second arm 22 of the detection arm portion ... J-arm 23 of the detection arm portion ... Sensor holding portion

Page 18 571378 Brief description of drawings 24 ... U-shaped member 31-Second arm 32 of transfer arm 3 ... First arm 51 of transfer arm 3 ... Slot position detection sensor 52 ... Cassette Starting point confirmation sensor 53 ... Cassette end confirmation sensor 54 ... Substrate sensor 100 · •• Substrate cassette 100A… Solid cassette 100B… Empty cassette 101 ·. · Slot 102 · •• Bottom wall surface 103 · • • Top wall surface 200 • •• Substrate

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Claims (1)

571378 6. Scope of patent application ------ [Scope of patent application] 1. A slot detection device for a substrate cassette, which is characterized in that it can move forward and backward toward the inside and outside of the substrate cassette, and can follow the substrate. The sensor for moving the substrate in the direction of the slot arrangement in the cassette can be used to detect the card cassette for the substrate according to the input signal when the sensor E moves in the direction of the slot arrangement in the substrate card E. Position of each slot inside. 2. The notch detection device of the substrate cassette for the patent application item 1 'wherein the structure of the above-mentioned sensor includes: a notch position detection sensor for detecting the repeated unevenness formed by the above-mentioned most notches Shape; cassette start confirmation sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the wall surface on the wall of the above-mentioned substrate cassette, that is, on the start side in the slot arrangement direction; and the cassette end confirmation sensor for The presence or absence of the wall surface on the wall surface of the substrate cassette, that is, on the end side in the slot arrangement direction is detected. 3 · If the slot detection device of the substrate cassette for the patent application item 2 'wherein, the slot position pick-up sensor, the cassette start point confirmation sensor and the cassette end point confirmation sensor are provided in The tip of the detection arm of the dual-arm substrate transfer robot. 4. The notch detection device for a substrate cassette as described in item 3 of the patent application, wherein 'the detection arm has a substrate sensor, and the substrate sensor is used to detect whether a substrate is present in the substrate cassette. . 571378 VI. Application for patent scope k 5. For the slot detection device of the substrate cassette for the patent application item 2, wherein the above-mentioned notch_position detection sensor, the above-mentioned cassette starting point confirmation sensor, and the above-mentioned cassette The end point confirmation sensor is provided at the front end portion of the transfer arm portion of the single-arm substrate transfer robot. 6. For the slot detection device of the substrate cassette for the patent application item 5, wherein the transfer arm has a substrate sensor, and the substrate sensor is used to detect whether a substrate is contained in the substrate cassette. . Page 21