JP6640923B2 - Substrate transfer robot - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer robot for transferring a substrate such as a wafer.

  Semiconductor processing equipment, which is a substrate processing equipment, includes a wafer processing apparatus, which is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "wafer"), a hoop and a wafer processing apparatus, which are containers for storing wafers. And a wafer transfer device, which is a substrate transfer device for transferring a wafer between them. The hoop accommodates a wafer before or after processing. As processing for the wafer, process processing such as heat treatment, impurity introduction processing, thin film formation processing, lithography processing, cleaning processing, and planarization processing are assumed.

  The wafer transfer device includes a preparation space forming section in which a preparation space is formed, a hoop opener, and a substrate transfer robot. The preparation space is filled with a highly clean atmosphere gas. The hoop opener opens and closes each door provided in the hoop and the preparation space forming unit. The substrate transfer robot is disposed in the preparation space, and transfers the wafer between the hoop and the wafer processing device.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a substrate transfer robot 1 according to a first related art. A technique similar to this conventional technique is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The substrate transfer robot 1 is realized by a scalar horizontal articulated robot. The substrate transfer robot 1 includes a robot arm 2, a base 3 to which a base end of the robot arm 2 is connected, and a robot hand 4 to which a front end of the robot arm 2 is connected, and which holds a wafer. The robot arm 2 has first and second arm portions 5 and 6.

  A first arm 5 is provided on the base 3 so as to be pivotable about a first pivot axis L1. A second arm 6 is provided on the first arm 5 so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis L2. The robot hand 4 is provided on the second arm portion 6 so as to be able to turn around the third turning axis L3. The second arm unit 6 is driven to rotate by a first motor 7. The first arm unit 5 and the robot hand 4 are driven to turn by the second motor 8. The first and second motors 7 and 8 are provided on the base 3.

  A power transmission unit 10 having a belt 9 and the like is interposed between the second arm unit 6 and the first motor 7, and the power of the first motor 7 is transmitted to the robot hand 4 via the power transmission unit 10. Thus, the second arm 6 is driven to turn. Further, another power transmission unit 12 having another belt 11 and the like is interposed between the robot hand 4 and the second motor 8, and the power of the second motor 8 is transmitted to the robot via the other power transmission unit 12. This is transmitted to the hand 4, whereby the robot hand 4 is driven to turn. A number of gears may be used instead of the belt 9 and the other belt 11.

  In such a substrate transfer robot 1, the distance from the joint between the first and second arms 5 and 6 to the first motor 7 is increased, and therefore the number of components of the power transmission unit 10 is increased, and the power transmission unit 10 , The accumulation of the error in. As a result, the positioning accuracy of the distal end of the robot arm 2 is reduced, and the positioning accuracy of the robot hand 4 is reduced. Further, the distance from the joint between the second arm unit 6 and the robot hand 4 to the second motor 8 is increased, and therefore the number of parts of the other power transmission unit 12 is increased, and the accumulation of errors in the other power transmission unit 12 is reduced. growing. This causes a problem that the accuracy of the posture of the robot hand 4 is reduced.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a substrate transfer robot 16 according to a second conventional technique. Since the substrate transport robot 16 is similar to the above-described substrate transport robot 1, corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only different points will be described.

  The first arm unit 5 is driven to rotate by a first motor 17. The first motor 17 is provided on the base 3. The second arm unit 6 is driven to rotate by a second motor 18. The second motor 18 is provided on the first arm unit 5. The robot hand 4 is driven to rotate by the third motor 19. The third motor 19 is provided on the second arm unit 6.

  The first motor 17 has a fixed part fixed to the base 3 and a rotating part that rotates about a rotation axis L5 parallel to the first turning axis L1 with respect to the fixed part. A first power transmission unit 20 serving as a reduction unit is interposed between the first arm unit 5 and the first motor 17, and the power of the first motor 17 is transmitted through the first power transmission unit 20 to the first power transmission unit 20. The power is transmitted to the arm 5, whereby the first arm 5 is driven to turn.

  The second motor 18 has a fixed portion fixed to the first arm portion 5 and a rotating portion that rotates about a rotation axis L6 parallel to the second turning axis L2 with respect to the fixed portion. A second power transmission unit 21 serving as a speed reduction unit is interposed between the second arm unit 6 and the second motor 18, and the power of the second motor 18 is transmitted through the second power transmission unit 21 to the second power transmission unit 21. The power is transmitted to the arm 6, whereby the second arm 6 is turned.

  The third motor 19 has a fixed portion fixed to the second arm portion 6 and a rotating portion that rotates around a rotation axis L7 parallel to the third turning axis L3 with respect to the fixed portion. Between the robot hand 4 and the third motor 19, a third power transmission unit 22 serving as a reduction unit is interposed, and the power of the third motor 19 is transmitted to the robot hand 4 via the third power transmission unit 22. The rotation of the robot hand 4 is driven.

  In such a substrate transfer robot 16, the second motor 18 is arranged so that the rotating part rotates around the rotation axis L <b> 6 parallel to the second turning axis L <b> 2. To ensure this, it is necessary to project a part of the first arm 5 in the direction in which it extends. Therefore, the size of the first arm 5 is increased, which causes a problem of interference between the first arm 5 and an external object. In addition, the third motor 19 is arranged so that the rotating unit rotates around a rotation axis L7 parallel to the third turning axis L3. Therefore, the second arm 19 is provided to secure an arrangement space for the third motor 19. It is necessary to project a part of the portion 6 in the extending direction. Therefore, the size of the second arm 6 is increased, which causes a problem of interference between the second arm 6 and an external object.

  As a third related art, Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique related to a wrist mechanism of an industrial robot. In this conventional wrist mechanism, a wrist is tiltably connected to the tip of the rotating arm, and the wrist is tilted by a tilting motor. The tilting motor is installed inside the rotating arm in parallel to the axis of the arm, so that the distance from the tilting motor to the wrist can be shortened.

  Such prior art aims at reducing inertia and improving rigidity in driving the wrist, and does not take into account each problem that occurs in the first and second prior arts.

JP-A-11-10576 JP-A-1-92087

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer robot that can improve the positioning accuracy and prevent interference with an external object.

The present invention provides a base,
A robot hand for holding the substrate,
It has a plurality of hollow arm portions formed to extend, each arm portion is connected in series, one arm portion is connected to the base, the other arm portion is connected to the robot hand, A robot arm that is provided so as to be pivotable relative to each other;
Turning drive means provided for each joint between the two arm portions connected to each other, and for turning the two arm portions connected to each other relatively to each other,
The turning drive means,
A fixing portion fixed to one of the two arm portions connected to each other, and a rotating portion rotating about a rotation axis substantially parallel to an extending direction of the one arm portion with respect to the fixing portion; A motor housed in the internal space of the one arm portion,
It is housed in the internal space of the one arm and is interposed between the motor and the other of the two arms connected to each other, and transmits the power of the motor from the rotating part of the motor to the other arm. A substrate transport robot comprising a power transmission unit.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the one arm portion is an arm portion on a base side.

  Further, the present invention is characterized in that the power transmission unit transmits the power of the motor from the rotating unit of the motor to the other arm unit by a plurality of gears.

Further, according to the present invention, the power transmission unit includes:
A first gear fixed to a rotating part of the motor coaxially with a rotation axis of the rotating part;
A second gear fixed to the other arm portion coaxially with a pivot axis of the one and other arm portions;
A plurality of intermediate gears interposed between the first and second gears;
A gear accommodating box fixed to the one arm portion and accommodating each intermediate gear so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis of each intermediate gear.

Further, the present invention is a substrate transfer robot in which the robot hand is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the arm portion at the one end,
Including other turning drive means for turning the robot hand relative to the arm portion at the one end,
The other turning drive means is
A fixing portion provided on the arm portion at the one end, and a rotating portion rotating about a rotation axis substantially parallel to an extending direction of the arm portion at the one end with respect to the fixing portion; Other motors housed in the internal space,
Another power transmission unit housed in the internal space of the arm unit at one end, interposed between the other motor and the robot hand, and transmitting the power of the other motor from the rotating unit of the other motor to the robot hand. It is characterized by including.

The present invention is also a substrate transport robot that transports a semiconductor wafer as a substrate,
The semiconductor wafer is transported between a container accommodating the semiconductor wafer and a treatment device for processing the semiconductor wafer.

  According to the present invention, the robot arm is configured by connecting a plurality of arm units in series. Each arm part is hollow and formed to extend. The arm at one end is connected to the base, and the arm at the other end is connected to the robot hand. The two arms connected to each other are provided so as to be able to pivot relative to each other. A turning drive is provided at a joint between the two arms connected to each other. The turning drive means is provided for each joint. The turning drive means drives the two arms connected to each other to turn relative to each other. Thereby, the robot hand is moved, and the substrate held by the robot hand is moved.

  The turning drive unit includes a motor and a power transmission unit. The motor has a fixed portion fixed to one arm portion and a rotating portion that rotates with respect to the fixed portion. The power transmission section is interposed between the motor and the other arm section, and transmits the power of the motor from the rotating section of the motor to the other arm section. As a result, the one and the other arms are driven to rotate relative to each other.

  Since the motor is provided on one of the arms, the distance from the joint between the one and other arms to the motor is shorter than that provided on the base. Therefore, the configuration of the power transmission unit can be simplified, and accumulation of errors in the power transmission unit can be prevented. Thereby, the positioning accuracy of the distal end portion of the robot arm can be improved, and the positioning accuracy of the robot hand can be improved.

  In the motor, a dimension in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating unit is larger than a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating unit. In consideration of this point, the motor is arranged such that the rotating portion rotates around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the extending direction of the one arm portion. Since the motor is arranged in this manner, it is not necessary to project a part of one of the arms in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the arm extends in order to secure a space for disposing the motor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the size of one of the arms from being increased, thereby preventing the interference between the one of the arms and an external object.

  Further, according to the present invention, the one arm portion is an arm portion on the base side, and therefore, the motor is provided on the arm portion on the base side. Therefore, the mass of the arm part on the robot hand side can be reduced as compared with the case where the motor is provided on the arm part on the robot hand side. Accordingly, the arm on the robot hand side can be driven to turn with a small force with respect to the arm on the base.

  According to the invention, the power of the motor is transmitted from the rotating part of the motor to the other arm part by the plurality of gears. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the distal end portion of the robot arm can be improved as compared with the case where a belt is used for transmitting power.

  Further, according to the present invention, the first gear is fixed to the rotating part of the motor coaxially with the rotation axis of the rotating part, and the second gear is fixed to the other arm by turning the one and other arms. A plurality of intermediate gears are fixed coaxially with the axis and between the first and second gears. Thereby, the power of the motor is transmitted from the rotating part of the motor to the other arm part.

  Each intermediate gear is housed in the gear housing box so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis of each intermediate gear. This gear housing box is fixed to one arm portion. Therefore, the mounting operation can be facilitated as compared with a case where the respective intermediate gears are individually positioned and mounted on one arm.

  Further, according to the present invention, the robot hand is provided so as to be capable of turning relatively to the arm portion at one end. Another turning drive means drives the robot hand to turn relatively to the arm portion at one end. Thereby, the posture of the robot hand can be changed.

  The other turning drive unit includes another motor and another power transmission unit. The other motor has a fixed portion fixed to the arm portion at one end, and a rotating portion that rotates with respect to the fixed portion. The other power transmission unit is interposed between the other motor and the robot hand, and transmits the power of the other motor from the rotating unit of the other motor to the robot hand. Thereby, the robot hand is driven to rotate relatively to the arm portion at one end.

  Since the other motor is provided on the arm at one end, the distance from the joint between the arm at one end and the robot hand to the other motor is shorter than that provided on the base. Therefore, the configuration of the other power transmission unit can be simplified, and accumulation of errors in the other power transmission unit can be prevented. Thereby, the accuracy of the posture of the robot hand can be improved.

  In other motors, a dimension in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotating unit is larger than a dimension in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating unit. In consideration of this point, the other motor is arranged such that the rotating portion rotates around a rotation axis substantially parallel to the extending direction of the arm portion at one end. Since the other motor is arranged in this manner, it is not necessary to project a part of the arm portion at one end in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction in order to secure the arrangement space for the other motor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the size of the arm at one end from being increased, thereby preventing interference between the arm at one end and an external object.

  Further, according to the present invention, the substrate is a semiconductor wafer, and the substrate transport robot transports the semiconductor wafer between a container accommodating the semiconductor wafer and a treatment apparatus that processes the semiconductor wafer. In this case, the substrate transfer robot is disposed in a space where a predetermined cleanliness is maintained. Since this space is made as small as possible in order to easily achieve a predetermined cleanliness, a problem of interference easily occurs when the semiconductor wafer is transferred. The substrate transfer robot can be suitably used for transferring semiconductor wafers because interference is prevented as described above.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a simplified configuration of a substrate transfer robot 31 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 31 viewed from above in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a second power transmission unit 77. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a part of the semiconductor processing equipment 101 including the substrate transfer robot 31. It is sectional drawing which cuts and shows a part of semiconductor processing equipment 101. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a simplified configuration of a substrate transfer robot 161 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 161 as viewed from above in FIG. 6. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a simplified configuration of a substrate transfer robot 171 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 171 as viewed from above in FIG. 8. It is a sectional view showing in simplified form the configuration of a substrate transfer robot 181 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 181 as viewed from above in FIG. 10. It is a sectional view showing the composition of the 2nd power transmission part 186 in the substrate transportation robot which is a 5th form of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a substrate transfer robot 1 according to a first related art. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a substrate transfer robot 16 according to a second related art.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a simplified configuration of a substrate transfer robot 31 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 31 as viewed from above in FIG. The substrate transfer robot 31 of the present embodiment is used to transfer a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a “wafer”) 32 as a substrate.

  The substrate transfer robot 31 is realized by a SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm, abbreviated SCARA) type horizontal articulated robot. The substrate transfer robot 31 includes a robot arm 33, a base 34 to which a base end 33 a of the robot arm 33 is connected, and a robot hand 35 to which a front end 33 b of the robot arm 33 is connected and grips the wafer 32. .

  The robot arm 33 has first and second arm portions 36 and 37. The first and second arms 36 and 37 are hollow. The first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are formed to extend, in other words, to be formed in a longitudinal shape. Such first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are connected in series. A first arm section 36 at one end in the connection direction is connected to the base 34, and a second arm section 37 at the other end in the connection direction is connected to the robot hand 35.

  The robot hand 35 has a structure capable of holding the wafer 32. Holding the wafer 32 means holding or grasping the wafer 32, and holding includes forms such as suction, receiving and hanging, and grasping includes forms such as knobs, scissors and nipples. In the present embodiment, the robot hand 35 grips the wafer 32 by receiving. The robot hand 35 is formed in a plate shape, and has a substantially Y-shape when viewed from the thickness direction. The robot hand 35 has a hand main body 38 having a substantially U-shape when viewed from the thickness direction thereof, and an extending portion 39 which extends from and extends to the hand main body 38.

  The first and second arms 36 and 37 and the robot hand 35 are provided horizontally. The base 34 and the first arm 36 are provided so as to be relatively rotatable relative to each other. More specifically, one end 36a in the extending direction of the first arm 36 is provided on the upper portion 34a of the base 34 in the vertical direction Z. Is provided so as to be able to turn around a first turning axis L11 extending to the front. The first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are provided so as to be able to pivot relative to each other. One end 37a is provided so as to be able to turn around a second turning axis L12 parallel to the first turning axis L11. The second arm 37 and the robot hand 35 are provided so as to be relatively rotatable relative to each other. Specifically, the second arm 37 and the robot hand 35 are provided at the other end 37 b of the second arm 37 in the extending direction 39 of the robot hand 35. One end 39a in the extending direction opposite to the side connected to the main body 38 is provided rotatably about a third turning axis L13 parallel to the first and second turning axes L11 and L12. The turning means a movement that relatively changes the axial direction of each member between two members.

  The first and second arms 36 and 37 and the robot hand 35 are provided to be shifted from each other in the vertical direction Z. The second arm part 37 is arranged above the first arm part 36. This prevents the first arm 36 and the second arm 37 from interfering with each other, so that the second arm 37 can be moved to a position overlapping the first arm 36 in the vertical direction Z. . Further, the robot hand 35 is disposed above the second arm section 37. This prevents the second arm 37 and the robot hand 35 from interfering with each other, so that the robot hand 35 can move to a position overlapping the second arm 37 in the vertical direction Z.

  A first turning drive unit 41 is provided at a joint between the base 34 and the first arm unit 36. The first turning drive means 41 drives the base 34 and the first arm 36 to turn relatively to each other. More specifically, the first arm 36 rotates the first arm 36 around the first turning axis L11 with respect to the base 34. It is driven to turn.

  At the joint between the first and second arm portions 36 and 37, a second turning drive means 42 which is a turning drive means is provided. The second turning drive means 42 drives the first and second arm portions 36 and 37 to turn relatively to each other. More specifically, the second turning drive means 42 moves the second arm portion 37 with respect to the first arm portion 36 to the second turning axis L12. It relatively turns around.

  At the joint between the second arm 37 and the robot hand 35, a third turning drive unit 43 as another turning drive unit is provided. The third turning drive unit 43 drives the second arm unit 37 and the robot hand 35 to turn relatively to each other. More specifically, the third hand unit 43 moves the robot hand 35 relative to the second arm unit 37 around the third turning axis L13. It is driven to turn.

  The first and second arm driving units 41 and 42 pivotally drive the first and second arm units 36 and 37, whereby the position of the distal end 33b of the robot arm 33 changes within a horizontal virtual plane, and thus, The position of the robot hand 35 changes in a horizontal virtual plane. Further, the robot hand 35 is driven to turn by the third turning drive means 43, whereby the posture of the robot hand 35 changes.

  The base 34 includes a base 46 fixed to a predetermined installation surface 45, a movable part 47 provided to be displaceable in the vertical direction Z with respect to the base 46, and a movable part 47 with respect to the base 46 in the vertical direction Z. And a lifting drive means 48 for displacement drive (see FIG. 5). The movable portion 47 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and is provided such that its axis extends in the vertical direction Z. The upper part of the movable part 47 becomes the upper part 34a of the base 34. The movable part 47 is displaced and driven by the elevating drive means 48, whereby the position of the distal end portion 33b of the robot arm 33 changes up and down, and thus the position of the robot hand 35 changes up and down.

  A cylindrical communication hole 52 communicating with the internal space 51 of the first arm 36 is formed in a portion near one end 36 a in the extending direction of the first arm 36. The axis of the one end communication hole 52 extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first arm portion 36 extends. A cylindrical other end side communication hole 53 communicating with the internal space 51 of the first arm portion 36 is formed in a portion near the other end portion 36b in the extending direction of the first arm portion 36. The axis of the other end side communication hole 53 is parallel to the axis of the one end side communication hole 52. The other end communication hole 53 is opened facing the side opposite to the one end communication hole 52.

  A cylindrical communication hole 55 communicating with the internal space 54 of the second arm 37 is formed in a portion near one end 37 a in the extending direction of the second arm 37, and a cylindrical protrusion protruding outward. Is formed. The axis of the one end communication hole 55 extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second arm portion 37 extends. The inner hole 57 of the protruding portion 56 is coaxial with the one end communication hole 55 and communicates with the internal space 54 of the second arm portion 37 via the one end communication hole 55. A cylindrical other end side communication hole 58 communicating with the internal space 54 of the second arm portion 37 is formed in a portion near the other end portion 37b in the extending direction of the second arm portion 37. The axis of the other end communication hole 58 is parallel to the axis of the one end communication hole 55. The other end side communication hole 58 is opened facing the opposite side to the one end side communication hole 55.

  The extending portion 39 of the robot hand 35 is hollow. At a portion near one end 39a in the extending direction of the extending portion 39, a cylindrical one end side communication hole 62 communicating with the internal space 61 of the extending portion 39 is formed. A part 63 is formed. The axis of the one end side communication hole 62 extends in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the robot hand 35. The inner hole 64 of the protruding portion 63 is coaxial with the one end communication hole 62, and communicates with the internal space 61 of the extending portion 39 via the one end communication hole 62.

  The upper part of the movable part 47, which is the upper part 34a of the base 34, is loosely coaxially inserted into the one end side communication hole 52 of the first arm part 36, whereby the base 34 and the first arm part 36 They are connected so as to be able to turn relatively to each other around the turning axis L11. Each axis of the one end side communication hole 52 and the movable portion 47 forms a common straight line with the first turning axis L11. Bearing means is interposed between the upper part 34a of the base 34 and the formation part 52a of the one end side communication hole 52 of the first arm part 36, so that the turning of the first arm part 36 with respect to the base 34 is smooth. can do.

  The protruding portion 56 of the second arm portion 37 is gently inserted coaxially into the other end side communication hole 53 of the first arm portion 36, whereby the first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are connected to the second pivot axis. L12 is connected so that rotation is possible relatively to each other. Each axis of the other end side communication hole 53 and the protruding portion 56 forms a common straight line with the second turning axis L12. Bearing means is interposed between the projecting portion 56 of the second arm portion 37 and the formation portion 53a of the communication hole 53 on the other end side of the first arm portion 36, whereby the second arm portion with respect to the first arm portion 36 is provided. 37 can be smoothly turned.

  The protruding portion 63 of the extending portion 39 of the robot hand 35 is gently inserted coaxially into the other end side communication hole 58 of the second arm portion 37, whereby the second arm portion 37 and the robot hand 35 They are connected so as to be able to turn relatively to each other around the turning axis L13. Each axis of the other end side communication hole 58 and the protruding portion 63 forms a common straight line with the third turning axis L13. Bearing means is interposed between the projecting portion 63 of the extending portion 39 of the robot hand 35 and the forming portion 58a of the other end side communication hole 58 of the second arm portion 37. The hand 35 can be turned smoothly.

  The first turning drive unit 41 has a first motor 71 and a first power transmission unit 72. The first motor 71 and the first power transmission unit 72 are housed in the internal space 51 of the first arm unit 36. Therefore, even if dust is generated from the first motor 71 and the first power transmission unit 72, the dust can be prevented from diffusing around the substrate transfer robot 31, and thereby the cleanliness around the substrate transfer robot 31 can be prevented. Can be prevented from decreasing.

  The first motor 71 includes a fixed portion 73 fixed to the first arm portion 36, and a rotating portion 74 that rotates with respect to the fixed portion 73 around a rotation axis L21 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the first arm portion 36. And The first motor 71 is realized by an electric motor, specifically, a servomotor. The first motor 71 is provided with a first encoder 75 that detects a rotation amount of the rotating unit 74 with respect to the fixed unit 73. The first power transmission unit 72 is interposed between the first motor 71 and the base 34, and transmits the power of the first motor 71 from the rotating unit 74 of the first motor 71 to the base 34. The base 34 and the first arm portion 36 are driven to turn relatively to each other by such first turning drive means 41.

  The second turning drive unit 42 includes a second motor 76 that is a motor, and a second power transmission unit 77 that is a power transmission unit. The second motor 76 and the second power transmission unit 77 are housed in the internal space 51 of the first arm unit 36. Therefore, even if dust is generated from the second motor 76 and the second power transmission unit 77, the dust can be prevented from being diffused around the substrate transfer robot 31. Can be prevented from decreasing.

  The second motor 76 includes a fixed portion 78 fixed to the first arm portion 36, and a rotating portion 79 that rotates with respect to the fixed portion 78 about a rotation axis L22 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the first arm portion 36. And The second motor 76 is realized by an electric motor, specifically, a servomotor. The second motor 76 is provided with a second encoder 80 for detecting a rotation amount of the rotation unit 79 with respect to the fixed unit 78. The second power transmission unit 77 is interposed between the second motor 76 and the second arm unit 37, and transmits the power of the second motor 76 from the rotating unit 79 of the second motor 76 to the second arm unit 37. . The first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are driven to turn relatively to each other by such second turning drive means 42.

  The third turning drive unit 43 has a third motor 81 as another motor and a third power transmission unit 82 as another power transmission unit. The third motor 81 and the third power transmission unit 82 are housed in the internal space 54 of the second arm unit 37. Therefore, even if dust is generated from the third motor 81 and the third power transmission unit 82, the dust can be prevented from diffusing around the substrate transfer robot 31, whereby the cleanliness around the substrate transfer robot 31 can be reduced. Can be prevented from decreasing.

  The third motor 81 includes a fixed portion 83 fixed to the second arm portion 37, and a rotating portion 84 that rotates with respect to the fixed portion 83 about a rotation axis L23 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the second arm portion 37. And The third motor 81 is realized by an electric motor, specifically, a servomotor. The third motor 81 is provided with a third encoder 85 that detects the amount of rotation of the rotating unit 84 with respect to the fixed unit 83. The third power transmission unit 82 is interposed between the third motor 81 and the robot hand 35, and transmits the power of the third motor 81 from the rotating unit 84 of the third motor 81 to the robot hand 35. The third arm drive unit 43 drives the second arm unit 37 and the robot hand 35 to rotate relative to each other.

  The lifting drive unit 48 includes a fourth motor and a fourth power transmission unit. The fourth motor has a fixed part fixed to the base 46 of the base 34 and a rotating part that rotates with respect to the fixed part. The fourth motor is realized by an electric motor, specifically, a servomotor. The fourth motor is provided with a fourth encoder that detects a rotation amount of the rotating unit with respect to the fixed unit. The fourth power transmission section is interposed between the fourth motor and the movable section 47 of the base 34, and transmits the power of the fourth motor from the rotating section of the fourth motor to the movable section 47 of the base 34. The fourth power transmission unit converts the rotational motion of the rotating unit of the fourth motor into a linear motion in the vertical direction Z.

  The first to fourth power transmission units 72, 77, 82 also function as reduction gears. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a speed reducer, which can reduce the number of parts.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the second power transmission unit 77. In FIG. 3, the configuration of the second power transmission unit 77 is shown in a simplified manner in order to prevent complication. Since the configurations of the first to third power transmission units 72, 77 and 82 are similar, only the configuration of the second power transmission unit 77 will be described, and the first and third power transmission units 72 and 82 will not be overlapped. The description is omitted.

  The second power transmission unit 77 transmits the power of the second motor 76 from the rotation unit 79 of the second motor 76 to the protrusion 56 of the second arm unit 37 by a plurality of gears 91, 92, 93. Therefore, the positioning accuracy of the distal end portion 33b of the robot arm 33 can be improved as compared with the case where a belt is used for transmitting power. In addition, since there is no deformation like a belt, vibration due to sudden stop is prevented, and thus, the operation speed of the robot arm 33 can be increased.

  More specifically, the second power transmission unit 77 includes a first gear 91 fixed to the rotation unit 79 of the second motor 76 coaxially with the rotation axis L22 of the rotation unit 79, and a protrusion 56 of the second arm unit 37. , A second gear 92 fixed coaxially with the second turning axis L12, a plurality of intermediate gears 93 interposed between the first and second gears 91, 92, and each intermediate gear fixed to the first arm 36. 93 has a gear box 94 which is a gear housing box housed rotatably around the rotation axis of each intermediate gear 93.

  As described above, the first gear 91 is fixed to the rotating portion 79 of the second motor 76 coaxially with the rotation axis L22 of the rotating portion 79, and the second gear 92 is fixed to the projecting portion 56 of the second arm portion 37. , A second rotating axis L12, and a plurality of intermediate gears 93 are interposed between the first and second gears 91 and 92. Thereby, the power of the second motor 76 is transmitted from the rotating part 79 of the second motor 76 to the protruding part 56 of the second arm part 37.

  Each intermediate gear 93 is accommodated in a gear box 94 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis of each intermediate gear 93. The gear box 94 is fixed to the first arm 36. Therefore, as compared with the case where the respective intermediate gears 93 are individually positioned and attached to the first arm portion 36, the attaching operation can be facilitated.

  Two gears meshing with each other among the plurality of gears 91 to 93 are realized by bevel gears. Therefore, the rotation of the rotation part 79 of the second motor 76 around the rotation axis L22 or the rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis L22 is converted into the rotation about the second rotation axis L12 or the rotation axis parallel to the second rotation axis L12. Accordingly, the power of the second motor 76 can be transmitted from the rotating portion 79 of the second motor 76 to the protrusion 56 of the second arm portion 37. In the present embodiment, the first gear 91 and the intermediate gear 93a meshing with the first gear 91 among the intermediate gears 93 are realized by bevel gears.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a part of the semiconductor processing equipment 101 including the substrate transfer robot 31. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the semiconductor processing equipment 101. 4 and 5, an example of the operation state of the substrate transfer robot 31 is indicated by a solid line, and another example of the operation state is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The semiconductor processing facility 101 is a facility for processing the wafer 32.

  The semiconductor processing equipment 101 is specified in advance by, for example, SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standard. In this case, a hoop 102 and a hoop opener 118, which will be described later, conform to specifications such as E47.1, E15.1, E57, E62, E63, and E84 of the SEMI standard. The configuration of the semiconductor processing equipment 101 may be a configuration outside the SEMI standard.

  The wafer 32 before and after the processing is accommodated in a container (hereinafter, referred to as “hoop”) 102 called a hoop 102 (Front Opening Unified Pod, abbreviated as FOUP). The hoop 102 is a substrate container for mini-environment in a clean environment, related to an ultra-clean place technology. A plurality of wafers 32 are stored in the hoop 102. The wafers 32 accommodated in the hoop 102 are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction Z in a horizontal state.

  The hoop 102 has a hoop main body 103 that is a container main body, and a hoop side door 104 that is a container side door that is detachably provided to the hoop main body 103. The hoop main body 103 is formed in a substantially box shape, and a hoop inner space 105 which is a wafer accommodating space is formed. The hoop space 105 is opened to one side. The hoop inner space 105 is closed by attaching the hoop side door 104 to the hoop main body 103, and the hoop inner space 105 is opened by detaching the hoop side door 104 from the hoop main body 103.

  The semiconductor processing equipment 101 includes a wafer processing apparatus 106 that processes the wafer 32 and a wafer transport apparatus 107 that is a front-end module apparatus (EFEM) that transports the wafer 32 between the hoop 102 and the wafer processing apparatus 106. And As the processing for the wafer 32, process processing such as heat treatment, impurity introduction processing, thin film formation processing, lithography processing, cleaning processing, and planarization processing are assumed. In the wafer processing apparatus 106, processing other than the above-described processing may be performed.

  The wafer processing apparatus 106 includes a processing space forming unit 112 in which the processing space 111 is formed, a processing apparatus main body that is disposed in the processing space 111 and processes the wafer 32 in the processing space 111, and an atmosphere gas that fills the processing space 111. And a processing space adjustment device that adjusts. The processing space adjustment device is realized by a fan filter unit or the like.

  The wafer transfer apparatus 107 includes a preparation space forming unit 117 in which a preparation space 116 is formed, the substrate transfer robot 31 disposed in the preparation space 116, and a FOUP opener (FOUP Opener) 118 which is an opening / closing device for opening and closing the hoop 102. And an aligner 119 arranged in the preparation space 116 to adjust the direction of the wafer 32, and a preparation space adjustment device 120 to adjust the atmosphere gas filled in the preparation space 116. The preparation space adjustment device 120 is realized by a fan filter unit or the like.

The processing space 111 and the preparation space 116 are filled with a highly clean atmosphere gas. The processing space 111 and the preparation space 116 are spaces in which the contamination control is performed, and the suspended fine particles in the air are managed to a limited cleanliness level or less, and the temperature, humidity, pressure, etc. It is a space where environmental conditions are also managed. In the present embodiment, the processing space 111 and the preparation space 116 are kept at such a cleanliness that the processing of the wafer 32 is not adversely affected. As the degree of cleanliness, for example, CLASS 1 defined by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is adopted.

  The processing space forming unit 112 and the preparation space forming unit 117 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction X orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. Hereinafter, in the front-back direction X, the direction from the processing space forming unit 112 to the preparation space forming unit 117 is referred to as front X1, and the opposite direction is referred to as rear X2. A direction orthogonal to the up-down direction Z and the front-back direction X is referred to as a left-right direction Y.

  The preparation space forming unit 117 is formed in a rectangular box shape, and the preparation space 116 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape is formed. The preparation space forming section 117 has a front wall 121 and a rear wall 122. The front wall 121 and the rear wall 122 are arranged at an interval in the front-rear direction X. The rear wall 122 is disposed at a position X2 behind the front wall 121, and separates the preparation space 116 from the processing space 111.

  The front wall 121 is formed with a front opening 131 penetrating in the front-rear direction X that is the thickness direction of the front wall 121. The front opening 131 is formed so that the wafer 32 can pass therethrough. The wafer 32 is moved from the hoop space 105 to the preparation space 116 or from the preparation space 116 to the hoop space 105 via the front opening 131. In the present embodiment, four front side openings 131 are provided. The front openings 131 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction Y.

  The rear wall 122 has a rear opening 132 penetrating in the front-rear direction X, which is the thickness direction of the rear wall 122. The rear opening 132 is formed so that the wafer 32 can pass through. The wafer 32 is moved from the preparation space 116 to the processing space 111 or from the processing space 111 to the preparation space 116 via the back side opening 132. In the present embodiment, two rear side openings 132 are provided. Each back side opening 132 is arranged at intervals in the left-right direction Y.

  The hoop opener 118 is arranged on the front X1 side of the preparation space forming unit 117. The hoop opener 118 forms a part of the front wall 121 of the preparation space forming unit 117, and includes a front plate 141 in which the front opening 131 is formed, and an opener door 142 detachably provided to the front plate 141. And a hoop support portion 143 that is disposed in front of the preparation space 116 and that supports the hoop 102 from below, and a door opening / closing mechanism 144 that opens and closes the opener-side door 142 and the hoop-side door 104. The front side opening 131 is closed by attaching the opener side door 142 to the front plate 141, and the front side opening 131 is opened by detaching the opener side door 142 from the front plate 141.

  The hoop 102 is positioned and installed on the hoop support portion 143. When the hoop 102 is installed on the hoop support 143, the opening 103a of the hoop main body 103 and the opening 141a of the front plate 141 are in contact with each other over the entire circumference. Therefore, in the installed state, even if the opener-side door 142 and the hoop-side door 104 are detached from the openings 141a and 103a, it is possible to prevent outside air from entering the hoop inner space 105 and the preparation space 116.

  The door opening / closing mechanism 144 directly or indirectly grips the opener-side door 142 and the hoop-side door 104. The door opening / closing mechanism 144 moves each of the doors 142 and 104 between the mounting position and the open position. At the mounting position, the doors 142 and 104 are mounted on the openings 141a and 103a, respectively, thereby preventing communication between the hoop space 105 and the preparation space 116. In the open position, the doors 142 and 104 are detached from the openings 141a and 103a, thereby connecting the hoop space 105 and the preparation space 116. In this open position, the doors 142 and 104 are disposed rearward X2 and lower Z2 in the preparation space 116 with respect to the openings 141a and 103a. In the preparation space 116, a movable area 145 for moving each of the doors 142 and 104 between the mounting position and the open position is set.

  In the present embodiment, four hoop openers 118 are provided. The hoop openers 118 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction Y. Each hoop opener 118 is individually operably configured. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the front opening at the left end of the front opening 131 is open, and the remaining front openings except the front opening at the left end of the front opening 131 are closed.

  The preparation space forming part 117 further has a bottom wall part 126. Each lower end of the front wall 121 and the rear wall 122 is connected to the bottom wall 126. The aligner 119 and the substrate transfer robot 31 are fixed to such a bottom wall 126. The aligner 119 and the substrate transport robot 31 are arranged at an interval in the left-right direction Y.

  The aligner 119 has a holding unit that holds the wafer 32. The aligner 119 rotates the wafer 32 held by the holding unit, and adjusts the orientation of the wafer 32 so that the notch or the orientation flat formed on the wafer 32 is oriented in a predetermined direction.

  The substrate transfer robot 31 is arranged near the rear wall 122 in the preparation space 116. Further, the substrate transfer robot 31 is disposed at a central position between the hoop opener 118 at one end in the left-right direction and the hoop opener 118 at the other end in the left-right direction in the left-right direction. In the substrate transfer robot 31, the base 46 of the base 34 is fixed to the bottom wall 126 of the preparation space forming unit 117. The upper surface of the bottom wall 126 is the predetermined installation surface 45.

  The substrate transfer robot 31 further includes a controller 151. The controller 151 controls the first to third turning drive units 41 to 43 based on a predetermined operation program or a movement command input from a user and detection results from the first to fourth encoders 75, 80, 85. The robot hand 35 is moved by controlling the lifting / lowering drive means 48. The controller 151 stores a storage circuit in which a predetermined program is stored, an arithmetic circuit for calculating the program stored in the storage circuit, and a signal indicating a calculation result of the arithmetic circuit in the first to third turning driving means 41 to 43. And output means to be provided to the lifting drive means 48. The storage circuit is realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the arithmetic circuit is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  In the substrate transfer robot 31, the first to third turning drive units 41 to 43 and the lifting drive unit 48 are controlled by the controller 151, so that the robot hand 35 can move within the movable range in the front-rear direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the up-down direction. It is moved to an arbitrary position in the direction Z. By moving the robot hand 35 in this manner, the wafer 32 held by the robot hand 35 can be moved.

  In such a semiconductor processing facility 101, the substrate transfer robot 31 moves the wafer 32 mainly in the preparation space 116. The substrate transfer robot 31 takes out the wafer 32 from the hoop space 105 through the front opening 131, and inserts the wafer 32 into the hoop space 105 through the front opening 131. Further, the substrate transfer robot 31 takes out the wafer 32 from the processing space 111 through the back side opening 132 and inserts the wafer 32 into the processing space 111 through the back side opening 132.

  When transferring the wafer 32 from the hoop 102 to the wafer processing apparatus 106, the substrate transfer robot 31 first causes the robot hand 35 to enter the hoop space 105 via the front opening 131. Then, the wafer 32 placed at the wafer accommodation position in the hoop space 105 is gripped by the robot hand 35. Next, with the wafer 32 held by the robot hand 35, the robot hand 35 is caused to enter the processing space 111 via the preparation space 116 and further via the back side opening 132. Then, the wafer 32 held by the robot hand 35 is placed at the wafer placement position 156 in the processing space 111.

  Further, when transferring the wafer 32 from the wafer processing apparatus 106 to the hoop 102, the substrate transfer robot 31 first causes the robot hand 35 to enter the processing space 111 through the back side opening 132. Then, the robot hand 35 grips the wafer 32 placed on the wafer placement position 156 in the processing space 111. Next, with the wafer 32 held by the robot hand 35, the robot hand 35 enters the hoop space 105 through the preparation space 116 and further through the front opening 131. Then, the wafer 32 held by the robot hand 35 is placed at a wafer accommodation position in the hoop space 105.

  When transferring the wafer 32 from the hoop 102 to the wafer processing apparatus 106, the substrate transfer robot 31 once transfers the wafer 32 taken out of the hoop 102 to the aligner 119. The orientation of the wafer 32 transferred to the aligner 119 is adjusted by the aligner 119. Therefore, the wafer 32 can be inserted into the wafer processing apparatus 106 with its orientation adjusted, whereby the orientation of each wafer 32 can be made the same during processing by the wafer processing apparatus 106.

  According to the present embodiment as described above, first motor 71 is arranged such that rotating section 74 rotates about rotation axis L21 substantially parallel to the extending direction of first arm section 36. The first motor 71 is, as described above, considering that the dimension of the rotating unit 74 in the direction parallel to the rotation axis L21 is larger than the dimension of the rotating unit 74 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis L21. Since the first motor 71 is disposed, it is not necessary to project a part of the first arm 36 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first motor 71 extends in order to secure an arrangement space for the first motor 71. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first arm unit 36 from being enlarged, thereby preventing interference between the first arm unit 36 and an external object.

  The second motor 76 is arranged such that the rotating unit 79 rotates around a rotation axis L22 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the first arm unit 36. The second motor 76 is, as described above, considering that the dimension of the rotating section 79 in the direction parallel to the rotation axis L22 is larger than the dimension of the rotating section 79 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis L22. Since the second motor 76 is arranged, it is not necessary to project a part of the first arm portion 36 in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction in order to secure a space for disposing the second motor 76. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first arm unit 36 from being enlarged, thereby preventing interference between the first arm unit 36 and an external object.

  Further, the third motor 81 is arranged such that the rotating portion 84 rotates around a rotation axis L23 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the second arm portion 37. The third motor 81 takes into consideration that the dimension of the rotating unit 84 in the direction parallel to the rotation axis L23 is larger than the dimension of the rotating unit 84 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis L23, and as described above, Since 81 is arranged, it is not necessary to project a part of the second arm portion 37 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second arm portion 37 extends in order to secure an arrangement space for the third motor 81. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the size of the second arm portion 37 from being increased, and thereby to prevent interference between the second arm portion 37 and an external object.

  In the present embodiment, the substrate transfer robot 31 is used in the semiconductor processing equipment 101 as described above. In this case, examples of the external object include the front wall 121 and the rear wall 122, and the hoop opener 118. Since the preparation space 116 is made as small as possible in order to easily achieve a predetermined cleanliness, the problem of interference when transporting the wafer 32 is likely to occur. The substrate transfer robot 31 of the present embodiment can be suitably used for transferring the wafer 32 in the semiconductor processing equipment 101 because the interference is prevented as described above.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the second motor 76 is provided on the first arm portion 36, so that the second motor 76 is located closer to the joint between the first and second arm portions 36 and 37 than when provided on the base 34. The distance to the second motor 76 is reduced. Therefore, the configuration of the second power transmission unit 77 can be simplified, and accumulation of errors in the second power transmission unit 77 can be prevented. Thereby, the positioning accuracy of the distal end portion 33b of the robot arm 33 can be improved, and the positioning accuracy of the robot hand 35 can be improved. Further, the hysteresis can be reduced.

  Further, since the third motor 81 is provided on the second arm portion 37, the distance from the joint between the second arm portion 37 and the robot hand 35 to the third motor 81 is shorter than that provided on the base. Become. Therefore, the configuration of the third power transmission unit 82 can be simplified, and accumulation of errors in the third power transmission unit 82 can be prevented. Thereby, the accuracy of the posture of the robot hand 35 can be improved. Further, the hysteresis can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the substrate transfer robot 31 is used in the semiconductor processing equipment 101 as described above, and transfers the wafer 32 between the hoop 102 and the wafer processing apparatus 106. In this case, it is necessary to increase the positioning accuracy and posture accuracy of the robot hand 35. For example, when the robot hand 35 enters the hoop 102, it is necessary to prevent the robot hand 35 from undesirably contacting the wafer 32 in the hoop 102 and damaging the wafer 32. The substrate transfer robot 31 of the present embodiment improves the positioning accuracy and posture accuracy of the robot hand 35 as described above, and thus can be suitably used for transferring the wafer 32 in the semiconductor processing equipment 101.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, of the first and second arm units 36 and 37, the second motor 76 is provided on the first arm unit 36 which is the arm unit on the base 34 side. Therefore, the mass of the second arm 37 can be reduced as compared with the case where the second motor 76 is provided on the second arm 37 which is the arm on the robot hand 35 side. Thus, the second arm 37 can be driven to rotate with respect to the first arm 36 with a small force.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a simplified configuration of a substrate transfer robot 161 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 161 as viewed from above in FIG. The substrate transfer robot 161 of the present embodiment is similar to the above-described substrate transfer robot 31 of the first embodiment, and the corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and only different points will be described.

  At a portion near the other end 36b in the extending direction of the first arm portion 36, a cylindrical other end side communication hole 162 communicating with the internal space 51 of the first arm portion 36 is formed, and protrudes outward. A cylindrical protrusion 163 is formed. The axis of the other end communication hole 162 is parallel to the axis of the one end communication hole 52 of the first arm portion 36. The inner hole 164 of the protruding portion 163 is coaxial with the other end side communication hole 162, and communicates with the internal space 51 of the first arm portion 36 via the other end side communication hole 162.

  A cylindrical one end side communication hole 165 communicating with the internal space 54 of the second arm part 37 is formed in a portion near one end part 37 a in the extending direction of the second arm part 37. The axis of the one end communication hole 165 extends in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the second arm portion 37 extends.

  The protruding portion 163 of the first arm portion 36 is gently inserted coaxially into the one end side communication hole 165 of the second arm portion 37, whereby the first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are connected to the second pivot axis L12. They are pivotally connected to one another about the other. Each axis of the one end side communication hole 165 and the protruding portion 163 forms a common straight line with the second turning axis L12. Bearing means is interposed between the protruding part 163 of the first arm part 36 and the formation part 165a of the one end side communication hole 165 of the second arm part 37, whereby the second arm part 37 with respect to the first arm part 36 is provided. Can be turned smoothly.

  The second motor 76 has a fixed portion 78 fixed to the second arm portion 37, and the rotating portion 79 rotates about the rotation axis L <b> 22 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the second arm portion 37 with respect to the fixed portion 78. I do. The second power transmission unit 77 is interposed between the second motor 76 and the first arm unit 36, and transmits the power of the second motor 76 from the rotating unit 79 of the second motor 76 to the first arm unit 36. . The second turning drive unit 166 includes the second motor 76 and the second power transmission unit 77. The first and second arm portions 36 and 37 are driven to turn relatively to each other by such second turning drive means 166.

  The second motor 76 and the second power transmission unit 77 are housed in the internal space 54 of the second arm unit 37. Also in this case, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, it is possible to prevent the cleanliness around the substrate transfer robot 161 from decreasing.

  According to the present embodiment, the second motor 76 is arranged such that the rotating portion 79 rotates around the rotation axis L22 substantially parallel to the extending direction of the second arm portion 37. In order to secure the arrangement space of 76, it is not necessary to project a part of the second arm portion 37 in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the size of the second arm portion 37 from being increased, and thereby to prevent interference between the second arm portion 37 and an external object.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, since the second motor 76 is provided on the second arm portion 37, compared with the case where the second motor 76 is provided on the base 34, the second motor 76 is provided at the joint between the first and second arm portions 36 and 37. The distance to the second motor 76 is reduced. Therefore, the configuration of the second power transmission unit 77 can be simplified, and accumulation of errors in the second power transmission unit 77 can be prevented. Thus, similarly to the first embodiment, the positioning accuracy of the distal end portion 33b of the robot arm 33 can be improved, and the positioning accuracy of the robot hand 35 can be improved. Further, the hysteresis can be reduced.

  FIG. 8 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a substrate transfer robot 171 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 171 as viewed from above in FIG. Since the substrate transfer robot 171 of the present embodiment is similar to the substrate transfer robot 31 of the above-described first embodiment, corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only different points will be described.

  A cylindrical communication hole 172 communicating with the internal space 51 of the first arm portion 36 is formed in a portion near one end 36a in the extending direction of the first arm portion 36, and a cylindrical shape protruding outward. Is formed. The axis of the one end side communication hole 172 is perpendicular to the extending direction of the first arm portion 36. The inner hole 174 of the protruding portion 173 is coaxial with the one end communication hole 172 and communicates with the internal space 51 of the first arm portion 36 via the one end communication hole 172.

  A cylindrical communication hole 176 communicating with the inner hole 175 of the movable portion 47 is formed in the upper portion of the movable portion 47 which is the upper portion 34 a of the base 34. The communication hole 176 is coaxial with the inner hole 175 of the movable portion 47. The communication hole 176 faces upward and is opened.

  The projecting portion 173 of the first arm portion 36 is gently inserted coaxially into the communication hole 176 of the movable portion 47, whereby the base 34 and the first arm portion 36 are relatively positioned around the first pivot axis L11. To be pivotally connected to. Each axis of the communication hole 176 and the projecting portion 173 forms a common straight line with the first turning axis L11. Bearing means is interposed between the protruding portion 173 of the first arm portion 36 and the formation portion 176a of the communication hole 176 of the movable portion 47, thereby smoothing the turning of the first arm portion 36 with respect to the base 34. be able to.

  The fixed portion 73 of the first motor 71 is fixed to the movable portion 47 of the base 34, and the rotating portion 74 rotates around the rotating axis L21 parallel to the first turning axis L11 with respect to the fixed portion 73. The first power transmission section 72 is interposed between the first motor 71 and the first arm section 36, and transmits the power of the first motor 71 from the rotating section 74 of the first motor 71 to the first arm section 36. . The first turning drive unit 177 includes the first motor 71 and the first power transmission unit 72. The base 34 and the first arm portion 36 are driven to turn relatively to each other by such first turning drive means 177.

  The first motor 71 and the first power transmission section 72 are housed in the inner hole 175 of the movable section 47 of the base 34. Also in this case, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent the cleanliness around the substrate transfer robot 171 from being reduced.

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a simplified configuration of a substrate transfer robot 181 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the substrate transfer robot 181 as viewed from above in FIG. Since the substrate transfer robot 181 of the present embodiment is similar to the substrate transfer robot 31 of the above-described first to third embodiments, corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only different points will be described.

  The substrate transfer robot 181 of the present embodiment has basically the same configuration as the above-described substrate transfer robot 31 of the first embodiment, and the joint between the first and second arm portions 36 and 37 is described above. Has the same configuration as that of the substrate transfer robot 161 of the second embodiment, and the joint between the base 34 and the first arm portion 36 has the same configuration as that of the above-described substrate transfer robot 171 of the third embodiment.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a second power transmission unit 186 in a substrate transfer robot according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12, the configuration of the second power transmission unit 186 is shown in a simplified manner in order to prevent complication. Since the substrate transfer robot of the present embodiment is similar to the above-described substrate transfer robot 31 of the first embodiment, corresponding portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and only different points will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the second gear 92 and the intermediate gear 93b meshing with the second gear 92 among the intermediate gears 93 are realized by bevel gears. Also in this embodiment, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, the power of the second motor 76 can be transmitted from the rotating portion 79 of the second motor 76 to the projecting portion 56 of the second arm portion 37. .

  In the present embodiment, the second gear 92 and the intermediate gear 93b meshing with the second gear 92 among the respective intermediate gears 93 are realized by bevel gears. The two intermediate gears meshing with each other may be realized by bevel gears. Also in this case, the power of the second motor 76 can be transmitted from the rotating portion 79 of the second motor 76 to the projecting portion 56 of the second arm portion 37.

  Each of the above embodiments is merely an example of the present invention, and the configuration can be changed within the scope of the present invention. For example, the robot arm 33 may be configured by a plurality of arm units, and thus the number of arm units is not limited to two, and may be three or more. In this case, the two arm portions connected to each other are provided so as to be able to turn relatively to each other, and the turning drive means is provided for each joint between the two arm portions connected to each other.

  In the second power transmission unit 77, two of the plurality of gears 91 to 93 that mesh with each other may be realized by a worm gear instead of a bevel gear.

  The second power transmission unit 77 may transmit the power of the second motor 76 from the rotation unit 79 of the second motor 76 to the protrusion 56 of the second arm unit 37 via a belt. In this case, the rotation of the rotation portion 79 of the second motor 76 around the rotation axis L22 or the rotation axis parallel to the rotation axis L22 by the belt is used to rotate the second rotation axis L12 or the rotation axis parallel to the second rotation axis L12. You may comprise so that it may convert into rotation around.

  The second arm unit 37 may be provided with a plurality of robot hands. In this case, the number of wafers 32 that can be transferred at one time can be increased, and work efficiency can be improved. Each robot hand is provided so as to be able to turn relatively to the second arm unit 37. Another turning drive means is provided for each robot hand, and each robot hand is individually turned by each other turning drive means. Each robot hand is provided shifted in the vertical direction Z, thereby preventing each robot hand from interfering with each other even if each robot hand is individually driven to turn.

  The substrate transfer robot can also be used for substrate processing equipment for processing substrates other than the wafer 32. The substrate transfer robot transports the substrate from the substrate storage container to the substrate processing apparatus via the prepared space where the atmospheric gas is adjusted, and transfers the substrate from the substrate processing apparatus to the substrate storage container via the preparation space. Transport the substrate. The substrate may be a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal display device or the like. The substrate transfer robot is suitably used in a clean room.

  In the present invention, “substantially parallel” includes parallel.

31, 161, 171, 181 Substrate transfer robot 33 Semiconductor wafer 34 Base 35 Robot hand 36 First arm unit 37 Second arm unit 41,177 First turning drive unit 42,166 Second turning drive unit 43 Third turning drive Means 71 First motor 72 First power transmission unit 76 Second motor 77,186 Second power transmission unit 81 Third motor 82 Third power transmission unit

Claims (2)

A substrate transfer device,
A front wall and a rear wall arranged at intervals in a first direction;
Including a substrate transfer robot disposed between the front wall and the back wall,
The front wall is formed with four openings for transporting the substrate to the hoop,
The back wall has at least one opening formed therein,
The substrate transfer robot,
A base on which the first turning axis is set;
A first arm unit connected to the base, capable of turning around the first turning axis, and having a second turning axis parallel to the first turning axis;
A second arm unit connected to the first arm unit, capable of turning around the second turning axis, and having a third turning axis parallel to the second turning axis;
A robot hand that is connected to the second arm unit, can rotate around the third rotation axis, and grips a substrate;
Driving means for driving the first arm portion, the second arm portion, and the robot hand,
The substrate transfer robot is disposed near the rear wall,
A distance between the front wall and the rear wall is substantially equal to a length of the first arm portion in a longitudinal direction,
When the longitudinal direction of the first arm portion and the longitudinal direction of the second arm portion are matched when viewed from above, the first pivot axis and the third pivot axis match,
When the longitudinal direction of the first arm portion, the longitudinal direction of the second arm portion, and the longitudinal direction of the robot hand holding the substrate are aligned with each other when viewed from above, the position of the tip portion of the first arm portion And the position of the tip portion of the substrate held by the robot hand is substantially the same when viewed from above,
Substrate transfer device.   2. An aligner is disposed outside the outermost one of the four openings with respect to the second direction when a direction orthogonal to the first direction and the vertical direction is defined as a second direction. The substrate transfer device according to any one of the preceding claims.

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