Robot for handling

Details Robot for handling Robot for handling

1998-09-10

2002-04-02

Morse, Gregory A. (Department: 2167)

Material or article handling

Horizontally swinging load support

C414S744500, C414S935000, C414S222010

Reexamination Certificate

active

06364599

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a handling robot in a multiple chamber type manufacturing system such as a semiconductor manufacturing system and an LCD manufacturing system, in which a plurality of process chambers are disposed around a single transfer chamber to constitute a like plurality of stations, and in which a workpiece in the form of a thin plate such as a wafer that is to be machined and processed in each of the process chambers is conveyed by the handling robot that is arranged in the transfer chamber, via the transfer chamber from one of the process chambers to another.
BACKGROUND ART
A multiple chamber type semiconductor manufacturing system is constructed as shown in
FIG. 1
of the drawings attached hereto and has a plurality of process chamber stations
2
a,
2
b,
2
c,
2
d
and
2
e
disposed around a transfer chamber
1
and also has arranged therein a pair of workpiece delivery stations
3
by each of which the workpiece is delivered to an outside thereof, and in which the space within the transfer chamber
1
is kept in an evacuated state by a suction unit.
And, the above mentioned transfer chamber
1
is constructed as shown in
FIG. 2
of the drawings attached hereto and has a handling robot A provided at a central region thereof so as to be rotatable. It is also provided with a plurality of partition walls
5
that serve as the peripheral walls thereof with each wall opposing to each of the process chamber stations
2
a,
2
b,
2
c,
2
d
and
2
e
and the workpiece delivery stations
3
and in which there are also provided a plurality of gates
6
each of which constitutes both an inlet and an outlet for the workpiece to be fed into and out of each of the stations. Each such gate
6
is configured so as to be opened and closed by an opening and closing door (not shown) that is disposed in opposition to each of the gates
6
in the transfer chamber
1
.
As a conventional handling robot of this sort that has been used with a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, there has hitherto been known a handling robot A of so called flog leg type with a pair of arms as shown in
FIGS. 3
to
11
of the drawings attached hereto and a handling robot A′ (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 7-227777) of identically directed operating type as shown in
FIGS. 12
to
13
B of the drawings attached hereto.
The above mentioned handling robot A of flog leg type with a pair of arms in the prior art is constructed as shown in
FIGS. 3
to
6
B.
In this construction, a boss section B is provided with the pair of arms, designated at
7
a
and 7
b,
of an identical length, which are arranged so as to be rotatable about a center of rotation. On the other hand, there are provided a pair of transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
that have their respective bases, to each of which is connected one end of each of a pair of links
9
a
and
9
b
of an identical length, respectively. The one end of each of the both links
9
a
and
9
b
is coupled via a flog leg type transfer table attitude regulating mechanism to each of the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b,
respectively, so that the two links
9
a
and
9
b
may be rotated in a pair of mutually opposite directions which are completely symmetrical with respect to the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b.
And, one of the pair of links
9
a
and
9
b
which are coupled to the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
is pivotally coupled to one of the pair of arms
7
a
and
7
b
whereas the other of the links
9
a
and
9
b
is pivotally coupled to the other of the arms
7
a
and
7
b,
respectively.
FIGS. 4A and 4B
in the drawings attached hereto show the transfer table attitude regulating mechanism of the above mentioned flog leg type, in which the respective forward end portions of the links
9
a
and
9
b
in the pair which are coupled to the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
are coupled together in an interlocking configuration that, as shown in
FIG. 4A
of the drawings attached hereto, comprises a pair of gears
9
c
and
9
c
which mesh with each other so that the angles of attitude &thgr;
R
and &thgr;
L
of the links
9
a
and
9
b
with respect to the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
may always be identical to each other. This allows each of the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
to be always oriented in a radial direction and operated in the radial direction when each of the arms
7
a
and
7
b
is rotated. It should be noted, however, that the above mentioned interlocking configuration for the links
9
a
and
9
b
may make use of a crossed belting arrangement
9
d
as shown in
FIG. 4B
of the drawings attached hereto, in lieu of the above mentioned gear arrangement.
FIG. 5
of the drawings attached hereto shows a mechanism for permitting the above mentioned arms
7
a
and
7
b
to be rotated independently each other. The respective bases of the arms
7
a
and
7
b
are each configured in the form of a ring shaped boss and such ring shaped bosses
10
a
and
10
b
are configured so as to be coaxial about the center of rotation and to be rotatably supported with respect to the transfer chamber
1
.
On the other hand, the ring shaped bosses
10
a
and
10
b
have a pair of disk shaped bosses
11
a
and
11
b
disposed therein, respectively, wherein the ring shaped boss
10
a,
10
b
and the disk shaped boss
11
a,
11
b
corresponding thereto are arranged so as to be coaxial with each other. Each pair of a ring shaped boss
10
a,
10
b
and a disk shaped boss
11
a,
11
b
corresponding thereto are magnetically coupled with a corresponding one of magnetic couplings
12
a
and
12
b,
respectively.
The above mentioned pair of the disk shaped bosses
11
a
and
11
b
have their respective rotary shafts
13
a
and
13
b
which are arranged so as to be coaxial with each other. The rotary shafts
13
a
and
13
b
are coupled to the output sections of a pair of motor units
14
a
and
14
b,
respectively, which are coaxial with the frame la of the transfer chamber
1
and are supported with their positions deviated in their axial direction.
The above mentioned motor units
14
a
and
14
b
have each integrally coupled thereto a motor
15
which comprises, for example, an AC servo motor and a speed reduction gear
16
with a large speed reduction ratio which comprises, for example, a Harmonic Drive (trade name, identically referred to hereinafter). Such reduction gears
16
and
16
have their output sections which are coupled to the respective bases of the rotary shafts
13
a
and
13
b,
respectively. And, since the space within the transfer chamber
1
in which the arms
7
a
and
7
b
are positioned is held in an evacuated state, there is provided a sealing partition
17
each between the ring shaped boss
10
a
and the disk shaped boss
11
a
and between the ring shaped boss
10
b
and the disk shaped boss
11
b
of the present arm rotary mechanism.
FIGS. 6A and 6B
show an operation of the above mentioned handling robot A. As shown in
FIG. 6A
, when the two arms
7
a
and
7
b
are located at a pair of diametrically symmetrical positions, respectively, with respect to the center of rotation, the links
9
a
and
9
b
will be in a state in which they assume their most expanded rotary positions with respect to each of the transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
so that the latter may both be displaced toward the center of rotation.
In this state, by rotating the two arms
7
a
and
7
b
in an identical direction, it can be seen that the two transfer tables
8
a
and
8
b
will be rotated about the center of rotation whilst maintaining the radial positions thereof. Also, by rotating the two arms
7
a
and
7
b
in the directions in which they may approach towards each other (or in the mutually opposite directions), from the state shown in
FIG. 6A
, it can be seen that one of the transfer tables
8
a
that is located at such a position that the angle made by the two arms
7
a
and
7
b
is reduced will be pushed by the links
9
a
and
9
b
so as to be operatively projected in its radially outward direction so that it may

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