Substrate transfer robot and automatic teaching method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10953539-B2
Application number	US-201816233314-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2018
Priority date	Dec 27, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

A substrate transfer robot, first and second sensors are provided in a hand such that a planar-view intersection point of optical axes is located on a center of a substrate when the hand holds the substrate in planar view, and a control device operates an arm, scans a target placed at a teaching position with the first and second sensors, and acquires the teaching position when the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate transfer robot comprising:
an arm having a degree of freedom in at least two horizontal axis directions;
a hand including a base end connected to a front end of the arm and a first front end and a second front end that are bifurcated from the base end, a substrate being able to be held on an upper surface side of the hand;
first and second sensors that emit detection light in a space between the first front end and the second front end and are arranged such that optical axes of the first and second sensors intersect each other within the space in planar view; and
a control device that controls operation of the arm and the hand,
wherein
the first and second sensors are provided in the hand such that a planar-view intersection point of the optical axes is located on a predetermined position of the substrate when the substrate is held by the hand in planar view, and
the control device
operates the arm, scans a target placed at a teaching position with the first and second sensors, and
acquires the teaching position when the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes.

2. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the first and second sensors includes a light emitting element that emits detection light in a horizontal direction and a light receiving element that receives the detection light, and
the control device determines that the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes when the light receiving element of the first sensor cannot receive the detection light and when the light receiving element of the second sensor cannot receive the detection light.

3. The substrate transfer robot according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined position of the substrate is a center position of the substrate.

4. A method of automatically teaching a teaching position to a substrate transfer robot,
the substrate transfer robot including:
an arm having a degree of freedom in at least two horizontal axis directions;
a hand including a base end connected to a front end of the arm and a first front end and a second front end that are bifurcated from the base end, a substrate being able to be held on an upper surface side of the hand;
first and second sensors that emit detection light in a space between the first front end and the second front end and are arranged such that optical axes of the first and second sensors intersect each other within the space in planar view; and
a control device that controls operation of the arm and the hand,
the first and second sensors being provided in the hand such that a planar-view intersection point of the optical axes is located on a predetermined position of the substrate when the substrate is held by the hand in planar view,

the method comprising:
a step of operating the arm, and scanning a target placed at a teaching position with the first and second sensors; and
a step of acquiring the teaching position when the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes.

5. A substrate transfer robot comprising:
an arm having a degree of freedom in at least two horizontal axis directions;
a hand including a base end connected to a front end of the arm and a first front end and a second front end that are bifurcated from the base end, a substrate being able to be held on an upper surface side of the hand;
first and second sensors that emit detection light in a space between the first front end and the second front end and are arranged such that optical axes of the first and second sensors intersect each other within the space in planar view; and
a control device that controls operation of the arm and the hand,
wherein
the first and second sensors are provided in the hand such that a planar-view intersection point of the optical axes is located on a predetermined position of the substrate when the substrate is held by the hand in planar view,
the first sensor includes a first light emitting element that emits detection light in a horizontal direction and a first light receiving element that receives the detection light, the second sensor includes a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, one of the second light emitting element and the second light receiving element being disposed on the first front end and the other of the second light emitting element and the second light receiving element being disposed on the second front end, the second light emitting element emitting the detection light in an oblique direction having a vertically upward component,
a target placed at a teaching position includes a reflector that reflects the detection light of the second sensor toward the second light receiving element when the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes, and
the control device
operates the arm, scans the target with the first and second sensors,
acquires the teaching position when the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes, and
determines that the target is located at the planar-view intersection point of the optical axes when the first light receiving element of the first sensor cannot receive the detection light but when the second light receiving element of the second sensor receives the detection light.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd
• Kawasaki Robotics Usa Inc

Inventors

• Yoshida Masaya
• Nakahara Hajime
• Tang mark

Classifications

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/0606

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title

• H10P72/53

  using optical controlling means · CPC title

• H10P72/0608

  of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like · CPC title

• H10P72/3402 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title