Substrate transfer apparatus and method of measuring positional deviation of substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11335578-B2
Application number	US-202016789814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 13, 2020
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

A substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention includes: a robot including a hand configured to hold a substrate, and an arm configured to move the hand; a robot control device configured to set a moving path for the hand and control the arm such that the hand moves on the moving path toward a target position; and a camera disposed so as to be able to capture an image of the substrate held by the hand located at a predetermined confirmation position. The robot control device sets the moving path so as to pass through the confirmation position, obtains an image captured by the camera when the hand is located at the confirmation position, calculates a distance between a predetermined environment and the substrate which are taken in the image, and calculates a positional deviation amount from a reference position of the substrate on the basis of the distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate transfer apparatus comprising:
a robot including a hand configured to hold a substrate, and an arm configured to move the hand;
a processor programmed to set a moving path for the hand and control the arm such that the hand moves on the moving path toward a target position; and
a camera disposed so as to be able to capture an image of the substrate held by the hand located at a predetermined confirmation position, wherein
the processor is programmed to set the moving path so as to pass through the confirmation position, obtain an image captured by the camera when the hand is located at the confirmation position, calculate a distance between a predetermined environment and the substrate which are taken in the image, and calculate a positional deviation amount from a reference position of the substrate on the basis of the distance, wherein the environment is an opening peripheral edge of a gate, of substrate processing equipment, through which the substrate moving on the moving path passes.

2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor corrects the target position on the basis of the positional deviation amount.

3. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the hand allows positional deviation in a positional deviation direction from the reference position, and
the processor calculates the positional deviation amount from the reference position of the substrate on the basis of dimensions of a pair of gaps between the opening peripheral edge of the gate and a pair of end portions of the substrate in the positional deviation direction which are taken in the image.

4. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reference position is a position where the dimensions of the pair of gaps are equal to each other at the confirmation position.

5. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the hand allows positional deviation in a positional deviation direction from the reference position, and
the processor calculates the positional deviation amount from the reference position of the substrate on the basis of dimensions of a pair of gaps between the opening peripheral edge of the gate and a pair of end portions of the substrate in the positional deviation direction which are taken in the image.

6. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the reference position is a position where the dimensions of the pair of gaps are equal to each other at the confirmation position.

7. A method of measuring positional deviation of a substrate, the method comprising:
setting a moving path so as to pass through a predetermined confirmation position;
obtaining an image captured by a camera when a hand holding the substrate and moving on the moving path is located at the confirmation position;
calculating a distance between a predetermined environment and the substrate which are taken in the image wherein the environment is an opening peripheral edge of a gate, of substrate processing equipment, through which the substrate moving on the moving path passes; and
calculating a positional deviation amount from a reference position of the substrate on the basis of the distance.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd
• Kawasaki Robotics Usa Inc

Inventors

• Yoshida Masaya
• BHARWANI Avish Ashok
• Zeng Ming
• Jeyapalan Simon
• Nakahara Hajime

Classifications

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0606 Primary

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

• H10P72/50 Primary

  for positioning, orientation or alignment · CPC title

• H10P72/3306

  Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece · CPC title

• H10P72/53 Primary

  using optical controlling means · CPC title