Transfer robot and inspection method for thin substrate

• US 20040034976A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki
• Inventors: Sanemasa, Hiroki, Hino, Kazunori, Wakizako, Hitoshi, Shiraishi, Kazunari, Motonaga, Ken-ichi, Sagasaki, Yukito
• Granted Patent: US 7,008,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/25.01
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 18/04 rotatable
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/02 Controlled or contamination-free environments or clean space conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/067 Sheet handling, means, e.g. manipulators, devices for turning or tilting sheet glass suction cups B65G49/061; combined with vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; stacking and destacking B65G49/068
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67265 of substrates stored in a container, a magazine, a carrier, a boat or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/136 including wafer orienting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/137 including means for charging or discharging wafer cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/138 Wafers positioned vertically within cassette
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting

Abstract

A transfer robot (5) for thin substrate capable of efficiently detecting the stored state of thin substrates and an inspection method for thin substrate capable of accurately detecting the stored state of thin substrates; the robot (5), comprising an inspection camera (1) for detecting the stored state of the thin substrates (3) in a storage cassette (2), wherein the plurality of thin substrates (3) stored in the storage cassette (2) are carried out from the storage cassette (2) by the robot.

Claims

1. A thin-substrate transfer robot that carries out a plurality of thin substrates stored in a storage cassette from the storage cassette, wherein a camera is attached to the thin-substrate transfer robot for detecting a stored state of the thin substrates in the storage cassette.

2. A thin-substrate transfer robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein the camera is attached to an arm of the thin-substrate transfer robot.

3. A thin-substrate transfer robot as set forth in claim 1, wherein the camera is attached to a body of the thin-substrate transfer robot.

4. A thin-substrate transfer robot as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein the camera is attached so that an optical axis of the camera is directed toward a center of the thin substrates when the thin-substrate transfer robot assumes a posture in which the thin substrates are extracted from the storage cassette.

5. A thin-substrate transfer robot as set forth in any one of claims 1 through 4, wherein the camera is attached to the thin-substrate transfer robot through a pedestal that can freely adjust and fix a direction of the optical axis of the camera.

6. A thin-substrate transfer robot as set forth in claim 1 is a horizontal articulated robot, and the thin-substrate transfer robot comprising;

a first arm that is attached to the body and freely turns in a horizontal plane, a second arm that is attached to a tip of the first arm and freely turns in a horizontal plane, and a fork that is attached to a tip of the second arm and freely turns in a horizontal plane, wherein the camera is housed in the vicinity of a pivot of the first arm.

7. A thin-substrate inspection method for detecting a stored state of a plurality of thin substrates stored in a storage cassette by use of a camera, wherein the camera is disposed on a thin-substrate transfer robot that transfers the thin substrates, and an image of all of the thin substrates in the storage cassette is picked up by the camera by moving the thin-substrate transfer robot in a vertical direction, thereby detecting a state of the thin substrates.

8. A thin-substrate inspection method for detecting a stored state of a plurality of thin substrates stored in a storage cassette provided with a door by use of a camera, wherein the camera is disposed on a thin-substrate transfer robot that transfers the thin substrates, and an image of all of the thin substrates in the storage cassette is picked up by the camera while moving the thin-substrate transfer robot in a vertical direction synchronously with a driving device for opening the door of the storage cassette, thereby detecting a state of the thin substrates.