Substrate transferring device and method of operating the same

Abstract

A substrate transferring device is configured to transfer a substrate while holding it. The substrate transferring device includes a hand configured to hold the substrate, a manipulator to which the hand is attached, and a substrate detector provided to the hand and configured to detect a distance to a principal surface of the substrate. Preferably, the substrate detector is provided to a tip-end part of the hand. Preferably, the substrate detector is a capacitive sensor.

1 . A substrate transferring device configured to transfer a substrate from a placing stand on which the substrate is placed, while holding the substrate, comprising:
 a hand configured to hold the substrate;   a manipulator to which the hand is attached; and   a first substrate detector provided to the hand and configured to detect a distance to a principal surface of the substrate placed on the placing stand.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 1 , wherein the first substrate detector is a capacitive sensor. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 1 , wherein the first substrate detector is provided to a tip-end part of the hand. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 1 , further comprising a second substrate detector provided to the hand at a position different from the first substrate detector in a front-and-rear direction, and configured to detect a distance to the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         5 . A substrate transferring device configured to transfer a substrate from a container in which a plurality of substrates are accommodated, while holding the substrate, comprising:
 a hand configured to hold the substrate;   a manipulator; and   a controlling device,   wherein the hand is provided at a tip-end part with a substrate detector having a first light-emitting part configured to emit light toward a principal surface of the substrate, and a first light-receiving part configured to receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate, and   wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines an occurrence of a positional deviation of the substrate based on whether the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the hand is provided at the tip-end part with a mapping device having a second light-emitting part configured to horizontally emit light, and a second light-receiving part configured to receive the light emitted from the second light-emitting part, and
 wherein the controlling device acquires, from the mapping device, positional information indicating that the second light-receiving part does not detect light emitted from the second light-emitting part as positional information on the substrate, and operates the manipulator based on the positional information on the substrate acquired from the mapping device so as to position the hand at a first distance set in advance below a lower surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         7 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate by the first light-receiving part, when the first light-emitting part emits the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the substrate is accommodated correctly, and
 wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         8 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 7 , wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate does not occur when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate by the first light-receiving part, when the first light-emitting part emits the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the substrate is accommodated correctly, and
 wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 9 , wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate does not occur when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 6 , wherein the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate by the first light-receiving part, when the principal surface of the substrate is located at a second distance smaller than the first distance, and
 wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 11 , wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate does not occur when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         13 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate detector upwardly emits the light by the first light-emitting part. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the substrate detector downwardly emits the light by the first light-emitting part. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the controlling device suspends the operation of the manipulator when the controlling device determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate transferring device of  claim 5 , wherein the controlling device operates the manipulator to cause the hand to evacuate from the container when the controlling device determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs. 
     
     
         17 . A method of operating a substrate transferring device including:
 a hand configured to hold a substrate;   a manipulator to which the hand is attached; and   a first substrate detector provided to the hand and configured to detect a distance to a principal surface of the substrate,   the method comprising the steps of:
 (A) preparing the substrate placed on a placing stand; 
 (B) detecting the distance to the principal surface of the substrate placed on the placing stand; and 
 (C) holding the substrate by the hand. 
   
     
     
         18 . The operating method of  claim 17 , wherein the (B) includes detecting the distance to the principal surface of the substrate at three or more locations,
 the operating method further comprising (D) determining whether to hold the substrate by the hand based on the distance to the principal surface of the substrate detected at the three or more locations.   
     
     
         19 . The operating method of  claim 17 , wherein the (B) includes detecting the distance to the principal surface of the substrate at three or more locations,
 the operating method further comprising (E) determining a position at which the substrate is held based on the distance to the principal surface of the substrate detected at the three or more locations.   
     
     
         20 . The operating method of  claim 17 , wherein the (B) includes changing a moving path of the hand when the distance detected by the first substrate detector is below a given lower limit, so that the distance to the principal surface of the substrate becomes larger than the given lower limit. 
     
     
         21 . The operating method of  claim 17 , wherein the first substrate detector is a capacitive sensor, and
 wherein the (B) includes determining whether a capacitance of the substrate is within a given range.   
     
     
         22 . A method of operating a substrate transferring device configured to transfer a substrate from a container in which a plurality of substrates are accommodated, while holding the substrate,
 wherein the substrate transferring device includes:
 a hand configured to hold the substrate; 
 a manipulator; and 
 a controlling device, 
   the method comprising the steps of:
 providing, at a tip-end part of the hand, a substrate detector having a first light-emitting part configured to emit light toward a principal surface of the substrate, and a first light-receiving part configured to receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate; and 
 configuring the controlling device to cause the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the manipulator being operated to enter the hand into the container, and determine an occurrence of a positional deviation of the substrate based on whether the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
   
     
     
         23 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the hand is provided at the tip-end part with a mapping device having a second light-emitting part configured to horizontally emit light, and a second light-receiving part configured to receive the light emitted from the second light-emitting part, and
 wherein the controlling device acquires, from the mapping device, positional information indicating that the second light-receiving part does not detect light emitted from the second light-emitting part as positional information on the substrate, and operates the manipulator based on the positional information on the substrate acquired from the mapping device so as to position the hand at a first distance set in advance below a lower surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         24 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate by the first light-receiving part, when the first light-emitting part emits the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the substrate is accommodated correctly, and
 wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         25 . The operating method of  claim 24 , wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate does not occur when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         26 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate by the first light-receiving part, when the first light-emitting part emits the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the substrate is accommodated correctly, and
 wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         27 . The operating method of  claim 26 , wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate does not occur when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         28 . The operating method of  claim 23 , wherein the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate by the first light-receiving part, when the principal surface of the substrate is located at a second distance smaller than the first distance, and
 wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector receives the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate.   
     
     
         29 . The operating method of  claim 28 , wherein the controlling device causes the first light-emitting part of the substrate detector to emit the light toward the principal surface of the substrate while the controlling device operates the manipulator to enter the hand into the container, and determines that the positional deviation of the substrate does not occur when the first light-receiving part of the substrate detector does not receive the light reflected on the principal surface of the substrate. 
     
     
         30 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the substrate detector upwardly emits the light by the first light-emitting part. 
     
     
         31 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the substrate detector downwardly emits the light by the first light-emitting part. 
     
     
         32 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling device suspends the operation of the manipulator when the controlling device determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs. 
     
     
         33 . The operating method of  claim 22 , wherein the controlling device operates the manipulator to cause the hand to evacuate from the container when the controlling device determines that the positional deviation of the substrate occurs.