CN116476102A - Robotic Arm Carrier with Embedded Sensors - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a mechanical arm carrying device with an embedded sensor, which comprises: a body with a first accommodation space inside; a sensing unit arranged in the first accommodation space of the body for sensing the vibration degree of the body; a cover arranged on the top surface of the first accommodation space of the body so that the sensing unit is located between the body and the cover; , the sensing unit is located within the scope of the working space, and generates a corresponding vibration signal after detecting the vibration of the main body, and transmits it to a digital device. The invention solves how to sense the vibration degree of the bearing device of the mechanical arm more sensitively and directly in a small working space, and prevents the possibility that the sensing unit pollutes the environment or is polluted by the environment.

Description

Robotic Arm Carrier with Embedded Sensors

technical field

The invention relates to a mechanical arm, in particular to a mechanical arm carrying device with an embedded sensor.

Background technique

In the field of semiconductors, since operations involving wafers require precise and error-free operations, it is common for the industry to use robotic arms controlled by computers to carry out wafer handling operations during the manufacturing process. Although the robotic arm is controlled by a computer, sometimes unexpected situations will cause the robotic arm to make abnormal movements such as vibration or yaw. These abnormal movements will affect the accuracy of wafer handling, ranging from affecting the wafer being transported, to severe cases even affecting the wafers in the entire process. Therefore, in order to ensure the accuracy of the robotic arm, the industry will install sensors that can sense vibration or displacement on the robotic arm to sense whether the robotic arm maintains a normal position at any time. Once the abnormal vibration or displacement produces a deviation, the sensor will generate a signal and transmit it to the host, which will then alert the engineer or control the problem of the software robotic arm, reducing the uncertain factors in the wafer manufacturing process.

In the past, the technology of installing sensors on the robotic arm has been related to research and development. For example, a device stability monitoring system is a detection device installed on the surface of a robotic arm to monitor the vibration and level of the robotic arm in real time, and then send an alarm message through an alarm module when it exceeds the range; another sensing device and sensing system includes a sensing device installed on the body of the robotic arm, the base or the surface near the motor, using the vibration signal of the sensing device to determine whether there is an abnormality in the machine or the machine; And the device for pump abnormality, including a plurality of sensors installed on the surface of the linkage mechanism of the robotic arm, collects the displacement or vibration information of the robotic arm and compares it with the database to see if there is any abnormal signal, and sends back to the host for early warning when the abnormal signal is sent.

However, the aforementioned sensing devices for the robotic arm are all installed on the surface of the robotic arm, so several problems may be encountered: first, the working space between the wafers becomes smaller as the size of the wafer shrinks. For example, the working space of a 12-inch wafer is about 10mm, and the working space of a 6-inch wafer is only about 4.6mm. Therefore, the robot arm cannot accommodate a sensor with a certain thickness on its surface in such a small working space; The arm bumps into the wafer; furthermore, the sensor exposed on the surface of the robot arm may be affected by pollutants (chemical, dust, static electricity, etc.) generated during the process and interfere with the judgment of the signal. The sensor itself may also generate pollutants during operation and pollute the process environment of the wafer. Therefore, how to install the sensor within the contact range between the robot arm and the wafer without affecting the operation of the robot arm in a very small working space without polluting the environment is an urgent problem to be solved by operators in related fields.

Contents of the invention

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a mechanical arm bearing device with an embedded sensor, which can improve the vibration sensing sensitivity and accuracy without affecting the thickness of the mechanical arm bearing device.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the invention, the present invention provides a mechanical arm bearing device with embedded sensors, which includes: a body with a first accommodating space inside; a sensing unit disposed in the first accommodating space of the main body, the sensing unit is used to sense the vibration degree of the main body; and a cover, arranged on the top surface of the first accommodating space of the main body, so that the sensing unit is located between the main body and the cover; When the main body is driven into a working space for operation, the sensing unit is located within the range of the working space, and after detecting the vibration of the main body, a corresponding vibration signal is generated and transmitted to a digital device.

In one embodiment, the body further has a second accommodating space connected to the first accommodating space; a transmission line is accommodated in the second accommodating space of the groove, and one end thereof is electrically connected to the sensing unit.

In one embodiment, the body further has a third accommodating space, which communicates with the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space, so that the top surfaces of the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space are connected to the third accommodating space; the cover is accommodated in the third accommodating space of the main body.

In one embodiment, the body is further provided with a plurality of through holes penetrating through the third accommodating space; the cover is further provided with a plurality of lock holes corresponding to the through holes, so that the cover can be locked to the body through a plurality of locking pieces pierced through the through holes and the lock holes.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the sensing unit is less than or equal to the thickness of the body.

In one embodiment, the thickness of the body does not exceed 3 mm.

In one embodiment, it further includes a plurality of anti-slip parts disposed on the top surface of the body, and the anti-slip parts are separated from each other to increase the friction force of the body.

In one embodiment, the anti-slip parts are two suction cups; the body further has an air flow channel, two ends of which are respectively connected to the two suction cups, and the other end is connected to a suction unit.

In one embodiment, the cover covers both the first accommodating space and the airflow channel.

In one embodiment, the body is fork-shaped and has a handle and two forks, the two forks extend from one end of the handle, and the two forks are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; the two anti-slip parts are respectively provided on the two forks.

Beneficial effects of the present invention: the effect produced by the above technical means is to solve the problem of how to more sensitively and directly sense the vibration degree of the bearing device of the mechanical arm in a small working space, and prevent the sensing unit from polluting the environment or the possibility of being polluted by the environment.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the situation when wafers are being transported.

FIG. 4 is a schematic top view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing that the sensing unit is within the range of the wafer.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention with the cover removed.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention with the cover added.

1 wafer

2 working spaces

3 digital device

10 body

12 handles

14 forks

15 The first storage space

16 Second storage space

17 The third storage space

18 perforations

19 non-slip parts

20 sensing units

22 transmission lines

30 caps

32 keyholes

34 locks

40 airflow channels

42 extraction unit

401 first end

402 second end

Detailed ways

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors provided by the first preferred embodiment of the present invention mainly includes: a main body 10 , a sensing unit 20 and a cover 30 .

The main body 10 is a carrying device of a robot arm for carrying and transporting the wafer 1 . In this embodiment, the body 10 is a tooth fork with a thickness not exceeding 3 mm. Its shape is generally fork-shaped, and has a handle 12 and a two-fork 14 integrally formed. The width of the handle 12 gradually widens from the center toward one end, the two forks 14 extend away from the handle 12 from opposite sides of the wider end of the handle 12, and the two forks 14 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. The body 10 has a first accommodating space 15, a second accommodating space 16 and a third accommodating space 17. The first accommodating space 15 is roughly circular and is located at the wider end of the handle 12; It is connected to the bottom surface of the third accommodating space 17 , and the depth of the third accommodating space 17 is smaller than the depths of the first accommodating space 15 and the second accommodating space 16 . The main body 10 defines a plurality of through holes 18 passing through the third accommodating space 17 . The main body 10 further has a plurality of non-slip elements 19 disposed on the surface of the main body 10 to provide frictional force to prevent the wafer from sliding relative to the main body 10 during the process of transporting the wafer. In this embodiment, the anti-slip members 19 are a plurality of roughly circular anti-slip pads, which are provided at the end of the body 10 . Specifically, two of the anti-slip pads are respectively provided at one end of the bifurcated portion 14 , and the other is provided near the wider end of the handle 12 .

The sensing unit 20 is an extremely thin electronic component embedded in the body 10 . Specifically, the sensing unit 20 is accommodated in the first accommodating space 15, and in this embodiment, the thickness of the sensing unit 20 is less than or equal to the depth of the first accommodating space 15, so when the sensing unit 20 is accommodated in the first accommodating space 15, the height of the sensing unit 20 does not exceed the height of the body 10, so that the thickness of the body 10 can maintain the original thickness. In this embodiment, the sensing unit 20 is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer, which is used to sense the vibration generated by the displacement of the body 10 during the wafer transfer process, and generate a vibration signal. When the vibration signal is generated, the sensing unit 20 transmits the vibration signal to a digital device (not shown in the figure) such as a computer for data analysis and processing through wired or wireless means. In this embodiment, a transmission line 22 is accommodated in the second accommodation space 16 , and its thickness does not exceed the depth of the second accommodation space 16 . One end of the transmission line 22 is electrically connected to the sensing unit 20, and the other end is connected to the digital device for transmitting the vibration signal generated from the sensing unit 20 to the digital device. In other embodiments, the sensing unit can also be combined with a wireless transmission device such as bluetooth or far infrared to transmit the vibration signal to the digital device.

The cover 30 is a sheet disposed on the surface of the body 10 corresponding to the third accommodating space 17 . In this embodiment, the cover 30 is made of aluminum sheet. Its appearance corresponds to the appearance of the third accommodating space 17, so that it can be fixed in the third accommodating space 17 in a detachable manner, so as to completely close the first accommodating space 15 and the second accommodating space 16, and isolate the sensing unit 20 in the first accommodating space 15 and the transmission line 22 in the second accommodating space 16 from the outside world. Regarding the fixing method of the cover 30 and the third accommodating space 17, in this embodiment, the cover 30 has a plurality of lock holes 32 corresponding to the through holes 18 of the body 10, so that the cover 30 can pass through the lock holes 32 and the through holes 18 through a plurality of locking members 34 and be locked in the third accommodating space 17 of the body 10. In another embodiment, the cover 30 can be fixed to the third accommodating space 17 of the body 10 by welding, tenon or other equivalent fixing methods.

The present invention, formed by combining the structures of the above components, provides a mechanical arm carrying device with embedded sensors. Its practical application is as follows:

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , since the sensing unit 20 is embedded in the body 10 , it does not affect the actual thickness of the body 10 . When the main body 10 extends into a working space 2 between two wafers 1 and the wafers 1 are to be transported, the sensing unit 20 can then enter into the range of the wafer 1 to be transported. Thereby, when the main body 10 vibrates, the sensing unit 20 generates a corresponding vibration signal immediately, and transmits it to a digital device 3 through the transmission line 22 for processing, and analyzes and compares the data of the main body 10 through the program software in the digital device 3 and the database to determine whether the main body 10 is in an abnormal state. By virtue of the embedded design of the sensing unit 20, the thickness of the main body 10 can be maintained at a certain size (not more than 3mm), so that it can work in a narrow working space (such as the working space of the wafer in FIG. security.

5 and 6, the second preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors, its structure is similar to that of the first preferred embodiment, but the non-slip member 19 of the body 10 is replaced by a plurality of suction cups. The suction cups are generally hollow, and two of them are respectively disposed at one end of the bifurcated portion 14 of the body 10 ; the other is disposed at the wider end of the handle 12 . Wherein, the main body 10 is further provided with an air flow passage 40, which has a plurality of open first ends 401 and a second end 402; In addition, in this embodiment, the third accommodating space 17 is further connected to the airflow channel 40 , so that the airflow channel 40 is connected to the bottom surface of the third accommodating space 17 . The outer shape of the cover 30 corresponds to the outer shape of the third accommodating space 17, so while covering the sensing unit 20 and the transmission line 22, it can cover the airflow passage 40, preventing external pollutants from entering the airflow passage 40, and preventing the pollutants in the airflow passage 40 from polluting the working environment outside.

This embodiment provides another method for fixing the wafer. The air in the airflow channel 40 is sucked out through the air pumping unit 42 , and then the suction cups generate a suction force to absorb the wafer for easy handling. It should be added that, in another embodiment, the non-slip pad of the first preferred embodiment and the suction cup of the second preferred embodiment can be installed on the main body 10 at the same time, so as to increase the stability of the main body 10 for fixing the wafer.

It should be added that the body 10 of the present invention is not limited to the fork-shaped appearance described in this embodiment, and can also be applied to square, oval, or even other geometric or irregular shapes.

It should be added that the present invention is not limited to the fact that the body 10 and the cover 30 described in this embodiment are in two pieces and the sensing unit 20 is sandwiched between them. In other embodiments, the body and the cover can also be integrally formed (such as injection molding) to sandwich the sensing unit inside.

In summary, the robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors provided by the present invention, through the first accommodating space 15 disposed inside the main body 10 and the sensing unit 20 embedded in the first accommodating space 15, the sensing unit 20 can be placed within the range of the wafer without changing the original thickness of the main body 10, thereby generating more sensitive and direct vibration signals; the design of the cover 30 also solves the problem that the sensing unit 20 is polluted by the environment or The problem of polluting the environment improves the accuracy of the sensing unit 20 and maintains a clean working environment; the main body 10 can also stably carry and transport wafers through the anti-slip member 19 . Therefore, the present invention effectively solves how to sense the vibration degree of the bearing device of the mechanical arm more sensitively and accurately in a small working space, and prevents the sensing unit from polluting the environment or being polluted by the environment.

The above-mentioned embodiments are only illustrative to illustrate the technology and effects of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person familiar with this technology can modify and change the above-mentioned embodiments without violating the technical principle and spirit of the present invention, so the protection scope of the present invention should be as the scope of patent application described later.

Claims (10)

1. A mechanical arm carrying device with an embedded sensor, characterized in that: comprising: a body with a first accommodating space inside; a sensing unit is arranged in the first accommodating space of the main body, and the sensing unit is used for sensing the vibration degree of the main body; and A cover is arranged on the top surface of the first accommodating space of the main body, so that the sensing unit is located between the main body and the cover; the cover is used to prevent the sensing unit from contacting the outside world; Thus, when the main body is driven into a working space for operation, the sensing unit is located within the range of the working space, and after detecting the vibration of the main body, a corresponding vibration signal is generated and transmitted to a digital device. 2. The robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors according to claim 1, wherein the body further has a second accommodating space connected to the first accommodating space; a transmission line is accommodated in the second accommodating space of the groove, and one end thereof is electrically connected to the sensing unit. 3. The robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors according to claim 2, wherein the body further has a third accommodating space, which communicates with the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space, so that the top surfaces of the first accommodating space and the second accommodating space are connected to the third accommodating space; the cover is accommodated in the third accommodating space of the main body. 4. The robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the body is further provided with a plurality of through holes penetrating through the third accommodating space; the cover is further provided with a plurality of lock holes corresponding to the through holes, so that the cover can be penetrated through the plurality of through holes and the plurality of lock holes through a plurality of locking pieces to be locked on the body. 5 . The robotic arm supporting device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the sensing unit is less than or equal to the thickness of the main body. 6 . 6. The robotic arm supporting device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the main body is no more than 3mm. 7. The robotic arm supporting device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of anti-slip parts arranged on the top surface of the body, the plurality of anti-slip parts are separated from each other to increase the friction of the body. 8. The robotic arm supporting device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the anti-slip parts are two suction cups; the body further has an airflow channel, two ends of which are respectively connected to the two suction cups, and the other end is connected to a suction unit. 9 . The robotic arm carrying device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the cover covers both the first accommodating space and the airflow passage. 10 . 10. The mechanical arm carrying device with embedded sensors as claimed in claim 7, wherein the main body is fork-shaped, has a handle and a two-fork, the two-fork extends from one end of the handle, and the two-fork is spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance; two anti-slip parts are respectively arranged on the two-fork.