Substrate conveying apparatus

A substrate conveying apparatus comprising:

• a substrate grasping hand;
• a first holding member provided at a tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to hold substrates;
• a second holding member provided at a base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to hold the substrates;
• a first camera provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and arranged such that a photographing direction of the first camera is directed in a second direction that is a direction from the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand toward the tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand;
• and
• a controller, wherein:
• a thickness direction of the substrate is defined as a first direction;
• a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction;
• the first holding member includes a plurality of first jaw portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction;
• the second holding member includes a plurality of second jaw portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction;
• the substrate conveying apparatus is configured to hold the plurality of substrates by the plurality of first jaw portions and the plurality of second jaw portions;
• the first camera takes an image of the plurality of substrates held by the plurality of first jaw portions and the plurality of second jaw portions and outputs a taken video image information piece to the controller;
• and
• the controller determines based on a first video image information piece whether or not the substrates are normally held, the first video image information piece being the video image information piece input from the first camera.

A method of operating a substrate conveying apparatus configured to convey substrates,

• the substrate conveying apparatus comprising:
• a substrate grasping hand;
• a first holding member provided at a tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to hold the substrates;
• a second holding member provided at a base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to hold the substrates;
• and
• a first sensor provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to emit light or ultrasound to detect the substrates, wherein:
• a thickness direction of the substrate is defined as a first direction;
• a direction from the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand toward the tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand is defined as a second direction;
• a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction;
• the first holding member includes a plurality of first jaw portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction;
• the second holding member includes a plurality of second jaw portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction;
• and
• the substrate conveying apparatus is configured to hold the plurality of substrates by the plurality of first jaw portions and the plurality of second jaw portions,
• the method comprising:
• (A) making the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward the second direction;
• and
• (B) making the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward spaces each between the adjacent substrates and determining whether or not the substrates are normally held.

A method of operating a substrate conveying apparatus configured to convey substrates,

• the substrate conveying apparatus comprising:
• a substrate grasping hand;
• a first holding member provided at a tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to hold the substrates;
• a second holding member provided at a base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to hold the substrates;
• and
• a first camera provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and arranged such that a photographing direction of the first camera is directed in a second direction that is a direction from the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand toward the tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand, wherein:
• a thickness direction of the substrate is defined as a first direction;
• a direction perpendicular to both the first direction and the second direction is defined as a third direction;
• the first holding member includes a plurality of first jaw portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction;
• the second holding member includes a plurality of second jaw portions arranged at predetermined intervals along the first direction;
• and
• the substrate conveying apparatus is configured to hold the plurality of substrates by the plurality of first jaw portions and the plurality of second jaw portions,
• the method comprising:
• (E) making the first camera take an image of the plurality of substrates held by the plurality of first jaw portions and the plurality of second jaw portions;
• and
• (F) determining based on a first video image information piece whether or not the substrates are normally held, the first video image information piece being a video image information piece taken by the first camera.