# US 10,864,643 B2 · Substrate conveying apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,864,643 B2 - Document ID: US10864643B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/494,506 - Filed: 2018-03-14 - Published: 2020-01-16 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-16 - Assignees: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Tetsuya Yoshida; Takayuki Fukushima; Shinya Kinoshita; Shogo Matsuoka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10864643B2 ## CPC - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - B25J 15/106: {moving in parallel relationship} - B25J 19/026: {Acoustical sensing devices} - H10P 72/0606: {Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection} - H10P 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts} - H10P 72/53: {using optical controlling means} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P 72/7606: {characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring} - H10P 72/7608: {characterised by a plurality of separate clamping members, e.g. clamping fingers} - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A substrate conveying apparatus includes: a substrate grasping hand; a first holding member provided at a tip end portion of the substrate grasping hand and including a plurality of first jaw portions; a second holding member provided at a base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and including a plurality of second jaw portions; a first sensor provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to emit light or ultrasound and detect substrates; and a controller configured to make the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward spaces each between the adjacent substrates and determine whether or not the substrates are normally held. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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 sensor provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to emit light or ultrasound to detect the substrates; and a controller, 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; 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 sensor is configured to emit the light or the ultrasound toward the second direction; and the controller makes the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward spaces each between the adjacent substrates and determines whether or not the substrates are normally held. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a regression reflector provided at the first holding member so as to be opposed to the first sensor, wherein the controller makes the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward the space between the adjacent substrates and determines based on the light or the ultrasound reflected by the regression reflector whether or not the substrates are normally placed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first drive unit configured to move the first sensor along the first direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second drive unit configured to move the first jaw portions and the second jaw portions along the first direction, wherein the controller controls the second drive unit to change intervals each between the adjacent substrates. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the intervals each between the adjacent substrates are changed, the first sensor emits the light or the ultrasound toward a space between the adjacent substrates, the space being different from the space to which the first sensor emits the light or the ultrasound before the intervals are changed. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first sensor is provided at one of the second jaw portions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: a regression reflector provided at the first holding member so as to be opposed to the first sensor is provided at a highest one of the first jaw portions; and the first sensor is provided at a highest one of the second jaw portions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: when the controller makes the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward the space between the adjacent substrates, and the first sensor detects the light or the ultrasound, the controller determines that the substrates are normally held; and when the controller makes the first sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward the space between the adjacent substrates, and the first sensor does not detect the light or the ultrasound, the controller determines that at least one of the substrates is abnormally held. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second sensor provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and configured to emit the light or the ultrasound toward the third direction to detect the substrates while moving along the first direction, wherein the controller makes the second sensor emit the light or the ultrasound at a predetermined first position and determines whether or not the substrates are normally held. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: when the controller makes the second sensor emit the light or the ultrasound at the first position, and the second sensor does not detect the light or the ultrasound, the controller determines that the substrates are normally held; and when the controller makes the second sensor emit the light or the ultrasound at the first position, and the second sensor detects the light or the ultrasound, the controller determines that the substrates are abnormally held. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising 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 the second direction, wherein: 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a storage unit configured to store first positional information pieces that are positional information pieces of the plurality of substrates that are normally held, wherein the controller compares the first video image information piece with the first positional information pieces to determine whether or not the substrates are normally held. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a second camera provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and arranged such that a photographing direction of the second camera is directed in the third direction, wherein: the second 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 second video image information piece whether or not the substrates are normally held, the second video image information piece being the video image information piece input from the second camera. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The substrate conveying apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a storage unit configured to store second positional information pieces that are positional information pieces of the plurality of substrates that are normally held, wherein the controller compares the second video image information piece with the second positional information pieces to determine whether or not the substrates are normally held. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the substrate conveying apparatus includes 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 the second direction, the method further 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. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein: the substrate conveying apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store first positional information pieces that are positional information pieces of the plurality of substrates that are normally held; and in the step (F), whether or not the substrates are normally held is determined by comparing the first video image information piece with the first positional information pieces. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein: the substrate conveying apparatus includes a second camera provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand and arranged such that a photographing direction of the second camera is directed in the third direction, the method further comprising: (G) making the second 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 (H) determining based on a second video image information piece whether or not the substrates are normally held, the second video image information piece being a video image information piece taken by the second camera. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein: the substrate conveying apparatus further includes a storage unit configured to store second positional information pieces that are positional information pieces of the plurality of substrates that are normally held; and in the step (H), whether or not the substrates are normally held is determined by comparing the second video image information piece with the second positional information pieces. ### Claim 19 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. ### Claim 20 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. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein: the substrate conveying apparatus further includes a regression reflector provided at the first holding member so as to be opposed to the first sensor; and in the step (B), the first sensor is made to emit the light or the ultrasound toward the spaces each between the adjacent substrates, and whether or not the substrates are normally placed is determined based on the light or the ultrasound reflected by the regression reflector. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the substrate conveying apparatus further includes a first drive unit configured to move the first sensor along the the first direction. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein: the substrate conveying apparatus further includes a second drive unit configured to move the first jaw portions and the second jaw portions along the first direction; and in the step (A), the second drive unit is driven to change intervals each between the adjacent substrates. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method according to claim 23, wherein in the step (A), when the intervals each between the adjacent substrates are changed, the first sensor emits the light or the ultrasound toward a space between the adjacent substrates, the space being different from the space to which the first sensor emits the light or the ultrasound before the intervals are changed. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method according to according to claim 24, wherein the first sensor is provided at one of the second jaw portions. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein: a regression reflector provided at the first holding member so as to be opposed to the first sensor is provided at a highest one of the first jaw portions; and the first sensor is provided at a highest one of the second jaw portions. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the step (B) includes: (B1) when the first sensor detects the light or the ultrasound, determining that the substrates are normally held; and (B2) when the first sensor does not detect the light or the ultrasound, determining that the substrates are abnormally held. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) The method according to claim 20, wherein the substrate conveying apparatus further includes a second sensor provided at the base end portion of the substrate grasping hand, the method further comprising: (C) making the second sensor emit the light or the ultrasound toward the third direction while making the second sensor move along the first direction; and (D) making the second sensor emit the light or the ultrasound at a predetermined first position and determining whether or not the substrates are normally held. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method according to claim 28, wherein the step (D) includes: (D1) when the second sensor emits the light or the ultrasound at the first position and detects the light or the ultrasound, determining that the substrates are normally held; and (D2) when the second sensor emits the light or the ultrasound at the first position and does not detect the light or the ultrasound, determining that the substrates are abnormally held. ### Claim 30 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.