# US 12,765,322 B2 · Substrate transfer robot system and teaching method for substrate transfer robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,765,322 B2 - Document ID: US12765322B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/510,341 - Filed: 2023-11-15 - Published: 2024-05-30 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-30 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki - Inventors: Hiroki Sanemasa; Koji Nagafuchi; Takashi Minami - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12765322B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - B25J 11/0095: {Manipulators transporting wafers} - B25J 19/02: Sensing devices - H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - 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}) ## Abstract A substrate transfer robot system teaches a transfer position of a substrate to a substrate transfer robot that transfers the substrate. The substrate transfer robot includes: a hand that transfers the substrate; a movement mechanism that moves the hand in horizontal and vertical directions; and first and second sensors that are provided on the hand and radiates a scanning line in the horizontal and vertical directions, respectively. The substrate transfer robot system includes: a controller that controls the hand and the movement mechanism; and a first portion to be detected and a second portion to be detected. The controller operates the hand to detect the first portion by the first and second sensors and detect the second portion by the second sensor, and calculates and stores the transfer position based on position information of the hand when the first and second portions are detected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate transfer robot system that teaches a transfer position of a substrate to a substrate transfer robot that transfers the substrate, wherein the substrate transfer robot includes: a hand configured to transfer the substrate; a mover configured to move the hand in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction; and first and second sensors provided on the hand and configured to radiate a scanning line in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, respectively, wherein the substrate transfer robot system comprises: a controller configured to control the hand and the mover; and a first portion to be detected and a second portion to be detected of which positions from the transfer position and positions from each other are known, the first and second portions being provided at the transfer position, wherein the controller is configured to: operate the hand to detect the first portion by the first and second sensors and detect the second portion by the second sensor, and calculate and store the transfer position based on position information of the hand when the first and second portions are detected, wherein the second portion includes first and second detection lines that are continuously detectable by the second sensor while the hand is being operated by the mover, the first and second detection lines being non-parallel to each other and having a known positional relationship, the first and second portions are provided on a teaching jig configured to be installed at the transfer position, the first sensor is further configured to detect presence or absence of the substrate accommodated in the cassette when the hand is moved in the vertical direction by the mover, the second sensor is further configured to detect presence or absence of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the hand, and the first and second sensors are shared for both the teaching of the transfer position and the detection of the substrate during the substrate transfer operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 1, wherein, in the second portion, the first and second detection lines are detected by the second sensor from below the transfer position when the hand approaches the transfer position from below. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 1, wherein the teaching jig is attachable to a cassette that accommodates the substrate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 3, wherein the cassette includes: a first support and a second support configured to support both ends of the substrate, respectively, when viewed from a front side of the cassette; and a third support configured to support the substrate between the first and second supports when viewed from the front side of the cassette, and wherein the teaching jig is attachable to at least one of the first to third supports. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 3, wherein the first portion is a front end portion of the teaching jig that is exposed on the front side of the cassette, when the teaching jig is attached to the cassette. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is provided in at least two positions separated by a predetermined distance in the hand. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 4, wherein the first and second sensors are provided on a distal end side of the hand, the first and second portions are provided at a position close to the front side of the cassette when the teaching jig is attached to the cassette, and the first and second sensors detect the first and second portions before the hand reaches an inner portion of the cassette. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 4, wherein the hand includes at least a first fork that is capable of advancing between the first support and the third support, and a second fork that is capable of advancing between the second support and the third support, the first and second forks each include the first and second sensors, the second portion is located at least one between the first support and the third support and between the second support and the third support, and close to the front side of the cassette when the teaching jig is attached on the cassette; and the first fork advances between the first support and the third support, and the second fork advances between the second support and the third support. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 4, wherein the teaching jig is positioned in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction by a contact that contacts at least two of the first support, the second support, and the third support, and removably provided with respect to the first support, the second support, and the third support. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 9, wherein the contact is provided such that at least a portion thereof is movable with respect to a base of the teaching jig to adjust a position of the teaching jig with respect to the cassette. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 10, wherein the contact includes a recess into which the third support is fitted, thereby determining at least the position of the teaching jig in a left-right direction with respect to the front side of the cassette, and the recess is provided such that a depth of depression of the recess is changeable. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 11, wherein the recess is formed to be pressed against a distal end of the third support in a depth direction when viewed from the front side of the cassette, thereby determining at least the position of the teaching jig in the depth direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 10, wherein the contact includes a first convex portion that is provided to be pressed against at least one of the first support, the second support, and the third support in a left-right direction with respect to the front side of the cassette. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 10, wherein the contact portion includes a second convex portion that is provided to be pressed against distal ends of the first support and the second support in the depth direction with respect to the front side of the cassette. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 14, wherein the second convex portion is further provided to be pressed against the distal end of the third support portion in the depth direction. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The substrate transfer robot system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to: calculate a height position of the transfer position based on information obtained when the hand is operated to detect a height position of the first detected portion by the first sensor, detect the first portion by the second sensor while moving the hand closer to the transfer position according to the height position of the transfer position, thereby calculating an angle and a depth direction position of the hand with respect to the transfer position, detect the first detection line and the second detection line of the second portion by the second sensor while moving the hand closer to the transfer position according to the angle and the depth direction position of the hand, calculate a left-right direction position of the hand with respect to the transfer position based on a distance between respective detection points on the first detection line and the second detection line, and store the height position, the depth direction position, and the left-right direction position. ### Claim 17 A teaching method for a substrate transfer robot performed by a substrate transfer robot system that teaches a transfer position of a substrate to the substrate transfer robot that transfers the substrate, wherein the substrate transfer robot includes: a hand configured to transfer the substrate; a mover configured to move the hand in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction; first and second sensors provided on the hand and configured to radiate a scanning line in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, respectively, wherein the first sensor is further configured to detect presence or absence of the substrate accommodated in the cassette when the hand is moved in the vertical direction by the mover, and the second sensor is further configured to detect presence or absence of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the hand, and the first and second sensors are shared for both the teaching of the transfer position and the detection of the substrate during the substrate transfer operation, and wherein the substrate transfer robot system comprises: a controller configured to control the hand and the mover; and a first portion to be detected and a second portion to be detected of which positions from a transfer position and positions from each other are known, the first and second portions being provided at the transfer position, wherein the second portion includes first and second detection lines that are continuously detectable by the second sensor while the hand is being operated by the mover, the first and second detection lines being non-parallel to each other and having a known positional relationship, the first and second portions are provided on a teaching jig configured to be installed at the transfer position, the teaching method comprising: operating the hand to detect the first portion by the first and second sensors and detect the second portion by the second sensor, calculating and storing the transfer position based on position information of the hand when the first and second portions are detected.