# US 8,543,235 B2 · Method of controlling transfer robot > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,235 B2 - Document ID: US8543235B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/054,818 - Filed: 2009-07-23 - Published: 2011-06-02 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-01 - Assignees: Ulvac, Inc. - Applicants: Yoshinori Fujii - Inventors: Yoshinori Fujii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543235B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/3304: {characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices} - B25J 9/1682: {Dual arm manipulator; Coordination of several manipulators} - G05B 2219/34348: Coordination of operations, different machines, robots execute different tasks - G05B 2219/39109: Dual arm, multiarm manipulation, object handled in cooperation - 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}) - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) ## Abstract A method of controlling a transfer robot is provided, in which method the communication time of the transfer robot can be reduced and the transfer time of a substrate can be shortened. A series of actions of the transfer robot when a substrate that is present in a processing chamber is transferred to a predetermined position in a processing chamber, are performed by a single command. The series of actions may include a swap action in which, after having taken out by a robot hand the substrate that is present in the processing chamber, a substrate that is different from the substrate is handed over by a robot hand to a predetermined position on the processing chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a transfer robot, the transfer robot transferring a to-be processed substrate from a first of a plurality of processing chambers to a second of the plurality of processing chambers, the method comprising: contracting a robot hand to take a first substrate out of the first processing chamber; turning the robot hand so that a front end of the robot hand points to the second processing chamber; extending the robot hand to transfer the first substrate to the second processing chamber, wherein a series of actions of the transfer robot including the contracting, turning and extending of the transfer robot hand is performed by a single command, wherein the transfer robot has two robot hands disposed at a predetermined distance from each other in the turning direction of the transfer robot; the method further comprising: first taking out the first substrate present in the first processing chamber by one of the two robot hands, second taking out, after the first taking out, a second substrate different from the first substrate and handing over by the other of the two robot hands to a predetermined position in the first processing chamber, wherein the series of actions further includes the first taking out and the second taking out and handing; and the method further comprising: during the series of actions without waiting for completion of the series of actions, generating a signal for closing an isolation valve which separates the first processing chamber from a transfer chamber in which the transfer robot is disposed, wherein the transfer robot generates the signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the contracting, extending and the turning of the transfer robot are locally synthesized before and after a switching point at which the contracting, extending, and the turning of the transfer robot are switched to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 2, wherein the presence or absence of a substrate on the robot hand is detected during a series of actions of the transfer robot and, based on results of the detection, operation is made of parts disposed in a transfer passage that lies in transferring the substrate present in the first processing chamber to the second processing chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 3, wherein the parts include at least one of an isolation valve which separates each of the plurality of the processing chambers from a transfer chamber in which the transfer robot is disposed, a lift pin which is moved up and down when a substrate is handed over between the transfer robot and a substrate stage disposed in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers, and a shield which forms a protection wall in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 2, wherein the parts include at least one of an isolation valve which separates each of the plurality of the processing chambers from a transfer chamber in which the transfer robot is disposed, a lift pin which is moved up and down when a substrate is handed over between the transfer robot and a substrate stage disposed in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers, and a shield which forms a protection wall in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of a substrate on the robot hand is detected during the series of actions of the transfer robot and, based on results of the detection, operation is made of parts disposed in a transfer passage that lies in transferring the substrate present in the first processing chamber to the second processing chamber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 6, wherein the parts include at least one of an isolation valve which separates each of the plurality of the processing chambers from a transfer chamber in which the transfer robot is disposed, a lift pin which is moved up and down when a substrate is handed over between the transfer robot and a substrate stage disposed in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers, and a shield which forms a protection wall in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of controlling a transfer robot according to claim 1, wherein the parts include at least one of an isolation valve which separates each of the plurality of the processing chambers from a transfer chamber in which the transfer robot is disposed, a lift pin which is moved up and down when a substrate is handed over between the transfer robot and a substrate stage disposed in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers, and a shield which forms a protection wall in the each of the plurality of the processing chambers.