Abstract: An end effector device attached to a tip end portion of a robot arm includes a plurality of support units provided on a blade. Each of the support units includes: a plurality of nail pieces configured to support peripheral portions of a plurality of semiconductor wafers such that the semiconductor wafers are parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another; and a pitch changing mechanism configured to change upper-lower intervals of the nail pieces. The pitch changing mechanism includes: a coil spring configured to support the plurality of nail pieces such that the plurality of nail pieces are spaced apart from one another in an upper-lower direction and elastically deform in the upper-lower direction; and an operating mechanism configured to cause the coil spring to elastically deform in the upper-lower direction. The operating mechanism includes a piston pin fitted in the coil spring to move up and down.

Abstract: A robot arm having a distal end to which a wrist axis is rotatably provided; arm drive unit, each configured to move the robot arm; a wrist axis drive unit configured to rotate the wrist axis; and a robot control unit configured to control the arm drive unit and wrist axis drive unit. The robot control unit is configured to control the arm drive unit to move the distal end of the robot arm to bring a contact member attached to the wrist axis into contact with an instruction target, thereby detecting a posture of the robot arm and an angular position of the wrist axis when the wrist axis begins to be angularly displaced due to the contact between the contact member and the instruction target, thus determining a position of an instruction point.

Abstract: An article carrier robot includes: a horizontal base; a horizontally movable unit supported by the horizontal base so as to be movable in a horizontal direction; a robot main body supported by the horizontally movable unit; at least one of wiring and piping introduced into the robot main body from the horizontal base; and a restriction unit supported by the horizontally movable unit so as to be swayable about a pivot provided to the horizontally movable unit. The restriction unit is configured to restrict deformation of a part of the at least one of wiring and piping.

Abstract: When an instruction to access a web server of an external device connected via a local interface is acquired from a user, access destination information for accessing the web server via the local interface is acquired. Based on the acquired access destination information, communication is performed with the web server of the external device via the local interface.

Abstract: The present gear mechanism includes a base body member, a first gear supported on the base body member so as to rotate about a first rotational axis, a second gear capable of being meshed with the first gear, a support member supporting the second gear so as to rotate about a second rotational axis and placed on the base body member so as to be movable in approaching and leaving directions respectively toward and away from the first rotational axis, and a retaining member engaged in a threaded hole formed in the base body member and capable of being turned so as to move in the approaching and leaving directions, and directly or indirectly engaged with the support member to restrain the support member from moving in the leaving direction away from the first rotational axis.

Abstract: A stocker facility includes a rack configured to store glass plates in a standing state such that the glass plates are arranged in a front-rear direction and a stocker configured to cause the glass plate to move in a left-right direction to transfer the glass plate to and from the rack. Thus, the present invention provides a plate-shaped member transfer facility capable of carrying the plate-shaped member in between two spaced-apart plate-shaped members between which a storage pitch is short and carrying any one of a plurality of plate-shaped members out from the rack without inserting an end effect in a substrate storage portion of the rack.

Abstract: Provided is a plate-shaped member transfer facility capable of inserting a plate-shaped member in a raised state into a rack and retrieving the plate-shaped member in the raised state from the rack. A stocker facility includes: a rack configured to store glass plates such that the stored glass plates are arranged in a front-rear direction in a raised state; and a track robot configured to transfer the glass plates between the track robot and the rack by moving the glass plates to the left and right. The track robot includes a track-side running base, a flip, a track-side conveyance base, and rollers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a robot system including a robot having a plurality of move axes and a safeguard apparatus provided independently of a control system of the robot and adapted for limiting a movable range of the robot. The safeguard apparatus includes at least two individual-axis-detection external sensors configured to be respectively turned ON/OFF in response to a rotational position or a transfer position of respective at least two move axes among the plurality of move axes of the robot, and an apparatus body configured to limit a move of the robot based on a combination of ON/OFF conditions of at least two output signals obtained from the at least two individual-axis-detection external sensors.

Abstract: A rack includes: a rack main body including a storage space configured to store a plurality of plate-shaped members and a carry-in opening; a plurality of upper supporting portions configured to respectively support upper edge portions of the plurality of plate-shaped members; lower supporting portions respectively provided under the plurality of upper supporting portions and configured to respectively support lower edge portions of the plurality of standing plate-shaped members; and lower edge portion storage portions provided to be each located at an outer side of an end of the upper supporting portion and an end of the lower supporting portion in the arrangement direction and configured to store the lower edge portions of the plate-shaped members, and at least one of the upper supporting portions is configured to be able to support the upper edge portion of the plate-shaped member.

Abstract: A chuck hand 1 includes a pressing mechanism 14 having a pusher 25 which presses a semiconductor process wafer 3 in the direction of a front guide 12 to thereby grip the semiconductor process wafer 3. The pressing mechanism 14 further has a pusher supporting body 22 and a buffering member 28. The pusher supporting body 22 is configured such that it can advance and retract. The pusher supporting body 22 is disposed in the pusher 25 such that it can slide back and forth. A gap 26a is defined forward relative to the pusher supporting body 22. The buffering member 28, which has a low bounce and is elastically deformable, is interposingly placed in the gap 26a. When the pusher supporting body 22 moves forward, it pushes the pusher 25 through the buffering member 28 whereby the pusher 25 is moved forward. The pusher 25 is abutted and pressed against the semiconductor process wafer 3.

Abstract: An assembly method of assembling a substrate transfer device including: a transfer system unit forming step of fixing a robot and a substrate container retainer to a divided body which composes a part of the substrate transfer device and is formed separably on a main structural body as a residual part of the substrate transfer device, thereby forming a transfer system unit; an operation examination step of examining whether the robot fixed to the transfer system unit can operate as a part of the substrate transfer device or not; and a mounting step of mounting the transfer system unit on the main structural body of the substrate transfer device after the operation examination step.

Abstract: A target position detection apparatus for a robot includes: a robot including an arm configured to be freely moved in at least two directions of X and Y axes, the arm having a wrist axis provided at a distal end of the arm and configured to be freely moved in a horizontal direction, and the wrist axis being provided with an end effector; and a control unit adapted for driving a memory to store a teaching point therein and controlling an operation of the robot such that the end effector will be moved toward the teaching point stored in the memory.

Abstract: The present invention provides a robot system including a robot having a plurality of move axes and a safeguard apparatus provided independently of a control system of the robot and adapted for limiting a movable range of the robot. The safeguard apparatus includes at least two individual-axis-detection external sensors configured to be respectively turned ON/OFF in response to a rotational position or a transfer position of respective at least two move axes among the plurality of move axes of the robot, and an apparatus body configured to limit a move of the robot based on a combination of ON/OFF conditions of at least two output signals obtained from the at least two individual-axis-detection external sensors.

Abstract: The apparatus includes a rotary mechanism for holding a semiconductor wafer and rotating the same, a detection mechanism for detecting a positioning cutout portion formed in the wafer, and a wafer transfer mechanism for lifting the wafer from a wafer mounting portion of the rotary mechanism or mounting the wafer on the same. The wafer transfer mechanism has a movable holding portion for holding the wafer at a position just above the wafer mounting portion and is constituted such that the movable holding portion moves up or down while avoiding the wafer held by the rotary mechanism.

Abstract: A chuck hand 1 includes a pressing mechanism 14 having a pusher 25 which presses a semiconductor process wafer 3 in the direction of a front guide 12 to thereby grip the semiconductor process wafer 3. The pressing mechanism 14 further has a pusher supporting body 22 and a buffering member 28. The pusher supporting body 22 is configured such that it can advance and retract. The pusher supporting body 22 is disposed in the pusher 25 such that it can slide back and forth. A gap 26a is defined forward relative to the pusher supporting body 22. The buffering member 28, which has a low bounce and is elastically deformable, is interposingly placed in the gap 26a. When the pusher supporting body 22 moves forward, it pushes the pusher 25 through the buffering member 28 whereby the pusher 25 is moved forward. The pusher 25 is abutted and pressed against the semiconductor process wafer 3.

Abstract: A robot that includes an end effector for holding a substrate in a substantially horizontal state; a vertical driving unit for driving the end effector to move in a vertical direction; a horizontal driving unit for driving the vertical driving unit to move in a horizontal direction; and a rotation driving unit for rotating the horizontal driving unit about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. In this case, one end of the end effector is connected with the vertical driving unit. One end of the vertical driving unit is connected with the horizontal driving unit.

Abstract: The invention is a monitoring apparatus for monitoring a condition of an end-effector of a robot having a vacuum absorption pad to hold an article. The pad is elastically supported by the end-effector. The apparatus includes a pad receiving part having a front surface and a through hole, the pad receiving part being movable in a direction perpendicular to the front surface; an elastically supporting unit for elastically supporting the pad receiving part in a direction perpendicular to the front surface; a movement detection unit for detecting a movement of the pad receiving part; a vacuum sensor connected to the through hole; and a judging unit for judging conditions of an elastic support of the pad and a vacuum absorption of the pad based on detection results of the movement detection unit and the vacuum sensor.

Abstract: An assembly method of assembling a substrate transfer device including: a transfer system unit forming step of fixing a robot and a substrate container retainer to a divided body which composes a part of the substrate transfer device and is formed separably on a main structural body as a residual part of the substrate transfer device, thereby forming a transfer system unit; an operation examination step of examining whether the robot fixed to the transfer system unit can operate as a part of the substrate transfer device or not; and a mounting step of mounting the transfer system unit on the main structural body of the substrate transfer device after the operation examination step.

Abstract: A robot arm having a distal end to which a wrist axis is rotatably provided; arm drive unit, each configured to move the robot arm; a wrist axis drive unit configured to rotate the wrist axis; and a robot control unit configured to control the arm drive unit and wrist axis drive unit. The robot control unit is configured to control the arm drive unit to move the distal end of the robot arm to bring a contact member attached to the wrist axis into contact with an instruction target, thereby detecting a posture of the robot arm and an angular position of the wrist axis when the wrist axis begins to be angularly displaced due to the contact between the contact member and the instruction target, thus determining a position of an instruction point.

Abstract: In the present invention, a base 43 of a robot 27 is fixed to a fixing portion 53 of a frame divided body 50. The base 43 allows force exerted from a robot main body 27A to be transmitted to the fixing portion 53 of the frame divided body 50. Contrary, the fixing portion 53 of the frame divided body 50 has rigidity which can prevent the force exerted from the base 43 of the robot 27 from being transmitted to a main body constituting member 51. Accordingly, the base 43 of the robot 27 has only to possess a function for connecting the robot main body 27A and the frame divided body 50. Therefore, even though reducing its rigidity, transmission of vibration to the wafer processing apparatus can be prevented, as well as occurrence of malfunctioning in the substrate processing work can be prevented. In addition, increasing the rigidity of the frame divided body 50 can be achieved easier with a simpler construction and more effective than increasing the rigidity of the robot.