Substrate transport apparatus and substrate transport method
View Patent ↗A substrate transport apparatus includes: a pair of arm units having a substrate-carrying surface on which a substrate is placed; a support member freely rotatably supporting the arm unit; and an inclination device inclining the arm unit with each of the substrate-carrying surface facing one another.
1. A substrate transport apparatus, comprising:
a pair of arm units each having a substrate-carrying surface on which a substrate is placed;
a support member which freely rotatably supports the arm units; and
an inclination device which inclines the arm units such that the substrate-carrying surfaces thereof face one another,
wherein the substrate-carrying surface rotates about a rotation axis positioned on the substrate-carrying surface.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination device shifts the rotation axis from a barycenter position of each arm unit to outside each arm unit.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination device comprises a spring.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination device comprises a motor.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inclination device comprises a ballast.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the arm units move to a position where the substrate is placed with the substrate-carrying surfaces thereof inclined.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
suction tubes respectively connected to corresponding ones of the pair of arm units,
wherein:
each of the arm units adsorbs to and holds the substrate by sucking air from its respective suction tube; and
the suction tubes are connected to their respective arm units in a direction different from the rotation axis of the substrate-carrying surface.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the suction tubes are connected to their respective arm units in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis of the substrate-carrying surface.
9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising an arm support unit supporting the arm units, wherein the suction tube connects the arm support unit to the arm unit.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
suction tubes respectively connected to corresponding ones of the pair of arm units,
wherein:
each of the arm units adsorbs to and holds the substrate by sucking air from its respective suction tube; and
the suction tubes are connected to their respective arm units in a position of an offset from the rotation axis of the substrate-carrying surface.
11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an inclination detection unit which detects an inclination of the substrate-carrying surface.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotation restriction device which restricts a rotation angle of the substrate-carrying surface.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein:
the support unit comprises a moving device; and
when the arm units are not inclined at a predetermined angle, a movement of the moving device is stopped.
14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the rotation restriction device can adjust a rotation range of the substrate-carrying surface.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of arm units are provided for the support member.
16. A substrate transport method in which a substrate is transported on an arm unit, the method comprising:
moving the arm unit having a substrate-carrying surface inclined toward a horizontal plane to a position where the substrate is placed; and
placing the substrate on the inclined arm unit,
wherein the substrate-carrying surface rotates about a rotation axis position on the substrate-carrying surface.