JPH09148415A - Substrate carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate carrying device the arms of which can receive and deliver substrates over long distances and which is reduced in size. SOLUTION: A sensor 12b is fitted to an arm supporting table 12 at the position of the front end of a substrate 30 when an arm 11a on which the substrate 30 is placed is positioned to a returning position and another sensor 12a is positioned above the arm 11a at the same position. Consequently, the size of a substrate carrying device can be reduced, because the space for projecting the arm supporting table 12 to the position C indicated by the two-dot chain line for fixing the sensor 12b in the conventional substrate carrying device becomes unnecessary. Therefore, the substrate receiving and delivering area of this device becomes wider than that of the conventional device when the strokes ST of arms 11a and Jib are the same as those of the arms of the conventional substrate carrying device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate transfer device for transferring a thin substrate (hereinafter referred to as "substrate") such as a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate for liquid crystal to a target position, and more particularly to a plurality of substrate transfer devices. The present invention relates to a device for transferring a substrate by an arm.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A substrate transfer apparatus is equipped with an arm for holding a substrate and transferring it to a predetermined position. In particular, a pair of arms are provided in a vertically stacked state to shorten the waiting time for various processing on the substrate. The devices that can be used are mainly used.

In this type of apparatus, a processed substrate placed at a predetermined substrate transfer position is taken by one arm in an empty state, and the other arm holding an unprocessed substrate is used by the other arm. The substrate is quickly delivered by performing a process such as entering the delivery position and placing the substrate at the substrate delivery position.

In the conventional example of such a substrate transfer apparatus, when the substrate is transferred by the pair of arms, it is necessary to accurately control the timing of each arm moving to and from the substrate transfer position. One sensor for grasping the holding condition of the substrate is provided at a position on the arm support in the middle of the advancing / retreating path to the substrate transfer position of both arms, and the arm passing through the advancing / retreating path holds the substrate. It has adopted a configuration of detecting whether or not there is. That is, the control unit that controls the drive of the arm knows which arm is passing through the advancing / retreating path, and the signal of the sensor at that time grasps the holding state of the substrate of the arm. Of.

[0005]

By the way, in the above structure, since the holding condition of each substrate of the two arms is grasped by one sensor, the two arms are moved in the advancing / retreating path so as not to completely overlap each other. It was necessary to provide a sensor. Therefore, a space for fixing the sensor is required between the substrate transfer position and the arm support. Therefore, there is a drawback that the device becomes large.

On the contrary, when the distance (hereinafter referred to as "stroke") from the reference position to the substrate transfer position when the arm is waiting on the arm support is constant, the direction of the substrate transfer position of the arm support is There is a drawback that the transferable range, which is the distance from the tip to the substrate transfer position, must be narrowed.

The present invention is intended to overcome the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus having a wide arm transferable range and a reduced size.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a substrate for delivering a substrate to a predetermined substrate delivering position by a plurality of arms which individually advance and retract from a reference position. In the transfer device, a plurality of substrate detection sensors that individually detect whether or not each of the plurality of arms holds the substrate at the reference position is provided.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010]

[1. Mechanical Structure and Device Arrangement of First Embodiment The substrate transfer device of the first embodiment transfers and exchanges substrates between processing units so that substrates are sequentially processed according to a predetermined flow in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. In order to achieve this, such a substrate transfer device uses a pair of arms,
The one substrate in the empty state receives the processed substrate in the processing unit, and the unprocessed substrate on the other arm in the held state is transferred into the processing unit, whereby the substrate is quickly exchanged.

1 and 2 show an arm support 12 and arms 11a, 11 of the substrate transfer device according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a structure of b, showing a positional relationship in a state where the arm support 12 and the arms 11a and 11b face the substrate processing section 100. In this example, the substrate processing unit 100
The upper part of corresponds to the substrate transfer position P. 1 is a plan view and FIG. 2 is a side view. In these figures and each of the following figures, a two-dimensional coordinate system in which the direction from the arm support 12 to the substrate transfer position P in the horizontal plane parallel to the floor is the X-axis direction and the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction X-
Z is defined. The configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The arm 11a is connected via the sliding arm 10a, and the arm 11b is connected via the sliding arm 10b.
2 Slidably installed on the upper surface and arm 1
An arm 11a is provided on the 1b. FIG.
The positions of the arms 11a and 11b indicated by solid lines in FIG.
F.

Although not shown in detail, the arm support 12 is provided with an X-direction moving mechanism for moving the arms 11a and 11b back and forth in the positive and negative directions of the X axis.
This X-direction moving mechanism is provided on both side surfaces of the arm support base 12 in the X-direction.
A guide rail (not shown) extending in the positive and negative directions of the shaft,
A pair of sliding arms 10a and 10b which are movable by being guided by the guide rails and which respectively support the arms 11a and 11b, and motors, wires, pulleys, etc. for individually reciprocating these sliding arms 10a and 10b. And a pair of driving devices (not shown). By rotating a pair of motors provided in the pair of drive devices, the arms 11a and 11b can be independently moved forward and backward, whereby the arms 11a and 11b can be moved forward and backward with respect to the substrate transfer position P. Has become.

Furthermore, the arm support 12 is not shown in the figure by Z.
The directional movement mechanism enables vertical movement in the Z-axis direction shown in FIG.

Further, the substrates 11 can be placed on the upper surfaces of the arms 11a and 11b, and the arms 11a and 11b can be properly timed in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction by the control of a controller (not shown). By moving the substrate 30 to and from the substrate transfer position P.
Can be replaced. A more detailed description of this substrate exchange operation will be given in the next section.

Further, of the arm support 12, the substrate 3
When the arm 11b on which 0 is placed is at the reference position REF, the sensor 12 is provided at a position corresponding to the tip position Tb of the substrate.
b is directly connected and attached, and when the arm 11a on which the substrate 30 is placed is at the reference position REF, above the arm 11a at the tip end position Ta of the substrate is connected to the support base 12 by a support member (not shown). The attached sensor 12a is attached. Details of these sensors 12a and 12b will be described in the next section.

[0017]

[2. Processing Procedure in the First Embodiment The substrate transfer apparatus of the first embodiment performs the transfer work operation of the substrate 30 with the configuration as shown in the previous section as follows.

The upper arm 11 in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The substrate 30 is not held in a. On the other hand, the substrate 30 to be placed at the substrate transfer position P is placed on the lower arm 11b.

The upper arm 11a which is currently empty
Is moved forward from the reference position REF in the positive direction of the X-axis to enter the substrate transfer position P, and then the arm 11a is raised in the positive direction of the Z-axis to place the substrate 30 placed on the substrate transfer position 100. Is transferred to the arm 11a,
Further, the arm 11a is retracted in the negative direction of the X axis to return to the reference position REF. As a result, the substrate transfer position P becomes empty.

Next, the lower arm 11b is moved to the reference position R
The board transfer position P is moved forward from the EF in the positive direction of the X axis.
, The unprocessed substrate 30 held on the arm 11b is transferred to the substrate transfer position P by moving the arm 11b in the negative direction of the Z-axis, and the arm 11b is moved to the X-axis. Retract in the negative direction and return to the reference position RE
Return to F. As a result, the unprocessed substrate 30 is placed on the substrate transfer position P.

In order to perform the transfer operation of the substrate 30 as described above, it is necessary to accurately detect whether or not the substrate 30 is held on the arms 11a and 11b. Therefore, in the substrate transfer device according to the first embodiment, the sensor 12b is mounted on the arm support 12 so as to face the tip position Tb of the substrate 30 held by the arm 11b at the reference position REF. The sensor 12a is attached by a supporting member (not shown) so as to face the tip position Ta of the substrate 30 held by the arm 11a at the reference position REF.

The sensor 12a is an optical sensor that detects the return light reflected by the substrate 30 by emitting the inspection light downward, and detects whether or not the substrate 30 is present immediately below. The sensor 12b emits the inspection light upward and emits the substrate 3
It is an optical sensor that detects the return light reflected at 0,
It is detected whether or not the substrate 30 exists immediately above it. Each of the sensors 12a and 12b is a limited distance type optical sensor that detects only an object within a predetermined distance. The sensor 12a detects only the presence or absence of the substrate 30 on the arm 11a, and the sensor 12b detects the arm 11b. Upper substrate 30
Only the presence or absence of is detected.

The pair of sensors 12a and 12b are not limited to the reflection type, but may be the transmission type. An example of a device using this transmissive sensor will be shown as a modified example later.
Furthermore, a sensor other than an optical sensor, such as an electrostatic sensor, can be used.

By reading the detection outputs of the pair of sensors 12a, 12b at the timing when the arms 11a, 11b should be at the reference position REF, the substrate 3 between the both arms 11a, 11b and the substrate transfer position P is read.
During the replacement work of 0, it is possible to reliably monitor whether or not there is the substrate 30 on each of the arms 11a and 11b, whereby the substrate 30 is replaced by accurately controlling each of the arms 11a and 11b. Of.

Further, in FIG. 2, the stroke ST represents the distance from the substrate tip at the reference position REF of the arms 11a and 11b to the substrate tip at the substrate transfer position P.

Further, the transferable range TR is from the tip of the arm support 12 in the positive direction of the X-axis to the substrate transfer position P.
2 shows the range up to the tip of the substrate 30 in the positive direction of the X-axis, and the portion C indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The position of the tip and the sensor provided above it is shown.

As described above, in the conventional substrate transfer apparatus, the arm support is extended to the position shown by the chain double-dashed line as a space for fixing the sensor, but in the substrate transfer apparatus of the first embodiment. Since the space is unnecessary, the device can be downsized.

When the stroke ST of the arms 11a and 11b is the same as the conventional one, the transferable range TR of the device of the first embodiment is wider than the transferable range BR of the conventional device. .

Further, in the substrate transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment, whether or not the substrate is held by the arms 11a and 11b can be individually detected at the reference position REF. Has to be detected during the advancing / retreating operation with respect to the substrate transfer position, but the degree of freedom in the timing of detection is high.

[0030]

[3. Mechanical Configuration and Device Arrangement of Second Embodiment FIG. 3
4 and FIG. 4 are views for explaining the structures of the arm support 12 and the arms 11a and 11b of the substrate transfer device according to the second embodiment. The arm support 12 and the arms 11a and 11 are shown in FIGS.
The positional relationship between b and the like and the substrate transfer positions P1 and P2 is shown. 3 is a plan view and FIG. 4 is a side view.
Of these, the substrate transfer position P2 corresponds to the substrate mounting position of the other substrate processing unit 110 facing the substrate processing unit 100 provided in the first embodiment.

In the apparatus of the first embodiment, both of the two arms are installed on the arm support 12 in the positive direction of the X-axis, and are installed so that they can move forward and backward with respect to one substrate transfer position 100. On the other hand, in the device of the second embodiment, the two arms 11a and 11b are provided in directions opposite to each other on the X axis, and the arms 11a and 11b represented by the solid line in FIG. It represents REFb. Further, two substrate transfer positions P1 and P2 are provided so as to sandwich the arm support 12 in the X-axis direction. The arms 11a and 11b can move forward and backward with respect to the substrate transfer positions P1 and P2 facing each other.

Sensors 12a and 12b are mounted on the arm support 12 at the tip positions Ta and Tb of the substrate when the arms 11a and 11b are present at the reference positions REFa and REFb, respectively.

Further, in this apparatus, the arm support 12 can be rotated 180 ° in the θ direction around the Z axis with the center of the upper surface as an axis by a drive mechanism (not shown).

The structure of the Z-direction moving mechanism and the like other than the above is the same as that of the device of the first embodiment.

[0035]

[4. Processing Procedure in Second Embodiment In the substrate transfer apparatus according to the second embodiment, the transfer work operation of the substrate 30 having the structure as shown in the previous section is performed as follows.

3 and 4, the empty arm 11a is advanced in the positive direction of the X-axis to enter the substrate transfer position 100, and at the same time, the empty arm 11b is advanced in the negative direction of the X-axis. By entering the substrate transfer position Pb and raising the arms 11a and 11b in the positive direction of the Z-axis, the substrates 30 placed on the substrate transfer positions Pa and Pb are transferred onto the arms 11a and 11b, respectively. .

Further, the arm 11a is retracted in the negative direction of the X axis and the arm 11b is retracted in the positive direction of the X axis to return to the reference positions REFa and REFb, respectively, and then the arm support base 12 is moved in the Z axis direction at the center of the upper surface thereof. Rotate 180 degrees around. As a result, the arms 11a and 11b are oriented in opposite directions, and the arm 11a moves toward the substrate transfer position P.
2, the arm 11b faces the substrate transfer position P1.

Then, the arm 11a holding the substrate 30 is advanced in the negative direction of the X axis to move the substrate to the substrate transfer position P.
2, the arm 11b is advanced in the positive direction of the X-axis to enter the substrate transfer position P1. After that, by lowering the arms 11a and 11b in the negative direction of the Z axis, the substrate 30 held on the arm 11a is placed on the substrate delivery position P2, and the substrate 30 held on the arm 11b is placed on the substrate delivery position P1. Reprinted above. Then, the arm 11a is retracted in the positive direction of the X axis and the arm 11b is retracted in the negative direction of the X axis to return to the reference positions REFa and REFb, respectively. The substrates 30 on the substrate transfer positions P1 and P2 are exchanged as described above.

In order to perform the transfer operation of the substrate 30 as described above, it is necessary to accurately detect whether or not the substrate 30 is placed on the arms 11a and 11b. Therefore, in the substrate transfer device according to the second embodiment, the arm support base 1 at the front end position Ta of the substrate 30 held by the arm 11a at the reference position REFa is present.
2 has a sensor 12a mounted on it, and has a reference position RE
The sensor 12b is mounted on the arm support 12 at the tip position Tb of the substrate 30 held by the arm 11b in Fb.

The sensors 12a and 12b are limited distance type optical sensors that emit the inspection light upward and detect the return light reflected by the substrate 30.
Detects whether 0 exists. Therefore, the sensor 12
a detects only the presence or absence of the substrate 30 on the arm 11a, and the sensor 12b detects only the presence or absence of the substrate 30 on the arm 11b.

Also in the apparatus of the second embodiment, the pair of sensors 12a and 12b is not limited to the reflective type, but may be the transmissive type. Further, a sensor other than the optical type, for example, an electrostatic sensor or the like may be used. Can be used.

Further, in FIG. 4, the stroke ST represents the distance from the tips of the arms 11a and 11b at the respective returning positions to the tips at the substrate transfer positions 100 and 110.

Further, the transferable range TR1 indicates the range from the front end of the arm support 12 in the positive X-axis direction to the front end of the substrate 30 at the substrate transfer position P1 in the positive X-axis direction. The transferable range TR2 is from the tip of the arm support 12 in the negative direction of the X-axis to the substrate transfer position P.
2 shows the range up to the tip in the negative direction of the X axis of the substrate 30 at 2.

As described above, also in the substrate transfer apparatus according to the second embodiment, the sensors 12a and 12b are provided so that the presence or absence of the substrate 30 on each arm can be detected when the arms 11a and 11b are located at the reference position. Since it is provided, the device is downsized, and the transferable ranges TR1 and TR2 are widened when the strokes ST1 and ST2 of the arms 11a and 11b are the same as the conventional ones.

Further, since it is possible to detect whether or not the substrate is held by the arms 11a and 11b at the reference positions REFa and REFb, it is possible to detect whether or not the arm is moving forward and backward with respect to the substrate transfer position in the conventional device. It has an effect that the degree of freedom of the detection timing is high in comparison with the case where it was necessary.

[0046]

[5. Modified Example In the substrate transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment, the sensors 12a and 12b are of the reflection type, but a transmission type of sensor may be used. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a modification of the first embodiment using this transmission sensor. FIG. 5 is a side view of the apparatus of this modification as seen from the positive direction of the X axis. In this device, the light transmitting section 12a1 of the transmissive sensor 12a is
Is supported diagonally upward to the left by the arm 11a, and its light receiving portion 12a2 is diagonally downward right toward the arm 11a by supporting means (not shown). Similarly, the light-transmitting portion 12b1 of the transmissive sensor 12b is located diagonally above and to the left of the arm 11b as shown in FIG.
1b is supported diagonally downward to the right by supporting means (not shown).

The light transmitting section 12a of the transmissive sensor 12a
The light emitted from 1 is detected by the light receiving portion 12a2 unless the substrate 30 is held on the arm 11a,
If it is held, it is blocked by the substrate 30 and is not detected by the light receiving portion 12a2. Similarly, the light emitted from the light transmitting section 12b1 of the transmissive sensor 12b is transmitted to the arm 1
If the substrate 30 is not held on 1b, the light receiving unit 12
If it is detected and held by b2, the light receiving unit 12
Not detected by b2. Thus, the transmissive sensors do not interfere with each other and the arms 11a and 11b do not interfere with each other.
It is possible to individually detect the mounting state of each of the substrates 30, and by such a configuration, it is possible to realize the same function as the substrate transfer apparatus of the first embodiment using the reflection type sensor. You can

In the substrate transfer apparatus of the first and second embodiments, the arms are vertically stacked, but
It is also possible to arrange the two arms so that the holding surfaces of the substrates are in the vertical plane and are arranged in the horizontal direction.

Further, the substrate transfer apparatuses of the first and second embodiments are configured to have two arms, but three or more arms are stacked and the transfer of substrates is selected at that time. The configuration may be performed by two. In addition,
When three or more arms are arranged in the horizontal direction, one sensor is provided for each arm, for a total of three sensors.

Further, in the substrate transfer apparatus of the first and second embodiments, the arm 11 is used as an example of substrate exchange work.
Although the operations of a and 11b have been described, the present invention is not limited to the replacement of the substrate in particular, and the configuration may be such that only the loading and unloading of the substrate to the substrate transfer position is performed.

Further, although the substrate transfer apparatus of the first and second embodiments is intended for the semiconductor substrate as the substrate, it may be intended for other substrates such as a printed substrate and a glass substrate for liquid crystal. Good.

[0052]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the invention, a plurality of substrate detection sensors for individually detecting whether or not each of the plurality of arms holds the substrate at the reference position of each arm are provided. And Therefore, it is not necessary to install the substrate detection sensor in the middle of the advancing / retreating path, a space for fixing the substrate detection sensor is not required, and the device can be made small.

Further, if the stroke of the arm is constant, there is an effect that the transferable range is wide.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate transfer device and a substrate transfer position according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate transfer device and a substrate transfer position according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate transfer device and a substrate transfer position according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a substrate transfer device and a substrate transfer position according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an apparatus using a transmissive sensor in the substrate transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10a, 10b Sliding arm 11a, 11b Arm 12 Arm support stand 12a, 12b Sensor 30 Substrate 100, 110 Substrate processing part P, P1, P2 Substrate transfer position REF, REFa, REFb Reference position BR Transferable range of conventional technology ST Stroke TR handable range

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate to a predetermined substrate transfer position by a plurality of arms that individually advance and retract from a reference position, wherein each of the plurality of arms holds the substrate at the reference position. A substrate transfer device comprising a plurality of substrate detection sensors for individually detecting whether or not the substrate transfer device is provided.