JP2003031638A - Device carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a device carrier in which the size can be reduced by saving the space of a carrying mechanism and an arm is prevented from flexing even when a heavy device is carried. SOLUTION: The device carrier for carrying a device being inspected comprises first and second arms which can take out a device from a cassette and can place the device in the cassette, and a linear motor for advancing the first and second arms straight independently.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer prober,
The present invention relates to a device carrying device used for a strip handler or the like and carrying a device to be inspected. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device transporting device having an improved mechanism for taking out a device from a cassette and storing the device in the cassette.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a device transfer apparatus used for a wafer prober, a device before inspection is taken out from a cassette and transferred to a position where a test head exists. In addition, the device after inspection is transported to a cassette and stored. As a mechanism for taking out the device from the cassette or storing it in the cassette, there has been conventionally the following structure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a conventional device transport apparatus. FIG. 4 is a view of the device transport device as viewed from above. In FIG. 4, the device 11 to be inspected is stored in the cassette 10. Transport robot 12
Transports the device 11 with a scalar type articulated arm. The pre-inspection device 11 taken out from the cassette 10 by the transfer robot 12 is placed on the pre-alignment stage 13. The camera 14 image-measures the arrangement state of the device placed on the pre-alignment stage 13. The calculation unit 15 obtains the deviation between the arrangement state measured by the camera 14 and the reference arrangement state, and uses the deviation amount as correction data.

The transfer robot 12 transfers the pre-aligned device to the measurement stage 16. The device after pre-alignment is mounted on the measurement stage 16. The positioning unit 17 rotates the measurement stage 16 based on the correction data obtained by the calculation unit 15 and corrects the deviation of the device arrangement state. Displacement correction measurement stage 1
A test head (not shown) inspects the device on 6. When the device is a wafer, the test head sequentially inspects each chip on the wafer. The transfer robot 12 transfers the inspected device to the cassette 10. At this time, the information for identifying the device and the information for the inspection result are stored in the storage means in association with each other.

However, the conventional example of FIG. 4 has the following problems. (A) Since a transfer robot having a scalar type multi-joint arm is used, it is necessary to secure a space in which the multi-joint arm can turn. Therefore, the device becomes large. (B) The transfer robot with a scalar type articulated arm
Since it is a cantilever structure with a hinge (joint) as a support point,
When the device becomes large and heavy, the arm may bend.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a linear motor directly drives an arm for transporting a device to save a space for a transport mechanism and an apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to realize a device transfer device which can be downsized and whose arm does not bend even if the device becomes heavy.

[0007]

The present invention is a device transporting apparatus having the following configuration.

(1) In a device transporting device for transporting a device to be inspected, first and second arms capable of respectively loading and unloading a device, and the first arm and the second arm are independent of each other. And a linear motor that moves straight ahead of the device.

(2) The device transfer apparatus according to (1), which has an elevating mechanism for elevating the linear motor in the Z direction and a motor for rotating the elevating mechanism around the Z axis.

(3) The device transfer apparatus according to (2), wherein the motor is a direct drive type motor.

(4) The device transfer apparatus according to (2), wherein the motor has a hollow structure inside, and the lifting mechanism is housed in the hollow portion.

(5) The elevating mechanism has a structure in which a rotary motor and a ball screw are combined, and the male screw side of the ball screw is fixed, and the nut side is rotated by the motor, so that the rotary motion is advanced straight. The device transporting apparatus according to (1), wherein the device transporting device is converted into a motion and the ascending / descending operation is performed by the rectilinear motion.

(6) A hand is attached to each of the first arm and the second arm, and each arm serves as a load arm or an unload arm. .

(7) The device transfer apparatus according to (1), wherein the linear motors are stacked in multiple stages.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1 that are the same as those in FIG. 4 are given the same reference numerals.

In FIG. 1, linear motors 30 and 31 linearly move a first arm 32 and a second arm 33 independently of each other. First arm 32 and second arm 33
Is attached to the sliders of the linear motors 30 and 31, and is driven directly by the linear motors. The first arm 32 takes out the device before inspection from the cassette 10 and conveys it to the measurement stage 16. Second arm 3
3 picks up the device after inspection from the measurement stage 16 and stores it in the cassette 10. It should be noted that hands may be attached to the first arm 32 and the second arm 33, and each arm may be a load arm or an unload arm. Further, a suction mechanism may be attached to the hand. The elevating mechanism 34 elevates and lowers the linear motors 30 and 31 in the Z direction (direction orthogonal to the paper surface). The elevating mechanism 34 is rotated around the Z axis by a motor (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of the transfer mechanism in the apparatus shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the motor 35 moves the lifting mechanism 34 up and down in the Z direction. The motor 35 is a direct drive type motor. First arm 32 and second arm 33
Are arranged at different Z-direction positions (heights).
The first arm 32 and the second arm 33 include an elevating mechanism 34.
To move up and down in the Z direction. Further, it is rotationally moved in the θ direction by the motor 35. Further, the linear motors 30 and 31 move in a radial direction around the rotation center in the θ direction (this is referred to as the R direction). Linear motor and direct
A simple structure that combines a drive type motor and a lifting mechanism enables movement in the R, Z, and θ directions.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the transport mechanism of FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a state where the hand is lifted, and FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a state where the hand is lowered. The motor 35 is an outer rotor type direct drive motor in which a rotor 351 is arranged outside and a stator 352 is arranged inside, and the inside stator 352 has a hollow structure. A bearing 353 is provided between the rotor 351 and the stator 352. The members 40, 41, 42 are rotors 351.
It is fixed to. The member 43 is moved to Z by the guide member 44.
It is supported so that it can move in any direction. The linear motors 30 and 31 (the linear motor 31 is not shown), the first arm 32, and the second arm 33 (the second arm 33 is not shown) are attached to the upper portion of the member 43. Member 45
Is fixed to the member 43.

In the lifting mechanism 34, the screw 341 is fixed to the member 43 with its axial direction aligned with the Z direction. Screw 34
1 is fixed to the member 45. The nut member 342 is screwed into the screw 341. A ball screw structure is formed by inserting a ball between the male screw of the screw 341 and the female screw of the nut member 342. The motor 343 is the belt 3
Power is transmitted via 44 to rotationally drive the nut member 342. Although not shown, the member 42 has an open portion, and the belt 344 passes through this portion. When the nut member 342 rotates, the screw 341 moves in the Z direction,
The members 43 and 45 also move together with the screw 341. As a result, the linear motors 30, 31 and the first arm 32,
The second arm 33 moves up and down in the Z direction. By thus fixing the screw 341 and rotating the nut member 342 by the motor 343, when moving the same stroke as compared with a structure in which a pulley is attached to the screw end or the motor is directly connected by a coupling. In addition, it is possible to minimize the space in the stroke direction.

When the first arm 32 and the second arm 33 are lifted, as shown in FIG.
From the hollow portion 354 of the stator 352. First
When the arm 32 and the second arm 33 are lowered, the lifting mechanism 34 is housed in the hollow portion 354 of the stator 352 as shown in FIG. 3B. By housing the lifting mechanism 34 in the hollow portion 354 of the stator 352, the overall height of the device can be reduced.

The linear motors may be stacked in multiple stages. In this way, the stroke of the arm can be extended.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

According to the first aspect of the invention, since the arm for transporting the device is directly driven by the linear motor, the space occupied by the transport mechanism is larger than that in the conventional example using a transport robot having a scalar type articulated arm. Is smaller, and the device can be downsized. Further, since the hand is directly attached to the linear motor, the arm does not bend even if the device becomes heavy.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the arm and the linear motor are mounted on the elevating mechanism, and the elevating mechanism for elevating the linear motor in the Z direction and the motor for rotating the elevating mechanism around the Z axis are provided. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the turning radius when the arm mounted on the lifting mechanism is contracted.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the direct drive type motor is used as the rotary drive source of the arm, a transmission mechanism such as a speed reducer is not required and the structure can be simplified.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the elevating mechanism is housed in the hollow portion of the motor, the overall height of the device can be reduced. As a result, the device can be downsized.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, since the lifting mechanism has a structure in which the nut of the ball screw is rotated by a rotary motor, the space in the stroke direction of the lifting mechanism can be minimized.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the hands provided on the first arm and the second arm function as a load arm or an unload arm, so that sequential placement operations by a cluster tool or the like can be performed. It can be carried out.

According to the invention described in claim 7, since the linear motors are stacked in multiple stages, the stroke of the arm can be extended.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a main part configuration diagram of the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a main part configuration diagram of the apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a conventional device transport apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

30,31 Linear motor 32 First Arm 33 Second Arm 34 Lifting mechanism 35 motor 341 screw 342 nut member 351 rotor 352 stator 353 hollow part

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 3C007 AS03 AS24 BS06 BS26 CT04                       CT05 CU05 CV02 CY36 HS26                       HS28 HT02 HT20 NS13                 5F031 CA02 CA05 FA01 FA02 FA15                       GA05 GA10 GA13 GA15 GA38                       GA43 GA51 KA04 KA13 KA14                       NA02 PA26

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A device transporting device for transporting a device to be inspected, comprising first and second arms capable of loading and unloading a device into and from a cassette, respectively.
And a linear motor that linearly moves the second arm independently of each other. 2. The device transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an elevating mechanism that elevates and lowers the linear motor in the Z direction, and a motor that rotationally moves the elevating mechanism around the Z axis. 3. The device transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the motor is a direct drive type motor. 4. The device transfer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the motor has a hollow structure inside, and the lifting mechanism is housed in the hollow portion. 5. The elevating mechanism has a structure in which a rotary motor and a ball screw are combined, and the male screw side of the ball screw is fixed, and the nut side is rotated by the motor, whereby the rotary motion is linearly moved. 2. The device transporting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the device transporting device is converted into, and the ascending / descending operation is performed by the linear movement. 6. The device transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a hand is attached to each of the first arm and the second arm, and each arm serves as a load arm or an unload arm. 7. The device transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the linear motors are stacked in multiple stages.