JP2003334786A - Carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrying device and a joining part installing method of the carrying device for enhancing the adhesive strength of a contact plane of a support and a bush that is the joining part. <P>SOLUTION: The joining part 5 of the carrying device 1 is composed of a shaft 8 arranged in either a carrying arm 4 or the support 2, and the bush 10 arranged in the other carrying arm 4 or the support 2 and joinable with the shaft 8. A recess is formed on either one surface or both surfaces of the contact plane of a shoulder 64 of the bush 10 and the contact plane of the support 2 joined to the contact plane by an adhesive. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
In particular, it relates to a coupling part in a transport device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A transfer device is used to transfer a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer. The transfer device includes a support that holds the workpiece by suction, and a transfer arm that drives the support.

The support and the transfer arm are connected via a predetermined connecting portion. Generally, the coupling portion is composed of a shaft portion such as a bolt provided on the transfer arm and a bush provided on the support and capable of being coupled to the shaft portion.

A through hole for attaching a shaft portion is provided at a predetermined position of the transfer arm, and the shaft portion is inserted into the through hole and fixed through a predetermined fixing means such as a bush. Similarly, a fitting hole for attaching a bush is also provided at a predetermined position of the support,
A bush is attached to this fitting hole. The bush generally includes a shaft portion (neck portion) and a shoulder portion. When attaching the bush to the fitting hole, adhesive is applied to the fitting hole and the joint surface around the fitting hole, and then the shaft portion of the bush is fitted into the fitting hole to be fixed by adhesion.

The connection between the support and the transfer arm is carried out by fitting and fixing the shaft portion provided on the transfer arm to the bush provided on the support as described above.

[0006]

However, since the adhesive layer formed between the joint surface of the shoulder portion of the bush and the joint surface of the support to which the bush is adhered and fixed is not uniformly formed, there is a variation in the adhesive strength. As a result, the joined bush was often peeled from the support.

When the adhesive is colorless and transparent, it is difficult to see whether the adhesive is applied over the entire surface, and it is difficult to see whether the adhesive is evenly applied.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved adhesive layer formed on the joint surface, which can increase the adhesive strength of the joint surface between the support and the joint by uniformly forming the adhesive layer. Another object of the present invention is to provide a carrier device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved transporting device which enables easy visual confirmation of the application of the adhesive.

[0010]

In order to solve the above problems, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a support capable of adsorbing a workpiece, a transfer arm for driving the support, and a support are provided. Provided is a transport device including a coupling part that couples with a transport arm. The connecting portion of the transfer device includes a shaft portion provided on one of the transfer arm and the support, and a bush provided on the other one of the transfer arm and the support and connectable to the shaft portion. A concave portion is formed on one or both of the joint surface of the shoulder portion and the joint surface of the support body joined by the adhesive.

According to the present invention, the concave portion is formed on either one or both of the joint surface of the shoulder portion of the bush and the joint surface of the support body joined by the adhesive. As a result, if the adhesive is filled in the recesses preferably to the extent that a predetermined rise can be made, and then the joint surface of the shoulder portion and the joint surface of the support are pressure-bonded, the adhesive is evenly spread between both joint surfaces. , It becomes possible to form a uniform adhesive layer, and the adhesive strength can be increased.

Further, according to the present invention, since it is sufficient to fill the easily visible recesses with an adhesive, even when a colorless and transparent adhesive which is hard to see is used, the adhesive is unevenly supplied to the joint surface. It is possible to form a uniform adhesive layer without causing The concave portion may be formed on the joint surface between the bush and the support or on the joint surface between the bush and the transport arm, and one or more concave portions are formed. The shaft portion of the coupling portion has a cylindrical shape, and examples thereof include bolts. The shaft portion of the connecting portion and the bush may be connected by fitting, screwing, or bonding with an adhesive.

The recess can be configured to be an annular groove. According to this structure, the annular groove to which the adhesive is applied is formed, so that the adhesive spreads entirely between the joint surface of the shoulder portion of the bush and the joint surface of the support or the transport arm, A uniform adhesive layer is formed, which increases the adhesive strength and suppresses the possibility that the bush will peel off.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description and the accompanying drawings, components having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted.

First, the carrying device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a transfer device according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a transfer device 1 is a disk-shaped support member 2 for adsorbing a workpiece such as a semiconductor wafer on its lower surface, and a transfer device for connecting the support member 2 to drive the support member 2. Vertically moving the arm 4 and the transfer arm 4,
A transport arm base 6 for transporting the workpiece by rotating in the horizontal direction is included. Of course, the transfer arm may be configured to be driven only in either the vertical direction or the horizontal direction.

The transfer device 1 also includes a connecting portion 5 for connecting the transfer arm 4 and the support body 2. The connecting part 5 is
The transport arm 4 includes a bolt 8 as a shaft portion, and a bush 10 provided on the support body 2 and connectable to the bolt 8.

The bolt 8 is inserted into a through hole provided at a predetermined position of the transfer arm 4. The bush 10 is arranged on the support 2. The transfer arm 4 and the support 2 are connected by fitting and fixing the bolt 8 on the bush 10. The bush 10 will be described in detail later.

The transfer arm base 6 includes a vertical rotation shaft portion 20.
Is arranged, and the rear end of the transfer arm 4 is attached to the upper end of the vertical rotation shaft section 20, and the transfer arm 4 freely swivels by rotation of the rotary shaft 21 provided in the vertical rotation shaft section 20. Alternatively, the transfer arm 4 can be vertically moved up and down (not shown).

Therefore, in the carrier device 1, the carrier arm 4 is freely rotated or moved up and down to a designated position by the vertical rotation shaft portion 20 arranged in the carrier arm base portion 6, and is attracted to the support body 2. It is possible to convey a processed object such as a semiconductor wafer.

Next, the support 2 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). 2A is a plan view showing the support 2 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a plan view of the support 2 of FIG.
6 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the support 2 before being connected to the transfer arm 4 is a disk-shaped member made of ceramics or the like. The bush 10 is excreted, and three bushes 10 are arranged at equal intervals in the peripheral portion. The bolt 8 of the transfer arm 4
In the present embodiment, the number of bushes 10 fixedly attached to three is described as an example, but the number is not limited to this example as long as the number can be formed on the support 2.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2A, the support 2 is provided with three bushes 10 arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. The transport arm 4 and the support body 2 are connected to each other by fitting and fixing the bolt 8 provided on the transport arm 4 to the bush 10 provided. Note that the connection between the bolt 8 and the bush 10 is not limited to such an example as connection by screwing, connection by an adhesive, or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, an adsorption portion 14 made of a disk-shaped porous ceramic or the like having a large number of fine holes is formed in the lower portion of the disk-shaped support 2. . Further, the bush 1 is provided at the substantially central portion of the support body 2.
Reference numeral 0 is a through hole to which the suction mechanism portion 22 serving as a suction source shown in FIG. 1 is attached and communicates with the suction portion 14.

Therefore, the workpiece is the suction hole 22.
By being sucked through, it becomes possible to be sucked by the suction portion 14 of the support body 2 coupled to the transfer arm 4.

Next, the bush according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the bush according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the bush 10 is made of a rigid material such as stainless steel (SUS bush) and has a hollow neck portion 62 and a protruding surface having a joint surface formed on the upper portion of the neck portion 62. And a shoulder portion 64. By fitting the hollow neck portion 62 with the bolt 8, the transfer arm 4 can drive the support body 2.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, an outline of a method for attaching the connecting portion of the carrying device according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a connecting portion attaching process of the carrying device according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 4, first, an annular groove 68 is formed along the outer periphery of the insertion recess 66 in the support body 2 in which the insertion recess 66 for mounting the bush 10 as the fixing means of the coupling portion 5 is formed. Yes (S82). The annular groove 68 has a shape in which the adhesive is collected in the annular groove 68, and
It is formed within the range of joining with.

Now, with reference to FIG. 5, a description will be given of a support body having an insertion recess and an annular groove according to the present embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a support body having an insertion recess and an annular groove according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 5, the insertion recess 66 to which the bush 10 is attached has one insertion recess 66 formed substantially in the center thereof and three insertion recesses 66 at equal intervals in the peripheral portion thereof.
Is formed. The annular groove 68 is formed along the outer periphery of the insertion recess 66 outside the edge. The annular groove 6
8 is formed within a range where the support 2 and the shoulder portion 64 are joined.

Next, after the step of forming the annular groove 68 is completed (S8)
2), an adhesive is applied to the side surface of the insertion recess 66 of the support 2, the annular groove 68, and the lower surface of the neck 62 of the bush 10 (S84). An adhesive is applied to the annular groove 68.
8 is applied to the extent that a predetermined bulge is formed.

Now, with reference to FIG. 6, a support body in which an adhesive is applied to the annular groove and the insertion recess according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the support coated with the adhesive of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, when an adhesive is applied to the side surface of the insertion recess 66 formed in the support 2 and the annular groove 68, an adhesive layer 72 made of the adhesive is formed. An adhesive layer 72 is formed by applying an adhesive to the annular groove 68 so as to make a predetermined rise.

As shown in FIG. 6, when the adhesive is applied to the annular groove 68, the adhesive fills the annular groove 68 as an adhesive layer 72, and the adhesive layer 72 rises on the annular groove 68 due to surface tension. To do. Even if the adhesive layer 72 that is raised is colorless and transparent, which makes it difficult to see the adhesive, it is possible to easily see whether or not the adhesive is applied from the raised shape.

Conventionally, since the annular groove 68 is not formed, the adhesive layer 72 does not rise even when the adhesive is applied, and the adhesive is evenly applied on the surface of the support 2 around the insertion recess 66. To see whether it has been done,
It was difficult.

Next, after the application process of the adhesive is completed (S8
4), the bush 10 is joined to the support 2 (S86). Of course, it is also possible to bond the bush 10 to the support 2 after applying an adhesive to the bonding surface of the neck portion 62 or the shoulder portion 64 of the bush 10.

Here, the support body in which the bush according to the present embodiment is joined by an adhesive will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, the bonding layer 72 joins the joint surface of the shoulder portion 64 of the bush 10 and the joint surface of the support body 2, and the neck portion 62 of the bush 10 and the insertion recess 66.
And are joined.

By the pressure bonding between the joint surface of the shoulder portion 64 and the joint surface of the support body 2 in which the annular groove 68 is formed during the joining process, the protrusion due to the surface tension of the adhesive layer 72 formed in the annular groove 68 becomes flat. Because it is crushed, the adhesive spreads evenly between both joint surfaces.

Therefore, between the joint surface of the shoulder portion 64 and the joint surface of the support body 2 in which the annular groove 68 is formed,
Since the adhesive layer 72 is formed uniformly, the adhesive strength is increased, and the possibility that the bush 10 is separated from the support 2 can be suppressed to a low level.

Comparing the adhesive strength of this embodiment with that of the conventional embodiment, the minimum value in terms of torque is 4.0.
(N · m) to 5.5 (N · m), which is an increase of 1.5 (N · m) from the conventional value, and the average value is 6.
From 7 (N · m) to 6.7 (N · m), the result is an increase of 1.9 (N · m) from the conventional value.

Next, after the joining process is completed (S86), the support 2 is attached to the transfer arm 4 (S88). In this mounting step, the bushes 10 provided on the support body 2 are fitted with the bolts 8 provided on the transfer arm 4 and fixed, and are mounted.

Therefore, since the bush 10 is unlikely to be peeled off from the support body 2, the transport arm 4 and the support body 2 can always be kept in a coupled state.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various alterations or modifications can be envisioned within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs.

In the above embodiment, the case where the bolt 8 is provided in the transfer arm 4 and the bush 10 is provided in the support body 2 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this example. . For example, it is also possible to provide the support 2 with the bolt 8 and dispose the bush 10 on the transfer arm 4.

In the above embodiment, the insertion recess 6
The case where the adhesive layer 72 is formed on the side surface of No. 6 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to such a case.
An adhesive layer 72 is formed on at least one of the neck 62 of the bush 10 and the joint surface of the shoulder portion 64, the lower surface of the insertion recess 66 of the support 2, or the joint surface of the support 2 in which the annular groove 68 is formed. It is also possible to form.

In the above embodiment, the case where the annular groove 68 is formed in the support 2 has been described as an example.
The present invention is not limited to such a case. For example, the bush 10
Forming an annular groove 68 in the shoulder portion 64 of the
It is also possible to form the annular groove 68 in the insertion recess 66.

In the above embodiment, the bush 10
In the above description, the case of a rigid material made of stainless steel (SUS bush) or the like has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case as long as it is a rigid material. For example, a rigidity made of a copper alloy such as brass or phosphor bronze. It can be carried out using a material.

[0050]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By the step of forming the annular groove, it is possible to easily visually check whether or not the adhesive has been applied, and the adhesive is evenly and uniformly applied to the joint surface. Further, it is possible to enhance the adhesive strength of the joining portion to be joined to the support, and to firmly join the support and the transfer arm. Further, the cost of forming the annular groove can be kept low. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the obstacle that the support is separated from the transfer arm while suppressing the cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a carrying device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2A is a front view showing a support body according to the present embodiment. (B) shows the support of FIG. 2 (a) A
-A sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a bush according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a connecting portion attaching step of the carrying device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a support body having an insertion recess and an annular groove according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA showing the support to which the adhesive of FIG. 5 is applied.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the support of FIG. 2 (b).

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Transport device 2: Support 4: Transport arm 6: Transfer arm stand 8: Bolt 10: Bush 14: Adsorption part 20: Vertical rotation shaft 21: rotating shaft 22: Suction mechanism section 62: neck 64: Shoulder part 66: insertion recess 68: annular groove 72: Adhesive layer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A transfer device comprising: a support capable of adsorbing a workpiece; a transfer arm for driving the support; and a connecting portion for connecting the support and the transfer arm:
The coupling portion includes a shaft portion provided on one of the transport arm and the support, and a bush provided on the other one of the transport arm and the support and capable of being coupled to the shaft portion; A conveying device, characterized in that a concave portion is formed on one or both of the joint surface of the shoulder portion of the bush and the joint surface of the support body to be joined with an adhesive agent. . 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the recess is an annular groove.