JP2004015029A - Positioning mechanism, apparatus equipped with the same, and automation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that in order to deliver products successfully to contiguous apparatuses in various automation systems, each apparatus needs to be correctly positioned, and conventionally a worker should manually move the apparatus to decide the location and then position the apparatus by adjusting support members 16 such as bolts by means of a spanner 21. <P>SOLUTION: After securing fixed reference tables 22 to designed positions in advance, the apparatus is lifted by a raising and falling means 2 with wheels which is equipped in the apparatus and moved to an approximately prescribed position. The raising and falling means 2 is operated to lower the apparatus, and then a positioning member 19 in the shape of a pin or the like is fit to the fixed reference tables 22 and the position is set. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a semiconductor, an optical disk, a liquid crystal display device, a plasma display device, a printed wiring board, other electronic-related products, an automobile engine, and other automatic products. When arranging devices having various functions in a straight line or a star shape, a positioning mechanism for accurately arranging those devices is proposed.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art A general semiconductor manufacturing system includes a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus having a large number of chambers, and a substrate transport apparatus for transporting a substrate between a plurality of substrates and a storage cassette. These substrate transfer devices include a transfer device such as a scalar transfer robot in a case, for example, a clean booth, and transfer the semiconductor substrate to a processing chamber by transferring a semiconductor substrate to the processing chamber by operating a transfer arm of the robot in a horizontal plane. I do. In a semiconductor factory, devices having various functions are arranged along a manufacturing process, and in order to accurately transfer a semiconductor wafer or the like from one device to another device, the direction and position of each device, The height is strictly defined. For this reason, it is necessary to install each device so as to have an appropriate position and height in relation to other devices in the factory, and to transfer a cassette or substrate between the devices to an appropriate place with high accuracy.
[0003]
For this reason, in the conventional manufacturing system, for example, at the time of installation of the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 11 or installation after maintenance, the apparatus is lifted by the movable jack 24 or loaded using the casters 18 fixed to the lower part of the apparatus. After fine adjustment to the predetermined position in the front-rear and left-right directions, the height of the device is adjusted by using a tool such as a monkey spanner 21 to adjust the height of the screw-shaped support member 16 attached to the lower portion of the device. I came.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In recent years, semiconductor wafers have been transported and processed in a highly clean environment. Therefore, the substrate is stored in a storage container 3 (for example, FOUP, Front Opening Unified Pod), and a large-sized stocker for storing this container, a factory for introducing a ceiling-hanging transport machine (OHT, Overhead Hoist Transport) as a transport means, and the like. Is also increasing. As a result, the factory is made three-dimensional, and space is saved by using the space above the transport and processing equipment. Along with this, the working space at the place where the transfer device for wafers and the like and the processing device are installed has become very narrow, and the danger to workers has increased in maintenance and the like.
[0005]
The operator moves the apparatus to the installation position, and performs a manual operation that requires precision and skill, such as adjusting the height and the front, rear, left, and right positions. In the event of an accident at the time of transfer between the substrate container and the transfer device, or of moving the device during maintenance or changing the layout, the above-described series of installation work and position adjustment work had to be repeatedly performed.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention focuses on the above problems, and proposes a mechanism for accurately installing an apparatus in a short time. That is, in one or two or more devices arranged in an automation system that connects a plurality of devices having various functions, lifting / lowering means provided with wheels at a lower portion of the device, and another position of the lower portion of the device. A positioning mechanism fixedly mounted vertically to the base, and a fixed reference base having a concave portion for guiding the positioning member to a reference position and vertically fitting the member. .
[0007]
In the present invention, for example, in an automatic manufacturing system for a thin plate-shaped electronic component such as a semiconductor wafer, a wafer transfer device is vertically fixedly provided with at least one or more transfer robots, a lifting unit having wheels as a moving unit at a lower part. A positioning mechanism is provided, comprising: a positioning member such as a positioning pin; and a fixed reference base having a concave portion for guiding the positioning member to a reference position and fitting the positioning member vertically.
[0008]
Further, according to the present invention, the positioning mechanism of the present invention may be provided in a lower portion of a processing apparatus for performing various processes such as a film forming process, a diffusion process, and an etching process on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer brought in in a chamber. Can be.
[0009]
The elevating means of the present invention includes a caster or a wheel, in which one end of a bar is supported as a fulcrum on a rotatable shaft provided at a lower portion of the above-mentioned various devices, and is an action point and a moving means at a position next to the bar. And an actuator rotatably mounted on the device at the other end of the bar as a power point. Further, there may be a case where an elevating means including an actuator that connects a plurality of wheels is provided.
[0010]
In the present invention, an air cylinder, an oil cylinder, a motor, or the like can be used as an actuator that is a power source for lifting and lowering, but a fluid pressure actuator such as an air cylinder, an oil cylinder, or the like is preferable. As the power source for the drive unit, there is a hydraulic pressure or a pneumatic pressure by a human power or a pump with a motor, a high pressure air piped to a factory, and the like.
[0011]
When equipped with a control actuator such as an air cylinder, a check valve is provided to prevent gas from flowing back even if supply from the air pump is interrupted while the elevating device is operating, to prevent safety, and to prevent sudden drop of the device are doing. In addition, by using a speed controller or the like that adjusts the speed at which gas is supplied to the cylinder, the speed of descent can be reduced, and noise and vibration during operation can be reduced.
[0012]
As means for transmitting power, piping, wires, shafts, springs, and the like can be used. Further, in the present invention, it is preferable to use wheels 15 that can travel only in a straight line direction as the moving means, but not only casters that can rotate in 360 degrees but also rails and wheels can be used.
[0013]
According to the positioning method of the present invention, a plurality of fixed reference bases are installed at positions designated in advance in a design drawing. Next, the lifting / lowering means is operated to raise the apparatus from about 10 mm to about 100 mm, and the apparatus is moved to a position substantially above the fixed reference base by human power, so that the positioning member is positioned at the center of the recess of the fixed reference base so that the positioning member enters. To work. The positioning member guides the device to the optimum installation position along the concave guide shape of the fixed reference base, is sandwiched between the side walls, and comes into contact with a line to complete the installation. The height of the device is determined by the length of the positioning member. Further, the adjustment of the installation position can be performed in advance according to the design drawing of the fixed reference base, and the installation work in the automation system factory is greatly reduced. Here, the fixed reference base may be screwed to the floor surface or fixed at a predetermined position by a non-slip material so as not to move by its own weight.
[0014]
The shape of the fixed reference base has a concave portion such as an inverted cone or an inverted truncated cone near the center, and can be integrated with another adjacent device or a floor or wall in a factory. The position of the contact between the positioning member and the fixed reference base may be fitted, and one contact portion may be provided with a rolling member such as a sphere or a columnar member, and the other may be provided with a slide receiving portion. Further, a positioning member having a convex portion may be provided at a lower portion and fixed to a floor, and a reference base having a concave portion may be provided at a lower portion of the apparatus.
[0015]
The fixed reference stand referred to in the present invention is a stand that determines a position between adjacent devices in a manufacturing system, and is fixed to a floor or a wall based on a design drawing. That is, prior to the loading of the device in the new manufacturing system, if a plurality of fixed reference bases are accurately arranged for each device according to the drawing, only the positioning member attached to the lower part of the device is fitted when the device is loaded. Can be installed. Also, in maintenance of the automation system, lift the lifting / lowering means to release the fitting, pull out the device to a place where it can be worked with the caster as a moving means, check and repair it, and move the device to the original position However, if it is re-installed on the fixed reference table, positioning can be easily performed.
[0016]
Although the positioning mechanism of the device in the semiconductor manufacturing system has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and the liquid crystal display device, the optical disk, the plasma display device, the printed wiring board, other electronic-related products, the automobile engine, and other industrial products The present invention can be applied as a device positioning mechanism in any automation system that combines devices having various functions, such as an automatic assembly process and an automatic processing process.
[0017]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the present invention will be described for a positioning mechanism of a semiconductor wafer transfer device 1. FIG. 1 shows a state before the transfer device 1 is installed at a predetermined position. FIG. 2 shows a state when the transport device 1 is installed at a predetermined position. First, peripheral devices will be described. The OHT 30 in the upper part of FIG. 1 is a means for transporting and transferring a clean container between devices in a factory, similarly to transport by a worker himself / herself. The OHT 30 moves along a rail 31 installed at an upper part of a factory so as to connect the apparatuses, and transports the FOUP 3 to an upper part of the stocker 32. The finger 33 of the stocker 32 holds the transported FOUP 3 and operates the X-axis driving unit 34 and the Z-axis driving unit 36 to place the FOUP 3 on a predetermined destination, for example, the uppermost shelf 35 of the stocker 32 shown in FIG. Place. The stocker 32 stores and manages the FOUP 3 and supplies the FOUP 3 storing a desired wafer to the transfer device 1.
[0018]
Here, the transfer device 1 is a clean booth for transferring a wafer from a FOUP 3 to another FOUP 3 by a transfer robot 6 installed inside as shown in FIG. 1, or for carrying a wafer into and out of a processing device. Type device. The transfer apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a stage on which a FOUP 3 containing a wafer can be placed, an entrance having a door provided with a mechanism for unlocking a lid of the FOUP 3, and a bending / extending operation for loading / unloading a wafer. And a transfer robot 6 having a transfer arm 7 capable of turning operation. If necessary, when there are a plurality of FOUP openers 4 which are also a carry-out / transport of a wafer, a transfer shaft for moving the transfer robot 6 along the direction in which the FOUPs 3 are arranged in front of the FOUP opener, or a flat surface of the wafer periphery. A dedicated device for positioning a wafer for detecting a portion (orientation flat) and a notch (notch) is installed. The configuration of the transfer device 1 may be different depending on the application, but is a device for transferring a semiconductor wafer.
[0019]
The stocker 32 shown in FIG. 1 transfers the FOUP 3 gripped by the finger 33 to a freely movable position up, down, left, and right. A shelf 35 for storing the FOUP 3 is provided inside the apparatus. The FOUP 3 is gripped by the stocker finger 33 and transported to the delivery position with the shelf 35 or the OHT 30 and the delivery position with the transport device 1. be able to.
[0020]
Further, the processing apparatus 40 shown in FIG. 2 transfers a wafer between the transfer robot 41, which can be evacuated, and the vacuum robot 42, the transfer apparatus 1, and the processing apparatus 40. A load lock chamber 8 that can be evacuated and a chamber 43 for performing various processes are provided.
[0021]
An elevator unit 2 having wheels 15 of the present invention and a positioning member 19 are attached to the lower portions of the transport device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the processing device 40 shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the positioning member 19 is fitted on a fixed type reference base 22.
[0022]
FIG. 1 shows a state before the transfer device 1 is connected to a stocker for storing the FOUP 3. When the lifting device of the present invention is lowered, the wheels 15 are in contact with the floor and support the transport device 1. When installing the transfer device 1, the transfer device 1 is manually pushed and moved, the floor surface is guided into the stocker 32 by the wheels 15, and the positioning member 19 and the fixed reference base 22 are fitted to each other to be fixed to the position shown in FIG. .
[0023]
FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view showing one embodiment of the lifting / lowering means 2 of the present invention. The lifting / lowering means 2 includes an actuator 17 (an air cylinder is used in this embodiment) attached to a lower portion of the transfer device 1, a rod end of the air cylinder at one end of the bar 13, and an end of the transfer device 1 at the other end. It is rotatably mounted on a shaft provided at the lower part, and a wheel 15 as a moving means provided at an intermediate part of the bar 13, and a height adjustment vertically fixed at another place at the lower part of the device And a positioning member 19 capable of performing the following operations. In FIG. 4A, the piston rod of the actuator 17 (air cylinder) is contracted, the wheel 15 is lifted, and the transport device 1 is lowered, the positioning member 19 shown in FIG. 4B is fitted to the fixed reference base 22, and the device is positioned. You. Conversely, when the air cylinder extends, the bar 13 is pushed down and rotated, and the wheel 15 pushes the floor as shown in FIG. 4C, and the device 1 rises, and the positioning member 19 is separated from the fixed reference as shown in FIG. 4D. And can be moved.
[0024]
The positioning mechanism shown in FIG. 5 includes a lifting / lowering means 2 of a device in which wheels 15 are directly attached to a cylinder rod serving as an actuator 17, a positioning member 19 which is fitted to a fixed reference base 22 which is disposed below the device in advance, A freely movable wheel 15 is provided. A caster 18 that can be moved in any direction is convenient for moving the device over a long distance when the device is carried into a semiconductor manufacturing factory. If a caster 18 capable of freely changing the direction is used as the lifting wheel 15, the device shown in FIG. 5 can move only in a linear direction in consideration of the instability in moving a heavy device up and down. Although the wheels 15 are provided, casters 18 can be used instead of the wheels 15. When each of the plurality of air cylinders is simultaneously operated from one air source, the respective lifting / lowering means 2 operate simultaneously in synchronization, and the apparatus vertically moves up and down.
[0025]
FIG. 5A shows that the moving wheel 15 is in contact with the floor surface in a state where the elevating means 2 is not operating. S in the figure indicates the stroke of the lifting / lowering means 2.
FIG. 5B shows a state in which the lifting / lowering means 2 is operated to raise the apparatus. In the figure, T indicates the distance from the floor surface to the wheel 15, and U indicates the distance from the floor to the tip of the positioning member 19 (the surface fitted with the fixed reference base 22).
[0026]
FIG. 5B shows a state where the apparatus is moved to a position where the positioning member 19 is substantially above the floor fixed reference base 22, and the elevating means 2 is contracted and the apparatus is lowered in FIG. 5C. At this time, the positioning member 19 is fitted with the fixed reference base 22, and the casters 18 and the wheels 15 are suspended in the air and cannot move. In the figure, R indicates the distance from the floor surface of the fixed reference base 22 to the surface fitted with the positioning member 19. This is because, in the design of the distance from the floor surface, the stroke of elevating, etc., by designing so that S>U>T> UR, even when the wheels 15 are stored in the apparatus, the wheels 15 can be moved, The device can be moved to the installation position without being interfered by the device 22.
[0027]
FIG. 6 shows a lifting mechanism different from FIGS. 4 and 5. The elevating means 2 includes a motor attached to the apparatus frame, a wire winding portion fixed to the end of the motor shaft, a wire 12 having one end of the wire winding portion and the bar 13 fixed, and a second end. And a bar 13 to which the device is rotatably connected at an intermediate fulcrum 14. In the elevating means 2, the wire 12 is wound up by the motor, and the wheels 15 push down the floor surface, so that the apparatus is moved up and down. A brake is provided so that the current state is maintained even if the power of the motor is turned off while the wheel 15 is pressed down, or even if the power is turned off in an emergency.
[0028]
FIG. 7 shows an example in which the actuators 17 are arranged in the horizontal direction and the rods are combined in an X shape. If a foot-operated hydraulic device (not shown) is used as the power source 11, the inexpensive lifting / lowering means 2 can be provided.
[0029]
FIG. 8 shows a state where the positioning member 19 is inserted into the inverted conical recess of the fixed reference base 22.
In FIG. 8A, the support member 16 is located substantially above the concave portion of the fixed reference base 22 that has been previously arranged. In FIG. 8B, the apparatus is lowered, and the tip of the positioning member 19 is placed on the wall surface of the concave portion of the fixed reference base 22. In contact, FIG. 7C shows that the support member 16 is guided to the center of the positioning member 19 by the weight of the device.
[0030]
The concave shape of the fixed reference base 22 shown in FIG. 9 is a semi-conical base, and the tip of the positioning member 19 is a truncated cone. The concave portion of the fixed reference base 22 shown in FIG. 9 has a shape of a half truncated cone cut from the center of the bottom surface toward the center of the top surface by reversing the shape of the truncated cone. When the positioning member 19 is lowered from substantially above, it slides to the side due to its own weight, is guided to the bottom of the inverted truncated cone, and comes into contact with the fixed reference base 22 by a line or surface. Here, a rotatable sphere may be attached to the tip of the positioning member 19 so as to smoothly descend while rolling into the conical recess.
[0031]
FIG. 10 shows an example in which the fixed reference base 22 shown in FIG. The positioning member 19 to be fitted with is fixed to the side surface of the apparatus. The fixed reference base 22 here is provided on a wall surface in a factory or a vertical fixing member, and has a structure to be hooked and fixed.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
After the fixed reference table 22 was set at the design position, the adjusted device was carried in, whereby the installation work could be performed quickly, and the on-site adjustment of the device became unnecessary. In addition, during maintenance, the entire apparatus can be pulled out to a wide place where it is easy to work, and height adjustment, horizontal adjustment, maintenance, and the like can be performed in advance, and then returned to the fixed reference base 22 for easy positioning. . Furthermore, an accurate installation position can be obtained only by lowering the fixed reference table 22 along the guide shape. As a result, work in a narrow work space, a large number of workers, and work time can be significantly reduced, and the risk of the worker also decreases due to prior adjustment work in a wide place. In addition, since the lifting means 2 is provided with the wheels 15, it can be easily moved to a predetermined position.
[0033]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, showing an embodiment of a transfer apparatus 1 having a lifting mechanism according to the present invention before installation.
FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing the embodiment of FIG. 1 after installation.
FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of a lifting mechanism according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side view different from FIG. 3 showing the elevating mechanism of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of the lifting mechanism according to the present invention, which is different from FIGS.
FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway side view showing a lifting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is different from FIGS.
FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view showing an embodiment of the lifting mechanism according to the present invention, showing a mechanism different from FIGS.
FIG. 8 is a sectional side view showing an embodiment of the fixed reference base 22 of the present invention.
9 is a sectional side view different from FIG. 8 showing one embodiment of the fixed reference base 22 of the present invention.
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment different from FIGS. 1 to 9 in combination of the fixed reference base 22 and the positioning member 19 of the present invention.
FIG. 11 shows a conventional positioning mechanism.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Transport device for substrates, etc.
2 device lifting means,
3 Clean container (FOUP),
4 FOUP opener (load port),
5 port doors,
6 transfer robot,
7 transfer arm,
8 load lock room,
11 power source,
12 wires,
13 bars,
14 fulcrum,
15 wheels,
16 support members,
17 actuators,
18 casters,
19 positioning members,
21 spanner,
22 fixed reference platform,
24 mobile jacks,
30 OHT,
31 rails,
32 stockers,
33 Stocker Finger,
34 X-axis driving means,
35 shelves,
36 Z-axis driving means,
40 wafer processing equipment,
41 Transfer room,
42 vacuum robot,
43 chambers,

Claims (6)

In one or more devices constituting an automation system in which a plurality of devices having various functions are arranged adjacently,
Lifting means provided at the lower part of the device,
A moving means that moves up and down and allows the apparatus to move in a horizontal plane,
A positioning member fixed to the lower portion of the device and determining a position where the device is installed,
A fixed reference base that has a recess in which the positioning member is fitted in the vertical direction by guiding the positioning member to a reference position,
Positioning mechanism with 2. The positioning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of elevating means having a fluid pressure actuator operate simultaneously to elevate and lower the apparatus while keeping the apparatus horizontal. An apparatus provided with the positioning mechanism according to claim 1. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus is a sheet-like electronic component handling apparatus. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said sheet-like electronic component handling apparatus includes at least one transfer robot. An automation system incorporating the device according to any one of claims 3 to 5.

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