JP2004026426A - Printed circuit board supporting structure, its loading device and robot hand - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide printed circuit board supporting structure, its loading device and a robot hand, which reduces the deflection during heat treatment substantially for improving the quality after the heat treatment. <P>SOLUTION: The printed circuit board supporting structure comprises a gondola 2, printed circuit board receivers 1 which are provided in multi stages in the gondola 2 and each of which supports a printed circuit board W at two points, and the robot hand 3, which is provided with a body section, which when inserted into the space between the board W, extends to the center section Wc between the board receivers 1 in the insertion direction, and an overhanging section, which is located in a space section between the boards W and extends to the position of the board receiver 1 in a lateral direction X so that the robot hand 3 does not interfere with the board receiver 1 in the insertion direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention includes a plurality of support members capable of supporting both sides in a horizontal direction of a flat substrate at a plurality of positions in a vertical direction at a constant pitch in a multi-stage manner, between a loading device capable of supporting the substrate and the pitch. More particularly, the present invention relates to a substrate supporting structure having a robot hand which supports the substrate by moving up and down and moves in the vertical direction to be able to move in and out of the loading device, and the loading device and the robot hand, and in particular, a flat panel display (FPD) It is conveniently used as a substrate support technology of a heat treatment apparatus during a manufacturing process of a liquid crystal glass substrate (LCD) such as a thin film transistor (TFT) or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a heat treatment apparatus such as a bake oven which constitutes a part of an LCD manufacturing process, an LCD glass substrate is stacked on a loading container such as a gondola in multiple stages, the loading container can be moved up and down, and the robot hand moves forward and backward from a specific location. Move the robot in and out of the board by moving the robot hand up and down to the position of the board to be loaded and unloaded, and moving the robot hand up and down and up and down at that position. Had to do.
[0003]
In this case, in the related art, the substrate W is usually supported at a plurality of positions in the advancing / retreating direction of the robot hand at both end positions in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the plurality of positions. In addition, in order to cope with an increase in the size of the substrate, a position which is located at a certain distance from the center in the lateral direction from both ends may be supported. As a device devised as a substrate supporting device, there is also known a device in which a supporting interval is variable so as to be able to correspond to various sizes of a substrate (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 7-23710 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-250885). This device was also the same as the above device in that both lateral sides of the substrate were supported.
[0004]
On the other hand, in response to such a substrate supporting apparatus, the hand of the robot which takes it in and out of the loading container is positioned at both sides away from the center in the lateral direction so that it can be stably supported according to the lateral width of the substrate. (See, for example, JP-A-9-234686).
[0005]
However, in such a substrate supporting apparatus, the size of the substrate is increased to, for example, 1 m in width and 1.2 m or more in length, so that the deflection of the substrate is increased. Has a significant influence on the quality of the substrate after the heat treatment.
[0006]
That is, for example, in the case of a TFT or the like, a substrate on which an electronic circuit is formed and a substrate on which a color filter is formed are temporarily bonded to each other with a minute gap δ of 4 μm therebetween through a minute spacer dispersed in a heat treatment apparatus. It is carried in and is fixed by a phase change such that the solvent previously attached to the side edge portion between the two substrates is melted and then solidified due to the temperature rise during the heat treatment, but the deflection of the substrate is large. Then, there is a possibility that the problem that the above δ is not formed with high accuracy as a whole may occur.
[0007]
For example, the allowable value of the above δ is usually 4 μm ± 0.1 μm, but when the deflection of both substrates becomes large, the gap locally changes between the place where the spacer exists and the place away from the spacer, and is about 0.1 μm. It easily exceeds the value and remains as permanent strain after fixing and heat treatment of the substrate. Further, if a substrate that has been deflected to a considerable extent is stuck and fixed as it is, even when the substrate is flattened, the distance locally varies. Then, the above criteria cannot be satisfied.
[0008]
In such a case, an image formed on the substrate when the product is manufactured is distorted. In addition, large deflections in the substrate generally lead to undesirable phenomena, such as residual stresses.
[0009]
Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and to provide a substrate support structure, a loading container and a robot hand, which can greatly reduce the deflection during heat treatment and improve the quality after heat treatment. And
[0010]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to a support member for supporting a flat plate-shaped substrate at a plurality of vertical positions on both lateral sides at a plurality of vertical positions. A loading device that is provided in multiple stages at a fixed pitch and that can move up and down between the pitch to support the substrate and move in the vertical direction while supporting the substrate so as to be able to move in and out of the loading device And a substrate support structure having
The support member includes a support portion that can support two or more positions of the substrate from the both sides to a range of a part of the center,
The robot hand extends in the vertical direction within the partial area when the substrate is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, and can support the area near the horizontal center position. A vertical member provided with a plurality of central support portions, and extending from the vertical member to both sides in the horizontal direction, including a tip support portion at a tip portion, and including a position between the plurality of support members. A plurality of horizontal members provided at positions separated from each other in the vertical direction and the elevating direction,
It is characterized by the following.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 2 is a stacking device capable of supporting the substrate by providing a plurality of support members capable of supporting both sides in the horizontal direction of the flat substrate at a plurality of positions in the vertical direction at a constant pitch in multiple stages. A robot hand that moves up and down between pitches to support the substrate and move in the vertical direction so as to be able to be taken in and out of the loading device.
The support member includes a support portion capable of supporting two or more positions of the substrate from the both sides to a part of the center,
The robot hand extends in the vertical direction within the partial area when the substrate is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, and can support the area near the horizontal center position. A vertical member provided with a plurality of central support portions, and extending from the vertical member to both sides in the horizontal direction, including a tip support portion at a tip portion, and including a position between the plurality of support members. A plurality of horizontal members provided at positions separated from each other in the vertical direction and the elevating direction,
It is characterized by the following.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 3 is a stacking device capable of supporting the substrate by providing a plurality of supporting members capable of supporting both lateral sides of the flat substrate at a plurality of vertical positions at a constant pitch in multiple stages. A robot hand that moves up and down between pitches to support the substrate and move in the vertical direction to be able to move in and out of the loading device.
The support member includes a support portion capable of supporting two or more positions of the substrate from the both sides to a part of the center,
The robot hand extends in the vertical direction within the partial area when the substrate is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, and can support the area near the horizontal center position. A vertical member provided with a plurality of central support portions, and extending from the vertical member to both sides in the horizontal direction, including a tip support portion at a tip portion, and including a position between the plurality of support members. A plurality of horizontal members provided at positions separated from each other in the vertical direction and the elevating direction,
It is characterized by the following.
[0013]
1 to 5 show an example of the structure of a gondola as an example of a loading device constituting a substrate supporting structure of the present invention, its substrate receiver and a robot hand, and FIG. 6 shows the substrate receiver and a robot hand. This shows a state in which is combined with. The substrate support structure to which the present invention is applied will be described based on these drawings.
[0014]
The substrate supporting structure is configured such that both sides Ws in a horizontal direction X of a liquid crystal glass substrate (LCD) such as a flat panel display (FPD) or a thin film transistor (TFT) which is a flat substrate are referred to as a vertical direction Y In the present example, the substrate W is provided as a plurality of support members that can be supported at four positions in the present example, and is provided with 28 stages in the present example as four stages of four substrate receivers 1 each having a fixed pitch p from the outside of both sides Ws. It has a gondola 2 as a possible loading device, and a robot hand 3 that moves up and down in the vertical direction Z between pitches p to support the substrate W and move in the vertical direction Y so that it can be put in and out of the gondola 2. In FIG. 1, the illustration of the intermediate substrate receiver 1 is omitted.
[0015]
Each of the substrate receivers 1 has two or more positions of the substrate W at a side portion Wm between both sides Ws of the substrate W (only one side is shown in FIG. 3) and a central portion Wc which is a part of the center. In this example, two positions P ₁ And P ₂ Are provided as receiving portions 11 and 12 which are support portions capable of supporting the supporting member.
[0016]
Position P ₁ , P ₂ Is x from both sides Ws in side Wm respectively. ₁ , X ₂ And is set at an appropriate position so that the deflection of the substrate W is sufficiently small. In this case, in an apparatus that handles substrates W of a plurality of sizes, the size of the device is determined by the largest one of the sizes. For example, for a substrate having a width of 1000 mm, x ₁ = 100mm, x ₂ = 350 mm. In that case, Wc is 300 mm. In addition, as two or more positions, P ₁ , P ₂ However, it is also possible to provide three or more or continuous supports.
[0017]
Such a substrate receiver 1 is composed of a support plate 13 fixed to a pillar 21 erected on a gondola 2 with pins 13a or the like and extending in the center direction of the substrate W, receiving plates 14 and 15 attached thereto, The position of the tip of the plate ₁ , P ₂ It is formed by the receiving seats 11, 12, etc. protruding at positions. The support plate 13 is usually made of stainless steel, and has such a high strength that it is not substantially deformed even when supporting the weight of the substrate W. The receiving seats 11 and 12 are made of a heat-resistant resin or the like as a material that does not damage the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 3 (c), the substrate receiver 1 may have a multi-piece integrated structure. By doing so, the productivity of the substrate receiver can be increased, and the state of attachment to the column 21 can be further stabilized.
[0018]
The gondola 2 has a normal frame structure, and is composed of eight columns 21, a top plate 22 and a bottom plate 23 to which these columns 21 are fixed, frame members 24 at four corners, and the like, which are not shown. It is appropriately reinforced by brackets, bracing members, and the like.
[0019]
The robot hand 3 includes a main body plate 31 as a vertical member and an overhang plate 32 as a horizontal member, as shown in structural examples in FIGS. When the main body plate 31 is inserted between the pitches p of the substrate receivers 1 of the gondola 2 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, three center receiving seats 33 are provided as a plurality of center support portions extending in the direction Y and capable of supporting the center position as a range near the center position in the lateral direction X.
[0020]
The overhang plate 32 extends from the main body plate 31 on both sides in the lateral direction X, and has a suction pad 34 at the front and rear ends in the Y direction as a front end support portion and an intermediate receiving seat 35 as a front end support portion. In the present example, a plurality of three vertically spaced portions D are included in the longitudinally spaced portions D including the vertically spaced portions D between the receivers 1 in the vertical direction Y and the vertical direction Z as the vertically moving direction. Is provided.
[0021]
The main body plate 31 and the overhanging plate 32 are formed with air suction holes 36 of the respective suction pads 34. The robot hand 3 is connected to a robot (not shown) that moves the robot hand three-dimensionally, and the holes 36 are connected to a vacuum device (not shown) via the robot.
[0022]
The substrate receiver 1 and the robot hand 3 have the above-described relationship when the hand is inserted between the pitches, and this state is partially shown in FIGS. In the up-down direction Z, the pitch is p, and the required vertical dimension up to the substrate supporting position including the thickness of the substrate receiver 1 is t. ₁ The required thickness of the main body plate obtained by adding the height of the center seat to the thickness of the main body plate 31 of the robot hand 3 and the same vertical dimension between the overhang plate 32 and the suction pad 34 as t ₂ The upper dimension margin between the suction pad 34 and the lower end position of the substrate receiver 1 is given by h. ₁ The lower dimension margin between the lower end position of the robot hand 3 and the substrate W thereunder is represented by h. ₂ Then, the relational expression of these dimensions is
t ₁ + T ₂ + H ₁ + H ₂ = P-------------(-)
To be. Examples of these numerical values will be described later.
[0023]
In the width X direction, for the width B of the substrate W, the distance from both sides Ws to the support point of the substrate receiver 1 is defined as x as described above. ₁ , X ₂ And the distance from both sides Ws to suction pad 34 or receiving seat 35 is x ₃ If so, these distances are determined so as to reduce the deflection of the substrate W as described above. Also, x on both sides ₂ If the interval of the central portion Wc between them is Wc and the width of the main body plate 31 of the robot hand 3 is Br, it is possible to increase the dimension of Br to the range of Wc.
[0024]
In the vertical Y direction, the supporting positions of the substrate receiver 1 and the robot hand 3 are as shown in FIG. ₁ , Y ₁ , L ₂ , Y ₂ , The dimensions of Since the number and the supporting positions of the substrate receiver 1 and the robot hand 3 in the length L direction are freely determined to some extent, the deflection in that direction is adjusted so as to be sufficiently small. For example, it is possible to use five substrate receivers 1 in the Y direction and four overhang portions 32 of the robot hand.
[0025]
FIG. 7 shows an example of a schematic configuration of a heat treatment apparatus which is one of the apparatuses using the above-described substrate support structure.
The heat treatment apparatus 200 includes a heat insulation wall 201, a heat treatment chamber 202 in which the gondola 2 shown in FIG. 1 and the like can be moved up and down, a machine space 203 formed thereunder, and a machine space 203 attached to the gondola 2 and extending to the machine space 203. It has a normal structure including a lift shaft 204, a lift mechanism 205 thereof, a heater (not shown), a circulating blower, a high-performance filter, and the like. Hot air is flowed in the X direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.
[0026]
The gondola 1 has a basic structure of the upper and lower plates and columns as described above, so that hot air can be blown through including the X direction. The heat insulating wall 201 is formed with an entrance 206 which may be additionally provided at one location or at two locations on the left and right as shown in the figure or two locations at different locations in the vertical direction. The substrate W is taken in and out of the substrate.
[0027]
The above-described substrate support structure is generally used as follows and exerts its operational effects.
Substrates W are mounted on the gondola 2 of the heat treatment apparatus 200 by the robot hand 3 on all stages of the 28-stage substrate receiver 1 in FIG. Then, the heat treatment is completed one by one in one tact, and the substrate W to be subjected to the next heat treatment is carried out from the same entrance 206 or the entrance 206 on the opposite side as shown in FIG. It is carried in. In such a heat treatment, when the substrate W is not a solid substrate but a temporarily bonded two-layer substrate, the adhesive adhered between the two layers is solidified after melting. Then, the substrate W is in a completed state of being completely bonded.
[0028]
In such a heat treatment, according to the support of the substrate W by the substrate receiver 1 to which the present invention is applied, the arrangement of the 16 support points as shown in FIG. Even so, the maximum deflection can be made 1 mm or less, which is a value much smaller than that of the conventional device. Also, in the robot hand 3 to which the present invention is applied to support three points in the X direction, the maximum deflection can be reduced to about 1.3 mm or less, which is a value sufficiently smaller than that of the conventional bifurcated hand.
[0029]
These were confirmed as follows by the calculation results by the computer FEM calculation program:
Substrate dimensions: 1250 mm x 1100 mm x 0.5 mm (length L x width B x thickness)
Mass of one substrate; 18.6N
Substrate Young's modulus; 0.715 MPa
Support point of substrate receiver; x ₁ = 40mm x ₂ = 360mm y ₁ = 145mm L ₁ = 310mm
Deflection of board when supported by board receiver
Deflection: up to 0.22mm
The location of the maximum deflection and its close deflection;
A position far away from any of the receiving seats 11 and 12, such as a point A shown in FIG.
Robot hand support point;
In FIG. 6B, x ₃ = 120mm, x ₄ = Center = 550mm, y ₂ = 225mm, L ₂ = A total of 6 points of the center seat 33, the suction pad 34, and the middle seat 35 at the dimension position of 400mm
Deflection of board when supported by robot hand
Deflection: up to 1.33mm
Location of maximum deflection; Four corner positions
In the above description, the thickness of the substrate W is actually 1 mm. However, when a two-layer substrate is bonded by a heat treatment apparatus, the substrate is heated to melt the adhesive, and the substrate strength is 1 mm thickness when the two layers are combined. Since there is a state where the strength is not high, the thickness of the substrate is set to 0.5 mm for one substrate in consideration of safety in the above calculation.
[0030]
From the above calculation results, it was confirmed that the deflection of the substrate W when supported by the substrate receiver had a sufficiently small value. If the substrate bends during the heat treatment of the substrate, the two layers of glass are fixed and integrated in that state, so that the deflection of the substrate is minimized to an extremely small value as described above, thereby ensuring safety during the heat treatment. As a result, the quality of the substrate as a product could be improved.
[0031]
It is to be noted that, if the positions of the support points are variously changed, the deflection naturally changes, but if the support points are arranged in a well-balanced manner to some extent, the deflection does not become a problem at all. It is also possible to increase or decrease the number of substrate receivers 1 in the Y direction as needed.
[0032]
In the above description, the deflection when supported by the robot hand is larger than that when supported by the substrate receiver. As shown in FIG. Even if there is a deflection of about 3 mm, the safety at the time of inserting and removing the robot hand between the substrates is ensured.
[0033]
When the substrate is transported by the robot hand, the upper and lower portions of the two-layer substrate are fixed with an adhesive, and the substrate has a strength close to the integrated strength. That's a fraction. Therefore, safety at the time of inserting and removing the robot hand between the boards does not matter at all. Further, when the substrate is handled by the robot hand, the deflection does not directly affect the quality of the substrate, so that the above-described deflection is not a problem from this point.
[0034]
On the other hand, in the conventional substrate support structure, as shown in FIG. 8, an extremely large deflection occurred. That is, in a substrate W having a length L of 1200 mm and a width of 1100 mm (half of the center line O is shown as 550 mm in the drawing), x in FIG. ₁ Support point P ₁ X of the substrate receiver 1 'corresponding to ₁ Support point P at the position of '= 170 mm ₁ ', But the deflection at the center position O in the X direction at that time was 14.68 mm. And the support point P ₁ Due to the large deflection angle occurring at the position '′, an upward negative deflection was 9.46 mm at the end Ws of the substrate.
[0035]
As described above, in the conventional substrate receiver, the robot hand 3 ′ has a bifurcated shape (only the left hand is shown in the figure) and is inserted at a position 210 mm from the end Ws of the substrate W. The dimensions of the hand are usually 50 mm in width and 16 mm in thickness, as in this example. For a substrate support pitch p = 40 mm, the vertical distance between the hand and the substrate W when inserted is the deflection of the substrate W. And 9.14 mm. In addition, when the substrate W was supported by the robot hand, the position of the center O and the deflection of the end were 4.15 mm and 3.16 mm, respectively.
[0036]
In contrast to such a conventional substrate supporting structure, in the substrate supporting structure to which the present invention is applied, the bending of the substrate in the substrate supporting by the substrate receiver 1 becomes a small value that hardly causes a problem as described above. When the robot hand 3 is inserted into the board pitch, the overhanging plate 32 of the hand and the board receiver 1 are overlapped in the vertical Z direction in the pitch as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5B, the same pitch of 40 mm as that of the conventional substrate supporting structure can be maintained.
[0037]
That is, in the above equation (1), the dimension t based on the thickness of the substrate receiver ₁ Is the length of the substrate receiver x ₂ -X ₁ '= 190 mm, but the length is about 190 mm longer. However, since the support plate 13 of the substrate receiver is usually made of stainless steel or the like with sufficient strength, it is sufficient if the dimensions are 10 mm or less and 9 mm as in the conventional case. , T ₂ Is set to 12 mm with respect to the thickness 16 mm of the conventional main body plate 31 and the height of the center receiving seat is set to 1 mm to make a total of 13 mm. ₁ And h ₂ Can be both 9 mm.
[0038]
In the above, if the main body plate 31 is made 12 mm, the thickness becomes thinner than the conventional one, and the stress and the deflection increase in proportion to the square and the cube of the thickness, respectively, so that the deflection becomes about 2.37 times. However, in the present example, the width Br is 150 mm, which is 1.5 times larger than the width of 100 mm for two conventional forked hands, and the deflection is reduced in proportion thereto, and the body plate is also reduced. The overhanging plate 32 is partially fixed to the base 31, which greatly increases the second moment of area in the X direction and has a reinforcing effect, so that the strength condition is almost the same as that of the conventional bifurcated hand. Will be provided. The main body plate 31 is made 1 mm thicker and h ₁ And h ₂ Is 8.5 mm, there is no problem as described later.
[0039]
In addition, the central portion Wc under the substrate W into which the main body plate 31 enters is usually about 300 mm in the case of a substrate having a width of about 1000 mm. The height can be increased safely to at least about 250 mm, and the strength of the main body plate can be increased in proportion thereto, and the deflection can be reduced.
[0040]
In this example, when the robot hand is inserted at a pitch of 40 mm as described above, ₁ = H ₂ A margin of 9 mm was obtained, but this margin is a value with higher reliability and reliability than the conventional 9.14 mm margin. That is, in the conventional apparatus, the substrate is largely bent, so that it is necessary to take a large margin for the vibration and the behavior of the gondola and the robot hand. Is highly reliable determined by the mechanical dimensional relationship, and is a reliable value. Also, when the substrate is supported by the robot hand 3, the deflection is 1.2 mm or less, which is 1/3 or less of the conventional 4.15 mm, and this point is also a plus in the dimensional margin.
[0041]
As a result, the pitch dimension can be maintained as before by the effect of substantially minimizing the deflection of the substrate by lapping the substrate receiver 1 and the overhanging plate 31 of the hand in the vertical direction as described above. .
[0042]
When all the substrates W have been mounted on the gondola 2 and the heat treatment time of one substrate W has elapsed, the substrate W which has been subjected to the heat treatment is taken out, and a new substrate W to be heat treated is carried in. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. ₁ And W ₂ Within the pitch p, which is the interval between ₁ The robot hand 3 is inserted in the direction as shown in FIG. At this time, as described above, for example, in a device having a pitch of 40 mm, a vertical dimension margin h of the robot hand 3 is given. ₁ , H ₂ Are 9 mm each, so that safety at the time of hand insertion is ensured.
[0043]
From this state, the robot hand 3 moves upward Z as indicated by the arrow in the figure. ₁ In the course of this, the center receiving seat 33 of the main body plate 31 and the suction pad 34 and the receiving seat 35 of the overhanging plate 32 move the substrate W after the heat treatment. ₁ , And is lifted up to a substrate pitch one pitch higher by supporting and sucking.
[0044]
At this time, since the main body plate 31 is located at the position of the central portion Wc which is the space between the substrate receivers 1 in the X direction, the main body plate 31 can be lifted without interfering with the substrate receiver 1. Further, since the overhang plate 32 is located at the position of the vertical interval portion D, it is possible to ascend the space therebetween without interfering with the substrate receiver 1.
[0045]
From this state, the substrate W ₁ Robot hand 3 supporting Y ₂ Retreat in the direction ₁ From the heat treatment apparatus 200 and sent out to the next manufacturing process. At this time, the substrate W supported by the robot hand 3 ₁ Has a smaller value of 1/3 or less of that of a conventional hand, so that the safety at the time of unloading is further improved.
[0046]
Substrate W ₁ Is carried out, the next substrate W to be heat-treated is carried in, and the substrate W ₁ Is mounted on the substrate receiver 1 on which the. At this time, the operation is symmetrical to that at the time of unloading. Then, the safety of the operation is ensured as in the case of carrying out.
[0047]
In the heat treatment as described above, according to the substrate support structure of the present example to which the present invention is applied, the substrate W is supported by the substrate receiver 1 when being carried in and out by the robot hand and during the heat treatment. In all cases, the substrate has a good shape with almost no deflection. Therefore, even if the substrate has a two-layer structure having an allowable range of, for example, a minute gap δ = 4 μm ± 0.1 μm, δ is allowable. Heat treatment can be performed with an accuracy within the range.
[0048]
On the other hand, in the conventional substrate supporting structure, since the substrate W has a large deflection, the substrate W is deformed from the flat state at the time of the temporary bonding to the final clearance after the heat treatment because the gap is partially fixed. Since it is completed in a flat state and is flattened again when it is used as another process or product after heat treatment, even if spacers are interposed in gaps, minute unequal deformation at spacers Occurs, and the minute gap δ does not fall within the above allowable range. In the substrate supporting structure of the present example to which the present invention is applied, the substrate W hardly bends in the entire process of the heat treatment, so that this problem is surely solved.
[0049]
As described above, the present invention is particularly advantageously applied to a substrate having a two-layer structure. However, even for a normal substrate W, it can be effectively applied to a substrate having a large size and a large deflection in a conventional substrate supporting structure. used. That is, since the heat treatment can be completed in a state without bending, when this is used as a flat panel product, flatness can be obtained without applying any external force, and therefore, it is necessary to deform a bent substrate into a flat shape. There are no residual stresses or strains on the material due to the absence of heat, and the various effects can be obtained, such as improved surface flatness, better handling during heat treatment and other operations, and higher safety. it can.
[0050]
In the above description, the case where the loading device is a gondola has been described. However, the loading device is not limited to the one that is lifted and lowered in this way, and is mounted on a portable substrate support rack that is placed at a fixed position in the heat treatment device or mounted on the heat treatment device. It goes without saying that a rack device or the like may be used.
[0051]
As described above, according to the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, in a substrate supporting structure having a loading device having a predetermined configuration and a robot hand, a support member of the loading device is provided with a substrate. Since it has a supporting portion capable of supporting two or more positions of the substrate from both sides to a part of the center, by supporting at least four points in the lateral direction of the substrate, the supporting interval can be sufficiently shortened. The amount of overhang from the support point can be reduced, and the lateral deflection of the substrate can be set to a sufficiently small value. In the vertical direction, the number of support members can be freely increased or decreased as necessary, so that it is naturally possible to set the vertical deflection to a value that does not cause any problem. Therefore, the deflection of the substrate as a whole can be set to a sufficiently small value.
[0052]
As a result, even if the substrate has a two-layer bonding structure, it is possible to maintain a fine gap between the two layers within an allowable range when used as a flat panel after heat treatment, and to provide a good flat panel product without defects. it can. In addition, even for a normal solid large-sized substrate, by reducing the deflection sufficiently, the flatness and surface condition of a flat panel product are improved, and the handleability during heat treatment and other operations is improved. Safety can be improved.
[0053]
Also, the robot hand includes a vertical member, and when the member is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, the member extends vertically within a part of the center of the substrate. With a structure with multiple center supports that can support the area near the center position in the horizontal direction, when the robot hand is placed within the board interval when loading and unloading the board, it moves up and down as it is It is possible to support the center position of the substrate by the center supporting portion during the ascent.
[0054]
Further, the robot hand has a horizontal member, and this member is provided on both ends in the horizontal direction from the vertical member and has a tip support portion at a tip portion, and includes a position between the plurality of support members, and Since a plurality of members are provided at positions separated in the vertical direction and the elevating direction, the tip support portion can receive the substrate at two points on both sides which are required to be away from the center even at a position overlapping the support member in the horizontal direction. it can. Therefore, the substrate can be supported at three points in the horizontal direction together with the vertical members. As a result, as compared with the conventional two-pronged two-point support hand, the deflection in which the lateral support is improved can be greatly reduced. As a result, the deflection can be made sufficiently small even at the time of loading / unloading the substrate supported by the robot hand, and the above-mentioned effects can be secured.
[0055]
In addition, since a plurality of horizontal members are provided at positions vertically separated from the support member, even if they overlap with the support member in the horizontal direction, they can move up and down without interfering with the support member when the robot hand moves up and down. Can be. Therefore, the robot hand can carry in and carry out the substrate by moving up and down and moving in the vertical direction.
[0056]
In this case, since the horizontal member and the support member overlap in the horizontal direction, when the robot hand is inserted into the space between the substrates in the vertical direction, it is necessary to shift the two in the vertical direction. Since the vertical member is located at a central portion and the portion is usually appropriately widened, it is possible to reduce the vertical distance occupied by increasing the width and reducing the thickness of the vertical member. In addition, since the horizontal member becomes a reinforcing member with respect to the vertical member, the thickness of the vertical member can be reduced also in this regard. Further, since there is no bending, when the robot hand is put in the space between the substrates, the distance between the support member and the substrate is reliably obtained, and it is not necessary to consider the dynamic allowance so much. The loading device can be configured without increasing the distance between the substrates conventionally used.
[0057]
As a result, according to the substrate supporting structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the heat treatment capability can be maintained at the same level as the conventional one, and the product performance of the substrate after the heat treatment can be remarkably improved.
[0058]
According to the second or third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a loading device or a robot hand that constitutes a substrate support structure having the above-described functions and effects.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of a gondola as an example of a loading device to which a substrate supporting structure of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the device.
3A and 3B show a configuration example of a substrate receiver of the above-described apparatus, in which FIG. 3A is a plan view, FIG. 3B is a side view, and FIG.
FIGS. 4A to 4D are a plan view, a side view, a side view of a suction pad, and a side view of a receiving seat, respectively, showing a structural example of a robot hand constituting the substrate supporting structure.
5A and 5B show another example of the robot hand, in which FIG. 5A is a perspective view and FIG. 5B is a partial side view showing a state in which a substrate is inserted between the substrates.
6A and 6B show a state in which the substrate receiver and the robot hand are combined, wherein FIG. 6A is a side view and FIG. 6B is a plan view.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of a heat treatment apparatus provided with the apparatus.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a bent state of a substrate in a conventional substrate supporting structure.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Substrate receiver (supporting member)
2 Gondola (loading device)
3 Robot hand
11, 12 Receiving seat (supporting part)
31 Body plate (vertical member)
32 Overhang plate (horizontal member)
33 center seat (center support)
34 Suction pad (tip support)
35 Receiving seat (tip support)
D Vertically spaced part (position between support members)
p pitch (constant pitch)
P ₁ , P ₂ Two locations (two or more locations)
W substrate
Wc Central part (part of central part)
Wm side (between partial area of center)
Ws both sides
X horizontal direction
Y vertical direction

Claims (3)

A plurality of supporting members capable of supporting both sides in the horizontal direction of the plate-shaped substrate at a plurality of positions in the vertical direction are provided in multiple stages at a fixed pitch, and the loading device capable of supporting the substrate and ascending and descending between the pitches A substrate supporting structure having a robot hand that supports the substrate and moves in the vertical direction to be able to be taken in and out of the loading device;
The support member includes a support portion that can support two or more positions of the substrate from the both sides to a range of a part of the center,
The robot hand extends in the vertical direction within the partial area when the substrate is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, and can support the area near the horizontal center position. A vertical member provided with a plurality of central support portions, and extending from the vertical member to both sides in the horizontal direction, including a tip support portion at a tip portion, and including a position between the plurality of support members. A plurality of horizontal members provided at positions separated from each other in the vertical direction and the elevating direction,
A substrate support structure characterized by the above-mentioned. A plurality of supporting members capable of supporting both sides in the horizontal direction of the plate-shaped substrate at a plurality of positions in the vertical direction are provided in multiple stages at a fixed pitch, and the loading device capable of supporting the substrate and ascending and descending between the pitches A robot hand that supports the substrate and moves in the vertical direction to be able to be taken in and out of the loading device.
The support member includes a support portion capable of supporting two or more positions of the substrate from the both sides to a part of the center,
The robot hand extends in the vertical direction within the partial area when the substrate is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, and can support the area near the horizontal center position. A vertical member provided with a plurality of central support portions, and extending from the vertical member to both sides in the horizontal direction, including a tip support portion at a tip portion, and including a position between the plurality of support members. A plurality of horizontal members provided at positions separated from each other in the vertical direction and the elevating direction,
A loading device for a substrate supporting structure, characterized in that: A plurality of supporting members capable of supporting both sides in the horizontal direction of the plate-shaped substrate at a plurality of positions in the vertical direction are provided in multiple stages at a fixed pitch, and the loading device capable of supporting the substrate and ascending and descending between the pitches A robot hand that supports the substrate and moves in the vertical direction to be able to be taken in and out of the loading device.
The support member includes a support portion capable of supporting two or more positions of the substrate from the both sides to a part of the center,
The robot hand extends in the vertical direction within the partial area when the substrate is inserted between the pitches when the substrate is taken in and out, and can support the area near the horizontal center position. A vertical member provided with a plurality of central support portions, and extending from the vertical member to both sides in the horizontal direction, including a tip support portion at a tip portion, and including a position between the plurality of support members. A plurality of horizontal members provided at positions separated from each other in the vertical direction and the elevating direction,
A robot hand having a substrate support structure, characterized in that:

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