JP2005064440A - Manually operated wafer conveying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wafer conveying machine that stably and easily conveys a wafer in a horizontal attitude through manual operation and restrains particles from sticking on the wafer and is short and small in occupation space. <P>SOLUTION: Provided is an end effector which supports the outer periphery of the wafer in the horizontal attitude in point contact or linear contact or clamps the outer periphery. The end effector is fitted to a rectilinear shaft, and the rectilinear shaft, an elevation shaft, and a rotary shaft can manually be operated to convey the wafer through manual operation. The elevation shaft is fitted to the rotary shaft to avoid interferring with the movement of the rectilinear shaft and the movement of the rotary shaft, thereby lowering height of the whole conveying machine. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

  The present invention relates to the transfer of wafers used in semiconductor manufacturing.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in order to manually remove or insert the wafer 1 from the wafer carrier 2, the wafer carrier 2 is placed so that the wafer 1 is vertical, and the wafer 1 is sucked and operated using the vacuum tweezers 3. This method is unstable in conveyance and requires great care and high skill. There is a problem that the wafer 1 having a larger diameter becomes more and more difficult. Further, there is a problem that the vacuum tweezers 3 and the wafer surface are in close contact with each other by a vacuum suction force, and particles (foreign particles) adhere to the wafer 1.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in the conventional transfer machine, an end effector 4 on which a wafer 1 is placed is attached to a conventional linear shaft 5, and the conventional linear shaft 5, the conventional rotary shaft 6, and the conventional lift shaft 7 are operated and transferred. . The conventional linear shaft 5 and the conventional rotary shaft 6 are integrally mounted on the conventional lift shaft 7. Interference is avoided in the height direction so that the movement of the conventional linear shaft 5 and the conventional rotary shaft 6 does not interfere with the conventional lift shaft 7 when the wafer 1 is conveyed. For this reason, there is a problem that the height of the transport device becomes high and the occupied space is large.

Problems to be solved by the invention

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer machine capable of stably and easily transporting a wafer 1 in a horizontal posture by manual operation, preventing particles from adhering to the wafer 1, and having a small height and a small occupied space. To do.

Means for solving the problem

  In order to achieve the above object, claim 1 of the present invention provides an end effector that supports a wafer in a horizontal posture and supports the outer periphery of the wafer by point contact or line contact, or clamps the outer periphery of the wafer by point contact or line contact. Prepare. The end effector is attached to a rectilinear axis, and each rectilinear axis, elevating axis, and rotation axis can be manually operated, and the wafer is taken out or inserted from a wafer carrier placed so that the wafer is horizontal.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the lifting shaft of the first aspect is attached to the rotating shaft, and the lifting shaft moves on the circumference of a certain radius from the rotation center of the rotating shaft, so that the movement of the lifting shaft is the movement of the straight shaft and the rotating shaft. It is characterized by avoiding interference with movement and reducing the overall height of the transporting machine.

  A third aspect of the present invention is characterized by automating a part or all of the straight axes, the lifting and lowering axes, and the rotating shaft of the second aspect.

  Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 shows the end effector 4 that supports the wafer 1 in a horizontal posture by tilting the portion of the end effector 4 that makes contact with the wafer 1 and performing point contact or line contact on the outer periphery of the wafer 1. FIG. 4 shows an end effector 4 that clamps the wafer 1 by point contact or line contact on the outer periphery of the wafer 1.

  FIGS. 5 a) and b) show the movement of the rectilinear shaft 8 to which the end effector 4 of the wafer transfer machine of the present invention is attached. 5a) shows the last retracted position of the rectilinear shaft 8, and FIG. 5b) shows a state where the rectilinear shaft 8 has advanced. The movement of the rectilinear shaft 8 does not interfere with the lifting shaft 9.

  FIGS. 6a) and b) show the movement of the lifting shaft 9 of the wafer transfer machine of the present invention. 6A) shows the lowest lowered position of the lifting shaft 9, and FIG. 6B) shows a state where the lifting shaft 9 is raised. The lifting shaft 9 is attached to the rotating shaft 10.

  FIGS. 7a) and 7b) show the rotation state of the rotary shaft 10 of the wafer transfer machine of the present invention. The rotating shaft 10 is attached to the base plate 11, and the traveling direction of the rectilinear shaft 8 (the conveyance direction of the wafer 1) can be changed by the rotation of the rotating shaft 10. The elevating shaft 9 revolves on the circumference of a certain radius from the rotation center of the rotating shaft 10, and even if the rectilinear shaft 8 is moved from the state shown in FIGS.

  5a) b), 6a) b), 7a) b) can be moved in the proper order to remove or insert wafer 1 from wafer carrier 2 placed so that wafer 1 is horizontal. it can.

The invention's effect

  As described above, according to the present invention, the wafer can be transported stably and easily in a horizontal posture by manual operation, the contact area between the wafer and the end effector can be reduced, and particles can be prevented from adhering to the wafer.

  Further, by placing the lifting / lowering shaft of the wafer transfer device on the rotation shaft, the overall height of the wafer transfer device can be reduced and the occupied space is reduced.

It is a perspective view which shows the method of the wafer conveyance by the conventional manual operation. It is a perspective view which shows the conventional conveying machine. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the method of supporting a wafer. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the method of clamping a wafer. It is a top view which shows the motion of the rectilinear axis of the wafer conveyance machine of this invention. It is a front view which shows the motion of the raising / lowering axis | shaft of the wafer conveyance machine of this invention. It is a top view which shows a motion of the rotating shaft of the wafer conveyance machine of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Wafer 2 Wafer carrier 3 Vacuum tweezers 4 End effector 5 Conventional linear shaft 6 Conventional rotary shaft 7 Conventional lift shaft 8 Linear shaft 9 Lift shaft 10 Rotary shaft 11 Base plate

Claims (3)

  A wafer transfer machine characterized by transferring wafers in a horizontal position by manual operation.   2. A wafer transfer machine according to claim 1, wherein the elevating shaft is disposed on the rotation axis.   3. A wafer transfer machine according to claim 2, wherein part or all of the operations are automated.

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