JP2006015425A - Manufacturing process layout with backup system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing process layout with a backup system by which a plurality of machining machines having the same functions can mutually back up and production costs can be reduced. <P>SOLUTION: The manufacturing process layout with a backup system is provided with a plurality of main machining machines, a main conveyor, at least one auxiliary machining machine, and a transport control system. The main machining machines are arranged corresponding to a production flow. The main conveyor is connected to the main machining machines so as to transport at least one cassette. The auxiliary machining machine substantially has the same functions as one of the main machining machines in order to execute the backup of the production flow. The transport control system is used for automatically transporting a cassette between the main machining machines and the auxiliary machining machine. The backup system, by which production time and production costs can be reduced, is provided by the manufacturing process layout. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates generally to manufacturing process layouts with backup systems, and more particularly to manufacturing process layouts used in cassette transport systems.

  In recent years, thin film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFTs) have the advantages of a display effect far superior to cathode ray tube displays (CRT displays), light weight, affordable size, low power consumption, and no radiation contamination. LCD) has gained general interest. TFT-LCDs are currently used in various types of computer products, communication products, and home appliances such as desktop computers, notebook computers, personal information terminal devices (PDAs), mobile communicators, website browsers, and liquid crystal projectors. Used in electrical appliances.

  Over the last few years, the standard size of glass substrates used in TFT-LCDs has increased. For example, a fifth generation glass substrate having a width of about 1000 mm and a length of about 1200 mm is nine times as large as a first generation glass substrate having a width of about 320 mm and a length of about 440 mm. A “job shop” delivery system, which is a typical transport system for the delivery of glass substrates, is not suitable for the next generation of glass substrates.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional “job shop” manufacturing process layout. In the production flow, it is considered that cleaning, film formation, photolithography, etching, resist stripping, and inspection processes are necessary. Typically, a conventional “job shop” manufacturing process facility is organized into a plurality of bays each including a plurality of processing machines having the same function. The set of processing machines arranged in the same bay has the advantage of becoming a spare for each other. As shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning unit 101 includes six cleaning devices, the film forming unit 102 includes six sputtering devices or CVD devices, and six photoresist (PR) coating units 103. The exposure unit 104 includes six exposure units (such as a scanner or a stepper), the development unit 105 includes six development units, and the etching unit 106 includes six etchers. The resist stripping unit 107 includes six resist stripping devices, and the inspection unit 108 includes six inspection devices. In addition, a variety of systems (referred to as in-bay transport systems), such as workers and automation systems, are used to transport glass substrates (loaded in cassettes) within the bay. The operator uses the cart to carry the cassette and moves a manual robot link or other lifter to transfer the cassette between the processing machine and the cart. In another automatic bay transportation, an automatic guided vehicle (AGV) or a rail guided vehicle (RGV) is used to carry a cassette between processing machines and transfer the cassette to a loading port of the processing machine.

  Also, interbay transport systems such as ceiling shuttle transport devices (OHS) and / or lifting devices are used to transfer cassettes between bays. For example, a glass substrate that has been completely cleaned and cleaned in the cleaning unit 101 is loaded into a cassette and transported to a stocker region (upper region in FIG. 1). Next, the cassette is transferred to the ceiling shuttle type transfer device by the lifting device, and is transported along the shuttle path 110 to the next work station, for example, the film forming unit 102 for film deposition.

  The traditional “job shop” manufacturing process layout that collects processing machines of the same function in one bay has the advantage that the processing machines become spares of each other, but the increase in the size of the glass substrate is the cassette Cause transportation problems in handling. For example, the sixth generation glass substrate has a width of about 1500 mm and a length of about 1800 mm, and the 20 glass substrates held in the cassette have a total weight of about 200 kg. The AGV for carrying the cassette has a weight of 1250 kg or more, a width of about 1.9 m, a length of about 2.3 m, and a height of about 1.96 m. It is not easy to transfer a cassette in the bay by such a bulky AGV, and more space is required for the movement of the AGV. In addition, a large-sized glass substrate may be deformed during transportation by AGV, and there is a serious problem that damage such as collision or breakage may occur.

  In addition, some processes are repeated during a complete semiconductor (or LCD) production flow. For example, since the film forming process and the photolithography process are required after the etching process is completed, it is necessary to return the cassette in the etching unit 106 to the film forming unit 102 by OHS. Since the cassette is transferred between bays, transferred from the OHS to the AGV, returned to the AGV after processing is complete, and then returned to the OHS for transport to the next work station (bay), it is very time consuming. In addition, it is difficult to move the large glass substrate forward and back at good speed and without damage.

  The traditional “flow shop” processing layout used in the food industry places various machines according to the production flow. While the processing machines placed one by one minimize the time of transportation, the traditional “flow shop” processing layout does not include a spare machine to back up the manufacturing process. Therefore, it is not suitable for semiconductor or LCD factories.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing process layout with a backup system in which a plurality of processing machines having the same function can back up each other, thereby reducing production costs. .

Means for Solving the Invention

  The present invention achieves the objects identified above by providing a manufacturing process with a backup system that includes a plurality of primary processing machines, a main conveyor, at least one spare processing machine, and a transport control system. To do. The main processing machines are arranged according to the production flow. The main conveyor is electromechanically connected to the main processing machine for transporting at least one cassette. The spare processing machine has substantially the same function as one of the main processing machines in order to back up the production flow. The transport control system is used to automatically transfer cassettes between the main processing machine and the preliminary processing machine.

  In addition, a buffer storage unit for storing the cassette is on the main conveyor, and the cassette can be immediately transferred from the failed main processing machine to the buffer storage unit by the transport control system.

  The main processing machines constitute the main production line. Each preliminary processing machine is installed opposite to the main processing machine having the same function, and the mechanical equipment of the transportation control system is arranged between the preliminary processing machine and the main processing machine in order to execute a backup job. The pre-processing machine can also be placed adjacent to the end of the main processing machine, and the mechanical equipment of the transport control system is placed on one side of the main processing machine to perform a backup job.

  The quantity, function and position of the pre-processing machine corresponds to the main processing machine. If the pre-processing machines are exactly the same as the main processing machine, they can be part of the production line.

  Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

  In the present invention, the manufacturing process layout with a backup system combines the advantages of the “job shop” processing layout and the “flow shop” processing layout. Since the processing layout of the present invention has a much greater capacity than the “Job Shop” processing layout, the glass substrates loaded in the cassette can be efficiently and quickly transferred to the processing machine. Thus, the cost and time for the transfer are greatly reduced.

  Further, the drawings used to describe the embodiments of the present invention show only the main and characteristic parts of the process layout in order to avoid obscuring the present invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be understood as illustrative rather than restrictive.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The direction of the production flow is indicated by the direction of the arrow. In this embodiment, the manufacturing process layout includes a main production line 20 and a preliminary production line 30. Between the main production line 20 and the preliminary production line 30, there is a space for installing a transport control system (not shown in FIG. 2) and transferring cassettes. Therefore, production lines 20 and 30 must be separated by at least the width of the cassette for cassette transport. 1st main processing part (cleaning part etc.) 201, 2nd main processing part (film formation part etc.) 202, 3rd main processing part (photoresist application part etc.) 203, 4th main processing .. Are disposed on the main production line 20 and arranged in the necessary order in the production process. The preliminary production line 30 has the same arrangement as the main production line 20, and includes a first preliminary processing unit (such as a cleaning unit) 301, a second preliminary processing unit (such as a film forming unit) 302, and a third A preliminary processing section (photoresist application section etc.) 303, a fourth preliminary processing section (cleaning section etc.) 304 and the like are provided.

  The main production line 20 and the preliminary production line 30 can be operated simultaneously to produce a product. The main production line 20 and the preliminary production line 30 can take charge instead at various stages of the production flow. If any processing machine fails, the transport control system can immediately transfer the cassette to another processing machine with the same function.

  The processing machines 2011, 2021, 2031, 2041, 3011, 3021, 3031 and 3041 in the processing unit are used for manufacturing products. The main conveyor 205 is electromechanically connected to the processing machines 2011, 2021, 2031, 2041,... For transferring cassettes. Similarly, the conveyor 305 is electromechanically connected to processing machines 3011, 3021, 3031, 3041,... For transferring cassettes. In addition, a plurality of buffer storage units 2012, 2022, 2032, 2042, 3012, 3022, 3032, and 3042 are provided on the main conveyor 205 and the conveyor 305 for temporarily storing cassettes. The machinery of the transport control system, such as lifters and cranes, is located on one side of the main processing machine to perform backup jobs. In the configuration as shown in FIG. 2, the transport control system machinery is preferably arranged between the main production line 20 and the spare production line 30 in order to transfer the cassettes in a timely manner. If the processing machine fails (or stops), or the cassette arrives at the destination too early (any of the processing machines can slow down its production speed), the transport control system can The cassette can be transported in a timely manner to other spare machines or any buffer storage.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a crane according to an embodiment of the present invention. The crane 310 substantially includes a main body 312, a rotating part 314, and a protruding / retractable arm 316. The main body 312 supports the rotating unit 314 and is movable along a track (not shown) between the main production line 20 and the preliminary production line 30. In addition, a lifting mechanism is coupled to the main body 312 in order to operate the main body 312 in the vertical direction. A retractable arm 316 is coupled to the rotating part 314 to grip or lift the cassette. During operation, the cassette 310 can be efficiently and automatically transferred by the horizontal automatic transfer of the crane 310, the vertical transfer of the body 312 and the protruding transfer of the retractable arm 316. Normally, the crane 310 is left idle until the cassette needs to be transferred to the destination. For example, when the cassette needs to be transferred from the main processing machine 2031 to the preliminary processing machine 3031, the main body 312 first moves to a position on the main processing machine 2031. Next, the retractable arm 316 grips the cassette and turns to the preliminary production line by the rotating unit 314, and then puts the cassette into the preliminary processing machine 3031.

  The crane further includes other functional accessories such as overhang bars, suspension hooks, hydraulic press tanks, crane fixing devices and other safety devices to support or guide the object being lifted or suspended. be able to. The rotating unit 314 may be connected to the bottom of the main body 312 and the main body 312 may be hung on the shaft suspension of the track. It should be noted that the type of lifter used in the present invention is not limited to the crane described above. In the present invention, any lifter capable of transferring the cassette in a timely manner to execute the backup job can be employed. Further, the transfer control system and the transfer of the cassette are managed by an automatic material transfer system (AMHS). A CIM system (computer integrated production system) is also used for manufacturing operations for managing production control of products, for example, process design, raw material management, manufacturing, testing, assembly, inspection, and the like. Any movement of the cassette is monitored and recorded by the CIM system, and the cassette is transported efficiently and quickly by the transport control system. Therefore, a high quality product can be obtained in a short time by the layout of the present invention.

  In the present invention, a conveyor-based device is used for transporting a cassette loaded with a plurality of glass substrates, not for transporting a single glass substrate. The glass substrate held in the cassette avoids direct contact with the conveying surface of the conveyor (such as a leather belt or roller) and protects the glass substrate from particulate contamination or inadvertent scratching. Without paying special attention during substrate transport, a conventional conveyor-based device can be employed for cassette transport in the present invention, resulting in reduced production costs.

  Furthermore, continuous cassettes (also called wire cassettes or line cassettes) can be used in embodiments of the present invention. Glass substrates loaded in a continuous cassette are separated by steel wires and the distance between two adjacent substrates is about 6.7 mm. Therefore, a considerable number of glass substrates are loaded in the continuous cassette. Furthermore, conveyor-based devices are designed according to the configuration of the cassette and the transport control system machinery. For example, the conveyor can be composed of a number of metallic rollers or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) rollers, and a leather belt may be mounted on the rollers. In some specific positions (for example, at the loading port of a processing machine), a pin as a guide member protrudes and the cassette can be lifted, and the retractable arm 316 is used to lift or grip the conveyor and cassette. You can enter between. Pins, cranes (lifters), and loading port sensors must be well managed by AMHS and CIM systems to complete the transport. A further example is changing the configuration of the cassette. A space between the cassette and the conveyor is created by attaching two ribs to the bottom of the cassette so as to accept the retractable arm 316 without lifting the cassette.

  According to the above description, the technical point of the present invention is to use the transport control system to transfer the cassette from the main processing machine or conveyor to the spare processing machine in a timely manner. Therefore, the buffer storage is not limited to the position on the conveyor as shown in FIG. The buffer storage can be relocated to another area inside or outside the processing section based on ergonomic considerations in practical applications.

  Further, the processing machine provided in the preliminary production line 30 may be completely the same as the processing machine in the main production line 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this specification. The preliminary production line 30 can comprise only one spare machine, the function of which depends on which processing steps are important in the production flow or on the reliability of the processing machines. For example, the preliminary production line 30 may include an etcher machine and a resist stripping machine when the etching process and the resist stripping process play an important role in the production flow. When the reliability of the film forming machine is lower than that of other processing machines, the preliminary production line 30 may include a film forming machine in some cases.

  Further, the position of the preliminary production line 30 is not limited to the present specification. The preliminary production line 30 can be installed opposite to the main production line 20 depending on the size of the factory, or can be arranged adjacent to the end of the main production line 20.

  In addition, production lines with a typical “flow shop” process layout can be relocated, so that processing machines with the same function can back up each other. Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a schematic diagram of a production line for manufacturing a device with multi-level interconnects according to another best embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the device has five layers, the first layer manufacturing process is similar to the third layer manufacturing process, and the second layer manufacturing process is similar to the fourth layer manufacturing process. Assume that. The production line can be arranged according to the configuration of FIG. A processing machine for making the first layer is placed opposite the processing machine for making the third layer. The equipment of the transport control system and the conveyor-based device are incorporated in the configuration according to the above figure. Therefore, the processing machines for making the first layer and the third layer can back up each other. Similarly, the processing machines for creating the second and fourth layers can back up each other by installing the transport control system machinery and conveyor-based equipment.

  In the above description, the processing machine of the present invention is arranged according to the production flow. By incorporating the transport control system machinery and conveyor, the cassettes on the production line can be transported in a timely manner to a spare machine for temporary storage or to one of the buffer storage units. it can. The manufacturing process layout with a backup system of the present invention combines the advantages of a “job shop” machining layout and a “flow shop” machining layout. Cassettes can be transferred efficiently and quickly between processing machines, thus reducing production time. Further, the processing machines can be regularly arranged without taking up a very large occupied area. These improvements reduce production costs.

  Although the invention has been described in terms of examples and best embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, it is intended to cover various variations and similar arrangements and procedures. Accordingly, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.

It is the schematic of the conventional job shop manufacturing process layout. It is the schematic of the manufacturing process layout with a backup system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the crane which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a production line for manufacturing a device with multi-level interconnections according to another best embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Cleaning part 102 Film formation part 103 Photoresist application part 104 Exposure part 105 Development part 106 Etching part 107 Resist peeling part 108 Inspection part 110 Shuttle path | route 20 Main production line 201 1st main process part 202 2nd main process part 203 Third main processing unit 204 Fourth main processing unit 205 Main conveyor 2011, 2021, 2031, 2041, 3011, 3021, 3031, 3041 Processing machine 2012, 2022, 2032, 2042, 3012, 3022, 3032, 3042 Buffer storage Section 30 Preliminary production line 301 First preliminary processing section 302 Second preliminary processing section 303 Third preliminary processing section 304 Fourth preliminary processing section 305 Conveyor 310 Crane 312 Main body 314 Rotating section 316 Arm

Claims (25)

A plurality of main processing machines arranged according to the production flow;
A main conveyor connected to the main processing machine for transporting at least one cassette;
At least one pre-processing machine having substantially the same function as one of the main processing machines to back up the production flow;
A transport control system for automatically transferring the cassette between the main processing machine and the preliminary processing machine;
Manufacturing process layout with backup system. The cassette is a continuous cassette;
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 1. A plurality of glass substrates are loaded into the continuous cassette and separated by a plurality of wires.
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 2. A crane capable of moving horizontally and vertically at high speed constitutes the mechanical equipment of the transport control system,
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 1. The crane substantially includes a main body, a rotating portion supported by the main body, and a retractable arm connected to the rotating portion.
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 4. A buffer storage for storing the cassette is on the main conveyor, and the cassette can be immediately transferred from any main processing machine to the buffer storage by the transport control system,
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 1. Each of the preliminary processing machines is installed opposite to the main processing machine having the same function, and the transport control system mechanical equipment is installed between the preliminary processing machine and the main processing machine in order to execute a backup job. Placed in the
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 1. The preliminary processing machines are regularly arranged according to the production flow, the number, function and location of the preliminary processing machines correspond to the main processing machines;
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 7. A pre-conveyor is electromechanically connected to the pre-processing machine for transferring the cassette;
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 8. The main processing machine constitutes a production line, the preliminary processing machine is arranged adjacent to an end of the main processing machine, and the machine equipment of the transportation control system performs the backup job to execute the backup job. Placed on one side,
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 1. A plurality of processing machines arranged according to the production flow;
At least one conveyor connected to the processing machine for transporting at least one cassette;
A transportation control system,
At least two of the processing machines have substantially the same function, and a cassette is automatically transported between the two processing machines,
Manufacturing process layout with backup system. A crane capable of moving horizontally and vertically at high speed constitutes the mechanical equipment of the transport control system,
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 11. The crane substantially includes a main body, a rotating portion supported by the main body, and a retractable arm connected to the rotating portion.
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 12. A buffer storage for storing the cassette is on the conveyor, and the cassette can be immediately transferred to the buffer storage from the failed processing machine by the transport control system.
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 11. The processing machines having the same function are installed opposite to each other, and the mechanical equipment of the transportation control system is arranged between the processing machines having the same function to execute a backup job.
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 11. The main part of the processing machine is regularly arranged according to the production flow, the spare part of the processing machine is arranged adjacent to an end of the main part of the processing machine,
Machine equipment of the transfer control system is arranged on one side of the processing machine to perform a backup job,
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 11. The cassette is a continuous cassette;
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 11. A plurality of glass substrates are loaded into the continuous cassette and separated by a plurality of wires.
The manufacturing process layout with a backup system according to claim 17. A backup system used in a production line, wherein a plurality of main processing machines constitute the production line.
At least one pre-processing machine having substantially the same function as one of the main processing machine machines;
A conveyor connected to the main processing machine for transferring at least one cassette;
At least one transport control system for automatically transferring the cassette between the main processing machine and the preliminary processing machine;
A backup system comprising: A buffer storage for storing the cassette is on the conveyor, and the cassette can be immediately transferred from any processing machine to the buffer storage by the transport control system.
The backup system according to claim 19. A crane that can be moved horizontally and vertically at high speed constitutes the mechanical equipment of the transport control system, and the crane includes a main body, a rotating part supported by the main body, and a retractable arm connected to the rotating part. Substantially comprises
The backup system according to claim 19. Each of the preliminary processing machines is installed opposite to the main processing machine having the same function, and the transport control system mechanical equipment is disposed between the preliminary processing machine and the main processing machine to execute a backup job. To be
The backup system according to claim 19. The number, function, and location of the pre-processing machine corresponds to the main processing machine;
The backup system according to claim 22. The conveyor is connected to the pre-processing machine;
The backup system according to claim 23. A preliminary conveyor is connected to the preliminary processing machine for transferring the cassette;
The backup system according to claim 23.

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