JP2011205041A - Apparatus and method for conveying substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To convey a substrate efficiently without touching surfaces of the substrate in water so as not to dry the surfaces of the substrate.SOLUTION: A conveying apparatus for conveying a substrate forward by ejecting a liquid forward from a position over the substrate through an ejection nozzle provided above the substrate dipped horizontally in a liquid, includes a conveyer unit 30 which can move back and forth in the direction of conveying the substrate 4. The conveyer unit 30 is integrally equipped with: a stopper 34 which is provided so as to swing in vertical direction to stop the substrate 4; and an ejection nozzle 35 which is prepared behind the stopper 34 and ejects a liquid 45 forward from a position a little behind the back end of the substrate 4. The substrate 4 is floated by ejection of the liquid 45 from the ejection nozzle 35, is brought into contact with the stopper 34, and then is conveyed in a resting state by moving the conveyer unit 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus and transfer method for transferring a substrate such as a wafer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a substrate transport apparatus and a transport method for transporting a substrate while being immersed in a liquid such as water.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in manufacturing solar cells, semiconductor chips, etc., ingots such as silicon are cut into single wafers by a cutting device such as a wire saw, and a large number of wafers are formed.

  For example, a wafer formed by cutting with a wire saw is contaminated with cutting debris or slurry used at the time of cutting, so it is cleaned with various cleaning liquids and then a dummy such as carbon or ceramic fixed at the time of cutting. By peeling the members, a large number of stacked wafers can be obtained.

  Then, the laminated wafers are separated one by one in water and stored in a cassette in order to prevent adhesion due to drying of stains and remaining stains due to water spots in the cleaning process, and then the drying process. Etc. (for example, patent document 1).

  Further, since the wafer processing system as described in Patent Document 1 is large and expensive, there is a current situation in which a series of processes are still performed manually, particularly in the manufacture of solar cells.

JP-A-9-237770, FIGS. 3 and 14

  By the way, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when separating the stacked wafers one by one, water is sprayed onto the wafers stacked in water from the diagonally upper side opposite to the transport direction by the first spray nozzle, While preventing the wafer from being lifted, water is sprayed obliquely from above in the transport direction to the upper surface of the uppermost portion of the wafer stacked by the second spray nozzle in this state, so that the stacked wafers 1 They are separated one by one.

  However, since the first injection nozzle and the second injection nozzle act so that the injection directions cancel each other, adjustment of the water pressure and the injection direction of the first injection nozzle and the second injection nozzle is delicate, and adjustment takes time. There was a problem that required.

  Also, it is transported by water flow on a shooter (equivalent to a guide rail) that receives the edge of the wafer from below, but the tip of the wafer flutters up and down smoothly due to water resistance. There was no problem.

  In addition, the wafer is pressed against the shooter by the weight of the wafer and the water pressure from above, and the wafer is pressed from above by the water flow of the first injection nozzle. Therefore, when the transfer distance becomes long, the wafer sticks to the shooter and stops. However, there is a problem that the wafer cannot be transferred.

  In addition, since the wafer is moved only by the water flow, it is difficult to accurately convey the wafer due to the disturbance of the water flow, it is difficult to increase the water flow speed above a certain level, and it is difficult to maintain the water flow speed. Therefore, the conveyance speed varies and it is difficult to increase the speed.

  Also, when sucking and transporting with a suction pad, suction marks remain on the wafer, and when removed from the water, the surface of the wafer dries and gets stuck, or water spots are generated. There is a problem that it becomes very difficult to remove in the subsequent process.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus and transfer method that can transfer a wafer in a liquid to a substrate surface such as a wafer in a non-contact manner, and can transfer a wafer in a liquid stably and at high speed.

  Accordingly, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate transport apparatus that ejects liquid from the upper side of the substrate toward the front by an ejection nozzle provided above the substrate that is horizontally immersed in the liquid, and sends the substrate forward. A transport unit is provided so as to be able to reciprocate along the transport direction of the substrate, the transport unit being provided so as to be able to swing up and down, a stopper for stopping the substrate, a rear of the stopper, An injection nozzle that injects the liquid from the rear to the front slightly from the rear end is integrally provided, and the substrate is floated by the injection of the liquid from the injection nozzle and the substrate is brought into contact with the stopper to be stationary. This is a substrate transfer apparatus adopting a configuration in which the substrate is transferred by moving the transfer unit in a state.

  The invention according to claim 2 employs a configuration in which, in the invention according to claim 1, the liquid is ejected from the ejection nozzle from the front to the front rather than the rear end of the substrate. This is a substrate transfer device.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate transport method in which liquid is ejected from an ejection nozzle from the upper side to the front side of a substrate immersed horizontally in the liquid, and the substrate is fed forward. Liquid is ejected from the vicinity of the rear end of the substrate to the front by the ejecting nozzle provided to float the substrate, and the substrate is brought into contact with a stopper provided at the front end of the transport unit by the ejection of the liquid. The substrate transport method adopts a configuration in which the substrate is transported by moving the transport unit in a stationary state.

  According to the present invention, since the substrate can be transported in a non-contact manner with the substrate surface without drying, spots such as water spots can be prevented from remaining on the substrate surface.

  According to the present invention, since the substrate can be stably held in the liquid, it is possible to prevent the substrate from fluttering due to the turbulence of the liquid flow as in the case where the substrate is transported only by the liquid flow. Since the substrate is directly moved by the transport unit while being held in contact, stable and high-speed transport can be performed regardless of the direction and speed of the liquid flow.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, the substrate can be easily detached from the transport unit in a non-contact manner, so that it can be easily stored in a cassette or the like without damaging the substrate, and defective products due to cracks or chipping of the substrate can be obtained. It can be easily removed and eliminated.

  Further, according to the present invention, the substrate can be held by the transport unit only by giving the buoyancy to the substrate and the propulsive force in the stopper direction by the injection nozzle, so that the direction adjustment of the plurality of injection nozzles and the injection of the plurality of injection nozzles are performed. There is no need for delicate adjustment of force, and installation can be performed easily.

These are the top views showing one Embodiment of the wafer separation storage apparatus incorporating the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing showing the board | substrate conveyance operation | movement of this invention. (C) And (d) is explanatory drawing showing the board | substrate conveyance operation | movement of this invention. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing showing one Embodiment of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of this invention. These are explanatory drawings explaining the floating state of a board | substrate. These are explanatory drawings showing the board | substrate delivery operation | movement which looked at the buffer part of FIG.3 (b) from the conveyance direction front. (A) And (b) is explanatory drawing showing another embodiment of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that the thickness of the wafer is drawn slightly exaggerated for easy understanding. Further, a part of the fixing member such as the injection nozzle is also omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the entire wafer separating and storing apparatus incorporating the substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as seen from the direction AA in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wafer separating and storing apparatus 1 is formed in a water storage tank 3 composed entirely of a side wall 2, and a series of separation and storing steps of the wafer 4 are performed by stretching the wafer 4 to the water storing tank 3. It is designed to be immersed in water.

  The wafer separating / accommodating apparatus 1 includes, in order from the left side, a wafer mounting unit 5 on which the stacked wafers 4 are mounted, and a side of the wafer mounting unit 5 in the transport direction (right direction in FIGS. 1 and 2). The guide rails 6 and 6 are provided so as to support the both ends in the width direction of the wafer 4 along the front, and the wafer 4 provided at the front end of the guide rail 6 and taken out from the wafer mounting portion 5 is temporarily stored. A buffer unit 7 to be waited on, a wafer discharge unit 8 provided on a side of the buffer unit 7 in the transfer direction to discharge abnormal wafers 4 with cracks and chips, and a width direction of the wafer 4 transferred from the buffer unit 7 Guide rails 9, 9 provided so as to support the both end portions, and a wafer storage portion 10 for storing the wafer 4 transferred on the guide rail 9 are provided in a row in the horizontal direction. A transfer unit 30 for transferring the wafer 4 is provided above the buffer unit 7 and the wafer storage unit 10.

  Next, details of the wafer separating and storing apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  The wafer mounting portion 5 is formed on a support plate 11 provided vertically below the left side wall 2 of the wafer separating and storing apparatus 1, and on both sides in the width direction of the support plate 11 in the lateral direction of the wafer 4. A guide plate 16 is provided to restrict the movement of the projector.

  A rail 13 is erected on the rear end of the support plate 11 along the side wall 2. Similarly, an L-shaped lifting frame 12 is provided on the support plate 11 separately from the support plate 11. In addition, the slider 14 provided behind the lifting frame 12 is slidably fitted to the rail 13 so that the lifting frame 12 can be lifted and lowered by an appropriate driving source (not shown).

  Further, the elevating frame 12 has a U-shaped laminated surface on which the wafers 4 are laminated so that contact with the wafer 4 is minimized. Two struts 15 for guiding the ends are erected. The contact portion of the support column 15 with the wafer 4 is provided with an appropriate flexible member such as silicone rubber so that the wafer 4 does not break even if it comes into contact with the support column 15.

  Further, above the water surface 46 of the wafer mounting portion 5, an injection nozzle 17 for injecting water 45 is fixed to a support frame (not shown) in a state of being inclined downward with respect to the transport direction. The nozzle 17 is provided with an appropriate supply source (not shown) for supplying the water 45. In addition, the above may use the injection nozzle which injects the water containing a bubble suitably.

  In addition, the water 45 sprayed from the spray nozzle 17 can be preferably used that spreads radially from the tip of the nozzle and generates a radial circle on the sprayed water surface, but is not limited to this, and is one that spreads in a fan shape in the lateral direction. It may be.

  Water 45 containing air bubbles is sprayed toward the front side surface of the wafer 4 stacked on the wafer mounting unit 5 on the side of the wafer mounting unit 5 in the transport direction (the right side in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2). An injection nozzle 18 is provided and fixed to an appropriate support frame (not shown).

  The injection nozzle 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a hole 20 penetrating in the vertical direction is provided in the middle of the nozzle. An opening end of a pipe is positioned below the injection nozzle 18 and below the hole 20. An air pipe 21 is provided. The tip of the injection nozzle 18 has a pipe shape, and the shape is not limited as long as a liquid such as water 45 can be injected.

  The spray nozzle 18 is connected to a water supply hose (not shown) so that water can be supplied by switching the valve at appropriate times, and an air supply source is connected to the air pipe 21 by an air hose.

  Accordingly, by supplying water to the injection nozzle 18 and introducing air to the air pipe 22, bubbles are generated from the air pipe 22, and the bubbles rise in water and enter the hole 20. At this time, the surrounding water 45 is drawn from the upper hole 20 of the injection nozzle 18 by the momentum of the water flow through the injection nozzle 18, and bubbles are sucked from the lower hole 20 of the injection nozzle 18. Water 45 containing air bubbles is jetted from the tip of 18.

  The guide rail 6 has an L-shaped cross section (see FIG. 7), and both end portions in the width direction of the wafer 4 overlap between the wafer mounting portion 5 and the buffer portion 7 by about 5 mm from the end portions. It is provided along the transport direction and is fixed to an appropriate support frame (not shown). The guide rail 6 is provided to be positioned about 5 mm below the water surface 46. Further, an appropriate optical sensor (not shown) is provided between the wafer mounting unit 5 and the buffer unit 7 so that the wafer 4 is irradiated with light to detect cracks and chips.

  Further, a stopper wall 51 having a height that allows only the uppermost stage of the laminated wafer 4 to pass perpendicularly to the transfer direction stands below the rear end portion (end portion on the wafer mounting portion 5 side) between the guide rails 6 and 6. This prevents a plurality of wafers 4 from jumping out. In addition, by providing a flexible member such as rubber in a portion of the stopper wall 51 that may come into contact with the wafer 4, damage due to the contact of the wafer 4 with the stopper wall 51 can be prevented.

  The buffer unit 7 will be described with reference to FIGS. The buffer portion 7 is formed at the front end portion of the guide rail 6, and a stopper 22 is provided in front of the guide rail 6 so as to slightly protrude from the water surface. 4 is brought into contact with the front end of the wafer 4 so as to be stationary.

  Two stoppers 22 are erected at an interval in the width direction of the wafer 4 to be transferred, and the lower end of the stopper 22 is fixed to an inverted L-shaped fixed block 23, and the other end of the fixed block 23 is fixed. Is fixed to a shaft 24 provided perpendicular to the conveying direction.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a driven pulley 25 is fixed to one end of the shaft 24, and a fixed frame 28 is provided above the driven pulley 25 on the water surface. A drive pulley 27 is fixed to the shaft of a motor 29 provided on the standing portion of the fixed frame 28, and a belt 26 is stretched between the drive pulley 27 and the driven pulley 25. Accordingly, by driving the motor 28 and rotating the shaft 24 in the transfer direction, the stopper 22 swings from the wafer holding position on the transfer path to the retracted position.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer unit 30 is laid between the buffer unit 7 and the wafer storage unit 10 on a support frame 31 suspended along the transfer direction between the side walls 2 of the water storage tank 3. It is provided on the rail 32 so as to be able to reciprocate. The transport unit includes a base plate 33 erected on the front side of the rail 32 along the rail 32, a stopper 34 provided at the front end of the base plate 33, and the base plate behind the stopper 34. 33 and an injection nozzle 35 provided in the vicinity of the rear end portion.

  On the base plate 33, a support plate 36 is extended toward the back side perpendicular to the transport direction. A slider 37 slides on the rail 32 with the base plate 33 and the other end of the support plate 36. The transfer unit 30 is movably fitted, and the transfer unit 30 can reciprocate between the buffer unit 7 and the wafer storage unit 10 along the rail 32 by an appropriate drive source (not shown).

  A fixed frame 38 is suspended from the front end of the base plate 33 in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction toward the front side of the figure, and a shaft 39 provided along the fixed frame 38 is attached to one end of the fixed frame 38. The two fixed blocks 40 and 40 are fixed to the shaft 39 with a space therebetween. A stopper 34 is erected downward at the lower end of each of the fixed blocks 40, 40.

  Further, an appropriate optical sensor (not shown) is provided at the rear end of the fixed frame 38 so as to detect the presence or absence of the wafer 4 when the wafer 4 described later is held in a stationary state.

  The shaft 39 is connected to a motor 41 through a base plate 33. By driving the motor 41, the stopper 34 comes into contact with the wafer 4 and a wafer holding position where the wafer 4 is stopped. It can swing between a retracted position where the contact with the wafer 4 is released and the wafer 4 is opened.

  Further, when the stopper 34 is located at the wafer holding position, the stopper 34 is formed in such a length that the front end of the stopper 34 comes into contact with the front end surface of the wafer 4 located on the guide rail 6 in water. An anti-slip 42 is provided on the outer periphery of the front end portion so that the front end portion of the wafer 4 does not slide off the stopper 34 when the wafer 4 described later is held stationary. Note that a groove may be formed in the stopper 34 so that the wafer does not shift from the stopper 34 at a position where the stopper 34 abuts.

  Near the rear end portion of the base plate 33, a support arm 43 is provided in a rearwardly inclined state (see FIGS. 2 and 5A). A nozzle fixing plate 44 is extended toward the nozzle fixing plate 44. The nozzle fixing plate 44 is provided with an injection nozzle 35 in a state of being inclined forward and downward toward the vicinity of the rear end of the center of the wafer 4 in the width direction. The injection nozzle 35 is connected to an appropriate valve (not shown) and an appropriate pump for supplying water, and jets water 45 radially from the nozzle tip.

  As will be described in detail later, by spraying water 45 from the spray nozzle 35 toward the wafer 4, the wafer 4 is floated in water and comes into contact with the stopper 34, so that the wafer 4 remains stationary on the transport unit 30. It is supposed to be retained. In addition, the transfer unit 30 moves back and forth between the buffer unit 7 and the wafer storage unit 10 while holding the wafer 4 as described above, and transfers the wafer 4.

  Next, the wafer discharge unit 8 will be described. In the wafer discharge unit 8, the wafer 4 is inspected for cracks or chips by an appropriate optical sensor (not shown) provided between the wafer mounting unit 5 and the buffer unit 7. In the wafer discharge section 8, a storage box 50 for storing the wafer 4 in which an abnormality has been recognized in this inspection is fixed to an appropriate support frame (not shown) so that it can be taken out.

  The wafer 4 in which no abnormality is found in the above inspection passes through the wafer discharge unit 8 as it is by the transfer unit 30 and is transferred toward the wafer storage unit 10 via the guide rail 9. When inspection is not required, the wafer 4 can be stored at a higher speed if the wafer discharge unit 8 is omitted.

  Like the guide rail 6, a guide rail 9 is provided between the wafer discharge unit 8 and the wafer storage unit 10, and guides the wafer 4 held by the transfer unit 30 when it is stored in the wafer storage unit 10. It is like that.

  Next, the wafer storage unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The wafer storage unit 10 is provided with an inverted L-shaped mounting table 56 on which the storage cassette 55 is mounted and fixed. A slider 57 is provided on the rear surface, and the slider 57 is slidably fitted to a rail 58 erected on the side wall 2 of the water storage tank 3 so that the mounting table 56 can be moved up and down by an appropriate driving source (not shown). ing.

  A storage cassette 55 formed by standing up a plurality of support columns 59 each having a slit-like groove is fixed to the mounting table 56. A lower stage of the groove portion formed in the support column 59 of the storage cassette 55 is fixed. Thus, the wafers 4 are sequentially stored toward the upper stage. Accordingly, the stored wafers 4 are sequentially lowered in the water direction together with the storage cassette 55 and are not exposed to the air. The storage pitch of the storage cassette 55 can be appropriately selected according to the thickness of the wafer 4 and the subsequent processes. Further, the storage cassette 55 can be appropriately shaped according to the shape of the wafer 4.

  In front of the wafer storage unit 10 in the transport direction (left direction in FIG. 2), an injection nozzle 48 for injecting water 45 is provided in a slanting front and inclined state below the storage cassette 55 and passes through the front end of the guide rail 9. A water flow is applied to the wafer 4 and is fed into the storage cassette 55. A guide roller may be provided on the front end portion of the guide rail 9 as appropriate so as to restrict the upward movement of the wafer 4.

  The above is the configuration of the wafer separation / storage apparatus 1 to which the transfer unit 30 which is the substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention is applied. Next, FIG. 3 shows the operation of the wafer separation / storage apparatus 1 and the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention. It demonstrates below based on thru | or FIG.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory views of the operation of the wafer separating and storing apparatus 1 to which the substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention is applied.

  First, as shown in FIG. 3A, the wafer 4 cut with a wire saw or the like and subjected to rough cleaning is placed on the elevating frame 12 provided in the wafer placement unit 5 in a stacked state. The wafer 4 may be placed automatically in a line from the previous process. The uppermost stage of the wafer 4 is positioned at a position of about 3 to 5 mm from the water surface 46 (this value may be changed as appropriate depending on the thickness and size of the wafer 4).

  In addition, after the wafer 4 is placed, water 45 is supplied to the spray nozzle 18 provided in front of the wafer placement unit 5 in water, and air is introduced from the air pipe 21 into the hole 20, thereby causing bubbles from the spray nozzle 18. Water 45 containing water is sprayed toward the upper part of the front side surface of the laminated wafer 4.

  The size of the bubbles contained in the water 45 to be sprayed here is not particularly limited since the appropriate size is determined by the material and thickness of the wafer 4 to be used, but preferably 10 μm to 3 mm. it can. For example, in the case of a silicon wafer having a thickness of 150 to 300 μm, air bubbles of 0.5 mm or more and 1 mm or less are maintained from the surface where the gaps between the wafers 4 are maintained at appropriate intervals and the wafers 4 are smoothly separated without resistance. Those having a diameter can be preferably used. If the bubble diameter is too large, there is a problem that the wafer 4 may be violated or the bubbles 56 cannot be maintained in the gaps between the wafers 4. Conversely, if the bubble diameter is too small, the bubbles 56 disappear before reaching the wafer 4. However, the bubble diameter may be appropriately selected according to the material and thickness of the wafer 4.

  By jetting water 45 containing bubbles in this way onto the front side surface of the stacked wafers 4, gaps are created between the wafers 4 due to the force of water flow, and bubbles are further introduced into the gaps. At this time, since the gap between the wafers 4 that have been opened once is easy to close only with the water flow, it is preferable to inject water containing bubbles, and the interposed bubbles facilitate the subsequent separation of the wafers 4 due to the lubricating action. To. If a heater for raising the water temperature is provided as appropriate, the molecular motion of the water 45 can be activated and the wafer 4 can be separated smoothly.

  In a state where the water 45 containing bubbles is sprayed to the front side surface of the laminated wafer 4, the spray nozzle 17 provided on the wafer mounting unit 5 and the spray nozzle 19 provided in front of the wafer mounting unit 5. Water 45 is sprayed from. At this time, the water 45 to be sprayed can preferably be one that diffuses radially, but is not limited to this, and nozzles of various spray shapes can be used. That is, it is possible to preferably use a material that can impart a driving force to the wafer 4 in the transport direction and can form a faster water flow on the upper surface of the wafer 4 than the lower surface of the wafer. The wafer 4 floats due to the pressure. At the same time, the water 45 on the upper surface of the wafer 4 is pushed away by the spraying of the spray nozzle 17, so that buoyancy is generated in the wafer 4 and the wafer 4 is lifted.

  Further, the uppermost wafer 4 of the wafer mounting unit 5 is transported along the guide rail 6 by the jet of water 45 from the jet nozzle 19. At this time, since the stopper wall 51 is provided in front of the wafer mounting portion 5 so that only the uppermost wafer 4 can pass therethrough, a plurality of wafers 4 can be prevented from being taken.

  Thereafter, the wafer 4 is transferred to the buffer section 7 at the front end of the guide rail 6 by a water flow, and the wafer 4 transferred to the buffer section 7 comes into contact with a stopper 22 provided at the front end of the buffer section 7. And stop.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3B, the conveyance unit 30 moves along the rail 32 to the buffer unit 7 and the stopper 34 comes into contact with the wafer 4 on the buffer unit 7 with an appropriate optical sensor (not shown). By detecting, the transport unit 30 stops. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the stopper 22 of the buffer unit 7 and the stopper 34 of the transfer unit 30 are provided so as not to interfere with each other, so that the wafer 4 is in contact with both the stoppers 22 and 34 and is stationary. .

  In the above state, water 45 is sprayed from the spray nozzle 35 provided in the transfer unit 30 toward the vicinity of the center rear end of the width direction of the wafer 4 as shown in FIG.

  Due to the jet of water 45 described above, a faster water flow is generated on the upper surface of the wafer 4 toward the front end of the wafer 4 than on the lower surface of the wafer 4, and the upper surface side of the wafer 4 is in a negative pressure state due to the Bernoulli effect. The wafer 4 floats from the guide rail 6 to the vicinity of the water surface.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6, when the water 45 on the upper surface side of the wafer 4 is pushed away, buoyancy is generated in the wafer 4 and the wafer 4 floats near the water surface. Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the water 45 sprayed from the spray nozzle 35 and protrudes rearward from the rear end of the wafer 4 contains bubbles from the lower surface of the rear end of the wafer 4 toward the front. A winding flow is generated, and the pressing force from above due to the jet is relaxed, and the wafer 4 is kept horizontal in the vicinity of the water surface. At this time, the bubbles move around to the lower surface of the wafer 4 to give further buoyancy, and the posture of the wafer 4 is kept horizontal. Then, the wafer 4 is held by the transfer unit 30 in a stationary state while abutting against the stopper 34 by the water flow in the transfer direction in the floating state.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4C, the normal wafer 4 having no cracks or chips is held on the transfer unit 30 in a stationary state and moved along the rail 32 of the transfer unit 30, thereby moving the wafer discharge unit. 8 is passed through the guide rail 9 as it is.

  Next, water 45 is sprayed obliquely upward in the transport direction from the spray nozzle 60 provided below the front end of the guide rail 9 and the shaft 39 of the transport unit 30 is driven by the motor 41 as shown in FIG. By rotating clockwise, the stopper 34 is rotated upward to be positioned at the retracted position.

  By retracting the stopper 34, the wafer 4 held in a stationary state by the transfer unit 30 is released, and the wafer 4 enters the groove of the support 59 by the water flow caused by the water 45 jetted from the jet nozzle 35 and the jet nozzle 60. It is stored in the storage cassette 55 while being guided.

  At the same time as above, the motor 29 of the buffer unit 7 is driven counterclockwise to rotate the fixed block 23 so that the stopper 22 is positioned at the wafer holding position in the initial state.

  While repeating the above operation, the elevating frame 12 of the wafer mounting unit 5 is sequentially raised to separate and convey the wafers 4 one by one, and the mounting table 56 of the wafer storage unit 10 is lowered to store the wafers 4 in the storage cassette 55. Store one by one. When the transfer unit 30 receives the wafer 4 by the buffer unit 7 and then transfers the wafer 4 by the transfer unit 30, the next wafer 4 is transferred from the wafer mounting unit 5 as shown in FIG. If the wafers are separated and sent to the buffer unit 7, the wafers 4 can be separated and stored in parallel, and work efficiency can be improved.

  Further, in the above process, when the wafer 4 is cracked or chipped and a plurality of pieces are taken, the transfer unit 30 is stopped on the wafer discharge unit 8 in FIG. 4C, and the stopper 34 of the transfer unit 30 is moved. By retreating to the retreat position, the wafer 4 is opened, and the wafer 4 is discharged into a storage box 50 provided in the wafer discharge unit 8. When a crack or chip is detected in the wafer 4 and when a plurality of wafers 4 overlap each other, a separate storage box is prepared and automatically replaced. The wafer 4 can be used again.

  The operation of the wafer separating apparatus 1 of the present invention has been described above. Next, a second embodiment of the transfer unit 30 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). In addition, since the fundamental structure is the same, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same member as 1st Embodiment.

  In the present embodiment, the spray nozzle 35 is slid forward with respect to the first embodiment, and the water 45 sprayed from the spray nozzle 35 is accommodated in the upper surface of the wafer (from the rear end portion of the wafer 4). Water 45 is sprayed so as not to protrude).

  By doing so, the momentum of injection from the injection nozzle 35 becomes stronger than the buoyancy acting on the rear end portion of the wafer 4, and the front end portion of the wafer 4 comes into contact with the stopper 34 in the front-up state, so that the wafer 4 is It is held by the transport unit 30 in a stationary state. The above embodiments can be properly used according to the shape of the substrate to be transferred.

  The above is the embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the invention.

  For example, the stopper 34 is configured to be swingable between the holding position and the retracted position by the rotation of the shaft 39. However, the stopper 34 can be protruded and retracted in the vertical direction, or can be opened and closed in the width direction. The quantity and position can be changed as appropriate.

  Also, the water sprayed from the spray nozzle 35 is not limited to a radial shape, and various types such as a linear shape, a shower shape, and a fan shape can be used, and a nozzle capable of exerting propulsive force and buoyancy in the transport direction on the substrate surface. Various types can be used.

  Further, the position and quantity of the injection nozzles 35 are not limited to those in the present embodiment, and it is sufficient that the propulsive force and the buoyancy in the transport direction can be exerted on the substrate surface. In addition, the substrate to be transferred is not limited to a wafer, and any substrate can be used as long as it is a plate. Further, the substrate can be applied to various shapes such as a rectangular shape and a circular shape. Further, not only water but also various liquids such as a cleaning liquid suitable for the substrate transfer process can be applied.

  Further, if the conveyance direction is not only linear but also the conveyance unit 30 is rotatably provided and the conveyance direction is also freely rotatable, the conveyance direction can be freely moved.

1 Wafer Separation and Storage Device 2 Side Wall 3 Water Reservoir 4 Wafer (Substrate)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Wafer mounting part 6 Guide rail 7 Buffer part 8 Wafer discharge | emission part 9 Guide rail 10 Wafer accommodating part 11 Support plate 12 Lifting frame 13 Rail 14 Slider 15 Support column 16 Guide plate 17 Injection nozzle 18 Injection nozzle 19 Injection nozzle 20 Hole 21 Air pipe 22 Stopper 23 Fixed block 24 Shaft 25 Driven pulley 26 Belt 27 Drive pulley 28 Fixed frame 29 Motor 30 Transport unit 31 Support frame 32 Rail 33 Base plate 34 Stopper 35 Injection nozzle 36 Support plate 37 Slider 38 Fixed frame 39 Shaft 40 Fixed block 41 Motor 42 Non-slip 43 Support arm 44 Nozzle fixing plate 45 Water (liquid)
46 Water surface 50 Storage box 51 Stopper wall 55 Storage cassette 56 Mounting table 57 Slider 58 Rail 59 Strut 60 Injection nozzle

Claims (3)

In the substrate transport apparatus for ejecting the liquid forward from the upper side of the substrate by the ejection nozzle provided above the substrate immersed horizontally in the liquid,
A transport unit is provided that can reciprocate along the transport direction of the substrate,
The transport unit is provided so as to be swingable up and down, and a stopper for stopping the substrate,
Provided integrally with an injection nozzle that is provided behind the stopper, and injects the liquid forward from a slightly rear side of the rear end of the substrate,
The substrate is transported by transporting the substrate by moving the transport unit in a state where the substrate is floated by the liquid jet from the spray nozzle and the substrate is brought into contact with the stopper to be stationary. apparatus.   2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ejection of the liquid from the ejection nozzle ejects the liquid from the front to the front rather than the rear end of the substrate. In the substrate transport method of ejecting the liquid from the ejection nozzle toward the front from above the substrate immersed horizontally in the liquid and feeding the substrate forward,
A spray nozzle provided at the rear of the transport unit ejects liquid from the vicinity of the rear end of the substrate toward the front, and floats the substrate, and the stopper is provided at the front end of the transport unit by ejecting the liquid. A substrate transport method, wherein the substrate is transported by moving the transport unit in a state where the substrate is brought into contact and stationary.

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