JP2011246213A - Substrate conveyance device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate conveyance device capable of conveying a substrate avoiding contact with the substrate when floating and conveying the substrate.SOLUTION: The substrate conveyance device includes: a contact member 4 having a surface contacting with a part of a lower surface of the substrate G floating above a floating plate 2; and a guide 5 extending along the conveyance direction of the substrate G by a conveying part 3, arranging the surface that the contact member 4 in a position higher than a top surface of the floating plate 2 and also a position to come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate G floating above the floating plate 2, and guiding the movement of the contact member 4 while keeping the contact between the substrate G and the contact member 4.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transport apparatus that floats and transports a large substrate.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the size of a glass substrate (hereinafter referred to as a substrate) used for an FPD has been increased with an increase in the size of a flat panel display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a plasma display (PDP). As a technology related to a substrate transport apparatus for transporting a large substrate in this manner, a technology is known in which a substrate is transported in a floating state by discharging compressed air to the lower surface of the substrate placed above. Yes.

  For example, a substrate transport device described in Patent Document 1 below is disposed close to the support roller mechanism that supports both ends in the direction (width direction) orthogonal to the traveling direction of the substrate from the lower surface side, and the substrate. And a regulating roller mechanism that regulates the position in the width direction of the substrate by sandwiching the end portion of the substrate protruding from the width direction end portion of the air blowing block that blows out air.

JP 2000-193604 A

  In the technique described in Patent Document 1 described above, the restriction roller mechanism is disposed away from the air blowing block. Therefore, when the substrate is lifted, the end of the substrate held by the restriction roller mechanism is not The substrate was bent and could not be transported while holding the entire substrate horizontally. Further, since the support roller mechanism is disposed close to the regulation roller mechanism, the substrate may be bent downward between the side end portion of the air blowing block and the support roller mechanism.

  In a substrate transport apparatus that floats and transports a substrate, the flying height of the substrate is as small as about 0.2 mm. For this reason, even if the above-described bending of the substrate is very small, the bending may cause the substrate to come into contact with the floating plate and damage the substrate.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transport apparatus that can transport while avoiding contact with a substrate when the substrate is floated and transported.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a substrate transfer apparatus according to the present invention includes a floating plate that floats a flat substrate by discharging gas, and the substrate that floats on the floating plate. A conveyance unit that holds and conveys, a contact member having a surface that can be in surface contact with a part of the lower surface of the substrate that has floated on the floating plate, and extends along a conveyance direction of the substrate by the conveyance unit, The surface of the contact member is disposed at a position higher than the upper surface of the levitation plate and in contact with the lower surface of the substrate levitated on the levitation plate, while the substrate and the contact member are in contact with each other. And a guide unit for guiding the movement of the contact member.

  According to the present invention, the contact member having a surface that can be brought into surface contact with a part of the lower surface of the substrate levitated on the levitating plate, and the surface of the contact member that extends along the conveying direction of the substrate by the conveying unit. And a guide portion that guides the movement of the contact member while contacting the substrate and the contact member while being in contact with the lower surface of the substrate that has floated on the floating plate. Further, it is possible to prevent the end portion in contact with the contact member from being bent downward and to maintain the level of the substrate. Therefore, when the substrate is floated and conveyed, it can be conveyed while avoiding contact with the substrate.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the modification of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of a substrate transfer apparatus according to a modification of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the drawings referred to in the following description are schematic, and when the same object is shown in different drawings, dimensions, scales, and the like may be different.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. A substrate transport apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an apparatus that transports a rectangular substrate G used for an FPD such as an LCD or a PDP while floating. The substrate transport apparatus 1 includes a plurality of levitation plates 2 that float the substrate G by discharging gas from below the substrate G toward the lower surface of the substrate G, and an end portion of the substrate G in the transport direction (in FIG. 1). (The left-right direction) one end in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction 3 is sucked and held, and the conveyance unit 3 conveys the substrate G along the conveyance direction; The contact member 4 which contacts the lower surface of the board | substrate G and the guide part 5 which guides the movement of the contact member 4 are provided. The substrate transfer apparatus 1 includes a gas supply unit 6 that supplies gas to the levitation plate 2 and the guide unit 5 through a predetermined flow path, and a vacuum suction unit 7 that performs vacuum suction when adsorbing the transfer unit 3. And a control unit 8 that controls the substrate transfer apparatus 1 including the gas supply unit 6 and the vacuum suction unit 7.

  The floating plate 2 extends in the form of an elongated band along the transport direction of the substrate G. The plurality of floating plates 2 are attached to the main body of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 in a state where they are parallel to each other and have the same height. Instead of applying the levitation plate 2 having a strip shape, a plurality of levitation plates 2 may be integrally formed and grooves may be formed between adjacent levitation plates 2.

  The levitation plate 2 has openings on the upper surface, and a plurality of discharge holes 21 for discharging gas upward are provided substantially uniformly over the entire surface. The gas discharged from the discharge hole 21 is, for example, clean dry air, and is supplied from the gas supply unit 6 to the floating plate 2 through a predetermined flow path. Since the gas discharged from the discharge hole 21 flows through the gap between the adjacent levitation plates 2, it does not stay in the same place. Here, the discharge pressure of the gas discharged from the discharge hole 21 is controlled by the control unit 8 so that the flying height of the substrate G is about 0.2 mm. The discharge hole 21 may have an elongated slit shape formed along the transport direction of the substrate G.

  The transport unit 3 is provided at one end in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate G. The transport unit 3 is mounted on the upper surface of the drive unit 32 and the rail 31 that extends linearly along the transport direction of the substrate G, the drive unit 32 that drives the rail 31 along the transport direction, and transports the substrate G. And a plurality of suction units 33 for sucking ends orthogonal to the direction. Further, the transport unit 3 has an elevating mechanism (not shown) realized by using an air actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, or the like in order to move the suction unit 33 up and down relative to the drive unit 32.

  The drive part 32 is comprised by the linear motor, for example. When a linear motor is applied as the drive unit 32, a linear guide may be laid on the rail 31.

  The plurality of suction units 33 are arranged along the transport direction of the substrate G. In the upper part of the suction unit 33, a plurality of suction portions 331 that suck on the lower surface of the substrate G are provided along the transport direction of the substrate G. The suction part 331 has a suction hole (not shown) communicating with the vacuum suction part 7. Note that FIG. 1 shows a case where the end portion orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate G is sucked and held, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the center portion of the substrate G may be held and transported. Good. In the case where the central portion of the substrate G is held and transported, the guide portions 5 can be provided at both end portions orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate G. Further, the configuration of the adsorption unit is not limited to that described here. For example, the adsorption unit may be adsorbed on the upper surface of the substrate G, or may be adsorbed on the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate G, respectively. Further, instead of attracting and transporting the substrate G, the substrate G may be gripped and transported.

The contact member 4 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed above the guide portion 5 in a state where the longitudinal direction is parallel to the transport direction of the substrate G. The length L ₁ in the longitudinal direction of the contact member 4 is slightly larger than the length L ₂ in the transport direction of the substrate G. The length (width) of the contact member 4 in the short direction has such a size that it does not contact the pattern formation region of the substrate G while in contact with the end portion of the substrate G. The contact member 4 is realized by using a material that is lightweight and does not slip with respect to the substrate G when the substrate G is transported. Examples of materials that can satisfy such conditions include engineering plastics.

  The guide portion 5 has a groove shape extending linearly along the transport direction of the substrate G. The guide unit 5 is formed integrally with the floating plate 2 that is located farthest from the transport unit 3, and is positioned on the outer edge side of the floating plate 2. The guide unit 5 is arranged such that the upper surface (surface capable of surface contact) of the contact member 4 is higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate G levitated on the levitating plate 2. The movement of the contact member 4 is guided while contacting G and the contact member 4.

  A plurality of discharge holes 51 for discharging gas are provided on the bottom surface of the guide unit 5 along the transport direction. The discharge hole 51 communicates with the discharge hole 21 through a flow path, and gas is supplied by the gas supply unit 6. The gas discharged from the discharge hole 51 has a function of floating the contact member 4 disposed in the guide portion 5. By discharging the gas upward in this way and causing the contact member 4 to float, the contact member 4 can move above the guide portion 5 with a small movement resistance with the guide portion 5. Note that, similarly to the discharge hole 21, the discharge hole 51 may have an elongated slit shape formed along the transport direction of the substrate G.

  The height of the upper surface when the contact member 4 is floated by the gas must be higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and should be the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G is lifted. . Accordingly, the diameter and arrangement interval of the discharge holes 51 and the gas discharge pressure are set so as to satisfy the above-described conditions. Here, the discharge pressure of the gas discharged from the discharge hole 51 does not have to be the same as the discharge pressure of the gas from the discharge hole 21.

  The substrate transport apparatus 1 having the above configuration can be applied as a substrate transport means such as a substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting a substrate defect or an exposure apparatus for exposing a predetermined pattern on a substrate coated with a resist. it can.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus 1, when the suction unit 33 holds the substrate G, the transfer unit 3 is moved to a position where the substrate G is placed. Subsequently, the lifting mechanism raises the suction portion 331 of the suction unit 33 to the flying height of the substrate G, thereby bringing the suction portion 331 into contact with the lower surface of the substrate G. Then, the lower surface of the substrate G is sucked and held by causing the vacuum suction portion 7 to evacuate the upper surface side of the suction portion 331.

  On the other hand, when separating the substrate G from the suction unit 33, first, the operation of the vacuum suction unit 7 is stopped, and the suction holding state of the lower surface of the substrate G is released. Thereafter, the lifting mechanism lowers the suction unit 33.

  According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the contact member 4 having a surface that can come into surface contact with a part of the lower surface of the substrate G that floats on the floating plate 2, and the transport direction of the substrate G by the transport unit 3. The surface of the contact member 4 is located at a position higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and in contact with the lower surface of the substrate G floating on the floating plate 2. And the guide portion 5 for guiding the movement of the contact member 4 while keeping the contact member 4 in contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end portion in contact with the contact member 4 from being bent downward and to maintain the level of the substrate G. Can do. Therefore, when the substrate G is levitated and conveyed, it can be conveyed while avoiding contact with the substrate G.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, even when the substrate G is warped, the warp can be corrected. Therefore, when a defect on the substrate G is inspected while the substrate G is being transported Inspection accuracy and exposure accuracy when a predetermined pattern is exposed on the substrate G can be improved.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the modification of the first embodiment. In the substrate transfer device 9 shown in the figure, the guide portion 5 is provided below the central portion of the substrate G. In this case, the guide part 5 is integrally formed with two floating plates 2 adjacent in the width direction. In the substrate transfer device 9, the transfer units 3 are provided at both ends in the direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the substrate G.

  According to such a modification of the first embodiment, it is possible to prevent the vicinity of the central portion of the substrate G from being bent downward, and to reliably avoid contact with the substrate G.

  In the substrate transport apparatus 1 described above, it is also possible to provide the guide portion 5 at the center in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate G and arrange the contact member 4 above the guide portion 5.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The substrate transfer apparatus 101 shown in the figure is different from the substrate transfer apparatus 1 described above in the configuration of the contact member 102 and the guide portion 103.

  The contact member 102 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plurality of magnets 104 (first magnets) are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction on a surface positioned below the guide portion 103 in a state of being disposed above. Yes. The length and width of the contact member 102 are equal to the length and width of the contact member 4, respectively.

  The guide portion 103 has a groove shape along the conveyance direction, and a plurality of magnets 105 (second magnets) that repel the magnet 104 are arranged along the conveyance direction on the bottom surface of the groove. . The guide unit 103 is formed integrally with the floating plate 2 farthest from the transport unit 3 and is located on the outer edge side of the floating plate 2.

  In the substrate transport apparatus 101 having the above-described configuration, the contact member 102 is levitated from the guide portion 103 by the repulsive force that the magnet 104 receives from the magnet 105. The height of the upper surface when the contact member 102 floats must be higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and should be the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G floats. Therefore, the number of magnets 104 and 105 and the strength of the magnetic force are appropriately set so as to satisfy the above-described conditions.

  According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, since the magnets 104 and 105 are applied to float the contact member 102, there is no need to supply gas to the guide portion 103, and the configuration is simple. Can be

  Also in the second embodiment, the guide part 103 may be provided at the center part in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate G, and the contact member 102 may be disposed above the guide part 103.

(Embodiment 3)
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of the substrate transfer apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The substrate transfer apparatus 201 shown in the figure includes a floating plate 202 positioned at an end portion in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the substrate G and different from the end portion where the transfer unit 3 is provided, and the contact member 4. It has the guide part 203 to guide, and has the block material 204 fixed to the outer edge side of the floating plate 202. The configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 201 excluding the floating plate 202 and the block material 204 is the same as the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 described above.

  The floating plate 202 has an opening on the upper surface, and a plurality of discharge holes 221 for discharging gas upward are provided substantially uniformly over the entire surface. The discharge hole 221 communicates with a flow path 222 through which the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 6 flows.

  The guide portion 203 included in the block material 204 extends in a groove shape along the transport direction of the substrate G in a state of being fixed to the floating plate 202 of the substrate G. At the bottom of the guide 203, there are formed a discharge hole 231 for discharging a gas for floating the contact member 4 upward, and a flow path 206 for connecting the discharge hole 231 to the flow path 222 of the floating plate 202. The block material 204 is fixed to the floating plate 202 with screws 207.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus 201 having the above configuration, the height relationship between the upper surface of the floating plate 202 and the upper surface of the block member 204 can be defined with machining accuracy. Moreover, attachment and removal of the floating plate 202 and the block member 204 can be easily performed.

  Also in the substrate transfer device 201, the height of the upper surface when the contact member 4 is lifted is higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2, and is the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G is lifted. Must be high.

  According to the third embodiment of the present invention described above, since the guide portion 203 is provided separately from the floating plate 202, another guide having different shapes and numbers of discharge holes 205 depending on the type of the substrate G and the like. It is possible to replace the part. Therefore, an optimal guide unit can be installed according to the type of the substrate G and the like.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, also when providing a guide part in the center part of the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the board | substrate G, it can be set as the structure attached to the adjacent floating plate 2 as this separate guide part. .

(Embodiment 4)
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. The substrate transfer apparatus 301 shown in the figure is different from the substrate transfer apparatus 1 described above in the configuration of the contact member. Specifically, the contact member 302 of the substrate transport apparatus 301 includes protrusions 321 that protrude upward from contact surfaces with the substrate G (surfaces that can come into surface contact with the substrate G) at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The configuration of the substrate transport apparatus 301 other than the contact member is the same as that of the substrate transport apparatus 1.

  In the substrate transport apparatus 301, the height of the upper surface other than the protruding portion 321 when the contact member 302 floats is higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and is the same as the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G floats. Must be about or slightly higher.

  According to the fourth embodiment of the present invention described above, the protrusions are formed at both ends so that the height of both ends in the transport direction when the contact member 302 is disposed on the guide 5 is greater than the height of the intermediate portion. Since the 321 is provided, the protrusion 321 can stop the sliding of the contact member 302 even when the contact member 302 slides with respect to the substrate G due to some factor during the transfer of the substrate G. .

(Embodiment 5)
FIG. 7 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention. A substrate transport apparatus 401 shown in FIG. 1 has a function in which the guide unit 402 stops the substrate G at a position where the substrate G is loaded from the outside (hereinafter referred to as a loading position).

  The guide unit 402 is provided on the bottom surface of the loading position of the substrate G along the transport direction of the substrate G, and along the transport direction of the substrate G, and is supplied from the gas supply unit 6. And a plurality of discharge holes 404 for discharging gas upward. The guide unit 402 is formed integrally with the floating plate 2 farthest from the transport unit 3 and is located on the outer edge side of the floating plate 2. The discharge holes 404 are formed along the conveyance direction of the substrate G over the entire guide portion 402.

  In the fifth embodiment, the contact member 102 described in the second embodiment is disposed above the guide portion 402. For this reason, the electromagnets 403 are provided in the same number and at the same intervals as the magnets 104 provided in the contact member 102. In the electromagnet 403, the generation and disappearance of the magnetic force is controlled by switching the energization by the control unit 8.

  In the substrate transport apparatus 401, the height of the upper surface when the contact member 102 is lifted is higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2, and is the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G is lifted. There must be.

  The configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 401 other than the above is the same as the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 described above.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus 401 having the above configuration, when the substrate G is loaded by a robot loading device (not shown) and placed on the floating plate 2, the contact member 102 is moved to the loading position, and the control unit 8 starts energizing the electromagnet 403 and generates an attractive force with the magnet 104, thereby restraining the contact member 102 while floating.

  On the other hand, after the placement of the substrate G is completed, the control unit 8 ends energization of the electromagnet 403. As a result, the contact member 102 can move while floating from the guide portion 402.

  According to the fifth embodiment of the present invention described above, since the contact member 102 can be restrained while being floated at the loading position of the substrate G, it is possible to prevent the displacement of the substrate G during loading.

  FIG. 8 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a main part of a substrate transfer apparatus according to a modification of the fifth embodiment. A substrate transport apparatus 501 shown in the figure can move up and down on a contact member 502, a guide portion 503, and a plane orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate G, and is arranged side by side along the transport direction of the substrate G. A plurality of fixing pins 504. The configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 501 other than these is the same as the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 401 described above.

The contact member 502 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed above the guide portion 503 in a state where the longitudinal direction is parallel to the transport direction of the substrate G. The length and width of the contact member 502 in the longitudinal direction are the same as the length (L ₁ ) and width of the contact member 4, respectively. A plurality of recesses 521 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction on the surface of the contact member 502 that is positioned below the guide portion 503 and positioned below the guide portion 503. The recess 521 has a shape in which the tip 541 of the fixing pin 504 can be inserted.

  The guide unit 503 is provided on the bottom surface of the substrate G loading position along the transport direction of the substrate G, along the transport direction of the substrate G, and is supplied from the gas supply unit 6. And a plurality of discharge holes 532 for discharging upward gas. Among these, the insertion hole 531 can be inserted through at least the tip of the fixing pin 504. Further, the discharge holes 532 are formed along the transport direction of the substrate G over the entire guide portion 503. The guide unit 503 is formed integrally with the floating plate 2 farthest from the transport unit 3 and is located on the outer edge side of the floating plate 2.

  The fixing pin 504 has a rod-like tip portion 541 and a rod-like base portion 542 having a larger diameter than the tip portion 541. The lower surface side of the base 542 is exposed to the outside, and is attached to the substrate transfer device 501 in a manner that can be moved up and down manually. The fixing pin 504 has a function of restraining the contact member 502 while being floated by inserting the tip portion 541 into the recess 521 of the contact member 502 through the insertion hole 531 of the guide portion 503.

  In the substrate transport apparatus 501, the height of the upper surface when the contact member 502 floats is higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2, and is the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G floats. There must be.

  In the substrate transfer device 501 having the above configuration, when the substrate G is loaded by the robot loading device and placed on the floating plate 2, the contact member 502 is moved to the loading position, and then the base 542 of the fixing pin 504. Is manually pushed up to insert the tip 541 into the recess 521 of the contact member 502. As a result, the substrate G can be reliably placed at a predetermined position. After the placement of the substrate G is completed, the contact member 502 can be moved while floating on the guide portion 503 by manually pulling down the fixing pin 504.

  The fixed pin 504 may be moved up and down electrically by connecting an electric actuator that can move up and down to the base 542 of the fixed pin 504.

(Embodiment 6)
FIG. 9 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 6 of the present invention. A substrate transfer device 601 shown in the figure includes a contact member 602 and a guide portion 603. The configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 601 other than the above is the same as the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 described above.

The contact member 602 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a concave groove portion 621 is formed on the surface facing the guide portion 603 in a state where the contact member 602 is disposed above the guide portion 603. The groove portion 621 extends along the longitudinal direction of the contact member 602 and has a shape that can be fitted to the guide portion 603. The length and width of the contact member 602 are the same as the length (L ₁ ) and width of the contact member 4, respectively. The height of the upper surface when the contact member 602 floats must be higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and should be the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G floats.

  The guide portion 603 extends along the conveyance direction of the substrate G, and protrudes in a convex shape upward from the integrally formed floating plate 2. The guide unit 603 is formed integrally with the floating plate 2 farthest from the transport unit 3 and is located on the outer edge side of the floating plate 2. A plurality of discharge holes 631 for discharging the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 6 upward are provided on the upper surface of the guide unit 603 along the transport direction of the substrate G.

  In the substrate transport apparatus 601 having the above-described configuration, the diameter and arrangement interval of the discharge holes 631 and the gas discharge pressure are set so that the upper surface of the contact member 602 is at a position approximately the same as or slightly higher than the flying height of the substrate G. Is set.

  According to the sixth embodiment of the present invention described above, as in the first embodiment, when the substrate G is levitated and conveyed, it can be conveyed while avoiding contact with the substrate G.

(Embodiment 7)
FIG. 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. In the substrate transfer apparatus 701 shown in the figure, the contact member 702 moves while being in contact with the bottom surface of the guide portion 703.

The contact member 702 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a concave groove portion 721 is formed on the surface facing the guide portion 703 in a state where the contact member 702 is disposed above the guide portion 703. The length and width of the contact member 702 are the same as the length (L ₁ ) and width of the contact member 4, respectively. In addition, the height of the upper surface of the contact member 702 must be higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and should be the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G is lifted.

  The guide portion 703 has a groove shape along the conveyance direction of the substrate G, and a convex portion 731 that can be fitted to the groove portion 721 is formed along the conveyance direction of the substrate G on the bottom surface of the groove. . The guide unit 703 is formed integrally with the floating plate 2 farthest from the transport unit 3 and is located on the outer edge side of the floating plate 2.

  The configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 701 other than the above is the same as the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 described above.

  The sliding resistance between the groove portion 721 and the convex portion 731 needs to be smaller than the maximum static frictional force between the substrate G and the contact member 702. The shape and material of the groove part 721 and the convex part 731 are appropriately determined so as to satisfy this necessary condition.

  According to the seventh embodiment of the present invention described above, since the contact member 702 is placed on the guide portion 703, the behavior of the contact member 702 can be further stabilized.

(Embodiment 8)
FIG. 11 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of the main part of the substrate transport apparatus according to Embodiment 8 of the present invention. In the substrate transfer apparatus 801 shown in the figure, a contact member 802 is provided on the floating plate 2. For this reason, the levitation plate 2 on which the contact member 802 is provided has a function of a guide portion.

The contact member 802 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a concave groove 821 is formed on the surface facing the levitation plate 2 in a state where the contact member 802 is disposed above the levitation plate 2. The groove 821 extends along the longitudinal direction of the contact member 802 and has a shape that can be fitted to the floating plate 2. The length and width of the contact member 802 are the same as the length (L ₁ ) and width of the contact member 4, respectively. The height of the upper surface when the contact member 802 floats is higher than the upper surface of the floating plate 2 and should be the same as or slightly higher than the height of the lower surface of the substrate G when the substrate G floats.

  In the substrate transfer device 801, the contact member 802 can be installed above an arbitrary floating plate 2. Therefore, the mounting position of the contact member 802 can be changed according to the warpage of the substrate G, and the contact between the substrate G and the floating plate 2 can be prevented more reliably.

  According to the eighth embodiment of the present invention described above, since the contact member 802 is disposed above the levitation plate 2, any one of the plurality of levitation plates 2 has the function of a guide portion. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the substrate transfer apparatus.

  Further, according to the eighth embodiment, since the floating plate 2 on which the contact member 802 is placed can be changed according to the state of the substrate G, contact between the substrate G and the floating plate 2 can be prevented more reliably. can do.

  The contact member 802 can also be applied to the above-described first to sixth embodiments.

  The present invention should not be limited only by Embodiments 1 to 8 described above. That is, the present invention can include various embodiments and the like without departing from the technical idea specified by the claims.

1, 9, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701, 801 Substrate transport device 2, 202 Floating plate 3 Transport unit 4, 102, 302, 502, 602, 702, 802 Contact member 5, 103, 203 , 402, 503, 603, 703 Guide unit 6 Gas supply unit 7 Vacuum suction unit 8 Control unit 21, 51, 205, 221, 231, 404, 532, 631 Discharge hole 31 Rail 32 Drive unit 33 Adsorption unit 104, 105 Magnet 204 Block material 206, 222 Channel 207 Screw 321 Protruding part 331 Adsorbing part 403 Electromagnet 504 Fixing pin 521 Concave part 531 Insertion hole 541 Tip part 542 Base part 621, 721, 821 Groove part 731 Convex part

Claims (10)

A levitating plate that levitates a flat substrate by discharging gas;
A transport unit that holds and transports the substrate that has floated on the floating plate;
A contact member having a surface capable of being in surface contact with a part of the lower surface of the substrate levitated on the levitating plate;
Extending along the transport direction of the substrate by the transport unit, the surface of the contact member is higher than the upper surface of the levitation plate and is in contact with the lower surface of the substrate levitated on the levitation plate. A guide part that is arranged and guides the movement of the contact member while contacting the substrate and the contact member;
A substrate transfer device comprising: The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge hole that is provided along the transfer direction and discharges gas upward to float the contact member. The contact member is
A first magnet provided on the lower surface when the surface contactable surface is the upper surface;
The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second magnet provided on a surface facing the lower surface of the contact member and repelling the first magnet. The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a placement portion on which the contact member is placed. The contact member is
5. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising protrusions protruding from the surface capable of surface contact at both ends in the longitudinal direction. The transport unit is
One of the ends of the substrate that has floated on the floating plate and orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate is held,
The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device is provided at the other end of the ends in a direction orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction. The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device is provided at a central portion in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction of the substrate.   The position fixing means which fixes the position of the said contact member in the carrying-in position which carries the said board | substrate on the said floating plate from the outside of the said board | substrate conveyance apparatus is further provided. The board | substrate conveyance apparatus of description. The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer apparatus is provided separately from the floating plate. A plurality of the levitation plates;
The guide part is
The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer apparatus is at least one of the plurality of floating plates.

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