JP2013154977A - Device and method of conveying substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To convey a substrate which floats from a surface of a stage while preventing a mechanism for conveying the substrate from contacting with the surface of the stage.SOLUTION: A substrate conveying device 1 includes conveying guides 7 which horizontally moves between adjacent stages 5, 6, and conveys a floating substrate 2 from the one stage 5 to the other stage 6 by the conveying guides 7. The conveying guide 7 includes: a frame 21 which has an abutting pin 23 abutting on a rear surface 2a of the floating substrate 2 and guides the substrate 2 in a conveying direction; and a floating unit 22 which prevents the abutting pin 23 from contacting with the surfaces 15, 16 by floating the frame 21 from the stages 5, 6. The floating unit 22 includes two jetting pads 24, 25 which jets air to the surfaces 15, 16, and raising and lowering parts 26, 27 which raise and lower the respective two jetting pads 24, 25 independently with respect to the frame 21.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transport apparatus and a substrate transport method for transporting a substrate by levitating it from a stage.

  In the technical field of photolithography used for manufacturing a flat panel display, in order to perform a process such as applying a coating liquid to a substrate used in the display, the substrate is moved from the first processing apparatus to the second. It must be transported to the processing equipment. As a transfer device for that purpose, there is a device using a robot hand, but in order to shorten the tact time, a floating type transfer device that lifts and transfers a substrate from the surface of the stage by air has been proposed (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

  According to Patent Document 1 (FIG. 8), the floating substrate is placed on a roller protruding upward from the surface of the stage, and the substrate is conveyed in the horizontal direction by the rotation of this roller. However, when the roller comes into contact with the back surface of the substrate, the environment (dry state) for drying the coating film applied to the surface of the substrate differs between the contact portion and the non-contact portion of the roller, which causes uneven coating. Therefore, in Patent Document 1 (FIG. 10), a plurality of rollers having a rotation axis in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the stage are provided in the substrate transport direction, and the left and right side surfaces (lateral surfaces) of the substrate are brought into contact with the rollers, The substrate is conveyed in the horizontal direction by rotating the roller. According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent coating unevenness that has occurred when the roller is brought into contact with the back surface of the substrate.

JP 2008-166359 A (see FIGS. 8 and 10)

  However, even in the case of the transport apparatus of Patent Document 1 (FIG. 10), uneven coating may occur on the substrate. That is, in this transfer device, the stage width is made smaller than the substrate width, and the left and right sides of the substrate are protruded from the stage. Therefore, when the coating liquid is applied over almost the entire width direction of the substrate, the substrate Among them, the dry state differs between the region located on the stage and the left and right regions protruding from the stage, and uneven coating may occur. Therefore, a configuration is conceivable in which the width of the stage is configured to be larger than the width of the substrate so that the entire surface of the substrate passes over the stage, and a part of the guide roller is positioned above the surface of the stage.

In this case, in order for the roller to contact the left and right side surfaces of the substrate, the gap between the roller and the surface of the stage needs to be smaller than the flying height of the substrate (for example, 150 μm). It is arranged in a state of being very close to.
However, the surface of the stage has manufacturing errors in terms of flatness, and the surface is deformed due to changes in the temperature of the stage, so if the rollers are placed close to the surface of the stage, There is a risk that the roller contacts the surface of the stage. Then, particles are generated, and when the particles adhere to the substrate, the quality of the substrate is degraded.

  Therefore, the present invention, for example, transports a substrate so that the mechanism for transporting the substrate does not come into contact with the stage even when the surface of the stage is deformed due to a dimensional error or temperature change. It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate transfer apparatus and a substrate transfer method that can be performed.

  The present invention is a substrate transport apparatus that includes a transport guide that horizontally moves between adjacent stages, and that transports a substrate that is levitated from the surface of the stage from one stage to the other by the transport guide. The transport guide has a contact portion that contacts the side surface of the substrate that is levitated from the surface of the stage, and moves in the transport direction of the substrate from the one stage toward the other stage. A frame for guiding the substrate in the transport direction by the contact portion, and a levitation unit for preventing the contact portion from contacting the surface by floating the frame from the surface of the stage, The levitation unit is provided so as to be movable up and down on the frame in a state of being aligned in the transport direction and facing the surface of the stage. And two ejection portions for ejecting a gas to the surface, characterized in that it has a lifting unit for independently lifting the respective said two ejection portions relative to the frame.

According to the present invention, the frame having the contact portion is levitated from the surface of the stage by the ejecting portion of the levitation unit, so that the contact portion is prevented from coming into contact with the surface of the stage. By the unit, the substrate floating from the surface of the stage can be transported from one stage to the other stage.
Furthermore, if there is a step in the vertical direction between adjacent stages, for example, if the front stage is slightly higher, if there is a possibility that the ejection part cannot touch the stage and get over it, A jet part can be raised by a raising / lowering part, and a level | step difference can be overcome.

The frame has a first frame having a first contact portion that contacts a rear surface that is a rear side surface of the substrate in the transport direction, and a first frame that contacts a lateral surface that is a side surface perpendicular to the transport direction. A second frame having two abutting portions, wherein the levitation unit includes a first levitation unit for levitating the first frame and a second levitation unit for levitating the second frame, It is preferable that each of the first levitation unit and the second levitation unit includes the two ejection parts and the elevating part that elevates and lowers each of the ejection parts.
In this case, the abutting portions can be brought into contact with both the rear surface and the lateral surface of the substrate to stabilize the posture of the substrate, and the substrate can be guided in the direction from one stage to the other stage. And when there is a step in the vertical direction between adjacent stages, for example, even when the front stage is slightly higher, the step is overcome in both the first frame and the second frame. Can be made.

The substrate transport apparatus further includes a control device that controls the operation of the levitation unit, and the control device is configured to move the levitation unit on the rear side in the transport direction when the levitation unit reaches a position before a joint between adjacent stages. Without raising the ejection part, the ejection part on the front side in the transport direction is raised by the elevating part, and when the ejection part on the front side in the transport direction exceeds the seam, the ejection part on the front side in the transport direction is moved by the elevation part While lowering, it is preferable to raise the ejection part on the rear side in the transport direction by the elevating part.
In this case, even if a step is generated between the stages, the flying unit can transfer the substrate while successfully overcoming the step.

  Further, the present invention is a substrate transport method for transporting a substrate levitated from the surface of the stage by a transport guide that horizontally moves between the stages from one stage to the other stage. In the state where the mounting contact portion is in contact with the frame of the transport guide on the side surface of the substrate that is levitating from the substrate, the substrate is transported in the substrate transport direction from the one to the other. When the guide is moved and the substrate is moved in the transfer direction, the frame is provided so as to be movable up and down in a state of being aligned in the transfer direction and facing the surface of the stage. By using the two jetting parts to jet out, the frame is levitated from the surface of the stage to prevent the contact part from contacting the surface. The seams between adjacent said stage when said conveying guide passes, and performs the operation for elevating the forward independently each of the two jetting portion relative to the frame.

According to the present invention, the substrate floating from the surface of the stage is moved in the transport direction in a state where the mounting contact portion is in contact with the frame of the transport guide on the side surface of the substrate. In this case, the contact portion can be prevented from coming into contact with the surface of the stage by floating the frame.
And when there is a step in the vertical direction between adjacent stages, for example, when the front stage is slightly higher, when the transport guide passes through the joint between the stages, the ejection part on the front side in the transport direction If there is a possibility that the can not get over by contacting the front stage, the front ejection part can be lifted to get over the step, and then the rear ejection part can be lifted to get over the step. Can be made.

  According to the present invention, for example, even when the stage surface is deformed due to a dimensional error or temperature change on the stage surface, the contact portion and the frame that are mechanisms for transporting the substrate are The substrate floating from the surface of the stage can be transported without contacting the substrate.

It is the schematic which shows one Embodiment of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of this invention, (A) is a top view, (B) is sectional drawing seen from the side. It is explanatory drawing of the conveyance guide of the conveyance direction back side and the left side, (A) is a top view, (B) is the figure (partial cross section) seen from the left-right direction. FIGS. 3A and 3B are views (partial cross-section) of the conveyance guide of FIG. 2 as viewed from the rear in the conveyance direction, in which FIG. 2A illustrates a state where the actuator is extended, and FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the function of a conveyance guide. It is explanatory drawing explaining operation | movement of a conveyance guide.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[About overall configuration]
1A and 1B are schematic views showing an embodiment of a substrate transfer apparatus according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the side. The substrate transport apparatus 1 transports the substrate 2 from an upstream processing apparatus 3 that performs a predetermined process on the substrate 2 to a downstream processing apparatus 4 that performs the next process on the substrate 2. It is a device for. For example, the upstream processing apparatus 3 is a coating apparatus that discharges a coating solution such as a resist solution onto the substrate 2, and the downstream processing apparatus 4 is a drying unit that dries the coating film formed on the substrate 2. The substrate transport device 1 is a device that transports the substrate 2 to a drying device that dries the coating film after forming the coating film on the substrate 2 by the coating device. It is conveyed from the coating device to the drying device without changing the direction.

  The substrate transfer device 1 includes adjacent stages 5 and 6, guide rails 11 and 12 installed on both left and right sides of the stages 5 and 6, and the stages 5 and 6 are horizontally disposed along the guide rails 11 and 12. The substrate 2 is lifted from the surfaces 15 and 16 of the stages 5 and 6, and the substrate 2 is moved from one stage 5 to the other stage 6 while being guided by the transport guide 7. Transport. In FIG. 1, the substrate 2 is transported from the right stage 5 to the left stage 6, the right side is the rear side (upstream side) of the substrate 2 in the transport direction, and the left side is the front side (downstream side) in the transport direction. In the present embodiment, the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is referred to as the left-right direction.

  The surfaces 5 and 6 of the stages 5 and 6 are horizontal, and in this embodiment, the ultrasonic levitation type stages 5 and 6 in which the substrate 2 is floated from the surfaces 15 and 16 by the vibrators 8 and 9 that vibrate ultrasonically. It is. That is, the stages 5 and 6 are vibrated based on the vibrations of the vibrators 8 and 9, whereby a slight air layer is formed between the surfaces 15 and 16 and the substrate 2, and the substrate 2 floats. And the control apparatus 10 which the board | substrate conveyance apparatus 1 has is controlling the flying height of the board | substrate 2 so that the flying height of the board | substrate 2 from the surfaces 15 and 16 may become fixed. For example, control for adjusting the outputs of the vibrators 8 and 9 is performed.

The guide rails 11 and 12 are installed on both the left and right sides of the stages 5 and 6, and the transport guide 7 moves horizontally along the guide rails 11 and 12 by an actuator (not shown).
In the present embodiment, four conveyance guides 7 are provided corresponding to the four corners of the rectangular substrate 2. These four transport guides 7 move horizontally along the guide rails 11 and 12 in synchronization. That is, the substrate 2 is transported with the four transport guides 7 holding the four corners of the substrate 2. In addition, in FIG. 1, the conveyance guide 7 is simplified and described. In this embodiment, an example in which the conveyance guide 7 is used at the four corners will be described. However, the conveyance guide 7 may be provided only at two locations on the diagonal of the substrate 2.

[About transport guide 7]
2A and 2B are explanatory views of the conveyance guide 7 on the rear side in the conveyance direction, and FIG. 2A is a plan view and FIG. 2B is a diagram viewed from the left-right direction. FIG. 3 is a view (partial cross section) of the transport guide 7 of FIG. 2 as viewed from the rear in the transport direction. FIG. 3A shows a state where an actuator 28 described later is extended, and FIG. It shows the state of shortening operation.

In FIG. 2, the transport guide 7 includes a transport head 13 that moves along the guide rail 11 and a main body 14 that is mounted on the transport head 13.
The transport head 13 includes a base 17 extending in the front-rear direction and actuators 18, 19 provided on the front and rear sides of the base 17 and extending in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the actuators 18 and 19 expand and contract by supplying and discharging air.

  The main body portion 14 of the transport guide 7 has a first main body portion 20 on the rear side and a second main body portion 40 on the front side. The first main body portion 20 moves up and down by the actuator 19. And a first levitation unit 22 provided on the frame 21, and the second main body 40 includes a second frame 41 that moves up and down by the actuator 18 and a second levitation unit provided on the frame 41. Unit 42. The actuators 18 and 19 can extend and contract independently, and the first frame 21 and the second frame 41 can be moved up and down independently.

[Regarding the rear first body portion 20]
The first frame 21 on the rear side has a plate-like member facing the surface 15 (16). The plate-like member includes a unit portion 21a in which the first levitation unit 22 is provided, and the unit portion. And an extending portion 21b extending from 21a to one side in the left-right direction. A first contact portion is provided in the extending portion 21b, and a rear surface 2a that is a side surface on the rear side in the transport direction of the substrate 2 contacts the first contact portion. The first abutting portion is composed of a pin member (hereinafter, the first abutting portion is referred to as a first abutting pin 23), and as shown in FIG. 3, from the extending portion 21b to the surface 15 of the stage 5 (6). It extends toward (16) and has a gap with the surface 15 (16). Then, the rear surface 2 a of the substrate 2 contacts the lower end portion of the contact pin 23.

As shown in FIG. 2 (B), the first levitation unit 22 includes two ejection portions (hereinafter referred to as ejection pads) 24 and 25 provided on the first frame 21 so as to be vertically movable, and the first frame 21. On the other hand, it has elevating parts 26 and 27 for elevating and lowering these two ejection pads 24 and 25 independently. The rear ejection pad 24 and the front ejection pad 25 have the same configuration, and the ejection pads 24 and 25 are arranged side by side in the transport direction and face the surface 15 (16) of the stage 5 (6). It is provided in a state, and gas (air in the atmosphere in this embodiment) is ejected to the surface 15 (16).
The arrangement of the ejection pads 24 and 25 and the first contact pin 23 in the transport direction will be described. The ejection pad 25 is provided on the front side in the transport direction with the first contact pin 23 as the center, and the rear side in the transport direction. An ejection pad 24 is provided on the surface.

  In FIG. 3, the actuator 19 applies a downward force toward the surface 15 (16) to the first frame 21, causes the ejection pads 24 and 25 to be disposed along the surface 15 (16), and the ejection pad. By applying an upward force against the downward force to the first frame 21 by the air ejection pressure of 24, 25, the first frame 21 integral with the ejection pads 24, 25 is levitated, and the ejection pads 24, 25 A gap can be formed between the lower surface and the surface 15 (16). As a result, while the first frame 21 is pressed toward the surface 15 (16) by the actuator 19, the contact pins 23 of the first frame 21 are floated from the surface 15 (16) by the ejection pads 24 and 25. The amount of air ejected from the ejection pads 24 and 25 (ejection pressure) is controlled by the control device 10, and the ejection pads 24 and 25 float at a certain height from the surface 15 (16). . Further, the upward force by the ejection pads 24 and 25 is set larger than the downward force by the actuator 19, and the actuator 19 using air as a drive source has a function as an air damper. For this reason, for example, even if the height of the surface 15 of the stage 5 changes due to a dimensional error or the like, the first frame 21 can be lifted with a constant flying height following the change. For this reason, even if the height of the surface 15 partially changes, the contact pin 23 can follow the change, and the height of the contact pin 23 from the surface 15 is also constant.

The rear elevating unit 26 and the front elevating unit 27 of the first levitation unit 22 have the same configuration. The elevating unit 26 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The elevating unit 26 includes a cylinder 28 a and a rod 28 b. It has the actuator 28 which has. The actuator 28 has a configuration that expands and contracts by supplying and discharging air, and the cylinder 28a is provided with a first supply port 28d and a second supply port 28e for supplying air. When air is supplied from the first supply port 28d into the cylinder 28a, the rod 28b can be lowered, and when air is supplied from the second supply port 28e into the cylinder 28a, the rod 28b is raised. be able to. And the ejection pad 24 is attached to the lower part of the rod 28b.
When air supply from the second supply port 28e is stopped and air is supplied from the first supply port 28d as shown in FIG. The pad 24 can be lowered and biased toward the surface 15 (16). Then, the supply of air from the first supply port 28d is stopped, and as shown in FIG. 3B, when air is supplied from the second supply port 28e, the rod 28b is raised, The attached ejection pad 24 can be raised. The stopper 28c attached to the upper end of the rod 28b contacts the cylinder 28a, so that the rod 28b (the ejection pad 24) stops at the lower limit position. Further, air can be supplied into the cylinder 28a from either the first supply port 28d or the second supply port 28e from the air source to each of the elevating units 26 and 27. The elevating parts 26 and 27 can operate independently, and the ejection pads 24 and 25 can be raised and lowered independently.

The function of the actuator 19 will be further described. The transport head 13 is configured to move horizontally along the guide rail 11 (12) without changing the position in the vertical direction. The actuator 19 fixed to the base 17 of the transport head 13 includes a first frame. The first main body 20 having 21 is allowed to move in the vertical direction.
Therefore, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the surface 15 of the upstream stage 5 and the surface 16 of the downstream stage 6 are different in height (high The transport head 13 (base 17 and actuators 18, 19) moves horizontally without changing the height regardless of the height difference δ of the surfaces 15, 16. The frame 21 (contact pin 23) of the portion 20 can be floated at a certain height from the surfaces 15 and 16 by the ejection pads 24 and 25, and follows the height of the surfaces 15 and 16. Therefore, even if the heights of the surfaces 15 and 16 are different, the gap between the surfaces 15 and 16 and the contact pin 23 (lower surface) is constant, and the substrate 2 that floats from the surfaces 15 and 16 with a constant flying height. In addition, the abutment pin 23 is surely hit.

[About the second body 40 on the front side]
In FIG. 2, the front-side second frame 41 has a plate-like member facing the surface 16 (15), like the rear-side first frame 21, and this plate-like member is the second floating unit. The unit part 41a provided with 42 is provided. The unit portion 41 a is provided with a second contact portion (contact pin 43) and contacts the lateral surface 2 b that is a side surface facing in the left-right direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the substrate 2. The contact pin 43 is made of a pin member, extends from the unit portion 41a toward the surface 16 (15), and has a gap with the surface 16 (15). The lateral surface 2 b comes into contact with the lower end portion of the contact pin 43.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the second levitation unit 42 includes two ejection portions (hereinafter referred to as ejection pads) 44 and 45 provided on the second frame 41 so as to be vertically movable, and the second frame 41. On the other hand, it has the raising / lowering parts 46 and 47 which raise / lower these two ejection pads 44 and 45 independently. The rear ejection pad 44 and the front ejection pad 45 have the same configuration, and each ejection pad 44, 45 faces the surface 16 (15) of the stage 6 (5) in a state of being arranged in the front-rear direction. It is provided in a state, and gas (air in the atmosphere in the present embodiment) is ejected to the surface 16 (15).
The arrangement of the ejection pads 44 and 45 and the second contact pin 43 in the transport direction will be described. The ejection pad 45 is provided on the front side in the transport direction with the second contact pin 43 as the center, and the rear side in the transport direction. An ejection pad 44 is provided on the surface.

  The second frame 41 is different in shape from the first frame 21, but the floating unit 42 provided in the second frame 41 has the same configuration as the floating unit 22 provided in the first frame 21. . Therefore, also on the second frame 41 side, the second frame 41 is moved from the surface 16 (15) by the air ejection pressure of the ejection pads 44 and 45 while the second frame 41 is pressed to the surface 16 (15) side by the actuator 18. It is emerging. Further, the rear elevating unit 46 and the front elevating unit 47 have the same configuration, and include an actuator that expands and contracts when air is supplied and discharged, and a spring. When air is supplied, the elevating parts 46 and 47 can independently raise the ejection pads 44 and 45 against the spring.

Similarly to the first frame 21 on the rear side, also in the second frame 41 on the front side, the frame 41 (contact pin 43) is formed on the surface 16 (15) of the stage 6 (5) by the ejection pads 44 and 45. It has surfaced at a certain height. Further, the actuator 18 using air as a drive source allows the second main body portion 40 having the second frame 41 to move in the vertical direction.
Therefore, for example, as described in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the height of the surface 15 of the upstream stage 5 and the surface 16 of the downstream stage 6 are different ( The height difference is δ), and the transport head 13 (base 17 and actuators 18 and 19) moves horizontally without changing the height regardless of the height difference δ of the surfaces 15 and 16, but the second The frame 41 (contact pin 43) of the main body 40 can float at a certain height from the surfaces 15 and 16 by the ejection pads 44 and 45, and follows the height of the surfaces 15 and 16. Therefore, even if the heights of the surfaces 15 and 16 are different, the gap between the surfaces 15 and 16 and the contact pin 23 (lower surface) is constant, and the substrate 2 that floats from the surfaces 15 and 16 with a constant flying height. In addition, the abutment pin 23 is surely hit.

[About the entire transport guide 7]
As described above, the conveyance guide 7 on the rear side in the conveyance direction and on the left side (the conveyance guide 7 on the left rear (see FIG. 1)) is, as shown in FIG. 2, from the surface 15 (16) of the stage 5 (6). The first and second frames 21 and 41 having contact pins 23 and 43 that contact the side surfaces (the rear surface 2a and the lateral surface 2b) of the floating substrate 2 are provided. Further, the transport guide 7 causes the frames 21 and 41 and the contact pins 23 and 43 to contact the surface 15 (16) by floating the frames 21 and 41 from the surface 15 (16) of the stage 5 (6). It has a levitation unit that prevents this. As the levitation unit, a first levitation unit 22 for levitating the first frame 21 and a second levitation unit 42 for levitating the second frame 41 are provided. As shown in FIG. 2 (B), the first levitation unit 22 has two ejection pads 24, 25 and elevating parts 26, 27 for raising and lowering the ejection pads 24, 25, respectively. The second levitation unit 42 includes two ejection pads 44 and 45 and elevating parts 46 and 47 that elevate and lower the ejection pads 44 and 45, respectively.

The conveyance guide 7 on the rear side in the conveyance direction and on the right side (see FIG. 1) also has the same configuration and function as the conveyance guide 7 on the left rear, although the arrangement is symmetrical. The front left and right transport guides 7 also have the same configuration and function as the rear transport guide 7. However, in each of the left and right transport guides 7 on the front side in the transport direction, the contact pin contacts the lateral surface 2b and the front surface 2c of the substrate 2.
In each conveyance guide 7, the first frame 21 and the second frame 41 are connected by a base 17 (see FIG. 2A), and the four conveyance guides 7 are connected from the control device 10. By moving in synchronization with the front in the transport direction according to the command, the contact pins (23, 43) of the frames (21, 41) of the four transport guides 7 are brought into contact with the side surfaces of the substrate 2, so that the substrate 2 Can be guided and transported in the transport direction as being held from the side.

[Regarding the control device 10]
In addition, the substrate transfer apparatus 1 includes a control device 10 (see FIG. 1) formed of a computer, and this control device 10 controls the movement of the four transfer guides 7 along the guide rails 11 and 12. In addition to the function, it has a function of controlling the operation of the floating units 22 and 42 of each conveyance guide 7. For example, the control device 10 controls the timing for horizontally moving the four transport heads 13 or controls the ejection of air from the four ejection pads 24, 25, 44, 45 provided in each transport guide 7. Or control the operation timing of the four elevating units 26, 27, 46, and 47 provided in each conveyance guide 7.

In order to control the operation timing of the four elevating units 26, 27, 46, 47, the conveyance guide 7 is a detected member 50 that moves in the conveyance direction integrally with the conveyance head 13 (see FIG. 2B). It has. The detected member 50 is a moving member that moves integrally with the transport head 13, whereas the four members 51 that detect the detected member 50 on the frame of the guide rail 11 (12), for example, as fixed members. , 52, 53, 54 are installed.
Each of these sensors 51, 52, 53, and 54 is associated with each of the ejection pads 24, 25, 44, and 45 that are moved up and down by the lifting units 26, 27, 46, and 47, respectively. That is, the first ejection pad 45 is associated with the first sensor 51, the next ejection pad 44 is associated with the second sensor 52, the next ejection pad 25 is associated with the third sensor 53, and the next ejection pad 24 is associated with the fourth sensor. It has been. When each sensor detects the detected member 50, it transmits an ON signal to the control device 10, and based on this signal, the control device 10 raises the ejection pad corresponding to the sensor by the elevating unit, and the sensor detects the detected member. If 50 leaves | separates, the OFF signal will be transmitted to the control apparatus 10, and the control apparatus 10 will lower the ejection pad corresponding to the sensor by the raising / lowering part based on this signal. A specific example of this operation will be described later.

[Conveying method of substrate 2]
The substrate 2 transport operation performed by the substrate transport apparatus 1 of the embodiment will be described. Here, the operation will be described by paying attention to the left rear conveyance guide 7.
As shown in FIG. 5A, in the conveyance guide 7, the ejection pads 45, 44, 25, and 24 are arranged in order from the downstream side (leading side) in the conveyance direction, and these ejection pads are arranged in the conveyance direction. The first frame 21 (contact pin 23) and the second frame 41 (contact pin 43) float from the surface 15 at a constant height from the surface 15 of the upstream stage 5. It exists at the position (reference height). In this state, the tips of the contact pins 23 and 43 are in contact with the substrate 2 floating from the surface 15 from two directions, and the contact pins 23 and 43 guide the substrate 2 in the transport direction. doing.

  In the present embodiment, the surface 16 of the stage 6 on the downstream side is slightly higher than the surface 15 of the stage 5, and the leading ejection pad 45 floating from the surface 15 remains in the transport direction as it is. When moved, the lower end of the ejection pad 45 comes into contact with the upper end edge of the stage 6 when the joint J between the stages 5 and 6 is crossed.

Therefore, when each of the ejection pads 45, 44, 25, 24 reaches the position before the joint J, the detected member 50 is detected by a sensor (one of 51, 52, 53, 54) corresponding to each ejection pad. Based on the signal from the sensor, the control device 10 raises the ejection pad by the elevating unit 47.
More specifically, when the leading ejection pad 45 reaches the position before the joint J (see FIG. 5B), the first sensor 51 detects the detected member 50, and a detection signal from the sensor 51 Based on (ON signal), the control device 10 raises the ejection pad 45 by the elevating unit 47. The other pads 44, 25, 24 do not move up and down because there is no detection signal from the sensors 52, 53, 54. Even in this case, the ejection pad 44 is in a state of floating from the surface 15, and the second frame 41 can be held at the reference height by the ejection pad 44. For this reason, the second frame 41 does not tilt and maintains a horizontal state, and the vertical position of the contact pin 43 does not change and maintains the state in which the substrate 2 is supported. Air may be continuously ejected from the raised pad 45, but the ejection may be temporarily stopped.

  In addition, when the interval between the stages 5 and 6 is wide, the function of floating the ejection pads 45 by the air ejected from the ejection pads 45 when the ejection pads 45 pass above the joints J of the stages 5 and 6 works. However, it is conceivable that the front part (the ejection pad 45) of the second frame 41 is lowered, but according to the present embodiment, the second frame 41 can be supported by the ejection pad 44, and the front part is lowered. Can be prevented.

  Then, when the joint J is passed over while the ejection pad 45 is in the raised state, the control device 10 causes the elevation pad 47 to cause the ejection pad 47 to perform the ejection pad based on the OFF signal from the first sensor 51 as shown in FIG. Lower 45. Thereby, the lower end of the ejection pad 45 can pass through the joint J without contacting the upper end edge of the stage 6.

  When the ejection pad 45 is lowered, the second sensor 52 next detects the member to be detected 50, and the control device 10 uses the lifting / lowering unit 46 to perform the second detection based on the detection signal (ON signal) from the sensor 52. Only the ejection pad 44 is raised (FIG. 5D). At this time, the second ejection pad 44 is separated from the surface 15 and cannot exert a levitation force. However, the second frame 41 is moved from the surface 16 to a certain height by the ejection pad 45 that has crossed the joint J first. It can be in a state where it is held at the height. For this reason, the second frame 41 maintains a horizontal state without tilting, and maintains a state in which the substrate 2 is supported. And even if the conveyance guide 7 moves further, the lower end of the second ejection pad 44 can pass through the joint J without contacting the upper end edge of the stage 6.

  When the second ejection pad 44 passes through the joint J, the detection state of the detected member 50 by the second sensor 52 is released, and the control device 10 is controlled by the elevating unit 46 based on the OFF signal from the sensor 52. The second ejection pad 44 is lowered. Then, the second frame 41 is held at the reference height from the surface 16 by the two ejection pads 44 and 45.

Furthermore, when the transport guide 7 moves, the third ejection pad 25 reaches the position before the joint J, and then the fourth ejection pad 24 reaches the position before the joint J. As in the case of the second levitation unit 42 already described, the control device 10 causes the (third) ejection pad 25 of the first levitation unit 22 to reach a position before the joint J between the adjacent stages 5 and 6. Then, without raising the (fourth) ejection pad 24 on the rear side in the transport direction, the third ejection pad 25 is raised by the elevating part 27. When the ejection pad 25 crosses the joint J, the ejection pad 25 Is lowered by the elevating part 27 and the fourth ejection pad 24 is raised by the elevating part 26.
According to the operation of the floating units 22 and 42, even if a step is generated between the stages 5 and 6, the floating units 22 and 42 can transfer the substrate 2 downstream while successfully overcoming the step. can do.

Further, when the intervals between the stages 5 and 6 are wide, for example, when the third ejection pad 25 passes above the joint J of the stages 5 and 6, the ejection pad 25 is floated by the air ejected from the ejection pad 25. However, according to the present embodiment, the first frame 21 can be supported by the fourth ejection pad 24, and the first frame 21 can be supported. It becomes possible to prevent a part of the descent.
Similarly, when the fourth ejection pad 24 passes above the joint J, the function of floating the ejection pad 24 by the air ejected from the ejection pad 24 does not work, and a part of the first frame 21 However, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the first frame 21 from being lowered by the third ejection pad 25.

As described above, in the method for transporting the substrate 2 according to the present embodiment, when the substrate 2 that has been levitated is moved in the transport direction, each of the transport guides 7 includes a first guide on the stage 5 and a second on the stage 6. The second contact pin 43 comes into contact with each of the surfaces 15 and 16 by floating the second frame 41 from the surfaces 15 and 16 of the stages 5 and 6 using the two ejection pads 44 and 45 of the two frames 41, respectively. To be prevented. Similarly, by using the two ejection pads 24 and 25 of the first frame 21 to float the first frame 21 from the surfaces 15 and 16 of the stages 5 and 6, the first contact pin 23 is brought into the surface. It is possible to prevent contact with 15 and 16 respectively.
When the second main body portion 40 of each conveyance guide 7 first passes through the joint J between the adjacent stages 5 and 6, the two ejection pads 44 and 45 are made independent from each other with respect to the second frame 41. To move up and down in order. In this embodiment, the ejection pad 45 is operated first. Next, when the first main body portion 20 of each conveyance guide 7 passes through the joint J, the two ejection pads 24 and 25 are independently moved up and down sequentially with respect to the first frame 21. . In this embodiment, the ejection pad 25 is operated first.

According to the transport method of the present embodiment, in each transport guide 7, the frame 41 having the contact pin 43 is levitated from the surface 15 of the stage 5 and the surface 16 of the stage 6 by the levitating unit 42. The contact pin 43 can be prevented from coming into contact with the surfaces 15 and 16 of the stages 5 and 6, and the floating substrate 2 is placed on the stage 5 and the stage 6 by the contact pin 43, respectively. Can be transported.
Further, in each conveyance guide 7, when the front stage 6 is slightly higher than the rear stage 5 between the adjacent stages 5 and 6, the front ejection pad 45 (25) is placed on the stage 6. If there is a possibility that the jet pad 45 (25) cannot be overcome by contact, the jet pad 45 (25) can be lifted to get over the step, and then the jet pad 44 (24) on the rear side in the transport direction is raised to You can get over.

Further, the substrate transfer apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated form, and may be of other forms within the scope of the present invention. For example, although the stages 5 and 6 according to the present embodiment have been described as the ultrasonic levitation type, other types may be used. Although not illustrated, a large number of holes are formed in the surface portion of the stage, and air is discharged from the holes. May be an air levitation type stage in which the substrate is levitated from the surface.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the operation timing of the raising / lowering part was controlled using the sensor, the control apparatus 10 may control an operation timing based on the coordinate of the front-back direction of the conveyance guide 7, without employ | adopting a sensor. Good.

  1: substrate transport device 2: substrate 2a: rear surface (side surface) 2b: lateral surface (side surface) 5: stage 6: stage 7: transport guide 10: control device 15: surface 16: surface 21: first frame 22: first Floating unit 23: first abutment pin (first abutment portion) 24: ejection pad (ejection portion) 25: ejection pad (ejection portion) 26: elevating unit 27: elevating unit 41: second frame 42: second levitation Unit 43: 2nd contact pin (2nd contact part) 44: Ejection pad (ejection part) 45: Ejection pad (ejection part) 46: Elevating part 47: Elevating part J: Seam

Claims (4)

A substrate transport apparatus that includes a transport guide that horizontally moves between adjacent stages, and transports a substrate that has been levitated from the surface of these stages from one stage to the other by the transport guide,
The transport guide is
A contact portion that contacts the side surface of the substrate that is levitated from the surface of the stage, and moves in the substrate transport direction from the one stage toward the other stage to contact the substrate; A frame that is guided by the unit in the transport direction;
A levitating unit that prevents the contact portion from contacting the surface by levitating the frame from the surface of the stage;
Have
The levitating unit is
Two ejection parts that are arranged to be movable up and down on the frame in a state aligned with the transport direction and opposed to the surface of the stage, and eject gas to the surface;
And a lifting / lowering section that independently lifts and lowers each of the two ejection sections with respect to the frame. The frame includes a first frame having a first contact portion that contacts a rear surface that is a side surface on the rear side in the transport direction of the substrate, and a second contact that contacts a lateral surface that is a side surface perpendicular to the transport direction. A second frame having a contact portion,
The levitation unit has a first levitation unit for levitating the first frame, and a second levitation unit for levitating the second frame,
2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first levitation unit and the second levitation unit includes the two ejection parts and the elevation part that raises and lowers the ejection parts. A control device for controlling the operation of the levitation unit;
When the levitation unit reaches a position before the joint between adjacent stages, the control device does not raise the ejection portion on the rear side in the conveyance direction, and raises the ejection portion on the front side in the conveyance direction by the elevating portion. 2. When the ejection portion on the front side in the transport direction exceeds the joint, the ejection portion on the front side in the transport direction is lowered by the elevating portion, and the ejection portion on the rear side in the transport direction is raised by the elevating portion. Or the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of 2. A substrate transport method for transporting a substrate levitated from the surface of the stage by a transport guide that horizontally moves between the stages from one stage to the other,
Transporting the substrate from the one side to the other side with a contact portion mounted on a frame of the transport guide abutting on the side surface of the substrate that is levitated from the surface of the stage When moving the transport guide in the direction and moving the substrate in the transport direction,
The frame is formed from the surface of the stage by using two ejection portions provided in the frame so as to be movable up and down while being arranged in the transport direction and facing the surface of the stage. By preventing the contact portion from contacting the surface,
When the conveyance guide passes through the joint between the adjacent stages, the substrate conveyance method is characterized in that an operation of raising and lowering each of the two ejection portions independently and sequentially with respect to the frame is performed.

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