JP2013165177A - Stocker device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stocker device, which can be easily installed even in an environment in which an existing semiconductor manufacturing system or OHT is installed, being of space saving and capable of storing more clean containers.SOLUTION: A lift drive part is stored between posts provided upright on the right and left of a device, and the lift drive part raises/lowers a carrier which can move laterally, thereby reducing an occupation area of a carrier device. Further, by disposing shelves for storing clean containers above a load port and above a travel track of AGV, many clean containers can be stored with space being saved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a stocker device that automatically carries in, detains, and carries out a container having a constant shape. Specifically, it is intended for temporary storage of containers that store flat electronic components for precision electronic parts in a clean state. The storage case is formed with a number of shelves, and each shelf is loaded, placed, and unloaded. All of these are performed automatically.

Precision electronic components, which are flat objects such as semiconductor wafers and substrates for liquid crystal display panels, are successively subjected to various manufacturing and inspection processes such as photoresist coating, thin film deposition, oxide film and nitrification film formation, etching, and heat treatment. Done. The plate-like object to be processed is stored in a clean container between each of the manufacturing processes and the inspection processes. The OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer) or the AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) is an unmanned guided vehicle. ) And RGV (Rail Guided Vehicle). In particular, in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, a semiconductor wafer as a flat plate to be processed is stored in a clean container called FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) that has a handle and is assumed to be carried by a person. Used for conveyance between each process.

However, because the processing time in each process is not constant and differs, in the process where residence is forced, shelves are provided to temporarily store clean containers, and processes with slow processing speed are divided into multiple rows and processed in parallel. Thus, a device has been devised in which the waiting time in each process is reduced as much as possible and is continuously supplied to each manufacturing process and each inspection process.

For example, in Patent Document 1, as disclosed in FIG. 12, two sets of docking stations (load ports) for transferring a semiconductor wafer, which is a flat plate to be processed, from a cassette, which is a container, are provided between them. And a plurality of shelves arranged on the left and right sides of the space and above the docking station, the transporter grabs the cassette, transports the space, and places it on the docking station. A medium-to-small cassette automatic storage device has been proposed for transporting the semiconductor device substrate.
In this automatic storage device, cassettes that have been manually or AGV transported from the previous process are sequentially transported to a docking station or shelf by a transporter. Thereafter, when there is a cassette for which various processes have been completed, the cassette is transferred to a loading platform (cassette mounting table) by a cassette mover, and is transferred to the next process manually or by an AGV (not shown).

  In addition, an automatic storage device capable of storing a larger amount of cassettes has been proposed due to the increased processing speed of manufacturing apparatuses and inspection apparatuses. In Patent Document 2, as disclosed in FIG. 13, a semiconductor wafer transfer system in which stockers are arranged at positions facing each other with a FOUP transfer robot in addition to a stocker (shelf) arranged above the load port. is suggesting. As a result, the number of FOUPs that can be stored by the stocker increased.

JP 2001-298069 A JP 2010-62222 A

However, in the case of the automatic storage device, the following problems have been pointed out.
That is, in the automatic storage device, a transfer robot that can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction is installed on a robot moving rail arranged in parallel with the direction in which the load ports are arranged, and the moving rail and the transfer robot are operated to move the inside of the stocker. The FOUP that is stored in is transported. Since the transfer robot has a mechanism that can be expanded and contracted inside, trying to access a shelf placed at a high position increases the size of the transfer robot and increases the dimension between the stockers facing the stocker. As a result, the footprint of the entire apparatus increases.

  Furthermore, the opposite stocker gets in the way, and the person can't deliver the FOUP manually or AGV to the load port by hand or the FOUP can only be delivered from the upper space by OHT. turn into. In addition, when an automatic storage device such as that described above is additionally installed in an existing manufacturing device or inspection device in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, the opposite stocker protrudes toward the passage, making it difficult for people to pass. There is also a problem that it is necessary to change the traveling route of the AGV. In the manufacturing process of semiconductors and liquid crystal display panel substrates, even if the above-mentioned measures are taken for smooth automation, if irregular troubles or interruptions between processes occur, clean containers must be There is a need to transfer between various processes by hand, and there is a need for a device that can immediately respond to such troubles and interruptions.

  The present invention has been devised in order to effectively solve the above-mentioned problems, and can be easily installed on existing manufacturing apparatuses and inspection apparatuses, and can suppress the enlargement of the apparatus. The present invention provides a stocker device in which a large number of containers are detained and can be carried in and out efficiently.

  In order to solve the above problems, a stocker according to claim 1 of the present invention is a stocker for carrying in, placing, and carrying out a container for storing a precision electronic component in a clean state inside a lid. The processing apparatus has a mounting table for carrying the container in and out, and a housing in which two support columns are arranged on both the left and right sides, and a horizontal space between the support columns of the housing. A support beam attached so that it can move in the vertical direction (Z axis), a transfer machine attached to the support beam so that it can move left and right (X direction), and one end of the transfer machine can be rotated. A rotating arm having a holding mechanism for holding the container at the other end, and a shelf for placing the container in the height direction in a vertical direction at an interval larger than the height dimension of the container, And one or more above the position of any of the X direction of the table A first shelf group was sandwiched a moving area of the conveyor, and characterized in that it is disposed the second rack group at a position opposite to the first shelf group.

By setting it as the said structure, since the conveyance machine is attached to the support beam attached so that vertical movement is possible, the depth dimension of the whole stocker apparatus can be suppressed as a result.

  In addition, the stocker device according to claim 2 of the present invention is the stocker device according to claim 1, wherein the second shelf group is disposed at an upper position separated from the floor by 1300 mm or more. It is characterized by.

  By setting it as the said structure, AGV and a person can deliver a container manually by passing the lower part of a 2nd shelf group.

  A stocker device according to a third aspect of the present invention is the stocker device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the rotating arm is disposed in a lower portion of the transporter, and The upper part is gripped.

  With the above configuration, the rotation arm that grips the upper portion of the container rotates below the transporter and the support beam, and the first shelf group disposed at a position opposed to the support beam. The container can be delivered between the second shelf groups.

  Further, a stocker device according to claim 4 of the present invention is the stocker device according to claims 1 to 3, further comprising a plurality of rows of containers arranged in the vertical direction, and The distance between adjacent rows is at least larger than the width of the container.

  With the above-described configuration, the containers gripped by the transporter can move in the vertical direction by passing between a plurality of containers arranged in the vertical direction. That is, the container gripped by the transporter can move to a space that can be moved up and down in the vertical direction by moving in the horizontal direction.

  Further, the stocker device according to claim 5 of the present invention is the stocker device according to claims 1 to 4, wherein at least one of the support columns, the support beam of the transporter is a strain absorbing member in which a metal plate is bent. It is attached through a member.

  By adopting the above configuration, it is possible to absorb the adverse effects on the horizontal state and vertical movement of the support beam due to dynamic load and the displacement of the distance between the columns due to the slight inclination of the columns with the strain absorbing member. Smooth vertical movement is possible.

  A stocker device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the stocker device according to the first to fifth aspects, wherein the first shelf and the second shelf are separated from each other by a distance between the first shelf and the second shelf. It is not less than the dimension in the thickness direction and not more than the dimension in the width direction of the container.

  By setting it as the said structure, the depth dimension of a stocker apparatus can be made small.

  A stocker device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the stocker device according to the first to sixth aspects, wherein the number of the arms is one. Furthermore, the stocker device according to claim 8 of the present invention is the stocker device according to claims 1 to 7, wherein the number of columns of the first shelf group and / or the second shelf group is as described above. It is characterized by being the same as the table.

According to the present invention, installation is easy with respect to existing manufacturing apparatuses and inspection apparatuses, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the apparatus, and it is possible to detain many containers and achieve efficient loading and unloading. .

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway front view of the entire apparatus, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view in a state where the left side of FIG. 1 is cut off, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a main part as viewed from the back side of FIG. is there. In each figure, 1 is a stocker device according to the present embodiment, 2 is a housing forming the stocker device 1, and two sets of support columns 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b was used to create a constant volume. Note that the columns 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b are all erected in a vertical state. Reference numeral 5 denotes a support beam straddling between the front-side columns 3a and 3b of the housing 2, and the engaging members 6 at the left and right ends of the support beam 5 are arranged on the inner sides of the columns 3a and 3b facing each other. It is engaged in the narrow groove 7 drilled in the vertical direction, and is moved up and down in the vertical direction by the lifting drive means described below. Reference numeral 8 denotes a pair of motors attached to the upper portions on the inner surfaces facing each of the support columns 3a and 3b. The predetermined positions of the other support columns 4a and 4b corresponding to the pulleys 9 attached to the drive shaft of each motor 8 include A pulley 10 is attached.
In FIG. 3, the housing 30 of the second shelf group 28 is shown as an opposing stocker in a state separated from the stocker device 1 at a position facing the stocker device 1. Actually, as shown in FIG. 2, the housing 2 forming the stocker device 1 and the housing 30 forming the second shelf group 28 which is the opposite stocker are integrated by means such as bolts and welding. It is integrated.

  11 is a narrow groove drilled in the longitudinal direction of the opposing inner surface of each support column 4a, 4b in the same manner as the opposite support column 4a, 4b facing the support column 3a, 3b for guiding the vertical movement of the support beam 5. 7 is a load body for balance that is engaged in and moved up and down, and each balance load body 11 balances the entire weight including the support beam 4 and a transporter 12 to be described later by a weight divided into two. The balance load body 11 and the support beam 4 are connected by a belt 13. With this structure, the vertical movement of the support beam 5 to which the conveyor 12 is attached is performed by driving the motor 8 with a relatively small output.

  The conveyor 12 is mounted so as to be able to reciprocate in the horizontal direction of the support beam 5 configured to move up and down as described above. A shaft 14 is provided, and the screw shaft 14 is driven by a motor 15 attached to one end thereof. By rotating the screw shaft 14 forward and backward by the motor 15, the transport machine 12 fixed to the female screw body (not shown) screwed to the screw shaft 14 is moved left and right in the length direction of the support beam 5. It will be. With the above-described configuration, members related to vertical movement such as the motor 8, the pulley 9, and the belt 13 can be arranged in a relatively small space. Therefore, as shown in FIG. Since the size of the EFEM 34 can be approximately the same as that of the corresponding EFEM 34, the EFEM 34 can be installed without interfering with the adjacent EFEM 34 even in a factory where a plurality of EFEMs 34 are arranged at a small interval. Furthermore, even when it is desired to extend upward and increase the number of installed shelves 25, it is possible to easily cope with this by simply changing the members related to the vertical movement, such as the columns 3, 4 and the belt 13.

  Further, when a semiconductor wafer, which is one of flat precision electronic components, is stored in the clean container 16, the total weight is about 10 kg. When this is held by the arm portion 17 of the transfer machine 12 and moved in the length direction of the support beam 5 and the clean container 16 is carried in, detained, carried out, etc., the support beam 4 is moved horizontally by a dynamic load. This will adversely affect the state and vertical movement. Therefore, in this embodiment, a folding type strain absorbing member 53 in which a metal plate is bent in multiple stages is attached to the end edge portion of the support beam 5 as the engaging member 6, and the column 4 a is interposed via the folding type strain absorbing member 53. 4b is engaged with the inside of the narrow groove 7 drilled in 4b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, a sliding body 55 having a ball bearing 54 is attached to the inner peripheral surface with a bolt screw 56 so that the sliding body 55 holds a rail member 57 fixed to the narrow groove 7. Use the same configuration.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the folding-type strain absorbing member 53 is attached to only one end of the support beam 5, but the engaging member 6 on the other end side may be similarly implemented. Further, the folded type strain absorbing member 53 not only reduces the adverse effect on the horizontal state and the vertical movement of the support beam 4 due to the dynamic weight load, but also relative to the upright state of the columns 4a and 4b. Absorbing misalignment and angular misalignment, the support beam 5 can be stably moved up and down.

Next, the conveyor 12 will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the transfer machine 12 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the semiconductor wafer processing system 31 including the stocker device 1 according to the present embodiment as viewed from the side. is there. The conveyor 12 includes an arm portion 17 that grips and rotates the clean container 16 and a main body portion 19 that is fixed to the female screw body and includes a motor 18 that is a driving source that rotates the arm portion 17 inside. The arm portion 17 is provided with a holding member 20 for holding the clean container 16 at the tip portion, and the holding member 20 is reciprocated by the rotation operation of the motor 21 so as to be disposed on the upper portion of the clean container 16. It has a structure that can be moved to a state of holding the grip portion 23 and a state of releasing the holding.
In addition, the stocker apparatus 1 of a present Example shall be installed in a semiconductor factory. Accordingly, the clean container 16 is a FOUP that houses a semiconductor wafer, and the gripping portion 23 is stipulated in terms of dimensions and mounting positions in accordance with SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) standards, which are international standards for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and equipment. It is the top handling flange.

The base end portion of the arm portion 17 is cantilevered and supported by the main body portion 19 via a bearing. A pulley 22 a is fixed to a portion of the base end portion of the arm portion 17 that penetrates the main body portion 19, and a belt between the pulley 22 b that is fixed to the rotation shaft of the motor 18 provided in the main body portion 19. 24 are connected. With this structure, the rotational movement of the motor 18 enables the arm portion 17 to rotate 360 degrees or more in the horizontal plane with the rotational axis A as the central axis.

Next, a shelf on which the cleaning container 16 is placed will be described. The stocker apparatus 1 of the present invention is provided with a plurality of shelf plates 25 for receiving and temporarily storing a large number of cleaning containers 16 on opposite sides of the moving surface of the support beam 5 that moves up and down. Specifically, a wall plate 26 is attached between the rear support columns 3 a and 3 b, and a number of shelf plates 25 are arranged on the wall plate 26 to form a first shelf group 27. The shelf 25 provided in the first shelf group 27 is arranged so as to be positioned on the same plane as the stage 37 of each load port 35 when viewed from above, so that the uppermost stage can be adjusted without adjusting the position. The cleaning container 16 can be delivered between the shelf board 25 and the OHT 33. Further, with respect to the first shelf group 27, a large number of shelf plates 25 are arranged at symmetrical positions with respect to the moving surface on which the rotation axis A of the arm portion 17 provided in the conveyor 12 that moves up and down and moves left and right. Thus, the second shelf group 28 is configured. Each shelf board 25 is vertically arranged at a certain interval in the vertical direction, and forms one row.

Each shelf plate 25 is arranged in the vertical direction of the housing 2 so as to have an interval dimension H larger than the sum of the height dimension h of the cleaning container 16 and the height dimension h ′ of the arm portion 17, and each shelf. The plates 25 are arranged not only in a single row in the height direction but also in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction from the viewpoint of transfer and unloading described later. In this embodiment, two rows are juxtaposed above the right end and left end load ports 35. In this arrangement, the distance W between adjacent rows is slightly larger than the width w of the cleaning container 16. It is necessary to make it a large size. By setting it as the said dimension, the cleaning container 16 hold | maintained by the arm part 17 can be moved to an up-down direction by passing between the rows of the shelf boards 25, and between the shelf boards 25 arrange | positioned up and down. By passing, it can move in the left-right direction.

Reference numeral 29 denotes a positioning pin provided on each shelf 25, and the cleaning container on the shelf 25 is aligned with a conical recess provided on the bottom of the FOUP which is the cleaning container 16. 16 accurate positioning is automatically performed. Further, when the height dimension of the positioning pin 29 is S, the distance dimension H between the upper and lower shelf plates 25 is the height dimension h of the cleaning container 16, the height dimension h ′ of the arm portion 17, and the height of the positioning pin 29. It is necessary to make it larger than the sum of the dimension S. By setting it as the said dimension, it becomes possible to lift and convey the cleaning container 16 mounted on the positioning pin 29 by the arm part 17.
Although the stocker device 1 of the present invention is installed at a position where it abuts on the front surface of the EFEM 34, the depth dimension D of the first shelf group 27 defined by the housing 2 is the minimum separation dimension from the front surface of the EFEM 34 to the AGV 32. It is assumed that it is smaller than d. With this size, even when the stocker apparatus 1 of the present invention is additionally installed in the already installed EFEM 34, it is necessary to move the entire semiconductor wafer processing system 31 or change the trajectory of the AGV 32 or the OHT 33. Since it is eliminated, it can be installed inexpensively in a short construction period.

Next, the second shelf group 28 in the present embodiment will be described. The second shelf group 28 is disposed at a position sandwiching the movable area of the transporter 12 with respect to the first shelf group 27 and at a position facing the first shelf group 27, and the first shelf group As shown in FIG. 27, the housing 30 includes a housing 30 that forms the second shelf group 27, and a plurality of shelf boards 25 that are fixed to the housing 30 and on which the cleaning container 16 is placed. The casing 30 is fixed to the casing 2 forming the first shelf group 27 by fixing means such as bolts or welding. The plurality of shelf boards 25 arranged inside the housing 30 are related to the direction in which the support beam 5 extends and the surface of the support beam 5 that moves up and down with respect to the arrangement of the shelf boards 25 of the first shelf group 27. It is arranged in a symmetrical position. More specifically, they are arranged at symmetrical positions with respect to the plane of movement of the pivot axis of the arm portion 17 constituting the transport machine 12 provided in the support beam 5. With this arrangement, the arm unit 17 that has accessed the first shelf group 27 is swiveled 180 degrees around the pivot axis A of the arm unit 17, thereby opposing shelves of the second shelf group 28. Can be accessed.

Further, the housing 30 of the second shelf group 28 is not installed on the floor surface, but is fixed to the housing of the first shelf group 27 by a fixing means such as a bolt or welding at a position separated from the floor surface. It is characterized by being. In particular, when the stocker device 1 of the invention is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, the space immediately below where the second shelf group 28 is arranged is almost always used as a space where the AGV 32 travels. The shelves 28 need to be arranged at positions separated from the floor so as not to interfere with the traveling of the AGV 32. The AGV 32 is a device that transports the FOUP, which is the clean container 16, between the processing devices 36 in the factory. The delivery of the FOUP to the processing device 36 places or receives the FOUP on the stage 37 on the load port 35. Is done. In the SEMI standard, the height from the bottom surface of the FOUP to the floor surface when the FOUP is placed on the stage 37 is defined as about 900 mm. Further, FOUP, which is a commonly used cleaning container 16, has a height dimension of about 340 mm. Therefore, in consideration of the maximum space size for lifting the FOUP at the time of delivery, if the second shelf group 28 is arranged so that the bottom is located at least 1300 mm away from the factory floor, the AGV 32 There is no interference with the transfer operation.

In addition, when the FOUP is frequently delivered manually to the stage 37, it is desirable to arrange the second shelf group 28 so that the bottom surface is positioned higher than the above dimensions. In particular, the place where the second shelf group 28 is arranged may be a passage through which not only the AGV 32 but also people pass, so when installing in such a factory, it is separated from the floor by about 1700 mm. It is desirable to arrange it at a position. Further, a non-contact transmission type sensor such as an area sensor is provided in the vicinity of the stage 37 of the stocker apparatus 1, and the operation of the support beam 5 and the transporting machine 12 is stopped by detecting access to the AGV 32 or a human load port. If the interlock function is provided as described above, it is possible to avoid a collision with a person or AGV 32 due to a malfunction.

Next, a usage example and operation of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The semiconductor wafers are stored in a shelf shape at regular intervals in the vertical direction inside a clean container 16 called a FOUP, and are transferred between the respective processing steps. The AGV 32, the OHT 33, or the clean container 16 that has been manually transported from the previous process is transferred to an apparatus called an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 34 that is a part of the semiconductor processing system.

The EFEM 34 places the transferred clean container 16 on the load port 35, and delivers the unprocessed semiconductor wafer stored in the clean container 16 to the processing apparatus 36 disposed adjacent to it. The semiconductor wafer is stored in the cleaning container 16 and includes a wafer transfer robot (not shown). One or more load ports 35 are provided in the EFEM 34, and have functions of opening and closing the lid of the cleaning container 16 and reading a unique ID code of each cleaning container 16. The load port 35 is provided with a stage 37 on which the cleaning container 16 is placed. The stage 37 is between a position where the cleaning container 16 is delivered by the driving means and a dock position where the lid of the cleaning container 16 is opened and closed. Have a horizontally movable structure.
Further, a plurality of support pins having a positioning function called kinematic pins are arranged on the stage 37, and are arranged on the shelf plate 25 by mating with a conical recess provided on the bottom surface of the cleaning container 16. In this case, the accurate positioning of the cleaning container 16 is automatically performed.

The stage 37 on which the clean container 16 is placed manually or by the AGV 32 or OHT 33 is advanced from the delivery position of the clean container 16 to the dock position by the driving means. By moving forward to the dock position, the FOUP opener provided in the load port 34 and the lid of the cleaning container 16 are integrated, and the lid is opened by the lid opening / closing mechanism.
When the lid is opened, the semiconductor wafers stored in the clean container 16 are sequentially taken out from the clean container 16 and transferred into the processing apparatus 36 by a transfer robot (not shown) arranged in the EFEM 33. . The semiconductor wafer that has been subjected to various processes such as resist coating, etching, and exposure by the processing device 36 is returned to the inside of the clean container 16 by the transfer robot. The cleaning container 16 containing the prescribed number of semiconductor wafers is closed by the lid opening / closing mechanism and moved to the delivery position by the stage driving means, and then transferred to the next step by AGV 31 or OHT 32 or manually. However, at this time, when the treated clean container 16 is not immediately removed or the clean container 16 containing a new unprocessed semiconductor wafer does not arrive due to the convenience of another processing apparatus. The processing apparatus is in a standby state, resulting in a deterioration in productivity. On the other hand, if it is attempted to place the cleaning container 16 containing a semiconductor wafer that has been processed in another processing apparatus, but the processing apparatus is not ready to receive, the processed cleaning container 16 is left as it is. It will be detained on the stage 37 of the load port 35 of this processing apparatus, and the productivity of the previous processing apparatus will be deteriorated. The stocker device 1 of the present invention is installed in order to eliminate the retention of the clean container 16 that occurs due to the difference in processing speed between the processing devices.

The stocker apparatus 1 in the present embodiment is installed adjacent to the EFEM 34, and is installed so as to straddle the load port 35 provided so as to protrude from the EFEM 34 main body when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. ing. The shelf plate 25 on which the cleaning container 16 is placed is disposed in a space above the stage 37 of the load port 35 and above the track on which the AGV 32 travels, and between the shelf plate 25 and the stage 37 by the transporter 12. The cleaning container 16 is moved.

In this embodiment, the stocker device 1 installed adjacent to the EFEM 34 having three load ports 35 will be described. In the stocker apparatus 1, the first shelf group 27 disposed above the position where the stage 37 of the load port 35 is disposed has a plurality of shelf plates 25 with a predetermined position above the right and left end load ports 35. They are arranged in the vertical direction with vertical spacing. Above the central load port 35 is a vertical movement space of the cleaning container 16, the shelf board 25 is not disposed. The clean container 16 is moved up and down in the moving space by the transporter 12. In the present embodiment, the first shelf group 27 includes three shelf boards 25 above the left and right load ports 35, and the second shelf group 28 includes two shelf boards 25. Is not limited to this, and may be set as appropriate depending on the height of the ceiling of the factory to be installed and the height of installation of the OHT 33.

  When the stocker device 1 of the present embodiment is installed at a position adjacent to the EFEM 34, when the stage 37 of the load port 35 is located at a standby position defined as a position for delivering the clean container 16 to and from the AGV 32. The length and the installation position of the arm portion 17 are set so that the transport device 12 can hold the clean container 16 placed on the stage 37. Further, the shelf plate 25 of the first shelf group 27 is arranged so that the cleaning container 16 gripped by the arm portion 17 can be placed, and further 180 from the position facing the first shelf group 27. The shelf plate 25 of the second shelf group 28 is arranged at a position that has been swung.

Here, the procedure in which the transport machine 12 grips the holding portion 23 of the clean container 16 and transports it to the target shelf 25 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. The control unit (not shown) that performs the operation of the entire stocker apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration and the handling of the clean container 16 in response to various input signals, communication with the host control means, and the like are the columns 3a and 4a. And a space provided between the columns 3b and 4b.
The cleaning container 16 carried from the other process by the OHT 33 is first placed on the shelf 25 located at the uppermost stage of the first shelf group 27. Each shelf plate 25 incorporates a stock sensor that recognizes whether or not the clean container 16 is placed, and transmits a presence / absence signal of the clean container 16 to a control unit (not shown). Here, the control unit transmits a signal so as to transfer the target clean container 16 to the transport machine 12 to a predetermined placement location. Receiving the signal, the transfer machine 12 operates the motors 8 and 15 to move to a previously taught position, and shifts to a holding operation of the cleaning container 16. The transporter 12 that has moved to a position where the clean container 16 can be held holds the holding unit 23 disposed above the clean container 16 by the holding member 20 and performs the ascending operation as it is. By this raising operation, the cleaning container 16 is separated from the positioning pin 29. Refer to FIG.

When the cleaning container 16 is lifted from the positioning pin 29, the control unit operates the motor 15 to horizontally move the transporter 12 holding the cleaning container 16 to a space where the row of the shelf boards 25 is not arranged. The swivel axis A of the arm part 17 after the movement has moved to the position B on the drawing. Refer to FIG. Thereafter, the control unit operates the motor 18 to rotate the arm unit 17 about the rotation axis A counterclockwise as viewed from above. At this time, if the cleaning container 16 is not placed on the shelf 25 located next to the shelf 25 on which the cleaning container 16 is placed, the arm portion 17 may be swung as it is. However, when the cleaning container 16 is placed on the adjacent shelf 25, the cleaning containers 16 collide with each other. And the main body 19 is moved horizontally in the direction of the arrow until the rotation axis A of the arm 17 reaches the position B ′. Refer to FIG. By performing this operation, the clean container 16 can be moved without colliding with other members even in a narrow space.

After this, the turning movement of the arm portion 17 and the horizontal movement of the main body portion 19 are continued, and the arm portion 17 turns 90 degrees counterclockwise, so that the arm portion 17 becomes parallel to the support beam 5, At this time, the rotation axis A moves to the position B ″ by the horizontal movement of the transporting machine 12 in conjunction with the turning operation. See FIG. 6D. Thereafter, the arm portion 17 performs another 90-degree turning operation. As a result, the arm portion 17 and the cleaning container 16 are moved from the initial position to a position rotated 180 degrees in the horizontal plane in order to avoid collision with other members during the 90-degree rotation operation. In conjunction with the turning operation of the arm unit 17, the control unit operates the motor 15 so that the rotation axis A moves from the position B ″ to the position B on the drawing. See FIGS. 6E and 6F. After performing the above operation, the conveyor 12 moves up and down and moves horizontally to move to a predetermined placement location, and finally places the clean container 16 on the target shelf 25 and holds the holding member 20. Is moved from the holding position to the open position, the transfer of the cleaning container 16 is completed.

In addition to the above-described transfer operation, in the transport machine 12 of the present embodiment, the arm portion 17 can rotate 360 degrees or more in a horizontal plane, so that not only the counterclockwise transfer in the top view but also the clockwise rotation is possible. Transfer is also possible. In the counterclockwise transfer described above, the interlocking operation in the direction of B ″ is performed along the support beam 5 in order to avoid the collision. However, when the interlocking operation in the left direction cannot be performed due to the position, Can be transferred by performing a clockwise turning operation and an interlocking operation in the right direction when viewed from above.

By the way, in the case of the present embodiment, when the cleaning container 16 is transferred to the opposite shelf 25, the held cleaning container 16 also rotates around the pivot axis, so that it is placed on the first shelf group 27. When the cleaned container 16 is transferred to the second shelf group 28, the direction of the opening of the clean container 16 is also rotated 180 degrees. Since it is the first shelf group 27 that delivers the clean container 16 to and from the OHT 33 and the load port 35, there is no major problem. For example, the delivery of the clean container 16 to the OHT 33 is not limited to the first shelf group 27 and the second shelf. In the case where it is desired to perform from both the groups 28, the second embodiment including the arm portion 38 that can perform the transfer operation without changing the direction of the cleaning container 16 is effective.
FIG. 7 shows the arm portion 38 according to the second embodiment. In the arm portion 17 of the first embodiment, the gripping member 20 has a structure that can be reciprocated by the motor 18, but the holding member 40 provided in this embodiment has a cross-sectional shape that engages with the holding portion 23. And is rotatably attached to the arm portion 38 via a bearing 39a. A pulley 41 is attached to the opposite end of the holding member 40 across the bearing 39 a in the arm portion 38.

Similarly to the first embodiment, the base end portion of the arm portion 38 is cantilevered and supported by the main body portion 19 via a bearing 39b, and passes through the main body portion 19 of the arm portion 38. The pulley 42 is fixed to the pulley 22 a fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor 18 provided in the main body 19 via the belt 24. The pulley 42 has a hollow structure, and a shaft 43 fixed to the main body portion 19 passes through the pulley 42 coaxially through a bearing at the center of the pulley 42. A pulley 44 is fixed to the tip portion. The pulleys 41 and 44 are spanned by a timing belt 45. The pulley 41 and the pulley 44 have the same diameter and gear groove, and the rotation ratio is 1: 1. With this structure, when the arm portion 40 is rotated N degrees by the operation of the motor 18, the holding member 40 rotates about −N degrees around the rotation axis. Thus, the arm portion 38 can be moved linearly without changing the posture of the held cleaning container 16.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing an operation of transferring the cleaning container 16 by the arm portion 38 of the second embodiment. The conveyor 12 that holds the target clean container 16 placed on the shelf plate 25 by horizontal movement and ascending movement moves to a position where it can rotate. Refer to FIG. Thereafter, the conveyor 12 rotates the arm portion 38 by 180 degrees counterclockwise about the rotation axis A. At this time, similarly to the first embodiment, in order to avoid the collision of the cleaning container 16 due to the rotation operation, the transport machine 12 moves the rotation axis A from the point C to C ″ in conjunction with the rotation operation of the arm portion 38. 8 (b) to 8 (e), at this time, the cleaning container 16 and the holding member 40 holding it are moved to a pulley 44 fixed to the main body 19 of the transporter 12. Since it is connected via the belt 45 and the pulley 41, it is not affected by the rotational operation of the arm portion 38, and is always moved by the operation of the transporter 12 while maintaining a constant posture. By linking the reciprocating motion on the support beam 5 of the conveyor 12 with the rotational movement of the unit 19, the clean container 16 is maintained between a first shelf group 27 and a second shelf group 28 while maintaining a constant posture. It can move linearly.

In the embodiments so far, the transport machine 12 holds the upper portion of the clean container 16 by holding the holding portion 23. However, in other embodiments, it is also possible to hold and transfer the heel portion of the clean container 16. . In the FOUP, which is a clean container 16 for storing semiconductor wafers, the holding portion 23 provided for gripping at the upper part of the container is defined as a top handling flange, but separately from this top handling flange, the FOUP The left and right side surfaces of the outer wall are provided with hook-shaped projections called side forklift flanges 50, and the cleaning container 16 is held by abutting a holding member 46 on the side forklift flanges 50 from below. Is possible. FIG. 9 is a view showing the transport device of the third embodiment, in which (a) is a side sectional view thereof, and (b) is a top view showing a closed position in which the clean container 16 is held; It is the top view which showed the open position which is the state which open | released holding | maintenance (c).

The holding member 46 for holding the cleaning container 16 in this embodiment is a pair of left and right rods whose upper surfaces that are in contact with the flange portion of the cleaning container 16 are flattened, and the root portion can be swung via a slide guide 47. The main body 48 is fixed. An air cylinder 49 is provided as a drive source for swinging the holding member 46 fixed to be swingable between an open position and a closed position.
Further, a cylindrical projection 51 is provided on the upper surface of the holding member 46, and positioning is performed by engaging this projection with a notch 52 for positioning provided on the side forklift flange 50. At the same time, misalignment due to vibration during transfer is prevented.
Further, the holding member 46 of the present embodiment is positioned above the support beam 5 from the structure of holding the clean container 16 from below, and swivels above the support beam 5 while holding the clean container 16. It has a sufficient space in the vertical direction so that it can operate.

Next, the holding | maintenance operation | movement of the cleaning container 16 by the holding member 46 of a present Example is demonstrated. The horizontal movement and the vertical movement are the same as in the previous embodiment, and the horizontal movement is supported between the top of the cleaning container 16 placed on each shelf 25 and the shelf 25 arranged above it. It moves along the direction in which the beam 5 extends, and in the up-down direction, it moves to the upper part of the target cleaning container 16 by moving up and down the row in which the shelf plate 25 of each shelf group is not arranged. Thereafter, the holding member 49 is moved to the open position by the air cylinder 49. Thereafter, the holding member 49 is lowered to a position below the side, forklift, and flange 50 by the elevating mechanism. After lowering, the holding member 49 is moved to the closed position, and the lifting mechanism is operated to raise the holding member 49. Here, the bottom of the side, forklift flange 50 and the upper surface of the holding member 49 come into contact with each other, and the holding member 49 holds the clean container 16. Thereafter, the same transfer operation as in the other embodiments is performed, and the transfer operation is performed so that the clean container 16 is placed on the target shelf 25.

The advantages of this embodiment are as follows. That is, since the holding member 49 holds the clean container 16 using the side forklift flange 50, the top flange provided at the top of the clean container 16 is not used. Therefore, the clean container 16 can be delivered to the OHT 33 in a state in which the holding member 49 holds the clean container 16 with the side forklift flange 50 without temporarily placing the clean container 16 on the shelf plate 25. Since the OHT 33 has a structure for holding the clean container 16 using the top flange, it is possible to reliably deliver the OHT 33 without interfering with the holding member 49.

By the way, when the clean container 16 storing the semiconductor wafer having been subjected to the surface treatment is stored in the stocker apparatus 1 before being transferred to the next process, a problem may occur. For example, if the semiconductor wafer is stored in the clean container 16 after the processes such as film formation, etching, and exposure are completed, chemical substances remaining on the wafer surface after processing may diffuse into the clean container 16 or The wafer surface that has been subjected to the film processing may react with the air in the clean container 16 to form a natural oxide film, which may cause problems in the next process. Therefore, measures are taken to prevent such troubles by filling the inside of the clean container 16 with an inert gas such as nitrogen to create an inert gas atmosphere inside the container. However, even when stored in the stocker device 1, the inert gas may leak out from the seal portion or the joint of the clean container 16 and the desired effect may not be maintained. In order to solve these problems, each shelf plate 25 is provided with a supply port for supplying an inert gas such as nitrogen, and the inert gas is appropriately supplied into the container while the clean container 16 is being stored. It is good. In this way, if the inert gas can be appropriately supplied at the timing when the inert gas concentration inside the clean container 16 decreases, the state inside the clean container 16 can be stabilized even if the clean container 16 is stored for a long time. Thus, it is possible to suppress the decrease in yield.

In addition, a bar code seal assigned with a unique identification number is affixed to the cleaning container 16 for storing the semiconductor wafer. Therefore, each shelf board 25 or the conveyor 12 may be provided with a barcode reader for reading this barcode. Information on which shelf the clean container 16 has been transferred to is managed in a control unit (not shown) or transmitted to a host control device at a higher level so that each clean container 16 in the factory can be easily managed It becomes.

  Further, in order to perform an operation in which the arm portion 17 holds the cleaning container 16 and performs a rotation operation around the rotation axis A, a space for the rotation operation is provided in the dimension on the depth side of the shelf plate 25. There is a need. Furthermore, in order to secure the operation space of the transport machine 12, it is desirable that there is also a space between the shelf board 25 and the transport machine 12. Therefore, a moving stage 59 capable of moving back and forth toward the transporting machine 12 may be provided on the shelf plate 25, similar to the horizontally movable stage 37 of the load port 35. As shown in FIG. 11, the shelf plate 25 is provided with a movable stage 59 that can move forward and backward, and when the transporter 12 accesses the cleaning container 16 placed on the movable stage 59, drive means provided in the shelf plate 25. Therefore, the moving stage 59 is moved forward toward the transporting machine 12, and at other times, the movable space of the transporting machine 12 is enlarged by moving the moving stage 59 backward. By setting it as the said structure, the depth dimension of the shelf board 25 can be shortened, and the dimension of the whole apparatus can be made small. In addition, since the position where the clean container 16 is placed can be moved, the positioning operation for adjusting the place where the clean container 16 is placed from the transporter 12 can be performed relatively easily. In addition, the overall length of the arm portion 17 can be shortened.

It is the partially cutaway front view which showed the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is the partially cutaway perspective view which showed the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is principal part explanatory drawing of the state seen from the back side of the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the conveying machine which is the 1st Example in the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is the side view which showed the semiconductor manufacturing system carrying the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the conveyance method of the clean container in the 1st Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the conveying machine which is the 2nd Example in the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which showed the conveyance method of the clean container in the 2nd Example of this invention. It is the figure which showed the conveying machine which is the 3rd Example in the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is sectional drawing which showed the distortion | strain absorption member in the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is the side view which showed the movement stage in the stocker apparatus of this invention. It is the figure which showed the outline of the conventional cassette transfer apparatus. It is the schematic which showed the outline of the conventional FOUP conveyance system.

Claims (8)

A container for storing a precision electronic component in a clean state inside a lid, which is a stocker device for carrying in, placing, and carrying out the processing device,
The processing apparatus has a mounting table for loading and unloading the container,
A housing in which two struts are arranged on both sides,
A support beam attached so as to be movable in the horizontal direction between the columns of the housing;
A transporter attached to the support beam so as to be laterally movable;
The transport machine includes a rotating arm having a holding mechanism that rotatably supports one end and holds the container at the other end,
One or more shelf plates for placing the container in the height direction are arranged in the vertical direction at an interval larger than the height dimension of the container and above any position in the X direction of the mounting table. A first shelf group,
A stocker apparatus, wherein a second shelf group is disposed at a position opposite to the first shelf group with a movable area of the transporter interposed therebetween. The second shelf group is disposed at an upper position separated from the floor by 1300 mm or more.
The stocker device according to claim 1. The stocker device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating arm is disposed in a lower part of the transporter and grips an upper part of the container. A plurality of rows of containers arranged in the vertical direction are further provided,
And the interval between adjacent rows is
4. The stocker device according to claim 1, wherein the stocker device has an interval larger than at least a width dimension of the container. On at least one of the columns,
5. The stocker device according to claim 1, wherein the support beam of the transporter is attached via a strain absorbing member obtained by bending a metal plate. The dimension which the said 1st shelf and the said 2nd shelf space apart is more than the dimension of the thickness direction of the said conveying machine, and is below the dimension of the width direction of the said container, The 1 to 5 characterized by the above-mentioned. The stocker device described in 1. The stocker device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the arms is one. 8. The stocker device according to claim 1, wherein the number of columns of the first shelf group and / or the second shelf group is the same as that of the mounting table.

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