JP2014227273A - Carriage system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique which stops movement of a to-be-carried object without deterioration of air cleanliness of the carriage space.SOLUTION: A carriage system includes a pallet body 6 and a floating carrier apparatus 7 which includes a carriage plate 36 facing the pallet body 8 and formed with a plurality of jetting slits 30, a cover 21 and a FFU22 generating clean air and carries the pallet 6 in a clean atmosphere, while floating the pallet 6, by jetting the clean air generated by the FFU22 from the jetting slits 30 of the carriage plate 36 into a carriage space S. The carriage plate 36 has guide slits 35 for discharging clean air in the carriage space S to an external environment F. The pallet 6 has a stopping operation part 13 which extends to the external environment F through the guide slits 35 during the floating carriage. The floating carrier apparatus 7 is arranged in the external environment F and has movement stopping means of stopping the movement of the pallet 6 at a specified position by using the stopping operation part 13.

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport system.

  As this type of technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a levitation conveyance device that levitates and conveys a wafer using a fan filter unit. In this levitation conveyance device, the conveyance space is made a clean atmosphere by surrounding the conveyance space with a cover. This levitation transfer apparatus holds a stopper protruding into the transfer space so as to be able to advance and retract in order to stop the movement of the wafer.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-140987

  In the configuration of Patent Document 1, dust generated by the advance / retreat of the stopper may reduce the air cleanliness in the conveyance space.

  The objective of this invention is providing the technique for stopping the movement of a conveyance target object, without reducing the air cleanliness of conveyance space.

A mounting device having a plate-shaped mounting device body, on which a transport object can be mounted, a transport plate facing the mounting device body and having a plurality of injection holes, and an external environment on the transport plate A cover for forming a transport space isolated from the clean air, and a clean air generating means for generating clean air, wherein the clean air generated by the clean air generating means serves as the plurality of injection holes of the transport plate. A transport system including a levitation transport device that transports the mounting device in a clean atmosphere while floating the mounting device by spraying into the transport space, wherein the transport plate of the levitation transport device includes: It has a discharge slit for discharging the clean air in the transfer space to the external environment, and the mounting device has an operation part that extends to the external environment through the discharge slit at the time of floating transfer, Serial levitation transportation device, wherein arranged in the external environment, the further comprising a movement stopping means for stopping at a predetermined position the movement of the mounting device by using the operation unit, the transport system is provided. According to the above configuration, since the movement stop means is disposed on the downstream side of the flow of the clean air as viewed from the transfer space, dust generated by the operation of the movement stop means enters the transfer space. There is no. Therefore, the movement of the conveyance object can be stopped at the predetermined position without reducing the air cleanliness of the conveyance space.
The discharge slit is formed along the conveyance direction of the mounting device. According to the above configuration, even when the operation unit of the mounting apparatus reaches the external environment through the discharge slit, the mounting apparatus can be transported without any problem.
The discharge slit is formed in the vicinity of the plurality of injection holes of the transport plate of the levitation transport device. According to the above configuration, since the clean air injected into the transfer space from the plurality of injection holes is evenly distributed in the transfer space, air stagnation hardly occurs in the transfer space.
The movement stop means has a magnetic coupling portion that can be magnetically coupled to the operation portion. According to the above configuration, the movement of the mounting device can be stopped with a simple configuration.
The mounting device has a protrusion arranged at a position where the transport target is not overlapped with the transport target. According to the above configuration, the magnetic coupling between the operation unit and the magnetic coupling unit can be released by pushing out the mounting device using the protrusion.
The movement stopping means moves the magnetic coupling unit that moves the magnetic coupling unit that is magnetically coupled to the operation unit in the direction of conveyance of the mounting device and at the same time moves the magnetic coupling unit away from the operation unit. It further has means. According to the above configuration, the magnetic coupling between the operation unit and the magnetic coupling unit can be released while accelerating the mounting apparatus.
The levitation conveyance device includes a conveyance guide magnet that is a magnet extending along a conveyance direction of the mounting device, and the mounting device is magnetically coupled with the conveyance guide magnet of the levitation conveyance device during the levitation conveyance. It has a conveyance guide target magnet that is at least two magnets that can be coupled. According to the above configuration, it is possible to keep the orientation of the mounting device during the floating transportation constant.
The cover is configured to be detachable from the transport plate. According to the above configuration, maintainability of the transport plate is good.
A seal member is disposed between the transport plate and the cover. According to the above configuration, unintended leakage of the clean air from between the transport plate and the cover can be effectively suppressed.
The levitation transfer device includes a high-pressure cylinder that forms a high-pressure space in which the clean air generated by the clean air generation unit is temporarily stored before being injected into the transfer space from the plurality of injection holes, and the high-pressure cylinder A partition plate that divides the high-pressure space into a plurality of high-pressure chambers by partitioning the space in the transport direction of the mounting device, and the clean air generated by the clean air generating means It is formed in the vicinity. According to the above configuration, the jet direction of the clean air injected into the transfer space from the plurality of injection holes is vertically upward or obliquely upward slightly inclined in a single direction. Therefore, when the mounting apparatus is transported in the single direction, the transport can be performed smoothly.

  According to the present invention, since the movement stop means is disposed downstream of the flow of the clean air as viewed from the transfer space, dust generated by the operation of the movement stop means may enter the transfer space. Absent. Therefore, the movement of the conveyance object can be stopped at the predetermined position without reducing the air cleanliness of the conveyance space.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a semiconductor production line. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the pallet. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part A in FIG. 2, and for convenience of explanation, a part of line segments is drawn with a two-dot chain line. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the levitation transport apparatus. FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the levitation transport apparatus. FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the levitation transport apparatus. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the levitation transport device, showing a state where the movement of the pallet is prohibited. FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the levitation transport apparatus, showing a modification.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the semiconductor manufacturing line 1 includes a wafer transfer system 3 (transfer system) for transferring a wafer 2 (transfer object) indicated by a broken line, and a process for performing predetermined processing on the wafer 2. The wafer 4 being transferred by the apparatus 4 and the wafer transfer system 3 is received from the wafer transfer system 3 and transferred to the process apparatus 4, and the wafer 2 processed by the process apparatus 4 is received from the process apparatus 4 and transferred to the wafer transfer system 3. And an intermediary device 5 to be returned.

  The wafer transfer system 3 includes a pallet 6 (mounting device) and a levitation transfer device 7. As shown in FIG. 1, the levitation transport device 7 is configured linearly in the horizontal direction.

  Here, referring to FIG. 1, “system longitudinal direction”, “vertical direction”, and “system width direction” are defined. The system longitudinal direction means the longitudinal direction of the levitation transport device 7. Of the system longitudinal directions, the direction in which the wafer 2 is transported is referred to as “transport direction”, and the direction opposite to the transport direction is referred to as “counter transport direction”. The vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to the ground. Of the vertical directions, the direction toward the ground is defined as “downward”, and the direction away from the ground is defined as “upward”. The system width direction is a direction orthogonal to the system longitudinal direction and the vertical direction. Among the system width directions, a direction approaching the center of the levitation transport device 7 is defined as a system width center direction, and a direction away from the center of the levitation transport device 7 is defined as a system width anti-center direction.

(Pallet 6)
The pallet 6 is for mounting the wafer 2 thereon. That is, the wafer transfer system 3 of this embodiment does not transfer the wafer 2 directly but transfers the wafer 2 indirectly by transferring the pallet 6 on which the wafer 2 is mounted. The pallet 6 includes a pallet main body 8 (mounting apparatus main body), three mounting pins 9, three positioning pins 10, a pair of anti-fluttering magnets 11 (conveying guide target magnets), an extrusion pin 12 (protrusion), and a pair. Stop operation unit 13 (operation unit).

  The pallet body 8 is formed in a thin plate shape. The pallet main body 8 includes a rectangular base portion 14 and a pair of overhang portions 15. In the present embodiment, the pallet 6 is transported by the levitation transport device 7 while being restrained in such a posture that the longitudinal direction of the base portion 14 of the pallet main body 8 is parallel to the system longitudinal direction. Therefore, hereinafter, the “system longitudinal direction”, the “vertical direction”, and the “system width direction” are used as they are when the pallet 6 is described. The pair of overhang portions 15 protrude from the approximate center of each long side 14 a of the base portion 14 toward the center of the system width.

  The four mounting pins 9 are pins for controlling the distance between the wafer 2 and the pallet main body 8 when the wafer 2 is mounted on the pallet 6. The four mounting pins 9 are arranged so as to protrude upward from the base portion 14 of the pallet main body 8. The wafer 2 is mounted on the upper ends of the four mounting pins 9. That is, the wafer 2 is supported by the four mounting pins 9.

  The two positioning pins 10 are pins for positioning the wafer 2 in the horizontal direction with respect to the pallet 6 when the wafer 2 is mounted on the pallet 6. The two positioning pins 10 are disposed so as to protrude upward from the pair of overhanging portions 15.

  The pair of flare prevention magnets 11 are magnets for preventing the pallet 6 from fluttering when the pallet 6 is viewed in plan view when the pallet 6 is transported by the levitation transport device 7. The pair of flare prevention magnets 11 is disposed in the vicinity of the approximate center of each short side 14 b of the base portion 14 of the pallet body 8.

  The push pin 12 is a pin for forcibly pushing the pallet 6 in the transport direction. The push pin 12 is disposed so as to protrude upward from the base portion 14 of the pallet body 8. The push pin 12 is disposed at a position where the pallet 6 does not overlap the wafer 2 in a state where the wafer 2 is mounted. The push-out pins 12 are arranged so as to be separated from the wafer 2 in a state where the pallet 6 has the wafer 2 mounted thereon. The push-out pins 12 are arranged so as to be on the opposite side of the wafer 2 from the wafer 2 with the pallet 6 mounted thereon.

  The pair of stop operation units 13 are for stopping the movement of the pallet 6 at a predetermined position. As shown in FIG. 3, each stop operation unit 13 includes a thin plate 16 and a pallet-side stop magnet 17. The thin plate 16 of each stop operation portion 13 extends downward from the approximate center of each long side 14 a of the base portion 14 of the pallet body 8. The pallet-side stop magnet 17 of each stop operation unit 13 is attached to the lower end of the thin plate 16. Note that the lower end of the thin plate 16 is slightly bent so as to have a V-shape projecting in the direction opposite to the center of the system width in plan view.

(Floating transfer device 7)
As shown in FIG. 1, the levitation transport device 7 includes a pallet levitation unit 20, a plurality of covers 21, and a plurality of FFUs 22 (Fan Filter Units).

  The plurality of FFUs 22 generate clean air. The plurality of FFUs 22 are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the system.

  The pallet levitation unit 20 conveys the pallet 6 while levitating the pallet 6 using clean air generated by a plurality of FFUs 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the pallet levitation unit 20 includes a central unit 23 and a pair of side units 24.

  The central unit 23 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the pair of side units 24 in the system width direction. The central unit 23 includes a high-pressure cylinder 25 and a magnet guide 26 (conveyance guide magnet). The high-pressure cylinder 25 forms the high-pressure space P by storing clean air generated by the plurality of FFUs 22. The high-pressure cylinder 25 extends in the system longitudinal direction. The high-pressure cylinder 25 includes a top plate 27, a pair of side plates 28, and a bottom plate 29. A plurality of injection slits 30 (injection holes) are formed in the top plate 27. The plurality of injection slits 30 are slits for injecting clean air in the high-pressure cylinder 25 upward. The plurality of injection slits 30 are arranged in two rows in the system longitudinal direction. The magnet guide 26 is a magnet for preventing the pallet 6 from flickering when the pallet 6 is viewed in plan view when the pallet 6 is transported by the levitation transport device 7. The magnet guide 26 extends linearly in the system longitudinal direction. The magnet guide 26 is attached to the lower surface 27 a of the top plate 27.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the central unit 23 has a plurality of partition plates 40. The plurality of partition plates 40 are thin plates that partition the high-pressure space P formed in the high-pressure cylinder 25 in the system longitudinal direction. The high-pressure space P is divided into a plurality of high-pressure chambers Q by being partitioned by a plurality of partition plates 40. The bottom plate 29 has a plurality of supply holes 41 for supplying clean air generated by the FFU 22 to the high-pressure chamber Q. Each supply hole 41 is formed in the vicinity of the partition plate 40. Each supply hole 41 is formed at a position slightly shifted from the arrangement position of the partition plate 40 toward the conveyance direction.

  Returning to FIG. 4, each side unit 24 includes a top plate 31, a side plate 32, a bottom plate 33, and a seal 34 (seal member). Since the pair of side units 24 are line symmetric in the system width direction, only one side unit 24 will be described, and the other description will be omitted.

  The top plate 31 is adjacent to the top plate 27 of the high-pressure cylinder 25 of the central unit 23 in the system width direction. A guide slit 35 (discharge slit) is formed between the top plate 31 and the top plate 27. The guide slit 35 is elongated along the system longitudinal direction. The seal 34 protrudes from the side plate 32 in the center direction opposite to the system width.

  Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, each side unit 24 has the levitation unit side stop magnet 42 (magnetic coupling part, movement stop means). The levitation unit side stop magnet 42 is supported by the bottom plate 33. The levitation unit side stop magnet 42 is disposed on the lower side of the top plate 31. The levitation unit side stop magnet 42 is disposed in the external environment F. The levitation unit side stop magnet 42 is disposed below the guide slit 35.

  Returning to FIG. 4, the top plate 27 of the high-pressure cylinder 25 of the central unit 23 and the top plate 31 of the pair of side units 24 constitute a transport plate 36.

  The central unit 23 and the pair of side units 24 are connected to each other at a predetermined position.

  The plurality of covers 21 are for forming a transport space S isolated from the external environment F on the transport plate 36. The plurality of covers 21 are arranged side by side in the system longitudinal direction. Each cover 21 is formed in a U-shaped cross section that opens downward when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the system. Each cover 21 has a top plate 37 and a pair of side plates 38. The pallet floating unit 20 is sandwiched between the pair of side plates 38 of each cover 21 in the system width direction, so that a conveyance space S is formed between each cover 21 and the conveyance plate 36 of the pallet floating unit 20. When the pallet floating unit 20 is sandwiched between the pair of side plates 38 of each cover 21 in the system width direction, the pair of side plates 38 of each cover 21 contacts the seal 34 of each side unit 24 of the pallet floating unit 20. Then, the seal 34 is elastically deformed so that the seal 34 is compressed toward the center of the system width. Each cover 21 is hermetically sealed with the pallet floating unit 20 by the self-elastic restoring force of the seal 34. Each cover 21 can be removed from the pallet levitation unit 20 relatively easily by pulling upward.

  Next, with reference to FIG.7 and FIG.8, the flow of the clean air in the levitation conveyance apparatus 7 is demonstrated. First, the clean air generated by the FFU 22 is supplied to the high-pressure chamber Q of the high-pressure space P in the high-pressure cylinder 25 through the supply hole 41 of the bottom plate 29 of the high-pressure cylinder 25 of the central unit 23 of the pallet levitation unit 20. The As a result, the atmospheric pressure in the high-pressure chamber Q becomes a high atmospheric pressure (first atmospheric pressure) of about 2 atm, for example.

  Next, the compressed air in the compressed state in the high-pressure chamber Q passes through the plurality of injection slits 30 of the top plate 27 of the high-pressure cylinder 25 of the central unit 23 of the pallet levitation unit 20 and moves upward in the transport space S. Is injected. Thereby, the atmospheric pressure in the transfer space S is lower than the high atmospheric pressure that is the atmospheric pressure of the high-pressure chamber Q and higher than the atmospheric pressure (third atmospheric pressure) that is the atmospheric pressure of the external environment F, for example, about 20 Pa (gauge pressure). It becomes atmospheric pressure (second atmospheric pressure). In FIG. 5, the direction of the flow of clean air ejected from each ejection slit 30 is indicated by a thick arrow. As shown in FIG. 5, the clean air in the high-pressure chamber Q is injected substantially upward through the plurality of injection slits 30, but is actually injected with a slight inclination. Specifically, the clean air injected through the injection slit 30 close to the supply hole 41 among the plurality of injection slits 30 is surely injected almost upward, but passes through the injection slit 30 away from the supply hole 41. The jet of clean air to be jetted has a horizontal component in a direction away from the supply hole 41. By the way, in this embodiment, the supply hole 41 is formed at a position slightly shifted from the arrangement position of the partition plate 40 toward the conveyance direction. Therefore, the injection of clean air that is injected through the injection slit 30 away from the supply hole 41 has a horizontal component in the transport direction. In other words, the clean air is jetted from the high-pressure chamber Q to the transfer space S while tilting almost upward or slightly in the transfer direction.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the clean air injected from the high-pressure chamber Q to the transfer space S through the plurality of injection slits 30 eventually passes from the guide slit 35 to the external environment F while maintaining the transfer space S in a clean atmosphere. Is discharged. Here, since the guide slit 35 is formed in the vicinity of the plurality of injection slits 30, the clean air injected from the high-pressure chamber Q through the plurality of injection slits 30 to the transfer space S is evenly distributed in the transfer space S. Thus, air stagnation is less likely to occur in the transfer space S.

  FIG. 9 shows a state where the pallet 6 is levitated in the transfer space S by the clean air injected from the high pressure chamber Q to the transfer space S through the plurality of injection slits 30. As shown in FIG. 9, the clean air is supplied at a high pressure between the conveying plate 36 of the pallet levitation unit 20 and the base 14 of the pallet main body 8 of the pallet 6 so that the pallet 6 can be Emerges within. The pallet 6 is transported in the transport direction while rising due to the presence of a drive slit (not shown) formed obliquely in the base 14 of the pallet body 8 of the pallet 6.

  At this time, the pair of flare prevention magnets 11 of the pallet 6 shown in FIG. 2 is magnetically coupled to the magnet guide 26 of the central unit 23 of the pallet levitation unit 20 of the levitation conveyance device 7 shown in FIG. Accordingly, the pallet 6 shown in FIG. 2 is less likely to be staggered when the pallet 6 is viewed in a plan view in the conveyance space S during floating conveyance.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 protrudes downward in the conveyance plate 36 through the guide slit 35 of the conveyance plate 36 of the pallet levitation unit 20 of the levitation conveyance device 7. Then, at a predetermined position in the system longitudinal direction of the levitation conveyance device 7, the pallet side stop magnet 17 of the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 and the levitation unit side stop of the side unit 24 of the pallet levitation unit 20 of the levitation conveyance device 7. Magnet 42 is magnetically coupled. As a result, the pallet 6 is restrained by the levitation conveyance device 7 in a predetermined position in the system longitudinal direction of the levitation conveyance device 7, and the movement of the pallet 6 is prohibited. As described above, the movement of the pallet 6 is prohibited at a predetermined position in the system longitudinal direction of the levitation transfer device 7, so that the intermediary device 5 shown in FIG. 1 can easily receive the wafer 2 from the levitation transfer device 7. It becomes like this. It should be noted that “magnetic coupling” includes a case where the magnetic coupling is accompanied by physical contact and a case where the magnetic coupling is not accompanied by physical contact. In this embodiment, magnetic coupling without physical contact is illustrated.

  As described above, the movement of the pallet 6 is prohibited, the wafer 2 mounted on the pallet 6 is transferred to the process apparatus 4 by the intermediary device 5, and when predetermined processing by the process apparatus 4 is completed, the processed wafer 2 is processed. Is again mounted on the pallet 6 by the intermediary device 5. Thereafter, in order to resume the movement of the pallet 6, the push pin 12 of the pallet 6 shown in FIG. 2 may be pushed out in the transport direction using a robot arm or the like that the intermediary device 5 has. Thereby, the magnetic coupling between the pallet-side stop magnet 17 of the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 and the levitation unit-side stop magnet 42 of the side unit 24 of the pallet levitation unit 20 of the levitation conveyance device 7 is forcibly made. Since the pallet 6 is released, the movement of the pallet 6 is allowed again. By the way, the pallet side stop magnet 17 of the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 and the levitation unit side stop magnet 42 of the side unit 24 of the pallet levitation unit 20 of the levitation transport device 7 may be in physical contact with each other. is there. Physical contact is a source of dust. However, the place where the pallet side stop magnet 17 of the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 and the levitation unit side stop magnet 42 of the side unit 24 of the pallet levitation unit 20 of the levitation transport device 7 face each other in the system width direction is as follows. When viewed from the conveyance space S, it is the downstream side of the flow of clean air. Therefore, even if dust is generated due to the above physical contact, the generated dust does not enter the transport space S, and the air cleanliness of the transport space S is maintained at a high level. .

  Nevertheless, it is preferable to periodically clean the conveying plate 36 by wiping off alcohol. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the plurality of covers 21 are simply held by the pallet floating unit 20 by the self-elastic restoring force of the seal 34, and therefore can be easily removed from the pallet floating unit 20. Therefore, the levitation transport device 7 of this embodiment has high maintainability.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, the said embodiment has the following characteristics.

(1) The wafer transfer system 3 (transfer system) includes a plate-like pallet main body 8 (mounting apparatus main body), a pallet 6 (mounting apparatus) on which the wafer 2 (transfer object) can be mounted, and the pallet main body 8. And a cover 21 for forming a transfer space S isolated from the external environment F on the transfer plate 36, and clean air. FFU 22 (clean air generating means) for generating the pallet 6 while the pallet 6 is levitated while the clean air generated by the FFU 22 is jetted from the plurality of jet slits 30 of the transport plate 36 into the transport space S. And a levitating conveyance device 7 for conveying the gas in a clean atmosphere. The transport plate 36 of the levitation transport device 7 has a guide slit 35 (discharge slit) for discharging clean air in the transport space S to the external environment F. The pallet 6 has a stop operation unit 13 (operation unit) that extends to the external environment F through the guide slit 35 during the floating conveyance. The levitation transport device 7 is further disposed in the external environment F, and further includes a movement stop unit that stops the movement of the pallet 6 at a predetermined position using the stop operation unit 13. According to the above configuration, since the movement stop means is arranged on the downstream side of the flow of clean air when viewed from the conveyance space S, dust generated by the operation of the movement stop means does not enter the conveyance space S. Therefore, the movement of the wafer 2 can be stopped at a predetermined position without reducing the air cleanliness of the transfer space S. In the present embodiment, the movement stop means is constituted by the levitation unit side stop magnet 42.

(2) The guide slit 35 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the system (the conveyance direction of the pallet 6). According to the above configuration, even when the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 reaches the external environment F through the guide slit 35, the pallet 6 can be transported without any problem.

  The guide slit 35 is formed in the transport plate 36 of the levitation transport device 7. According to the above configuration, the direction of discharging the clean air in the conveyance space S to the external environment F can be downward.

(3) The guide slit 35 is formed in the vicinity of the plurality of ejection slits 30 of the conveyance plate 36 of the levitation conveyance device 7. According to the above configuration, the clean air sprayed into the transport space S from the plurality of ejection slits 30 is evenly distributed in the transport space S, so that air stagnation hardly occurs in the transport space S.

(4) The movement stopping means has a levitation unit side stop magnet 42 (magnetic coupling portion) that can be magnetically coupled to the stop operating portion 13. According to the above configuration, the movement of the pallet 6 can be stopped with a simple configuration.

(5) The pallet 6 has push pins 12 (protrusions) arranged at positions that do not overlap the wafer 2 when the wafer 2 is mounted. According to the above configuration, the magnetic coupling between the stop operation unit 13 and the suspension unit side stop magnet 42 can be released by pushing the pallet 6 using the push pin 12.

(7) The levitating and conveying apparatus 7 includes a magnet guide 26 (conveying guide magnet) that is a magnet extending along the system longitudinal direction (direction of conveying the pallet 6). The pallet 6 has at least two anti-fluttering magnets 11 (conveyance guide target magnets) that can be magnetically coupled simultaneously with the magnet guide 26 of the levitation conveyance device 7 during the levitation conveyance. According to the above configuration, the orientation of the pallet 6 during the floating conveyance can be maintained constant.

(8) The cover 21 is configured to be detachable from the transport plate 36. According to the above configuration, the maintainability of the transport plate 36 is good.

(9) A seal 34 (seal member) is disposed between the transport plate 36 and the cover 21. According to the above configuration, unintended leakage of clean air from between the transport plate 36 and the cover 21 can be effectively suppressed.

(10) The levitation transfer device 7 includes a high-pressure cylinder 25 that forms a high-pressure space P in which the clean air generated by the FFU 22 is temporarily stored before being injected into the transfer space S from the plurality of injection slits 30; A partition plate 40 that divides the high-pressure space P into a plurality of high-pressure chambers Q by partitioning P in the system longitudinal direction (direction of conveyance of the pallet 6). Clean air generated by the FFU 22 is formed in the vicinity of the partition plate 40. According to the above configuration, the jet direction of the clean air jetted into the transport space S from the plurality of jet slits 30 is vertically upward or obliquely upward slightly inclined in a single direction. Therefore, when the pallet 6 is conveyed in the single direction, the conveyance can be performed smoothly.

  Although the above embodiment has been described above, the above embodiment can be modified as follows.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the above embodiment, the levitation unit side stop magnet 42 as the movement stop means is fixed to the side unit 24. However, instead of this, as shown in FIG. 10, a configuration may be adopted in which the suspension unit side stop magnet 42 is supported by the side unit 24 so as to be movable. Specifically, the side unit 24 includes a motor 50 (magnetic coupling unit moving means), a disk 51 attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 50, and a levitation unit side stop magnet 42. The levitation unit side stop magnet 42 is attached to an arbitrary location on the circumference of the disk 51. According to the above configuration, by driving the motor 50, the suspension unit side stop magnet 42 magnetically coupled to the pallet side stop magnet 17 of the stop operation unit 13 of the pallet 6 is moved in the transport direction and simultaneously stopped. The suspension unit side stop magnet 42 can be moved away from the portion 13. That is, this modification has the following features.

(6) The movement stop means moves the levitation unit side stop magnet 42 magnetically coupled to the stop operation unit 13 in the transport direction (the direction of transport of the pallet 6) and at the same time moves away from the stop operation unit 13. Magnetic coupling unit moving means for moving the side stop magnet 42 is further provided. According to the above configuration, the magnetic coupling between the stop operation unit 13 and the levitation unit side stop magnet 42 can be released while accelerating the pallet 6. In this embodiment, the movement stop means is realized by the levitation unit side stop magnet 42, the motor 50, and the disk 51. The magnetic coupling unit moving means is realized by the motor 50 and the disk 51.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor manufacturing line 2 Wafer 3 Wafer transfer system 6 Pallet 7 Levitation transfer device

Claims (10)

A mounting device having a plate-shaped mounting device body and capable of mounting a conveyance object;
A transport plate facing the mounting apparatus body and having a plurality of injection holes formed thereon, a cover for forming a transport space isolated from the external environment on the transport plate, and clean air for generating clean air Generating means, and jetting the clean air generated by the clean air generating means from the plurality of injection holes of the transport plate into the transport space, thereby floating the mounting apparatus. A levitation transfer device for transfer in a clean atmosphere;
A transport system comprising:
The transport plate of the levitation transport device has a discharge slit for discharging the clean air in the transport space to the external environment,
The mounting device has an operation part that extends to the external environment through the discharge slit during the floating transportation,
The levitation conveyance device further includes a movement stop unit that is disposed in the external environment and stops the movement of the mounting device at a predetermined position using the operation unit.
Conveying system. The transport system according to claim 1,
The discharge slit is formed along the direction of conveyance of the mounting device,
Conveying system. The transport system according to claim 2,
The discharge slit is formed in the vicinity of the plurality of injection holes of the transport plate of the levitation transport device.
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system in any one of Claims 1-3,
The movement stop means has a magnetic coupling portion that can be magnetically coupled to the operation portion.
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system of Claim 4, Comprising:
The mounting device has a protrusion disposed at a position that does not overlap the transport object in a state where the transport object is mounted.
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system of Claim 4, Comprising:
The movement stopping means moves the magnetic coupling unit that moves the magnetic coupling unit that is magnetically coupled to the operation unit in the direction of conveyance of the mounting device and at the same time moves the magnetic coupling unit away from the operation unit. Further comprising means,
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system in any one of Claims 1-6,
The levitation transport device has a transport guide magnet that is a magnet extending along the transport direction of the mounting device,
The mounting device includes a conveyance guide target magnet that is at least two magnets that can be magnetically coupled simultaneously with the conveyance guide magnet of the levitation conveyance device during the levitation conveyance.
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system in any one of Claims 1-7,
The cover is configured to be detachable from the transport plate.
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system of Claim 8, Comprising:
A seal member is disposed between the transport plate and the cover.
Conveying system. It is a conveyance system in any one of Claims 1-9,
The levitation transfer device includes a high-pressure cylinder that forms a high-pressure space in which the clean air generated by the clean air generation unit is temporarily stored before being injected into the transfer space from the plurality of injection holes, and the high-pressure cylinder A partition plate that divides the high-pressure space into a plurality of high-pressure chambers by partitioning the space in the direction of conveyance of the mounting device,
The clean air generated by the clean air generating means is formed in the vicinity of the partition plate,
Conveying system.

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