JP2018041910A - Substrate support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate support device capable of driving multiple support claws for supporting multiple substrates by one drive mechanism.SOLUTION: A substrate support device 1 includes multiple support mechanisms 10 arranged side-by-side in the horizontal direction, each having multiple support claws 11, 21 capable of supporting the edge of a substrate 90, and capable of supporting multiple substrates while placing in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and drive mechanisms 40, 50 provided corresponding to the support claws 11, 21 in each stage of the support mechanism 10, and driving the support claws 11, 21 in each stage to change a reception state where some of the support claws 11, 21 are located on the inside of the edge of the substrate 90 and receiving supportively, and an evacuation state where the support claws 11, 21 are located on the outside of the edge of the substrate and avoiding the substrate 90.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a substrate support apparatus.

  Conventionally, as an apparatus for supporting a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate, for example, there is an apparatus that supports a peripheral portion of a substrate with a plurality of support claws. The support claw is configured to be switchable between a state in which the peripheral portion of the substrate can be supported and a state in which the support claw is separated from the peripheral portion of the substrate. In such a configuration, a drive unit such as an air cylinder is required to drive the support claws. However, in the conventional configuration, in order to drive a plurality of support claws that support one substrate, at least one drive unit is required. Therefore, if an attempt is made to increase the number of substrates that can be supported, the number of drive mechanisms increases with the increase in the number of substrates, resulting in an increase in the size of the apparatus and a decrease in energy saving performance.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-144774

  Therefore, a substrate support device is provided that can drive a plurality of support claws that support a plurality of substrates with a single drive mechanism.

  The substrate support device of the embodiment is a support mechanism that has a plurality of support claws capable of supporting the edge of the substrate and can support a plurality of substrates arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction and arranged in the horizontal direction. A plurality of support mechanisms arranged and corresponding to the support claws of each step of the support mechanism, and the support claws of each step are located inside the edge of the substrate. A receiving mechanism that accepts the substrate in a supportable manner, and a drive mechanism that drives the support claw to change to a retracted state that is located outside the edge of the substrate and avoids the substrate.

The top view showing roughly an example of the substrate support device by one embodiment The top view which shows the state which removed the base from FIG. 1 about an example of the board | substrate support apparatus by one Embodiment. Sectional drawing shown along the X3-X3 line of FIG. 2 about an example of the board | substrate support apparatus by one Embodiment Sectional drawing shown along the X4-X4 line of FIG. 2 about an example of the board | substrate support apparatus by one Embodiment. The top view which shows the case where the 1st stage drive mechanism is operated from the state of FIG. 2 about an example of the board | substrate support apparatus by one Embodiment. The top view which shows the case where the 2nd stage drive mechanism is operated from the state of FIG. 2 about an example of the board | substrate support apparatus by one Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the terms “vertical” and “horizontal” indicate the concept of direction, and do not strictly mean “vertical” or “horizontal” with respect to the ground or the like. In addition, the left and right direction in FIG. 1 and the left and right direction of the substrate support device 1 are used. 1 is the front side of the substrate support device 1 and the upper side of FIG. 1 is the back side of the substrate support device 1. In the present embodiment, a line in the front-rear direction passing through the center of the substrate support apparatus 1 is defined as the first axis J1, and a line in the left-right direction passing through the center of the substrate support apparatus 1 is perpendicular to the first axis J1. Let it be 2 axes J2.

  The substrate support apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 can simultaneously support a plurality of substrates 90 such as a semiconductor substrate and a glass substrate. Usually, the substrate support apparatus 1 is used together with a loading / unloading apparatus (not shown) such as a robot. Usually, a loading / unloading device (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the periphery of the substrate support device 1, and loads and unloads the substrate 90 with respect to the support mechanism 10 of the substrate support device 1.

  The substrate support device 1 includes a total of four support mechanisms 10, two on the front and rear and two on the left and right. In this case, two support mechanisms 10 are arranged on each side of the first axis J1. And the two support mechanisms 10 arrange | positioned at each one side of the 1st axis | shaft J1 direction are arrange | positioned along with the 1st axis | shaft J1 direction, respectively. That is, two each of the support mechanisms 10 are arranged on both sides in the second axis J2 direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each support mechanism 10 can support a plurality of substrates 90 arranged in the vertical direction. In this case, the first stage, the second stage,... The Nth stage constitutes the lowest stage closest to the base 2. In the case of this embodiment, each support mechanism 10 has a three-stage configuration. That is, in this embodiment, N = 3 is set, and each support mechanism 10 can hold the three substrates 90 side by side in the vertical direction. Note that N may be set to a number of 4 or more. That is, each support mechanism 10 may be configured to hold four or more substrates 90 side by side in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the support mechanism 10 is configured to support the first-stage substrate 90, and a plurality of, in this case, three first-stage support claws 11 and a plurality of, in this case, three first-stage mounting members 12, three first-stage shaft members 13 in the case of a plurality, three first-stage second gears 14 in this case, and one first-stage first gear 15.

  Each of the first-stage support claws 11, the first-stage mounting member 12, the first-stage shaft member 13, and the first-stage first gear 15 are respectively along the circumferential direction of the substrate 90, as shown in FIGS. Are arranged at equal intervals, in this case at intervals of 120 °. Further, each first-stage support claw 11, first-stage mounting member 12, first-stage shaft member 13, and first-stage first gear 15 do not overlap with the first-stage support claw 11 in plan view. The first stage support claws 11, the first stage mounting member 12, the first stage shaft member 13, and the first stage first gear 15 are provided so as to overlap each other in plan view.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first-stage support claw 11 and the first-stage mounting member 12 are provided above the base 2. The first-stage shaft member 13 is formed in a solid shaft shape and extends through the base 2 in the vertical direction, that is, in the vertical direction. In this case, the first stage shaft member 13 is passed through the hole 2 a of the base 2. The lower end portion of the first stage shaft member 13 is connected to the housing 3 via the first stage second bearing 17. The first stage second bearing 17 is, for example, a ball bearing. In other words, the first-stage shaft member 13 is supported by the casing 3 via the first-stage second bearing 17 so that the first-stage shaft member 13 can rotate in a vertically erected state.

  The first stage mounting member 12 is formed in a truncated cone shape whose upper part is narrowed as a whole, and is provided at the upper end of the first stage shaft member 13 so as to cover the upper end of the first stage shaft member 13. Yes. The first-stage support claws 11 are provided so as to protrude from the first-stage mounting member 12 in the horizontal direction, and are formed in a columnar shape extending in the horizontal direction, for example.

  The first stage second gear 14 is provided below the base 2. The first-stage second gear 14 is a gear having teeth on the outer peripheral portion. The first-stage shaft member 13 passes through the first-stage second gear 14 and is provided so as to be able to rotate integrally with the first-stage second gear 14. Therefore, the first-stage support claw 11, the first-stage mounting member 12, the first-stage shaft member 13, and the first-stage second gear 14 are configured to be integrally rotatable.

  The first stage first gear 15 is provided on the support shaft 8 via the first stage first bearing 16. The support shaft 8 is a cylindrical shaft member that is provided in the housing 3 of the substrate support device 1 and extends in the vertical direction below the base 2. The first stage first bearing 16 is, for example, a ball bearing or the like. Therefore, the first stage first gear 15 is rotatable relative to the support shaft 8.

  The first-stage first gear 15 is a gear having teeth around it. In this case, the pitch circle diameter of the first stage first gear 15 is larger than the pitch circle diameter of each first stage second gear 14. The module of the first stage first gear 15 and the module of the first stage second gear 14 are the same. That is, the first-stage first gear 15 meshes with the three first-stage second gears 14 arranged outside the circumference of the first-stage first gear 15.

  In this configuration, when the first stage first gear 15 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to each of the three first stage second gears 14 arranged outside the circumference of the first stage first gear 15. . When each first-stage second gear 14 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the first-stage mounting member 12 via the first-stage shaft member 13. When the first-stage mounting member 12 rotates, the first-stage support claw 11 also rotates with the rotation center of the first-stage mounting member 12, that is, the first-stage shaft member 13 as the first-stage mounting member 12 rotates. It rotates around the center of rotation.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a state in which a part of the first-stage support claw 11 is positioned inside the peripheral portion of the substrate 90, that is, inside the outer shape and accepts the substrate 90 so as to be supported Let the first stage support claw 11 be in a reception state. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a state where the first-stage support claw 11 is located outside the peripheral portion of the substrate 90, that is, outside the outer shape and avoids the substrate 90, that is, a state where the substrate 90 cannot be supported. The support claw 11 is in the retracted state. A loading / unloading device (not shown) loads the substrate 90 into the support mechanism 10 from above and places it on the first-stage support claw 11 when the first-stage support claw 11 is in the accepting state. The substrate 90 supported by the support claw 11 can be taken out from above.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the support mechanism 10 is configured to support the second-stage substrate 90, and a plurality of, in this case, three second-stage support claws 21 and a plurality of, in this case, three second-stage mounting members 22, three second-stage shaft members 23 in the case of a plurality, three second-stage second gears 24 in this case, and one second-stage first gear 25.

  Each of the second-stage support claws 21, the second-stage mounting member 22, the second-stage shaft member 23, and the second-stage second gear 24 are respectively along the circumferential direction of the substrate 90, as shown in FIGS. Are arranged at equal intervals, in this case at intervals of 120 °. The second-stage support claws 21, the second-stage mounting member 22, the second-stage shaft member 23, and the second-stage second gear 24 are provided at positions that do not overlap the first-stage support claws 11 in plan view. ing.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second-stage support claw 21 and the second-stage mounting member 22 are provided above the base 2. The second-stage shaft member 23 is formed in a hollow shaft shape and extends through the base 2 in the vertical direction, that is, in the vertical direction. In this case, the second stage shaft member 23 is passed through the hole 2 a formed in the base 2. The first-stage shaft member 13 penetrates the second-stage shaft member 23 and the second-stage second gear 24 so that the inner side of the hollow-stage second-stage shaft member 23 and the inner side of the second-stage second gear 24. Has been passed. In this case, the upper end portion of the first stage shaft member 13 projects downward from the upper end portion of the second stage shaft member 23, and the lower end portion of the first stage shaft member 13 is the lower end portion of the second stage shaft member 23, that is, It projects downward from the second stage second gear 24.

  The second stage mounting member 22 is formed in a truncated cone shape whose upper part is narrowed as a whole, and is provided at the upper end part of the second stage shaft member 23 so as to cover the upper end part of the second stage shaft member 23. Yes. The second-stage support claw 21 is provided so as to protrude in the horizontal direction from the second-stage mounting member 22, and is formed in a columnar shape extending in the horizontal direction, for example.

  The second stage second gear 24 is provided below the base 2 and at the lower end of the second stage shaft member 23. The second stage second gear 24 is connected to the first stage shaft member 13 via a second stage second bearing 27. That is, the second-stage second bearing 27 is located between the second-stage second gear 24 and the first-stage shaft member 13, that is, inside the second-stage second gear 24 and the first-stage shaft member 13. Is provided outside. The second stage second bearing 27 is, for example, a ball bearing or the like. Therefore, the second-stage second gear 24 and the second-stage shaft member 23 are rotatable relative to the first-stage shaft member 13. The second stage second gear 24 is a gear having teeth on the outer peripheral portion. The second-stage support claw 21, the second-stage mounting member 22, the second-stage shaft member 23, and the second-stage second gear 24 are configured to be integrally rotatable.

  The second stage first gear 25 is provided on the support shaft 8 via the second stage first bearing 26. The second stage first bearing 26 is, for example, a ball bearing. Therefore, the second stage first gear 25 is rotatable relative to the support shaft 8. The second stage first gear 25 is a gear having teeth around it. In this case, the pitch circle diameter of the second stage first gear 25 is larger than the pitch circle diameter of each second stage second gear 24. The module of the second stage first gear 25 and the module of the second stage second gear 24 are the same. That is, the second-stage first gear 25 meshes with the three second-stage second gears 24 arranged outside the circumference of the second-stage first gear 25.

  In this configuration, when the second-stage first gear 25 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to each of the three second-stage second gears 24 arranged outside the circumference of the second-stage first gear 25. . When each second-stage second gear 24 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the second-stage mounting member 22 via the second-stage shaft member 23. When the second stage mounting member 22 rotates, the second stage support claw 21 also rotates with the rotation center of the second stage mounting member 22, that is, the second stage shaft member 23 with the rotation of the second stage mounting member 22. It rotates around the center of rotation.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a state in which a part of the second-stage support claw 21 is positioned inside the peripheral portion of the substrate 90, that is, inside the outer shape and is received so as to be able to support the substrate 90, The second stage support claw 21 is in a reception state. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the second stage support claw 21 is located outside the peripheral portion of the substrate 90, that is, outside the outer shape, avoiding the substrate 90, that is, in a state where the substrate 90 cannot be supported. The support claw 21 is in the retracted state. A carry-in / out device (not shown) carries the substrate 90 into the support mechanism 10 from above when the first-stage support claw 11 is in a retracted state and the second-stage support claw 21 is in a reception state. The substrate 90 placed on the eye support claw 21 or supported by the second stage support claw 21 can be taken out from above.

  The support mechanism 10 has a plurality of, in this case, three, lowermost support claws 31 as a structure for supporting the third stage, that is, the lowermost substrate 90. The lowermost support claws 31 are provided on the base 2 at regular intervals along the circumferential direction of the substrate 90, in this case at 120 ° intervals, and are provided so as to protrude from the outer peripheral side of the substrate 90 to the inner peripheral side. ing. The lowermost support claw 31 is fixed so as not to move relative to the base 2. The support mechanism 10 can support the lowermost substrate 90 by placing the substrate 90 on the lowermost support claw 31. A carry-in / out device (not shown) carries the substrate 90 into the support mechanism 10 from above and places it on the lowermost support claw 31 when the first-stage support claw 11 and the second-stage support claw 21 are in the retracted state. Alternatively, the substrate 90 supported by the lowermost support claw 31 can be taken out from above.

  Further, each support mechanism 10 has a plurality of flange portions 4 and three seal members 5 in this case, corresponding to the second-stage shaft member 23 and the first-stage shaft member 13. The flange portion 4 is formed in a stepped cylindrical shape protruding upward, so-called a flange shape. The flange portion 4 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the hole 2 a formed in the base 2. The seal member 5 is an O-ring, packing, or the like, and is provided between the bottom portion of the flange portion 4 and the upper surface portion of the base 2 so as to surround the periphery of the hole portion 2a. The seal member 5 prevents liquid from entering the hole 2a side from between the flange portion 4 and the base 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, labyrinth structures 61 and 62 are formed around shaft members 13 and 23 provided through the base 2. The first-stage labyrinth structure 61 is formed between the first-stage attachment member 12 and the second-stage attachment member 22. In the first-stage labyrinth structure 61, the gap formed between the first-stage attachment member 12 and the second-stage attachment member 22 has a complicated shape, so that liquid such as water can be attached to the first stage from the gap. This is a structure for preventing the member 12 and the second stage attachment member 22 from entering the inside.

  The second-stage labyrinth structure 62 is formed between the flange portion 4 and the second-stage attachment member 22. The second-stage labyrinth structure 62 has the same configuration as the first-stage labyrinth structure 61. That is, in the second-stage labyrinth structure 62, the gap formed between the flange portion 4 and the second-stage mounting member 22 has a complicated shape, so that liquid such as water can be supplied from the gap to the flange portions 4 and 2. This is a structure for preventing entry into the inside of the stage attachment member 22.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the substrate support apparatus 1 includes a first stage driving mechanism 40 and a second stage driving mechanism 50. The first-stage drive mechanism 40 is for driving each support mechanism 10 so that the first-stage support claw 11 for supporting the first-stage substrate 90 can be switched between an accepting state and a retracted state. . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first stage drive mechanism 40 includes a first stage rack 41, a first stage rail 42, a first stage slider 43, and a first stage drive unit 44.

  The first-stage rack 41 is provided below the base 2 and is formed in an elongated shape along the first axis J1 direction. Teeth are formed on both sides of the first rack 41 in the horizontal direction, that is, on both the left and right sides in FIG. In this case, the modules of the first stage rack 41 are the same as the modules of the first stage first gear 15 and the first stage second gear 14. The first-stage rack 41 meshes with the first-stage first gears 15 of the four support mechanisms 10.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the first-stage rack 41 is configured by connecting two first-stage racks 41 divided in the longitudinal direction of the first axis J1 with a connecting shaft 45. However, the first-stage rack 41 is not limited to this configuration, and may be a single rack that is long along the first axis J1.

  The first-stage rail 42 extends along the longitudinal direction of the first-stage rack 41, that is, the first axis J1 direction. In this case, the first-stage rail 42 is provided on the first-stage slider installation portion 6 attached to the housing 3 as shown in FIG. The first stage slider 43 is movable along the first stage rail 42. The first-stage rack 41 is provided on the upper surface side of the first-stage slider 43. Accordingly, the first-stage rack 41 can move linearly along the first-stage slider 43 in the first axis J1 direction, that is, the front-rear direction.

  The first stage drive unit 44 is, for example, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a drive device using a motor, and can perform a linear operation. The first stage drive unit 44 is directly connected to the first stage rack 41 or indirectly to the first stage rack 41 via the first stage slider 43. As a result, the first-stage rack 41 moves so as to be pushed and pulled along the first axis J1 direction by driving the first-stage drive unit 44.

  Here, the case where the first-stage rack 41 moves forward along the first axis J <b> 1 along the first axis J <b> 1 in FIG. Further, the case where the first-stage rack 41 moves forward along the first axis J1 along the first axis J1 to the lower side in FIG.

  When the first-stage support claw 11 is in the accepting state, when the first-stage rack 41 moves forward by driving the first-stage drive unit 44, the linear direction of the first-stage rack 41 as shown in FIGS. Is transferred to the first stage first gear 15 of each of the four support mechanisms 10. As a result, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 5, the four first-stage first gears 15 each rotate about the support shaft 8. Then, the rotation of each first-stage first gear 15 is transmitted to each first-stage second gear 14, thereby rotating each first-stage support claw 11 of each support mechanism 10 to the retracted state.

  In this case, among the first-stage first gears 15 of the respective support mechanisms 10, the first-stage first gear positioned on the right side of the drawing in FIG. 15 rotates clockwise, that is, clockwise. On the other hand, among the first-stage first gears 15 of the respective support mechanisms 10, the first-stage first gear 15 located on the left side of FIG. 5 with respect to the first-stage rack 41, that is, on the left side of the first axis J1. Rotates counterclockwise, that is, counterclockwise. Therefore, when the first-stage drive unit 44 is driven, each support mechanism 10 performs a line-symmetric operation around the first axis J1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the second stage drive mechanism 50 includes a second stage rack 51, a second stage rail 52, a second stage slider 53, and a second stage drive unit 54. The second-stage rack 51 is provided below the base 2 and is formed in a long shape along the direction of the second axis J2. Teeth are formed on both sides of the second rack 51 in the horizontal direction, that is, both front and rear sides in FIG. In this case, the modules of the second stage rack 51 are the same as the modules of the second stage first gear 25 and the second stage second gear 24. The second-stage rack 51 meshes with the second-stage first gears 25 of the four support mechanisms 10.

  In the case of this embodiment, the second-stage rack 51 is configured by connecting two second-stage racks 51 divided in the longitudinal direction of the second axis J <b> 2 with a connecting shaft 55. However, the second-stage rack 51 is not limited to this configuration, and may be configured by a single rack that is long along the second axis J2.

  The second-stage rail 52 extends along the longitudinal direction of the second-stage rack 51, that is, the second axis J2. In this case, the second-stage rail 52 is provided on the second-stage slider installation portion 7 attached to the housing 3 as shown in FIG. The height position of the second stage rail 52 is higher than the height position of the first stage rail 42. The second stage slider 53 is movable along the second stage rail 52. The second-stage rack 51 is provided on the upper surface side of the second-stage slider 53. Accordingly, the second-stage rack 51 can move linearly along the second-stage slider 53 in the direction of the second axis J2.

  The second stage drive unit 54 is, for example, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a drive device using a motor, and can perform a linear operation. The second stage drive unit 54 is directly connected to the second stage rack 51 or indirectly to the second stage rack 51 via the second stage slider 53. Accordingly, the second-stage rack 51 moves so as to be pushed and pulled along the second axis J2 direction by driving the second-stage driving unit 54.

  In this case, the first-stage drive mechanism 40 and the second-stage drive mechanism 50 are provided so as to face in directions orthogonal to each other. That is, the first-stage rack 41, the first-stage rail 42, the first-stage slider 43, and the first-stage drive unit 44 are the second-stage rack 51, the second-stage rail 52, the second-stage slider 53, and the second-stage drive. It is orthogonal to the part 54. The second-stage rack 51, the second-stage rail 52, the second-stage slider 53, and the second-stage drive unit 54 are entirely or at least partially made up of the first-stage rack 41, the first-stage rail 42, and the first-stage rack. The slider 43 and the first stage drive unit 44 overlap with the whole or at least a part in the vertical direction. In this way, the first-stage drive mechanism 40 corresponding to each first-stage support claw 11 and the second-stage drive mechanism 50 corresponding to each second-stage support claw 21 are orthogonal to each other in the vertical direction. At least a part of them are arranged.

  Here, the case where the second-stage rack 51 moves along the second axis J <b> 2 in the right direction in FIG. 2 by driving the second-stage drive section 54 is defined as the forward movement of the second-stage drive section 54. Further, the case where the second-stage rack 51 moves in the left direction in FIG. 2 along the second axis J <b> 2 by driving the second-stage drive section 54 is defined as the backward movement of the second-stage drive section 54.

  When the second stage support claw 21 is in the accepting state, when the second stage rack 51 moves forward by driving the second stage drive unit 54, the linear direction of the second stage rack 51 as shown in FIGS. Is transferred to each second-stage first gear 25 of each of the four support mechanisms 10. Thereby, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 6, the four second-stage first gears 25 rotate about the support shaft 8. Then, the rotation of each second-stage first gear 25 is transmitted to each second-stage second gear 24, thereby rotating each second-stage support claw 21 of each support mechanism 10 to the retracted state.

  In this case, of the second-stage first gears 25 of the support mechanisms 10, the second-stage first gear 25 located on the front side of the second-stage rack 51, that is, on the front side of the second axis J2, is Rotate, that is, rotate clockwise. On the other hand, among the first gears 25 of the support mechanisms 10, the second-stage first gear 25 located on the back side of the second-stage rack 51, that is, on the back side of the second axis J <b> 2 rotates counterclockwise, that is, counterclockwise. Rotate around. Therefore, when the second stage drive unit 54 is driven, each support mechanism 10 performs a line-symmetric operation around the second axis J2.

  According to the embodiment described above, the substrate support device 1 includes a plurality of support mechanisms 10 in this case, and a plurality of drive mechanisms 40 and 50 in this case. The plurality of support mechanisms 10 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. Each support mechanism 10 has a plurality of support claws 11, 21, 31 that can support the edge of the substrate 90, and the plurality of substrates 90 are arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, in this case, in three stages. Can be supported. The drive mechanisms 40 and 50 are provided corresponding to the support claws 11 and 21 at each stage of the support mechanism 10. In this case, the first stage drive mechanism 40 is provided corresponding to each support claw 11 in the first stage, and the second stage drive mechanism 50 is provided corresponding to each support claw 21 in the second stage. The drive mechanisms 40 and 50 are configured so that each stage, that is, each stage of the first and second stage support claws 11 and 21, and a part of the support claws 11 and 21 are located inside the edge of the 90 board. It is driven to change to a reception state in which 90 is received in a supportable manner and a retraction state in which the support claws 11 and 21 are located outside the edge of the substrate 90 and avoid the substrate 90.

  According to this, it is possible to drive each support claw 11 corresponding to the first stage of the four support mechanisms 10, that is, the first stage support claws 11 for four substrates, by one first stage drive mechanism 40. Further, one second-stage driving mechanism 50 can drive each of the support claws 21 corresponding to the second stage of the four support mechanisms 10, that is, the second-stage support claws 21 for four substrates. Thereby, the number of drive mechanisms 40 and 50 can be reduced with respect to the number of substrates 90 that can be supported. Therefore, even if the number of substrates 90 that can be supported is increased, the increase in the number of drive mechanisms 40 and 50 can be suppressed as much as possible. As a result, the increase in the size of the substrate support device 1 is suppressed and the energy saving performance is also reduced. Can be suppressed.

  The drive mechanisms 40 and 50 corresponding to the support claws 11 and 21 at each stage are arranged orthogonally and at least partially overlapping in the vertical direction. That is, the first-stage drive mechanism 40 corresponding to each first-stage support claw 11 in the first stage and the second-stage drive mechanism 50 corresponding to each second-stage support claw 21 in the second stage are shown in FIG. As shown, they are provided so as to be orthogonal to each other. As shown in FIG. 4, a part of the first stage drive mechanism 40, in this case, the first stage rack 41 overlaps a part of the second stage drive mechanism 50, in this case, the second stage rail 52.

  According to this, the height dimension of the support mechanism 10 in the vertical direction can be reduced as compared with the case where the drive mechanisms 40 and 50 of each stage are arranged in the same direction and stacked in the vertical direction, and thus the support device. The height dimension of 1 in the vertical direction can be reduced. As a result, the enlargement of the substrate support apparatus 1 can be more effectively suppressed.

  The drive mechanisms 40 and 50 correspond to each stage of the substrate 90 supported by the support mechanism 10, and racks 41 and 51 that can move in the linear direction, and drive units 44 and 54 that move the racks 41 and 51 in the linear direction. And have. That is, the first stage driving mechanism 40 includes a first stage rack 41 and a first stage driving unit 44 corresponding to the first stage substrate 90 supported by the support mechanism 10. The second stage drive mechanism 50 includes a second stage rack 51 and a second stage drive unit 54 corresponding to the second stage substrate 90 supported by the support mechanism 10.

  Each support mechanism 10 includes first gears 15 and 25, second gears 14 and 24, shaft members 13 and 23, and attachment members 12 and 22 corresponding to each stage. . The first gears 15 and 25 mesh with the racks 41 and 51, respectively, and rotate as the racks 41 and 51 move linearly. The second gears 14 and 24 mesh with the first gears 15 and 25, respectively, and rotate as the first gears 15 and 25 rotate. The shaft members 13 and 23 are rotatably provided integrally with the second gears 14 and 24 and extend in the vertical direction. The attachment members 12 and 22 can rotate integrally with the shaft members 13 and 23 and are provided with the support claws 11 and 21. The first gears 15 and 25, the second gears 14 and 24, and the mounting members 12 and 22 in each stage are arranged in the vertical direction so that at least a part thereof overlaps with each other in plan view. ing.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first-stage first gear 15 and the second-stage first gear 25 are arranged in the vertical direction, and at least a part of the first embodiment in the plan view is provided. The cases are all arranged so as to overlap each other. Further, the first-stage second gear 14 and the second-stage second gear 24 are arranged in the vertical direction, and are arranged so that at least a part thereof in the plan view overlaps with each other in the present embodiment. ing. The first-stage mounting member 12 and the second-stage mounting member 22 are arranged in the vertical direction, and are arranged so that at least a part of the first stage mounting member 12 and the second stage mounting member 22 overlap each other in the plan view. .

  According to this, the dimension of the support mechanism 10 in the planar direction can be reduced, and as a result, the dimension of the substrate support device 1 in the planar direction can be reduced. As a result, the enlargement of the substrate support apparatus 1 can be more effectively suppressed.

  The number of second gears 14 and 24, shaft members 13 and 23, and attachment members 12 and 22 correspond to the number of support claws 11 and 21 at each stage. For example, when three support claws 11 and 21 are provided in each stage of each support mechanism 10 as in this embodiment, the second gears 14 and 24, the shaft members 13 and 23, and the attachment members 12 and 22 are provided. Also, three each of the support mechanisms 10 are provided. The number of first gears 15 and 25 corresponds to the number of stages having switchable support claws 11 and 21, that is, the number obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of stages of the substrate 90 that can be supported by each support mechanism 10. For example, as in this embodiment, when each support mechanism 10 can support the substrate 90 in three stages, each support mechanism 10 includes 3-1 = 2 first gears 15 and 25.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, labyrinth structures 61 and 62 are formed around shaft members 13 and 23 provided through the base 2. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the first-stage labyrinth structure 61 is formed between two first-stage attachment members 12 and 22 that are adjacent in the vertical direction. Further, a second-stage labyrinth structure 62 is formed between the flange portion 4 and the second-stage mounting member 22 adjacent in the vertical direction. According to this, it is possible to prevent liquid such as water from entering from the gap between the first stage mounting member 12 and the second stage mounting member 22 or the gap between the flange portion 4 and the second stage mounting member 22. . Therefore, even when a liquid such as water is used for the substrate 90, it is possible to prevent the liquid from rotating around the gears 14, 15, 24, 25 and the drive mechanisms 40, 50 as much as possible. it can. As a result, the substrate support apparatus 1 can be made suitable for the use of liquid.

In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A various expansion and change are possible in the range which does not deviate from the summary.
For example, the number and arrangement of the support mechanisms 10 are not limited to those described above. For example, three or more support mechanisms 10 may be arranged on a straight line along the first axis J1 or the second axis J2.
The support mechanism 10 may be configured to support the substrate 90 by stacking four or more stages in the vertical direction.
Moreover, the drive parts 44 and 54 are not restricted to what pushes and pulls the racks 41 and 51 or the sliders 43 and 53 directly linearly. For example, a mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion, such as linear movement of the racks 41 and 51 by a motor having pinion gears that mesh with the racks 41 and 51, may be used.
Further, in order to make the relative rotation between the first stage shaft member 13 and the second stage biaxial member 23 smooth, a sliding bearing is provided between the first stage shaft member 13 and the second stage biaxial member 23. A so-called oil-free bush may be provided.

  In the drawings, 1 is a substrate support device, 10 is a support mechanism, 11 is a first stage support claw (support claw), 12 is a first stage mounting member (mounting member), 13 is a first stage shaft member (shaft member), Reference numeral 14 denotes a first-stage second gear (second gear), 15 denotes a first-stage first gear (first gear), 21 denotes a second-stage support claw (support claw), and 22 denotes a second-stage attachment member (attachment member). ), 23 is a second stage shaft member (shaft member), 24 is a second stage second gear (second gear), 25 is a second stage first gear (first gear), and 40 is a first stage drive mechanism ( Drive mechanism), 41 is a first stage rack (rack), 44 is a first stage drive unit (drive unit), 50 is a second stage drive mechanism (drive mechanism), 51 is a second stage rack (rack), and 54 is A second-stage drive unit (drive unit) 61 indicates a first-stage labyrinth structure (labyrinth structure).

Claims (4)

A support mechanism having a plurality of support claws capable of supporting the edge of the substrate and capable of supporting a plurality of substrates arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction, and a plurality of support mechanisms arranged side by side in the horizontal direction; ,
An accepting state that is provided corresponding to the support claws of each step of the support mechanism and that accepts the support claws of each step so that a part of the support claws is positioned inside the edge of the substrate so as to support the substrate. And a drive mechanism for driving the support claw to change to a retracted state where the support claw is located outside the edge of the substrate and avoids the substrate,
Substrate support device. The drive mechanisms corresponding to the support claws of each stage are arranged orthogonally and at least partially overlapping in the vertical direction,
The substrate support apparatus according to claim 1. The drive mechanism corresponds to each stage of the substrate supported by the support mechanism,
A rack movable in a linear direction;
A drive unit that moves the rack in a linear direction,
The support mechanism corresponds to each stage,
A plurality of first gears that mesh with the rack and rotate as the rack moves linearly;
A plurality of second gears that mesh with the first gear and rotate as the first gear rotates;
A plurality of shaft members provided integrally with the second gear and extending in the vertical direction;
A plurality of mounting members that are rotatable integrally with the shaft member and provided with the support claws;
The first gear, the second gear, and the mounting member at each stage are arranged side by side in the vertical direction,
The substrate support apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A labyrinth structure is formed between two mounting members adjacent in the vertical direction;
The substrate support apparatus according to claim 3.

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