JP2020109854A - Support for roller mechanism, roller mechanism, and etching apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a support for a roller mechanism capable of independently determining bearing positions of two rollers, a roller mechanism using the support, and an etching apparatus using the same.SOLUTION: A support 11 for a roller mechanism includes: a lower-tier groove 11a1 formed in a shape including a first semicircle 11a11 and a first rectangle 11a12; and an upper-tier groove 11a2 formed in a shape including a second semicircle 11a21 and a second rectangle 11a22. By inserting a lower-tier roller 12 and an upper-tier roller 13 from an opening of the groove, receiving the lower-tier roller 12 at the lower-tier groove through the upper-tier groove, and receiving the upper-tier roller 13 at the upper-tier groove, bearing positions of the two rollers can be independently determined, and the roller mechanism 10 can be configured. The roller mechanism 10 can be used to configure an etching apparatus 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a support for a roller mechanism that rotatably receives two rollers, a roller mechanism including the support, and an etching apparatus including the roller mechanism.

For example, a roller mechanism is used in an etching apparatus that transports a transported substrate (hereinafter referred to as a “work”) of a semiconductor substrate by vertically sandwiching it with two rollers (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Here, it is necessary to determine the distance between the two rollers sandwiching the work together with the thickness of the work.

Conventionally, the upper roller and the lower roller have the same size, and two rollers are inserted into one groove to support the lower roller, and a roller is provided between the upper roller and the upper roller. Was there. The separation distance between the two rollers is adjusted according to the size of the rollers, and the two rollers rotate in conjunction with each other via the rollers. However, loosening of the fastening due to repeated rotation for a long time and repeated heating and cooling causes a deviation of rollers, which makes stable transportation difficult. Further, if the screws are strongly tightened so that the fastening is not loosened, eccentricity will occur. It was not suitable for stable transportation.

Therefore, there is a demand for a roller mechanism that can position the two rollers independently of each other without contacting the rollers to determine the separation distance.

JP, 2006-222117, A

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for a roller mechanism that can stably determine the bearing positions of two rollers, a roller mechanism that uses the support, and an etching apparatus that uses the roller mechanism.

The support for the roller mechanism of the present invention is
A support for a roller mechanism that rotatably receives two rollers,
A lower groove formed in a cross-sectional shape including a first semicircle and a first rectangle connecting at least a part of one side to a chord of the semicircle on the first semicircle;
Out of the second semicircle having a diameter larger than that of the first semicircle and connecting at least a part of the first rectangle and the other side opposite to the one side of the rectangle so as to overlap each other. Part and the second
A second rectangle in which at least a part of one side is overlapped and connected to the semicircle of the semicircle, and the other side opposite to the one side of the second rectangle is opened. With the upper groove formed,
Equipped with
The second semicircle is characterized in that the chord of the semicircle is oriented parallel to the one side of the first rectangle.

According to this feature, one of the two rollers (lower roller) is inserted through the opening of the upper groove and the second roller is inserted.
Position of the two rollers (separation distance) by receiving the other of the two rollers (upper roller) from the opening of the upper groove by receiving the other of the two rollers (upper roller) through the rectangle and the second semicircle Can be determined stably.

The roller mechanism of the present invention is
A support for the roller mechanism of the present invention;
A lower roller having a bearing having a diameter equal to that of the first semicircle;
An upper roller having a bearing having a diameter equal to that of the second semicircle;
It is characterized by including.

According to this feature, it is possible to provide a roller mechanism in which the positions (separation distances) of the two rollers are stable.

The roller mechanism of the present invention is
Two gears respectively connected to the lower roller and the upper roller are provided,
The lower roller and the upper roller rotate in opposite directions at a constant speed through the second gear.

According to this feature, the lower roller and the upper roller are interlocked with each other to rotate at the same speed in the opposite direction, so that the workpiece can be moved equally from above and below, and the workpiece can be stably conveyed.

The roller mechanism of the present invention is
The upper groove has first and second step portions having different heights in a direction orthogonal to the cross section,
The bearing of the upper roller has first and second end portions having different heights in the longitudinal direction.

According to this feature, the bearing of the upper roller is inserted into the upper groove in one direction so that the first and second end portions of the bearing are respectively received on the first and second step portions of the upper groove, and the bearing of the upper roller is reversed. In the upper groove by supporting the lower one of the first and second end portions of the bearing on the higher one of the first and second step portions of the upper groove so that the bearing is supported in the upper groove. The height of the upper roller can be changed.

The roller mechanism of the present invention is
The bearing of the upper roller has an outer edge shape including two circular arcs having a diameter equal to that of the second semicircle and two straight lines connecting the ends of the two circular arcs. Two
It is characterized by having an eccentric bearing hole on one side of two arcs.

According to this feature, the height of the upper roller supported in the upper groove can be changed by inserting the bearing of the upper roller into the upper groove in one direction or in the opposite direction to receive the bearing.

The etching apparatus of the present invention,
An etching device for injecting an etching liquid onto a work,
A roller mechanism of the present invention;
A spraying device that sprays an etching liquid from below the lower roller or above the upper roller,
It is characterized by including.

According to this feature, it is possible to provide an etching apparatus that stably conveys a work.

The etching apparatus of the present invention,
The distance between the lower roller and the upper roller is substantially equal to the thickness of the work.

According to this feature, the work can be more stably transported by the design according to the thickness of the work. Here, “substantially equal” means that the work can be conveyed while being pressed by the lower roller and the upper roller.

According to the support for the roller mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to stably determine the separation distance between the lower roller and the upper roller.

According to the roller mechanism of the present invention, the distance between the lower roller and the upper roller is stable, and the work can be stably transported.

According to the etching apparatus of the present invention, a work is stably transported, and an efficient etching process can be performed.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a roller mechanism support and a roller mechanism. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the shape of the groove. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the roller mechanism support and the roller mechanism. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the etching apparatus. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a support for the roller mechanism. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of the bearing of the upper roller. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the roller mechanism. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of the bearing of the upper roller. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the roller mechanism.

Examples of the present invention will be described below.

This embodiment shows a basic structure of a roller mechanism.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a roller mechanism support and a roller mechanism.
The conveyance direction of is the left-right direction in the drawing. The roller mechanism 10 is a mechanism that conveys the work 20 by sandwiching it between two opposing rollers, and includes a support 11, a lower roller 12, and an upper roller 13.
Equipped with. Here, for example, a semiconductor substrate can be transported as the work 20.

(Structure of support)
The support 11 is a support for a roller mechanism that rotatably receives the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13. A pair of supports 11 are arranged on the floor surface 14 so as to face each other so as to support both ends of each of the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13. The support body 11 is a rectangular plate-like member having a longitudinal direction in the transport direction of the work 20, and a plurality of grooves 11a opening toward the upper side are formed side by side in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the support body 11 is not limited to a plate-shaped integral body and may have any shape and structure as long as one or a plurality of grooves 11a arranged in parallel in the uniaxial direction are formed.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the shape of the groove. The groove 11a includes a lower groove 11a ₁ and an upper groove 11a ₂ .

The lower groove 11a ₁ is formed in a shape including the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ and the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ that includes the first rectangle 11a ₁₂ that connects the chords of the semicircle with their bottom sides overlapped. First rectangle 1
The entire base of 1a ₁₂ overlaps the entire chord of the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ . Note that the first rectangle 11a ₁₂ may be replaced with a trapezoid whose base is shorter than its top. A peripheral portion 11c of the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ supports the lower roller 12.

The upper groove 11a ₂ has a diameter larger than that of the first semi-circle 11a ₁₁ , and the first rectangle 11a
₁₂ and a second semicircle 11a ₂₁ (first rectangle 11a ₁₂₎ that partially overlaps and is connected to the upper side thereof.
Except inside: the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ is cut off by the first rectangle 11a ₁₂ in the figure. ) And the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ and the second rectangle 11a ₂₂ which connects the chords of the semicircle with the base overlapped, the upper side of the second rectangle 11a _{22 being} the upper side of the support 11. It is open to. The entire base of the second rectangle 11a ₂₂ overlaps the entire chord of the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ . The second rectangle 11a ₂₂ may be replaced with a trapezoid whose base is shorter than its top. The peripheral portion 11b of the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ supports the upper roller 13.

The second semicircle 11a ₂₁ has the chord of the semicircle oriented parallel to the upper side of the first rectangle 11a ₁₂ ,
The second rectangle 11a ₂₂ has its side edges oriented parallel to the side edges of the first rectangle 11a ₁₂ and the upper groove 1
1a ₂ is formed. As a result, the lower and upper grooves 11a ₁ and 11a ₂ face the same direction, and the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 can be easily inserted into the respective grooves via the openings of the groove 11a. In addition, the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ has the chord of the semicircle defined by the first rectangle 11a.
The second rectangle 11a ₂₂ is inclined with respect to the upper side of the support ₁₂ toward the upper side of the support body 11, and the second rectangle 11a ₂₂ has the upper groove 11a ₂ with its side oriented in the direction intersecting the side of the first rectangle 11a _12. May be formed. That is, the upper groove 11a ₂ may be inclined with respect to the lower groove 11a ₁ . Also, the lower groove 11
The a ₁ may be tilted at the same angle as the upper groove 11 a ₂ or at a different angle. This also
The lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 can be easily put into the respective grooves 11a through the openings of the grooves 11a.

With the support 11 having the above-described structure, the lower roller 12 is moved to the upper groove 11a ₂ (that is, the groove 11a).
a), received from the lower groove 11a ₁ via the second rectangle 11a ₂₂ and the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ , and the upper roller 13 inserted from the upper groove 11a ₂ (that is, the groove 11a). by receiving the upper groove 11a ₂ and it can define a bearing position of the lower roller 12 and upper roller 13 stably.

(Structure of roller mechanism)
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the configuration of the roller mechanism support and the roller mechanism. The lower roller 12 is a member that is inserted into each of the plurality of grooves 11a and that rotates and conveys the work 20 while supporting the work 20 from the lower side thereof, and has a roller shaft 12a, a bearing 12b, and a conveyance disk 12c.

The roller shaft 12a is a shaft body that serves as a rotation shaft of the lower roller 12.

The bearing 12b is a ring-shaped member having a diameter equal to that of the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ .
It is fixed to both ends of the roller shaft 12a and slides and rotates in the lower groove 11a ₁ . The bearing 12b is positioned on the first semicircle 11a _11, and the center of the roller shaft 12a is positioned on the center of the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ .

The transport disk 12c is a disk-shaped member provided with its center aligned with the roller shaft 12a. The work 20 is supported from below. It should be noted that the plurality of transfer disks 12c are of equal length and the work 20 is supported in a planar shape.

The upper roller 13 is a member that is inserted into each of the plurality of grooves 11a and that rotates and conveys the work 20 while supporting it from the upper side thereof, and has a roller shaft 13a, a bearing 13b, and a disc 13c for conveyance.

The roller shaft 13a is a shaft body that serves as a rotation shaft of the upper roller 13.

The bearing 13b is a ring-shaped member having a diameter equal to that of the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ .
It is fixed to both ends of the roller shaft 13a and slides and rotates in the upper groove 11a ₂ . The bearing 13b is positioned in the second semicircle 11a _21, and the center of the roller shaft 13a is positioned in the center of the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ .

The transport disk 13c is a disk-shaped member provided so as to be centered on the roller shaft 13a. The work 20 is supported from above. The plurality of transfer disks 13c are of equal length, and the work 20 is supported in a flat shape.

With the configuration of the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 described above, the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 are inserted from the opening of the groove 11a to receive the lower roller 12 in the lower groove 11a ₁ and the upper roller 13 in the upper groove 11a ₂ . By receiving, the respective positions of the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 can be independently determined. Thereby, it is possible to simply configure the roller mechanism 10 without requiring an additional alignment member (roller or the like) for adjusting the position of the upper roller 13.

The roller mechanism 10 may further include a gear (not shown) connected to the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13. The rotations of the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 can be interlocked with each other, so that the work can be stably conveyed.

As described in detail above, the support 11 includes the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ and the first semicircle 11a.
₁₁ has a lower groove 11a ₁ formed in a shape including a first rectangle 11a ₁₂ connecting at least a part of one side to the chord of the semicircle, and has a diameter larger than that of the first semicircle 11a _11. , A first semi-circle 11a ₁₂ and a second semi-circle 11a ₂₁ , which at least partly overlaps and is connected to the other side opposite to one side of the first rectangle 11a _12, and a second semi-circle 11a _{21 which} has a chord on the semi-circle. comprising of a shape including a second rectangular 11a _22, for connecting overlapping at least a portion, and the upper groove 11a ₂ formed by opening the other side opposite to one side of the second rectangular 11a _22, the .. Insert the lower roller 12 from the opening of the upper groove 11a _2, received in the lower groove 11a ₁ through the second rectangular _{11a 22} and second semicircular _{11a 21,} inserting the upper roller 13 from the opening of the upper groove 11a ₂ Then upper groove 1
By receiving the 1a _2, it is possible to determine the bearing position of the two rollers independently.

The roller mechanism 10 also includes a support 11, a lower roller 12 having a diameter equal to that of the first semicircle 11a ₁₁ and an upper roller 13 having a diameter equal to that of the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ . The lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 are inserted from the openings to move the lower roller 12 into the lower groove 11
The bearing position of each of the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 can be independently determined by receiving the upper roller 13 in the a ₁ and the upper roller 13 in the upper groove 11 a ₂ .

This embodiment shows an etching apparatus using a roller mechanism. The roller mechanism is similar to that of the first embodiment, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the etching apparatus. The etching apparatus 1 includes a work 20.
It is a device for injecting an etching liquid onto the substrate, and includes a roller mechanism 10, a gear motor (not shown), and an ejection device 14.

The roller mechanism 10 has the structure as described above, and the distance between the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 (that is, the size of the gap between the roller shafts 12a and 13a) is substantially equal to the thickness of the work 20. The heights (that is, bearing positions) of the lower and upper grooves 11a ₁ and 11a ₂ that respectively receive the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 are defined. As a result, the work 20 can be squeezed by the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 with an appropriate force, and can be stably conveyed through them.

The gear motor is a motor that generates power for transporting the work 20, and includes a chain,
Power is transmitted to the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13 via gears and the like. For example, the drive shaft of the gear motor is connected to the lower roller 12 via the helical gear, and the lower roller 12 is connected to the upper roller 13 via the spur gear. The rotation speeds of the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13,
That is, the conveyance speed of the work 20 is adjusted by the gear ratio and the inverter control.

The injection device 14 is installed on the floor surface 14 between the pair of bearings 13. Injection device 14
Is sprayed with an etching liquid from below the lower roller 12 through the gap between the lower rollers 12,
The etching liquid is sprayed onto the lower surface of the work 20 conveyed by the roller mechanism 10.

The ejection device 14 may be provided above the roller mechanism 10. The spraying device 14 sprays the etching liquid from above the upper roller 13 through the gap between the upper rollers 13 to spray the etching liquid onto the upper surface of the work 20 conveyed by the roller mechanism 10.

The ejecting device 14 may be installed on the floor surface 14 and above the roller mechanism 10, respectively. The lower ejecting roller 12 and the upper ejecting roller 1 are driven by the roller mechanism 10 by the two ejecting devices 14.
It is possible to spray the etching liquid onto the lower surface and the upper surface of the work 20 by the spraying device 14 while transporting the work 20 through the space between the work 20 and the work 3.

As described in detail above, the etching apparatus 1 includes the roller mechanism 10 and the lower roller 12.
An injection device 14 for injecting the etching liquid from below or above the upper roller 13 is provided. While the roller mechanism 10 conveys the work 20 between the lower roller 12 and the upper roller 13, the spraying device 14 can spray the etching liquid onto the lower surface or the upper surface of the work 20.

The present embodiment shows a roller mechanism in which the separation distance between the upper roller and the lower roller is variable. The present embodiment is the same as the first embodiment except that the difference is shown, and the detailed description is omitted. Further, the roller mechanism of this embodiment can be applied to the etching apparatus shown in the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a support for the roller mechanism. Here, FIGS. 5A and 5B
[Fig. 6] is a view showing a cross-section about a center line in the front view and Fig. 5(A), respectively. In the support body 11, the peripheral portion 11b of the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ has a low first step 11b ₁ and a high second step 11b ₂ . Each of the first and second step portions 11b ₁ and 11b ₂ has a bottom surface along the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ in a front view.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the structure of the bearing of the upper roller. Here, FIGS. 6A and 6B are views showing a front view and a cross section about the center line in FIG. 6A, respectively. The bearing 13b has a lower first end 13b in the longitudinal direction (that is, the longitudinal direction of the roller shaft 13a).
₁ and a high second end 13b ₂ . Each of the first and second end portions 13b ₁ and 13b ₂ has a bottom surface that is equal to the second semicircle 11a ₂₁ in a front view. Where the first and second
The height difference between the end portions 13b ₁ and 13b ₂ is caused by the first and second step portions 11b ₁ and 11b of the bearing 13b.
_It is equal to the height difference of ₂ .

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the roller mechanism. For simplicity, the lower roller 12 and the like are omitted. The roller mechanism 10 includes the support 11 and the upper roller 13 described above. FIG. 7(A)
, The bearing 13b of the upper roller 13 is oriented in one direction, that is, the first and second end portions 1
3b ₁ and 13b ₂ are respectively inserted into the upper groove 11a ₂ toward the first and second stepped portions 11b ₁ and 11b ₂ of the support body 11 to attach the first and second end portions 13b ₁ and 13b ₂ of the bearing 13b. each can be received on the upper groove portion first and second stage portions _11b of 11a ₂ 1, 11b _2. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7(B), the bearing 13b of the upper roller 13 is reversed, that is, the first and second end portions 13b ₁ and 13b ₂ are respectively attached to the second and first step portions 11b of the support body 11. ₂ , 11
Put the upper groove 11a ₂ toward the b _1, first and second end portions _13b of the bearing 13b 1, 13
low more ones of b ₂ first and second (first end portion 13b ₁ in this example) the upper groove 11a ₂
It can also be supported on the higher _{one of} the steps 11b ₁ and 11b ₂ (the second step 11b _{2 in} this example). The height of the roller shaft 13a differs by D between the state shown in FIG. 7A and the state shown in FIG. 7B. The value of D is equal to the difference in height between the first step 11b ₁ and the second step 11b ₂ . As a result, the separation distance between the upper roller 13 and the lower roller 12 is also different by D,
It is possible to cope with a difference in the thickness of the work 20.

The value of D is preferably about 0.5 mm.

The present embodiment shows a separate structure of a roller mechanism that makes the distance between the upper roller and the lower roller variable.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the structure of the bearing of the upper roller. The bearing 13b is the second semicircle 11
A roller having a rounded rectangular outer edge shape including two circular arcs 13b ₃ and 13b ₄ having the same diameter as a ₂₁ and two straight lines connecting the ends of these two circular arcs, and eccentric downward from the center. It has a bearing hole through which the shaft 13a passes.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of the roller mechanism. For simplicity, the lower roller 12 and the like are omitted. The roller mechanism 10 includes the support 11 shown in FIG. 1 and the upper roller 13 described above. As shown in FIG. 9 (A), it can be one facing the bearing 13b of the upper roller 13, that is placed in the upper groove 11a ₂ eccentric roller shaft 13a downward receiving a bearing 13b. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9 (B), a bearing 13b of the upper roller 13 in the opposite direction, i.e. can receive bearing 13b placed in the upper groove 11a ₂ eccentric roller shaft 13a upwardly. In the state shown in FIG. 9(A) and the state shown in FIG. 9(B), the height of the roller shaft 13a is different by D. The value of D is equal to twice the eccentric distance (shown by d in FIG. 8) of the bearing hole of the bearing 13b. Thereby, the separation distance between the upper roller 13 and the lower roller 12 is also different by D, and it is possible to cope with the difference in the thickness of the work 20 and the like.

It is a support for a roller mechanism that can independently determine the bearing positions of two rollers, a roller mechanism using the support, and an etching apparatus using the roller mechanism. The work can be stably conveyed, and it can be considered to be used by many roller mechanism manufacturers, roller mechanism users, especially semiconductor etching processing operators.

10 Roller Mechanism 11 Support 11a Groove 11a ₁ Lower Groove 11a ₁₁ First Half Circle 11a ₁₂ First Rectangle 11a ₂ Upper Groove 11a ₂₁ Second Half Circle 11a ₂₂ Second Rectangle 12 Lower Roller 12a Roller Shaft 12b Bearing 13 Upper roller 13a Roller shaft 13b Bearing 20 Work 30 Etching device 31 Injection device

Claims (5)

A support for a roller mechanism that rotatably receives two rollers,
A lower groove formed in a cross-sectional shape including a first semicircle and a first rectangle connecting one side of the first semicircle to the chord of the semicircle so as to overlap,
Of the second semicircle, which has a diameter larger than that of the first semicircle and is partially overlapped and connected to the first rectangle and the other side opposite to the one side of the rectangle, outside the rectangle. A cross-sectional shape including a portion and a second rectangle that connects the second semicircle to the chord of the semicircle by overlapping one side, and opens the other side opposite to the one side of the second rectangle. And the upper groove formed by
Equipped with
A support for a roller mechanism, wherein the second semicircle has a chord of the semicircle oriented parallel to the one side of the first rectangle. A support for the roller mechanism according to claim 1;
A lower roller having a bearing having a diameter equal to that of the first semicircle;
An upper roller having a bearing having a diameter equal to that of the second semicircle;
A roller mechanism comprising: Two gears respectively connected to the lower roller and the upper roller are provided,
The roller mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the lower roller and the upper roller rotate in opposite directions at a constant speed via the second gear. An etching device for injecting an etching liquid onto a work,
A roller mechanism according to claim 2 or 3,
A spraying device that sprays an etching liquid from below the lower roller or above the upper roller,
An etching apparatus comprising: The etching apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the separation distance between the lower and upper rollers is substantially equal to the thickness of the work.