JP2525297B2 - Transfer equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring a wafer storage carrier between a traveling carriage for mounting and transporting the wafer storage carrier and a stocker for storing the wafer storage carrier. In particular, the present invention relates to a transfer device that does not require changing the mounting portion of the traveling carriage or the gripping portion of the transfer robot according to the shape of the wafer storage carrier.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a carrier that stores wafers (wafer storage carrier) is mounted on a traveling carriage that travels along traveling rails during the manufacturing process, and is transported between devices of high cleanliness. A transfer robot that grips and transfers the wafer storage carrier is used for transferring the wafer storage carrier between the traveling carriage and the stocker that stores the wafer storage carrier.

[0003]

The above-mentioned conventional transfer device has the following problems.

Since the shape of the wafer accommodating carrier differs depending on the type and shape of the wafer, it is necessary to change the mounting portion of the traveling carriage or the gripping portion of the transfer robot according to the shape of the carrier. It was

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and it is not necessary to change the mounting part of the traveling carriage or the gripping part of the transfer robot according to the shape of the wafer storage carrier. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transfer device that can transfer a wafer storage carrier in one operation.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a wafer storage carrier that is detachably mounted on a traveling carriage that travels along traveling rails and that accommodates a plurality of wafers. A pallet and a transfer robot that has a hand portion that can be engaged with the pallet and that transfers the carrier together with the pallet between a traveling carriage and a stocker that stores the carrier are provided. A transfer device in which the pallet transfer direction on the traveling vehicle side and the pallet transfer direction on the stocker side are different, and the transfer robot changes the direction of the hand unit between the traveling vehicle side and the stocker side. The hand part of this transfer robot is equipped with a direction changing means, and the carrier is disengaged from the pallet on the traveling carriage to transfer the carrier together with the pallet to the traveling carriage. In a state, it is constituted that is formed in a shape that allows the passage of its pallet and the carrier.

[0007]

Since the present invention has the above-described structure, the following operational effects are obtained.

That is, the wafer storage carrier is transferred between the traveling carriage and the stocker together with the pallet while being mounted on the pallet by the transfer robot.

Therefore, according to the transfer device of the present invention,
Even if the shape of the wafer storage carrier differs depending on the type and shape of the wafer, there is no need to change the mounting portion of the traveling carriage or the gripping portion of the transfer robot according to the shape of the carrier.
There is an effect that the wafer storage carrier can be transferred uniformly. Further, even if the pallet transfer direction on the traveling carriage side of the transfer robot is different from the pallet transfer direction on the stocker side, the transfer robot changes the direction of the hand section between the traveling carriage side and the stocker side. Since it is equipped with a direction changing means for changing the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle and the transfer direction on the stocker side,
With a relatively simple structure, it is possible to transfer between the traveling carriage and the stocker. Moreover, the hand portion of the transfer robot is formed in a shape that allows the pallet and the carrier to pass when the carrier is transferred to the traveling carriage together with the pallet by releasing the engagement with the pallet on the traveling carriage. Since the pallet is transferred to the traveling carriage, the traveling carriage can be started in either direction of the traveling rail immediately after the pallet has been transferred to the traveling carriage, and it is possible to efficiently operate the traveling carriage. There is. That is, according to the transfer device of the present invention, even if the traveling direction of the traveling carriage and the transfer direction on the stocker side are different, the wafer storage carrier is uniformly arranged for each pallet with a relatively simple configuration. There is an effect that it can be transferred and the traveling carriage can be efficiently operated.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The illustrated embodiments will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a transfer apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a transfer robot of the same, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a supporting portion of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an engaged state of the hand portion and the pallet.

In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a traveling carriage, which travels along a traveling rail R suspended from the ceiling of the building. Reference numeral 2 denotes a pallet for mounting a wafer storage carrier, which has a structure that can be attached to and detached from an upper portion of the traveling carriage 1. On this pallet 2, two sets of wafer storage carriers 3 containing a plurality of wafers can be mounted side by side in the traveling direction of the traveling carriage 1. Engaging portions 4 and 4 which are horizontally projected are formed on both side surfaces of the pallet 2. The engaging portions 4 and 4 are adapted to engage with a hand portion of a transfer robot described later.

Numeral 5 is a stocker of high cleanliness, which carries in the wafer storage carrier 3 from the previous process by a mobile robot (not shown) and stores it until it is transferred to the next process by the traveling carriage 1.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a transfer robot provided on the stocker 5, which transfers the pallet 2 between the traveling carriage 1 and the stocker 5. Reference numeral 7 denotes a support portion of the transfer robot 6, and as shown in FIG. 3, a motor 8 for rotating the support portion 8 is provided.
The rotary shaft 8a is fixed to the rotary shaft 8a and is rotationally driven by the rotary shaft 8a.

Numerals 9 and 10 are timing pulleys, which are arranged around the rotary shaft 8a in the support portion 7 and are provided on the motor cover 8b.
It is fixed to the upper part 8c of the. Timing pulley 9,1
The bearing 10a is arranged inside the 0, and the rotary shaft 8
Supports a.

Numerals 11 and 12 are timing pulleys rotatably arranged near both ends of the support portion 7, respectively, and timing pulleys 9 and 9 via timing belts 13 and 14, respectively.
It is connected to 10. Therefore, when the motor 8 for rotating the support portion is operated, the rotation shaft 8a rotates, and the support portion 7 rotates. Since the timing pulleys 11 and 12 are connected to the timing pulleys 9 and 10 via the timing belts 13 and 14, respectively, when the support portion 7 rotates in the direction of arrow A in the figure, the arrow B in the figure It will rotate in each direction. Timing pulley 11,1
2 is rotated once when the support portion 7 is rotated once.

Reference numerals 15a and 15b are a pair of hand portions provided at both ends of the supporting portion 7, and timing pulleys 11 and 12 are provided.
It is fixed to the shafts 11a and 12a and is rotated integrally with the pulleys 11 and 12, respectively. As shown in FIG. 4, the pair of hand portions 15a and 15b are formed in a substantially C shape in a side view, and are disengaged from the pallet 2 on the traveling carriage 1 to dismount the carrier 3 onto the traveling carriage 1. The carrier 3 and the pallet 2 are transferred together
It is designed to allow passage through. Reference numerals 15c, 15c denote hooking portions provided by bending the lower ends of the hand portions 15a, 15b inward, and are formed to have a size to engage with the engaging portions 4, 4 of the pallet 2. Such a pair of hand parts 15
The a and 15b are attached to both ends of the support portion 7 in the directions shown in FIG. 1, and the hand portions of the traveling carriage 1 side and the stocker 5 side are in a state of being deviated by 90 degrees. That is, in this embodiment, the timing pulleys 9 and 1 are
0, 11, 12 and the timing belts 13, 14 constitute a direction changing means for changing the direction of the hand parts 15a, 15b. On the traveling carriage 1 side, the opening 15d opens along the traveling rail R, Also, on the stocker 5 side,
The opening 15d opens toward the delivery port 5a.

Reference numeral 16 is a spline shaft that serves as a support shaft of the support portion 7, and is guided by a ball spline 18 fixed to a base portion 17 to move up and down. A nut 19 is fixed to the lower end of the spline shaft 16 so as to be screwed with the ball screw 20. Ball screw 20
A timing pulley 21 is integrally fixed to the lower part of the. Reference numeral 22 denotes a motor for raising and lowering the support portion, which is connected to the timing pulley 21 via a timing pulley 23 and a timing belt 24. Accordingly, when the motor 22 for raising and lowering the support portion is operated, the spline shaft 16 moves up and down in accordance with the rotation direction of the motor 22, and the support portion 7 moves up and down.

The operation of the transfer robot is performed by the control unit 25.
It is controlled by. Also, stocker 5
A pallet is loaded into the delivery port 5a by a crane (not shown) in the stocker 5.

Next, the operation of the transfer device as described above will be described by taking the case of transferring the pallet from the stocker to the traveling carriage as an example.

The traveling carriage 1 is made to stand by at a predetermined position on the side of the transfer robot. At the same time, the hand portion 15b is made to stand by at the delivery port 5a of the stocker 5, and the pallet 2 on which the wafer storage carrier 3 is mounted is received from the crane (not shown) in the stocker 5. After that, the control unit 25 operates the motor 22 for raising and lowering the support unit to raise the support unit 7. As a result, the hook portions 15c, 1 of the hand portion 15b are
5c is caught by the engaging portions 4 and 4 of the pallet, and the pallet 2 is delivered to the hand portion 15b. After that, the control unit 25
The motor 8 for rotating the support portion is operated by the
Is rotated to bring the hand portion 15b onto the traveling carriage 1.

After that, the control section 25 operates the motor 22 for raising and lowering the support portion to lower the support portion 7. Then, the pallet 2 of the hand portion 15b is placed on the traveling carriage 1, and the hook portions 15c and 15c of the hand portion and the engagement portions 4 and 4 of the pallet are released. This allows
The wafer storage carrier 3 is transferred to the traveling carriage 1 together with the pallet 2. After that, the traveling carriage 1 is caused to travel by a track device (not shown) to convey the pallet.

As described above, according to the transfer device of this embodiment,
Since the wafer storage carrier 3 is transferred together with the pallet 2 while being mounted on the pallet 2, even if the shape of the wafer storage carrier 3 differs depending on the type and shape of the wafer, the shape of the wafer storage carrier 3 According to the mounting portion of the traveling carriage 1 or the hand portions 15a, 1 of the transfer robot.
It is not necessary to change 5b, and the wafer storage carrier 3 can be transferred uniformly. Further, even if the transfer direction of the pallet 2 on the traveling carriage 1 side of the transfer robot 6 and the transfer direction of the pallet 2 on the stocker 6 side are different, the transfer robot 6 is still on the traveling carriage 1 side and the stocker 5 side. Since the direction changing means for changing the directions of the hand parts 15a and 15b is provided by the and, even if the traveling direction of the traveling carriage 1 and the transfer direction on the stocker 5 side are different, the configuration is relatively simple. Transfer between the traveling carriage 1 and the stocker 5 is possible. Further, the hand parts 15a, 15b
Is formed in a substantially C-shape in a side view, and in a state in which the carrier 3 with the pallet 2 is transferred to the traveling trolley 1 by releasing the pallet 2 from the pallet 2 on the traveling trolley 1. As the pallet 2 is transferred to the traveling carriage 1, the traveling carriage 1 can be started in either direction of the traveling rail immediately after the pallet 2 is transferred to the traveling carriage 1. The efficient operation of 1 can be achieved. That is, according to this transfer device, even when the traveling direction of the traveling carriage 1 and the transfer direction on the stocker 5 side are different, the wafer storage carrier 3 is uniformly arranged with a relatively simple configuration. It is possible to transfer the entire two, and moreover, it is possible to efficiently operate the traveling vehicle 1.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of a transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a transfer robot.

3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an engagement state between a hand unit and a pallet.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 traveling carriage 2 pallet 3 wafer storage carrier 5 stocker 6 transfer robot R traveling rail

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification number Office reference number FI technical display location H01L 21/68 H01L 21/68 A

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pallet, which is detachably provided on a traveling carriage that travels along a traveling rail, has a wafer accommodating carrier that accommodates a plurality of wafers, and a hand portion that can be engaged with the pallet. A transfer robot that transfers the carrier together with the pallet between a traveling carriage and a stocker that stores the carrier, and the transfer direction of the pallet on the traveling carriage side of the transfer robot and the pallet on the stocker side. A transfer device having transfer directions different from each other, wherein the transfer robot includes direction changing means for changing the direction of the hand section between the traveling carriage side and the stocker side, and the transfer robot hand When the carrier is disengaged from the pallet on the traveling trolley and the carrier is transferred to the traveling trolley together with the pallet, the pallet and the carrier pass through. A transfer device characterized by being formed into a shape that allows