JP2705989B2 - Rotary stocker fixing device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a rotary stocker which accommodates a wafer carrier serving as a substrate of an IC or a transistor in a disk shape obtained by thinly cutting a columnar crystal such as silicon. The present invention relates to a fixing device for a rotary stocker for fixing the fixing device to a processing device such as a cleaning device.

[Prior Art] In a conventional wafer carrier cleaning apparatus, for example, six wafer carriers C are arranged in two columns and three rows on a carry-in side and a carry-out side.
(Fig. 11) are provided with a carry-in side storage device and a carry-out side storage device. The completed wafer carrier C is taken out from the inside and stored in the loading-side storage device. In this transport apparatus A1, a plurality of (six in the illustrated example) partition chambers 43 are defined in a casing 42 movable on the floor provided with casters 41, and two wafer carriers C are provided in each of the partition chambers 43. Is stored.

Then, move this transport device A1 close to the cleaning device,
The wafer carriers C are taken out one by one and stored in the loading-side storage device.
They were lifted individually and stored in the partition room 43 of the transport device A1.

Therefore, the transportation efficiency is poor due to the need for manual operation, and the carrier C may be contaminated while the carrier C is manually moved.

Accordingly, the present applicant has proposed a rotary stocker that combines the storage and transportation of wafer carriers with improved transport efficiency.

This will be described with reference to FIG. 10. Referring to FIG. 10, on one side of a base plate 3 of a truck 1 having a plurality of casters 2 of a stocker A1 and movable on a floor, a handrail 4 for hand pushing is provided upright. A disk 6 is rotatably provided at the portion.

A hexagonal frame-like column 8 is erected on the axis of the disk 6, and each surface of the column 8 has five pairs of straight hanger 9,
9 are provided at equal intervals in the height direction.

A wafer carrier C is mounted and stored on each of the hangers 9, 9 via flange portions C1, C1. Therefore, the carriers C are held at positions equidistant from the axis of the disk 6.

In order to set the rotary stocker A on the carry-in side and the carry-out side of the cleaning device and to carry in and carry out the carrier C, it is necessary to accurately position the stocker A and accurately determine the rotation direction.

In general, various types of stockers for semiconductor wafer cassettes are known, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 60-79710 and 63-174.
No. 333, and the like. However, in this known technique, the carrier is not supported around the frame on the rotating disk, so that the storage capacity of the stocker is small.

Various positioning devices such as carriers are also known.
For example, it is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-189025, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-65236, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-225014, and the like. However, these known techniques do not position the rotary stocker.

Further, a technique for detecting a position for positioning with respect to transfer of a carrier is also known.
No. 864, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 57-195836, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-75708, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-173837, and the like. However, such a known technique cannot be applied to the aforementioned rotary stocker.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] An object of the present invention is to provide a rotary stocker fixing device that performs accurate positioning of a rotary stocker with respect to a processing device and accurate determination of a rotation direction.

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, in a fixing device for a rotary stocker for fixing a rotary stocker accommodating a wafer carrier to a processing apparatus, the rotary stocker includes a caster and is provided on a floor surface. A rotatable disk is provided on the base plate of the movable cart,
A rectangular frame-shaped support is erected on the axis of the disk, a plurality of pairs of straight hangers are projected from each surface of the support, and a pair of recesses for carrying-in detection are formed at the front of the base plate. , A plurality of stoppers for indexing stop are protrudingly provided on the disk, and a downwardly-facing flange portion is formed on a peripheral edge portion of the disk, and a downwardly rotating portion described below is formed between the flange portion and the base plate. A gap for accommodating the clamping wheel and its support arm at the set position is formed. The carry-in detection means for detecting the carry-in of the rotary stocker is a carry-in detection limit switch that detects and closes a pair of recesses of the rotary stocker. The fixing means for fixing the rotary stocker includes a clamping wheel for holding and fixing a flange portion of a disk of the rotary stocker, and an escape air for rotating the clamping wheel up and down. It comprises a cylinder and a clamp air cylinder which moves forward and backward, and further comprises a driving means for rotating the rotary stocker. The positioning means for positioning the rotated rotary stocker locks the stopper of the disk of the rotary stocker. A stop mechanism and a stop air cylinder for moving the mechanism forward and backward, and a position detecting means for detecting a position of the positioned rotary stocker is constituted by a limit switch provided at a tip end of the stopper mechanism; and The carry-in detection means includes a control means for fixing means, driving means, positioning means, and position detection means.

[Operation] In the rotary stocker fixing device configured as described above, when the carry-in detection switch is turned on when setting the stocker to the fixing device, the control device extends the escape cylinder to be in the lower position. After rotating the clamping wheel upward, the clamping cylinder is extended and retracted, and cooperates with the driving cylinder to clamp and fix the flange portion of the disk. Next, the disk is rotated by the driving wheel by operating the motor, the stop cylinder is extended to advance the stop mechanism, the disk is locked via the stopper, and indexing is performed.

When releasing the stocker from the fixing device, the stop cylinder is contracted, the stop mechanism is retracted to unlock the disk, and the clamp cylinder is contracted to separate the clamp wheel from the flange. After doing
The escape cylinder is contracted to rotate the clamp wheel downward, free the disk, and move the stocker.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 9 shows a rotary stocker A used in the present invention.
It is shown.

In the drawing, a guide bar 10 projects downward from a side of the base plate 6 facing the handrail 4, that is, a front side in the moving direction of the stocker A, and concave portions 5, 5 serving as positioning references are formed on the left and right sides. 6, six stoppers 7 protrude at positions facing the center line of each surface of the column 8, and a flange 6a (FIG. 5) is formed on the peripheral edge of the disk 6 downward. A gap S is formed between the lower edge and the base plate 3 such that the clamp wheel 23 and the arm 27 (FIG. 4) located at a position b rotated downward, which will be described later, can be accommodated. The other configuration is the same as in FIG.

In FIGS. 1 to 3, a main body 20 of the fixing device, which is generally denoted by reference character B, has a concave portion 21 having a trapezoidal cross section formed in the center of one side surface, and a right side surface of the main body 20 is not shown in FIG. It is attached to the carry-in side, or the left side is attached to the carry-out side. And on the floor F,
A guide rail 40 projecting into the recess 21 and guiding the guide bar 10 of the stocker A is provided on the center line of the recess 21.

At both sides of the concave portion 21 of the main body 20, a carry-in detecting means
D1 and D1 are provided, and fixing means D2 and
D2 is provided, a driving means D3 is provided on the right fixing means D2, a positioning means D4 and a positioning position detecting means D5 are provided at substantially the center of the recess 21, respectively, near the left fixing means D2. Is provided with a six-division stop switch 39 which is a positioning assisting means, and these means are connected to a control device (not shown) which is a control means.

The carry-in detection means D1 includes a carry-in detection limit switch 22 that detects and closes the concave portion 5 of the stocker A and confirms that the stocker A is at a substantially predetermined position.

4, the fixing means D2 includes a clamping wheel 23, a driving wheel 24 for holding the flange 6a of the disk 6 together with the clamping wheel 23, an escape air cylinder 25, Air cylinder 26 and arm
27 and a frame 28. That is, the main body 20
Has a downward-facing U-shaped frame 28 pivotally attached thereto.
The lower part of the clamping air cylinder 26 fixed to
A letter-shaped arm 27 is slidably provided. The short side of the arm 27 is connected to the operating rod 26a of the air cylinder 26, and the upper surface of the end of the long side is provided with a clamping wheel.
23 are supported. An escape air cylinder is mounted on one upper end of the frame 28 via a bracket 29.
Twenty-five actuation rods 25a are pivotally mounted, and the cylinder 26 is pivotally connected to the main body 20 via the bracket 30. And
The drive wheel 24 is supported by the case 20 via a bracket 31. Accordingly, when the escape air cylinder 25 is contracted, the clamping wheel 23 is rotated downward toward the dashed line position a. When the cylinder 25 is extended, the wheel 23 is moved upward toward the dashed line position b. When the clamp wheel 26 is rotated to extend the clamp cylinder 26, the clamp wheel 23 retreats to the position indicated by the solid line, and cooperates with the drive wheel 24 to clamp and fix the flange portion 6a of the disk 6. I have. The driving means D3 includes a driving wheel 24 and a timing pulley 32 coaxial with the driving wheel 24.
, A motor 33 with a brake, a drive pulley 34 fixed to the motor 33, and a belt 35 stretched between the pulleys 32, 34.

Referring also to FIG. 5, the positioning means D4 is a disk 6 on which the six-segment stop switch 39 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
A stop air cylinder 36 that operates to extend based on a predetermined position signal that is detected and output when the
A stop mechanism 37 is provided on the operating rod of the cylinder 36 and locks the stopper 7 of the disk 6. Further, the positioning position detecting means D5 is constituted by an indexing confirmation limit switch 38 provided at the tip of the stop mechanism 37. Then, based on the signal from the switch 38, the motor 33 stops rotating and the stocker A is held at the stop position by the built-in brake.

The control device is composed of a microcomputer, and includes a set detection limit switch 22, a not-shown rising end, a falling end, a forward end and a backward end limit switch of the clamping wheel 23, an escape air cylinder 25, a clamping air cylinder 26, and a stop. A solenoid for extension and contraction not shown of the air cylinder 36, a motor 33, a backward end limit switch not shown of the stop mechanism 37, an index confirmation limit switch, a switch 39 for stopping the six divisions, a set completion lamp not shown, an index completion lamp, Unclamp lamps are connected respectively.

The operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

When setting the stocker A to the fixing device B, the control device turns on the extension solenoid of the escape air cylinder 25 when the carry-in detection limit switches 22 are turned on as shown in FIG. 6 (step S ₁ ). increases the clamping wheel 23 (step S _2), the clamping wheel upper end limit switch is oN (step S _3), and turns oN the extension solenoid of the clamping air cylinder 26 to retract the clamping wheel 23 ( step S _4). And
When clamping wheel rearmost limit switch disc 6 in cooperation with the driving wheel 24 becomes ON to fix through the flange portion 6a (Step S _5), clockwise disc 6 by operating the motor 33 rotates (step S _6). And 6
When split stop switch 39 is ON (step S _7), and turns ON the extension solenoid stop air cylinder 36, to advance the stop mechanism 37 to stop the rotation of the disc 8 through the stopper 7 (Step S ₈ ). When the indexing check the limit switch 38 is ON (step S _9), stops the operation of the motor 33 (Step S _10), and turns on the setting completion lamp (step S _11), ends the control.

When indexing the rotary stocker A, as shown in FIG. 7, the control device turns on the contraction solenoid of the stop air cylinder 36, retreats the stop mechanism 37, and moves the disk 6 through the stopper by the mechanism. Unlock (Step S
_21), the stop mechanism rearmost limit switch is ON (step S _22), by operating the motor 33 to rotate the disc 6 in the clockwise direction (step S _23). When the six-division stop switch 39 is ON (step S _24), and ON the extension solenoid stop air cylinder 36, to stop the rotation of the disc 8 through the stopper 7 advances the stop mechanism 37 (step S _25). When the indexing check the limit switch 38 is ON (step S _26), stops the operation of the motor 33 (step S _27), and turns on the indexing completion lamp (step S _28), ends the control.

When releasing the unclamping of the stocker A, that is, the setting of the stocker A to the fixing device B, the control device turns on the contraction solenoid of the stop air cylinder 36 to retreat the stop mechanism 37 as shown in FIG. unlock the disc 6 through the stopper 7 according to (step S _31), the stop mechanism rearmost limit switch is oN (step S _32), the clamp and oN contraction solenoid of the clamping air cylinder 26 Forward the wheel 23 (step S
₃₃ ) The limit switch for the front end of the clamping wheel is ON.
(Step _S34 ), the escape air cylinder 2
5 contraction solenoid a is turned ON to rotate the clamping wheel 23 downward (step S _35). Then, when the clamp wheel lower limit switch is turned ON (step
S _36), stops the rotation of the clamping wheel 23, and turns on the unclamped (step S _37), ends the control.

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is configured as described above,
Accurate positioning of the rotary stocker with respect to the fixing device and accurate indexing of the rotational direction can be performed, so that the carrier loading and unloading efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an internal top view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are front and side views, and FIG.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line A of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1, and FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 are control flowcharts at the time of setting, indexing, and unclamping. , Ninth
The figure is a perspective view showing a rotary stocker used in the present invention,
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a rotary stocker according to the present applicant, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a conventional apparatus. A: rotary stocker, B: fixing device, C: wafer carrier, D1: loading detection means, D2: fixing means, D3
… Driving means, D4… Positioning means, D5… Positioning position detecting means, 5… Recess, 6… Disc, 7… Stopper, 10… Guide bar, 22… Load detection limit switch, 23 …… Clamp wheel, 24 …… Drive wheel, 25 …… Escape air cylinder, 26 …… Clamp air cylinder, 33 …… Motor, 36 …… Stop air cylinder, 37 …… Stop mechanism, 38… … Indexing confirmation switch

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuo Fujie 1015 Uedanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited (72) Inventor Hiroaki Sonoda 1015 Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Fujitsu Limited ( 56) References JP-A-60-79710 (JP, A) JP-A-63-174333 (JP, A) JP-A-63-225014 (JP, A) JP-A-54-152864 (JP, A) JP-A-61-75708 (JP, A) JP-A-61-173837 (JP, A) JP-A-61-189025 (JP, U) JP-A-63-65236 (JP, U) JP-A-57-195836 (JP, A) , U)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rotary stocker fixing device for fixing a rotary stocker accommodating a wafer carrier to a processing apparatus, wherein the rotary stocker has a caster and is rotatable on a base plate of a cart movable on a floor surface. A rectangular frame-like column is erected on the axis of the disk, and a plurality of pairs of straight hangers are protruded on each surface of the column, and a carry-in detection is carried out at the front of the base plate. Forming a pair of recesses, projecting a plurality of stoppers for indexing stop on the disk, and forming a downwardly directed flange on the peripheral edge of the disk, between the flange and the base plate A clearance is formed for accommodating a clamp wheel and a support arm thereof which are located at a position rotated downward as described later, and the carry-in detection means for detecting carry-in of the rotary stocker detects a pair of concave portions of the rotary stocker. A fixing means for fixing the rotary stocker is provided with a clamp wheel for clamping and fixing the flange portion of the disc of the rotary stocker, and the clamp wheel is turned up and down. It is composed of an escape air cylinder and a clamp air cylinder that moves forward and backward, and further includes a driving means for rotating the rotary stocker, and the positioning means for positioning the rotated rotary stocker is provided with the stopper of the disk of the rotary stocker. A stop mechanism for locking and a stop air cylinder for moving the mechanism forward and backward, and a position detecting means for detecting the position of the positioned rotary stocker is constituted by a limit switch provided at a tip end of the stop mechanism. And fixing the carry-in detection means to the fixing means, the driving means, and the positioning means. Fixing device rotary stocker, characterized in that it comprises a control device of the position detecting means and.