JP2970308B2 - Finger mounting structure of robot arm for batch transfer of wafers in semiconductor manufacturing 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 semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as CVD) for forming a semiconductor single crystal on a material wafer.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a finger mounting structure of a robot arm for automatically transferring and loading wafers from a carrier stage to a boat at once.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a CVD apparatus for forming a semiconductor single crystal on a material wafer has a structure as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 1 denotes a CVD apparatus which forms a dust-free chamber, and reference numeral 2 denotes a robot which is a transfer device, and a wafer 3 as a material is transferred to a carrier stage by a finger 23 provided at the tip of an arm 21 of the robot. The boat 5 which has been transferred and loaded from 4 into the groove shelf 6 inside the boat 5 and the loading of the wafer 3 is completed, rises,
The material wafer 3 is stored in a reactor 7 for performing a required heat treatment. Reference numeral 8 denotes a control device of the CVD apparatus, and reference numeral 9 denotes an operation panel of the control device, which is placed outside a dust-free room.

As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of (normally 25) groove shelves 6 are provided in the interior of a boat 5, and wafers 3 usually placed in five stages in a cassette (not shown) on a carrier stage 4 are provided. Are collectively collected by a finger 23 provided at the tip of the arm 21 of the robot 2 (five in this example,
The wafers which have been transferred and loaded from the carrier stage 4 to the boat 5 and have been processed in the reactor 7 are, for example, five fingers 23 in the opposite direction to the carrier stage 4 in the reverse of the above.
Returned to

[0004]

FIG. 6 shows a state in which a plurality of fingers 23 (five in this example) are attached to a finger holding portion 22 at the distal end of an arm 21 via spacers 25. FIG. Fig. 7 and Fig.
As shown in FIG. 8, through holes 25 are formed at the four corners of the rectangular spacer 25.
a, and through holes are also provided at the corresponding positions of the fingers 23, and as shown in FIG.
5, a finger 23 and a spacer 25 are superimposed, and finally a finger retainer 24 having the same shape as the spacer 25 and a small thickness is placed, and the entire body is tightened through mounting bolts in through holes at the four corners. Since it is made of steel, it may be damaged if it is tightened too strongly, so it cannot be tightened too strongly. On top of that, a cumulative error in the thickness of each finger attachment end is added, and for example, one out of five fingers may be loose due to improper tightening. In this case, the wafer is not transferred to the finger, but the transfer and loading operation to the boat is continued as it is for the history management of the wafer. Fill using one mounting finger shown to the right of SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a robot arm finger mounting structure for collectively transporting a plurality of wafers without wobbling fingers so as to avoid such extra steps.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a rectangular recess provided on an upper surface thereof and having a plurality of through holes for screwing a finger and a plurality of screw holes at the bottom of a rectangular recess which is open in one direction. After inserting the first bracket and the second bracket having the same shape as the first bracket with the through hole being changed to the screw hole and the screw hole being changed to the through hole, and inserting the finger into the recess. The problem is solved by a structure in which a predetermined number of the screws are alternately stacked while the fingers are mounted by screwing the mounting screws passed through the through holes into the screw holes immediately below through the mounting holes of the fingers.

[0006]

[Function] Since the depth of the dent of the bracket is slightly larger than the thickness of the finger mounting end, each finger is securely tightened with the mounting screw in the dent of each bracket one by one, and the thickness error of the finger accumulates. Without
The heads of the mounting screws used for the first bracket are housed in through holes of the second bracket mounted thereon (see FIG. 4), and the brackets are similarly piled up in the same manner, and a plurality of mounting bolts at four corners are used. The bracket can be strongly tightened to the finger holder.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First and second brackets 35 according to the present invention,
The finger 23 is connected to the arm 2 of the robot 2 using the 35A.
FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment attached to the finger holding portion 22 at the front end of FIG. 1, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first bracket 35, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the finger mounting screw, and FIG. 5 is a partially developed view of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface 36 of the rectangular first bracket 35 has a finger mounting end 2.
3A (see FIGS. 1 and 5) is provided with a square recess 38 in which the one direction 37 is open, the depth of which is smaller than the thickness of the finger mounting end 23A, and the bottom 39 has a plurality of recesses (in this example). Screw holes 40 and through holes 41
Are alternately arranged, and the finger end 23A is attached by a finger attaching screw 42 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).
A through-hole 44 through which the through-hole 3 extends is provided, and a through-hole 46 through which a positioning parallel pin 45 passes is provided in the longitudinal center of the finger to which the through-hole 44 is attached. The second bracket 35A (see FIG. 5) is exactly the same except that the screw holes 40 and the through holes 41 of the first bracket 35 are replaced.

Next, the attachment and operation of the finger 23 will be described. 2 to 5, first and second brackets 35 and 35A are attached to finger mounting holes 23B.
After inserting the mounting end 23A of the finger 23 with the hole opened into the recess 38, the finger is screwed into the screw hole 40 immediately below through the mounting hole 23B of the finger 23 through the mounting hole 42 of the finger 23. While being attached, a predetermined number of sheets are alternately stacked along the parallel pins 45 driven into the finger holding portions 22.
The finger holder 24 having the same thickness as that of the finger holder and having thin through holes in the four corners is placed, and the finger holder 24, the bracket 35,
The mounting bolts 43 (see FIG. 5) are passed through the through-holes at the four corners of the 35A and tightly fastened. In this way, each finger 23 does not receive an excessive tightening force and the parallel pins 45
As a result, the screw holes 40 and the through holes 41 of the brackets 35 and 35A coincide with each other on the vertical line, and the heads of the finger mounting screws 42 are housed in the through holes 41 of the brackets located above them (see FIG. 4). The tightening of the bolt 43 is not hindered.

[0009]

Since the finger mounting structure is as described above,
Since the fingers do not fluctuate, and therefore, there is no groove shelf where wafers are not transferred / loaded to the boat, work efficiency is remarkably improved, and wafer management is easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment in which a finger is attached to a distal end of a robot arm using first and second brackets according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first bracket used in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional front view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view near a finger mounting screw.

FIG. 5 is a partial development view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state in which a plurality of fingers are attached to the distal end of a robot arm by a conventional spacer.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a spacer used in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the spacer of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a side view showing the internal outline of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[Description of Signs] 1 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 Robot 3 Wafer 4 Carrier stage 5 Boat 6 Groove shelf 7 Reactor 8 Control device 9 Operation panel 21 Arm 23 Finger 35 First bracket 35A Second bracket 38 Recess 39 Bottom 40 Screw Hole 41 Through hole

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01L 21/68

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first rectangular bracket provided with a plurality of through holes and screw holes for a finger mounting screw at a bottom of a rectangular recess provided on an upper surface and opened in one direction;
After inserting the finger into the recess, the through hole is changed to a screw hole, the screw hole is changed to a through hole, and the other is a second bracket having the same shape as the first bracket.
A wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, wherein a predetermined number of screws are alternately stacked while attaching the fingers by screwing mounting screws passed through the through holes into screw holes immediately below through the mounting holes of the fingers. Finger mounting structure for batch transfer robot arm.