JP4042880B2 - Wafer transfer device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wafer conveyance device, and in particular, by causing a guide roller to contact a pillar supporting a hanger that conveys a wafer, the deflection of the pillar is prevented at the position where the hanger is lowered and the wafer is delivered. The present invention relates to a new improvement for improving the accuracy of positioning at the delivery position.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this type of wafer transfer device used, the column supporting the hanger is held only by the column holding block at the lower part of the fixed body and the guide hole at the upper part, and when the wafer is placed on the hanger. The column body slightly bent when it was not placed, but it was covered with the strength of the column and this deflection was allowed to some extent.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Since the conventional wafer transfer apparatus is configured as described above, the following problems exist.
In other words, when the wafer is placed on the hanger, the column body is slightly bent due to its weight, so the horizontal position of the hanger will be slightly shifted, and as the diameter of the wafer increases as in recent times, the weight also increases. Large, the amount of deflection is large, the position accuracy is lowered, and a problem occurs.
[0004]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and in particular, at a position where the hanger is lowered and the wafer is delivered by bringing the guide roller into contact with a pillar supporting the hanger that conveys the wafer. An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer device which prevents the deflection of the pillar and improves the accuracy of positioning at the delivery position of the hanger.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A wafer transfer device according to the present invention includes a columnar body or a solid body provided on a fixed body so as to be movable up and down via a driving means, and a hanger for placing a wafer on the top of the columnar body. In the wafer conveyance device, the guide roller provided at the upper end of the fixed body, and a contact portion that is formed only on the top of the pillar and is in contact with the guide roller, the hanger descends and the wafer delivery position The guide roller and the contact portion are in contact with each other, and the column body is supported by the guide roller.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a wafer transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
A reference numeral 1 in FIGS. 1 to 5 denotes a fixed body having a substantially box shape as a whole, and a driving means 2 including a vertical movement motor is provided at an upper position of the fixed body 1. A nut body 4 that moves up and down by means of a ball screw 3 that is rotatable by means 2 is provided in the fixed body 1.
[0007]
At a substantially central position of the fixed body 1, a cylindrical or solid, lightweight column 5 is provided so as to be movable up and down, and a fixed block 6 provided at a lower portion of the column 5 is connected to the nut body 4. The nut block 4 and the fixed block 6 and the column 5 can be moved up and down simultaneously.
[0008]
A guide roller 10 is fixedly provided at the upper end of the fixed body 1 and is configured such that when the column body 5 is lowered, a contact portion 11 formed only on the upper portion of the column body 5 is brought into contact. Has been. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the non-contact portion 12 and the contact portion 11, which are cut out in a stepped state with respect to the outer peripheral surface 5 a of the column body 5, are formed on the side portions of the column body 5. Is formed linearly along the axial direction. The contact portion 11 is formed to have the same outer diameter as the outer peripheral surface 5a, and the guide roller 10 contacts the contact portion 11 only when the column body 5 is lowered. The column 5 is pressed by the guide roller 10 and the deflection of the column 5 is removed. A hanger 15 for placing a wafer (not shown) is extended on the column body 5 in a direction perpendicular to the column body 5.
[0009]
Next, the operation will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, when the pillar 5 and the hanger are lowered downward via the driving means 2, as shown in FIG. 4, when the hanger 15 is positioned at the wafer delivery position, the contact portion 11, the guide roller 10 comes into contact, and only at this time, the column body 5 is pressed by the guide roller 10 to prevent deflection of the column body 5 due to the weight when the wafer is placed, and positioning at the time of wafer delivery The accuracy can be greatly improved as compared with the prior art.
[0010]
【The invention's effect】
Since the wafer transfer apparatus according to the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained. That is, when the pillar and the hanger are lowered and the hanger reaches the wafer delivery position, the contact portion of the pillar comes into contact with the guide roller and the pillar is pressed, so that the deflection of the pillar is prevented and the wafer is delivered. The positioning accuracy of the hanger with respect to the position can be greatly improved as compared with the prior art.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing a wafer transfer apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a left side view of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of FIG. 2;
4 is a front view of the column body of FIG. 1. FIG.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fixed body 2 Drive means 5 Column 10 Guide roller 11 Contact part 15 Hanger

Claims (1)

A column (5) made of a cylinder or a solid body provided on the fixed body (1) through a driving means (2) so as to be movable up and down, and a wafer for placing the wafer on the column (5). In a wafer transfer device comprising a hanger (15), the guide roller (10) provided at the upper end of the fixed body (1) and the guide roller (10 ) And the contact portion (11), the hanger (15) is lowered, the guide roller (10) and the contact portion (11) are in contact at the wafer delivery position, the column body (5) is the A wafer transfer device characterized in that it is supported by a guide roller (10).

Images