JP4319504B2 - Substrate transfer apparatus and substrate processing system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transport apparatus and a substrate processing system for transporting a substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer, in addition to a glass substrate for a flat display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), that is, an FPD substrate such as an LCD substrate. About.

  This type of substrate transfer apparatus is used to transfer a substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or an FPD substrate in each process for manufacturing a semiconductor device or a semiconductor device, for example. As a substrate transfer device, one having an articulated arm portion in which a plurality of arms are pivotably connected is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  A conventional substrate transfer apparatus having such an articulated arm portion is shown in FIGS. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a substrate processing system, and FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a substrate transfer apparatus. FIG. 13 is a view of the substrate transfer apparatus as viewed from the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a diagram for explaining the operation during substrate conveyance.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the substrate processing system includes an airtight transfer chamber 10 and a process chamber 20 connected to the transfer chamber 10 via a gate valve 22. A substrate transfer device 30 is disposed in the transfer chamber 10. As shown in FIG. 13, the substrate transport apparatus 30 includes a lower transport body 40 and an upper transport body 50 that are respectively disposed on a base (not shown). The substrate transfer device 30 is rotatable as a whole, and each transfer body 40, 50 is configured to be extendable and retractable independently.

  The lower conveyance body 40 includes a pair of first arms 44 that are driven by a motor 42 via a drive shaft 43, and a pair of second arms 46 that are pivotally connected to the first arms 44 via a shaft 45. Each of the second arms 46 is pivotally connected via a shaft 47 and includes a lower pick section 48 for supporting the substrate L to be processed.

  The upper transport body 50 includes a pair of first arms 54 that are driven by a motor 52 via a drive shaft 53, a pair of second arms 56 that are pivotally connected to the first arms 54 via a shaft 55, and a second arm 56, respectively. The two arms 56 are pivotally connected by shafts 57 and 59 via a pick support arm 60 and have an upper pick portion 58 for supporting the substrate L to be processed.

  The pick support arm 60 of the upper transport body 50 is formed in a U-shape, and the upper pick part 58 is arranged above the lower pick part 48 beyond the lower pick part 48 and the substrate L to be processed. Yes.

  In the transport apparatus having such a configuration, for example, when the upper transport body 50 unloads the substrate L to be processed from the processing chamber 20, the arms 54 and 56 are extended by the motor 52 as shown in FIG. Then, the upper pick part 58 is inserted into the processing chamber 20 through the gate valve 22. Then, when the substrate to be processed L is supported by the upper pick portion 58, the arms 54 and 56 are contracted as shown in FIG. Similarly, the lower-stage transport body 40 can extend and retract the arms 54 and 56 so that the lower pick section 48 can be taken in and out of the processing chamber and the substrate L to be processed can be carried in and out. FIG. 12 shows a state where the lower transport body 40 is located in the transport chamber 10 and the upper transport body 50 is located in the processing chamber 20.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-148410

  By the way, the dimension of a substrate to be processed, for example, an FPD glass substrate, is considerably larger than that of a commercially available FPD. Furthermore, in recent years, as the size of the FPD itself has increased, the dimensions of the FPD glass substrate have become increasingly larger. Thus, as the FPD glass substrate increases in size, it is necessary to enlarge each pick portion of the substrate transfer apparatus.

  However, since the multi-stage substrate transport apparatus as described above is configured to support the upper pick part 58 across the lower pick part 48 by the pick support arm 60, the pick support arm 60 is increased as the FPD glass substrate becomes larger. Must also be enlarged. Increasing the size of the pick support arm 60 increases the weight and requires an arrangement space. Furthermore, since it is necessary to ensure the rigidity of each arm that supports the pick support arm 60, the entire substrate transfer apparatus is increased in size.

  In the substrate transfer apparatus as shown in FIGS. 12 to 14, the pick support arm 60 is higher than the height of the gate valve 22, and therefore cannot be inserted into the gate valve 22 as shown in FIG. For this reason, it is necessary to increase the length M on the proximal end side of the pick portion 58. As the length M on the proximal end side of the pick portion 58 is increased, the support portion of the substrate L to be processed is rotated from the center of rotation when the arm contracts and rotates to change the transport direction as shown in FIG. The distance to the tip of the substrate or the distance to the tip corner of the substrate L to be processed is increased, and the turning radius is increased. Accordingly, when the substrate transfer apparatus is installed in the transfer chamber 10, a large space for the rotation is required, which increases the size of the transfer chamber 10 and increases the size and cost of the entire substrate processing system. There was a problem.

  Furthermore, since the pick support arm 60 has a cantilever support structure, the deflection of the tip of the upper pick portion 58 when the arms 54 and 56 are extended increases. In particular, the deflection of the tip of the upper pick portion 58 increases as the pick support arm 60 increases in size.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object of the present invention is to prevent the substrate transfer apparatus itself and the transfer chamber from increasing in size even if the substrate to be processed is increased in size. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus that can suppress an increase in a space for turning for changing the transfer direction, and can also suppress deflection of the tip of a pick part.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate transfer apparatus including a transfer body for transferring a substrate to be processed, and the transfer body is attached to a support base so as to freely advance and retreat in one direction. A sliding support member, a pick part for supporting the substrate to be processed, which is supported by the sliding support member so as to be slidable in the same direction as the sliding support member, and with respect to the sliding support member The substrate transport apparatus is provided with an arm mechanism for advancing and retreating the pick portion and advancing and retreating the sliding support member relative to the support base.

  In order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate processing system including a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed, and a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber via a gate valve. A substrate transfer device including a transfer body for transferring the substrate to be processed into and out of the process chamber in the transfer chamber, and the transfer body is mounted on a support base that is pivotally disposed in the transfer chamber. A sliding support member attached to be freely movable in one direction, and a pick part for supporting the substrate to be processed, supported by the sliding support member so as to be slidable in the same direction as the sliding support member. A substrate processing system comprising: an arm mechanism for advancing and retracting the pick portion relative to the sliding support member and advancing and retracting the sliding support member relative to the support base. . The carrier may be configured to insert and remove the entire pick portion from the gate valve when the substrate to be processed is carried into and out of the processing chamber.

  The arm mechanism according to the first aspect and the second aspect includes a pair of drive arms connected to a drive source, a pair of driven arms connecting the pair of drive arms and the pick portion, and the pair of pairs. You may make it provide a pair of connection arm which connects a drive arm and the said sliding support member. Further, a plurality of the above-mentioned transport bodies may be provided, and the transport bodies may be respectively attached to a plurality of support bases arranged vertically.

  In the present invention according to the first and second aspects as described above, the pick portion of the transport body can be advanced and retracted along the sliding support member, and at the same time, the sliding support member is also advanced and retracted with respect to the support base. Can be made. As a result, the pick portion can be moved forward and backward with respect to the support base by a length corresponding to the movement distance on the sliding support member plus the movement distance of the sliding support member.

  In addition, the pick portion according to the present invention is not supported only by the arm mechanism as in the prior art, but is supported by the sliding support member, so that the substrate to be processed becomes larger and a larger weight is added to the pick portion. However, an increase in the size of the arm mechanism can be suppressed, and an increase in the size of the substrate transfer device itself and the transfer chamber can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the pick part is supported by the sliding support member, the deflection of the tip of the pick part when the pick part moves in the most forward direction is suppressed compared to the case where it is supported only by the arm mechanism as in the past. be able to.

  Further, as in the present invention according to the second aspect, even if a plurality of the transport bodies are provided and the transport bodies are respectively attached to a plurality of support bases arranged in parallel above and below, Since it is supported by the sliding support member, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of each arm mechanism. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a pick support arm that supports the upper transport body across the lower pick section of the lower transport body as in the prior art. As a result, the entire pick portion can be inserted into the processing chamber via the gate valve, and the base end portion of the pick portion does not have to be enlarged in order to attach the pick support arm as in the prior art. Therefore, since the pick part can be retracted in a more compact state than before, an increase in the space for turning for changing the conveyance direction can be suppressed.

  The arm mechanism according to the first and second aspects further includes a parallel arm disposed so as to constitute a parallel link mechanism with the driven arm, and a driven arm side fixed to a tip of the driven arm. A gear and a parallel arm side gear fixed to the tip of the parallel arm and meshing with the driven arm side gear may be provided. According to this, when the drive arm rotates, the parallel arm also rotates at the same rotation angle. For this reason, since the parallel arm side gear is fixed to the parallel arm, it rotates according to the rotation of the parallel arm. The rotation of the parallel arm side gear is transmitted to the driven arm via the driven arm side gear. As a result, the driven arm can only rotate in the direction regulated by the parallel arm side gear and the driven arm side gear, so that it is possible to avoid dead center in the arm mechanism. Thereby, the pick part can be reliably advanced and retracted by driving the drive arm.

  As described above, according to the present invention, even if the substrate to be processed is enlarged, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the substrate transfer apparatus itself or the transfer chamber, and to increase the space for turning for changing the transfer direction. It is possible to provide a substrate transfer apparatus and a substrate processing system that can suppress the deflection of the tip of the pick portion and further suppress the deflection of the pick portion.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the overall configuration of a substrate transfer apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view of the substrate transport apparatus 100 as viewed from the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the support base is shown in cross section so that the internal structure can be seen.

  The substrate transport apparatus 100 is a transport apparatus having a multi-stage structure that includes a pick unit for supporting a substrate to be processed vertically. The substrate transfer apparatus 100 is applied to a substrate processing system as shown in FIG. The substrate processing system includes an airtight transfer chamber 120 and a process chamber 140 connected to the transfer chamber 120 via a gate valve 142. The substrate transfer apparatus 100 is disposed in the transfer chamber 120.

  In the transfer chamber 120, a support base 110 of the substrate transfer apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. The outer shape of the support base 110 is a shape in which a square tube is placed horizontally, and a pair of opposing sides is longer than the other sides. The upper plate constituting the longer side of the support base 110 is referred to as an upper step portion 112, and the lower plate is referred to as a lower step portion 114. Further, the support base 110 is hollow, and a transmission mechanism of arm driving means described later is accommodated in the internal space.

  An upper transport body 200 is attached to the upper stage portion 112 of the support base 110, and a lower transport body 400 is attached to the lower stage section 114. Each of the upper transport body 200 and the lower transport body 400 includes a pick unit 220 for supporting the substrate L to be processed. The pick portion 220 is formed with a plurality of picks 224 extending from the base end portion 222 toward the tip end. The substrate to be processed L is placed on the pick 224. In this embodiment, four picks 224 are formed, but the number of picks is not limited to this.

  The pick part 220 is slidably attached along the sliding support member 210 to the sliding support member 210 attached to the support base 110. The sliding support member 210 is formed in a square bar shape, for example, but is not limited to this shape. For example, it may be formed in a rectangular tube shape or an ellipse shape.

  The sliding support member 210 is slidably attached to the support base 110 in the same direction as the movement direction of the pick portion 220. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a guide member 225 provided below the base end portion 222 of the pick portion 220 is guided along a rail 214 provided on the sliding support member 210. As a result, the pick part 220 moves on the sliding support member 210. Further, the guide member 215 provided on the lower side of the sliding support member 210 is guided along the rail 115 provided on the support base 110, so that the slide support member 210 is relative to the support base 110. Moving.

  Accordingly, the pick unit 220 of the upper transport body 200 can move forward and backward in one direction in the horizontal plane, and the pick section 220 of the lower transport body 400 is the same as the upper transport body 200 in a horizontal plane different from the upper transport body 200. Can move forward and backward in the direction. In addition, the pick part 220 and the sliding support member 210 of each conveyance body 200 and 400 are driven by the arm mechanism mentioned later.

  Here, the arm mechanisms of the upper transport body 200 and the lower transport body 400 will be described with reference to the drawings. Since the arm mechanisms of the upper transport body 200 and the lower transport body 400 have the same configuration, the same reference numerals are given to portions having similar functions, and the arm mechanism of the upper transport body 200 will be described as a representative. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the arm mechanism of the upper transport body 200, as viewed from above in FIG. In FIG. 3, the pick portion 220 is indicated by a two-dot chain line for easy understanding of the configuration of the arm mechanism. 4 is a view as seen from the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the arm mechanism of the upper transport body 200 includes a pair of drive arms 234 to which the drive force from the motor 202 shown in FIG. 2 is transmitted, and these drive arms 234 via shafts 233, respectively. A pair of driven arms (pick unit drive arms) 232 that are rotatably connected are provided. More specifically, the base end portion of each drive arm 234 is supported by the support base 110 via the drive shaft 310. The distal end of each driven arm 232 is rotatably connected to the base end portion 222 of the pick portion 220 via a shaft 231.

  Further, each drive arm 234 of the upper transport body 200 is connected to the slide support member 210 via a pair of connection arms (slide support member drive arms) 236. Specifically, one end of each connecting arm 236 is rotatably connected to an intermediate portion of the drive arm 234 via a shaft 235, and the other end of each connecting arm 236 is provided to protrude from the side surface of the sliding support member 210. The mounting portion 212 is rotatably connected via a shaft 237.

  As the drive arm 234 rotates about the drive shaft 310, the pick unit 220 can move forward and backward with respect to the slide support member 210 via the driven arm 232, and also supports the slide support member 210. The base 110 can be advanced and retracted. Thus, since the sliding support member 210 on which the pick part 220 is mounted can also advance and retreat, the pick part 220 moves forward and backward beyond the length that can be expanded and contracted by the drive arm 234 and the driven arm 232 with respect to the support base 110. be able to.

  Next, arm driving means for driving the arm mechanisms of the transporters 200 and 400 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the arm driving means of the upper conveyance body 200, and FIG. 5 (b) shows the configuration of the arm driving means. FIG. 5 (a) shows the configuration of the upper drive transmission mechanism 340 shown in FIG. 5 (b), and FIG. 5 (c) shows the configuration of the lower drive transmission mechanism 320 shown in FIG. 5 (b). is there. FIGS. 5A and 5C are views of the upper drive transmission mechanism 340 and the lower drive transmission mechanism 320 as viewed from below. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the arm driving means and the arm mechanism. FIG. 7 is a view for explaining arm driving means of the lower conveyance body 400.

  First, the arm driving means of the upper conveyance body 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. The arm driving means of the upper conveyance body 200 is driven by the motor 202 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the arm drive means includes a lower drive transmission mechanism 320 that transmits rotational motion by the drive shaft 204 of the motor 202, and an upper drive transmission mechanism that is connected to the lower drive transmission mechanism 320 via a shaft 360. 340 and a gear mechanism 311 that transmits the rotational motion from the upper drive transmission mechanism 340 to each drive arm 234. The arm driving means of the upper conveyance body 200 is housed in the internal space of the support base 110 as shown in FIG. For example, the lower drive transmission mechanism 320 is accommodated in the inner space of the lower step portion 114 of the support base 110, and the upper drive transmission mechanism 340 is accommodated in the inner space of the upper step portion 112 of the support base 110. The shaft 360 that connects the lower drive transmission mechanism 320 and the upper drive transmission mechanism 340 is housed in an internal space on one side that connects the lower step portion 114 and the upper step portion 112 of the support base 110.

  As shown in FIG. 5C, the lower drive transmission mechanism 320 is connected to, for example, a disc 330 that rotates about the drive shaft 204 of the motor 202, and a pair of parallel links 322 to the disc 330. A disk 362 is provided. These discs 330 and 362 and each parallel link 322 constitute a parallel link mechanism.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the upper drive transmission mechanism 340 includes, for example, a disk 364 that transmits the rotational motion of the disk 362 via a shaft 360, and a pair of parallel links 342 to the disk 364. A gear 312 is connected. These discs 364, gears 312 and parallel links 342 constitute a parallel link mechanism.

  The gear mechanism 311 transmits rotational motion so that the rotational directions of the drive arms 234 are reversed. Specifically, for example, the gear mechanism 311 includes two gears 312 having the same diameter and two gears 314 having the same diameter meshing between the gears 312 as shown in FIG. Each gear 312 is connected to the base end portion of each drive arm 234 via each drive shaft 310. Note that the shape, size, number, arrangement, and the like of each gear in the gear mechanism 311 are not limited to those described in this embodiment. For example, the number of gears 314 arranged in the middle of the gear 312 is not limited to two as long as it is plural, and the arrangement of these gears 314 may not necessarily be arranged on the same straight line.

  By the arm driving means of the upper conveyance body 200 having such a configuration, the rotational movement of the drive shaft 204 of the motor 202 is transmitted from the disk 330 to the disk 362 via the parallel link 322. The rotational motion of the disc 362 is transmitted to the disc 364 via the shaft 360, and the rotational motion of the disc 364 is transmitted to the gear 312 via the parallel link 342, and the gears 312 rotate in the direction of solid arrows. When the gear 312 rotates in the direction of the solid arrow in this manner, the drive arm 234 rotates in the direction of the solid arrow as shown in FIG. 6, so that the pick unit 220 is moved along the sliding support member 210 by the driven arm 232. Move to (advance direction). At the same time, the sliding support member 210 also moves in the direction of the solid arrow with respect to the support base 110 by the connecting arm 236.

  On the other hand, if the motor 202 is rotated reversely to the above, the drive shaft 204 of the motor 202 rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow as shown in FIG. 5, so that the lower drive transmission mechanism 320, the upper drive transmission mechanism 340, Each gear mechanism 311 is driven in the direction of the dotted arrow. As a result, the drive arm 234 rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow as shown in FIG. 6, so that the pick unit 220 moves in the direction of the dotted arrow along the sliding support member 210 by the driven arm 232. At the same time, the sliding support member 210 also moves in the direction of the dotted arrow (retracted direction) with respect to the support base 110 by the connecting arm 236.

  Next, arm driving means for driving the arm mechanism of the lower conveyance body 400 will be described with reference to FIG. The arm driving means of the lower conveyance body 400 is driven by a motor 402 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the arm driving means includes a gear mechanism 311 that transmits the rotational motion of the motor 402 from the driving shaft 404 to each driving arm 234. This gear mechanism 311 is the same as that of the arm driving means of the upper conveyance body 200. Each gear 312 of the lower conveyance body 400 is connected to the base end portion of each drive arm 234 via each drive shaft 310.

  With the arm driving means of the lower conveyance body 400 having such a configuration, the rotational motion of the drive shaft 404 of the motor 402 is transmitted to the gear 312 so that the gears 312 rotate in the directions of solid arrows. When the gear 312 rotates in the direction of the solid line arrow in this manner, the drive arm 234 rotates in the direction of the solid line arrow as in the case shown in FIG. 6, so that the pick unit 220 is moved along the sliding support member 210 by the driven arm 232. Move in the direction of the arrow (advance direction). At the same time, the sliding support member 210 also moves in the direction of the solid arrow with respect to the support base 110 by the connecting arm 236.

  On the other hand, if the motor 402 is rotated in the reverse direction, the drive shaft 404 of the motor 402 rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow as shown in FIG. 7, so that each gear 312 is driven in the direction of the dotted arrow. As a result, the drive arm 234 rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow as in the case shown in FIG. 6, so that the pick unit 220 moves in the direction of the dotted arrow along the sliding support member 210 by the driven arm 232. At the same time, the sliding support member 210 also moves in the direction of the dotted arrow (retracted direction) with respect to the support base 110 by the connecting arm 236.

  According to the arm driving means according to the present embodiment as described above, the moving distance of the pick units 220 with respect to the support base 110 of the transporters 200 and 400 is the distance that the pick unit 220 moves by the driven arm 232 and the sliding support. The distance to which the member 210 moves by the connecting arm 236 is added. That is, with the configuration according to the present embodiment, the pick unit 220 can be moved by a longer distance than in the case of only the drive arm 234 and the driven arm 232.

  Next, the operation of the transporters 200 and 400 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are action explanatory views showing the operations of the respective carriers 200 and 400. FIG. FIGS. 8A to 8D show a configuration only below the center line (shown by a one-dot chain line) of the sliding support member 210 as shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows the overall operation.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the drive arm 234 is positioned in the leftmost direction, the pick unit 220 is in the most retracted state. In this state, the substrate to be processed L (indicated by a two-dot chain line) is carried into the transfer chamber 120. Further, in this state, the support base 110 rotates in the transfer chamber 120, so that the direction in which the transfer bodies 200 and 400 are advanced and retracted can be changed. In addition, the circle shown with the dashed-two dotted line in Fig.9 (a) shows the locus | trajectory of the turning radius of the upper stage conveyance body 200 (or the lower stage conveyance body 400).

  For example, when the upper conveyance body 200 is driven in the forward direction from the state shown in FIG. 9A, the motor 202 is driven in the direction of the solid line arrow shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D, the drive arm 234 rotates in the direction of the solid arrow. Thus, the driven arm 232 moves the shaft 231 in the direction of the solid arrow, the pick portion 220 moves in the forward direction with respect to the sliding support member 210, and the connecting arm 236 moves the shaft 237 in the direction of the solid arrow, As the sliding support member 210 moves in the advance direction relative to the support base 110, the pick portion 220 further moves in the advance direction.

  Thus, the pick section 220 of the upper transport body 200 enters the processing chamber 140 from the transport chamber 120 via the gate valve 142 as shown in FIG. 9B. As shown in FIG. 9C, when the drive arm 234 is positioned in the rightmost direction, the pick unit 220 is in the most advanced state. In this state, the substrate to be processed L can be supported by the pick unit 220. When unloading the substrate L to be processed from the processing chamber 140, the motor 202 rotates in the reverse direction. Thereby, the upper conveyance body 200 becomes a state shown in the order of FIGS. 8D, 8C, 8B, and 8A, and moves in the direction opposite to the solid arrow direction. Thus, the state shown in FIG. 9A is obtained, and the substrate L to be processed is carried out.

  In such an embodiment, the pick part 220 of the transport bodies 200 and 400 can be advanced and retracted along the sliding support member 210, and at the same time, the sliding support member 210 is also advanced and retracted relative to the support base 110. Can do. As a result, the pick part 220 can be moved forward and backward with respect to the support base 110 by a length corresponding to the movement distance of the sliding support member 210 plus the movement distance of the sliding support member.

  In addition, the pick portion according to the present invention is not supported only by the arm mechanism as in the prior art, but is supported by the sliding support member 210, so that the substrate L to be processed is enlarged and a larger weight is applied to the pick portion 220. Even when it is added, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the arm mechanism, and it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the substrate transfer device itself and the transfer chamber 120.

  In addition, since the pick part 220 is supported by the sliding support member 210, as compared with the case where it is supported only by the arm mechanism as in the prior art, the tip of the pick part 220 when the pick part 220 moves in the most forward direction. Deflection can be suppressed.

  Further, even if a plurality of transport bodies 200 and 400 are respectively attached to a plurality of stages of support bases 110 arranged vertically, the pick portions 220 of the transport bodies 200 and 400 are supported by the sliding support members 210. Therefore, the enlargement of each arm mechanism can be suppressed. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a pick support arm 60 that supports the upper picker 48 across the lower pick part 48 of the lower carrier 40 as in the conventional case. As a result, the entire pick portion can be inserted into the processing chamber 140 via the gate valve 142, and it is not necessary to enlarge the base end portion of the pick portion in order to attach the pick support arm as in the prior art. Therefore, since the pick part 220 can be retracted in a more compact state than in the prior art, the turning radius can be further reduced as shown in the locus of the turning radius indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Thereby, the increase in the space for turning for changing a conveyance direction can be suppressed.

  Next, a modified example of the arm mechanism of each of the transport bodies 200 and 400 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the arm mechanism shown in FIG. 3 as described above, when the drive arm 234 is driven as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the pick portion 220 is advanced and retracted by the driven arm 232. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9B, the driving arm 234 and the driven arm 232 instantaneously overlap each other during the driving of the arm mechanism, and the driven arm 232 can rotate about the shaft 231 in either direction. That is, there is a state that becomes a thought point (dead point). In this state, if the drive arm 234 rotates at a speed higher than a predetermined speed, the driven arm 232 can win the dead point, and the driven arm 232 and the connecting arm 236 can operate as shown in FIG. it can.

  However, when the drive arm 234 moves slowly, for example, in the state shown in FIG. 9B and cannot overcome the dead point, the driven arm 232 is driven as shown in FIG. 9B, for example. If it overlaps with 234 instantaneously, it will drive with the drive arm 234 with overlapping, and the pick part 220 will not be able to move to the state shown in FIG. 9C.

  Therefore, in the arm mechanism shown in FIG. 10, the parallel arm 532 is arranged in parallel with each drive arm 234 in the arm mechanism shown in FIG. 3 to form a parallel link mechanism, and the driven arm 232 and the parallel arm 532 are connected to the driven arm side gear. 510 and the parallel arm side gear 520 are connected to restrict the rotation direction of the driven arm 232 so that a thought point (dead point) does not occur in the arm mechanism.

  Specifically, the arm mechanism shown in FIG. 10 has parallel arms 532 arranged in parallel with the drive arms 234. A base end of the parallel arm 532 is rotatably connected to the support base 110 via a shaft 531. The parallel arm 532 is connected to the drive arm 234 via the connection member 540 in the middle of the longitudinal direction. The connection member 540 is rotatably connected to the drive arm 234 via the shaft 542, and the connection member 540 is rotatably connected to the parallel arm 532 via the shaft 544. Thus, the drive arm 234 and the parallel arm 532 constitute a parallel link mechanism with the connection member 540 and the support base 110.

  Furthermore, a driven arm side gear 510 centered on the shaft 233 is fixed to the distal end of the driven arm 232 in the arm mechanism shown in FIG. 10, and the parallel arm side centered on the shaft 533 is fixed to the distal end of the parallel arm 532. A gear 520 is fixed. The driven arm side gear 510 and the parallel arm side gear 520 are configured to have the same diameter, for example, and mesh with each other. The sizes of the driven arm side gears 510 and 520 are not limited to those shown in FIG.

  In the arm mechanism having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the drive arm 234 is driven, the parallel arm 532 is also driven by the same rotation angle as that of the drive arm. At this time, the parallel arm side gear 520 fixed to the parallel arm 532 also rotates according to the rotation of the parallel arm 532. The rotation of the parallel arm side gear 520 is transmitted to the driven arm 232 via the driven arm side gear 510. As a result, the driven arm 232 can rotate only in the direction regulated by the driven arm side gears 510 and 520 around the shaft 231, so that no dead center occurs in the arm mechanism. That is, even after the drive arm 234 and the driven arm 232 are momentarily overlapped with each other through the state shown in FIG. 11B, the state shown in FIG. Thus, according to the arm mechanism shown in FIG. 10, even if the drive arm 234 is driven slowly, the pick part 220 can be reliably moved to the state shown in FIG.

  The shafts 231, 233, 235, 237, 310, 360, 404, 531, 533, 542, and 544 in the arm mechanism of each of the transport bodies 200 and 400 may be supported by the arms by bearings or the like. Good. Further, a cover that covers the lower transport body 400 may be provided between the lower transport body 400 and the upper transport body 200. With this cover, it is possible to prevent particles or the like dropped from the upper transport body 200 from adhering to the lower transport body 400.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to the example which concerns. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are of course within the technical scope of the present invention. Understood.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the transport apparatus provided with the upper and lower transport bodies 200 and 400 as the transport body has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a single transport body is attached to the support base. It may be a thing, and you may make it provide a conveyance body 3 steps | paragraphs or more.

  Further, the arm mechanism of the transport apparatus to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and the pick unit 220 can advance and retreat on the sliding support member 210, and the sliding support member 210 Any structure that can advance and retreat with respect to the support base 110 may be used. A plurality of the sliding support members 210 may be provided. In this case, the sliding support members 210 may be arranged side by side on the support base 110. However, as shown in the present embodiment, by constituting each arm (twin arm) provided for each pair, the advancing and retreating operation of the pick part 220 is more stable, and the pick part 220 can be firmly supported.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the plasma etching apparatus has been described as an example of the semiconductor processing apparatus. However, the present invention can also be applied to other processing apparatuses such as a film forming apparatus and an ashing apparatus. Further, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer instead of an FPD substrate as a substrate to be processed. In the above embodiment, the semiconductor wafer is described as an example of the object to be processed. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this, and the object to be processed is for flat display (FPD) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The glass substrate may be an FPD substrate such as an LCD substrate.

  The present invention is applicable to a substrate transfer apparatus and a substrate processing system for transferring a substrate to be processed such as a semiconductor substrate.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the conveying apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the conveying apparatus concerning the embodiment, and is seen from the arrow direction shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the arm mechanism of the conveyance body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the arm mechanism of the conveyance body concerning the embodiment, and is the figure seen from the arrow direction of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the arm drive means in the arm mechanism of the upper stage conveying body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a part of arm mechanism and arm drive means of the upper stage conveying body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the arm drive means in the arm mechanism of the lower stage conveying body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the arm mechanism of the conveyance body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the whole arm mechanism of the conveyance body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the modification of the arm mechanism in each conveyance body concerning the embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of the arm mechanism shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the structure of the conventional conveying apparatus. It is a figure explaining the structure of the conventional conveying apparatus, and is the figure seen from the arrow direction of FIG. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of the conventional conveying apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Substrate transfer apparatus 110 Support base 112 Upper stage part 114 Lower stage part 115 Rail 120 Transfer chamber 140 Processing chamber 142 Gate valve 200 Upper transfer body 202 Motor 204 Drive shaft 210 Sliding support member 212 Mounting part 214 Rail 215 Guide member 220 Pick part 222 Base end portion 225 Guide member 224 Pick 231 shaft 232 driven arm 233 shaft 234 drive arm 236 coupling arm 237 shaft 310 drive shaft 311 gear mechanism 312 gear 314 gear 320 lower drive transmission mechanism 322 parallel link 330 disc 362 disc 340 upper drive Transmission mechanism 342 Parallel link 360 Axis 362 Disc 364 Disc 400 Lower conveyance body 402 Motor 404 Drive shaft 510 Drive arm side gear 520 Parallel arm side gear 532 Parallel arm L Substrate to be processed

Claims (6)

A plurality of support bases arranged side by side vertically;
A plurality of transport bodies that are respectively attached to the support base and transport the substrate to be processed;
With
The carrier is
A sliding support member attached to the support base so as to freely advance and retract in one direction;
A pick part for supporting the substrate to be processed, supported by the sliding support member so as to be slidable in the same direction as the sliding support member;
With advancing and retracting the pick relative to the sliding support member, and an arm mechanism for advancing and retracting the sliding support member relative to the support base,
A substrate transfer apparatus. The arm mechanism is
A pair of drive arms connected to the drive source;
A pair of driven arms connecting the pair of drive arms and the pick unit, respectively;
A pair of connecting arms that respectively connect the pair of drive arms and the sliding support member;
The substrate transport apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a. The arm mechanism further includes:
A parallel arm arranged to form a parallel link mechanism with the drive arm;
A driven arm side gear fixed to the tip of the driven arm;
A parallel arm side gear fixed to a tip of the parallel arm and meshing with the driven arm side gear;
The substrate transport apparatus of claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a. A substrate processing system comprising a processing chamber for processing a substrate to be processed, and a transfer chamber connected to the processing chamber via a gate valve,
A substrate transfer device including a transfer body for transferring the substrate to be processed into and out of the process chamber in the transfer chamber;
The transport body has a sliding support member attached to a support base that is pivotably disposed in the transport chamber so as to be able to advance and retreat in one direction, and the sliding support member has the same direction as the forward / backward direction of the sliding support member. And a pick part for supporting the substrate to be processed, and the pick part is advanced and retracted relative to the sliding support member, and the sliding support member is advanced and retracted relative to the support base. An arm mechanism for, when the substrate to be processed is carried into and out of the processing chamber, the entire pick portion is inserted into the gate valve,
A substrate processing system. The arm mechanism is
A pair of drive arms connected to the drive source;
A pair of driven arms connecting the pair of drive arms and the pick unit, respectively;
A pair of connecting arms that respectively connect the pair of drive arms and the sliding support member;
The substrate processing system of claim 4, characterized in that it comprises a. The arm mechanism further includes:
A parallel arm arranged to form a parallel link mechanism with the drive arm;
A driven arm side gear fixed to the tip of the driven arm;
A parallel arm side gear fixed to a tip of the parallel arm and meshing with the driven arm side gear;
The substrate processing system of claim 5, characterized in that it comprises a.

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