JP4574453B2 - Substrate adsorption device, substrate support and substrate transfer device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate suction device provided on a substrate support for placing a substrate on an upper surface, and a substrate transport device using the same.

Liquid crystal panels and glass substrates (hereinafter collectively referred to as substrates) are becoming larger year by year, and transport devices that transport the substrates are also forced to deal with them. In other words, the substrate is extremely thin with respect to the size and easily bent, but a transfer device that transfers the substrate is required to have a technique for accurately fixing the large substrate.
For this reason, conventionally, in a substrate transfer apparatus that vacuum-adsorbs a substrate, the substrate surface is brought into contact with the pad through an elastic body that can move in the vertical direction, and the elastic body is made to have a negative pressure. A substrate adsorbing device that adsorbs to the surface was provided on the substrate support.
Furthermore, there is also known a substrate suction device in which measures are taken when the substrate is warped (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-10-86086

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of substrate inspection according to the invention described in Patent Document 1.
According to the invention described in Patent Document 1, the substrate on the mounting table can be reliably sucked and the hollow portion of the hollow suction pad 140 having the substrate sucking portion 141 can be realized with high accuracy and stable substrate inspection. A pad support member 150 made of an elastic member is inserted through the gap 160 to elastically support the suction pad 140 and to allow the suction pad 140 to move within a predetermined range. The pad support member 150 is held on the suction pad mounting portion 111 of the mounting table 110 using a presser frame body 180.
And operation | movement of this board | substrate adsorption | suction apparatus is as follows.
First, when the glass substrate G is supplied from above the mounting table 110, a plurality of substrates (only one is shown in the figure) in which the peripheral portion of the glass substrate G is provided at the peripheral edge in the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the mounting table 110, respectively. It is placed on the adsorption member 100. Then, when air is drawn by the vacuum pump 190 from this state, each substrate suction member 100 obtains air suction force to the suction portion 141 of the suction pad 140 via the pad support member 150, and the glass substrate G It is fixed on the mounting table 110 in a suction state.
Here, if the surface of the glass substrate G is completely flat, there is no problem because the surface of the glass substrate G is kept parallel to the surface of the mounting table 110. However, if the glass substrate G is warped, In this case, in the substrate suction member 100, the suction pad 140 having the suction portion 141 is supported by the pad support member 150, which is an elastic member, in the hollow portion, and the glass substrate G is inclined due to warping. Correspondingly, due to the deformation of the pad support member 150, the suction pad 140 can freely move within the gap 170 between the groove portion 112 of the mounting table 110 and the gap 171 between the hole portion 181 of the holding frame body 180 and the tip portion of the suction pad 140. Since it is inclined, the suction part 141 of the suction pad 140 is substantially parallel to the glass substrate G with respect to the warped surface of the glass substrate G, and the glass substrate G is excellent. Is deposited, it is that more is held in a state hardly disengaged adsorption by the elastic force of the pad supporting member 150.
As described above, according to the invention described in Patent Document 1, the glass substrate G is surely adsorbed and placed by the plurality of substrate adsorbing members 100 on the placing table 110 even when there is some warping. Therefore, it is possible to prevent focus deviation due to warping and vibration deviation of the substrate, and it is possible to inspect the glass substrate G in a stable state.

However, in the conventional invention described in Patent Document 1, although it is possible to follow the vertical direction and slight warping, the horizontal followability is insufficient and there is no self-recovery function. Due to the effects of thermal expansion and contraction, there was a problem that slippage occurred between the pad surface and the substrate surface, resulting in an adsorption error.
The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and even if the substrate is thermally expanded / contracted, the substrate adsorbing device that can reliably follow the substrate while adsorbing the substrate is used. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer device.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is configured as follows.
The invention described in claim 1 relates to a substrate suction device, and includes a recess 21a provided at the center, an intake passage 21b communicating from the center of the bottom of the recess 21a to the outside, and ball storage recesses 21c provided at a plurality of locations around the recess. Pad seat 21, a large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a, and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 22b connected to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a. A funnel-shaped elastic pad support 22 and a flange 23b around the lower portion. A substrate suction device having a cap shape composed of a bottom cylindrical portion 23a, a peripheral pad portion 23c extending 360 degrees around the upper portion, and a suction pad 23 having an intake hole 23d in the upper center. The ball 24 is stored in the ball storage recess 21c, and the pad support 22 is erected on the intake passage 21b with the small-diameter cylindrical portion 22b side facing up. The suction pad 23 is placed on the upper surface of the large and small diameter cylindrical portion 22a of the pad support 22, and the collar portion 23b of the suction pad 23 is placed on the ball 24 in this state, and The pad seat 21 is provided with a pad presser 25 that allows the suction pad 23 to move to some extent in the vertical and horizontal directions.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the substrate suction apparatus according to the first aspect, the pad support 22 is made of rubber.
The invention according to claim 3 relates to the substrate support, and is a substrate support provided with an intake pipe 28 provided with an opening 14a and extending to the opening 14a. The pad 23 is attached so as to protrude from the opening 14a, and the intake pipe 28 and the intake passage 21b are connected.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate transfer apparatus including a movable body, wherein the substrate support according to the third aspect is provided at a tip of the movable body.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate transfer apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the movable body is a robot arm.

The present invention has the following effects.
(1) According to the first to third aspects of the invention, since the pad of the substrate suction device can follow the movement in the horizontal direction, it is not affected by the thermal expansion / contraction of the substrate, and after the suction. No error occurs.
In addition, since the pad can move in the horizontal direction while adsorbing the substrate, even if the substrate contacts the peripheral structure, the impact can be absorbed by the movement of the pad, and damage to the substrate can be suppressed. .
(2) According to the inventions described in claims 4 and 5, the substrate transfer device such as a robot is not affected by the thermal expansion / contraction of the substrate and does not cause an error after adsorption. By providing the suction device, the substrate can be reliably transported not only in the temperature change of the substrate itself but also in an environment where there is a temperature change or the like.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<Example 1>
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a substrate suction apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
In the figure, the substrate suction device 20 is formed on the upper surfaces of the substrate supports 14 and 17, and includes a pad seat 21, a pad support 22, a suction pad 23, a ball 24 and a pad press 25 as follows. Yes.
The pad seat 21 has a recess 21a provided at the center, an intake passage 21b that communicates with the outside from the center of the bottom of the recess 21a, and ball storage recesses 21c provided at a plurality of locations around the recess 21a. The intake passage 21b communicates with an intake pipe 28 made of a tube or the like provided in the substrate supports 13 and 17. The intake pipe 28 is connected by a vacuum pump (not shown).
The pad support 22 is formed of an elastic body, and is formed in a funnel shape with a large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 22b connected to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a. A hole 22c and a bottom opening 22d are formed at the bottom.
The suction pad 23 is shaped like a hat (silk hat) consisting of a bottomed cylindrical portion 23a having a flange 23b around the lower portion, and a peripheral convex portion 23c extending 360 degrees around the upper portion, and inhaling at the upper center. By providing a hole 23d and sucking air into the cylindrical portion 23a from the upper intake hole 23d, the inner side of the peripheral convex portion 23c becomes negative pressure, and the glass substrate or the like K is reliably sucked and placed.
The ball 24 is housed in the ball housing recess 21c, on which the collar 23b of the suction pad 23 is placed.
Then, the side of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 22 b of the pad support 22 is erected on the intake passage 21 b of the pad seat 21, and the suction pad 23 is formed on the upper surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 22 a of the laid pad support 22. In this state, the lower portion of the flange portion 23b of the suction pad 23 is lightly placed on the ball 24.
The pad retainer 25 has an L-shaped cross section and is provided on the upper surface of the pad seat 21. The pad retainer 25 is opposed to the upper surface of the flange 23 b of the pad 23 via the gap t 1 and is formed on the cylindrical portion 23 a of the pad 23. It is placed opposite to the outer peripheral surface through a gap t2 larger than the gap t1, and the gaps t1 and t2 allow the suction pad 23 to move to some extent in the vertical and horizontal directions and prevent further movement. ing.
Although it is desirable to satisfy the expression t1 <t2 as described above, it does not necessarily mean that the expression t1 <t2 must be satisfied, but the expression t1 = t2 or the expression t1> t2. But of course it does n’t matter.
Reference numeral 26 denotes a pad support presser for pressing and supporting the bottom of the pad support 22 and having a T-shaped cross section and sharing the bottom opening 22d of the pad support 22 at the center.
Reference numeral 27 denotes a joint connecting the intake pipe 28 and the intake passage 21b.

<Example 2>
2 is a side view showing a substrate transfer apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the substrate transfer apparatus in FIG.
2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate transfer device composed of a robot or the like, 2 denotes a fixed base of the substrate transfer device 1, 3 denotes a vertical arm connected to the fixed base so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, 3a Is a link juxtaposed to the side of the vertical arm 3, 4 is a vertical arm pivotably connected to the vertical arm 3, 4 a is a link juxtaposed to the side of the vertical arm 4, The vertical arm 3 and the link 3a constitute a parallelogram link mechanism, and the vertical arm 4 and the link 4a constitute a parallelogram link mechanism. Reference numeral 5 denotes a horizontal arm support portion connected to the front end portion of the vertical arm 4 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and reference numeral 6 denotes a horizontal arm support portion connected to the upper surface of the horizontal arm support body 5 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. A horizontal arm 7 connected to the upper surface of the horizontal arm support 5 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and a horizontal arm 8 connected to the horizontal arm 7 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. ing. Similarly, a horizontal arm 9 is connected to the upper surface of the horizontal arm support 5 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and is a telescopic left arm, and is connected to the upper surface of the horizontal arm support 5 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. The arm 10 includes a horizontal arm 11 connected to the horizontal arm 10 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction. The right arm 6 and the left arm 9 are arranged side by side on the upper surface of the horizontal arm support 5. A hand 12 is connected to the tip of the right arm 6 so as to be pivotable in the horizontal direction, and includes a substrate support base 13 connected to the tip of the horizontal arm 8 so as to be pivotable in the horizontal direction, and the substrate support base 13. And a substrate support 14 attached to the substrate. Reference numeral 15 denotes a hand connected to the tip of the left arm 9 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and a substrate support base 16 connected to the tip of the horizontal arm 11 so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and the substrate support base 16. And a substrate support 17 attached to the substrate. The two substrate support bases 13 and 16 have different heights so as not to interfere with each other. Reference numeral 20 denotes a substrate suction device provided in plural in the openings 14a (FIG. 1) of the substrate supports 14 and 17.

In such a configuration, the substrate K is transferred by the substrate transfer apparatus 1 as follows, for example.
First, the height of the substrate supports 14 and 17 of the substrate transport apparatus 1 is adjusted by rotating the vertical arm 3 and the vertical arm 4 to expand and contract in the vertical direction. Even if the vertical arm 3 and the vertical arm 4 are rotated and expanded or contracted in the vertical direction, the horizontal arm support 5 does not tilt and is always kept horizontal by the parallelogram link mechanism.
Next, the right arm 6 (or the left arm 9, the same shall apply hereinafter) is extended, and the substrate support 14 (or the substrate support 17 and the same applies hereinafter) is, for example, formed on the lower surface of the substrate K in a substrate storage cassette (not shown). Opposing through. In this state, the vertical arm 3 and the vertical arm 4 are rotated and extended upward to raise the substrate support 14. By raising the substrate support 14, the substrate K is placed on the substrate suction device 20 of the substrate support 14. At this time, the substrate K is in contact with the upper portion of the pad 23 of the substrate suction device 20, and sucks and sucks the substrate K by sucking air from the suction holes 23d using a vacuum pump (not shown).
If the substrate K is thermally expanded after being sucked and adsorbed on the substrate support 14 and is displaced in the horizontal direction, the pad 23 in contact with the substrate K moves with the substrate K so as to roll the ball over the ball 24. Therefore, the adsorption of the pad 23 and the substrate K does not come off. When the thermal expansion of the substrate subsides, it returns to the original position.
When the substrate K is placed on the substrate support 14, the right arm 6 is contracted, and the substrate K is pulled out of the substrate storage cassette and moved backward.
When the right arm 6 moves rearward, the left arm 9 extends and enters the substrate storage cassette in the same manner as the right arm 6 and places the substrate K on the substrate support 17.
In the above embodiment, the substrate suction device 20 disposed on the substrate supports 14 and 17 is only configured so that the pad 23 can move in the horizontal direction. For example, at least the portion corresponding to the central portion of the substrate K is used. In one substrate suction apparatus, the pad may not be moved in the horizontal direction so that the substrate K does not move carelessly.

It is side sectional drawing which shows the board | substrate adsorption | suction apparatus in the Example of this invention. It is a side view which shows the board | substrate conveyance apparatus in Example 2 of this invention. It is a top view of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus in FIG. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of substrate inspection according to the invention described in Patent Document 1.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate conveyance apparatus 2 Fixed base 3 Vertical arm 3a Link 4 Vertical arm 4a Link 5 Horizontal arm support body 6 Right arm 7 Horizontal arm 8 Horizontal arm 9 Left arm 10 Horizontal arm 11 Horizontal arm 12 Hand 13 Substrate support base 14 Substrate support 15 Hand 16 Substrate support base 17 Substrate support 20 Substrate suction device 21 Pad seat 21a Recess 21b Intake passage 21c Ball storage recess 22 Pad support 22a Large diameter cylindrical portion 22b Small diameter cylindrical portion 22c Intake hole 22d Bottom opening 23 Suction pad 23a Bottomed cylindrical part 23b Collar 23c Peripheral convex part 23d Intake hole 24 Ball 25 Pad holder 26 Pad support holder 27 Joint 28 Intake pipe K Glass substrate etc. t1, t2 Clearance (t1 <t2)

Claims (5)

A pad seat 21 having a recess 21a provided in the center, an intake passage 21b communicating from the bottom center of the recess 21a to the outside, and ball receiving recesses 21c provided at a plurality of locations around the recess;
A funnel-shaped elastic pad support 22 comprising a large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a and a small-diameter cylindrical portion 22b connected to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a;
A suction pad 23 having a cap-like shape comprising a bottomed cylindrical portion 23a having a flange 23b around the lower portion, a peripheral convex portion 23c extending 360 ° around the upper portion, and an intake hole 23d at the upper center;
A substrate adsorbing device comprising:
The ball 24 is stored in the ball storage recess 21c,
The pad support 22 is erected on the intake passage 21b of the pad seat 21 with the small-diameter cylindrical portion 22b side facing the upper surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 22a of the pad support 22 erected. The suction pad 23 is placed, and in this state, the flange portion 23b of the suction pad 23 contacts the ball 24,
In addition, the substrate suction device is characterized in that the pad seat 21 is provided with a pad presser 25 that allows the suction pad 23 to move to some extent in the vertical and horizontal directions.   2. The substrate suction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pad support is made of rubber.   A substrate support provided with an intake pipe 28 provided with an opening 14a and extending to the opening 14a, wherein the substrate suction device according to claim 1 or 2 is attached so that the suction pad 23 protrudes from the opening 14a, and A substrate support characterized in that the intake pipe (28) and the intake passage (21b) are connected.   A substrate transfer apparatus comprising a movable body, wherein the substrate support according to claim 3 is provided at a tip of the movable body.   The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the movable body is a robot arm.

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