JP4589198B2 - Work conveying apparatus, image forming apparatus including the same, and work conveying method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a workpiece conveying apparatus and method for conveying a workpiece such as a printed wiring board, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that forms an image by exposing a drawing area of a workpiece with a light beam modulated based on image information. .

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a laser exposure apparatus as an image forming apparatus that forms a wiring pattern on a printed wiring board (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “workpiece” or “substrate material”). This laser exposure apparatus is provided with a stage for mounting (loading) a printed wiring board to be subjected to image exposure, and the stage is moved along a predetermined conveyance path.

  Specifically, first, the printed wiring board is positioned and placed on the upper surface of the stage, and is sucked and held on the stage by sucking air from a large number of holes provided on the upper surface of the stage. The When the printed wiring board is attracted and held on the stage, the stage moves in the sub-scanning direction at a predetermined speed, and at a predetermined measurement position, an alignment hole (hereinafter referred to as an “alignment mark” provided in the printed wiring board). Is imaged by a CCD camera. Then, the alignment process for the image information is executed by coordinate-transforming the drawing target area in the drawing coordinate system in accordance with the position of the printed wiring board obtained by the imaging.

  After execution of the alignment process, the printed circuit board on the stage is modulated on the basis of image information at a predetermined exposure position and is formed on the upper surface by a laser beam deflected in the main scanning direction by a polygon mirror. The coating film is scanned and exposed. Thereby, an image (latent image) based on the image information (corresponding to the wiring pattern) is formed in a predetermined area (drawing area) on the printed wiring board.

The printed wiring board on which the image (latent image) is formed is taken out (unloaded) from the stage after the stage returns to the initial position, and the stage from which the printed wiring board has been removed is The process proceeds to a process of exposing a printed wiring board (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-338432 A

  In such a laser exposure apparatus, a printed wiring board having a relatively thin thickness (for example, a thickness of less than 1 mm) may be exposed. In this case, if the suction force by air is strong, the substrate is adsorbed so as to wave on the stage, and the peripheral portion thereof is lifted. Therefore, in this case, for example, a jig or the like that supplementarily holds the peripheral edge of the printed wiring board is provided.

  However, even if such a jig is provided, it is necessary to efficiently carry in and out of the substrate from the stage. That is, even if such a jig is provided, it is desirable to prevent the production efficiency of the printed wiring board from being reduced as much as possible.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a jig that can fix the peripheral edge of a workpiece on the stage, a workpiece conveyance device and method that can efficiently supply the workpiece onto the stage, and further, the workpiece conveyance device. It is an object to obtain an image forming apparatus provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1 according to the present invention includes a first suction unit that sucks a workpiece placed on a carry-in portion with a plurality of suction devices and transports the workpiece to a stage. A second suction unit that sucks the work on the stage with a plurality of suction devices and conveys the work to the carry-out unit; and is set on the stage to seal the peripheral part of the work and remove the peripheral part of the work A fixing jig formed with an opening that exposes the region, and the first suction unit and the second suction unit are arranged on the edge side to suck the fixing jig. It has a suction device and a second suction device disposed on the center side for sucking the workpiece exposed from the opening.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the fixing jig that suppresses the lifting of the peripheral edge of the work can be efficiently supplied onto the stage by the first suction unit or the second suction unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the workpiece conveyance device according to the first aspect, a detection unit that can detect that the adsorption position of the first adsorption device has shifted is formed on the fixing jig. It is characterized by that.

  According to invention of Claim 2, when a fixing jig is adsorb | sucked by the 1st adsorption | suction apparatus, the position shift can be detected. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a trouble caused by the fixing jig being conveyed while being displaced.

  Furthermore, the workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 3 is the workpiece transfer apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the first suction device includes a buffer mechanism.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the workpiece is sucked by the second suction device in the state where the fixing jig is sucked by the first suction device, the height position corresponding to the thickness of the fixing jig is set. Can absorb the difference.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, and the movement for moving the stage along a predetermined conveyance path. And image information obtained by performing alignment processing on a region excluding the peripheral portion of the workpiece on the stage, the detection unit detecting the alignment mark of the workpiece on the stage moved by the moving mechanism. And an exposure portion that forms an image in the region by exposing with a light beam modulated based on the above.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the workpiece transfer device as described above is provided, it is possible to efficiently supply the workpiece and the fixing jig to the stage. Further, since the workpiece is reliably fixed on the stage by the fixing jig, an image can be accurately formed on the workpiece.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the workpiece conveying apparatus further includes a switching unit that switches between a mode in which the fixing jig is sucked and a mode in which the fixing jig is not sucked.

  According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform the exposure process on both the work requiring the fixing jig and the work not requiring the fixing jig.

  Further, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a work transfer method according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in which a first suction unit that sucks a work placed on a carry-in section with a plurality of suction devices and transports the work to a stage, and a work on the stage. A second suction unit that sucks with a plurality of suction devices and transports to a carry-out portion; and an opening that is set on the stage and seals the peripheral portion of the workpiece and exposes a region excluding the peripheral portion of the workpiece. A workpiece conveying method comprising: a formed fixing jig, wherein the fixing jig is sucked by a first suction device disposed on an edge side of the first suction unit or the second suction unit. The second suction device disposed on the center side of the first suction unit or the second suction unit sucks the workpiece exposed from the opening, and the workpiece and the fixing jig are Place on stage It is characterized by removing from the stage.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the fixing jig that suppresses the lifting of the peripheral edge of the workpiece can be efficiently supplied onto the stage by the first suction unit or the second suction unit.

  The workpiece transfer method according to claim 7 is the workpiece transfer method according to claim 6, wherein the first suction device of the second suction unit sucks the fixing jig on the stage and the first suction. The workpiece on the carry-in part is sucked by the second suction device of the unit, and then the first suction unit and the second suction unit move to the carry-out part side, and the second suction device of the first suction unit releases the suction. By doing so, the work is placed on the stage, and then the first suction unit and the second suction unit are moved to the carry-in portion side, and the first suction device of the second suction unit releases the suction. Thus, the fixing jig is placed on a stage, and the periphery of the workpiece is sealed with the fixing jig.

  The workpiece transfer method according to claim 8 is the workpiece transfer method according to claim 6, wherein the first suction unit is attached after the fixing jig on the stage is sucked by the first suction device of the first suction unit. And the second suction unit moves to the carry-in portion side, and the work on the carry-in portion is sucked by the second suction device of the first suction unit, and then the first suction unit and the second suction unit move to the carry-out portion side. Then, when the second suction device of the first suction unit releases the suction, the workpiece is placed on the stage, and the first suction device of the first suction unit releases the suction. The fixing jig is placed on a stage, and the periphery of the workpiece is sealed with the fixing jig.

  According to the seventh or eighth aspect of the invention, the fixing jig can be efficiently supplied onto the stage by the first suction unit or the second suction unit.

  The workpiece transfer method according to claim 9 is the workpiece transfer method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the fixing jig is positioned and mounted on the stage by a workpiece positioning member. And then adsorbed by the first adsorption device of the first adsorption unit or the second adsorption unit.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the workpiece positioning member can also be used as the fixing jig positioning member. Therefore, the fixing jig can be easily positioned. Moreover, since it is not necessary to prepare a positioning member for the fixing jig separately, an increase in cost can be prevented.

  As described above, according to the present invention, a jig capable of fixing the peripheral portion of a work on the stage, a work transfer apparatus and method capable of efficiently supplying the work onto the stage, and further, the work transfer apparatus is provided. An image forming apparatus can be provided.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a laser exposure apparatus showing an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a substrate (workpiece) transfer device and a laser exposure device, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the same. 4 is a schematic perspective view and a schematic sectional view of the fixing jig, FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the stage, the substrate material, and the fixing jig, and FIG. 6 is a schematic side sectional view. In FIG. 1, the arrow M is the width direction, the arrow S is the transport direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow S is the scanning direction.

[Configuration of laser exposure system]
First, the laser exposure apparatus 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the laser exposure apparatus 100 includes a rectangular thick plate-shaped installation base 102 supported by six legs 104. Two guide rails 106 are arranged on the upper surface of the installation table 102 along the longitudinal direction (conveying direction). On these two guide rails 106, a rectangular flat plate shape is provided via a guide portion 108. Stage 110 is provided.

  The stage 110 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is in the extending direction (conveying direction) of the guide rail 106, and is supported by the guide rail 106 and the guide portion 108 so as to be reciprocally movable on the installation table 102 by an arbitrary moving mechanism. Yes. In other words, the moving mechanism such as the motor 114 and the ball screw 112 is configured to reciprocate at a predetermined speed along the guide rail 106.

  On the upper surface of the stage 110, a rectangular flat substrate material 200 as an exposure object is placed in a state of being positioned at a predetermined position by a positioning member 26 as shown in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of holes 110A are formed in the upper surface of the stage 110.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the inside of the stage 110 is made negative by a negative pressure supply source (not shown), whereby air is sucked from the hole 110 </ b> A, and the substrate material 200 is moved to the stage 110 by the suction force. It is adsorbed and held on the upper surface of the plate. Note that a groove 110B is formed in a rectangular frame shape on the outer side of the hole 110A on the stage 110, and air is also sucked from a plurality of small holes formed in the groove 110B. ing.

  Further, when the thickness of the substrate material 200 is, for example, less than 1 mm and is adsorbed on the stage 110 so as to be undulated by the suction force of air, the peripheral edge thereof is lifted, as shown in FIGS. As described above, the fixing jig 10 (described later) whose upper surface (non-contact surface) is black is set on the stage 110 to prevent the peripheral edge of the substrate material 200 from being lifted, and the substrate material 200 is placed on the upper surface of the stage 110. Assist to ensure that it is securely fixed. At this time, the fixing jig 10 is sucked and held on the stage 110 by the hole 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B.

  Further, the substrate material 200 is provided with a plurality of alignment marks (not shown) indicating the reference of the exposure position in the drawing region on the exposed surface. The alignment marks are formed by, for example, circular through holes, and four alignment marks are disposed in the vicinity of the four corners excluding the peripheral portion of the substrate material 200, one in total.

  A substantially “U” -shaped gate 116 is provided at the center of the installation table 102 so as to straddle the movement path of the stage 110. Both ends of the gate 116 are fixed to the installation table 102, and an exposure head (exposure unit) 120 for exposing the substrate material 200 is provided on one side with the gate 116 in between, and the other side is provided with the other side. A plurality of (for example, four) CCD cameras (measuring units) 118 for photographing the alignment marks provided on the substrate material 200 are provided.

  Therefore, when the substrate material 200 passes under the CCD camera 118 as the stage 110 moves, the alignment mark is measured by the CCD camera 118. That is, each CCD camera 118 emits a strobe light source at the timing when the alignment mark of the substrate material 200 reaches a predetermined photographing position, and reflects the reflected light on the upper surface of the substrate material 200 of the strobe light irradiated to the substrate material 200. The alignment mark is photographed by inputting to the camera body through the lens.

  A moving mechanism (motor 114 and ball screw 112) for moving the stage 110, a CCD camera 118, an exposure head 120, and the like are connected to a controller 130 that controls them. By this controller 130, the stage 110 is controlled to move at a predetermined speed, the CCD camera 118 is controlled to photograph the alignment mark of the substrate material 200 at a predetermined timing, and the exposure head 120 is a substrate at a predetermined timing. The material 200 is controlled to be exposed.

  The exposure heads 120 are arranged in an approximate matrix of m rows and n columns (for example, 2 rows and 4 columns). As shown in FIG. 10B, the exposure area 122 by the exposure head 120 is configured in a rectangular shape having a short side in the transport direction (scanning direction), for example. Therefore, in the substrate material 200, a strip-shaped exposed region 202 is formed in the scanning direction for each exposure head 120 in accordance with the movement operation in the transport direction (see FIG. 10A).

  In addition, each of the exposure heads 120 in each row arranged in a line is arranged at a predetermined interval (exposure area) in the arrangement direction so that the strip-shaped exposed regions 202 are arranged without gaps in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction (scanning direction). 122 is a natural number times the long side of 122). For this reason, for example, the part which cannot be exposed between the exposure areas 122 of the 1st line can be exposed by the exposure area 122 of the 2nd line.

  Each exposure head 120 includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) (not shown) as a spatial light modulation element that modulates an incident laser beam for each pixel in accordance with image data. The DMD is connected to the controller 130 having a data processing unit and a mirror drive control unit.

  The data processing unit of the controller 130 generates a control signal for driving and controlling each micromirror in the region to be controlled by the DMD for each exposure head 120 based on the input image data. The mirror drive control unit controls the angle of the reflection surface of each micromirror in the DMD for each exposure head 120 based on the control signal generated by the data processing unit.

  A bundle-shaped optical fiber 124 drawn from an illumination device 126 that emits a multi-beam as laser light is connected to the light incident side of the DMD in each exposure head 120. The illumination device 126 includes a plurality of multiplexing modules that multiplex laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor laser chips and input them to the optical fiber. The optical fiber extending from each multiplexing module is a multiplexing optical fiber that propagates the combined laser beam, and a plurality of optical fibers are bundled into one to form a bundled optical fiber 124.

[Operation of laser exposure equipment]
Next, the operation of the laser exposure apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described. The substrate material (work) 200 for image exposure by the laser exposure apparatus 100 is sensitive to the surface of a substrate such as a printed wiring board or a liquid crystal display element (image exposure), a glass plate, or the like. For example, a photoresist such as a conductive epoxy resin may be applied or laminated in the case of a dry film.

  First, when the substrate material 200 is positioned and placed on the upper surface of the stage 110 by the substrate transfer device 30 (described later) shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the substrate material 200 is moved to the stage by suction of air from the hole 110A. Adsorbed and held on the upper surface of 110.

  At this time, if the substrate material 200 is a thin substrate having a thickness of less than 1 mm, for example, and the peripheral edge thereof is lifted by the air suction force, a fixing jig 10 described later is set on the stage 110 to fix the substrate. The tool 10 presses the peripheral edge of the substrate material 200. At this time, the fixing jig 10 is sucked and held on the stage 110 by the suction force of air from the hole 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B.

  When the substrate material 200 (and the fixing jig 10) is sucked and held (fixed) on the upper surface of the stage 110 in this way, the stage 110 starts to move in the transport direction, and the substrate material 200 is subjected to the alignment detection process by the CCD camera 118 and the exposure head. It is conveyed to the exposure process by 120. That is, when the operator performs an exposure start input operation from the instruction input means of the controller 130, the exposure operation of the laser exposure apparatus 100 is started.

  First, the moving mechanism (the motor 114 and the ball screw 112) is controlled by the controller 130, and the stage 110 that sucks and holds the substrate material 200 (and the fixing jig 10) on the upper surface is fixed along the guide rail 106 in the transport direction. Start moving at speed. In synchronism with the start of movement of the stage 110 or at a timing just before the leading edge of the substrate material 200 reaches just below each CCD camera 118, each CCD camera 118 is controlled by the controller 130 and starts operating.

  That is, for example, when two alignment marks provided near the corner on the downstream side (front end side) of the movement direction of the substrate material 200 reach the optical axis of the lens in each CCD camera 118 (below the CCD camera 118). Each CCD camera 118 emits a strobe light source at a predetermined timing and photographs each alignment mark. The captured image data (reference position data) is output to the data processing unit of the controller 130.

  The data processing unit reads the position of the alignment mark in the image determined from the input image data (reference position data) of each alignment mark, the pitch between the alignment marks, and the position of the stage 110 when the alignment mark is photographed. From the position of the CCD camera 118 and the position of the CCD camera 118, the positional deviation of the substrate material 200 on the stage 110, the inclination with respect to the moving direction, the dimensional accuracy error, etc. To do.

  Here, the image data corresponding to the exposure pattern is temporarily stored in the memory in the controller 130. Accordingly, correction control (alignment) is performed in which image control is performed by aligning a control signal generated based on the image data of the exposure pattern stored in the memory with the above-described appropriate exposure position at the time of image exposure by the exposure head 120. Execute. This image data is data representing the density of each pixel constituting the image in binary (whether or not dots are recorded).

  Thus, when the alignment mark measurement (photographing) by each CCD camera 118 is completed, the stage 110 moves to the exposure position along the guide rail 106 by driving the moving mechanism (motor 114 and ball screw 112). Then, as the stage 110 moves, the substrate material 200 moves below the exposure head 120 to the downstream side in the transport direction. When the drawing area on the exposed surface reaches the exposure start position, each exposure head 120 irradiates a laser beam. Then, image exposure on the exposed surface (drawing area) of the substrate material 200 is started.

  That is, the image data stored in the memory of the controller 130 is sequentially read for each of a plurality of lines, and a control signal is generated for each exposure head 120 based on the image data read by the data processing unit. This control signal is subjected to correction of an exposure position deviation with respect to the substrate material 200 subjected to the alignment measurement by correction control (alignment). Then, the mirror drive control unit controls each of the DMD micromirrors for each exposure head 120 based on the generated and corrected control signals.

  When the laser beam emitted from the optical fiber 124 of the illuminating device 126 is irradiated onto the DMD, the laser beam reflected when the DMD micromirror is in the on state is coupled onto the exposed surface of the substrate material 200 by the lens system. Imaged. That is, the laser light emitted from the illumination device 126 is turned on / off for each pixel, and the substrate material 200 is exposed in units of pixels that are substantially the same as the number of pixels used in the DMD. At this time, even if the fixing jig 10 is provided, since the upper surface thereof is black, reflection of the irradiated laser light is prevented.

  Then, the substrate material 200 is moved together with the stage 110 at a constant speed, whereby the substrate material 200 is exposed by the exposure head 120 in a direction opposite to the moving direction (conveying direction) of the stage 110, that is, in the scanning direction. A strip-shaped exposed region 202 is formed every 120 (see FIG. 10A). When the image exposure onto the substrate material 200 by the exposure head 120 is completed, the stage 110 is moved in the direction (scanning direction) opposite to the transport direction by the moving mechanism (motor 114 and ball screw 112), and the substrate material 200 is placed. Return to the initial position.

  When the stage 110 moves back to the initial position, the suction by the air suction (and the fixed state by the fixing jig 10) is released, and the substrate is transferred from the upper surface of the stage 110 by the substrate transfer device 30 (described later) shown in FIGS. Material 200 is removed. Then, the substrate material 200 removed from the upper surface of the stage 110 is transported to a transport conveyor (not shown) and transported to the next process.

[Configuration of fixing jig]
Next, the fixing jig 10 used in the image forming apparatus such as the laser exposure apparatus 100 as described above will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 4A, the fixing jig 10 is formed in a frame shape having an opening 12 formed in the center, and a drawing region excluding the peripheral portion of the substrate material 200 extends from the opening 12. Exposure is possible.

  A portion excluding the opening 12 of the fixing jig 10 is a pressing portion 14 that presses a peripheral portion (outside a desired drawing region) of the substrate material 200. The pressing portion 14 is formed by stacking a plurality of members of different materials. Configured. That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, the pressing member 14 has the rigid member 16, the elastic member 18, and the easily peelable member 20 attached in order from the non-contact surface side (upper surface side) with the substrate material 200. Configured.

  An example of the rigid member 16 is a metal such as aluminum. An example of the elastic member 18 is rubber having a relatively low hardness. Furthermore, as an example of the easy peeling member 20, plastics, such as a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are mentioned. In addition, since this easily peelable member 20 is very thin compared with the rigid member 16 and the elastic member 18, illustration is abbreviate | omitted except FIG. 4 (B).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, the positioning member 26 is notched in a symmetrical step shape on the side facing the center of the stage 110, so that each can cope with the size variation of the substrate material 200. ing. That is, the cutout portion 28 can position the smallest substrate material 200 in the innermost cutout portion 28A, and the cutout portions 28B and 28C on the outer side are larger in order than the cutout portion 28A. Each of the substrate materials 200 can be positioned.

  The outer size of the fixing jig 10 is a size that can be adsorbed by a groove (small hole) 110 </ b> B formed in the stage 110. In other words, the outer size of the largest substrate material 200 placed on the stage 110 is the same. Therefore, when positioning and mounting the fixing jig 10 on the stage 110, the positioning member 26 is moved to a predetermined position on the end side in the conveying direction of the stage 110, and the notch 28C is moved to the conveying direction side of the fixing jig 10. It is only necessary to position (match) the short side of the fixing jig 10 so that the fixing jig 10 can be positioned and set (set) on the stage 110 easily.

  Further, although not shown, the fixing jig 10 having a different size of the opening 12 corresponding to the size variation of the substrate material 200 is used. That is, a plurality of fixing jigs 10 having different sizes of the openings 12 are prepared so that the size variation of the substrate material 200 can be dealt with. Therefore, when the exposure process is performed using the fixing jig 10, only the substrate material 200 having a size smaller than the maximum size substrate material 200 that can be placed on the stage 110 is targeted.

  Further, as described above, it is preferable that the upper surface (non-contact surface) of the pressing portion 14 (the rigid member 16) is black. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent reflection of the laser light irradiated from the exposure head 120 to the exposed surface (drawing region) of the substrate material 200 exposed from the opening 12. Moreover, when the upper surface side (non-contact surface side) which does not contact the peripheral part of the board | substrate material 200 is made into the rigid member 16, the handleability (handleability) of the fixing jig 10 will become favorable. That is, the operation of positioning and setting (setting) the fixing jig 10 on the stage 110 can be facilitated.

  In any case, when the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 are positioned and placed on the stage 110, or while being placed and placed, as shown in FIG. Air is sucked from the portion 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B, whereby the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 are sucked and held on the stage 110.

  And thereby, the elastic member 18 of the holding | suppressing part 14 which hold | suppresses the peripheral part of the board | substrate material 200 bends and deform | transforms as shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and seals the peripheral part suitably (sealing degree is improved). ) Therefore, even when the substrate material 200 is a thin substrate having a thickness of less than 1 mm, for example, and the peripheral edge thereof is lifted by the air suction force, the peripheral edge (outside of the drawing area) is reliably pressed by the fixing jig 10. (Fixed). Therefore, an image can be accurately formed on the substrate material 200.

  The positioning member 26 is removed from the stage 110 after positioning the fixing jig 10. Further, since the fixing jig 10 can be positioned and placed by the positioning member 26 for positioning the substrate material 200 as described above, a positioning member for positioning the fixing jig 10 is not required. Therefore, it is preferable in terms of cost (an increase in cost is prevented).

  Furthermore, when the fixing jig 10 is removed from the stage 110 after the image formation on the substrate material 200, it can be easily peeled off from the substrate material 200 by the easy peeling member 20. Therefore, there is no problem that the substrate material 200 sticks to the fixing jig 10 and is removed together.

[Configuration of substrate transfer device]
Next, the substrate transport apparatus 30 that carries the substrate material 200 into the laser exposure apparatus 100 including the fixing jig 10 as described above and carries out the exposed substrate material 200 from the laser exposure apparatus 100 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, on the left and right sides orthogonal to the transport direction in which the stage 110 of the laser exposure apparatus 100 moves, and on the start direction side (load / unload position) of the stage 110 in the movement direction (transport direction). , A loader (carry-in unit) 32 and an unloader (carry-out unit) 34 are arranged adjacent to the stage 110, respectively. 2 and 3, assuming that the substrate material 200 is loaded from the right (indicated by arrow R) and unloaded from the left (indicated by arrow L), the right side is the loader 32 and the left side is the unloader 34. It becomes.

  The loader 32 is provided with an endless belt 38 wound around a pair of rollers 36 so that the substrate material 200 conveyed from the outside of the machine is received on the endless belt 38. The substrate material 200 carried on the endless belt 38 is positioned on the endless belt 38 by positioning means (not shown).

  The unloader 34 is also provided with an endless belt 39 wound around a pair of rollers 37, and the exposed substrate material 200 placed on the endless belt 39 is transferred from the unloader 34 to the outside of the machine. It conveys to a conveyor (not shown). Note that the loader 32 and the unloader 34 are not limited to those shown in the drawing, and for example, a plurality of rollers may be provided in parallel instead of the endless belts 38 and 39.

  Above the loader 32, stage 110, and unloader 34, a pair of guide rails 46 are installed via a frame 44 in a direction (width direction) orthogonal to the moving direction (conveying direction) of the stage 110. A first traveling body 40 and a second traveling body 42 are supported on the guide rail 46 so as to be movable.

  A ball screw 48 is installed next to the guide rail 46 in parallel with the guide rail 46. That is, a drive motor 47 for rotating the ball screw 48 in the forward and reverse directions is attached to one end of the ball screw 48, and the drive motor 47 is supported by the frame 44. The other end of the ball screw 48 is supported by a support stay 49 having a bearing (not shown) such as a bearing.

  A guide member 41 having a screw hole (not shown) is extended on the conveyance direction side of the first traveling body 40, and a ball screw 48 is screwed into the screw hole (not shown) of the guide member 41. is doing. Therefore, the first traveling body 40 is configured to be reciprocally movable in the width direction along the guide rail 46 via the guide member 41 when the ball screw 48 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions by the drive motor 47.

  It is sufficient that the ball screw 48 extends to the stage 110. That is, since the second traveling body 42 moves integrally by being connected to the first traveling body 40 by the connecting means 60 described later, the ball screw 48 is extended by a distance for moving the first traveling body 40. It's enough. Needless to say, the means for moving the first traveling body 40 and the second traveling body 42 is not limited to such a configuration.

  The 1st adsorption | suction unit 50 is attached to the 1st traveling body 40 so that raising / lowering is possible, and the 2nd adsorption | suction unit 52 is attached to the 2nd traveling body 42 so that raising / lowering is possible. Each of the suction units 50 and 52 is configured such that a plurality of suction devices 54 and 56 are suspended from the respective mounting plates 51 and 53 so as to have the same height. The air suction tubes 55 and 57 (see FIG. 11) are connected.

  Synthetic resin suction cups 84 and 86 (see FIG. 9) provided at the tips (lower ends) of the respective suction devices 54 and 56 have the same height in a side view and a tube in the center in a bottom view. Openings (not shown) communicating with 55 and 57 are formed. Therefore, the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 can be adsorbed by sucking air from the tips of the suction cups 84 and 86 through the tubes 55 and 57.

  The mounting plates 51 and 53 can be moved up and down by elevating mechanisms 58 and 59 including an LM guide and a drive motor (not shown). Therefore, it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the thickness of the substrate material 200. The elevating mechanisms 58 and 59 are configured to be driven independently.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 11, and 12, the first traveling body 40 and the second traveling body 42 are detachably connected by a connecting means 60. That is, the connected member 62 is provided on the upper surface of the first traveling body 40 so as to protrude toward the second traveling body 42, and the connecting member 64 is disposed on the upper surface of the second traveling body 42. It is provided to project to the side.

  A pivot part 66 pivotally supported so as to pivot upward is provided at the tip of the coupling member 64, and a support plate (not shown) that prevents the pivot part 66 from pivoting downward is provided on the lower surface of the coupling member 64. (Not shown) extends from the second traveling body 42. A handle 70 having a substantially “U” shape in front view is projected on the upper surface of the rotating portion 66, and an engaging portion 72 having a substantially T shape in plan view extends at the tip of the rotating portion 66. It is installed. The engaging portion 72 is adapted to fit into a groove portion 74 (see FIG. 12) having a substantially T shape in plan view formed at the tip of the connected member 62.

  Further, a support plate (not shown) that prevents the engaging portion 72 fitted in the groove portion 74 from dropping downwardly extends from the first traveling body 40 on the lower surface of the connected member 62. The support plate is provided with a sensor (not shown) so that it can be detected that the engaging portion 72 is fitted into the groove portion 74 and that the engaging portion 72 is detached from the groove portion 74. .

  Further, on the upper surface of the connected member 62, there is provided a substantially elliptical plate-like stopper 76 that is fixed to the substantially columnar operation portion 68 and is rotatable in the horizontal direction. The stopper 76 is configured such that by rotating the operation portion 68, the other end protrudes to the upper surface of the engaging portion 72 fitted in the groove portion 74, and the engaging portion 72 is inadvertently moved upward. And is prevented from coming off the groove 74. A sensor (not shown) is also provided for the stopper 76 so that the rotational position of the stopper 76 is discriminated.

[Configuration of adsorption device]
Next, the adsorption devices 54 and 56 provided in the first adsorption unit 50 and the second adsorption unit 52 will be described. For convenience of explanation, the adsorption device 54 will be described, but the same applies to the adsorption device 56. As shown in FIG. 8B, a plurality of adsorption devices 54 are attached to the attachment plate 51.

  Specifically, the suction device 54 is attached to the edge of the mounting plate 51 so that the fixing jig 10 can be sucked, and is attached at equal intervals on the opposite sides. In order to be able to adsorb the substrate material 200 through the opening 12 of the tool 10 (exposed from the opening 12 of the fixing jig 10), four pieces are arranged at substantially equal intervals on the center side of the mounting plate 51. Is attached.

  In the following description, when these suction devices 54 are distinguished and described, the suction device 54 attached to the edge of the attachment plate 51 is referred to as a “first suction device 54A”, and the central portion of the attachment plate 51 is described. The suction device 54 attached to the side is referred to as a “second suction device 54B”. Therefore, the suction device 56 attached to the edge side of the mounting plate 53 is the “first suction device 56A”, and the suction device 56 attached to the central portion side of the mounting plate 53 is the “second suction device 56B”. "

  As shown in FIG. 9, the adsorption device 54 includes a pipe 80 having a through hole (not shown) for air suction, and a flange 82 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface near the lower end of the pipe 80. Projected to A suction cup 84 made of synthetic resin is attached to the lower end of the pipe below the flange 82, and an opening (not shown) communicating with the through hole of the pipe 80 is formed in the center of the suction cup 84. It is installed.

  A connecting member 88 for connecting the tube 55 is provided at the upper end of the pipe 80, and a conduction hole (not shown) communicating with the through hole of the pipe 80 is formed inside the connecting member 88. . Further, a connecting member 78 having a conduction hole formed therein is attached to the end of the tube 55, and the connecting member 78 is connected to the connecting member 88. Thereby, the air can be sucked from the opening formed in the suction cup 84.

  Further, a stopper member 90 is inserted into the pipe 80 (the pipe 80 is inserted through the stopper member 90). The stopper member 90 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter substantially equal to the outer diameter of the pipe 80 and a disc-like shape formed integrally with the upper end of the cylindrical portion 92 and having a larger diameter than the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 92. And a rectangular plate-like locking plate 96 that is fixedly attached to the lower end of the cylindrical portion 92 and is inserted and locked in a mounting hole (not shown) of the mounting plate 51.

  Further, a pressing member 94 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 92 of the stopper member 90 (the cylindrical portion 92 is inserted through the pressing member 94). The pressing member 94 is formed in a disk shape having a size such that it cannot be inserted into the mounting hole of the mounting plate 51, and the diameter (inner diameter) of a through hole (not shown) drilled in the center thereof is The outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 92 is substantially the same.

  Further, a first coil spring 95 that constantly urges the pressing member 94 toward the locking plate 96 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 92 between the rotation operation unit 93 and the pressing member 94. The pipe 80 between the plate 96 and the flange 82 is fitted with a second coil spring 98 that constantly biases the stopper member 90 (the locking plate 96) toward the connecting member 88 (upward).

  According to the suction device 54 configured as described above, the suction coil 84 can be allowed to move in the height direction by the second coil spring 98. That is, the suction device 54 includes a height-direction buffering mechanism. Therefore, even if the suction cup 84 of the first suction device 54A disposed on the edge side sucks the fixing jig 10, the substrate material is absorbed by the suction cup 84 of the second suction device 54B disposed on the center side. When adsorbing 200, the suction cup 84 of the first adsorption device 54A moves upward against the biasing force of the second coil spring 98 (absorbs the difference in height position corresponding to the thickness of the fixing jig 10). In addition, the substrate material 200 is allowed to be adsorbed by the suction cup 84 of the second adsorption device 54B.

[Operation of fixing jig, substrate transfer device, and suction device]
Next, a series of operations of the fixing jig 10, the substrate transport device 30, and the suction devices 54 and 56 configured as described above will be described. First, the connection between the first traveling body 40 and the second traveling body 42 is released. That is, on the connected member 62 side, the operating portion 68 is rotated to retract the stopper 76 from the upper surface of the engaging portion 72, the handle 70 on the connecting member 64 side is gripped, and the rotating portion 66 is rotated upward. The engaging part 72 is removed from the groove part 74. This state can be confirmed by displaying the detection result of the sensor on the display unit 128 of the controller 130.

  Thus, when the connection between the connecting member 64 and the connected member 62 is released, the first suction unit 50 (first traveling body 40) is moved to the loader 32 side, and the second suction unit 52 (second traveling body 42) is unloaded. Move to the loader 34 side. That is, the first suction unit 50 (first traveling body 40) is moved by rotating the ball screw 48 by the drive motor 47, and the second suction unit 52 (second traveling body 42) is moved manually.

  When the connection with the first traveling body 40 is released, the second traveling body 42 can move freely along the guide rail 46, and therefore can be easily moved manually. This state is shown in FIGS. In addition, when the 1st adsorption | suction unit 50 (1st traveling body 40) is already located above the loader 32, it cannot be overemphasized that only the 2nd adsorption | suction unit 52 (2nd traveling body 42) is moved.

  When the first suction unit 50 and the second suction unit 52 are moved in this way, the fixing jig 10 is positioned and placed on the stage 110 manually. That is, as shown in FIG. 8A, the fixing jig 10 is positioned on the stage 110 by using the notch 28 (the notch 28C for maximum size) formed in the positioning member 26 for the substrate material 200. Place. At this time, the first suction unit 50 and the second suction unit 52 do not exist above the stage 110, and the upper surface side (non-contact surface side) of the fixing jig 10 is the rigid member 16. The work of setting the fixing jig 10 can be easily performed manually.

  When the fixing jig 10 is set on the stage 110, the first traveling body 40 and the second traveling body 42 are connected. That is, the handle 70 is gripped and the rotating portion 66 is rotated downward, and the engaging portion 72 is inserted into the groove portion 74. Then, the operation portion 68 is turned to interpose the stopper 76 on the upper surface of the engaging portion 72. Note that whether or not the connecting means 60 is securely connected can be grasped by displaying the detection results of each sensor on the display unit 128 of the controller 130, so that it is possible to avoid an erroneous operation in a state where a connection failure has occurred. it can.

  When the first traveling body 40 and the second traveling body are connected in this manner, the controller 130 controls the movement of the first traveling body 40 and the suction operations of the suction units 50 and 52. Here, when the fixing jig 10 is placed on the stage 110 or removed from the stage 110, there are two cases: a case in which the fixing jig 10 is sucked and transported by the first suction unit 50, and a case of suction and transport by the second suction unit 52. Conceivable. First, the case where the fixing jig 10 is sucked and transported by the second suction unit 52 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16.

  When the first substrate material 200 is loaded onto the endless belt 38 of the loader 32 and positioned by positioning means (not shown), the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58 and provided on the mounting plate 51. The suction cup 84 of the second suction device 54B on the center side adsorbs the substrate material 200 by sucking air from the tip opening. At the same time, the mounting plate 53 of the second suction unit 52 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 59, and the suction cup 86 of the first suction device 56 </ b> A on the edge end side provided on the mounting plate 53 is aired from the front end opening. Is attracted to the upper surface of the fixture 10.

  When the second suction device 54B sucks and holds the substrate material 200, the mounting plate 51 is lifted by the lifting mechanism 58, and when the first suction device 56A sucks and holds the fixing jig 10, the mounting plate 53 is lifted and lowered. Rise by 59. This state is shown in FIG. Then, when the ball screw 48 is rotated by the drive motor 47, the first traveling body 40 moves along the guide rail 46 to the stage 110 side (unloader 34 side). At this time, since the second traveling body 42 is connected to the first traveling body 40 by the connecting means 60, the second traveling body 42 also moves together with the first traveling body 40 toward the unloader 34 side.

  When the first suction unit 50 moves above the stage 110 and stops (when the rotation of the ball screw 48 stops), the mounting plate 51 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58 to place the substrate material 200 on the stage 110. . And in the suction cup 84 of the 2nd adsorption | suction apparatus 54B, the suction of air is stopped and adsorption | suction with respect to the board | substrate material 200 is cancelled | released. This state is shown in FIG.

  Thus, when the substrate material 200 is placed on the stage 110, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is raised to a predetermined height by the lifting mechanism 58, and then the first traveling body 40 is moved to the loader 32 side (initial stage). Move back to position). At this time, the second suction unit 52 moves above the stage 110 along the guide rail 46 while the fixing jig 10 is sucked.

  When the second suction unit 52 moves above the stage 110 and stops (when the rotation of the ball screw 48 stops), the mounting plate 53 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 59 and the substrate material placed on the stage 110 The fixing jig 10 is placed from above 200. And in the suction cup 86 of the first suction device 56A, the suction of air is stopped and the suction to the fixing jig 10 is released. This state is shown in FIG.

  At this time, the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 are attracted and held on the stage 110 by sucking air from the hole 110 </ b> A and the groove (small hole) 110 </ b> B formed on the stage 110. As a result, the peripheral edge portion of the substrate material 200 is sealed by the pressing portion 14 of the fixing jig 10 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The mounting plate 51 with the fixing jig 10 released is raised to a predetermined height by the lifting mechanism 58.

  Further, when the peripheral portion of the substrate material 200 placed on the stage 110 is sealed by the fixing jig 10, the stage 110 moves in the transport direction, and the alignment process by the CCD camera 118 and the exposure process by the exposure head 120 are executed. Is done. That is, as described above, the alignment mark of the substrate material 200 is detected by the CCD camera 118, the image based on the image information is exposed by the exposure head 120, and the latent image (image) such as the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board is converted into the substrate material. It is formed in 200 drawing areas.

  When the exposure process for the substrate material 200 is completed, the stage 110 returns to the initial position (load / unload position) where the substrate material 200 is placed. At this time, the next substrate material 200 is already placed on the endless belt 38 of the loader 32. This state is shown in FIG. When the stage 110 returns to the initial position (load / unload position), the fixing jig 10 and the substrate material 200 on the stage 110 are moved by the first suction device 56A and the second suction device 56B of the second suction unit 52, respectively. Adsorbed.

  That is, the mounting plate 53 of the second suction unit 52 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 59, and the suction cup 86 of the first suction device 56A on the edge end side provided on the suction plate 86 draws air from the tip opening, The suction jig 86 of the second suction device 56B on the center side sucks the fixing jig 10 on the stage 110, and then the air is sucked from the opening at the front end so that the exposed substrate material 200 on the stage 110 is removed. Adsorb.

  At this time, since the suction cup 86 of the first suction device 56A is moved in the height direction by the second coil spring 98, the substrate material 200 exposed from the opening 12 is reliably sucked by the second suction device 56B. Can do. Thus, when the fixing jig 10 is sucked by the first suction device 56A and the substrate material 200 is sucked by the second suction device 56B, the mounting plate 53 is raised to a predetermined height by the lifting mechanism 59.

  As the lifting mechanism 59 is raised, air is blown upward from the hole 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B of the stage 110 so that the fixing jig 10 can be easily removed from the stage 110. Also good. At the same time, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 58, and the suction cup 84 of the second suction device 54B on the center side provided in the first suction unit 50 sucks air from the front end opening. As a result, the new unexposed substrate material 200 on the loader 32 is adsorbed and raised to a predetermined height. This state is shown in FIG.

  When the second suction unit 52 sucks and holds the exposed substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10, and the first suction unit 50 sucks and holds the new unexposed substrate material 200, the first traveling body 40 is driven. When the ball screw 48 is rotated by the motor 47, it moves to the stage 110 side (unloader 34 side). At this time, since the second traveling body 42 is connected to the first traveling body 40 by the connecting means 60, the second traveling body 42 also moves together with the first traveling body 40 toward the unloader 34 side.

  When the first traveling body 40 moves above the stage 110 and stops (when the rotation of the ball screw 48 stops), the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58 as described above, and the substrate The material 200 is placed on the stage 110. And in the suction cup 84 of the 2nd adsorption | suction apparatus 54B, the suction of air is stopped, adsorption | suction with respect to the board | substrate material 200 is cancelled | released, and it raises predetermined height again.

  On the other hand, when the second traveling body 42, that is, the second suction unit 52 moves above the unloader 34, the mounting plate 53 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 59 and the substrate material 200 is placed on the endless belt 39. That is, the suction of air is stopped only in the suction cup 86 of the second suction device 56B on the center side, and the suction to the substrate material 200 is released.

  Then, the mounting plate 53 of the second suction unit 52 that has released the substrate material 200 rises by a predetermined height while sucking and holding the fixing jig 10. This state is shown in FIG. The substrate material 200 placed on the endless belt 39 of the unloader 34 is transported to a transport conveyor (not shown) and transported to the next process.

  On the other hand, the second suction unit 52 in the state in which the fixing jig 10 is sucked and held moves again above the stage 110 when the ball screw 48 is rotated by the drive motor 47. This state is shown in FIG. Thereafter, the mounting plate 53 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 59, and the fixing jig 10 is placed from above the substrate material 200 placed on the stage 110. And in the suction cup 86 of the first suction device 56A, the suction of air is stopped and the suction to the fixing jig 10 is released. This state is shown in FIG.

  At this time, the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 are sucked and held on the stage 110 by sucking air from the hole 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B formed on the stage 110. Thereby, the peripheral part of the board | substrate material 200 is sealed by the pressing part 14 of the fixing jig 10 (refer FIG. 6, FIG. 7). Thus, when the fixing jig 10 is set on the stage 110, the stage 110 moves in the transport direction, whereby the alignment process and the exposure process are executed in the same manner as described above. Thereafter, the same operations as described above are repeated. The substrate material 200 is sequentially processed.

  Next, the case where the fixing jig 10 is sucked and transported by the first suction unit 50 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the ball screw 48 is rotated by the drive motor 47, the first traveling body 40 moves to the stage 110 side (unloader 34 side), and the first suction unit 50 moves above the stage 110.

  Then, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58, and the suction cup 84 of the first suction device 54A on the edge end side provided on the mounting plate 51 sucks air from the tip opening. As a result, the fixing jig 10 is adsorbed and raised again to a predetermined height. This state is shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, the first traveling body 40 moves to the loader 32 side, and the fixing jig 10 is disposed above the loader 32. At this time, the first substrate material 200 is already loaded onto the endless belt 38 of the loader 32. And is positioned by positioning means (not shown). Therefore, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58, and the suction cup 84 of the second suction device 54B on the center side provided on the mounting plate 51 sucks air from the opening at the front end. Thus, the substrate material 200 is adsorbed. This state is shown in FIG.

  At this time, since the suction cup 84 of the first suction device 54A is moved in the height direction by the second coil spring 98, the substrate material 200 exposed from the opening 12 is reliably sucked by the second suction device 54B. can do. Thus, when the fixing jig 10 and the substrate material 200 are sucked and held by the first suction unit 50, the mounting plate 51 is raised to a predetermined height by the lifting mechanism 58.

  Then, when the ball screw 48 is rotated by the drive motor 47, the first traveling body 40 moves along the guide rail 46 to the stage 110 side (unloader 34 side). At this time, since the second traveling body 42 is connected to the first traveling body 40 by the connecting means 60, the second traveling body 42 also moves together with the first traveling body 40 toward the unloader 34 side. This state is shown in FIG.

  When the first suction unit 50 moves above the stage 110 and stops (when the rotation of the ball screw 48 stops), the mounting plate 51 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58 to place the substrate material 200 on the stage 110. At the same time, the fixing jig 10 is placed. This state is shown in FIG. Then, the suction of air is stopped in the suction cups 84 of the second suction device 54B and the first suction device 54A, and suction to the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 is released.

  At this time, the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 are attracted and held on the stage 110 by sucking air from the hole 110 </ b> A and the groove (small hole) 110 </ b> B formed on the stage 110. As a result, the peripheral edge portion of the substrate material 200 is sealed by the pressing portion 14 of the fixing jig 10 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). The mounting plate 51 that has released the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 is raised to a predetermined height by the lifting mechanism 58.

  When the peripheral portion of the substrate material 200 placed on the stage 110 is sealed by the fixing jig 10, the stage 110 moves in the transport direction, and alignment processing by the CCD camera 118 and exposure processing by the exposure head 120 are executed. The That is, as described above, the alignment mark of the substrate material 200 is detected by the CCD camera 118, the image based on the image information is exposed by the exposure head 120, and the latent image (image) such as the wiring pattern of the printed wiring board is converted into the substrate material. It is formed in 200 drawing areas.

  When the exposure process for the substrate material 200 is completed, the stage 110 returns to the initial position (load / unload position) where the substrate material 200 is placed. Then, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58, and only the fixing jig 10 on the stage 110 is sucked by the first suction device 54A on the edge portion side, and again to a predetermined height. To rise.

  As the lifting mechanism 58 is raised, air is blown upward from the hole 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B of the stage 110 so that the fixing jig 10 can be easily removed from the stage 110. Also good. At this time, the next new unexposed substrate material 200 is already placed on the endless belt 38 of the loader 32. This state is shown in FIG.

  Thus, when the first suction unit 50 sucks and holds only the fixing jig 10, the ball screw 48 is rotated by the drive motor 47, whereby the first traveling body 40 moves to the loader 32 side. Then, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 58, and the suction cup 84 of the second suction device 54B on the center side provided in the first suction unit 50 draws air from the tip opening, so that the loader The new unexposed substrate material 200 on 32 is adsorbed.

  At this time as well, the suction cup 84 of the first suction device 54A is moved in the height direction by the second coil spring 98, so that the substrate material 200 exposed from the opening 12 is surely secured by the second suction device 54B. Can be adsorbed.

  At the same time, the mounting plate 53 of the second suction unit 52 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 59, and the suction cup 86 of the second suction device 56B on the center side provided on the mounting plate 53 sucks air from the opening at the front end. As a result, the exposed substrate material 200 on the stage 110 is adsorbed. This state is shown in FIG. Thereafter, the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 and the mounting plate 53 of the second suction unit 52 are raised to a predetermined height by the lifting mechanisms 58 and 59, respectively.

  When the second suction unit 52 sucks and holds the exposed substrate material 200, and the first suction unit 50 that already holds and holds the fixing jig 10 sucks and holds the new unexposed substrate material 200, 1 The traveling body 40 moves to the stage 110 side (unloader 34 side) when the ball screw 48 is rotated by the drive motor 47. At this time, since the second traveling body 42 is connected to the first traveling body 40 by the connecting means 60, the second traveling body 42 also moves together with the first traveling body 40 toward the unloader 34 side. This state is shown in FIG.

  When the first traveling body 40 moves above the stage 110 and stops (when the rotation of the ball screw 48 stops), the mounting plate 51 of the first suction unit 50 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 58, and the substrate material 200 is moved to the stage 110. The fixing jig 10 is placed on the stage 110 while being placed on the top. Then, suction of air is stopped in the suction cups 84 of the second suction device 54B and the first suction device 54A, and suction to the substrate material 200 is released.

  On the other hand, when the second suction unit 52 moves above the unloader 34, the mounting plate 53 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 59 and the substrate material 200 is placed on the endless belt 39. Then, in the suction cup 86 of the second suction device 56B on the center side, the suction of air is stopped, the suction to the substrate material 200 is released, and then the mounting plate 53 is raised to a predetermined height. This state is shown in FIG. The substrate material 200 placed on the endless belt 39 of the unloader 34 is transported to a transport conveyor (not shown) and transported to the next process.

  On the other hand, the stage 110 on which the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 are set moves in the transport direction, and alignment processing and exposure processing are performed in the same manner as described above. Thereafter, the substrate material 200 is sequentially processed by repeating such an operation.

  Even when the fixing jig 10 is sucked and transported by the first suction unit 50 or when the fixing jig 10 is sucked and transported by the second suction unit 52, after the processing of all the substrate materials 200 is completed, Similarly to the above, the connection between the first traveling body 40 and the second traveling body 42 is released, and the fixing jig 10 may be manually removed from the stage 110.

[Modification example of fixing jig]
Next, a modified example of the fixing jig 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 21, notches 22 (detection) such that holes 110 </ b> A drilled on the outermost side on the stage 110 are exposed for approximately one row at each edge of the fixing jig 10. Means) are formed. With such a configuration, when the position of the fixing jig 10 deviates more than an allowable range, the suction force (negative pressure) of air from the outermost hole 110A and the groove (small hole) 110B changes. As a result, a suction failure with respect to the substrate material 200 occurs, so that the positional deviation of the fixing jig 10 can be easily recognized (detected).

  Further, in the fixing jig 10, a circular groove having a slightly larger diameter than the suction cups 84, 86 at a portion where the first suction devices 54 </ b> A, 56 </ b> A on the edge (corner) side of each suction unit 50, 52 are sucked. 24 (detection means) may be formed. If such a groove portion 24 is formed, when the suction positions of the suction cups 84 and 86 with respect to the fixing jig 10 are shifted, the suction force (air suction force) of the suction cups 84 and 86 is insufficient by the groove portion 24. As a result, a suction failure with respect to the substrate material 200 occurs, so that the displacement of the suction cups 84 and 86 with respect to the fixing jig 10 can be easily recognized (detected). Therefore, it is possible to prevent a trouble that occurs when the fixing jig 10 is conveyed while being displaced.

  In addition, the controller 130 is provided with a mode changeover switch 132 as a switching means that can be switched between using and not using the fixture 10. Therefore, the laser exposure apparatus 100 can flexibly cope with the substrate materials 200 having different thicknesses. That is, in the case of the substrate material 200 that does not use the fixing jig 10, the laser exposure apparatus 100 can perform the exposure process without changing the processing tact (with the shortest tact time).

  Furthermore, in the laser exposure apparatus 100, the first suction unit 50 that automatically sucks the unexposed substrate material 200 and conveys it onto the stage 110 from the loader 32, and the exposed substrate material 200 are automatically sucked. Since the second suction unit 52 transported from the stage 110 to the unloader 34 can be moved integrally, both operations can be performed simultaneously. Therefore, the tact time for loading / unloading the substrate material 200 and the fixing jig 10 with respect to the stage 110 can be minimized.

  In addition, the connection between the first traveling body 40 that supports the first suction unit 50 and the second traveling body 42 that supports the second suction unit 52 is released as necessary, and both can be moved separately. Therefore, the first suction unit 50 and the second suction unit 52 can be moved out of the way when the fixing jig 10 is manually carried in and out of the stage 110. Therefore, it is possible to easily carry in / out the fixing jig 10. In addition, the structure of the connection means 60 is not limited to the thing of illustration, Arbitrary structures can be employ | adopted.

  The first traveling body 40 supports the first suction unit 50 that places the substrate material 200 on the stage 110, and the second traveling body 42 removes the substrate material 200 from the stage 110. Therefore, the driving means composed of the ball screw 48, the driving motor 47, and the like is acting only on the first traveling body 40.

  That is, positional accuracy is required for the operation of placing the substrate material 200 on the stage 110 from the loader 32, but the positional accuracy is very high for the operation of mounting the substrate material 200 on the unloader 34 from the stage 110. May not be required. In other words, the second traveling body 42 can be moved from the stage 110 to the unloader 34 even if there is some backlash between the connecting member 64 (the rotating portion 66) and the connected member 62. It only has to be.

  Therefore, only the first traveling body 40 is provided with the guide member 41 into which the ball screw 48 is screwed, and thereby the first suction unit 50 can be moved with high accuracy. That is, the substrate material 200 can be placed so that its surface center coincides with the surface center of the stage 110 within a certain error range. In addition, such a configuration has an advantage that the arrangement distance of the ball screw 48 can be shortened.

  In any case, according to the present invention, the substrate material 200 is thin (for example, less than 1 mm) so that the peripheral edge is lifted when adsorbed onto the stage 110 by air suction. However, the peripheral edge portion can be reliably pressed (fixed) by the fixing jig 10. Therefore, the alignment process by the CCD camera 118 can be suitably executed, and the exposure process by the exposure head 120 can also be suitably executed. That is, an image can be accurately formed on such a substrate material 200.

  Further, according to the present invention, the fixing jig 10 can be efficiently placed (supplied) on the stage 110 by the first suction unit 50 or the second suction unit 52 and removed from the stage 110. can do. The substrate transfer device 30 and the laser exposure apparatus 100 according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed in design without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Schematic perspective view of laser exposure equipment Schematic perspective view showing a substrate transfer apparatus and a laser exposure apparatus Schematic plan view showing a substrate transfer device and a laser exposure device (A) Schematic perspective view of fixing jig, (B) (A) schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XX Schematic perspective view showing stage, substrate material and fixture Schematic cross section showing substrate material and fixtures adsorbed on stage Partially enlarged schematic perspective view showing substrate material and fixing jig adsorbed on the stage (A) Schematic plan view showing the fixing jig positioned on the stage, (B) Schematic plan view showing the arrangement state of the suction device attached to the suction unit Schematic side view of the suction device attached to the suction unit (A) Schematic plan view showing exposure area by exposure head, (B) Schematic plan view showing arrangement pattern of exposure heads Schematic side view showing the suction unit removed from above the stage Schematic plan view showing the suction unit removed from above the stage Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the second suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the second suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the second suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the second suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the first suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the first suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the first suction unit Schematic side view showing the process of sucking and transporting the fixing jig by the first suction unit Schematic plan view showing a variation of the fixture

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fixing jig 12 Opening part 14 Holding | suppressing part 16 Rigid member 18 Elastic member 20 Easy peeling member 22 Notch part (detection means)
24 Groove (detection means)
26 Positioning member 28 Notch 30 Substrate transfer device (work transfer device)
32 Loader (carry-in part)
34 Unloader (unloading part)
40 first traveling body 42 second traveling body 50 first adsorption unit 52 second adsorption unit 54 adsorption device 54A first adsorption device 54B second adsorption device 56 adsorption device 56A first adsorption device 56B second adsorption device 84 sucker 86 sucker 95 1st coil spring 98 2nd coil spring (buffer mechanism)
100 Laser exposure equipment (image forming equipment)
110 Stage 112 Ball screw (movement mechanism)
114 Motor (movement mechanism)
118 CCD camera (measurement unit)
120 Exposure head (exposure section)
130 Controller 132 Mode selector switch (switching means)
200 Substrate material (work)

Claims (9)

A first suction unit that sucks the work placed on the carry-in section with a plurality of suction devices and conveys the work to the stage;
A second suction unit that sucks the work on the stage with a plurality of suction devices and conveys the work to the unloading unit;
A fixing jig which is set on the stage, seals the peripheral edge of the workpiece, and has an opening for exposing a region excluding the peripheral edge of the workpiece;
A workpiece transfer device comprising:
The first adsorption unit and the second adsorption unit are:
A first suction device arranged on the edge side to suck the fixing jig;
A second suction device disposed on the center side for sucking the workpiece exposed from the opening;
A workpiece transfer device characterized by comprising:   The workpiece conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing jig is formed with a detecting unit capable of detecting that the suction position of the first suction device is shifted.   The workpiece transfer device according to claim 1, wherein at least the first suction device includes a buffer mechanism. The workpiece transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A moving mechanism for moving the stage along a predetermined transport path;
A measuring unit for detecting an alignment mark of a workpiece on a stage moved by the moving mechanism;
An exposure unit that exposes an area excluding the peripheral part of the work on the stage with a light beam that is modulated based on image information that has been subjected to alignment processing based on a detection result of the measurement unit, and forms an image in the area;
An image forming apparatus comprising:   The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a switching unit that switches between a mode for sucking the fixing jig and a mode for not sucking the fixing jig. A first suction unit that sucks the work placed on the carry-in section with a plurality of suction devices and conveys the work to the stage;
A second suction unit that sucks the work on the stage with a plurality of suction devices and conveys the work to the unloading unit;
A fixing jig which is set on the stage, seals the peripheral edge of the workpiece, and has an opening for exposing a region excluding the peripheral edge of the workpiece;
A workpiece transfer method comprising:
In the first suction device arranged on the edge side of the first suction unit or the second suction unit, the fixing jig is sucked and placed on the center side of the first suction unit or the second suction unit. A work conveying method comprising: adsorbing the work exposed from the opening with the second suction device arranged, and placing or removing the work and the fixing jig on the stage. .   The first suction device of the second suction unit sucks the fixing jig on the stage, and the second suction device of the first suction unit sucks the work on the carry-in part. Thereafter, the first suction unit and the second suction unit When the second suction unit moves to the carry-out side and the second suction device of the first suction unit releases the suction, the workpiece is placed on the stage, and then the first suction unit and the second suction unit When the unit moves to the carry-in portion side and the first suction device of the second suction unit releases the suction, the fixing jig is placed on the stage, and the peripheral edge of the workpiece is fixed by the fixing jig. The work conveying method according to claim 6, wherein:   After the fixing jig on the stage is adsorbed by the first adsorbing device of the first adsorbing unit, the first adsorbing unit and the second adsorbing unit move to the carry-in portion side, and the second adsorbing device of the first adsorbing unit The workpiece on the carry-in portion is sucked, and then the first suction unit and the second suction unit move to the carry-out portion side, and the second suction device of the first suction unit releases the suction, thereby The fixing jig is placed on the stage when the first suction device of the first suction unit releases the suction, and the peripheral edge of the workpiece is sealed by the fixing jig. The work conveying method according to claim 6, wherein:   7. The fixing jig is positioned and placed on the stage by a workpiece positioning member, and is then sucked by the first suction device of the first suction unit or the second suction unit. The work conveyance method according to claim 1.

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