JP7453507B2 - Conveyance system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a frame wafer transport system having a wafer and a frame that holds the wafer.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, depending on the processing step, the wafer needs to be transported or processed while being held in a ring-shaped frame via adhesive tape (hereinafter referred to as such wafers). (referred to as a frame wafer for convenience of explanation). In addition, in recent years, depending on the processing process, it has become necessary to improve the cleanliness and productivity of frame wafers even in handling such as storing and transporting them. Demand for automated equipment is on the rise.

As a transport system for transporting frame wafers, there is an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) that transports wafers between a container in which the wafers are stored and a processing device that performs predetermined processing on the wafers, as described in Patent Document 1. can be applied. The transport system includes a casing, a transport robot disposed within the casing, and a load port attached to the outside of the casing, on which a container containing a frame wafer is placed. Furthermore, in order to improve transport efficiency, a buffer stocker (see, for example, Patent Document 2) that temporarily holds a plurality of frame wafers may be provided within the housing. In such a configuration, the transfer robot moves the frame wafer, for example, between the container and the buffer stocker and between the buffer stocker and the processing device.

Here, in the transport system for frame wafers, there are cases where it is required to turn over (invert) the frame wafer taken out from the container and transport it to the processing apparatus. In this case, for example, it is conceivable to provide a reversing unit (see Patent Document 3) in the casing for reversing the frame wafers one by one.

JP2019-161116A JP 2015-53413 Publication Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-175086

When the frame wafers are reversed by the reversing unit as described in Patent Document 3, the frame wafers taken out from the container are transported one by one to the reversing unit, and the frame wafers reversed by the reversing unit are then transferred to the buffer stocker. It is necessary to transport each time. For this reason, depending on the tact time required for the reversing operation of the reversing unit, the transport time required to transport the frame wafer between the container and the buffer stocker increases, resulting in a decrease in transport efficiency. However, if the number of reversing units is increased in order to suppress a decrease in conveyance efficiency, there is a risk that the installation area will increase and the footprint of the apparatus will become enlarged.

An object of the present invention is to suppress deterioration in transfer efficiency while suppressing enlargement of the apparatus when it is necessary to invert a frame wafer in a transfer system.

A transport system according to a first aspect of the invention is a transport system for transporting a frame wafer, which has a wafer and a frame for holding the wafer, and the transport system includes a container on which a container capable of accommodating a plurality of the frame wafers is placed. a transfer robot for loading and unloading the plurality of frame wafers into and out of the container placed on the storage section, and a buffer stocker for temporarily storing the plurality of frame wafers, the buffer stocker comprising: The present invention is characterized in that it includes a holding part that holds the plurality of frame wafers, and an inversion part that inverts the holding part.

Inversion in the present invention is an operation of turning the frame wafer upside down, with the direction along the surface of the frame wafer held by the holding unit being the rotation axis direction. In the present invention, by inverting the holding part of the buffer stocker, a plurality of frame wafers held in the holding part can be inverted at once. Therefore, the number of times a frame wafer is inverted can be reduced compared to, for example, a case where a plurality of frame wafers are inverted by a reversing unit. Therefore, a decrease in processing efficiency can be suppressed.

Further, since the buffer stocker is provided with a reversing section, there is no need to reverse the frame wafer by the transport robot, and there is no need to secure a large operating space for the transport robot. Further, since there is no need to separately provide a reversing device, an increase in the installation area for installing the reversing device can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the device.

As described above, when it is necessary to invert a frame wafer in the transfer system, it is possible to suppress a decrease in transfer efficiency while suppressing the enlargement of the apparatus.

In the transport system of a second invention, in the first invention, the buffer stocker has a support part that rotatably supports the holding part, and the holding part is rotatably attached to the support part. a mounting portion movable with respect to the mounting portion; a release position where the plurality of frame wafers can be taken in and out of the holding portion; and a gripping position where the plurality of frames can be gripped. The present invention is characterized by having a movement drive section that moves the movable section.

Although it is conceivable to use, for example, a suction device that suctions a frame wafer as the holding portion, the structure of the buffer stocker may become complicated due to the necessity of providing a plurality of pipes. In the present invention, since the frame can be gripped by moving the movable part from the release position to the gripping position, the frame wafer can be held with a simple configuration.

In the transfer system of a third aspect of the invention, in the second aspect of the invention, the reversing section has two states in which one side of each frame wafer faces upward and one side of each frame wafer faces downward. The holding part can be reversed so as to switch the state of the holding part between the two, and the mounting part has a plurality of fixing slot parts on which the plurality of frames can be placed side by side in the vertical direction. , the movement drive section moves the movable section between the release position and the grasping position by moving the movable section up and down, and when the movable section is located at the grasping position, The device is characterized in that it has a plurality of gripping portions that can grip the frame with the frame sandwiched between them and the fixed slot portion.

When a frame wafer is placed in a certain slot portion, by positioning the gripping portion at the gripping position, the frame can be held vertically between the slot portion and the gripping portion. When the holding part is reversed in this state, the frame is placed on the gripping part, and the gripping part moves from the gripping position to the release position by moving downward. By moving the grip in this manner, the frame wafer can be lowered and released while the frame remains mounted on the grip. Therefore, when the frame wafer is released, it is possible to prevent the frame wafer from falling due to gravity and receiving an impact. In addition, when returning the frame wafer to its original orientation, the frame wafer can be stably lifted by moving the gripping section upward, and the frame wafer can be held between the gripping section and the slot section. can. As described above, it is possible to avoid applying impact to the frame wafer when gripping and releasing the frame wafer.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the transport system and its surroundings according to the present embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a frame wafer. It is a perspective view of a buffer stocker. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the buffer stocker. (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the buffer stocker. (a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the buffer stocker. It is an explanatory diagram showing operation of a buffer stocker. (a) and (b) are front views of a buffer stocker according to a modified example.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described. For convenience of explanation, the directions shown in FIG. 1 are referred to as front, rear, left, and right directions. That is, the direction parallel to the horizontal direction in which the later-described transport system 1 and processing device 2 according to the present embodiment are arranged is defined as the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the transport system 1 side is the front side, and the processing device 2 side is the rear side. The direction parallel to the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction. Further, a direction perpendicular to both the front-rear direction and the left-right direction is defined as an up-down direction (a vertical direction in which gravity acts).

(Conveyance system and surrounding configuration)
First, the configuration of the transport system 1 and its surroundings will be described with reference to FIG. 1. The transport system 1 in this embodiment is, for example, a system called EFEM (Equipment Front End Module). The EFEM is a system configured to transfer frame wafers 100 between a processing apparatus 2 that performs predetermined processing on frame wafers 100, which will be described later, and a container F in which frame wafers 100 are accommodated.

The frame wafer 100 includes a wafer 101 that is a substrate on which a semiconductor circuit is formed, a frame 102 that is a generally ring-shaped member that is one size larger than the wafer 101, and a tape 103 that is, for example, approximately ring-shaped and is attached to the frame 102. (See Figure 2). The wafer 101 is attached to a tape 103 and held by the frame 102 via the tape 103.

Further, the container F (see FIG. 1) is, for example, a container called a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) that can accommodate a plurality of frame wafers 100 arranged vertically. A lid (not shown) is attached to the side surface of the container F. The container F is transported within a clean room of a factory by, for example, an OHT (overhead automatic guided vehicle) not shown, and is placed on a load port 11, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 1 includes a plurality of load ports 11, a housing 12, a transport section 14, and a control section 16. The transport system 1 transfers the frame wafer 100 between the container F placed on the load port 11 and the processing apparatus 2 by means of a transport section 14 provided within the housing 12 . A processing device 2 is arranged on the rear side of the transport system 1 . The processing device 2 includes a load lock chamber 2a, which is a preliminary chamber, and a processing section 2b, which performs predetermined processing. A transport robot (not shown) is provided in the load lock chamber 2a to take the frame wafer 100 in the housing 12 into and out of the processing section 2b. The transfer robot may be configured to be able to transfer a plurality of frame wafers 100 at once, or may be configured to be able to transfer only one frame wafer 100.

A plurality of (three in this embodiment) load ports 11 are arranged on the front side of the housing 12 and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The load port 11 is configured to communicate the internal space of the container F with the internal space of the casing 12. The load port 11 has a placement part 11a on which the container F is placed, and a door 11b for opening and closing an opening 12a formed in the front wall of the housing 12. The door 11b is configured to be connected to the lid of the container F by a connection mechanism (not shown). Further, the door 11b is configured so that a lid can be attached to and removed from the container F by a door moving mechanism (not shown). When the container F is placed on the loading portion 11a of the load port 11, the door 11b is connected to the lid of the container F by the connecting mechanism, and the lid is removed from the container F by the door moving mechanism. The internal space of the housing 12 and the internal space of the housing 12 communicate with each other.

The housing 12 is for connecting the plurality of load ports 11 and the processing device 2, and is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A transport space in which the frame wafer 100 is transported is formed inside the casing 12 and is substantially sealed from the outside space. Furthermore, a fan filter unit (not shown) is provided within the conveyance space. When the transport system 1 is in operation, the gas in the transport space is basically kept clean by passing through a fan filter. For example, the atmosphere, dry air, or an inert gas (nitrogen, etc.) is used as the gas that fills the transport space.

A plurality of load ports 11 are arranged on the front side of the housing 12. The load lock chamber 2a of the processing device 2 is connected to the rear side of the housing 12 through an opening 12b formed in the rear wall of the housing 12.

The transport unit 14 is provided within the housing 12 . The transport unit 14 includes a transport robot 21 that transports the frame wafer 100, a stage 22 on which the frame wafer 100 is placed, and a buffer stocker 23 that can temporarily store the frame wafer 100.

The transport robot 21 is configured to be able to transport the frame wafer 100. The transfer robot 21 has a main body 21a, an arm 21b, and a hand 21c. The main body portion 21a is arranged in front of the stage 22 and the buffer stocker 23. The main body portion 21a is configured to be movable in the left-right direction by a moving mechanism (not shown) along a rail 21d extending in the left-right direction.

The arm portion 21b is configured by a plurality of arms connected to each other so as to be pivotable around a vertical axis. A base end portion of the arm portion 21b is attached to the main body portion 21a. A hand 21c is attached to the tip of the arm portion 21b. The hand 21c is attached to the tip of the arm portion 21b and is configured to be able to rotate around a vertical axis. The hand 21c is configured to be able to hold the frame 102 of the frame wafer 100, for example, using a mechanical chuck method. Note that the chuck method is not limited to this. The hand 21c may hold the frame 102 using a vacuum suction method, for example. Further, in the transfer robot 21, a plurality of arms 21b may each be provided with a hand 21c. In other words, the transport robot 21 may be configured to be able to transport two or more frame wafers 100 at once.

The stage 22 is arranged on the rear side of the transfer robot 21. The stage 22 has a flat plate 22a that is long in the left-right direction. A plurality of pins 22b for supporting the frame wafer 100 are provided on the upper surface of the flat plate 22a. This allows a plurality of frame wafers 100 to be placed side by side in the left-right direction on the stage 22. The frame wafer 100 on the stage 22 can be accessed by, for example, a transfer robot (not shown) in the load lock chamber 2a. In this embodiment, the stage 22 is configured to be able to support three frame wafers 100 side by side. Note that the number of frame wafers 100 that the stage 22 can support is not limited to this.

The buffer stocker 23 is arranged adjacent to the stage 22. The buffer stocker 23 is configured to temporarily store a plurality of frame wafers 100 in order to improve transportation efficiency. More details of the buffer stocker 23 will be described later.

In the transport section 14 having the above configuration, the transport robot 21 can take out the frame wafer 100 from the container F and transport it to the stage 22 or the buffer stocker 23. Further, the transfer robot 21 can return the frame wafer 100 on the stage 22 or the frame wafer 100 in the buffer stocker 23 to the container F. In this way, the transfer robot 21 takes the frame wafer 100 into and out of the container F.

The control unit 16 is, for example, a general computer device, and includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like. The control section 16 controls each section of the transport system 1 using the CPU according to a program stored in the ROM.

In the transport system 1 having the above configuration, the frame wafer 100 is taken out from the container F by the transport unit 14, and transported to the buffer stocker 23 or placed on the stage 22. The processing apparatus 2 transports the frame wafer 100 mounted on the stage 22 into and out of the processing chamber 2b by a transport robot (not shown). Further, the transport system 1 places the frame wafer 100 processed by the processing device 2 on the stage 22 by a transport robot (not shown). Further, the transport system 1 transports the frame wafer 100 placed on the stage 22 to the buffer stocker 23 or returns it to the container F by the transport unit 14. Thereafter, the container F is transported by an OHT (not shown).

Here, in the transport system 1, it may be required to turn over (invert) the frame wafer 100 taken out from the container F and transport it to the processing apparatus 2. In this case, for example, a reversing unit for reversing the frame wafers 100 one by one may be provided in the housing 12.

However, when the frame wafers are reversed by the reversing unit, it is necessary to transport the frame wafers 100 taken out from the container F one by one to the reversing unit, and then to transport the frame wafers 100 that have been reversed by the reversing unit to the buffer stocker 23 each time. There is. For this reason, depending on the tact time required for the reversing operation of the reversing unit, the transport time required to transport the frame wafer 100 between the container F and the buffer stocker 23 increases, resulting in a decrease in transport efficiency. Further, for this reason, for example, when it is desired to provide a plurality of inverted frame wafers 100 to the processing device 2 at once, it takes time until the necessary number of frame wafers 100 are secured in the buffer stocker 23. There's a problem. However, if the number of reversing units is increased in order to suppress a decrease in conveyance efficiency, there is a risk that the installation area will increase and the footprint of the apparatus will become enlarged.

Therefore, when it is necessary to invert the frame wafer 100, the buffer stocker 23 of the transfer system 1 of this embodiment is configured as follows in order to suppress the enlargement of the apparatus and the decrease in transfer efficiency. There is.

(Detailed configuration of buffer stocker)
The detailed configuration of the buffer stocker 23 will be described with reference to the perspective view of FIG. 3, the right side view of FIG. 4, and the front view of FIG. 5(a). As shown in FIG. 3, the buffer stocker 23 includes a base member 41 fixedly disposed within the housing 12, a holding section 42 that is supported by the base member 41 and holds a plurality of frame wafers 100, and a holding section 42 (reversing section of the present invention).

The base member 41 is, for example, a hollow member fixed within the housing 12. A motor 43 is housed inside the base member 41 . A rotating shaft 43a of the motor 43 (a supporting portion of the present invention; see FIG. 4) extends from a motor body (not shown) to the front side, and supports the holding portion 42 rotatably around a horizontal axis. Alternatively, instead of the rotating shaft 43a, the holding portion 42 may be rotatably supported around the horizontal axis by a shaft member (not shown) connected to the motor 43 via a transmission member such as a belt.

The holding section 42 is configured to be able to hold the plurality of frame wafers 100 at least in a substantially horizontal state. The holding part 42 is rotatably supported by a rotating shaft 43a of a motor 43. Further, as will be described later, the holding unit 42 is in the first posture when one surface of the plurality of frame wafers 100 is facing upward, and in the first posture when the other surface is facing upward (that is, when one surface is facing upward). The posture can be switched between the second posture (facing downward) and the second posture. In addition, below, the structure of the holding|maintenance part 42 when the attitude|position of the holding|maintenance part 42 is a 1st attitude|position is demonstrated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the holding portion 42 includes an attachment portion 51 rotatably attached to the rotating shaft 43a of the motor 43, and a movable portion 52 movable with respect to the attachment portion 51. The attachment part 51 includes, for example, a plate member 53, a plurality of rod members 54, and housing members 55, 56, and 57 for temporarily housing a plurality of frame wafers 100. Roughly speaking, the rear end of the frame 102 is housed in the front side of the housing member 55, the left end of the frame 102 is housed on the right side of the housing member 56, and the right end of the frame 102 is housed on the left side of the housing member 57. be accommodated.

The plate member 53 is a substantially rectangular member that extends in the left-right direction and the up-down direction when the holding portion 42 is in the first posture. The center portion of the plate member 53 in the left-right direction and the up-down direction is fixed to the rotating shaft 43a. A housing member 55 is fixed to the front surface of the plate member 53. The rod members 54 are members extending forward from each of the four corners of the plate member 53. Among the four rod members 54, the housing members 56 are fixed to the right side surfaces of the two rod members 54 on the left side, and the housing members 57 are fixed to the left side surfaces of the two rod members 54 on the right side.

The housing member 55 includes a plate member 61 extending in the vertical direction and the left-right direction, and two shelf members 62 that are fixed to the front surface of the plate member 61 and extend long in the vertical direction and are generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped. The plate member 61 is fixed to the front surface of the plate member 53. The two shelf members 62 are spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction. A plurality of notches are formed in the front side of the shelf member 62, extending in the left-right direction and arranged vertically at approximately equal intervals. As a result, the shelf member 62 is provided with a plurality of substantially U-shaped slot portions 63 (for example, see the thick line in FIG. 4) arranged in the vertical direction when viewed from the left and right directions. The slot portion 63 has a first surface 63a facing upward when the holding portion 42 is in the first posture, and a second surface 63b (facing downward) arranged to face the first surface 63a. and an orthogonal surface 63c that is substantially orthogonal to both the first surface 63a and the second surface 63b (see FIG. 4). A gap is formed between the first surface 63a and the second surface 63b, into which the rear end of the frame 102 can fit.

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing member 56 includes a plate member 64 extending in the vertical and front-back directions, and two shelf members 65 fixed to the right side of the plate member 64 and having substantially the same shape as the shelf member 62. has. The plate member 64 is fixed to the two rod members 54 on the left side. The two shelf members 65 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. A plurality of notches are formed on the right side of the shelf member 65, extending in the front-rear direction and arranged vertically at approximately equal intervals. As a result, the shelf member 65 is provided with a plurality of substantially U-shaped slot portions 66 (for example, see the bold line in FIG. 5(a)) arranged in the vertical direction when viewed from the front and back directions. The slot portion 66 has a first surface 66a facing upward when the holding portion 42 is in the first posture, a second surface 66b arranged to face the first surface 66a, and a first surface 66a. and a perpendicular surface 66c substantially orthogonal to both the second surface 66b (see FIG. 5(a)). A gap is formed between the first surface 66a and the second surface 66b, into which the left end of the frame 102 can fit.

The housing member 57 is configured laterally symmetrically with the housing member 56. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing member 57 includes a plate member 67 extending in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction, and two shelf members 68 fixed to the left side of the plate member 67 and having substantially the same shape as the shelf member 62. has. The plate member 67 is fixed to the two rod members 54 on the right side. The two shelf members 68 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The shelf member 68 is provided with a plurality of slot portions 69 (see, for example, the thick line in FIG. 5(a)) so as to face the slot portions 66 formed in the shelf member 65 of the storage member 56 in the left-right direction. Similarly to the slot portion 66, the slot portion 69 is also formed with a first surface 69a, a second surface 69b, and an orthogonal surface 69c (see FIG. 5(a)). A gap is formed between the first surface 69a and the second surface 69b, into which the right end portion of the frame 102 can fit.

As a result, the rear end of the frame 102 is connected to the slot 63 of the shelf member 62, the left end of the frame 102 is connected to the slot 66 of the shelf 65, and the right end of the frame 102 is connected to the slot 69 of the shelf 68. can be placed. When the holding portion 42 is in the first attitude, the downwardly facing surface of the frame 102 contacts the upwardly facing first surfaces 63a, 66a, and 69a. In this way, a plurality of frame wafers 100 can be arranged in the vertical direction and placed in the plurality of slot sections 63, 66, and 69. The slot portions 63, 66, and 69 correspond to the fixed slot portion of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the movable part 52 includes a movable shelf member 72 provided corresponding to the shelf member 62 of the accommodation member 55, and a movable shelf member 75 provided corresponding to the shelf member 65 of the accommodation member 56. and a movable shelf member 78 provided corresponding to the shelf member 68 of the storage member 57. Like the shelf members 62, 65, 68, the movable shelf members 72, 75, 78 are generally rectangular parallelepiped-shaped members that extend vertically.

The movable shelf member 72 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two shelf members 62 in the left-right direction. The movable shelf member 72 is provided with slot portions 73 similar to the slot portions 63 provided in the shelf member 62, which are arranged in the vertical direction. That is, the slot portion 73 also has a first surface 73a facing upward, a second surface 73b (facing downward) arranged to face the first surface 73a, and a first surface 73a and a second surface 73b. An orthogonal surface 73c that is substantially orthogonal to both is formed (see FIG. 4). The movable shelf member 75 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two shelf members 65 in the front-rear direction. The movable shelf member 75 is provided with a slot portion 76 similar to the slot portion 66. The slot portion 76 is formed with a first surface 76a, a second surface 76b, and an orthogonal surface 76c (see FIG. 5(a)). Similarly, the movable shelf member 78 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two shelf members 68 in the front-back direction. The movable shelf member 78 is provided with a slot portion 79 similar to the slot portion 69. The slot portion 79 is formed with a first surface 79a, a second surface 79b, and an orthogonal surface 79c (see FIG. 5(a)). The slot portions 73, 76, and 79 correspond to the grip portion of the present invention.

The movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 are driven to move in the vertical direction relative to the shelf members 62, 65, and 68, respectively, by air cylinders 71, 74, and 77 (moving drive units of the present invention; see FIG. 3). As a result, the movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 are movable between a release position where the frame wafer 100 can be taken in and out of the holding unit 42 and a gripping position where the frame wafer 100 can be gripped (details will be described later). .

(Buffer stocker operation)
Next, the reversing operation of the frame wafer 100 by the buffer stocker 23 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B, FIGS. 6A and 6B, and FIG. 7. 5A to 7 are front views of the buffer stocker 23, and explanatory views showing the operation of the buffer stocker 23. FIG. Note that in order to simplify the explanation and avoid complicating the drawings, only one frame wafer 100 is shown in FIGS. 5A to 7.

As an initial state, the attitude of the holding part 42 is the first attitude (see FIG. 5(a)). In this state, the first surface 63a of the slot portion 63 of the shelf member 62, the first surface 73a of the slot portion 73 of the movable shelf member 72, etc. are facing upward. Moreover, the movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 are located at the release position. In this state, for example, the vertical position of the first surface 63a of the shelf member 62 and the vertical position of the first surface 73a of the movable shelf member 72 are approximately equal. In this state, the frame wafer 100 can be taken in and out of the holding section 42 by the transfer robot 21 (see FIG. 1).

Next, with the plurality of frame wafers 100 placed in the plurality of slot portions 63 and the like, the control section 16 (see FIG. 1) controls the air cylinders 71, 74, and 77 (see FIG. 3) to The movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 are moved downward to the gripping position (see FIG. 5(b)). Then, the frame 102 is sandwiched between the first surface 63a of the slot portion 63 of the shelf member 62 and the second surface 73b of the slot portion 73 of the movable shelf member 72, and the frame 102 is gripped. In this way, the frame wafer 100 can be gripped vertically.

Next, the control section 16 (see FIG. 1) controls the motor 43 (see FIG. 3) to rotate the holding section 42 around the rotation axis 43a (see FIG. 6(a)), and adjusts the first attitude to 180 degrees. The holding portion 42 is reversed so as to take a second posture that is different from the original position (see FIG. 6(b)). As a result, the frame wafer 100 is turned over (the frame wafer 100 is turned over) with the front-rear direction as the rotation axis direction. While the holding part 42 is rotating, the frame wafer 100 is stably rotated because the movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 are located at the gripping position and the frame wafer 100 is gripped. When the holding part 42 takes the second attitude, the first surfaces 63a, 73a, etc. face downward, and the second surfaces 63b, 73b, etc. face upward (see FIG. 6(b)). Moreover, when the attitude of the holding part 42 is the second attitude, the shelf member 65 and the movable shelf member 75 are located on the right side, and the shelf member 68 and the movable shelf member 78 are located on the left side (FIG. 6(b) reference). Moreover, when the posture of the holding part 42 is the second posture and the movable shelf members 72, 75, 78 are located at the gripping position, the movable shelf members 72, 75, 78 are attached to the shelf members 62, 65, 68. It is shifted upwards. Note that after the holding part 42 is inverted, the vertical arrangement order of the frame wafers 100 is reversed to the arrangement order before the inversion.

Next, the control unit 16 (see FIG. 1) controls the air cylinders 71, 74, and 77 (see FIG. 3) to move the movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 downward to the release position ( (See Figure 7). As a result, the frame wafer 100 is delivered to the upwardly facing second surfaces 63b, 66b, and 69b of the slot portions 63, 66, and 69, and the frame wafer 100 is transferred to the holding portion 42 by the transfer robot 21 (see FIG. 1). It is possible to take it out from. When the movable shelf members 72, 75, 78 return from the gripping position to the release position, the frame wafer 100 remains placed on the second surfaces 73b, 76b, 79b of the slot portions 73, 76, 79. Therefore, when the frame wafer 100 is released, it is possible to prevent the frame wafer 100 from falling suddenly, and it is possible to avoid applying an impact to the wafer 101. As described above, the frame wafer 100 is reversed by the buffer stocker 23.

To return the inverted frame wafer 100 to its original orientation, the following operations may be performed. That is, when the frame wafer 100 is placed in the holding part 42 in the second attitude, the frame wafer 100 is placed on the second surfaces 63b, 73b, etc. Next, by moving the movable shelf member 72 and the like upward using the air cylinder 71 and the like (see FIG. 3), the frame wafer 100 is pushed up by the slot portion 73 and the like. As a result, the frame wafer 100 is held between the slot portions 63 and 73 and the like. Furthermore, by operating the motor 43 and switching the attitude of the holding part 42 from the second attitude to the first attitude, the frame wafer 100 returns to its original orientation. Thereafter, the frame wafer 100 is released by moving the movable shelf member 72 and the like upward using the air cylinder 71 and the like (see FIG. 3).

As described above, by inverting the holding part 42 of the buffer stocker 23, a plurality of frame wafers 100 held in the holding part 42 can be inverted at once. Therefore, the number of times the frame wafer 100 is inverted can be reduced compared to, for example, a case where a plurality of frame wafers 100 are inverted by a reversing unit. Therefore, a decrease in conveyance efficiency can be suppressed. Moreover, thereby, when it is desired to provide a plurality of inverted frame wafers 100 from the buffer stocker 23 to the processing apparatus 2, the necessary number of frame wafers 100 can be secured in the buffer stocker 23 in a short time.

Further, since there is no need to separately provide a reversing unit, an increase in the installation area for installing the reversing device can be avoided. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in size of the device.

As described above, when it is necessary to invert the frame wafer 100 in the transport system 1, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the transport efficiency while suppressing the enlargement of the apparatus.

Further, since the frame 102 can be gripped by moving the movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 from the release position to the gripping position, the frame wafer 100 can be held with a simple configuration. Further, since the wafer 101 is not directly held by the holding section 42, the surface of the wafer 101 can be prevented from coming into contact with the shelf member 62, etc., and the wafer can be prevented from being contaminated.

Further, the frame 102 can be gripped by being vertically sandwiched between the slot portion 63, the slot portion 73 (grip portion), and the like. When the holding part 42 is reversed in this state, the frame 102 is placed in the slot parts 73, 76, and 79, and the slot parts 73, 76, and 79 move from the gripping position to the release position by moving downward. Move to. By moving the slot portions 73, 76, and 79 in this manner, the frame wafer 100 can be lowered and released while maintaining the state in which the frame 102 is placed in the slot portions 73, 76, and 79. Therefore, when the frame wafer 100 is released, it is possible to prevent the frame wafer 100 from falling due to gravity and receiving an unintended impact, for example. Furthermore, when returning the frame wafer 100 to its original orientation, the frame wafer 100 can be stably lifted by moving the slot parts 73, 76, and 79 upward, and the slot parts 63, 73, etc. The frame wafer 100 can be held between the two. As described above, when gripping and releasing frame wafer 100, it is possible to avoid applying impact to frame wafer 100.

Next, a modification of the above embodiment will be described. However, components having the same configuration as those in the embodiment described above will be designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

(1) In the embodiment, the holding section 42 holds the frame 102 between the first surface 63a of the slot section 63 of the shelf member 62 and the second surface 73b of the slot section 73 of the movable shelf member 72. However, it is not limited to this. In other words, the holding portion 42 may be configured to hold the frame 102 by sandwiching it between the second surface 63b of the slot portion 63 and the first surface 73a of the slot portion 73.

(2) In the embodiments described above, the mounting portion 51 of the buffer stocker 23 has the housing members 55, 56, and 57, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mounting portion 51 may not have the housing member 55, but may only have housing members 56 and 57 facing each other in the left-right direction.

(3) In the embodiments described above, the frame 102 is gripped by vertically sandwiching it between the slot portions 63 and 73 by moving the movable shelf member 72 and the like in the vertical direction. , but not limited to this. This will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b). As shown in FIG. 8(a), the holding part 42a of the buffer stocker 23a has a movable part 80 configured to be movable in the left-right direction. The movable part 80 has movable shelf members 81 and 82 arranged to face each other in the left-right direction instead of the movable shelf members 75 and 78 described above. For example, the movable shelf member 81 is arranged on the left side, and the movable shelf member 82 is arranged on the right side. The movable shelf members 81 and 82 are configured to be movable in the left-right direction. A plurality of slot portions 83 are formed in the movable shelf member 81 and are arranged in the vertical direction. Each slot portion 83 is formed with a first surface 83a corresponding to the first surface 76a described above and a second surface 83b corresponding to the second surface 76b. Each slot portion 83 has an inclined surface 83c extending from the left end of the first surface 83a toward the upper left side, and an inclined surface 83c extending from the upper end of the inclined surface 83c toward the left end of the second surface 83b, instead of the above-described orthogonal surface 76c. An extended inclined surface 83d is formed. The inclined surfaces 83c and 83d form a substantially V-shaped recess 83e when viewed from the front and rear directions. Similarly, a plurality of slot portions 84 are formed in the movable shelf member 82 and are arranged in the vertical direction. Each slot portion 83 is formed with a first surface 84a corresponding to the first surface 79a described above and a second surface 84b corresponding to the second surface 79b. Each slot portion 84 has an inclined surface 84c extending from the right end of the first surface 84a toward the upper right side, and an inclined surface 84c extending from the upper end of the inclined surface 84c toward the right end of the second surface 84b, instead of the orthogonal surface 79c described above. An extended inclined surface 84d is formed. The inclined surfaces 84c and 84d form a substantially V-shaped recess 84e when viewed from the front and rear directions. The buffer stocker 23a also includes air cylinders 85 and 86 that move the movable shelf members 81 and 82 in the left and right directions, respectively.

Thereby, the movable shelf members 81 and 82 are movable between the release position (see FIG. 8(a)) and the gripping position (see FIG. 8(b)) which is closer to each other in the left-right direction than the release position. . When the movable shelf members 81 and 82 move from the release position to the gripping position with the frame wafer 100 placed in the slot portions 83 and 84, both left and right ends of the frame 102 are pushed up along the inclined surfaces 83c and 84c. . As a result, the frame 102 comes into contact with the left and right inclined surfaces 83c, 83d, 84c, and 84d, and is held between the recesses 83e and 84e (see FIG. 8(b)). Even in this case, the frame wafer 100 can be stably held while the holding part 42 is rotating. Furthermore, when the movable shelf members 81 and 82 move from the gripping position to the release position after the holding part 42 is reversed, the frame 102 smoothly descends along the inclined surfaces 83d and 84d due to gravity, and rises above the second surfaces 83b and 84b. Published in Therefore, unintentional impact on the frame wafer 100 can be avoided. In addition, a substantially U-shaped curved surface may be formed in the recesses 83e and 84e instead of the inclined surfaces 83c, 83d, 84c, and 84d.

(4) In the embodiments described above, the holding section 42 is configured to hold the frame wafer 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the holding section may be configured to be able to hold the frame wafer 100 by suction using a vacuum suction device.

(5) In the embodiments described above, the wafer 101 is held by the frame 102 via the tape 103, but the present invention is not limited to this. The wafer 101 may be held by the frame 102 via a film, for example. Alternatively, for example, the frame 102 may be formed of a member that does not contaminate the wafer 101, and the frame 102 may directly hold the wafer 101.

(6) In the embodiments described above, the holding part 42 is reversed by the motor 43, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the holding portion 42 may be reversed by a reversing mechanism including an air cylinder and a link mechanism (not shown).

(7) In the embodiments described above, the movable shelf members 72, 75, 78 are moved by the air cylinders 71, 74, 77, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the movable shelf members 72, 75, and 78 may be moved by a moving mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism or a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown).

(8) In the embodiments described above, the transport system 1 is an EFEM, but it is not limited to this. The transport system 1 may be, for example, a sorter that changes the vertical arrangement order of the frame wafers 100 in the container F.

1 Transport system 11a Placing part 21 Transport robot 23 Buffer stocker 42 Holding part 43 Motor (reversing part)
51 Mounting part 52 Movable part 63 Slot part (fixed slot part)
66 Slot part (fixed slot part)
69 Slot part (fixed slot part)
71 Air cylinder (moving drive unit)
73 Slot part (grip part)
74 Air cylinder (moving drive unit)
76 Slot part (grip part)
77 Air cylinder (moving drive unit)
79 Slot part (grip part)
100 Frame wafer 101 Wafer 102 Frame F Container

Claims (3)

A frame wafer transport system comprising a wafer and a frame holding the wafer, the system comprising:
a mounting section on which a container capable of accommodating a plurality of frame wafers is mounted;
a transfer robot that takes the plurality of frame wafers into and out of the container placed on the placement section;
a buffer stocker for temporarily storing the plurality of frame wafers;
The buffer stocker is
a holding part that holds the plurality of frame wafers by gripping the plurality of frames;
A conveyance system comprising: an inversion section that inverts the holding section. The buffer stocker has a support part that rotatably supports the holding part,
The holding part is
a mounting part rotatably attached to the support part;
a movable part that is movable relative to the mounting part;
A claim further comprising: a movement drive unit that moves the movable unit between a release position where the plurality of frame wafers can be taken in and out of the holding unit and a gripping position where the plurality of frames can be gripped. The conveyance system according to item 1. The inversion portion is
The holding portion is reversible so as to switch the state of the holding portion between a state in which one surface of each frame wafer faces upward and a state in which the one surface faces downward;
the mounting portion has a plurality of fixing slots on which the plurality of frames can be placed in a vertically aligned manner,
the movement drive unit moves the movable unit up and down to move the movable unit between the release position and the gripping position,
The movable part is
a plurality of gripping portions capable of gripping the frame between the gripping portion and the fixing slot portion when the gripping portion is located at the gripping position ;
The transport system according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of gripping units are movable together by the movement drive unit .

Images