JPH01316149A - Workpiece carrying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the production of dust during the carrying of a workpiece and preventing the dust from sticking to the top face of the workpiece by reciprocatably providing a workpiece holding device having an adsorption head on the upper end section of which for adsorbing the workpiece and raise it along a carrier rail. CONSTITUTION:A workpiece (a wafer, for example) 6 is adsorbed by the adsorption head 13 provided on the upper end section of a workpiece holding device 5, and the workpiece 6 is received the side of a rotor section 3. In the next step, after the workpiece holding device 5 have been reciprocated along a carrier rail 2 by a workpiece horizontally feeding mechanism 17 to carry the workpiece 6 to a process section 7, the workpiece 6 is delivered to the process section 7, and the workpiece having been processed is delivered to the side of an unloader section 4 by the adsorption head 13. The arrangement of the carrier rail 2 and workpiece horizontally feeding mechanism 17 at a position lower than the workpiece adsorption head 13 prevents dust from rising to the carrying plane of the workpiece 6 even if dust is produced by the carrier rail 2 and workpiece horizontally feeding mechanism 17. This prevents dust from sticking to the top surface of the workpiece 6.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention receives a plate-shaped work such as a wafer from a loader section, transports the work to a processing section, and transfers the processed work to an unloader section. The present invention relates to a workpiece conveyance device that transfers a workpiece, and particularly relates to a workpiece conveyance device that does not generate foreign matter such as dust while conveying the workpiece.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional workpiece conveyance devices of this type include, for example, a belt conveyance system and an air bearing conveyance system. First, in the belt conveyance method, two belts made of rubber or the like are hung parallel to each other between two pairs of pulleys installed at an appropriate distance, and the belts are rotated by rotating the pulleys using an appropriate drive device. The workpieces are rotated to take out the workpieces one by one from the loader cassette loaded with wafers and other workpieces 1a, and are placed on the upper surfaces of the two belts and transported to the workpiece processing section, and the processed workpieces are transferred to the unloader cassette. It was supposed to be sent and stacked.

Next, in the air bearing conveyance method, a large number of air blowing holes are diagonally bored at an appropriate angle according to the conveying direction of the workpiece within the thickness of a conveyor plate having an appropriate length, and one end surface of the conveyor plate is By supplying air from the air supply source, air is blown diagonally upward from the air blowing hole, the workpieces are taken out one by one from the loader cassette, and the air is blown from the air blowing hole to float the workpieces and horizontally. The workpieces are transported to the workpiece processing section, and the processed workpieces are sent to an unloader cassette where they are stacked.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in conventional belt conveyance type devices, dust is generated due to slippage between the work being conveyed and the rotating belt. Further, the rubber of the belt may deteriorate after use for a certain period of time, and dust may be generated from the belt itself.

Therefore, the generated dust adheres to the upper surface of the workpiece being transported. In addition, in air bearing conveyance type equipment, although the air supplied from the air supply source is cleaned with a filter, it is still not possible to completely remove dust, and a certain amount of dust is mixed in with the air before being sent. .

Furthermore, since the air is blown obliquely upward from the air blowing hole toward the workpiece, the blown air tends to blow up dust around the conveyor plate.

Therefore, the dust in the supplied air and the dust raised around the workpiece adhere to the upper surface of the workpiece being transported.

For these reasons, in the past, the quality of products such as wafers and the like deteriorated, as well as the yield rate, due to dust adhering to the upper surface of the workpiece.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a workpiece conveyance device that can solve such problems.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to provide transport rails extending along the transport path,
A work holding device that rides on this transport rail and reciprocates in its longitudinal direction, and has a suction head at its upper end that vacuum-sucks the workpiece and ascends and descends. This is achieved by a workpiece conveying device that is equipped with a horizontal feed mechanism that reciprocates the workpiece from the loader section, and transports the workpiece to the processing section, and also transfers the processed workpiece to the unloader section.

Further, the conveyance rails are provided in two orthogonal axes directions, and
Horizontal feed mechanisms may be provided in two orthogonal axes directions corresponding to these transport rails.

[For production]

The workpiece transport device configured in this way vacuum-chucks the workpiece with a suction head provided at the upper end of the workpiece holding device, receives the workpiece from the loader section, and uses a horizontal feed mechanism to transfer the workpiece holding device to the transport rail. After the workpiece is conveyed to the processing section by reciprocating along the same, the workpiece is transferred to the processing section, and the processed workpiece is transferred to the unloader section side by the suction head.

〔Example〕

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the work transfer device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a right side view of the figure. In the figure, - number of transport rails 2 are laid on the upper surface of the pace 1. The transport rail 2 guides the reciprocating movement of a work holding device 5, which will be described later, and extends from the lower side of the loader cassette 3 to the lower side of the unloader cassette 4 along, for example, a linear transport path.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a workpiece holding device 5 is mounted astride the conveyance rail 2. As shown in FIGS.

The workpiece holding device 5 receives a plate-shaped workpiece 6 such as a wafer from the loader cassette 3, and receives the workpiece 6 at a processing section 7.
The carriage 8 rides on the transport rail 2 and reciprocates in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the upper surface of the carriage 8 is provided with an L-shaped arm 9, for example. It consists of an operating cylinder 10 attached to the operating cylinder 10, and a suction head 13 attached to the upper end member 12 of a rod 11 that extends from the operating cylinder 10 and expands and contracts. This suction head 13 holds the workpiece 6 by vacuum suction when the workpiece 6 is transported, and as shown in FIG. 3, a recess 14 for vacuum suction is formed on the top surface of the suction head 13. A suction hole 15 formed in the member of the suction head 13 communicates with this recess 14, and a suction pipe 16 for vacuum suction with a vacuum source not shown is connected to this suction hole 15. ing. and,
As the rod 11 expands and contracts due to the operation of the operating cylinder 1o, the suction head 13 rises and falls as indicated by arrows A and B shown in FIG. Note that, as shown in FIG. 3, a workpiece detection sensor 24 is embedded in the lower part of the suction head 13. This workpiece detection sensor 24 detects a workpiece 6 on the suction head 13.
It constantly detects whether or not it is being held by suction.
For example, it consists of a capacitance sensor or a reflective photodetection sensor.

A horizontal feed mechanism 17 is provided on the upper surface of the base 1 near the transport rail 2. This horizontal feed mechanism 17
The above-mentioned work holding device 5 is moved back and forth along the transport rail 2, and a horizontal feed motor 18 is used as a parking source.
A first pulley 19a is attached to the rotating shaft of the horizontally feeding motor 18, a second pulley 19b is rotatably provided on the opposite side of the base 1 with, for example, an L-shaped mounting member 20, and these - and second pulley 19a.

Between 19b and 19b, the belt 21 is rotated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal feed motor 18 is fixed by, for example, an L-shaped mounting member 22 provided at one end of the upper surface of the base 1, and one part of the belt 21 is attached to a connecting member. It is connected to a part of the carriage 8 of the work holding device 5 by 23.

Therefore, the horizontal feed motor 18 is started and the belt 21 is
By rotating the belt 21, the work holding device 5 reciprocates along the longitudinal direction of the conveyance rail 2 in the direction of arrows C and D shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with the movement of the belt 21.

As shown in FIG. 1, a loader cassette 3 in which works 6 are stacked is provided above one end of the transport rail 2, and above the other end of the transport rail 2. An unloader cassette 4 is provided in which workpieces 6 processed by a processing section 7 provided in the middle of the transport path are sequentially stacked.

Next, the operation of the workpiece conveyance device configured as described above will be explained. First, in FIG. 1, the horizontal feed mechanism 1
7 to position the workpiece holding device 5 near the lower part of the loader cassette 3.Next, the actuating cylinder 10 of the workpiece holding device 5 is operated to move the suction head 13 to the position indicated by the arrow A.
The loader cassette 3 is raised as shown in FIG. In this state, the third
Vacuum suction is performed by a vacuum source not shown through the suction pipe 16 shown in the figure, and the workpiece 6 is suctioned onto the upper surface of the suction head 13. At this time, the workpiece detection sensor 24 shown in FIG. 3 detects that the workpiece 6 is being held by suction. Next, the horizontal feed mechanism 17 is operated to move the work holding device 5 horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the transport rail 2 in the direction of the arrow.

As a result, the workpiece 6 sucked by the suction head 13
is taken out from the loader cassette 3.

Thereafter, the horizontal feed mechanism 17 is continuously operated to move the workpiece 6 in the direction of the arrow, and when the workpiece 6 suctioned and held by the suction head 13 is located below the processing section 7 provided in the middle of the conveyance path, the workpiece is held. Stop the device 5. Thereby, the work 6 is transported from the loader cassette 3 to the position of the processing section 7.

Next, the vacuum suction by a vacuum source (not shown) is stopped to release the vacuum suction on the workpiece 6, and the workpiece 6 on the upper surface of the suction head 13 is moved to the processing section 7 by conventionally known means.
Insert it inside and set it in place. Thereafter, in the processing section 7, predetermined processing such as coating, spinning, baking, etc. is performed on the workpiece 6. When the processing of the workpiece 6 in the processing section 7 is completed, the processed workpiece 6 is again picked up by conventionally known means and placed on the upper surface of the suction head 13, and then passed through the suction pipe 16 shown in FIG. Vacuum suction is performed using a vacuum source, and the workpiece 6 is moved to the suction head 13.
It is adsorbed to the top surface of. At this time as well, the workpiece detection sensor 24 shown in FIG. 3 detects whether the workpiece 6 is being held by suction.

Next, the horizontal feeding mechanism 17 is operated again to move the work holding device 5 horizontally along the transport rail 2 in the direction of the arrow, and positioning the work holding device 5 near the unloader cassette 4. .

Then, after stopping vacuum suction by a vacuum source (not shown) to release the vacuum suction on the workpieces 6, the processed workpieces 6 are directly transferred to the unloader cassette 4, where they are stacked one after another from the top and stored therein. . Thereafter, the suction head 13 is moved down as shown by the arrow B by the operation of the actuating cylinder 10, and further, the work holding device 5 is moved horizontally along the longitudinal direction of the transport rail 2 as shown by the arrow C by the action of the horizontal feed mechanism 17. and returned to the starting position.

At this point, one cycle of transporting the workpiece 6 is completed.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, two conveyance rails 25 in the Y-axis direction, which are orthogonal to the aforementioned conveyance rail 2 in the X-axis direction, are provided on the lower surface side of the base 1.
A second horizontal feed mechanism 26 corresponding to the transport rail 2 is provided separately from the first horizontal feed mechanism 17 corresponding to the transport rail 2 in the X-axis direction. Although not shown, carriages in the Y-axis direction are provided at locations on the lower surface of the base 1 corresponding to the transport rails 25. 25
Riding astride. The second horizontal feed mechanism 26 also includes a Y-direction remoter 27 as a drive source, and a third pulley 19 attached to the rotating shaft of the Y-direction remoter 27.
c and a fourth pulley 19d provided outside the other side of the base 1, and these third and fourth pulleys 19c.

6, which consists of a belt 28 that is rotated between 19d and
One part of the belt 28 is connected to the base 1 by a connecting member 29.
It is connected to one side of the. Therefore, the operation of the second horizontal feed mechanism 26 causes the base 1 to reciprocate in the Y direction along the conveyance rails 25.25 in the Y-axis direction, and the operation of the first horizontal feed mechanism 17 causes the The workpiece holding device 5 reciprocates in the X direction on the base 1 along the transport rail 2 in the X-axis direction. In the case of this embodiment, the workpiece holding device 5 is capable of reciprocating in two orthogonal axes directions, x and y, so that the workpiece 6 can be transported in all directions.

Although FIG. 1 shows that only one processing section 7 is provided, the present invention is not limited to this, and any number of processing sections 7 may be provided depending on the number of processing steps to be performed on the workpiece 6.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the workpiece 6 is directly attracted and held by the suction head 13 of the workpiece holding device 5 and conveyed without using a belt or blowing air as in the conventional case. can do. Therefore,
Compared to the conventional method, generation of dust during workpiece transportation can be reduced.

Further, the transport rail 2 and the horizontal feed mechanism 17 are provided at a lower position than the suction head 13 for the workpiece 6 provided at the upper end of the workpiece holding device 5.

Even if dust is generated on the transport rail 2 or the horizontal feed mechanism 17, the dust will not be blown up to the transport surface of the workpiece 6. Therefore, it is possible to prevent dust from adhering to the upper surface of the workpiece 6 being transported.

For these reasons, the quality of products such as wafers can be improved, and the yield can also be improved. Also,
The transport rails 2 and 25 are provided in two orthogonal axes directions, and a horizontal feed mechanism 17 is provided corresponding to these transport rails 2 and 25.
, 26 are provided in two orthogonal axes, the workpiece 6 can be transported in any direction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the work transfer device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 1...Base, 2...Transportation rail (transportation rail in the X-axis direction), 3...Loader cassette (loader section), 4...Unloader cassette (unloader section),
5... Work holding device, 6... Work, 7
...Processing section, 8... Carriage, 10... Operating cylinder, 13... Suction head, 16...
- Suction pipe, 17... Horizontal feed mechanism (first horizontal feed mechanism), 24... Workpiece detection sensor, 25
...Transportation rail in the Y-axis direction. 26...Second horizontal feed mechanism. Applicant: Hitachi Electronic Engineering Co., Ltd. Figure 1 Figure 2 Lo - ■

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A workpiece holding device that has a transport rail that extends along the transport path, and a suction head that straddles the transport rail and reciprocates in its longitudinal direction, and that has a suction head at its upper end that moves up and down by vacuum suctioning the workpiece. , and a horizontal feed mechanism that reciprocates the workpiece holding device along the transport rail, receives the workpiece from the loader section, transports it to the workpiece processing section, and transfers the processed workpiece to the unloader section. A workpiece conveyance device characterized by: (2) The workpiece conveyance device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance rails are provided in two orthogonal axes directions, and a horizontal feed mechanism is provided in the orthogonal two axes directions corresponding to these conveyance rails.