JPH0394446A - Transferring of semiconductor wafer between housing containers and housing container - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To transfer a semiconductor wafer between housing containers in a space- saving manner by a method wherein a housing container which can take the semiconductor wafer in and out from both the upper side and the lower side and two housing containers are arranged in a vertical direction when the semiconductor wafer is transferred. CONSTITUTION:A housing container 10 is situated at the upper part of a housing container 1 in which a semiconductor wafer 2 transported by using a robot chuck 3 has been housed. The upper part of support sheets 11 of the housing container 10 is pushed by using the robot chuck 3; their lower part is opened so as to pass the semiconductor water 2; the semiconductor wafer 2 is moved from the housing container 1 to the housing container 10 by means of a pushing-up rod 4. After that, the robot chuck 3 is opened a little; the support sheets 11 of the housing container 10 are set to an inverted V-shape to support the semiconductor wafer 2. Then, the housing container 10 in which the semiconductor wafer 2 has been housed is transferred to the next process by means of the robot chuck 3. The semiconductor wafer 2 is transferred by using the housing container which can take the wafer in and out from the lower side in this manner. Thereby, operating mechanisms can be reduced and a space can be saved.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention. relates to a method for transferring semiconductor wafers between storage containers and a storage container used at that time.

[Conventional technology]

Figure 3 is a diagram showing a conventional semiconductor wafer storage container;
The figure is a schematic diagram showing a conventional method for transferring semiconductor wafers between storage containers.

In Figure 4, (1a) and (1b) are the cross sections of the storage container in Figure ag3, (2) is the semiconductor wafer in the storage container (la), and (3) is the cross section of the storage container (1a) and (lb). This is a robot chuck for transporting objects, and only the tip of the chuck is shown in the figure.

(4) is a push-up for moving the semiconductor wafer (2) up and down, and (5) is a support plate made of two facing plates with grooves cut at the same pitch as the storage containers (la) and (lb).

Next, the operation of transferring the semiconductor wafer (2) stored in the storage container (rla) to the storage container (1b) will be explained.

The storage container (1a) containing the semiconductor wafer (2) is
A storage container (l) into which the semiconductor wafer (2) is to be transferred
Next, move the support plate (5) onto the storage container (1a) (Fig. 4 (b)). 0 After that, the push-up (4) is pushed upward 1cIFI, thereby lifting the semiconductor wafer (2) from the storage container (1a) to the support plate (5).
) (Fig. 4 (c)) and rotate the support plate {5} from vertical to inverted C shape to support the semiconductor wafer (2) (Fig. 4 (d)) 0 In this state, Support board (5)
from the top of the storage container (la) to the top of (1b) (fourth
(Fig. 4)), the semiconductor wafer (2) is not supported by pushing up (4) (Fig. 4 (F)), and is transferred to the storage container (1b) (Fig. 4 (G)). The storage container (1b) into which the semiconductor wafer (2) has been transferred is transferred to the next processing by the robot chuck (3) (Fig. 4 (size) 0 [Problem to be solved by the invention]) Conventional semiconductor wafer Transferring between storage containers is carried out as described above, so a width of two storage containers is required, up and down thrusting, rotation of the support plate, horizontal transfer operations are required, etc. A large work space and complex work were required.

This invention has been made to solve these problems, and is a semiconductor wafer that has a simple operating mechanism and that allows semiconductor wafers to be transferred between storage containers in a space the width of one storage container. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for transferring between storage containers and a storage container.

[Means to solve the problem]

A method for transferring semiconductor wafers between storage containers and a storage container according to the present invention use a storage container in which semiconductor wafers can be taken in and out from the top as well as from the bottom, and when transferring semiconductor wafers, two storage containers are placed vertically. [Operation] According to the present invention, by using a storage container that can be put in and taken out from the bottom, two storage containers can be placed vertically and transferred. The width space required for transferring semiconductor wafers is the width of one storage container. In addition, since the VJ operation mechanism of the transfer section is only for pushing up,
It gets easier.

[Refreshing example]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a semiconductor wafer storage container showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a method for transferring semiconductor wafers between storage containers using the semiconductor wafer storage container shown in FIG. FIG.

In the figure, (1) is a storage container, (2) is a Fi semiconductor wafer, and (3) is a robot chuck, and only the tip of the chuck is shown in the figure. (4) In ii upthrust, b1 and above are the same as in the prior art described above. αq is a semiconductor wafer storage container that can be taken in and out from below, 0 is a support plate, (6)
is the groove provided in the support plate συ, Q3 is the hook for the robot chuck to grip the storage container αO, a◆ is the rotation axis passed through the support plate αυ, and Q field is the rotation axis CI4l)
The frame that fixes the support plate (6), QI is the spring that keeps the lower part of the support plate (B) in an inverted figure eight shape, and the force a is the stopper provided on the frame μs to prevent the support plate 0 from tilting due to the spring α. It is.

In such a storage container for semiconductor wafers, a support plate Q is attached.
υ has a reed cut out from 1#0 that supports the semiconductor wafer, and a robot chuck on the top (a grip or b for the third person to grasp).
There is a3. A rotation axis α◆ is passed through the support plate 0, and the rotation axis α◆ is fixed to the frame (to) with the m (6) cut surface of the support plate (b) facing each other. The support plate 0 can be rotated about the rotation axis α◆, but normally the lower part of the support plate (b) is formed into an inverted V-shape by the spring CO and the stopper α to support the semiconductor wafer.

Next, the semiconductor wafer transfer operation will be explained. The storage container σ0 according to the present invention is positioned above the storage container (1) (FIG. 2 (a)) containing the semiconductor wafer (2) carried by the robot chuck (3rd controller).
Figure (b)). Next, push the upper part of the support plate α of the robot chuck (3) to open the lower part of the support plate α of the storage container qO so that the semiconductor wafer (2) can pass through, and push it up (4).
Then, move the semiconductor wafer (2) from the storage container (1) to the storage container (10) (Fig. 2 (c)). Then, open the robot chuck (3) slightly and remove the support plate (b) of the storage container qO. 2.
(Figure 2 (d)). The storage container σO containing the semiconductor wafer (2) is transferred to the next process by the robot chuck (3) (FIG. 2H).

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, since the semiconductor wafer storage container that can be taken in and out from the bottom is used for transfer, the number of IIJ operating mechanisms can be reduced and space can be saved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a semiconductor wafer storage container according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a method of transferring semiconductor wafers using the semiconductor wafer storage container of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a conventional semiconductor wafer storage container, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a method of transferring semiconductor wafers using the semiconductor wafer storage container of FIG. 3. In the figure, 0 is a support plate with a square cut, 4 is a groove, CI4 is a rotating shaft, QQ is a frame for fixing, α* rqt spring, and α is a stopper. The same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same casing or corresponding parts.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A semiconductor wafer storage container that allows semiconductor wafers to be taken in and out from the top as well as from the bottom is placed on top of another semiconductor wafer storage container, and the semiconductor wafers in one storage container are transferred to the other storage container. A method for transferring semiconductor wafers between storage containers, characterized in that: (2) Support plate 2 with parallel grooves for guiding semiconductor wafers
The grooved surfaces of the semiconductor wafers are placed facing each other, and at least one of the plates is fixed by a rotating shaft passing through the groove in a direction perpendicular to the groove, and the two plates are held in an inverted C-shape by a spring to support the semiconductor wafer. In addition, the semiconductor wafer storage container is characterized in that the upper end of the support plate is held down to open the lower end of the support plate in a V-shape so that semiconductor wafers can be taken in and taken out from below the support plate.