JPH0588103U - Work transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To obtain a work transfer device that can easily cope with the increase and decrease of equipment and prevent the influence of noise and the shortening of life. [Structure] Rail unit 2 and rail 2 that form the transport path
Insulate a. The rail 2a is connected to the power source of the work transfer device. The drive power source mounted on the boat carrier 3 traveling on the rail unit 2 is connected from the rail 2a via a current collector. Communication with the boat transport controller 19 is performed by the antenna 9 provided on the boat transport vehicle 3.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a work transfer device, and more particularly to a work transfer device that transfers a work by a transfer vehicle traveling on a transfer path.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 FIG. 4 shows a work transfer device installed in a conventional semiconductor manufacturing facility. In FIG. 4, a transport path 12 is provided in the lower front portion of the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 which is horizontally adjacent in four rows. One side of the transport path 6 provided at a right angle to the transport path 12 is connected to the transport path 12, and the boat transfer device 4 is installed adjacent to the other side of the transport path 6. ing.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the transport path 12 shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, a pair of rails 25 are fixed to the bottom surface of the transport path 12. A carrier 13 is placed on this rail 25, and the leading end of a cable 10 consisting of a control cable and a power cable is connected to the carrier 13, and the other end of the cable 10 is connected to the end of the carrier path 12. It is wound around a pulley 11 provided in the section, and the end of the shaft of this pulley 11 is connected to the end of a spiral leaf spring (not shown). An electric motor as a driving source for traveling and an electric motor for driving a transfer mechanism described later are mounted on the carrier table 13, and the boat 1 is mounted on the upper surface of the carrier table 13.

In the work transfer apparatus configured as described above, the boat 1 mounted on the transfer table 13 traveling on the transfer path 12 is stopped at the front surface of the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 and provided on the transfer table 13. It is supplied from below into the furnace body of the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 by the transfer mechanism. The semiconductor wafer (not shown) inserted together with the boat 1 into the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 is subjected to diffusion treatment at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time in the furnace body of the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5, and then again with the boat 1. It is transferred to the carrier 13 by the carrier 13.

The transfer table 13 on which the boat 1 is transferred travels on the transfer path 12 by an electric motor driven by the electric power supplied from the cable 10, travels on the transfer path 6, and then in front of the wafer transfer device 4. Stop. Here, the boat 1 is supplied to the wafer transfer device 4. Further, the boat 1 on which the semiconductor wafer to be processed in the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 is placed is received from the boat transfer device 4, travels from the transport path 6 to the transport path 12, and the boat 1 is loaded as described above. Is supplied to the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5. When the transport table 13 travels on these transport paths 6 and 12, the cable 10 is paid out or wound up from the pulley 11 according to the position of the transport table 13 so as not to hinder the transport of the transport table 13.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the work transfer apparatus configured as described above, when the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 is added, the transfer path 12 must be newly formed to have the length after the addition. On the contrary, when it is desired to reduce the number of semiconductor diffusion furnaces 5, the transport path 12 in front of the removed semiconductor diffusion furnaces 5 becomes an obstacle to the layout of the adjacent equipment.

On the other hand, the cable 10 becomes longer as the conveyance path 12 becomes longer, and thus the elastic return force of the spiral spring for winding is reduced, and it becomes difficult to wind. In addition, the movement distance on the bottom of the transport path 12 is increased, and the length of the sliding surface of the cable 10 is also increased, which not only wears the outer jacket of the cable 10 but shortens the service life, but also extends and contracts the cable. Since the length becomes longer, it is more susceptible to noise, and the voltage drop due to the cable 10 also increases. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a work transfer device which can easily cope with increase and decrease of equipment and can prevent the influence of noise and the shortening of life.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention is a work transfer device in which a transfer vehicle travels on a rail of a transfer path with a drive unit installed, the rail is insulated from the transfer path, the drive unit is connected to the rail through a current collector, and this rail is connected. It is characterized in that it is connected to a power source and the carrier has a wireless communication means.

[0009]

[Action]

 The drive unit mounted on the transport vehicle is driven by the electric power supplied from the rail through the current collector.

[0010]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the work transfer device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a boat 1 is mounted on a work transfer apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the boat 1 is installed side by side on the front surface of a semiconductor diffusion furnace 5.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, eleven rail units 2 each having the same length as the lateral width of the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 are provided on the front surface of the two-stage stacked semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 with the eleven surfaces adjacent to each other. It is connected. Ventilation holes (not shown) are continuously formed in the floor plate of these rail units 2, and two rails 5 are laid on the upper surface via an insulating plate (not shown). The end of the rail 5 is connected to the power source for the building where the work transfer device is installed.

Two boat carriers 3 are mounted on the connected rail units 2 via wheels 3a. An electric motor for traveling (not shown) is housed inside the boat carrier 3, and the electric motor is connected to wheels 3a fixed to an insulating shaft.

On the outer surface of the boat carrier 3, distance measuring sensors 7 for measuring the distance to an approaching object are attached to both side faces in the direction of arrow A. A data carrier sensor 8 for reading the code number of the furnace 5 in a non-contact manner is attached. An antenna 9 is erected on one side of the upper surface of the boat carrier 3. The boat 1 is mounted on the upper portion of the boat carrier 3, and several tens of semiconductor wafers are locked to the boat 1 at predetermined intervals. The lower end of the boat 1 is placed on the upper end of the boat transfer mechanism housed inside the boat transport vehicle 3.

In the work transfer apparatus configured as described above, even if the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 is additionally installed or conversely a part thereof is removed, the rail units 2 are connected according to the number of the semiconductor diffusion furnaces 5 and the connecting portions are connected. You can easily respond by removing and removing. Further, the boat carrier 3 runs with electric power supplied from the rails 5 via the wheels 3a, and the boat transfer mechanism of the boat 1 is also driven with electric power supplied from the rails 5. Since it is unnecessary, the influence of external noise is reduced, and the factor that shortens the service life due to cable wear can be eliminated.

Further, since the distance measuring sensor 7 is provided on the traveling side surface of the boat transport vehicle 3, mutual collision can be prevented even when a plurality of boat transport vehicles 3 are traveling. The antenna 9 communicates an operation command, an operation end signal and the like with a boat transportation controller which will be described later. On the other hand, dust generated due to wear of the wheel 3a and the rail 5 flows down to the floor surface by the downflow flowing through the ventilation hole formed in the rail unit, so that the boat 1 and the semiconductor diffusion furnace 5 can be prevented from being affected. .

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the work transfer device configured as described above. In FIG. 3, the overall controller 15 is connected to each tube controller 17A to 17N, each transfer machine controller 18A to 18N, and the boat transfer controller 19 via the local area network 16 to operate the entire semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. to manage. The boat transport controller 19 communicates with each of the transport vehicle controllers 20A to 20N by the wireless communication means 21 including the antenna 9 to cause each transport vehicle 3 to travel efficiently and without collision.

In the above-described embodiment, the work transfer device is described as a semiconductor wafer as the work and the transport vehicle is the boat transport vehicle. However, the work does not have to be the semiconductor wafer, and the work may be performed on the rail itself. If it is a work transfer device on which a moving transfer vehicle travels, it may be, for example, a machined part or an assembled part. Further, in the above embodiment, the electric motor mounted on the boat carrier 3 was described as being connected to the rail 5 via the wheels 3a and supplied with electric power. A current collector such as a plate may be provided vertically, and the current may be brought into contact with the rail 5 to supply power.

[0018]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, in a work transfer device in which a transfer vehicle travels on a rail of a transfer path with an installed drive section, the rail is insulated from the transfer path, and the drive section is connected to the rail via a current collecting section. However, by connecting the rail to the power supply and providing a wireless communication means on the transport vehicle, the drive unit mounted on the transport vehicle was driven by the power supplied from the rail via the current collector, which could increase or decrease equipment. It is possible to obtain a work transfer device which can be easily dealt with and can prevent the influence of noise and the shortening of the life.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing an embodiment of a work transfer device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where the work transfer device of the present invention is applied to a semiconductor heat treatment facility.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of a semiconductor heat treatment facility to which the work transfer device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional work transfer device.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a conventional work transfer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... boat, 2 ... rail unit, 2a ... rail, 3 ...
Boat transport vehicle, 4 ... Boat transfer device, 5 ... Semiconductor diffusion furnace, 6 ... Transport path, 7 ... Distance sensor, 8 ... Data carrier sensor, 9 ... Antenna.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A work transfer device in which a transfer vehicle travels on a rail of a transfer path with a drive section mounted therein, wherein the rail is insulated from the transfer path, and the drive section is connected to the rail via a current collecting section. Then, the work transfer device is characterized in that the rail is connected to a power source and the transfer vehicle is provided with a wireless communication means.