JPH0631147U - Substrate direction changing device in substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] When the direction of the substrate 9 is changed and transferred between the cassette 8 and the substrate transfer robot 4, the substrate 9 is redirected while being stably held. [Structure] A turntable 13 is provided at a cassette placement position of the cassette placement table 11, and the turntable 1
3 is interlockingly connected to the rotation driving device 14 so that the turntable 14 can be rotated by a predetermined angle. As a result, the direction of the substrate 9 can be changed while being stably held in the cassette 8.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a substrate direction changing device in a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate such as a semiconductor substrate or a glass substrate (hereinafter, simply referred to as “substrate”).

[0002]

[Prior art]

 As a conventional technique of a substrate processing apparatus, there is one shown in FIGS. This is, as shown in FIG. 10, a cassette mounting table 111 on which a cassette 108 for accommodating a plurality of substrates 109 in an upright alignment state is mounted, a substrate transfer tool 117, and a substrate processing section 105 having a plurality of processing tanks. And a substrate transfer robot 104 that moves between the cassette mounting table 111 and the substrate processing unit 105, and the cassette mounting table 111 is provided with a delivery tool insertion hole 116 that faces the lower opening 115 of the cassette 108. A substrate transfer tool 117 is provided upright below the transfer tool insertion hole 116, and a substrate mounting portion 118 for holding a plurality of substrates 109 in an upright alignment state is provided at an upper end portion of the substrate transfer tool 117. The transfer tool 117 and the cassette mounting table 111 are moved up and down relatively, and the substrate transfer section 117 of the substrate transfer tool 117 is used to move a plurality of substrates. The substrates 109 are held in the upright alignment state, and a plurality of substrates 109 can be collectively transferred between the cassette 108 and the substrate transfer robot 104.

In this type of substrate processing apparatus, before the substrate processing, the cassette 108 containing the unprocessed substrate 109 is placed on the cassette placing table 111, and the cassette placing table 111 is placed on the substrate transfer tool 117. The unprocessed substrate 109 is held on the substrate placing portion 118 of the substrate transfer tool 117 that has been moved down relative to the transfer tool insertion hole 116 and the lower opening 115 of the cassette 108, and is not processed. The substrate 109 can be taken out above the cassette 108, transferred to the substrate transfer robot 104, transferred to the substrate processing unit 105, and immersed in the processing liquid in the processing tank to perform the processing. After the substrate processing, the processed substrate 109 is transferred by the substrate transfer robot 104 from the substrate processing unit 105 to the cassette mounting table 111, and the substrate transfer tool 117 placed on the cleaned cassette 108 is mounted on the substrate. The cassette mounting table 111 is held by the portion 118, and the cassette mounting table 111 is raised relative to the substrate transfer tool 117, and the processed substrate 109 is transferred to the cleaned cassette 108 that has been mounted on the cassette mounting table 111 in advance. To house.

By the way, in this conventional substrate processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 11, the cassette loading / unloading stage 101 is provided on the opposite side of the substrate processing unit 105 with the cassette loading table 111 interposed therebetween. A cassette transfer robot 102 is provided between the cassette transfer stage 101 and the cassette transfer stage 101, and before the substrate processing, the cassette 108 containing the unprocessed substrate 109 is moved by the cassette transfer robot 102 from the transfer position 110 of the cassette transfer stage 101. After the substrate is transferred to the cassette mounting table 111 and processed, the cleaned cassette 108 containing the processed substrate 109 is transferred from the cassette mounting table 111 to the unloading position 112 of the cassette unloading stage 101 by the cassette transportation robot 102. It is designed to be transported, but the cassette loading / unloading stage 1 In the cassette 108 that takes the loading / unloading posture at 01, the accommodation posture of the substrate 109 is a posture orthogonal to the processing posture of the substrate 109 in the substrate processing unit 105 in a plan view. The cassette transfer robot 102 uses a mechanism that inverts the cassette 108 by 180 ° between the cassette mounting table 111 and the cassette loading / unloading stage 101 and transfers the cassette 108.

Therefore, when the cassette 108 that takes the loading position at the loading position 110 of the cassette loading / unloading stage 101 is transported to the cassette loading table 111 by the cassette transporting robot 102 before the substrate processing, the cassette loading table 111 is placed on the cassette loading table 111. The storage posture of the unprocessed substrate 109 in the cassette 108 becomes a posture orthogonal to the processing posture in a plan view, and in this posture, the substrate 109 is held in a posture parallel to the processing posture and the substrate is transferred. The unprocessed substrate 109 cannot be delivered to. In addition, when the cassette 108 is transferred from the cassette mounting table 111 to the unloading position 112 of the cassette unloading stage 101 after the substrate processing by the cassette carrying robot 102, the cassette 108 is set in the unloading position at the unloading position 112. For this reason, the cassette 108 on the cassette mounting table 111 needs to be placed in a posture inverted by 180 ° with respect to the carry-out posture. When the substrate is placed, the substrate accommodation direction of the cleaned cassette 108 is orthogonal to the processing posture in a plan view. Therefore, with this posture as it is, the substrate 109 is held in a posture parallel to the treatment posture. The processed substrate 109 cannot be received in the cleaned cassette 108 from the substrate transfer robot 104 that carries out the transfer by Yes.

Therefore, in this conventional technique, as shown in FIG. 10, the substrate transfer tool 117 is interlockingly connected to the rotation drive device 114, and the substrate transfer tool 117 is rotated by 90 °. Before processing the substrate, the unprocessed substrate 109 is held on the substrate platform 118 of the substrate transfer tool 117, the unprocessed substrate 109 is taken out above the cassette 108, and then the unprocessed substrate 109 is removed. While being held on the substrate platform 118, the substrate transfer tool 117 is rotated by 90 ° to change the unprocessed substrate 109 to the processing posture and the horizontal posture, and then the substrate is transferred to the substrate transfer robot 104. In addition, after the substrate processing, the processed substrate 109 transferred by the substrate transfer robot 104 is held on the substrate mounting part 118 of the substrate transfer tool 117 positioned above the cleaned cassette 108, and in this state, the substrate is transferred. The transfer tool 117 is rotated by 90 ° to turn the processed substrate 109 to a posture parallel to the substrate accommodation direction of the cleaned cassette 108, and then accommodated in the cleaned cassette 108.

[0007]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 The above conventional technique has the following problems. Although the substrate transfer tool 117 is rotated and the substrate 109 is turned while the substrate 109 is held on the substrate platform 118 of the substrate transfer tool 117 located above the cassette 108, the substrate of the substrate transfer tool 117 is changed. Since the mounting portion 118 needs to pass through the lower opening 115 of the cassette 108, its width is narrow and the holding state of the substrate 109 is relatively unstable. Therefore, due to the rotation of the substrate transfer tool 117, the posture of the substrate 109 may shift, and the substrate 109 may not be delivered between the cassette 108 and the substrate transfer robot 102 in an appropriate posture. The reliability of the board transfer work was low.

Since the holding state of the substrate 109 by the substrate platform 118 of the substrate transfer tool 117 is relatively unstable, the rotation speed of the substrate transfer tool 117 needs to be sufficiently low. Therefore, it takes time to change the direction of the substrate 109, which is not preferable in terms of throughput.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate direction changing device in a substrate processing apparatus, which is capable of redirecting a substrate while holding it stably.

[0010]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 According to the present invention, a cassette mounting table for mounting a cassette for accommodating a plurality of substrates in an upright alignment state, a substrate transfer tool, a substrate processing unit, and a space between the cassette mounting table and the substrate processing unit. And a substrate transfer robot that moves the substrate transfer robot, and a transfer tool insertion hole facing the lower opening of the cassette is formed in the cassette mounting table, and the substrate transfer tool is provided upright below the transfer tool insertion hole. The substrate transfer unit is provided at the upper end of the substrate transfer unit to hold a plurality of substrates in an upright alignment state, and the substrate transfer unit and the cassette mounting table are moved up and down relatively to each other, and the substrate of the substrate transfer unit is moved. A substrate processing apparatus configured to hold a plurality of substrates in an upright aligned state on a mounting unit and collectively transfer the plurality of substrates between the cassette and the substrate transfer robot. Te, characterized in that as follows.

That is, a turntable provided with the delivery tool insertion hole is provided at the cassette placement portion of the cassette placement table, and the turntable is linked to a rotary drive device to move the turntable at a predetermined angle. It was made to rotate.

[0012]

[Action]

 Before transferring the unprocessed substrate from the cassette to the substrate transfer robot, the turntable is rotated by a predetermined angle to keep the unprocessed substrate in the cassette in a position parallel to the processing position. Without changing the direction of the substrate and rotating the substrate transfer tool, the substrate is raised relative to the cassette mounting table to transfer the unprocessed substrate from the cassette to the substrate transfer robot.

When the processed substrate is transferred from the substrate transfer robot into the cleaned cassette after the substrate processing, the direction of the cleaned cassette is changed by rotating the turntable by a predetermined angle, and the substrate accommodation direction is changed. After making the substrate parallel to the processing posture, the substrate is lowered relative to the cassette mounting table without rotating the substrate transfer tool, and the processed substrate is accommodated in the cleaned cassette from the substrate transfer robot.

As described above, when the substrate is transferred between the cassette and the substrate transfer robot, it is not necessary to rotate the substrate transfer tool, so that the posture of the substrate held on the substrate mounting part of the substrate transfer tool is deviated. Absent. In addition, when changing the direction of the substrate, the turntable is rotated while the substrate is being stored and held in the cassette in a stable manner, so the rotation speed of the turntable can be set high without fear of the posture of the substrate being misaligned. it can.

[0015]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 9, the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment includes a cassette loading / unloading stage 1, a cassette transfer robot 2, a substrate transfer section 3, a substrate transfer robot 4, a substrate processing section 5, and a substrate. A drying unit 6 and a cassette cleaner 7 are provided. The cassette 8 used in this embodiment is provided with a substrate alignment accommodating groove therein so that a plurality of substrates 9 can be accommodated in an upright aligned state.

In this substrate processing apparatus, when the cassette 8 accommodating the unprocessed substrate 9 is carried into the carrying-in position 10 of the cassette carrying-in / carrying-out stage 1 from the outside of the substrate processing apparatus, two cassettes 8 and the cassette carrying robot 2 are carried. Then, the unprocessed substrates 9 for two cassettes 8 are transferred from the cassette 8 to the substrate transfer robot 4 by being transferred to the cassette mounting table 11 of the substrate transfer section 3.

Next, the unprocessed substrate 9 transferred to the substrate transfer robot 4 is transferred to the substrate processing unit 5, processed by the substrate processing unit 5, and the processed substrate 9 is transferred to the substrate drying unit 6 by the substrate transfer robot 4. After being transported to and dried, the substrate transport robot 4 transports the substrate to the substrate transfer unit 3. On the other hand, the empty cassette 8 from which the unprocessed substrate 9 has been taken out by the substrate transfer unit 3 is transferred to the cassette cleaning device 7 by the cassette transfer robot 4 and cleaned. Then, the cleaned cassette 8 is transferred to the cassette mounting table 11 of the substrate transfer section 3 by the cassette transfer robot 2. Next, the processed substrate 9 is transferred to the cleaned cassette 8 by the substrate transfer unit 3, and the cassette 8 is transferred to the unloading position 12 of the cassette loading / unloading stage 1 by the cassette transfer robot 2, and the substrate processing is performed from here. Take it out of the equipment.

As described above, in this substrate processing apparatus, the cassette transfer robot 2 transfers the cassette 8 between the cassette loading / unloading stage 1 and the cassette mounting table 11, as shown in FIG. As described above, in the cassette 8 that is in the loading / unloading position on the cassette loading / unloading stage 1, the accommodation position of the substrate 9 is a direction orthogonal to the processing state of the substrate 9 in the substrate processing unit 5 in a plan view. . Further, the cassette transfer robot 2 uses a mechanism for transferring the cassette 8 by reversing the cassette 8 by 180 ° between the cassette mounting table 11 and the cassette loading / unloading stage 1.

Therefore, when the cassette 8 which is in the loading position at the loading position 10 of the cassette loading / unloading stage 1 is transported to the cassette loading table 11 by the cassette transport robot 2 before the substrate processing, The unprocessed substrate 9 is accommodated in the cassette 8 in a posture orthogonal to the processing posture in a plan view. In this posture, the substrate 9 is held in a posture parallel to the treatment posture and the substrate is conveyed. The unprocessed substrate 9 cannot be delivered to the robot 4. In addition, after the substrate processing, the cassette transfer robot 2 transfers the cassette 8 from the cassette mounting table 11 to the unloading position 12 of the cassette unloading stage 1 so that the cassette 8 is in the unloading position at the unloading position 12. For this purpose, the cassette 8 on the cassette mounting table 11 needs to be placed in a posture inverted by 180 ° with respect to the carry-out posture. In such a posture, the cleaned cassette 8 is placed on the cassette mounting table 11. When placed, since the substrate storage direction of the cleaned cassette 8 is orthogonal to the processing posture in plan view, the substrate 9 is conveyed while being held in the posture as it is in this posture. The processed substrate 9 cannot be received in the cleaned cassette 8 from the substrate transfer robot 4 that performs the above.

Therefore, in this substrate processing apparatus, the turntable 13 is provided on the cassette mounting table 11 of the substrate transfer unit 3. The structure of the substrate transfer unit 3 is as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, two turntables 13 are provided at two cassette mounting positions of the cassette mounting table 11, and the turntable 13 is interlockingly connected to a rotation driving device 14 described later. The turntable 13 is rotated by 90 °. As shown in FIG. 1, a transfer tool insertion hole 16 facing the lower opening 15 of the cassette 8 is opened in the center of the turntable 13, and a substrate transfer tool 17 is erected below the transfer tool insertion hole 16. A substrate placing portion 18 for holding a plurality of substrates 9 in an upright aligned state is provided on the upper end portion of the substrate transfer tool 17. The substrate transfer tool 17 is provided on a lift table 20 that is interlocked with a vertical feed screw shaft 19 that is interlocked with an elevator drive means 85 (elevation drive motor). The plurality of substrates 9 are held upright and aligned, and the plurality of substrates 9 can be collectively transferred between the cassette 8 and the substrate transfer robot 4.

In the substrate transfer section 3, as shown in FIG. 2, the cassette 8 transferred to the turntable 13 by the cassette transfer robot 2 from the transfer position 10 of the cassette transfer stage 1 before the substrate processing. 1 is changed by rotating the turntable 13 in the direction a, and the storage attitude of the unprocessed substrate 9 in the cassette 8 is set parallel to the processing attitude of the substrate 9 in the substrate processing unit 5. In the state where the unprocessed substrate 9 is held on the substrate placing part 18 by raising the substrate transfer tool 17, the unprocessed substrate 9 is taken out above the cassette 8 and the cassette is transferred without rotating the substrate transfer tool 17. The unprocessed substrate 9 in 8 is transferred to the substrate transfer robot 4.

After the substrate processing, the cleaned cassette 8 transferred from the cassette cleaning device 7 shown in FIG. 9 to the turntable 13 by the cassette transfer robot 2 is moved to the turntable 13 from the posture shown in FIG. By rotating in the a direction, the direction is changed by 90 °, and the substrate accommodation direction is set parallel to the processing posture, and as shown in FIG. And the processed substrate 9 transferred by the substrate transfer robot 4 is held, the substrate transfer tool 17 is lowered in this state, and the processed substrate 9 is transferred without rotating the substrate transfer tool 17. 9 is transferred into the cleaned cassette 8. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the cleaned cassette 8 accommodating the processed substrate 9 is turned 90 degrees by rotating the turntable 13 in the direction b, and the cassette 8 is moved by the cassette transfer robot 2 to the cassette shown in FIG. When the cassette 8 is carried to the carry-out position 12 of the carry-in / carry-out stage 1, the cassette 8 takes the carry-out posture at the carry-out position 12.

As described above, in the substrate transfer section 3, as shown in FIG. 1, when transferring the substrate 9 between the inside of the cassette 8 and the substrate transfer robot 4, it is necessary to rotate the substrate transfer tool 17. Therefore, the posture of the substrate 9 held on the substrate platform 18 of the substrate transfer tool 17 does not shift. Moreover, when the substrate 9 is turned, it is performed by rotating the turntable 13 while the substrate 9 is stably accommodated and held in the cassette 8, so that the posture of the substrate 9 can be prevented from being misaligned. The rotation speed can be set high.

The concrete structure of the turntable 13 of the substrate transfer section 3 and its rotation drive device 14 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 3A, the turntable 13 is rotatably attached to the base plate 21 of the cassette mounting table 11 via bearings 22. A rotary drive motor is used as a rotary drive device 14 for rotating the turntable 13, and a pinion gear 24 fixed to the output shaft 23 is meshed with a ring gear 25 externally fitted and fixed to the turntable 13, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the turn angle is set to 90 ° and the turntable 13 is rotated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3B, a cassette positioning frame 26 is formed on the turntable 13 along the three sides of the periphery of the rectangular delivery tool insertion hole 16 in a U-shape in plan view. At the same time, a cassette clamp 27 is provided on the other side of the peripheral edge so that the cassette 8 can be positioned and fixed on the turntable 13 at an appropriate position. In this embodiment, a rotary drive motor is used for the rotary drive device 14, but instead, as shown in FIGS. 3D and 3E, a rotary drive air cylinder is used for the rotary drive device 14. May be. In FIG. 3D, a rack gear 29 is attached to the piston 28 of the rotary drive cylinder, and the rack gear 29 is meshed with the ring gear 25 fitted and fixed to the turntable 13. In FIG. 3 (E), the piston 28 of the rotary driving air cylinder is pivotally attached to the ring 30 fitted and fixed to the turntable 13.

The specific structure of the substrate transfer tool 17 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 4 (A), a box 33 is attached to the upper end of the pipe 32 erected on the pipe support 31, and three fixing seats 34 are attached to the center and both sides of the upper surface of the box 33. Two lift seats 35 are arranged between the fixed seats 34. The elevating seat 35 is fixed to the upper end of an elevating rod 36 penetrating the inside of the pipe 32, and the elevating rod 36 is interlocked with an elevating drive device 37 attached to a pipe support 31. A lifting cylinder is used for the lifting drive device 37. Then, a part of the substrate placing part 18 is made independent of the remaining fixed placing part 39 as two elevating placing parts 38, and these two elevating placing parts 38 are attached to the elevating seat 35. The fixed mounting portion 39 is separated into three pieces and attached to the fixed seat 34. Further, it is possible to switch between the ascending posture in which the elevating and placing portion 38 projects from the fixed placing portion 39 to the upper position and the descending posture in which the raising and lowering portion 38 sinks to a lower position than the fixed placing portion 39. It should be noted that the two elevating and lowering placement parts 38 and the three fixed placement parts 39 are formed by cutting the ordinary substrate placement part 18 integrally processed as shown in FIG. Easy to make.

In addition, as shown in a partial cross section of FIG. 4C, the elevation mounting portion 38 and the fixed mounting portion 39 have a surface direction of the substrate 9 mounted thereon (see FIG. (In a direction parallel to the paper surface in FIG. 4), a substrate alignment holding groove 90 having the same pitch as the substrate alignment holding groove of the cassette 8 is provided, and the release edge portion 92 of the substrate alignment holding groove 90 is It is chamfered like a letter.

In the substrate transfer tool 17, as shown in FIG. 1, the case where the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred from the cassette 8 to the substrate transfer robot 4 and the case where the processed substrate is processed in the cleaned cassette 8 from the substrate transfer robot 4 The posture of the elevating and lowering mounting portion 38 is changed depending on whether the handing over is performed or not. For example, when the unprocessed substrate 9 is delivered, the elevating and lowering mount 38 is in a raised position, and when the processed substrate 9 is delivered, the elevating and lowering mount 38 is in a lower position. In this case, when the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred, the unprocessed substrate 9 is held by the elevating and lowering mount 38 and does not touch the fixed mount 39, so that the fixed mount 39 adheres to the unprocessed substrate 9. It is not contaminated with pollutants. Then, when the processed substrate 9 is transferred, the processed substrate 9 is held on the non-contaminated fixed mounting portion 39, so that the processed substrate 9 is prevented from being contaminated.

On the other hand, when the elevating and lowering part 38 is in the lowered position when the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred and the elevating and lowering part 38 is in the raised position when the processed substrate 9 is transferred, the unprocessed substrate 9 is fixed. Since the processed substrate 9 is held by the mounting portion 39 and the processed substrate 9 is held by the elevating and lowering portion 38, the processed substrate 9 is also prevented from being contaminated. In this way, by changing the posture of the elevating and lowering part 38 when transferring the unprocessed substrate 9 and the processed substrate 9, it is possible to prevent the processed substrate 9 from being contaminated.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the substrate holding portions of the two elevating and lowering portions 38 have a curved portion 94 and a substrate 9 having a shape corresponding to the outer circumference of the substrate 9 held therein. The straight portion 95 has a shape corresponding to the orientation flat. The substrate holding portion of the outer fixed placing portion 39 of the three fixed placing portions 39 is composed of a curved portion 96 having a shape corresponding to the outer periphery of the substrate 9 held therein, and the central fixed placing portion 39. The substrate holding part of the placing part 39 comprises a linear part 97 having a shape corresponding to the orientation flat of the substrate 9. When the substrate holding portions of the elevating and lowering mounting portion 38 and the fixed mounting portion 39 have such a shape, the substrate 9 is held by either the elevating and lowering mounting portion 38 or the fixed mounting portion 39. However, the rotation can be prevented.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 5, two substrate transfer tools 17 are provided in order to transfer the substrate 9 between the two cassettes 8 and the substrate transfer robot 4. The two board transfer tools 17 can be moved by the width adjusting device 42. The structure of the width aligning device 42 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), both pipe support bases 31 are slidably supported by the guide rails 43 on the elevating base 20, and both pipe support bases 31 are connected by a width-shifting link mechanism 44. As shown in FIG. 6 (A), the width-shifting link mechanism 44 pivotally attaches the center portion of the link arm 83 to a support shaft 82 that is hung from the center portion of the lift table 20, and connects the end portions of the link arm 83 to the both ends. A link rod 84 is provided between the two pipe support bases 31. Then, as shown in FIG. 6B, one pipe support base 31 is interlockingly connected to the width-shifting drive cylinder 45 attached to the lift base 20.

In the width-shifting device 42, when the width-shifting drive cylinder 45 is reduced, one pipe support 31 connected to the width-shifting cylinder 45 approaches the center of the lift table 20 and at the same time, the width-shifting link mechanism 44 is used. On the other hand, the other pipe support 31 is also moved closer to the center side of the lift 20, so that the board transfer tools 17 on both sides are width-shifted. Further, when the width-shifting drive cylinder 45 is extended, both substrate transfer tools 17 are moved away from each other. As shown in FIG. 5, the width aligning device 42 transfers two groups of unprocessed substrates 9 from the two cassettes 8 to the substrate transfer robot 4 before substrate processing. The unprocessed substrates 9 of each group are respectively held by the substrate mounting portion 18 of the tool 17, and both the substrate transfer tools 17 are moved closer to each other to make a large gap between the two groups of unprocessed substrates 9. Instead, these are transferred to the substrate transfer robot 4. In addition, after transferring the processed substrates 9 for two cassettes 8 from the substrate transfer robot 4 to the two cleaned cassettes 8 after the substrate processing, the processed substrates 9 transferred by the substrate transfer robot 4 are The two substrate transfer parts 17 of the two substrate transfer tools 17 that have been width-shifted above the cassette 8 are held by both the substrate transfer parts 17, the processed substrate 9 is separated into two groups by separating both the substrate transfer tools 17. The group is housed in two washed cassettes 8.

Next, the configuration of the substrate transfer robot 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate transport robot 4 includes a traveling unit main body 46, a pair of left and right arm rotating shafts 47 protruding substantially horizontally from the traveling unit main body 46, and a pair of arm rotating shafts 47 rotating the arm rotating shafts 47. It is provided with a shaft rotating means 48 for making it rotate, and a substrate chuck 49 which is fixed to each arm rotating shaft 47 and holds a plurality of substrates 9 together in a standing aligned state. The pair of substrate chucks 49 has substrate alignment holding grooves 52 and 53 at the same pitch as the substrate alignment accommodating grooves of the cassette 8 on the pair of opposing surfaces 50 and the back surfaces 51, respectively, and the arm rotation is performed. By rotating the shaft 47, the substrate chuck 49 can be switched to the inverted C-shaped substrate holding posture in which the pair of opposed surfaces 50 and the back surfaces 51 thereof face each other.

In this substrate transfer robot 4, when the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred, the pair of opposed surfaces 50 of the substrate chuck 49 are in a posture of facing each other, and when the processed substrate 9 is transferred, the back surface is used. The 51 should be in a posture of facing each other. In this way, when the unprocessed substrate 9 is transported, the unprocessed substrate 9 is held in the substrate alignment holding groove 52 between the pair of facing surfaces 50, and the unprocessed substrate 9 is placed in the substrate alignment holding groove 53 on the back surface 51. Since it is not touched, the substrate alignment holding groove 53 on the back surface 51 is not contaminated by the contaminants attached to the unprocessed substrate 9. When the processed substrate 9 is transported, the processed substrate 9 is held in the substrate alignment holding groove 53 on the back surface 51 which is not contaminated, so that the processed substrate 9 is prevented from being contaminated.

The specific structure of the substrate chuck 49 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 7A, the substrate chuck 49 is provided with end plates 55 at both ends of a plate-shaped chuck body 54, and an arm rotation shaft 47 is provided at the center of the chuck body 54 and the center of the end plate 55. It is fixed by inserting. A pair of reinforcing pipes 59 are installed in parallel between the end plates 55, and are inserted and fixed in the chuck body 54. As shown in FIG. 7B, the substrate alignment holding grooves 52, 53 of the chuck body 54 are both formed in an arc shape along the peripheral edge of the base plate 9. Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, the release edge portions 57 of the substrate alignment holding grooves 52 and 53 are chamfered in a V shape. As shown in FIGS. 7 (D) and 7 (E), the base plate chuck 49 is constructed by externally fitting a groove forming pipe 58, which is a series of substrate alignment holding grooves 52 and 53, to a reinforcing pipe 59. I don't mind. In this case, by screwing the end plate 55 to the reinforcing pipe 59, the groove forming pipe 58 can be clamped and fixed between the end plates 55.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, a pair of shaft rotating motors are used as the shaft rotating means 48 for rotating the arm rotating shaft 47. The shaft rotating motor is fixed to the traveling unit main body 46, the arm rotating shaft 47 is connected to each output shaft 60 by the shaft joint 61, and both arm rotating shafts 47 are individually rotatably interlocked. A traveling drive motor is used as the traveling drive means 62 of the traveling section main body 46. This traveling drive motor is fixed to a fixed machine frame 63, a drive pulley 65 is attached to its output shaft 64, and an interlocking operation is made between a floating pulley (not shown) pivotally mounted on the fixed machine frame 63 and the drive pulley 65. The belt 66 is wrapped around, and the running section main body 46 is attached to the interlocking belt 66. Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the traveling portion main body 46 is slidably mounted on a guide rail 67 provided on the stationary machine frame 63.

As shown in FIG. 8C, the substrate transfer robot 4 uses a single shaft rotation motor for the shaft rotation means 48 and engages a reversing gear 69 with a drive gear 68 attached to its output shaft 60. In addition, the input gear 70 attached to one arm rotation shaft 47 may be engaged with the drive gear 68, and the input gear 71 attached to the other arm rotation shaft 47 may be engaged with the reversing gear 69. Further, as shown in FIG. 8D, a traveling drive motor, which is the traveling drive means 62, is attached to the traveling portion main body 46, and the pinion gear 72 attached to the output shaft 64 thereof is attached to the rack gear 73 attached to the stationary machine frame 63. The running portion main body 46 may be self-propelled by meshing.

The structure of the substrate processing unit 5 is as follows. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing section 5 includes three processing tanks 74, and the processing tanks 74 are provided with processing substrate mounting sections 75 for supporting the substrates 9, respectively. The processing substrate mounting portion 75 can be moved up and down by interlocking with the ascending / descending driving means 76 shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the position at which the substrate 9 held by the substrate placing part 18 of the substrate transferring part 3 is delivered to the substrate transfer robot 4 is the first substrate delivering position 77, and each of the processing tanks 74 Assuming that a position for transferring the substrate 9 held on the processing substrate mounting portion 75 to the substrate transfer robot 4 is a second substrate transfer position 78 (in FIG. 1, the central processing tank 74 is shown), the processing substrate By raising and lowering the mounting portion 75, the substrate 9 held here can be raised and lowered between the second substrate transfer position 78 and the substrate processing position 79 where the substrate is immersed in the processing bath 74 to perform the processing. is there. The substrate transfer robot 4 is made to travel between the first substrate transfer position 77 and the second substrate transfer position 78.

In the substrate processing apparatus having the substrate processing unit 5, the substrate transfer unit 3 transfers the unprocessed substrate 9 in the cassette 8 to the substrate transfer robot 4 before the substrate processing. The unprocessed substrate 9 is held on the substrate placing section 18 of the above, and it is raised to the first substrate delivering position 77 and delivered to the substrate transport robot 4. Then, the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred by the substrate transfer robot 4 to the second substrate transfer position 78, the unprocessed substrate 9 is transferred to the raised processing substrate mounting part 75, and the processed substrate mounting part 75 is lowered. Then, the unprocessed substrate 9 is positioned at the substrate processing position 79 of the processing bath 74, and immersed in the processing liquid 80 for processing. Then, when the substrate processing in the processing tank 74 is completed, the processed substrate placing portion 75 is raised to position the processed substrate 9 at the second substrate transfer position 78 and transfers it to the substrate transfer robot 4. Then, the processed substrate 9 is transferred to the first substrate transfer position 77 by the substrate transfer robot 4, and is held by the substrate mounting unit 18 of the substrate transfer unit 3 which has been raised, and the substrate of the substrate transfer unit 3 is transferred. The mounting portion 18 is lowered to position the processed substrate 9 at the substrate accommodation position 81 and accommodate it in the cleaned cassette 8.

As described above, the unprocessed substrate 9 is held and lifted by the processed substrate placing unit 75 of the substrate processing unit 5, so that the substrate chuck 49 of the substrate transfer robot 4 holding the substrate 9 is transferred to the processing tank 74. Since it is not necessary to immerse the substrate in the processing liquid 80, the contaminants attached to the substrate chuck 49 are not brought into the processing bath 74. In addition, since it is not necessary to intrude the substrate chuck 49 into the processing bath 74, the size of the substrate chuck 49 can be shortened, the substrate chuck 49 is less likely to vibrate during the transfer of the substrate, and the substrate 9 and the substrate chuck 49 are not easily vibrated. Generation of particles due to sliding with the substrate alignment holding grooves 52 and 53 is reduced, and intrusion of particles into the processing bath 74 is reduced.

[0041]

[Effect of device]

 The present invention has the following effects. When the substrate is transferred between the cassette and the substrate transfer robot, it is not necessary to rotate the substrate transfer tool, and therefore the posture of the substrate held on the substrate mounting part of the substrate transfer tool does not shift. For this reason, the reliability of the substrate transfer work is enhanced.

When the direction of the substrate is changed, the turntable is rotated while the substrate is stably accommodated and held in the cassette. Therefore, the rotation speed of the turntable is increased without compromising the posture of the substrate. Can be set. Therefore, the direction change time of the substrate is short, which is advantageous in throughput.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

3A and 3B are explanatory views of a turntable used in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, where FIG. 3A is a vertical sectional view, FIG. 3B is a plan view, and FIG. C-C line sectional drawing, the same figure (D) is the same figure (C) equivalent figure of the 1st modification of the rotary drive mechanism of a turntable, the same figure (E) is the 2nd modification of the rotary drive mechanism of a turntable. It is a figure equivalent to the same figure (C).

4A and 4B are views for explaining a substrate transfer tool used in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 4A is a vertical sectional view and FIG. FIG. 1C is a partial cross-sectional view of the substrate mounting portion.

5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG.

6A and 6B are explanatory views of a width-shifting link mechanism used in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 6A is a vertical sectional view and FIG. 6B is a plan view.

7 is a diagram illustrating a substrate chuck of a substrate transfer robot used in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG.
FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG.
Is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 6B, FIG. 6D is a vertical cross-sectional view of a modified substrate chuck, and FIG.
It is a -E line sectional view.

8A and 8B are views for explaining a substrate chuck rotating mechanism of a substrate transfer robot and a traveling mechanism of a traveling unit body used in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 8A is a perspective view and FIG. (A) is a side view, (C) is a perspective view of a modification, and (D) is a side view of (C).

9 is a perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 of a substrate processing apparatus according to a conventional technique.

11 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 ... Substrate transfer robot, 5 ... Substrate processing unit, 8 ... Cassette, 9 ... Substrate, 11 ... Cassette mounting table, 13 ... Turntable, 14 ... Rotation drive device, 15 ... Cassette 8
Lower opening, 16 ... Handing tool insertion hole, 17 ... Substrate handing tool, 18 ... Substrate placing section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A cassette mounting table for mounting a cassette for accommodating a plurality of substrates in an upright alignment state, a substrate transfer tool, a substrate processing section, and a space between the cassette mounting table and the substrate processing section. A substrate transfer robot that moves, a transfer tool insertion hole facing the lower opening of the cassette is opened in the cassette mounting table, and the substrate transfer tool is provided upright below the transfer tool insertion hole. A substrate placing part for holding a plurality of substrates in an upright alignment state is provided at the upper end of the handing tool, and the substrate handing tool and the cassette placing table are relatively moved up and down, and the substrate placing part of the substrate handing tool. In a substrate processing apparatus configured to hold a plurality of substrates in an upright alignment state and to collectively transfer a plurality of substrates between the cassette and the substrate transfer robot, A turntable provided with the delivery tool insertion hole is provided at the cassette placement portion of the cassette placement table, and the turntable is interlocked and coupled to a rotary drive device so that the turntable is rotated by a predetermined angle. A substrate direction changing device in a substrate processing apparatus.