JPH07153661A - Reticle taking-out and housing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To take out a reticle from a housing cassette or to house the reticle into the housing cassette by a method wherein the housing cassette of the reticle is formed as a structure which has combined a dish with a detachable lid. CONSTITUTION:The reticle taking-out and housing apparatus is composed of a housing warehouse 10 which houses a cassette 1, of a raising and lowering part 20 which raises and lowers the housing warehouse 10; of a housing- warehouse-position-confirmation and origin-return means 50, of a lid attachment and detachment part 31 and of a taking-out and housing part. The cassette 1 in which reticles before their cleaning treatment have been housed is housed into the housing warehouse 10 by human hands. However, the reticles before their treatment are taken out from the cassette 1 automatically and the reticles after their treatment are housed into the cassete 1 automatically both under the control of a control part. The housing-warehouse-position-confirmation and origin-return means 50 is composed mainly of a sensor group, it confirms the vertical position of the cassette 1 in individual operating stages such as the lid mounting stage of the cassette 1, the taking-out stage of the reticles, the housing stage of the reticles and the like, it detects an abnormality previously, and it supports the origin return of the housing warehouse 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention stores a reticle, which is an enlarged pattern original plate for manufacturing a photomask of an integrated circuit, in a cassette with a detachable lid, and manually stores the reticle in a tandem in a single row and in a multistage. The present invention relates to a reticle ejecting / accommodating device that automatically takes out a reticle from a cassette based on a command, or automatically stores a reticle into a cassette based on a command after a cleaning process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional example, a reticle storage cassette, which is provided with a lid that rotates or moves straight to open and close, is manually stored in multiple stages in a storage cabinet. The cassette of the stage based on the command automatically turns to be exposed from the inside of the hangar to the outside. The reticle of the exposed cassette is automatically taken out after the lid is opened, for example, by a gripping tool of a robot, or the reticle after the cleaning process is automatically stored in the exposed cassette.

[0003]

In the prior art, the reticle storage cassette has a structure in which a lid that opens or closes by rotating or moving straight is attached. On the other hand, there is another type of cassette having a combination structure of a plate and a removable lid. Assuming that this other type of storage cassette is adopted, a reticle take-out / storage device corresponding thereto has been demanded.

It is an object of the present invention that the reticle storage cassette has a combination structure of a dish and a removable lid, and the reticle is automatically removed and attached based on a command while the reticle is being attached. It is an object of the present invention to provide a reticle take-out / accommodation device that takes out the reticle from the cassette or stores the reticle in the cassette.

[0005]

A reticle take-out / accommodating device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a reticle take-out / accommodating device in which a lid is hooked to a notch for hooking provided on each edge of both sides of a plate via a hooking tool. , A hangar for storing detachable and removable reticle storage cassettes in multiple rows in a row; and an elevating part for raising and lowering the hangar;
It has a lid attachment / detachment portion for attaching / detaching the lid of the cassette to / from the dish side; and a positioning portion for reticle placement that receives and carries out the reticle from the cassette with the lid removed, or carries in and delivers the reticle into the cassette. , A reticle take-out / storage unit having a pair of arms that are horizontally arranged in parallel and move straight so as to approach and separate from the reticle in the longitudinal direction; Position the cassette corresponding to the lid attachment / detachment part, then remove the lid of the cassette via the lid attachment / detachment part, and then lower the hangar in two stages via the elevating part.
When receiving and carrying out a reticle from a cassette via the reticle take-out / storing unit and storing the reticle, position the cassette at the specified stage of the hangar via the elevating unit in correspondence with the lid attachment / detachment unit, and then cover A controller for removing the lid of the cassette via the attaching / detaching part, and then lowering / raising the hangar via the elevating / lowering part to carry in / deliver the reticle to / from the cassette via the reticle take-out / accommodating part;

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the first aspect, in which the hangar has three portions on the front side, the middle side, and the back side with the edges of the plate sandwiched from above and below, respectively. A vertical guide roller group consisting of a pair of rollers arranged and a roller arranged under each edge of the dish at a position between the front side and the middle thereof; side end faces of each edge of the dish And is biased so as to apply a component force that pulls the cassette in the storage direction by engaging the notch-shaped recess provided on each edge near the cassette storage end position, and at the beginning of cassette storage. A positioning / holding roller which also abuts against a corner of the edge portion and moves so as to open outward against the bias.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the first or second aspect, the lid attaching / detaching portion clamps the lever portion of the latching member biased in the latching direction together with the lid. An operating unit that is operated so as to be released to hang the hook portion of the hooking device on the plate side and locks the hooking unit; and a moving unit that makes the operating unit approach and separate from the cassette.

A reticle take-out / accommodating apparatus according to a fourth aspect is the apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the lid attaching / detaching portion moves straight so as to approach and separate from the cassette and is urged in the latching direction. The lever part of the latching device is brought into contact with the lower surface of the latching device to push it up and down while moving, and the hook part of the latching device is hooked on the dish side to lock it; and the lever part is pushed up. And a blocking portion that blocks the movement of the lid that receives the upward force.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the fourth aspect, wherein a plurality of operation units are arranged so that the operating portion pushes up the lever portion as it approaches the cassette. Equipped with rollers. A reticle take-out / accommodating device according to a sixth aspect is the device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, in which a slider that moves up and down together with a hangar; a lid provided on the slider and corresponding to each stage of the hangar. Position detectors with three detectors installed in parallel for attachment / detachment positions, positions before and after reticle reception, and positions before and after reticle reception, and for origin return of the hangar Detectors; parallel to each stage of the hangar, position confirmation sensor corresponding to the position confirmation detector; and an origin return corresponding to the origin return detector provided at an intermediate position of the slider up / down stroke Sensors; the upper and lower limit sensors provided at the upper and lower limit positions of the up and down stroke of the slider, and corresponding to the return-to-origin detector, and the sensor for position confirmation before and when the hangar is stopped. The vertical position of the hangar is confirmed based on the force, and the direction to return to the origin of the hangar is determined based on the output of the position confirmation sensor when the hangar is temporarily moved in a fixed direction, or the upper and lower limit sensors, A hangar position confirmation / origin return means having a position control unit for returning the hangar to the origin based on the output of the origin return sensor when the hangar is moved in that direction.

A reticle take-out / accommodating apparatus according to a seventh aspect is the apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the reticle taking-out / accommodating apparatus is provided on the front side of the hangar and is required for storing and inserting the cassettes of each stage. An erroneous insertion posture preventing front plate having a hollow portion corresponding to a region is provided.

[0011]

In the reticle take-out / accommodation device according to the first aspect, the cassettes in which the reticles are accommodated are manually stored in advance in the hangar in a row and in a multi-stage manner, and thereafter, by the control unit,
(1) When taking out the reticle, the cassette of the specified stage of the hangar is positioned corresponding to the lid attaching / detaching part via the elevating part, then the cassette lid is removed via the lid attaching / detaching part, and then the reticle is moved up / down. The hangar goes down in two steps through the parts, the reticle is received and carried out from the cassette through the reticle take-out / holding part, and then the hangar rises and is returned to the original position, and then the lid attaching / detaching part is used. The lid is attached to the cassette,
(2) When storing the reticle, the cassette of the specified stage of the hangar is positioned corresponding to the lid attaching / detaching portion via the elevating portion, then the lid of the cassette is removed via the lid attaching / detaching portion, and then the cassette is removed. The hangar descends and rises via the elevating unit, the reticle is carried in and delivered to the cassette via the reticle unloading / accommodating unit, and then the hangar rises and is returned to its original position, and then the cassette is attached via the lid attaching / detaching unit. The lid is attached to.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the second aspect, the cassette has the edges of both sides of the tray in the facing gaps of a pair of rollers respectively arranged at three positions on the front side, the middle side and the back side. , It is stored so that it can be manually inserted and guided. Moreover, in the process of insertion, when the catching notches at the edges of the plate cannot be guided at the pair of rollers on the front side, the front side and the middle of the bottom side of the edges of the plate are A roller disposed in the space between and a pair of rollers in the middle assists in guiding each edge of the dish, and thereafter, a hooking notch is formed in the position of the lower roller. When it reaches the front side, a pair of rollers arranged in the middle, and when it reaches the position of the pair of rollers arranged in the middle, the front side,
The pair of rollers arranged on the back side guides each without any hindrance. When the cassette reaches a position near the end of storage, a positioning / holding roller that also functions as a lateral guide engages with a notched recess at each edge, and is pulled in the storage direction by the bias of the roller to store the cassette. It is positioned and held at the end position. Moreover, at the beginning of storage of the cassette, the corners of the respective edges are positioned so that they can also serve as lateral guides.
It is inserted and stored while contacting the holding roller and moving it so as to open outward against the bias.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the lid of the cassette is removed, first, the cassette reaches the lid attaching / detaching position through the elevating portion, and then the operating portion of the lid attaching / detaching portion is moved by the moving portion. Then, the lever part of the latch is clamped together with the lid by the operation part, the hook part of the latch is removed from the plate, and the clamp is continued as it is, and the cassette moves up and down. Descend through and away from the lid. When mounting the lid on the cassette, first the cassette rises via the elevating part to reach the lid attachment / detachment position, the operation part of the lid attachment / detachment part approaches the cassette, and then the operation part causes the lever of the latch to move. The pinching of the section is released,
The hook of the hook is hooked on the plate. After that, the lid attaching / detaching part is separated from the cassette by the moving part.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the fourth aspect, when the lid of the cassette is removed, first, the cassette reaches the lid attaching / detaching position through the elevating part, and then the operating portion of the lid attaching / detaching part approaches the cassette. While going straight,
The lower part of the lever on the lid side is brought into contact with the lower surface of the lever and pushed up while moving, and the hook part of the latch is disengaged from the plate. When the operating part is pushed up, the blocking part blocks the upward movement of the lid, assists the hooking of the hook part, and holds the operating part as it is, and the cassette descends via the elevating part. Away from the lid. When mounting the lid on the cassette, first the cassette rises via the elevating part to reach the lid attachment / detachment position, and then the operating part moves straight away from the cassette, and the latch is urged in the latching direction. , The hook of the hook is hooked on the plate. After that, the lid attaching / detaching part is separated from the cassette by the moving part.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the fifth aspect, since the operating portion has a plurality of operating rollers, it comes into contact with the lower surface of the lever portion when the cassette lid is attached or detached.
The movement, and by extension, the engagement / disengagement of the latch, and the latching operation are performed in fine steps. Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to claim 6, the position control unit of the hangar position confirmation / origin return means (1) determines the vertical position of the hangar based on the output of the position confirmation sensor before and when the hangar is stopped. In particular, it is confirmed whether the position is the lid attachment / detachment position corresponding to each stage of the hangar, the position before or after receiving the reticle, or the position after receiving or before receiving the reticle. (2) As the first step, the direction to return to the origin of the hangar is determined based on the output of the position confirmation sensor or the upper and lower limit sensors when the hangar is temporarily moved in the fixed direction. As a result, the home of the hangar is returned based on the output of the origin return sensor when the hangar is moved in that direction. (3) The upper and lower limit sensors detect that the hangar has reached the upper and lower limit positions of the elevating process.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating apparatus according to the seventh aspect, the hollow portion corresponding to each step of the front plate allows the storage / insertion only when the cassette takes the proper insertion posture, and the erroneous insertion posture of the cassette. Is prevented from being stored.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a reticle take-out / accommodating apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cassette that stores a reticle that is an object of the embodiment. In the figure, a cassette 1 comprises a dish 2 and a lid 3 which can be attached to and detached from the dish 2. The plate 2 is a flat U-shaped plastic molded product having a flat U-shape, and each leg end has an edge 2c protruding outward. On the bottom of the dish 2, four receiving members 2a and four hitting members 2b are integrally projected, and the reticle 9, which is a substantially square plate-shaped member indicated by the alternate long and short dash line, is positioned and placed. . A notch 2d for latching the lid 3 is provided at a position slightly deviated from the center of the edge 2c so as to face each other. The lid 3 is a flat, substantially square, box-shaped plastic molded product, and a handle portion 3a is integrally attached to a position corresponding to the cutout portion 2d of the edge portion 2c of the plate 2. A latch 4 is supported on the lower side of the handle 3a so as to be swingable around a shaft 5, and is latched by a spring 6 inserted in a bottomed hole opened from the lower surface of the handle 3a. Is biased in the direction. The latch 4 is an L-shaped plastic molded product, and includes a lever portion 4a located below the handle portion 3a and a hook portion 4b for latching.
Consists of.

Therefore, the reticle 9 is housed in the tray 2 in such a manner that the reticle 9 is positioned and placed by the receiving tool 2a and the tool 2b, and after the lid 3 is put on the tray 2, the hook 4b of the hook 4 is held. Is hooked and attached to the notch 2d. The method of taking out the reticle 9 stored in the cassette 1 and conversely storing the reticle 9 from the outside in the cassette 1 according to the embodiment is as follows.

When taking out the reticle 9 stored in the cassette 1, (1) hang the lever part 4a of the latch 4 and the handle part 3a of the lid 3 from each other, and then remove the lid 3 from the plate 2. Lift by a certain height. (2) Insert the arm from the side into the space below the reticle 9 facing the receiving tool 2a. (3) Lift the arm to receive the reticle 9, and then pull it out. (4) Cover the lid 3 on the dish 2 and hang it with the hook 4 to attach it.

When the reticle 9 is to be stored in the cassette 1 from the outside, (1) the lever portion 4a of the latch 4 as in the case of taking out.
Then, the handle 3a of the lid 3 is sandwiched between the lid 3 and the handle 3a, and then the lid 3 is lifted from the plate 2 by a certain height. (2) Insert the arm on which the reticle 9 is placed into the gap between the lid 3 and the dish 2. (3) Lift up the tray 2 and pick up the reticle 9 while scooping it while adjusting the position of the reticle 9 with the receivers 2a and 2b, and then pull out only the empty arm. (4) Attach the lid 3 to the dish 2 as in (4) when taking out.

The overall structure of the embodiment will be described with reference to the front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the side view of FIG. 2 and the plan view of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the embodiment mainly includes a hangar 10 for storing the cassette 1, an elevating part 20 for raising and lowering the hangar 10, a hangar position confirmation / origin return means 50, and
As shown in 2, the lid attaching / detaching part is used to attach / detach the lid 3 to / from the cassette 1.
31 and a take-out / storing unit 35 for the reticle. In this example, the reticle 9 before the cleaning process is initially used.
The cassette 1 in which is stored is manually stored in the hangar 10. However, the reticle 9 before processing is taken out from the cassette 1 and the processed reticle 9 is stored in the cassette 1 under the control of the control unit (not shown) and the lifting / lowering unit 20 and the lid attaching / detaching unit. It is automatically performed by the collaborative work of 31 and the take-out / storing unit 35. After the cleaning process of the reticle 9 of all cassettes 1 is completed, it is replaced with the cassette of the next unprocessed reticle. In FIG. 1, the hangar position confirmation / origin return means 50 includes a slider 51 that moves up and down together with the lift table 23, a detector 52 attached to the slider 51, and a sensor group arranged in association with the slider 51, that is, the hangar position on the right side. It consists of confirmation sensors S1 to S6, left-side origin return sensor So, and upper and lower limit sensors Su and Sv.The operation will be described in detail later, but the cassette 1 lid is attached, the reticle 9 is removed, Check the vertical position of the cassette 1 at each operation stage such as storing and detect abnormalities in advance.
It also assists in returning the hangar 10 to its origin.

FIG. 4 and FIG.
Explanation will be given with reference to 5. Figure 4 is a side view of the main part,
Figure 5 is a plan view of the same. The hangar 10 is mainly
A storage case 11 for the cassette 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), a guide roller corresponding to a guide rail when inserting the cassette 1 in one row and multiple stages, in this case, 6 stages, and a front plate installed on the front side. 18 (see Fig. 1). The storage case 11 is a rectangular parallelepiped case without a wall on the front side.
1 is inserted and removed.

In FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the guide rollers are for vertical guidance consisting of a pair of upper and lower rollers 12 and lower roller 13 only on the lower side, and for horizontal guidance consisting of side rollers 14 and the like. And are arranged on the inner surface of each side of the storage case 11 in the number corresponding to the number of storage steps. In FIG. 4, the roller pair 12 is
From the front (left side of the figure), in order, from the front, middle, and back sides (left, middle, and right of the figure), the lower roller 13 is placed in the middle of the front and middle roller pair 12. . Edge portions 2c on the left and right sides of the tray 2 of FIG. 11 are vertically constrained and guided by the facing gaps between the rollers of the roller pair 12 and the lower roller 13. In FIG. 5, the side roller 14 is provided at one end of the lever 15. The lever 15 is swingably supported about a shaft 16 and is biased by a spring 17 so that the side roller 14 moves in the insertion direction of the cassette 1. This lever 15
The side rollers 14 attached to the tray are arranged at two positions from the front (upper side in the figure) to the front side and the back side (upper side and lower side in the figure).
It contacts the side end surface of the edge portion 2c indicated by the alternate long and short dash line on each of the left and right sides, and guides by constraining it in the left-right direction.

The function of each roller will be supplemented. In the process of inserting the cassette 1 in Fig. 11, when the notch 2d for hooking on each edge 2c of the plate 2 cannot be guided at the roller pair 12 on the front side (left side in the figure) in Fig. 4. The guide of each edge 2c is supported by the lower roller 13 and the intermediate roller pair 12.
After that, the latching notch 2d is formed by the front and middle roller pairs 12 when reaching the position of the lower roller 13, and by the front and back sides when reaching the position of the intermediate roller pair 12. The roller pairs 12 each support reliable guidance. In Figure 5, when the storage starts,
The corner P (indicated by an arrow) of the left edge 2c of 1 comes into contact with the upper left side roller 14 and resists the clockwise biasing of the spring 17 about the shaft 16 by the spring 17. It is inserted and stored while moving it so that it opens to the outside (left side). In other words,
When the corner P of the cassette 1 comes into contact with the side roller 14, the line of action of the force received from the side roller 14 at that point passes through the left side of the shaft 16, and the component force in the cassette insertion direction (insertion resistance force) is Corner P of cassette 1 should be as small as possible
The diameter and the initial position of the side roller 14 are optimally designed in relation to the roundness of the roller. Further, when the cassette 1 reaches near the storage end position, the side roller 14 engages with the notch-shaped recess 2e (see FIG. 11) provided in the edge 2c, and the spring force of the side roller 14 causes the side roller 14 to move in the storage direction. To the storage end position and held. Moreover, since the operator pulls the cassette 1 in the storage direction near the end of the storage forcefully by the operator, it is effective to improve the reliability of the cassette storage and thus the reliability of the entire apparatus. A transmission type optical sensor is provided inside the storage case 11 corresponding to each stage to detect the end of storage of the cassette 1 or an abnormality in the storage process.

In FIG. 6, which is a front view of the storage case, the front plate 18 is attached to the front side of the storage case 11. The front plate 18 is provided with a hollow portion corresponding to the front area required for storing and inserting the cassettes 1 of the six stages. This hollow portion allows the storage and insertion only when the cassette 1 takes the proper insertion posture. In other words, the proper insertion of the cassette 1 is guided, and the storage due to the incorrect insertion posture is prevented. As a matter of fact, since the stages are arranged close to each other,
When the operator inserts the cassette 1 from the front side, there is a risk that the insertion position may become skewed by mistakenly making a mistake in the corresponding steps on the left and right. Since the storage due to the erroneous insertion posture of the cassette is prevented, damage to the cassette is prevented in advance, and the workability is improved due to a sense of security when the cassette is inserted and stored. It should be noted that the front plate 18 is provided with various indicator lights or indicators represented by a circle to indicate the end of storage of the cassette, occurrence of storage abnormalities, various operation stages of the cassette relating to removal and storage, and the like. When an abnormality occurs, a buzzer alarm is issued at the same time as this indicator light and display.

In FIG. 2, the elevating part 20 mainly comprises a driving motor 21, a ball screw 22 belt-connected to the motor 21, and an elevating table 23 as a nut fitted to the ball screw 22 (see FIG. 1). And an elevating guide 24 that guides the elevating table 23 so that it can move in the vertical direction, three push-up rods 25 that are erected on the upper surface of the elevating table 23 with their axes perpendicular to each other, and the push-up rods.
It is composed of a horizontal upper plate 26 attached to the upper end surface of 25.
The hangar 10 is placed and fixed on the upper plate 26. Motor 21
Rotates the ball screw 22 with the rotation angle position determined by the input pulse signal. By the rotation of the ball screw 22, the elevating table 23 fitted therein is moved up and down under the guidance of the elevating guide 24, and at the same time, the hangar 10 is moved up and down.

In FIG. 2, a base 30 is fixed to a base frame 19 to which an elevating part 20 is attached, and a take-out / storing part 35 and both sides (the front side and the other side in the figure) are provided on the upper surface of the base 30. The lid attaching / detaching portion 31 is fixed to the. The take-out / storing unit 35 mainly includes a pair of arms 36 mounted to take out and store the reticle 9, a horizontal moving base 37 to which the arms 36 are attached and which reciprocates in the horizontal direction, and the horizontal moving base 37. And a driving unit 38 for driving. The arm 36 includes a well-known positioning step portion and a tapered guide portion when a reticle is placed. The rotation driving force of the driving unit 38 is transmitted to the horizontal moving table 37 via a belt. A positioning guide 39 is attached to the base 30, and although not described in detail, it serves to assist and position one end of the reticle during storage.

In FIG. 7, the lid attaching / detaching portion 31 is mainly shown in FIG.
Chuck part 32 for attaching and detaching lid 3 of cassette 1 of 11
And a well-known pneumatic actuator 33 that holds and releases the chuck portion 32, and a swing shaft 34 that swings the chuck portion 32 and the actuator 33 as a whole to selectively determine the attachment / detachment position and the retracted position. The swing drive of the swing shaft 34 is performed by another pneumatic actuator (not shown). At the attachment / detachment position, the grip portion 3a of the lid 3 and the lever portion 4a of the latch 4 in FIG. 11 are clamped and released by the chuck portion 32, and the hook portion 4b is removed from the notch portion 2d of the dish 2 or hooked. To stop.

A modified example of the lid attaching / detaching portion will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. Figure 8 is a side view and Figure 9 is a plan view. In FIG. 8, the lid attaching / detaching portion is composed of the frame 42, the rollers 43, 44, and the blocking portion 45. The lid attaching / detaching is performed by moving straight in the horizontal direction as a whole. The blocking portion 45 is provided so as to cover the upper side of the frame 42, and has a role of contacting the upper surface of the handle portion 3a of the lid 3 and blocking the upward movement thereof.
One roller 43 is arranged at the preceding position on the left side, and two rollers 44 are arranged at the position slightly rearward on the right side.
The lid attaching / detaching portion including the frame 42 is at the position of the broken line before the lid 3 is removed, and when the lid 3 is removed, the lid attaching / detaching part goes straight to the left side to the solid line position. In this straight-ahead process, the lever portion 4a of the latch 4 contacts the lower surface of the roller 43 and the roller 44 in that order, and at the same time, the grip portion 3a contacts the upper surface of the blocking portion 45, which prevents upward movement. The hook 4b is rotated from the position indicated by the broken line to the position indicated by the solid line, and the hook for the plate (not shown) is removed. According to this modification of the lid attaching / detaching portion, the structure can be further simplified, the cost can be reduced, and the reliability can be improved.

Now, the steps of taking out and storing the reticle will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. Figure 12
13 (a) to 13 (e) are side views showing the respective steps relating to the removal,
(a)-(e) is a side view which shows each process regarding storage. First, reticle ejection will be described. In the figure, the hangar is sequentially positioned from the initial origin to each of the three levels ,, according to the cassette 1 of each stage.
In Fig. (A), the lid 3 of the cassette 1 is unlocked at the level. In Figure (b), the hangar or tray 2 is lowered to the level and there is a gap between the tray 2 and the lid 3. In the figure (c), the horizontal moving table 37 moves leftward and the arm 36 is inserted under the reticle 9. In Figure (d), the hangar or dish 2 is lowered to the level and the arm 36 picks up the reticle 9 in a scooping fashion. In FIG. 6 (e), the tray 2 is maintained at the level, the arm 36 is pulled out with the horizontal movement of the horizontal moving table 37, and the reticle 9 is completely unloaded. Then, the hangar is returned to the level again (see FIG. (A)), the lid 3 is attached to the tray 2, and the removing process is completed. After that, the hangar returns to the origin.

The reticle storage will be described. In FIG. 13, the hangar is sequentially positioned from the initial origin to each of the three levels ,, according to the cassette 1 of each stage. In Figure (a), the lid 3 of the empty cassette 1 at the level is released. In Figure (b), the hangar is lowered to the level, and there is a gap between the tray 2 and the lid 3. In FIG. 3 (c), the arm 36 is inserted (loaded) on the upper side of the tray 2 with the reticle 9 placed thereon. In Figure (d), the hangar or dish 2 is raised to the level. In the process, the arm 36 passes the reticle 9 to the plate 2. In Fig. (E), the arm 36 is pulled out to the right while the plate 3 is maintained at the level. After that, the hangar is returned to the level again (see FIG. (A)), the lid 3 is attached to the tray 2, and the storing process is completed. After that, the hangar returns to the origin.

As described above, the hangar 10 is positioned at the designated position via the motor 21, and the corresponding lid 3 of the cassette 1 is attached / detached and the reticle 9 is removed.
It is stored. The hangar position confirmation / origin return means 50 is in charge of checking whether or not the hangar 10 is positioned as specified, and returning the hangar 10 to the origin at the end of each reticle ejection and storage.
As shown in FIG. 1, the hangar position confirmation / origin return means 50 includes a slider 51 attached to the lifting table 23 and a detector 52 attached to the slider 51 for both hangar position confirmation and origin return.
And each sensor arranged corresponding to this. These positional relationships and operations will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a layout view of detectors and sensors, and FIG. 10B is a time chart of a sensor signal for hangar position confirmation, regarding the hangar position confirmation / origin return means. In Fig. 10 (a), the detector 52 has three comb teeth K1, K2, K3 on the right side as a detector for checking the hangar position and one comb tooth Ko as a detector for returning to the origin on the left side. Equipped with. Each comb tooth K1, K2, K3
Correspond to the levels in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, respectively. Depending on the cassette 1 stored in 6 levels, each comb tooth K1, K
Sensors S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6 corresponding to 2, K3 are arranged in parallel in the vertical direction, and an origin sensor So corresponding to comb teeth Ko and upper and lower limit sensors Su, Sv Install in parallel in the vertical direction.

Now, the fourth cassette from the bottom of the hangar 10
If the reticle 9 is to be taken out or stored from the position 1, the slider 51 will initially have the comb teeth Ko of the detector 52.
Rises from the position of the alternate long and short dash line facing the sensor So to the position of the comb tooth K1 facing the sensor S4 in the solid line. And comb tooth K1
Has reached the position facing the sensor S4 (corresponding to the level) in FIG. 10 (b), indicating that the pulse signals P3, K3, K2, and K1 have passed the sensor S4 in the previous stage. It is confirmed that there are P2 and P1 and that the signal P1 indicating that the comb tooth K1 of the detector 52 is present at the position facing the sensor S4 at this time is output. Similarly, the fact that the comb tooth K2 has reached the position facing the sensor S4 (corresponding to the level) is also confirmed from the train of pulse signals output from the sensor S4.

The origin return of the hangar 10 is performed as follows. Normally, the origin is usually set at the lower limit position or the upper limit position.
It is set at the center point of the vertical stroke from the point of movement efficiency of. Prior to returning to the origin, the hangar 10 is set in a predetermined direction,
For example, by temporarily moving in the ascending direction, the first output signal is detected by one of the sensors S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6.
Determine whether the current position is above or below the origin. Based on this, the hangar 10 is moved in the direction of the origin, and it can be recognized that it has returned to the origin by the signal output of the sensor So by the comb tooth Ko, so the hangar 10 is stopped at that position. Since the upper limit position and the lower limit position of the storage 10 are detected based on the outputs of the sensors Su and Sv, appropriate measures are taken based on the detection.

[0035]

According to the reticle take-out / accommodating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the reticle accommodating cassette has a structure in which a tray and a removable lid are combined, and reliability is improved. It is possible to take out the reticle from the cassette or store the reticle in the cassette while automatically removing and mounting the lid based on the command while reducing the size of the device with high operation.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating apparatus according to claim 2, while maintaining the cassette storage reliability and workability at a high level, (1) the number of guide rollers is minimized to reduce the cost. (2) The operator confirms the end of the cassette storage forcefully, thereby improving the reliability of the cassette storage and the reliability of the entire apparatus. Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the third aspect, the reliability of the lid attaching / detaching operation can be improved by adopting the sandwiching type operation portion in the lid attaching / detaching portion.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the fourth or fifth aspect, by adopting the straight-movement type operation section based on the cam system for the lid attaching / detaching portion, the reliability of the lid attaching / detaching operation is improved and the structure is simplified. Based on this, cost reduction can be achieved. Particularly, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the fifth aspect, since the operation portion is of the multi-stage roller type, the improvement of reliability is supported based on the improvement of reliability and smoothness of operation.

Particularly, in the reticle take-out / storing device according to claim 6, (1) a lid attaching / detaching position corresponding to each stage of the hangar,
Since it is confirmed whether the position is before or after receiving the reticle or after receiving the reticle, it is possible to prevent damage to the reticle storage cassette and the device due to an unexpected malfunction. This will help prevent equipment failures and improve operating rates. (2) The origin return operation can be speeded up by cooperating with the sensor and sensor for the position confirmation at the side.

In particular, in the reticle take-out / accommodating device according to the seventh aspect, since the storage due to the erroneous insertion posture of the cassette is prevented, the cassette is prevented from being damaged and
Workability is improved due to a sense of security when inserting and storing the cassette.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a main part of the hangar in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a lid attaching / detaching portion.

FIG. 8 is a side view of a modified example of the lid attaching / detaching portion.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the same.

[Fig. 10] Concerning the hangar position confirmation / origin return means, (a) is a layout of detectors and sensors, (b) is a time chart of hangar position confirmation sensor signals

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the cassette.

FIG. 12 is a side view of each step regarding reticle removal (a) to (e).

13A to 13E are side views of each process for storing the reticle.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 cassette 2 plate 2a receiver 2b tool 2c edge 2d notch 2e recess 3 lid 3a handle 4 5 shaft 6 spring 9 reticle 10 hangar 11 storage case 12 roller pair 13 lower roller 14 side roller 15 lever 16 shaft 17 Spring 18 Front plate 19 Base frame 20 Elevating part 21 Motor 22 Ball screw 23 Elevating table 24 Elevating guide 25 Pushing rod 26 Upper plate 30 Base 31 Cover lid attaching / detaching part 32 Chuck part 33 Actuator 34 Swivel axis 35 Extracting / storing part 36 Arm 37 Horizontal movement table 38 Drive section 39 Positioning guide 41 Lid attachment / detachment section 42 Frame 43, 44 Roller 45 Blocking section 50 Storage position confirmation / origin return means 51 Slider 52 Detector

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] December 13, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0001

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention stores a reticle, which is an enlarged original plate for manufacturing an integrated circuit, in a cassette with a removable lid, and manually stores the reticle in a hangar in a single row, and then in accordance with a command. The present invention relates to a reticle ejecting / accommodating device that automatically takes out a reticle from a cassette, or automatically stores a reticle in a cassette based on a command after a cleaning process.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Hiroshi Takizawa 1-1 Tanabe Nitta, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hide Tsukamoto 2-13-29, Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo Within Canon Sales Co., Ltd.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A reticle storage cassette, in which a lid is hooked and unhooked by hooking notches provided on both edges of the plate on both sides of the tray, and which is detachable by one row. A hangar to be stored in; a lift unit for raising and lowering the hangar; a lid attaching / detaching unit for attaching / detaching the lid of the cassette to / from the plate side; receiving a reticle from the cassette with the lid removed, or carrying the reticle into the cassette A reticle take-out / accommodation part having a positioning part for reticle placement, which is arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction, and has a pair of arms that go straight so as to approach and separate from the reticle in the longitudinal direction; When taking out, the cassette of the designated stage of the hangar is positioned through the elevating part so as to correspond to the lid attaching / detaching part, then the cassette lid is removed via the lid attaching / detaching part, and then stored via the elevating part. When the reticle is received and taken out from the cassette via the reticle take-out / storage unit and the reticle is stored, the cassette at the specified stage of the hangar corresponds to the lid attachment / detachment unit via the elevating unit. Then, the cassette lid is removed via the lid attaching / detaching part, then the hangar is lowered / raised via the elevating / lowering part, and the reticle is carried in / delivered to / from the cassette via the reticle extraction / storage part. A reticle take-out / accommodating device comprising: a control unit; 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hangar has a pair of rollers arranged at three positions on the front side, the middle side, and the back side so as to sandwich each edge of the plate from above and below, and
A vertical guide roller group consisting of rollers arranged below the respective edges of the plate and between the front side and the middle; and abutting on the side end face of each edge of the plate and provided on each edge The notched concave portion is urged so as to apply a component force that pulls the cassette in the storage direction by engaging near the cassette storage end position, and when the cassette storage is started, it abuts the corners of each edge and A reticle take-out / accommodating device comprising a positioning / holding roller that also functions as a lateral guide and moves so as to open outward against the force. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The lid attachment / detachment section is an operation section that operates so that the lever section of the latching member that is biased in the latching direction is clamped and released together with the lid to hang the hook portion of the latching tool on the plate side and latch it. A reticle take-out / accommodating device comprising: a moving unit that moves the operating unit closer to and separates from the cassette. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein
The lid attaching / detaching part goes straight so as to approach and separate from the cassette, and the lever part of the hooking device urged in the hooking direction is brought into contact with the lower surface of the lever part to push it up and down while moving to lock it. A reticle take-out, characterized by comprising: an operating portion for hooking and unhooking the hook portion of the tool to the dish side; and a blocking portion for blocking the movement of the lid that receives an upward force when the lever portion is pushed up.・ Storing device. 5. The reticle ejection device according to claim 4, wherein the operation section includes a plurality of operation rollers arranged in multiple stages so as to push up the lever section as it approaches the cassette.・ Storing device. 6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a slider that moves up and down together with the hangar; a lid attachment / detachment position, which is provided on the slider, corresponding to each stage of the hangar, and before receiving the reticle. , A position confirmation detector in which three detectors are arranged in parallel corresponding to the position after delivery and the position after receipt of the reticle and before delivery, and a detector for returning to the origin of the hangar; A position confirmation sensor that is installed in parallel according to the step and that corresponds to the position confirmation detector; an origin return sensor that is provided in the middle position of the slider ascending / descending process and that corresponds to the origin return detector; Upper and lower limit sensors provided at the upper and lower limit positions of the stroke and corresponding to the return-to-origin detector; vertical position of the hangar based on the output of the position confirmation sensor before and when the hangar stops When the hangar is moved in that direction, the direction to return to the home position of the hangar is calculated based on the output of the position confirmation sensor when the hangar is temporarily moved in the fixed direction or the upper and lower limit sensors. A reticle take-out / accommodation device comprising: a hangar position confirmation / origin return means having a position control unit for returning the hangar to the origin based on the output of the origin return sensor. 7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the erroneous insertion is provided on the front side of the hangar and has a hollow portion corresponding to the front area required for storing and inserting the cassettes of each stage. A reticle take-out / storing device characterized by having a front plate for posture prevention.