JPH07288275A - Handling arm - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce cost and maintenance with uniaxially driven 2-link-arm method with very simple structure and properly carry a cassette from an intermediate position to the right and left loader chambers in a required direction for improving transfer efficiency, realizing automation, reducing the number of workers and securing safety of workers. CONSTITUTION:A handling arm comprises a first link arm 23 reciprocatingly rotated to the right and left by a single drive shaft 22 of a rotation drive part 21, a second link arm 25 axially attached to the tip of the arm 23 for mounting and supporting a cassette C, and an interlocking mechanism 26 for rotating the second link arm 25 by a predetermined angle reversely to the first link arm 23 when the first link arm 23 rotates by a predetermined angle from an intermediate position either to the right or left. The handling arm is constituted so that the cassette C can be carried selectively to the two lader chambers, which are symmetrically placed in parallel with a respective opening angle from the intermediate position, in the direction aligned with the center line of the respective loader chambers.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention mainly relates to a handling arm for carrying an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD substrate and a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus equipped with the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a semiconductor wafer or LCD substrate, a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus called a cluster tool having a plurality of vacuum processing chambers has been developed. There is.

A multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus of this type is, for example, two loader chambers arranged in parallel on the left and right, and one polygonal container-like transfer which is hermetically connected to these loader chambers individually via gate valves. And a plurality of vacuum processing chambers arranged around the transfer chamber and airtightly connected to the transfer chamber via gate valves.

The two loader chambers also have a gate valve at the outer end side opening (opposite the transfer chamber side) for communicating with and blocking the outside atmosphere, and the object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer is cassette from the outside. This is a so-called load-lock chamber in which communication with the outside atmosphere and disconnection are repeated every time a unit is carried in and out.

The transfer chamber is also referred to as a transfer chamber, and is provided with a transfer mechanism such as a robot having a multi-joint arm capable of swiveling and expanding / contracting as a means for transporting an object to be processed and an alignment mechanism for alignment. There is. The plurality of vacuum processing chambers are called process chambers and have various vacuum processing functions according to various semiconductor manufacturing processes, for example, any one of processing functions such as sputtering, CVD, etching, ashing, oxidation and diffusion. In addition, the auxiliary vacuum treatment chamber has functions such as heating and cooling.

In such a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, when the object to be processed is selectively loaded into the left and right loader chambers in cassette units, the loader chamber is opened to the atmosphere by opening the gate valve on the outer end side. Become. After carrying in the object to be processed, the gate valve is closed to shut off from the outside atmosphere, and the inside atmosphere is evacuated or replaced with an inert gas such as N ₂ gas to be isolated from the outside.

In this state, the objects to be processed in the cassette of the loader chamber are taken into the transfer chamber one by one by the transfer mechanism in the transfer chamber and aligned by the alignment mechanism, which are sequentially transferred into various vacuum processing chambers. After being carried in, a predetermined process such as film formation or etching is performed therein, and the processed body is taken out into the transfer chamber by the transfer mechanism and returned to the cassette in the loader chamber.

In such a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, the loader chamber, the transfer chamber, the transfer mechanism, etc., which are transfer systems, can be shared by a plurality of vacuum processing chambers arranged around, so that the structure is simplified. In addition, the installation space can be reduced and the transportation efficiency can be improved, which is advantageous.

[0009]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, there are two left and right sides.
Conventionally, an operator manually carries in and out a to-be-processed object storage cassette, which is an object to be transferred, into and from one loader chamber. However, in that case, the presence of a gate valve for external shut-off may cause your hands to be caught, and the loading position and orientation of the cassette in the loader chamber may be inconsistent. There is a growing demand for automation to reduce the number of personnel, as it may cause problems with the operation and reduce efficiency.

Therefore, there is a need for a transfer device for automatically loading and unloading the object storage cassette from the outside to the left and right loader chambers, but there is no suitable transfer device. For example, a transfer mechanism such as a robot having a multi-joint arm that can swivel and expand / contract in the transfer chamber may be adopted outside the loader room. However, this transfer mechanism has a multi-joint arm, that is, a plurality of consecutively connected arms. It is a multi-axis drive system that rotates each arm to rotate and expand and contract, and requires a rotary drive unit for each arm, so the configuration is very complicated, the manufacturing and assembly are complicated and expensive, and the left and right loaders are simply used. Not only as a device for loading and unloading cassettes into and out of a room, but in the multi-axis synchronization system, there is a possibility that the operation of each arm may be out of synchronization and an accident may occur frequently, which makes maintenance difficult.

On the other hand, even if the cassette is mounted and supported by one arm having a simple structure and driven by one axis, and the cassette is carried in and out of the left and right loader chambers, the cassettes are arranged in parallel on the left and right only by rotating the arm. It is not possible to adopt it because it cannot be loaded to a fixed position inside the loader chamber, and even if the loaded cassette cannot be aligned in a direction that matches the center line of each loader chamber.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. An object of the present invention is a two-link arm system of uniaxial drive, which has a very simple structure and can reduce the cost and the maintenance, and, for example, as described above, the left and right sides. The objects to be processed such as the object storage cassette can be automatically carried to the fixed position in the loader room, etc. that are arranged in parallel with each other in the required direction, and the matching with the next transfer system can be accurately achieved, resulting in an extremely accident. An object of the present invention is to provide a handling arm that is less likely to occur and is capable of improving transport efficiency (throughput), automation, reduction of personnel, and ensuring of safety of workers. Another object of the present invention is to provide a safe multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus equipped with the handling arm and having excellent throughput.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the handling arm of the invention according to claim 1 is a rotary drive part and a first link arm which is reciprocally rotated by one axis by this rotary drive part. A second link arm that is rotatably attached to the tip end of the first link arm and carries and supports an object to be conveyed; and the second link that is interlocked with a predetermined angle reciprocating rotation of the first link arm. An interlocking mechanism for reciprocally rotating the arm in a required direction by a predetermined angle with respect to the first link arm, so that an object to be transported can be transported from a fixed position to another fixed position in a desired direction. And

In the handling arm having such a structure, the first link arm is driven by the rotary drive unit on one axis to reciprocally rotate by a predetermined angle, and at the same time, the second link pivotally attached to the tip end portion of the first link arm. With the reciprocating rotation of the first link arm, the arm reciprocates in a desired direction by a predetermined angle through the interlocking mechanism. That is, the first link arm and the second link arm are rotated by the same axis to rotate in predetermined directions by a predetermined angle, respectively, so that the object to be transferred such as the processed article storage cassette mounted and supported on the second link arm is transferred. It is possible to accurately convey from a fixed position to another fixed position in a required direction.

With such a uniaxially driven two-link arm system, accidents due to malfunctions such as synchronization shift can be eliminated, and the object to be conveyed can be accurately conveyed to improve the conveying efficiency (throughput), and automation and reduction of personnel. In addition to ensuring safety and safety, the configuration is very simple and cost and maintenance can be reduced. Also, by properly selecting the transmission direction of the interlocking mechanism and the acceleration / deceleration ratio, the transport location and orientation of the transported object can be set variously, and matching with the next transport system can be achieved accurately. .

The handling arm of the invention of claim 2 is
A rotary drive unit, a first link arm that is reciprocally pivoted from an intermediate position to the left and right on a single axis by the rotary drive unit, and is pivotally attached to the tip end portion of the first link arm so as to transfer an object to be transported. A second link arm for mounting and supporting,
When the first link arm is in the intermediate position, the second link arm
When the link arm is overlapped in a folded state right above the first link arm in a folded state and the first link arm is rotated from the intermediate position to the right or left by a predetermined angle, the second link arm is reversed with respect to the first link arm. And a mechanism for rotating the workpiece by a predetermined angle around it so that the object to be conveyed can be selectively conveyed from the intermediate position to two positions that are arranged in a laterally symmetrical manner in a direction that matches the center line of the position. It is characterized by having done.

In the handling arm having such a structure, the first link arm is driven by the rotary drive unit on one axis to reciprocally rotate from the intermediate position to the right and left for a predetermined angle, and the tip end portion of the first link arm is pivoted. The attached second link arm reciprocally rotates by a predetermined angle in the opposite direction to the first link arm through the interlocking mechanism as the first link arm reciprocates from the intermediate position to the left and right. That is, the first link arm and the second link arm are rotationally driven about the same axis and are rotated by a predetermined angle in the counterclockwise and counterclockwise directions with respect to each other, and are mounted and supported on the second link arm. An object to be conveyed such as a storage cassette can be accurately conveyed from the intermediate position to two positions which are arranged symmetrically side by side in a direction that matches the center line of the position.

Therefore, although the object to be conveyed is conveyed from the intermediate position to the two positions which are arranged symmetrically in parallel, the simple structure of the two-link arm system of uniaxial drive is sufficient, and the cost and maintenance can be reduced. At the same time, the occurrence of an accident due to a malfunction such as a synchronism deviation of the first and second link arms is eliminated, and the transferred object is placed in two symmetrical positions in parallel from one intermediate position, for example, in the symmetrical positions described below. In the two loader chambers arranged side by side with an opening angle toward one side, it is possible to accurately convey the loader chambers in a direction that matches the center line of the loader chambers without colliding with the opening edge portions of the loader chambers. It is possible to further improve the transport efficiency (throughput), automate, reduce the number of personnel, and ensure safety.

In the multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatuses are arranged in parallel at left and right symmetrical positions with an opening angle facing outward, and the gate valve is loaded and unloaded every time the object storage cassette is carried in and out. To communicate with the external atmosphere
The pair of left and right loader chambers are repeatedly cut off, the transfer chambers connected to the inner end sides of the loader chambers via gate valves, and the extension intersections of the center lines of the left and right loader chambers in the transfer chambers. It is equipped with a transfer mechanism that has a multi-joint arm that can swivel and expand and contract, and a plurality of vacuum processing chambers that are connected around the transfer chamber via gate valves. The treated objects are taken into the transfer chamber one by one by the transfer mechanism, transferred into each vacuum processing chamber and vacuum processed, and the processed bodies are taken out to the transfer chamber and returned to the cassette in the loader chamber. In the multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus having the structure, the handling arm according to claim 2 is installed at an intermediate position between the outer parts of the left and right loader chambers, and the handling arm covers the left and right loader chambers from the outer part. The physical body accommodating cassette is characterized in that a structure capable of carrying out the reverse or carried in an orientation that matches the center line of the loader chamber.

In the case of such a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, a single-axis-driven two-link arm type handling arm having a simple structure similar to that described above is used to open the cassettes for storing objects to be processed so that the cassettes can be opened outward at mutually symmetrical positions. The two loader chambers arranged side by side at an angle can be accurately loaded and unloaded from the outer intermediate positions of the loader chambers in a direction that matches the center line of the loader chambers without colliding with the respective opening edges. As a result, it is possible to properly match with the transfer mechanism of the next transfer system that takes in the objects to be processed one by one from the object storage cassettes in the left and right loader chambers, and with extremely high throughput. It becomes possible to efficiently perform various kinds of processing on the object to be processed, automate the vacuum processing apparatus, reduce the number of personnel, ensure safety, and further reduce costs.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, here, a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus provided with a handling arm that transfers a cassette that stores, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter abbreviated as a wafer at the end) that is an object to be transferred as an object to be transferred is illustrated.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, as a main body structure of a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, a pedestal 1 having a predetermined height and a pair of left and right loader chambers 2 fixedly supported on the front end portion are provided. , 2 and the left and right loader chambers 2, 2 are connected to the inner ends (rear ends) of the loader chambers 2 and 2 via gate valves 3, respectively, and are transferred in a polygonal shape fixedly supported on the rear half of the gantry 1. Chamber (transfer chamber) 4 and this transfer chamber 4
A transfer mechanism 5 having a multi-joint arm that is installed in the center of the inside of the structure so that it can be swung and expanded / contracted via a swivel shaft 5a, and an alignment mechanism 6 for positioning the object to be processed that is installed so as to be able to move up and down toward the front. A plurality of (for example, three in the illustrated embodiment) vacuums that are fixedly supported on independent pedestals 7 and are circumferentially arranged so as to surround the transfer chamber 4 and are respectively connected through gate valves 8. Processing chamber 9 ...

The vacuum processing chamber 9 is referred to as a process chamber and has various vacuum processing functions according to various semiconductor manufacturing processes, such as sputtering, CVD, etching, ashing, oxidation, diffusion, preheating and cooling. It also has a processing function.

The pair of left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 are in the form of transport ducts having openings at the front and rear ends, respectively. These two loader chambers 2 and 2 are located at symmetrical positions with respect to the center line S of the entire multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus as a boundary, and the extension of each center line P1 and P2 is the center of the transfer chamber 4 (the above-mentioned The transfer mechanisms 5 are arranged side by side in a V shape with the opening angle angles θ (for example, 22.5 degrees each) in a state of facing the turning axis center O) of the transfer mechanism 5.

Now, the loader chambers 2, which are arranged in parallel on the left and right,
2 and the three vacuum processing chambers 9 ... Are connected around the transfer chamber 4 in such a manner that their respective center lines are radially arranged so that the center lines of the transfer mechanism 5 are directed straight to the rotation axis center O of the transfer mechanism 5. On the other hand, the transfer mechanism 5 allows the wafer W to be smoothly inserted and removed.

Further, the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 in the form of the transfer duct are slightly bent in a V shape in the middle so that the outer end (front end) openings 2a and 2a are directed straight forward. There is. In addition, the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 have respective internal center positions (fixed positions on the center lines P1 and P2).
1 has a cassette pedestal 10 on which an object-to-be-processed cassette C in which wafers W are stored in units of, for example, 25 wafers in a multi-step manner is carried in from outside (front) by a handling arm 20 described later. It is supposed to be served.
That is, the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 are so-called cassette loading chambers. The cassette pedestals 10 are controlled to be moved up and down by an elevation drive mechanism (elevator) 11 provided at the bottom of the gantry 1 to transfer the cassette C to and from the handling arm 20, and The transfer mechanism 5 can receive and move the wafers W stored in a multistage manner.

Further, the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 also have elevating type gate valves 12 at the outer end (front end) openings 2a, 2a which are the cassette carry-in ports, respectively. Is a so-called load lock chamber in which the gate valve 12 is opened and closed every time it is carried in from the outside by the handling arm 20 and vice versa, so that communication and interruption with the external atmosphere are repeated. With the gate valve 12 closed, the inside of the loader chamber 2 can be evacuated by a vacuum suction mechanism (not shown) or replaced with an inert gas such as N2 gas by a gas supply mechanism to be isolated from the outside atmosphere.

Here, the object storage cassette C in which a large number of wafers W as objects to be transferred are stored in the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 of the aforementioned multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus is carried in and out from the outside. The handling arm 20 that does this will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the handling arm 20 is located at the intermediate position between the outer portions of the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 at the front end of the gantry 1 (on the center line S of the entire apparatus).
It is installed in.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the structure of the handling arm 20 is a rotation drive unit 21 installed in the lower portion of the gantry 1, and a erected vertically from the rotation drive unit 21 to above the gantry 1. A first link arm 23 having a base end fixed to the upper end of one rotary drive shaft 22 and reciprocally rotated right and left, and a pivot 24 perpendicular to the tip of the first link arm 23. The second link arm 25 rotatably supported and the first link arm 23 are interlocked with the reciprocating rotation of the first link arm 23 at a predetermined angle. And an interlocking mechanism 26 for reciprocating a predetermined angle.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the configuration of the rotary drive unit 21 is provided with a vertically long and flat (small front and rear width) box 31, and a cylindrical fixed support is provided at the center of the inside thereof. A member 32 is vertically installed and fixed, and a pair of upper and lower thrust bearings 33 are provided in the fixed support member 32.
The single rotary drive shaft 22 is rotatably inserted through the. Further, a reversible motor 34 (see FIG. 5) is attached to the outer side of the fixed support member 32 in the vertical axis, and timing belts are attached to pulleys 35 and 36 attached to the lower end of the motor shaft and the lower end of the rotary drive shaft 22, respectively. 37 is wound around and the reversible motor 34 is driven to rotate the rotary drive shaft 2
2 rotates forward and backward.

The first link arm 23 is a flat hollow elongated box body formed by connecting a pair of upper and lower half members, and an opening is formed in the base end bottom plate portion, and this opening portion is a bearing. The upper end of the fixed support member 32 of the rotary drive unit 21 is rotatably fitted to the upper end of the rotary drive shaft 22 protruding further upward into the first link arm 23. The inner surface of the top plate is fixed by welding or the like, and the first link arm 23 is integrated with the rotary drive shaft 22 thereof in a horizontal state from the intermediate position (on the center line S) to the right and left at predetermined angles α (illustrated embodiment). (112.5 degrees in the example) It is designed to rotate back and forth.

The rotation angle of the first link arm 23 to the left and right is determined by a position detecting mechanism 41 such as an optical sensor or a magnetic sensor provided outside the upper portion of the box 31 for the detected member 40 protruding from the lower portion. The position is detected, and the detected value can be fed back to the controller of the reversible motor 34 of the rotary drive unit 21.

The second link arm 25, which is also a flat hollow body, has a substantially U-shape in plan view with the tip side open. The second link arm 25 is fitted to a pivot shaft 24 which is rotatably attached in a vertical state to a tip end portion of the first link arm 23 through a pair of upper and lower bearings 43 and 44 so as to be integrated around the pivot shaft 24. It is reciprocally rotatable in the horizontal direction.

On the upper surface of the second link arm 25, a cassette mounting table 45 having a substantially U-shaped plane is attached, and a processing object storage cassette C storing a large number of wafers W thereon is mounted in a positioned state. It can be supported. The cassette mounting table 45 prevents the wafers W, which are stored in multiple stages horizontally in the cassette C mounted when the first and second link arms are rotated, from slipping or slipping out toward the front end opening of the cassette C. The cassette C is mounted and supported in an inclined state in which the cassette C is slightly lowered rearward. The inclination angle β is several degrees (for example, about 2 °).

The interlocking mechanism 26 is installed inside the first link arm 23, and as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a cylindrical fixed member arranged around the single rotary drive shaft 22. A ring-shaped fixed sprocket 50 fixedly supported on the upper end of the support member 32 and a rotary sprocket 51 fitted to the pivot 24 of the second link arm 25.
And these fixed sprocket 50 and rotating sprocket 5
1 and a chain 52 wound around.

With this interlocking mechanism 26, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, when the first link arm 23 is in a straight forward direction at the intermediate position (on the center line S), the second link arm 25 is moved to the first position. When the first link arm 23 is rotated rightward or leftward by a predetermined angle α from the intermediate position, the first link arm 23 is overlapped in a folded state right above the link arm 23 in a folded state, that is, is positioned right behind on the center line S. The arm 25 is adapted to be rotated counterclockwise with respect to the first link arm 23 by a predetermined angle δ. That is, when the first link arm 23 is rotated rightward (counterclockwise direction) by a predetermined angle α from the intermediate position as shown in FIG. 6, the second link arm 25 is rotated by a predetermined angle clockwise relative to the first link arm 23. δ It can be rotated.

In the case of the interlocking mechanism 26 of this embodiment, the gear ratio (teeth ratio) between the fixed sprocket 50 and the rotary sprocket 51 is set to 3: 4. As a result, when the first link arm 23 rotates to the left or right from the aforementioned intermediate position by a predetermined angle α = 112.5 degrees, the second link arm 25
Is counterclockwise with respect to the first link arm 23 by a predetermined angle δ =
It can be rotated 90 degrees. As a result, the object storage cassettes C, which are positioned and mounted on the cassette mounting table 45 of the first link arm 25, are arranged side by side with the opening angle angle θ of 22.5 degrees from each other with the center line S as a boundary. The loader chambers 2, 2 of the loader chambers 2, 2 from the outside (front) selectively.
It is configured so that it can be carried in in a direction that coincides with the center lines P1 and P2 of 2 and can be carried out in the opposite direction.

The operation of the multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus provided with the handling arm 20 having such a configuration will be described. First, the object storage cassette C in which a large number of wafers W are stored by the operator or the like at the cassette transfer site at the intermediate position of the front end of the apparatus indicated by reference numeral 55 in FIG. 1 is the cassette mounting table of the second link arm 25 of the handling arm 20. When mounted on 45 and held in position, the rotation drive unit 21 of the handling arm 20 is controlled by the controller, and the reversible motor 34 is selectively rotated in either forward or reverse direction. As a result, one rotary drive shaft 22 is rotationally driven in the same direction, and the first link arm 23 is rotated integrally with this in the same direction, for example, in the right direction shown in FIG.

With the rotation of the first link arm 23 from the intermediate position to the right by a predetermined angle α = 112.5 degrees, at the same time, the chain 52 moves via the interlocking mechanism 26, that is, with respect to the fixed sprocket 50. The sprocket 51 is rotated together with the pivot 24 to move the second link arm 25 to the first link arm 25.
The link arm 23 is rotated in the opposite direction to a predetermined angle δ = 90 degrees. That is, the first link arm 23 and the second link arm 25 are rotated counterclockwise and clockwise by a predetermined angle by rotating the one shaft 22.

Thus, the processed-object storage cassette C mounted and supported on the cassette mounting table 45 of the second link arm 25.
Can be properly loaded into the loader chamber 2 at the right position from the intermediate position in a direction that matches the center line P2 of the loader chamber 2 from the front without colliding with the edge of the opening 2a. .

If the handling arm 20 is rotationally driven in the opposite direction to that described above, the processed product storage cassette C is placed in the loader chamber 2 at the left position, and the loader chamber 2 does not collide with the opening edge portion from the front thereof. 2 can be carried in properly in a direction that coincides with the center line P2. The loading of the processed product storage cassette C into the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 is selectively performed as appropriate.

In the loader chamber 2 into which the processing object storage cassette C has been loaded by the handling arm 20, the cassette pedestal 10 therein is lifted by the lifting / lowering drive mechanism 11 to form a planar U-shape of the handling arm 20. The workpiece storage cassette C on the cassette mounting table 45 of the 2-link arm 25 is received by slightly lifting it. The handling arm 20 which has passed the cassette C to the cassette pedestal 10 pivots in the opposite manner to the previous time and returns from the inside of the loader chamber 2 to the front intermediate position.

In this way, the loader chamber 2 which has received the cassette C on the cassette pedestal 10 is closed by the gate valve 12 at the outer end opening 2a, and in this state, the vacuum suction mechanism evacuates or gasses. The supply mechanism replaces the inert gas with N2 gas,
After being isolated from the external atmosphere (load lock), the gate valve 3 on the inner end (rear end) side of the loader chamber 2 is opened, and similarly, the transfer chamber 4 is evacuated or replaced with an inert gas. Internal communication with.

In this state, the cassette C in the loader chamber 2
Is moved up and down to a predetermined height by the elevating mechanism 11 together with the cassette pedestal 10, while the transfer mechanism 5 in the transfer chamber 4 swivels and expands and contracts the multi-joint arm to be stored in the cassette C in multiple stages. One wafer W is picked up and taken into the transfer chamber 4, and according to the program mode, the gate valves 8 are loaded into the required vacuum processing chambers 9 ... Alternatively, a predetermined process such as etching is performed. The processed wafer W is returned to the cassette C in the loader chamber 2 by the transfer mechanism 5.

At this time, the processed product storage cassette C is placed on the cassette pedestal 10 in the loader chamber 2 so that the center line P of the loader chamber 2 can be accommodated.
1 and P2, the transfer mechanism, which is the next transfer system for taking out the wafer W in the cassette C to the inside of the transfer chamber 4 and vice versa, because the wafer W is set in the transfer chamber 4 properly. 5 can be properly matched with the transfer mechanism 5
Thus, the loading and unloading of the wafer W can be surely performed.

In this way, the wafers W in the cassette C are taken in one by one, processed and returned, and when the processing of all the wafers W in the cassette C is completed, the gate valve 3 on the inner end side of the loader chamber 2 is closed. From its outer end opening 2a
The gate valve 12 is opened, and the second link arm 25 having the planar U-shape of the handling arm 20 enters from the outside front side together with the cassette mounting table 45 as described above, and when the cassette receiving table 10 descends. The cassette C accommodating the processed wafer W is received, and the second link arm 25 is rotated by the rotary drive of the single shaft 22 through the first link arm 23 and the interlocking mechanism 26 as described above.
The cassette C is transferred to the outside front intermediate cassette transfer portion 55.
Will be shipped to.

Further, as described above, while the wafers W are successively loaded from the cassette C in the left or right loader chamber 2 into the transfer chamber 4 and the predetermined processing is performed in the vacuum processing chamber 9 ... Then, the next cassette C containing the unprocessed wafers W stored in the other loader chamber 2 is loaded by the handling arm 20 and made to stand by in the load lock state, and the process of loading / unloading the wafer W from the one loader chamber 2 is completed. At the same time, the gate valve 3 of the other loader chamber 2 is opened, and the wafer W is transferred from the next cassette C in the loader chamber 5 to the inside of the transfer chamber 4 for continuous processing.

In the case of such a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, the handling arm 20 for selectively transferring the object-to-be-processed object storage cassette C to the left and right loader chambers 2, 2 is a uniaxially driven two-link arm. The simple structure of the system is sufficient, cost and maintenance can be reduced, and the first link arm 23 and the second link arm 2
The occurrence of accidents due to malfunction such as synchronization deviation of No. 5 is eliminated.
Moreover, with respect to two positions in which the cassette C is arranged symmetrically in parallel from one intermediate position, that is, two loader chambers 2.2 arranged in parallel in a laterally symmetrical position with an opening angle θ facing outward, The cassette transfer portion 55 at the intermediate position between the outer portions should be properly loaded and unloaded in a direction that matches the center lines P1 and P2 of the loader chamber 2 without colliding with the edges of the openings 2a. Therefore, the wafers W as the objects to be processed are transferred from the cassettes C in the left and right loader chambers 2 and 2 into the transfer chamber 4 one by one, and can be appropriately matched with the transfer mechanism 5 of the next transfer system. As a result, various processing of the wafer W can be efficiently performed with a very high throughput, and the vacuum processing apparatus can be automated, personnel can be reduced, safety can be ensured, and cost can be reduced.

Although the fixed sprocket 50, the rotary sprocket 51 and the chain 52 are used as the interlocking mechanism 26 of the handling 20 in the above-described embodiment, these may be constituted by pulleys and timing belts, or a plurality of gears may be combined. It may be configured by using a link.

The rotation angle and the rotation direction of the first link arm 23 and the second link arm 25 which is interlocked with the first link arm 23 through the interlocking mechanism 26 are respectively the arm lengths, the transport position of the object to be transported, and the center thereof. You may change suitably according to conditions, such as direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the operator or the like mounts or removes the object storage cassette C on the cassette mounting table 45 of the second link arm 25 of the handling arm 20 at the cassette transfer portion 55. However, the cassette C may be automatically transferred to and from an external transfer robot (AGV) not shown. Since the handling arm 20 is configured to always carry the cassette in and out of the left and right positions (the loader chambers 2 and 2) with the cassette transfer portion 55 at one middle position as the starting point, the access area of the AGV can be widened.

In consideration of the AGV compatibility, the handling arm 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes the rotary drive unit 21 (the box 31, the fixed support member 32, the rotary drive shaft 22, the reversible motor 34, etc.). Is mounted and supported on the lifting table 60, and the lifting table 60 is supported by a pair of upper and lower guide shoes 61.
2 is vertically guided and supported, and the entire handling arm 20 is lifted and lowered by an appropriate stroke by the lifting and lowering air cylinder 63 shown in FIG. 5, whereby the cassette C is automatically transferred to and from the AGV. There is.

Furthermore, the cassette transfer position with the AGV can be set appropriately in the left and right parts of the gantry 1, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a horizontally long duct-shaped fixed box 64 extending in the left-right direction is provided in the gantry 1, and a pair of horizontal left and right guide rails 65 are provided in the fixed box 64 as shown in the cross sections of FIGS. 3 and 4. The handling arm 2
The lifting table 60 for supporting 0 is attached to the guide shoe 66.
It is guided and supported slidably in the left and right directions via the.

[0055]

Since the handling arm of the present invention is configured as described above, it is a two-link arm system of uniaxial drive.
The structure is very simple and the cost and maintenance can be reduced. In addition, the first link arm and the second link arm can be rotated by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction by the rotation drive and the interlocking mechanism of the same axis. 2 The object to be transferred such as a processed object storage cassette mounted on and supported by a link arm can be accurately transferred from a fixed position to another fixed position in a desired direction, and the transferred object can be moved to a predetermined position in the left and right loader chambers, for example. It can be automatically carried in a predetermined direction and can be accurately matched with the next transportation system etc., very few accidents occur, the transportation efficiency (throughput) is improved, automation and the reduction of personnel and the number of workers Safety can be ensured.

Further, in the case of the multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus described above, a single-axis driven two-link arm type handling arm having a simple structure similar to that described above can be used to move the object storage cassettes outward in symmetrical positions. With respect to the two loader chambers that are arranged in parallel with the opening angle facing each other, accurately in a direction that matches the center line of the loader chambers without colliding with the opening edge portions from the outer mutual intermediate positions. It can be loaded and unloaded, and the objects to be processed can be picked up one by one from the object storage cassettes in the left and right loader chambers. It can be properly matched with the transfer mechanism of the next transfer system, and can be processed with extremely high throughput. It is possible to efficiently perform various kinds of processing of the processing body, automate the vacuum processing apparatus, reduce the number of personnel, ensure safety, and further reduce costs.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially sectional plan view showing an embodiment of a multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus provided with a handling arm of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the handling arm of the above embodiment in a contracted state.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the handling arm in an extended state.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG.

6 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory views of an operating state of a handling arm of the embodiment.

[Explanation of reference numerals] 2 ... loader chamber, 3 ... gate valve, 4 ... transfer chamber, 5 ... transfer mechanism, 8 ... gate valve, 9 ... vacuum processing chamber, 12 ... gate valve, 20 ... handling arm, 21 ... Rotational drive unit, 23 ... First link arm, 24 ... Pivot shaft, 25 ... Second link arm, 26 ... Interlocking mechanism, 55 ... Outer part mutual intermediate position (cassette transfer site), C ... Transported object (processing target) Body storage cassette), W ... Treated body, θ ... Opening angle, P1,
P2 ... Center lines of the left and right loader chambers.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A rotary drive unit, a first link arm that is reciprocally rotated by one axis by the rotary drive unit, and a pivotally rotatably mounted on a tip end portion of the first link arm for carrying a transported object. A second link arm that supports the first link arm; and a interlocking mechanism that reciprocally rotates the second link arm with respect to the first link arm in a predetermined direction by a predetermined angle. A handling arm having a configuration capable of transporting an object to be transported from a fixed position to another fixed position in a required direction. 2. A rotary drive unit, a first link arm reciprocally pivoted from an intermediate position to the left and right on one axis by the rotary drive unit, and a pivotally attached to a tip end portion of the first link arm. When the first link arm and the second link arm that carries and supports the object to be transported are in the intermediate position, the second link arm is overlapped in a folded state right above the first link arm and in the intermediate position. From the intermediate position to the left and right with the interlocking mechanism for rotating the second link arm in the reverse direction with respect to the first link arm by a predetermined angle when the first link arm rotates left or right by a predetermined angle. A handling arm having a configuration capable of being selectively conveyed to two positions arranged in parallel in a symmetrical manner in a direction coinciding with a center line of the position. 3. A pair of left and right halves are arranged in parallel at left and right symmetrical positions with an opening angle facing outward, and each time a cassette for storing the object to be processed is carried in and out from the outside, the gate valve repeatedly connects and disconnects with the external atmosphere. Loader chambers, transfer chambers connected to the inner end sides of both loader chambers via gate valves, and swivel / expansion / contraction installed at extension intersections of the center lines of the left and right loader chambers. A transfer mechanism having a movable articulated arm and a plurality of vacuum processing chambers connected to the periphery of the transfer chamber via gate valves are provided. A multi-chamber type vacuum in which the transfer mechanism takes in the transfer chamber one by one, transfers them into each vacuum processing chamber for vacuum processing, and takes out the processed bodies into the transfer chamber and returns them to the cassette in the loader chamber. Processor In the above, the handling arm according to claim 2 is installed at an intermediate position between the outer portions of the left and right loader chambers, and the object storage cassette is placed in the loader chamber from the outer portion by the handling arm. A multi-chamber type vacuum processing apparatus, which is configured so that it can be carried in in a direction that coincides with the center line and carried out in the opposite direction.