JPH09213768A - Wafer conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify coordination works of a conveying fork at an arm top end of a wafer conveying robot by a method wherein an arm of the conveying robot is connected to a support jig provided at a root of the conveying fork, and the support jig is connected to the wafer conveying fork by a pin and a fixing bolt, respectively, etc. SOLUTION: A wafer received in a wafer cassette is conveyed by mounting it on a conveying fork 11 fitted to an arm 6 of a wafer conveying robot. In such a wafer conveyor, a projection is provided in one of the arm 6 of the wafer conveying robot and a support jig 8 provided at a root of the conveying fork 11 and a recess is provided in the other. This device comprises a pin 9, coupled so as to pivot a leg part 7 on both sides of the recess and the projection, and a fixing bolt 10 for fixing the leg part 7 to the projection. Further, this device comprises a pin 13, coupled so as to pivot the support jig 8 and the conveying fork 11, and a fixing bolt 14 for fixing the support jig 8 to the wafer conveying fork 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wafer transfer device which takes out a semiconductor wafer from a wafer cassette and stores it.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional wafer transfer device is constructed as shown in FIG. In the figure, 21 is a wafer transfer chamber, and a wafer transfer robot 23 is attached to a bottom plate 22 of the wafer transfer chamber. The wafer transfer robot 23 is provided with a first arm 24 having one end attached to a motor shaft, and a second arm 25 is rotatably attached to the tip of the first arm 24. A third arm 26 is rotatably attached to the tip of the second arm 25, and a transfer fork 27 is fixed to the tip of the third arm 26. The transport fork 27 moves forward by the rotation of the motor,
When the wafer 29 in the wafer cassette 28 is moved backward, the wafer 29 in the wafer cassette 28 is placed on the carrier fork, and then the wafer
Carry in and out.

[0003]

However, in the conventional wafer transfer apparatus, the third arm 2 of the wafer transfer robot 23 is used.
If the carrier fork 27 is fixed to the tip of the wafer 6 and the carrier fork 27 is inclined with respect to the wafer 29, the carrier fork 27 hits the wafer 29 in the wafer cassette 28 when the carrier fork 27 enters the wafer cassette 28. The wafer 29 was damaged. Therefore, the wafer transfer robot 2
A liner was inserted between the wafer transfer chamber 3 and the bottom plate 22 of the wafer transfer chamber 21 to adjust the inclination of the wafer transfer robot 23. Therefore, the work is performed in a narrow space of the wafer transfer chamber, and the adjustment work is complicated. It is an object of the present invention to simplify the work of adjusting a transfer fork at the tip of an arm of a wafer transfer robot.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a wafer cassette containing wafers,
In a wafer transfer device mounted on a transfer fork attached to an arm of a wafer transfer robot and transferred, one of the arm of the wafer transfer robot and a support provided at the base of the transfer fork has a convex portion on the other side. With a recess,
A pin that rotatably connects the leg portion and the convex portion on both sides of the concave portion, a fixing bolt that fixes the leg portion and the convex portion, and the support tool and the transport fork that are rotatably coupled. The pin and the fixing bolt for fixing the support and the wafer transfer fork are provided.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a side sectional view of an essential part of a wafer transfer device showing a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of an essential part of the wafer transfer fork in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an essential part of the transfer fork. It is the sectional side view. A wafer chamber 1 has a wafer transfer robot 3 attached to a bottom plate 2 of the wafer chamber. The wafer transfer robot 3 has a first arm 4 having one end attached to a shaft of a motor in the robot,
A second arm 5 is rotatably attached to the tip of the first arm 4, and a third arm 6 is rotatably provided at the tip of the second arm 5 so that the third arm 6 can rotate. The tip is configured to move forward and backward in a linear direction. 7
Is a leg portion provided on both sides of the concave portion at the tip of the third arm 6, and 8 is a support tool having a convex portion at the rear end portion, and the convex portion is fitted into the concave portion of the third arm 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes a pin, which is provided on the leg portion 7 of the third arm 6 and the convex portion of the supporting member 8 so that the supporting member 8 can be rotated about the pin 9 in the α direction with respect to the leg portion 7. I am doing it. Reference numeral 10 is a fixing bolt, which is adapted to fix the supporting member 8 to the leg portion 7 by passing it through an elongated hole (not shown) provided on the side surface of the leg portion 7 of the third arm 6. 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a transfer fork, which is a wafer mounting surface 1 with a forked tip.
2 is provided, and the base is fitted into a pin 13 planted in a support so that the transport fork 11 can rotate in the θ direction around the pin 13. Reference numeral 14 denotes a fixing bolt, which is passed through an elongated hole (not shown) provided on the side surface of the support tool 8 to fix the transfer fork to the support tool 8. Reference numeral 15 denotes an adjusting plate fixed to the tip of the third arm 6, the end portion of which is projected above the support 8, and the adjusting bolt 16 is provided on the protruding plate surface. By loosening the fixing bolt 10 and moving the adjusting bolt 16 forward and backward,
It is made to rotate in the direction. Reference numeral 17 is an adjusting bolt provided on the plate surface of the adjusting plate, and the fixing fork 14 is loosened and the adjusting bolt 17 is moved back and forth to rotate the carrying fork 11 around the pin 13 in the θ direction. . Reference numerals 18 and 19 denote detectors provided so as to face the mounting surface of the transfer fork, and are attached to the wafer transfer chamber. In the adjustment of the transfer fork configured as described above, the wafer transfer robot is driven to bend and extend the first, second, and third arms to move the transfer fork to a position below the detector 18. The inclination of the transfer fork in the θ direction is detected by the detectors 18 facing the bifurcated wafer mounting surfaces of the transfer fork.
The adjusting bolt 17 is moved back and forth to adjust the inclination of the carrying fork in the θ direction, and the fixing bolt 14 is tightened to carry the carrying fork 1.
1 is fixed to the support 8. Next, the detector 19 and the detector 18 facing the bifurcated wafer mounting surface 12 of the transfer fork.
Detects the inclination of the transfer fork of the wafer transfer fork in the α direction, advances and retracts the adjusting bolt 16 to adjust the inclination of the transfer fork 11 in the α direction, tightens the fixing bolt 10, and fixes the support 8 to the third arm. Fix at 6. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a cross section of a main part of a carrying fork according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The piezoelectric element 20 is attached to the adjusting plate 15, and the piezoelectric element 20 is operated to operate the support 8 or the carrying fork. 11 is rotated for adjustment.

[0006]

As described above, according to the present invention, the inclination of the transfer fork itself attached to the wafer transfer robot in the wafer chamber can be easily adjusted, and even if the transfer fork is inserted into the wafer cassette, the transfer fork can be used. Does not damage the wafer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an essential part of a wafer transfer device showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a cross section of a main part of a carrying fork according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a cross section of a main part of a carrying fork according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a cross section of a main part of a carrying fork according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a main part of a conventional wafer transfer device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 wafer room, 2 floor board, 3 wafer transfer robot,
4 1st arm, 5 2nd arm, 6 3rd arm, 7 legs, 8 support tools, 9 pins, 10
Fixing bolts, 11 carrier forks, 12 wafer mounting surface, 13 pins, 14 fixing bolts, 15 adjusting plate, 16 adjusting bolts, 17 adjusting bolts, 18
Detector, 19 detector, 20 detector

Front page continuation (72) Kenichi Tachibana Inventor Kenichi Tachibana No.2-1 Kurosaki Shiroishi, Hachimannishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture Yasukawa Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A wafer stored in a wafer cassette,
In a wafer transfer device mounted on a transfer fork attached to an arm of a wafer transfer robot and transferred, one of the arm of the wafer transfer robot and a support provided at the base of the transfer fork has a convex portion on the other side. With a recess,
A pin that rotatably connects the leg portion and the convex portion on both sides of the concave portion, a fixing bolt that fixes the leg portion and the convex portion, and a support tool and a transport fork that are rotatable. A wafer transfer apparatus comprising: a pin connected to the support and a fixing bolt for fixing the support and the wafer transfer fork.