JPH0982780A - Wafer transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the dust generation and contamination in a vacuum vessel and to further reduce the area occupied by a wafer transfer device. SOLUTION: The wafer transfer device comprises a vertically moving robot 28 of a three-joint link structure at a vertical surface, a transfer robot 14 of a three-joint link structure at a vertically moving third arm 33 disposed at the end of the robot 28, and makes it possible to hold a wafer 19 by the third joint arm 18 disposed at the end of the transfer robot. The transfer device can telescopically move the rotary shaft engaged with the first arm of the robot 28 disposed at a base side toward the shaft center. The transfer operation is conducted by the combination of the rotations. The transfer device does not have a slide part, and has extremely small dust generation. The transfer range is extended by telescopically moving the rotary shaft for engaging the first arm of the robot 28 toward the shaft center, and the robot 14 can be moved in parallel in the horizontal direction of the robot 14, thereby simplifying the constitution of the system including the transfer device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate transfer device used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and more particularly to a substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate in a vacuum container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate in a vacuum container will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a vacuum container, bearing plates 2 and 3 are provided on a ceiling and a bottom plate of the vacuum container 1, and guide shafts 4 and 5 are provided so as to extend over the bearing plates 2 and 3. A screw shaft 6 is provided between the guide shafts 4 and 5, and the upper and lower ends of the screw shaft 6 are supported by rotary bearings 7 and 8. The upper end of the screw shaft 6 projects from the vacuum container 1, and the projecting end is connected to a motor driving unit 9 provided outside the vacuum container 1. The penetrating part of the vacuum container 1 at the projecting end is a magnetic seal 1.
It is hermetically sealed by 0.

An elevating board 11 is slidably fitted to the guide shafts 4 and 5 via a guide block 12, and the elevating board 11 is screwed to the screw shaft 6 via a screw block 13. There is.

The elevator board 11 is provided with a transfer robot 14 having a three-joint link structure. The transfer robot 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes a motor 15 provided on the lower surface of the elevating board 11, a first joint arm 16 is fitted to the output shaft of the motor 15, and a second joint arm 17 is attached to the first joint arm 16.
A third joint arm 18 is sequentially connected to the second joint arm 17, and a substrate 19 is placed on the tip of the third joint arm 18.

The output shaft of the motor 15 has a double shaft structure, and one of the double shafts is fixed to the first joint arm 16.
Further, the other of the double shafts has the second joint arm 1 through a belt or the like.
7, the rotation shaft of the second joint arm 17 is connected to the rotation shaft of the third joint arm 18 via a belt or the like. A magnetic seal (not shown) is provided on the rotating portion of the double shaft.

Thus, the motor 15 is the first joint arm 1
6, the second joint arm 17 and the third joint arm 18 as a whole can be rotated about the double shaft of the motor 15, and the first joint arm 16, the second joint arm 17, and the third joint arm 18 are bent and extended to The three-joint arm 18 can be moved back and forth without changing its posture. Further, by rotating the screw shaft 6 by the motor drive unit 9, the first joint arm 1
6, second joint arm 17, third joint arm 18, lift board 1
1, etc., that is, the transfer robot 14 moves up and down.

Advancement / retreat of the third joint arm 18 and elevation substrate 1
The three-dimensional transportation of the substrate 19 is possible by the cooperation of the lifting and lowering of 1.

The mode of conveyance will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 shows a plurality of processing chambers 22a, 22b, 22c, 2 on one surface of a vacuum transfer chamber 21 which replaces the vacuum container 1.
2d and 22e are vertically arranged in series, and load lock chambers 23a and 23b are provided on a surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 21 that faces the one surface.
Are provided above and below, and the transfer robot 14 is housed in a vacuum transfer chamber 21.

By moving the third joint arm 18 back and forth, rotating the first joint arm 180 °, and moving the elevating substrate 11 up and down, the load lock chambers 23a and 23b and the processing chambers 22a and 2a.
The substrate 19 can be transported between the 2b, 22c, 22d, and 22e.

In FIG. 8, the vacuum transfer chamber 26 has two sets of surfaces facing each other (the plan view shows a hexagonal shape), and one set of two facing surfaces has a plurality of processing chambers 22a, 22b. 22c, 2
2d, 22e and load lock chamber 23 are provided, and another
A plurality of processing chambers 24a, 24b, 24c, 24 on the set surface
d, 24e and the load lock chamber 25 are provided, and the processing chamber 22
a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 22e, load lock chamber 23, processing chambers 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24
e, the load lock chambers 25 are arranged radially.

In the structure shown in FIG. 8, the load lock chamber 2 is moved by moving the third joint arm 18 back and forth, rotating the first joint arm 16 and raising and lowering the elevating board 11.
3, 25 and processing chambers 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d, 2
2e, processing chambers 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, 24e
It is possible to transfer the substrate 19 between and.

[0014]

In the manufacture of semiconductors, a clean atmosphere is indispensable for obtaining high quality semiconductors. In the above-mentioned conventional substrate transfer device, the lifting substrate 1
The sliding parts, such as the guide shafts 4, 5, the screw shaft 6, and the rotary bearings 7, 8 of the vertical movement mechanism part 1 and the movable part are provided in the vacuum container 1 and are exposed. There was dust and pollution from the building, which was a problem.

Further, when the number of processing chambers and load lock chambers is increased, the arrangement of the processing chambers and load lock chambers is inevitably radial with respect to the vacuum transfer chamber 26, and the occupied area of the system including the substrate transfer device is large. Was becoming.

In view of the above situation, the present invention provides a substrate transfer device having no sliding portion in the vacuum container, preventing dust generation and contamination in the vacuum container, and further reducing the occupied area of the device. Is what you are trying to do.

[0017]

According to the present invention, a lifting robot having a three-joint link structure is provided on a vertical surface, and a transfer robot having a three-joint link structure is provided on a third lifting / lowering arm located at the tip of the lifting robot. A substrate transfer device capable of holding a substrate by a third joint arm located at the tip of the transfer robot,
Further, the present invention relates to a substrate transfer device in which a rotary shaft to which the first lifting arm of the lifting robot located at the base side is fitted can be moved in and out in the axial direction. Since there is no part, dust generation is extremely small, and the rotation axis on which the lifting first arm of the lifting robot fits can be moved in and out in the axial direction to widen the transport range and to move the transport robot in parallel in the horizontal direction. This enables the configuration of the system including the substrate transfer device to be simple.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, the same components as those shown in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals.

An elevating robot 28 having a three-joint link structure is provided on the side wall surface 27 of the vacuum container 1, and the elevating robot 28 is provided.
The transfer robot 14 is provided at the tip of the arm.

The ascending / descending robot 28 has a structure similar to that of the transfer robot 14. An elevating / lowering first arm 31 is fitted to an output shaft of an ascending / descending motor 30, and the ascending / descending first arm 31 has an elevating / lowering first arm 31. 2 arm 32 is also used for the lifting second arm 3
An elevating third arm 33 is sequentially connected to 2. The lifting / lowering third arm 33 corresponds to the lifting / lowering substrate 11 of the conventional example described above, and the transfer robot 14 is provided on the lifting / lowering third arm 33. Since the transfer robot 14 is the same as the conventional example, its description is omitted. A magnetic seal is provided on the rotating portion of the double shaft of the lifting motor 30.

By driving the lifting motor 30,
The elevating and lowering first arm 31 and the elevating and lowering second arm 32 extend and contract in the vertical direction, the elevating and lowering third arm 33 can be raised and lowered while keeping horizontal, and the elevating and lowering third arm 33 can be held at an arbitrary position. . Further, by driving the motor 15, the third joint arm 18 advances and retracts in the horizontal direction. Thus, by the cooperation of the lifting robot 28 and the transfer robot 14, the transfer operation shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be performed.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, in which the rotating double shaft 34 to which the lifting first arm 31 is fitted.
Can be moved in and out in the axial direction, and a bellows is provided at a portion penetrating the side wall surface 27 of the rotary double shaft 34.
The penetration point of 4 is made airtight.

Double shaft 3 rotated by the lifting motor 30
By projecting and retracting 4 the third lifting / lowering arm 33 is horizontally moved in the direction perpendicular to the forward / backward direction of the image transfer robot 14.
Therefore, in addition to the advancing / retreating operation of the transfer robot 14 and the elevating / lowering operation of the lifting / lowering robot 28, a three-dimensional transfer operation can be performed in cooperation with the moving-in / out operation of the rotating double shaft 34.

A conveyance mode in which the rotary double shaft 34 is moved in and out will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

In FIG. 5, the processing chambers 22a, 22b, 22c, 2 arranged in two rows in the vertical direction on one surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 21.
2d, 22e, processing chambers 24a, 24b, 24c, 24
d and 24 e are connected in series, load lock chambers 23 a and 23 b are vertically provided on a surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 21 facing the one surface, and the transfer robot 14 is housed in the vacuum transfer chamber 21.

Advancing and retracting the third joint arm 18, rotating the first joint arm 180 by 180 °, elevating the elevating board 11.
Also, when the rotary double shaft 34 moves in and out, the third joint arm 18 holding the substrate 19 can move in a crank shape in both horizontal and vertical directions. The conveyance operation shown by can be performed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the processing chambers 22a, 22
The load lock chamber 23 is provided for each of the rows b, 22c, 22d, and 22e, and the process chambers 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24 are provided.
The load lock chamber 25 is provided for each of the rows d and 24e, and the load lock chamber 23 and the load lock chamber 25 are also arranged for the main processing chamber and the load lock chamber.
And any one of the processing chambers 22a, 22b, 22c, 22
d, 22e, processing chambers 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d,
It is possible to transfer the substrate 19 to and from any one of 24e. The lifting robot 28 is not limited to the side wall surface 27 and may be provided on a vertical surface.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, the horizontal operation is performed by the transfer robot having the three-joint link structure, and the elevating operation is performed by the ascending / descending robot having the three-joint link structure. The movement is composed of
Since the sliding part does not exist in the vacuum container, dust generation and contamination are greatly reduced. Also, by providing the lifting robot with the horizontal movement function, it becomes possible to diversify the transfer mode, and the arrangement of the processing chamber and the like with respect to the substrate transfer device is simplified and the system occupying area is reduced, which is an excellent effect. To do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view from the front direction showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view from the side direction showing the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective explanatory view from the front direction showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory perspective view from the front direction showing a conventional example.

5 (A) and 5 (B) are explanatory views showing a conveyance mode in the embodiment of the present invention.

6 (A) and 6 (B) are explanatory views showing another conveyance mode in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a carrying mode of the substrate carrying apparatus.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the carrying mode of the substrate carrying apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vacuum Container 14 Transfer Robot 15 Motor 16 First Section Arm 17 Second Section Arm 18 Third Section Arm 19 Substrate 31 Elevating First Arm 32 Elevating Second Arm 33 Elevating Third Arm 34 Rotating Double Axis

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A lifting robot having a three-joint link structure is provided on a vertical surface, a transfer robot having a three-joint link structure is provided at a lifting third arm located at the tip of the lifting robot, and the robot is positioned at the tip of the transfer robot. A substrate transfer device characterized in that the third section arm is capable of holding a substrate. 2. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotating shaft to which the first lifting / lowering arm of the lifting / lowering robot located on the base side is fitted can move in and out in the axial direction.