JPH10181877A - Substrate holding device and substrate carrier device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To conform a substrate holding device to a deep stage without inviting an increase of scale of the device by using an arm having a bending part as the arm having a movable supporting part and further preventing a location displacement means from being provided on the bending part. SOLUTION: One end of two first arms 5 is fixed to the movable part 2a of a moving mechanism 2 and one end of two second arms 6 having bending parts is fixed to the movable part 3a of a moving mechanism 3. Within the tip part of the second arm 6, a revolution driving mechanism 4 (location displacement means main body) having a revolution mechanism is provided. At the other end of the first arm 5, a pawl 7 (first supporting part) is provided. At the other end of the second arm 6, a movable pawl 8 (second supporting part) of a length H is provided. The movable pawl 8 is fixed to the output shaft 4a of the revolution driving mechanism 4. The movable pawl 8 performs a revolving motion with the second arm 6 as a center by revolving the output shaft 4a. The revolution driving mechanism 4 is provided on the side of the movable pawl 8 for the bending part of the second arm 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a substrate holding device and a substrate transfer device used in the manufacture and inspection of semiconductor devices such as large-scale integrated circuits (LSI) and liquid crystal display devices (LCD).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In many cases, devices used in the manufacture and inspection of semiconductor devices such as LSIs and LCDs are operated automatically and unattended, and a substrate transfer device is generally provided in parallel. The substrate transfer device is used to transfer a substrate to be processed in a process such as a manufacturing process or an inspection process to a predetermined position.

[0003] The substrate transfer device is equipped with a substrate holding device. The substrate holding device performs a chucking operation and a releasing operation on a substrate at a predetermined position, and holds the substrate (wafer) during the transfer of the substrate.

Generally, a substrate is stored in a magazine before and after processing, and is placed on a stage during processing. Therefore, the substrate holding device chucks and releases the substrate in the magazine and the stage.

FIG. 16 shows a side view of a conventional substrate holding device. In the drawing, reference numeral 101 denotes a base, and the base 101 is fixed to a positioning mechanism 102. In the figure,
An arrow 103 indicates a mechanical unit, and an arrow 104 indicates a substrate holding unit.

The moving mechanisms 105 and 106 of the first and second arms 109 and 110 are fixed to the base 101.
The movable portions 105a and 106a of the moving mechanisms 105 and 106 are respectively movable in the left and right directions in FIG. A rotation drive mechanism 108 having a rotation mechanism such as a motor or a rotary solenoid is fixed to a movable part 106 a of the movement mechanism 106.

One end of the first arm 109 is connected to the moving mechanism 10
5, one end of a second arm 110 having a circular cross section with a shaft diameter d is connected to the output shaft 108 of the rotary drive mechanism 108.
a. A claw 111 is provided at the other end of the first arm 109, and a claw 11 having a length H is provided at the other end of the second arm 110.
2 is fixed.

In the figure, a substrate 113 indicated by a broken line
1, 112 support bases 111a, 112a from the lower surface or side surfaces 111b, 112b of claws 111, 112
, Or both. The substrate 113 indicated by the broken line is stored in the magazine 100 together with the other substrates 114 indicated by the broken lines at a substrate interval L smaller than the length H of the claw 112.

FIG. 17 shows the substrate holding device of FIG.
FIG. The claw 112 has a width h equal to or less than the shaft diameter d of the second arm 110. A nail 112 'indicated by a two-dot chain line indicates a position when the nail 112 is rotated.

FIG. 18 shows the positional relationship between the substrate holding device shown in FIG. 16 and the stage. A pedestal 116 is fixed at a position at a depth W from the upper surface of the stage 115. Substrate 1
13 is supported by a pedestal 116 fixed to the stage 115.

In the substrate holding device having such a configuration,
When the rotation drive mechanism 108 is operated, the second arm 11
The pawl 112 fixed to 0 can be rotated around the arm 110. When the claws 111 and 112 are at the positions shown in FIG.
The chucks 11 and 112 are brought into contact with the substrate 113, and the moving mechanisms 105 and 106 are operated to move the claws 11 and 112.
The release can be performed by moving 1,112 to a position where it does not contact the substrate 113.

In order to position the substrate holding device at the position shown in FIG. 16 with respect to the substrate 113 in the magazine 100, the following procedure is performed.

That is, the substrate holding section 104 is
00, the pawls 111 and 112 are moved to the release position, and then rotated to the position of the pawl 112 'shown by a two-dot chain line.
Then, the base 101 is moved so as to satisfy the following positional relationship, and then the pawl 112 'shown by a two-dot chain line is rotated to the position of the pawl 112, and finally the pawls 111 and 112 are moved to the chuck position. Thus, the board 113 stored in the magazine 100 can be held at the board interval L smaller than the length H of the nail 112.

However, this type of conventional substrate holding apparatus has the following problems.

In this substrate holding device, a rotation drive mechanism 108 is disposed in the mechanism section 103 and the claw 1
The twelve rotation axes and the rotation drive mechanism 108 are arranged coaxially.

Therefore, when the depth W of the stage 115 is changed, the length H of the claw 112 must be changed.
That is, as the depth W of the stage 115 increases, the length H of the claw 112 must be increased.

Therefore, when the depth W of the stage 115 is increased, the substrate interval L of the magazine 100 is increased by the increase in the length of the claw 112. Therefore, in order to keep the number of stored substrates, the magazine 100 must be large. If the magazine 100 is not enlarged, it is necessary to reduce the number of stored magazines.

FIG. 19 is a side view of another conventional substrate holding apparatus. FIG. 20 is a sectional view of the substrate holding device of FIG. 19 taken along the line AA ′, and FIG. 21 shows the positional relationship between the substrate holding device of FIG. 19 and the stage. 16 to 18 corresponding to those of the conventional substrate holding device are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS.

The difference from the conventional substrate holding apparatus shown in FIG. 16 is that the second arm 110 is connected to the rotation drive mechanism 108 via the rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 and between the claw 112 and the rotation drive mechanism 108. This is because a bent portion is formed.

That is, the output shaft 1 of the rotary drive mechanism 108
08a is connected to the input shaft 117a of the rotation axis conversion mechanism 117, and the arm 110 is fixed to the output shaft 117b of the rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 located below the input shaft 117a. A bent portion is formed between the output shaft 108a and the output shaft 117b. The rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 is fixed to, for example, the rotation drive mechanism 108.

In the substrate holding apparatus having such a configuration, the claw 1 is formed in the same procedure as that of the substrate holding apparatus shown in FIG.
Magazine 100 with a substrate interval L smaller than the length H of the magazine 12
Can be chucked and released.

Furthermore, when the depth W of the stage 115 changes, the distance between the input shaft 117a and the output shaft 117b of the rotating shaft conversion mechanism 117 (the depth of the bent portion) changes correspondingly. Unlike the case of the substrate holding device of FIG. 16, the length of the claws 112 does not need to be changed. Thus, the length of the nail 112 can be set to the minimum dimension determined only by the thickness of the substrate. Therefore, even if the depth W of the stage 115 is increased, it is not necessary to increase the magazine or reduce the number of stored magazines.

However, this type of conventional substrate holding apparatus has the following problems.

That is, since the rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 is generally composed of a combination of gears, cams, universal joints, flexible wires, etc., the size of the rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 (particularly the size in the lateral direction) increases. However, there is a problem that the device becomes large (especially in the lateral direction).

Since a substrate holding device for a semiconductor device such as an LSI or an LCD is used by being incorporated in a production line in a clean room, a reduction in size is required.

The miniaturization can reduce the area occupied in the clean room, so that more manufacturing apparatuses and inspection apparatuses can be installed. Thereby, the maintenance cost of the clean room per production cost can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Particularly, in an apparatus requiring high-precision processing and inspection, it is important to keep the temperature of the substrate constant, and it is often used in an expensive constant temperature chamber. For this reason, miniaturization has become an important issue from the viewpoint of cost reduction, as well as miniaturization of the entire apparatus.

By the way, in recent semiconductor manufacturing,
Diversification of substrates is advancing. Due to the diversification of substrates, there is a strong demand for improved substrate compatibility for substrate transfer devices that perform automatic transfer. In particular, improvement of adaptability to diversification of the board external dimensions has become a major issue.

To minimize operator intervention,
Not only improvement of cleanness but also improvement of throughput,
Highly effective in reducing production costs. 2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which is required to process substrates having different external dimensions unattended for a long period of time, a substrate transfer device adapted to a substrate having an arbitrary external dimension is indispensable. For this reason, a substrate holding device that can be adapted to a substrate having an arbitrary external dimension has been proposed.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of a conventional substrate holding device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions. FIG.
FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding device of FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 121 denotes a finger, which is guided by a guide finger 122 so as to be able to expand and contract. A drive mechanism for driving the expansion / contraction mechanism including the finger 121 and the guide finger 122 includes a motor 123, a screw 124, a nut 125, a drive unit frame 126, and a connecting member 127. Among these, the screw 124, the nut 125 and the motor 123 are located in the substrate (mask) plane.

The finger 121 is fixed to the connecting member 127, and can be positioned at an arbitrary position by driving the motor 123. The guide finger 122 and the drive unit frame 126 are fixed to a base 128, and the base 128 is provided with a positioning mechanism 129.
It is fixed to. The substrate 130 is supported by the substrate receiver 131.

Generally, the substrate handled by this type of apparatus is several meters.
m, and is often conveyed from a place where a plurality of sheets are installed at small intervals, and the thickness of the fingers 121 and the guide fingers 122 is reduced. But,
It is often difficult to select a thinner motor 123.

That is, an unnecessarily large motor 123
In many cases, it is difficult to reduce the size of a substrate holding device in which the motor 123 is located in the plane of the substrate. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the size of the substrate transfer device using this type of substrate holding device.

Further, the interval between the substrates in a magazine or a carrier for storing a plurality of substrates must be larger than the thickness determined by the motor 123. Therefore, when a substrate holding device in which the motor 123 is located in the plane of the substrate is used, there arises a problem that a magazine or a carrier cannot be downsized, or the number of substrates that can be stored cannot be increased.

FIG. 24 is a plan view of another conventional substrate holding device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions. Also,
FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding device of FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23, and detailed description is omitted.

The finger 121 is fixed to the guide 131. A drive mechanism is configured by the motor 123, the screw 124, the nut 125, the bearing 132, the bearing 133, and the connecting member 127. The motor 123 is fixed to a bearing 133, and the bearings 133 and 132 are fixed to a base 128. Fingers 46 and guide rails 135 are also fixed to base 128. The finger 121 is fixed to the connecting member 127 and can be positioned at an arbitrary position. The base 128 is fixed to the positioning mechanism 129.

In this substrate holding apparatus, the screw 124, the nut 125, and the motor 123 for driving the finger 121
It is provided on the base 128, not in the plane of the substrate.
That is, unlike the substrate holding device of FIG. 22, since there are no screws 124, nuts 125, and motors 123 in the substrate surface, the substrate interval in a magazine or the like can be reduced.

However, in this substrate holding apparatus, if the stroke of the finger 121 is made the same as that of the substrate holding apparatus shown in FIG.
24 and the guide rail 135, the overall length of the apparatus is longer than that of the substrate holding device of FIG.

FIG. 26 is a plan view of a transfer device (transfer robot) of a substrate transfer device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions.

The transfer device 136 includes a first arm 136a,
The second arm 136b includes a main body 136c, and a substrate holding device 137 is fixed to a tip of the second arm 136b. The substrate holding device 137 holds the substrate 130.

Here, when the total length of the substrate holding device 137 is increased, the turning radius R is increased as shown in the figure, so that the operating area of the transfer device 136 is increased. For this reason,
The substrate holding device having a long overall length as shown in FIG. 24 has a problem that it hinders downsizing of the substrate transfer device.

[0042]

As described above, the conventional substrate holding apparatus is required to be adapted to a deep stage.
There was a problem of being larger. In addition, a substrate transfer device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions has a problem that the size (total length) of the device itself or the operation area of the device is large, and it is difficult to reduce the size.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate holding device that can be adapted to a deep stage without increasing the size of the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized substrate transfer device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions.

[0045]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

[Summary] To achieve the above object, a substrate holding device according to the present invention (Claim 1) includes a movable first arm provided with a first support portion for supporting a substrate at a tip, and a movable first arm with a tip provided at a tip. A movable second arm having a bent portion and a second support portion for supporting the substrate together with the first support portion; an arm moving means for moving the first and second arms; A position displacement means main body for changing a relative position of the second support portion with respect to a second arm, wherein the position displacement means main body is provided on the second support portion side with respect to the bent portion; Means.

Further, another substrate holding device according to the present invention (claim 2) is the same as the above substrate holding device (claim 1).
The position displacement means main body is provided in the second arm, and the second arm support is provided around a rotation axis whose axial direction is the longitudinal direction of the second arm. A part is rotated by the tip of the second support part.

Another substrate holding device according to the present invention (Claim 3) is the same as the substrate holding device (Claim 1),
The position displacement means main body is provided outside the second arm, and converts a linear motion of the second arm into a circular motion,
It is characterized in that the second arm support portion is rotated at the tip of the second support portion around a rotation axis whose axial direction is the longitudinal direction of the second arm.

Further, another substrate holding device according to the present invention (Claim 4) is the same as the substrate holding device (Claim 3),
The position displacement means main body is constituted by a link mechanism including the second support portion.

Another substrate holding device according to the present invention (Claim 5) is the substrate holding device (Claim 3) according to the present invention.
The main body of the position displacement means is constituted by a shaft member having a thread groove and a nut member.

Further, another substrate holding device according to the present invention is a substrate holding means capable of selectively taking one of a state in which the length is changed and a state in which the length is not changed, State setting means for selectively setting the substrate holding means to one of a state in which the length can be changed and a state in which the length cannot be changed, and a state in which the length of the substrate holding means can be changed, Changing the length of the substrate holding means,
In addition, it is characterized by comprising a length changing means which can be freely connected to and disconnected from the substrate holding means, and a transport means for transporting the substrate holding means.

Further, another substrate holding device according to the present invention (claim 7) is the above substrate holding device (claim 6),
The length changing means also serves as the state setting means.

Another substrate holding device according to the present invention (claim 8) is the above substrate holding device (claim 6).
The transfer means also serves as the length changing means. [Operation] In the present invention (claims 1 to 5), since the second arm has a bent portion, if the depth of the stage changes, the bent portion is correspondingly changed. Arms with different depths may be used.

For this reason, it is not necessary to change the length of the second support portion provided at the tip of the second arm.
Can be set to a minimum dimension determined only by the thickness of the substrate.

Also, in the present invention, since the position displacement means for changing the position of the second support portion is provided on the second support portion side with respect to the bent portion, that is, not provided on the bent portion, It is not necessary to use a rotation axis conversion mechanism that causes an increase in the size of the apparatus.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate transfer apparatus that can be adapted to a deep stage without increasing the size of the apparatus.

According to the present invention (claims 6 to 8), the length changing means which causes an increase in the operating radius of the transport means can be separated from the substrate holding means.

As a result, the substrate holding means of the present invention is smaller and smaller than the conventional substrate holding means in which the length changing means is integrated.
Become lightweight. Therefore, the size of the transfer means can be reduced, and the size of the substrate transfer device can be reduced.

Further, when the substrate is transferred, the operating radius of the transfer means can be prevented from being increased by separating the length changing means from the substrate holding means, so that the size of the substrate transfer apparatus can be reduced. .

[0059]

Embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as embodiments) will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of the substrate holding device, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an arm portion of the substrate holding device, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the substrate holding device and the stage.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a base, which is fixed to a positioning mechanism 16. The arrow 17 indicates the mechanism, and the arrow 18 indicates the substrate holder. The moving mechanisms 2 and 3 (arm moving means) are fixed to the base 1, and the movable portions of the moving mechanisms 2 and 3 can move in the left and right directions in the drawing.

One end of each of the two first arms 5 is connected to the moving mechanism 2.
One end of a second arm 6 having two bent portions having a thickness t in the movable portion 2 a is fixed to the movable portion 3 a of the moving mechanism 3. A rotation drive mechanism 4 (position displacement means main body) having a rotation mechanism such as a motor or a rotary solenoid is provided in the distal end portion of the second arm 6.

On the other hand, a claw 7 (first support) is provided at the other end of the first arm 5, and a movable claw 8 (second support) having a length H is provided at the other end of the second arm 6. Is provided. This movable claw 8
Is fixed to the output shaft 4a of the rotary drive mechanism 4. The movable claw 8 rotates around the second arm as the output shaft 4a rotates.

Although the rotary drive mechanism 4 is provided on the movable claw 8 side with respect to the bent portion of the second arm 6, the drive source of the rotary drive mechanism 4 is not necessarily required to be so.
That is, it is not necessary that the entire position displacement unit that changes the relative position of the movable claw 8 with respect to the second arm 6 be provided on the movable claw 8 side with respect to the bent portion of the second arm 6. Further, the number of the first and second arms 5 and 6 is not limited to two.

A substrate 9 such as a wafer shown by a broken line is
Are supported by the lower surfaces of the pedestals 7a and 8a, or are supported by the frictional force with the side surfaces 7b and 8b of the claws 7 and 8 or both. The substrate 9 indicated by the broken line is stored in the magazine 10 together with the substrate 11 indicated by the other broken line at a substrate interval L smaller than the length H of the movable claw 8.

In FIG. 2, the width h of the movable claw 8 is
Is not more than the thickness t. A movable claw 8 'indicated by a two-dot chain line indicates a position when the movable claw 8 is rotated.

In FIG. 4, a pedestal 13 is fixed at a depth W from the upper surface of the stage 12. The substrate 9 indicated by a broken line is supported by a pedestal 13 fixed to a stage 12.

According to such a configuration, the rotation driving mechanism 4
Is operated, the movable pawl 8 fixed to the output shaft 4a can be rotated about the output shaft 4a. When the pawls 7 and 8 are at the positions shown in FIG. 1, the moving mechanisms 2 and 3 are operated to bring the pawls 7 and 8 into contact with the substrate 9 so that the chuck,
Conversely, the release can be performed by operating the moving mechanisms 2 and 3 to move the claws 7 and 8 to a position where they do not contact the substrate 9.

The substrate holding device shown in FIG.
In order to perform positioning with respect to the substrate 9 in the inside as shown in FIG. 1, the following procedure is performed.

That is, the substrate holding section 18 is
, The pawls 7 and 8 are moved to the release position by operating the moving mechanisms 2 and 3 and then the rotary driving mechanism 4 is operated to move the movable pawl 8 to the movable pawl 8 ′ shown by a two-dot chain line. Then, the base 1 is moved by the positioning mechanism 16 so that the substrate 9 and the base 1 have the positional relationship shown in FIG. 1, and then the rotation drive mechanism 4 is operated to move the base 9 by the two-dot chain line. The pawl 8 'is rotated to the position of the movable pawl 8, and finally the moving mechanisms 2, 3 are operated to move the pawls 7, 8 to the chuck position. As a result, the substrate 9 stored in the magazine 10 can be held.

To unload the substrate 9 from the magazine 10,
With the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding device of FIG. 1, the positioning mechanism 16 is moved rightward in FIG. At this time, it is preferable that the positioning mechanism 16 be moved upward, for example, so that the substrate 9 does not slide on the magazine 10 and dust or the like does not adhere to the substrate 9. To carry the substrate 9 into the substrate 9 magazine 10, the above procedure may be reversed.

In order to carry the substrate into the stage 12 having the depth W, the substrate 9 is held by the substrate holding device shown in FIG. After the base 1 is moved by the positioning mechanism 16, the moving mechanisms 2, 3 are operated to move the claws 7, 8 to the release position. As a result, the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding device
Can be carried onto the pedestal 13 of the stage 12.
To carry out the substrate 9 from the stage 12, the above procedure may be reversed.

According to the present embodiment, since the claw that enters the magazine 10 is the movable claw 8, the substrate spacing L smaller than the length H of the movable claw 8 is the same as in the conventional substrate holding device shown in FIGS. Can hold the substrate 9 stored in the magazine 10.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the second arm 6 has a bent portion, when the depth W of the stage 12 changes, similarly to the conventional substrate holding device of FIG.
Since it is sufficient to use a member having a bent portion having a depth corresponding to that, it is not necessary to change the length of the movable claw 8. Thereby, the length of the movable claw 8 can be set to the minimum dimension determined only by the thickness t of the substrate. Therefore, even if the depth W of the stage 12 is increased, it is not necessary to increase the magazine or reduce the number of stored magazines. In addition, the movable claw 8
The length of the device can be set to the minimum size, which means that the device can be downsized in the vertical direction.

Further, by using the second arm 6 corresponding to the depth of the stage 12, the stage 12 can be designed independently of the second arm 6. This makes it possible to achieve high precision and high stability of the stage.

In this embodiment, the movable claw 8 is rotatable around the arm 6 by the rotation drive mechanism 4 provided in the distal end of the second arm 8. That is, the second arm 8 is rotatable by the rotation drive mechanism 4 that is not provided at the bent portion. For this reason,
The rotation drive mechanism 4 is different from the rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 provided in the conventional bent portion shown in FIG. 14 in that it has a simple configuration and does not increase in size (particularly in the lateral direction).
Therefore, even if the depth W of the stage 12 is increased, the size of the apparatus is not increased (especially in the lateral direction).

Further, by using the substrate holding device having such various effects, practicality and versatility meeting various requirements of a semiconductor device (LSI), a liquid crystal display device manufacturing device and an inspection device can be met. A high substrate transfer device can be realized.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention.
It is a perspective view showing the arm part of the substrate holding device concerning an embodiment. 6 is a side view showing the substrate holding device of the present embodiment, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA 'of the substrate holding device of FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is the position of the substrate holding device and the stage of FIG. It is a figure showing a relation.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a base, and the base 1 is fixed to a positioning mechanism 16. The arrow 17 indicates a mechanical unit, and the arrow 18 indicates a substrate holding unit. The moving mechanisms 14 and 15 (arm moving means) are fixed on the base 1. Moving parts 14a, 15a of moving mechanisms 14, 15
Are movable in the X direction of the coordinate axes 36. The moving mechanisms 2 and 3 are movable parts 14a and 15 of the moving mechanisms 14 and 15, respectively.
a of the moving mechanisms 2 and 3
a can be moved in the Z direction of the coordinate axes.

One end of each of the two first arms 5 is connected to the moving mechanism 2.
One end of each of the two second arms 6 having a thickness t is fixed to the movable part 3 a of the moving mechanism 3. On the other hand, a claw 7 is fixed to the other end of the first arm 5, and a movable claw 8 having a length H is rotatably fixed to the other end of the second arm 6. The movable claw 8 is connected to the rotating shaft 8 of the movable claw 8 by a link 19.
They are connected at a position eccentric from the center of d by an eccentric distance n.

In FIG. 6, the substrate 9 indicated by a broken line is supported by the lower surfaces of the bases 7a, 8a of the claws 7, 8 or supported by the frictional force with the side surfaces 7b, 8b of the claws 7, 8. In addition, the substrate 9 indicated by the broken line shows that the magazine 10 is stored together with the substrate 11 indicated by the other broken lines at a substrate interval L smaller than the length H of the movable claw 8.

In FIG. 7, the movable claw 8 has a width h which is smaller than the thickness t of the arm 6. A movable claw 8 'indicated by a two-dot chain line indicates a position when the movable claw 8 is rotated.

In FIG. 8, a pedestal 13 is fixed at a depth W from the upper surface of the stage 12. The substrate 9 is supported on a pedestal 13 fixed to a stage 12.

According to such a configuration, when the moving mechanisms 14 and 15 are operated in FIG. 5, the movable parts 14a and 15a
Are moved in the X direction of the coordinate axis 36.

At this time, the movable parts 2a,
The arms 5 and 6 fixed to 3a and the claws 7 and 8 fixed to the arms 5 and 6 also move in the X direction of the coordinate axis 36. While the length m of the link 19 is constant, the distance between the rotation centers 8d of the two movable claws 8 changes, so that the product of the eccentric distance n and the driving force generated by the moving mechanism 3 is obtained. The expressed moment is generated around the rotation center 8 d of the movable claw 8. Thereby, the movable claw 8 can perform a rotating operation.

When the claws 7 and 8 are at the positions shown in FIG.
By operating the moving mechanisms 2 and 3 to bring the claws 7 and 8 into contact with the substrate 9, the moving mechanisms 2 and 3 are operated to move the claws 7 and 8 to a position where they do not contact the substrate 9. Can be released.

The substrate holding device shown in FIG.
In order to perform positioning with respect to the substrate 9 inside as shown in FIG. 6, the following procedure is performed.

That is, the substrate holding section 18 is
, The pawls 7, 8 are moved to the release position by operating the moving mechanisms 2, 3, and then the moving mechanism 15,
Is operated to rotate the movable claw 8 to the position of the movable claw 8 'shown by the two-dot chain line, and then the base 1 is moved by the positioning mechanism 16 so that the substrate 9 and the base 1 have the positional relationship of FIG. Next, the moving mechanism 15 is operated to rotate the movable claw 8 ′ shown by the two-dot chain line to the position of the movable claw 8, and finally, the moving mechanism 2,
3 is operated to move the claws 7, 8 to the chuck position. As a result, the substrate 9 stored in the magazine 10 can be held. To carry out the substrate 9 from the magazine 10, the positioning mechanism 16 is moved rightward in FIG. 6 while the substrate 9 is held by the substrate holding device in FIG. At this time,
For example, it is preferable to move the positioning mechanism 16 upward so that the substrate 9 does not slip and the dust 9 adheres to the substrate 9 in the magazine 10. In order to carry the substrate 9 into the magazine 10, the above procedure may be performed.

In order to carry the substrate into the stage 12 having the depth W, the substrate 9 is held by the substrate holding device shown in FIG. Then, the base 1 is moved by the positioning mechanism 16, and the moving mechanisms 2, 3 are operated to move the claws 7, 8 to the release position. As a result, the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding device can be carried onto the pedestal 13 of the stage 12. To carry out the substrate 9 from the stage 12, the above procedure may be reversed.

According to this embodiment, since the claws entering the magazine 10 are the movable claws 8, the claws are stored in the magazine 10 at the substrate interval L smaller than the length H of the movable claws 8, as in the first embodiment. Substrate 9 can be held.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the second arm 6 has the bent portion, the length of the movable claw 8 is determined only by the thickness t of the substrate, as in the first embodiment. Since the minimum dimension can be set, even if the depth W of the stage 12 is increased, there is no need to increase the size of the magazine or reduce the number of sheets stored.

In the present embodiment, a rotary motion converting mechanism having a link structure composed of two movable claws 8 and a link 19 is arranged near the tip of the arm 6, and the movable claw 8 can be rotated on the tip of the arm 6. It is fixed to.

Thus, the arm 6 by the moving mechanism 15
The linear motion of the
Since it is converted into a rotational motion, similar to the first embodiment,
The movable claw 8 is rotatable around the arm 6.

That is, the second arm 8 is rotatable by a rotary drive conversion mechanism having a link structure that is not provided at the bent portion. For this reason, the rotation drive mechanism 4
Unlike the conventional rotation axis conversion mechanism 117 provided at the bent portion shown in FIG. 14, a simple configuration is sufficient and the size is not increased. Therefore, even if the depth W of the stage 12 increases, the size of the apparatus does not increase.

In the case of the present embodiment, since the movable claw 8 is rotated using the link mechanism, there is no heat radiation source near the substrate 9. On the other hand, in the case of the first embodiment, since the movable claw 8 is rotated using a motor, the motor serves as a heat radiation source. When the substrate 9 is a wafer having a large coefficient of thermal expansion, inconveniences such as warpage of the substrate 9 due to heat from the motor occur. In the present embodiment, since there is no heat radiation source, such an inconvenience does not occur. Further, even if the substrate 9 becomes large, the required strength can be obtained and the substrate 9 can be stably held only by increasing the thickness of the connection portion between the arm 6 and the movable claw 8.

The linear motion input to the rotary motion conversion mechanism does not necessarily need to be given by the arm 6 supporting the weight of the substrate. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a substrate holding unit according to a modification of the present embodiment. The description of the same structural members as in the present embodiment will be omitted.

The driving arm 20 is provided with the moving mechanism 3 of the present embodiment.
It is fixed to. A link 19 is rotatably fixed to the tip of the drive arm 20. In this configuration, 1
The linear movement of the two second arms 6 is converted into a circular movement.
With such a configuration, the same effect as in the present embodiment can be obtained.

In this embodiment, both the two arms 6 are fixed to the moving mechanism 3, but it is sufficient that at least one arm 6 is fixed to the moving mechanism 3.
Further, the rotational force obtained as an output from the rotational motion conversion mechanism does not need to directly rotate the movable claw 6.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a substrate holder according to another modification of the present embodiment. The description of the same structural members as in the present embodiment will be omitted.

The link 22 is rotatably fixed to the tip of the arm 6. The movable claw 21 is rotatably fixed to the link 22. In such a configuration, when the arm 6 moves in the X-axis direction, the link 22 rotates and the movable claw 21 moves in the Z-axis direction. With such a configuration, the same effect as in the present embodiment can be obtained.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a substrate holder according to still another modification of the present embodiment. The description of the same structural members as in the present embodiment will be omitted. This is an example in which a link mechanism is not used for a rotary motion conversion mechanism.

Both ends of the nut 23 are fixed to the respective ends of the two arms 6. A screw shaft 24 having a screw groove formed symmetrically from near the center in the longitudinal direction is connected to a nut 23. One claw 25 is fixed to the screw shaft 24, and the screw shaft 24 and the claw 25 form a movable claw. In such a configuration, the arm 6 is
When moved in the axial direction, a rotational force is generated by the nut 23 and the screw shaft 24, and the screw shaft 24 rotates around the axis in the Y-axis direction, so that the claw 25 rotates.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 12 shows a substrate holding device 38 (substrate holding means) capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and a finger expansion / contraction device 39 ( It is a perspective view which shows a length change means.

The finger 31 is guided by the guide finger 32 and is capable of extending and contracting. The guide finger 32 is provided with a finger stopper 33 having a function of positioning and fixing the position of the finger 31 in the guide direction of the guide finger 32. That is, the substrate holding device 38 can selectively take one of a state in which the finger 31 can be expanded and contracted and a state in which the finger 31 cannot be expanded and contracted.

The guide fingers 32 are fixed to a base 34, and the base 34 is fixed to a positioning device 35 such as a substrate transfer device (robot). A substrate (not shown) is supported by the substrate receiver 37.

The finger 31 can be connected to and disconnected from a suction connection mechanism 40 composed of a vacuum chuck, an electromagnet or a positioning pin. The suction connection mechanism 40 is fixed to a flexible joint 41 in order to enhance the adhesion to the finger 31 and the shock absorption.

The flexible joint 41 is fixed to a guide 42. The guide 42 is guided by a guide rail 43 fixed to a base 52, and
It can be moved in the direction of expansion and contraction.

The two guides 42 are fixed to a bracket 44, and the nut 4 fixed to the bracket 44
5. Power in the moving direction is simultaneously transmitted by a screw system such as a ball screw constituted by the screw 46. The screw 46 is supported by bearings 47 and 48 fixed to the base 52, and is driven by a driving force of a motor 49.

The release mechanism 50 (state setting means) of the finger stopper 33 is fixed to the base 52 via the block 51. That is, the release mechanism 50 is formed on the same base as the finger extension / contraction device (modulation means), and the finger extension / contraction device also serves as the release mechanism 50. This release mechanism 5
0, the finger stopper 33 can be released when the finger 31 is connected to the suction connection mechanism 40, and the finger stopper 33 can be released when the finger 31 is separated from the suction mechanism 40.
Is provided.

Next, details of the finger extension / contraction operation will be described.

The positioning of the finger 31 and the suction coupling mechanism 40 in the horizontal plane direction is performed by the positioning mechanism 35, and the position is adjusted to the position shown in FIG. The positioning mechanism 35 or the base (not shown) of the finger extension / contraction device 39 is moved up and down to bring the finger 31 into contact with the suction connection mechanism 40.

At this time, the release mechanism 50 and the finger stopper 33 come into contact almost at the same time, and the finger stopper 33 releases the positioning and fixing operation of the finger 31. The suction connection mechanism 40 is operated to be suction-connected to the finger 31.

By driving the screw 46 by the motor 49 and moving the bracket 44 to which the nut 45 is fixed, the guide 42, the flexible joint 41 fixed to the guide 42, and the suction coupling mechanism 40 fixed to the flexible joint To move the finger 31.

After moving the finger 31 to the target position, the motor 49 is stopped, the operation of the suction connection mechanism 40 is released, and the connection between the finger 31 and the suction connection mechanism is disconnected.

Thereafter, by moving the positioning mechanism 35 upward, the finger stopper 33 and the release mechanism 50 are cut off, and at the same time, the finger stopper 33 positions and fixes the finger 31. This completes the extension / contraction operation of the finger 31.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the substrate holding device of FIG.
FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA 'of the substrate holding device of FIG. In the drawing, 36 indicates a substrate. From the figure, it is possible to set the substrate interval to the same interval as when using the conventional substrate holding device of FIGS. 24 and 25, and the total length of the substrate holding device is shown in FIG.
It can be seen that the overall length can be as short as the conventional substrate holding device of FIG.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the substrate holding device 38 is not provided with the finger extending / contracting device 39 for extending / contracting the finger 31 and the substrate 3 having different external dimensions is provided.
6, the fingers 31 of the substrate holding device 38 can be expanded and contracted. In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the finger expansion / contraction mechanism 39 is independent of the substrate holding device 38, the thickness and the total length of the substrate holding device 38 in the substrate surface can be reduced by the absence of the finger expansion / contraction device 39. Thus, the size and weight of the substrate holding device 38 can be reduced.

That is, the number of substrates that can be stored in a magazine of the same size can be increased.
Alternatively, the magazine size can be reduced for the same number of substrates.

When the substrate holding device 38 of this embodiment is used as the substrate holding device of the substrate transfer device, the turning radius of the substrate holding device can be reduced, so that the operating area of the substrate transfer device is reduced.

Further, since the weight of the substrate holding device can be reduced, the carrying weight of the substrate carrying device is reduced, the load carrying capacity of the substrate carrying device is increased, the size of the substrate carrying device is reduced, and the speed of the substrate carrying device is increased. Operation becomes possible.

Further, signal lines and power lines wired to the tip of the substrate transfer device (robot) are often limited in number, but are used for a finger extension / contraction device 39 for extending / contracting the finger 31. Since the drive mechanism can be removed, the drive mechanism can be used as a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a substrate. In addition, by using such a substrate transfer device, the size of the entire system of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus can be reduced.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing a substrate transfer apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which can hold substrates having different external dimensions. Parts corresponding to the substrate holding mechanism and the finger extending / contracting mechanism in FIGS. 12 to 14 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 12 to 14, and detailed description is omitted.

The present embodiment is an example in which a substrate transfer robot 60 is used as a finger expansion / contraction device instead of the finger expansion / contraction device as shown in FIG. That is, the substrate transfer robot 5 as the transfer means of the substrate holding device.
However, the substrate transfer robot 60, which is also an example that also serves as a finger expansion / contraction means, is fixed to a gantry 62 together with a table 61. The substrate transfer robot 60 includes an elevator 63,
The robot body 64 includes a first arm 65 and a second arm 66.

The table 61 has a function of being able to be driven up and down with respect to it, and the height of the base 6 is adjustable.
7 is fixed. The flexible joint 41 and a position holding type guide mechanism 68 that fixes the release mechanism 50 movably in the direction in which the fingers extend and contract are fixed to the base 67.

Next, a method for expanding and contracting the finger 31 will be described.

To extend and contract the fingers 31, the substrate transfer robot 60 is positioned at the position shown in FIG.
At this time, the elevator 63 and / or the base 67 are driven to position the substrate transfer robot 60 at the position shown in FIG. 15B, and the finger 31 and the suction connection mechanism 40 are brought into contact. Further, the release mechanism 50 is connected to a finger stopper (not shown), and at the same time, drives the finger stopper 33 to release the positioning operation of the finger 31.

Next, the suction connection mechanism 40 is operated, and the finger 31 and the suction connection mechanism 40 are connected and fixed. here,
When the substrate transfer robot 60 is driven in the direction in which the finger 31 expands and contracts, the finger 31 is pulled out from the guide 42.
At this time, the release mechanism 50 moves together with the finger stopper 33.

Thereafter, the suction connection mechanism 40 is operated to release the connection with the finger 31 and the substrate transfer robot 60
Alternatively, the finger 31 and the suction connection mechanism 40 are separated by driving the base 67. As a result, the release mechanism 50 is also cut off from the finger stopper 33, and at the same time, the finger stopper 33 positions and fixes the finger 31.

As described above, the same effects as in the third embodiment can be obtained by performing the extension / contraction operation of the fingers 31 by the positioning mechanism such as the substrate transfer robot 60.

In this embodiment, the substrate transfer robot 60 constituting the substrate transfer device is used. However, another drive mechanism provided separately from the substrate transfer device, for example, a drive mechanism such as a stage for processing a substrate. The same effect can be obtained by performing the extension / contraction operation of the finger 31 by using.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the substrate holding devices of the first and second embodiments, the arm driving mechanism corresponding to the finger extension and contraction mechanism of the third and fourth embodiments may be independent. In addition, various modifications can be made within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0132]

As described above, the present invention (Claims 1 to 5)
According to claim 5), by using an arm having a bent portion as an arm having a movable support portion, and by not providing a position displacement means at the bent portion, the device is not increased in size. A substrate transfer device that can be adapted to a deep stage can be realized.

Further, according to the present invention (claims 6 to 8), since the length changing means for changing the length of the substrate holding means can be separated from the substrate holding means, a small-sized substrate transfer device is realized. become able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a substrate holding device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an arm portion of the substrate holding device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the substrate holding device and the stage in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an arm portion of a substrate holding device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the substrate holding device of the present embodiment.

7 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding device shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the substrate holding device and the stage in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a substrate holding unit according to a modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a substrate holding unit according to another modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a substrate holding unit according to still another modification of the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a substrate holding device and a finger extension / contraction device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the substrate holding device and the finger extension / contraction device of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding mechanism and the finger extending / contracting mechanism shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a schematic view showing a substrate transfer apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which can hold substrates having different external dimensions.

FIG. 16 is a side view of a conventional substrate holding device.

17 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding device of FIG.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the substrate holding device and the stage in FIG.

FIG. 19 is a side view of another conventional substrate holding device.

20 is a sectional view of the substrate holding device shown in FIG.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the substrate holding device of FIG. 19 and a stage.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of a conventional substrate holding device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions.

23 is a sectional view of the substrate holding device shown in FIG.

FIG. 24 is a plan view of another conventional substrate holding device capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions.

25 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holding device of FIG. 24, taken along the line AA '.

FIG. 26 is a plan view of a transfer device (transfer robot) capable of holding substrates having different external dimensions.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Base 2 ... Moving mechanism (arm moving means) 2a ... Movable part 3 ... Moving mechanism (arm moving means) 3a ... Movable part 4 ... Rotation drive mechanism (position displacement means main body) 4a ... Output shaft 5 ... 1st arm Reference Signs List 6: second arm 7: claw (first support portion) 7a: pedestal portion 7b: side surface portion 8: movable claw (second support portion) 8a: pedestal portion 8b: side surface portion 9: substrate 10: magazine 11 ... Substrate 12 ... Stage 13 ... Pedestal 14 ... Movement mechanism 14a ... Movable part 15 ... Movement mechanism 15a ... Moveable part 16 ... Positioning mechanism 17 ... Mechanism part 18 ... Substrate holding part 19 ... Link 20 ... Drive arm 21 ... Moveable claw 22 ... Link 23 Nut 24 Screw axis 25 Claw 31 Finger 32 Guide finger 33 Finger stopper 34 Base 35 Positioning mechanism 36 Coordinate axis 37 Board receiver 38 Board holding device 39: Finger expansion / contraction device 40: Suction coupling mechanism (state setting means) 41: Flexible joint 42: Guide 43: Guide rail 44: Bracket 45: Nut 46: Screw 47: Bearing 48: Bearing 49: Motor 50: Release mechanism 51: Block 52: Base 60: Substrate transfer robot (transfer means) 61: Table 62: Stand 63: Elevator 64: Robot body 65: First arm 66: Second arm 67: Base 68: Guide mechanism

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A movable first arm having a first support for supporting a substrate at a tip thereof, and a second support for supporting a substrate together with the first support at a tip, A movable second arm having a bent portion; an arm moving device for moving the first and second arms; and a position displacement device main body for changing a relative position of the second support portion with respect to the second arm. Wherein the main body of position displacement means comprises position displacement means provided on the side of the second support portion with respect to the bent portion. 2. The position displacement means main body is provided in the second arm, and the second arm support portion is provided around a rotation axis whose axial direction is the longitudinal direction of the second arm. 2. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is rotated by the tip of the second support. 3. The position displacing means main body is provided outside the second arm, converts a linear motion of the second arm into a circular motion, and sets an axial direction in a longitudinal direction of the second arm. 2. The substrate holding device according to claim 1, wherein the second arm support is rotated by the tip of the second support about a certain rotation axis. 4. The substrate holding device according to claim 3, wherein said position displacement means main body is constituted by a link mechanism including said second support portion. 5. The substrate holding device according to claim 3, wherein said position displacement means main body is constituted by a shaft member having a thread groove and a nut member. 6. A substrate holding means capable of selectively taking one of a state in which the length is changed and a state in which the length is not changed, and a state in which the length of the substrate holding means is changed and a state in which the length is changed. State setting means for selectively setting one of the unchangeable states; and, when the length of the substrate holding means can be changed, changing the length of the substrate holding means, and A substrate transport apparatus comprising: a length changing means capable of freely connecting and disconnecting the substrate; and a transport means for transporting the substrate holding means. 7. The substrate transfer device according to claim 6, wherein said length changing means also serves as said state setting means. 8. The substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said transfer means also serves as said length changing means.