JPH10338345A - Conveying system for clean room - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying system for a clean room that can heighten cleanliness in the clean room, shorten conveying time and heighten freedom of layout and utilization space of manufacturing equipment and the like in the clean room while being low in cost. SOLUTION: A conveying system for a clean room is provided with a conveying device provided in a conveying area 5 formed under the floor or on the ceiling of the clean room 1, and lifters 10 installed in a plurality of places in the clean room 1 so as to deliver articles between the clean room 1 and the conveying device in the conveying area 5. Conveyance of articles from one place to the other place in the clean room is performed using the conveying device in the conveying area 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transport system for transporting articles between different locations in a clean room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a clean room for manufacturing semiconductors and liquid crystals, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-206149, a transfer for transferring an article such as a work between each process is performed. The system is used.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a conventional system for transporting articles such as wafers in a clean room. Article W is transported on a floor running on a traveling rail A2 laid on a floor surface G of a clean room A1. A transport vehicle A3,
An overhead transport vehicle A5 traveling on an elevated traveling rail A4 supported on a ceiling is used.

[0004] A chamber area A6 is formed on the ceiling of the clean room A1.
Clean air is always blown into the clean room A1 from the filter 6 through the filter A7, and the air in the clean room A1 is discharged below the floor G by a suction device (not shown).

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the clean room A1. Equipment for manufacturing semiconductors is arranged for each process on both sides of the central passage A8.

The above-mentioned elevated traveling rail A4 is laid so as to form an elongated, elliptical loop-shaped transportation path along the central passage A8, and the overhead transportation vehicle A5 is connected to the elevated traveling rail A4. In this direction, articles such as wafers are conveyed between processes.

[0007] A traveling rail A2 is provided for each process, and a floor transport vehicle A3 travels in each process to convey articles. Stockers A9 are installed at various places in the clean room A1 to transfer articles between the on-floor transport vehicle A3 traveling in each process and the overhead transport vehicle A5 traveling between processes. An article can be transferred between A3 and the overhead transport vehicle A5.

In the transfer system shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 described above, for example, the wafer processing is completed in the manufacturing apparatus at the position "A" in FIG. In order to transport the unloader, first, from the position "A", the stocker A at the position "C" by the on-floor transport vehicle A3.
9 and the wafer is transferred by the stocker A9 to the overhead carrier A5 traveling on the elevated traveling rail A4.

Thereafter, the overhead transport vehicle A5 travels along the travel rail A4 to "D", where the stocker A9
The wafer is transferred to the on-floor transfer vehicle A3 circulating through the "A" position via the above, and the wafer is delivered to the "A" position by the on-floor transfer vehicle A3.

[0010]

With the recent progress in semiconductor manufacturing technology, the demand for cleanliness in a clean room has been increasing year by year. At present, the particle size of dust floating in air is about 0.1 μm. Although the degree of cleanliness is maintained, the next generation requires a further particle size of 0.05 μm.

However, since the transfer system used in the conventional clean room is composed of the overhead transfer vehicle and the floor transfer vehicle installed in the clean room as described above, it is difficult to increase the cleanness in the clean room. In addition, since it is necessary to use a special structure for not contaminating the air in the clean room for these transport vehicles, there is a problem that the cost of the transport system increases.

In the conventional transfer system as described above, for example, while a product such as a wafer is transferred from the position "A" to the position "A" in FIG. From the stocker A9 to the overhead carrier A
5. Since the articles are sequentially transferred from the overhead transport vehicle A5 to the stocker A9, and from the stocker A9 to the floor transport vehicle A3, the number of transfers during the transport increases, and the overhead transport vehicle A5 moves from the position "A". Even when the article is only transported to the position "o" in the process adjacent to the upstream side in the transport direction, the overhead traveling vehicle A5 is driven to circulate in one direction, so the elevated traveling rail laid in a loop shape. It was almost necessary to make a complete round of A4, and it took a lot of time to transport the articles.

In addition, the interference between the production equipment and the transport system is avoided, so that the utilization rate of the production equipment in the clean room is reduced, and it is difficult to change the layout of the production equipment.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, improves the cleanliness in the clean room, shortens the transport time, and uses the space and layout of manufacturing facilities and the like in the clean room. It is an object of the present invention to provide a low-cost transfer system for a clean room that can increase the degree of freedom.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, a transfer system for a clean room according to the present invention comprises: a transfer device provided in a transfer area formed under a floor or a ceiling of a clean room; A lifter is provided at a plurality of locations to transfer articles between a clean room and a transport device in the transport area, and transports articles from one location in the clean room to another location in the transport area. This is performed by using the transfer device in the inside.

The transfer device is composed of an on-floor transfer vehicle that travels on the floor side of the transfer area and a ceiling transfer vehicle that runs on the ceiling side of the transfer area. The transfer path of the on-floor transfer vehicle and the transfer path of the ceiling transfer vehicle Desirably crosses in a grid pattern, and enables transfer of articles between a floor carrier and a ceiling carrier at a position where each of the transport paths crosses three-dimensionally.

[0017]

When transporting an article from one position in the clean room to another position, the article is first lowered or lifted to the side of the transfer device installed in the transfer area by a lifter near the one position. It is raised and delivered to the transport device.

The transport device that receives the article from the lifter transports the article to a lifter near the destination in the clean room. The lifter near the destination receives the article from the transport device and moves up or down into the clean room to complete the transport operation.

Also, the transfer device is composed of an on-floor transfer vehicle running on the floor side of the transfer area and a ceiling transfer vehicle running on the ceiling side of the transfer area, and the transfer paths of the two cross each other in a grid pattern. In such a case, the optimal transport route is selected and efficiently transferred by transferring the articles from one of the transport vehicles to the other at the position where the transport route of the overhead transport vehicle and the transport route of the overhead transport vehicle cross each other. Goods can be conveyed to the destination.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a clean room showing one embodiment of a clean room transfer system of the present invention. In a clean room 1, a chamber area 3 formed on a ceiling 2 of the clean room 1 is always cleaned through a filter F. The air flow is flowing in, and the cleanliness of the air in the clean room 1 is maintained such that the particle diameter of the dust floating in the air is 0.1 μm or less.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, in the clean room 1, a large number of devices for manufacturing semiconductors are provided for each process, and a worker is required to operate each process and between processes. Is provided with a passage for passing through.

On the other hand, a transfer area 5 is formed below the floor 4 of the clean room 1, and inside the transfer area 5, there is a floor-mounted transfer vehicle 7 running on a running rail 6 laid on the floor G. In addition, a transfer device including a ceiling transfer vehicle 9 that runs on an elevated traveling rail 8 that is supported on the lower surface of the floor 4 of the clean room 1 serving as the ceiling of the transfer area 5 is provided.

Although not explicitly shown in the figure, the floor transport vehicle 7 is provided with a loading table on which the article W is mounted, and the ceiling transport vehicle 9 engages and disengages the article W. An article holder that can be freely held and lifted and lowered is provided.

The transfer area 5 and the clean room 1 are connected to each other by lifters 10 provided at a plurality of locations through the floor 4. The lifter 10 has a lifting table 13 which moves up and down inside a rectangular shaft 11 along a lifting guide 12.

The elevating platform 13 faces the upper loading / unloading opening 11A which faces the loading / unloading platform 14 provided in the clean room 1 of the shaft 11 and the passing position of the on-floor transport vehicle 7 in the transport area 5. The articles W are moved up and down between the lower loading / unloading entrance 11B and the loading / unloading table 14, and the articles W are loaded onto the loading tray of the on-floor transporting vehicle 7 stopped at the position of the lower loading / unloading entrance 11B, or loaded from the on-floor transporting vehicle 7. It is used to lift articles to the wholesaler 14 side.

An opening 11C is formed at the upper end of the shaft 11 and is close to the ceiling 2 of the clean room 1. A part of the clean air blown down from the chamber area 3 into the clean room 1 through the filter F passes through the opening 11C. The air flows into the shaft 11 from the portion 11C and flows downward therethrough, thereby preventing the air in the transfer area 5 having a low degree of cleanness from entering the clean room 1.

Further, in order to transfer the article W between the lift 13 and the floor transport vehicle 7, the lift
A known transfer mechanism such as a telescopic fork for transferring the article W to the other is provided on one of the sides.

The transfer system according to the present invention is constituted by a transfer device including an on-floor transfer vehicle 7 and a ceiling transfer vehicle 9 installed in the transfer area 5 and a lifter 10 for connecting the transfer area 5 and the clean room 1. When the article W is transported from one place in the clean room 1 to another place, the article W is lowered to the transport area 5 by the lifter 10 near the one place, and then is transported by the transport device. Is transported to the lower part of the lifter 10 near the place, and then lifted up into the clean room 1 again by the lifter 10 to perform the cleaning.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the inside of the transfer area 5, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a layout of a transfer path in the transfer area 5. 4 elongated in the longitudinal direction of the clean room 1
Independent loop-shaped transport paths X1, X2, X3, X
4, and the on-floor transport vehicle 7 is independently controlled so as to circulate the traveling rail 6 in one direction for each of these transport paths.

On the other hand, the elevated traveling rail 8 of the overhead conveyor 9
Are provided so as to form four loop-shaped transport paths Y1, Y2, Y3, and Y4 which are long in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the clean room 1, and each of the overhead transport vehicles 9 has an overhead transport vehicle 9 The traveling is independently controlled so as to circulate the traveling rail 8 in one direction.

In the present embodiment, the floor transport vehicle 7
The transport route of the overhead transport vehicle 9 and the transport route of the overhead transport vehicle 9 intersect in a grid pattern. It is possible.

By the above-described transport system, A in FIG.
When the article W is transported from the position to the position B, the article W is first loaded from the lifter 10A near the position A to the on-floor transport vehicle 7 traveling on the transport path X1.

Next, the above-mentioned floor transport vehicle 7 is moved to the ceiling transport vehicle 9
The article W is transported to a position A where the article W intersects three-dimensionally with the transport path Y1, and the article W is transferred to the overhead transport vehicle 9 traveling on the transport path Y1.

When the article W is to be transferred from the on-floor transport vehicle 7 to the overhead transport vehicle 9, the overhead transport vehicle 9 is stopped at the position a.
Next, the empty article holder (not shown) of the overhead transport vehicle 9 is lowered to hold the articles W mounted on the floor transport vehicle 7 stopped downward by the article holder, and The transfer is completed by lifting the article holder holding the article W to the lower surface.

Upon receiving the article W, the overhead transport vehicle 9 lowers and transfers the article W to the on-floor transport vehicle 6 that has been stopped downward at a position B where the transport route Y1 crosses the transport route X4 of the on-floor transport vehicle 7 in a three-dimensional manner. I do.

The floor transport vehicle 6 receiving the article W travels along the transport path X4 to the lifter 10B near the position B, where the article W is lifted into the clean room 1 via the lifter 10B and the transport operation is completed. . Note that FIG.
Lifters 10A and 10B in the middle are A
The positions closest to the position and the position B are shown.

As described above, while the article W is being conveyed from the position A to the position B in the clean room 1, the lifter 1
A total of four transfers are performed from 0A to the floor transport vehicle 7, from the floor transport vehicle 7 to the ceiling transport vehicle 9, from the ceiling transport vehicle 9 to the floor transport vehicle 7, and from the floor transport vehicle 7 to the lifter 10B. Since the selection can be made with a high degree of freedom, the number of times of transfer can be reduced and the transfer efficiency can be improved as compared with the conventional transfer system shown in FIG.

In the above-described embodiment, the transfer device is installed under the floor of the clean room. However, a transfer area may be formed on the ceiling, and the transfer device may be installed here. Further, in the present embodiment, a floor transport vehicle and a ceiling transport vehicle are used as the transport devices installed in the transport area.However, the present invention is not limited to these, and other types such as a roller conveyor may be used. You may.

[0039]

As described above, according to the transfer system for a clean room according to the present invention, since the transfer device is installed under the floor or on the ceiling, the cleanliness in the clean room can be increased, and the clean room can be improved. The time for transporting the article from one place to another can be reduced.

Further, the space in the clean room can be effectively utilized for manufacturing equipment and the like, the degree of freedom in changing the layout of the manufacturing equipment can be increased, and the cleanness in the clean room can be improved.

The degree of cleanness under the floor or ceiling where the transfer device is arranged can be lower than in a clean room, and the transfer path of the transfer device can be laid out with a high degree of freedom. Moreover, since the transfer device is installed in a transfer area such as a clean room where high cleanliness is not required, the cost of the transfer system can be reduced.

In particular, the transfer device is composed of an on-floor transfer vehicle running on the floor side of the transfer area and a ceiling transfer vehicle running on the ceiling side of the transfer area, and the transfer paths of the two cross each other in a grid pattern. In such a case, the number of times of transfer and the length of the entire transfer path are changed by transferring an article from one of the transfer vehicles to the other at a position where the transfer path of the overhead transfer vehicle and the transfer path of the ceiling transfer vehicle are three-dimensionally intersected. In consideration of such factors, it is possible to select an optimal transport route with a high degree of freedom, and it is possible to transport articles very efficiently.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a clean room showing one embodiment of a clean room transfer system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the inside of a transfer area in one embodiment of the transfer system for a clean room of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a layout of a transfer path in one embodiment of the transfer system for a clean room of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a clean room showing an example of a conventional clean room transport system.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a clean room showing an example of a conventional transfer system for a clean room.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clean room 2 Ceiling 3 Chamber area 4 Floor 5 Transport area 6 Travel rail 6 7 Floor transport vehicle 8 Elevated travel rail 9 Ceiling transport vehicle 10, 10A, 10B Lifter 11 Shaft 11A Upper loading / unloading port 11B Lower loading / unloading port 11C Opening 12 Lifting / lowering Guide 13 Lifting platform 14 Loading platform

Claims (2)

[Claims] A transfer device provided in a transfer area formed under the floor or ceiling of a clean room, and a transfer device installed in a plurality of locations in the clean room and between the clean room and the transfer device in the transfer area. A transfer system for a clean room, comprising: a lifter for transferring goods from one place in a clean room to another place using a transfer device in a transfer area. 2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device includes an on-floor transport vehicle that travels on the floor side of the transport area and a ceiling transport vehicle that travels on the ceiling side of the transport area. 2. The clean room as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transfer path intersects with the transfer path in a lattice manner, and the transfer of the article between the on-floor transfer vehicle and the ceiling transfer vehicle is enabled at a position where each transfer path crosses over the transfer path. Transport system.