JPS61217436A - Automatic feed mechanism for carrier jig - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To accomplish automation of work by moving up and down step by step a special purpose rack loaded with a carrier jig to transfer the jig onto a set table in a title mechanism for transport of a semiconductor wafer. CONSTITUTION:A special purpose rack 3 is placed on a bed plate 13 of a jig elevator 6, and an arm support block 18 is driven in direction of an arrow A by a motor, so that a chuck arm 7 is confronted with the special purpose rack 3, and the edge portion of the carrier jig 1 at the first step is chucked by a chuck portion 21. Subsequently, the arm support block 18 is moved in direction of an arrow B, so that the chucked carrier jig 1 is transferred onto a set table 2. On the other hand, the special purpose rack 3 is lowered for one step of the carrier jig 1 by an elevator 6. The same operation is repeated. In this arrangement, a carrier jig can be automatically supplied.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a carrier jig that automatically sets or removes a carrier jig used for transporting cut wafers cut into pellets into a setting table in a semiconductor manufacturing process, etc. The automatic feeding mechanism is busy.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, an operator manually takes out the carrier jig 1 one by one and places it on the top surface of the setting table 2.
Due to the operation of the grip-up section 4, the pellets 5, 5, etc. lined up in the carrier jig 1 are lifted up one after another, and taken up by a collet (not shown), and when the pellets 5 in the carrier jig 1 are exhausted, The carrier jig 1 was manually returned to its original position within the dedicated rack 3 by the operator.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the past, the operator manually placed or removed the carrier jig 1 onto the setting table 2, so the operator had to be at the side of the atmospheric pressure device. I had to. Also, it is not very quick to take out the carrier jig 1 from the dedicated rack 3 and place it on the set table 2, or to pick up the empty carrier jig 1 from the set table 2 and return it to its original position in the dedicated rack 3. This resulted in a lot of time wasted. Therefore, the efficiency of transferring the pellets 5 from the carrier jig 1 to a predetermined location was low. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a carrier jig automatic supply mechanism that can automatically set or remove a carrier jig on a setting table.

Means for Solving the Problems The means of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is to place a special rack on the upper surface in which carrier jigs are stacked vertically at a predetermined pitch, and to stack the carrier jigs in the vertical direction at a predetermined pitch. A jig elevator that moves up and down by the stacking pitch, and a set table that is provided in front of the jig elevator to set the carrier jig from the position of the carrier jig in a dedicated rack placed on this jig elevator. The carrier jig is set on the set table by automatically chucking the edge of the carrier jig with the chuck part at the tip and transporting it to the set table or dedicated rack side and automatically releasing it. Alternatively, this can be done by an automatic carrier jig supply mechanism having a chuck arm for removal.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

, @1 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged embodiment of an automatic carrier jig supply mechanism according to the present invention. This carrier jig automatic supply mechanism includes a jig elevator 6 and a chuck arm 7.

Up! The ef&tool elevator 6 is configured to move up and down with the dedicated rack 3 for the carrier jig 1 placed on its upper surface. Here, the inner surface of the dedicated rack 3 has insertion grooves 8.8 formed at predetermined pitch intervals, and these insertion grooves 8, 8... are used to insert the dedicated rack 3. Inside, carrier jigs 1, 1, . . . are stacked vertically at a predetermined pitch. The jig elevator 6 is pitch-fed so as to move up and down by the stacking pitch of the middle jig 41. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, its structure includes a vertical lead screw 10 provided in the center of the elevator stand 9, and vertical guide shafts 11 provided on both sides of the lead screw 10. These lead screws 1
゜ and an elevating member 12 that fits into the guide shaft 11 and moves up and down.
A base plate 13 is provided which projects horizontally as shown above. At the upper end of the lead screw 10, a disk 14 with a slit that rotates together with the lead screw 10 is provided, and a sensor 15 is provided on both sides of the rotating surface of the disk 140 with a slit. This photosensor 15 detects the rotation of the slit disk 140 and controls the raising or lowering of the base plate 13.The photo sensor 15 controls the raising or lowering of the base plate 13 according to the stacking pitch of the carrier jigs 1 stacked in the dedicated rack 3. It is designed to detect the stop position. Therefore, when the lead screw 10 is rotated with the dedicated rack 3 placed on the base plate 13, the dedicated rack 3 moves up by the stacking pitch of the carrier jig 1 due to the action of the slit disk 14 and the 7-tooth sensor 15. Or it will go down.

The chuck arm 7 reciprocates horizontally between the position of the carrier jig 1 in the dedicated rack 3 placed on the jig elevator 6 and the set table 2 provided in front of the jig elevator 6. While moving, the carrier jig 1 is chucked and transported, and the carrier jig 1 is set on or removed from the setting table 2. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the structure is 5K, with two guide rails running horizontally at the top and bottom of stands 16 and 16, which are erected on the sides of the set table 2 at appropriate intervals. 1
7 and 11 are stretched, and an arm support block 18 is slidably provided by the guide rails 17 and 17, and a rack 20 extending from a linear head motor 19 provided on the side surface of one stand 16 supports the arm support block 18. The support block 18 is reciprocated as shown by arrows A and B, and the chuck arm 7 projects horizontally by a predetermined length from the upper end of the arm support block 18 toward the set table 211 (see Fig. 1). ). Furthermore, a chuck portion 21 is provided at the tip of the chuck arm T to sandwich and hold the edge of the carrier jig 1 from above and below.

Here, the reciprocating movement of the chuck arm T from the set table 2 to the position of the dedicated rack 3 on the jig elevator 6 is detected as #! Position sensor 22 a, 2 shown in Figure 2
2 b, 22 c in front of the arm support block 18
The vehicle passes through K, and advances, stops, and retreats are controlled according to a predetermined sequence. At the same time, in response to signals from the position sensors 22a, 22 by 22c, the drive unit 23, such as a cylinder shown in FIG. , according to a predetermined sequence, the carrier jigs 1 in the dedicated rack 3 are automatically chucked one by one, transported, and automatically released on the set table 2, and conversely, the carrier jigs 1 on the set table 2 are automatically chucked. It is designed to automatically open at its original position within dedicated rank 3 after being transported together with the camera.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 23 is an overload detection section that detects an overload state during reciprocating movement of the chuck arm T, reference numeral 24 is an eccentric roller that adjusts the height of the chuck arm 7, and reference numeral 25 is an eccentric roller that adjusts the height of the chuck arm 7. is arm support block 18
This is a cam that lifts up the chuck arm 7 so that the chuck arm 7 escapes on the trajectory of the X and Y movement of the set table 2 when the set table 2 retreats to the return detection position centimeter 22d. Further, in FIG. 3, reference numeral 26 denotes a microswitch that detects the presence or absence of the carrier jig 1 in the dedicated rack 3.

Next, the operation of the carrier jig automatic supply mechanism configured as described above will be explained. In the gt diagram, first, carrier jigs 1, 1, . . . are placed on the jig elevator 60 base plate 13.
A dedicated rack 3 with stacked layers is placed thereon. Next, the arm support block 18 is moved in the direction of arrow A by driving the linear drive motor 19 shown in FIG. 2, and the entire chuck arm 7 is moved toward the dedicated rack 3.

Then, the position is /? 22a and 22b, the linear drive motor 19 is stopped, and the chuck portion 21 of the chuck arm T is stopped at, for example, the first stage carrier jig 1, and the chuck portion 21 is opened to remove the carrier jig. The edge of tool 1 is automatically chucked. Thereafter, the linear head motor 19 reverses, the arm support block 18 moves backward in the direction of arrow B, and the entire chuck arm 7 moves toward the set table 2 side. At this time, the chuck arm 7 pulls out one carrier jig 1 from the dedicated rack 3 in the direction of arrow C 5 and conveys it. Next, the linear rad motor is stopped by the action of the position centimeter 22c,
The chuck arm 7 stops when it passes a little beyond the position of the set table 2. In this state, the carrier jig J41 held by the chuck part 21 is located directly above the set table 2, and then the chuck part 21 opens to automatically release the carrier jig 1, and the set table 2 Set the pupil to the specified position above. In this state, the pellets 5, 5, . When this happens, the chuck arm γ, which was in the standby position, moves forward to the position of the carrier jig 41 and automatically chucks and removes the edge with its chuck part 21.

Next, the entire chuck arm 7 is moved in the direction of the arrow by the linear drive of the RAD motor 19. At this time, the chuck arm 7 feeds the empty carrier jig 41 5 rcm toward the dedicated rack 3 side in the direction of the arrow, inserts it into the insertion groove 8 of the original stage, and then stops and moves the carrier jig 41
automatically open. Next, the lead screw 10 of the jig elevator 6 rotates in a direction to lower the base plate 13, and the position of the dedicated rack 3 placed on its upper surface is lowered by one stacking pitch of the carrier jig 1. Then, in the same way as above,
The chuck arm γ automatically chucks the second-stage carrier jig 1, transports it to the setting table 2, and sets it. From now on, repeat this operation.

Effects of the Invention The present invention, as explained above, is equipped with a jig elevator 6 on which a dedicated rack 3 on which carrier jigs 1 are stacked is placed and moves up and down by the stacking pitch of the carrier jigs 1. , a chuck arm that reciprocates in the horizontal direction between the position of the carrier jig 1 in the dedicated rank 3 and the set table 2, and automatically chucks and automatically releases the edge of the carrier jig 1 with a chuck portion 21 at the tip. 7 was set, so
Setting and removing the carrier jig 1 onto the setting table 2 can all be performed automatically. Therefore,
There is no need for a worker to be present all the time, and the work of setting and removing the carrier jig 1 can be done continuously and without time loss (it can be done quickly).This greatly improves work efficiency. can do.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged embodiment of the carrier jig automatic feeding mechanism according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view showing its structure, FIG. 3 is a right side view, and FIG. The figure is a schematic perspective view showing a conventional example. 1... Carrier jig, 2... Set table, 3... Dedicated rack, 6... Jig elevator, 1... Chuck arm, 8 ...Insertion groove, 10... Lead screw, 12... Lifting member, 13... Base plate, 18... Arm support block, 20... Rack, 21... Chuck part. Applicant Hitachi Electronic Engineering Co., Ltd. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] A jig elevator has a dedicated rack in which carrier jigs are stacked vertically at a predetermined pitch on the top surface and moves up and down by the stacking pitch of the carrier jigs, and a dedicated rack mounted on this jig elevator. The carrier jig is reciprocated in the horizontal direction between the position of the carrier jig in the rack and the setting table provided in front of the jig elevator where the carrier jig is to be set, and the chuck section at the tip touches the edge of the carrier jig. A carrier jig automatic supply mechanism comprising: a chuck arm that automatically chucks a carrier jig, and sets or removes the carrier jig on the set table by conveying it to a set table or a dedicated rack and automatically releasing it.