JPS631042A - Wafer carrying method and equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid the damage of a wafer by preventing the vibration at the time of a start or a stop by inclining the main surface of the wafer installed with an interval and held in a container forward or backward to the direction of carrying by inclining the container when the main surface of the wafer is carried in an orthogonal direction. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of containers 1 are mounted with a required interval on a conveyer belt 16 comprising a driving unit 13 which has pulleys 12 at both ends and a driving unit 15 which has pulleys 14 for a wafer carrier 17. In this constitution, each container 1 is placed on the belt 16, an inclined body 18 for a forward end or a backward end is provided and if the container 1 is positioned on the inclined body, the forward end of the container 1 is raised by an angle of theta degrees and the backward end of the container 1 is mounted on the belt 16. Further, a holding groove 5 is provided in the container 1 to install a wafer 6 upright and the main surface of the wafer 6 installed upright in the groove is made perpendicular to the direction of carrying.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a wafer transport method and apparatus that prevent damage during wafer transport.

(Prior art) In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, semiconductors are often processed in the form of wafers. However, since wafers are extremely easily damaged and highly dislike dirt, they are generally stored in containers. Transport between processes. Figure 5 shows a container body (1) called a carrier.
FIG.

It consists of a box member with a U-shaped cross section and an open top surface (2), negative end (3), and other end (4).

A large number of holding grooves (5), etc. are provided in parallel along the inner wall of this, and the wafer (6),... is inserted into these, so that the wafer (6) holds the main surface (7)... along the vertical direction,
That is, it is held and accommodated in a substantially upright state as shown in FIG. When the container body (1) is transported in the direction parallel to the main surface (7), that is, in the direction of the arrow (8), the wafers (6), etc. do not vibrate much;
Main surface (When transporting in the direction perpendicular to the force, i.e. in the direction of arrow (9), there is a gap between the holding groove (5) and the wafer (6) at the start of transport and due to acceleration when stopping. The main surface (7) may be photographed and have a negative effect on the wafer (6).
High-speed transport was not possible in the direction perpendicular to the Control devices that reduce this vibration are also being considered.

The disadvantage was that it was very expensive.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) The container body has a gap between the holding groove and the wafer.

For this reason, it vibrates when transported in a direction perpendicular to the main surface.

This has an adverse effect on the wafer, making it impossible to carry it at high speed.

'The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages, and it does not cause the wafers to vibrate even when the wafers are stored in a container body and transported at high speed in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the container body, and is inexpensive. An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transport method and device.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means and effects for solving the problem) The method of the present invention includes supporting the main surface of the kueh in a substantially upright state and storing it in a container body.
When conveying in a direction perpendicular to the main surface, the container body is tilted so that the main surface is tilted forward or backward with respect to the conveyance direction, and by tilting it, vibrations caused by acceleration during acceleration and deceleration are prevented. This is a wafer transport method.

Another device according to the invention includes a container body that holds and accommodates wafers with the main surface substantially upright, and a carrier body that transports the container body in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface. This is a wafer transfer device in which a tilting body is interposed between the container body and the main surface to tilt forward or backward in the transfer direction.

(Example) The details of the method and apparatus of the present invention will be explained below by way of an example with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

First, an embodiment of the device will be described, followed by an embodiment of the method as well as its operation. Figure 1 shows belt conveyor α
A conveying device for Ueno consisting of υ, a driving part (13) equipped with a drive pulley H, a driven part α9 equipped with a driven pulley I, a conveying body αη consisting of a belt (ll19) stretched between them, A plurality of container bodies (1), . The container body (1), which is a carrier, is of the generally known type mentioned above, and has a drive part α.
Also, the driven portion 0 and the conveyor αD are substantially the same as those generally known, and detailed explanations thereof will be omitted. Now, the tilting member consists of the tilting member Cυ and the receiver member @, and the conveyance direction (1
1, and both are fixed to the conveyor αη, that is, the bell) (IQ).As shown in detail in Fig. 2, the inclined portion Cυ is at a height of h from the top surface of the conveyor ση. A stepped surface was formed.

A holding slope (2) extends obliquely upward from this point. - The force receiver member 123 is composed of an upright receiver (c) and a guide slope (a) extending diagonally upward from this. The negative end of the container body (1) on the stepped surface (
3) and place the other end (4) on the carrier α7).

The container body (1) is tilted at an angle θ, and the retaining slope C4J and the receiver surface (29) prevent it from shifting back and forth.

The height h may be appropriately set depending on the length of the container body (1) and the acceleration caused by starting and stopping the conveyance. When the wafer (6) is placed at an angle in this way, as shown in FIG.
-・ was tilted in the holding groove (5), and the main surface (7) was tilted rearward with respect to the conveying direction α9. In other words, it is supported by the side wall of the holding groove (5) in a backward tilted state and stably stands still.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment and the embodiments of the method of the present invention will be explained.

First, as described in the conventional example, wafers (6), etc. are held in the container body (1), which is a carrier. ff+5
1. ... and accommodate a large number of them with their main surfaces (7) in an almost erect state. The negative end (3) of this container body (1)
) on stepped surface C23), and the other end (4) is placed on surface C? 5) Place it on the carrier ση with K in contact with it. Due to the height h, the container body (1) is placed at an angle /'IJ: a. As a result, Ueno 1 (6), ... is supported on the - wall surface of the holding groove (i... It becomes stationary.

From this state, intermittent conveyance is started in the direction of arrow α9. By starting the conveyor αη, the container body (1) moves in the conveying direction σ
9, the wafers (6), ... are pushed backwards, but since they are tilted backwards, they are supported by the rear walls of the holding grooves (5), and stabilize and vibrate. Never.

Next, when stopping, the wafers (6) are accelerated in the opposite direction to the transport direction (19) and are pushed forward in the transport direction (1!J), but due to backward tilting, the force of their own weight is applied The machine decelerates and stops without falling forward or vibrating.

In this way, the main surface (force is tilted backwards) with respect to the conveying direction I.

In other words, by tilting it backwards, vibrations can be avoided.

The same applies when the body is tilted forward.

Next, another embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. This embodiment is a large container body (G) called a so-called box consisting of a main body Oυ and a lid body (32), and a container body (1) like a carrier is housed inside.

Then, a high protrusion (B) is provided on the bottom surface of the negative end (3) of the accommodated container body (1), and a low protrusion (To) is provided on the other end (4) side, so that the inclined body (G) is formed. It is formed. In other words, this is an example in which a sloped body is provided on the side of the container body (to), and when this is placed in a normal transport @ position, the container body (to) will be tilted together with the container body (1), and the above-mentioned implementation will not be possible. The same effect as in the example is achieved. Although the tilting body (G) is provided outside, it may be provided inside the container body (G) and only the container body (1) may be tilted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As detailed above, in the wafer transport method of the present invention, the main surface is tilted forward or backward when the wafer is transported in a direction perpendicular to the main surface, so there is no vibration when starting or stopping. , there was no damage to the wafer.

In addition, other wafer transfer devices are constructed with a tilting body interposed between the container body and the transfer body, so that the wafers are surely tilted at a constant angle, so that stable conveyance is always possible. Furthermore, by adjusting the tilting body, it can be applied to a variety of container bodies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the AA device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the main parts, FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the main parts, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the main parts of another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a container in the conventional example and this embodiment. FIG. 6, which is a perspective view of the carrier as a body, is also an enlarged sectional view of the main part. (1)...Container body, (6)...Wafer. (7)...Main surface, αη...Carrier. α barrel... inclined body, 03... container body. (to)...slanted body. Agent Patent Attorney Noriyuki Chika Yudo Kikuo Takehana Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A wafer is housed and held in a container with its main surface substantially upright, and when the wafer is transported in a direction substantially perpendicular to the main surface, the container is tilted so that the main surface of the wafer is tilted forward with respect to the transport direction. Alternatively, a method for transporting a wafer is characterized in that the wafer is transported tilted backward. (2) Conveyance of wafers having a container body that holds and accommodates one or more wafers with their major surfaces substantially upright, and a carrier that supports the containers and conveys them in a direction approximately perpendicular to the major surfaces. 1. A wafer conveyance apparatus, characterized in that a tilting body is interposed between the conveyance body and the container body to tilt the container body and tilt the main surface forward or backward in the conveyance direction. (3) The wafer conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the inclined body is attached to the conveying body. (4) The wafer transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the inclined body is attached to the container body.