KR100594371B1 - A loader having function for carrying out casette - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention has a top surface opening for pod mounting on the top surface and a side opening for cassette ejection on one side, and the cassette body portion seated in the top opening by moving up and down from the bottom of the top opening and detaching from the cassette cover. A stage transfer unit coupled to a lower surface of the stage unit to move the stage unit up and down, a cassette transfer unit which grips the cassette main unit detached by the stage unit and takes it out to the outside through the side opening; Is coupled to one side, the vertical axis engaging portion including a locking portion protruding on one side of the rotating body and the rotating body includes a locking portion that is rotated together when the rotation of the rotating body is engaged or released by one side of the cassette transfer unit, the main body portion Is provided on one side A first sensor unit for detecting whether the cassette is separated from the cassette mounting position and the other side of the main body unit, and is operated when a deviation detection signal is received from the first sensor unit to operate the separated semiconductor material to the mounting position in the cassette. And a remounting portion for repositioning.

Semiconductor, SMIF, Cassette, Load Port, Loader, SEMI, Wafer.

Description

Loader device having a cassette carrying function {A Loader Having Function For Carrying Out Casette}

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a loader device having a cassette ejection function according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the loader device having a cassette ejection function according to the present invention.

3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a stage unit.

4 is a view showing the structure of the arm portion.

5 is a side view illustrating a state in which the stage transfer unit and the cassette transfer unit are coupled by the vertical axis coupling unit.

6 is a view showing the structure of the vertical axis coupling portion.

7 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a port plate provided with a sensor unit and a remounting unit.

8 is a view showing a detailed structure of the remounting portion.

<Description of Major Reference Symbols>

1: Loader device

10: main body

20: stage part

30: cassette transfer unit

40: stage transfer unit

50: vertical coupling portion

70: port plate

74: sensor

73: reattachment

100: Pod

The present invention relates to a loader device, and more particularly, to loading and unloading a cassette, which is a container for storing semiconductor materials, in particular, a wafer, as well as a carrying out of the cassette. The present invention relates to a loader device having a cassette ejection function capable of controlling movement.

The loader device of the present invention is an automated equipment related to the transport of materials such as wafers or reticles in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and is a SMIF among standards recommended by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Meterials International) (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) Included in the equipment making up the system.

SMIF is concerned with local cleanliness, which is a closed wafer storage container pod to block particles, which are air pollutants that may occur during wafer manufacturing process, and mini-environment (ME) and pod that keeps only the local space clean. A minimum common standard is proposed for devices for interface between ME or process equipment.

Among the SMIF systems, the loader device of the present invention is an interface device for transferring semiconductor materials such as wafers and reticles stored in a cassette to the next step.

Among the components of the SMIF system, the pod, which is a closed wafer storage container, includes a pod which is a separate and downward open pod mainly used for 200 mm wafers, and a front-open unified FOUP which is a cassette integrated and mainly used for 300 mm wafer. The present invention relates to a loader device for passing a cassette housed in a 200 mm pod which is a downward opening type among pods to a rear end process.

Applicant has proposed a SMIF loader device for automatic opening and closing of the pod in the patent application No. 10-2003-17298.

The SMIF loader device is attached to the main plate attached to the vertical transport structure, the base plate is vertically coupled to the main plate, the control panel, the fan, the cover for the inlet of the clean air flow is mounted, the vertical transport structure of the main plate A port plate that can be fixedly attached to a base, a stage fixedly attached to the base, a stage that can be attached to a vertical transport structure of the main plate, and a horizontal transport structure that is fixed to the cassette for loading the cassette into the connection equipment through the opening of the main plate. It includes a loading device.

However, since the cassette loading device of the SMIF loader device has a structure that is fixed to the horizontal transport structure, it is possible to move forward and backward only in the horizontal direction to perform only the function of discharging the cassette to the rear connection equipment and to put the cassette on the rear connection equipment. There is a problem that a robot device for receiving and loading cassettes is required in the rear end connection equipment, which leads to an increase in additional processes and thus a decrease in semiconductor production yield.

In this regard, the Applicant further improves the SMIF loader device of the above-described application so that the cassette conveying unit for transferring the cassette in the horizontal direction can be vertically moved and the cassette conveying unit is not implemented by a separate motor. In the operation step to move in the vertical direction in conjunction with the stage driving unit to provide a loader device having a cassette carrying function that can bring space efficiency and cost reduction.

In addition, the present invention is to improve the structure of the cassette transfer unit by implementing the cassette transfer unit in a double rail structure.

Also, when the wafer protrudes from the cassette, the structure of the remounting portion for remounting the wafer is more concretely and efficiently implemented.

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above object, the upper surface opening for the pod mounting is formed on the upper surface and the main body portion having a side opening for carrying out the cassette on one side, by moving up and down from the lower side of the upper opening A stage portion for detaching the cassette seated in the upper surface opening from the pod cover, a stage transfer portion coupled to the lower surface of the tapered portion for moving the stage up and down, and holding the cassette removed by the stage portion to open the side opening. Cassette conveying unit to be carried out to the outside through, coupled to one side of the stage conveying portion, protrudes on one side of the rotating body and the rotating body is rotated together when the rotation of the rotating body to engage or release the engagement on one side of the cassette conveying unit Vertical shaft coupling portion including the engaging portion, the main body portion It is provided on one side and provided on the other side of the first sensor unit and the main body portion for detecting whether the semiconductor material is separated from the cassette mounting position and operates when the departure detection signal is received from the first sensor unit There is provided a loader apparatus having a cassette discharging function, comprising a remounting portion for repositioning the gear to a mounting position in the cassette.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a loader apparatus 1 having a cassette ejecting function according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the loader apparatus 1 having a cassette ejection function according to the present invention has an upper surface opening (not shown) in which a pod 100 is seated on a port plate 70 of a main body portion 10 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. ) Is formed and a side opening 12, which is a passage through which the semiconductor material is carried out, is formed on one side of the side surface.

The port plate 70 is provided with a remounting portion 73, a clamping portion 75, and the like, which will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 7.

2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the loader device 1 having a cassette ejecting function according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the internal structure of the loader device 1 of the present invention is largely composed of a stage unit 20, a stage transfer unit 40, and a cassette transfer unit 30.

The stage 20 moves up and down from the lower side of the upper surface opening to detach the cassette 110 of the pod 100 seated in the upper surface opening from the pod body, and a detailed structure will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

The stage transfer unit 40 is coupled to the lower surface of the stage unit 20 to move the stage unit 20 up and down.

The stage transfer part 40 is composed of a stage support part 43 coupled to one side of the lower surface of the stage part 20 to support the stage part 20 and a guide part 41 to guide the vertical movement of the stage support part 43. .

The cassette transport unit 30 grips the cassette 110 removed by the stage unit 20 and is carried out to the outside through the side opening 12.

The cassette transfer part 30 is again composed of a first guide part 31, a second guide part 33, and an arm part 35.

One surface of the first guide portion 31 is attached to one side of the inner surface of the main body portion 10, and two long holes 32 are formed in the upper and lower rows in the side opening 11.

The second guide portion 33 has two rows of long holes 34 formed in the side opening direction, and one surface thereof is coupled to two rows of long holes 32 of the first guide portion 31 so that the first guide portion 31 It moves forward and backward in the direction of the side opening 12 along the long hole 32 formed in the).

Arm portion 35 is coupled to the long hole 34 formed in the second guide portion 33 through a fixing bracket (not shown) to move back and forth in the direction of the side opening 12 along the long hole 34, Two robot arm-shaped gripping portions 36 that hold the cassette 110 are formed.

3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the stage unit 20.

Although not shown in FIG. 3, the pod 100 is perforated with two purging holes 28 for purging at the corners.

The stage 20 is provided with three sensors 23 for detecting whether the three registration pins 21 and the pods 100 are normally mounted to allow direction identification. Two latch keys 25 are located at the center of the stage 20 to remove or mount the cassette 110 from the pod 100. When the two latch keys 25 are coupled to grooves (not shown) formed on the bottom surface of the cassette 110 and rotated, the cassette 110 is removed from the pod body 100.

The right side of the latch key 25 is provided with a pod detection sensor 27 for detecting the presence or absence of the pod.

Two through holes 28 formed at positions corresponding to the purge holes formed in the cassette 110 are drilled, and a sealing member for sealing is provided on the inner surface side of the through holes 28.

When the purging gas is introduced through the through hole 28 and the purge hole on one side, and the internal gas is discharged through the through hole 28 and the purge hole on the other side, vacuum pressure may be generated. The pod 100 may be slightly floating without being properly mounted. Although not shown in FIG. 2, a vacuum pad (not shown) may be installed to fix and seat the pod 100 by vacuum-adsorbing the pod 100 on the stage 20 to remove this phenomenon.

4 is a view showing the structure of the arm portion.

The arm part 35 horizontally moves the grip part 36 to adjust the gap between the grip parts 36 to drive the grip part of the cassette 110 and the maximum distance between the motor part 35-3 and the grip part 36. The sensor unit 35-1 for controlling the driving of the motor unit 35-3 to detect the position and to no longer move when one side of the grip unit 36 is moved to the position of the maximum interval provided at a position corresponding to ) Is provided.

The gripping portion 36, which is a portion for holding the cassette 110, is formed in an “L” shaped cross-sectional shape on both sides of the gripping portion 36 so as to be in contact with one side of the lower side and the lower surface of the cassette 110, and on both sides of the gripping portion 36. A sensor portion 37 for detecting whether the lower surface of the main body portion is seated on the grip portion 36 is formed. One side of the sensor unit 37 is formed at the position where the right front end of the cassette 110 is seated, and the other side is the left rear end of the cassette 110 seated. It is formed at the position to check whether the cassette 110 is normally seated.

5 is a side view illustrating a state in which the stage transfer unit 40 and the cassette transfer unit 30 are coupled by the vertical shaft coupling unit 50, and FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a structure of the vertical shaft coupling unit 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the vertical shaft coupling unit 50 is coupled to the side portion of the stage transfer unit 40, and is coupled to the cassette transfer unit 30 only during the vertical movement operation of the cassette transfer unit 30. When the vertical movement of the cassette transfer unit 30 so that the vertical movement in conjunction with it.

Referring to FIG. 6, the vertical shaft coupling part 50 is coupled to the cylindrical rotating body 51 and the cylindrical rotating body 51 so as to rotate within a 90 ° range when the cylindrical rotating body 51 rotates. ).

The locking portion 53 has a first position folded in accordance with the rotation of the cylindrical rotor 51 and a second position unfolded as shown in FIG. 6, and positioned below the cassette transfer portion 30 in the second position. The simultaneous delivery of the cassette feeder 30 to the shanghai stage transfer unit 40 is linked to the shanghai.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a structure of the port plate 70 having the sensor unit 74 and the remounting unit 75.

Fastening eight pod guiding pins 71 and pods 100 to the top plate 12 to provide the correct position and orientation when loading the pods 100 near the top opening in the port plate 70. Two clamping parts 73 are provided. The clamping part 73 is externally shaped in a box shape, and the inside thereof is not shown, but the inside of the clamping part 73 is mounted to the port plate 70 by protruding outward through an opening 77 formed in the clamping part 73. Press the corner of the pod 100 downward to fix the pod 100.

The sensor unit 74 is provided at the upper end of the main body 10, that is, at the lower end of the port plate 70, for detecting whether a semiconductor material such as a wafer protrudes from the cassette 110.

On one side of the inner surface of the port plate 70 is provided with a remounting portion 75, which operates when a departure detection signal is received from the sensor portion 74 to reposition the separated semiconductor material to the original mounting position of the cassette 110. It is to let.

8 is a view showing a detailed structure of the remounting portion 75.

Referring to FIG. 8, the remounting unit 75 may include a body 75-1 and one end of the body 75-1 mounted on the inside of the port plate 70 and an upper surface of the body plate 75-1 and the top surface of the port plate 70. Coupled to the other end of the motor portion 75-3 and the motor portion 75-3 protruding through the upper surface portion of the port plate 70 is rotated by a predetermined angle by the drive of the motor portion 75-3 The striking part 75-5 is comprised.

The striking portion 75-5 is positioned in parallel with the body portion 75-1 at the first position, and when the departure detection signal is received from the sensor portion 74 to operate the motor portion 75-3, the body portion ( 75-1) is rotated to a second position perpendicular to the second position to hit the semiconductor material protruding from the cassette 110 to be mounted back to its original position.

Hereinafter, a loading operation of the loader device 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. Since the unloading operation is the reverse of the loading operation, understanding the loading operation will be sufficient.

Mounting Steps of the Pod

First, when the pod 100 is mounted on the port plate 70 of the main body portion 10 by an operator or an automated guided vehicle (AGV: Automatic Guided Vehicle), the clamping portion 73 ports the pod 100. The plate 70 is fixed tightly.

At this time, it is checked whether the pod 100 is normally mounted by the pod detection sensor 27, the registration pin 21, and the position sensor 23 in the stage 20 in the raised position.

Purging step

When the pod 100 is tightly fixed to the port plate 70, a purging gas, such as N ₂ , is introduced into the purging hole of the pod 100 through the through hole 28 formed in the stage 20. Makes it clean.

Pod bottom opening step

 When the purging operation is completed, the latch key 25 of the stage unit 20 is coupled to the engaging groove formed in the lower surface of the pod 100 and then rotated to separate the cassette 110 from the pod body 100 and then to a predetermined position. Descends.

Cassette loading check and stage lowering stage

When the stage part 20 descends to a predetermined position, the arm part 35 checks whether the cassette 110 is loaded on the bottom surface part 150, and then moves forward to move the grip part 36 to the cassette 110. Gripping.

When the cassette 110 is gripped, the stage unit 20 is lowered until the vertical shaft coupling unit 50 is positioned at the lower end of the cassette transfer unit 30.

Cassette Export Step

After the vertical shaft coupling unit 50 is unfolded, the stage transfer unit 40 moves upward to raise the stage unit 20, and the cassette transfer unit 30 coupled with the vertical shaft coupling unit 50 moves upward in conjunction with each other.

When the cassette feeder 30 is raised to the unloading position, the second guide 33 and the arm 35 are advanced to the maximum stroke, respectively, to pass the cassette 110 to the next process.

According to the present invention as described above, the cassette drive unit for transferring the cassette in the horizontal direction to enable the vertical movement and the stage drive unit in the operation step is required to move in the vertical direction without implementing the cassette transfer unit by a separate motor It is possible to provide a loader device having a cassette carrying function that can be moved in the vertical direction in conjunction with the to bring about space efficiency and cost reduction.

In addition, in the present invention, by implementing the cassette transfer unit in a double rail structure, it is possible to further improve the structure of the cassette transfer unit.

In addition, when the wafer protrudes from the cassette, the structure of the remounting portion for remounting the wafer may be embodied more efficiently and more efficiently.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with the above-mentioned preferred embodiments, it is possible to make various modifications or variations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the appended claims will cover such modifications and variations as fall within the spirit of the invention.

Claims (6)

A main body portion having an upper surface opening for pod mounting on a top surface and a side opening for carrying a cassette out on one side thereof; A stage unit which moves up and down from the lower side of the upper surface opening to detach the cassette seated in the upper surface opening from the pod cover; A stage transfer unit coupled to a lower surface of the stage unit to move the stage unit up and down; A cassette conveying unit for holding the cassette removed by the stage unit and carrying it out through the side opening; And Is coupled to one side of the stage conveying portion, the vertical axis engaging portion including a locking portion protruding on one side of the rotating body and the rotating body is rotated accompanying the rotation of the rotating body to be engaged or released by one side of the cassette conveying portion ; A first sensor unit provided at one side of the main body unit to detect whether the semiconductor material is separated from the cassette mounting position; And And a remounting unit provided at the other side of the main body to operate when the departure detection signal is received from the first sensor unit to reposition the detached semiconductor material to a mounting position in the cassette. Having a loader device. delete The method of claim 1, The remounting unit may include a motor unit that operates when a departure detection signal is received from the sensor unit; And And a striking portion for rotating the predetermined angle by the motor portion to strike the semiconductor material and repositioning the cassette body portion to a mounting position of the cassette main body portion. The method of claim 1, The stage transfer unit A stage supporter having one end coupled to a lower surface of the stage and supporting the stage; And And a guide unit for guiding the vertical movement of the stage support unit. The method of claim 1, The cassette transfer part may include: a first guide part having one surface attached to one side of an inner surface of the main body part and having at least one long hole formed in the side opening direction; A second guide part having one surface coupled to the long hole of the first guide part and moving forward and backward in the side opening direction along the long hole formed in the first guide part, the at least one long hole being formed in the side opening direction; And A side surface coupled with the long hole formed in the second guide part, and moved forward and backward along the long hole in the direction of the side opening, the cassette carrying function characterized in that it comprises a female part integrally formed with a gripping portion for holding the cassette. Having a loader device. The method of claim 5, Both sides of the gripping portion are formed in an “L” shaped cross-sectional shape so as to contact one side of the cassette and one side of the cassette, and both sides of the gripping portion are provided with a second sensor portion for detecting whether the cassette is normally seated. Loader device having a cassette carrying function.

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