KR101058460B1 - Substrate buffer device for manufacturing equipment for flat panel display and its driving method - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, a substrate is moved along a transport track and at least one substrate treatment process is performed, and the substrate is received from an external first robot and placed on the transport track or the substrate is completed from the transport track. The present invention relates to a substrate buffer device that lifts and delivers it to an external second robot.

Specifically, the present invention provides a buffer track for extending the transport track; A pair of buffers provided on both sides of the buffer track and having a body frame capable of moving and lifting in a plane for adjusting the distance therebetween, and a plurality of basket bars connected to one end of the body frame and the other end facing each other. Hand; And a kit bar driving assembly mounted to each of the buffer hands such that the kit bars are in a first state orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction or a second state rotated with respect to the other end and driven to one side. Provided is a substrate buffer device for a manufacturing facility, and together with the method of driving the substrate buffer device.

As a result, there is an advantage in reducing the space required for the operation of each buffer hand and at the same time shortening the operation cycle.

Description

Substrate buffer apparatus of manufacturing installation for flat panel display device and driving method the same}             

1 is a plan view of a manufacturing facility for a general flat panel display.

2 is a schematic diagram of a typical substrate transfer device.

3 is a schematic diagram of a general substrate buffer device.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an operating state of a typical substrate buffer device.

5 is a schematic view of a substrate buffer device according to the present invention.

6 is a schematic view showing an operating state of the substrate buffer device according to the present invention.

7A to 7D are front views according to operating states of the substrate buffer device according to the present invention, respectively.

8 is a plan view of a buffer hand of the substrate buffer device according to the present invention;

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

140: buffer hand 142: body frame

144: Ketch bar 150: Ketch bar drive assembly

152: connection frame 154: driving means

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device and a driving method thereof, and more particularly, to manufacturing a flat panel display device in which at least one substrate processing step is performed while a substrate is moved along a transport track. The present invention relates to a substrate buffer device for receiving a substrate from an external first robot and placing it on the transport track or lifting a completed substrate from the transport track to an external second robot and a driving method thereof.

In recent years, as the society has entered the full-scale information age, the display field for visually displaying various electrical signal information has been rapidly developed. The flat panel display device (FPD) is introduced to quickly replace the existing cathode ray tube (CRT).

Specific examples of such a flat panel display device include a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display panel device (PDP), a field emission display device (FED), and an electroluminescent display device. (Electro luminescence Display device: ELD) and the like, each of which is essentially equipped with a plate display panel (plat display panel) bonded to each other via a unique layer of fluorescent or polarizing material between a pair of substrates.                         

Recently, an active matrix type in which pixels, which are the basic units of image expression, are arranged in a matrix manner on each of these flat panel display panels, and each is independently controlled by a switching element such as a thin film transistor (TFT). ) Is widely used because of its excellent video reproducibility and color reproducibility, and in this case, a thin film deposition process for forming a thin film of a predetermined material on a substrate and exposing selected portions of the thin film in a manufacturing process of a flat panel display device. A photolithography process, an etching process of patterning a desired shape by removing an exposed portion of the thin film, and a number of processes such as cleaning, bonding, and cutting are included.

On the other hand, with the rapid increase in demand for flat panel display devices, its manufacturing facilities are increasingly equipped with mass production systems. For example, at least one substrate processing process is performed during a process of moving a substrate using a transport track. "In-line type" manufacturing facilities have been introduced.

1 is a plan view briefly showing a wet etching apparatus among manufacturing facilities for a general inline flat panel display apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate entering the conveying track 2 from the first loader 4 may be formed. 1 IPA for removing organic substances on the surface of the substrate using an atmospheric section (6), a chemical section (8) for removing a portion of the thin film deposited on the substrate surface with a predetermined etchant, isopropyl alcohol, etc. Section 10, a rinsing section 12 for removing residual chemicals from the substrate using a cleaning solution such as DI water (Deionized water), and a dry body such as CDA (Clean Dry Air) are sprayed onto the substrate to remove residual water. The dry section 14 and the second waiting section 16 are sequentially passed, and during this process, wet etching and cleaning are completed, and are carried out to the outside through an unloader 18.

At this time, the robots 20 and 22 are positioned in the loader 4 and the unloader 18, respectively, to bring external boards into the manufacturing facility or to carry out the boards in the manufacturing facility to the outside. Direct substrate transfer between the robots 20 and 22 and the transfer tracks 2 of 18 is not possible, so that the loader 4 and the transfer tracks 2 and the transfer tracks 2 and the unloader 18 are respectively separated. A substrate transfer device is provided.

Accordingly, when the substrate transfer device is provided on the loader 4 side, the substrate transfer device receives the substrate from the robot 20 of the loader 4 and lowers the substrate onto the transfer track 2, and when the substrate transfer device is provided on the loader 4 side, The substrate is lifted from the transport track 2 and transferred to the robot 22 of the unloader 18. For this purpose, a substrate transfer device having a plurality of lift pins that can be lifted and used is conventionally used.

In more detail, a schematic diagram for explaining an operation state of a general lift pin type substrate transfer device 30 is shown in FIG. 2, which is lifted through the transport track 2 to the rear end of the loader or to the front end of the unloader, respectively. A plurality of lift pins 32 are provided.

When the above drawings are referred to as the loader side, the plurality of lift pins 32 receives the substrate 1 from the robot of the loader at the maximum ascending position and then descends to repeat the operation of lowering the substrate on the transfer track 2. On the unloader side, each time the substrate 1 is transported and reaches the corresponding position of the conveying track 2, the plurality of lift pins 32 are raised from the maximum lowered position at the lower end of the conveying track 2 so that the substrate ( Lifting 1) allows the unloader's robot to extract it.

However, in this case, various restrictions are applied to the lifting and lowering of the lift pin 32. Specifically, in the former case, the lift pin 32 is completely removed until the substrate 1a placed on the transport track 2 is completely removed. ) Must wait at the maximum descending position as well as the robot of the loader. In the latter case, when the subsequent board 1a is transferred while the lift pin 32 is raised, it collides with the lift pin 32. Subsequent substrates 1a must wait because they may break.

Therefore, if the substrate 1 on the transport track 2 reaches the unloader while maintaining a constant distance from the initial loader and is taken out by the robot of the unloader at the same loading speed of the robot on the loader side, there is no problem. Various variables are acted upon by external factors such as the substrate treatment process that is carried out during the transfer of (1), which inevitably causes bottlenecks on the unloader side. In order to solve such a phenomenon, the entire transport track 2 is inevitably stopped in the case of using.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the substrate buffer device that replaces the conventional lift pin type substrate transfer device has been provided at the rear end of the loader and / or the unloader, respectively. The schematic diagram according to FIG. 3 is shown.                         

As can be seen, the general substrate buffer device 40 includes a buffer track 42 continuous to the transport track and a pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 provided on both sides thereof.

The dual buffer track 42 includes a plurality of buffer rollers 44 arranged side by side, and the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 are positioned on both sides of the buffer track 42 with the buffer tracks 42 interposed therebetween. A pair of body frames 54 and 64 and a plurality of basket bars 56 and 66 branched from each body frame 54 and 56 in a direction facing each other and aligned between the buffer rollers 44 are provided.

At this time, the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 can be moved up and down on both sides of the buffer track 42, and can be moved so that the distance between them is far or close to each other. The position is lower than the buffer track 42 and the maximum ascending position is higher than the buffer track 42. When the distance between the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 is maximized, the respective catch bars 56, The case where 66 is not overlapped with the substrate 1 on the buffer track 42 and as close as possible is the case where the body frames 54 and 64 do not overlap the buffer track 42.

On the other hand, the general substrate buffer device 40 of the above-described configuration may be located between the loader and the transfer track and / or between the transfer track and the unloader, a schematic view of the specific operation state from the substrate transfer direction is shown in FIG. .

Referring to FIG. 3 and the aforementioned FIG. 3, when the position is located between the loader and the transport track, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 are positioned at their maximum descending positions. The interval between them starts as close as possible, and then the distance between them is as far as possible in the direction of the solid arrow ①. Subsequently, the pair of buffer hands 52, 62 ascends to the maximum ascending position in the direction of the solid arrow ②, and is closest in the direction of the solid arrow ③.

In this state, when the loader-side robot places the substrate on the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62, the substrate 1 is moved to the buffer track 42 while descending in the direction of the solid arrow ④ and returning to the initial state. .

At this time, the reason why the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 ascend in the state where the gap between them is as far as possible from the maximum descending position as shown by the solid arrows ① to ② is lifted up to the buffer track 42 in the previous step, and is pulled out as a transport track. In order to avoid contact with a substrate that has not exited, the pair of buffer hands 52, 62 can receive subsequent substrates from the loader's robot despite the presence of the substrate on the buffer track 42.

On the other hand, when such a substrate buffer device 40 is located on the unloader side, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of buffer hands starts at the maximum descending position with the distance between them as close as possible. Then, the substrate 1 on the buffer track 42 is lifted up while raising to the maximum height in the direction of the dotted arrow ① in FIG. 4.

When the unloader-side robot receives the substrate, the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 move downward in the direction of the dotted arrow ② as far as possible, and then descend in the direction of the dotted arrow ③, and the dotted arrow at the maximum descending position. The gap between them in the direction of (4) is closest to the initial state.

At this time, the reason why the pair of buffer rollers 52 and 62 descends as far as possible from the maximum ascending position as the dotted arrows ② to ③ is in contact with the substrate subsequently entered the buffer track 42. As a result, the subsequent substrate can be transferred to the buffer track 42 even though the robot of the unloader is still before the substrate is received.

Thus, the above-described general substrate buffer device 40 is continuous compared to the conventional lift pin type substrate transfer device (30 in FIG. 2) without the need for unnecessarily waiting for the substrate of the loader and subsequent substrates transferred toward the unloader. The transfer of the substrate is possible, and as a result, the bottleneck on the unloader side can be eliminated, and the phenomenon in which the entire transport track (2 in FIG. 2) should be stopped can be significantly reduced. This is called a substrate buffer device due to the above effects.

However, despite such advantages, the general substrate buffer device 40 exhibits some problems, one of which is a long operation cycle of the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62, which takes a long time.

That is, as described above with reference to FIG. 4, the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 operate as solid and dashed arrows ① to ④, respectively, so as not to contact a separate substrate that may exist on the buffer track. The distance between them is controlled by a long path such as the solid arrows ①, ③, the dotted arrows ②, ④, and the buffer hand 52 is secured for stable transfer as the area of the substrate 1 is enlarged according to the trend of the large area of the flat panel display device. 62) The length of the cassette bars 56 and 66 and the degree of insertion thereof are increasing. The distance between the moving arrows ① and ③ and the dotted arrows ② and ④ of the buffer hands 52 and 62 for adjusting the spacing, among others. It is getting longer.

This also increases the time required for one operation cycle.

In addition, since the manufacturing equipment for flat panel display devices is usually provided in a clean room with high cleanliness, the area of the clean room should also be enlarged as the distance for adjusting the gap between the pair of buffer hands 52 and 62 increases. As a result, there is a problem of cost and installation area, and a simple method of improving the driving speed of the buffer hands 52 and 62 can be considered, but in this case, it is difficult to transport the substrate 1 stably, which is difficult to apply in reality. There is.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device and a method of driving the same, which can deliver a substrate more quickly and safely by drastically reducing the operation period of a buffer hand. Its purpose is to.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention receives a substrate from an external first robot in a manufacturing facility of a flat panel display device in which at least one substrate treatment process is performed while the substrate is moved along the conveyance track and lowered onto the conveyance track. A substrate buffer device for lifting a substrate, which has been placed or processed, from the transport track and lifting the transport board to an external second robot, comprising: a buffer track extending the transport track; A pair of buffers are provided on both sides of the buffer track, each of which has a body frame capable of moving and lifting in a plane for adjusting the distance therebetween, and a pair of buffer bars having one end connected to each body frame and the other end facing each other. Hand; And a kit bar driving assembly mounted to each of the buffer hands such that the kit bars are in a first state orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction or a second state rotated with respect to the other end and driven to one side. Provided is a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility.

At this time, one end of each of the basket bar is characterized in that the shaft is spaced to the body frame, and each of the basket bar drive assembly is connected to one point of the biased to each end of the basket bar; And driving means for moving the respective connecting frames in the substrate transfer direction or the opposite direction, wherein each one of the bracket bars is pivotally connected to each of the connecting frames, and the driving means Characterized in that the cylinder or motor.

In addition, the buffer track is characterized in that it comprises a plurality of buffer rollers arranged in a line, side by side, in this case each catch bar is characterized in that arranged between the plurality of buffer rollers in the first state, The maximum and minimum lifting heights of the body frames are higher and lower positions than the buffer track, respectively, and the maximum distance between the body frames is the state where each end of each basket is positioned outside the substrate on the buffer roller, and the minimum distance is Each body frame is characterized in that the state is located outside the buffer roller.                     

The manufacturing facility may further include a loader connected to the transport track via the buffer track, and the loader provided with the first robot, or the manufacturing facility may be connected to the transport track via the buffer track and be connected to the second robot. It characterized in that it further comprises an unloader provided.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method of driving the substrate buffer device when the loader is included, the method comprising the steps of: a) the pair of buffer hands to the second state at a lower position than the buffer track; b) the pair of buffer hands are raised higher than the buffer track while maintaining the second state; c) bringing the raised pair of buffer hands into the first state; d) mounting the substrate on the pair of buffer hands in the first state by the first robot; e) driving the substrate buffer device of the manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device, in which the pair of buffer hands in the first state are lowered to a lower position than the buffer track, and the step of lowering the substrate onto the buffer track is repeated. Provide a method.

Wherein, before step b), the interval between the pair of buffer hands is maximized; And after step b) and before step d), further comprising the step of minimizing the interval between the pair of buffer hands.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of driving a substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for a flat panel display device when the unloader is included a) the substrate enters on the buffer track, and the pair of buffer hands are larger than the buffer track. Entering the first state at a low position; b) lifting the pair of buffer hands in the first state to lift the substrate; c) the second robot receiving a substrate from the pair of buffer hands in the first state; d) bringing the pair of buffer hands into the second state; e) providing a method of driving a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device comprising the step of lowering the pair of buffer hands in the second state to a lower position than the buffer track.

At this time, before the step b), the interval between the pair of buffer hands is minimized; And after step c) and before step e), further comprising a step of maximizing an interval between the pair of buffer hands.

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

At this time, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the rough for the substrate buffer device 100 according to the present invention, Figure 6 is a schematic view as viewed from the substrate transfer direction with respect to its operating state, Figures 7a to 7d are each the present invention 8 is a plan view of the buffer hand of the substrate buffer device according to the present invention, and with reference to the drawings required in the following description as appropriate.

First, referring to the configuration of the substrate buffer device 100 according to the present invention based on FIG. 5, a buffer track 110 for transferring the substrate 1 in one direction and a pair of buffer hands provided at both sides thereof ( 130, 140).

At this time, the buffer track 110 includes a plurality of buffer rollers 112 arranged side by side, a pair of buffer hands (130, 140) is a pair of the buffer track 110 is located between both of the pair Body frames 132 and 142 and a plurality of basket bars 134 and 144 branched from the body frames 132 and 142 facing each other, and are connected to the respective body frames 132 and 142 among the plurality of basket bars 134 and 144. When the part is called one end, the plurality of kit bars 134 and 144 connected to the body frames 132 and 142 face each other.

On the other hand, the substrate buffer device 100 according to the present invention, after the at least one substrate processing process is performed during the process of moving the substrate loaded from the outside through the first robot of the loader along the transport track, 2 may be provided in a manufacturing facility for a so-called "in-line" flat panel display device to be carried out again through the robot, the specific position is possible between the loader and the transport track or between the transport track and the unloader.

In addition, in the former case, the board receives the substrate from the first robot of the loader and enters the transport track. In the latter case, the substrate passes through the transport track to the second robot of the unloader. 110 extends the transport track, and the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 receive the substrate from the first robot of the loader and put it down on the buffer track 110 or the substrate on the buffer track 110 to unload the second robot. To pass.

And a pair of buffer hands (130,140) to be able to play the role as described above can be moved up and down with the plane movement for adjusting the distance between the two sides of the buffer track 110 to be closer or closer to each other, according to the present invention The constructional features of the substrate buffer device will be described with reference to FIG. 8, which shows a plan view of an arbitrary buffer hand (optionally 140).

As shown in the foregoing description and drawings, the buffer hands 130 and 140 of the substrate buffer device 100 according to the present invention are provided with a pair of body frames 132 and 142 provided on both sides of the buffer track 110 and one end of each body frame. And a plurality of basket bars 134 and 144 connected to 132 and 142 and opposite ends facing each other. In particular, each buffer hand (optionally 140) is connected to the body frame 142 as shown in FIG. The basket bar driving assembly 150 is arranged to align the plurality of basket bars 144 orthogonally to the substrate transfer direction, or to pivot each side to be driven to one side.

To this end, one end of the plurality of basket bars 144 connected to the body frame 142 is axially coupled to the body frame 142 by mobilizing a shaft or the like, and each basket bar driving assembly 150 includes a plurality of basket bars ( 144) a connecting frame 152 for connecting one end and a driving means 154 such as a motor or a cylinder for moving the connecting frame 152 in the substrate transfer direction or the opposite direction, in this case a plurality of ketba ( 144) One end and the connecting frame 152 is also axially coupled by mobilizing the shaft to enable rotation. This is also common for the other buffer hand (optionally 130).

Therefore, when the connecting frame 152 is moved in the substrate transfer direction or the opposite direction by the driving means 154, the plurality of basket bars 144 are pivoted about one end connected to the body frame 142 and driven to one side. Alternatively, the bar arranged in the direction orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction. In particular, when the plurality of the basket bars 144 are arranged to be orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction, each of the basket bars 144 may be the buffer roller 112 of the buffer track 110. ) Between them.

Hereinafter, a specific operation relationship of the substrate buffer device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, 7A to 7D, and 8.

7A to 7D are front views of the substrate buffer device 100 according to the present invention, respectively, as viewed from the direction of transport of the substrate, and the portion indicated by reference numeral 160 is a support for adjusting the height of the transport track and the buffer track 110. However, only one buffer roller 112 is shown in the buffer track 110 installed at the top thereof, and reference numeral 162 denotes a base frame for reducing the contact area between the buffer roller 112 and the substrate as much as possible. The plurality of annular auxiliary rollers surrounding the buffer roller 112 is shown, and the portion which comes into contact with the substrate and slides it becomes these auxiliary rollers 162.

In addition, reference numeral 164 denotes a pair of guide rails which are installed on an arbitrary horizontal bar of the base frame 160 and serve as guides for plane movement for adjusting the gap between the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140. The body frames 132 and 142 of the respective buffer hands 130 and 140 are connected to the pair of posts 166 and 168 provided to be movable upright.

In addition, reference numeral 170 denotes a plurality of support pins protruding from the upper surface of each of the buffer hands 130 and 140 in order to minimize the contact area between the buffer hands 130 and 140 and the substrate. It becomes the guide pin 170.

Next, a detailed operation of the substrate buffer device 100 according to the present invention will be described first in the case where it is mounted between the loader side, that is, between the loader and the transport track.

At this time, to summarize some terms to be used in the following description, the maximum falling position of the pair of buffer hands (130,140) is lower than the buffer track 110 and the maximum rising position is higher than the buffer track 110, When the gap between the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 is maximally apart, each of the cassette bars 134 and 144 does not overlap the substrate on the buffer track 110, and when the body bars 132 and 142 are as close as possible, It does not overlap with 110). The case where the pick bars 134 and 144 of the buffer hands 130 and 140 are arranged between the buffer rollers 112 so as to be orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction is referred to as the first state, and the case where they are driven to one side is referred to as the second state.

First, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7A, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are in the maximum descending position, and each of the buffer hands 130 and 140 maintains the second state.

Subsequently, the distance between the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 in the direction of the solid arrow ① of FIG. 6 is maximized, which is the case shown in FIG. 7B, where each buffer hand 130 and 140 still maintains the second state. Ketch bar (134,144) is in a state gathered to one side. Compared to the general case, it can be seen that the plane movement distance of the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140, that is, the distance of the solid arrow ① has been significantly reduced, because each of the cassette bars 134 and 144 is concentrated to one side. Similar to the reduced length of the catch bars 134 and 144, the corresponding distance is reduced.

Next, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 rise equally in the direction of the solid arrow ② of FIG. 6 to reach the maximum ascending height as shown in FIG. At the same time as the spacing between 130 and 140 is as close as possible, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 is changed from the second state to the first state. In this case, it can be seen that the moving distance of the solid arrow ③ is also significantly reduced compared to the general case due to the reasons described above.

Subsequently, when the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are in the first state as closely as possible, as shown in FIG. 7D, the first robot of the loader places the substrate 1 on the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140.

Accordingly, as shown by the solid arrow ④ of FIG. 6, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are lowered, and the substrate is lowered to the buffer track 110 during the passage of the respective basket bars 134 and 144 between the buffer rollers 12. In the maximum falling position, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are in the second state again to maintain the first case.

Therefore, while repeating the above operation, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 receives the substrate from the first robot of the loader and puts them down on the buffer track 110. In this case, the pair of buffer hands as shown by solid arrows ① and ② The reason why the space between the 130 and 140 rises as far as possible is to avoid contact with the substrate that has not been completely escaped to the conveying track after being lowered to the buffer track 110 in the previous operation cycle. Chiba 134,144 maintains the second state to minimize its travel distance.

On the other hand, when the substrate buffer device according to the present invention is located between the transport track and the unloader, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7A, the first pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are started at the maximum descending position at the bottom of the buffer track 110. Are the same, but the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 maintain the first state.

Subsequently, the gap between the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 rises as close as possible to reach the maximum height as shown in FIG. 7D, as shown by the dotted arrow ① in FIG. 6. During the crossover between the lines 112, the substrate transferred from the transport track to the buffer track 110 is transferred to the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 and raised together.

The second robot of the unloader receives the substrate placed on the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 and takes it out.

Subsequently, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are separated from each other as shown by the dotted arrow ② in FIG. 6, and the buffer hands 130 and 140 are in the second state, which is the case shown in FIG. 7C. The plane travel distance is greatly reduced compared to the general case.

Subsequently, the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 are lowered in the direction of the dotted arrow ③ of FIG. 6 while maintaining the second state to reach the maximum lowered position as shown in FIG. As the interval between the buffer hands approaches, the state changes from the second state to the first state and returns to the initial state as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7A.

In this case, the reason why the distance between the pair of buffer hands 130 and 140 is lowered to the maximum as shown by the dotted arrows ② to ③ is to avoid contact with the substrate subsequently entered into the buffer track 110. Ketch bar (134,144) to maintain the second state to minimize the travel distance.

Therefore, based on the above description, it can be seen that the substrate buffer device according to the present invention has significantly reduced the plane moving distance for adjusting the distance between the buffer hands as compared with the general case, and thus, the operation period of the buffer hands is also greatly reduced. There is this. This has the effect of transferring a large amount of substrate in a short time without adding an unstable condition such as increasing the speed of the buffer hand.

In addition, as the plane travel distance of the buffer hand decreases, the area required for the buffer hand is also reduced. As a result, the space of the clean room can be reduced.

Claims (15)

The substrate is moved along the transport track, and the substrate is received from an external first robot among the manufacturing facilities of the flat panel display apparatus in which at least one substrate processing process is performed, or the substrate is completed on the transport track and the substrate is lifted from the transport track. A substrate buffer device for transferring to an external second robot, A buffer track extending the conveying track; A pair of buffers are provided on both sides of the buffer track, each of which has a body frame capable of moving and lifting in a plane for adjusting the distance therebetween, and a pair of buffer bars having one end connected to each body frame and the other end facing each other. Hand; The kitch bar drive assembly mounted to each buffer hand such that the kit bar is in a first state orthogonal to the substrate transfer direction or a second state rotated with respect to the other end and driven to one side. Substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for a flat panel display device comprising a. The method of claim 1, One end of each of the kit bar is a substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for flat panel display device which is axially coupled to each of the body frame. The method of claim 1, Each kit bar drive assembly is A connecting frame connecting one point biased to one end of each kit bar; Driving means for moving the respective connection frame in the substrate transfer direction or the opposite direction Substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for a flat panel display device comprising a. The method of claim 3, And each one of the bracket bars is pivotally connected to each of the connection frames. The method of claim 3, And said driving means is a cylinder or a motor. The method of claim 1, The buffer track is a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device comprising a plurality of buffer rollers arranged in a line. The method of claim 6, And each of the kit bars is arranged between the plurality of buffer rollers in the first state. The method of claim 7, wherein A substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device, wherein the maximum and minimum lifting heights of the body frames are higher and lower positions than the buffer track, respectively. The method of claim 8, The maximum gap between the body frames is a state in which the end of each of the cassette bar is located outside the substrate on the buffer roller, the minimum gap is a state in which each body frame is located outside the buffer roller Substrate buffer device for manufacturing equipment. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The manufacturing facility, the substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for flat panel display device further comprises a loader connected to the transport track via the buffer track, the first robot is provided. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The manufacturing facility, the substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for flat panel display device further comprises an unloader is connected to the transport track via the buffer track and provided with the second robot. A driving method of a substrate buffer device according to claim 10, a) bringing said pair of buffer hands into said second state at a lower position than said buffer track; b) the pair of buffer hands are raised higher than the buffer track while maintaining the second state; c) bringing the raised pair of buffer hands into the first state; d) mounting the substrate on the pair of buffer hands in the first state by the first robot; e) lowering the substrate to the buffer track by lowering the pair of buffer hands in the first state to a lower position than the buffer track; A method of driving a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device which repeats sequentially. The method of claim 12, Before the step b), maximizing the interval between the pair of buffer hands; And a step of minimizing an interval between the pair of buffer hands after step b) and before step d). A driving method of a substrate buffer device according to claim 11, a) entering the substrate onto the buffer track and bringing the pair of buffer hands into the first state at a lower position than the buffer track; b) lifting the pair of buffer hands in the first state to raise the substrate; c) the second robot receiving a substrate from the pair of buffer hands in the first state; d) bringing the pair of buffer hands into the second state; e) descending the pair of buffer hands in the second state to a position lower than the buffer track; Method of driving a substrate buffer device of the manufacturing equipment for a flat panel display device comprising a. 15. The method of claim 14, Before the step b), minimizing the interval between the pair of buffer hands; After step c) and before step e), the interval between the pair of buffer hands is maximized. A method of driving a substrate buffer device of a manufacturing facility for a flat panel display device further comprising.

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