KR20070109535A - Substrate transfer system and bake processing system using this - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate transportation system and a bake process system using the same are provided to enable an user to manage effectively transportation processes by modifying easily a setting information of sensors and confirming directly the sensing information of the sensors which is installed at a hand of transportation robots. A transporting robot(100) comprises an arm(120) including a sensor part(140). A plurality of signal lines are connected to the sensor part. A control part is connected to the signal lines and controls the sensor part. An interface part provides an output unit to display received sensor information from the sensor part by communicating with the control part, and an input unit for modifying setting information of the sensor part.

Description

Substrate transfer system and baking process system using the same {SUBSTRATE TRANSFER SYSTEM AND BAKE PROCESSING SYSTEM USING THIS}

1 is a plan view showing a transfer robot of the substrate transfer system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing a part of a substrate transfer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a baking process system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a process chamber of a bake process system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

5 is a process diagram showing the operation of the baking process system according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing a baking process system according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

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

100: conveying robot 110: hand

120: arm 130: body

140: sensor unit 141: first sensor

142: second sensor 150: control unit

160: interface unit 310: first cassette

320: second cassette 400: process chamber

410: door 420: hot plate

421: lifting pin 422: heating means

610: first cassette 620: second cassette

630: first transport robot 650: second transport robot

The present invention relates to a substrate transfer system and a baking process system using the same, and more particularly, to allow an operator to externally recognize sensing information of a sensor installed in a hand of a transfer robot and to change setting information of the sensor from the outside. The interface means of the present invention relates to a substrate transfer system and a bake process system using the same separately provided.

In general, a photo-lithography process is a process of transferring a pattern image formed on a mask to a photoresist applied on a substrate to form a predetermined pattern on the substrate through a developing process. That is, the photoresist is uniformly applied to the surface of the cleaned and dried substrate, subjected to exposure using a predetermined mask, and then unnecessary portions of the exposed photoresist are removed with a developer to form a predetermined pattern on the substrate. do.

In the photolithography process, a bake process is applied to heat the substrate before and after the photoresist coating to volatilize and remove excess moisture and solvent remaining in the photoresist. This baking process is carried out for the purpose of improving adhesion to the substrate and stabilizing the photoresist.

A general baking process system is composed of a cassette on which a substrate is loaded, a process chamber in which a hot plate is provided, and a transfer robot for transferring a substrate between the cassette and the process chamber.

The transfer robot takes out a substrate loaded in one cassette and carries it into the process chamber. The loaded substrate is placed on a hot plate and a baking process is performed. The substrate, which has finished the baking process, is taken out of the process chamber by a transfer robot and loaded into the other cassette.

The transfer robot used in the baking process has a hand capable of loading a substrate and an arm for advancing and reversing the hand. At this time, the hand is equipped with a sensor unit for sensing the substrate, the arm is equipped with a control unit consisting of a PLC (Program Logic Controller (PLC)) for driving the sensor unit, if the transfer robot performs a frequent transfer operation by the load of the PLC There was a problem that the arm bends. In particular, during operation of the equipment, the sensitivity of the sensor part can be changed little by little for various reasons. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the setting information (initial value) while watching the detection information (measured value). There was a problem that it is difficult for the operator to check and adjust the built-in. If the sensing capability of the sensor portion is outside the allowable error range, the substrate vulnerable to shock may be damaged during the conveyance of the substrate, and the damage of the damaged substrate may be introduced into the process chamber and the entire process may be stopped. Can be serious.

Therefore, the present invention provides a separate control means and interface means of the sensor installed in the hand of the transfer robot to the outside to allow the operator to recognize the sensor's sensing information directly from the outside, and easily change the setting information of the sensor from the outside. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new substrate transfer system and a baking process system using the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substrate transfer system including a transfer robot having an arm provided with a sensor unit, a signal line connected to the sensor unit, a control unit connected to the signal line to control the sensor unit, and And an interface unit which communicates with the control unit and provides an output unit for displaying the sensing information collected by the sensor unit and an input unit for changing the setting information of the sensor unit.

The sensor unit may include a first sensor for detecting an exact position of the substrate and a second sensor for detecting the suction force of the substrate.

Preferably, the first sensor uses a photo sensor including a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and the second sensor preferably uses a pressure sensor.

Preferably, the control unit and the interface unit are separately provided outside the transport robot. In this case, the controller may use a PLC or a PC, and the interface unit may use a touch screen panel.

The baking process system according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a transfer robot having a process chamber provided with a hot plate therein, and an arm provided with a sensor unit for transferring a substrate into the process chamber, and the sensor unit; A signal line connected to the control unit, a control unit connected to the signal line to control the sensor unit, an output unit which communicates with the control unit to display sensing information collected by the sensor unit, and an input unit which adjusts setting information of the sensor unit. Characterized in that it comprises an interface unit for providing.

The hot plate is characterized in that a plurality of lifting pins that can be raised and lowered is provided.

The sensor unit may include a first sensor for detecting an exact position of the substrate and a second sensor for detecting the suction force of the substrate.

Preferably, the first sensor uses a photo sensor including a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and the second sensor preferably uses a pressure sensor.

Preferably, the control unit and the interface unit are separately provided outside the transport robot. In this case, the controller may use a PLC or a PC, and the interface unit may use a touch screen panel.

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

However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but will be implemented in various forms, and only the embodiments are intended to complete the disclosure of the present invention, and to those skilled in the art the scope of the invention. It is provided for complete information. Like reference numerals in the drawings refer to like elements.

<First Embodiment>

1 is a plan view showing a transfer robot of a substrate transfer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a part of the substrate transfer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate transport system includes a hand 110 having a sensor unit 140 for sensing a substrate and an adsorption unit 111 for fixing a substrate, and an arm for advancing or reversing the hand 110. And a transport robot 100 composed of a body 130 for elevating and rotating the arm 120. In addition, referring to FIG. 2, the substrate transfer system includes a controller 150 for driving the sensor unit 140 and an interface unit 160 for communicating between the controller 150 and an operator. Although not shown, signal lines for transmitting the sensing information collected by the sensor unit 140 to the control unit 150 are embedded in the hand 110, the arm 120, and the body 130 of the transfer robot 100. Is electrically connected to the external sensor unit 140.

The hand 110 loads a substrate and conveys it to a target position. At this time, the first sensor 141a, 141b for detecting the exact position of the substrate for a smooth conveyance and a second sensor 142 for detecting the suction force of the substrate. Of course, the first sensor 141a, 141b and the second sensor 142 may be provided in plural, and more sensors may be installed in the hand 110 to convey the substrate more quickly and accurately.

As the first sensors 141a and 141b, it is effective to use a photo sensor including an output part 141a for outputting an optical signal and a light receiving part 141b for receiving an optical signal. If the substrate is positioned above the hand 110 of the transfer robot, the light irradiated from the light exiting unit 141a of the photo sensor is reflected by the substrate and is incident to the light receiving unit 141b and according to the amount of light detected by the light receiving unit 141b. The position of the substrate is determined and the position of the hand 110 of the transfer robot to load it is adjusted.

It is effective to use a pressure sensor for the second sensor 142. The substrate loaded on the hand 110 of the transfer robot is fixed so as not to move when transported by the vacuum adsorption of the adsorption unit 111. The second sensor 142 detects the vacuum adsorption force of the substrate to determine whether to transport it. . In this case, the operation of the second sensor 142 is preferably performed after the first sensors 141a and 141b detect the presence or absence of a substrate. That is, when the substrate is detected by the first sensors 141a and 141b, the second sensor 142 operates to detect the vacuum suction force of the substrate, and if the vacuum suction force does not meet the reference value for a predetermined time. Since a defect, for example, damage has occurred in a board | substrate, the conveyance robot 100 will stop conveyance operation | movement of the said board | substrate. The second sensor 142 may be used in a hysteresis mode that operates only when the measurement falls within a predetermined range, or in a window comparative mode that operates only when the measurement exceeds the reference value.

The arm 120 is composed of a plurality of joints are coupled, the rotation axis of the servo motor (not shown) is coupled to the coupling axis of each joint. At this time, each servo motor controls the driving of each joint so as to linearly advance or reverse the hand 110.

The body 130 supports the arm 120 on which the hand 110 is mounted. At this time, the coupling portion of the arm 120 and the body 130, the lifting means for raising or lowering the arm 120 vertically, for example, a lifting motor (not shown) or a servo motor coupled to a screw thread (not shown) ) Is provided, and a rotation means for rotating the arm 120 horizontally, for example, a servo motor (not shown) is provided. In addition, the body 130 is configured to be moved along a rail (not shown) installed on the ground, or by a wheel (not shown) installed on the bottom of the body 130.

The controller 150 determines an operation time of each of the sensors 140 to control on / off, and receives the sensing information collected from each sensor 140 to electrically process the signals. The controller 150 includes a memory in which a predetermined algorithm for controlling an operation time of each sensor 140 is stored and a processor for performing electrical signal processing according to the algorithm. Program Logic Controller (PLC) or Personal Computer (PC) may be used.

The interface unit 160 is separately provided to the outside of the transfer robot 100 together with the control unit 150, and is an input / output means for performing communication between the operator and the control unit 150. That is, the operator recognizes the information processed by the controller 150 through the interface unit 160, and the operator's command is transmitted to the controller 150 through the interface unit 160. The interface unit 160 is effective to use a touch screen panel (Touch Screen Panel) that can be intuitively input and output through the screen, it is also possible to use conventional input and output means such as a monitor (monitor) and keyboard (keyboard).

 In the substrate transfer system having such a configuration, a control unit 150 and an interface unit 160 for driving the sensor unit 140 are separately provided outside the transfer facility, that is, the transfer robot 100. Therefore, the arm 120 can be prevented from being bent by the load of the controller 150, and if the controller 150 is damaged, the arm 120 can be quickly recovered without disassembling the transfer robot 100. In particular, the sensing information of the sensor unit 140 included in the hand 110 of the transfer robot 100 may be immediately checked through the interface unit 160, and the setting information of the sensor unit 140 may be determined using the interface 160. This makes it easy for operators to manage board transfer operations efficiently.

Second Embodiment

3 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a bake processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a process chamber of the bake processing system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the bake process system includes a cassette 300 having a substrate loaded thereon, a process chamber 400 performing a bake process on the substrate, the cassette 300, and the process chamber 400. A transfer robot 100 carrying a substrate therebetween and having a sensor unit for sensing a substrate, a control unit 150 for driving the sensor unit, and an interface unit 160 for communicating between the control unit 150 and an operator; Include.

The cassette 300 is preferably provided with a pair of first cassettes 310 on which a substrate to be baked is loaded and a second cassette 320 on which a substrate is finished to be baked.

Referring to FIG. 4, the process chamber 400 isolates the substrate from the outside to provide a working space in which the baking process is performed. The process chamber 400 includes a door 410 for loading and unloading a substrate on one side, and an exhaust port (not shown) and an intake port (not shown) for evacuating and returning to the atmosphere on the other side. In addition, a hot plate 420 on which a substrate is mounted is provided in the process chamber 400. In this case, a plurality of lifting pins 421 capable of raising and lowering are provided at an upper portion of the hot plate 420, and a heating means, for example, a heating wire 422 is embedded inside the hot plate 420. Is connected to the power source 423.

The transfer robot 100, the controller 150, and the interface unit 160 are the same as described in the first embodiment. That is, the transfer robot 100 includes a hand provided with a sensor unit for sensing a substrate and an adsorption unit for fixing a substrate, and the controller 150 is formed of a conventional PLC or PC, and the interface unit 160 is a touch screen panel. It consists of. In particular, the control unit 150 and the interface unit 160 are separately provided outside the process chamber 400 and the transfer robot 100, and the sensor unit of the transfer robot 100 is connected to the control unit through a signal line (not shown). It is electrically connected to 150.

Next, the operation of the baking process system having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a baking process system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, as shown in FIG. 5A, the transfer robot 100 moves to the vicinity of the first cassette 310, loads the substrate 200 into the hand, and transfers the substrate 200 to the vicinity of the process chamber 400. When the door 410 is opened, the arm is moved into the process chamber 400 and the substrate 200 is positioned in the upper region of the hot plate 420. At this time, the lifting pins 421 are raised on the surface of the hot plate 420 to receive the substrate 200 from the transfer robot 100.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the substrate 200 is transferred, the arm of the transfer robot 100 is moved to the outside of the process chamber 400, and the door 410 of the process chamber 400 is closed to lift. The steel sheet 421 is gradually lowered so that the substrate 200 is seated on the surface of the hot plate 420. When the substrate 200 is seated on the hot plate 420, a full baking process is performed. That is, as the substrate 200 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heat provided from the hot plate 420, excess moisture and solvent remaining in the photoresist layer on the substrate 200 are volatilized and removed.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5C, when the baking process is finished, the lifting pins 421 are raised again on the surface of the hot plate 420 to lift the substrate 200, and as shown in FIG. 5D, the process is performed. As the door 410 of the chamber 400 is opened again, the arm of the transfer robot 100 is retracted to take out the substrate 200 to the outside of the process chamber 400, and the removed substrate 200 is the second cassette 320. Are loaded).

Third Embodiment

6 is a configuration diagram schematically illustrating a baking process system according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the baking process system may include a first cassette 610 on which a substrate to be baked is loaded, a second cassette 620 on which a substrate having finished baking is loaded, and the first and second chips. A first transfer robot 630 for taking out and loading a substrate into the cassettes 610 and 620, a plurality of process chambers A, B, C, and D, and a plurality of process chambers 640; A second transfer robot 650 for loading and unloading substrates into B, C, and D, a substrate sensing sensor unit (not shown) installed in the hands of the first and second transfer robots 630 and 650, and the sensor unit A control unit 150 for driving and the interface unit 160 for performing communication between the control unit 150 and the operator.

Some of the process chambers 640 (A, B, C, D) include at least one load lock chamber (A). The load lock chamber A provides a place where the substrate to be exchanged temporarily stays, and serves to convert the atmosphere inside the process chamber 640 into a vacuum state when the substrate is brought in and a standby state when the substrate is taken out. You may.

The first and second carrier robots 630 and 650, the controller 150, and the interface unit 160 are the same as described in the above embodiments. That is, the first and second transfer robots 630 and 650 include a hand provided with a sensor unit for sensing a substrate and a suction unit for fixing a substrate, and the controller 150 is composed of a general PLC or a PC and an interface unit ( 160 is configured as a touch screen panel. In particular, the control unit 150 and the interface unit 160 are separately provided outside the process chamber 400 and the first and second transfer robots 630 and 650, and the sensors of the first and second transfer robots 630 and 650. The unit is electrically connected to the controller 150 through a signal line (not shown).

The first transfer robot 630 takes out the substrate from the first cassette 610 and transfers it to the load lock chamber A, and the substrate carried in the load lock chamber A is transferred by the second transfer robot 650. It is carried in each process chamber B, C, and D sequentially, and baking process is performed. After the baking process is completed, the substrate is transferred to the load lock chamber A by the second transfer robot 650, and the first transfer robot 630 is received and sequentially loaded in the second cassette 620.

The baking process system having such a configuration can integrate and manage the sensor units provided in the plurality of transfer robots through one control unit and the interface unit, so that the operator can manage the transfer operations performed by the plurality of transfer robots more efficiently.

As described above, the above embodiments are disclosed for purposes of illustration, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, improvements, substitutions, and additions may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Accordingly, the technical scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Since the control unit of the sensor unit is provided outside the transfer robot, the present invention can prevent the arm of the transfer robot from bending due to the load of the control unit, and if the control unit is damaged, it can be quickly restored without disassembling the transfer robot. have. In particular, the sensing information of the sensor unit provided in the hand of the transfer robot can be immediately confirmed through the interface, and the setting information of the sensor unit can be easily changed through the interface, so that the operator can efficiently manage the transfer operation.

Claims (16)

A transfer robot having an arm provided with a sensor unit; A signal line connected to the sensor unit, A control unit connected to the signal line to control the sensor unit; And an interface unit for communicating with the control unit and providing an output unit for displaying the sensing information collected by the sensor unit and an input unit for changing the setting information of the sensor unit. The method according to claim 1, The sensor unit, A substrate transfer system comprising a first sensor for sensing the exact position of the substrate and a second sensor for sensing the attraction force of the substrate. The method according to claim 2, And the first sensor uses a photo sensor including a light exiting part and a light receiving part. The method according to claim 2, And said second sensor uses a pressure sensor. The method according to claim 1, The control unit is a substrate transfer system, characterized in that provided on the outside of the transfer robot. The method according to claim 1, And the control unit uses a PLC or a PC. The method according to claim 1, The interface unit is a substrate transfer system, characterized in that provided on the outside of the transfer robot. The method according to claim 1, And the interface unit uses a touch screen panel. A process chamber with a hot plate inside, A transfer robot which transfers a substrate into the process chamber and has an arm provided with a sensor unit; A signal line connected to the sensor unit, A control unit connected to the signal line to control the sensor unit; And an interface unit which communicates with the control unit and provides an output unit for displaying the sensing information collected by the sensor unit and an input unit for adjusting the setting information of the sensor unit. The method according to claim 9, The baking process system, characterized in that the hot plate is provided with a plurality of lifting pins that can be raised and lowered. The method according to claim 9, The sensor unit, And a second sensor for sensing the attraction force of the substrate and a first sensor for sensing the exact position of the substrate. The method according to claim 9, The first sensor is a baking process system, characterized in that to use a photo sensor including a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion. The method according to claim 9, And the second sensor uses a pressure sensor. The method according to claim 9, The control unit is a baking process system, characterized in that using the PLC or PC. The method according to claim 9, And the interface unit uses a touch screen panel. The method according to claim 9, The control unit and the interface unit is a baking process system, characterized in that provided on the outside of the transport robot.

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