KR20080012582A - Stocker system - Google Patents

Abstract

A stocker system is provided to reduce return delay of cassettes by increasing the number of rack masters. A stocker system comprises: input ports(122,124,126,128), output ports(132,134,136,138), a shelf(140), at least three rack masters(142,144,146) and a stocker controller(170). The shelf stores cassettes(120) on which substrates are loaded. At least three rack masters enter the cassettes from the input ports to the shelf or deliver the cassettes from the shelf to the output ports. Additionally, the stocker controller controls at least three rack masters.

Description

Stalker System {STOCKER SYSTEM}

1 is a plan view for explaining a conventional stocker system.

2 is a view for explaining a conventional stocker system in detail.

3 is a plan view illustrating a stocker system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a view for explaining a stocker system according to an embodiment of the present invention in detail.

5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the second and the third rack master during the maintenance of the first rack master in the stocker system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

{Description of symbols for main parts of the drawing}

110: stocker 112, 114, 116, 118: manufacturing equipment

120: cassette 122, 124, 126, 128: input port

132, 134, 136, 138: output port

140: shelves 142, 144, 146: first to third rack master

148: power supply unit 152, 154, 156: first to third power supply line

158, 160: hand-off storing unit 162, 164, 166: maintenance area

170: Stocker controller 172, 174, 176: first to third communication module

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the manufacture of flat panel displays, and more particularly, to a stocker system for storing cassettes in a manufacturing line of flat panel displays.

In response to the development of the information society, flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), etc. The use of FPDs is increasing. Among such flat panel display devices, a liquid crystal display device will be described below as an example.

Liquid crystal displays are devices that display images by using the electro-optical properties of liquid crystal molecules. To this end, the liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal panel, a backlight unit, and a driving circuit unit.

The liquid crystal panel displays an image, and includes a color filter substrate and a thin film transistor substrate bonded together with a liquid crystal layer made of liquid crystal molecules therebetween.

The color filter substrate expresses color and includes a red / green / blue color filter formed as a thin film on a transparent substrate such as glass or plastic.

The thin film transistor substrate applies a voltage to the liquid crystal layer and includes a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode, and a common electrode formed of a thin film on another transparent substrate made of a material such as glass or plastic.

The backlight unit is located at the rear of the liquid crystal panel to provide light to the liquid crystal panel.

The driving circuit unit generates driving voltages for driving the liquid crystal panel, and supplies the generated driving voltages to the liquid crystal panel connected thereto.

The conventional liquid crystal display device having the above structure is largely manufactured through a substrate manufacturing process, a cell manufacturing process, and a module manufacturing process. Here, the substrate manufacturing process refers to a process of manufacturing a color filter substrate using a cleaned substrate and a process of manufacturing a thin film transistor substrate using another cleaned substrate. The cell manufacturing process refers to a process of forming a liquid crystal panel by forming a liquid crystal layer between a color filter substrate and a thin film transistor substrate and then joining the two substrates together. The module manufacturing step refers to a step of assembling the liquid crystal panel having the driving circuit unit with the backlight unit after attaching the driving circuit unit to the pad portion of the liquid crystal panel.

However, for the substrate manufacturing process, each substrate should be transferred in sheet or group form to manufacturing equipment used in each substrate manufacturing process. For this reason, a cassette capable of stacking a plurality of substrates in one sheet and transferring the sheet substrates in a group form is used in the substrate manufacturing process.

On the other hand, manufacturing equipment for performing the substrate manufacturing process is different substrate processing capacity and processing time, respectively. Therefore, buffering occurs when a cassette in which a plurality of substrates are loaded is transferred from one manufacturing equipment to another manufacturing equipment. In order to effectively solve this buffering problem, a stocker for temporarily storing a cassette is used. A stocker system including the stocker and a stocker controller for controlling the stocker will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

1 is a plan view for explaining a conventional stocker system, Figure 2 is a view for explaining a conventional stocker system in detail.

1 and 2, a conventional stocker system includes a stocker 10 and a stocker controller 70, as described above.

The stocker 10 includes input / output ports 22, 24, a shelf 40, and one rack master 42.

The input / output ports 22, 24 allow the shelf 40 to receive the cassette 20, which is conveyed from any manufacturing equipment 12, 14, 16, 18 via an automatic guided vehicle 19. In order to transfer the cassette 20 from which the cassette 20 is inputted or from the shelf 40 to any manufacturing equipment 12, 14, 16, or 18, it refers to a port through which the cassette 20 is output. . Here, the input / output ports 22 and 24 may be divided into an input port for inputting only the cassette 20 and an output port for outputting only the cassette 20.

The shelf 40 is a place for temporarily storing a cassette 20 on which a predetermined manufacturing process has been performed or a substrate on which a substrate to be performed is loaded, and is installed at both sides of one rack master 42. The shelf 40 may be divided into predetermined areas, and each predetermined area may hold each cassette 20.

One rack master 42 is controlled by the stocker controller 70, and the cassette 20 is inserted into the shelf 40 at the input / output ports 22 and 24, or the cassette 20 is stored in the shelf 40. ) To the input / output ports (22, 24). The lower part of the rack master 42 is provided with a trolley 48 including a brush, and the trolley 48 supplies power to the rack master 42. That is, the trolley 48 supplies power to the rack master 42 through a brush that always contacts the trolley rail.

The stocker controller 70 controls the rack master 42. To this end, a first communication module 72 communicating with the stocker controller 70 and a power line communication (PLC) is installed at one outer side of the path of the rack master 42, that is, the outer wall of the stocker 10. The first communication module 72 optically communicates with the second communication module 74 provided in the rack master 42.

On the other hand, in recent years, as part of efforts to obtain maximum productivity at a minimum cost, attempts have been made to maximize the space utilization of the substrate manufacturing process line. Therefore, a substrate manufacturing process line is designed in which more manufacturing equipment 12, 14, 16, 18 is arranged in a narrow space to perform a substrate manufacturing process. In this case, the stocker system must be able to handle a larger amount of cassette 20 because a lot of buffering occurs in conveying the cassette 20.

By the way, since the conventional stocker system having the above-described configuration operates only one rack master 42, there is a problem in that the carrying load of the cassette 20 of the rack master 42 is increased.

In addition, when the rack master 42 is stopped to repair one rack master 42, there is a problem that the conveyance of the cassette 20 may be delayed.

Therefore, the technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a stocker system that can reduce the cassette conveying load of the rack master by increasing the number of rack master.

In addition, another technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a stocker system that can prevent the cassette conveyance delay that may occur when repairing the rack master.

Further technical problems to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above are clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. It can be understood.

The stocker system according to the present invention for achieving the above technical problem is an input port and an output port; A shelf for storing a cassette on which substrates are loaded; At least three rack masters for receiving the cassettes from the input port to the shelf or for shipping the cassettes from the shelf to the output port; And a stocker controller for controlling the at least three rack masters.

The input port and the output port, characterized in that connected to the manufacturing equipment to perform a predetermined manufacturing process using the substrate.

The shelf includes at least two hand-offs for temporarily storing the cassette when the cassette is to be moved from one rack master of the at least three rack masters to another rack master. It includes a storage unit.

Each of the at least three rack masters is located in a maintenance area corresponding to each of the at least three rack masters during maintenance of each of the at least three rack masters.

And a power supply line corresponding to each of the at least three rack masters, the power supply line being spaced apart from a power supply unit of each of the at least three rack masters to supply power to each power supply unit of the at least three rack masters.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings. Advantages and features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will be apparent with reference to the embodiments described below in detail with the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, a stocker system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

3 is a plan view for explaining a stocker system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4 is a view for explaining in detail the stocker system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention A plan view for describing operations of the second and third rack masters in the maintenance of the first rack master in the stocker system.

3 and 4, the stocker system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a stocker 110 and a stocker controller 170.

The stocker 110 may use a cassette 120 loaded with substrates on which a predetermined manufacturing process is performed in any manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118. Before transferring to 116, 118, the cassette 120 is temporarily stored in order to solve the buffering problem caused by the difference in substrate processing capacity and processing time of each manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118, etc. Facility. Accordingly, the cassette 120 loaded with the substrates on which the predetermined manufacturing process is performed in any manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118 is temporarily stored in the stocker 110, and then any other manufacturing process is performed. Are transferred to manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118. To this end, the stocker 110 includes input ports 122, 124, 126, 128 and output ports 132, 134, 136, 138, shelves 140, and first to third rack masters 142, 144, 146. ).

Input ports 122, 124, 126, and 128 are ports into which the cassette 120 is input for receiving the cassette 120 conveyed from any manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118 into the shelf 140. And output ports 132, 134, 136, and 138 are outputted by the cassette 120 to transfer the cassette 120, which is released from the shelf 140, to any manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118. Refers to the port being.

These input ports 122, 124, 126, 128 and output ports 132, 134, 136, 138 are each connected with manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118, respectively. That is, the input ports 122, 124, 126, 128 and the output ports 132, 134, 136, 138 are each manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118 with the robot arms 119a, 119b interposed therebetween. And inline.

For this reason, the cassette 120 loaded with the substrates on which the predetermined manufacturing process was performed in any manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118 is manufactured by the robot arm 119a. After input to the input port (122, 124, 126, 128) in, it may be received on the shelf 140 by the first to third rack master (142, 144, 146). In addition, the cassette 120 loaded with the substrates to be subjected to a predetermined manufacturing process in any manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118 may be placed on a shelf (by the first to third rack masters 142, 144, 146). After being shipped from the output port 132, 134, 136, 138 to 140, the robot arm 119b may be output to the manufacturing equipment 112, 114, 116, 118.

On the other hand, each cassette 120 has a unique ID (ID: identification) information in order to enter / exit the cassette 120 to the shelf 140 without error, the stocker 110 is the ID of each cassette 120 After checking the information is stored in the shelf (140). To this end, the input ports 122, 124, 126, 128 are provided with a reader that can check the ID information of the cassette 120. In addition, at least one of the upper side and the lower side of the cassette 120, for example, the cassette 120, is provided with an ID display unit in which ID information of the cassette 120 is recorded. Then, as the reader reads the ID display unit of the cassette 120, the stocker 110 may check ID information of the cassette 120 input / output.

The shelf 140 is a place for temporarily storing a cassette 120 in which a predetermined manufacturing process is performed or a substrate on which a substrate to be performed is loaded, and is installed at both sides of at least three rack masters 142, 144, and 146. A part of the shelf 140 may be divided into predetermined regions, and each predetermined region may store the respective cassette 120. Here, the shelf 140 may be formed in multiple layers in a cell structure.

On the other hand, shelf 140 includes at least two hand-off receivers 158, 160.

At least two hand-off receptacles 158, 160 are arranged on one rack master 142, 144, and 146 of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146. When the cassette 120 is to be moved to the 144 and 146, the cassette 120 is temporarily stored. Here, the cassette 120 is moved from the rack masters 142, 144, and 146 of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 to the other rack masters 142, 144, and 146. The case refers to a case in which the cassette 120 is required to be transported out of the conveying section of any one of the rack masters 142, 144, and 146.

For example, the cassette 120 stored in the shelf 140 in the conveyance section of the first rack master 142 leaves the conveyance section of the first rack master 142 and conveys the second rack master 144. When the product is to be shipped to the output port 138 in the section, the first rack master 142 takes the cassette 120 out of the shelf 140 and loads it on the shelf, and then the number of hand-offs in the conveying section. The cassette 120 is temporarily stored in the payment section 158. Then, the second rack master 144 takes out the cassette 120 temporarily stored in the hand-off storage unit 158 from the hand-off storage unit 158, loads it on itself, and then attempts to ship the product. Go to the output port 138 to leave the cassette 120.

Meanwhile, maintenance areas 162, 164, and 166 are formed in the shelf 140. The maintenance areas 162, 164, and 166 correspond to the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146, respectively, and are used to maintain each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146. Area. Accordingly, when the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 are to maintain each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146, each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 may be the first to third rack masters 142. Corresponding to each of the 144, 146, it is located in the maintenance area (162, 164, 166) located in their transport section.

Each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 is controlled by the stocker controller 170 and receives the cassette 120 from the input ports 122, 124, 126, and 128 to the shelf 140. Alternatively, the cassette 120 is shipped from the shelf 140 to the output ports 132, 134, 136, and 138. Here, the number of rack masters 142, 144, and 146 may be four or more in consideration of the carrying load of the cassette 120, the size of the stocker 110, the size of the cassette 120, and the like.

Each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 corresponds to each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146, and each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146. The power supply unit 148 operates by receiving power in a non-contact manner from the first to third power supply lines 152, 154, and 156 spaced apart from a predetermined gap. In other words, for example, the power supply unit 148 of the first rack master 142 may receive power from the first power supply line 152 through a high intensity discharge (HID) to allow the first rack master 142 to receive the power. Activate

For this reason, the conveyance section of each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 becomes the same as the section in which each of the first to third power supply lines 152, 154, and 156 is provided. Here, the conveying sections of the rack masters 142, 144, and 146 adjacent to each other among the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 may overlap, but are not limited thereto.

The stocker controller 170 controls the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146. To this end, the outside of each of the paths along which the first and third rack masters 142 and 146 located on both sides, that is, both outer walls of the stocker 110, communicate with the stocker controller 170 and PLC, for example, Melsec ( Melsec) A first communication module 172 for PLC communication is installed, and the first communication module 172 is optically communicated with the second communication module 174 installed in each of the first and third rack masters 142 and 146. do. In this case, the adjacent rack masters 142, 144, and 146 of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146 may have a third communication module installed in each of the first to third rack masters 142, 144, and 146. 176) optical communication with each other. For example, the first and second rack masters 142 and 144 adjacent to each other are optically communicated through the third communication module 176, and the second and third rack masters 144 and 146 adjacent to each other are also in the third communication module. Optical communication via (176).

In the stocker system according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above, by operating three or more rack masters (142, 144, 146) to reduce the carrying load of cassette 120 allocated to each rack master (142, 144, 146) Can be.

In addition, when one of the rack masters 142, 144, and 146 is to be repaired, at least two rack masters 142, 144, and 146 can be used to convey the cassette 120. Even if the masters 142, 144 and 146 are repaired, the conveyance of the cassette 120 is not delayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, in order to maintain the first rack master 142, the first rack master 142 is placed in the corresponding maintenance area 162 and then the first rack master 142. When the operation of 142 is stopped, since the second and third rack masters 144 and 146 are in an operational state, the cassette 120 is conveyed without delay using the second and third rack masters 144 and 146. can do.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can realize that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features. I can understand that.

Therefore, since the embodiments described above are provided to completely inform the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, it should be understood that they are exemplary in all respects and not limited. The invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

The stocker system according to the present invention made as described above can reduce the cassette conveyance load allocated to each rack master by operating at least three or more rack masters. In addition, it is possible to prevent the cassette conveyance delay that may occur when any one of the rack master is maintained.

Claims (8)

Input port and output port; A shelf for storing a cassette on which substrates are loaded; At least three rack masters for receiving the cassettes from the input port to the shelf or for shipping the cassettes from the shelf to the output port; And Stocker controller to control the at least three rack masters Stalker system comprising a. According to claim 1, The input port and the output port, the stocker system, characterized in that connected to manufacturing equipment to perform a predetermined manufacturing process using the substrate. According to claim 1, The shelf includes at least two hand-offs for temporarily storing the cassette when the cassette is to be moved from one rack master of the at least three rack masters to another rack master. Storage Stalker system comprising a. According to claim 1, Wherein each of the at least three rack masters is located in a maintenance area corresponding to each of the at least three rack masters during maintenance of each of the at least three rack masters. According to claim 1, A power supply line corresponding to each of the at least three rack masters and supplying power to each of the at least three rack masters at a predetermined interval from a power supply of each of the at least three rack masters; Stalker system comprising more. According to claim 1, A first communication module installed at an outer side of each of the paths to which the rack masters located on both sides of the at least three rack masters move, and the PLC communication with the stocker controller Stalker system comprising more. The method of claim 6, A second communication module installed in each of the rack masters located on both sides of the at least three rack masters and optically communicating with the first communication module; Stalker system comprising more. The method of claim 7, wherein A third communication module installed in each of the at least three rack masters and optically communicating between adjacent rack masters among the at least three rack masters; Stalker system comprising more.

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