KR20090078196A - Apparatus for transferring substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate conveying apparatus is provided to enable a user to easily install and assemble a roller in a shaft. A plurality of shafts(200) are separated from each other at predetermined intervals in one direction within a process chamber. Semicircular upper and lower parts of a plurality of rollers(210) are combined. A plurality of rollers are installed in the shafts, come in contact with a substrate by the rotation of the shafts, and convey the substrate. A contact member of the ring shape is installed between the inner circumference of each roller and the shaft. In the contact member, an opening is formed in one direction.

Description

Apparatus for transferring substrate

The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate transfer apparatus capable of easily adjusting a roller for transferring a substrate.

In general, a flat panel display device refers to a liquid crystal display, a plasma display panel, organic light emitting diodes, and the like. Such flat panel display devices are manufactured by repeating processes such as photo, diffusion, deposition, etching, cleaning, and drying on a substrate.

Such processes are performed in each process chamber for performing the process, and a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring the substrate to each process chamber is installed over the process chambers to continuously perform each process.

The substrate transfer apparatus is provided with a plurality of shafts at predetermined intervals for supporting and transferring a large glass substrate. Each shaft is provided with one or more rollers for rotating and transporting the substrate. In addition, each of the rollers is provided with an O-ring on the outer circumferential surface of the roller to prevent the substrate from slipping during substrate transfer.

When the roller of one of the plurality of rollers installed in the respective shafts is to be adjusted, repaired or dismantled in the substrate transfer apparatus as described above, both the shaft and the plurality of rollers must be dismantled.

Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer device that can be easily installed and assembled to the shaft on the shaft.

The objects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned objects, and other objects that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

Substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the object to be solved is a plurality of shafts, semi-circular upper and lower parts are installed in the process chamber, spaced apart at a predetermined interval in one direction is coupled to the shaft And a roller for transferring the substrate while being in contact with the substrate by rotation of the shaft, and an annular contact member provided between the inner circumferential surface of each roller and the shaft, the opening being formed in one direction.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings.

The substrate transport apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention as described above may be installed by combining the upper part and the lower part of the rollers installed on the shaft. Accordingly, in order to adjust or dismantle the rollers installed on the shaft, it is possible to independently dismantle and adjust the respective rollers without dismantling all of the plurality of rollers installed on the shaft.

Further, by providing the annular contact member on the inner circumferential surface of the roller engaged with the shaft, slippage of the roller provided on the shaft can be prevented.

Effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

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. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms, and only the embodiments make the disclosure of the present invention complete, and the general knowledge in the art to which the present invention belongs. It is provided to fully inform the person having the scope of the invention, which is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, “comprises” and / or “comprising” refers to the presence of one or more other components, steps, operations and / or elements. Or does not exclude additions.

Hereinafter, a substrate transfer apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For reference, in the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known functions or configurations may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking a substrate transfer apparatus provided in the substrate drying equipment as an example, the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied to other equipment or systems that require the transfer of large plates. Of course.

1 is a plan view of a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the X-axis of the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the Y-axis of the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the substrate transfer apparatus includes a rectangular process chamber 10, and an entrance (not shown) through which the substrate G is conveyed is formed at both sides of the process chamber 10. .

The process chamber 100 is a space in which a unit process is performed, such as a drying or cleaning process, and an inlet 112 into which the substrate G is carried is formed at one side thereof, and on the opposite side of the inlet 112 corresponding to the inlet 112. A carry-out port 114 through which the substrate G is carried out is formed. In addition, an exhaust port 120 that discharges impurities or air in the process chamber 100 to the outside is formed at an upper portion of the process chamber 100. In addition, a discharge line 130 is connected to the bottom of the process chamber 100 to remove the chemical liquid or the cleaning liquid that is removed from the substrate G and dropped to the bottom when the substrate is dried.

In the process chamber 100, a plurality of shafts 200 are installed to transfer the substrate G from the inlet 112 to the outlet 114.

In more detail, the plurality of shafts 200 are horizontally spaced apart at predetermined intervals in the process chamber 100, such that the substrate G is moved above the plurality of shafts 200. The shafts 200 have a length determined according to the size of the object to be conveyed, and long shafts 200 having a long length are used to transport the large substrate G used in the flat panel display apparatus.

Pulleys 230 are provided at both ends of the shafts 200, and each pulley 230 is connected to each other by a belt 240. In addition, one of the plurality of pulleys 230 is connected to the drive member 250 for providing a driving force to the shaft 200 by the belt 240. Therefore, the shaft 200 may rotate in the same direction by receiving power from the driving member 250.

Each of the shafts 200 supports the substrate G, and a plurality of rollers 210 are rotated in a predetermined direction to transfer the substrate G at regular intervals.

In addition, the nozzles 140 for injecting air or chemical liquid to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate G are disposed on the rollers 220 of the substrate transfer device so as to face each other. The nozzle 140 may have a length equal to the width of the substrate to supply a sufficient amount of air or chemical liquid to the substrate G to be transferred.

Hereinafter, the rollers installed on the shaft will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the roller provided in the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the roller provided in the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a fixing ring of a special shape provided in the roller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the rollers 210 installed on the shaft 210 may be installed on the shaft 210 by combining semi-circular upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b. That is, one roller 210 may be divided into an upper part roller 210a and a lower part roller 210b.

The roller has a shaft hole 212 is formed so that the upper part roller 210a and the lower part roller 210b are coupled to penetrate the shaft 210 at the center thereof.

In addition, male and female coupling members 214 are formed on the flat upper surfaces of the semi-circular upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b so that the upper part roller 210a and the lower part roller 210b may be coupled and fixed to each other. .

In addition, an outer groove 211 through which a part of the first contact member 210a may be inserted is formed at the center of the outer circumferential surfaces of the semi-circular upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b. An inner groove 213 in which a part of the second contact member 210a may be inserted into the center of the inner surfaces of the semi-circular upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b (that is, the surface forming the shaft hole 212). Is formed.

As such, the first and second contact members 220a and 220b provided on the inner and outer surfaces of the semicircular upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b are shown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6, the first and second contact members 220a and 220b inserted into the outer circumferential surfaces of the semi-circular partial rollers 210a and 210b and the grooves 211 and 213 of the inner circumferential surfaces, respectively, have a substantially annular ring shape. Has In other words, it has a ring shape in which an opening 221 is formed in a predetermined region in a circular ring shape. The size of the first and second contact members 220a and 220b having such a shape will vary depending on the inside and outside diameters of the upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b.

Here, the first contact member 220a is inserted into the outer groove 211 of the outer circumferential surface of one roller 210 to which the upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b are coupled. Accordingly, the first contact member 220a may be in contact with the substrate transferred through the rollers 210. The second contact member 220b is inserted into a predetermined region of the shaft 200 before the upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b are coupled to each other. The upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b are coupled to and installed on the second contact members 220b. Here, the second contact member 220b may be inserted into the inner groove 213 of the upper and lower part rollers 210a and 210b.

The first and second contact members 220a and 220b are formed of a flexible material so as to be freely fixed to the circular roller 210 and the shaft 200. For example, the first and second contact members 220a and 220b may be ethylene propylene diene monomers to prevent corrosion or deterioration by chemical or gas in processes for manufacturing a flat panel display device. It is formed of a material having excellent corrosion resistance such as Monomer: EPDM).

Although 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 have various permutations, modifications, and modifications without departing from the spirit or essential features of the present invention. It is to be understood that modifications may be made and other embodiments may be embodied. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive.

1 is a plan view of a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view of the X-axis of the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the Y-axis of the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the roller provided in the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the roller provided in the substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a fixing ring of a special shape provided in the roller according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Description of the main parts of the drawings *

100: process chamber 200: shaft

210: roller 210a: upper part roller

210b: lower part roller 211: outer groove

213: inner grooves 220a, 220b: contact member

230: pulley 240: belt

250: drive member

Claims (2)

A plurality of shafts installed in the process chamber at predetermined intervals in one direction; A plurality of semicircular upper and lower parts coupled to the shaft and installed on the shaft, the rollers transferring the substrate while being in contact with the substrate by the rotation of the shaft; And And an annular contact member provided between the inner circumferential surface of each of the rollers and the shaft and having an opening formed in one direction. The method of claim 1, The annular contact member is a substrate transfer device made of a flexible material.

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