KR20220003258A - Stocker - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to reduce costs by reducing the number of stockers required in a process environment, and to increase work efficiency by reducing tact time by providing a stocker that can move a shelf, can load a large amount of transported products, and can designate a storage location according to a storage period of the transported products. The stocker comprises: a body frame; a load port; multiple shelves; a mobile unit; and a transport robot.

Description

stocker {STOCKER}

The present invention relates to a stocker for transporting and loading wafers and the like.

In general, a semiconductor device manufacturing process is performed by repeatedly performing various unit processes, such as exposure, etching, diffusion, deposition, and metal processing, on a substrate or wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate). In each unit process, a substrate is moved using a carrier on which a plurality of substrates can be loaded, or the substrate is put into each process in a carrier state.

The carriers may be stored in a stocker. The stocker may include a plurality of shelves for accommodating the carriers, and a robot for transporting the carriers may be disposed inside the stocker. The transport robot can move horizontally and vertically, and transports carriers.

In general, the shelf of the stocker has a plurality of stages in the vertical direction by the movement path of the transport robot that transports the carrier, but is composed of one row in the horizontal direction. Therefore, there is a limit to the capacity of a carrier that can be loaded into one stocker. In addition, when loading the carrier inside the stocker, there is a problem that is not efficient because the storage period is not considered.

Korea Registered Patent No. 10-1021729 (2011.03.04)

The present invention is to solve the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to increase the amount of conveyed material that can be loaded in one stocker.

In addition, the present invention seeks to reduce the conveyance time of the stocker by varying the loading space according to the storage period of the conveyed material.

The object of the present invention is not limited to the above, and other objects and advantages of the present invention not mentioned can be understood by the following description.

The present invention is a body frame; a load port provided on one side of the body frame and loading or unloading a container on which an article is loaded; A first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction at right angles to load the container in the body frame, and a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the position is movable multiple shelves; a moving unit capable of moving some of the plurality of shelves; It provides a stocker comprising; a transport robot including a robot arm that transports the container.

The moving unit includes a moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in one direction; and a connecting member for connecting the moving module and the shelf.

The moving unit may include: a first moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in the first direction or in the opposite direction; and a first connecting member connecting one shelf disposed at the lowermost portion of the body frame to the first moving module.

Alternatively, the moving unit may include: a second moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in a second direction or in the opposite direction; and a second connecting member connecting one shelf disposed at the lowermost portion of the body frame to the second moving module.

Alternatively, the moving unit may include: a first moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in the first direction or an opposite direction; a second moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in a second direction or in the opposite direction; It may include; a third connecting member for connecting the shelf disposed at the lowermost portion of the body frame with the first moving module or the second moving module.

The shelves may include a coupling member on one surface of each shelf.

The shelf may be connected to neighboring shelves.

The transport robot moves along a traveling unit, and the traveling unit may be disposed to be larger than the body frame.

The traveling unit may be configured to be movable.

The present invention can reduce costs by reducing the number of required stockers by increasing the loading capacity of the stocker by providing a stocker configured to be movable on a shelf.

In addition, since the present invention can designate a loading space according to the storage period of the conveyed material, it is possible to reduce the conveying time (tact time) and increase the efficiency of the operation.

It should be understood that the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and include all effects that can be inferred from the configuration of the invention described in the detailed description or claims of the present invention.

1 is a schematic front view for explaining a stocker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a schematic perspective view partially illustrating a stocker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 and 4 are schematic side views for explaining the movement of the shelf according to the embodiment of the present invention.
5 and 6 are schematic side views for explaining the movement of the shelf according to another embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a schematic top view for explaining a stocker according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a side view illustrating a shelf according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a schematic front view showing a stocker according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a schematic side view showing a stocker according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may be embodied in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In each of the following drawings, directions in the drawings are described using the XYZ coordinate system. In the XYZ coordinate system, the vertical direction is the Z direction, and the horizontal direction is the X direction and the Y direction.

In order to clearly describe the present invention, a detailed description thereof may be omitted for parts not related to the essence of the present invention, and the same reference numerals may be assigned to the same or similar elements throughout the specification.

In addition, in the referenced drawings, the size of the component, the thickness of the line, etc. may be slightly exaggerated or reduced for convenience of understanding.

In addition, when a part "includes" a certain component, this means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless otherwise stated. The terminology used herein is only for referring to specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention, and unless otherwise defined in the present specification, is a concept understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. can be interpreted.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in the present application. does not

1 to 10 , the stocker 100 includes a body frame 110 , a load port 120 , a plurality of shelves 130 , a moving unit 140 , and a transfer robot 150 .

The body frame 110 forms a skeleton or an outer shape of the stocker 110 , and may have a hexahedral shape with an open top and side surfaces. The body frame 110 has a central passage in which the transport robot 150 moves, and may have storage areas on both sides of the central passage.

The load port 120 provides a space in which the container 10 accommodating a plurality of articles such as a wafer (substrate) or a reticle used for manufacturing a semiconductor device is seated, and loads or unloads the container 10 . In this case, the container 10 may be a FOUP (Front Open Unifies POD), FOSB (Front Opening Shipping Box), MAC (Multi Application Carrier), Pod (POD), or reticle pod for accommodating the substrate. .

The load port 120 is for transferring the container 10 from the outside of the stocker 100 to the inner space of the stocker 100 or from the inner space of the stocker 100 to the outside of the stocker 100 . In this case, the reticle may be used in an immersion exposure apparatus or may be used in an EUV exposure apparatus. A plurality of wafers or reticles are mounted on the load port 120 while being accommodated in the container 10 . A plurality of alignment pins (not shown) may be provided on the seating surface of the load port 120 , and alignment grooves (not shown) may be provided on the lower surface of the container 10 . When the container 10 is seated on the load port 120 , the alignment pin (not shown) is inserted into the alignment groove (not shown), so that the container 10 can be accurately seated on the load port 120 .

At this time, the storage position of the container 10 can be controlled according to the storage organ of the container 10 delivered to the inner space of the stocker 100 through the load port 120 . The storage organization can be identified based on the production system information. For example, when a problem occurs in the process, it is reflected on the production system in real time, so the container 10 for the process may be determined to have a longer storage period until the problem is resolved. As such, the container 10, which is expected to have a long storage period, is stored in the innermost region of the stocker 100, and the container 10, which is expected to be stored for a short period of time, is stored in an area with good accessibility from the transport robot 150. The conveyance efficiency of (10) can be improved.

Multiple shelves 130 provide a storage area for loading containers 10 . The shelf 130 may be arranged in a horizontal direction (X-axis direction, Y-axis direction) and a vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as shown in FIGS. 1 to 2 . Specifically, a plurality of rows and columns may be arranged side by side in a horizontal direction, and a plurality of stages may be arranged side by side in a vertical direction. In this case, the X-axis direction is referred to as a first direction, the Y-axis direction intersecting the X-axis direction at right angles is referred to as a second direction, and the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction are referred to as a third direction.

The stocker 100 according to the present invention can increase the loading capacity by arranging two or more shelves in all directions in the first, second, and third directions as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and configuring the shelf 130 to be movable. have. In this case, in order for the shelf 130 to be movable, it is preferable that one or more rows of shelves 130 are empty. Alignment pins (not shown) may be provided on the bottom surface of each shelf 130 . When the container 10 is loaded on the shelf 130, the alignment pin (not shown) of the shelf 130 is inserted into the alignment groove (not shown) of the container 10, so that the container 10 is placed on each shelf ( 130) can be accurately loaded. In this case, various types of containers can be loaded on the shelf 130 by using the size of the shelf 120 as the maximum container size.

The moving unit 140 may move some of the shelves 130 among the plurality of shelves 130 . The moving unit 140 may move the shelf 130 in units of rows. The moving unit 140 includes a moving module 142 for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in one direction, and a connecting member 144 for connecting the moving module 142 and the shelf.

For example, if the container 10 to be transported is covered by a shelf located at "A" arranged side by side in the third direction as shown in FIG. 3, a row of shelves 130 as shown in FIG. should be moved in the right direction. At this time, the moving unit 140A includes a first moving module 142A capable of moving one row of shelves 130 in the first direction or in the opposite direction, and a body frame ( A first connecting member 144A for connecting one shelf 130 positioned at the lowermost end of the 110 to the first moving module 142A may be included. Although not shown, the first moving module 142A may move along a moving rail formed under the body frame 110 in the first direction, and may be connected to a separate control unit (not shown). The first moving module 142A and the first connecting member 144A may be configured in plurality.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , a row of shelves 130 arranged side by side in the third direction may need to be moved in the second direction. At this time, the moving unit 140B includes a second moving module 142B capable of moving one row of shelves 130 in the second direction or the opposite direction, and a body frame ( A second connecting member 144B for connecting one shelf 130 positioned at the lowermost end of the 110 to the second moving module 142B may be included. Although not shown, the second moving module 142B may move along a moving rail formed in the second direction under the body frame 110 and may be connected to a separate control unit (not shown). In addition, the second moving module 142B and the second connecting member 144B may be configured in plurality.

Alternatively, the accessibility of the transport robot 150 may be increased by configuring a row of shelves 130 arranged side by side in the third direction to be movable in both the first direction and the second direction. At this time, the moving unit 140 includes a first moving module 142A capable of moving one row of shelves 130 in a first direction or in the opposite direction, and a second moving module 142A capable of moving in a second direction or the opposite direction. One shelf 130 located at the lowermost end of the body frame 110 among the moving module 142B and the shelf 130 of the row to be moved is moved to the first moving module 142A or the second moving module 142B. ) may include a third connecting member 144 for connecting to. Although not shown, the first moving module 142A may move along the moving rail formed in the first direction under the body frame 110 , and the second moving module 142A may be located at the lower portion of the body frame 110 in the second direction. It can move along the moving rail formed in the direction, and each moving module 124 may be connected to one control unit (not shown) or an independent control unit (not shown). The first moving module 142A, the second moving module 142B, and the third connecting member 144 may be configured in plurality.

Meanwhile, in the above description, it has been described that a row of shelves 130 arranged side by side in the third direction can be moved, but by horizontally moving a row of shelves 130 arranged side by side in the first direction or the second direction, It may be configured to increase the accessibility of the transport robot 150 . When moving one row of shelves 130 arranged side by side in the first direction, the moving unit 140 is located on one side of the body frame 110 so as to move the shelves 130 in the second direction or the opposite direction. can be configured. When moving one row of shelves 130 arranged side by side in the second direction, the moving unit 140 moves one side of the body frame 110 to move the shelves 130 in the first direction or the opposite direction. can be configured in

7 is a top view illustrating the shelf 130 and the transfer robot 150 moved by the moving unit 140 .

The transport robot 150 is capable of transporting the container 10 in each of the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction, and between the load port 120 and the shelf 130 and/or from the shelf 130 to another shelf ( 130), the container 10 can be transported. Specifically, the transport robot 150 may be provided to enable movement and rotational movement in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction for transport of the container 10 .

In addition, the transfer robot 150 may include a robot arm 152 for transferring the container 10 , and the robot arm 152 may be configured to be movable toward the shelf 110 . The robot arm 152 supports and transports the lower surface of the container 10 . In this case, as a method of transporting the container 10 , a method of transporting the container 10 by holding the upper part of the container 10 , or holding and transporting the side of the container 10 may be used. The robot arm 152 may be configured to be movable in a Y-axis direction (front-to-back direction) perpendicular to the X-axis direction, and in this case, the transport robot 150 is a Y-axis driving unit (not shown) for driving the robot arm 152 . ) is provided. The robot arm 152 may be a multi-joint robot arm that can be extended and contracted. The robot arm 152 can easily access the container 10 to be transported as the shelf 130 is moved by the moving unit 140 .

The transport robot 150 includes an X-axis driving unit (not shown) for moving the transport robot 150 in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis driving unit (not shown) for moving the transport robot 150 in the Z-axis direction, and the transport robot. The vehicle may travel on a traveling unit 154 having a rotation driving unit (not shown) and a traveling rail (not shown) for rotating the 150 . The traveling unit 154 is disposed inside the body frame 110 and is provided fixedly at both ends of the central passage.

For example, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis driving units (not shown) and the rotation driving unit (not shown) may be configured using a motor and a power transmission device including a timing belt and pulleys, respectively. Accordingly, the transport robot 150 may seat the carrier 10 on the load port 120 or transport it from the load port 110 . In addition, the transfer robot 150 may load the container 10 on the shelf 130 or transfer the container 10 from the shelf 130 .

Meanwhile, a plurality of transport robots 150 may be provided to quickly transport the container 10 .

In the above description, the configuration in which a row of shelves 130 is moved by the moving unit 140 has been described, but the stocker 100 includes a plurality of coupling members 132 on one surface of the shelf 130 as shown in FIG. 8 . It may be configured to move the shelf 130 of the row. This is because one shelf 130 may be connected to one or a plurality of adjacent shelves 130 by the coupling member 132 . In this case, the coupling member 132 may be included in all the shelves 130 , or may be included only in some shelves 130 close to the moving unit 140 . The coupling member 132 may be configured to be stretchable and contractible.

Alternatively, each shelf 130 may be configured individually so that the shelf 130 of one compartment is moved.

Meanwhile, the stocker 100 may be disposed such that the driving unit 154 is formed larger than the body frame 110 to surround the body frame 110 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 . Accordingly, the driving unit 154 may be configured to be horizontally movable in the second direction along the upper surface of the body frame 110 . The traveling unit 154 includes an X-axis driving unit (not shown) for moving the transport robot 150 in the X-axis direction, a Z-axis driving unit (not shown) for moving the transport robot 150 in the Z-axis direction, and the transport robot. It includes a rotation driving unit (not shown) and a traveling rail (not shown) for rotating the 150 . Therefore, if the traveling unit 154 is configured to be horizontally movable on the upper surface of the body frame 110 , there is no need to separately provide a central passage for the transport robot 150 inside the body frame 110 , and the shelf 130 . Since the transport robot 150 can be put into an empty space created by the movement of

As described above, the present invention increases the amount of containers that can be loaded in one stocker by providing a stocker configured so that the shelf on which the container is loaded is movable, thereby reducing the number of stockers required for the process and reducing costs. have.

In addition, the present invention designates a loading space according to the storage period of the transported material and stores the container with a short storage period in an accessible location, thereby reducing transport time (tact time) and increasing work efficiency.

Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains should understand that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential characteristics thereof, so the embodiments described above are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. only do

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. .

10: courage
100: stalker
110: body frame
120: load port
130: shelf 132: coupling member
140 (140A, 140B): mobile unit 142 (142A, 142B): mobile module
144 (144A, 144B): connecting member
150: transport robot 152: robot arm
154: driving unit

Claims (9)

body frame;
a load port provided on one side of the body frame and loading or unloading a container on which an article is loaded;
A first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction at right angles to load the container in the body frame, and a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the position is movable multiple shelves;
a moving unit capable of moving some of the plurality of shelves;
a transport robot including a robot arm for loading and transporting the container;
A stalker that includes.
According to claim 1, wherein the mobile unit,
a moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in one direction; and
A stocker comprising a; a connection member for connecting the moving module and the shelf.
According to claim 2, wherein the mobile unit,
a first moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in the first direction or an opposite direction; and
A stocker comprising a; a first connecting member for connecting one shelf disposed at the lowermost portion of the body frame with the first moving module.
According to claim 2, wherein the mobile unit,
a second moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in a second direction or in the opposite direction; and
A stocker comprising a; a second connecting member for connecting one shelf disposed at the lowermost portion of the body frame with the second moving module.
According to claim 2, wherein the mobile unit,
a first moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in the first direction or an opposite direction;
a second moving module for moving a row of shelves arranged side by side in the third direction in a second direction or in the opposite direction;
a third connecting member connecting the shelf disposed at the lowermost part of the body frame with the first moving module or the second moving module;
A stalker comprising a.
According to claim 1,
The shelves stocker, characterized in that it includes a coupling member on one surface of each shelf.
According to paragraph 6,
The shelf is a stocker, characterized in that it can be connected to the neighboring shelves.
According to claim 1,
The transport robot moves along a traveling unit, and the traveling unit is a stocker, characterized in that it can be disposed larger than the body frame.
9. The method of claim 8,
The stocker, characterized in that the traveling unit is configured to be movable.

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