TW202401643A - placement device - Google Patents

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is for objects and the like to be less susceptible to scratching when a plate-shaped object is placed. A placement device in which a plate-shaped object is placed horizontally in the placement plane of a holding member provided with holes, the placement device comprising a base that is provided so as to be capable of moving in the up/down direction on the vertically lower side of a holding part, a first moving part that moves the base in the up/down direction, and a plurality of columnar parts that are provided to the base. The columnar parts project vertically upward from the base, and a first placement part that places objects is provided to the distal ends of the columnar parts. When the base is positioned at the lower end, the first placement part is positioned lower than the holding part. When the base is moved upward from the lower end, the columnar parts are inserted into the holes. When the base is positioned at the upper end, the first placement part is positioned above the placement plane.

Description

placement device

The invention relates to a placement device.

Patent Document 1 discloses a conveyor for photomask substrates, etc., which connects a movable frame to a telescopic fixed frame in a rotatable manner, and provides a substrate support member at the ends of the fixed frame and the movable frame, and between the movable frame and the fixed frame. There is a handle near the connecting part of the frame. Using two of these carriers to connect the fixed frames to each other, large substrate materials can be transported. [Prior art documents] [Patent Document]

Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-168182

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The transport tool described in Patent Document 1 is used to transport a mask substrate accommodated in a casing or the like to a device such as a cleaning holder. The mask substrate conveyed by the conveyor is placed horizontally on a placement surface in the apparatus.

However, when manually placing the mask substrate on the mounting surface, it is difficult to maintain the attitude of the mask substrate in a horizontal position, and the mask substrate may collide with the mounting surface, resulting in damage to the mask substrate or the mounting surface. One part may be deformed.

The present invention was made in view of this situation, and an object thereof is to provide a mounting device that is difficult to damage an object or the like when mounting a plate-shaped object. [Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the mounting device of the present invention places a plate-shaped object horizontally on a mounting plane of a holding member provided with a hole, for example, and is characterized in that it includes a base that is movable in the up and down direction. The lower side in the vertical direction of the above-mentioned holding member; a first moving part that moves the above-mentioned base in the up and down direction; and a plurality of columnar parts provided on the above-mentioned base, and the above-mentioned columnar parts move vertically from the above-mentioned base. The direction protrudes upward, and at the front end of the columnar portion, a first placing portion for placing the object is provided. When the base is located at the lower end, the first placing portion is located lower than the holding member. When the base moves upward from the lower end, the columnar portion is inserted into the hole. When the base is located at the upper end, the first placing portion is located above the placement plane.

According to the mounting device of the present invention, the columnar portion of the first mounting portion for mounting the object is provided at the front end and protrudes upward from the base in the vertical direction. When the base is located at the upper end, the first mounting portion is larger than the mounting portion. Place the plane on the upper side. Therefore, the operator only needs to place the object on the first placement part, and does not need to place it directly on the placement surface. Therefore, when placing a plate-shaped object, the object or the placement surface is unlikely to be damaged.

It is also possible to provide a plurality of second moving parts. The second moving parts have a first rail provided on the above-mentioned base and a moving member disposed movably along the above-mentioned first rail. The second moving parts are respectively provided by the above-mentioned second moving parts. The columnar part is provided on the base via the second moving part. In this way, one mounting device can be used to handle objects of various sizes.

You may include a driving part that drives a plurality of the moving members, the second moving part has a belt provided on the moving member, and the driving part drives the plurality of belts by the same amount at the same time. Thereby, the columnar parts can be moved by the same amount at the same time.

The above-mentioned first placing part may have two surfaces with different heights, that is, the first surface as the front end surface of the above-mentioned columnar part and the second surface that is one step lower than the above-mentioned first surface, and the above-mentioned first surface is provided. Outside the above-mentioned second surface, the above-mentioned second surface is a surface on which the above-mentioned object is placed, and is inclined by 1° to 5° with respect to the horizontal direction in such a manner that the height becomes lower toward the inside. Thereby, the contact area between the object placed on the second surface and the second surface is minimized, and the functional surface of the object, that is, the object membrane surface is less likely to be contaminated.

The surface connecting the first surface and the second surface may be inclined by 1° to 5° with respect to the vertical direction so as to be inclined outward as the height increases. Thereby, the contact area between the first surface and the second surface and the object is minimized, and the object is less likely to be contaminated.

The above-mentioned first surface may also be provided with cutouts at both ends of the inner side. When viewed from the vertical direction, the above-mentioned cutouts coincide with a curved surface of any radius centered on the center point of a circle connecting the outer corners of a plurality of the above-mentioned columnar parts. . Thereby, not only a rectangular object but also a circular object can be placed on the second placing portion.

A proximity sensor may be provided on the base, and a mark may be provided on the back surface of the holding member. The proximity sensor may detect the holding member and read the mark. Thereby, the center of the base can be aligned with the center of the mounting plane, or the columnar portion can be arranged at a position that matches the size of the object to be mounted.

You may also include: a 2nd placement part which is provided adjacent to the said base when viewed from the vertical direction upper side; and a mask transfer part which has an arm which can hold the said object from below, and the 3rd arm provided with the said arm. 2 tracks, and the above-mentioned arm can move along the above-mentioned 2nd track. Thereby, the object can be placed on the first placing part or the object can be removed from the first placing part without going through an operator. [Effects of the invention]

According to the present invention, when placing a plate-shaped object, the object or the like is less likely to be damaged.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same elements are denoted by the same symbols, and descriptions of overlapping parts are omitted.

The placement device in the present invention refers to a device that places a plate-shaped object horizontally on a holding portion having a placement surface. In the following description, a photomask is used as an object as an example. The photomask is produced by irradiating a photosensitive substrate (for example, a chromium thin film formed on one side of a glass substrate and a resist coated thereon) with light such as laser. For photosensitive substrates, quartz glass with a very small thermal expansion coefficient (for example, about 5.5×10 ^-7 /K) is generally used.

The photomask M used in the mounting device comes in various sizes. For rectangular shaped masks, use 5×5 inches, 6×6 inches, 7×7 inches, 9×9 inches, etc., and for circular shaped masks, use those with a diameter of 7.25 inches. The present invention can use one device to cope with various sizes or multiple shapes of masks M.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the inspection device 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view (viewed from the +z direction) of the inspection device 1 . In addition, in FIG. 1 , illustration of part of the structure is omitted. In addition, in Figure 2, the main part is seen through.

Hereinafter, the direction along the vertical direction is referred to as the z direction, and the vertical direction upward is referred to as +z. In addition, let two orthogonal directions along the horizontal direction be the x direction and the y direction.

The inspection device 1 mainly includes a placement device 2 , a conveyance device 3 , a holding member 4 , a frame 10 , an inspection unit 50 , a vibration isolation table 61 and a table plate 62 . The photomask M as a plate-shaped object is placed on the holding member 4 . The mounting device 2 is a device that mounts the photomask M on the holding member 4 . The transport device 3 is a device that carries the holding member 4 on which the photomask M is mounted to the inspection unit 50 or carries out the holding member 4 on which the photomask M is mounted from the inspection unit 50 .

The frame 10 covers the inspection part 50 , the vibration isolation table 61 and the base plate 62 . In addition, the inspection device 1 (inside the frame 10 ) is maintained at a fixed temperature by a temperature adjustment unit (not shown).

The frame 10 has a front portion 11 provided with an opening and closing door 12 . The front part 11 is provided with an opening 11a, and when the opening and closing door 12 is closed, the opening and closing door 12 covers the opening 11a. FIG. 1 illustrates a state in which the opening and closing door 12 is closed. The opening and closing door 12 is movable in the up and down direction (z direction), and is movable between a position covering the opening 11a and a position not covering the opening 11a. A rail 13 is provided on the front portion 11 . A moving member (not shown) provided on the opening and closing door 12 moves along the rail 13 by an actuator 14 (see FIG. 14 ), whereby the opening and closing door 12 moves in the z direction. .

The table plate 62 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped (thick plate-shaped) member, and is formed of stone (such as granite) or a casting with a low expansion rate (such as a nickel-based alloy). The tabletop 62 is placed on an installation surface (for example, the floor).

A plurality of vibration isolation tables 61 (three in this case) are placed on the table 62 . FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the vibration isolation table 61. FIG. 3(A) schematically shows the state when it is floating, and FIG. 3(B) schematically shows the state when it is seated. The vibration isolation table 61 mainly includes a base 611, a frame 612, and a moving member 613.

The frame 612 is provided on the base 611 and has a hole 612a. The moving member 613 is provided in the hole 612a so as to be movable in the up and down direction. The moving member 613 mainly includes a rod-shaped member 613a, positioning members 613b and 613e, and a plate-shaped portion 613d. The positioning members 613b and 613e are nuts, for example, and are provided on the rod-shaped member 613a. The positioning member 613b has a tapered portion 613c on the lower side. The plate-shaped portion 613d is provided above the positioning member 613e.

The inspection part 50 is provided on the vibration isolation table 61 above the moving member 613 here. Thereby, the inspection part 50 is mounted on the base plate 62 via the vibration isolation table 61. By moving the moving member 613 in the up and down direction, the vibration isolation table 61 can move the inspection part 50 in the vertical direction.

When the holding member 4 is inserted into the inspection part 50 and ejected from the inspection part 50, as shown in FIG. The vibration platform 61 descends. Since the conical portion 613c is seated on the frame 612, the reproducibility of positioning in the height direction (z direction) and the horizontal direction (xy direction) becomes higher, and the transfer device 3 can smoothly carry in and out the mask M.

On the other hand, while the mask M is being inspected in the inspection unit 50 , the cone portion 613 c is raised from the frame 612 as shown in FIG. 3(A) . Thereby, the inspection part 50 is floated from the base plate 62, so that the inspection part 50 may not vibrate. The plate-shaped portion 613d is provided inside the frame 612, and the plate-shaped portion 613d is in contact with the frame 612 to prevent the moving member 613 from falling off from the hole 612a.

Furthermore, the shape of the vibration isolation table 61 is not limited to this. For example, the vibration isolation table 61 may be an active vibration isolation table.

The inspection unit 50 mainly includes a first stage 51, a holding unit 52, a second stage 53, belts 54 and 56, and rails 55 and 57.

The second stage 53 is provided so as to be movable in the x direction along the rail 57 by driving the belt 56 with the actuator 59a (see FIG. 14 ). The first stage 51 is provided on the second stage 53 and is movable in the y direction along the rail 55 by driving the belt 54 with the actuator 59b (see FIG. 14 ). Therefore, the first stage 51 can move in the x direction and the y direction.

The holding portion 52 is provided on the upper side (+z side) of the first stage 51 . The holding part 52 is fixed to the first stage 51 and holds the holding member 4 inside the inspection part 50 . The holding portion 52 will be described in detail later.

Next, the mounting device 2 will be described. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the inspection device 1 when viewed from the front. The placement device 2 is provided on the nearer side (-y side) than the front portion 11 . The holding member 4 is placed on the roller 32 of the conveyance device 3 .

The placement device 2 can move in the z direction by a driving part not shown in the figure. The placement device 2 mainly includes a base 21, a plurality of columnar parts 22, a first moving part 23, and a second moving part 24. In FIG. 4 , the solid line indicates the state in which the mounting device 2 is located at the lower end, and the two-dot chain line indicates the state in which the mounting device 2 is located at the upper end.

The base 21 is plate-shaped and is provided on the lower side of the holding member 4 in the vertical direction. The base 21 is provided so as to be movable in the up-and-down direction by the first moving part 23 . The first moving part 23 has a rail 23a, a moving member 23b, and an actuator 23c (see FIG. 14). The moving member 23b is provided on the base 21 and is movable along the rail 23a. Therefore, the actuator 23c moves the moving member 23b in the z direction along the rail 23a, so that the first moving part 23 moves the base 21 in the z direction.

The columnar part 22 is a columnar member and is provided on the base 21 via the second moving part 24 . The second moving part 24 is provided on the base 21 . The columnar portion 22 protrudes upward in the vertical direction from the base 21 . At the front end of the columnar portion 22, there is a mounting portion 25 for mounting the photomask M (described in detail later).

As the base 21 moves in the z direction, the columnar part 22 and the second moving part 24 also move in the z direction. When the base 21 , the columnar part 22 and the second moving part 24 are located at the lower end, the placing part 25 is located lower than the holding member 4 (refer to the solid line in FIG. 4 ). Moreover, when the base 21, the columnar part 22, and the second moving part 24 are located at the upper end, the placing part 25 is located above the holding member 4 (refer to the two-point chain line in Fig. 4).

Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the inspection device 1 when viewed obliquely from the front. In FIG. 5 , the solid line indicates the state in which the mounting device 2 is located at the lower end, and the two-dot chain line indicates the state in which the mounting device 2 is located at the upper end. The columnar part 22 has four columnar parts 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. When the base 21, the columnar part 22 and the second moving part 24 move upward from the lower end, the columnar parts 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are inserted into the hole 43 of the main body part 41.

The second moving part 24 has four second moving parts 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d. The second moving parts 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d are respectively provided with columnar parts 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. That is, the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are provided on the base 21 via the second moving portions 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d.

The second moving parts 24a, 24b, 24c, and 24d respectively include rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d, moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d, belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d, and pulleys 244a, 244b, 244c, and 244d.

Rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d are provided on the base 21. The base 21 has a rectangular shape, and the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d are respectively provided along the diagonal lines of the base 21.

The moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d are respectively provided on the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d, and can move along the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d.

The columnar parts 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are respectively provided in the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d. Therefore, the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d can move along the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d.

Belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d are provided on the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d respectively. The belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d are respectively wound around the pulleys 244a, 244b, 244c, and 244d, pass through the holes 21a provided in the base 21, and extend below the base 21. That is, the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d pull the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d toward the diagonal inside of the base 21 along the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d.

A driving part is provided on the lower side of the base 21 . The drive unit has a belt winding unit and an actuator 24e (not shown) (see FIG. 14 ). Belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d are connected to the actuator 24e via the belt winding portion. Actuator 24e causes belts 243a, 243b, 243c, 243d to be driven simultaneously by the same amount.

The moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d are respectively provided with elastic members (not shown). The elastic member stretches the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d toward the diagonal outside of the base 21 along the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d.

Thereby, the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d move along the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d via the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d and the elastic members. Specifically, the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d stretch the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d against the elastic force of the elastic members, whereby the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, 242d, and the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c and 22d move inward. Furthermore, when the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d are relaxed by the driving part, the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, 242d and the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d move outward by the elastic force of the elastic member.

At this time, since the driving unit drives the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d simultaneously by the same amount, the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d and the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d move simultaneously by the same amount.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d of the mounting device 2 and the holding member 4. The holding member 4 is made of aluminum, and an oxide film is formed on the surface. The holding member 4 has a main body part 41 and a grip part 42 provided on the main body part. The surface on the +z side of the main body 41 is the placement plane 41a. The main body 41 has a hole 43 penetrating along the z direction. The hole 43 has a rectangular-shaped hole 43e and holes 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d respectively provided at the four corners of the hole 43e. The holes 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d and the hole 43e are integrated to form the hole 43.

The base 21 and the main body 41 are arranged so that when the mounting device 2 is moved up and down, the diagonal line of the base 21 and the diagonal line of the main body 41 substantially coincide with the diagonal line of the base 21 when viewed from the +z direction. The columnar parts 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d are respectively inserted into the holes 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d. In addition, the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d move along the diagonal lines of the base 21 and the main body portion 41 inside the holes 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d respectively (refer to the arrows in Fig. 6).

On the back side of the main body part 41, there is a mark 41j including one or a plurality of recessed parts 41i. In this embodiment, the mark 41j includes two recessed portions 41i. The base 21 is provided with a proximity sensor 26 (see FIG. 14 ). The proximity sensor 26 detects the holding member 4 and reads the mark 41 j provided on the main body 41 . In this embodiment, three proximity sensors 26 are provided, and the proximity sensors 26 respectively detect the presence or absence of the recessed portion 42i. In the form shown in FIG. 6 , the two proximity sensors 26 on both sides of the three proximity sensors 26 detect the concave portion 42i, and the central proximity sensor 26 detects the absence of the concave portion 42i.

The mark 41j differs according to the type (shape and size) of the mask M. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , recessed portions 42i are provided on both sides, and a form in which recessed portions 42i are not provided in between is represented as a 6×6-inch photomask. In addition, for example, in the form where three recessed portions 42i are provided, a 9×9-inch photomask is shown. Furthermore, the form of the mark 41j is not limited to this, and the number of proximity sensors 26 is not limited to this. At least one proximity sensor 26 is required.

Mounting portions 25a, 25b, 25c, and 25d for mounting the photomask M are respectively provided at the front ends of the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d. By moving the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d, the photomasks M of various sizes can be placed on the placement portion 25.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the columnar portion 22c of the mounting device 2 and the mounting portion 25c provided at the front end of the columnar portion 22c. Fig. 7(A) is a perspective view, and Fig. 7(B) is a top view. Fig. 7 (C) is the D-D cross-sectional view of Figure 7(B). In addition, the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d and the placement portions 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d have the same structure, so the description of the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22d and the placement portions 25a, 25b, 25d is omitted.

The columnar portion 22c is columnar (rod-shaped), and is linearly symmetrical with the diagonal line d as the axis when viewed from the vertical upper side (+z direction) (when viewed from above), and is formed by two adjacent surfaces 221 and 222 The angle is a right angle. However, the shape of the columnar portion 22c is not limited to this.

The columnar portion 22c is formed of a material that is difficult to deform, such as iron. The placement portion 25c is for placing the mask M and for sliding the mask M during positioning, and is made of a resin material such as a polyether ether ketone material that is difficult to damage the mask M.

The placement part 25c has two surfaces 251 and 252 with different heights. The surface 251 is the front end surface of the columnar part 22c, and is a flat surface in this embodiment. Surface 252 is one level lower than surface 251 toward the lower side (-z direction). The surface on which the mask M is placed is the surface 252 .

The surfaces 251 and 252 are linearly symmetrical with the diagonal line d as the axis, and the angle formed by the two adjacent sides 251a and 251b and the angle formed by the two adjacent sides 252a and 252b are right angles. The surface 251 is provided outside the surface 252. Here, the outer side refers to the side close to the peripheral edge of the base 21 . That is, the surface 251 is provided on the peripheral side of the base 21 , and the surface 252 is provided on the center side of the base 21 . Thereby, the rectangular mask M can be placed on the surface 252 . However, the shapes of the surfaces 251 and 252 when viewed from the +z direction are not limited to this.

The surface 252 is inclined at an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction so that the height becomes lower toward the inside (as it moves away from the surface 251 ). That is, the surface 252 is a composite surface formed by connecting two surfaces at the center (on the diagonal line d). The angle θ1 is preferably 1° to 5°, and is 3° in this embodiment. Therefore, the contact area between the mask M placed on the surface 252 and the surface 252 is minimized, and the functional surface of the mask M, that is, the film surface is less likely to be contaminated.

Furthermore, the surfaces 253 and 254 connecting the surface 251 and the surface 252 are inclined at an angle θ2 with respect to the vertical direction so as to be inclined outward as they become higher. The angle θ2 is preferably 1° to 5°, and is 3° in this embodiment. Therefore, when the mask M placed on the surface 252 comes into contact with the surfaces 253 and 254, the contact area between the mask M and the surfaces 253 and 254 is minimized, and the mask M is less likely to be contaminated.

On the surface 251, an arc-shaped recess 255 is provided at an inner corner. Furthermore, on the surface 251, arc-shaped cutouts 256 and 257 are provided at both ends of the inner side. When viewed from the +z direction, the cutouts 256 and 257 are equal to the arbitrary radius Ra of the center point O (see FIG. 6 ) of the circle connecting the outer corners 258 of the plurality of columnar portions 22 (mounting portion 25c). The curves coincide. For example, the radius Ra is more than half of 7.25 inches (18.415 cm), such as 9.25 cm. Thereby, a circular-shaped photomask M with a diameter of 7.25 inches can be placed on the surface 252 .

Next, the conveying device 3 will be described using FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of the inspection device 1 and is an enlarged view of the main part. The conveying device 3 mainly includes the holding member 4, the pinion gear 31, the roller 32, and the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d.

The transport device 3 transports the holding member 4 on which the mask M is mounted from the first position I (refer to the dotted line) outside the frame 10 to the second position II (refer to the solid line) inside the frame 10 through the opening 11 a of the frame 10 , and transported from the second position II to the first position I. The first position I is an arbitrary position near the proximal end of the conveyor 3 (the end in the −y direction). In addition, the second position II is a position where the holding portion 52 is provided. When the holding member 4 is located at the second position II, the front end surface 41 b (see FIG. 6 ) of the holding member 4 is in contact with the contact surface 52 c of the holding portion 52 .

The tracks 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d are provided in the horizontal direction. The rails 33a and 33c are provided on the straight line L1, and the rails 33b and 33d are provided on the straight line L2. Straight lines L1 and L2 are along the conveyance direction (y direction) of the holding member 4. Straight lines L1 and straight lines L2 are parallel and have the same height (position in z direction). The rails 33a and 33b are provided outside the frame 10, and the rails 33c and 33d are provided inside the frame 10.

The pinion gears 31 are respectively provided on the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d. Furthermore, the number of pinions 31 provided on the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d is not limited to the form shown in the figure. In this embodiment, a plurality of pinion gears 31 are provided on the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d. However, at least one pinion gear 31 may be provided on the rails 33c and 33d. The rails 33a and 33b only need to be provided with a plurality of pinion gears 31.

The pinion gear 31 mainly has a rotation axis 31a provided along the z direction and a pinion gear body 31b that can rotate about the rotation axis 31a. The pinion gear body 31b is, for example, a pinion gear with a module of 1.

A plurality of rollers 32 are provided on the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d respectively. The roller 32 mainly has a rotation axis 32a substantially perpendicular to the straight lines L1 and L2, and a cylindrical roller body 32b that can rotate about the rotation axis 32a. A bearing is provided between the rotating shaft 32a and the roller body 32b. The holding member 4 is placed on the plurality of rollers 32 . Furthermore, the number of rollers 32 provided on the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d is not limited to the form shown in the figure.

Return to the description of Figure 6. The main body 41 of the holding member 4 has two side surfaces 41c and 41d adjacent to the placement plane 41a. The side surfaces 41c and 41d are substantially parallel to the conveyance direction.

The grip portion 42 is provided at an end portion opposite to the frame 10 (-y side) across the main body portion 41 when the holding member 4 is in the first position I, that is, on the opposite side to the front end surface 41 b of the main body portion 41 . The grip portion 42 has a rod-shaped grip bar 42c provided along the x direction, and plate-shaped connecting portions 42a and 42b respectively connecting both ends of the grip bar 42c and the main body 41. The grip rod 42c is, for example, a square rod. The connection parts 42a and 42b have two side surfaces 42d and 42e substantially parallel to the conveyance direction (y direction) of the holding member 4.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the holding member 4. Fig. 9(A) is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A in Fig. 6. Fig. 9(B) is a diagram along the arrow B in Fig. 6. Fig. 9(C) is a diagram along the arrow C in Fig. 6. . The side surfaces 41c and 41d have vertical surfaces 41e and 41g and inclined surfaces 41f and 41h respectively. The vertical surfaces 41e and 41g are vertical surfaces with respect to the mounting plane 41a. The inclined surfaces 41f and 41h are inclined with respect to the vertical direction so that the width of the holding member 4 becomes narrower toward the placement plane 41a. The side surface 42d is located on the same surface as the vertical surface 41e, and the side surface 42e is located on the same surface as the vertical surface 41g. The height of the side surfaces 42d and 42e is approximately 2 to 3 times the height of the vertical surfaces 41e and 41g.

The rack 44 is provided on two side surfaces (side surfaces 41c and 41d and side surfaces 42d and 42e) of the holding member 4 that are substantially parallel to the conveyance direction (y direction). The rack 44 has racks 44c and 44d provided on the side surfaces 41c and 41d (here, the vertical surfaces 41e and 41g) and racks 44a and 44b provided on the side surfaces 42d and 42e. The racks 44a and 44c are located on the same surface, and the racks 44b and 44d are located on the same surface. The module of the racks 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d is 1 and can engage with the pinion 31. The racks 44a and 44b are formed on the entire side surfaces 42d and 42e, and the racks 44c and 44d are provided on the entire vertical surfaces 41e and 41g. The heights of the side surfaces 42d and 42e (connecting portions 42a and 42b) are higher than the heights of the vertical surfaces 41e and 41g, so the heights of the racks 44a and 44b are higher than the heights of the racks 44c and 44d.

Return to the description of Figure 8. When the holding member 4 is located at the first position I, the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33a and 33b engage with the racks 44c and 44d respectively. When the holding member 4 moves in the +y direction from the first position I to the second position II and the front end surface 41b approaches the opening 11a, the pinion gear 31 engages with the racks 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d. When the holding member 4 further moves in the +y direction, the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33c and 33d engage with the racks 44c and 44d, and the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33a and 33b engage with the racks 44c and 44d. 31 is engaged with the racks 44a and 44b. In this way, by the pinion 31 engaging with the racks 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d, the holding member 4 is conveyed in the y direction while the positioning of the holding member 4 in the x direction is maintained.

Subsequently, when the holding member 4 further moves in the +y direction and the front end (near the front end surface 41 b ) of the holding member 4 is inserted into the holding part 52 , the side surface 41 c of the main body part 41 of the holding member 4 is inserted into the holding part 52 of the inspection part 50 The rail 52a of the holding member 4 is inserted into the rail 52b of the holding part 52 from the side surface 41d of the body part 41 of the holding member 4.

FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the state in which the side surface 41c is inserted into the rail 52a. The rail 52a has an inclined surface 52d, and the inclined surface 52d is in contact with the inclined surface 41f. The inclined surface 41f, that is, the main body 41 is positioned in the x direction and the z direction.

Return to the description of Figure 8. When the holding member 4 is inserted into the holding portion 52 near the front end surface 41b, the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33a and 33b are engaged with the racks 44a and 44b, and the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33c and 33d are engaged with the rack 44c. ,44d. Until this state, the pinion gear 31 is engaged with the rack gears 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d, so the force is easily transmitted from the pinion gear 31 to the rack gears 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d. Furthermore, the pinion 31 is engaged with the racks 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d and the peripheral edge (side surfaces 41c, 41d) of the main body and is inserted into the holding part 52 (rails 52a, 52b), so that the holding member 4 is positioned in the x direction. , therefore the holding member 4 does not move in the x direction or rotate along the xy plane during transportation.

Subsequently, when the holding member 4 moves in the +y direction until the front end surface 41b of the holding member 4 is located near the contact surface 52c (near the second position II), most of the side surfaces 41c and 41d are inserted into the rails 52a and 52b, and are provided at One of the pinion gears 31 of the rails 33c and 33d is engaged with the racks 44a and 44b, and the holding member 4 is positioned in the x direction in the same manner as during transportation. The tooth width of the racks 44c and 44d is smaller than the tooth width of the pinion 31, but the tooth width of the racks 44a and 44b is larger than the tooth width of the pinion 31, so the force is easily transmitted from the pinion 31 to the racks 44a and 44b, which can make The holding member 4 moves in the y direction.

Next, the driving of the pinion gear 31 of the conveyance device 3 will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the driving part 35 that drives the pinion gear 31. FIG. 11 illustrates the driving parts 35 provided in the rails 33a and 33c. However, the driving parts 35 are also provided in the rails 33b and 33d in the same manner as the rails 33a and 33c (explanation is omitted).

The drive part 35 has a pulley 35a, a belt 35b, and an actuator 35c. The pulley 35a is provided on the rotating shaft 31a and the rotating shaft of the actuator 35c. A belt 35b is wound around the pulley 35a. When the actuator 35c is driven, the pulley 35a, that is, the rotating shaft 31a, and the pinion body 31b rotate via the belt 35b.

By providing one driving part 35 for the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33a and 33c, all the pinion gear bodies 31b provided on the rails 33a and 33c can be simultaneously rotated by the same amount. Furthermore, by providing one driving part 35 for the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33b and 33d, all the pinion gear bodies 31b provided on the rails 33b and 33d can be simultaneously rotated by the same amount.

In addition, since the actuator 35c can rotate forward and reverse, the pinion body 31b can rotate forward and reverse, thereby moving the holding member 4 in the +y direction and the -y direction.

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the front end surface 41 b of the main body part 41 of the holding member 4 is located near the contact surface 52 c of the holding part 52 of the inspection part 50 . The inspection unit 50 has an air suction unit 58 . The air suction part 58 has a connector 58a provided on the contact surface 52c, and a suction hose 58b joined to the connector 58a. The suction hose 58b is connected to a suction pump (not shown).

The main body 41 is provided with an air hole 45 . One end of the air hole 45 is opened on the front end surface 41b, and the other end is opened on the mounting plane 41a. The opening 45 a of the air hole 45 opening on the mounting plane 41 a overlaps with the photomask M when viewed from the vertical upper side (+z direction).

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the connector 58a. The connector 58a mainly includes a joint portion 58c, cylindrical portions 58d and 58e, and an elastic member 58f. A threaded portion 58g is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 58e. The threaded portion 58g is screwed into a screw hole (not shown) provided in the holding portion 52, so that the connector 58a is installed on the contact surface 52c. Moreover, the cylindrical part 58e is provided with the screw hole 58h, and the suction hose 58b is provided in the cylindrical part 58e via the screw hole 58h.

The joining part 58c is provided in the cylindrical part 58d, and is joinable to the opening part 45b (refer FIG. 12). An elastic member 58f is provided between the cylindrical part 58d and the cylindrical part 58e. Therefore, the cylindrical part 58d and the joint part 58c can move along the central axis ax.

Return to the description of Figure 12. The connector 58a is provided on the contact surface 52c such that the central axis ax is along the y direction. Therefore, when the front end surface 41 b is located several mm near the contact surface 52 c (-y side), that is, in a state where the front end surface 41 b is not in contact with the contact surface 52 c, the joint portion 58 c (see FIG. 13 ) is joined to the contact surface 52 c. opening 45b. As a result, the mask M is sucked toward the placement plane 41 a via the air suction part 58 and the air hole 45 .

Then, the holding member 4 is conveyed via the pinion gear 31 until the front end surface 41b comes into contact with the contact surface 52c. Since the joint portion 58c is movable in the y direction (conveyance direction), the holding member 4 is transported in the +y direction in a state where the joint portion 58c is joined to the opening of the air hole 45 that opens to the front end surface 41b. When the front end surface 41b comes into contact with the contact surface 52c, the mask M is sucked toward the mounting plane 41a, so that the mask M is not deviated due to the impact when the front end surface 41b comes into contact with the contact surface 52c. The mask M is held on the placement plane 41a.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the inspection device 1 . The inspection device 1 has a central processing unit (CPU) 151, a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM) 152, a read only memory (Read Only Memory, ROM) 153, and an input/output interface (I/F ) 154, communication interface (I/F) 155 and media interface (I/F) 156, which are interconnected with actuators 14, 23c, 24e, 35c, 59a, 59b, proximity sensor 26, etc.

The CPU 151 operates based on the programs stored in the RAM 152 and ROM 153, and controls various components. For the CPU 151, signals are input from the proximity sensor 26 and so on. The signal output from the CPU 151 is output to the actuators 14, 23c, 24e, 35c, 59a, 59b, etc.

RAM 152 is volatile memory. ROM 153 is a non-volatile memory that stores various control programs and the like. The CPU 151 operates based on the programs stored in the RAM 152 and ROM 153, and controls various components. In addition, the ROM 153 stores a boot program executed by the CPU 151 when the inspection device 1 is started or a program that depends on the hardware of the inspection device 1 . In addition, the RAM 152 stores programs executed by the CPU 151 and data used by the CPU 151.

The CPU 151 controls input/output devices 141 such as touch panels, keyboards, and mice through the input/output interface 154 . The communication interface 155 receives data from other machines through the network 142 and sends it to the CPU 151, and sends the data generated by the CPU 151 to other machines through the network 142.

The media interface 156 reads the programs or data stored in the storage medium 143 and saves them to the RAM 152 . Furthermore, the storage medium 143 is, for example, an IC card, an SD card, or the like.

Furthermore, the program for realizing each function is, for example, read from the storage medium 143 , installed in the inspection device 1 via the RAM 152 , and executed by the CPU 151 .

The CPU 151 has a function of a control unit 151a that controls each component of the inspection device 1 based on input signals. The control unit 151a is constructed by the CPU 151 executing a read predetermined program. The processing performed by the control unit 151a will be described in detail later.

The structure of the inspection device 1 shown in FIG. 14 is a structure that explains the main components when describing the characteristics of the present embodiment, and does not exclude the structure of a universal information processing device, for example. The components of the inspection device 1 can also be classified into more components according to the processing content, and one component can also execute the processing of a plurality of components.

The function of the inspection device 1 configured in this way will be described. The following processing is mainly performed by the control unit 151a. First, the operator grasps the grip bar 42c of the grip portion 42 of the holding member 4, lifts the holding member 4, and places the holding member 4 on the roller 32 of the conveyance device 3. The three proximity sensors 26 read the mark 41j. , the control unit 151a controls the actuator 35c of the transport device 3 and the actuator 24e of the placement device 2 based on the result. Specifically, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 35c of the transport device 3 to move the holding member 4 in the y direction so that the center of the base 21 coincides with the center of the main body 41. Moreover, the control part 151a controls the actuator 24e of the mounting device 2 to move the columnar part 22 of the mounting device 2, and arrange|positions the columnar part 22 so that it may match the size of the photomask M mounted on the holding member 4. location.

Then, the control part 151a controls the actuator 23c of the mounting device 2 to move the base 21 of the mounting device 2 in the +z direction, so that the mounting part 25 provided at the front end of the columnar part 22 of the mounting device 2 It protrudes in the +z direction from the mounting plane 41a of the main body 41 of the holding member 4 . Thereby, the photomask M can be placed on the placement part 25 .

The operator uses a mask gripping device (not shown) to place the mask M on the placement portion 25 . Once an instruction is input via the input/output device 141, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 24e of the placement device 2 to move the columnar portion 22 of the placement device 2 inward by about 1 mm. The mounting portion 25 holds the photomask M. Since the surface 252 of the mounting portion 25 is inclined at an angle θ1 with respect to the horizontal direction, when the columnar portion 22 is moved inward, only the corners of the photomask M rub against the mounting portion 25, and contamination of the photomask M is minimized. limit. However, this processing is not necessary.

Then, the control part 151a controls the actuator 23c of the mounting device 2 to move the base 21 of the mounting device 2 in the -z direction, and mounts the photomask M placed on the mounting part 25 of the mounting device 2 to the placement plane 41a. Since the mask M is clamped by the mounting part 25, the mask M will not move due to the movement of the base 21. Once the position of the base 21 reaches a predetermined position, that is, the mask M is placed on the placement plane 41a, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 24e of the placement device 2 to make the placement device 2 columnar. The portion 22 moves outward to release the clamping of the photomask M by the mounting portion 25 . Thereby, the photomask M is placed on the holding member 4 by the placement device 2 .

Once the base 21 moves to the -z end, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 35c of the conveyance device 3 to drive the pinion 31 of the conveyance device 3 to convey the holding member 4 in the +y direction. At this time, the actuator 35c is controlled so that the acceleration is 0.1 g or less so that the mask M placed on the placement plane 41a of the holding member 4 is prevented from deviating on the placement plane 41a.

Once the operating current value of the actuator 35c reaches the maximum current value (overload), that is, the front end surface 41b of the main body part 41 of the holding member 4 contacts the contact surface 52c of the holding part 52, the control part 151a causes the actuator 35c to stop. Thereby, the holding member 4 is transported to the inside of the inspection device 1 by the transport device 3 .

According to this embodiment, a columnar portion 22 is provided on the base 21 that is movable in the vertical direction so as to protrude upward in the vertical direction, and a mounting portion 25 is provided at the front end of the columnar portion 22. When the base 21 moves upward from the lower end, the columnar portion 22 is inserted into the hole 43 of the holding member 4. When the base 21 is at the upper end, the placing portion 25 is located above the placement plane 41a of the holding member 4. Therefore, the operator It is only necessary to place the photomask M on the mounting part 25, and there is no need to directly place the photomask M on the mounting plane 41a. Therefore, when the plate-shaped photomask M is placed, the photomask M or the mounting plane 41a is unlikely to be damaged.

For example, when the mask M is manually placed on the mounting surface 41a, it is difficult to maintain the posture of the mask M in a horizontal position, and the mask M may collide with the mounting surface 41a, causing a part of the mask M to be damaged. There is a risk that a chip may become damaged or a part of the mounting surface 41a may become deformed, thereby causing dust. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the mask M is not placed directly on the placement plane 41a, but the placement device 2 is placed in the horizontal direction on the placement portion 25 with the mask M in a maintained posture. The download is placed on the mounting plane 41a, so it is possible to avoid damaging the mask M or the mounting plane 41a or generating dust when mounting the plate-shaped mask M.

Moreover, according to this embodiment, the columnar parts 22a to 22d are provided on the base 21 via the second moving parts 24a to 24d, and the columnar parts 22a to 22d can be moved along the rails 241a to 241d provided on the base 21 , therefore one mounting device 2 can be used to cope with various sizes of masks M.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d provided on the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d are simultaneously driven by the same amount. Therefore, the columnar portions 22a, 22b, 22c, and 22d can be simultaneously moved by the same amount. amount.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the surface 252 on which the mask M is placed is inclined at an angle θ1 (1° to 5°) with respect to the horizontal direction so that the height becomes lower toward the inside. Therefore, the mask M placed on the surface 252 is The contact area between M and surface 252 becomes the minimum, and the film surface of the photomask M is difficult to be contaminated. Furthermore, the surfaces 253 and 254 connecting the surface 251 and the surface 252 are inclined at an angle θ2 (1° to 5°) with respect to the vertical direction in such a manner that they are inclined outward as they become higher. Therefore, the mask M placed on the surface 252 When the mask M is in contact with the surfaces 253 and 254, the contact area with the surfaces 253 and 254 is minimized, and the mask M is less likely to be contaminated.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when viewed from the +z direction, the center point O of the notches 256 and 257 provided in the surface 251 and the circle connecting the outer corners 258 of the plurality of columnar portions 22 (mounting portions 25c) is Since the curves of any radius Ra of the center overlap, not only a rectangular mask M but also a circular mask M with a diameter of Ra×2 can be placed on the mounting part 25 .

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the base 21 is provided with the proximity sensor 26. The proximity sensor 26 detects the holding member 4 and reads the mark 41j provided on the back of the holding member 4. Therefore, the actuator 35c can be controlled. By moving the holding member 4 in the y direction, the center of the base 21 can be aligned with the center of the main body 41, and the actuator 24e can be controlled to move the columnar portion 22, so that the columnar portion 22 can be arranged on The position is consistent with the size of the mask M placed on the holding member 4 .

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the pinion gear 31 and the roller 32 are respectively provided on the rails 33a and 33c and the rails 33b and 33d provided on the straight lines L1 and L2 along the conveyance direction (y direction), and the holding member 4 is placed on The roller 32 and the pinion gear 31 are engaged with the racks 44a, 44b, 44c, and 44d. Therefore, the holding member 4 can be conveyed along the straight lines L1 and L2 while the holding member 4 is positioned in the x direction. In addition, when the holding member 4 is transported, the holding member 4 does not move in the x direction or the holding member 4 does not rotate along the xy plane. Therefore, the holding member 4 does not collide with the holding part 52 or the like in the inspection device 1. As a result, , can prevent the generation of dust.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, when the holding member 4 is located at the second position II inside the frame 10 or its vicinity, at least one of the pinions 31 provided on the rails 33c and 33d engages with the racks 44a and 44b, so that it is possible to The force is transmitted from the pinion 31 to the holding member 4 . Therefore, the holding member 4 can be reliably moved to the second position II.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the side surfaces 41c and 41d respectively have vertical surfaces 41e and 41g and inclined surfaces 41f and 41h. The inclined surfaces 41f and 41h are in contact with the inclined surface 52d of the holding part 52, and teeth are provided on the vertical surfaces 41e and 41g. The strips 44c and 44d can position the main body 41 in the x-direction and z-direction and transport the holding member 4 in the y-direction.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the grip portion 42 has side surfaces 42d and 42e located on the same plane as the vertical surfaces 41e and 41g, and racks 44a and 44b are formed on the entire side surfaces 42d and 42e, so that the holding member 4 faces + When the second position II is pressed in the y direction, force is easily transmitted from the pinion 31 to the racks 44a and 44b.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the connector 58a of the air suction part 58 is provided on the contact surface 52c where the front end surface 41b of the holding member 4 contacts, and the connector 58a has the joint part 58c movable in the y direction. Therefore, In a state where the front end surface 41b is not in contact with the contact surface 52c, the joint portion 58c is joined to the opening portion 45b, and the mask M is sucked toward the placement plane 41a. Thereby, the photomask M can be prevented from being deviated due to the impact when the front end surface 41b comes into contact with the contact surface 52c.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a pulley 35a is provided on the rotating shaft 31a of the pinion 31, a belt 35b is wound around the pulley 35a provided on the rails 33a and 33c, and a belt 35b is wound around the pulleys 35a provided on the rails 33b and 33d. There is one belt 35b, whereby all the pinion bodies 31b provided on the rails 33a, 33c can be rotated by the same amount at the same time, and all the pinion bodies 31b provided on the rails 33b, 33d can be simultaneously rotated by the same amount.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the actuator 24f is used to move the base 21 and the actuator 24e is used to move the columnar portion 22. However, the actuators 24e and 24f are not necessary, and the operator can also manually move the base. 21 or columnar portion 22 moves. However, even when the columnar portions 22 are moved manually, it is desirable to have a mechanism that can move the four columnar portions 22 simultaneously.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d stretch the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d against the elastic force of the elastic members, thereby moving the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d. The mechanism for moving the members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d is not limited to this. For example, pulleys may be provided near both ends of the rails 241a, 241b, 241c, and 241d, and the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d may be wound around the two pulleys. As a result, by moving the belts 243a, 243b, 243c, and 243d in two directions, the moving members 242a, 242b, 242c, and 242d can be moved in two directions, the inside and the outside.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the actuator 35c is used to convey the holding member 4, but the actuator 35c is not essential, and the operator may manually move the holding member 4. In this case, the pinion gear 31 can rotate freely. By rotating the pinion gear 31 in response to the movement of the holding member 4, the holding member 4 can be positioned in the x direction to prevent the holding member 4 from rotating during movement.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the holding member 4 is made of aluminum and an oxide film is formed on the surface, but the structure of the holding member 4 is not limited to this. FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main body portion 41A of the holding member according to the modified example. The main body part 41A has a central part 41m formed of aluminum and an outer side part 41n formed of stainless steel or ceramics. The central portion 41m includes a mounting plane 41a, and an oxide film is formed on the surface. The outer portion 41n includes side surfaces 41c and 41d.

The mounting plane 41 a on which the photomask M is mounted must be made of aluminum with an oxide film formed on it. However, there is a problem that the oxide film is easily peeled off due to impact. Therefore, by forming the outer side portion 41n of the rack 44 using stainless steel or ceramic that is difficult to be damaged by impact, the generation of dust caused by the collision between the rack 44 and the pinion 31 can be significantly reduced.

<Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment of the present invention, the rail 33a is movable in the x direction. The only difference between the inspection device 1 of the first embodiment and the inspection device 1A of the second embodiment is the conveying device. Therefore, only the conveying device in the inspection device of the second embodiment will be described below. In addition, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG. 16 is a schematic plan view showing the inspection device 1A. In addition, only the main part is illustrated in FIG. 16 . The conveyance device 3A mainly includes the holding member 4, the pinion 31, the rollers 32, 32A, the rails 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, and the rail 36. In addition, the illustrations of the rails 33c and 33d as well as the pinions 31 and the rollers 32 provided on the rails 33c and 33d are omitted in FIG. 16 .

The track 33a is movable along the track 36 in the x direction. Roller 32A is provided on rail 33a. The difference between the roller 32 and the roller 32A is the width in the x direction, and the width of the roller 32A is wider than the width of the roller 32 .

Before placing the holding member 4 on the transport device 3A, the operator moves the rail 33a along the rail 36 in the -x direction. Since the width of the roller 32A is wider than that of the roller 32, the holding member 4 can be placed on the rollers 32 and 32A even if the rail 33a moves in the -x direction.

After placing the holding member 4 on the rollers 32 and 32A, the operator moves the rail 33a in the +x direction to mesh the pinion 31 with the rack 44 . The subsequent processing is the same as that of the inspection device 1 .

According to this embodiment, when the holding member 4 is placed on the conveyor 3A, the pinion 31 and the rack 44 do not need to mesh with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the pinion 31 and the rack 44 from colliding and being damaged. In particular, the modulus of the pinion 31 and the rack 44 is as small as 1. Therefore, when the rail 33a is not moved, the teeth of the pinion 31 and the teeth of the rack 44 do not mesh when the holding member 4 is placed. There is a risk that dust may be introduced into the inspection device due to a partial defect, but this problem can be prevented by moving the rail 33a.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operator moves the rail 33a in the x direction along the rail 36, but the conveying device 3A may also move the rail 33a along the rail 36. In this case, the control unit 151a only needs to move the rail 33a through an actuator (not shown) based on instructions from the input/output device 141 or the like.

<3rd Embodiment> The third embodiment of the present invention is a form in which the photomask M is automatically placed on the placement portion 25 . The only difference between the inspection device 1 of the first embodiment and the inspection device 1B of the third embodiment is the mounting device, so only the mounting device will be described below. In addition, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the inspection device 1B, with FIG. 17(A) being a top view and FIG. 17(B) being a front view. In addition, only the main part is illustrated in FIG. 17 .

The mounting device 2A included in the inspection device 1B mainly includes a base 21, a plurality of columnar parts 22, a first moving part 23 (not shown in FIG. 17 ), and a second moving part 24 (not shown in FIG. 17 ). , reticle SMIF Pod 63 , storage rack 70 and mask transport part 80 . The reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 and the storage rack 70 are adjacent to the base 21 on the proximal side (-y side) of the front portion 11 when viewed from the vertical upper side. In this embodiment, the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 is located on the -x side of the holding member 4 placed in the first position I, and the storage rack 70 is placed on the holding member 4 placed in the first position I. The +x side is provided sandwiching the base 21.

The reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 mainly includes a base 63a, a placement part 63b and a cover 63c. The mounting portion 63b is provided on the base 63a, and the photomask M is mounted on the front end. The placement part 63b has the same shape as the placement part 25. The cover 63c is openably and closably provided on the base 63a so as to cover the mounting part 63b and the photomask M. By placing the mask M on the mounting portion 63b and closing the cover 63c, contamination of the mask M can be prevented. Furthermore, the inside of the cover 63c can be filled with nitrogen through a nitrogen filling portion (not shown).

The storage rack 70 mainly includes a frame 71 and a plurality of mask storage parts 72 . The mask storage unit 72 can move in the z direction by a moving mechanism including an actuator 73 (see FIG. 18 ). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the storage rack 70 has five mask storage parts 72, but the number of the mask storage parts 72 included in the storage rack 70 is not limited to this.

The mask storage part 72 has a base 72a and a placement part 72b provided in the base 72a. The base 72a is provided so that it can move in the x direction by a moving mechanism (not shown) having an actuator 72c (see FIG. 18 ). The photomask M is placed on the placing portion 72b, and the photomask M moves in the x direction together with the base 72a. The placement part 72b has the same shape as the placement part 25.

The mask transport part 80 is provided on the nearer side (-y side) than the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63, the base 21, and the storage rack 70. The mask transport unit 80 mainly includes arms 81 and 82 and a rail 83 . The arms 81 and 82 have the same shape and hold the mask M from below. The arms 81 and 82 have a substantially U-shaped portion along the horizontal direction. Therefore, the arms 81 and 82 bring the substantially U-shaped portion into contact with the back surface of the mask M and pick up the mask M, thereby maintaining the posture of the mask M in the horizontal direction.

The arms 81 and 82 are provided on the rail 83 . The arms 81 and 82 can move in the x direction along the rail 83 by the actuator 84 (see FIG. 18 ).

In addition, the arms 81 and 82 can move in the y direction by a moving mechanism (not shown) including the actuator 85 (see FIG. 18 ), and by using a moving mechanism (not shown) including the actuator 86 (see FIG. 18 ) As shown in the figure), the arms 81 and 82 can move in the z direction. Furthermore, the moving mechanism may also include a track not shown in the figure.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the inspection device 1B. The inspection device 1B has a central processing unit (CPU) 151, a random access memory (Random Access Memory, RAM) 152, a read only memory (Read Only Memory, ROM) 153, and an input/output interface (I/ F) 154, communication interface (I/F) 155 and media interface (I/F) 156, which are related to actuators 14, 24e, 24f, 35c, 59a, 59b, 72c, 73, 84, 85, 86, The proximity sensors 26 and the like are connected to each other.

The function of the inspection device 1B configured in this way will be described. The following processing is mainly performed by the control unit 151a. In this embodiment, the mask M placed in the mask storage part 72 of the storage rack 70 is placed on the holding member 4 for inspection, and the inspected mask M is placed on the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 . Furthermore, the cover 63c of the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 is opened, and the placing portion 63b is exposed.

First, the operator grasps the grip bar 42c of the grip portion 42 of the holding member 4, lifts the holding member 4, and places the holding member 4 on the roller 32 of the conveyor 3. The three proximity sensors 26 read the mark. The control unit 151a controls the actuator 35c of the transport device 3 to move the holding member 4 in the y direction so that the center of the base 21 coincides with the center of the main body 41. Furthermore, the control part 151a controls the actuator 24e of the mounting device 2A to move the columnar part 22 of the mounting device 2A, and disposes the columnar part 22 in a size consistent with the size of the mask M placed on the holding member 4 location.

Next, the control unit 151 a controls the actuator 73 of the storage rack 70 so that the height (position in the z direction) of the mask storage unit 72 on which the mask M to be inspected is placed becomes equal to the columnar shape of the mounting device 2A. The height of the mounting portion 25 at the front end of the portion 22 is approximately the same. In FIG. 16(B) , the height of the mask storage part 72 in the second step from the top is substantially consistent with the height of the mounting part 25 .

Next, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 73 of the storage rack 70 to move the mask storage unit 72 on which the mask M to be inspected is placed in the −x direction so that the mask M is exposed to the frame of the storage rack 70 Outside of body 71.

Then, the control part 151a controls the actuator 84 of the mask conveying part 80 to move the arms 81 and 82 of the mask conveying part 80 in the x direction along the track 83 of the mask conveying part 80, so that the arm 81 is aligned with the The x-direction position of the photomask M outside the frame 71 is aligned so that the arm 82 and the holding member 4 (mounting device 2 ) are aligned with the x-direction position.

Then, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 86 of the mask transport unit 80 to move the arms 81 and 82 in the z direction so that the heights of the arms 81 and 82 are lower than the height of the mask M. Furthermore, the control unit 151a controls the actuator 85 of the mask transport unit 80 to move the arms 81 and 82 in the +y direction, so that the mask storage unit 72 and the holding member 4 (mounting device 2) of the storage rack 70 are aligned with the arms. The positions of 81 and 82 in the y direction are consistent (refer to the dotted line in Figure 16(A)).

After the positions of the mask storage unit 72 and the arm 81 in the y direction and the positions of the holding member 4 (mounting device 2 ) and the arm 82 in the y direction match, the control unit 151 a controls the actuator 86 to move the arms 81 and 82 toward Move in the +z direction, and pick up the mask M from the mounting part 72b and the mounting part 25 of the mask storage part 72 (refer to the two-point chain line of FIG. 16(B)).

Next, the control unit 151 a controls the actuator 84 of the mask transport unit 80 to move the arms 81 and 82 in the -x direction along the rail 83 to adjust the x-direction positions of the arms 81 and the holding member 4 (mounting device 2 ). The arm 82 is consistent with the x-direction position of the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 .

After the x-direction positions of the arm 81 and the holding member 4 (mounting device 2A) and the x-direction positions of the arm 82 and the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 are consistent, the control unit 151 a controls the actuation of the mask transport unit 80 The device 86 is used to move the arms 81 and 82 in the -z direction, and the photomask M is placed on the placement portion 25 and the placement portion 63b of the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63.

Thereby, the photomask M before inspection is placed on the placement part 25 of the placement device 2A. The subsequent processing of the inspection device 1B is the same as that of the inspection device 1, so the description is omitted.

The photomask M placed on the placement portion 25 is the photomask M that has been inspected by the inspection device 1 . Therefore, the inspected photomask M is placed on the placement portion 63b. Subsequently, the operator closes the cover 63c of the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63, saves the inspected reticle M inside the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63, and places the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 with the reticle M. The interface box 63 is replaced with an empty reticle standard mechanical interface box 63.

According to this embodiment, the mounting portion 63b and the mounting portion 72b are provided adjacent to the base 21, and the arms 81 and 82 are used to hold the mask M from below and move the arms 81 and 82 along the rail 83, thereby eliminating the need for The operator can place the mask M on the placement portion 25 or detach the mask M from the placement portion 25 .

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting device 2A has the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63, the storage rack 70, and the mask transport part 80. However, as long as it has any of the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 and the storage rack 70, Just one will do. For example, the mask transport unit 80 may transport the mask M before inspection from the mounting unit 72b of the mask storage unit 72 to the mounting unit 25, and may transport the mask M after inspection from the mounting unit 25 to the mask. Storage unit 72 (placement unit 72b). Furthermore, for example, the inspected mask M may be transported from the placement part 25 to the reticle standard mechanical interface box 63 (the placement part 63b). In such a case, the mask transport unit 80 only needs to have one arm 81 .

<4th Embodiment> The fourth embodiment of the present invention is a form in which a part of the pinion gear 31 of the conveying device is provided in the inspection part 50. The only difference between the inspection device 1 of the first embodiment and the inspection device 1C of the fourth embodiment is the conveying device. Therefore, only the conveying device in the inspection device of the fourth embodiment will be described below. In addition, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view showing the inspection device 1C. In addition, only the main part is illustrated in FIG. 19 . The conveying device 3B included in the inspection device 1C mainly includes the holding member 4, pinion gears 31, 31A, rollers 32, 32B, rails 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, gear 34, and switching mechanism 37. In addition, the illustration of the rails 33a and 33b and the pinion gear 31 and the roller 32 provided in the rails 33a and 33b are abbreviate|omitted in FIG.

The pinion gear 31A and the roller 32B are provided on the first stage 51A. The pinion gear 31A is configured such that a pinion gear body is rotatably provided on a rotation shaft provided on the first stage 51A. The roller 32B is configured such that a roller body is rotatably provided on a rotation axis provided on the first stage 51A.

The first stage 51A is the same as the first stage 51 except in the shape of the -y side. The pinion gear 31A and the roller 32B move in the x direction and the y direction together with the first stage 51A. In FIG. 19 , the state in which the first stage 51A is located in the loading position (the position where the mask M is loaded by the transport device 3B) is shown.

A switching mechanism 37 is provided on the pinion 31 provided near the ends on the +y side of the rails 33c and 33d. The switching mechanism 37 mainly includes a plate member 371, an elastic member 372, and a stopper pin 373.

The plate-shaped member 371 is rotatably provided on the rotation axis of the pinion gear 31 . The gear 34 is provided on the plate-shaped member 371 . When the plate-shaped member 371 rotates around the rotation axis of the pinion gear 31, the position of the gear 34 changes as the plate-shaped member 371 rotates. The gear 34 is configured such that a gear body 34b is rotatably provided on a rotation shaft 34a provided on the plate-shaped member 371.

The elastic member 372 is, for example, a tension spring, and exerts a force on the plate-shaped member 371 in the direction in which the gear 34 approaches the rails 33c and 33d (refer to the arrow in FIG. 19 ).

When the first stage 51A is not in the loading position, the plate-shaped member 371 is rotated by the elastic force of the elastic member 372 (see the black arrow in FIG. 19 ), and the plate-shaped member 371 is in contact with the stopper pin 373 . When the first stage 51A moves (moves in the -y direction) to the loading position, as shown by the hollow arrow in Figure 19, the pinion gear 31A also moves in the -y direction together with the first stage 51A, and the pinion gear 31A overcomes the elasticity The elastic force of the member 372 presses the gear 34, that is, the plate-shaped member 371. Thereby, the gear 34 meshes with the pinion gear 31A.

Fig. 20 is a diagram schematically showing the state of the pinion gears 31, 31A and the gear 34 when the first stage 51A moves to the loading position. Fig. 20(A) shows the state immediately before reaching the loading position. Fig. 20(B) Indicates what the loading position looks like.

Just before reaching the loading position, as shown in FIG. 20(A) , the gear 34 and the pinion gear 31A are located farther from the engagement position. Subsequently, the pinion gear 31A moves toward the loading position in the direction of the hollow arrow in FIG. 20(A) . As a result, as shown in FIG. 20(B) , the pinion gear 31A moves to the loading position, and the gear 34 and the pinion gear 31A mesh accurately.

At this time, the elastic member 372 exerts elastic force on the first stage 51A via the pinion 31A. However, since the plate-shaped member 371 can rotate against the elastic force of the elastic member 372, excess force is not exerted on the first stage 51A.

Furthermore, just before reaching the loading position, the phase of the gear 34 and the phase of the pinion gear 31A are sometimes inconsistent (refer to the two-point chain line in Figure 20(A)). However, since the pinion gear 31A can rotate freely, the pinion gear 31A It is rotated by the elastic force of the elastic member 372 to be consistent with the phase of the gear 34 .

The function of the inspection device 1C configured in this way will be described. The following processing is mainly performed by the control unit 151a. In addition, since the electrical structure of the inspection device 1C is the same as that of the inspection device 1, description is omitted.

First, the control unit 151a controls the actuators 59a and 59b to move the first stage 51A to the loading position and engage the gear 34 with the pinion gear 31A as shown in FIG. 19 .

Then, similarly to the case of the inspection device 1 , after placing the holding member 4 on the roller 32 of the conveying device 3B and placing the photomask M on the holding member 4 , the control unit 151 a controls the actuator 35 c of the conveying device 3B. The pinion 31 of the conveying device 3B is driven to convey the holding member 4 in the +y direction. Since the pinion gears 31 and 31A are in phase with each other (see FIG. 20 ), the rack 44 accurately meshes with the pinion gears 31 and 31A, and the holding member 4 is smoothly transported to the holding part 52 .

Furthermore, when the first stage 51A, that is, the pinion gear 31A moves to the loading position, the teeth of the gear 34 come into contact with the teeth of the pinion gear 31A. Depending on the phase of the gear 34, the pinion gear 31A may not be able to rotate. In this case, the teeth of the pinion gear 31A press the teeth of the gear 34, and the elastic force of the elastic member 372 maintains the state in which the teeth of the pinion gear 31A are in contact with the teeth of the gear 34 until the pinion gear 31 and the gear 34 start driving. . When the pinion gear 31 and the gear 34 start to drive (rotate), the teeth of the pinion gear 31A are out of contact with the teeth of the gear 34, and the teeth of the pinion gear 31A enter between the teeth of the gear 34. Along with this, the gear 34 moves in the direction closer to the pinion gear 31A due to the elastic force of the elastic member 372, the gear 34 meshes with the pinion gear 31A, and the phases of the pinion gear 31 and the pinion gear 31A are consistent.

Then, similarly to the case of the inspection device 1 , after the front end surface 41 b of the main body part 41 of the holding member 4 comes into contact with the contact surface 52 c of the holding part 52 , the control part 151 a stops the actuator 35 c of the conveyance device 3B. Thereby, the holding member 4 is conveyed to the inside of the inspection device 1C by the conveyance device 3B.

According to this embodiment, by providing the pinion gear 31A on the first stage 51A, the pinion gear 31A can be brought close to the holding portion 52 . Thereby, regardless of the size of the gripping portion 42, the holding member 4 can be pushed in all the way through the pinion 31A.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of gears 34 is one, but the number of gears 34 is not limited to one. For example, when the distance between the rails 33c and 33d and the holding part 52 is far, the pinion gear 31 and the pinion gear 31A may be connected by a plurality of gears.

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing a transport device 3C according to a modified example. In FIG. 21 , the state in which the first stage 51A (illustration omitted in FIG. 21 ), that is, the pinion gear 31A is located in the loading position is shown. The conveyance device 3C mainly includes the holding member 4, pinion gears 31, 31A, rollers 32, 32B, rails 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, gear 34A, and switching mechanism 37A. In FIG. 21 , the illustrations of the rails 33 a and 33 b, the pinion gears 31 provided on the rails 33 a and 33 b, the rollers 32 and the roller 32B are omitted.

A switching mechanism 37A is provided on the pinion 31 provided near the ends on the +y side of the rails 33c and 33d. The switching mechanism 37A mainly includes a plate member 371A, an elastic member 372 (not shown in FIG. 21 ), and a stopper pin 373. The plate-shaped member 371A is different in size from the plate-shaped member 371 .

The plate-shaped member 371A is rotatably provided on the rotation axis of the pinion gear 31 . Gear 34A is provided on plate-shaped member 371A. Gear 34A has three gears 341, 342, and 343. The gears 341, 342, and 343 are each configured such that a gear body 34b is rotatably provided on a rotation shaft 34a provided on the plate-shaped member 371A. When the plate-shaped member 371A rotates around the rotation axis of the pinion gear 31, the position of the gear 34A changes as the plate-shaped member 371A rotates.

When the first stage 51A is not in the loading position, the plate-shaped member 371A is in contact with the stopper pin 373 due to the elastic force of the elastic member 372 . When the first stage 51A moves to the loading position, the pinion gear 31A overcomes the elastic force of the elastic member 372 and pushes the gear 343, and the gear 343 meshes with the pinion gear 31A.

As in this modification, by using a plurality of gears 341, 342, and 343, the distance between the rails 33c and 33d and the holding part 52 can be further increased, or the pinion gear 31A can be brought closer to the holding part 52.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments and includes design changes and the like within the scope of the invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the relevant technical field can make appropriate changes, additions, transformations, etc. to each element of the embodiment.

In addition, in the present invention, the concept of "approximately" includes not only strictly the same situation, but also includes errors or deformations to a degree that does not lose the identity. For example, the concept of the so-called approximate level is not limited to a strict level, but also includes an error of several degrees. For example, when simply expressed as parallel, orthogonal, etc., it includes not only strictly parallel, orthogonal, etc., but also approximately parallel, approximately orthogonal, etc. In addition, in the present invention, "nearby" refers to a certain range (which can be arbitrarily defined) including the vicinity of a reference position. For example, when talking about the situation near A, it means a certain range of area near A and may or may not include A.

1, 1A, 1B, 1C: Inspection device 2. 2A: Mounting device 3, 3A, 3B, 3C: conveying device 4: Keep components 10:Box 11: Front face 11a:Opening part 12:Open and close the door 13: Orbit 14: Actuator 21:Abutment 21a:hole 22, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d: columnar part 23: 1st Mobile Department 23a: Orbit 23b:Mobile components 23c: Actuator 24, 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d: 2nd mobile unit 24e, 24f: actuator 25, 25a, 25b, 25c, 25d: placement part 26:Proximity sensor 31, 31A: Pinion 31a:Rotation axis 31b: Pinion body 32, 32A, 32B: roller 32a:Rotation axis 32b:Roller body 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d: orbit 34, 34A: Gear 34a:Rotation axis 34b: Gear body 35:Drive Department 35a: Pulley 35b: belt 35c: Actuator 36: Orbit 37, 37A: switching mechanism 41, 41A: Main body part 41a: Placing plane 41b: Front end surface 41c, 41d: side 41e, 41g: vertical surface 41f, 41h: Inclined surface 41i: concave part 41j: mark 41m:Central part 41n: outer part 42: Grip part 42a, 42b: Connection part 42c: Grip stick 42d, 42e: side 42i: concave part 43, 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 43e: holes 44, 44a, 44b, 44c, 44d: rack 45:Air hole 45a, 45b: opening 50:Inspection Department 51, 51A: 1st stage 52:Maintenance Department 52a, 52b: Orbit 52c: Contact surface 52d: Inclined surface 53: 2nd stage 54, 56: Belt 55, 57: Orbit 58:Air suction part 58a: Connector 58b:Suction hose 58c:Joint 58d, 58e: cylindrical part 58f: Elastic component 58g: Threaded part 58h: screw hole 59, 59a, 59b: actuator 61: Vibration elimination table 62:Plate 62b: Loading part 63:Reticle standard mechanical interface box 63a: Base 63b: Loading part 63c: cover 70:Storage rack 71:Frame 72: Mask storage department 72a: base 72b: Loading part 72c, 73: Actuator 80: Mask transport department 81, 82: Arm 83:Orbit 84, 85, 86: Actuator 141:Input/output device 142:Internet 143:Storage media 151:CPU 151a:Control Department 152: RAM 153:ROM 154:Input/output interface 155: Communication interface 156:Media interface 221, 222: Noodles 241, 241a, 241b, 241c, 241d: orbit 242a, 242b, 242c, 242d: moving components 243a, 243b, 243c, 243d: belt 244a, 244b, 244c, 244d: Pulley 251, 252: noodles 251a, 251b: side 252a, 252b: side 253, 254: noodles 255: concave part 256, 257: Incision 258:Corner 341, 342, 343: gear 371, 371A: Plate-shaped member 372: Elastic component 373: Stop pin 611:Base 612:Box 612a:hole 613:Mobile component 613a: Rod-shaped member 613b, 613e: Positioning components 613c: Conical part 613d: plate-shaped part ax: central axis d: diagonal I: No. 1 position II: 2nd position L1, L2: straight line M: photomask Ra: radius θ1, θ2: angle

[Fig. 1] is a perspective view showing an outline of the inspection device 1. [Fig. 2] is a plan view schematically showing the inspection device 1. [Fig. 3] is a schematic diagram showing the vibration isolation table 61. Fig. 3(A) schematically shows the state when it is floating, and Fig. 3(B) schematically shows the state when it is seated. [Fig. 4] is a partial enlarged view of the inspection device 1 when viewed from the front. [Fig. 5] is a partial perspective view of the inspection device 1 when viewed obliquely from the front. [Fig. 6] It is a top view of the columnar parts 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d of the mounting device 2 and the holding member 4. [Fig. 7] is a schematic diagram showing the columnar portion 22c of the mounting device 2 and the mounting portion 25c provided at the front end of the columnar portion 22c. Fig. 7(A) is a perspective view, and Fig. 7(B) is a top view. Figure 7(C) is a D-D cross-sectional view of Figure 7(B). [Fig. 8] is a plan view schematically showing the inspection device 1, and is an enlarged view of the main part. [Fig. 9] is a schematic diagram showing the holding member 4, Fig. 9(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 6, Fig. 9(B) is a diagram shown by an arrow B in Fig. 6, and Fig. 9(C) is a diagram taken along the line C in Fig. 6 Arrow diagram. [Fig. 10] is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the side surface 41c of the main body part 41 of the holding member 4 is in contact with the rail 52a of the holding part 52 of the inspection part 50. [Fig. 11] is a diagram schematically showing the driving part 35 that drives the pinion gear 31 of the conveying device 3. [Fig. 12] is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the front end surface 41b of the main body part 41 of the holding member 4 is located near the contact surface 52c of the holding part 52 of the inspection part 50. [Fig. 13] is a schematic diagram showing the connector 58a of the air suction part 58. [Fig. 14] is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the inspection device 1. [Fig. 15] is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main body portion 41A of the holding member according to the modification. [FIG. 16] It is a top view which shows the outline of the inspection apparatus 1A. [Fig. 17] is a schematic diagram showing the inspection device 1B, Fig. 17(A) is a top view, and Fig. 17(B) is a front view. [Fig. 18] is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of the inspection device 1B. [Fig. 19] is a plan view schematically showing the inspection device 1C. [Fig. 20] is a diagram schematically showing the state of the pinion gears 31, 31A and the gear 34 when the first stage 51A moves to the loading position. Figure 20(A) shows the state immediately before reaching the loading position. Figure 20(A) B) shows the loading position. [Fig. 21] It is a diagram showing the outline of the conveying device 3C.

2: Mounting device

3:Conveying device

4: Keep components

21:Abutment

21a:hole

22a, 22b, 22c, 22d: columnar part

24a, 24b, 24c, 24d: 2nd mobile unit

31:Pinion gear

32:Roller

33a, 33c: orbit

43:hole

241a, 241b, 241c, 241d: orbit

242a, 242b, 242c, 242d: moving components

243a, 243b, 243c, 243d: belt

244a, 244b, 244c, 244d: Pulley

M: photomask

Claims (8)

A placement device that places a plate-shaped object horizontally on a placement surface of a holding member provided with a hole, and is characterized by having: a base, which is movably provided on the lower side of the above-mentioned holding member in the vertical direction; a first moving part that moves the above-mentioned base in the up and down direction; and A plurality of columnar parts are provided on the above-mentioned base, The columnar portion protrudes upward in the vertical direction from the base, A first placing portion for placing the object is provided at the front end of the columnar portion. When the above-mentioned base is located at the lower end, the above-mentioned first placing part is located below the above-mentioned holding member, When the above-mentioned base moves upward from the above-mentioned lower end, the above-mentioned columnar part is inserted into the above-mentioned hole, When the base is located at the upper end, the first placing portion is located above the placement plane. For example, if the mounting device of claim 1 is It is provided with a plurality of second moving parts, and the second moving part has a first rail provided on the above-mentioned base, and a moving member provided movably along the above-mentioned first rail, By providing each of the columnar portions on the second moving portion, the columnar portions are provided on the base via the second moving portion. For example, if the mounting device of claim 2 is Having a driving part that drives a plurality of the above-mentioned moving members, The second moving part has a belt provided on the moving member, The driving unit drives the plurality of belts simultaneously by the same amount. For example, the mounting device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The above-mentioned first placing part has two surfaces with different heights, that is, the first surface which is the front end surface of the above-mentioned columnar part and the second surface which is one step lower than the above-mentioned first surface downward. The first surface is provided outside the second surface, The second surface is a surface on which the object is placed, and is inclined by 1° to 5° with respect to the horizontal direction such that the height becomes lower toward the inside. Such as the mounting device of claim 4, wherein The surface connecting the above-mentioned first surface and the above-mentioned second surface is inclined with respect to the vertical direction by 1° to 5° so as to be inclined outward as the height increases. Such as the mounting device of claim 4, wherein The above-mentioned first surface is provided with cutouts at both ends of the inner side. When viewed from the upper side in the vertical direction, the cutout coincides with a curved surface of arbitrary radius centered on the center point of a circle connecting the outer corners of a plurality of the columnar portions. For example, if the mounting device of claim 1 is Equipped with a proximity sensor installed on the above-mentioned base, There is a mark on the back of the above-mentioned holding member, The proximity sensor detects the holding member and reads the mark. For example, the mounting device of claim 1 has: a second placement portion, which is provided adjacent to the above-mentioned base when viewed from the upper side in the vertical direction; and The mask transport unit has an arm capable of holding the object from below, and a second rail provided with the arm, and the arm is movable along the second rail.

Images