WO2023233597A1 - 基板搬送装置 - Google Patents

基板搬送装置 Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2023233597A1
WO2023233597A1 PCT/JP2022/022370 JP2022022370W WO2023233597A1 WO 2023233597 A1 WO2023233597 A1 WO 2023233597A1 JP 2022022370 W JP2022022370 W JP 2022022370W WO 2023233597 A1 WO2023233597 A1 WO 2023233597A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
storage container
substrate
shutter mechanism
worker
transport device
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/JP2022/022370
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
慧太 川上
智貴 羽石
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Hitachi High Tech Corp
Original Assignee
Hitachi High Tech Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Hitachi High Tech Corp filed Critical Hitachi High Tech Corp
Priority to DE112022006917.1T priority Critical patent/DE112022006917T5/de
Priority to PCT/JP2022/022370 priority patent/WO2023233597A1/ja
Priority to JP2024524084A priority patent/JP7752243B2/ja
Priority to US18/865,773 priority patent/US20250316514A1/en
Publication of WO2023233597A1 publication Critical patent/WO2023233597A1/ja
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/30—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H10P72/33—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations into and out of processing chamber
    • H10P72/3302—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/30—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H10P72/34—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H10P72/3402—Mechanical parts of transfer devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
    • B25J11/0095—Manipulators transporting wafers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/06—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting, marking, testing or measuring
    • H10P72/0606—Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/30—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H10P72/34—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H10P72/3406—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving removal of lid, door or cover
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/30—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H10P72/34—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading
    • H10P72/3411—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for conveying, e.g. between different workstations the wafers being stored in a carrier, involving loading and unloading involving loading and unloading of wafers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H10P—GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H10P72/00—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof
    • H10P72/70—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping
    • H10P72/76—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches
    • H10P72/7602—Handling or holding of wafers, substrates or devices during manufacture or treatment thereof for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a substrate transport device, and, for example, to a technique that is effective when applied to a substrate transport device that transports semiconductor substrates.
  • Patent Document 1 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-58481 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Patent No. 5825948 (Patent Document 3) disclose that while a worker is accessing the storage container installation part, describes a technique that includes a mechanism that blocks a transfer robot from accessing a storage container installation section.
  • Patent No. 6822953 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-58481 Patent No. 5825948
  • the operation of installing a storage container that stores the substrate in a storage container installation section is performed by an operator.
  • the operation of taking out the substrate from the storage container installed in the storage container installation section and carrying it into the processing equipment that processes the substrate, or the operation of taking the substrate out of the processing equipment and storing the substrate in the storage container is , carried out by a transfer robot.
  • the storage container installation part is a place that is accessed by both the worker and the transfer robot, but the transfer robot is, for example, an industrial robot with a rated output of 80W or more, and the safety of the worker is ensured. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent contact between the worker and the transport robot at the storage container installation section. That is, in the substrate transfer device, it is necessary to take measures to prevent contact between the worker and the transfer robot.
  • the transportation robot can be prevented from coming into contact with the worker by cutting off the drive power of the transportation robot. is possible.
  • a substrate transport device in one embodiment includes a transport robot that transports a substrate, a first installation section in which a storage container that accommodates the substrate can be installed, and a first installation section that can be used to access the storage container or the first installation section from outside the device.
  • a first shutter mechanism provided to be able to block one access path;
  • a second shutter mechanism provided to be able to block a second access path when the transfer robot accesses the storage container; It includes a control section that controls opening and closing operations of the shutter mechanism.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a semiconductor inspection device.
  • FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of a substrate transfer device.
  • FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a substrate transfer device.
  • FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter is closed.
  • FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter is open. It is a figure explaining the basic idea in embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the flow of operation of the substrate transport device when an operator accesses the storage container installation part.
  • FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operations of the substrate transfer device when the transfer robot accesses the storage container installation section.
  • FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the substrate transfer device following FIG.
  • FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of transitioning to a state in which the operator can access the storage container installation section after the transfer robot accesses the storage container installation section.
  • FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a substrate transport device in an embodiment. It is a figure explaining the characteristic in an embodiment mode. It is a diagram showing a storage container called an "open cassette.” It is a figure showing an example of composition of a shutter mechanism. 7 is a diagram illustrating a locking mechanism in Modification 1.
  • FIG. This is a diagram illustrating an example in which a light curtain is provided to detect that a worker is accessing the storage container installation section, and an example in which a light curtain is provided to detect that a transport robot is accessing the storage container installation section.
  • FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a substrate transport device in Modification 4 and Modification 5.
  • a semiconductor inspection apparatus including a substrate transport device will be described as an example of a substrate transport device.
  • the substrate transport apparatus in this embodiment is not limited to this example, and can be widely applied to substrate transport apparatuses attached to substrate processing apparatuses that process substrates.
  • examples of the substrate transported by the substrate transport device include a semiconductor wafer (semiconductor substrate) and a reticle, but in this embodiment, a semiconductor substrate will be described as an example of the substrate.
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a semiconductor inspection apparatus 100.
  • a semiconductor inspection apparatus 100 has a semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 provided at the rear of the apparatus, and a substrate transport device 102 provided at the front of the apparatus.
  • the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 has a main function as a semiconductor inspection apparatus 100 that inspects or measures a semiconductor substrate, and a control section including a computer system and a power supply for controlling the function.
  • the semiconductor inspection apparatus 100 is a length measurement SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope)
  • the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 includes an electron gun section, a stage section, a vacuum evacuation section, and a power supply section.
  • the control unit is configured to control the operations of these components, and is configured to measure the dimensions of the fine pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate by controlling these components. There is.
  • FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing the configuration of the substrate transport device 102.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 includes a control section 210, a pre-aligner 211, a storage container installation section 220, and a transfer robot 230.
  • the control unit 210 is configured to control the transport operation of the semiconductor substrate 201 by the transport robot 230.
  • the pre-aligner 211 is a unit configured to measure the amount of eccentricity of the semiconductor substrate 201 and correct the amount of eccentricity, and detects the orientation flat or notch of the semiconductor substrate 201 and determines the direction of the orientation flat or notch. It is a unit that prepares the following.
  • the storage container installation section 220 is configured to place the storage container 200 therein, and has a container placement stand 221 on which the storage container 200 is placed.
  • the substrate transport device 102 is provided with at least one storage container stand 221, and for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a storage container stand 221a and a storage container stand 221b are provided.
  • the storage container 200 can be placed on the storage container stand 221a and the storage container stand 221b at the same time.
  • the storage container installation unit 220 has functions such as checking whether the storage containers 200 are normally placed on the storage container placement stand 221 and storing the placement history of the storage containers 200. , a sensor, a switch, and a reader are provided to check whether the semiconductor substrate 201 has protruded from the storage container 200 placed on the storage container stand 221.
  • the transport robot 230 is configured to be able to transport the semiconductor substrate 201, and is configured to operate under control by the control unit 210.
  • FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the substrate transport device 102.
  • a storage container 200 is placed on a storage container stand 221, and it can be seen that a plurality of semiconductor substrates 201 are stored inside this storage container 200.
  • a transfer robot 230 is arranged in a space between the upper port 240 provided in the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 and the storage container 200 arranged on the storage container stand 221 of the substrate transfer device 102.
  • the operation of the substrate transport device 102 will be explained with reference to FIG. 2.
  • an operator manually places the storage container 200 containing a plurality of semiconductor substrates 201 on the storage container stand 221 of the storage container installation section 220.
  • the transport robot 230 takes out the semiconductor substrate 201 from the storage container 200 placed on the storage container stand 221, and then places the taken out semiconductor substrate 201 on the pre-aligner 211.
  • the eccentricity of the semiconductor substrate 201 is corrected, and the orientation flats and notches are aligned.
  • the transfer robot 230 takes out the semiconductor substrate 201 from the pre-aligner 211 and transfers the semiconductor substrate 201 to the upper port 240 for delivery to the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101.
  • the semiconductor substrate 201 placed in the upper port 240 is then processed in the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101. Subsequently, the semiconductor substrate 201 processed by the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 is placed in the upper port 240 again. Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 210, the transfer robot 230 picks up the semiconductor substrate 201 placed at the upper port 240, and then transfers it into the storage container 200 placed on the storage container stand 221 of the storage container installation unit 220. A semiconductor substrate 201 is housed therein. Then, the operator manually carries the storage container 200 containing the processed semiconductor substrates 201 to the outside of the substrate transport device 102. The substrate transport device 102 operates as described above.
  • the transfer robot 230 is an industrial robot with a rated output of 80W or more, and according to the SEMI standard, workers are protected by physical shields to prevent them from coming into contact with the transfer robot 230. Needed.
  • the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation section 220.
  • the storage container installation section 220 is also a place where the operator accesses to place the storage container 200 on the storage container placement stand 221 of the storage container installation section 220. Therefore, if no measures are taken, there will be no physical shield between the worker and the transport robot 230 in the storage container installation section 220. Therefore, since there is no physical shield between the worker and the transport robot 230, for example, if the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation part 220 while the worker is accessing the storage container installation part 220, , there is a risk that the worker and the transport robot 230 will come into contact with each other. For this reason, for example, a technique may be considered in which a shutter mechanism (sometimes referred to as a shutter) is provided at the boundary between the operator and the storage container installation section 220.
  • a shutter mechanism sometimes referred to as a shutter
  • FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter 103 is closed. As shown in FIG. 4, a shutter 103 blocks off the operator (outside the device) and the storage container installation section 220. For this reason, the worker cannot access the storage container installation section 220, but the transport robot 230 is protected by a physical shield (shutter 103), so it cannot access the storage container installation section 220. It becomes possible to do so.
  • FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the shutter 103 is open. As shown in FIG. 5, there is a space between the storage container installation section 220 and the transport robot 230 that allows the transport robot 230 to take out the semiconductor substrate 201 from the storage container 200 or store the semiconductor substrate 201 in the storage container 200. It can be seen that a port 222a and a transport port 222b are provided. From this, it can be seen that even when the shutter 103 is closed as shown in FIG. 4, the transport robot 230 can access the storage container installation section 220 via the transport port 222a or the transport port 222b.
  • the technique of providing the shutter 103 as a physical shield while cutting off the drive power of the transfer robot 230 is an improvement from the perspective of ensuring worker safety while suppressing the decline in work efficiency in the substrate transfer device 102.
  • FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the basic idea of this embodiment.
  • the basic idea is to provide a worker-side shutter 104 (first shutter mechanism) between the outside of the device and the storage container installation section 220, and to provide a transport robot between the transport robot 230 and the storage container installation section 220.
  • the idea is to provide a side shutter 105 (second shutter mechanism).
  • the basic idea is that the worker side shutter 104 is arranged to be able to block the first access path when accessing the storage container installation section 220 from outside the device, and the transport robot 230 is connected to the storage container installation section 220.
  • the idea is to provide the substrate transfer device 102 with a transfer robot-side shutter 105 that is arranged to be able to block a second access path when accessing.
  • the basic idea is to provide the substrate transfer apparatus 102 with a dual shutter mechanism of the operator side shutter 104 and the transfer robot side shutter 105.
  • the worker-side shutter 104 is opened and the transport robot-side shutter 105 is closed.
  • the transport robot 230 cannot access the storage container installation section 220 because the transport robot-side shutter 105 is in the closed state.
  • the worker-side shutter 104 is in an open state, the worker can access the storage container installation section 220.
  • the transportation robot 230 is blocked from accessing the storage container installation section 220 by the transportation robot side shutter 105. Therefore, according to the basic idea, when the worker accesses the storage container installation section 220, there is no need to cut off the driving power of the transfer robot 230 in order to prevent contact between the transfer robot 230 and the worker. . Therefore, according to the basic concept, there is no need to turn on the drive power of the cut-off transfer robot 230 again, and as a result, it is possible to save time for bringing the transfer robot 230 into an operable state. Therefore, according to the basic idea, a remarkable effect can be obtained in that the safety of workers can be ensured while suppressing a decrease in work efficiency in the substrate transport device 102.
  • the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation section 220
  • the worker-side shutter 104 is closed and the transport robot-side shutter 105 is opened.
  • the worker cannot access the storage container installation section 220 because the worker-side shutter 104 is in the closed state.
  • the transport robot side shutter 1045 of the transport robot 230 is in an open state, the transport robot 230 can access the storage container installation section 220 while reliably preventing contact with the worker. .
  • FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operations of the substrate transport device 102 when an operator accesses the storage container installation section 220.
  • FIG. 7 it is assumed that the worker-side shutter 104 is in a closed state. It is also assumed that the substrate transport device 102 is provided with an open switch that serves as a trigger for opening the operator-side shutter 104.
  • the control unit 210 of the substrate transfer device 102 determines whether the transfer robot 230 is accessing the storage container installation unit 220 (S102). When the control unit 210 determines that the transport robot 230 is accessing the storage container installation unit 220, it waits until the transport robot 230 finishes accessing the storage container installation unit 220. On the other hand, if the control unit 210 determines that the transport robot 230 is not accessing the container installation unit 220, it closes the transport robot-side shutter 105 (S103).
  • control unit 210 opens the worker-side shutter 104 (S104).
  • S104 worker-side shutter 104
  • the transfer robot side shutter 105 is in the closed state, access to the storage container installation section 220 by the transfer robot 230 is blocked, and the operator can safely access the storage container installation section 220. (S105).
  • control unit 210 changes from the phase in which the worker-side shutter 104 is in the closed state to the first phase in which the worker-side shutter 104 is in the open state and the transfer robot-side shutter 105 is in the closed state.
  • the container installation section 220 is made accessible to the operator.
  • FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of operations of the substrate transport device 102 when the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation section 220.
  • FIG. 8 it is assumed that the worker-side shutter 104 is in an open state. It is also assumed that the substrate transport device 102 is provided with a close switch that serves as a trigger for closing the operator-side shutter 104.
  • the control unit 210 of the substrate transport device 102 determines whether the operator is accessing the storage container installation unit 220 (S202). When the control unit 210 determines that the worker is accessing the storage container installation unit 220, it waits until the worker finishes accessing the storage container installation unit 220. On the other hand, if the control unit 210 determines that the worker is not accessing the storage container installation unit 220, it closes the worker-side shutter 104 (S203).
  • control unit 210 opens the transport robot-side shutter 105 (S204).
  • the transport robot 230 can access the storage container installation section 220 while the worker's access to the storage container installation section 220 is blocked. (S205).
  • control unit 210 changes the transport robot from the first phase in which the worker shutter 104 is open and the transport robot shutter 105 is closed.
  • the side shutter 105 By controlling the side shutter 105 to enter a second phase in which it is opened, the substrate can be transferred from the storage container by the transfer robot 230.
  • FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 102 following FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the operation
  • the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation section 220 and takes out the semiconductor substrate 201 from the storage container 200. (S301). Then, under the control of the control unit 210, the transport robot 230 transports the semiconductor substrate 201 taken out from the storage container 200 into the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 (S302). Next, after the semiconductor substrate 201 is processed in the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 (S303), under the control of the control unit 210, the transfer robot 230 transfers the semiconductor substrate 201 processed in the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 to the semiconductor substrate 201. It is carried out from the substrate processing unit 101. Then, under the control of the control unit 210, the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation unit 220 and stores the semiconductor substrate 201 in the storage container 200 (S304).
  • control unit 210 determines whether the transport robot 230 is accessing the storage container installation unit 220 (S305). When the control unit 210 determines that the transport robot 230 is accessing the storage container installation unit 220, it waits until the transport robot 230 finishes accessing the storage container installation unit 220. On the other hand, if the control unit 210 determines that the transport robot 230 is not accessing the container installation unit 220, it closes the transport robot-side shutter 105 (S306).
  • control unit 210 opens the worker-side shutter 104 (S307).
  • the transfer robot side shutter 105 is in the closed state, access to the storage container installation section 220 by the transfer robot 230 is blocked, and the operator can safely access the storage container installation section 220. (S308).
  • control unit 210 closes the transfer robot-side shutter 105 from the second phase, and then It is configured to shift to a third phase in which the worker-side shutter 104 is placed in an open state.
  • the operation of opening the operator-side shutter 104 is performed when the semiconductor substrate processing unit 101 processes the semiconductor substrate 201 stored in the storage container 200 designated by the operator. After all of this is completed and the semiconductor substrate 201 is stored in the storage container 200 as before by the transport robot 230, the opening can be performed automatically under the control of the control unit 210 without the operator pressing an open switch.
  • the operator does not need to press the open switch after processing (inspection, measurement, etc.) the semiconductor substrate 201 is finished, and as a result, the usability of the substrate transport device 102 can be improved for the operator.
  • the basic idea is a useful technical idea in that it can reliably ensure the safety of workers without cutting off the drive power of the transfer robot 230.
  • the inventor of the present invention found that there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of improving the work efficiency of the substrate transport device 102. Therefore, this room for improvement will be explained below. do.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 is provided with a worker-side shutter 104 and a transfer robot-side shutter 105.
  • the control section 210 controls the worker-side shutter 104 to open and the transport robot-side shutter 105 to close.
  • This allows the operator to access the storage container installation section 220, and also blocks access to the storage container installation section 220 by the transport robot 230.
  • this means that contact between the worker and the transport robot 230 can be prevented and the safety of the worker can be ensured, but if the worker accesses the storage container installation section 220 This also means that the transport robot 230 cannot access the storage container installation section 220 to perform work.
  • the storage container installation section 220 of the substrate transport device 102 includes a storage container placement stand 221a and a storage container placement stand 221b. Therefore, for example, when the worker-side shutter 104 is in the open state and the worker accesses the storage container stand 221a, the worker does not access the storage container stand 221b.
  • the transport robot 230 can access the storage container stand 221b that is not accessed by the worker, the transport robot 230 can work on the storage container stand 221b while the worker works on the storage container stand 221a. Therefore, it is considered that the work efficiency of the substrate transport device 102 can be improved.
  • the basic idea is that the transport robot 230 cannot access the storage container stand 221b that is not accessed by the operator. In other words, the basic idea is that there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of improving the work efficiency of the substrate transport device 102.
  • FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the substrate transport device 102 in an embodiment.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 has a storage container stand 221a and a storage container stand 221b.
  • a separation wall 400 is provided to separate the stand 221b from the stand 221b.
  • a worker-side shutter 401a is installed between the storage container stand 221a isolated by the isolation wall 400 and the outside of the apparatus.
  • a worker-side shutter 401b is installed between the storage container stand 221b isolated by the isolation wall 400 and the outside of the apparatus.
  • a transport robot-side shutter 402a is installed between the storage container stand 221a and the transport robot 230 (not shown in FIG. 10).
  • a transport robot-side shutter 402b is installed between the storage container stand 221b and the transport robot 230.
  • Each of the worker-side shutter 401a, the worker-side shutter 401b, the transport robot-side shutter 402a, and the transport robot-side shutter 402b is configured to perform opening and closing operations based on the control of the control unit 210 (not shown in FIG. 10). It is configured.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 is provided with a switch 410, and is configured to open and close the worker-side shutter 401a and the worker-side shutter 401b using this switch 410 as a trigger.
  • the transport robot-side shutter 402a and the transport robot-side shutter 402b are provided with a function to recognize an open state and a closed state, and the opening and closing operations are performed under control of the control unit 210 based on this function. There is.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 in the embodiment includes a first installation part (storage container stand 221a) and a second installation part (storage container stand 221b) in which the storage container 200 (not shown in FIG. 10) can be installed. and has.
  • the first installation part and the second installation part are separated by a separation wall 400.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 includes an operator-side shutter 401a that is provided to be able to block a first access path when accessing the storage container 200 or the first installation section from outside the device, and a worker-side shutter 401a that allows the transfer robot 230 to access the storage container 200.
  • a transport robot-side shutter 402a is provided to be able to block a second access path when accessing, and a shutter 402a on the transfer robot side is provided to be able to block a third access path when accessing the storage container 200 or the second installation part from outside the device.
  • a transport robot-side shutter 402b is provided to be able to block a fourth access path when the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container 200.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 includes a control unit configured to control the opening and closing operations of the worker-side shutter 401a, the worker-side shutter 401b, the transfer robot-side shutter 402a, and the transfer robot-side shutter 402b. There is. As described above, the substrate transport device 102 in the embodiment is configured.
  • the worker accesses the storage container stand 221b.
  • the worker first presses an open switch included in the switch 410 that opens the worker-side shutter 401b.
  • pressing down the open switch serves as a trigger, and the control unit 210 opens the worker-side shutter 401b.
  • the control unit 210 closes the transport robot-side shutter 402b that faces the worker-side shutter 401b.
  • the control unit 210 closes the worker-side shutter 401a and opens the transport robot-side shutter 402a, which faces the worker-side shutter 401a.
  • a separation wall 400 is provided between the storage container stand 221a and the storage container stand 221b, and a shutter is provided on the side of the storage container stand 221a. It has a separate shutter provided on the storage container stand 221b side.
  • the characteristic points are that a worker-side shutter 401a is provided between the storage container stand 221a on the left side of the isolation wall 400 and the outside of the device, and a transporter side shutter 401a is provided between the storage container stand 221a and the transfer robot 230.
  • a robot-side shutter 402a While a robot-side shutter 402a is provided, an operator-side shutter 401b is provided between the storage container stand 221b on the right side of the isolation wall 400 and the outside of the apparatus, and a worker-side shutter 401b is provided between the storage container stand 221b and the transfer robot 230. The point is that a transport robot side shutter 402b is provided between them. Based on this configuration, if the worker-side shutter 401a is open and the transport robot-side shutter 402a is closed, the worker-side shutter 401b is closed, and the transport robot-side shutter 402b is closed.
  • control unit 210 controls to open the worker-side shutter 401a, if the worker-side shutter 401a is in the closed state and the transfer robot-side shutter 402a is in the open state, the worker-side shutter 401b is brought into the open state, and The feature is that the control unit 210 controls the transport robot side shutter 402b to be in a closed state.
  • the worker-side shutter 401a when the worker-side shutter 401a is in the open state and the transfer robot-side shutter 402a is in the closed state on the storage container stand 221a, the worker 420 The storage container 200 located at 221a can be accessed.
  • the control unit 210 controls the storage container stand 221b so that the worker-side shutter 401b is in a closed state and the transport robot-side shutter 402b is in an open state.
  • the transport robot 230 can access the storage container 200 placed on the storage container stand 221b.
  • the operator 420 can access the storage container stand 221a and the transport robot 230 can access the storage container stand 221b at the same time. Therefore, according to the feature point, it is possible to improve the work efficiency in the substrate transport device 102.
  • a separation wall 400 is provided between the storage container stand 221a and the storage container stand 221b. Therefore, even if the worker 420 accesses the storage container stand 221a and the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container stand 221b at the same time, the isolation wall 400 prevents the worker 420 from coming into contact with the transport robot 230. can be prevented. From the above, according to the features of the specific embodiment, a remarkable effect can be obtained in that the work efficiency of the substrate transport device 102 can be improved while ensuring the safety of the worker 420.
  • FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a storage container called an "open cassette 450.”
  • an "open cassette 450” is not placed in a closed space and accessed by the transfer robot, but is placed on the storage container stand 221 of the substrate transfer device 102 and accessed by the transfer robot. Further, this "open cassette 450" is placed on the storage container stand 221 manually by the operator. From this, when using the "open cassette 450" as a storage container, both the worker and the transport robot will access the "open cassette 450" on the storage container stand 221 without any physical obstructions. .
  • the substrate transport device 102 that embodies the above-mentioned technical idea.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 embodying the above-mentioned technical idea has great technical significance especially when applied to a substrate transfer technique that employs an "open cassette 450" as a storage container.
  • the shutter and the shutter opening/closing mechanism are collectively referred to as the shutter mechanism.
  • the shutter mechanism may be any mechanism as long as it can move the shutter in the vertical direction.
  • the air cylinder is a component in which a cylinder block 311 moves linearly on a cylinder rod 310 using air pressure.
  • the linear guide is a component in which the linear guide block 321 moves smoothly on the linear guide rail 320.
  • an air cylinder and a linear guide are attached to the base 300 in parallel, and the shutter 350, air cylinder, and linear guide are connected with a bracket 330.
  • the cylinder block 311 moves directly to the upper end of the cylinder rod 310, and the linear guide block 321 and shutter 350, which are connected by the bracket 330, also move toward the upper end of the cylinder rod 310. Moves straight to the top.
  • the shutter 350 opens smoothly.
  • the other side of the shutter 350 may be provided with a mechanism for linearly moving the shutter 350, similar to the mechanism described above, but the shutter mechanism on only one side is sufficient to realize linearly moving the shutter 350.
  • a mechanism for guiding the linear movement of the shutter 350 may be simply provided on the other side of the shutter 350.
  • the shutter mechanism is provided with a function of detecting opening and closing of the shutter 350, but any function may be used as the detection function.
  • a non-contact door sensor As a configuration to realize the detection function.
  • a non-contact type door sensor when the actuator approaches the sensor head to a certain distance, the output of the sensor head turns "ON", but when the actuator moves away from the sensor head to a certain distance, the output of the sensor head turns "OFF". It is a sensor.
  • the sensor head 340a and the sensor head 340b are attached to the base 300, while the actuator 341a and the actuator 341b are attached to the bracket 330.
  • the actuator 341a corresponds to the sensor head 340a
  • the actuator 341b corresponds to the sensor head 340b.
  • the outputs of the sensor head 340a and the sensor head 340b are input to the control section 210 (not shown in FIG. 13).
  • the actuator 341a moves away from the sensor head 340a, and as a result, the output of the sensor head 340a becomes "OFF".
  • the actuator 341b approaches the sensor head 340b, the output of the sensor head 340b becomes "ON" near the end of opening of the shutter 350.
  • the control unit 210 When the output of the sensor head 340b becomes "ON”, the control unit 210 recognizes that the shutter 350 is in the open state. However, if the output of both the sensor head 340a and the sensor head 340b is "ON", or the output of the sensor head 340b is "ON” for a certain period of time after the shutter 350 starts the opening operation. If an abnormality occurs, the control unit 210 is configured to determine that the operation of the shutter 350 is abnormal and display an error message.
  • the actuator 341b moves away from the sensor head 340b, and as a result, the output of the sensor head 340b becomes "OFF".
  • the output of the sensor head 340a becomes "ON" near the completion of the closing operation of the shutter 350.
  • the control unit 210 recognizes that the shutter 350 is in the closed state. However, there are cases where the output of the sensor head 340b is "ON” or the output of the sensor head 340a is "OFF” even after a certain period of time has passed since the shutter 350 started the closing operation. If this occurs, the control unit 210 is configured to determine that the operation of the shutter 350 is abnormal and display an error message.
  • the shutter mechanism is configured as described above.
  • Modification 1 Next, the substrate transport device 102 in Modification 1 will be described.
  • the worker-side shutter 104 or the transport robot-side shutter 105 is closed, the worker-side shutter 104 or the transport robot-side shutter is forcibly opened by a force from outside the device. Then, there is no physical obstruction between the worker and the transfer robot 230.
  • FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a locking mechanism.
  • a solenoid locking mechanism 500 is shown as an example of a locking mechanism.
  • the solenoid locking mechanism 500 is a mechanism in which the shaft 501 pops out when energized, and the shaft 501 is retracted when the energization is cut off.
  • a hole into which the shaft 501 can be inserted is provided in the worker-side shutter 104. At this time, the hole into which the shaft 501 is inserted may be provided in a component attached to the worker-side shutter 104.
  • the solenoid lock mechanism 500 is configured to be energized, so that the shaft 501 pops out from the solenoid lock mechanism 500, and the shaft 501 is attached to the worker-side shutter 104. inserted into the hole. As a result, the worker-side shutter 104 is locked.
  • the worker-side shutter 104 is unlocked by cutting off the power to the solenoid lock mechanism 500 and pulling the shaft 501 into the solenoid lock mechanism 500.
  • the closed state of the worker-side shutter 104 can be forcibly maintained.
  • the transport robot side shutter 105 is also provided with a locking mechanism having the same configuration as the locking mechanism provided on the worker side shutter 104. Thereby, the closed state of the transport robot-side shutter 105 can also be forcibly maintained in the transport robot-side shutter 105. Therefore, by providing a locking mechanism for both the worker-side shutter 104 and the transport robot-side shutter 105, it is possible to reliably prevent a state in which there is no physical obstruction between the worker and the transport robot 230. can.
  • ⁇ Modification 2> For example, in FIG. 10, the operator-side shutter 401a is opened on the condition that the transport robot-side shutter 402a is closed. Similarly, the operation of opening the worker-side shutter 401b is performed on the condition that the transport robot-side shutter 402b is in the closed state.
  • a logic circuit is installed in the substrate transfer device 102, which invalidates the command to make the open state by the control unit 210 based on the output of the sensor that detects the closed state.
  • control unit 210 when the control unit 210 outputs a control signal to open the worker-side shutter 401a, a sensor (for example, the sensor in FIG. 13) that detects the closed state of the transport robot-side shutter 402a When the output of the head 340b) is "OFF", the control signal output from the control unit 210 is invalidated by the logic circuit described above.
  • a sensor for example, the sensor in FIG. 13
  • both shutters will be in the open state. may not be prohibited.
  • the output (control signal) from the control unit 210 that opens both the worker-side shutter 401a and the transport robot-side shutter 402a is always given priority to the control that opens the transport robot-side shutter 402a.
  • the above-mentioned logic circuit causes the worker-side shutter 401a to be opened.
  • the output (control signal) from the control unit 210 is invalidated. Thereby, for example, even if the transfer robot 230 extends its arm, it is possible to prevent the transfer robot 230 from being damaged due to contact between the transfer robot 230 and the transfer robot-side shutter 402a.
  • the safety interlock circuit has a configuration that can cut off the driving power of the transfer robot 230 in conjunction with the opening of both the worker-side shutter 104 and the transfer robot-side shutter 105.
  • any circuit configuration may be used.
  • a safety interlock circuit is a safety interlock circuit that uses a mechanical relay.
  • a mechanical relay is a component in which when the operating coil is energized, the contacts come into contact and the relay contacts turn "ON.”
  • the drive power source for the transfer robot 230 is connected to the relay contact.
  • the input of the operating coil is connected to the output of a sensor that detects the closed state of each of the worker-side shutter 104 and the transfer robot-side shutter 105.
  • the configuration is such that power is supplied to the transfer robot 230 and the transfer robot 230 can operate only while either the worker-side shutter 104 or the transfer robot-side shutter 105 is in the closed state.
  • the power supply to the transfer robot 230 is cut off.
  • ⁇ Modification 4> an example will be described in which a light curtain 900 is provided to detect that an operator is accessing the storage container installation section 220, as shown in FIG. 15, for example.
  • the light curtain 900 is a device configured to be able to detect access to the storage container installation section 220 from outside the device, including workers.
  • the worker-side shutter 104 is kept in a closed state while the light curtain 900 detects access to the storage container installation section 220 from outside the device, including the worker. It is configured so that it cannot be done.
  • the light curtain 900 detects access to the storage container installation section 220 from outside the device, including the worker, while the worker-side shutter 104 is performing a closing operation. In this case, the closing operation of the worker-side shutter 104 is interrupted.
  • a light curtain 900a is installed on the storage container stand 221a, and a light curtain 900a is installed on the storage container stand 221b.
  • a light curtain 900b is installed against it.
  • the light curtain 900a can detect access to the storage container stand 221a
  • the light curtain 900b can detect access to the storage container stand 221b.
  • detection by the light curtain 900a and the light curtain 900b Based on the results, the closing operations of the worker-side shutter 401a and the worker-side shutter 401b can be restricted. Therefore, according to the fourth modification, it is possible to prevent the worker from being caught between the worker-side shutter 401a or the worker-side shutter 401b, thereby ensuring the safety of the worker.
  • the light curtain 900a is provided for the storage container stand 221a
  • the light curtain 900b is provided for the storage container stand 221b. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary interruption of the closing operation while ensuring the safety of the worker.
  • the light curtain 901 is a device configured to be able to detect access to the storage container installation section 220 by the transport robot 230.
  • a light curtain 901 is provided in the fifth modification, but since the route by which the transport robot 230 accesses the storage container installation section 220 is determined, a photoelectric sensor or the like is installed instead of the light curtain 901. May be used.
  • the substrate transfer device 102 in Modification 5 is configured such that the transfer robot side shutter 105 cannot be closed while the light curtain 901 detects access to the storage container installation section 220 by the transfer robot 230. It is configured. Further, in the substrate transfer apparatus 102 in the fifth modification, when the light curtain 901 detects access to the storage container installation section 220 by the transfer robot 230 while the transfer robot side shutter 105 is performing a closing operation, , the closing operation of the transport robot side shutter 105 is interrupted.
  • a light curtain 901a is installed on the storage container stand 221a, and a light curtain 901a is installed on the storage container stand 221b.
  • a light curtain 901b is installed against it.
  • the light curtain 901a can detect access to the storage container stand 221a
  • the light curtain 901b can detect access to the storage container stand 221b.
  • detection by the light curtain 901a and the light curtain 901b Based on the results, the closing operations of the transport robot-side shutter 402a and the transport robot-side shutter 402b can be restricted.
  • the transfer robot 230 can be prevented from being pinched by the transfer robot-side shutter 402a or the transfer robot-side shutter 402b, and thereby the transfer robot 230 can be prevented from being damaged.
  • the light curtain 901a is provided for the storage container stand 221a
  • the light curtain 901b is provided for the storage container stand 221b.
  • ⁇ Modification 6> For example, in order to correct tolerances due to the storage container 200 being a molded product and clearance errors during transportation due to assembly errors of the substrate transportation device 102 and the transportation robot 230, the substrate transportation device 102 and the storage container 200 used are , it is necessary to perform an operation called "teaching" to set the transport parameters of the transport robot 230.
  • “Teaching” is an operation performed visually by a service person, and requires both the operator-side shutter 104 and the transfer robot-side shutter 105 to be in an open state.
  • the substrate transport device 102 in the present modification 6 is equipped with a "teaching mode" in which the operator can arbitrarily select the open/close state of the shutter. Further, the substrate transfer device 102 in the present modification 6 includes an open/close switch for the operator-side shutter 104 and an open/close switch for the transfer robot-side shutter 105, which can be used only in the "teaching mode".
  • the safety interlock circuit described in the third modification is disabled, and the worker-side shutter 104 and the transfer robot-side shutter 105 can be opened simultaneously.
  • the monitoring of access to the storage container installation section 220 by the light curtain 900 explained in the above-mentioned modification 4 and the monitoring of the access to the storage container installation section 220 by the light curtain 901 explained in the above-mentioned modification 5 continue. , also performed in "teaching mode”.
  • the worker side shutter 104 prevents the worker from being caught, ensuring the safety of the worker, and also prevents the transfer robot 230 from being caught by the transfer robot side shutter 105. , damage to the transport robot 230 can be prevented.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)
PCT/JP2022/022370 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 基板搬送装置 Ceased WO2023233597A1 (ja)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE112022006917.1T DE112022006917T5 (de) 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 Substratfördervorrichtung
PCT/JP2022/022370 WO2023233597A1 (ja) 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 基板搬送装置
JP2024524084A JP7752243B2 (ja) 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 基板搬送装置
US18/865,773 US20250316514A1 (en) 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 Substrate Conveyance Device

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/JP2022/022370 WO2023233597A1 (ja) 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 基板搬送装置

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2023233597A1 true WO2023233597A1 (ja) 2023-12-07

Family

ID=89026155

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/JP2022/022370 Ceased WO2023233597A1 (ja) 2022-06-01 2022-06-01 基板搬送装置

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US20250316514A1 (https=)
JP (1) JP7752243B2 (https=)
DE (1) DE112022006917T5 (https=)
WO (1) WO2023233597A1 (https=)

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH07211764A (ja) * 1994-01-20 1995-08-11 Nikon Corp レーザ応用装置
JPH11135594A (ja) * 1997-10-30 1999-05-21 Kokusai Electric Co Ltd カセット搬送方法および装置
JP2002110756A (ja) * 2000-09-22 2002-04-12 Applied Materials Inc オープンカセット用ロードポート
JP2007250563A (ja) * 2006-03-13 2007-09-27 Disco Abrasive Syst Ltd 研削装置

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP5825948B2 (ja) 2011-09-14 2015-12-02 株式会社日立国際電気 基板処理装置及び半導体装置の製造方法
JP6217567B2 (ja) 2014-09-08 2017-10-25 信越半導体株式会社 半導体製造装置、半導体基板の製造方法及び搬送ロボット
JP6822953B2 (ja) 2014-11-25 2021-01-27 アプライド マテリアルズ インコーポレイテッドＡｐｐｌｉｅｄ Ｍａｔｅｒｉａｌｓ，Ｉｎｃｏｒｐｏｒａｔｅｄ 基板キャリア及びパージチャンバの環境制御を伴う基板処理のシステム、装置、及び方法

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH07211764A (ja) * 1994-01-20 1995-08-11 Nikon Corp レーザ応用装置
JPH11135594A (ja) * 1997-10-30 1999-05-21 Kokusai Electric Co Ltd カセット搬送方法および装置
JP2002110756A (ja) * 2000-09-22 2002-04-12 Applied Materials Inc オープンカセット用ロードポート
JP2007250563A (ja) * 2006-03-13 2007-09-27 Disco Abrasive Syst Ltd 研削装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPWO2023233597A1 (https=) 2023-12-07
US20250316514A1 (en) 2025-10-09
DE112022006917T5 (de) 2025-01-09
JP7752243B2 (ja) 2025-10-09

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
KR100440683B1 (ko) 진공처리장치및이를사용한반도체생산라인
JP2014038888A (ja) ミニエンバイロメント装置及びその内部雰囲気置換方法
TWI831860B (zh) 基板處理裝置、開閉基板收納容器的蓋之方法、以及程式
KR20190139059A (ko) 기판 처리 방법 및 기판 처리 장치
KR101034504B1 (ko) 리니어 스케일을 이용하는 기판 이송 장치
WO2023233597A1 (ja) 基板搬送装置
US12518999B2 (en) Load port and method for opening/closing storage container
JPH05304198A (ja) 搬送装置
JP4388505B2 (ja) 自動傾転付きオープンカセットロードポート
US20070002316A1 (en) Wafer aligner, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and method for detecting particles on a wafer
US6135702A (en) Apparatus for automated loading of wafer cassette
JP7726798B2 (ja) 基板搬送方法、基板処理装置、および記録媒体
KR20230160732A (ko) 이상 검지 방법 및 반송 장치
JP4369159B2 (ja) 真空処理装置
KR102570567B1 (ko) 촬상 유닛을 포함하는 반도체 제조 장치
KR100754271B1 (ko) 에스엠아이에프 시스템
JP2002110756A (ja) オープンカセット用ロードポート
CN221037801U (zh) 一种半导体真空计系统及其应用的半导体设备
KR20020016072A (ko) 반도체 제조 설비의 로드락 챔버
US6392737B1 (en) Processing apparatus and method of control
KR20050117288A (ko) 이송 챔버에서의 웨이퍼 감지 장치
JPH04291741A (ja) 真空処理装置及びその異常検出方法
KR20060016562A (ko) 반도체 제조설비
JP5386137B2 (ja) 試料測定装置
CN119065326A (zh) 装载端口第一辅助平台及应用于半导体工艺的方法以及系统

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application

Ref document number: 22944052

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2024524084

Country of ref document: JP

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 18865773

Country of ref document: US

WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 112022006917

Country of ref document: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase

Ref document number: 22944052

Country of ref document: EP

Kind code of ref document: A1

WWP Wipo information: published in national office

Ref document number: 18865773

Country of ref document: US