Substrate transport device and substrate processing device

Abstract

To provide a substrate transport device and a substrate processing device that can improve the transport efficiency of substrates. [Solution] The substrate transport device includes a relay conveyor that transports substrates in the transport direction so as to relay them between an upstream first transport conveyor and a downstream second transport conveyor, a drive unit that moves the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction, a positional misalignment detection unit that detects the relative positional misalignment between the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor in the width direction, and a control unit, the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment based on the amount of positional misalignment detected by the positional misalignment detection unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer device and a substrate processing device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a substrate processing device for processing a substrate has been known (for example, Patent Document 1). The substrate processing device of Patent Document 1 is a device that manufactures a mounted substrate by performing a predetermined process on a printed circuit board, and includes a plurality of conveyors for substrate transfer.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, misalignment may occur between adjacent conveyors (particularly misalignment in the width direction orthogonal to the transfer direction), and in that case, there is a possibility of failure in the transfer of the substrate between the conveyors. It can be said that there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of improving the transfer efficiency of the substrate.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a substrate transfer device and a substrate processing device that can improve the transfer efficiency of the substrate.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A substrate transport apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a relay conveyor that transports a substrate in the transport direction so as to relay the substrate between an upstream first transport conveyor and a downstream second transport conveyor, a drive unit that moves the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction, a positional misalignment detection unit that detects the relative positional misalignment between the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor in the width direction, and a control unit, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment based on the amount of the positional misalignment detected by the positional misalignment detection unit.

[0007] A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a relay conveyor that transports a substrate in a transport direction and relays the substrate between an upstream first transport conveyor and a downstream second transport conveyor; the second transport conveyor; a substrate processing unit that processes the substrate transported by the second transport conveyor; a drive unit that moves the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction; a positional misalignment detection unit that detects the relative positional misalignment between the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor in the width direction; and a control unit, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment based on the amount of the positional misalignment detected by the positional misalignment detection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The substrate transport apparatus and substrate processing apparatus of this disclosure can improve the substrate transport efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Schematic plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus of Embodiment 1 [Figure 3] Schematic plan view showing the positional displacement detection method by the positional displacement detection unit of Embodiment 1 [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an example of a misalignment determination method performed by the substrate processing apparatus of Embodiment 1. [Figure 5]A flowchart showing an example of a substrate processing operation (with positional misalignment correction) performed by the substrate processing apparatus of Embodiment 1. [Figure 6A] Schematic plan view illustrating the substrate processing operation using the flowchart in Figure 5. [Figure 6B] Schematic plan view illustrating the substrate processing operation using the flowchart in Figure 5. [Figure 6C] Schematic plan view illustrating the substrate processing operation using the flowchart in Figure 5. [Figure 6D] Schematic plan view illustrating the substrate processing operation using the flowchart in Figure 5. [Figure 6E] Schematic plan view illustrating the substrate processing operation using the flowchart in Figure 5. [Figure 6F] Schematic plan view illustrating the substrate processing operation using the flowchart in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Block diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the control unit of Embodiment 1 [Figure 8] A schematic plan view showing the case where the positional displacement detection unit is a jig. [Figure 9] Schematic plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of Embodiment 2 [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate transport device is provided, comprising: a relay conveyor that transports a substrate in the transport direction so as to relay the substrate between an upstream first transport conveyor and a downstream second transport conveyor; a drive unit that moves the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction; a position misalignment detection unit that detects the relative position misalignment between the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor in the width direction; and a control unit, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the position misalignment based on the amount of the position misalignment detected by the position misalignment detection unit.

[0011] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, the substrate transport apparatus described in the first aspect is provided, wherein the misalignment detection unit is an imaging unit having an imaging function.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the second aspect, wherein the misalignment detection unit is provided integrally with the second transfer conveyor, and detects the misalignment by imaging the first transfer conveyor.

[0013] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the first aspect, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit based on a value manually input as the amount of misalignment.

[0014] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the first aspect, wherein the misalignment detection unit is a distance sensor that detects the distance between the first transfer conveyor and the second transfer conveyor in the width direction.

[0015] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the first aspect, wherein the misalignment detection unit is a jig conveyed in the conveyance direction by the first transfer conveyor, and the jig includes a main body portion conveyed by the first transfer conveyor, and an angle sensor provided on the main body portion for measuring a change in angle when the main body portion is conveyed by the first transfer conveyor.

[0016] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the misalignment at a predetermined timing.

[0017] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the seventh aspect, wherein the predetermined timing is every fixed time.

[0018] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the seventh aspect, wherein the predetermined timing is every fixed number of substrates.

[0019] According to a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate transfer device as described in the seventh aspect, wherein the predetermined timing is when an error occurs in the conveyance of the substrate.

[0020] According to the eleventh aspect of this disclosure, the substrate transport apparatus according to the seventh aspect is provided, wherein the predetermined timing is when a delay occurs in the transport of the substrate.

[0021] According to a twelfth aspect of the present disclosure, the control unit controls the drive unit to maintain the relay conveyor in a predetermined position, instead of operating the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment, when the amount of misalignment is less than a first threshold, thereby providing a substrate transport device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects.

[0022] According to a thirteenth aspect of this disclosure, the control unit provides a substrate transport device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein, when the amount of the misalignment is greater than a second threshold, the control unit causes the notification unit to notify the drive unit to correct the misalignment.

[0023] According to a fourteenth aspect of this disclosure, the misalignment detection unit further detects the relative misalignment between the first and second conveying conveyors in the conveying direction, the drive unit further has the function of moving the intermediate conveyor in the conveying direction, and the control unit controls the drive unit to move the intermediate conveyor in the width direction and the conveying direction based on the amount of misalignment detected by the misalignment detection unit, thereby providing a substrate transport device according to any one of the first to thirteenth aspects.

[0024] According to a 15th aspect of the present disclosure, a substrate processing apparatus is provided, comprising: a relay conveyor that transports a substrate in a transport direction and relays the substrate between an upstream first transport conveyor and a downstream second transport conveyor; the second transport conveyor; a substrate processing unit that processes the substrate transported by the second transport conveyor; a drive unit that moves the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction; a positional misalignment detection unit that detects the relative positional misalignment between the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor in the width direction; and a control unit, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment based on the amount of the positional misalignment detected by the positional misalignment detection unit.

[0025] (Embodiment 1) The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] [Overall structure] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1 of this disclosure. Figure 2 is a block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to Embodiment 1. The X, Y, and Z directions in the figures represent the length, width, and height directions of the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0027] The substrate processing apparatus 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a device that manufactures a processed substrate 1 by performing predetermined processes on the substrate 1. The substrate processing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1 manufactures a mounted substrate by performing processes such as solder printing, adhesive application, electronic component mounting, and reflow on the substrate 1, which is a printed circuit board.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 transports the substrate 1 along the +X direction in the transport direction X1, and may also be called a "substrate transport apparatus".

[0029] The substrate processing apparatus 100 comprises a first apparatus 2, a second apparatus 4, a control unit 6, and a notification unit 7.

[0030] The first apparatus 2 and the second apparatus 4 are each devices for processing the substrate 1. The first apparatus 2 is located upstream of the transport direction X1, and the second apparatus 4 is located downstream of the transport direction X1. The first apparatus 2 is the "upstream equipment," and the second apparatus 4 is the "downstream equipment."

[0031] The control unit 6 is a component that controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100. The control unit 6 is electrically connected to the first device 2, the second device 4, and the notification unit 7, and controls various components. The control unit 6 can be composed of, for example, a microcontroller, CPU, MPU, GPU, DSP, FPGA, or ASIC. The functions of the control unit 6 may be composed of hardware alone, or they may be realized by a combination of hardware and software. The control unit 6 realizes predetermined functions by reading data and programs stored in a storage unit such as memory and performing various calculation processes.

[0032] The control unit 6 may be provided separately from the first device 2 and the second device 4, or it may be provided integrally with the first device 2 and the second device 4.

[0033] The notification unit 7 is a component for providing notifications to the operator. The notification unit 7 may provide notifications by any means, such as a screen or sound.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the first equipment 2 comprises a first transport conveyor 8, a housing 10, and a substrate processing unit 11.

[0035] The first conveyor belt 8 is a component that transports the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1 and is located inside the housing 10. The housing 10 is provided with a first opening 12, and the substrate 1 transported by the first conveyor belt 8 is discharged from the first opening 12. Although not shown in the illustration, the housing 10 may also be provided with another opening for loading the substrate 1.

[0036] The substrate processing unit 11 is a component that performs predetermined processing on the substrate 1 being transported by the first conveyor belt 8. The substrate processing unit 11 may perform any processing on the substrate 1. In Embodiment 1, the substrate processing unit 11 processes the substrate 1 held by the first conveyor belt 8, but it is not limited to this case, and may process a substrate 1 located in a different location from the first conveyor belt 8.

[0037] The second equipment 4 comprises a second transport conveyor 14, a relay conveyor 16, a housing 18, a substrate processing unit 20, and a positional misalignment detection unit 22.

[0038] The second conveyor belt 14 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 are both components that transport the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1 and are provided inside the housing 18. The housing 18 is provided with a second opening 24, and the substrate 1 transported from the first conveyor belt 8 is brought in through the second opening 24. Although not shown in the figures, the housing 18 may also be provided with another opening for unloading the substrate 1.

[0039] The relay conveyor 16 is located upstream of the second conveyor 14 in the conveying direction X1. The relay conveyor 16 receives the substrate X1 from the first conveyor 8 and transfers the received substrate X1 to the second conveyor 14.

[0040] The relay conveyor 16 in Embodiment 1 is movable along the width direction Y1, which is perpendicular to the transport direction X1. This allows the relay conveyor 16 to move to the position in the width direction Y1 corresponding to the first transport conveyor 8 and the position in the width direction Y1 corresponding to the second transport conveyor 14, thereby correcting the misalignment in the width direction Y1 while transporting the substrate 1. Further details will be described later.

[0041] The substrate processing unit 20 is a component that performs predetermined processing on the substrate 1 being transported by the second transport conveyor 14. The substrate processing unit 20 may perform any processing on the substrate 1. In Embodiment 1, the substrate processing unit 20 processes the substrate 1 held by the second transport conveyor 14. However, the substrate processing unit 20 may also process a substrate 1 located in a different location within the housing 18 from the second transport conveyor 14.

[0042] The misalignment detection unit 22 is a component that detects the relative misalignment between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14 in the width direction Y1. The misalignment detection unit 22 in Embodiment 1 is an imaging unit that has an imaging function. The control unit 6 processes the image captured by the misalignment detection unit 22 to detect the relative misalignment between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14.

[0043] In Embodiment 1, the second conveyor belt 14, the intermediate conveyor belt 16, and the misalignment detection unit 22 are integrally provided inside the housing 18 of the second equipment 4. For example, with the intermediate conveyor belt 16 positioned at the same width direction Y1 as the second conveyor belt 14, the range including the first conveyor belt 8 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 is imaged, and the relative positional relationship between the first conveyor belt 8 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 can be identified, thereby indirectly identifying the relative positional relationship between the first conveyor belt 8 and the second conveyor belt 14.

[0044] Figure 3 is a schematic plan view showing the method of detecting positional misalignment by the positional misalignment detection unit 22.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the positional misalignment detection unit 22 captures an image of the position including the downstream end of the first conveyor 8 and the upstream end of the second conveyor 14, and outputs the captured image to the control unit 6. The control unit 6 performs image processing on the output image to calculate the positional misalignment amount D1 in the Y direction of the first conveyor 8 and the relay conveyor 16. As described above, the positional misalignment amount D1 can be detected as the positional misalignment amount in the Y direction of the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14.

[0046] Similarly, the control unit 6 calculates the distance D2 in the X direction between the first conveyor 8 and the intermediate conveyor 16 based on the output captured image. With respect to the distance D2, a reference distance Dt is set in advance, and by calculating the difference between distance Dt and distance D2, this difference can be detected as the amount of positional displacement in the X direction between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14, i.e., the amount of positional displacement in the X direction between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14.

[0047] The first conveyor belt 8 and the second conveyor belt 14 may be provided with recognition marks to identify their respective positions.

[0048] As described above, the misalignment detection unit 22 in Embodiment 1 is an imaging unit that captures an image of the XY plane, and therefore can detect not only misalignment in the Y direction but also misalignment in the X direction. In Embodiment 1, for the sake of simplicity, the operation and method for correcting misalignment in the Y direction will be described below.

[0049] Furthermore, the positional misalignment detection unit 22 may not only image an area including both the first conveyor belt 8 and the relay conveyor belt 16, but may also image an area including only the first conveyor belt 8.

[0050] As shown in Figure 2, the first device 2 further includes a first drive unit 26.

[0051] The first drive unit 26 is a component for driving the first transport conveyor 8 for transporting substrates. When the first drive unit 26 drives the first transport conveyor 8, the first transport conveyor 8 operates to transport the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1.

[0052] The second equipment 4 may further include a second drive unit 28, a third drive unit 30, and a fourth drive unit 32.

[0053] The second drive unit 28 is a component for driving the second conveyor belt 14 for transporting substrates. When the second drive unit 28 drives the second conveyor belt 14, the second conveyor belt 14 operates to transport the substrates 1 in the transport direction X1.

[0054] The third drive unit 30 and the fourth drive unit 32 are both components for driving the relay conveyor 16. The third drive unit 30 is a drive unit for transporting the substrate, and the fourth drive unit 32 is a drive unit for position correction. When the third drive unit 30 drives the relay conveyor 16, the relay conveyor 16 operates to transport the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1. When the fourth drive unit 32 drives the relay conveyor 16, the relay conveyor 16 operates to move in the width direction Y1.

[0055] Each of the drive units 26, 28, 30, and 32 may have any drive mechanism such as a motor.

[0056] The first conveyor 8, the second conveyor 14, and the intermediate conveyor 16 may each have adjustable spacing between their pairs of rails. A separate drive unit may be provided to adjust the rail spacing.

[0057] In the substrate processing apparatus 100 having the above configuration, misalignment may occur between the first apparatus 2 and the second apparatus 4 due to vibrations during equipment installation or operation. If misalignment occurs between the first conveyor belt 8 of the first apparatus 2 and the second conveyor belt 14 of the second apparatus 4, and the amount of this misalignment becomes large, there is a possibility that the transfer of the substrate 1 will fail.

[0058] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1 detects the relative positional misalignment between the first transport conveyor 8 and the second transport conveyor 14, and performs "positional misalignment correction" by moving the relay conveyor 16 according to the amount of the detected positional misalignment. This improves the accuracy of the transfer of substrates 1 between adjacent conveyors and improves the transport efficiency of substrates 1. The method of positional misalignment correction will be described below with reference to the drawings from Figure 4 onward.

[0059] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the misalignment correction method performed by the substrate processing apparatus 100.

[0060] The process shown in Figure 4 is executed by the control unit 6 at a predetermined timing.

[0061] As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 6 detects the misalignment (S1). Specifically, it uses the misalignment detection unit 22 shown in Figure 1, etc., to detect the misalignment between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14. As described above, the XY direction misalignment of the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14 is detected by performing predetermined image processing on the captured image captured by the misalignment detection unit 22, which is the imaging unit.

[0062] The control unit 6 determines whether the amount of misalignment is less than thresholds A and B (S2). Specifically, the control unit 6 identifies the amount of misalignment detected in step S1 and compares the identified amount of misalignment with two predetermined thresholds A and B. Threshold A is a value smaller than threshold B. Threshold A is, for example, 0.5 mm and threshold B is, for example, 10 mm, but any value can be set as long as threshold A < threshold B.

[0063] The control unit 6 determines that no positional misalignment correction is necessary if the misalignment amount is less than threshold A (S3). In this case, since the misalignment amount between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14 is small, no positional correction is performed to move the intermediate conveyor 16. That is, the intermediate conveyor 16 is maintained at a predetermined position in the width direction Y1, and the control unit is configured to transfer the substrate 1 between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14.

[0064] The control unit 6 determines that positional misalignment correction is required if the misalignment amount is greater than or equal to threshold A and less than or equal to threshold B (S4). In this case, it controls the relay conveyor 16 to move in the width direction Y1 to perform positional misalignment correction.

[0065] The control unit 6 issues an error notification (S5) if the misalignment amount is greater than threshold B. In this case, since the misalignment amount of the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14 exceeds an acceptable level, the notification unit 7 issues a notification to inform the operator that an abnormality has occurred.

[0066] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 when it is determined in step S4 that positional misalignment correction is required will be explained using Figures 5 and 6A to 6F.

[0067] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing operation of the substrate 1 by the substrate processing apparatus 100 with positional misalignment correction. Figures 6A to 6F are schematic plan views illustrating the process shown in the flowchart of Figure 5. The process shown in Figure 5 is executed by the control unit 6.

[0068] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 6 aligns the first conveyor belt 8 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 (S10). Specifically, based on the captured image output by the misalignment detection unit 22, the control unit 6 determines the relative positional relationship between the first conveyor belt 8 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16, and then drives the fourth drive unit 32 shown in Figure 4 by a predetermined amount so that the positions in the width direction Y1 of the first conveyor belt 8 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 are aligned. As shown in Figure 6A, the intermediate conveyor belt 16 moves in the Y direction (arrow Y2), and the positions in the width direction Y1 of the first conveyor belt 8 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 are aligned.

[0069] The control unit 6 processes the substrate 1 in the first device 2 (S11). Specifically, as shown in Figure 6A, the substrate processing unit 11 of the first device 2 is used to perform predetermined processing on the substrate 1 held by the first transport conveyor 8.

[0070] The control unit 6 transports the substrate 1 from the first transport conveyor 8 to the intermediate conveyor 16 (S12). Specifically, as shown in Figure 6B, the control unit 6 drives the first transport conveyor 8 to transport the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1 and transfers the substrate 1 to the intermediate conveyor 16. Since the positions of the first transport conveyor 8 and the intermediate conveyor 16 in the Y direction are aligned in step S10, the substrate 1 can be transferred to the intermediate conveyor 16 with high precision, as shown in Figure 6C.

[0071] The control unit 6 aligns the second conveyor belt 14 and the intermediate conveyor belt 16 (S13). Specifically, it drives the fourth drive unit 32 shown in Figure 4 by a predetermined amount so that the positions of the intermediate conveyor belt 16 and the second conveyor belt 14 are aligned in the Y direction. As shown in Figure 6D, the intermediate conveyor belt 16 moves in the width direction Y3 so that the positions of the intermediate conveyor belt 16 and the second conveyor belt 14 in the width direction Y1 are aligned.

[0072] As mentioned above, the second transport conveyor 14 and the relay conveyor 16 are located inside the same housing 18 of the second equipment 4, and their relative positions are predetermined. Therefore, in step S13, the fourth drive unit 32 shown in Figure 4 should be driven by a predetermined amount so that the relay conveyor 16 aligns with the second transport conveyor 14.

[0073] The control unit 6 transports the substrate 1 from the relay conveyor 16 to the second transport conveyor 14 (S14). Specifically, as shown in Figure 6E, the relay conveyor 16 transports the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1 and hands over the substrate 1 to the second transport conveyor 14. Since the positions of the relay conveyor 16 and the second transport conveyor 14 are aligned in the width direction Y1 in step S13, the substrate 1 can be accurately handed over to the second transport conveyor 14, as shown in Figure 6F.

[0074] The control unit 6 processes the substrate 1 in the second device 4 (S15). Specifically, as shown in Figure 6F, the substrate processing unit 20 of the second device 4 is used to perform predetermined processing on the substrate 1 held by the second transport conveyor 14. This produces a processed substrate 1.

[0075] According to the above method, the misalignment detection unit 22 is used to detect the misalignment of the two transport conveyors 8 and 14 in the Y direction, and the relay conveyor 16 is moved in the width direction Y1 based on the amount of misalignment detected to correct the misalignment. This improves the accuracy of the transfer of the substrate 1 between the two transport conveyors 8 and 14, and improves the transport efficiency of the substrate 1.

[0076] (Effects / Actions) The substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1 includes a relay conveyor 16 that transports the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1 so as to relay the substrate 1 between the upstream first transport conveyor 8 and the downstream second transport conveyor 14, a fourth drive unit 32 that moves the relay conveyor 16 in the width direction Y1 perpendicular to the transport direction X1, a position misalignment detection unit 22 that detects the relative position misalignment between the first transport conveyor 8 and the second transport conveyor 14 in the width direction Y1, and a control unit 6. The control unit 6 operates the fourth drive unit 32 to correct the position misalignment based on the amount of position misalignment detected by the position misalignment detection unit 22.

[0077] With this configuration, even if the two transport conveyors 8 and 14 are misaligned in the width direction Y1, the relay conveyor 16 can be moved to correct the misalignment, thereby enabling accurate transfer of the substrate 1 and improving the transport efficiency of the substrate 1.

[0078] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1, the misalignment detection unit 22 is an imaging unit that has an imaging function. With this configuration, misalignment can be easily detected.

[0079] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1, the misalignment detection unit 22 is integrally provided with the second transport conveyor 14, and detects misalignment by imaging the first transport conveyor 8. With this configuration, misalignment can be easily detected.

[0080] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1, the control unit 6 operates the fourth drive unit 32 to correct the misalignment at a predetermined timing. With this configuration, the misalignment can be corrected at a desired timing. Specific examples of timing will be described later.

[0081] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1, if the amount of misalignment is less than threshold A (first threshold), the control unit 6 controls the fourth drive unit 32 to maintain the relay conveyor 16 in a predetermined position instead of operating the fourth drive unit 32 to correct the misalignment. With this configuration, when the amount of misalignment is negligible, the relay conveyor 16 is maintained in a predetermined position and misalignment correction is not performed, thereby improving the transport efficiency of the substrate 1.

[0082] Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1, if the amount of misalignment is greater than threshold B (second threshold), the control unit 6, instead of operating the fourth drive unit 32 to correct the misalignment, causes the notification unit 7 to notify the operator. With this configuration, if the amount of misalignment exceeds the error, the operator can be notified of it as an error.

[0083] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of Embodiment 1 includes a relay conveyor 16 that transports the substrate 1 in the transport direction X1 and relays the substrate 1 between the upstream first transport conveyor 8 and the downstream second transport conveyor 14, a second transport conveyor 14, a substrate processing unit 20 that processes the substrate 1 transported by the second transport conveyor 14, a fourth drive unit 32 that moves the relay conveyor 16 in the width direction Y1 perpendicular to the transport direction X1, a position misalignment detection unit 22 that detects the relative position misalignment between the first transport conveyor 8 and the second transport conveyor 14 in the width direction Y1, and a control unit 6. The control unit 6 operates the fourth drive unit 32 to correct the position misalignment based on the amount of position misalignment detected by the position misalignment detection unit 22.

[0084] With this configuration, even if the two transport conveyors 8 and 14 are misaligned in the width direction Y1, the relay conveyor 16 can be moved to correct the misalignment, thereby enabling accurate transfer of the substrate 1 and improving the transport efficiency of the substrate 1.

[0085] (Timing of positional shift correction) The above explanation described the case where only the positional misalignment in the Y direction is corrected, but it is not limited to this case; it is also possible to correct for positional misalignments in both the Y and X directions.

[0086] As explained using Figure 3, for example, if the positional displacement detection unit 22 is an imaging unit, then in addition to the distance D1 in the Y direction, the distance D2 in the X direction can also be detected with respect to the relative position between the first transport conveyor 8 and the relay conveyor 16.

[0087] The same operation shown in Figure 4 can be performed with respect to the distance D2 in the X direction, and based on the comparison result with two types of thresholds, it can be determined whether or not to perform positional displacement correction.

[0088] If it is determined that positional misalignment correction in the X direction should be performed, the fourth drive unit 32 for positional correction shown in Figure 2 should be equipped with a drive function in the X direction in addition to the drive function in the Y direction, and the relay conveyor 16 should be moved in the X direction so that the distance in the X direction between the first transport conveyor 8 and the relay conveyor 16 becomes a predetermined distance according to the amount of positional misalignment (distance D2) detected by the positional misalignment detection unit 22.

[0089] In other words, in the substrate processing apparatus 100 (substrate transport apparatus) of Embodiment 1, the misalignment detection unit 22 further detects the relative misalignment between the first transport conveyor 8 and the second transport conveyor 14 in the transport direction X1, and the fourth drive unit 32 further has the function of moving the relay conveyor 16 in the transport direction X1, and the control unit 6 controls the fourth drive unit 32 to move the relay conveyor 16 in the width direction Y1 and the transport direction X1 based on the amount of misalignment detected by the misalignment detection unit 22.

[0090] With this configuration, positional misalignment in both the width direction Y1 and the transport direction X1 can be corrected.

[0091] (Timing of positional shift correction) Next, we will explain the timing for determining whether or not to apply positional shift correction, as shown in Figure 4, using Figure 7.

[0092] Figure 7 is a block diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the control unit 6.

[0093] As shown in Figure 7, the control unit 6 of Embodiment 1 includes a timing unit 40, a counting unit 42, a transport success / failure determination unit 44, a transport delay determination unit 46, an input unit 48, and a storage unit 50.

[0094] The timing unit 40 measures the elapsed time.

[0095] The counting unit 42 counts the number of substrates 1 that have been delivered to the first device 2 or the second device 4.

[0096] The transport success / failure determination unit 44 determines whether the transport of the substrate 1 in the first device 2 or the second device 4 is successful or not.

[0097] The transport delay detection unit 46 detects the delay in the transport of the substrate 1 in the first device 2 or the second device 4.

[0098] The input unit 48 accepts input from the operator.

[0099] The memory unit 50 stores various types of information. The memory unit 50 stores information that has been pre-entered, information entered into the input unit 48, and so on.

[0100] Each component shown in Figure 7 is implemented, for example, as an internal function of the control unit 6 and is realized by a circuit board or the like. However, it is not limited to this case; a component other than the control unit 6 may communicate with the control unit 6 to achieve the same function.

[0101] The control unit 6 of Embodiment 1 may, for example, use the functions of the timing unit 40 to perform the operations shown in Figure 4 at regular intervals to determine whether or not to perform positional misalignment correction, and the specific correction amount if positional misalignment correction is performed.

[0102] The control unit 6 of Embodiment 1 may, for example, use the function of the counting unit 42 to perform the operation shown in Figure 4 at regular intervals of a certain number of substrates, thereby determining whether or not to perform positional misalignment correction, and the specific correction amount if positional misalignment correction is performed.

[0103] The control unit 6 of Embodiment 1 may, for example, utilize the functions of the transport success / failure determination unit 44 to determine whether or not to perform positional misalignment correction, and the specific amount of correction if positional misalignment correction is performed, by executing the operation shown in Figure 4 when an error occurs in the transport of the substrate 1.

[0104] The control unit 6 of Embodiment 1 may, for example, utilize the functions of the transport delay determination unit 46 to determine whether or not to perform positional misalignment correction, and the specific amount of correction if positional misalignment correction is performed, by executing the operation shown in Figure 4 when a delay occurs in the transport of the substrate 1.

[0105] The control unit 6 of Embodiment 1 may, for example, determine whether or not to perform positional misalignment correction, and the specific correction amount if positional misalignment correction is performed, by performing the operation shown in Figure 4 based on the information input to the input unit 48. In this case, it becomes possible to determine the specific correction amount based on a value manually entered by the operator.

[0106] (Other variations) In Embodiment 1, the case in which the positional misalignment detection unit 22 is an imaging unit was described, but the system is not limited to this case; any configuration that can detect positional misalignment between conveyors may be used. For example, a distance sensor that detects the relative distance between the first conveyor 8 and the relay conveyor 16, or the relative distance between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14, may be used.

[0107] Figure 8 is a schematic plan view showing the case where the misalignment detection unit 22 is a jig.

[0108] The jig 60 shown in Figure 8 is a jig for detecting misalignment between conveyors, and comprises a main body 62, a traveling roller 64, an angle sensor 66, an angle measuring roller 68, and a support member 69.

[0109] The main body 62 is the main body portion of the jig 60, and is equipped with a plurality of traveling rollers 64 and a plurality of angle sensors 66. The traveling rollers 64 are pressed against the inner surface of the rails of the first conveyor 8, enabling the jig 60 to be transported in the transport direction X1. The angle sensors 66 are sensors that detect the angle of a support member 69, to which an angle measuring roller 68 is attached at the tip. The angle measuring roller 68 is pressed against the inner surface of the rails of the intermediate conveyor 16, etc. The support member 69 is biased to spread outwards, maintaining the state in which the angle measuring roller 68 is pressed against the inner surface of the rail.

[0110] The jig 60 is set manually, for example, by an operator, and travels in the transport direction X1 from the first transport conveyor 8 towards the intermediate conveyor 16. As shown in Figure 8, when transferring from the first transport conveyor 8 to the intermediate conveyor 16, the angle measuring roller 68 is pressed against the side of the rail of the intermediate conveyor 16. If a misalignment occurs between the first transport conveyor 8 and the intermediate conveyor 16, the support member 69 tilts relative to the reference posture (the posture when no misalignment occurs). The tilt angle of the support member 69 can be determined based on the detection result of the angle sensor 66, and the amount of misalignment between the first transport conveyor 8 and the intermediate conveyor 16 can be calculated based on the tilt angle of the support member 69.

[0111] By using a jig 60 as shown in Figure 8, it is possible to detect the amount of misalignment between the first conveyor 8 and the intermediate conveyor 16, that is, the amount of misalignment between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 14.

[0112] The detected positional displacement may be automatically transmitted to the control unit 6, or it may be displayed somewhere so that the operator can input it.

[0113] In the substrate processing apparatus 100 in this modified example, the misalignment detection unit is a jig 60 that is transported in the transport direction X1 by the first transport conveyor 8. The jig 60 has a main body 62 that is transported by the first transport conveyor 8, and an angle sensor 66 provided on the main body 62 that measures the change in angle when the main body 62 is transported by the first transport conveyor 8.

[0114] With this configuration, positional misalignment can be detected with high accuracy.

[0115] (Embodiment 2) Referring to Figure 9, the substrate processing apparatus 200 of Embodiment 2 will be described. Descriptions that overlap with Embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0116] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the substrate processing apparatus 200 of Embodiment 2.

[0117] The substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in Figure 9 comprises a first apparatus 2, a second apparatus 202, a control unit 6, and a notification unit 7.

[0118] The second apparatus 202 of Embodiment 2 comprises a housing 204, a second transport conveyor 206, and a substrate processing unit 208. The housing 204 is provided with an opening 205 for loading the substrate 1.

[0119] The substrate processing apparatus 200 shown in Figure 9 further includes a relay conveyor 210 and a positional misalignment detection unit 212.

[0120] The relay conveyor 210 relays the substrate 1 between the first device 2 and the second device 202 in the transport direction X1, so as to relay the substrate 1 between the first device 2 and the second device 202. Unlike the relay conveyor 16 of the first embodiment, the relay conveyor 210 of the second embodiment is installed outside the second device 202.

[0121] The misalignment detection unit 212 is a component for detecting misalignment between the first conveyor belt 8 and the second conveyor belt 206. The misalignment detection unit 212 of Embodiment 2 is, for example, an imaging unit having an imaging function, similar to the misalignment detection unit 22 of Embodiment 1.

[0122] Unlike the positional misalignment detection unit 22 of Embodiment 1, the positional misalignment detection unit 212 of Embodiment 2 directly detects the positional misalignment between the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 206 by imaging the area including the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 206.

[0123] According to the configuration shown in Figure 9, the positional misalignment of the first conveyor 8 and the second conveyor 206 can be detected more accurately by directly detecting the misalignment of each. In addition, by placing the relay conveyor 210 outside the second device 202, the second device 202 can be made smaller.

[0124] (others) While this disclosure is adequately described in relation to preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, various variations and modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications should be understood as being included within the scope of this disclosure as defined by the attached claims. Furthermore, variations in combinations and sequences of elements in each embodiment can be realized without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

[0125] Furthermore, by appropriately combining any of the above embodiments and various modifications, the effects of each can be achieved. [Industrial applicability]

[0126] The present invention is applicable to substrate transport devices and substrate processing devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0127] 100, 200 Substrate Processing Equipment (Substrate Transport Equipment) 2 1st device 4 Second device 6 Control Unit 7 Hochi Department 8. First conveyor 10 cabinets 11. Circuit board processing unit 12. First opening 14. Second conveyor belt 16. Conveyor belt 18 cabinets 20. Circuit board processing unit 22 Positional displacement detection unit 24. Second opening 26 First drive unit 28 Second drive unit 30 Third drive unit 32. Fourth drive unit 40 Timing section 42 count section 44 Transport Success / Failure Determination Unit 46 Transport delay determination unit 48 Input section 50 Storage section 60 jigs 62 Main body 64 Rollers for running 66 Angle Sensor 68 Angle measuring rollers 69 Support member 202 2nd device 204 cabinets 205 Aperture 206 Second conveyor 208 PCB Processing Unit 210 Conveyor belt 212 Positional displacement detection unit X1 Conveying direction Y1 width direction

Claims

1. A relay conveyor that transports the substrate in the transport direction so as to relay the substrate between the first transport conveyor on the upstream side and the second transport conveyor on the downstream side, A drive unit for moving the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction, A positional misalignment detection unit for detecting the relative positional misalignment between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the width direction, It comprises a control unit and, A substrate transport device wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment based on the amount of positional misalignment detected by the positional misalignment detection unit.

2. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional displacement detection unit is an imaging unit having an imaging function.

3. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positional misalignment detection unit is provided integrally with the second transport conveyor, and the positional misalignment is detected by imaging the first transport conveyor.

4. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit based on a value manually input as the amount of the positional displacement.

5. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positional displacement detection unit is a distance sensor that detects the distance between the first transport conveyor and the second transport conveyor in the width direction.

6. The positional misalignment detection unit is a jig that is transported in the transport direction by the first transport conveyor. The aforementioned jig is The main body is transported by the first conveyor, The substrate transport device according to claim 1, further comprising: an angle sensor provided on the main body for measuring the change in angle when the main body is transported by the first transport conveyor.

7. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment at a predetermined timing.

8. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined timing is at regular intervals.

9. The substrate transport device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined timing is every certain number of substrates.

10. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined timing is when an error occurs in the transport of the substrate.

11. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined timing is when a delay occurs in the transport of the substrate.

12. The control unit, The substrate transport device according to claim 1, wherein, when the amount of the positional displacement is smaller than a first threshold, the drive unit is controlled to maintain the relay conveyor in a predetermined position, instead of operating the drive unit to correct the positional displacement.

13. The control unit, The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the amount of the positional displacement is greater than a second threshold, the notification unit is notified instead of operating the drive unit to correct the positional displacement.

14. The positional misalignment detection unit further detects the relative positional misalignment between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the conveying direction, The drive unit further has the function of moving the relay conveyor in the transport direction, The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit to move the relay conveyor in the width direction and the transport direction based on the amount of positional displacement detected by the positional displacement detection unit.

15. A relay conveyor that transports the substrate in the transport direction and relays the substrate between the first transport conveyor on the upstream side and the second transport conveyor on the downstream side, The aforementioned second conveyor, A substrate processing unit that processes the substrates transported by the second conveyor, A drive unit for moving the relay conveyor in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction, A positional misalignment detection unit for detecting the relative positional misalignment between the first conveyor and the second conveyor in the width direction, It comprises a control unit and, A substrate processing apparatus comprising a control unit that operates the drive unit to correct the positional misalignment based on the amount of positional misalignment detected by the positional misalignment detection unit.

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