Transfer system and semiconductor manufacturing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a transfer technique that can improve the transfer ability when reinforcing and expanding the transfer system, with effectively using the existing system. The transfer system includes tracks that link a plurality of manufacturing equipments, a plurality of carriers having different performances that run on the tracks to transfer objects between the manufacturing equipments and the like in a factory space having a plurality of manufacturing equipments, and the plurality of carriers having different performances are simultaneously provided and run on the same tracks. The plurality of carriers are composed of old carriers and new carriers that provided together and run depending on their own performances (running performance such as running speed, acceleration / deceleration, and the like and transfer performance such as transfer speed and the like).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2003-194758 filed on Jul. 10, 2003, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a transfer technique, more particularly, to a technique effectively applied to a transfer system in which a plurality of carriers having different performances are simultaneously driven on the same track and to a semiconductor manufacturing system using the transfer system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] According to the examination by the inventors of the present invention, the following techniques are known in the conventional transfer system. [0004] For example, in an automatic transfer system in which a plurality of carriers are run on a closed track, a number of carriers that meets initially required transfer ability are provided in the initial provision stage. When...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] Thus, it is desired to construct a transfer system that can be reinforced and expanded with improving the transfer performance and with reducing the capital investment to the minimum. For example, in constructing a latest semiconductor factory, aggregate capital investment for the entire factory is difficult because enormous amount of capital investment is needed. Accordingly, capital investment is divided and the entire factory is completed over several years. So, the gradual expansion of the line scale as well as sequential installation of the carriers having higher performance are potentially required, and thus, the need for providing the carriers of plural generations in one transfer system has been more and more increasing.

[0012] In the technique disclosed in above-described Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-56510, running speed of the carriers is automatically changed by judging the presence of works so as to reduce the shocks given to the works. More specifically, carriers run at high speed when there is no work and run at low speed when there are some works loaded thereon. That is, in this technique, running speed is not changed depending on the running performance of carriers.

[0014] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for a transfer system capable of improving the transfer ability with effectively using the existing system when reinforcing and expanding a transfer system.

Problems solved by technology

However, when attempting to apply the new transfer system having higher performance, an existing transfer system including the tracks has to be replaced to reconstruct the new transfer system.

For example, in constructing a latest semiconductor factory, aggregate capital investment for the entire factory is difficult because enormous amount of capital investment is needed.

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