Substrate conveyance method

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate conveyance method for processing both sides of a substrate by efficiently inverting the substrate using a first conveyance means and a second conveyance means.　The first conveyance means and the second conveyance means are each provided with a rotatable substrate holding unit and a drive unit. This substrate conveyance method comprises: a carry-in step in which the first conveyance means disposes the substrate on a processing unit; an inversion step in which the second conveyance means uses the substrate holding unit thereof to lift the substrate from the processing unit, rotates the substrate holding unit, and hands over the substrate to the substrate holding unit of the first conveyance means, and the first conveyance means disposes the substrate on the processing unit; and a carry-out step in which the second conveyance means carries out the substrate.

Description

Substrate transport method

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate transport method for efficiently transporting a substrate.

[0002] Circuit boards incorporating electronic components are widely used in computers and related equipment, medical equipment, industrial robots, transportation equipment, etc. In recent years, the density of electronic components and wiring mounted on circuit boards has increased significantly, and double-sided circuit boards with electronic components and wiring on both sides and multi-layer circuit boards with electronic components arranged on multiple layers have become widespread. Double-sided circuit boards and multi-layer circuit boards are manufactured by performing many precise manufacturing processes on both sides of the board.

[0003] In the manufacturing process of double-sided or multilayer boards, a single substrate may be subjected to the same processing on each side using the same processing equipment. If the processing equipment itself does not have an inversion mechanism, performing the same processing on each side of a single substrate requires a process of removing the substrate from the processing equipment, inverting it upside down, and then placing it back in the processing equipment. Robots equipped with articulated arms are often used in the process of inverting the substrate upside down. Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate transport method that uses a robot equipped with an articulated arm in the process of inverting the substrate.

[0004] In order to place a robot equipped with an articulated arm, a certain area is required, taking into account the range of motion of the articulated arm. However, depending on the layout of the substrate processing equipment, it may be difficult to secure an area around the processing equipment to place the robot. Therefore, a new method is needed to efficiently transport substrates and turn them upside down during transport.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-21934

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned current situation, and an object to be achieved is to provide a new transport method that efficiently transports a substrate and turns over the substrate during transport.

[0007] The substrate transport method of the present invention is a substrate transport method in which a substrate is transported to a processing section by a first transport means and a second transport means, and both surfaces of the substrate are processed. The first transport means and the second transport means used in the substrate transport method of the present invention include a substrate holding section that can rotate at least 90° and a drive section that moves the substrate holding section vertically and horizontally. The substrate transport method of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a carry-in step in which the first transport means places the substrate in the processing section; an inversion step in which the second transport means lifts the substrate from the processing section with the substrate holding section, rotates the substrate holding section to hold it on the substrate holding section of the first transport means, and the first transport means places the substrate in the processing section; and an unloading step in which the second transport means unloads the substrate.

[0008] The present invention also provides a substrate transfer method in which a pair of substrates are transferred by a first transfer means and a second transfer means, and both sides of the two substrates are processed. The first transfer means and the second transfer means used in the substrate transfer method of the present invention each include a substrate holder that can rotate at least 90°, and a drive unit that moves the substrate holder in vertical and horizontal directions. The substrate transport method of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first carry-in step in which a first transport means places a first substrate in a first processing unit; a second carry-in step in which the first transport means places a second substrate in a second processing unit; a first inversion step in which the second transport means lifts the first substrate from the first processing unit with a substrate holding part, rotates the substrate holding part to hold it on the substrate holding part of the first transport means, and places the first substrate in the first processing unit; a second inversion step in which the second transport means lifts the second substrate from the second processing unit with a substrate holding part, rotates the substrate holding part to hold it on the substrate holding part of the first transport means, and places the second substrate in the second processing unit; a first carry-out step in which the second transport means carries out the first substrate; and a second carry-out step in which the second transport means carries out the second substrate.

[0009] In a substrate transport method in which substrates are transported in pairs and both surfaces of the two substrates are processed, it is preferable that a loading means for loading the substrates, a first processing unit, a second processing unit, and an unloading means for unloading the substrates are aligned in a row, rails are arranged below the loading means, the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and the unloading means, and the first transporting means and the second transporting means move horizontally along the rails.

[0010] The substrate transport method of the present invention further includes a step of aligning the substrate on the processing section, and it is preferable that the alignment step is a step of measuring the position of the substrate using a photoelectric sensor arranged at at least one corner of the target position of the substrate and adjusting the position of the substrate.

[0011] In the substrate inversion step of the substrate transport method of the present invention, two transport means consisting of a first transport means and a second transport means lift the substrate from the processing section, invert the substrate, and place the substrate back in the same processing section. The movements of the transport means are composed of linear up and down movement, linear horizontal movement, and uniaxial rotational movement, making it possible to invert the substrate with simpler movements than with an articulated robot.

[0012] In the substrate inversion process of the substrate transport method of the present invention, a first transport means moves from the loading to the processing section, and a second transport means moves from the processing section to the unloading, thereby shortening the travel distance of each transport means and enabling substrates to be transported more efficiently and quickly.

[0013] In the substrate transport method of the present invention, the substrate loading step, the substrate inverting step, and the substrate unloading step can all be performed by the first transport means and the second transport means disposed above the substrate manufacturing apparatus. Therefore, there is no need to provide a special area for the transport means around the substrate manufacturing apparatus, and the degree of freedom in the layout of the substrate manufacturing apparatus can be increased.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a front view schematically showing a target portion of a substrate manufacturing apparatus in which a substrate transfer method of the present invention is implemented. Fig. 2 is a top view schematically showing a target portion of a substrate manufacturing apparatus in which a substrate transfer method of the present invention is implemented. Fig. 3 is a side view of a substrate holding portion of a transfer means. Fig. 4 is a front view showing the positions and attitudes of a first transfer means and a second transfer means in a reversing step.

[0015] The "substrate" transported by the transport method of this embodiment is a plate-shaped component used in electronic devices. The transport method of this embodiment can be particularly suitably applied to part of the manufacturing process of printed wiring boards. The transport method of this embodiment can be applied to substrates made of various materials, such as glass epoxy substrates, ceramic substrates, and metal substrates. Furthermore, the transport method of this embodiment can be applied to the manufacture of double-sided substrates and multilayer substrates, and is not limited by the size of the substrate.

[0016] The following describes a method for sequentially carrying out the steps of loading a substrate, turning the substrate upside down, and unloading the substrate by applying the substrate transport method of the present invention. The following embodiments are merely examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0017] In the description of this embodiment, descriptions of relative positions and directions such as "left and right," "vertical and horizontal," and "front and back" correspond to the positions and directions on the drawings used in the description. In addition, regarding the vertical positional relationship, something that is relatively higher in the vertical direction is referred to as "upper," and something that is relatively lower is referred to as "lower."

[0018] Configuration of the substrate manufacturing apparatus An embodiment of a substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 to which the substrate transfer method of the present invention is applied is shown. The substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 described in this embodiment is part of a printed wiring board manufacturing apparatus and transfers a rectangular substrate 4. FIG. 1 is a front view showing part of the substrate manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 2 is a side view showing part of the substrate manufacturing apparatus 1. The substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a first transfer means 2a, a second transfer means 2b, a carry-in means 5, substrate processing units 6 and 7, and a carry-out means 8.

[0019] The carry-in means 5 is a transport device that carries in the substrate 4 and supplies it to the first transport means 2a. The carry-out means 8 is a transport device that receives the processed substrate 4 from the second transport means 2b and carries it out to the next process. The carry-in means 5 and the carry-out means 8 can be used in combination with a conveyor, an elevator, etc.

[0020] Although not essential, the carry-in means 5 may be provided with a positioning means at the substrate supply position where the substrate 4 is transferred to and from the first transport means 2a. An example of the positioning means is a pair of photoelectric sensors 9 arranged on both ends of the substrate supply position of the carry-in means 5. By detecting whether or not the substrate 4 blocks the light of the photoelectric sensors 9, it becomes possible to accurately measure the center position of the substrate 4 and perform positioning.

[0021] The processing units 6 and 7 are devices that perform a printing process on the substrate 4 to manufacture a printed wiring board. The process of manufacturing a printed wiring board includes many steps, including the application of a dry film, and the processing units 6 and 7 of this embodiment are manufacturing devices that perform one or more of these manufacturing steps. The processing units 6 and 7 of this embodiment can perform processing on the top surface of the substrate at the position where the substrate is supplied. Alternatively, the processing units 6 and 7 can be equipped with a conveyor or elevator (not shown) and can move the supplied substrate before processing.

[0022] The first transport means 2a and the second transport means 2b each include substrate holders 21a, 21b and drive units 22a, 22b. An example of a suitable shape of the substrate holder 21a of the first transport means 2a is shown in FIG. 3. In this embodiment, the second transport means 2b has the same configuration as the first transport means 2a. The following mainly describes the structure and function of the first transport means 2a, and a duplicate description of the second transport means 2b will be omitted.

[0023] Hereinafter, the first conveying means 2 a and the second conveying means 2 b will be collectively referred to as conveying means 2 .

[0024] The substrate holding unit 21a is equipped with a plurality of suction pads 25a. The suction pads 25a are arranged at positions facing at least two sides of the periphery of the substrate 4. Each of the suction pads 25a is connected to a vacuum means 26a, and is able to hold and transport the substrate 4 by suction. Hereinafter, the imaginary surface on which the substrate 4 is held by suction, defined by the tips of the suction pads 25a, will be referred to as the "substrate holding surface."

[0025] The substrate holder 21a is rotatably connected to a rotation shaft 22a. The substrate holder 21a can be rotated by at least 90° by the rotation of the rotation shaft 22a. By rotating, the substrate holder 21a can hold the substrate at any angle, from a horizontal position to a position where the substrate is standing vertically.

[0026] The substrate holder 21a is powered by a drive unit 23a and is capable of moving up and down. The rotation shaft 22a is also powered by a drive unit 23a and is capable of rotating. All operations of the transport means 2 are automatically controlled by a program stored in a control computer (not shown).

[0027] The most preferred arrangement of the carry-in means 5, processing units 6 and 7, and unloading means 8 is shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the most preferred embodiment, the carry-in means 5, processing units 6 and 7, and unloading means 8 are aligned in a row. Rails 11 are disposed below the carry-in means 5, processing units 6 and 7, and unloading means 8. A drive unit 23a is mounted on the rails 11. The substrate holder 21a and the rotation shaft 22a are supported by supports fixed to the drive unit 23a, and the transport means 2 is disposed above the carry-in means 5, processing units 6 and 7, and unloading means 8. As the drive unit 23a moves left and right on the rails 11, the substrate holder 21a and the rotation shaft 22a move together above the carry-in means 5, processing units 6 and 7, and unloading means 8.

[0028] The above is the basic configuration of the substrate manufacturing apparatus 1. Mechanisms for holding and transporting the substrate 4 can be added to the transport means 2 as appropriate, depending on the type and size of the substrate 4 to be manufactured.

[0029] Basic Configuration of Substrate Transfer Method The basic method of transferring the substrate 4 in this embodiment will be described in the order of steps.

[0030] (Step 1) Loading process: The substrate holding part 21a of the first transport means 2a lifts and moves the substrate 4 from the loading means 5, and places the substrate 4 in the processing section 6. (Step 2) Reversing process: The substrate holding part 21b of the second transport means 2b lifts the substrate 4 from the processing section 6 after the first processing in the processing section 6. The drive part 23b of the second transport means 2b rotates the rotation shaft 22b to rotate the substrate holding part 21b by 90°. At this time, the substrate 4 held on the substrate holding surface of the substrate holding part 21b is in a vertically standing state.

[0031] Next, the substrate holding portion 21a of the first transport means 21a rotates 90° and moves vertically and horizontally. The first transport means 21a aligns the substrate holding surface of the substrate holding portion 21a with the position of the substrate 4 held by the substrate holding portion 21b. The positions and postures of the first transport means 2a and the second transport means 2b at this time are shown in Figure 4.

[0032] The substrate holder 21a of the first transport means 2a suctions the surface of the substrate 4 that is not being held by the second transport means 2b. The second transport means 2b releases the suction of the substrate, and the first transport means 2a receives the substrate 4 from the second transport means 2b. The first transport means 2a places the substrate 4 again in the processing section 6. The substrate 4 placed in the processing section 6 has been turned upside down, with the surface that was the top surface before the inversion step now becoming the bottom surface, and the surface that was the bottom surface becoming the top surface.

[0033] (Step 3) The second transport means 2 b lifts the substrate 4 that has been subjected to the second treatment in the treatment section 6 from the treatment section 6 and carries it out to the carrying-out means 8 .

[0034] The above is the basic method for transporting the substrate 4 in this embodiment. In the method for transporting the substrate in this embodiment, the first transport means 2 a and the second transport means 2 b perform linear horizontal or vertical movement and uniaxial rotational movement, thereby enabling the substrate 4 to be quickly turned upside down and transported.

[0035] It is also possible to further process both sides of the substrate 4 after both sides have been processed in the processing section 7. In this case, the unloading step of step 3 is not performed, and after step 2, the substrate 4 is carried from the processing section 6 to the processing section 7 using the second transport means 2b. Then, as additional steps, a step of turning the substrate upside down using the first transport means 2a and the second transport means 2b, and a step of unloading the substrate 4 using the second transport means 2b are performed.

[0036] A preferred embodiment of the substrate transfer method of the present invention is a substrate transfer method in which two substrates are transferred in a pair by first transfer means 2a and second transfer means 2b, as described below in steps 1' to 6'. By transferring substrates in pairs, the time required for transfer is shorter than when transferring substrates one by one, and substrates can be efficiently supplied to each of the two processing units 6 and 7, allowing both sides of the substrates to be processed.

[0037] In the following description, in order to distinguish between the two substrates being transported, the first substrate will be referred to as substrate 4a and the second substrate will be referred to as substrate 4b, but both have the same shape. In this embodiment, the first transport means 2a and the second transport means 2b move along rails 11 in all steps.

[0038] (Step 1') First carry-in process: The first transport means 2a lifts the substrate 4a from the carry-in means 5 and places the substrate 4 in the processing section 6. (Step 2') Second carry-in process: The first transport means 2a lifts the substrate 4b from the carry-in means 5 and places the substrate 4 in the processing section 7. (Step 3') First inversion process: The second transport means 2b lifts the substrate 4a, which has undergone the first round of processing in the processing section 6, from the processing section 6, rotates the substrate holding section 21b by 90°, and causes the substrate 4a to be held by the substrate holding section 21a of the first transport means 2a. The first transport means 2a places the substrate 4a in the processing section 6. (Step 4') Second inversion process: The second transport means 2b lifts the substrate 4b, which has undergone the first round of processing in the processing section 7, from the processing section 7, and rotates the substrate holding section 21b by 90° and causes the substrate 4b to be held by the substrate holding section 21a of the first transport means 2a. The first transport means 2a places the substrate 4b in the processing section 7. (Step 5') First unloading step The second transport means 2b unloads the substrate 4a, which has undergone the second processing in the processing section 6, to the unloading means 8. (Step 6') Second unloading step The second transport means 2b unloads the substrate 4b, which has undergone the second processing in the processing section 7, from the processing section 7 to the unloading means 8.

[0039] In the substrate transfer method of this embodiment, all steps can be performed by the first transfer means 2a and the second transfer means 2b arranged above the substrate manufacturing apparatus 1. Therefore, there is no need to provide a special area around the substrate manufacturing apparatus 1 for arranging the transfer devices.

[0040] Furthermore, in the substrate transport method of this embodiment, the case where substrates are transported in pairs has been described, but if there are three or more processing sections, the number of steps can be increased so that three or more substrates are transported in pairs.

[0041] While specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above based on the embodiments, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The claimed technology includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. For example, steps in the transport method can be added or omitted depending on the number of processing sections and the shape of the substrate to be transported. Furthermore, the shape and configuration of the transport device can be modified as appropriate.

[0042] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Conveying device 2a First conveying means 2b Second conveying means 21a, 21b Substrate holding section 22a, 22b Driving section 23a, 23b Rotating shaft 25 Suction pad 26 Vacuum means 4 Substrate 5 Carrying-in means 6 Processing section (first processing section) 7 Processing section (second processing section) 8 Carrying-out means 9 Sensor 11 Rail

Claims

1. A substrate transport method in which a substrate is transported to a processing section by a first transport means and a second transport means to perform processing on both sides of the substrate, wherein the first transport means and the second transport means each have a substrate holding section that can rotate at least 90° and a drive section that moves the substrate holding section vertically and horizontally, the substrate transport method comprising: a carry-in step in which the first transport means places the substrate in the processing section; an inversion step in which the second transport means lifts the substrate from the processing section by the substrate holding section, rotates the substrate holding section to hold it in the substrate holding section of the first transport means, and the first transport means places the substrate in the processing section; and an unloading step in which the second transport means unloads the substrate.

2. A substrate transport method in which substrates are transported in pairs by a first transport means and a second transport means, and both surfaces of the two substrates are processed, wherein the first transport means and the second transport means each have a substrate holding part that can rotate at least 90°, and a drive part that moves the substrate holding part vertically and horizontally, and the method comprises: a first carry-in step in which the first transport means places the first substrate in a first processing part; a second carry-in step in which the first transport means places the second substrate in a second processing part; and a first inversion step in which the second transport means lifts the first substrate from the first processing part with the substrate holding part, rotates the substrate holding part to hold it on the substrate holding part of the first transport means, and the first transport means places the first substrate in the first processing part. a second inversion step in which the second transport means lifts the second substrate from the second processing unit using the substrate holding part, rotates the substrate holding part to hold it on the substrate holding part of the first transport means, and the first transport means places the second substrate in the second processing unit; a first carry-out step in which the second transport means carries out the first substrate; and a second carry-out step in which the second transport means carries out the second substrate.

3. The substrate transport method described in claim 2, characterized in that a loading means for loading the substrate, the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and an unloading means for unloading the substrate are aligned in a row, rails are arranged below the loading means, the first processing unit, the second processing unit, and the unloading means, and the first transport means and the second transport means move horizontally along the rails.

4. A substrate transport method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a step of aligning the substrate on the processing section, wherein the step of aligning is a step of measuring the position of the substrate using a photoelectric sensor arranged at at least one corner of the target position of the substrate and adjusting the position of the substrate.

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