Substrate carrying device

Abstract

A substrate carrying device comprises a waiting station, a lifting station and a carrying unit arranged between the waiting station and the lifting station, the lifting station is provided with a carrying table and a displacement table, the displacement table moves between at least two spatial positions, the carrying table is used for enabling a substrate to be located at one spatial position, and the other spatial position is used for enabling the substrate to execute the work purpose. The carrying unit is provided with at least one extraction mechanism and is used for carrying the substrate between the waiting station and the lifting station; wherein the displacement table is provided with a positioning mechanism and a bearing mechanism, the positioning mechanism is used for positioning the substrate at one spatial position, and the bearing mechanism is used for bearing the substrate from one spatial position to another spatial position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a working device, and in particular to a substrate transporting device for transporting semiconductor substrates such as wafers, glass plates, etc., in performing work purposes. Background Art

[0002] During the production of semiconductor materials, such as wafers and glass sheets, inspection and other processes are often required. Conventional inspection processes primarily rely on robotic arms that alternate between storage and inspection areas, moving substrates from the storage area to the inspection area for the aforementioned inspection.

[0003] However, no matter how sophisticated the automated equipment, when the robotic arm places the substrate on the inspection area, there are often slight or unstable shaking factors such as left and right deflection or deviation during the operation of the robotic arm. This can cause errors in substrate inspection due to factors such as focal length or light source, resulting in misjudgment in the inspection system algorithm, thus affecting the inspection results.

[0004] In view of this, in order to improve and solve the above-mentioned deficiencies, the applicant has devoted himself to research and applied scientific theories, and finally proposed this application which has a reasonable design and effectively improves the above-mentioned deficiencies. Utility Model Content

[0005] The main purpose of the present application is to provide a substrate transport device that can effectively ensure that the placement position of the substrate is consistent each time it is transported, so as to avoid errors in detection that affect the detection results.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present application provides a substrate transport device for transporting substrates to perform work purposes. The substrate transport device includes a waiting station for placing substrates, a lifting station, and a transport unit disposed between the waiting station and the lifting station. The lifting station has a carrier and a translation stage, and the translation stage moves between at least two spatial positions. The carrier allows the substrate to be positioned in one spatial position and the other spatial position allows the substrate to perform work purposes. The transport unit has at least one picking mechanism and is used to transport the substrate between the waiting station and the lifting station. The translation stage is provided with a positioning mechanism and a carrying mechanism. The positioning mechanism positions the substrate in one spatial position, and the carrying mechanism receives the substrate from one spatial position to another spatial position.

[0007] In one embodiment, the number of the waiting stations and the number of the lifting stations are both two and they are arranged adjacent to each other, and there are at least two extracting mechanisms that respectively transport the substrates of the two waiting stations and the two lifting stations.

[0008] In one embodiment, the two spatial positions of the lifting station are a temporary storage position and a working position respectively.

[0009] In one embodiment, the substrate stage is for the substrate to be in the temporary storage position.

[0010] In one embodiment, a sensor is provided on the substrate stage for sensing that the substrate is placed on the substrate stage.

[0011] In one embodiment, the displacement stage has a support frame located on the substrate stage, the positioning mechanism and the carrying mechanism are provided on the support frame, and the positioning mechanism is located below the carrying mechanism.

[0012] In one embodiment, the support frame is displaced up and down by a driver.

[0013] In one embodiment, the extraction mechanism is a carrier tray.

[0014] In one embodiment, the substrate conveying device further includes a working unit, the working unit has a moving part above the two lifting stations, and at least one working part displaced on the moving part, and the working part is used to achieve the working purpose.

[0015] In one embodiment, the working purpose refers to using the working part to detect the substrate.

[0016] The above summary is only for the purpose of the specification and is not intended to be limiting in any way. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments and features described above, further aspects, embodiments and features of the present application will be readily apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In the drawings, unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals throughout the several views refer to the same or similar components or elements. These drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. It should be understood that these drawings only depict some embodiments disclosed in the present application and should not be regarded as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a top view schematic diagram of the present application.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a side view schematic diagram of the lifting station and the working unit of the present application.

[0020] Figure 3 It is an operation schematic diagram (one) of the lifting station of the present application.

[0021] Figure 4 It is an operation schematic diagram (two) of the lifting station of the present application.

[0022] Figure 5 It is an operation schematic diagram (three) of the lifting station of the present application.

[0023] Figure 6 Schematic diagram (IV) of the operation of the lifting station of this application.

[0024] Figure 7 Schematic diagram (V) of the operation of the lifting station of this application.

[0025] Figure 8 Schematic diagram (VI) of the operation of the lifting station of this application.

[0026] Figure 9 Schematic diagram (VII) of the operation of the lifting station of this application.

[0027] Figure 10 Schematic diagram (VIII) of the operation of the lifting station of this application.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals:

[0029] 1: Station to be placed;

[0030] 2: Lifting station;

[0031] 20: Carrier platform;

[0032] 200: Sensor;

[0033] 21: Displacement table;

[0034] 210: Support frame;

[0035] 210a: Driver;

[0036] 211: Positioning mechanism;

[0037] 212: Carrying mechanism;

[0038] 3: Handling unit;

[0039] 30: Extraction mechanism;

[0040] 4: Working unit;

[0041] 40: Moving part;

[0042] 41: Working part;

[0043] 5: Substrate;

[0044] 6: Platform;

[0045] F1: Temporary storage position;

[0046] F2: Working position. Detailed implementation

[0047] To further disclose the features and technical content of the present application, please refer to the following detailed description and drawings of the present application. However, the attached drawings are only for reference and illustration purposes and are not used to limit the present application.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 which are respectively the top view schematic diagram of the present application and the side view schematic diagram of the lifting station and the working unit. The present application provides a substrate conveying device, including at least one placement station 1, at least one lifting station 2, a handling unit 3 for conveying between the placement station 1 and the lifting station 2, and a working unit 4. The handling unit 3 is used to convey the substrate 5 so that the conveyed substrate 5 can be conveyed between the placement station 1 and the lifting station 2. The substrate 5 can be a semiconductor material such as a wafer or a glass plate. Among them:

[0049] The above-mentioned placement station 1, lifting station 2 and handling unit 3 can be carried by a platform 6. The platform 6 can be the machine table of general machinery or equipment, or a flat place such as the ground in the factory building. In the embodiment cited in the present application, the platform 6 can be the machine table on any machine tool, and the placement station 1, handling unit 3 and two lifting stations 2 are arranged in sequence to form a machine or equipment that can independently execute its working purpose.

[0050] The above-mentioned placement station 1 can be configured as one or at least two or more, and is used to place at least two substrates 5 for waiting to perform the aforementioned working purpose. Please refer to Figure 3 as shown. The above-mentioned lifting station 2 can also be configured as one or at least two or more, and has a carrier 20 and a displacement table 21. The displacement table 21 can move between at least two non-overlapping spatial positions F1 and F2. The two spatial positions F1 and F2 can be the temporary storage position F1 and the working position F2 respectively. In this embodiment, the displacement table 21 has a support frame 210 located on the carrier 20, and a positioning mechanism 211 and a bearing mechanism 212 provided on the support frame 210. The positioning mechanism 211 is located below the bearing mechanism 212, and the support frame 210 can be displaced up and down by a driver 210a so that the bearing mechanism 212 can be displaced between the aforementioned temporary storage position F1 and the working position F2. In addition, the carrier 20 is used to place the substrate 5, so that when the displacement table 21 moves between the two spatial positions F1 and F2, the substrate 5 can be conveyed from the temporary storage position F1 to the working position F2 to perform the working purpose, such as performing detection.

[0051] Please refer to Figure 1As shown, the above-mentioned handling unit 3 is located between the standby station 1 and two lifting stations 2, and the handling unit 3 has at least one extraction mechanism 30. The extraction mechanism 30 can be a carrier plate and is used to carry under the above-mentioned substrate 5. In this embodiment, the extraction mechanism 30 can be at least two, such as two, to respectively transport the substrates 5 of the two standby stations 1 and the two lifting stations 2.

[0052] Please also refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the working unit 4 has a moving part 40 above the above-mentioned lifting station 2 and at least one working part 41 that moves on the moving part 40. The working part 41 is used to perform a working purpose on the above-mentioned substrate 5, and the working purpose can be to perform inspections or other necessary operation processes, etc. In the embodiment cited in this application, the working part 41 is provided with corresponding tools or equipment according to the desired working purpose, such as inspection instruments, etc. In this way, when the working part 41 moves on the moving part 40, the working purpose can be simultaneously carried out and completed on the substrates 5 on one or at least two lifting stations 2.

[0053] Therefore, with the above-mentioned structural composition, the substrate transport device of this application can be obtained.

[0054] Accordingly, as Figure 3 shown, when the above-mentioned handling unit 3 takes any substrate 5 from the standby station 1 with its extraction mechanism 30, it can turn to the lifting station 2 and place the substrate 5 on the carrier 20 of the lifting station 2 to place the substrate 5 at the temporary storage position F1, that is, as Figure 4 shown, and at this time, the substrate 5 on the carrier 20 has not been accurately calibrated or positioned. Then, as Figure 5 shown, a sensor 200 is provided on the carrier 20 to sense that the substrate 5 is placed on the carrier 20, and it can ensure that the substrate 5 has been indeed placed on the carrier 20 by a preset distance (such as the distance when the substrate 5 is placed on the carrier 20 reaches the default value or other reference data is set, etc.). Then, the positioning mechanism 211 can move inwards from the outside of the substrate 5 to enable the substrate 5 to be further accurately calibrated and positioned to the expected position; in other words, through the positioning mechanism 211, it can be ensured that every time the handling unit 3 places each substrate 5 on the carrier 20, the positions of each substrate 5 are consistent. Even if there are problems such as the position of the substrate 5 shifting due to the shaking of the handling unit 3 during operation, it can be corrected to the expected position by the positioning mechanism 211.

[0055] Again, as Figure 6 shown, when the above-mentioned positioning mechanism 211 finishes positioning the substrate 5, it can withdraw from the periphery of the substrate 5. And as Figure 7As shown, the support frame 210 is displaced downward by the driver 210a of the support frame 210, so that the carrying mechanism 212 moves from the working position F2 to the temporary storage position F1. Then, as Figure 8 shown, after the carrying mechanism 212 approaches the substrate 5 to receive the substrate 5, then as Figure 9 shown, the support frame 210 is displaced upward by the driver 210a, so that the carrying mechanism 212 moves the substrate 5 to the working position F2, and through the working part 41 of the above-mentioned working unit 4, work purposes such as detecting or other necessary operation processes are performed on the substrate 5. At this time, as Figure 10 shown, the extraction mechanism 30 of the above-mentioned handling unit 3 can carry the next substrate 5 to the temporary storage position F1, and carry the previous substrate 5 that has completed the work purpose back to the placement station 1 for storage, so that the waiting time of the substrate 5 can be reduced, achieving benefits such as time saving and work reduction.

[0056] Therefore, by means of the substrate carrying device of the present application, the positioning mechanism 211 can be used to ensure that the placement positions of the substrates 5 carried each time are consistent, so as to avoid errors in detection and affect the detection results. At the same time, the carrying mechanism 212 can also be displaced between the temporary storage position F1 and the working position F2 to reduce the waiting time of the substrate 5, so as to achieve benefits such as time saving and work reduction. In addition, the present application can also be applied to the occasions of at least two placement stations 1, at least two lifting stations 2 and at least two extraction mechanisms 30 of the handling unit 3; among them, that is, as Figure 1 shown, the numbers of the placement station 1 and the lifting station 2 can both be two and arranged adjacent to each other, and the two extraction mechanisms 30 of the handling unit 3 can respectively extract or store the substrates 5 of the two placement stations 1 and carry them to the two lifting stations 2 respectively.

Claims

1. A substrate carrier device, characterized in that, The substrate transport device is used to transport the substrate to perform work purposes; and includes: a waiting station for placing the substrate; a lifting station having a carrier and a translation stage, wherein the translation stage has a support frame located on the carrier, the translation stage moves between at least two spatial positions, and the carrier allows the substrate to be located in one of the spatial positions and the other spatial position allows the substrate to perform the work purpose; and a transport unit disposed between the waiting station and the lifting station and having at least one extracting mechanism for transporting the substrate between the waiting station and the lifting station; The displacement platform is provided with a positioning mechanism and a carrying mechanism, which are arranged on the support frame, and the positioning mechanism is located below the carrying mechanism. The positioning mechanism positions the substrate at one of the spatial positions, and the carrying mechanism carries the substrate from one of the spatial positions to another spatial position.

2. The substrate carrier device according to claim 1, wherein, The number of the waiting stations and the number of the lifting stations are both two and they are arranged adjacent to each other, and there are at least two extracting mechanisms which are respectively used to transport the substrates of the two waiting stations and the two lifting stations.

3. The substrate carrier device according to claim 1, wherein, The two spatial positions of the lifting station are respectively a temporary storage position and a working position.

4. The substrate carrier device according to claim 3, wherein, The carrier is for the substrate to be placed in the temporary storage position.

5. The substrate carrier device according to claim 1, wherein, The stage is provided with a sensor for sensing that the substrate is placed on the stage.

6. The substrate carrier device according to claim 1, wherein, The support frame is moved up and down by a driver.

7. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1, wherein, The extraction mechanism is a carrier plate.

8. The substrate transporting device according to claim 1, further comprising a working unit comprising a moving portion passing above the two lifting stations and at least one working portion displaced on the moving portion, wherein the working portion is used to perform the working purpose.

9. The substrate carrier device according to claim 8, wherein, The working purpose is to detect the substrate with the working part.

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