Carrier device

Abstract

To provide a carrier device small in size and allowed for simple operation.SOLUTION: A carrier device 1 comprises a loader 2 that carries an object of transport from a source of transport to a destination of transport and a guide rail 3 that is provided between the source of transport and the destination of transport and for guiding the object of transport. The loader 2 pulls out the object of transport from the source of transport from front in a transport direction to an intermediate position of the guide rail 3 and pushes out the object of transport from the intermediate position to the destination of transport from back in the transport direction, along the guide rail 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] A conveying device is known that conveys wafer rings each having a sheet on which a plurality of chips are mounted. The conveying device performs a process of supplying the wafer rings from a supply source to a supply destination and a process of retrieving the wafer rings from the supply destination back to the supply source. In a manufacturing line in which this type of process is performed, a magazine that can store a plurality of wafer rings is provided at the supply source, and a ring holder in which the wafer rings are temporarily placed is provided at the supply destination.

[0003] When a wafer ring is supplied from a supply source to a supply destination by a transfer device, a process of removing a plurality of chips from the wafer ring placed in a ring holder is performed, for example, by a suction nozzle. After the process of removing the plurality of chips from the wafer ring is completed, the transfer device retrieves the processed wafer ring from the supply destination to the supply source. Various technologies have been proposed for transfer devices that supply and retrieve such wafer rings.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a conveying device in which a guide rail for guiding a wafer ring is provided between a supply source and a supply destination. The wafer ring at the supply source is pulled by a hook mechanism (hook) and supplied to the supply destination while sliding on the guide rail.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a transfer device provided with a clamping mechanism for holding wafer rings between a supply source and a supply destination. The clamping mechanism removes a wafer ring that has been laid horizontally from the supply source, stands it upright in the vertical direction, and supplies it to the supply destination. The clamping mechanism also removes a wafer ring that has been laid upright in the vertical direction from the supply destination, lays it down horizontally, and returns it to the supply source.

[0006] Incidentally, in a structure in which a hooking mechanism pulls wafer rings, as in the transport device of Patent Document 1, the movement of the hooking mechanism needs to be finely adjusted so that interference does not occur between the hooking mechanism and a ring holder or the like at the supply destination. Also, in the transport device of Patent Document 2, the clamping mechanism needs to be swung to turn the wafer rings upright or sideways, so a large operating space for the clamping mechanism needs to be secured, which may result in an increase in the size of the transport device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-173847 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-213112 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a conveying device that is small and allows simple operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a conveying device according to the present invention comprises: a loader that transports an object from a source to a destination; a guide rail provided between the source and the destination to guide the object to be transported, The loader pulls the object from the front in the transport direction along the guide rail from the source to an intermediate position on the guide rail, and pushes the object from the rear in the transport direction from the intermediate position to the destination. However, the intermediate position does not only refer to a position (center position) that is equidistant from the source of transport (or one end of the guide rail in the axial direction) and the destination of transport (or the other end of the guide rail in the axial direction), but can be any position between the source of transport and the destination of transport.

[0010] In the transport device according to the present invention, the loader transports the object along the guide rail. Therefore, the loader can transport the object from its origin to its destination while keeping it horizontally in a horizontal position. This reduces the vertical operating space of the loader, allowing for a more compact transport device. Furthermore, since the object is transported from its origin to its destination by linear movement along the guide rail, this also contributes to a more compact transport device. Furthermore, since the object does not need to be held upright, scattering of particles caused by the transport of the object can be prevented.

[0011] The loader also pulls the object from the front in the transport direction from the origin to the intermediate position of the guide rail, and pushes the object from the rear in the transport direction from the intermediate position to the destination. In this case, when the loader reaches the intermediate position of the guide rail en route from the origin to the destination, it moves from the front to the rear in the transport direction of the object, moving away from the destination (returning to the origin). This prevents the loader from interfering with a mechanism at the destination (e.g., a ring holder) in front of the object in the transport direction. Therefore, unlike the transport device of Patent Document 1, it is not necessary to finely adjust the movement of the loader to prevent such problems, and a transport device that allows for simple operation can be configured.

[0012] The loader may move from the front to the rear in the transport direction of the object while passing under the object at the intermediate position. In this case, particles are less likely to scatter onto the surface of the object due to the movement of the loader, thereby preventing contamination of the object. In addition, there tends to be relatively few factors restricting the movement of the loader below the object, allowing for smooth movement of the loader.

[0013] The loader may have a gripping unit that grips the object to be transported. The gripping unit may grip the object from the front in the transport direction and pull the object from the front in the transport direction from the origin to the intermediate position. Gripping the object with the gripping unit can prevent the object from falling off the loader during transport.

[0014] The gripping unit may have a pair of gripping plates that face each other and are movable toward or away from each other, and a stopper located between the pair of gripping plates. By disposing the stopper between the pair of gripping plates, when the gripping unit grips the transported object, the gripping position of the transported object is determined by the stopper, and variation in the gripping position of the transported object can be prevented.

[0015] The gripping unit may push the object from the rear in the conveying direction from the intermediate position to the destination by using a front end surface in the conveying direction of at least one of the pair of gripping plates while the pair of gripping plates are in contact with each other. In this case, the operation of gripping the object by the pair of gripping plates can be omitted. Therefore, the gripping unit can easily and quickly start the operation of pushing the object from the rear in the conveying direction at the intermediate position. Furthermore, by pushing the object by using at least one end surface of the pair of gripping plates, the object can be accurately positioned at the destination position where the conveyance is completed. Furthermore, the abutment of the pair of gripping plates makes the gripping unit compact, preventing the gripping unit from interfering with the object at the destination.

[0016] The gripping unit may push the object from the rear in the conveying direction from the intermediate position to the destination by using a front end face in the conveying direction of one of the pair of gripping plates while the pair of gripping plates is spaced apart. In this case, the operation of gripping the object by the pair of gripping plates can be omitted. Therefore, the gripping unit can easily and quickly start the operation of pushing the object from the rear in the conveying direction at the intermediate position. Furthermore, pushing the object by using one end face of the pair of gripping plates makes it easier to place the object in a narrow space at the destination. Furthermore, by separating the pair of gripping plates, it becomes easier to push the object from the rear in the conveying direction by using one end face of the pair of gripping plates.

[0017] The gripping unit may push the object from the rear in the conveying direction of the object from the intermediate position to the destination by the stopper while the pair of gripping plates are spaced apart. In this case, it is possible to prevent the end of the gripping unit located at the front in the conveying direction from interfering with a mechanism (e.g., a ring holder) at the destination.

[0018] The stopper may have a first stopper and a second stopper, the first stopper being provided at an end of the gripping plate on the destination side, and the second stopper being provided at an end of the gripping plate on the source side. In this case, since stoppers are provided on both the destination side and the source side, the gripping unit can push the object to the destination from the rear in the conveying direction by the first stopper or the second stopper at the intermediate position without reversing its orientation.

[0019] The pair of gripping plates may comprise a fixed gripping plate disposed vertically above and a movable gripping plate disposed vertically below, and the movable gripping plate may be movable upward along the vertical direction. In this case, the object to be transported can be lifted upward by the movable gripping plate while being gripped by the movable and fixed gripping plates. Therefore, the movable gripping plate does not press the object to the guide rail or the like, thereby preventing damage to the object to be transported.

[0020] The object to be transferred may consist of a plurality of objects, and a vertically movable container for storing the plurality of objects may be provided at the source or destination, and the loader may take out any of the objects stored in the container in order from the bottom up, and the container may descend a predetermined distance each time the loader takes out any of the objects. In this case, the objects stored in the container are positioned at a height substantially equal to or higher than the loader. Therefore, even if particles are scattered due to the operation of the loader, the particles are less likely to adhere to the surfaces of the objects stored in the container, thereby preventing contamination of the objects.

[0021] The guide rail may have a first rail portion and a second rail portion, and a first groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the first rail portion may be formed on the inner side of the first rail portion facing the second rail portion, and a second groove extending along the longitudinal direction of the second rail portion may be formed on the inner side of the second rail portion facing the first rail portion. In this case, the object can be transported along the first groove and the second groove while being engaged in the first groove and the second groove. This prevents the object from falling off the guide rail during transport.

[0022] At least one longitudinal end of the first groove may have a first inclined surface that slopes downward, and at least one longitudinal end of the second groove may have a second inclined surface that slopes downward. In this case, when an object placed at the source or destination is guided onto the guide rail, the object can be smoothly placed on the guide rail so as to slide along the first and second inclined surfaces.

[0023] At least one longitudinal end of the first groove may have a third inclined surface that is inclined away from the second groove, and at least one longitudinal end of the second groove may have a fourth inclined surface that is inclined away from the first groove. In this case, the transport path for the transported object formed by the first groove and the second groove is locally widened at the positions of the third inclined surface and the fourth inclined surface. Therefore, when the transported object placed at the source or destination is guided onto the guide rail, the transported object can be smoothly placed on the guide rail while being prevented from getting caught on the first rail portion and the second rail portion.

[0024] The transport device may further include a first sensor that detects a first portion of the object placed at the intermediate position and a second sensor that detects a second portion of the object placed at the intermediate position, and the first sensor and the second sensor may be placed at different positions along the transport direction. In this case, the first sensor and the second sensor can detect whether the object is accurately placed at the intermediate position (without misalignment) or whether the object is misaligned from the intermediate position.

[0025] When both the first sensor and the second sensor are ON, the loader may move from the front to the rear in the transport direction of the object at the intermediate position. In this case, the loader can move from the front to the rear in the transport direction of the object while the object is accurately positioned at the intermediate position. Therefore, when the loader moves from the front to the rear in the transport direction of the object, it is possible to prevent the loader from interfering with the object.

[0026] The conveying device may further include a third sensor that detects the object at any position along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail. In this case, the third sensor can detect whether the object is located anywhere on the guide rail or whether the object is not located anywhere on the guide rail.

[0027] When the third sensor is ON and at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor is OFF, the operation of the loader may be stopped. When at least one of the multiple third sensors is ON and at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor is OFF, the object to be transported may be positioned somewhere on the guide rail but may be unable to move somewhere and may be unable to reach the intermediate position. In this way, if the object to be transported moves unintentionally, the operation of the loader may be stopped and maintenance work may be performed on the transport device, thereby minimizing damage to the transport device and the object to be transported.

[0028] A container that contains a plurality of the objects to be transferred may be provided at the source or destination, and a pusher that pushes any of the objects contained in the container out of the container may be provided near the container. By the pusher pushing any of the objects contained in the container out of the container, the loader can easily remove the object from the container. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a conveying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B is a perspective view of the magazine shown in FIG. 1A when it is lowered. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the magazine shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ring holder shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining the configurations of the first to third sensors shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A is a plan view of the ring holder shown in FIG. 1A when it is placed at the intermediate position of the guide rail. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a plan view of the ring holder shown in FIG. 1A when it is placed at a position spaced apart from the intermediate position of the guide rail. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 1A. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a side view of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 7A. [Figure 7C] FIG. 7C is a side view of the movable gripping plate shown in FIG. 7A when it is raised. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 7A gripping a ring holder. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a perspective view of the gripping portion shown in FIG. 7A when it pushes out the ring holder. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the loader shown in FIG. 1A when supplying ring holders from a supply source to a supply destination. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a perspective view for explaining a subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 9A. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a perspective view for explaining a subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 9B. [Figure 9D] FIG. 9D is a perspective view for explaining the subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 9C. [Figure 9E] FIG. 9E is a perspective view for explaining the subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 9D. [Figure 9F] FIG. 9F is a perspective view for explaining the subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 9E. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a perspective view for explaining the operation of the loader shown in FIG. 1A when recovering the ring holder from the supply destination to the supply source. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a perspective view for explaining a subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 10A. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a perspective view for explaining a subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 10B. [Figure 10D] FIG. 10D is a perspective view for explaining a subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 10C. [Figure 10E] FIG. 10E is a perspective view for explaining the subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 10D. [Figure 10F] FIG. 10F is a perspective view for explaining the subsequent operation of the loader shown in FIG. 10E. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the contents shown in the drawings are merely shown schematically and exemplarily to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and the appearance and dimensional ratios may differ from the actual product. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0031] A transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1A is installed in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing line and transfers wafer rings 9, which are objects to be transferred, from a transfer source to a transfer destination. At the source of the wafer rings 9, for example, a magazine 4 that can store a plurality of wafer rings 9 is arranged. At the destination of the wafer rings 9, for example, a ring holder 7 in which the wafer rings 9 can be temporarily placed is arranged. The transfer device 1 performs a process of supplying the wafer rings 9 from the magazine 4, which is the source, to the ring holder 7, which is the destination, and a process of retrieving the wafer rings 9 from the ring holder 7, which is the destination, back to the magazine 4, which is the source. When the transfer device 1 performs a process of supplying the wafer rings 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7, the magazine 4 is the transfer source, and the ring holder 7 is the transfer destination. When the transfer device 1 performs a process of retrieving the wafer rings 9 from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4, the ring holder 7 is the transfer source, and the magazine 4 is the transfer destination.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1A, the conveying device 1 is disposed between the magazine 4 and the ring holder 7, and includes, for example, a loader 2, a guide rail 3, a first sensor 5a, a second sensor 5b, and a third sensor 6. The detailed configuration of the conveying device 1 will be described later. In FIG. 1A etc., the X-axis is an axis along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 3 and extends along a horizontal plane. The Y-axis is an axis perpendicular to the X-axis on the horizontal plane. The Z-axis is an axis perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis and extends along the vertical direction. Hereinafter, the positive side of the Z-axis will be referred to as the upside, and the negative side of the Z-axis will be referred to as the downside.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, the magazine 4 has, for example, side walls 40a and 40b, a plurality of claws 41, and a bottom plate 42. The side walls 40a and 40b are each flat plate-shaped and arranged parallel to each other along the Y axis. A plurality of claws 41 are formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40a (the surface facing the side wall 40b). Similarly, a plurality of claws 41 are formed on the inner surface of the side wall 40b (the surface facing the side wall 40a).

[0034] The plurality of claws 41 protrude from the inner surface of the side wall 40a or 40b along the Y axis and are arranged at regular intervals along the Z axis. The arrangement interval of each of the plurality of claws 41 along the Z axis is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 4.0 to 6.0 mm. On the side wall 40a, the plurality of claws 41 extend from one end of the side wall 40a to the other end in the X axis direction. On the side wall 40b, the plurality of claws 41 extend from one end of the side wall 40b to the other end in the X axis direction. The plurality of claws 41 form a shelf for accommodating a plurality of wafer rings 9.

[0035] On side wall 40a, one end of ring holder 9 in the Y-axis direction is disposed between adjacent claws 41 and 41. On side wall 40b, the other end of ring holder 9 in the Y-axis direction is disposed between adjacent claws 41 and 41. As shown in FIG. 1A , multiple ring holders 9 are disposed at regular intervals along the Z-axis on shelves formed inside magazine 4. The multiple ring holders 9 are inserted into magazine 4 so as to slide horizontally along claws 41. The multiple ring holders 9 are ejected from magazine 4 so as to slide horizontally along claws 41.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2, the bottom plate 42 is a plate parallel to the horizontal plane and is disposed at the lower end of each of the side walls 40a and 40b. The bottom plate 42 is integral with the side walls 40a and 40b, which allows the distance between the side walls 40a and 40b to be fixed. The shape of the bottom plate 42 is not limited to the shape shown in Fig. 2 and can be modified as appropriate.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1A, a magazine drive unit 43 is disposed adjacent to the side wall 40a. The magazine drive unit 43 is a drive means for moving the magazine 4 up and down, and is, for example, a linear actuator. The location of the magazine drive unit 43 is not particularly limited, and it may be located below the magazine 4. Driven by the magazine drive unit 43, the magazine 4 can be moved from a fully raised state as shown in FIG. 1A to a fully lowered state as shown in FIG. 1B. In FIG. 1A, the ring holder 9 accommodated in the bottom shelf of the magazine 4 is disposed at approximately the same height as the guide rail 3. In FIG. 1B, the ring holder 9 accommodated in the top shelf of the magazine 4 is disposed at approximately the same height as the guide rail 3.

[0038] 3, the wafer ring 9 is a flat plate having a ring shape and is made of a metal such as stainless steel. The thickness of the wafer ring 9 is not particularly limited, but is 0.5 to 2.0 mm. The wafer ring 9 has a ring body 90.

[0039] The outer periphery of the ring body 90 is formed with a first end face 93 and a second end face 94 extending along the Y-axis. The first end face 93 is an end face on one side of the ring body 90 in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A), and the second end face 94 is an end face on the other side of the ring body 90 in the X-axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). The outer periphery of the ring body 90 is formed with a third end face 95 and a fourth end face 96 extending along the X-axis. The third end face 95 is an end face on one side of the ring body 90 in the Y-axis direction, and the fourth end face 96 is an end face on the other side of the ring body 90 in the Y-axis direction. The third end face 95 extends parallel to the claws 41 formed on the side wall 40a (FIG. 2). The fourth end face 96 extends parallel to the claws 41 formed on the side wall 40b (FIG. 2). Therefore, the wafer ring 9 can easily slide on the claws 41 formed on the side walls 40a and 40b.

[0040] A sheet 92 is attached to the ring body 90 so as to cover the through-holes of the ring body 90. The sheet 92 is, for example, an adhesive resin sheet. A plurality of chips 10 are attached to the upper surface of the sheet 92. The chips 10 are, for example, individual pieces of a diced wafer. The chips 10 may be semiconductor elements such as CMOS sensors. In some embodiments, a carrier tray may be used as the object to be transported. In this case, the carrier tray may be loaded with electronic components such as capacitors and coils. In FIG. 1A and other drawings, the sheet 92 and chips 10 attached to the wafer ring 9 are omitted to avoid cluttering the drawing.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1A, a pusher 8 and a detection mechanism 11 are provided near the magazine 4. The pusher 8 has a rod 80 and a drive unit 81. The drive unit 81 is, for example, an air cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder, and moves the rod 80 back and forth along the X-axis. The rod 80 is a bar-shaped member that horizontally pushes one of the multiple wafer rings 9 housed in the magazine 4 outward from the magazine 4. More specifically, the rod 80 pushes a second end surface 94 (FIG. 3) of the wafer ring 9 toward the ring holder 7.

[0042] The detection mechanism 11 is, for example, a reflective optical sensor and is disposed adjacent to the pusher 8. The detection mechanism 11 detects the presence or absence of the wafer ring 9 in the magazine 4. For example, when the pusher 8 pushes out the wafer ring 9, the detection mechanism 11 detects whether the wafer ring 9 is present in front of the rod 80 (forward in the pushing direction). Furthermore, when the transfer device 1 retrieves the wafer ring 9 from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4, the detection mechanism 11 detects whether the wafer ring 9 is properly stored inside the magazine 4. More specifically, the detection mechanism 11 detects whether the wafer ring 9 is placed in a predetermined position (a predetermined shelf) inside the magazine 4. Alternatively, the detection mechanism 11 detects whether the wafer ring 9 has reached the back of a shelf formed inside the magazine 4. The detection mechanism 11 may be a contact sensor that detects the wafer ring 9 by coming into contact with it. A physical switch, a contact pin, or the like can be used as such a contact sensor.

[0043] The ring holder 7 has, for example, a table 70, a plate 71, a first rail portion 72, and a second rail portion 73. The table 70 is a cylindrical body and is arranged so that its axis faces the vertical direction. A wafer ring 9 can be placed on the upper end of the table 70. The plate 71 is a flat plate-shaped body and is arranged above the table 70. A gap is formed between the plate 71 and the table 70, and the wafer ring 9 is transported into this gap and placed on the upper end of the table 70.

[0044] The first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 are rod-shaped members for guiding the wafer ring 9 to the table 70. The first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 are spaced apart along the Y axis and extend along the X axis. The wafer ring 9 is transported along the first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 to the upper end of the table 70 so as to enter the gap described above.

[0045] Next, the configuration of the transport device 1 will be described. The guide rail 3 is provided between the magazine 4 and the ring holder 7 and is a rod-shaped member for guiding the wafer rings 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7 or from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4. The guide rail 3 has a first rail portion 31 and a second rail portion 34. The first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 are spaced apart along the Y axis and extend along the X axis.

[0046] One end of the first rail portion 31 in the X-axis direction is located near the first rail portion 72 of the ring holder 7, and the other end of the first rail portion 31 in the X-axis direction is located near the bottom plate 42 of the magazine 4. Furthermore, one end of the second rail portion 34 in the X-axis direction is located near the second rail portion 73 of the ring holder 7, and the other end of the second rail portion 34 in the X-axis direction is located near the bottom plate 42 of the magazine 4. The wafer ring 9 is transported along the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7 or from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4.

[0047] A first groove 32 extending along the longitudinal direction of the first rail portion 31 is formed on the inner side of the first rail portion 31 facing the second rail portion 34. A second groove 35 extending along the longitudinal direction of the second rail portion 34 is formed on the inner side of the second rail portion 34 facing the first rail portion 31. The first groove 32 extends from one end to the other end of the first rail portion 31 in the X-axis direction. The second groove 35 extends from one end to the other end of the second rail portion 34 in the X-axis direction. The first groove 32 and the second groove 35 are formed so that the cross section of each of the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 is L-shaped. The bottom of each of the first groove 32 and the second groove 35 is a flat surface parallel to a horizontal plane, and the side of each of the first groove 32 and the second groove 35 is a flat surface parallel to a vertical plane.

[0048] When the wafer ring 9 passes through the guide rail 3, one end of the ring holder 7 in the Y-axis direction (third end surface 95 shown in FIG. 3 ) is disposed in the first groove 32, and the other end of the ring holder 7 in the Y-axis direction (fourth end surface 96 shown in FIG. 3 ) is disposed in the second groove 35. Therefore, the wafer ring 9 can be transported along the first groove 32 and the second groove 35 while being locked in the first groove 32 and the second groove 35. This prevents the wafer ring 9 from falling off the guide rail 3 during transport. Furthermore, the wafer ring 9 is positioned in the Y-axis direction by the first groove 32 and the second groove 35, preventing the wafer ring 9 from shifting position during transport.

[0049] 4A, a downwardly sloping first inclined surface 33a is formed at one longitudinal end (the end on the positive X-axis direction) of first groove 32. A downwardly sloping second inclined surface 36a is formed at one longitudinal end (the end on the positive X-axis direction) of second groove 35. First inclined surface 33a is formed at the bottom of first groove 32, and second inclined surface 36a is formed at the bottom of second groove 35.

[0050] Therefore, when the wafer ring 9 placed on the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 is guided onto the first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 of the ring holder 7, the wafer ring 9 can slide obliquely downward along the first inclined surface 33a and the second inclined surface 36a and can be placed on the first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 without getting caught. Furthermore, when the wafer ring 9 placed on the first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 of the ring holder 7 is guided onto the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34, the wafer ring 9 can slide obliquely upward along the first inclined surface 33a and the second inclined surface 36a and can be placed on the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 without getting caught.

[0051] 4B, a downwardly sloping first inclined surface 33b is formed at the other longitudinal end (the end on the negative X-axis direction) of first groove 32. Further, a downwardly sloping second inclined surface 36b is formed at the other longitudinal end (the end on the negative X-axis direction) of second groove 35. First inclined surface 33b is formed at the bottom of first groove 32, and second inclined surface 36b is formed at the bottom of second groove 35.

[0052] Therefore, when guiding wafer rings 9 arranged on first rail portion 31 and second rail portion 34 to a shelf of magazine 4, the wafer rings 9 can slide obliquely downward along first inclined surface 33b and second inclined surface 36b and placed on the shelf (claws 41) of magazine 4 without getting caught. Furthermore, when guiding wafer rings 9 arranged on a shelf of magazine 4 to first rail portion 31 and second rail portion 34, the wafer rings 9 can slide obliquely upward along first inclined surface 33b and second inclined surface 36b and placed on the first rail portion 31 and second rail portion 34 without getting caught.

[0053] 4A, a third inclined surface 33c inclined laterally is formed at one longitudinal end (the end on the positive X-axis direction) of the first groove 32. A fourth inclined surface 36c inclined laterally is formed at one longitudinal end (the end on the positive X-axis direction) of the second groove 35. The third inclined surface 33c is formed on a side (side wall) of the first groove 32 and inclined outward in the Y-axis direction (away from the second groove 35) toward one longitudinal side (the positive X-axis side) of the first groove 32. The fourth inclined surface 36c is formed on a side (side wall) of the second groove 35 and inclined outward in the Y-axis direction (away from the first groove 32) toward one longitudinal side (the positive X-axis side) of the second groove 35.

[0054] Therefore, at the positions of third inclined surface 33c and fourth inclined surface 36c, the transport path for wafer ring 9 formed by first groove 32 and second groove 35 is locally widened in the Y-axis direction. This prevents both ends of wafer ring 9 in the Y-axis direction from getting caught on first rail portion 31 and second rail portion 34 when wafer ring 9 placed on first rail portion 72 and second rail portion 73 of ring holder 7 is guided to first rail portion 31 and second rail portion 34.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4B , a third inclined surface 33d that slopes laterally is formed at the other longitudinal end (the end on the negative X-axis direction) of the first groove 32. A fourth inclined surface 36d that slopes laterally is formed at the other longitudinal end (the end on the negative X-axis direction) of the second groove 35. The third inclined surface 33d is formed on a side portion (side wall) of the first groove 32 and slopes outward in the Y-axis direction (away from the second groove 35) toward the other longitudinal side (negative X-axis direction) of the first groove 32. The fourth inclined surface 36d is formed on a side portion (side wall) of the second groove 35 and slopes outward in the Y-axis direction (away from the first groove 32) toward the other longitudinal side (negative X-axis direction) of the second groove 35.

[0056] Therefore, at the positions of the third inclined surface 33d and the fourth inclined surface 36d, the passage for the wafer ring 9 formed by the first groove 32 and the second groove 35 is locally widened in the Y-axis direction. This makes it possible to prevent both ends of the wafer ring 9 in the Y-axis direction from getting caught on the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 when the wafer ring 9 placed on the shelf of the magazine 4 is guided onto the first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 1A, the first rail portion 31 is supported by support portion 37a, and the second rail portion 34 is supported by support portion 37b. The configuration of support portions 37a and 37b is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1A and can be modified as appropriate. The first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 are arranged at approximately the same height as the bottom plate 42 of the magazine 4 by support portions 37a and 37b. The first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 are also arranged at approximately the same height as the first rail portion 72 and the second rail portion 73 of the ring holder 7 by support portions 37a and 37b. The first rail portion 31 and the second rail portion 34 are also arranged at approximately the same height as the grip portion 20 of the loader 2 by support portions 37a and 37b.

[0058] The first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are presence sensors having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, and are disposed above the first rail portion 31. The first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are each a reflective sensor, but may also be a transmissive sensor. The first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are attached to the first rail portion 31 via an L-shaped fastener, but the manner in which the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are attached is not particularly limited. The first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are disposed at different positions along the longitudinal direction of the first rail portion 31, spaced apart from each other. The longitudinal direction of the first rail portion 31 corresponds to the direction in which the wafer rings 9 are transported by the loader 2.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5 , the first sensor 5a detects a first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9 positioned at the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 using light emitted from the light-emitting unit. The second sensor 5b detects a second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9 positioned at the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 using light emitted from the light-emitting unit. The intermediate position P does not necessarily refer to a position equidistant from the origin and destination (center position), but may be any position between the origin and destination. In this embodiment, the intermediate position P is located between one end and the other end of the guide rail 3 in the longitudinal direction. The intermediate position P may be the center of the guide rail 3 in the longitudinal direction, or may be a position spaced apart from the center of the guide rail 3 in the longitudinal direction. The intermediate position P may also be a position equidistant from both the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b.

[0060] The first portion P1 and the second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9 are located, for example, on an imaginary line L1 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5. The imaginary line L1 is a straight line that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the first rail portion 31 and crosses the through-hole of the wafer ring 9. The first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9 is located on one side of the center of the ring main body 90 in the X-axis direction. The second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9 is located on the other side of the center of the ring main body 90 in the X-axis direction.

[0061] As will be described in detail later, the wafer ring 9 temporarily stops for a predetermined time at an intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 during the process of being transported from the source (the magazine 4 or the ring holder 7) to the destination (the ring holder 7 or the magazine 4). At this time, the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 is the position where an imaginary perpendicular line L2 drawn from the center O of the wafer ring 9 toward the first rail portion 31 intersects with the first rail portion 31. Therefore, the X coordinate of the intermediate position P is equal to the X coordinate of the center O of the wafer ring 9 that has stopped at the intermediate position P. In this embodiment, the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b can detect whether the wafer ring 9 is accurately positioned at the intermediate position P (without misalignment) or whether the wafer ring 9 is positioned misaligned from the intermediate position P.

[0062] When light emitted from the light-emitting unit of the first sensor 5a is irradiated onto the first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9 and the reflected light is received by the light-receiving unit of the first sensor 5a, a detection signal indicating this state is transmitted from the first sensor 5a to a control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1 via a wired or wireless connection. At this time, the control unit determines that the first sensor 5a is ON (although it may be OFF). When the light emitted from the light-emitting unit of the first sensor 5a is not irradiated onto the first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9 and the reflected light cannot be received by the light-receiving unit of the first sensor 5a, a detection signal indicating this state is transmitted from the first sensor 5a to the control unit of the transport device 1 via a wired or wireless connection. At this time, the control unit determines that the first sensor 5a is OFF (although it may be ON).

[0063] When light emitted from the light-emitting unit of the second sensor 5b is irradiated onto the second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9 and the reflected light is received by the light-receiving unit of the second sensor 5b, a detection signal indicating this state is transmitted from the second sensor 5b to a control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1 via a wired or wireless connection. At this time, the control unit determines that the second sensor 5b is ON (although it may be OFF). When the light emitted from the light-emitting unit of the second sensor 5b is not irradiated onto the second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9 and the reflected light cannot be received by the light-receiving unit of the second sensor 5b, a detection signal indicating this state is transmitted from the second sensor 5b to the control unit of the transport device 1 via a wired or wireless connection. At this time, the control unit determines that the second sensor 5b is OFF (although it may be ON).

[0064] The third sensor 6 is an area sensor and has multiple light-emitting elements and multiple light-receiving elements corresponding to the multiple light-emitting elements. The third sensor 6 detects the wafer ring 9 at any position along the longitudinal direction of the second rail portion 34. The third sensor 6 has sensor bodies 60a and 60b and connecting portions 61a and 61b. The sensor bodies 60a and 60b face each other and are arranged along and near the second rail portion 34. One of the sensor bodies 60a and 60b has multiple light-emitting elements, and the other of the sensor bodies 60a and 60b has multiple light-receiving elements.

[0065] The connecting portion 61a is connected to one longitudinal end of the sensor main bodies 60a and 60b. The connecting portion 61b is connected to the other longitudinal end of the sensor main bodies 60a and 60b. The sensor main bodies 60a and 60b are integrated via the connecting portions 61a and 61b. Although not shown in detail, the connecting portions 61a and 61b may be fixed to the support portion 37b shown in FIG. 1A.

[0066] 5, when the wafer ring 9 passes over the guide rail 3, light emitted from any of the light-emitting elements of the third sensor 6 is blocked by the wafer ring 9 and does not reach any of the light-receiving elements of the third sensor 6. In this way, when the light emitted from at least one light-emitting element is blocked by the wafer ring 9 and any of the light-receiving elements cannot receive the light, a detection signal indicating this state is transmitted from the third sensor 6 via wire or wirelessly to a control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1. At this time, the control unit determines that the third sensor 6 is ON (although it may be OFF).

[0067] When the wafer ring 9 is not passing over the guide rail 3, the light emitted from all the light-emitting elements of the third sensor 6 reaches all the light-receiving elements of the third sensor 6 without being blocked by the wafer ring 9. When all the light-receiving elements receive the light emitted from all the light-emitting elements in this way, a detection signal indicating this state is transmitted by wire or wirelessly from the third sensor 6 to a control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1. At this time, the control unit determines that the third sensor 6 is OFF (although it may also be ON).

[0068] The third sensor 6 is always ON as long as the wafer ring 9 is placed on the guide rail 3. Therefore, the third sensor 6 can detect whether the wafer ring 9 is placed somewhere on the guide rail 3 or whether the wafer ring 9 is not placed anywhere on the guide rail 3. In contrast, the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are ON only when the wafer ring 9 is placed at the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3.

[0069] For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the wafer ring 9 is stopped at the intermediate position P on the guide rail 3, the light emitted from the first sensor 5a is irradiated onto a first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9, and therefore the first sensor 5a is turned ON. The light emitted from the second sensor 5b is irradiated onto a second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9, and therefore the second sensor 5b is turned ON. The light emitted from any of the light-emitting elements of the third sensor 6 is irradiated onto the wafer ring 9, and therefore the third sensor 6 is turned ON. In this way, when both the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are ON and the third sensor 6 is ON, the control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1 determines that the wafer ring 9 is properly stopped at the intermediate position P on the guide rail 3.

[0070] 6B, when the wafer ring 9 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 6B stops at a position away from the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3, the light emitted from the third sensor 6 is irradiated onto the wafer ring 9, and therefore the third sensor 6 is turned ON. The light emitted from the second sensor 5b is irradiated onto the first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9, and therefore the second sensor 5b is turned ON. In contrast, the light emitted from the first sensor 5a is not irradiated onto the wafer ring 9, and therefore the first sensor 5a is turned OFF. In this way, when one of the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b is OFF and the third sensor 6 is ON, the control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1 determines that the wafer ring 9 is not properly stopped at the intermediate position P on the guide rail 3 (is stopped at a position other than the intermediate position P).

[0071] 6B is stopped at a position further away from the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3, the light emitted from the third sensor 6 is irradiated onto the wafer ring 9, and the third sensor 6 is turned ON. In contrast, the light emitted from the first sensor 5a is not irradiated onto the wafer ring 9, and the first sensor 5a is turned OFF. Furthermore, the light emitted from the second sensor 5b is not irradiated onto the wafer ring 9, and the second sensor 5b is also turned OFF. In this way, even when both the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are OFF and the third sensor 6 is ON, the control unit (not shown) of the transport device 1 determines that the wafer ring 9 is not properly stopped at the intermediate position P on the guide rail 3 (is stopped at a position other than the intermediate position P).

[0072] As shown in FIG. 1A , the loader 2 has a gripping unit 20, a loader drive unit 27, and a drive rail 28. The loader 2 transports wafer rings 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7, or from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4. The drive rail 28 is disposed between the magazine 4 and the ring holder 7 and extends along the guide rail 3. The gripping unit 20 is connected to the drive rail 28 via the loader drive unit 27 and moves reciprocally along the drive rail 28. That is, the gripping unit 20 moves in two directions: from the magazine 4 side to the ring holder 7 side, or from the ring holder 7 side to the magazine 4 side. Note that in FIG. 1A , the structure of the drive rail 28 is shown in a simplified form to avoid cluttering the drawing.

[0073] The gripping portion 20 is configured to be able to grip the wafer ring 9. As shown in FIG. 7A , the gripping portion 20 includes a fixed gripping plate 21, a movable gripping plate 22, first stoppers 23a and 23b, second stoppers 24a and 24b, a first adjustment portion 25, and a second adjustment portion 26. The fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 form a pair and face each other. The fixed gripping plate 21 is disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction, and the movable gripping plate 22 is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction. The fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are made of a highly rigid metal such as, but not limited to, stainless steel, aluminum, steel, or cast iron. The fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 may also be made of resin.

[0074] The fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are configured to be movable toward or away from each other by being driven by the loader driving unit 27. In this embodiment, the movable gripping plate 22 is configured to be movable upward in the vertical direction. In this case, the wafer ring 9 can be held by the movable gripping plate 22 and the fixed gripping plate 21 while being lifted upward by the movable gripping plate 22. Therefore, the wafer ring 9 is not pressed against the guide rails 3 or the like by the movable gripping plate 22, and damage to the wafer ring 9 can be prevented.

[0075] A notch 210 is formed on the upper surface of the fixed gripping plate 21. The notch 210 is formed at an end of the fixed gripping plate 21 on one side in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A). The notch 210 is formed from one end to the other end of the fixed gripping plate 21 in the Y-axis direction. At the position of the notch 210, the upper surface of the fixed gripping plate 21 is flat, and the vertical cross section of the fixed gripping plate 21 is L-shaped. The notch 210 is provided to prevent the gripping portion 20 from contacting the ring holder 7 (for example, near the upper end of the table 70) when the gripping portion 20 approaches the ring holder 7.

[0076] A first engagement recess 211, an engagement protrusion 212, and a second engagement recess 213 are formed on the underside of the fixed gripping plate 21. The first engagement recess 211 is formed on one side of the fixed gripping plate 21 in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A). The second engagement recess 213 is formed on the other side of the fixed gripping plate 21 in the X-axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). The second engagement recess 213 is formed from the center to the end of the fixed gripping plate 21 in the X-axis direction, while the first engagement recess 211 is formed at the end of the fixed gripping plate 21. The first engagement recess 211 and the second engagement recess 213 are formed from one end to the other end of the fixed gripping plate 21 in the Y-axis direction.

[0077] The first engaging recess 211 and the second engaging recess 213 are recessed upward relative to the engaging protrusion 212. At the positions of the first engaging recess 211 and the second engaging recess 213, the lower surface of the fixed gripping plate 21 is flat.

[0078] The engagement protrusion 212 is formed between the first engagement recess 211 and the second engagement recess 213. The engagement protrusion 212 is formed from one end to the other end of the fixed gripping plate 21 in the Y-axis direction. The engagement protrusion 212 protrudes downward relative to the first engagement recess 211 and the second engagement recess 213. At the position of the engagement protrusion 212, the lower surface of the fixed gripping plate 21 is flat.

[0079] A vertical surface 214 is formed on one side in the X-axis direction (the side of the ring holder 7 shown in FIG. 1A) of the engaging protrusion 212. The vertical surface 214 forms the wall surface of the first engaging recess 211. The vertical surface 214 is a flat surface extending along the vertical direction and faces one side in the X-axis direction.

[0080] A flat surface 215 is formed on the side surface of the fixed gripping plate 21 on the other side in the X-axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). The flat surface 215 is a flat surface that extends along the vertical direction and faces the other side in the X-axis direction. The flat surface 215 and the vertical surface 214 are arranged parallel to each other.

[0081] A protrusion 216 is formed at an end of one side in the X-axis direction of the fixed gripping plate 21 (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A ). The protrusion 216 protrudes perpendicularly to the vertical surface 214. The protrusion 216 has a thickness thinner than the engaging protrusion 212. The thickness of the protrusion 216 is not particularly limited, but may be thick enough so that the protrusion 216 is not deformed by the thrust from the loader driving unit 27 when the wafer ring 9 is gripped by the gripping unit 20. At the tip of the protrusion 216, an inclined surface is formed on the inner surface of the protrusion 216, which is inclined so as to move away from the movable gripping plate 22 as it approaches the tip of the protrusion 216. Therefore, the shape of the tip of the protrusion 216 is tapered.

[0082] A first engagement protrusion 221, an engagement recess 222, and a second engagement protrusion 223 are formed on the upper surface of the movable gripping plate 22. The first engagement protrusion 221 is formed on one side of the movable gripping plate 22 in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A). The second engagement protrusion 223 is formed on the other side of the movable gripping plate 22 in the X-axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). The second engagement protrusion 223 is formed from the center to the end of the movable gripping plate 22 in the X-axis direction, whereas the first engagement protrusion 221 is formed at the end of the movable gripping plate 22. The first engagement protrusion 221 and the second engagement protrusion 223 are formed from one end to the other end of the movable gripping plate 22 in the Y-axis direction.

[0083] The first engagement protrusion 221 and the second engagement protrusion 223 protrude upward relative to the engagement recess 222. An inclined surface is formed on the outer surface of the first engagement protrusion 221, which slopes upward toward one side in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A). Therefore, the tip of the first engagement protrusion 221 has a tapered shape. At the positions of the first engagement protrusion 221 and the second engagement protrusion 223, the upper surface of the movable grip plate 22 is flat.

[0084] The engagement recess 222 is formed between the first engagement protrusion 221 and the second engagement protrusion 223. The engagement recess 222 is formed from one end to the other end of the movable gripping plate 22 in the Y-axis direction. The engagement recess 222 is recessed downward relative to the first engagement protrusion 221 and the second engagement protrusion 223. At the position of the engagement recess 222, the upper surface of the movable gripping plate 22 is flat.

[0085] When the gripping portion 20 grips the wafer ring 9, the movable gripping plate 22 moves (rises) toward the fixed gripping plate 21. At this time, the first engagement protrusion 221 of the movable gripping plate 22 engages with the first engagement recess 211 of the fixed gripping plate 21. Furthermore, the second engagement protrusion 223 of the movable gripping plate 22 engages with the second engagement recess 213 of the fixed gripping plate 21. Furthermore, the engagement protrusion 212 of the fixed gripping plate 21 engages with the engagement recess 222 of the movable gripping plate 22. In this way, by forming the unevenness on the upper surface of the movable gripping plate 22 and the lower surface of the fixed gripping plate 21, it is possible to prevent the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 from shifting in position when the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 engage with each other. This allows the gripping portion 20 to stably grip the wafer ring 9.

[0086] A flat surface 225 is formed on the side surface of the movable gripping plate 22 on the other side in the X-axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). The flat surface 225 is a flat surface that extends vertically and faces the other side in the X-axis direction. The flat surface 225 of the movable gripping plate 22 and the flat surface 215 of the fixed gripping plate 21 are arranged parallel to each other. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7C, when the movable gripping plate 22 moves toward the fixed gripping plate 21 and abuts against the fixed gripping plate 21, the flat surface 215 and the flat surface 225 become flush with each other.

[0087] As shown in Fig. 7A, insertion holes 220a and 220b are formed at an end of movable gripping plate 22 on one side in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in Fig. 1A). Insertion holes 220a and 220b are arranged parallel to the Y-axis and pass through movable gripping plate 22. Insertion holes 220c and 220d are formed at an end of movable gripping plate 22 on the other side in the X-axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in Fig. 1A). Insertion holes 220c and 220d are arranged parallel to the Y-axis and pass through movable gripping plate 22.

[0088] First stoppers 23a and 23b and second stoppers 24a and 24b are positioned between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. The first stoppers 23a and 23b are arranged parallel to the Y axis, and the second stoppers 24a and 24b are arranged parallel to the Y axis. The first stoppers 23a and 23b are rod-shaped members and are provided at the ends of the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 on one side in the X axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A). More specifically, the first stoppers 23a and 23b are provided at the engagement protrusion 212 of the fixed gripping plate 21 and the engagement recess 222 of the movable gripping plate 22. The second stoppers 24a and 24b are rod-shaped members and are provided at the ends of the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 on the other side in the X axis direction (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). More specifically, the second stoppers 24 a and 24 b are provided at the positions of the second engaging recess 213 of the fixed gripping plate 21 and the second engaging protrusion 223 of the movable gripping plate 22, respectively.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 8B , each of the first stoppers 23a and 23b has a shaft portion 230 and a cover portion 231. The shaft portion 230 is a shaft made of metal or the like, and is inserted into the fixed gripping plate 21. One axial end of the shaft portion 230 is fixed to the fixed gripping plate 21, while the other axial end of the shaft portion 230 is a free end. The cover portion 231 is a cylindrical body made of metal, resin, or the like, and is attached to the shaft portion 230. The shaft portion 230 is inserted through a through-hole in the cover portion 231.

[0090] 8A, each of the second stoppers 24a and 24b has a shaft portion 240 and a cover portion 241. The shaft portion 240 is a shaft made of metal or the like, and is inserted into the fixed gripping plate 21. One axial end of the shaft portion 240 is fixed to the fixed gripping plate 21, while the other axial end of the shaft portion 240 is a free end. The cover portion 241 is a cylindrical body made of metal, resin, or the like, and is attached to the shaft portion 240. The shaft portion 240 is inserted through a through-hole in the cover portion 241.

[0091] 7C, when the movable gripping plate 22 moves toward the fixed gripping plate 21, i.e., when the movable gripping plate 22 abuts against the fixed gripping plate 21, the first stopper 23a (23b) is inserted through the insertion hole 220a (220b) of the movable gripping plate 22. At this time, the tip of the first stopper 23a (23b) may protrude from the insertion hole 220a (220b). Similarly, the second stopper 24a (24b) is inserted through the insertion hole 220c (220d) of the movable gripping plate 22. At this time, the tip of the second stopper 24a (24b) may protrude from the insertion hole 220c (220d).

[0092] As described above, in this embodiment, first stoppers 23a and 23b are disposed between fixed gripping plate 21 and movable gripping plate 22. Therefore, when gripping unit 20 grips wafer ring 9 placed in ring holder 7 (FIG. 1A), the gripping position of wafer ring 9 is determined by first stoppers 23a and 23b, thereby preventing variation in the gripping position of wafer ring 9. Furthermore, second stoppers 24a and 24b are disposed between fixed gripping plate 21 and movable gripping plate 22. Therefore, when gripping unit 20 grips wafer ring 9 placed in magazine 4, the gripping position of wafer ring 9 is determined by second stoppers 24a and 24b, thereby preventing variation in the gripping position of wafer ring 9.

[0093] As shown in Fig. 7B, a first adjustment portion 25 and a second adjustment portion 26 are formed on the other side in the X-axis direction of the movable gripping plate 22 (the magazine 4 side shown in Fig. 1A). The first adjustment portion 25 and the second adjustment portion 26 are adjacent to each other along the X-axis at the end of the movable gripping plate 22 on the other side in the X-axis direction. The first adjustment portion 25 and the second adjustment portion 26 are formed, for example, by set screws, and adjust the inclination of the movable gripping plate 22 on one side in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in Fig. 1A).

[0094] For example, when the first adjustment unit 25 is turned clockwise, one side of the movable gripping plate 22 in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A ) rises. As a result, the movable gripping plate 22 tilts upward to the right with respect to the horizontal plane. Furthermore, when the second adjustment unit 26 is turned clockwise, one side of the movable gripping plate 22 in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A ) descends downward. As a result, the movable gripping plate 22 tilts downward to the right with respect to the horizontal plane. Therefore, even if the movable gripping plate 22 tilts with respect to the fixed gripping plate 21 due to its own weight, for example, the tilt of the movable gripping plate 22 with respect to the fixed gripping plate 21 can be eliminated by adjustment using the first adjustment unit 25 or the second adjustment unit 26. Therefore, the parallelism between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 can be maintained.

[0095] The fixed gripping plate 21 has a retraction hole 250 formed above the first adjustment portion 25, which can accommodate the top of the first adjustment portion 25. The fixed gripping plate 21 also has a retraction hole 260 formed above the second adjustment portion 26, which can accommodate the top of the second adjustment portion 26. This is to prevent the tops of the first adjustment portion 25 and the second adjustment portion 26 from interfering with the lower surface of the fixed gripping plate 21 when the movable gripping plate 22 moves toward the fixed gripping plate 21, i.e., when the gripping portion 20 grips the wafer ring 9.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 7A, the loader driving unit 27 has, for example, a fixed support unit 270, a movable support unit 271, a lifting / lowering driving unit 272, and an opening / closing driving unit 273. The fixed support unit 270 is bent in an L-shape, although this is not particularly limited. The fixed support unit 270 has a rail fixing unit 270a and a rising portion 270b. The rail fixing unit 270a extends horizontally and is fixed to the drive rail 28. The rising portion 270b extends vertically so as to be perpendicular to the rail fixing unit 270a. The lifting / lowering driving unit 272 is attached to the rising portion 270b.

[0097] The lifting drive unit 272 is composed of an air cylinder, an electric cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like. A movable support unit 271 is attached to the lifting drive unit 272. The movable support unit 271 is a rod-shaped plate extending along the vertical direction. The upper end of the movable support unit 271 is fixed to the fixed gripping plate 21 by fasteners such as screws. The movable support unit 271 is configured to be movable up and down along the vertical direction by being driven by the lifting drive unit 272. As the movable support unit 271 moves up and down, the fixed gripping plate 21 connected to the movable support unit 271 moves up and down together with the movable gripping plate 22. In other words, the loader 20 moves up and down by being driven by the lifting drive unit 272.

[0098] The opening / closing drive unit 273 is composed of an air cylinder, an electric cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like. The movable gripping plate 22 is attached to the opening / closing drive unit 273. The movable gripping plate 22 is configured to be movable up and down along the vertical direction by being driven by the opening / closing drive unit 273. By being driven by the opening / closing drive unit 273, the movable gripping plate 22 moves up and down so as to approach or move away from the fixed gripping plate 21. This causes the opening and closing operation of the gripping unit 20 (the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22).

[0099] 7C , the movable gripping plate 22 moves closer to the fixed gripping plate 21, and the wafer ring 9 can be gripped by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. The movable support part 271 moves downward, and the movable gripping plate 22 moves away from the fixed gripping plate 21, and the gripping of the wafer ring 9 by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 can be released.

[0100] Next, the operation of the transfer device 1 will be described. First, with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9F, the operation of the loader 2 to transfer (supply) wafer rings 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7 will be described. When the loader 2 supplies wafer rings 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7, the magazine 4 is the transfer source (supply source), and the ring holder 7 is the transfer destination (supply destination). Furthermore, the direction from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7 (positive X-axis direction side) is the "front (front in the transfer direction)," and the direction from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4 (negative X-axis direction side) is the "rear (rear in the transfer direction)." Note that, as will be described later, when the loader 2 transfers (collects) wafer rings 9 from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4, the above definitions are reversed.

[0101] 9A, the loader 2 waits in front of the magazine 4 to supply the wafer ring 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7. As shown in FIG. 9B, the pusher 8 extends the rod 80 forward to push the wafer ring 9 forward. In this way, the pusher 8 pushes the wafer ring 9 stored in the magazine 4 out of the magazine 4, allowing the loader 2 (holding unit 20) to easily remove the wafer ring 9 from the magazine 4.

[0102] When the wafer ring 9 is pushed forward, the gripping unit 20 grips it. As shown in FIG. 8A , when the gripping unit 20 grips the wafer ring 9, the movable gripping plate 22 is spaced downward from the fixed gripping plate 21. Therefore, a space is formed between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. When the wafer ring 9 is pushed forward toward the gripping unit 20, or when the gripping unit 20 moves backward toward the wafer ring 9, the wafer ring 9 moves toward the back (forward) of the space between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. However, second stoppers 24a and 24b are disposed behind the gripping unit 20. Therefore, the wafer ring 9 enters the space between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 until the first end surface 93 of the wafer ring 9 abuts against the second stoppers 24a and 24b. In this way, the wafer ring 9 is positioned by the second stoppers 24a and 24b.

[0103] The gripping unit 20 grips the wafer ring 9 with the front portion of the wafer ring 9 inserted into the space between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. Then, as shown in FIG. 9C , the gripping unit 20 pulls the wafer ring 9 from its front along the guide rail 3 until the wafer ring 9 is positioned from the magazine 4 to the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3. More specifically, while gripping the wafer ring 9 from its front, the gripping unit 20 pulls the wafer ring 9 from its front from the magazine 4 to the intermediate position P. By gripping the wafer ring 9 with the gripping unit 20 in this way, it is possible to prevent the wafer ring 9 from falling off the loader 2 during transport.

[0104] When both the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are ON at the intermediate position P, the gripper 20 moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P, as shown in FIG. 9D . In this case, the gripper 20 can move from the front (toward the ring holder 7) to the rear (toward the magazine 4) of the wafer ring 9 while the wafer ring 9 is accurately positioned at the intermediate position P without any misalignment. This prevents the gripper 20 from interfering with the wafer ring 9 when the gripper 20 moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9. Note that when both the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are ON, this refers to the situation where the light emitted from the first sensor 5a is irradiated onto the first portion P1 of the wafer ring 9 and the light emitted from the second sensor 5b is irradiated onto the second portion P2 of the wafer ring 9.

[0105] In FIG. 9D and other drawings, the third sensor 6 (FIG. 5) is omitted to avoid cluttering the drawings. However, when the wafer ring 9 is placed on the guide rail 3, the third sensor 6 is also ON. If the third sensor 6 shown in FIG. 5 is ON and at least one of the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b is OFF, the operation of the loader 2 stops. If the third sensor 6 is ON and at least one of the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b is OFF, the wafer ring 9 may be positioned somewhere on the guide rail 3 but may be inoperable somewhere and unable to reach the intermediate position P. In this way, if the wafer ring 9 performs an unintended movement, the operation of the loader 2 can be stopped, and the wafer ring 9 can be removed from the guide rail 3 or maintenance work can be performed on the transfer device 1, thereby minimizing damage to the transfer device 1 and the wafer ring 9. If the wafer ring 9 performs an unintended movement, the transfer device 1 may issue a warning (a warning sound or a warning display) to that effect.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 9D , the gripping unit 20 passes below the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P and moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9. However, the gripping unit 20 may also pass above the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P and move from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9. In this case, if necessary, at least a portion of the loader 2 may be installed above the wafer ring 9 by, for example, suspending at least a portion of the loader 2 from the ceiling. When the gripping unit 20 passes below the wafer ring 9, particles are less likely to be scattered onto the surface (top surface) of the wafer ring 9 due to the movement of the gripping unit 20, thereby preventing contamination of the wafer ring 9. Furthermore, there tends to be relatively few factors that restrict the movement of the gripping unit 20 below the wafer ring 9, allowing the gripping unit 20 to move smoothly.

[0107] Here, the operation of the gripping unit 20 when it passes under the wafer ring 9 and moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P will be described in more detail. When the wafer ring 9 is transported to the intermediate position P shown in FIG. 9C, the movable gripping plate 22 moves downward relative to the fixed gripping plate 21 by the drive of the opening / closing drive unit 273 (FIG. 7A). This causes the gripping of the wafer ring 9 by the gripping unit 20 to be released.

[0108] Thereafter, gripping unit 20 is driven by lifting / lowering drive unit 272 (FIG. 7A) to descend to a height position (below wafer ring 9) lower than the height position shown in FIG. 9C. Then, as shown in FIG. 9D, gripping unit 20 moves from the front to the rear of wafer ring 9 along drive rail 28 while maintaining that height position.

[0109] As shown in FIG. 9E, when gripper 20 moves to the rear of wafer ring 9, lifting drive unit 272 (FIG. 7A) drives gripper 20 to rise to a height position higher than the height position shown in FIG. 9D (a height position at which wafer ring 9 can be pushed out by first stoppers 23a and 23b, as will be described later). This causes gripper 20 to enter the space between the rear portion of wafer ring 9 and magazine 4. At this time, fixed gripper plate 21 is positioned above wafer ring 9, and movable gripper plate 22 is positioned below wafer ring 9. Then, as shown in FIG. 9F, gripper 20 pushes wafer ring 9, which is located at intermediate position P, from the rear of wafer ring 9 to ring holder 7 (the upper end of table 70). As shown in FIG. 8B , the gripping unit 20 pushes the second end surface 94 of the wafer ring 9 from the rear of the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 (the upper end of the table 70) by, for example, first stoppers 23a and 23b. In this case, the end (such as protrusion 216) located at the front (ring holder 7 side) of the gripping unit 20 can be prevented from interfering with the ring holder 7 (table 70 or plate 71). Also, the operation of gripping the wafer ring 9 by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 can be omitted. Therefore, the gripping unit 20 can easily and quickly start the operation of pushing the wafer ring 9 from the rear at the intermediate position P.

[0110] Although not shown in detail, the gripping unit 20 may push the wafer ring 9 from the rear side from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 by using the end surface (vertical surface 214 shown in FIG. 8B ) located at the front of the fixed gripping plate 21 while the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are spaced apart. In this case, the operation of gripping the wafer ring 9 by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 can be omitted. Therefore, the gripping unit 20 can easily and quickly start the operation of pushing the wafer ring 9 from the rear side at the intermediate position P. In addition, by pushing the wafer ring 9 by the vertical surface 214 of the fixed gripping plate 21, it becomes easier to position the wafer ring 9 in the narrow space between the upper end of the table 70 and the plate 71 in the ring holder 7. In addition, when the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are spaced apart, the vertical surface 214 of the fixed gripping plate 21 can easily push the wafer ring 9 from the rear side.

[0111] The gripping unit 20 may push the wafer ring 9 from the rear from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 by using the front end face of the movable gripping plate 22 when the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are separated from each other. In this case, however, it is preferable that the front end face of the movable gripping plate 22 has a vertical surface. Alternatively, the gripping unit 20 may push the wafer ring 9 from the rear from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 by using the front end face of the fixed gripping plate 21 or the movable gripping plate 22 when the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are in contact with each other.

[0112] In this manner, the loader 2 supplies the wafer ring 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7. After the loader 2 supplies the wafer ring 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7, a process is performed in which a plurality of chips 10 (FIG. 3) are removed from the wafer ring 9 placed on the ring holder 7 by, for example, a suction nozzle. After the process of removing the plurality of chips 10 from the wafer ring 7 is completed, the loader 2 retrieves the processed wafer ring 9 (the ring holder 7 without the chips 10) from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10F, an operation of the loader 2 to transport (recover) the wafer ring 9 from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4 will be described.

[0113] When the loader 2 retrieves the wafer rings 9 from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4, the ring holder 7 is the transfer source and the magazine 4 is the transfer destination. In addition, the direction from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4 (negative X-axis direction side) is the "front (front in the transfer direction)", and the direction from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7 (positive X-axis direction side) is the "rear (rear in the transfer direction)".

[0114] 10A, the loader 2 waits in front of the ring holder 7 to retrieve the wafer ring 9 from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4. As shown in FIG. 10B, the loader 2 (gripping unit 20) moves forward toward the ring holder 7. Then, the gripping unit 20 grips the front portion of the wafer ring 9 arranged on the upper end of the table 70.

[0115] As shown in FIG. 8B , when the gripping unit 20 grips the wafer ring 9, the movable gripping plate 22 is spaced downward from the fixed gripping plate 21. Therefore, a space is formed between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. As the gripping unit 20 moves forward toward the wafer ring 9, the wafer ring 9 moves toward the back (front) of the space between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. However, because first stoppers 23 a and 23 b are disposed behind the gripping unit 20, the wafer ring 9 moves into the space between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 until the second end surface 94 of the wafer ring 9 abuts against the first stoppers 23 a and 23 b. In this manner, the wafer ring 9 is positioned by the first stoppers 23 a and 23 b.

[0116] The gripping unit 20 grips the wafer ring 9 with the front portion of the wafer ring 9 inserted into the space between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. Then, as shown in Fig. 10C, the gripping unit 20 pulls the wafer ring 9 from its front along the guide rail 3 until the wafer ring 9 is positioned at an intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 from the ring holder 7. More specifically, while gripping the wafer ring 9 from its front, the gripping unit 20 pulls the wafer ring 9 from its front from the ring holder 7 to the intermediate position P.

[0117] When both the first sensor 5a and the second sensor 5b are ON at the intermediate position P, the gripping portion 20 moves from the front of the wafer ring 9 (toward the magazine 4) to the rear of the wafer ring 9 (toward the ring holder 7) at the intermediate position P, as shown in FIG. 10D.

[0118] 10D, the gripping unit 20 passes below the wafer ring 9 and moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P. However, the gripping unit 20 may also pass above the wafer ring 9 and move from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P.

[0119] Here, the operation of the gripping part 20 when it passes under the wafer ring 9 and moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P will be described in more detail. When the wafer ring 9 is transported to the intermediate position P shown in FIG. 10C, the movable gripping plate 22 moves downward relative to the fixed gripping plate 21 by the drive of the opening / closing drive part 273 (FIG. 7A). This causes the gripping of the wafer ring 9 by the gripping part 20 to be released.

[0120] Thereafter, the gripping unit 20 is driven by the lifting / lowering drive unit 272 (FIG. 7A) to descend to a height position (below the wafer ring 9) lower than the height position shown in FIG. 10C. Then, as shown in FIG. 10D, the gripping unit 20 moves from the front to the rear of the wafer ring 9 along the drive rail 28 while maintaining that height position.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 10E, when the gripping unit 20 moves to the rear of the wafer ring 9, the gripping unit 20 is driven by the lifting drive unit 272 (FIG. 7A) to rise to a height position higher than the height position shown in FIG. 10D (a height position at which the fixed gripping plate 21 can push out the wafer ring 9, as will be described later). As a result, the gripping unit 20 enters the space between the rear part of the wafer ring 9 and the ring holder 7. At this time, the fixed gripping plate 21 is positioned at approximately the same height as the wafer ring 9. Then, as shown in FIG. 10F, the gripping unit 20 pushes the wafer ring 9, which is located at the intermediate position P, from the rear of the wafer ring 9 to the magazine 4 (a shelf inside the magazine 4). With the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 in contact with each other, the gripping portion 20 pushes the first end surface 93 of the wafer ring 9 from the rear of the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 using the front end surface of the fixed gripping plate 21 (flat surface 215 shown in FIG. 7A).

[0122] In this case, the operation of gripping the wafer ring 9 by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 can be omitted. Therefore, the gripping unit 20 can easily and quickly start the operation of pushing out the wafer ring 9 from its rear side at the intermediate position P. Furthermore, by pushing out the wafer ring 9 with the flat surface 215 of the fixed gripping plate 21, the wafer ring 9 can be accurately placed on a shelf inside the magazine 4. Furthermore, the abutment between the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 makes the gripping unit 20 compact, thereby preventing the gripping unit 20 from interfering with other wafer rings 9 stored inside the magazine 4.

[0123] Note that the gripping unit 20 may push the first end surface 93 of the wafer ring 9 from the rear of the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 using the front end surface (flat surface 225 shown in FIG. 7A ) of the movable gripping plate 22 while the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are in contact with each other. Alternatively, the gripping unit 20 may push the first end surface 93 of the wafer ring 9 from the rear of the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 using the front end surface (flat surface 215 or 225 shown in FIG. 7A ) of the fixed gripping plate 21 or the movable gripping plate 22 while the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22 are separated from each other.

[0124] In this manner, the loader 2 retrieves the wafer rings 9 from the ring holders 7 to the magazine 4. As shown in FIG. 1A, a plurality of ring holders 9 are stored on shelves inside the magazine 4. The loader 2 (holding unit 20) performs the above-described supply and retrieval processes on the plurality of ring holders 9.

[0125] More specifically, the gripping unit 20 sequentially removes the plurality of wafer rings 9 stored in the magazine 4 from the bottom up. That is, the gripping unit 20 first removes the wafer rings 9 from the lowest shelf of the magazine 4 and supplies them to the ring holder 7. Then, after the predetermined processing is performed on the wafer rings 9 in the ring holder 7, the gripping unit 20 retrieves the wafer rings 9 from the ring holder 7 to the lowest shelf of the magazine 4.

[0126] When the gripper 20 retrieves the ring holder 7 into the magazine 4, the magazine 4 descends by a distance equivalent to one shelf. As a result, the second lowest shelf of the magazine 4 is positioned in front of the gripper 20. The gripper 20 then retrieves the wafer ring 9 from the second lowest shelf of the magazine 4 and supplies it to the ring holder 7. After the predetermined process is performed on the wafer ring 9 in the ring holder 7, the gripper 20 retrieves the wafer ring 9 from the ring holder 7 to the second lowest shelf of the magazine 4. Thereafter, the gripper 20 repeatedly performs this process. As a result, the magazine 4 descends from the position shown in FIG. 1A to the position shown in FIG. 1B.

[0127] In this manner, the magazine 4 descends by a distance equivalent to one shelf each time the gripper 20 removes a plurality of wafer rings 9. Therefore, the plurality of wafer rings 9 housed in the magazine 4 (however, the wafer rings 9 before the predetermined processing in the ring holder 7) are always positioned at a height substantially equal to or higher than that of the gripper 20. Only processed wafer rings 9 (wafer rings 9 without chips 10 mounted thereon) are positioned at a height lower than that of the gripper 20. Therefore, even if particles are scattered due to the operation of the loader 2, the particles are unlikely to adhere to the surfaces of the unprocessed wafer rings 9 housed in the magazine 4, thereby preventing contamination of the wafer rings 9. Unlike the present embodiment, the magazine 4 may rise by a distance equivalent to one shelf each time the gripper 20 removes a plurality of wafer rings 9.

[0128] As shown in FIGS. 9A to 9F and 10A to 10F , in the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the gripping unit 20 transfers the wafer ring 9 along the guide rail 3. Therefore, the gripping unit 20 can transfer the wafer ring 9 from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7, or from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4, while keeping the wafer ring 9 lying horizontally. This reduces the operating space of the gripping unit 20 in the vertical direction, thereby enabling the transfer device 1 to be made more compact. Furthermore, the wafer ring 9 is transferred from the source to the destination by linear movement along the guide rail 3, which also contributes to the reduction in size of the transfer device 1. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to hold the wafer ring 9 upright, it is possible to prevent particles from scattering during the transfer of the wafer ring 9.

[0129] Furthermore, the gripping unit 20 pulls the wafer ring 9 from the magazine 4 to the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 from the front in the conveying direction, and pushes the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 from the rear in the conveying direction. In this case, when the gripping unit 20 reaches the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 on its way from the magazine 4 to the ring holder 7, it moves from the front to the rear in the conveying direction of the wafer ring 9 so as to move away from the ring holder 7 (so as to return to the magazine 4 side). This prevents the gripping unit 20 from interfering with the table 70 of the ring holder 7 or the like at the front in the conveying direction of the wafer ring 9. Therefore, unlike conventional conveying devices, there is no need to finely adjust the movement of the gripping unit 20 to prevent the above-mentioned problems, and a conveying device 1 that allows for simple operation can be configured.

[0130] Furthermore, the gripping unit 20 pulls the wafer ring 9 from the ring holder 7 to the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 from the front in the conveying direction, and pushes the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 from the rear in the conveying direction. In this case, when the gripping unit 20 reaches the intermediate position P of the guide rail 3 on its way from the ring holder 7 to the magazine 4, it moves from the front to the rear in the conveying direction of the wafer ring 9 so as to move away from the magazine 4 (so as to return to the ring holder 7 side). This prevents the gripping unit 20 from interfering with the magazine 4 or the like at the front in the conveying direction of the wafer ring 9. Therefore, unlike conventional conveying devices, there is no need to finely adjust the movement of the gripping unit 20 to prevent the above-mentioned problems, and a conveying device 1 that allows for simple operation can be configured.

[0131] In this embodiment, first stoppers 23a and 23b on the ring holder 7 side and second stoppers 24a and 24b on the magazine 4 side are provided at the ends of gripping portion 20 in the X-axis direction. As stoppers are provided on both the ring holder 7 side and the magazine 4 side in this manner, gripping portion 20 can push out wafer ring 9 from its rear side to ring holder 7 by first stoppers 23a and 23b at intermediate position P without reversing its orientation.

[0132] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. For example, the object to be transported by the transport device 1 is not limited to the wafer ring 9, and may be a plate-shaped object other than the wafer ring 9. Furthermore, the plate-shaped object does not have to be ring-shaped.

[0133] As shown in FIG. 1A, the conveying device 1 is equipped with a first sensor 5a, a second sensor 5b, and a third sensor 6, but these components are not essential and may be omitted from the conveying device 1.

[0134] 9E and 9F , the gripping unit 20 pushes the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 by the first stoppers 23a and 23b. However, the gripping unit 20 may push the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the ring holder 7 while holding the wafer ring 9 by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22.

[0135] 10E and 10F, the gripping unit 20 pushes the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 by the flat surface 215 of the fixed gripping plate 21. However, the gripping unit 20 may push the wafer ring 9 from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 while holding the wafer ring 9 by the fixed gripping plate 21 and the movable gripping plate 22. Alternatively, the wafer ring 9 may be pushed from the intermediate position P to the magazine 4 by the second stoppers 24a and 24b shown in FIG. 7A.

[0136] As shown in FIG. 7A, the shape of gripping portion 20 is asymmetric between one side in the X-axis direction (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A) and the other side (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A). This is because the shape of one end or the other end of gripping portion 20 in the X-axis direction is designed to be less likely to interfere with ring holder 7 or magazine 4. However, the shape of gripping portion 20 may be symmetric between one side (the ring holder 7 side) and the other side (the magazine 4 side) in the X-axis direction.

[0137] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A , the gripping structure for clamping the wafer ring 9 is provided on both one side (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A ) and the other side (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A ) of the gripping portion 20 in the X-axis direction. However, the gripping structure for clamping the wafer ring 9 may be provided only on one side (the ring holder 7 side shown in FIG. 1A ) or the other side (the magazine 4 side shown in FIG. 1A ) of the gripping portion 20 in the X-axis direction. In this case, the gripping portion 20 may be configured to be rotatable 180° or 360° in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane so as to face the magazine 4 side when gripping the wafer ring 9 placed in the magazine 4, and so as to face the ring holder 7 side when gripping the wafer ring 9 placed in the ring holder 7. Furthermore, the gripping portion 20 may be provided with a shaft portion having a rotation axis for realizing the above-mentioned rotation.

[0138] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9C to 9E, the gripping unit 20 passes below the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P and moves from in front to behind the wafer ring 9. However, the gripping unit 20 may pass above the wafer ring 9 at the intermediate position P and move from in front to behind the wafer ring 9. This configuration can be realized, for example, by suspending the gripping unit 20 and the loader driving unit 27 from the ceiling. In this case, the gripping unit 20 may perform the following operation. That is, when the wafer ring 9 is transported to the intermediate position P shown in FIG. 9C, the gripping unit 20 is driven by the lifting driving unit 272 (FIG. 7A) to rise to a height position higher than the height position shown in FIG. 9C (higher than the wafer ring 9). Then, the gripping unit 20 moves from in front to behind the wafer ring 9 while maintaining that height position. When the gripping portion 20 moves to the rear of the wafer ring 9, it is driven by the lifting drive portion 272 (Figure 7A) to descend to a height position approximately the same as the wafer ring 9 (a height position at which the wafer ring 9 can be pushed out by the first stoppers 23a and 23b shown in Figure 7A).

[0139] 10C, the gripping parts 20 are raised by the drive of the lifting / lowering drive unit 272 (FIG. 7A) to a height position higher than the height position shown in FIG. 10C (higher than the wafer ring 9). The gripping parts 20 then move from in front of the wafer ring 9 to the rear while maintaining that height position. When the gripping parts 20 move to the rear of the wafer ring 9, the gripping parts 20 are lowered by the drive of the lifting / lowering drive unit 272 (FIG. 7A) to a height position substantially the same as that of the wafer ring 9 (a height position at which the wafer ring 9 can be pushed out by the fixed gripping plate 21). [Explanation of symbols]

[0140] 1...Transportation device 2...Loader 20...Gripping part 21…Fixed grip plate 210...Notch 211...First engagement recess 212...Engagement convex part 213...Second engagement recess 214…Vertical surface 215…Flat surface 216...Protrusion 22…Movable grip plate 220a to 220d...Through holes 221...first engagement convex part 222...Engagement recess 223...Second engagement convex part 225…Flat surface 23a, 23b...First stopper 230...shaft 231...Cover part 24a, 24b...Second stopper 240...shaft 241...Cover part 25...1st adjustment section 250...Evacuation hole 26...Second adjustment section 260...Evacuation hole 27...Loader drive unit 270...Fixed support part 270a...Rail fixing part 270b…Standing part 271...Movable support part 272...Lifting drive unit 273...Opening and closing drive unit 28...Drive rail 3...Guide rail 31...First rail section 32...1st groove 33a, 33b...first slope 33c,33d...Third slope 34...Second rail section 35…Second groove 36a, 36b…Second slope 36c,36d...4th slope 37a, 37b…Support part 4...Magazine 40a,40b…Side wall 41...Claws 42…Bottom plate 43...Magazine drive unit 5a...First sensor 5b...Second sensor 6...Third sensor 60a, 60b...Sensor body 61a, 61b...Connection part 7...Ring holder 70...table 71...Plate 72...First rail section 73...Second rail section 8...Extruded body 80...Rod 81...Drive unit 9...Wafer ring 90...Ring body 92…seat 93…First end surface 94…Second end face 95…Third end face 96…4th end face 10. Tip P…Intermediate position P1…first part P2…Second part

Claims

1. A loader that transports an object from a source to a destination; a guide rail provided between the source and the destination to guide the object to be transported, The loader is a transport device that pulls the object to be transported from the front in the transport direction along the guide rail from the source to an intermediate position of the guide rail, and pushes the object to the destination from the rear in the transport direction from the intermediate position.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the loader passes under the object at the intermediate position and moves from the front to the rear in the conveying direction of the object.

3. The transport device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the loader has a gripping portion that grips the object to be transported.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the gripping unit grips the object from a front in the conveying direction and pulls the object from the front in the conveying direction from the start point to the intermediate position.

5. 4. The conveying device according to claim 3, wherein the gripping section includes a pair of gripping plates opposed to each other and movable toward or away from each other, and a stopper located between the pair of gripping plates.

6. The conveying device according to claim 5, wherein the gripping section, when the pair of gripping plates are in contact with each other, pushes the object to be transported from the rear in the conveying direction from the intermediate position to the destination by using a front end face in the conveying direction of at least one of the pair of gripping plates.

7. The conveying device according to claim 5, wherein the gripping section, when the pair of gripping plates are spaced apart, pushes the object to be transported from the rear in the conveying direction from the intermediate position to the destination by using a front end face in the conveying direction of one of the pair of gripping plates.

8. The conveying device according to claim 5 , wherein the gripping section pushes the object from the rear in the conveying direction of the object from the intermediate position to the destination by the stopper while the pair of gripping plates are spaced apart.

9. The stopper includes a first stopper and a second stopper, The first stopper is provided at an end of the gripping plate at a destination side, The transport device according to claim 5 , wherein the second stopper is provided at an end of the gripping plate on the transport source side.

10. The pair of gripping plates includes a fixed gripping plate disposed on the upper side in the vertical direction and a movable gripping plate disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction, The conveying device according to claim 5 , wherein the movable gripping plate is movable upward in a vertical direction.

11. The transport object includes a plurality of transport objects, a container that is movable in a vertical direction and that contains a plurality of the objects to be transported is provided at the source or the destination; The loader sequentially removes any one of the plurality of objects to be transported housed in the container from the bottom up, 3. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the container is lowered a predetermined distance each time the loader takes out any one of the plurality of transport objects.

12. The guide rail has a first rail portion and a second rail portion, a first groove is formed on an inner side of the first rail portion facing the second rail portion, the first groove extending along a longitudinal direction of the first rail portion; 3. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein a second groove is formed on an inner side of the second rail portion facing the first rail portion, the second groove extending along a longitudinal direction of the second rail portion.

13. A first inclined surface inclined downward is formed on at least one end of the first groove in the longitudinal direction, The transport device according to claim 12 , wherein a second inclined surface that slopes downward is formed on at least one end of the second groove in the longitudinal direction.

14. a third inclined surface inclined in a direction away from the second groove is formed at least on one end of the first groove in a longitudinal direction, The transport device according to claim 13 , wherein a fourth inclined surface inclined in a direction away from the first groove is formed on at least one end of the second groove in the longitudinal direction.

15. a first sensor configured to detect a first portion of the object disposed at the intermediate position; a second sensor configured to detect a second portion of the object disposed at the intermediate position; The conveying device according to claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are disposed at different positions along the conveying direction.

16. 16. The conveying device according to claim 15, wherein when both the first sensor and the second sensor are ON, the loader moves from the front to the rear in the conveying direction of the object at the intermediate position.

17. The conveying device according to claim 15 , further comprising a third sensor that detects the object to be conveyed at an arbitrary position along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail.

18. 18. The conveying device according to claim 17, wherein when the third sensor is ON and at least one of the first sensor and the second sensor is OFF, the operation of the loader is stopped.

19. a container in which a plurality of the objects to be transported are accommodated is provided at the source or the destination; 3. The transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a pusher disposed near the container for pushing any one of the plurality of transport objects contained in the container to the outside of the container.

Images