Transfer hand and transfer device

Abstract

To provide a transfer hand capable of preferably avoiding damage caused by thermal expansion / contraction while reducing its weight.SOLUTION: In a transfer hand 10 that is formed in a plate-shape that can mount a wafer X (a thin-plate like transfer object), and is constructed so as to be attached to a transfer device transferring the wafer X, an attachment part 10a to be attached to the transfer device, a mounting part 10b to which the wafer X is mounted, and a coupling part 10c coupling the attachment part 10a and the mounting part 10b are integrally formed by ceramics, and a plurality of cavities 31 constructed by a block space in the plate thickness of the transfer hand 10 in at least one of the mounting part 10b and the coupling part 10c is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer hand formed in a plate shape on which an object to be transferred such as a silicon wafer can be placed and configured to be attachable to a transfer device that transfers the object to be transferred, and a transfer device configured to be able to transfer the object to be transferred with such a transfer hand.

Background Art

[0002] For example, the following patent document discloses a transfer hand for a transfer device (hereinafter also referred to as a "transfer hand") in which a honeycomb structure made of a SiC-Si composite material is sandwiched between a pair of flat plates made of a SiC-Si composite material, and both plate bodies are joined to the honeycomb structure and integrated. In this transfer hand, for example, compared with a transfer hand formed of a single thick flat plate, weight reduction is achieved by the plurality of cavity portions present in the honeycomb structure between the two flat plates. As a result, it is possible to move the transfer hand and the object to be transferred at high speed by the transfer device with the object to be transferred placed on the transfer hand attached to the transfer device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the transfer hand disclosed in the above patent document has the following problems to be solved.

[0005] Specifically, as described above, in the transfer hand disclosed in the above patent document, the two plate bodies are joined to the honeycomb structure and integrated with the honeycomb structure sandwiched between a pair of flat plates. More specifically, in this transfer hand, an adhesive is applied to each of a pair of flat plates cut out according to the planar shape of the transfer hand, and a plurality of precursors of the honeycomb structure produced by extrusion molding are arranged between the two flat plates. In this state, by performing heat treatment in an atmosphere of metallic Si and argon gas, the laminate of one flat plate, the precursor, and the other flat plate is integrated. Therefore, in this transfer hand, the structure of the joint portion between the portion composed of the flat plate and the honeycomb structure composed of the precursor is different from the structure of the flat plate and the structure of the honeycomb structure.

[0006] In this case, this type of transfer hand may be used when transporting a transfer object heated to a high temperature or when carrying in / out a transfer object to / from a high-temperature environment, and the temperature may be greatly changed during its use. Therefore, in the transfer hand disclosed in the above patent document, due to the difference in the structures of the portion composed of the flat plate, the honeycomb structure, and the joint portion between the two, the states of thermal expansion / contraction of each part when the temperature of the entire transfer hand changes are different, and internal stress accompanying deformation may occur in the joint portion. For this reason, in the transfer hand disclosed in the above patent document, due to long-term use (multiple thermal expansions / contractions), the bonding force between the portion composed of the flat plate and the honeycomb structure decreases, and there is a risk of breakage when a large vibration is applied during the transportation of the transfer object.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such problems to be solved, and the main object thereof is to provide a transfer hand that can suitably avoid breakage caused by thermal expansion / contraction while achieving weight reduction.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the transfer hand according to claim 1 is a transfer hand formed in a plate shape capable of placing a thin plate-shaped object to be transferred and configured to be attachable to a transfer device that transfers the object to be transferred. An attachment portion attached to the transfer device, a placement portion on which the object to be transferred is placed, and a connection portion connecting the attachment portion and the placement portion are integrally formed of ceramics, and a plurality of cavities configured as closed spaces are formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand in at least one of the placement portion and the connection portion.

[0009] The transfer hand according to claim 2 is the transfer hand according to claim 1, wherein the height of the cavity along the thickness direction of the transfer hand is formed to be equal to the thickness of a first thin plate portion constituting one partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity and the thickness of a second thin plate portion constituting the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity.

[0010] The transfer hand according to claim 3 is the transfer hand according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of air inlets are opened on the placement surface of the placement portion, and an air intake passage communicated with each of the air inlets is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand, and a first holding portion is provided which is configured to adsorb and hold the object to be transferred by intake air from each of the air inlets through the air intake passage by the transfer device.

[0011] The transfer hand according to claim 4 is the transfer hand according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of exhaust ports are opened on the placement surface of the placement portion, and an exhaust passage communicated with each of the exhaust ports is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand, and a second holding portion is provided which is configured to generate a negative pressure between the exhaust ports through the exhaust passage by the transfer device and the object to be transferred placed on the placement portion and attract and hold the object to be transferred.

[0012] The transfer device according to claim 5 is configured to be able to attach the transfer hand according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and is configured to be able to transfer the object to be transferred.

Advantages of the Invention

[0013] In the transfer hand according to claim 1, the mounting portion attached to the transfer device, the mounting portion on which the object to be transferred is placed, and the connecting portion connecting the mounting portion and the placing portion are integrally formed of ceramics, and a plurality of cavities configured as closed spaces are formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand in at least one of the mounting portion and the connecting portion. Further, in the transfer device according to claim 5, the above transfer hand is configured to be attachable and is configured to be able to transfer the object to be transferred.

[0014] Therefore, according to the transfer hand according to claim 1 and the transfer device according to claim 5, compared with a transfer hand made of the same material (ceramics) having the same thickness as the transfer hand and having no cavities, the weight can be reduced by the amount of the cavities arranged, and since it is integrally formed of ceramics, the structure is uniform throughout, and the degree of thermal expansion / contraction due to temperature change is the same at any part. As a result, even if thermal expansion / contraction is repeated many times, it is possible to avoid a situation where the transfer hand is damaged, so that it can be used for a long time, and the cost required for transferring the object to be transferred by the transfer device can be sufficiently reduced.

[0015] In the transfer hand according to claim 2, the height along the thickness direction of the transfer hand in the cavity is formed to be equal to the thickness of the first thin plate portion constituting one partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity and the thickness of the second thin plate portion constituting the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity. Therefore, according to the transfer hand according to claim 2 and the transfer device provided with the same, it is possible to sufficiently ensure the rigidity in the bending direction of the transfer hand at the cavity formation site, so that it is possible to preferably avoid damage to the transfer hand due to vibration or impact occurring in the assumed use environment.

[0016] In the transfer hand according to claim 3, a plurality of air inlets are opened on the placement surface of the placement part, and an air intake passage communicated with each air inlet is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand. A first holding part is provided which is configured to adsorb and hold the object to be transferred by the intake air from each air inlet through the air intake passage by the transfer device. Therefore, according to the transfer hand described in claim 3 and the transfer device provided with the same, not only can the object to be transferred be reliably adsorbed and held against the transfer hand by the intake air from the air inlets and then transferred, but also by providing the air intake passage side by side with each cavity within the thickness range of the transfer hand, compared with the configuration of connecting an air tube or the like to the air inlet for intake air, the transfer hand can be inserted into a very narrow space to carry in / out the object to be transferred. Also, the transfer hand can be lightened by the amount of the air intake passage provided, and the transfer hand can be further lightened by the amount of eliminating the need for an air tube or the like.

[0017] In the transfer hand according to claim 4, a plurality of exhaust ports are opened on the placement surface of the placement part, and an exhaust passage communicated with each exhaust port is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand. A second holding part is provided which is configured to generate a negative pressure between the exhaust from each exhaust port through the exhaust passage by the transfer device and the object to be transferred placed on the placement part to attract and hold the object to be transferred. Therefore, according to the transfer hand described in claim 4 and the transfer device provided with the same, not only can the object to be transferred such as the object to be transferred be reliably held by the transfer hand by the Bernoulli effect generated by the exhaust from the exhaust ports and then transferred, but also by providing the exhaust passage side by side with each cavity within the thickness range of the transfer hand, compared with the configuration of connecting an air tube or the like to the exhaust port for exhausting air, the transfer hand can be inserted into a very narrow space to carry in / out the object to be transferred. Also, the transfer hand can be lightened by the amount of the exhaust passage provided, and the transfer hand can be further lightened by the amount of eliminating the need for an air tube or the like.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the "transfer hand" and the "transfer device" will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] The transfer device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is an example of a "transfer device", and is configured to be able to transfer a silicon wafer X (hereinafter, also simply referred to as "wafer X"), which is an example of a "thin plate-shaped object to be transferred", to a spin coater, a drying device, etc. installed at a semiconductor manufacturing site. Specifically, this transfer device 1 includes a transfer mechanism 2, an intake mechanism 3, a control unit 4, and a transfer hand 10.

[0021] In this case, the transfer hand 10 is an example of a "transfer hand", and as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it includes a mounting portion 10a attached to the transfer mechanism 2 in the transfer device 1, a mounting portion 10b on which the wafer X is placed, and a connecting portion 10c connecting the mounting portion 10a and the mounting portion 10b, which are integrally formed of ceramics and formed into a thin plate shape (flat plate shape) as a whole.

[0022] In this transfer hand 10, insertion holes 11, 11... through which bolts for attaching to the transfer mechanism 2 can be inserted are provided in the attachment portion 10a. Note that the number and formation positions of these insertion holes 11, 11... are appropriately changed according to the specifications of the transfer mechanism 2 (the attached portion 2a described later) to which the transfer hand 10 is attached.

[0023] Also, in this transfer hand 10, as an example, the placement portion 10b is formed in a U shape in plan view, and a plurality of air inlets 21 (an example of an "air inlet") for sucking and holding the wafer X are opened on the placement surface F of the placement portion 10b. Further, in this transfer hand 10, a Y-shaped intake passage L21 (an example of an "intake passage communicating with the air inlet") in plan view, which is communicated with each of the above air inlets 21, is formed within the thickness of the transfer hand 10 from the placement portion 10b to the attachment portion 10a, and a connection port 12 for connecting the intake passage L21 to the transfer mechanism 2 is opened in the attachment portion 10a. Thus, in this transfer hand 10, it is configured to be able to suck and hold a "transfer object" such as the wafer X placed on the placement surface F by intake from each air inlet 21 through the intake passage L21 by the transfer mechanism 2 (an example of a configuration including a "first holding portion").

[0024] Also, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in this transfer hand 10, a plurality of cavities 31 configured as closed spaces are formed within the thickness of the transfer hand 10 at the connecting portion 10c. In this case, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, as an example, a plurality of cavities 31 that are linear in plan view are formed alongside the intake passage L21, and the length of the ends of some of the cavities 31 is formed to reach the placement portion 10b (an example of a configuration in which at least one of the "placement portion and the connecting portion" is both the "placement portion and the connecting portion"). In addition to (or instead of) the above configuration, the length of the ends of some of the cavities 31 can be formed to reach the attachment portion 10a, or the length of all the cavities 31 can be formed so as not to reach the attachment portion 10a or the placement portion 10b (not shown).

[0025] Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, the height H along the thickness direction (the vertical direction in the figure) of the transfer hand 10 in the cavity 31 is approximately equal to the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32 (an example of the "first thin plate portion") that constitutes one partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity 31 and the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32 (an example of the "second thin plate portion") that constitutes the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity 31. Thus, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, the height H of the cavity 31 and the thickness T of both thin plate portions 32 are each approximately 1 / 3 of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10.

[0026] Also, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, as an example, the height H along the thickness direction in the intake passage L21 described above is formed to be approximately equal to the height H along the thickness direction in the cavity 31, the thickness T of the thin plate portion 22 that constitutes one partition wall in the thickness direction of the intake passage L21, and the thickness T of the thin plate portion 22 that constitutes the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the intake passage L21. Thus, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, the height H of the intake passage L21 and the thickness T of both thin plate portions 22 are each approximately 1 / 3 of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10.

[0027] This transfer hand 10 is integrally formed by sintering the powder of the ceramic raw material pressed into a desired shape. Specifically, an intermediate body is produced by spreading and compressing the raw material powder in a mold. At this time, a resin hollow portion forming material that is discharged outside the intermediate body when heated during the subsequent firing process is disposed at the portions where the intake passage L21 and the cavity 31 are formed. Next, the intermediate body is fired to sinter the raw material powder. At this time, the hollow portion forming material is discharged outside the intermediate body due to the heat applied during firing, so that the intake passage L21, the cavity 31, etc. are formed at the portions of the hollow portion forming material. After that, the placement surface F, etc. are flattened, the outer shape is adjusted, and the insertion holes 11, the connection ports 12, the intake ports 21, etc. are opened. Thus, the transfer hand 10 is completed.

[0028] On the one hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the transfer mechanism 2 includes an attachment portion 2a to which the transfer hand 10 can be attached, and an arm portion (not shown) capable of moving the attachment portion 2a to an arbitrary position. By moving the attachment portion 2a by the arm portion, the wafer X held by the transfer hand 10 attached to the attachment portion 2a can be transferred to an arbitrary position. The intake mechanism 3 includes an intake pump (not shown). When the transfer hand 10 is attached to the attachment portion 2a of the transfer mechanism 2, the connection port 12 of the transfer hand 10 is connected to the suction pump of the intake mechanism 3. Thus, it is configured to be able to intake air from each intake port 21 via the intake passage L21.

[0029] The control unit 4 comprehensively controls the transfer device 1. Specifically, the control unit 4 controls the intake mechanism 3 to adsorb and hold the wafer X on the transfer hand 10 attached to the attachment portion 2a. Further, the control unit 4 controls the transfer mechanism 2 to move the transfer hand 10, thereby transferring the wafer X held by the transfer hand 10 to an arbitrary transfer position.

[0030] Next, the transfer of the wafer X by the transfer device 1 will be described. It is assumed that the attachment of the transfer hand 10 to the attachment portion 2a (such as screwing the bolts inserted through the respective insertion holes 11 into the attachment portion 2a) has already been completed, and the description of this attachment operation will be omitted.

[0031] In this transfer device 1, for example, when performing one of various processing steps on the wafer X, the wafer X is transferred from the position where the wafer X before processing is stacked (hereinafter also referred to as the "pre-processing position") to the processing position by the processing device, or the wafer X after being processed by the processing device is transferred from the processing position to the position where the wafer X after processing is stacked, or to another processing device that performs the next processing step (hereinafter also referred to as the "post-processing position" without distinguishing between them).

[0032] Specifically, when transporting the wafer X from the pre-processing position to the processing position, the control unit 4 controls the transfer mechanism 2 to move the transfer hand 10 to the pre-processing position. At this time, the transfer mechanism 2 moves the transfer hand 10 so as to insert it below the wafer X to be transferred. Note that at this point when starting the transfer of the wafer X, the control unit 4 controls to stop the intake by the intake mechanism 3. Next, the control unit 4 controls the intake mechanism 3 to start intake. At this time, air between the transfer hand 10 and the wafer X is sucked from each intake port 21 through the intake path L21, so that a portion near the outer edge of the wafer X abuts against the placement surface F (the edge portion of the intake port 21) of the transfer hand 10 and is adsorbed by the transfer hand 10. As a result, the wafer X is held by the transfer hand 10.

[0033] Next, the control unit 4 controls the transfer mechanism 2 to transfer the wafer X held by the transfer hand 10 from the pre-processing position to the processing position. Further, when the wafer X is transferred to the processing position by the transfer mechanism 2, the control unit 4 controls the intake mechanism 3 to stop intake to release the adsorption and holding of the wafer X, and after controlling the transfer mechanism 2 to move the transfer hand 10 below the wafer X, retracts it from the processing position. Thereby, the transfer of the wafer X from the pre-processing position to the processing position by the transfer device 1 is completed.

[0034] On the other hand, when the processing step at the processing position by the processing device is completed, the processed wafer X is transferred from the processing position to the post-processing position. At this time, the control unit 4 controls the transfer mechanism 2 to move the transfer hand 10 so as to insert it below the wafer X set at the processing position. Next, the control unit 4 starts intake by the intake mechanism 3 (adsorption of the wafer X by the adsorption unit) in the same manner as when transferring from the pre-processing position to the processing position. As a result, the wafer X is held by the transfer hand 10. Subsequently, the control unit 4 controls the transfer mechanism 2 to transfer the wafer X held by the transfer hand 10 from the processing position to the post-processing position.

[0035] Also, when the wafer X is transported to the post - processing position by the transport mechanism 2, the control unit 4 controls the intake mechanism 3 to stop the intake, and controls the transport mechanism 2 to move the transfer hand 10 below the wafer X and retract it from the post - processing position. As a result, the wafer X whose adsorption by the adsorption part has been released is stacked at the post - processing position, and the transfer of the wafer X from the processing position to the post - processing position by the transfer device 1 is completed.

[0036] In this case, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, as described above, a plurality of cavities 31 are formed within the range of its thickness T10. Therefore, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, compared with a ceramic hand in which no cavities 31 exist and whose thickness is formed to the same thickness T10 as the transfer hand 10, weight reduction is achieved by the amount of each cavity 31 where no ceramics exist. Therefore, it is possible to move it at high speed while the wafer X is adsorbed and held on the placement surface F.

[0037] On the other hand, by further increasing the height H of the cavity 31 to expand the volume (space where no ceramics exist), it is possible to further reduce the weight of the transfer hand 10. However, when cavities 31 with an excessively high height H are formed within the range of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10, the thickness T of the thin plate part 32 becomes thin, and the rigidity of the transfer hand 10 in the deflection direction decreases. In this case, during the movement by the transport mechanism 2 during the use of the transfer hand 10, relatively large vibrations and impacts may be applied. Therefore, when the height H of the cavity 31 is excessively increased (when the thickness T of the thin plate part 32 is excessively thinned), when a large vibration or impact is applied, cracks may occur in the thin plate part 32, or in the worst case, cracks or chips may occur in the transfer hand 10.

[0038] On the other hand, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, as described above, the height H of the cavity 31 and the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32 are about the same, and the height H and the thickness T are each about 1 / 3 of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10. For this reason, sufficient rigidity in the bending direction is ensured, and when vibrations or impacts occur in the assumed usage environment, situations such as cracks, breaks, or chips are preferably avoided.

[0039] Also, as described above, in this type of "transfer hand", the temperature may change significantly during its use. Here, in the transfer hand 10 of this example, as described above, the whole is integrally formed of ceramics. Therefore, the structure of each part of the transfer hand 10 is uniform, and the degree of thermal expansion / contraction is the same throughout. For this reason, even if repeated thermal expansion / contraction occurs many times due to long-term use, unintended deformation is avoided, and as a result, it is possible to preferably avoid a situation where the transfer hand 10 is damaged.

[0040] As described above, in this transfer hand 10, the mounting portion 10a attached to the transfer device 1, the mounting portion 10b on which the wafer X is placed, and the connecting portion 10c connecting the mounting portion 10a and the mounting portion 10b are integrally formed of ceramics, and a plurality of cavities 31 formed as closed spaces are formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand 10 in at least one of the mounting portion 10b and the connecting portion. Further, in this transfer device 1, the above-described transfer hand 10 is configured to be attachable and the wafer X is configured to be transferable.

[0041] Therefore, according to this transfer hand 10 and transfer device 1, compared with a "transfer hand" made of the same material (ceramics) with the same thickness as the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10 and without "voids", the weight can be reduced by the amount of the void 31 arranged, and since it is integrally formed by ceramics, the structure is uniform throughout, and the degree of thermal expansion / contraction associated with temperature changes is equal at any part. As a result, even if thermal expansion / contraction is repeated many times, it is possible to avoid a situation where the transfer hand 10 is damaged, enabling long-term use and sufficiently reducing the cost required for transferring the wafer X by the transfer device 1.

[0042] Also, in this transfer hand 10, the height H along the thickness T direction of the transfer hand 10 in the void 31 is formed to be equal to the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32 constituting one partition wall in the thickness T10 direction of the void 31 and the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32 constituting the other partition wall in the thickness T10 direction of the void 31. Therefore, according to this transfer hand 10 and transfer device 1, since the rigidity in the deflection direction of the transfer hand 10 at the formation site of the void 31 can be sufficiently ensured, it is possible to preferably avoid damage to the transfer hand 10 caused by vibration or impact occurring in the assumed usage environment.

[0043] Furthermore, in this transfer hand 10, a plurality of air inlets 21 are opened on the placement surface F in the placement portion 10b, and an air intake passage L21 communicated with each air inlet 21 is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand 10. The transfer hand 10 is provided with a "first holding portion" configured to adsorb and hold the wafer X by intake air from each air inlet 21 through the air intake passage L21 by the transfer device 1. Therefore, according to this transfer hand 10 and the transfer device 1, not only can the wafer X be reliably adsorbed and held with respect to the transfer hand 10 by the intake air from the air inlet 21 and then transferred, but also by providing the air intake passage L21 side by side with each cavity 31 within the range of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10, compared with the configuration of connecting an air tube or the like to the air inlet 21 for intake air, the transfer hand 10 can be inserted into a very narrow space to carry in and out the wafer X. In addition, the transfer hand 10 can be lightened by the amount of the air intake passage L21 provided, and the transfer hand 10 can be further lightened by the amount of the unnecessary air tube or the like.

[0044] Note that the configurations of the "transfer hand" and the "transfer device" are not limited to the example configurations of the transfer hand 10 and the transfer device 1 described above.

[0045] For example, the configuration of the transfer hand 10 in which a plurality of linearly formed cavities 31 in plan view has been described as an example. However, the planar shape of the "cavity" is not limited to this, and it can also be curved in plan view (not shown). Also, a plurality of "cavities" of arbitrary shapes such as the cavities 31a (another example of the "cavity") in the transfer hand 10A (another example of the "transfer hand") shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 can be appropriately arranged side by side. For components having the same functions as those of the transfer hand 10 described above in this transfer hand 10A, the same reference numerals are given and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0046] In this case, this transfer hand 10A is manufactured by the same manufacturing method as the aforementioned transfer hand 10. A plurality of hollow spaces 31a in the shape of a regular hexagon in plan view, which are formed as closed spaces within the plate thickness of the transfer hand 10A at the connecting portion 10c and a part of the placing portion 10b, form a honeycomb structure (another example of a configuration where "at least one of the placing portion and the connecting portion" is "both the placing portion and the connecting portion"). In addition to (or instead of) the above configuration, it is also possible to form the hollow space 31a in the mounting portion 10a, or to form the hollow space 31a only in the placing portion 10b, or to form the hollow space 31a only in the connecting portion 10c (not shown).

[0047] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, in the transfer hand 10A of this example, the height H along the thickness direction (the vertical direction in the figure) of the transfer hand 10A in the hollow space 31a is substantially equal to the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32a (another example of the "first thin plate portion") that constitutes one partition wall in the thickness direction of the hollow space 31a, and the thickness T of the thin plate portion 32a (another example of the "second thin plate portion") that constitutes the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the hollow space 31a. Thus, in the transfer hand 10A of this example, the height H of the hollow space 31a and the thickness T of both thin plate portions 32a are each approximately 1 / 3 of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10A.

[0048] Also, in the transfer hand 10A of this example, as an example, the height H along the thickness direction in the aforementioned intake passage L21 is formed to be substantially equal to the height H along the thickness direction in the above-described hollow space 31a, the thickness T of the thin plate portion 22 that constitutes one partition wall in the thickness direction of the intake passage L21, and the thickness T of the thin plate portion 22 that constitutes the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the intake passage L21. Thus, in the transfer hand 10A of this example, the height H of the intake passage L21 and the thickness T of both thin plate portions 22 are each approximately 1 / 3 of the thickness T10 of the transfer hand 10A.

[0049] Therefore, according to the transfer hand 10A for transfer and the transfer device 1 equipped with the transfer hand 10A for transfer, the same effects as those of the aforementioned transfer hand 10 for transfer and the transfer device 1 equipped with the transfer hand 10 for transfer can be achieved.

[0050] In addition, although the configuration of the transfer hands 10 and 10A having the "first holding part" that adsorbs and holds the wafer X by the intake air from the intake port 21 has been described as an example, instead of such a configuration, a plurality of "exhaust ports" are opened on the placement surface in the "placement part", and an "exhaust passage" communicating with each "exhaust port" is formed within the plate thickness of the "transfer hand", and due to the Bernoulli effect caused by the exhaust from each "exhaust port" through the "exhaust passage" by the "transfer device", a "second holding part" capable of generating a negative pressure between it and the "object to be transferred" placed on the "placement part" to attract and hold the "object to be transferred" can also be provided to configure the "transfer hand" (not shown in the figure).

[0051] In such a transfer hand, a plurality of exhaust ports are opened on the placement surface in the placement part, and an exhaust passage communicated with each exhaust port is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand. At the same time, due to the exhaust from each exhaust port through the exhaust passage by the transfer device, a negative pressure is generated between it and the object to be transferred such as the wafer X placed on the placement part, and it is configured with a "second holding part" capable of attracting and holding the object to be transferred. Therefore, according to this transfer hand and the transfer device equipped with it, not only can the object to be transferred such as the wafer X be reliably held against the transfer hand by the Bernoulli effect caused by the exhaust from the exhaust port and then transferred, but also by providing the exhaust passage side by side with each cavity within the thickness range of the transfer hand, compared with the configuration of connecting an air tube or the like to the exhaust port for exhaust, the transfer hand can be inserted into a very narrow space to carry in and out the object to be transferred. Also, the transfer hand can be lightened by the amount of the exhaust passage provided, and the transfer hand can be further lightened by the amount of eliminating the need for an air tube or the like.

[0052] In addition, the configuration of the present invention can also be applied to a "transport hand" that simply transports an object to be transported in a state where the object is placed, without including a "first holding part", a "second holding part", etc. Specifically, the transport hand 10B shown in FIG. 6 is an example of a "tray type hand" which is still another example of a "transport hand", and a plurality of cavities 31b which are still another example of a "hollow" are formed in the placement part 10b and the connection part 10c (still another example of a configuration in which "at least one of the placement part and the connection part" is "both the placement part and the connection part"). For components having the same functions as the above-described transport hands 10, 10A in this transport hand 10B, the same reference numerals are given and redundant explanations are omitted. This transport hand 10B is manufactured by the same manufacturing method as the above-described transport hands 10, 10A. Sufficient weight reduction is achieved by the cavities 31b, 31b ···, and sufficient rigidity is ensured by integrally molding each part with ceramics. In addition, a decrease in rigidity due to thermal expansion / contraction is preferably avoided.

[0053] In addition, although the configurations of the transport hands 10, 10A, 10B and the transport device 1 capable of transporting the wafer X as the "object to be transported" have been described as examples, the "object to be transported" is not limited thereto, and various "thin plate-like articles" such as parts for displays such as small liquid crystal panels and small organic EL panels can be configured to be transportable as the "object to be transported".

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0054] 1 Transport device 2 Transport mechanism 2a Mounting part 3 Intake mechanism 4 Control unit 10, 10A, 10B Transport hands 10a Attachment part 10b Placement part 10c Connection part 11 Insertion hole 12 Connection port 21 Intake port 22, 32, 32a Thin plate part 31, 31a, 31b Cavity F mounting surface L21 intake passage H height T, T10 thickness X wafer

Claims

1. A transfer hand formed in a plate shape on which a thin plate-shaped object to be transferred can be placed and configured to be attachable to a transfer device for transferring the object to be transferred, wherein a mounting portion attached to the transfer device, a placement portion on which the object to be transferred is placed, and a connecting portion connecting the mounting portion and the placement portion are integrally formed of ceramics, and a plurality of cavities configured as closed spaces are formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand in at least one of the placement portion and the connecting portion.

2. The transfer hand according to claim 1, wherein a height along the thickness direction of the transfer hand in the cavity is formed to be equal to the thickness of a first thin plate portion constituting one partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity and the thickness of a second thin plate portion constituting the other partition wall in the thickness direction of the cavity.

3. The transfer hand according to claim 1, further comprising a first holding portion configured such that a plurality of air inlets are opened on a placement surface of the placement portion, an air intake passage communicated with each of the air inlets is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand, and the object to be transferred can be adsorbed and held by intake air from each of the air inlets through the air intake passage by the transfer device.

4. The transfer hand according to claim 1, further comprising a second holding portion configured such that a plurality of exhaust ports are opened on a placement surface of the placement portion, an exhaust passage communicated with each of the exhaust ports is formed within the plate thickness of the transfer hand, and a negative pressure is generated between the transfer hand and the object to be transferred placed on the placement portion by exhaust from each of the exhaust ports through the exhaust passage by the transfer device, so that the object to be transferred can be attracted and held.

5. A transfer device configured to be attachable with the transfer hand according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and configured to be able to transfer the object to be transferred.

Images