Transport jig, substrate handling device, and substrate support member

Abstract

Automatic replacement of circuit board support members. [Solution] The printing apparatus 20 includes a transport rod 25a for transporting screen masks M and substrate support members 70, and a control unit. The control unit can control the transport rod 25a to perform a mask replacement process, which includes a mask transport process for transporting screen masks M to be transported and a mask loading process for loading screen masks M to be loaded. The control unit 21 can also control the transport rod 25a to perform a support member replacement process, which includes a support member transport process for transporting substrate support members 70 to be transported and a support member loading process for loading substrate support members 70 to be loaded.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a printing apparatus that performs printing processing of a viscous fluid on a substrate using a screen mask, an apparatus that automatically exchanges the screen mask is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a printing apparatus including a rod protruding downward and a slider that slides the screen mask by moving the rod to insert and remove it from the main body frame.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a substrate processing apparatus that performs operations on a substrate such as printing, a substrate support member for supporting the substrate during the operation may be used. And when using a support member suitable for the type of substrate to be processed, it is necessary to exchange the substrate support member. However, the printing apparatus of Patent Document 1 does not consider the exchange of the substrate support member.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and the main object is to automatically exchange the substrate support member.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has adopted the following means to achieve the above-described main object.

[0007] The printing apparatus of the present invention A printing apparatus that performs a viscous fluid printing process on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member using a screen mask, A support member transport unit for transporting the screen mask and the substrate support member, A replacement control unit is capable of executing a mask replacement process that includes a mask unloading process for unloading a screen mask to be unloaded and a mask loading process for loading a screen mask to be loaded, and a support member replacement process that includes a support member unloading process for unloading a substrate support member to be unloaded and a support member loading process for loading a substrate support member to be loaded, It is something that is provided.

[0008] This printing apparatus is equipped with a support member transport unit for loading and unloading screen masks and substrate support members. This printing apparatus can perform support member replacement processing, including loading and unloading substrate support members, using this support member transport unit. Therefore, this printing apparatus can perform automatic replacement of substrate support members. Furthermore, this printing apparatus can also perform mask replacement processing, including loading and unloading screen masks, using this support member transport unit. In other words, both automatic replacement of substrate support members and automatic replacement of screen masks can be performed using the same support member transport unit. Therefore, compared to, for example, a printing apparatus that has separate transport units for screen mask replacement and substrate support member replacement, the apparatus configuration can be made more compact.

[0009] The substrate work apparatus of the present invention is A substrate work apparatus for performing substrate work on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member, A support member transport unit for transporting the aforementioned substrate support member, A substrate fixing section on which the substrate support member can be positioned and which fixes the substrate by the positioned substrate support member when performing the substrate work, A positioning unit that moves the substrate support member, which is positioned on the substrate fixing portion, to position the substrate support member in the horizontal direction, An exchange control unit performs a support member exchange process that includes: a support member unloading process that controls the support member transport unit to unload the substrate support member to be unloaded; and a support member loading process that controls the support member transport unit to transport the substrate support member to be loaded to the substrate fixing unit and controls the positioning unit to position the loaded substrate support member. It is something that is provided.

[0010] This substrate handling apparatus can perform support member replacement processing, including the loading and unloading of substrate support members, using a support member transport unit that loads and unloads substrate support members. Therefore, this substrate handling apparatus can perform automatic replacement of substrate support members. Furthermore, in the support member loading process, this substrate handling apparatus uses a positioning unit to position the transported substrate support members. Therefore, misalignment of the substrate support members loaded during the support member loading process within the substrate fixing unit can be suppressed. In addition, various embodiments of the printing apparatus of the present invention may be adopted in the substrate handling apparatus of the present invention, or various configurations provided by the printing apparatus of the present invention may be added. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A configuration diagram showing an example of the general configuration of the implemented system 10. [Figure 2] An explanatory diagram of the configuration for performing printing processes, etc., of the printing device 20. [Figure 3] A perspective view of the configuration of the printing device 20 for performing printing processes, etc. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the electrical connections of the printing device 20. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the substrate support member 70 and the transport jig 80. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating an example of a printing process routine. [Figure 7] An explanatory diagram showing the process of replacing the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. [Figure 8] An explanatory diagram showing the process of replacing the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. [Figure 9]Explanatory drawing showing the state of the replacement process of the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. [Figure 10] Explanatory drawing of the conveyance, adsorption, and printing processes of the substrate S. [Figure 11] Explanatory drawing showing the state of performing the support member loading process and the support member unloading process in parallel.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of the outline of the configuration of a mounting system 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory drawing of a mask working unit 26, a first substrate fixing unit 30, a second substrate fixing unit 40, a processing unit 50, and a storage unit 60 which are configured to execute the printing process, mask replacement process, and support member replacement process of the printing apparatus 20. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mask working unit 26, a first substrate fixing unit 30, a second substrate fixing unit 40, and a processing unit 50 which are configured to execute the printing process and the like of the printing apparatus 20. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical connection relationship of the printing apparatus 20. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the substrate support member 70 and the transfer jig 80. The mounting system 10 includes a printing apparatus 20 that performs a printing process of solder paste as a viscous fluid on a substrate S, a plurality of mounting apparatuses (not shown) that mount electronic components on the substrate S, and a management computer (PC) 90 that manages information related to the processes in the printing apparatus 20 and the mounting apparatuses. Examples of the viscous fluid include solder paste, and also conductive paste, adhesive, and the like. The printing apparatus 20 is configured as a dual-lane printing apparatus having two substrate fixing units for fixing the conveyed substrate S. Further, when the printing apparatus 20 performs a setup change for changing the printing target to different types of substrates S, the screen The mask M can be automatically replaced, and the apparatus is configured to be capable of automatically replacing the transfer jig 80 of the substrate support member 70 that supports and fixes the substrate S. In the present embodiment, the left-right direction (X-axis), the front-rear direction (Y-axis), and the up-down direction (Z-axis) are as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the printing device 20 is a device that applies (prints) solder paste to the lower substrate S through the pattern holes by pushing the solder on the screen mask M into the pattern holes 11 and 12 formed in the screen mask M using the squeegee 25. The printing device 20 includes a control unit 21, a printing processing unit 22, a mask working unit 26, a first substrate fixing unit 30, a second substrate fixing unit 40, a processing unit 50, and a storage unit 60. Further, the printing device 20 includes an operation panel on which a display screen is displayed and various input operations by an operator are possible, and a communication unit that communicates with devices connected to the LAN.

[0014] The control unit 21 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a CPU, and includes a ROM that stores a processing program, a RAM used as a working area, an HDD that stores various data, and the like.

[0015] The printing processing unit 22 is disposed in the upper stage of the printing device 20, and is a unit that performs printing processing of a viscous fluid on the substrate S using the screen mask M. As shown in FIG. 4, the printing processing unit 22 includes a printing head 23, a head moving unit 24, a squeegee 25, and a transfer rod 25a. The printing device 20 includes a printing head 23 that pressurizes and supplies solder paste onto the screen mask M. The head moving unit 24 moves the printing head 23 in a predetermined printing direction (front-rear direction), and includes a guide formed in the front-rear direction, a slider that moves along the guide, and a motor that drives the slider. A mechanism for moving the printing head 23 up and down is also disposed in the head moving unit 24. The squeegee 25 is disposed on the printing head 23 so as to be movable up and down. The squeegee 25 is a plate-shaped member that is long in a predetermined direction (X direction in FIG. 1), and is formed to have a length longer than the pattern holes 11 and 12. The transfer rod 25a is disposed on the printing head 23 so as to be movable up and down by a motor (not shown). The transfer rod 25a protrudes below the squeegee 25 and moves back and forth by the head moving unit 24 to push and transfer the screen mask M and the transfer jig 80 back and forth.

[0016] The mask work unit 26 is disposed between the printing processing unit 22 and the first substrate fixing unit 30 and the second substrate fixing unit 40, and is a unit that fixes and holds the screen mask M. The screen mask M is, for example, a thin metal plate on which a desired wiring pattern is formed, and is fixed to the frame (mask fixing unit 27) with a predetermined tension. The screen mask M has pattern holes 11 and 12 formed therein for forming wiring patterns on the substrates S of the first and second lanes (first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40) of the printing process, respectively. An identification part (for example, a mark) for position recognition is formed on the lower surface of the screen mask M. The mask work unit 26 includes a mask fixing unit 27, a position adjustment unit 28 (see Figure 4), and a transport rail 29 (see Figure 4). The mask fixing unit 27 positions the screen mask M, which is fitted into the frame, and supports and fixes it in a horizontal position. The position adjustment unit 28 adjusts the position of the mask fixing unit 27 in the XY direction so that the pattern holes 11 and 12 are positioned correctly relative to the substrate S fixed to the first substrate fixing unit 30 or the second substrate fixing unit 40. The transport rails 29 are a pair of left and right rails extending in the front-rear direction, and guide the screen mask M and transport jig 80, which are pushed by the transport rod 25a, so that they move along the front-rear direction.

[0017] The first substrate fixing unit 30 is located below the mask work unit 26 and is a unit that loads a substrate S, positions and supports the loaded substrate S, and brings it into contact with and separates it from the screen mask M on which a predetermined wiring pattern is formed. The first substrate fixing unit 30 constitutes the first lane of the printing process. The first substrate fixing unit 30 includes a substrate transport conveyor 31, a substrate guide 32, a substrate guide moving unit 33 (see Figure 4), a support base lifting unit 35, a fixing unit lifting unit 36, a support base 37, a Y-axis pressing unit 38, and a Z-axis clamping unit 39. As shown in Figure 2, the substrate transport conveyor 31 includes a conveyor belt provided on each of a pair of side frames 30b and a belt rotation device that drives the conveyor belt to rotate. Although not shown in the illustration, the printing device 20 also has an input conveyor and an output conveyor installed on the upstream and downstream sides (left and right sides in Figure 1) of the substrate transport path of the substrate transport conveyor 31, respectively. The substrate guide 32 is a plate-shaped member provided on the upper surface of each of the pair of side frames 30b. The substrate guide moving part 33 is a mechanism that moves the pair of side frames 30b in the front-rear direction to bring them closer together and further apart. As a result, the substrate guide 32 also moves in the front-rear direction, and the substrate S is sandwiched and fixed in place when the upper surface of the substrate S and the upper surface of the substrate guide 32 are flush. The support base lifting part 35 is a mechanism that lifts and lowers the support base 37 relative to the main body 30a of the first substrate fixing part 30, and includes a support column that guides and supports the support base 37 in the vertical direction, and a drive motor that moves the support column up and down. The support base 37 is a member on which a substrate support member 70 can be placed. The substrate support member 70 is replaced according to the substrate S.

[0018] The substrate support member 70 is positioned on the support base 37 and connected by piping to a pressure reducing device (not shown), and is a member that supports and fixes the substrate S from the bottom side by negative pressure. As shown in Figure 5, the substrate support member 70 comprises a main body portion 70a, a pair of cylindrical protrusions 71, 71 arranged to protrude from the left and right sides of the main body portion 70a, a pair of protrusions 72, 72 arranged in front of the protrusions 71, a plurality of suction ports 73 opening on the upper surface of the main body portion 70a, and a clamped portion 74 having an inclined upper surface and protruding to the rear of the main body portion 70a. In addition, an identification portion 75 (e.g., a mark) for position recognition and a barcode 76 for type recognition of the substrate support member 70 are formed on the upper surface of the main body portion 70a.

[0019] The fixing section lifting section 36 is a mechanism that raises and lowers the entire first substrate fixing section 30 relative to the main body of the device, and includes a support column that guides and supports the main body of the first substrate fixing section 30 in the vertical direction, and a drive motor that moves the support column up and down. The Y-axis pressing section 38 (see Figure 2) is a mechanism used for positioning the substrate support member 70 and is disposed on the support base 37. The Y-axis pressing section 38 is movable in the front-rear direction and includes a block-shaped main body that presses and moves the substrate support member 70 backward, and a drive mechanism such as a cylinder (not shown) that moves the main body back and forth. The Y-axis pressing section 38 also serves as a negative pressure supply mechanism to the substrate support member 70, and a suction port connected by piping to a pressure reducing device (not shown) is provided at the rear of the main body. When the main body of the Y-axis pressing section 38 is pressed against the substrate support member 70, a path from the pressure reducing device to the suction port 73 is connected, and negative pressure is supplied to the suction port 73. The Z-axis clamp section 39 is a mechanism used to fix the substrate support member 70 and is located on the rear side frame 30b. The Z-axis clamp section 39 comprises a block-shaped body that can move vertically and a drive mechanism such as a cylinder that moves the body up and down. When the Z-axis clamp section 39 is moved downward, it clamps the clamped portion 74 of the substrate support member 70 together with the support base 37, thereby fixing the substrate support member 70. In addition, a support plate 39a is located in front of the Z-axis clamp section 39, oriented in the vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions. When the side frame 30b moves back and forth by the substrate guide movement section 33, the Z-axis clamp section 39 and the support plate 39a also move back and forth, thereby changing the fixing position of the substrate support member 70 in the front-to-back direction.

[0020] The second substrate fixing unit 40 is installed alongside the first substrate fixing unit 30 and is a unit that transports and fixes substrates S in the same manner as the first substrate fixing unit 30. The second substrate fixing unit 40 constitutes the second lane of the printing process. This second substrate fixing unit 40 has a main body 40a and a side frame 40b, and is equipped with a substrate transport conveyor 41, a substrate guide 42, a substrate guide moving unit 43, a support base lifting unit 45, a fixing unit lifting unit 46, a support base 47, a Y-axis pressing unit 48, and a Z-axis clamping unit 49. A substrate support member 70 can also be placed on the support base 47. The basic configuration of this second substrate fixing unit 40 is the same as that of the first substrate fixing unit 30, so its description will be omitted. The printing apparatus 20 is configured to include two substrate transport devices, the first substrate fixing unit 30 and the second substrate fixing unit 40, and one mask work unit 26.

[0021] The processing unit 50 is a unit that performs imaging processing to image identification parts (e.g., marks, notches, bumps, characters, etc.) formed on the substrate S for position recognition. This processing unit 50 includes a carriage 51, a processing unit movement unit 52, and a position information acquisition unit 55. The processing unit 50 also includes a substrate stopper 56 for stopping the substrate S, which has been transported to the right by the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41, at a predetermined position in the left-right direction. The carriage 51 is equipped with the position information acquisition unit 55 and the substrate stopper 56, and is moved in the XY direction by the processing unit movement unit 52. The processing unit movement unit 52 includes an X-axis slider 53 and a Y-axis slider 54. The Y-axis slider 54 is a plate-shaped member with the X-axis direction as its longitudinal direction, and is moved by a movement motor along a support rail 58 formed in the Y-axis direction (front-back direction) of the device. The X-axis slider 53 is equipped with the carriage 51, and is moved by a movement motor along a guide formed in the X-axis direction on the Y-axis slider 54. The processing unit 50 moves to one of the following areas: the area of ​​the first substrate fixing section 30, which is the first lane (also called the first area); the area of ​​the second substrate fixing section 40, which is the second lane (also called the second area); or the retracted area outside of these areas (see Figures 1-3). The position information acquisition unit 55 is a unit that can image the identification section formed on the substrate S, the identification section formed on the lower surface of the screen mask M, and the identification section 75 of the substrate support member 70, and acquires their position information by imaging. The imaging area of ​​the position information acquisition unit 55 is on its lower and upper sides. The substrate stopper 56 is, for example, a rod-shaped member and is mounted on the carriage 51 so as to be able to move up and down by a motor (not shown). The substrate stopper 56 protrudes above the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 and below the support rail 58, so as to come into contact with the substrate S that has been transported above the substrate support member 70 by the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41, and stops the substrate S.

[0022] The storage unit 60 is located at the rear of the main body of the printing device 20 and is a mechanism for storing components to be replaced (components to be brought in and removed) when the screen mask M and substrate support members 70 are automatically replaced. The storage unit 60 comprises a storage box with an opening at the front and a conveyor lifting unit 62 for raising and lowering the storage box. Inside the storage box, a pair of transport conveyors 61 are arranged vertically in multiple stages (four stages in this embodiment) for transporting the placed objects in the front-to-back direction. Three of the four transport conveyors 61 have in advance stored by the operator the screen mask M to be brought into the mask work unit 26 and the transport jig 80 to which the substrate support members 70 to be brought into the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 are attached, and the transport jig 80 for attaching the substrate support members 70 to be removed from the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40. Furthermore, the remaining conveyor belt 61 is left open to accommodate the screen masks M to be transported from the mask work area 26. This storage area 60 is configured by using the conveyor lifting unit 62 to raise the top surface of one of the conveyor belts 61 to the same height as the top surface of the transport rail 29. By operating the conveyor belt 61 in this state, materials placed on the conveyor belt 61 can be transported into the mask work area 26 or transported out of the mask work area 26.

[0023] The transport jig 80 is a component that enables the transport of the substrate support member 70 using the transport conveyor 61 and transport rod 25a. As shown in Figure 5, the transport jig 80 has first to fourth projection holding parts 81 to 84 arranged inside the frame 85 in this order from rear to front. The first to fourth projection holding parts 81 to 84 are each arranged in pairs in the left-right direction and are located at the tips of the arms that extend downward from the frame 85. As shown in Figure 2, the transport jig 80 can attach one substrate support member 70 using the first and second projection holding parts 81 and 82, and one substrate support member 70 can be attached using the third and fourth projection holding parts 83 and 84. The upper surfaces of the first to fourth projection holding parts 81 to 84 have recesses that are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the projections 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70. The projections 71 and 72 are placed in these recesses, allowing the transport jig 80 to transport the substrate support member 70 while fixing its position in the front-rear direction. While there are multiple types of substrate support members 70 depending on the type of substrate S being supported, the outer diameters of the projections 71 and 72 are the same for all of them. Furthermore, the second projection holding portion 82 and the fourth projection holding portion 84 can be adjusted in the front-rear direction, allowing for the attachment of multiple types of substrate support members 70 with different sizes (distance between projections 71 and 72). The transport jig 80 has approximately the same width in the left-right direction as the mask fixing portion 27 of the screen mask M. This allows the transport jig 80 to transport along the same transport rail 29 as the screen mask M. Additionally, since the same storage portion 60 can be used for both the transport jig 80 and the screen mask M, it is preferable that the front-rear lengths of the transport jig 80 and the screen mask M are similar. Furthermore, there may be multiple types of conveying jigs 80 with different sizes of the frame 85 and protruding holding parts, and a barcode 86 for identifying the type of conveying jig 80 is attached to the upper surface of the frame 85.

[0024] Next, we will describe the process by which the printing apparatus 20 performs printing on the substrate S while automatically replacing the screen mask M and substrate support member 70. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a printing process routine executed by the CPU of the control unit 21. Figures 7 to 9 are explanatory diagrams showing the process of replacing the screen mask M and substrate support member 70. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram of the transport, suction, and printing process of the substrate S.

[0025] The printing process routine is stored in the HDD of the control unit 21 and executed after the operator instructs the printing device 20 to perform the printing process. When the printing process routine is executed, the CPU of the control unit 21 first determines whether it is necessary to replace the screen mask M located in the mask work unit 26 or the substrate support members 70 located in the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40, i.e., whether a setup change is necessary (step S100). The control unit 21 determines whether a setup change is necessary based on information about the printing process obtained, for example, from the management PC 90, by determining whether the screen mask M and substrate support members 70 required for the printing process are different from the previous time and the current time. If a setup change is necessary, as shown in Figure 2, the storage unit 60 is assumed to have already been stored by the operator, containing the screen mask M to be brought in, a transport jig 80 to which the substrate support members 70 to be brought in are attached, and a transport jig 80 for attaching the substrate support members 70 to be removed. Furthermore, the worker will, if necessary, read barcode 76 and barcode 86 with a barcode reader to verify that the correct components are stored in the storage section 60. In addition, the worker will adjust the front-to-back positions of the second projection holding section 82 and the fourth projection holding section 84 in advance for the transport jig 80 used to attach the substrate support member 70 to be transported.

[0026] If a change of setup is required in step S100, the control unit 21 performs a mask removal process to remove the screen mask M to be removed from the mask work section 26 (step S110). The control unit 21 moves the transport rod 25a to transport the screen mask M to be removed from the mask work section 26 to the rear while sliding it against the transport rail 29, as shown in Figure 7(a). It also controls the conveyor lifting section 62 and the transport conveyor 61 to place the screen mask M to be removed onto an available transport conveyor 61. Note that in order to perform the substrate support member 70 replacement process, it is necessary to remove the screen mask M from the mask work section 26 once, so the control unit 21 performs the screen mask removal process even if the screen mask M is not to be replaced.

[0027] Next, the control unit 21 performs a support member unloading process to unload the substrate support member 70 to be unloaded from the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 (step S120). First, the control unit 21 controls the conveyor lifting section 62 and the transport conveyor 61 to load an empty transport jig 80 onto the transport rail 29, and then moves the transport rod 25a forward to transport the transport jig 80 above the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 (Figure 7(b)). At this time, the control unit 21 positions the first to fourth projection holding sections 81 to 84 offset in the front-rear direction (for example, rearward) from directly above the projections 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70. Next, the control unit 21 releases the fixing of the substrate support member 70 on the support bases 37 and 47. Specifically, the control unit 21 moves the Y-axis pressing parts 38, 48 forward and the Z-axis clamping parts 39, 49 upward, while the substrate guide moving parts 33, 43 separate the pair of side frames 30b, 40b front to back (Figure 7(c)). Next, the control unit 21 raises the substrate support members 70 on the support bases 37, 47, respectively, using the support base lifting parts 35, 45 and the fixing part lifting parts 36, 46 (Figure 8(a)). As a result, the projections 71, 72 of the substrate support members 70 rise above the first to fourth projection holding parts 81 to 84. Next, the control unit 21 moves the transport jig 80 forward using the transport rod 25a so that the first and second projection holding parts 81 and 82 are positioned directly below the projections 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70 on the support base 37, and the third and fourth projection holding parts 83 and 84 are positioned directly below the projections 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70 on the support base 47 (Figure 8(b)). Then, the control unit 21 lowers the support bases 37 and 47. As a result, the two substrate support members 70 are attached to the transport jig 80 with their projections 71 and 72 held on the first to fourth projection holding parts 81 to 84 (Figure 8(c)). Subsequently, the control unit 21 lowers the entire first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 using the fixing section lifting sections 36 and 46, and moves the transport jig 80 to which the two substrate support members 70 to be transported are attached to the rear using the transport rod 25a (Figure 9). Then, the control unit 21 places the transport jig 80 with the substrate support members 70 attached onto the empty transport conveyor 61.As described above, the control unit 21 performs the support member discharge process for the substrate support member 70 by combining the forward and backward transport of the transport jig 80 with the raising and lowering of the support bases 37 and 47.

[0028] After the support member unloading process in step S120, the control unit 21 performs a support member loading process to load the substrate support members 70 to be loaded into the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 (step S130). This process can be performed in the reverse order of the support member unloading process described above. That is, the control unit 21 first transports the transport jig 80 to which the two substrate support members 70 to be loaded are attached forward (Figure 9), transports the substrate support members 70 to above the support bases 37 and 47 (Figure 8(c)), and raises the support bases 37 and 47 to lift the protrusions 71 and 72 away from the first to fourth protrusion holding sections 81 and 84 (Figure 8(b)). Subsequently, the control unit 21 moves the transport jig 80 backward (Figure 8(a)) and then lowers the support bases 37 and 47 (Figure 7(c)). Next, the control unit 21 moves the transport jig 80 backward to unload it, and positions and fixes the substrate support members 70 on the support bases 37 and 47 (Figure 7(b)). Specifically, first, the control unit 21 uses the substrate guide moving units 33 and 43 to bring the pair of side frames 30b and 40b closer together front to back, moving the support plates 39a and 49a to predetermined positions. The front-to-back position of the support plates 39a and 49a is predetermined according to the type of substrate S to be printed and the type of substrate support member 70, and is obtained, for example, from the management PC 90. Subsequently, the control unit 21 moves the Y-axis pressing units 38 and 48 backward, moving the substrate support members 70 on the support bases 37 and 47 backward until they contact the support plates 39a and 49a, respectively. In this way, by moving the support plates 39a, 49a and the Y-axis pressing parts 38, 48 back and forth, the substrate support member 70 can be positioned in the appropriate location even if the position of the substrate support member 70 removed from the transport jig 80 is shifted back and forth. When the substrate support member 70 is brought into contact with the support plates 39a, 49a, the control unit 21 moves the Z-axis clamp parts 39, 49 downward to press the clamped part 74, fixing the position of the substrate support member 70 on the support bases 37, 47. As described above, the control unit 21 performs the substrate support member loading process by combining the back and forth transport of the transport jig 80 and the up and down movement of the support bases 37, 47. The control unit 21 also positions the substrate support member 70 in the front and rear directions.

[0029] After the support member removal process in step S130, the control unit 21 performs a mask loading process to load the screen mask M to be loaded into the mask work unit 26 (step S140). The control unit 21 performs this process in the reverse order of the mask loading process. That is, the control unit 21 first controls the conveyor lifting unit 62 and the transport conveyor 61 to transport the screen mask M to be loaded onto the transport rail 29, and then moves the screen mask M forward with the transport rod 25a to load it into the mask work unit 26. If the screen mask M is not to be replaced, the screen mask M that was loaded in the mask loading process is loaded.

[0030] After the screen mask M and substrate support member 70 have been replaced by the processing in steps S110 to S140, the control unit 21 acquires the left-right position information of the transported substrate support member 70 (step S150) and determines a correction value for the stopping position of the substrate S based on the acquired position information (step S160). As shown in Figure 10(a), the control unit 21 moves the carriage 51 above the support base 37 and has the position information acquisition unit 55 image the identification part 75 on the upper surface of the substrate support member 70. Then, based on the position of the identification part 75 in the image acquired from the position information acquisition unit 55, the control unit 21 determines the left-right position displacement of the substrate support member 70 on the support base 37 (the transport direction of the substrate S), derives a correction value for the stopping position when the substrate S is transported, and stores it in RAM or the like. Here, if the substrate support member 70 is shifted on the support base 37 in the transport direction of the substrate S, depending on the stopping position of the substrate S, problems may occur in the suction fixing of the substrate S. If the position of the substrate support member 70 is shifted in the left-right direction, the control unit 21 corrects the stopping position of the substrate S by the same amount, so that the positional relationship between the substrate support member 70 and the substrate S does not change. The control unit 21 similarly acquires positional information and derives correction values ​​for the substrate support member 70 on the support base 47.

[0031] After step S160, or if no setup change is required in step S100, the control unit 21 drives the substrate transport conveyor 31 to transport the substrate S to the first substrate fixing section 30 (first lane) and holds the substrate S to the substrate support member 70 (step S170). When transporting the substrate S to the first substrate fixing section 30, the control unit 21 moves the carriage 51 back and forth and left and right, and lowers the substrate stopper 56 to stop the substrate S that has been transported to the right at a predetermined stopping position on the substrate support member 70 (Figure 10(b)). At this time, if there is a correction value derived in step S160, the control unit 21 moves the substrate stopper 56 to a position that takes the correction value into account. The control unit 21 also raises the support base 37 to bring the upper surface of the substrate support member 70 into contact with the lower surface of the stopped substrate S, and holds the substrate S in place by negative pressure from the pressure reducing device.

[0032] Next, the control unit 21 uses the position information acquisition unit 55 to image the identification areas of the substrate S and the screen mask M (step S180), and adjusts the position of the substrate S and the pattern holes 11 of the screen mask M based on the obtained image so that they are in the correct position (step S190). Then, the control unit 21 starts printing with the first substrate fixing unit 30 (step S200, Figure 10(c)). The control unit 21 raises the first substrate fixing unit 30 and brings it into contact with the upper surface of the substrate S and the lower surface of the screen mask M. Then, the print head 23 is moved onto the screen mask M on the first lane side, solder paste is pressurized and ejected from the print head 23, and the squeegee 25 is moved back and forth to print the solder paste onto the substrate S.

[0033] After the printing process in the first substrate fixing unit 30, the control unit 21 determines whether the production process is complete based on whether there is another substrate S to be printed (step S210). If the production process is not complete, the second substrate fixing unit 40 is used to transport the substrate S, adjust the position of the screen mask M, and perform printing (steps S220-250). This process is the same as the process in the first substrate fixing unit 30 described above (steps S170-200), so a detailed explanation is omitted. After step S250, the control unit 21 determines whether production is complete (step S260), and if not, it executes the process from step S100 onwards. That is, while changing the setup as necessary, the printing process on the substrates S fixed in the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 is executed sequentially. When the production process is completed in step S210 or S260, the control unit 21 terminates this routine.

[0034] Here, the correspondence between the components of this embodiment and the components of the present invention will be clarified. In this embodiment, the transport rod 25a corresponds to the support member transport unit of the present invention, and the control unit 21 corresponds to the replacement control unit. Also, the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 correspond to the substrate fixing unit, the Y-axis pressing units 38 and 48, the substrate guide moving units 33 and 43, and the support plates 39a and 49a correspond to the positioning unit, the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41 correspond to the substrate transport unit, the position information acquisition unit 55 corresponds to the position information acquisition unit, the control unit 21 and the substrate stopper 56 correspond to the correction unit, the support bases 37 and 47 correspond to the support bases, the support base lifting units 35 and 45 and the fixing unit lifting units 36 and 46 correspond to the support member lifting unit, and the transport jig 80 corresponds to the transport jig.

[0035] The printing apparatus 20 of the embodiment described in detail above is equipped with a support member transport unit (transport rod 25a) for transporting the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. This printing apparatus 20 can perform a support member replacement process (steps S120, S130), including the transporting and loading of the substrate support member 70, using the transport rod 25a, thereby enabling automatic replacement of the substrate support member 70. Furthermore, this printing apparatus 20 can also perform a mask replacement process (steps S110, S140), which involves transporting and loading the screen mask M, using the transport rod 25a. In other words, both automatic replacement of the substrate support member 70 and automatic replacement of the screen mask M can be performed using the same transport rod 25a. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where the printing apparatus 20 has separate transport units for screen mask replacement and substrate support member replacement, the apparatus configuration can be made more compact.

[0036] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 20 is capable of arranging substrate support members 70 and includes first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 that fix the substrate S with the substrate support members 70 when printing is performed, and a positioning section (Y-axis pressing section 38 and 48, substrate guide moving section 33 and 43, and support plates 39a and 49a) that moves the substrate support members 70 arranged in the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 to position the substrate support members in the horizontal direction.The control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a to transport the substrate support members 70 to be transported to the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 during the support member transport process, and controls the Y-axis pressing section 38 and 48, the substrate guide moving section 33 and 43, and the support plates 39a and 49a to position the transported substrate support members 70 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the front-to-back positional displacement of the substrate support member 70, which was brought in during the support member delivery process, within the first and second substrate fixing portions 30 and 40.

[0037] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 20 includes first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40, substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41 that transport the substrate S in a predetermined substrate transport direction (left and right direction), and a position information acquisition unit 55 that acquires position information regarding the position of the substrate support members 70 arranged in the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 in the substrate transport direction. The printing apparatus 20 also includes a correction unit (control unit 21 and substrate stopper 56) that corrects the stopping position on the substrate support members 70 when the substrate transport conveyors 31 and 41 transport the substrate S, based on the acquired position information. As a result, even if the position of the substrate support members 70 that were transported to the first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40 during the support member loading process is shifted in the substrate transport direction, the stopping position of the substrate S can be corrected based on the position information. Therefore, problems with fixing the substrate S by the substrate support members 70 can be suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 20 has support bases 37, 47 on which substrate support members 70 can be placed, and includes first and second substrate fixing parts 30, 40 that fix the substrate S with the substrate support members 70 when printing is performed, and support base lifting parts 35, 45 and fixing part lifting parts 36, 46 that raise and lower the support bases 37, 47 to raise and lower the substrate support members 70 placed on the support bases 37, 47. The transport rod 25a moves a transport jig 80 to which the substrate support members 70 can be attached, and in the support member unloading process, the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a and the support base lifting parts 35, 45 and fixing part lifting parts 36, 46 to transport the transport jig 80 to above the first and second substrate fixing parts 30, 40, raise the substrate support members 70 to be unloaded which are placed on the support bases 37, 38 and attach them to the transport jig 80, and then unloads the transport jig 80 after attachment. Furthermore, in the support member loading process, the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a, the support base lifting units 35, 45, and the fixing unit lifting units 36, 46 to transport the transport jig 80 to which the substrate support member 70 to be loaded is attached, to above the first and second substrate fixing units 30, 40, raise the support bases 37, 47 to remove the substrate support member 70 to be loaded from the transport jig 80 and place it on the support bases 37, 47, and then load out the transport jig 80 after removal. In this way, even if the shape or size of the substrate support member 70 is not suitable for transport by the transport rod 25a, the support member replacement process can be carried out by transporting the substrate support member 70 using the transport jig 80. In the printing apparatus 20 of this embodiment, the transport rod 25a transports both the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70. However, since the substrate support member 70 is narrower in the left-right direction than the screen mask M, it is not possible to directly transport the substrate support member 70 by sliding it along the transport rail 29 using the transport rod 25a. When the shape and size of the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70 differ in this way, the use of a transport jig 80 is highly significant.

[0039] Furthermore, the printing apparatus 20 has a first substrate fixing section 30 and a second substrate fixing section 40 as substrate fixing sections, and a first support member lifting section (support base lifting section 35 and fixing section lifting section 36) that raises and lowers the support base 37, and a second support member lifting section (support base lifting section 45 and fixing section lifting section 46) that raises and lowers the support base 47. In addition, the transport rod 25a transports in and out a transport jig 80 to which multiple substrate support members 70 can be attached.The control unit 21 then controls the transport rod 25a and the support base lifting sections 35, 45 and the fixing section lifting sections 36, 46 to transport in the transport jig 80, raise each of the substrate support members 70 to be transported, which are placed on the support bases 37, 47 and attach them to the transport jig 80, and then transports out the transport jig 80 after the members have been attached. Furthermore, in the support member loading process, the control unit 21 controls the transport rod 25a, the support base lifting units 35, 45, and the fixing unit lifting units 36, 46 to load the transport jig 80, to which the substrate support members 70 to be loaded are attached and to be placed on the support base 37 and support base 47 respectively. The control unit 21 then raises the support bases 37 and 47 to remove each of the substrate support members 70 to be loaded from the transport jig 80 and places them on the support bases 37 and 47 respectively, and then loads out the transport jig 80 after removal. In this way, the control unit 21 performs the replacement of the substrate support members 70 placed on the support base 37 and the replacement of the substrate support members 70 placed on the support base 47 in parallel. In this way, the substrate support members 70 to be transported, which are placed on the support bases 37 and 47, can be transported together with the loading and unloading of the transport jig 80 in one operation, and the substrate support members 70 to be transported, which are placed on the support bases 37 and 47, can be transported together with the loading and unloading of the transport jig 80 in one operation, thus reducing the time required for the support member replacement process.

[0040] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various forms as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0041] For example, in the embodiment described above, the control unit 21 used a transport jig 80 capable of attaching two substrate support members 70 to replace the substrate support members 70 on the support base 37 and the substrate support members 70 on the support base 47 in parallel, but is not limited to this. For example, only one of the substrate support members 70 on either the support base 37 or 47 may be replaced. In this case, the control unit 21 may also perform the support member loading process and the support member unloading process in parallel. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the process of performing the support member loading process and the support member unloading process in parallel. Here, we will describe the case in which the substrate support members 70 of the second substrate fixing section 40 are replaced. First, the control unit 21 transports the transport jig 80 to which the substrate support members 70 to be loaded are attached to the top of the second substrate fixing section 40 (Figure 11(a)). Next, the control unit 21 raises the substrate support member 70 to be transported, which is positioned on the support base 47, and attaches it to the transport jig 80 (Figure 11(b)). Then, the control unit 21 transports the transport jig 80 with the substrate support member 70 attached further forward to transport it above the support base 47, and raises the support base 47 to remove the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80 and place it on the support base 47 (Figure 11(c)). Finally, the control unit 21 transports the transport jig 80 (the transport jig 80 with the substrate support member 70 attached) backward. In this way, the transport and loading of the substrate support member 70 can be performed in a single transport and loading operation of the transport jig 80. Therefore, the time required for the support member replacement process can be shortened.

[0042] In the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 20 was capable of loading and unloading both the screen mask M and the substrate support member 70 using a transport rod 25a, but it is not limited to this. As long as a support member transport unit is provided for loading and unloading the substrate support member 70, at least the substrate support member replacement process can be performed. In this case as well, by moving the substrate support member 70 positioned in the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 to position the substrate support member horizontally, the effect of suppressing displacement of the substrate support member 70 in the front-to-back direction within the first and second substrate fixing units 30 and 40 can be obtained. In the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 20 was described as one that replaces the substrate support member 70, but it is not limited to a printing apparatus as long as it performs the substrate support member replacement process. The present invention is applicable to substrate work apparatuses that perform substrate work on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member. Examples of substrate work apparatuses other than printing apparatuses include mounting apparatuses that perform component mounting processing on a substrate. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the printing apparatus 20 was equipped with a transport rod 25a as a support member transport unit, but any support member transport unit may be provided as long as it can transport the substrate support member 70 in and out. For example, the support member transport unit may be a support member transport conveyor equipped with a conveyor belt and a belt circulating device that drives the conveyor belt to circulate.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment, the substrate support member 70 was transported using the transport jig 80, but if the substrate support member 70 can be transported using, for example, the transport rail 29 and the transport rod 25a, then the transport jig 80 does not need to be used.

[0044] In the embodiment described above, the Y-axis pressing part 38, the substrate guide moving part 33, and the support plate 39a are used to position the substrate support member 70 in the front-rear direction, but this is not limited to the above as long as horizontal positioning is performed. For example, in addition to or instead of positioning in the front-rear direction, positioning in the left-right direction may also be performed.

[0045] In the embodiment described above, the projections 71 and 72 of the substrate support member 70 are cylindrical, but are not limited to this as long as they can be attached to and detached from the transport jig 80. For example, the projections may be rectangular prisms, plate-shaped, or two adjacent cylinders forming a single member. Also, although there are two projections on each side, there are no limit to the number of projections; there may be one or three or more projections on each side.

[0046] In the above-described embodiment, the first to fourth projection holding parts 81 to 84 held the projections 71 and 72 with recesses, but the invention is not limited to this as long as it can be attached to and detached from the transport jig 80. For example, the transport jig 80 may be equipped with a pair of plate-shaped members that protrude into the inside of the frame 85, and the substrate support member 70 may be attached to the transport jig 80 by placing the projections 71 and 72 on the upper surface of these plate-shaped members. Also, when removing the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80, the raising of the substrate support member 70 and the transport of the transport jig 80 were combined, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the transport jig 80 may be equipped with a plate-shaped member moving mechanism comprising a button that can be pressed downward, a lever that rotates on an axis in accordance with the up and down movement of the button and converts vertical movement into horizontal movement, and a plate-shaped member that moves horizontally in accordance with the rotation of the lever. In this case, the substrate support member 70 is placed on the plate-shaped members of the front and rear plate-shaped member moving mechanism and transported, and the pair of plate-shaped members can be separated to the left and right by pressing a button on the pair of plate-shaped member moving mechanism with, for example, a transport rod 25a, thereby removing the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80. If such a mechanism is adopted, it is not necessary to transport the transport jig 80 back and forth when removing the substrate support member 70 from the transport jig 80.

[0047] In the embodiment described above, the printing apparatus 20 is provided with a storage section 60, but the printing apparatus 20 does not need to be provided with a storage section 60. Also, the printing apparatus 20 is a dual-lane printing apparatus having first and second substrate fixing sections 30 and 40, but it is not limited to this. For example, the printing apparatus 20 may be a single-lane printing apparatus having one substrate fixing section.

[0048] In the embodiment described above, the substrate support member 70 is a member that supports and fixes the substrate S from the lower side by negative pressure, but any member that fixes the substrate is acceptable. For example, the substrate support member may have a plurality of protrusions (backup pins) erected on its upper surface, and the substrate support member may support and fix the substrate S from below using these protrusions. [Industrial applicability]

[0049] The present invention can be used in circuit board processing equipment that performs circuit board processing on a circuit board, such as mounting equipment for mounting components onto a circuit board, and printing equipment related to mounting equipment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 10 Mounting system, 11,12 Pattern holes, 20 Printing device, 21 Control unit, 22 Printing processing unit, 23 Printing head, 24 Head moving unit, 25 Squeegee, 25a Transport rod, 26 Masking work unit, 27 Mask fixing unit, 28 Position adjustment unit, 29 Transport rail, 30 First substrate fixing unit, 30a Main body, 30b Side frame, 31 Substrate transport conveyor, 32 Substrate guide, 33 Substrate guide moving unit, 35 Support base lifting unit, 36 Fixing unit lifting unit, 37 Support base, 38 Y-axis pressing unit, 39 Z-axis clamping unit, 39a Support plate, 40 Second substrate fixing unit, 40a Main body, 40b Side frame, 41 Substrate transport conveyor, 42 Substrate guide, 43 Substrate guide moving unit, 45 Support base lifting unit, 46 Fixing unit lifting unit, 47 Support base, 48 49 Y-axis pressing part, 49 Z-axis clamping part, 49a support plate, 50 processing unit, 51 carriage, 52 processing unit movement part, 53 X-axis slider, 54 Y-axis slider, 55 position information acquisition unit, 56 substrate stopper, 58 support rail, 60 storage unit, 61 transport conveyor, 62 conveyor lifting unit, 70 substrate support member, 70a main body, 71, 72 projections, 73 suction hole, 74 clamped part, 75 identification part, 76 barcode, 80 transport jig, 81-84 1st-4th projection holding parts, 85 frame, 86 barcode, 90 management PC, M, M2 screen mask, S substrate.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus that performs a viscous fluid printing process on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member using a screen mask, A support member transport unit for transporting the screen mask and the substrate support member, A replacement control unit is capable of executing a mask replacement process that includes a mask unloading process for unloading a screen mask to be unloaded and a mask loading process for loading a screen mask to be loaded, and a support member replacement process that includes a support member unloading process for unloading a substrate support member to be unloaded and a support member loading process for loading a substrate support member to be loaded, A printing device equipped with a printer.

2. A printing apparatus according to claim 1, A substrate fixing section on which the substrate support member can be positioned and which fixes the substrate by the positioned substrate support member when the printing process is performed, A positioning unit that moves the substrate support member, which is positioned on the substrate fixing portion, to position the substrate support member in the horizontal direction, Equipped with, The replacement control unit controls the support member transport unit to transport the substrate support member to be transported to the substrate fixing unit, and controls the positioning unit to position the transported substrate support member. Printing device.

3. A printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, A substrate fixing section on which the substrate support member can be positioned and which fixes the substrate by the positioned substrate support member when the printing process is performed, A substrate transport unit that transports the substrate in a predetermined substrate transport direction, A position information acquisition unit that acquires position information relating to the position of the substrate support member arranged in the substrate fixing portion in the substrate transport direction, A correction unit corrects the stopping position on the substrate support member when the substrate transport unit transports the substrate, based on the acquired position information, A printing device equipped with a printer.

4. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A support base on which the substrate support member can be placed, and a substrate fixing part which fixes the substrate by the placed substrate support member when the printing process is performed, A support member lifting unit that raises and lowers the substrate support member placed on the support base by raising and lowering the support base, Equipped with, The support member transport unit transports in and out a transport jig to which the substrate support member can be attached. In the support member unloading process, the exchange control unit controls the support member transport unit and the support member lifting unit to transport the transport jig to above the substrate fixing unit, raise the substrate support member to be unloaded which is placed on the support stand and attach it to the transport jig, and unload the transport jig after the attachment is made. In the support member loading process, the support member transport unit and the support member lifting unit control the transport jig to which the substrate support member to be loaded is attached which is placed above the substrate fixing unit, raise the support stand to remove the substrate support member to be loaded which is placed on the transport jig and place it on the support stand, and unload the transport jig after the attachment is made. Printing device.

5. The transport jig is capable of attaching multiple substrate support members, The replacement control unit, in the support member replacement process, controls the support member transport unit and the support member lifting unit to transport the transport jig to which the substrate support member to be transported is attached up to the substrate fixing unit, raise the substrate support member to be removed which is placed on the support stand and attach it to the transport jig, transport the transport jig after the attachment to transport the substrate support member to be transported up to the support stand, raise the support stand to remove the substrate support member to be transported from the transport jig and place it on the support stand, and transport the transport jig after the removal to carry out the process, thereby performing the support member removal process and the support member transport process in parallel. The printing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The substrate fixing portion comprises a first substrate fixing portion having a first support base on which the substrate support member can be placed and fixing the substrate by the placed substrate support member when performing the printing process, and a second substrate fixing portion having a second support base on which the substrate support member can be placed and fixing the substrate by the placed substrate support member when performing the printing process, The support member lifting unit comprises a first support member lifting unit that lifts and lowers the substrate support member placed on the first support base by raising and lowering the first support base, and a second support member lifting unit that lifts and lowers the substrate support member placed on the second support base by raising and lowering the second support base. The support member transport unit transports a transport jig to which multiple substrate support members can be attached, In the support member unloading process, the replacement control unit controls the support member transport unit and the first and second support member lifting units to load the transport jig, raise each of the substrate support members to be unloaded, which are placed on the first and second support bases, and attach them to the transport jig, and then unload the transport jig after the attachment is complete. In the support member loading process, the support member transport unit and the first and second support member lifting units control the transport jig with the substrate support members to be unloaded, which are to be placed on the first and second support bases respectively, to load the transport jig, which is attached to the substrate support members to be unloaded, which are to be placed on the first and second support bases respectively, raise the first and second support bases, remove each of the substrate support members to be unloaded, which are to be placed on the transport jig, and place them on the first and second support bases respectively, and then unload the transport jig after the removal is complete. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5.

7. A substrate work apparatus for performing substrate work on a substrate fixed on a substrate support member, A support member transport unit for transporting the aforementioned substrate support member, A substrate fixing section is provided on which the substrate support member can be positioned, and which fixes the substrate by the positioned substrate support member when performing the substrate work, A positioning unit that moves the substrate support member, which is positioned on the substrate fixing portion, to position the substrate support member in the horizontal direction, An exchange control unit performs a support member exchange process that includes: a support member unloading process that controls the support member transport unit to unload the substrate support member to be unloaded; and a support member loading process that controls the support member transport unit to transport the substrate support member to be loaded to the substrate fixing unit and controls the positioning unit to position the loaded substrate support member. A substrate handling device equipped with the following features.

Images