Substrate Transfer Device

Abstract

To provide a substrate transfer device capable of transferring substrates of various shapes.SOLUTION: A substrate W is lifted to first height H31 with the lower edge of the substrate W supported by a pusher head 65 while being prevented from falling down by a carrier C and a guide groove 31a. Even after the lower edge of the substrate W is changed, the lower edge is supported by a support arm 33. Therefore, since the lower edge of the substrate W is supported while being prevented from tilting in the surface direction during transfer, the amount of tilt in the upright posture during transfer can be made substantially constant regardless of the shape of the substrate W. As a result, the substrates W of various shapes can be transported.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate transfer device that moves a substrate from one carrier to another. Examples of the substrate include semiconductor substrates, FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates, photomask glass substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates. Examples of the FPD include liquid crystal display devices and organic EL (electroluminescence) display devices. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, this type of device includes, for example, a device that includes a pusher unit and a traversing unit for moving substrates between a transport carrier and a processing carrier (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The pusher units are disposed below the transfer table on which the transport carrier is placed and below the transfer table on which the processing carrier is placed. The pusher unit includes a pusher head. The pusher head supports the substrate in an upright position by contacting three points on the lower edge of the substrate: the center and two points on either side near the center. The traverse unit moves horizontally between the transport carrier and the processing carrier. The traverse unit includes two holding pillars extending horizontally, which is the alignment direction of the substrates. The two holding pillars are cylindrical and have multiple slits formed in their longitudinal direction. The two holding pillars clamp the peripheral edge of the substrate at two points slightly below the center in the height direction with the slits, and abut against and support the substrate.

[0004] The pusher unit uses its pusher head to push the substrate up above the transport carrier. The two holding posts of the traversing unit clamp both sides of the substrate with slits and support it by abutting against it. The two holding posts move from the transport carrier to the processing carrier. The two holding posts of the traversing unit then transfer the substrate from the processing carrier to the rising pusher head. The pusher head then descends to store the substrate in the processing carrier. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-345862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems. In other words, in conventional devices, the support points change from supporting the substrate at three points on the bottom edge to supporting the substrate at two points on both sides. Therefore, depending on the shape of the substrate, various degrees of tilt may occur when the pusher head stands up. This raises the risk of the substrate being damaged or falling when held by the two support columns of the traversal unit. To prevent this from happening, the shapes of substrates that can be transported are limited.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer device that can transport substrates of various shapes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. That is, the invention described in claim 1 provides a substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate, the substrate transfer device comprising: a table on which a carrier is placed, the carrier being capable of accommodating a substrate in an upright position and capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates in the surface direction of the substrate; a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the head in a horizontal direction between a first carrier corresponding to the carrier and a second carrier corresponding to the carrier different from the first carrier; an elevation mechanism that raises and lowers the head in a vertical direction between an upper position corresponding to the top of the carrier and a guide position that is closer to the upper edge of the carrier than the upper position; and a pusher head, wherein the mounting base is attached to the head, the guide arm is fixed to the mounting base, and the support arm has an arm body and a support piece attached to one end of the arm body, and the arm body is fixed to the mounting base so as to be swingable around a rotation axis at the other end of the arm body, and the guide arm is a guide groove for preventing the substrate from tilting in a surface direction is provided in a radial direction of the substrate, and a plurality of the guide grooves are provided in the surface direction; The support arm is configured such that the support piece swings around the rotation axis. a support position for supporting the substrate guided by the guide arm, and a standby position spaced apart from the support position; Along the outer edge of the board movable and , The pusher headThe pusher head supports the lower edge of the substrate and is capable of moving up and down vertically through the inside of the carrier between a waiting position corresponding to the bottom of the carrier and a delivery position corresponding to the top of the carrier, where the substrate is guided to the guide arm located at the guide position. After the guide arm is moved to the guide position in the first carrier, the substrate in the first carrier is pushed up by the pusher head to rise to the delivery position, the support arm is moved to the support position and the pusher head is moved to the standby position to change grip of the lower edge of the substrate, and the guide arm and the support arm are moved to the guide position in the second carrier, and the substrate is delivered to the second carrier.

[0009] [Operation and Effect] According to the invention described in claim 1, after the guide arm is moved to the guide position for the first carrier on the table, the pusher head pushes up the substrate in the first carrier, raising the substrate to the transfer position. The support arm is moved to the support position, and the pusher head is moved to the standby position to change the grip of the lower edge of the substrate. The guide arm and support arm are moved to the guide position for the second carrier on the table, and the substrate is transferred to the second carrier. When the pusher head pushes up the substrate, the lower edge of the substrate is supported by the pusher head while the guide grooves of the carrier and guide arm prevent it from tilting in the planar direction, and the substrate is raised to the transfer position. Even after the lower edge of the substrate is changed, the lower edge is supported by the support arm while the guide grooves of the guide arm prevent it from tilting in the planar direction. Therefore, during transfer, the lower edge of the substrate is supported while preventing it from tilting in the planar direction, so the amount of tilt of the upright posture during transfer can be approximately constant regardless of the shape of the substrate. As a result, substrates of various shapes can be transported.

[0010] In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable that the pusher head supports one side of the substrate across the horizontal center position, and the support arm supports the other side of the center position with the support piece (claim 2).

[0011] The pusher head and support arm support the substrate at two points on each side of the horizontal center position. This minimizes the number of points that come into contact with the substrate during transfer. As a result, the risk of particles being transferred to the substrate is minimized. In addition, the use of a single support arm contributes to weight reduction.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support arm swings the support piece between the support position and the standby position so as to follow the outer periphery of the substrate (claim 3).

[0013] Since it is only necessary to swing the position of the support piece of the support arm, the structure can be simplified and the substrate can be easily supported by the support piece.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the pusher head supports the horizontal center position of the substrate, that two support arms are provided, and that each support arm supports one side and the other side of the center position with the support piece (Claim 4).

[0015] The support arms support both sides of the substrate supported by the pusher head, so that the substrate can be stably transferred from the pusher head to each support arm.

[0016] In the present invention, it is preferable that each of the support arms swings the support piece between the support position and the standby position so as to move along the outer periphery of the substrate (claim 5).

[0017] Since it is only necessary to swing the position of the support piece of each support arm, the structure can be simplified and the substrate can be easily supported by each support piece.

[0018] In the present invention, it is preferable that the lifting mechanism has a predetermined distance between the guide arm and the upper edge of the carrier at the guide position (claim 6).

[0019] A gap is provided between the guide arm and the upper edge of the carrier, which eliminates the need to accurately move the guide arm to the upper edge of the carrier during transfer, making it easier to control the movement. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the substrate transfer device of the present invention, after the guide arm is moved to a guide position for a first carrier on a table, the pusher head pushes up the substrate in the first carrier, raising the substrate to a transfer position. The support arm is moved to a support position, and the pusher head is moved to a standby position to change the grip of the lower edge of the substrate. The guide arm and support arm are moved to a guide position for a second carrier on the table, and the substrate is transferred to the second carrier. When the pusher head pushes up the substrate, the lower edge of the substrate is supported by the pusher head while the guide grooves of the carrier and guide arm prevent the substrate from tilting in the planar direction, and the substrate is raised to the transfer position. Even after the lower edge of the substrate is changed, the lower edge is supported by the support arm while the guide grooves of the guide arm prevent the substrate from tilting in the planar direction. Therefore, during transfer, the lower edge of the substrate is supported while preventing the substrate from tilting in the planar direction, so the amount of tilt of the upright posture during transfer can be approximately constant regardless of the shape of the substrate. As a result, substrates of various shapes can be transported. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a second transport mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of a substrate lifting mechanism and a second transport mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 7]10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 15] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 19] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the substrate transfer device. [Figure 20] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a substrate transfer operation. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a modified example of the substrate lifting mechanism and the second transport mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a substrate transfer apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0023] <1. Overall configuration>

[0024] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for performing, for example, chemical processing or cleaning processing on substrates W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a batch processing apparatus that simultaneously processes a plurality of substrates W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can also process a single substrate W.

[0025] A plurality of substrates W (for example, 25 substrates) are stored in a horizontally stacked state in one carrier C. The carrier C storing unprocessed substrates W is placed in the loading section 3. The loading section 3 has two loading stages 5 on which the carriers C are placed.

[0026] An unloading unit 7 is provided on the opposite side of the central part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 from the loading unit 3. The unloading unit 7 stores processed substrates W in carriers C and unloads the carriers C. The unloading unit 7, which functions in this manner, is equipped with two mounting tables 9 for placing the carriers C, similar to the loading unit 3. The carriers C are formed with a plurality of grooves (not shown) for accommodating substrates W one by one.

[0027] A first transport mechanism CTC configured to be movable between the loading unit 3 and the unloading unit 7 is provided at a position along these two units. The first transport mechanism CTC transports the carrier C placed on the loading unit 3 to the transfer table 11. The first transport mechanism CTC changes the position of the carrier C so that the substrate W is in an upright position, and transports it to the transfer table 11. After receiving the processed substrate W from the transfer table 11, the first transport mechanism CTC transports the substrate W together with the carrier C to the loading table 9 of the unloading unit 7, with the substrate W in a horizontal position.

[0028] For convenience, in this specification, the direction in which the input section 3 and the dispensing section 7 are aligned with the first transport mechanism CTC is referred to as the "front-rear direction X." The front-rear direction X is horizontal. Within the front-rear direction X, the direction from the first transport mechanism CTC toward the input section 3 and the dispensing section 7 is referred to as the "front." The direction opposite to the front is referred to as the "rear." The horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction X is referred to as the "width direction Y." One direction in the "width direction Y" is referred to as the "right" as appropriate. The direction opposite to the right is referred to as the "left." The direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction is referred to as the "vertical direction Z." For reference, in each figure, front, back, right, left, top, and bottom are indicated as appropriate.

[0029] The transfer table 11 is configured so that two carriers C can be placed thereon along the width direction Y. The placement table 11 is configured so that one processing carrier C1 can be placed on the left of the two carriers C in the width direction Y. The carrier C is mainly used for transportation, and the processing carrier C1 is made of a material that is resistant to the processing liquid. The processing carrier C1 has a substrate W storage capacity equivalent to two carriers C. For example, if the carrier C can store 25 substrates W, the processing carrier C1 can store 50 substrates W. The processing carrier C1 has multiple grooves (not shown) formed therein, each for storing a substrate W. The processing carrier C1 is longer in the width direction Y than the carrier C. The carrier C and the processing carrier C1 are open at the top and bottom in the vertical direction Z. The carrier C and the processing carrier C1 have slits (not shown) formed on both side surfaces in the front-rear direction X. The slits are formed at predetermined intervals in the width direction Y. The carrier C and the processing carrier C1 accommodate the substrates W in the width direction Y at approximately the same intervals.

[0030] The transfer table 11 is provided with a substrate lifting mechanism 13 below the position where the two carriers C are placed and below the position where the single processing carrier C1 is placed. The placement table 11 is provided with a substrate lifting mechanism 13 below each of the positions where the two carriers C are placed. The substrate lifting mechanisms 13 provided below the carriers C and the processing carrier C1 have the same basic configuration except for their different lengths in the width direction Y. Therefore, in this specification, they will not be distinguished from each other and will be described as having the same configuration.

[0031] A second transport mechanism WTR is disposed on the transfer table 11. The second transport mechanism WTR is configured to be movable in the width direction Y on the transfer table 11. The second transport mechanism WTR is configured to be movable in the width direction Y above the two carriers C and one processing carrier C1 disposed on the transfer table 11. The second transport mechanism WTR is configured to be able to move up and down in the vertical direction Z above the two carriers C and one processing carrier C1.

[0032] A third transport mechanism 15 is provided on the left side of the transfer table 11 in the width direction Y. A plurality of processing sections PB are provided in the front-rear direction X of the transfer table 11. Here, as an example, five processing sections PB1 to PB5 are provided. Each of the processing sections PB1 to PB5 performs chemical processing on the substrate W using a liquid such as a chemical solution or pure water, or a drying process using a gas. The third transport mechanism 15 is configured to be movable along the transfer table 11 and the processing sections PB1 to PB5 in the front-rear direction X. The third transport mechanism 15 transports the transport carrier C1 on the transfer table 11 to each of the processing sections PB1 to PB5. The third transport mechanism 15 transports the processing carrier C1 that has completed processing in each of the processing sections PB1 to PB5 to the transfer table 11.

[0033] The transfer table 11 corresponds to the "table" in the present invention, the carrier C corresponds to the "first carrier" in the present invention, and the processing carrier C1 corresponds to the "second carrier" in the present invention.

[0034] <2. Detailed configuration of the second transport mechanism WTR> Here, reference will be made to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a plan view of the second transport mechanism according to the embodiment. Figure 3 is a side view of the substrate lifting mechanism and the second transport mechanism according to the embodiment. Note that Figure 3 shows a view seen from the right in the width direction Y in Figure 2.

[0035] The second transport mechanism WTR includes a substrate holding mechanism 21, a lifting and moving mechanism 23, and a horizontal moving mechanism 25.

[0036] The substrate holding mechanism 21 includes a head unit 27, a mounting base 29, a pair of guide arms 31, and a pair of support arms 33. The lifting mechanism 23 is disposed at the front of the head unit 27 in the front-rear direction X. The mounting base 29 is attached to the right of the head unit 27 in the width direction Y. The bases of the pair of guide arms 31 are attached to the right of the mounting base 29 in the width direction Y. Each guide arm 31 has a long, thin rod shape. Guide grooves 31a are formed in portions of the pair of guide arms 31 facing each other. The guide grooves 31a prevent the substrate W from tipping in the planar direction. In this embodiment, the guide grooves 31a prevent the substrate W from tipping in the width direction Y. The width of the guide grooves 31a in the width direction Y is formed slightly larger than the thickness of the substrate W. The pair of guide arms 31 are set such that the distance between the guide grooves 31a in the front-rear direction X is slightly larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The pair of guide arms 31 are fixed to the mounting base 29 and do not move relative to the head portion 27 .

[0037] Each support arm 33 includes an arm body 35 and a support piece 37. One end of the arm body 35 is attached so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis P1. The rotation axis P1 faces the width direction Y. The other end of the arm body 35 is attached with a support piece 37. The support piece 337 abuts against and supports the lower edge of the substrate W. The other end of each support arm 33 moves between a standby position shown by a solid line in FIG. 3 and a support position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3.

[0038] At the standby position and the support position, the support piece 37 is located at the outer periphery of the substrate W when the substrate W is guided relative to the pair of guide arms 31. The support position is a position where the support piece 37 abuts against and supports the lower edge of the substrate W when the substrate W is guided relative to the pair of guide arms 31. The standby position is a position away from the support position in the front-rear direction X. The standby position is a position away from the support position above the support position in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the support piece 37 of each support arm 33 is swung around the rotation axis P1 by an actuator 39 built into the head unit 27. For example, an air cylinder or a motor can be used as the actuator 39. Each support arm 33 is swung by the actuator 39, and each support piece 37 is swung between the standby position and the support position. The distance from each support arm 33 to the support piece 37 is slightly longer than the radius of the substrate W. Therefore, the support piece 37 swung along the outer periphery of the substrate W between the standby position and the support position.

[0039] The head unit 27 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z by the lifting and moving mechanism 23. The lifting and moving mechanism 23 raises and lowers the substrate holding mechanism 21 in the vertical direction Z based on the standard height H1S of the transfer table 11. The lifting and moving mechanism 23 includes a frame 41, a linear guide 43, a support column 45, and an actuator 47. The frame 41 is erected in the vertical direction Z. The frame 41 is fixed in position in the vertical direction Z. The frame 41 is connected to the support column 45 via the linear guide 43. The top of the support column 45 is attached to the head unit 27. The actuator 47 raises and lowers the support column 45 in the vertical direction Z along the frame 41. Therefore, the substrate holding mechanism 21 raises and lowers in the vertical direction Z. The substrate holding mechanism 21 is raised and lowered to at least three height positions by the actuator 47. The first position is a standard height H2S, which is indicated by a solid line in Figure 3 for the head portion 27. The second position is a first height H21, which is lower than the standard height H2S and is indicated by a two-dot chain line in Figure 3 for the head portion 27. The third height position is a second height H22, which is even lower than the first height H21. These standard height H2S, first height H21, and second height H22 are the positions of the upper surface of the head portion 27.

[0040] The standard height H2S corresponds to the "upper position" in this invention, and the first height H21 corresponds to the "guide position" in this invention. The lifting movement mechanism 23 corresponds to the "lifting mechanism" in this invention.

[0041] The horizontal movement mechanism 25 includes a frame 49, a linear guide 51, a moving frame 53, and an actuator 55. The frame 49 extends along the width direction Y and is fixed below the transfer table 11. The linear guide 51 is attached to the upper part of the frame 49. The moving frame 53 is attached to the upper part of the linear guide 51. The moving frame 53 is moved in the width direction Y by the actuator 55. The moving frame 53 is connected to the lifting movement mechanism 23 by a frame (not shown). Therefore, by driving the actuator 55, the guide arm 33 of the substrate holding mechanism 21 is moved above the transfer table 11 between a first transfer position TP1 above the two carriers C and a second transfer position TP2 above the processing carrier C1, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0042] <3. Detailed configuration of the substrate lifting mechanism 13> The substrate lifting mechanism 13 is disposed below the transfer table 11. More specifically, a substrate lifting mechanism 13 is disposed below each carrier C and the processing carrier C1 on the loading table 11. The processing carrier C1 can accommodate twice as many substrates W as the carrier C, and is therefore longer in the width direction Y. Since the only difference is the length, only a side view as viewed from the width direction Y will be described here, and the substrate lifting mechanism 13 will be simply described.

[0043] The substrate lifting mechanism 13 includes a frame 57, an upright frame 59, a linear guide 61, an actuator 63, and a pusher head 65. The frame 57 is fixed below the transfer table 11. The upright frame 59 is attached to the frame 57 and stands in the vertical direction Z. The linear guide 61 is attached to the upright frame 59 in the vertical direction Z. The pusher head 65 is attached to the upright frame 59 via the linear guide 61.

[0044] The pusher head 65 comprises a base portion 67 and a support piece 69. The base portion 67 has a major axis in the width direction Y. The lower portion of the base portion 67 is connected to the linear guide 61. The support piece 69 is erected on the upper surface of the base portion 67. The support piece 69 has a major axis in the width direction Y. The support piece 69 abuts against and supports the lower edge of the substrate W. The support piece 69 has a plurality of support grooves 71 formed therein. The plurality of support grooves 71 are formed at predetermined intervals in the width direction Y. The bottom surface of each support groove 71 abuts against the outer peripheral edge of the substrate W below, supporting the substrate W in an upright position.

[0045] The position of the pusher head 65 in the vertical direction Z is moved by the actuator 63. Specifically, the pusher head 65 is moved in the vertical direction Z between a standard height H3S indicated by a solid line in Fig. 3 and a first height H31 indicated by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 3.

[0046] The standard height H3S corresponds to the "standby position" in this invention, and the first height H31 corresponds to the "delivery position" in this invention.

[0047] <4. Configuration of transfer table 11> The transfer table 11 is configured so that the portions on which the carriers C and the processing carriers C1 are placed can be raised and lowered. The transfer table 11 includes side plates 73 and a lifting table 75. The side plates 73 are fixed and erected in the vertical direction Z. The lifting table 75 has an opening in its center. The support pieces 69 of the pusher head 65 support the substrates W housed in the carriers C and the processing carriers C1 through the opening in the lifting table 75. The lifting table 75 is raised and lowered in the vertical direction Z by an actuator (not shown). The lifting positions are a standard height H1S, a first height H11, a second height H12, and a third height H13. The standard height H1S is a height at which the transfer table 11 is approximately the same height as the upper end of the movable frame 53. The first height H11 is lower than the standard height H1S. The second height H12 is lower than the first height H11. The third height H13 is a height higher than the first height H11. The movable stage 11 moves up and down to change the height positions of the carriers C and the processing carriers C1.

[0048] The transfer table 11, the second transport mechanism WTR, and the substrate lifting mechanism 13 constitute the substrate transfer device TR.

[0049] <5. Transfer operation of substrate W> Here, the transfer operation of the substrate W by the substrate transfer device TR will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 20. Figures 4 to 20 are diagrams provided for explaining the substrate transfer operation.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 4. The transfer table 11 is located at the standard height H1S. The second transport mechanism WTR is located at the second transfer position TP2 and is therefore not shown in Figure 4. The actuator 63 of the substrate lifting mechanism 13 is operated so that the pusher head 65 is located at the standard height H3S.

[0051] 5, the first transport mechanism CTC transports the carrier C containing the substrate W from the input section 3 to the first transfer position PT1 on the transfer table 11. In detail, the first transport mechanism CTC changes the posture of the carrier C so that the substrate W is in an upright posture, and places the carrier C on the transfer table 11.

[0052] See Figure 6. The transfer table 11 is lowered from the standard height H1S to the first height H11. The actuator 47 of the second transport mechanism WTR is operated so that the head unit 27 is at the standard height H2S. The second transport mechanism WTR, which has been set to the standard height H2S, moves from the second transfer position TP2 to the first transfer position TP1. At this time, the actuator 39 of the support arm 33 is operated so that the support piece 37 is in the standby position. By moving to the first transfer position TP1 at the standard height H2S, the second transport mechanism WTR prevents interference with the carrier C on the transfer table 11.

[0053] Since the transfer table 11 is lowered to the first height H11, the second transport mechanism WTR can be moved to the first transfer position TP at the low standard height H2S. This allows the height of the substrate transfer device TR to be reduced, and therefore the height of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to be reduced as well.

[0054] See FIG. 7. The actuator 47 is operated to lower the head unit 27 of the second transport mechanism WTR to the first height H21. At this time, a space is left between the lower surface of the guide arm 33 and the upper edge of the carrier C. In other words, the guide arm 33 and the carrier C do not abut. Because there is a gap between the guide arm 33 and the upper edge of the carrier C, it is not necessary to precisely move the guide arm 33 so that it abuts the upper edge of the carrier C during transfer, making it easier to control the movement. Also, although not shown in the figure, in a plan view, the guide grooves 31a of the guide arm 33 and the grooves of the carrier C are positioned so that they nearly overlap.

[0055] See FIG. 8. The actuator 63 is operated to raise the pusher head 65 from the standard height H3S to the first height H31. This operation causes all of the substrates W in the carrier C to be pushed up by the support pieces 69 of the pusher head 65 toward the head portion 27, which is located at the first height H21. Then, each substrate W is moved upward with its lower edge abutting and supported by the support pieces 69. Each substrate W is raised in an upright position with its lower edge abutting and supported, while being prevented from tipping in the planar direction by the guide grooves 31a of the guide arms 31. In other words, each substrate W remains in the same position as when it was accommodated in the carrier C, with only its height position in the vertical direction Z being changed.

[0056] 9, the transfer table 11 is lowered to a height position H12. By this operation, each substrate W that has been pushed up by the pusher head 65 and is guided by the guide arm 31 is exposed entirely from the carrier C.

[0057] 10, the actuator 39 is operated to swing the support arm 33 from the standby position to the support position. As a result, the lower edge of each substrate W is supported at three points by the support pieces 69 of the pusher head 65 and the support pieces 37 of the support arm 33.

[0058] See Figure 11. The actuator 63 is operated to lower the pusher head 65 to the standard height H3S. As a result, each substrate W is supported at two points on its lower edge by the two support pieces 37 of the two support arms 33. In other words, each substrate W is transferred from the pusher head 65 to the support arm 33.

[0059] Two carriers C are placed on the transfer table 11, and the same operation as above is performed for the second carrier C, so that each substrate W is supported by the guide arm 31 and the support arm 33. Note that, because the two carriers C are spaced apart in the width direction Y, the second transport mechanism WTR adjusts the distance in the width direction Y to equalize the spacing between each substrate W in the second carrier C and each substrate W already held by the second transport mechanism WTR. A detailed explanation of this operation will be omitted to facilitate understanding of the invention.

[0060] 12, the processing carrier C1 is placed at the second transfer position TP2 of the second transport mechanism WTR on the transfer table 11. The transfer table 11 is positioned at a standard height H1S. The pusher head 65 is positioned at a standard height H3S.

[0061] Referring to Figure 13, the transfer table 11 is lowered to the second height H12.

[0062] See Figure 14. The actuator 55 of the horizontal movement mechanism 25 is operated to move the second transport mechanism WTR to the second transfer position TP2. At this time, the head unit 27 of the second transport mechanism WTR is at the first height H21. The second transport mechanism WTR supports each substrate W with the guide arm 31 and each support arm 33.

[0063] 15, the actuator 63 of the substrate lifting mechanism 13 is operated to raise the pusher head 65 to a first height H31. As a result, the lower edges of the substrates W supported by the guide arm 31 and the support arms 33 are abutted and supported by the support pieces 69 of the pusher head 65.

[0064] See Figure 16. The actuator 39 is operated to swing the support arm 33 of the second transport mechanism WTR to the standby position. As a result, the lower edge of each substrate W is supported only by the support piece 69 of the pusher head 65. The guide groove 31a of the guide arm 31 prevents each substrate W from tilting in the planar direction.

[0065] See Figure 17. The transfer table 11 is raised from the second height H12 to the third height H13.

[0066] 18, the actuator 47 of the second moving mechanism WTR is operated to lower the head unit 27 from the first height H21 to the second height H22. At this time, the upper edge of each substrate W protrudes upward from the head unit 27 while being prevented from tipping in the planar direction by the guide groove 31a of the guide arm 31.

[0067] 19, the actuator 63 of the substrate lifting mechanism 13 is operated to lower the pusher head 65 to the standard height H3S. As a result, each substrate W is stored in the processing cassette C1 while being prevented from tipping in the planar direction by the guide groove 31a of the guide arm 31.

[0068] 20, the head unit 27 of the second transport mechanism WTR is raised to the standard height H2S by operating the actuator 47 of the lifting movement mechanism 23. As a result, both end edges of each substrate W are separated from the guide grooves 31a of the guide arms 31, and the upper edges of each substrate W are positioned below the guide arms 31 in a side view.

[0069] Through the series of operations of the substrate transfer device TR described above, multiple substrates W are transferred from two carriers C to one processing carrier C1. Thereafter, the third transport mechanism 15 transports the multiple substrates W together with the processing carrier C1 to each processing unit PB1 to PB5, where they are subjected to the specified processing. After processing, each substrate W is transported together with the processing carrier C1 by the third transport mechanism 15 to the transfer table 11. Thereafter, by performing the reverse operation of the transfer operation of the transfer table 11 described above, each substrate W is transferred from one processing carrier C1 to two carriers C. Finally, each substrate W together with the carrier C is transported to the discharge unit 7.

[0070] According to this embodiment, when the substrate W is pushed up by the pusher head 65, the lower edge of the substrate W is supported by the pusher head 65 while being prevented from tipping in the planar direction by the carrier C and the guide groove 31a of the guide arm 31, and the substrate W is raised to the first height H31 (transfer position). Even after the lower edge of the substrate W has been changed over, the lower edge is supported by the support arm 33 while being prevented from tipping in the planar direction by the guide groove 31a of the guide arm 31. Therefore, during transfer, the lower edge of the substrate W is supported while being prevented from tipping in the planar direction, so that the amount of tipping of the upright posture during transfer can be made approximately constant regardless of the shape of the substrate W. As a result, substrates W of various shapes can be transported.

[0071] In addition, both sides of the substrate W supported by the pusher head 65 are supported by each support arm 33. Therefore, the substrate W can be stably transferred from the pusher head 65 to each support arm 33. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to swing the position of the support piece 37 of each support arm 33, the configuration can be simplified and the substrate can be easily supported by each support piece 37.

[0072] <Modification> Please refer to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a side view showing a modified example of the substrate lifting mechanism and the second transport mechanism.

[0073] In the configuration of this modified example, the substrate lifting mechanism 13A supports the front of the substrate W in the front-rear direction X, and the holding arm 33a supports the rear of the substrate W in the front-rear direction X, with the center position CL of the substrate W sandwiched between them. In other words, the substrate lifting mechanism 13A and the holding arm 33a each support the lower edge of the substrate W at one location. Note that these support positions may be reversed.

[0074] The substrate lifting mechanism 13A has a support piece 69a on a base portion 67. The support piece 69a is attached to the base portion 67 rearward in the front-rear direction X from the center position CL. The support piece 69a has a plurality of support grooves 71a formed therein.

[0075] The second transport device WTR has only one support arm 33a on the head unit 27. The support arm 33a has one support piece 37a on its lower end. The support arm 33a has its upper end attached to the head unit 27. The support arm 33a is moved horizontally by an actuator 39a provided in the head unit 27 between a support position where it supports the lower edge of the substrate W and a standby position away from the support position. Specifically, the standby position is shown by a solid line in FIG. 21, and the support position is shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 21.

[0076] According to this modification, the pusher head 65a and the support arm 33a support the substrate W at two locations on one side and the other side of the center position CL in the horizontal direction. This minimizes the number of locations that come into contact with the substrate W during transfer. As a result, the risk of particles being transferred to the substrate W can be minimized. Furthermore, since the support arm 33a can be unified into one, the weight of the head unit 27 can be reduced.

[0077] Instead of moving the support arm 33a horizontally by the actuator 39a, it may be configured to swing as described in the embodiment.

[0078] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be modified as follows.

[0079] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the transfer from two carriers C to one processing carrier C1 was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this type of transfer. For example, the present invention can also be applied to transfer from one carrier C to one processing carrier C1. Furthermore, in addition to transfer from a normal carrier C to a processing carrier C1, the present invention can also be applied to transfer to a different carrier of the same type but separate.

[0080] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes the input unit 3, the output unit 7, the first transport mechanism CTC, the third transport mechanism 15, and the processing unit PB in addition to the substrate transfer device TR. However, the present invention does not necessarily include all of these components.

[0081] (3) In the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is used to process a circular substrate W. However, the present invention is also applicable to substrates W that are rectangular in shape.

[0082] (4) In the above-described embodiment, the transfer table 11 is configured to be able to move up and down. However, the present invention does not require that the transfer table 11 be able to move up and down. [Industrial Applicability]

[0083] As described above, the present invention is suitable for a substrate transfer device for performing a process of moving a substrate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1... Substrate processing equipment W: Substrate C...Career CTC: First transport mechanism 11... Transfer platform WTR: Second transport mechanism C1: Processing carrier 13... PCB lifting mechanism 15 ... Third transport mechanism PB (PB1 to PB5) ... Processing section 21 … Board holding mechanism 23... Lifting and moving mechanism 25 … Horizontal movement mechanism 27... Head 31 ... Guide arm 31a ... Guide groove 33... Support arm 35... Arm body 37 … Support piece P1 … Rotation axis 39,47,55,63 … Actuator 65... Pusher head 69 … Support piece TR... Substrate transfer device

Claims

1. In a substrate transfer device for transferring a substrate, a table on which a carrier is placed, the carrier being capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates in a face direction of the substrates, and capable of accommodating the substrates in an upright position; a substrate holding mechanism having a head portion, a mounting base portion, a guide arm, and a support arm; a horizontal movement mechanism that moves the head unit in a horizontal direction between a first carrier corresponding to the carrier and a second carrier corresponding to the carrier different from the first carrier; an elevating mechanism that vertically elevates the head portion between an upper position corresponding to an upper portion of the carrier and a guide position that is closer to an upper edge of the carrier than the upper position; a pusher head; the mounting base is attached to the head portion; the guide arm is fixed to the mounting base; the support arm has an arm body and a support piece attached to one end of the arm body, the arm body being fixed to the mounting base so as to be swingable around a rotation axis at the other end of the arm body; the guide arm has a guide groove in a radial direction of the substrate to prevent the substrate from tilting in a surface direction, and the guide groove has a plurality of guide grooves in the surface direction; the support arm is movable between a support position where the support piece supports the substrate guided by the guide arm and a standby position away from the support position by swinging the support piece around the rotation axis so as to follow the outer periphery of the substrate, the pusher head abuts against and supports a lower edge of the substrate, and is capable of moving up and down vertically through the inside of the carrier between a standby position corresponding to a position below the carrier and a delivery position corresponding to a position above the carrier and at which the pusher head guides the substrate to the guide arm located at the guide position; a substrate transfer device that moves the guide arm to the guide position in the first carrier, then pushes up the substrate in the first carrier with the pusher head to raise it to the transfer position, moves the support arm to the support position and moves the pusher head to a standby position to change grip over of the lower edge of the substrate, and moves the guide arm and the support arm to the guide position in the second carrier, and transfers the substrate to the second carrier.

2. 2. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1, the pusher head supports one side of the substrate across a horizontal center position of the substrate; The substrate transfer device is characterized in that the support arm supports the other side of the center position with the support piece.

3. 2. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1, the pusher head supports the center position of the substrate in the horizontal direction; The support arm is provided with two arms, The substrate transfer device is characterized in that each of the support arms is supported by the support pieces on one side and the other side of the center position.

4. 4. The substrate transfer device according to claim 1, The substrate transfer device is characterized in that, at the guiding position, the lifting mechanism leaves a predetermined distance between the guide arm and the upper edge of the carrier.

Images