Conveyance device and method of using conveyance device

Abstract

A conveyance robot (1) comprises a plurality of base plates (34, 44) arranged vertically, columns (31, 41) supporting each of the base plates (34, 44), and a plurality of chuck sections (21, 22) that are individually detachably attached to the individual base plates (34, 44) and individually chuck a wafer (W). The base plates (34, 44) each have an attachment / detachment section to which the chuck sections (21, 22) are detachably attached, and said base plates (34, 44) can be changed between a first position in which the attachment / detachment sections are disposed at a use position and a second position in which the attachment / detachment sections are disposed at a position shifted in the horizontal direction without overlapping the use position in the vertical direction.

Description

Conveying device and method of using the same

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport device and a method for using the transport device.

[0002] Batch-type transfer devices that transfer a plurality of substrates at once are known. Some of these transfer devices include a plurality of chucks for simultaneously chucking the plurality of substrates.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wafer transport device that includes a hand section in which multiple chuck sections, each of which chucks a wafer, are arranged in a vertical row, and a robot arm section with the hand section installed at the tip.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-347315

[0005] In the conveying device described in Patent Document 1, multiple chuck units are arranged in a vertical row. Therefore, when some of the multiple chuck units are damaged or misaligned, it is difficult to replace or adjust only those chuck units. Therefore, in the conveying device described in Patent Document 1, multiple chuck units are replaced at once. Specifically, the conveying device described in Patent Document 1 includes a block member called a tool unit to which a hand unit having multiple chuck units is fixed. The block member is detachable from the tip of a robot arm unit. In the conveying device described in Patent Document 1, multiple chuck units are replaced at once by removing the block member from the robot arm unit and replacing it.

[0006] However, if multiple chucks are replaced at once, even chucks that are not damaged, misaligned, or otherwise defective end up being replaced. In other words, even chucks that do not need to be replaced or adjusted end up being replaced. As a result, the cost of replacing or adjusting the chucks becomes high.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a conveying device and a method of using the conveying device that allow easy replacement or adjustment of only the chuck portion that needs replacement or adjustment.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a conveying device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of base portions arranged in the vertical direction, a support portion supporting each of the base portions, and a plurality of chuck portions each detachably attached to the corresponding base portion and each chucking a substrate, wherein each of the base portions has a detachable portion to which the chuck portion is detached, and the support portion supports each of the base portions so that the position can be changed between a first position at which the detachable portion is positioned in an in-use position, and a second position at which the detachable portion is positioned in a position shifted horizontally from the in-use position without overlapping in the vertical direction.

[0009] The support portion may rotatably support each of the base portions.

[0010] The support portion may have a first shaft extending in the vertical direction, and may support each of the base portions rotatably about the axis of the first shaft.

[0011] Each of the base portions may have: a through hole through which the first shaft is inserted; a notch portion that cuts out each of the base portions in the direction in which the through hole extends and extends from the through hole to an end face of each of the base portions; and a fastener that has a screw portion inserted into a hole that crosses the notch portion and a head portion that is provided a certain distance away from the tip of the screw portion and abuts the end face, the tip of the screw portion entering inside the hole and the head portion tightening the base portion, thereby adjusting the spacing of the notch portions and changing the size of the diameter of the through hole.

[0012] The support portion may have a second axis extending in the vertical direction, the second axis being horizontally adjacent to the first axis, and when the base portion is located at the first position, the second axis may abut against at least one of the base portions to restrict rotation from the base portion in the direction of the second axis.

[0013] The support portion extends in the vertical direction and has a third axis adjacent to the first axis in the horizontal direction, and some of the base portions among the plurality of base portions are rotatable around the axis of the first axis, and the remaining base portions among the plurality of base portions are rotatable around the axis of the third axis, and in the support portion, the base portions rotatable around the axis of the first axis and the base portions rotatable around the axis of the third axis may be arranged alternately in the vertical direction.

[0014] The support portion may support each of the base portions so that the base portions are slidable in a horizontal direction.

[0015] Either one of the base portions or the support portion may have a long hole extending horizontally, and either the base portion or the support portion may have a pin that is passed through the long hole and whose relative position can be changed within the long hole in the longitudinal direction of the long hole.

[0016] Either one of the base portions or the support portion may have a rail extending horizontally, and either the base portion or the support portion may have a block that can change its position in the direction in which the rail extends by sliding along the rail.

[0017] Each of the base portions and each of the chuck portions may have a plate shape, each of the base portions may be arranged in the vertical direction with its first plate surface facing in the vertical direction, and each of the chuck portions may be detachably attached to the first plate surface of each of the base portions with its second plate surface overlapping the first plate surface of each of the base portions.

[0018] A method of using a transport device according to a second aspect of the present invention is a method of using a transport device comprising: a plurality of base portions arranged in a vertical direction; support portions supporting each of the base portions; and a plurality of chuck portions each detachably attached to each of the base portions and each chuck a substrate, wherein each of the base portions has a detachable portion to which the chuck portion is detachably attached, and the support portions support each of the base portions so that their positions can be changed between a first position at which the detachable portion is located in an in-use position and a second position at which the detachable portion is located in a position shifted in the horizontal direction from the in-use position without overlapping in the vertical direction, the method comprising the steps of: transporting the substrate by chucking the substrate in each of the chuck portions and moving the support portions with all of the plurality of base portions located at the first position; positioning the base part to which the chuck part to be replaced or adjusted is attached among the plurality of chuck parts at the second position, while leaving the base part to which the chuck part not to be replaced or adjusted is attached at the first position, and in this state, removing the chuck part to be replaced or adjusted from the detachable part and replacing it, or adjusting its position at the detachable part.

[0019] According to the configuration of the present invention, each base portion has a detachable portion to which a chuck portion is attached, and the support portion supports each base portion so that the detachable portion is positionably movable between a first position in which the detachable portion is positioned in its in-use position and a second position in which the detachable portion is positioned horizontally offset from the in-use position without vertically overlapping with the in-use position. Therefore, in the transport device, by shifting the position of a base portion having a chuck portion that needs to be replaced or adjusted from the first position to the second position, the detachable portion of that base portion can be positioned so that it does not vertically overlap with the detachable portions of other base portions that are in their in-use positions and is horizontally offset from the detachable portions of other base portions that are in their in-use positions. As a result, the transport device can easily replace or adjust the chuck portion that needs to be replaced or adjusted.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transport robot according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a chuck portion provided on an end effector provided in the transport robot according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is an enlarged top view of a chuck portion and a support mechanism provided in the transport robot according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion including the support mechanism of the transport robot according to the embodiment, viewed obliquely from above front; FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion including the support mechanism of the transport robot according to the embodiment, viewed obliquely from above left; FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the transport robot when some of the chuck portions of the end effector provided in the transport robot according to the embodiment are rotated and faced left; FIG. 7 is a top view of a modified example of the support mechanism provided in the transport robot according to the embodiment; FIG. 8 is a top view of another modified example of the support mechanism provided in the transport robot according to the embodiment.

[0021] A transport device and a method of using the transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, identical or equivalent parts are designated by the same reference numerals. In the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ shown in the drawings, the direction in which the robot body advances and retreats is the Y axis, and the direction in which the robot body ascends and descends is the Z axis. The direction perpendicular to the Y axis and the Z axis is the X axis. This coordinate system will be referenced as appropriate in the following description.

[0022] The transfer device according to the embodiment is a transfer robot that simultaneously removes a plurality of substrates from a container that stores substrates, or simultaneously places a plurality of substrates into the container. The configuration of the transfer device according to the embodiment will be described below using as an example a batch-type transfer robot that simultaneously removes a plurality of wafers from a FOUP, which is a type of container that stores wafers, or simultaneously places a plurality of wafers into a FOUP.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transfer robot 1 according to an embodiment. The transfer robot 1 may be incorporated into another transfer mechanism, such as a slider that moves left and right as shown in FIG. 1 , i.e., moves in the X direction, and used as a transfer system. For ease of understanding, such other transfer mechanisms are not shown in FIG. 1 . Also, for ease of understanding, a mechanism for driving a clamp unit 50 that clamps a wafer W from the side is not shown. Accordingly, the sidewalls of a housing 15 are not shown.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer robot 1 includes a robot body 10 and an end effector 20 attached to the robot body 10 for chucking a wafer W.

[0025] The robot body 10 has a first linear motion mechanism 11 that moves the end effector 20 in a linear manner in the forward and backward directions to move the end effector 20 in and out of the FOUP, and a second linear motion mechanism 12 that moves the end effector 20 in a linear manner in the up and down directions to lift and lower the wafer W in the FOUP with the end effector 20.

[0026] The first linear motion mechanism 11 has a ball screw (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as the first ball screw) that extends in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., the Y direction, a slider (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as the first slider) that moves in the Y direction by rotation of the first ball screw, and a motor 111 that rotates the first ball screw to move the first slider to a Y direction position. The transport robot 1 is equipped with a controller (not shown), which rotates the motor 111 in a desired direction by a desired amount. This moves the first slider to a desired Y direction position. Meanwhile, a second linear motion mechanism 12 is mounted above the first slider, i.e., on the +Z side.

[0027] The second linear motion mechanism 12 includes a ball screw (not shown) separate from the first ball screw (hereinafter referred to as the second ball screw) that extends vertically, i.e., in the Z direction; a slider (not shown) separate from the first slider (hereinafter referred to as the second slider) that moves in the Z direction by rotation of the second ball screw; and a motor 121 that rotates the second ball screw to move the second slider to a Z direction position. A housing 15 that houses equipment, electrical wires, pipes, etc. that drive the clamp unit 50 is fixed to the front side, i.e., the +Y surface side, of the second slider. Furthermore, an end effector 20 is attached to the +Y surface side of the housing 15. Therefore, when the above-described controller controls the rotation of the motor 111 to move the first slider of the first linear motion mechanism 11 to a desired Y direction position, not only the second linear motion mechanism 12 mounted on the first slider but also the end effector 20 move to the desired Y direction position. For example, when the robot body 10 is positioned on the −Y side of the hoop, that is, at the rear, the controller moves the end effector 20 in the forward and backward directions, causing the end effector 20 to enter and exit the hoop.

[0028] Furthermore, in the second linear motion mechanism 12, the above-mentioned controller rotates the motor 121 of the second linear motion mechanism 12 in a desired direction by a desired amount of rotation, thereby moving the second slider to a desired position in the Z direction. The end effector 20 is attached to the second slider via the housing 15. Therefore, when the controller moves the second slider to a desired position in the Z direction, the end effector 20 also moves to the desired position in the Z direction. For example, when the end effector 20 advances into the FOUP, the controller moves the end effector 20 in the +Z direction, causing the end effector 20 to lift up the wafer W.

[0029] At this time, it may be desirable for the end effector 20 to move in the +Z direction to lift and chuck a plurality of wafers W all at once. It may also be desirable for the end effector 20 to move in the Y direction to transport a plurality of wafers W all at once while they are chucked. Therefore, the end effector 20 has only a plurality of chuck portions 21, 22 to chuck a plurality of wafers W all at once. Of the plurality of chuck portions 21, 22, chuck portion 21 is shown in FIG.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a chuck unit 21 provided on an end effector 20 included in the transport robot 1. Note that a chuck unit 22 not shown in Fig. 2 has the same configuration as the chuck unit 21 except that it is bilaterally symmetrical to the chuck unit 21. Therefore, hereinafter, a description of the configuration of the chuck unit 22 will be omitted.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 2 , the chuck portion 21 has a fork portion 211 and a connecting portion 212 provided at the rear end of the fork portion 211 .

[0032] The fork portion 211 has a plate shape with two blades. The fork portion 211 has its plate surface facing up and down. The two blades are also arranged in the left and right direction. This allows the wafer W to be stably loaded on the fork portion 211.

[0033] Furthermore, the front ends of the blades of the fork part 211 are provided with upwardly protruding claws 213 or 214 to securely hold the wafer W. The rear end surfaces of the claws 213 and 214 are curved in an arc shape when viewed from above. This allows the outer periphery of the wafer W to fit into the rear end surfaces of the claws 213 and 214 when chucking the wafer W. As a result, the claws 213 and 214 securely hold the wafer W when chucking.

[0034] On the other hand, the rear end portion of the fork part 211 extends in the left-right direction to connect the two blade portions, and two pins 215 and 216 are provided on the plate surface of the rear end portion.

[0035] The pins 215 and 216 are formed in the shape of a truncated circular cone with the rear half cut off, and the inclined surface of the truncated cone faces forward. The pins 215 and 216 are provided at positions such that when the front outer periphery of the wafer W fits into the arc-shaped rear end surfaces of the claws 213 and 214, the inclined surfaces of the pins 215 and 216 can support the rear outer periphery of the wafer W. Furthermore, the pins 215 and 216 are arranged in the left-right direction at a distance smaller than the diameter of the wafer W.

[0036] The fork part 211 has the claws 213, 214 and the pins 215, 216 as described above, and thus when the wafer W is lifted up, the wafer W is chucked by the claws 213, 214 and the pins 215, 216. In detail, when the fork part 211 lifts up the wafer W and the clamp part 50 clamps the wafer W, the fork part 211 chucks the wafer W by sandwiching it between the claws 213, 214 and the pins 215, 216. Meanwhile, a connecting part 212 is provided at the rear end of the fork part 211 for connecting the fork part 211 to the housing 15 of the robot main body 10.

[0037] The connecting part 212 has a rectangular plate shape. Through holes h1-h4 are formed in the connecting part 212, penetrating the plate surface. Screws (not shown) are passed through the through holes h1-h4, and these screws are fastened to a base plate (described below) provided on the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. In this way, the connecting part 212 is attached to the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. As a result, the fork part 211 is connected to the housing 15 of the robot main body 10.

[0038] 1, the end effector 20 is provided with a plurality of chuck portions 21 having such a configuration and a plurality of chuck portions 22 having the same configuration as the chuck portion 21 except that the chuck portion 22 is bilaterally symmetrical to the chuck portion 21. In detail, the end effector 20 is provided with a total number of chuck portions 21 and 22 equal to the maximum number of wafers W (e.g., 25) that can be accommodated in the FOUP. Fig. 1 shows the chuck portions 21 and 22 each chucking a wafer W removed from the FOUP, and the chuck portions 21 and 22 overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0039] However, if the chuck portions 21, 22 are overlapped with each other in the vertical direction, when replacement or adjustment of some of the chuck portions 21, 22 is necessary, it is difficult to replace or adjust those parts.

[0040] In detail, in the transfer robot 1, some of the chuck portions 21, 22 may need to be replaced due to wear or damage, for example. Alternatively, some of the chuck portions 21, 22 may need to be adjusted due to tilting or misalignment relative to the other chuck portions 21, 22, for example. In such cases, if the chuck portions 21, 22 are stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction, not only the chuck portion 21, 22 that needs to be replaced or adjusted, but also the other chuck portions 21, 22 must be removed and reassembled. As a result, replacing or adjusting the chuck portions 21, 22 is not easy.

[0041] It is also conceivable to incorporate a plurality of chucks 21, 22 into a unit in which they are stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction, and then replace the entire unit when replacement or adjustment of the chucks 21, 22 is required. However, in this case, even chucks 21, 22 that do not need replacement or adjustment would be replaced. As a result, the cost of replacing or adjusting the chucks 21, 22 would be high.

[0042] Therefore, the transport robot 1 is provided with a support mechanism on the housing 15 of the robot body 10 that supports each of the chuck sections 21, 22 so that they can be moved separately in the horizontal direction. By providing this configuration, the transport robot 1 can move the chuck section 21, 22 that needs to be replaced or adjusted to a horizontal position where it does not overlap with the other chuck sections 21, 22 in the vertical direction, making it easy to replace the chuck sections 21, 22. Next, the configuration of the support mechanism will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0043] Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view of the chuck units 21 and 22 and the support mechanisms 30 and 40 provided to the transport robot 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the transport robot 1 including the support mechanisms 30 and 40, viewed obliquely from above the front. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the transport robot 1 including the support mechanism 30, viewed obliquely from above the left.

[0044] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the support mechanisms 30, 40 include support columns 31, 41 provided in front of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10, pivot blocks 32, 42 rotatably supported on the support columns 31, 41 and equal in number to the chuck sections 21, 22, position adjustment blocks 33, 43 attached to the pivot blocks 32, 42, respectively, and base plates 34, 44 and detachable plates 35, 45 fixed to the position adjustment blocks 33, 43, respectively, and to which the chuck sections 21, 22 are attached, respectively.

[0045] 3 to 5, the longitudinal direction of the rotation blocks 32, 42 is oriented in the front-to-rear direction, so that the position adjustment blocks 33, 43, base plates 34, 44, and detachable plates 35, 45 are located in front of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. In the following explanation, the positional relationship of each part will be explained based on this positional relationship.

[0046] The support columns 31 and 41 are provided to support the multiple chuck sections 21 and the multiple chuck sections 22 separately, rather than supporting all of the multiple chuck sections 21 and 22 by themselves. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3-5 , the support columns 31 and 41 are formed in the shape of elongated cylinders. The support columns 31 and 41 have their axis oriented vertically to support the multiple chuck sections 21 or 22 arranged vertically. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the support columns 31 and 41 are provided in the front portion of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. Thus, the support columns 31 and 41 position the chuck sections 21 and 22 in front of the robot main body 10. Furthermore, the support columns 31 and 41 are located on the left and right sides of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10.

[0047] The support columns 31 and 41 are specific examples of the support parts referred to in the claims. Alternatively, the support columns 31 or 41 are specific examples of the first axis or the third axis referred to in the claims. The column axis of the support columns 31 or 41 is a specific example of the axis referred to in the claims.

[0048] On the other hand, the pivoting blocks 32, 42 are formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIG. 3 , at one longitudinal end of the pivoting blocks 32, 42, i.e., at the rear end B in the Y direction (front-rear direction), through-holes 321, 421 are formed that extend vertically and are slightly larger in diameter than the support columns 31, 41. The support columns 31, 41 pass through these through-holes 321, 421. As a result, the pivoting blocks 32, 42 can pivot around the column axes of the support columns 31, 41. This allows the pivoting blocks 32 or 42 to be positioned either with their longitudinal direction facing forward as shown in FIG. 3 or with their longitudinal direction facing left or right, not shown.

[0049] The positioning of the pivot block 32 or 42 with its longitudinal direction facing forward is a specific example of the "first position where the detachable part is placed in the in-use position" referred to in the claims. The positioning of the pivot block 32 or 42 with its longitudinal direction facing left or right is a specific example of the "second position where the detachable part is placed in a position that is horizontally shifted from the in-use position without being vertically overlapping with it" referred to in the claims.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 3 , the pivoting blocks 32 and 42 are formed with cutouts 322 and 422 that extend from the through holes 321 and 421 toward the end faces. Specifically, the cutouts 322 and 422 cut out the pivoting blocks 32 and 42, maintaining a small width, from the through holes 321 and 421 to the end faces that correspond to the rear ends B in the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 . The cutouts 322 and 422 extend vertically along the through holes 321 and 421. As a result, the cutouts 322 and 422 divide the portions of the pivoting blocks 32 and 42 from the through holes 321 and 421 to the end faces that correspond to the rear ends B into two, separated by the small width of the cutouts 322 and 422. As a result, the diameters of the through holes 321 and 421 in the pivoting blocks 32 and 42 can be adjusted by reducing or restoring the width of the cutouts 322 and 422 to their original width. This allows the rotation blocks 32 and 42 to adjust the degree to which the support posts 31 and 41 are fastened by the inner walls of the through holes 321 and 421 .

[0051] In order to reduce the width of the notches 322, 422 or return them to their original width, through-holes (not shown) are formed in the portions of the pivot blocks 32, 42 that are the rear ends B in the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, passing through the portions in the left-right direction, i.e., in the X direction, and crossing the notches 322, 422. Bolts 323, 423 are inserted into the through-holes (not shown).

[0052] The bolts 323, 423 have a head and a threaded portion, and the head abuts against the left end surface of the pivot block 32 or the right end surface of the pivot block 42. Meanwhile, the threaded portion engages with a female thread formed in the inner wall of the through hole (not shown) at a portion beyond the notch 322, 422. As a result, the head and threaded portion of the bolts 323, 423 tighten the rear end B of the pivot block 32, 42. As the threaded portion of the bolt 323, 423 engages with the female thread located further back in the through hole, it tightens the rear end B of the pivot block 32, 42 more tightly, thereby reducing the width of the notch 322, 422. As a result, the bolts 323, 423 reduce the diameter of the through hole 321, 421, and further tighten the support 31, 41 by the inner wall of the through hole 321, 421. With this configuration, the bolts 323, 423 adjust the degree to which the inner walls of the through-holes 321, 421 fasten the columns 31, 41, switching between a state in which the pivot blocks 32, 42 are pivotable around the columns 31, 41 and a state in which the pivot blocks 32, 42 are unable to rotate. As a result, the bolts 323, 423 place the pivot blocks 32, 42 in a position-changeable state or a fixed state.

[0053] Furthermore, position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 are connected to the portions of the rotation blocks 32 and 42 that correspond to the front ends F in the arrangement shown in FIG.

[0054] Of the position adjustment blocks 33 and 43, the configuration of the position adjustment block 33 located on the left side of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the position adjustment block 33 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. A rectangular recess 334 with a fixed depth is formed at the left end L when the longitudinal direction is oriented left-right. The other longitudinal end portion of the pivot block 32 (the front end F shown in FIG. 5 ) is overlapped with the recess 334 so as to be perpendicular to the position adjustment block 33. In this state, the pivot block 32 is fixed to the position adjustment block 33 with bolts 324. As a result, the position adjustment block 33 and the pivot block 32 are combined in an L-shape when viewed from above.

[0055] Although not shown, two screw holes are formed in the recess 334 of the position adjustment block 33, aligned in the short direction, i.e., in the Y direction (front-rear direction), with the longitudinal direction of the position adjustment block 33 oriented in the X direction (left-right direction). Two screw holes are also formed in the rotating block 32, aligned in the Y direction corresponding to the screw holes, with the longitudinal direction oriented in the Y direction. Set screws 325 and 326 shown in FIG. 5 are inserted into these screw holes to fasten the rotating block 32 and the position adjustment block 33 together.

[0056] The set screws 325 and 326 adjust the levelness of the position adjustment block 33 relative to the rotation block 32 by adjusting the fastening strength between the rotation block 32 and the position adjustment block 33. The transfer robot 1 is used to transfer a wafer W with the longitudinal direction of the position adjustment block 33 oriented in the X direction and the longitudinal direction of the rotation block 32 oriented in the Y direction. In this state, the set screws 325 and 326 are aligned in the Y direction. As can be seen from this positional relationship, the set screws 325 and 326 adjust the levelness of the position adjustment block 33 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the rotation block 32 during transfer. As will be described later, the chuck unit 21 is attached to the position adjustment block 33 via a base plate 34. The set screws 325 and 326 adjust the levelness of the position adjustment block 33 in the front-to-rear direction relative to the rotation block 32, thereby adjusting the levelness of the chuck unit 21 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0057] The position adjustment block 43 on the right side of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10 is formed symmetrically to the position adjustment block 33 in the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the position adjustment block 43, like the position adjustment block 33, is combined with the rotation block 42 in an L-shape when viewed from above.

[0058] Similarly to the position adjustment block 33 and the rotation block 32, the position adjustment block 43 and the rotation block 42 have threaded holes (not shown) and set screws 425 and 426 shown in Figures 3 and 4. Similarly to the set screws 325 and 326, the set screws 425 and 426 adjust the levelness of the position adjustment block 43 relative to the rotation block 42 by adjusting the fastening strength between the rotation block 42 and the position adjustment block 43. As a result, similar to the set screws 325 and 326, the set screws 425 and 426 adjust the levelness of the chuck portion 22 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0059] Returning to the description of the configuration of both position adjustment blocks 33 and 43, base plates 34 and 44 are attached to the surfaces of position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 that are the front surfaces in the arrangement shown in FIGS.

[0060] The base plates 34, 44 are members for attaching the connecting portions 212 of the chuck portions 21, 22. The base plates 34, 44 are formed in the shape of rectangular flat plates to support the plate-like connecting portions 212. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the base plates 34, 44 are formed with recesses 341, 441 recessed in the shape of rectangular flat plates into which the connecting portions 212 can be fitted. These recesses 341, 441 open on the longitudinal sides of the base plates 34, 44 in a top view. The connecting portions 212 are inserted through the openings of the recesses 341, 441, respectively, and the connecting portions 212 are attached to the recesses 341, 441, respectively.

[0061] The base plates 34, 44 are specific examples of the base portion referred to in the claims. The upper surfaces of the base plates 34, 44 that mate with the connecting portion 212 are specific examples of the first plate surface referred to in the claims. The lower surfaces of the connecting portion 212 are specific examples of the second plate surface referred to in the claims. Furthermore, the recesses 341, 441 or the detachable plates 35, 45 are specific examples of the detachable portion referred to in the claims.

[0062] Although not shown, the recesses 341, 441 have a total of four screw holes, one at each corner of the rectangular shape when viewed from above. In contrast, the detachable plates 35, 45 are formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, and four through holes h5-h8 are formed in the four corners of the rectangle, corresponding to the screw holes in the base plates 34, 44. In addition, the connecting portion 212 of the chuck portions 21, 22 also has a total of four through holes h1-h4, corresponding to the screw holes in the base plates 34, 44, as shown in Figure 2.

[0063] 5, the connecting portions 212 of the chuck portions 21 and 22 are fitted into the recesses 341 and 441 of the base plates 34 and 44, and the detachable plates 35 and 45 are placed on top of the connecting portions 212. Furthermore, four screws (not shown) are passed through the through holes h5-h8 of the detachable plates 35 and 45 and the through holes h1-h4 of the connecting portions 212 of the chuck portions 21 and 22, and are attached to screw holes (not shown) in the base plates 34 and 44. This fixes the connecting portions 212 of the chuck portions 21 and 22 to the base plates 34 and 44. As a result, the base plates 34 and 44 support the chuck portions 21 and 22.

[0064] In addition, in order to adjust the horizontality of the chuck portions 21, 22 in the left-right direction when the chuck portions 21, 22 are attached to the base plates 34, 44, position adjustment through holes 342, 343 and 442, 443 are formed in positions adjacent to the connecting portions 212 of the chuck portions 21, 22, as shown in Figure 4.

[0065] Specifically, the base plate 34 has through holes 342 and 343 on its front surface in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 , where the plate surface is oriented vertically and the longitudinal direction is oriented left-right. The through holes 342 and 343 penetrate the base plate 34 in the short direction, i.e., the front-rear direction, and are aligned left-right. In contrast, the position adjustment block 33 also has two screw holes (not shown) aligned left-right corresponding to the through holes 342 and 343 on its front surface in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 , where the longitudinal direction is oriented left-right. Screws are inserted through the through holes 342 and 343, respectively, and are attached to the holes. This attaches the base plate 34 to the position adjustment block 33.

[0066] The screws have shanks with a diameter smaller than that of the through holes 342, 343. The screws are attached to the threaded holes of the position adjustment block 33 after the positions of the inner walls of the through holes 342, 343 relative to the shanks have been adjusted. This adjusts the position of the base plate 34 relative to the position adjustment block 33. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 , the screws are arranged in the left-right direction, so that the horizontality of the base plate 34 relative to the position adjustment block 33 is adjusted by adjusting the positions of the screws. As a result, the horizontality of the chuck portion 21 attached to the base plate 34 is adjusted.

[0067] The base plate 44 also has through holes 442 and 443 with a configuration similar to that of the through holes 342 and 343 on its front surface when viewed in the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 , with the plate surface facing up and down and the longitudinal direction facing left and right. The position adjustment block 43 also has two screw holes with the same configuration as the two screw holes (not shown) in the position adjustment block 33. The base plate 44 is attached to the position adjustment block 43 with screws with the same configuration as the screws that secure the base plate 34 to the position adjustment block 33. As a result, like the base plate 34, the horizontal level of the base plate 44 relative to the position adjustment block 43 can be adjusted by adjusting the positions of the two screws (not shown). As a result, the horizontal level of the chuck portion 22 attached to the base plate 44 can also be adjusted.

[0068] Returning to FIG. 1 , in the end effector 20, the chuck units 21 and 22 are alternately arranged in the vertical direction. This is because, as shown in FIG. 5 , not only are a plurality of rotating blocks 32 arranged in the vertical direction at a constant pitch attached to support columns 31 on the left side of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10, but also a plurality of rotating blocks 42 arranged in the vertical direction at the same pitch as the rotating blocks 32 are attached to support columns 41 on the right side of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10, offset half a pitch downward from the rotating blocks 32. Furthermore, each of the rotating blocks 32 arranged in this manner supports a corresponding chuck unit 21 via a position adjustment block 33, a base plate 34, and a detachable plate 35. Furthermore, each of the rotating blocks 42 arranged in this manner supports a corresponding chuck unit 22, which has a shape symmetrical to the chuck unit 21, via a position adjustment block 43, a base plate 44, and a detachable plate 45.

[0069] In the end effector 20 having such a configuration, each chuck portion 21 can rotate around the support column 31, and each chuck portion 22 can rotate around the support column 41. When the transfer robot 1 transfers a plurality of wafers W, the chuck portions 21 and 22 are rotated so that the blades of the fork portions 211 of the chuck portions 21 and 22 face forward, aligning the orientation of the chuck portions 21 and 22, as shown in FIG.

[0070] However, it is not easy to adjust the orientation of the chucks 21, 22 when there are multiple chucks 21, 22. Therefore, the robot body 10 is provided with a stopper 16 that restricts rotation in order to determine the orientation of each of the chucks 21, 22 during transport.

[0071] 3 to 5, a cylindrical stopper 16 is provided in the center in the left-right direction between the support posts 31 and 41 at the front part of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. Before the robot main body 10 performs a transport operation, the rotating blocks 32 and 42 are rotated around the support posts 31 and 41 to adjust the longitudinal directions of the position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 to the left and right, so that the blade tips of the fork parts 211 of the chuck parts 21 and 22 face forward. The stopper 16 is provided at a position where both the position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 facing in this direction come into contact with each other.

[0072] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the position adjustment block 33 has a curved surface 331 recessed in an arc at its right corner when its longitudinal direction is oriented left-right. Similarly, the position adjustment block 43 has a curved surface 431 recessed in an arc at its left corner when its longitudinal direction is oriented left-right. The stopper 16 is positioned to abut against the curved surfaces 331 and 431 when the position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 are oriented left-right. When the stopper 16 abuts against the curved surfaces 331 and 431, the stopper 16 determines the orientation of the position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 during transport by the transport robot 1. As a result, the orientation of the chucks 21 and 22 during transport is determined.

[0073] The cylindrical axis of the stopper 16 extends vertically and is arranged parallel to the column axes of the support columns 31 and 41. Therefore, during the above adjustment operation, the stopper 16 abuts the vertically arranged position adjustment blocks 33 and 43 at the same front-to-back and left-to-right positions. This aligns the orientations of all of the position adjustment blocks 33 and 43. As a result, the orientations of the chucks 21 and 22 during transfer are aligned. This allows the transfer robot 1 to easily align the orientations of the chucks 21 and 22 with high precision. As a result, the transfer robot 1 can move the chucks 21 and 22 with high precision and transfer the wafer W with high precision. The stopper 16 is a specific example of the second axis referred to in the claims.

[0074] Next, a method for replacing or adjusting the chuck portions 21 and 22 in the transfer robot 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 in addition to FIG.

[0075] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the transport robot 1 when one of the chuck portions 21 of the chuck portions 21 and 22 of the end effector 20 provided in the transport robot 1 is rotated and directed to the left.

[0076] When the transfer robot 1 transfers a wafer W, the user of the transfer robot 1 first positions the blades of the fork parts 211 of each of the chuck parts 21 and 22 so that they face forward. Next, the user operates the transfer robot 1 with the blades of the fork parts 211 facing forward. For example, the user starts the transfer robot 1 to chuck the wafer W on each of the chuck parts 21 and 22 as shown in FIG. 1 , or operates the first linear motion mechanism 11 and the second linear motion mechanism 12 to move the entire chuck parts 21 and 22 in the front-to-back and up-to-down directions to transfer the wafer W.

[0077] Next, when replacing or adjusting the chuck portions 21, 22 of the end effector 20, the user rotates the chuck portion 21, 22 to be replaced or adjusted about the support columns 31 and 41 to a position where it does not overlap vertically with the other chuck portions 21, 22 that are not to be replaced or adjusted. In this way, the user shifts the chuck portion 21, 22 to be replaced or adjusted horizontally from the other chuck portions 21, 22 that are not to be replaced or adjusted.

[0078] For example, if the chuck 21 is to be replaced or adjusted, the user rotates the chuck 21 to be replaced or adjusted clockwise around the support 31 as viewed from above. As a result, the blade tips of the fork parts 211 of the chuck 21 to be replaced or adjusted are oriented toward the left side of the robot main body 10, as shown in FIG. 6 . For ease of understanding, FIG. 6 illustrates the blade tips of the fork parts 211 of all chuck parts 21 oriented toward the left side of the robot main body 10 by rotating all chuck parts 21. However, it is preferable to rotate only the chuck 21 to be replaced or adjusted. Furthermore, the blade tips of the fork parts 211 of the chuck 21 to be replaced or adjusted do not have to be oriented completely toward the left after rotation. They may be oriented diagonally left as long as the chuck is horizontally offset from the other chuck parts 21, 22.

[0079] Furthermore, for example, when the object to be replaced or adjusted is the chuck unit 22, the user rotates the chuck unit 22 to be replaced or adjusted counterclockwise as viewed from above around the support 41. As a result, although not shown, the cutting edge of the fork portion 211 of the chuck unit 21 to be replaced or adjusted is directed toward the right side of the robot main body 10, or the chuck unit 22 is tilted to the right.

[0080] When replacing the chucks 21, 22, such a rotation operation should be performed until the detachable plates 35, 45 of the chucks 21, 22 to be replaced no longer overlap vertically with the other chucks 21, 22 that are not to be replaced, and until they are horizontally displaced from the other chucks 21, 22 that are not to be replaced. Rotating to such a position makes it easy to attach and detach the detachable plates 35, 45 and the screws, which makes it easy to replace the chucks 21, 22.

[0081] Furthermore, when adjusting the chucks 21, 22, it is advisable to rotate the chucks 21, 22 to be adjusted until (1) the openings of the through-holes 342, 343, 442, 443 of the base plates 34, 44 of the chucks 21, 22 to be adjusted and (2) the set screws 325, 326, 425, 426 that secure the position adjustment blocks 33, 43 of the chucks 21, 22 no longer overlap vertically with those of the other chucks 21, 22 that are not the subject of adjustment, and until the chucks 21, 22 are horizontally displaced from those of the other chucks 21, 22 that are not the subject of adjustment. By rotating the chucks 21, 22 to such positions, it is possible to easily adjust the tightening of (1) the screws passed through the through-holes 342, 343, 442, 443 of the base plates 34, 44 and (2) the set screws 325, 326, 425, 426 that secure the position adjustment blocks 33, 43.

[0082] Next, the user rotates the chuck parts 21, 22 to be replaced or adjusted around the support columns 31, 41 until they are not vertically overlapping with the other chuck parts 21, 22 that are not to be replaced or adjusted, and then replaces the chuck parts 21, 22 with new chuck parts 21, 22. Alternatively, the user adjusts the positions, specifically the horizontality, of the chuck parts 21, 22 using set screws 325, 326, 425, 426, etc. After that, the user rotates the chuck parts 21, 22 that have been replaced or adjusted to return them to a position where they are vertically overlapping with the other chuck parts 21, 22 that are not to be replaced or adjusted. At this time, the positions of the chuck parts 21, 22 can be determined by abutting the curved surfaces 331, 431 of the position adjustment blocks 33, 43 against the stoppers 16. This allows the user to align the blade tips of the fork parts 211 of the chuck parts 21 and 22, thereby preparing the chuck parts 21 and 22 for transporting the wafer W.

[0083] In this way, in the transport robot 1, the chuck parts 21, 22 to be replaced or adjusted are replaced or adjusted while being kept in a state where they do not overlap vertically with other chuck parts 21, 22 that are not to be replaced or adjusted. As a result, in the transport robot 1, the chuck parts 21, 22 can be easily replaced or adjusted even in an end effector 20 that has multiple chuck parts 21, 22.

[0084] Note that the transport of the wafer W by the transport robot 1 described above is a specific example of the "substrate transport step" in the claims. Furthermore, the replacement or adjustment of the chuck units 21, 22 of the end effector 20 is a specific example of the "removal of the chuck unit to be replaced or adjusted from the detachable unit and replacing it, or adjusting its position at the detachable unit" in the claims.

[0085] As described above, in the transport robot 1 according to the embodiment, the base plates 34, 44 are supported by the supports 31, 41 so that their respective recesses 341, 441, for attaching and detaching the chucks 21, 22, can be repositioned between a state in which the recesses 341, 441 of the base plates 34, 44 are located in front of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10 and a state in which the recesses 341, 441 of the base plates 34, 44 are located to the sides of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. Therefore, in the transport robot 1, by repositioning the base plate 34, 44 to which the chucks 21, 22 that need to be replaced or adjusted are attached, the recesses 341, 441 of that base plate 34, 44 can be positioned so that they do not overlap with the other base plates 34, 44 in the vertical direction and are offset horizontally from the other base plates 34, 44. As a result, in the transport robot 1, the chucks 21, 22 to be replaced can be easily attached and detached to and from the recesses 341, 441. Furthermore, in the transport robot 1, the positions of the chuck portions 21 and 22 to be adjusted can be easily adjusted.

[0086] Furthermore, in the transport robot 1, the base plates 34, 44 are provided to be rotatable around the support columns 31, 41. As a result, the positions of the base plates 34, 44 can be changed between a state in which the recesses 341, 441, to which the chucks 21, 22 are attached and detached, are positioned in front of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10, and a state in which the recesses 341, 441 are positioned to the sides of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. In the transport robot 1, the positions of the recesses 341, 441 can be changed by a simple configuration in which the base plates 34, 44 are rotatable around the support columns 31, 41. Furthermore, in the transport robot 1, the positions of the recesses 341, 441 can be changed simply by rotating the base plates 34, 44 around the support columns 31, 41, making it easy to prepare for replacement or adjustment of the chucks 21, 22.

[0087] Furthermore, the transport robot 1 includes a chuck unit 21 that is rotatable around a support column 31 provided on the front left side of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10, and a chuck unit 22 that is rotatable around a support column 41 provided on the front right side of the housing 15 of the robot main body 10. The chuck units 21 and 22 are arranged alternately in the vertical direction. Therefore, when replacing or adjusting both of the chuck units 21 and 22 that are adjacent to each other vertically, the chuck units 21 and 22 can be rotated so that the cutting edge of the fork portion 211 of the chuck unit 21 faces left and the cutting edge of the fork portion 211 of the chuck unit 22 faces right. In the transport robot 1, the chuck units 21 and 22 to be replaced or adjusted are separated into left and right sides, making the replacement or adjustment work easy.

[0088] Furthermore, the transfer robot 1 includes stoppers 16 that limit the rotation of the base plates 34, 44 when the base plates 34, 44 are rotated around the supports 31, 41, and align the positions of the chucks 21, 22 attached to the base plates 34, 44, making it easy to adjust the positions of the chucks 21, 22. The transfer robot 1 transfers the wafer W with the blades of the fork parts 211 of the chuck parts 21, 22 aligned, and it is easy to align the blades.

[0089] The transport device and the method of using the transport device according to the embodiment of the present invention have been described above using the transport robot 1 as an example, but the transport device and the method of using the transport device are not limited to this.

[0090] For example, in the transfer robot 1, the base plates 34, 44 are attached to the rotation blocks 32, 42, so that they can rotate around the support columns 31, 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0091] In the present invention, each base portion has a detachable portion to which the chuck portion is detachably attached, and the support portion supports each base portion so that the position can be changed between a first position in which the detachable portion is positioned in the in-use position and a second position in which the detachable portion is positioned horizontally offset from the in-use position without vertically overlapping the in-use position. Here, the base portion refers to a member to which the chuck portions 21, 22 are detachably attached and arranged vertically, such as the base plates 34, 44 described in the embodiment. The detachable portion refers to, for example, the recesses 341, 441 in the base plates 34, 44. The support portion refers to a member that supports each base portion, such as the support columns 31, 41 described in the embodiment. Therefore, the base plates 34, 44 described in the embodiment may be supported by the support columns 31, 41 so as to be horizontally slidable. This is because even in this configuration, the position can be changed between the first and second positions described above. Specific examples are shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0092] 7 is a top view of a modified example of the support mechanisms 30 and 40 included in the transfer robot 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a top view of another modified example of the support mechanisms 30 and 40.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 7 , the base plates 34, 44 may have elongated holes 344, 444 extending in the left-right direction, and the fixed blocks 36, 46 may have pins 361, 461 with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the short-side length of the elongated holes 344, 444. Here, the fixed blocks 36, 46 refer to blocks fixed to the housing 15 of the robot main body 10 or to the supports 31, 41. In this case, the pins 361, 461 may be passed through the elongated holes 344, 444, allowing the base plates 34, 44 to slide left-right. Furthermore, although not shown, the base plates 34, 44 may have the above-mentioned pins 361, 461, and the fixed blocks 36, 46 may have the above-mentioned elongated holes 344, 444, allowing the base plates 34, 44 to slide left-right.

[0094] 8 , the fixed blocks 36, 46 may have rails 362, 363 or 462, 463 extending in the left-right direction and parallel to each other, and the base plates 34, 44 may be disposed between the rails 362, 363 or 462, 463 and have blocks 345 or 445 that slide along the rails 362, 363 or 462, 463. Although not shown, the base plates 34, 44 may have the rails 362, 363 or 462, 463, and the fixed blocks 36, 46 may have blocks 345 or 445 that slide relative to the rails 362, 363 or 462, 463. Furthermore, the rails 362, 363 and the rails 462, 463 may each be one unit.

[0095] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the transport robot 1 includes the support mechanisms 30 and 40, and the end effector 20 includes the chuck units 21 and 22. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The transport robot 1 only needs to include at least one of the support mechanisms 30 and 40, and the end effector 20 only needs to include at least one of the chuck units 21 and 22. This is because even in this configuration, at least one of the chuck units 21 and 22 can be replaced or adjusted while keeping at least one of the chuck units 21 and 22 from overlapping with each other in the vertical direction.

[0096] In the embodiment, the robot body 10 of the transport robot 1 includes a first linear motion mechanism 11 and a second linear motion mechanism 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the transport robot 1 may be any transport device that transports substrates. Therefore, the first linear motion mechanism 11 and the second linear motion mechanism 12 may have any configuration. For example, the robot body 10 may be a multi-joint robot, or a Cartesian robot with three or more axes. It may also be a parallel link robot. This is because the configuration of the present invention can be applied to such a configuration to solve the problem of the difficulty of easily replacing or adjusting only the chuck units 21 and 22 that require replacement or adjustment.

[0097] In the embodiment, the chuck units 21 and 22 include claws 213 and 214 and pins 215 and 216. The chuck units 21 and 22 chuck the wafer W. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the chuck units 21 and 22 may be detachably attached to their respective base units (e.g., base plates 34 and 44) ​​and may each chuck a substrate. Therefore, in the present invention, the specific means by which the chuck units 21 and 22 chuck a substrate is arbitrary. For example, the chuck units 21 and 22 may chuck the wafer W using a vacuum chuck. The specific shape of the chuck units 21 and 22 is also arbitrary. For example, the chuck units 21 and 22 may have a rectangular plate on which a substrate can be mounted, instead of the fork unit 211. Furthermore, the wafer W to be chucked may be another substrate, such as a glass substrate.

[0098] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to illustrate the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and within the scope of the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0099] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveying robot 10 Robot body 11 First linear motion mechanism 12 Second linear motion mechanism 15 Housing 16 Stopper (second axis) 20 End effector 21, 22 Chuck portion 30, 40 Support mechanism 31, 41 Support column (support portion or first axis, third axis) 32, 42 Rotating block 33, 43 Position adjustment block 34, 44 Base plate (base portion) 35, 45 Detachable plate (detachable portion) 36, 46 Fixed block 50 Clamp portion 111 Motor 121 Motor 211 Fork portion 212 Connecting portion 213, 214 Claws 215, 216 Pin 321, 421 Through hole 322, 422 Notch portion 323, 423 Bolt (fastener) 324 Bolt 325, 326 Set screw 331, 431 Curved surface portion 334 Recess (detachable portion) 341, 441 Recess 342, 343, 442, 443 Through hole 344, 444 Slot 345, 445 Block 361, 461 Pin 362, 363, 462, 463 Rail 425, 426 Set screw B Rear end F Front end L Left end h1-h8 Through hole W Wafer (substrate)

Claims

1. A conveying device comprising: a plurality of base portions arranged in the vertical direction; a support portion that supports each of the base portions; and a plurality of chuck portions that are each detachably attached to the corresponding base portion and each chuck a substrate. Each of the base portions has a detachable portion to which the chuck portion is attached and detached. The support portion supports each of the base portions so as to be positionally changeable between a first position in which the detachable portion is disposed at a use position and a second position in which the detachable portion is disposed at a position shifted in the horizontal direction without overlapping the use position in the vertical direction.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the support portion rotatably supports each of the base portions.

3. The conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the support portion has a first axis extending in the vertical direction, and rotatably supports each of the base portions around the axis of the first axis.

4. Each of the base portions has: a through hole through which the first axis is inserted; a notch portion formed by cutting each of the base portions in a direction in which the through hole extends and extending from the through hole to an end surface of each of the base portions; a screw portion inserted into a hole crossing the notch portion, and a head portion provided at a certain distance from a tip of the screw portion and abutting against the end surface. By inserting the tip of the screw portion into the hole inside and tightening the base portion with the head portion, a fastener that adjusts the interval of the notch portion to change the diameter of the through hole. The conveying device according to claim 3.

5. The support portion has a second axis extending in the vertical direction. The second axis is horizontally adjacent to the first axis and, when the base portion is in the first position, abuts against at least one of the base portions to restrict rotation of the base portion in the direction of the second axis. The conveying device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The support portion extends in the vertical direction and has a third axis that is horizontally adjacent to the first axis. Each of some of the plurality of base portions is rotatable about the axis of the first axis, and each of the remaining base portions of the plurality of base portions is rotatable about the axis of the third axis. In the support portion, the base portions rotatable about the axis of the first axis and the base portions rotatable about the axis of the third axis are alternately arranged in the vertical direction. The conveying device according to claim 3 or 4.

7. The support portion slidably supports each of the base portions in the horizontal direction. The conveying device according to claim 1.

8. Either one of each of the base portions and the support portion has a long hole extending in the horizontal direction, and the other of each of the base portions and the support portion has a pin passed through the long hole and capable of changing a relative position in the longitudinal direction of the long hole inside the long hole. The conveying device according to claim 7.

9. Either one of each of the base portions and the support portion has a rail extending in the horizontal direction, and the other of each of the base portions and the support portion has a block capable of changing a position in the direction in which the rail extends by sliding along the rail. The conveying device according to claim 7.

10. Each of the base portions and each of the chuck portions have a plate shape. Each of the base portions is arranged in the vertical direction with its own first plate surface facing in the vertical direction, and each of the chuck portions is detachably attached to the first plate surface of each of the base portions with its own second plate surface overlapping the first plate surface of each of the base portions. The conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

11. A plurality of base portions arranged in the vertical direction, a support portion that supports each of the base portions, and a plurality of chuck portions that are each detachably attached to each of the base portions and each chuck a substrate. Each of the base portions has a detachable portion to which the chuck portion is attached and detached. The support portion supports each of the base portions so that the position can be changed to a first position where the detachable portion is disposed at a use position and a second position where the detachable portion is disposed at a position shifted in the horizontal direction without overlapping the use position in the vertical direction. A method of using a transfer device, comprising: a step of transferring the substrate by chucking the substrate to each of the chuck portions and moving the support portion with all of the plurality of base portions positioned at the first position; and among the plurality of chuck portions, positioning the base portion to which the chuck portion to be exchanged or adjusted is attached at the second position, and leaving the base portion to which the chuck portion not to be exchanged or adjusted is attached at the first position, and in that state, removing the chuck portion to be exchanged or adjusted from the detachable portion and replacing it or adjusting the position at the detachable portion. A method of using a transfer device.

Images