JPH01171237A - Platelike material transfer apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent unversatility of performance of CVD films due to a fixed pitch of batch transfer, by varying a pitch between movable bases, namely a pitch between chucks as desired. CONSTITUTION:A motor 11 rotates a rotary threaded shaft 5 coupled thereto, whereby rotary threaded shafts 5 of respective movable bases 2 are rotated by rotation transmitting sections 6 each consisting of a spline shaft 6a and a boss 6b provided between the rotary threaded shafts 5. The movable bases 2 having nuts 8 engaged with respective screws 5a move along a guide 9 to change a pitch distance S between chucks 3. The pitch distance S can be varied by direction and a number of rotation in a range of S + or -alpha when alpha is a variable pitch width. The variable pitch width alpha may be determined as desired by changing a number of rotation. In this manner, platelike materials 4 can be transferred in batch between wafer receiving containers having different receiving pitches. Therefore, the wafers 4 can be transferred in a short time and efficiently.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention involves simultaneously extracting a plurality of plate-shaped objects such as wafers stored in a storage container such as a cassette at a uniform pitch, and The present invention relates to a plate-shaped object transfer device that changes the pitch to be transferred to another storage container such as a boat, or vice versa.

[Conventional technology]

Automation of semiconductor manufacturing equipment has rapidly progressed as a means to improve the performance of devices, especially as a solution to particle contamination, and as a key to mass production. Among these, the most important point is how to take out the wafer from the cassette and place it in each manufacturing device for processing.

Silicon wafers are usually stored in resin containers called cassettes according to the SEMI standard, in units of 25 wafers in a 3"/16 size pinch. Because the CVD process is a high-temperature film formation process, the wafers are called quartz boats rather than cassettes. It is then transferred to another container and then processed in a furnace.

These boats have various pitches due to problems such as film performance in CVD processing.

Conventionally, cassettes are transferred one by one manually or one by one using a robot arm. There is also a -batch transfer type, but the pitch is limited to the cassette pitch or multiples thereof.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The conventional so-called single-wafer type, which transfers wafers one by one, has the problem that it takes a long time to transfer wafers and is inefficient. However, since the pitch is fixed, it is not only impossible to transfer wafers with different pitches, but also the problem of C due to fixation pinch.
There is a problem that the OD film performance is fixed.

Means for Solving Problem c] The first device of the present invention includes a plurality of movable bases 2 having chucks 3 for supporting plate-like bodies 4 on a fixed base having chucks 3 for supporting plate-like bodies 4. These movable bases 2 are arranged side by side at equal pitches, and the guides 9 are connected to the fixed base 1.
The movable bases 2 are made to be movable along the fixed base 1, and each movable base 2 is sequentially screwed onto the rotating screw shaft 5 and its threaded portion 5a through a mechanism using a nut 8 and a rotation transmitting section 6 which is movable in the axial direction. A drive unit 11 for rotating the rotary screw shaft 5 is installed on the fixed base 1.

A second device of the present invention that straddles a fixed base 1 having a chuck 3 that supports a plate-like body 4 and a movable base 2 that has a chuck 3 that supports a plate-like body 4.

A plurality of movable bases 2 are arranged in a plurality of N rows with a pitch of P, and the pinch between the movable bases 2 is set to '/>l'P between adjacent rows A and B, between B and 0, and so on. , the movable bases 2 in each row were made movable along a guide 9 relative to the fixed base 1, and the movable bases 2 in each row were sequentially screwed onto the fixed base 1 to the rotating screw shaft 5 and its threaded portion 5a. Mechanism by nut 8 and rotation transmitting part 6 which is axially movable
A drive unit 11 is installed on the fixed base l to rotate the rotary screw shafts 5 in each row in synchronism.

[For production]

When the rotary screw shaft 5 is rotated by the drive unit 11 in the first device of the present invention, each movable base 2 is connected to the nut 8 screwed onto the threaded portion 5a of the rotary screw shaft 5 and the rotation transmitting portion 6 that is axially movable. can be moved along the guide 9 via the chucks 3 to change the pitch distance S between the chucks 3. This pitch interval S can be changed depending on the direction of rotation and the number of rotations, and if the variable pitch width is α, it can be changed by S±α.

In the second device of the present invention, each row A is
, B... When the rotating screw shafts 5 of each column A are rotated synchronously, each column A
, B... move along the guide 9 in the same manner as above, and the pitch interval P between the movable bases 2 of each row A, B, old, etc. is changed between adjacent rows A and B. ,B,0 interval...
Since the pitch between the movable bases 2 is 18·P, the pitch interval S='/N-P between the chucks 3 can be arbitrarily changed more finely than in the first device.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are explanatory diagrams of the configuration and operation of a first embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a fixed base, which has a chuck 3 for supporting a plate-shaped body, in this example a wafer 4.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a movable base having a chuck 3 for supporting a wafer 4, and a plurality of movable bases are arranged on the fixed base 1 at a uniform pitch S. These movable bases 2 are made movable along linear guides 9 relative to the fixed base 1, and 1o is a linear bearing. 5 is fixed base 1
Alternatively, it is a rotating screw shaft pivotally supported on the movable base 2 by a rotating bearing 7, and 5a is a threaded portion thereof.

The threaded portion 5a of each rotating screw shaft 5 is screwed into a nut 8 attached to each movable base 2, and each rotating screw shaft 5
is connected to an axially movable rotation transmitting portion 6° by a member consisting of, for example, a spline shaft 6a and a boss 6b. II is a drive motor for the rotating screw shaft 5 provided on the fixed base 1, which has a rotation sensor (not shown), and is movable by controlling the rotation of the rotating screw shaft 5 by this motor 11 and the rotation sensor. In other words, the pitch S1 between the bases 2 is for changing the pinch between the chucks 3.

In the above configuration, when the rotary screw shaft 5 connected to the motor 11 is rotated, each movable base 2 The rotary screw shaft 5 rotates, and each movable base 2, to which a nut 8 screwed into each screw portion 5a is attached, moves along a guide 9, and the pitch interval S between the chucks 3 can be changed.

The pitch interval S can be changed depending on the direction of rotation and the number of rotations, and if the variable pitch width is α, it can be changed by S±α. The variable pitch width α can be arbitrarily determined by changing the rotation speed. FIG. 1(b) shows a state in which the pitch interval is longer than the pitch interval S in FIG. 1 T8) by the variable pitch width α.

In the case of the first embodiment, it is difficult to set the minimum pinch between each chuck 3 to the groove pitch of 3'/16 (4,76 cranes) in a normal cassette because the dimensions of the components are unreasonable.

Therefore, it is not suitable, for example, when transferring wafers 4 from a boat to a cassette or vice versa.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the second embodiment, which can also be applied to transferring wafers between a boat and a cassette.

In this second embodiment, a plurality of movable bases 2 for supporting wafers 4 are arranged in N rows of A, B, . . . at P pitch on a fixed base 1 having a chuck 3 for supporting wafers 4. In this example, the pitch S between the movable bases 2 is set to 18·P between adjacent rows A and B, between B and C, and so on.

For example, cassette groove pitch = 3"/16-4.76mm
In this case, if P is 5 pinches, then 5 pinches, 5×3"/
16 = 15 '' / 16 = 23.81 fl, and the mechanism that uses this as 1 pitch is N = 5 columns, that is, 5 columns of A-E, combined and between adjacent columns A and B, between B and C,
The pitch S between the movable bases 2 between C and D and between E is 17. - By setting P to 4.76 mm in length, it is possible to manufacture a device that can handle 25 sheets per set. That is, it is a combination of pitch mechanisms that take into account the manufacturable dimensions of the components.

When the rotating screw shafts 5 of 5 rows A-H connected to the motor 11 are synchronously rotated via the timing gear 12,
Each movable base 2 in each row A-H moves along the guide 9 in the same manner as described above, and with respect to the pinch interval P=5 between the movable bases 2 in each row A-H, the distance between adjacent rows A and B is Between B and C, C,
Since the pitch S between the movable bases 2 between D and E is 18・P=1/,・P, the pitch interval between the chucks 3 becomes s=I・P even more than the first device. You can change the details as you like.

In other words, in FIG. 2, the pitch of row A is variable with the screw pitch P. Row B is the upper row, screw shaft 5 on the fixed base 1 side
Since is I/, ·P, this movable base 2 is variable by 18·P, and the subsequent movable bases are variable by screw pitch P. 0
The row is in the upper row, and the screw shaft 5 on the fixed base 1 side is 2/,・P,D
-E rows are 38·P, '/, .P, respectively, so these movable bases 2 are 28·p, fl8·p, '/, respectively.
Variable with s and P, and the subsequent movable base is screw pitch P.
variable.

Therefore, these movable bases 2 can be varied at equal pitches from the fixed base 1, and by extension, the pitch S between the chucks 3 supporting the wafer 4 can be arbitrarily varied.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of application of the device of the present invention.
This is an example of transferring the wafer between the quartz boat 13 and the wafer cassette 14.

In this example, a book is placed on a table or robot arm 15 that is movable in the X-axis direction (front-back direction), Y-axis direction (left-right direction), and X-axis direction (vertical direction), and is rotatable (θ is the rotation angle). The invention device 16 is mounted thereon.

When taking out and transferring wafers 4 stored in the wafer cassette 14 to a quartz boat for LP-CVD, assuming that the wafer storage pitch of the cassette 14 is Pl + the storage pitch of the quartz boat 13 is P2, first, the present invention Device 1
Adjust the pitch between the chucks 3 of 6 to P, drive the table or robot arm 15 to take out the wafer 4 from the cassette 14 with each chuck 3, and then
Adjust the pitch between P2 and move chuck 3 to bow 1-13.
By moving wafer 4 in the direction of boat 1
It can be stored in 3. Also, wafer 4 is transferred to boat 13.
Of course, it is also possible to take it out and transfer it to the cassette 14.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the pitch between the movable bases 2, that is, the pitch S between the chucks 3 can be arbitrarily changed, so that the plate-like bodies 4 can be collectively stored between plate-like body storage containers with different storage pinches. Not only can the plate-shaped body 4 be transferred efficiently in a short time, but also when the device 16 of the present invention is applied to transfer wafers between the boat 13 and the cassette 14. This solves the problem of fixed CVD film performance caused by the fixed pitch of batch transfer, and can improve the performance of the CVD film produced on the wafer.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 (a) and (b) are diagrams explaining the configuration and operation of the first embodiment of the device of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a diagram explaining the configuration of the second embodiment, which can also be applied to transfer wafers between a boat and a cassette. 3 are explanatory diagrams showing an application example of the device of the present invention. 1... Fixed base, 2... Movable base, 3... Chuck, 4... Plate-shaped body (wafer), 5... Rotating screw shaft, 5a...
Threaded part, 6...Rotation transmission part movable in the axial direction,
6a... Spline shaft, 6b... Boss, 8... Nut, 9... (linear) guide, 11... Drive section ( drive motor), 16.
... Device of the present invention.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of movable bases 2 having chucks 3 that support plate-like bodies 4 are arranged at equal pitches on a fixed base 1 having chucks 3 that support plate-like bodies 4, and these movable bases 2 are movable along a guide 9 relative to the fixed base 1, and each movable base 2 is sequentially screwed onto the rotating screw shaft 5 and its threaded portion 5a on the fixed base 1.
A plate-shaped object transfer device comprising a drive unit 11 connected to a mechanism according to the invention and a rotation transmission unit 6 which is movable in the axial direction, and configured to rotate a rotary screw shaft 5 on a fixed base 1. (2) A plurality of movable bases 2 having chucks 3 for supporting the plate-like body 4 are attached to the fixed base 1 having the chuck 3 for supporting the plate-like body 4 in a plurality of N rows A, B, etc. at a pitch of P. Between adjacent rows A and B, between B and C...
The pitch between the movable bases 2 is set to 1/n·P, and the movable bases 2 in each row are movable along the guides 9 relative to the fixed base 1. are sequentially connected via a mechanism using a nut 8 screwed onto the rotating screw shaft 5 and its threaded portion 5a and a rotation transmission section 6 movable in the axial direction, and synchronizing the rotating screw shafts 5 in each row with the fixed base 1. A plate-like object transfer device comprising a drive unit 11 that rotates.