JPH0228612Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a loading device for a cassette case containing wafers used primarily in the manufacture of semiconductors.

Conventionally, wafers of this kind are housed in layers in a cassette case a as shown in the first diagram so that they can be taken out and taken out freely, and then placed in a cassette case storage chamber c of an ion implanter b as shown in the second diagram. Wafers d are sequentially sent from a to a vacuum processing chamber e, subjected to surface treatment, and then stored in an empty cassette case g prepared in another storage chamber f. However, each time the processing of the wafers d in the cassette case a is completed, it is necessary to manually replace the cassette cases a and g with another one, which has the drawback of poor workability.

These drawbacks can be solved by arranging two tables on which cassette cases are placed at intervals, one above the other, and rotating each table synchronized and intermittently using a rotating device. This can be solved by providing a moving table that carries the case and moves the case back and forth between the cassette storage chamber and the cassette case storage chamber, but the cassette case storage chamber of the surface treatment device is generally tilted and tilted up and down as shown in Figure 2. Since the wafers fall and are sent out or stored in the case, the case remains in contact with the side wall of the storage chamber even when the storage chamber is returned to a horizontal position for removal of the case. Sliding contact with the side surface may result in the product not being placed accurately on the movable platform, resulting in an accident of falling.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a loading device that prevents accidents such as falling of cassette cases. , 3 are arranged in two stages, upper and lower, and these tables 3,
3 is connected to a rotating device 4 that rotates the wafer surface processing devices 3 intermittently in synchronization, and along each table 3, 3, a cassette case storage chamber 6 of the ion implantation device and other wafer surface processing devices 5 on the side thereof is connected. In the case 2, the movable table 7 is provided with a movable table 7 that carries the case 2 and moves back and forth between A table 9 is provided, and a link 10 attached to the movable table 8 is attached to the arm piece 1 on the transverse movable table 9.
1, and when the moving table 8 reaches the cassette case storage chamber 6 and stops, the link 10 and the moving table 8 are connected via the spring 12 so that the link 8 is swung by the moving force of the moving table 8. It consists of

Figure 3 shows one example, in which the cassette case 2 is placed on a substantially circular table 3, 3.
Six pieces are placed at 60° intervals, and both tables 3, 3 are mounted on a rotating shaft 14 perpendicular to the machine frame 13.
It was installed in two stages, upper and lower, via bosses 15.

Further, each table 3, 3 is provided with a position setting device 16 for the cassette case 2 and a comb-shaped long groove 17, as shown in the fourth figure. When the projecting piece 18 rises, the cassette case 2 is lifted and becomes movable. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the movable table 7 slides along an elevating table 21 that is raised and lowered by a cylinder 20 on a base 19, and a horizontal guide rod 22 provided on the elevating table 21. The moving table 8 is movable, and the protruding piece 18 is movable upwardly on the movable table 8 in a direction transverse to the moving direction of the movable table 8.
The movable table 8 and the transverse movable table 9 are formed with the base 19.
It is moved along the guide rod 22 by a cylinder 23 provided in the guide rod 22 until it abuts against a stopper 24.

The horizontal movement table 9 is formed with a horizontally long elongated hole 27 that engages with one of the engagement shafts 25 and 26 protruding from the movement table 8, and the cylinder 23 is provided with a horizontally long hole 27 that engages with one of the engagement shafts 25 and 26 protruding from the movement table 8. A long groove 28 is formed that engages the arm piece 11 of the link 10 that can be swung back and forth, and when the tables 8 and 9 come into contact with the stopper 24, the link 10 is tensioned between it and the movable table 8. is swung against the provided spring 12,
Along with this, the side of the long groove 28 is pushed by the arm piece 11, and the lateral movement table 9 moves on the movement table 8 in the lateral direction. The spring 12 is one that deforms with a force stronger than the moving force of the tables 8 and 9. By making the moving table 7 perform this lateral movement, when the cassette case 2 is taken out from the storage chamber 6, even if the cassette case 2 is in contact with the side wall 6a, it can be released, and as described above, This prevents the case 1 and the side wall 6a from coming into sliding contact with each other, thereby preventing the case 1 from being unstablely placed on the movable table 7 and falling off. Furthermore, when storing the cassette case 2 in the storage chamber 6, it is inserted from the middle of the entrance of the storage chamber 6, so that it is possible to prevent the case 2 from colliding with the edge of the entrance and falling down.

In addition, a comb-shaped long groove 30 is formed in the bottom plate 29 of the storage chamber 6 so that the projecting piece 18 of the movable table 7 can enter therein and move laterally, and the case 2 in the chamber 6 is The cylinder 6b provided on the side of the wafer 1 is pressed against the side wall 6a on the side from which the wafer 1 is taken out for stability.

The turning device 4 has a rotating shaft 14, for example, as shown in the sixth figure.
An electromagnetic clutch 31 provided on the upper part of the rotary shaft 14, a cylinder 32 which is limited by stoppers 38 and 38 to rotate the clutch 60 degrees, and a cylinder 32 that engages with a groove 34 of a disc 33 fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 14. When the engaging pawl 36 is disengaged from the cut groove 34 by the cylinder 35, the clutch 31 is engaged and the cylinder 32 is extended to engage the rotating shaft 14. give a 60° turn to
When the engaging pawl 36 engages with the cut groove 34 again, the clutch 31 is disengaged and the cylinder 32 is retracted, causing the tables 3, which are integral with the rotary shaft 14, to rotate intermittently.

Next, to explain its operation, the upper table 3
Six cassette cases 2 containing wafers 1 to be surface-treated are placed on the lower table 3, and when the six empty cassette cases 2 are placed on the lower table 3, the lower movable table 7 of each table 3 is placed. Each lifting table 21
are raised by the cylinder 20, and the projecting pieces 18 lift up the case 2 above them. Next, the movable table 8 of each movable table 7 is moved by the cylinder 23 together with the transverse movable table 9 to the cassette case storage chamber 6 of the surface treatment apparatus.

When the moving table 8 reaches the moving end where the case 2 is accommodated in the chamber 6, it hits the stopper 24 and the moving table 8 stops, but the cylinder 23 is moved to the link 10.
As the link 10 continues to be pressed, the link 10 is swung against the spring 12, and its arm piece 11 moves against the moving table 8.
The upper lateral movement table 9 is moved laterally. As a result, each case 2 is housed in the housing chambers 6, so as to be in contact with the side walls 6a in the housing chambers 6, respectively.

Thereafter, the elevating table 21 is lowered, the cylinder 23 is contracted, and the moving table 8 and the lateral moving table 9 return to the position below each table 3, 3. The lateral movement table 9 is pulled by the spring 12 and returns to its original position when the cylinder 23 is contracted.

In the wafer surface processing apparatus, wafers 1 are sequentially fed into the processing chamber by falling under their own weight from case 2 in the upper storage chamber 6, and after ion implantation and other processing are completed there, the wafers are transferred to the empty case 2 in the lower storage chamber 6. 1
will be sent.

When the upper case 2 becomes empty and the lower case 2 becomes full of processed wafers 1, the movable table 8 of each movable stage 7 moves to the storage chamber 6 while the elevating table 21 is lowered. At the moving end of the moving table 8, the lateral moving table 9 moves laterally due to the swinging of the link 10 against the spring 12, and then the lifting table 21 rises to lift up the case 2 in each storage chamber 6, and the moving table 8 returns below the table 3, but when the movable table 8 returns, the horizontally movable table 9 first returns to its horizontally movable position due to the contraction of the spring 12, so that the case 2 that has been in contact with the side wall 6a of the storage chamber 6 is removed from the side wall 6a. Separate and take it out, the case 2 is on the side wall 6a
The case 2 can be safely returned to each table 3 without coming into sliding contact with the table and falling off.

Each case 2 is placed on the table 3 by lowering the elevating table 21. Thereafter, when the engaging claw 36 of the rotating device 4 is removed and the cylinder 35 is extended, the upper and lower tables 3, 3 rotate in synchronism, and the next cassette case 2 is positioned on each movable table 7, respectively.

The above operations are repeated until all the cassette cases 2 on the upper table 3 are empty and all the cassette cases 2 on the lower table 3 are filled with processed wafers.

In this way, according to the present invention, the movable table 7 is provided with the transversely movable table 9, and this is transversely movable by the link 10 that swings against the spring 12 of the movable table 8, so that the surface treatment apparatus 5 can be accommodated. The case 2 can be taken in and out without sliding on the side wall 6a of the chamber 6, and there is an effect of preventing the case 2 from falling while being transferred between the tables 3, 3 and the storage chamber 6.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cassette case, FIG. 2 is a side view of a part of the ion implanter, FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. - line and - line cutaway plan view of Figure 3, No. 6
The figure is a plan view of FIG. 3. 1...Wafer, 2...Cassette case, 3,3
...Table, 4...Swivel device, 5...Wafer surface treatment device, 6...Cassette case storage chamber, 7...
...Moving table, 8...Moving table, 9...Transverse movement table, 10...Link, 11...Arm piece, 12...
Spring.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] a table 3 on which cassette cases 2 capable of storing wafers 1 in and out are placed at intervals;
3 are arranged in two stages, upper and lower, and are connected to a rotating device 4 that synchronizes and intermittently rotates these tables 3, 3. In the type in which a moving table 7 is provided for reciprocating between the cassette case storage chamber 6 of the wafer surface processing apparatus 5 and the case 2 thereon, the moving table 8 constituting the moving table 7 has a A lateral movement table 9 movable laterally with respect to the movement direction is provided, and the arm piece 11 of the link 10 attached to the movement table 8 is engaged with the lateral movement table 9, so that the movement table 8 accommodates the cassette case. A loading device for a cassette case for wafers, in which a link 10 and a moving table 8 are connected via a spring 12 so that the link 10 is swung by the moving force of the moving table 8 when the moving table 8 reaches a chamber 6 and stops.