JPH0936219A - Cassette for substrate - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cassette for substrate which is contrived so that the bending of a substrate can be effectively prevented at the time of housing the substrate in the cassette even when the substrate has a large size. SOLUTION: A cassette for housing substrates B is constituted of a bottom frame 11 on the bottom side, a ceiling frame 12 on the top side, a receiving frame 13 which also works as a stopper on the back side, and a pair of grooved facing side faces 2 and 2 from which shelf pieces 22 are protruded inward from back wall sections 21 at prescribed pitches. This cassette is designed so that W=>=400 and L/W=1/10 to 1/4 can be met. The W and L respectively represent the effective width (mm) of the substrates B and protruded lengths (mm) of the pieces 22. When the size of the substrates B is larger, the pieces 22 are changed to longer ones.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate cassette designed so that even a large substrate can be effectively prevented from being bent when it is accommodated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When handling substrates such as glass substrates, they are placed in and out of a cassette so that they do not touch each other.
It is necessary to house it.

A widely used cassette for this purpose is to form a pair of opposite side surfaces of a box-shaped frame body with grooved side plates, and to put a substrate in and out between the corresponding grooves of both side plates. It was made possible. There are various shapes and designs of the grooved side plates, but basically all of them have a number of rib-shaped shelf pieces projecting in parallel from the back of the side plate at a predetermined pitch toward the inside of the cassette. It has a different shape. The space between the adjacent rib-shaped shelf pieces serves as a groove, and the substrate is put into and taken out of the groove.

At present, the protruding length of the rib-like shelf piece of the grooved side plate of the substrate cassette for accommodating the glass substrate is usually around 10 mm, and even when supporting a large glass substrate, the protruding length of the rib-like shelf piece. The length is about 16 mm or less.

Cassettes of the above type include, for example:
JP-A-2-295150, JP-A-3-133152, and JP-A-5-147 filed by the applicant.
There are cassettes disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 680, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-247483, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-286812, and the like.

[0006]

Generally, a glass substrate having a thickness of 1.1 mm or 0.7 mm is generally used, and it is considered that a glass substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm will be adopted in the future. There are various sizes of glass substrates, but until now, most of them had a size of 360 mm width or 400 mm width, but recently, those of 500 mm width or more, for example, 550 mm width, 600 mm width, The proportion of large items such as 650 mm width is increasing. The depth of the glass substrate is usually equal to or larger than the width to some extent.

By the way, even if the glass substrate is excellent in rigidity, its size is 500 mm or more and 550 or more.
As the size becomes larger, such as mm width or more and 600 mm width or more, the bending of the glass substrate when housed in a cassette cannot be ignored. As an example, the thickness is 0.7mm
When a glass substrate with a width of 550 mm is accommodated in the conventional cassette as described above, the bending at the center of the glass substrate is 10
It will be about mm.

If such a bending becomes large, the glass substrates cannot be smoothly moved in and out unless the pitch between the shelf pieces in each stage is increased, and the number of glass substrates that can be accommodated in one cassette is reduced. Less. Further, if the bending of the glass substrate when the cassette is accommodated becomes large, the risk of scratching the glass substrate cannot be ignored.

Under such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate cassette which is devised so that even a large substrate can be effectively prevented from being bent during accommodation. Is.

[0010]

A cassette for substrates according to the present invention comprises a bottom surface side frame (11) on the lower surface and a ceiling side frame on the upper surface.
(12), the back surface is composed of a receiving frame (13) as a stopper, respectively, and the pair of side surfaces facing each other is a shelf piece (22) at a predetermined pitch from the back meat portion (21) toward the inside of the cassette. Is composed of grooved side plates (2), (2) with a protruding structure, and a large board (B) is put in and out between the corresponding grooves of the grooved side plates (2), (2) facing each other. In the box-shaped cassette that is designed to be flexible, the effective width of the cassette that accommodates the substrate (B) is W (mm), and the protruding length of the shelf piece (22) of the grooved side plate (2) is L (mm). When W is 400 or more and L / W is
Designed to be 1/10 to 1/4, so large board (B)
Is characterized by being supported by a long shelf piece (22).

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail.

In the substrate cassette of the present invention, the lower surface is composed of the bottom surface side frame (11), the upper surface is constituted by the ceiling side frame (12), and the rear surface is constituted by the receiving frame (13) as a stopper. The material of these frames (1) is usually resin, but metal may be used. The bottom side frame (11) and the ceiling side frame (12) are often in a grid shape, but in order to prevent dust from adhering, the ceiling side frame (12) can be made into a plate shape so that it also serves as a lid or a grid shape. It is also possible to further provide a lid on the ceiling side frame (12).

Of these, the receiving frame (13) can support the innermost part of the substrate (B) housed in the cassette,
It is particularly desirable to form tongue-shaped ribs (13R) having the same pitch as the pitch of the shelf pieces (22) of the grooved side plate (2). Rib (13
The overhang length of R) can be set to, for example, about 10 mm or more and equal to or more than the overhang length L of the shelf piece (22) of the grooved side plate (2) described later.

The pair of side surfaces of the cassette facing each other have grooved side plates (2) having a structure in which shelf pieces (22) are projected from the back meat portion (21) toward the inside of the cassette at a predetermined pitch.
It consists of (2). Then, the large-sized substrate (B) is put in and taken out between the corresponding grooves of the grooved side plates (2), (2) facing each other.

The number of grooved side plates (2), (2) installed is at least two per one side (that is, one side) of the box shape, usually 3 to 6
The number is set to 3 to 5, in particular.

Further, in the present invention, the effective width of the cassette for accommodating the substrate (B) (side plates (2), (2) having opposite grooves facing each other)
The width between the back meat parts (21), (21), that is, the width between grooves, is W (mm),
When the protruding length of the shelf piece (22) of the grooved side plate (2) is L (mm), W is 400 or more (preferably 500 or more, especially 550 or more) and L / W is 1/10 to 1/4 (preferably 1 /
Design to be 8 to 1/4, especially 1/7 to 1 / 4.5).

For example, when W is 560 mm, L is 5
6-140 mm, preferably 70-140 mm, especially 80-
It will be 124 mm. As explained in the section of the prior art, the overhanging length of the shelf piece in the current cassette is usually 10 mm.
The length L of the shelf piece (22) in the present invention is remarkably longer than that of the conventional one because it is the front and rear and is about 16 mm even if it is long. The substrate width when the substrate (B) is a large glass substrate varies depending on each user, but is, for example, 550 mm, 600 mm, 650 mm, 720 mm, 80 mm.
For example, 0 mm.

When W and L / W are in the above ranges, the bending of the substrate (B) is effectively suppressed, and a space corresponding to the width of the arm of the robot for loading and unloading the substrate (B) is provided in the middle. Can be taken.

The surface of the back meat portion (21) of each step of the grooved side plates (2), (2) may be an inclined surface in which the lower portion is projected forward rather than the upper portion. Further, the surface of the back meat portion (21) may be a tapered surface in which the center line projects slightly forward rather than both sides thereof. This is because contact with the edge of the substrate (B) is reduced and it is convenient for preventing dust from being generated.

The shelf pieces (22) of the grooved side plates (2), (2) may be provided so as to project horizontally, and may be slightly upward so that they become higher toward the free end side. It may be provided. A bulge may be provided on the free end side of the shelf piece (22). The upper surface of the shelf piece (22) can also be formed like a ridge.

The grooved side plate (2) can be formed only of resin, but a metal body such as aluminum or stainless steel is used as a skeleton material and at least the front side of the back meat portion (21) and the shelf piece (22). Is preferably formed of a resin body.

In this case, at least a part of the contact portion of the resin body with the substrate (B) is made of a dust-preventing resin (for example, a non-filler natural resin which hardly produces dust even by abrasion) or an elastomer resin. In addition to the above, it is also possible to form the other part of the resin body with a conductive resin body (a resin itself having conductivity or a resin containing a conductive substance). In particular, when at least the upper surface and the free end side of the shelf piece (22) are formed of an elastomer resin, it is possible to effectively prevent the accommodation substrate (B) from rattling during transportation of the cassette.

A dust-preventing resin using a metal body as a skeleton material,
In order to form a resin body made of an elastomeric resin, a resin containing a conductive substance, etc., when a resin is injection-molded using a metal body as an outsert or an insert, a method of double-molding different types of resin Appropriate means can be adopted, including a method of previously inserting a resin molded body into a groove of a metal body and then injecting the resin.

As the resin, polyether ether ketone, polyether imide, polyimide, polyamide imide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyarylate, polysulfone, polyallyl sulfone, polyether sulfone, polyphenylene ether sulfone, modified polyphenylene oxide, polyether amide. , Perfluoroalkoxy-substituted polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-based polymer, ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyamide, various elastomer-based resins and the like are used. Examples of the conductive substance include metal fibers, metal particles, carbon fibers, carbon black (Ketjen black, etc.), graphite, ionic polymers and the like. The volume resistance value of the conductive resin body is, for example, 10 ⁴ to 10 ¹¹ Ω, particularly 10 ⁵ to 10 ⁹
It is preferable to set to Ω. As the dust-preventing resin, viscous resins such as polyether aleketone and polyether imide are used.

A member for preventing popping out can be installed at the substrate entrance / exit of the cassette, or a member for preventing rattling of the substrate (B) can be attached to the side surface of the cassette.

Examples of the substrate (B) to be accommodated in the cassette having the above structure include various substrates such as a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate and various composite substrates, and the glass substrate is particularly important.

[0027]

In the cassette of the present invention, the effective width of the cassette for accommodating the substrate (B) is W (mm), and the shelf piece of the grooved side plate (2) is used.
When the overhang length of (22) is L (mm), W is designed to be 400 or more and L / W is 1/10 to 1/4. In other words, the large board (B) is supported by the long shelf piece (22).

As a typical example, comparing the cassette of the present invention with the conventional cassette, a glass substrate having a width of 550 mm and a thickness of 0.7 mm is conventionally used as a groove for extending the shelf piece (22) with a groove length of, for example, 16 mm. The side plates (2) and (2) are attached, and the bending at the center of the glass substrate at that time was about 10 mm, whereas when the cassette of the present invention was used, the same thickness and size were used. For example, a glass substrate is a shelf piece with a grooved side plate (2), (2) having a protruding length L of the shelf piece (22) of 100 mm.
Since it will be supported by (22), the deflection in the central portion of the glass substrate is only about 1 to 2 mm.

Thus, according to the present invention, a large substrate
Even with (B), since the deflection is small, grooved side plates (2), (2)
The pitch of the shelf pieces (22) can be set to the minimum, and the robot arm can smoothly perform the operation of moving the substrate (B) in and out. Further, according to the cassette of the present invention,
There is also an advantage that the distortion and movement of the substrate (B) is small when the cassette is shaken.

In addition, in the cassette of the present invention, when the receiving frame (13) on which the ribs (13R) having the same pitch as the pitch of the shelf pieces (22) of the grooved side plate (2) are formed is used, Since (B) is also supported at the innermost portion of the substrate (B) contained in the cassette, the bending and movement of the substrate (B) are further reduced.

Furthermore, the grooved side plate (2) uses a metal body as a skeleton material and at least the front side of the back meat part (21) and the shelf piece (2).
If 2) is made of a resin body, the required strength can be obtained even if the width of the grooved side plate (2) supporting the substrate (B) is narrowed. In addition, at least a part of the contact part of the resin body with the substrate (B) is formed of a dust-preventive resin or an elastomer resin, and the other part of the resin body is formed of a conductive material-containing resin. By doing so, electrification at the time of handling the substrate (B) is effectively prevented, and dust is less likely to be generated even if the edge or the back surface of the substrate (B) contacts. Especially shelf pieces (2
When at least the upper surface and the free end side of 2) are formed of an elastomer resin, the accommodation substrate during transportation of the cassette
(B) rattling can be effectively prevented.

[0032]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be further described with reference to examples.

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a substrate cassette of the present invention,
2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a side view thereof.

(1) is a frame, and the bottom frame (1
1), consisting of a ceiling side frame (12) and a receiving frame (13). The bottom frame (11), the ceiling frame (12), for example, polyetherimide, polyether-terketone,
It consists of lattice-shaped injection molded products such as ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer and polycarbonate.

As shown in FIG. 3, the receiving frame (13) is formed with ribs (13R) having the same pitch and the same pitch as the pitch of the shelf pieces (22) of the grooved side plate (2) described later. .

(2) is a grooved side plate, the bottom side frame
(11) -Four screws are attached per surface between the ceiling side frame (12). In this embodiment, the grooved side plate (2) is made of a metal-resin composite plate obtained by injection molding a resin using an aluminum alloy as an example of a metal body as an outsert.

(B) is a large glass substrate having a thickness of 0.7 mm, a width of 550 mm, and a depth of 650 mm as an example of the substrate (only one of the lowermost plates is shown in FIG. 2), and has a groove facing each other. It is housed in the space between the corresponding shelves (22), (22) of the side plates (2), (2).

The effective width W of the cassette is 560 mm, which is slightly wider than the width 550 mm of the substrate (B).

The grooved side plate (2) extends from the back meat portion (21) to the shelf piece (2
2) has a structure that protrudes toward the inside of the cassette at a pitch of 20 mm. The number of shelves 22 is 24, and the protruding length L of the shelves 22 is 100 mm. Therefore,
The L / W is 100/560, which is within the range of 1/10 to 1/4.
The width of the back part (21) of the grooved side plate (2) is 55 mm, and the shelf piece (2
The width of 2) is 20 mm.

The shelf piece (22) of the grooved side plate (2) is installed substantially horizontally (correctly, at an inclination angle of 2 ° so that its free end side is higher than the base end side), and The free end of the piece (22) is rounded.

The large-sized substrates (B) housed in the respective steps of the grooved side plates (2), (2) of the substrate cassette having the above structure are the left and right shelves of the grooved side plates (2), (2). The innermost part of the substrate (B) is supported by the ribs (13R) of the receiving frame (13) supported by the pieces (22), (22), and the deflection at the center of the substrate (B) is 1 Only ~ 2mm. Even in this state, the space required for inserting the robot hand for loading / unloading the substrate (B) is secured in the central area of the cassette.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the grooved side plate (2) of the substrate cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

In Example 2, the grooved side plate (2) is made of a metal-resin composite plate in which a resin is injection-molded in multiple layers using an aluminum alloy as an example of the metal body (M) as an outsert. . The surface of the back meat part (21) of the grooved side plate (2) is lower than the upper part of the back meat part (21) of each step between the grooves of the adjacent shelf pieces (22), (22). The surface of the back meat portion (21) of each step is a tapered surface that projects slightly forward from the center line rather than from both sides.

The surface side of the back part (21) of the resin body (R) and the inside side of the shelf piece (22) are made of carbon fiber (Ketjen black, graphite, etc.) as an example of a resin containing a conductive substance. A resin body having a volume resistance value in the range of 10 ⁴ to 10 ¹¹ Ω, which is made of polyetheretherketone (may be polyetherimide, polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene, polycarbonate, etc.) The area near the center line of (21) is formed of a dust-preventing resin (non-filler natural resin) such as polyetheretherketone or polyetherimide, and of the surface of the shelf piece (22). At least the upper surface side and the free end portion are formed of an elastomer resin so as to prevent the movement of the substrate (B). The upper surface of the shelf piece (22) is formed in a ridge shape.

Embodiment 3 FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing still another example of the grooved side plate (2) of the substrate cassette of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view thereof.

In the third embodiment, the grooved side plate (2) is made of a metal-resin composite plate in which a resin is injection-molded multiple times using an aluminum alloy as an example of the metal body (M) as an outsert. . The surface of the back meat part (21) of the grooved side plate (2) is lower than the upper part of the back meat part (21) of each step between the grooves of the adjacent shelf pieces (22), (22). It is designed to have an inclined surface that protrudes forward.

The surface side of the back meat portion (21) of the resin body (R) and the inside side of the shelf piece (22) are made of carbon fiber (Ketjen black, graphite, etc.) as an example of the conductive material-containing resin. A resin body having a volume resistance value in the range of 10 4 to 10 11 Ω, which is made of polyetheretherketone (may be polyetherimide, polyphenylene sulfide, polypropylene, polycarbonate, etc.) internally added with The center line of the shelf is made of dust-preventing resin (non-filler natural resin) such as polyetheretherketone and polyetherimide. The end portion is formed of an elastomer resin so as to prevent the movement of the substrate (B). The upper surface of the shelf piece (22) is formed in a ridge shape.

[0048]

According to the cassette of the present invention, the substrate (B)
Since the long shelf (22) is used to support the
Even when (B) is a large glass substrate or the like, the bending when the cassette is housed is effectively prevented. In addition, the receiving frame (1
If the rib (13R) having the same pitch as the pitch of the shelf piece (22) of the grooved side plate (2) is used as 3), the board (B)
Is also supported in the deepest part of the substrate (B) housed in the cassette, so that the bending of the substrate (B) is further reduced.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the flexure is small even when a large substrate (B) is accommodated, the grooved side plate (2),
The pitch of the shelf pieces (22) of (2) can be set to the minimum, and furthermore, the board arm (B) can be smoothly moved in and out by the robot arm. Further, according to the cassette of the present invention, there is also an advantage that the distortion and movement of the substrate (B) when the shake is applied to the cassette is small.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a substrate cassette according to the present invention.

2 is a front view of the cassette of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the cassette of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another example of the grooved side plate (2) of the substrate cassette of the present invention.

5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing still another example of the grooved side plate (2) of the substrate cassette of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 (1) ... frame, (11) ... bottom frame, (12) ... ceiling frame, (13) ... receiving frame, (13R) ... rib, (2) ... grooved side plate, (21) ... back meat part , (22) ... Shelves, (M) ... Metal body, (R) ... Resin body, (B) ... Substrate

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A bottom surface frame (11) on the bottom surface, a ceiling frame (12) on the top surface, and a receiving frame as a stopper on the back surface.
The pair of side surfaces, which are respectively constituted by (13), have a structure in which the shelf pieces (22) are projected toward the inside of the cassette from the back meat portion (21) at a predetermined pitch (2). ), (2), in the box-shaped cassette that allows the large board (B) to enter and exit between the corresponding grooves of the grooved side plates (2) and (2) facing each other, When the effective width of the cassette accommodating the substrate (B) is W (mm) and the protruding length of the shelf piece (22) of the grooved side plate (2) is L (mm), W is 400 or more and L / A substrate cassette characterized in that W is designed to be 1/10 to 1/4 so that a large substrate (B) is supported by a long shelf piece (22). 2. W is 500 or more and L / W is 1/8 to 1/4.
The cassette for substrates according to claim 1. 3. The substrate cassette according to claim 1, wherein the receiving frame (13) is provided with ribs (13R) having the same pitch as the pitch of the shelf pieces (22) of the grooved side plate (2).