JP7400616B2 - Transfer equipment and container transfer method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to transfer equipment and a container transfer method for transferring a container containing an article to a processing device that processes the article.

Examples of the transfer equipment include equipment that transfers a cassette (container) containing a substrate to a chamber that is a processing device (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In the transfer equipment of Patent Document 1, a cassette (container) on a transport cart unit is carried into the equipment by a cassette transport unit, and placed on a support pedestal (load receiving stand) provided above a chamber (processing device). be done. The cassette placed on the support frame is transported downward by a cassette transfer unit (transfer machine) and transferred to the chamber.
Further, the cassette on the chamber is lifted and conveyed by the cassette transfer unit and placed on the support frame. The cassette placed on the support frame is transported to a transport cart unit outside the facility by a cassette transport unit.

Korean Registered Patent No. 10-1511963

However, in the above transfer equipment, when the cassette transfer unit (transfer machine) moves the cassette (container) up and down, the cassette interferes with the support platform (load receiving platform). Therefore, in order to avoid interference with the support pedestal, operations such as rotating the cassette by the cassette transfer unit are required, and there is a problem in that it takes time to transfer the cassette between the support pedestal and the chamber (processing device). was there.
Further, by performing the above operation, there is a problem that the cassette transfer unit cannot hold the cassette in a positioned state, and the transfer accuracy of the cassette transfer unit deteriorates.

Therefore, the present invention provides a transfer facility for transferring containers containing articles to a processing device that processes the articles, which includes a load port of the processing device and a receiving platform provided above the load port of the processing device. The purpose of the present invention is to provide transfer equipment and a container transfer method that can efficiently transfer containers between the two locations.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above, and next, means for solving this problem will be explained.

That is, the transfer equipment of the present invention:
a cargo receiving stand that is provided above a processing device that processes articles and receives a container that accommodates the articles;
a transfer machine that carries out or carries the container into or out of the loading platform, and lifts and lowers the container to be carried out or in between the loading platform and the load port of the processing device;
Equipped with
A transfer facility in which the cargo receiving platform, the transfer machine, and the load port of the processing device are arranged at a position where they overlap each other in a plan view,
The loading platform has a rotating shaft provided at a position away from the up-and-down path of the container, so that it can be moved between a first position located on the up-down path of the container and a second position away from the up-down path of the container. the container is rotatably supported between the two positions, and receives the container at the first position;
The loading platform includes a positioning member that positions the container on the loading platform by coming into contact with the container supported by the loading platform,
The positioning member has a surface in contact with the container formed by a curved surface along a rotational trajectory of the cargo receiving platform centered on the rotational axis.

In the transfer equipment of the present invention, the loading platform is rotatably supported by the rotating shaft whose axis is in the vertical direction.
In the above configuration, the loading platform is moved between a first position located on the vertical path of the container and a second position away from the vertical path of the container by rotation of the rotating shaft whose axis is vertical. Rotate between.

In the transfer equipment of the present invention, the cargo receiving platform is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft whose axis is in a horizontal direction.
In the above configuration, the loading platform is moved between a first position located on the vertical path of the container and a second position away from the vertical path of the container by rotation of the rotating shaft whose axis is in the horizontal direction. Rotate between.

The transfer method of the present invention includes:
a cargo receiving stand that is provided above a processing device that processes articles and receives a container that accommodates the articles;
a transfer machine that carries out or carries the container into or out of the loading platform, and lifts and lowers the container to be carried out or in between the loading platform and the load port of the processing device;
Equipped with
A container transfer method in a transfer facility in which the cargo receiving platform, the transfer machine, and the load port of the processing device are arranged at positions overlapping each other in a plan view,
The loading platform is moved between a first position located on the vertical path of the container and a second position located away from the vertical path of the container by a rotation shaft provided at a position away from the vertical path of the container. It supports rotatably between positions,
The positioning member provided on the cargo receiving platform has a contact surface configured by a curved surface along a rotational trajectory of the cargo receiving platform centered on the rotation axis, and the positioning member is provided on the cargo receiving platform . positioning the container on the stand ;
carrying out the container supported by the loading platform located at the first position from the loading platform by the transfer machine;
By rotating the cargo receiving platform from the first position to the second position by rotation of the rotation shaft, a lifting path for the container by the transfer machine is formed;
In this method, the container carried out from the loading platform is moved downward to a load port of the processing device by the transfer machine.

In the above method, the loading platform is rotated from a first position located on the container lifting path to a second position away from the container lifting path by rotation of the rotating shaft. After forming a vertical path for the container, the container carried out from the receiving platform is moved downward to the load port of the processing device.

According to the transfer equipment and container transfer method of the present invention, the cargo receiving platform is rotatable from the first position located on the container lifting path to the second position located away from the container lifting path. Therefore, when moving the container up and down between the loading platform and the load port of the processing device, the loading platform can be moved to a position that avoids the vertical path of the container. Therefore, when moving the container up and down, the container does not interfere with the receiving platform (the container does not come into contact with the receiving platform). Therefore, there is no need for operations such as rotating the container by a transfer machine to avoid interference with the receiving platform, and containers can be efficiently transferred between the receiving platform and the load port of the processing device. .
Moreover, since the transfer machine does not need to perform the above-mentioned operation, the transfer machine can hold the container in a positioned state, and the transfer accuracy of the transfer machine can be improved.
Furthermore, since the loading platform is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft, the mechanism for operating the loading platform can be configured by a simple mechanism consisting of a bearing, a rotation shaft, a motor, and the like. In addition, by covering the bearing, rotating shaft, motor, etc. with a housing, etc., it is possible to easily contain dust generated from the operating mechanism of the loading platform. It can be configured with a mechanism that can easily contain the dust source.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a transfer facility according to the present invention. It is a front view of the same transfer equipment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the transfer equipment. It is a front view when a cassette is transferred by the transfer machine in the same transfer equipment. (a) is a schematic plan view showing the rotation of the loading platform in the same transfer equipment and a schematic enlarged plan view of the guide block; (b) is a diagram showing the rotation of the loading platform in another embodiment of the same transfer equipment. A schematic plan view and a schematic enlarged plan view of a guide block, and (c) are a schematic plan view and a schematic enlarged plan view of a guide block showing rotation of a cargo receiving platform of another embodiment in the same transfer equipment. (a) is a front view when a cassette is placed on a loading platform in a transfer facility according to another embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a front view when a cassette is transferred by a transfer machine in the same transfer facility. FIG. It is a top view of the transfer equipment based on another implementation of this invention. (a) is a plan view of a loading platform in a transfer facility according to another implementation of the present invention, (b) is a side view of the loading platform when the loading platform is located at the cassette receiving position, and (c) is a side view of the loading platform when the loading platform is located at the cassette receiving position. , is a side view of the cargo receiving platform when the cargo receiving platform is located at the platform standby position. (a) is a plan view of a loading platform in a transfer facility according to another implementation of the present invention, (b) is a side view of the loading platform when the loading platform is located at the cassette receiving position, and (c) is a side view of the loading platform when the loading platform is located at the cassette receiving position. , is a side view of the cargo receiving platform when the cargo receiving platform is located at the platform standby position.

The transfer equipment 10 according to the present invention will be explained.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer equipment 10 includes a vapor deposition apparatus 80 (an example of an "article") that performs vapor deposition processing on a substrate 91 (an example of an "article") that is a work-in-progress product of a semiconductor product or a liquid crystal display element product. This is equipment attached to a "processing device" (an example of "processing equipment"). In the transfer equipment 10 , a cassette 90 (an example of a “container”) containing a plate-shaped substrate 91 is loaded into the vapor deposition apparatus 80 from a carrier 86 that runs along a trolley running rail 85 outside the transfer equipment 10 . It is carried into the port 83 and carried out from the load port 83 of the vapor deposition apparatus 80 to the transport cart 86 outside the transfer equipment 10 .
The cassette 90 transported in the transfer facility 10 is formed of a substantially box-shaped member with one side or both sides open, and is configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of substrates 91 therein. The cassette 90 has a plurality of flange portions 92 formed on its upper portion to be engaged with a transfer device 20, which will be described later. The flange portions 92 are constituted by hook-shaped members provided to protrude from the upper surface of the cassette 90, and are provided at multiple locations on the upper surface of the cassette 90.

As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer equipment 10 is attached above the vapor deposition apparatus 80. The entire vapor deposition device 80 attached to the transfer equipment 10 is covered by a device housing 81 . The device housing 81 has an internal space in which the vapor deposition device 80 can be stored. The device housing 81 has a cassette loading port 82 formed in its upper portion for transporting the cassette 90 inside.
The device housing 81 is provided with a load port 83 for placing the cassette 90 in its internal space. Specifically, the load port 83 is provided directly below the cassette loading port 82 (directly below the transfer machine 20 described later and on the vertical path of the cassette 90 that is moved up and down by the transfer machine 20).

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the side of the transfer equipment 10 and above the vapor deposition device 80, a fork unit 40 is provided to transport the cassettes 90 on the transport cart 86 to the transfer equipment 10. There is. The fork unit 40 places the cassette 90 on the mounting surface 41a of the fork 41 and moves the fork 41 in and out in the horizontal direction to carry out the cassette 90 from the carrier 86 and transfer the carried out cassette 90. It is carried into the equipment 10. Further, the fork unit 40 carries out the cassette 90 from within the transfer facility 10 and carries the carried out cassette 90 into the transport carriage 86. In this way, the cassette 90 is carried in or out from above the vapor deposition apparatus 80 and from the side of the transfer equipment 10.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the transfer equipment 10 includes a transfer machine 20 that raises and lowers the cassette 90, a pusher 25 that positions the cassette 90 with respect to the transfer machine 20, a fork unit 40, and a transfer machine. 20 is provided.
The transfer machine 20, the loading platform 30, and the load port 83 of the vapor deposition apparatus 80 are arranged at positions overlapping each other in a plan view. Specifically, the transfer equipment 10 is arranged from above (ceiling side) in the order of the transfer machine 20 , the cargo receiving platform 30 , and the load port 83 , and the receiving platform 30 and the loading port 83 are connected to the cassettes by the transfer device 20 . 90 is placed on the ascending and descending route.

The transfer machine 20 is provided above the load port 83, and is arranged at a position overlapping the loading platform 30 and the load port 83 in a plan view. The transfer machine 20 unloads the cassette 90 conveyed to the loading platform 30 by the fork unit 40 from the loading platform 30, and carries the cassette 90 into the load port 83 by moving the unloaded cassette 90 downward in the vertical direction. Further, the transfer machine 20 carries out the cassette 90 from the load port 83 by moving the cassette 90 on the load port 83 upward in the vertical direction, and carries the carried out cassette 90 into the loading platform 30.
The transfer machine 20 transports the cassette 90 by locking the upper part of the cassette 90 above the vapor deposition apparatus 80 and moving the cassette 90 up and down in the vertical direction. The transfer machine 20 mainly includes an elevating mechanism 21 that moves the cassette 90 up and down, and a locking mechanism 24 that locks the upper part of the cassette 90.

The elevating mechanism 21 supports the locking mechanism 24 in a suspended state by a rotation shaft 22B. The elevating mechanism 21 includes a first elevating section 22 that moves the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) up and down, and a second elevating section 23 that moves the first elevating section 22 and the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) up and down. It is configured. The elevating mechanism 21 elevates and lowers the cassette 90 through two-stage elevating and lowering movements by the first elevating section 22 and the second elevating section 23 .
The first elevating section 22 includes a plurality of elevating belts 22A that suspend and support the locking mechanism 24, a rotating shaft 22B that integrally winds up and unwinds the elevating belt 22A, and a rotating shaft 22B that rotates the rotating shaft 22B. It is mainly composed of a first motor 22C. The first elevating section 22 moves the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) up and down by rotating the rotating shaft 22B by driving the first motor 22C and winding up and unwinding the elevating belt 22A. Since the first elevating section 22 moves the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) up and down by winding and unwinding the elevating belt 22A, it is possible to easily perform fine positioning of the cassette 90 with respect to the load port 83. can.
The second elevating section 23 includes a support body 23A that rotatably supports both ends of the rotation shaft 22B, a guide body 23B that guides the support body 23A so as to be movable up and down, and a drive belt 23C that moves the support body 23A up and down. , and a second motor 23D for rotating the drive belt 23C.
The support body 23A is constituted by a pair of elongated members, and has an upper end that stands vertically and rotatably supports the rotation shaft 22B, and a lower end that can be raised and lowered by a guide body 23B. be guided. The guide body 23B is composed of a pair of elongated members. The drive belt 23C is rotatably spanned between the upper end and the lower end of the guide body 23B. The second motor 23D is provided at the upper end of the guide body 23B.
The second elevating section 23 moves the support body 23A up and down along the guide body 23B by driving the second motor 23D and rotating the drive belt 23C. As a result, the rotating shaft 22B supported by the support body 23A moves up and down, and the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) supported via the lifting belt 22A moves up and down. The second elevating section 23 roughly aligns the cassette 90 with respect to the load port 83 by moving the rotation shaft 22B up and down between a pair of elongated guide bodies 23B extending in the vertical direction. .

The locking mechanism 24 is supported by the plurality of elevating belts 22A, and locks the flange portion 92 at the top of the cassette 90. The locking mechanism 24 has a locking portion 24A for locking the flange portion 92 of the cassette 90 on the side facing the cassette 90 when the cassette 90 is locked. A plurality of locking portions 24A (four in FIG. 3) are provided at positions corresponding to the flange portions 92 of the cassette 90. The locking portion 24A is formed of a hook-shaped member that can be locked to the flange portion 92, and the hook-shaped member is configured to be pivotable in a predetermined direction. The locking mechanism 24 supports the cassette 90 in a suspended state by locking the flange portion 92 with the locking portion 24A.

The pusher 25 comes into contact with the cassette 90 placed on the loading platform 30, thereby regulating the movement of the cassette 90 on the loading platform 30 and positioning the cassette 90 with respect to the transfer machine 20. The pusher 25 is erected on a base 26 supported by the support body 23A, and the pusher 25 supports the cassette 90 placed on the loading platform 30 so that the cassette 90 placed on the loading platform 30 is sandwiched between the pair of pushers 25. It is placed near the diagonal position of . The pusher 25 includes a pusher body 25A supported by a base 26, and an arm 25B supported by the pusher body 25A and movable horizontally. The arm portion 25B is configured to be able to come into contact with the cassette 90. The pusher 25 holds the cassette 90 in a predetermined position by bringing the arm portion 25B into contact with the cassette 90 so as to sandwich the arm portion 25B together with the arm portion 25B of the paired pusher 25 from a diagonal position of the cassette 90 on the loading platform 30. Adjust to position. Here, the predetermined position is a position where the transfer machine 20 can move up and down while retaining the attitude of the cassette 90 on the loading platform 30. When the transfer machine 20 unloads the cassette 90 from the loading table 30, the arm portion 25B is brought into contact with the cassette 90 by extending toward the cassette 90 by driving an air cylinder. When the cassette 90 is moved up and down by the transfer device 20, the arm section 25B is moved in a direction away from the up and down path of the cassette 90 by contracting and moving away from the cassette 90 by driving an air cylinder.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the loading platform 30 is a platform that receives the cassettes 90 carried into the transfer equipment 10 by the fork unit 40 and the cassettes 90 carried out from the load port 83 by the transfer machine 20. be.
The loading platform 30 supports the bottom surface of the corner of the cassette 90. Specifically, the load receiving stands 30 are arranged at each of the four corners of the cassette 90, and the bottom surfaces of the four corners of the cassette 90 are supported by the four receiving stands 30. When the loading platform 30 is located at the cassette receiving position U (an example of a "first position") on the path where the transfer machine 20 moves the cassettes 90 up and down (the up and down path of the cassettes 90), the loading platform 30 They are placed near each corner. Here, the cassette receiving position U is a position in the transfer equipment 10 where the cargo receiving platform 30 receives the cassette 90 from the fork unit 40 or the transfer machine 20 (the loading/unloading position of the cassette 90 in the transfer equipment 10). , is a position above the load port 83 where the path along which the fork 41 of the fork unit 40 transports the cassette 90 intersects with the path through which the transfer machine 20 moves the cassette 90 up and down.

The loading platform 30 includes a base section 31, a loading section 32 on which the cassette 90 is placed, a pair of guide blocks 33 (an example of a "positioning member") for positioning the cassette 90 on the loading section 32, and a loading section 32. It is comprised of a stopper 37 that limits the rotation range of the stand 30 (base part 31).
The base portion 31 is constituted by a plate-shaped member arranged in the horizontal direction, and supports the mounting portion 32 and the guide block 33 on its upper surface. The base portion 31 has one end fixed to a rotating shaft 35 via a bearing 34, and rotates in the horizontal direction as the rotating shaft 35 rotates. The bearing 34 is fixed to the base 26.
The rotation shaft 35 extends at a position away from the ascending and descending path of the cassette 90 by the transfer machine 20 (a position away from the cassette receiving position U) so that its axis is in the vertical direction. The rotation shaft 35 is driven by a motor 36 provided at its lower end.
Here, as a mechanism for operating the loading platform (base part), a sliding mechanism that slides the loading platform in the horizontal direction can be mentioned, but the sliding mechanism must include a motor that slides the loading platform. In addition, a rail or the like is required for sliding the loading platform, so the operating mechanism of the loading platform becomes large-scale. Moreover, the above-mentioned sliding mechanism is a mechanism that generates many dusts because it slides the loading platform. Furthermore, in order to contain the dust generated from the sliding mechanism, it is necessary to cover the motor and the like with a casing, as well as the rails and the like, making it difficult to contain the dust source easily.
On the other hand, since the mechanism for operating the loading platform 30 of the transfer equipment 10 is a rotating mechanism consisting of a bearing 34, a rotating shaft 35, and a motor 36, the operating mechanism of the loading platform 30 can be implemented using a simple mechanism. Can be configured. In addition, the above-mentioned rotation mechanism operates the loading platform 30 by rotating the rotation shaft 35, and therefore is a mechanism that generates less dust. Furthermore, in the rotating mechanism, dust generated from the rotating mechanism can be contained by covering the bearing 34, rotating shaft 35, and motor 36 with a housing, etc., so that the source of dust generation can be easily contained. can be included.

The mounting section 32 is constituted by a pillar material on which the cassette 90 can be mounted, and stands on the other end of the base section 31 (the end opposite to the side where the rotation shaft 35 is provided). It is set up. The mounting section 32 has a mounting surface 32a formed on the top thereof on which the cassette 90 is mounted.

The guide block 33 is constituted by a column having a substantially circular cross section, and is erected at the other end of the base portion 31 . The guide block 33 positions the cassette 90 on the mounting section 32 and prevents the cassette 90 from falling from the mounting section 32. The guide blocks 33 are arranged in such a position that when the cassette 90 is placed on the placement section 32, the corner portions of the cassette 90 are sandwiched between the pair of guide blocks 33. The top of the guide block 33 is formed higher than the top of the mounting section 32 (the mounting surface 32a). The guide block 33 has an inclined portion 33a (see FIG. 5) having an inclined peripheral end at the top thereof.
The guide block 33 positions the cassette 90 on the mounting section 32 and prevents the cassette 90 from falling from the mounting section 32 by abutting the side surface of the corner of the cassette 90 on the guide block 33 . Further, when the cassette 90 to be placed on the placing section 32 rides on the top of the guide block 33, the guide block 33 allows the cassette 90 to slide down the slope 33a of the guide block 33. is guided to a predetermined position on the mounting section 32. Further, if the cassette 90 is held by the guide block 33 while riding on the top of the guide block 33, it is detected that the transfer of the cassette 90 to the mounting section 32 is abnormal.

As shown in FIG. 5(a), the guide block 33 has a contact surface 33b that contacts the side surface of the corner of the cassette 90 along the rotational trajectory K of the loading platform 30 centered on the rotational axis 35. It is composed of curved surfaces. Specifically, the outer circumferential side surface of the guide block 33, which constitutes the contact surface 33b of the guide block 33, is formed into a curved shape along the rotation path K. In this way, by making the abutment surface 33b of the guide block 33 a curved surface along the rotational path K of the loading platform 30 around the rotating shaft 35, the loading platform 30 can rotate around the rotating shaft 35. Even if the distance between the loading platform 30 and the cassette 90 changes due to movement, the cassette 90 can be positioned at an appropriate position on the mounting section 32. Note that if the abutting surface 33b of the guide block 33 is formed into a curved surface, for example, the abutting surface 33b of the guide block 33 is connected to the loading platform 30 (base It may be constructed by a pillar member having an arcuate cross-sectional shape and curved along the rotational path K of the portion 31). In addition, like the guide block 33B shown in FIG. 5(c), the contact surface 33b of the guide block 33 is made of a plate material curved along the rotational path K of the cargo receiving platform 30 (base portion 31). I don't mind if you do.

As shown in FIG. 3, the loading platform 30 is moved to the cassette receiving position U (an example of the "first position") by rotating the rotating shaft 35 in accordance with the vertical movement of the cassette 90 by the transfer machine 20. and a table standby position T (an example of a "second position"). Here, the platform standby position T is a position where the loading platform 30 does not come into contact with the cassette 90 that is moved up and down by the transfer machine 20, and when the fork unit 40 transports the cassette 90 to the cassette receiving position U. 30 is a position where the fork unit 40 does not come into contact with the fork 41.
When receiving the cassette 90 from the fork unit 40 or the transfer machine 20, the loading platform 30 rotates to the cassette receiving position U by rotation of the rotation shaft 35. Specifically, the base section 31 of the cargo receiving platform 30 is rotated to a position where the mounting surface 32a of the mounting section 32 of the cargo receiving platform 30 comes into contact with the bottom surface of the corner of the cassette 90 located at the cassette receiving position U. do. On the other hand, when the transfer machine 20 moves the cassette 90 up and down, the loading platform 30 is located at a platform standby position T away from the up and down path of the cassette 90. Specifically, the base portion 31 of the cargo receiving platform 30 is rotated to a position where the loading section 32 and the guide block 33 of the cargo receiving platform 30 do not come into contact with the cassette 90 located at the cassette receiving position U.

In the cargo receiving platform 30, the rotation range of the base portion 31 is limited by the stopper 37. Specifically, the stopper 37 stops the horizontally rotating base part 31 at the cassette receiving position U and the standby position T, so that the rotation range of the base part 31 is changed between the cassette receiving position U and the standby position T. It is limited between the standby position T and the standby position T. The stopper 37 includes a pair of movable blocks 37A fixed to the base 31 (movable side) and a fixed stopper 37B fixed to the base 26 (fixed side).
The movable block 37A is a member that projects horizontally from the side of the base portion 31, and rotates as the base portion 31 rotates.
The fixed stopper 37B is a member that protrudes upward from the base 26, and the movable block 37A comes into contact with either end of the fixed stopper 37B, thereby stopping the rotation of the base 31.
The stopper 37 is configured such that when the base portion 31 rotates from the cassette receiving position U and is located at the standby position T, one movable block 37A of the pair of movable blocks 37A touches one end of the fixed stopper 37B. By coming into contact with the base portion, the base portion 31 is stopped at the standby position T. On the other hand, the stopper 37 is configured such that when the base portion 31 rotates from the standby position T and is located at the cassette receiving position U, the other movable block 37A of the pair of movable blocks 37A moves to the fixed stopper. By coming into contact with the other end of 37B, the base portion 31 is stopped at the cassette receiving position U. In this way, the pair of movable blocks 37A come into contact with the fixed stopper 37B, so that the rotation range of the base section 31 is limited between the cassette receiving position U and the table standby position T, and the base section 31 is prevented from rotating outside the rotation range.

Next, a method of transferring the cassette 90 in the transfer equipment 10 will be explained.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the cassette 90 is transported to a predetermined position by the transport vehicle 86, the fork unit 40 moves the fork 41 horizontally with respect to the transport vehicle 86, thereby moving the cassette 90 on the transport vehicle 86. It is placed on the fork 41 and supported.
When the cassette 90 is placed on the fork 41, the fork unit 40 rotates the fork 41 with the cassette 90 placed on the fork 41. Further, the fork unit 40 horizontally moves the fork 41 to above the loading platform 30 of the transfer equipment 10. At this time, the loading platform 30 is rotated to the cassette receiving position U by the rotation of the rotation shaft 35. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 31 of the loading platform 30 is rotated in the horizontal direction by the rotation of the rotation shaft 35, so that the loading portion 32 and the guide block 33 of the loading platform 30 are rotated in the horizontal direction. rotates from standby position T to cassette receiving position U. The base portion 31 of the cargo receiving platform 30 is stopped at the cassette receiving position U when one of the pair of movable blocks 37A comes into contact with one end of the fixed stopper 37B.
As shown in FIG. 2, when the fork unit 40 transports the cassette 90 to above the receiving platform 30, the fork unit 40 lowers the fork 41 to place the cassette 90 on the receiving platform 30. As a result, the cassette 90 is transferred from the fork unit 40 to the loading section 32 of the cargo receiving platform 30. Here, the guide block 33 of the loading platform 30 roughly positions the cassette 90 on the mounting section 32 by coming into contact with the cassette 90.

When the cassette 90 is placed on the loading platform 30, the fork unit 40 horizontally moves the fork 41 to a position away from the loading platform 30. Subsequently, the arm portion 25B of the pusher 25 extends toward the cassette 90 and comes into contact with a corner portion of the cassette 90. As a result, the cassette 90 is held diagonally between the pair of arm portions 25B.
The pusher 25 moves the cassette 90 in all directions by mutually extending and contracting the pair of arm portions 25B. Then, the pusher 25 moves the cassette 90 to a position where the locking portion 24A (locking mechanism 24) of the transfer machine 20 can lock the flange portion 92 of the cassette 90. That is, the pusher 25 moves the cassette 90 in all directions to position the cassette 90 relative to the vertical position of the transfer machine 20.

When the positioning of the cassette 90 with respect to the elevating position of the transfer machine 20 is completed, the second elevating part 23 of the transfer machine 20 is driven, and the locking mechanism 24 of the transfer machine 20 is lowered to a position above the cassette 90. When the locking portion 24A of the locking mechanism 24 pivots in a predetermined direction, the flange portion 92 of the cassette 90 is locked by the locking portion 24A. This allows the cassette 90 to be moved up and down by the transfer machine 20.
The pusher 25 contracts and moves the arm portion 25B in a direction away from the cassette 90 (in a direction away from the ascending and descending path of the cassette 90).
When the arm portion 25B contracts and moves, the rotation shaft 35 is rotated by the drive of the motor 36, and the loading platform 30 is rotated in the horizontal direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 31 of the loading platform 30 rotates in the horizontal direction from the cassette receiving position U to the platform standby position T. The base portion 31 of the cargo receiving platform 30 is stopped at the platform standby position T when the other movable block 37A of the pair of movable blocks 37A comes into contact with the other end of the fixed stopper 37B. As a result, the loading section 32 and the guide block 33 of the loading platform 30 move in a direction avoiding the ascending and descending path of the cassette 90, and the loading section 32 of the loading platform 30 moves the cassette 90 to the position where it was placed. A path for moving the cassette 90 up and down by the machine 20 is formed.

When the base part 31 of the loading platform 30 leaves the cassette receiving position U, the second elevating part 23 of the transfer machine 20 is driven, and the locking mechanism 24 that locks the cassette 90 descends toward the vapor deposition apparatus 80. . Specifically, when the second motor 23D is driven, the drive belt 23C is operated, and when the drive belt 23C is operated, the support body 23A is lowered along the guide body 23B. Then, the rotation shaft 22B supported by the support body 23A is lowered together with the support body 23A, and due to the lowering, the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) supported by the elevating belt 22A is lowered to a predetermined position.
As shown in FIG. 4, when the locking mechanism 24 is lowered to a predetermined position, the driving of the second elevating section 23 is stopped and the first elevating section 22 is driven. Thereby, the cassette 90 locked by the locking mechanism 24 is transferred to the load port 83 of the vapor deposition apparatus 80. Specifically, when the drive of the second motor 23D is stopped, the first motor 22C is driven and the rotation shaft 22B is rotated. As a result, the lifting belt 22A that suspends and supports the locking mechanism 24 is unwound downward by the rotating shaft 22B, and the locking mechanism 24 (cassette 90) is lowered in accordance with the unwinding.

On the other hand, when the processing on the substrate 91 is completed in the vapor deposition apparatus 80, the locking portion 24A of the locking mechanism 24 of the transfer machine 20 locks the flange portion 92 of the cassette 90. Then, the first motor 22C is driven and the rotation shaft 22B is rotated. As a result, the lifting belt 22A that suspends and supports the locking mechanism 24 is wound upward by the rotating shaft 22B, and the locking mechanism 24 is raised in accordance with the winding, and the cassette 90 is carried out from the load port 83. be done. When the locking mechanism 24 rises to a predetermined position, the first motor 22C stops driving, and the second motor 23D starts driving. This causes the drive belt 23C to operate, and the drive belt 23C to operate causes the support body 23A to rise along the guide body 23B. Then, the rotation shaft 22B supported by the support body 23A rises together with the support body 23A, and due to the rise, the locking mechanism 24 supported by the elevating belt 22A rises.
When the cassette 90 locked by the locking mechanism 24 rises above the loading platform 30, the loading platform 30 rotates from the platform standby position T to the cassette receiving position U by rotation of the rotation shaft 35. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the base portion 31 of the loading platform 30 is rotated in the horizontal direction by the rotation of the rotation shaft 35, so that the loading portion 32 and the guide block 33 of the loading platform 30 are rotated in the horizontal direction. moves from standby position T to cassette receiving position U. The base portion 31 of the cargo receiving platform 30 is stopped at the cassette receiving position U when one of the pair of movable blocks 37A comes into contact with one end of the fixed stopper 37B.

When the loading platform 30 rotates to the cassette receiving position U, the second motor 23D is driven and the locking mechanism 24 is lowered. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the cassette 90 is lowered and placed on the placement section 32 of the cargo receiving platform 30. Here, the guide block 33 of the loading platform 30 roughly positions the cassette 90 on the mounting section 32 by coming into contact with the cassette 90. When the cassette 90 is placed on the mounting portion 32, the locking portion 24A of the locking mechanism 24 rotates in a predetermined direction, thereby releasing the locking of the flange portion 92 by the locking portion 24A. When the locking of the flange portion 92 by the locking portion 24A is released, the fork unit 40 extends the bendable arm 42 and horizontally moves the fork 41 to the cassette receiving position U. Subsequently, the fork unit 40 raises the fork 41 to place and support the cassette 90 placed on the loading platform 30 on the fork 41. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the fork unit 40 bends the bendable arm 42 and pivots the fork 41 on which the cassette 90 is placed. Then, the fork unit 40 extends the bendable arm 42 to horizontally move the fork 41 to the carrier 86, and transfers the cassette 90 on the fork 41 to the carrier 86.

As described above, the transfer equipment 10 according to the present invention rotates the cargo receiving platform 30 from the cassette receiving position U located on the ascending and descending path of the cassette 90 to the platform standby position T located away from the ascending and descending path of the cassette 90. Therefore, when the cassette 90 is moved up and down between the loading platform 30 and the load port 83 of the vapor deposition apparatus 80, the loading platform 30 can be moved to a position that avoids the vertical path of the cassette 90. Therefore, when the cassette 90 is moved up and down, the cassette 90 does not interfere with the loading platform 30 (the cassette 90 does not come into contact with the loading platform 30). Therefore, operations such as rotating the cassette 90 by the transfer machine 20 to avoid interference with the loading platform 30 are not required, and the cassette 90 is transferred between the loading platform 30 and the load port 83 of the vapor deposition device 80. can be done efficiently. Moreover, since the transfer machine 20 does not need to perform the above operation, the transfer machine 20 can hold the cassette 90 in a positioned state, and the transfer accuracy of the transfer machine 20 can be improved.
Furthermore, since the loading platform 30 is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft 35, the mechanism for operating the loading platform 30 can be configured by a simple mechanism consisting of the bearing 34, the rotating shaft 35, and the motor 36. Furthermore, by covering the bearing 34, rotation shaft 35, and motor 36 with a housing or the like, dust generation from the operating mechanism of the loading platform 30 can be easily contained. Alternatively, it can be configured by a mechanism that can easily contain the dust source.

In addition, in this embodiment, by rotating the base part 31 of the loading platform 30 in the horizontal direction by the rotation shaft 35 whose axis is in the vertical direction, the placing part 32 of the loading platform 30 can be moved to the cassette. Although it is rotated between the receiving position U and the platform standby position T, the axis is not limited to this, and the axis is in the horizontal direction, as in the cargo receiving platform 30A shown in FIGS. 6 to 8. The mounting portion 32A and the guide block 33A may be rotated by flipping up the horizontal base portion 31A using the rotation shaft 35A. In this case, one end of the base portion 31A of the horizontal loading platform 30A is fixed to the rotating shaft 35A via the bearing 34A, and the rotating shaft 35A rotates upwardly around the rotating shaft 35A. Jumped up. The bearing 34A is fixed to the base 26 and supports the base 31A from below. The rotation shaft 35A extends at a position away from the lifting path of the cassette 90 by the transfer machine 20 (a position away from the cassette receiving position U) so that its axis is in the horizontal direction, and the other end A motor 36A is provided.
As shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 8(c), in the loading platform 30A, when the rotating shaft 35A rotates, the base portion 31A, which is held horizontally by the bearing 34A, bounces upward. The mounting portion 32A and the guide block 33A, which are raised and located at the cassette receiving position U, are rotated to the table standby position T in a state where they are flipped upward.
Further, in the cargo receiving platform 30A, the rotation range of the base portion 31A is limited by fixed side stoppers 38A and 38B (stopper 38) fixed to the base 26 (fixed side). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the first stationary stopper 38A comes into contact with the lower surface of the base part 31A located at the cassette receiving position U, so that the base part 31A moves to the cassette receiving position U. is stopped. Further, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the second fixed side stopper 38B abuts the upper surface of the base part 31A that has been flipped up from the cassette receiving position U to the standby position T, so that the base part 31A It is stopped at standby position T. The first fixed stopper 38A has a function of stopping the base portion 31A at the cassette receiving position U, and also has a function of supporting the load of the base portion 31A.

Furthermore, like the load receiving platform 30B shown in FIG. 9, by tilting the horizontal base section 31A downward by a rotation shaft 35A whose axis is in the horizontal direction, the loading section 32A and guide blocks 33A, 33B It doesn't matter if you rotate it. As shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c), in the loading platform 30B, when the rotating shaft 35A rotates, the base portion 31A, which is held horizontally by the bearing 34A, is tilted downward. Then, the mounting portion 32A and the guide blocks 33A and 33B located at the cassette receiving position U are rotated to the table standby position T in a downwardly tilted state.
Further, in the cargo receiving platform 30B, the rotation range of the base portion 31A is limited by fixed side stoppers 39A and 39B (stopper 39) fixed to the base 26 (fixed side). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the first stationary stopper 39A comes into contact with the side surface (the side surface on the bearing 34 side) of the base portion 31A located at the cassette receiving position U, so that the base The portion 31A is stopped at the cassette receiving position U. Further, as shown in FIG. 9(c), the second fixed side stopper 39B comes into contact with the lower surface of the base portion 31A that is tilted from the cassette receiving position U toward the standby position T, so that the base portion 31A is stopped at standby position T.
Further, in the cargo receiving platform 30B, the contact surface 33b that contacts the side surface of the corner of the cassette 90 in the guide block 33B is formed by a curved surface along the rotation path K of the cargo receiving platform 30B. Specifically, the top of the guide block 33B that constitutes the contact surface 33b of the guide block 33B is curved and inclined.

In this embodiment, the base portion 31 of the cargo receiving platform 30 is rotated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the placing portion 32 of the cargo receiving platform 30 may be directly rotated. In other words, the portion of the loading platform 30 on which the cassette 90 is placed may be directly rotated. In this case, the loading platform 30 is configured with only the placing section 32, and the placing section 32 is rotated by rotating a rotation shaft 35 provided on the placing section 32.
In this embodiment, the articles to be transferred in the transfer equipment 10 are not limited to the cassettes 90, but are articles that can be transferred between the cargo receiving platform 30 and the transfer machine 20. It doesn't matter if you have it.
In this embodiment, the transfer device 20 moves the cassette 90 up and down with the locking portion 24A of the transfer device 20 locking the hook-shaped flange portion 92 at the top of the cassette 90. The present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the transfer machine 20 may move the cassette 90 up and down while holding the side surface of the cassette 90.
In the present embodiment, the transfer machine 20 moves the cassette 90 up and down in two steps by the first lifting section 22 and the second lifting section 23, but the invention is not limited to this. The cassette 90 may be moved up and down by only one of the first lifting section 22 and the second lifting section 23, that is, one step of lifting and lowering movement. Further, the first elevating section 22 moves the cassette 90 up and down by winding up and unwinding the elevating belt 22A attached to the locking mechanism 24 with respect to the rotating shaft 22B, but the invention is not limited to this. The cassette 90 may be raised and lowered by raising and lowering the support frame that suspends and supports the locking mechanism 24 using a ball screw.
In this embodiment, the transfer equipment 10 is equipment attached to a vapor deposition apparatus 80 that performs a vapor deposition process on a substrate 91, but is not limited to this, and is a device that performs a process on an article. The transfer equipment may be attached to a device other than the vapor deposition device 80 as long as it is a transfer facility for transferring containers containing articles to the device.
In this embodiment, the rotation range of the cargo receiving platform 30 is limited by the stopper 37, but the rotation range of the cargo receiving platform 30 is limited to this, but the stopper 37 is not provided and a sensor or the like is used to 31) may limit the rotation range of the loading platform 30.

10 Transfer equipment 20 Transfer machine 30 Loading platform 35 Rotation shaft 80 Vapor deposition device (processing device)
83 Load port 90 Cassette (container)
91 Substrate (article)
U Cassette receiving position (first position)
T standby position (second position)

Claims (5)

a cargo receiving stand that is provided above a processing device that processes articles and receives a container that accommodates the articles;
a transfer machine that carries out or carries the container into or out of the loading platform, and lifts and lowers the container to be carried out or in between the loading platform and the load port of the processing device;
Equipped with
A transfer facility in which the cargo receiving platform, the transfer machine, and the load port of the processing device are arranged at a position where they overlap each other in a plan view,
The loading platform has a rotating shaft provided at a position away from the up-and-down path of the container, so that it can be moved between a first position located on the up-down path of the container and a second position away from the up-down path of the container. the container is rotatably supported between the two positions, and receives the container at the first position;
The loading platform includes a positioning member that positions the container on the loading platform by coming into contact with the container supported by the loading platform,
The transfer equipment, wherein the positioning member has a contact surface with the container formed by a curved surface along a rotational trajectory of the cargo receiving platform centered on the rotational axis. The transfer equipment according to claim 1, wherein the cargo receiving platform is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft whose axis is in the vertical direction. The transfer equipment according to claim 1, wherein the cargo receiving platform is rotatably supported by the rotation shaft whose axis is in a horizontal direction. The transfer equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a stopper that limits the rotation range of the cargo receiving platform. a cargo receiving stand that is provided above a processing device that processes articles and receives a container that accommodates the articles;
a transfer machine that carries out or carries the container into or out of the loading platform, and lifts and lowers the container to be carried out or in between the loading platform and the load port of the processing device;
Equipped with
A container transfer method in a transfer facility in which the cargo receiving platform, the transfer machine, and the load port of the processing device are arranged at positions overlapping each other in a plan view,
The loading platform is moved between a first position located on the vertical path of the container and a second position located away from the vertical path of the container by a rotation shaft provided at a position away from the vertical path of the container. It supports rotatably between positions,
The positioning member provided on the cargo receiving platform has a contact surface configured by a curved surface along a rotational trajectory of the cargo receiving platform centered on the rotation axis, and the positioning member is provided on the cargo receiving platform . positioning the container on the stand ;
carrying out the container supported by the loading platform located at the first position from the loading platform by the transfer machine;
By rotating the cargo receiving platform from the first position to the second position by rotation of the rotation shaft, a lifting path for the container by the transfer machine is formed;
A method for transferring containers, characterized in that the containers carried out from the receiving platform are moved downward to a load port of the processing device by the transfer machine.

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