Material or article handling – Apparatus for moving material between zones having different...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-13
2004-01-13
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Apparatus for moving material between zones having different...
C414S222060, C250S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06676356
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2000-282381, Sep. 18, 2000, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for attaching a transfer container, which accommodates target substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, to a port of a semiconductor processing apparatus. The term “semiconductor process” used herein includes various kinds of processes which are performed to manufacture a semiconductor device or a structure having wiring layers, electrodes, and the like to be connected to a semiconductor device, on a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer or an LCD substrate, by forming semiconductor layers, insulating layers, and conductive layers in predetermined patterns on the target substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In semiconductor manufacturing steps, semiconductor wafers are processed in a clean room with control of dust, which is responsible for defects in semiconductor devices, to improve the yield. In recent years, with an increase in the integration degree of semiconductor devices, and a decrease in the size of circuits, it has become more difficult in technique and cost to realize a clean room for controlling minute particles in practice.
For this reason, it is required to develop techniques of increasing cleanness only in a local space surrounding wafers for transfer and process of the wafers, in place of techniques of increasing cleanness in clean rooms. There is a known transfer system of this kind, which utilizes a transfer container having an interior to be kept clean, and a front face to be opened and closed; (FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod).
The transfer system is provided with an attaching device for attaching the wafer transfer container to a semiconductor processing apparatus. After the transfer container is attached at a predetermined position by the attaching device, the front face of the transfer container is opened, so that only the wafers in the container are transferred into the semiconductor processing apparatus. For example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2000-16583 (to be referred to as Prior Art
1
) discloses an attaching device of this kind.
FIG. 18
is a view showing the attaching device disclosed in the Prior Art
1
.
The attaching device
100
shown in
FIG. 18
is disposed adjacent to the I/O port of a semiconductor processing apparatus
200
. A wafer transfer container
1
is placed on the mount portion
101
a
of a table
101
used in the attaching device
100
. The bottom of the container
1
is provided with a recess
3
formed therein and a projecting piece
4
extending forward from the rear end of the recess
3
. In
FIG. 18
, reference symbol
201
denotes a latchkey
201
disposed on the processing apparatus
200
, for opening the lid of the container
1
.
The table
101
is supported to be movable back and forth by an actuator
131
fixed to a base
130
. The table
101
is provided with projections, e.g., four projections
102
, for positioning the container
1
. When the table
101
moves forward, the projections
102
engage with positioning recesses (not shown) formed on the container
1
, which is placed on the mount portion
101
a
, so that the container
1
is moved in the same direction.
An engaging rod
110
is supported by the base
130
near the table
101
, and is movable up and down. The upper end of the engaging rod
110
is provided with an engaging portion
111
, which extends backward to engage with the projecting piece
4
. A first guide portion
112
formed of a roller is disposed on an intermediate portion of the engaging rod
110
in the longitudinal direction. A coil spring
113
is disposed between the lower end of the engaging rod
110
and the base
130
. When the engaging rod
110
moves up, the coil spring
113
is compressed and biases the engaging rod
110
downward.
A second guide portion
103
is disposed under the table
10
. When the table
101
moves forward along with the container
1
, the second guide portion
103
lifts the first guide portion
112
. In other words, when the actuator
131
moves the table
101
forward, the second guide portion
103
comes into contact with the first guide portion
112
. Consequently, the first guide portion
112
moves up, and thus the engaging rod
110
moves up as a whole, whereby the engaging portion
111
enters the recess
3
.
When the table
101
further moves forward, the engaging portion
111
engages with the upper surface of the projecting piece
4
. At this time, the coil spring
113
is compressed against the base
130
. Consequently, the engaging rod
110
is biased downward as a whole, whereby the engaging portion
111
is held on the projecting piece
4
. As a result, the container
1
is attached to the mount portion
101
a.
As described above, the conventional attaching device
100
moves the table
101
forward to cause the engaging portion
111
of the engaging rod
110
to engage with the projecting piece
4
of the container
1
, so that the container
1
is attached to the mount portion
101
a
. Accordingly, when the positioning projections
102
of the table
101
are not aligned with the corresponding recesses of the container
1
, some problems are brought about. Specifically, in this case, an operation error cannot be found until the engaging portion
111
of the engaging rod
110
does not engage with the projecting piece
4
while the table
101
moves forward. Then, the table
101
has to be returned to the initial position, so that the operation of attaching the container
1
to the mount portion
101
a
is performed again. This reduces the efficiency in transferring wafers.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an attaching device, which allows a transfer container to be reliably held on a mount portion by a clamp, without waiting for a table to be moved after the transfer container is placed on the mount portion.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for attaching a transfer container, which accommodates a target substrate, to a port of a semiconductor processing apparatus, the transfer container having on a front side an opening portion to be aligned with the port, and on a bottom side a first engaging portion, the device comprising:
a table having a mount portion on an upper side, on which the transfer container is placed, and an opening portion formed at a position corresponding to the first engaging portion;
a clamp swingably supported on a lower side of the table, and having a second engaging portion, which projects upward from the table through the opening portion to engage with the first engaging portion when the clamp swings; and
a first actuator configured to apply a swing-driving force to the clamp, the first actuator having a reciprocation rod, which pivotally supports the clamp, and swingably supported on the lower side of the table.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device for attaching a transfer container, which accommodates a target substrate, to a port of a semiconductor processing apparatus, the transfer container having on a front side an opening portion to be aligned with the port, and on a bottom side a first engaging portion, the device comprising:
a table having a mount portion on an upper side, on which the transfer container is placed, and an opening portion formed at a position corresponding to the first engaging portion;
a link swingably supported on a lower side of the table about a first rotational axis used as a center;
a clamp swingably supported by the link about a second rotational axis used as a center, and having a second engaging portion, which projects upward from the table through the opening portion to engage with the first engaging portion when the clamp swings in a first direction;
a first actuator configured
Saeki Hiroaki
Sasaki Yoshiaki
Taniyama Yasushi
Fox Charles A.
Lillis Eileen D.
Tokyo Electron Limited
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