Material or article handling – Apparatus for charging a load holding or supporting element... – Transporting means carries load to at least one of a...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-10-11
2001-09-11
Brahan, Thomas J. (Department: 3652)
Material or article handling
Apparatus for charging a load holding or supporting element...
Transporting means carries load to at least one of a...
C414S935000, C414S936000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287067
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing unit comprising a series of processing apparatuses for performing a series of processes or treatments on a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate, and to a processing unit structure constructed by assembling the processing apparatuses mentioned above
2. Description of Related Art
A number of processes are necessitated for forming integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer or for forming elements such as TFTS, etc., on a glass substrate.
For instance, a process for forming an exciter resist filn layer on a surface of a substrate is one example. Here, the substrate must be treated through the following or other processes, dehydration baking, BARC (bottom anti-reflection coating), baking, a pre-process of resist application, resist application, pre-baking, exposure, post-exposure baking (PEB), developing, and post-baking.
For performing such processes as mentioned above continuously, according the conventional art, apparatuses or devices for each process are separately aligned in a horizontal direction, in an assembly line-like fashion and in sequential order thereof. However, the process line configuration is not always of a straight assembly line-like shape, but it sometimes also takes an “L” shape ot a rectangular shape depending on, or fitting for, the configuration of the manufacturing works or facilities.
As mentioned above, the conventional apparatuses or facilities for processing semiconductor waters or glass substrates extend continuously in the horizontal direction, and therefore the area occupied there by becomes relatively large.
Further sometimes, some of the processing apparatuses or facilities must be removed or new ones additionally be connected to those which are previously provided because a processor part of the process should be omitted or a new process be newly added thereto. However, with the processing process of the conventional art, it is very difficult to add and remove the processing apparatus or facelities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, for resolving the limitations and mentioned above, there is provided a processing unit for performing a series of processes on a plate-like material, such as a semiconductor water or a glass substrate, comprising: a pair of processing blocks each of which is constituted by a plurality of processing apparatuses built up in the vertical direction with plural stages: and a transfer robot, wherein said transfer robot further comprises: an elevating body which is able to stop at a position of said each stage of sdid processing apparatusses of said processing blocks; and an arm which is provided on said elevating body so as to take in and out the plate-like material to be processed with respect to each said stage of said processing apparatusses of said processing blocks.
Further, according to the present invention, there is also provided a processing unit for performing a series of processes on a plate-like material, such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate, comprising; a pair of processing blocks which are constituted by building up a plurality of processing apparatuses in the vertical direction with plural stages; and a transfer robot, wherein said transfer robot comprises: an elevating body which is able to stop at a position of each said stage of said processing apparatusses of said processing blocks; an arm which is provided on said elevating body so as to take in and out the plate-like material to be processed with respect to each said stage of said processing apparatusses of said processing blocks, and a turning mechanism for turning said arm within a horizontal plane.
Further, according to the present invention, there is also provided a processing unit structure including a plurality of said processing units assembled in series, wherein each of said processing units is constructed such that it is able to be selectively added and removed with respect to said processing unit structure independently of the other said processing units, and the assembled processing units are positioned closely adjacent to each other for easy transfer of said plate-like material between adjacent processing units.
Further, according to the present intention, at a top portion of each said processing unit there is installed a transfer apparatus for transferring said plate-like material to be processed between said adjacent processing units. With such a construction, the plurality of processing apparatuses can be easily provided in series.
Further, according to the present invention, one of the processing unita is an indexing unit positioned on a side portion of said processing unit structuxe. The indexing unit is constructed with an indexing block and an exchanger robot, as the transfer robot wherein said indexing block holds cassettes in which said plate-like material to be processed received, the cassetes being positioned separately in stages in the vertical direction, and said exchanger robot comprises an elevating body which is able to stop at a receiving position of each said stage of said cassettes of said indexing block, and an arm which is provided on said elevating body so as to take in and out the plate-like material to be processed with respect to said cassettes of said indexing block.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5239182 (1993-08-01), Tateyama et al.
patent: 5403397 (1995-04-01), Beckers et al.
patent: 59-78535 (1984-05-01), None
patent: 61-123150 (1986-06-01), None
patent: 61-236443 (1986-10-01), None
patent: 62-195143 (1987-08-01), None
patent: 62-222906 (1987-09-01), None
patent: 63-13332 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 63-262853 (1988-10-01), None
patent: 127798 (1989-01-01), None
patent: 4305914 (1992-10-01), None
Aoki Taiichiro
Miyamoto Hidenori
Okano Susumu
Ueda Koji
Blackman William D.
Brahan Thomas J.
Carrier Joseph P.
Carrier Blackman & Associates P.C.
Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co. Ltd.
LandOfFree
Processing unit and processing unit structure by assembling... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Processing unit and processing unit structure by assembling..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Processing unit and processing unit structure by assembling... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2474740