Transport apparatus and method

Details Transport apparatus and method Transport apparatus and method

2002-04-29

2004-02-10

Crawford, Gene O. (Department: 3651)

Material or article handling

Associated with semiconductor wafer handling

Including means for charging or discharging wafer cassette

C414S940000, C198S370010, C198S465100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06688840

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transport apparatus and method which produce less dust, can shorten the tact of work transport, and have versatility requiring no alteration of the apparatus even when the pitch and number of electronic components or the like placed on, e.g., a carrier, change.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A conventional carrier transport apparatus used for transporting, e.g., electronic components, placed on a carrier will be described with reference to
FIGS. 14
to
20
.
FIG. 14
is a schematic perspective view of a conventional cleaning apparatus suitable for using a carrier transport apparatus,
FIG. 15
is a partial perspective view of the conventional carrier transport apparatus used in
FIG. 14
,
FIG. 16
is a side view showing the first state for describing the operation of the carrier transport apparatus shown in
FIG. 15
,
FIG. 17
is a side view showing the second state following the state shown in
FIG. 16
,
FIG. 18
is a side view showing the third state following the state shown in
FIG. 17
, and
FIG. 19
is a side view showing the fourth state following the state shown in FIG.
18
.
First, the conventional cleaning apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
14
.
Referring to
FIG. 14
, reference numeral
1
X denotes the entire cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus
1
X has, on a panel
3
X of its main body
2
X, a loader portion
4
X for loading a carrier KX from, e.g., the left side when seen from the front, a chemical tank
5
X, rinsing tanks
6
X and
7
X, and drying tank
8
X sequentially formed on the right side of the loader portion
4
X to be adjacent to it, an unloader portion
9
X for unloading the carrier KX at the right end of the cleaning apparatus
1
X, and a transport robot
11
X located behind the loader portion
4
X, chemical tank
5
X, rinsing tanks
6
X and
7
X, drying tank
8
X, and unloader portion
9
X to transport the carrier KX sequentially from the loader portion
4
X to the chemical tank
5
X, from the chemical tank
5
X to the rinsing tank
6
X, from the rinsing tank
6
X to the next rinsing tank
7
X, from the rinsing tank
7
X to the next drying tank
8
X, and to the unloader portion
9
X along a guide
10
X. Reference numeral
14
X denotes a maintenance door.
The carrier KX storing wafers SX to be surface-treated is loaded on the loader portion
4
X. To perform surface treatment of the wafers SX, the transport robot
11
X holds and lifts the carrier KX with its hanger
11
a
X and dips it in the chemical tank
5
X. When surface treatment of the wafers SX is ended, the transport robot
11
X lifts the carrier KX again with its hanger
11
a
X, and dips it in the next rinsing tank
6
X and then the rinsing tank
7
X to clean it. When the wafers SX are cleaned and dried, the transport robot
11
X lifts the carrier KX again with its hanger
11
a
X and places it on the unloader portion
9
X at the final stage.
The cleaning apparatus
1
X has the above arrangement and performs surface treatment of the wafers SX in this manner. To load the carrier KX storing the unprocessed wafers SX on the loader portion
4
X and transport it with the transport robot
11
X, first, as shown in the enlarged view of
FIG. 15
, the operator places the carrier KX on a set station
13
a
X on the front portion of the loader portion
4
X from the front side of the cleaning apparatus
1
X. A carrier transport apparatus
20
X located in the cleaning apparatus
1
X and arranged to oppose an opening
12
X of the loader portion
4
X transports the carrier KX to a set station
13
c
X which is close to the transport robot
11
X on the rear portion of the loader portion
4
X.
At the unloader portion
9
X, the carrier KX storing the surface-treated wafers SX is unloaded to a set station
13
c
X which is close to the transport robot
11
X on the rear portion of the unloader portion
9
X. Another carrier transport apparatus
20
X located in the cleaning apparatus
1
X and arranged to oppose an opening
12
X of the unloader portion
9
X transports the carrier KX to a set station
13
a
X on the front portion of the unloader portion
9
X. In this manner, the operator can unload the carrier KX from the cleaning apparatus
1
X easily.
Each of the loader portion
4
X and unloader portion
9
X is comprised of an elongated opening
12
X formed in the panel
3
X, and a set station
13
X constituted by a pair of opposing steps. The carrier KX is placed on the set station
13
X so it is fixed immobile. In this example, as shown in
FIG. 15
in enlargement, three set stations
13
a
X,
13
b
X, and
13
c
X are arranged as the set stations
13
X.
The conventional carrier transport apparatus
20
X will be described with reference to FIG.
15
.
The carrier transport apparatuses
20
X used at the loader portion
4
X and unloader portion
9
X have the same arrangement and operation. A description will accordingly be made on the carrier transport apparatus
20
X of the loader portion
4
X.
The carrier transport apparatus
20
X is arranged to oppose the opening
12
X formed in the panel
3
X of the cleaning apparatus
1
X. The carrier transport apparatus
20
X has a carrier stage
21
X, a vertical drive actuator
22
X serving as a driving source with a shaft
22
a
X for vertically driving the carrier stage
21
X in the direction of an arrow Y and for supporting it, a horizontal movable stage
23
X for supporting the actuator
22
X, and a horizontal drive actuator
25
X with a guide rail
24
X formed on its surface and serving as a drive source for driving the horizontal movable stage
23
X in the horizontal direction of an arrow X along the guide rail
24
X.
The carrier stage
21
X has a width sufficiently smaller than that of the opening
12
X. Hence, when the carrier stage
21
X moves up to project from the opening
12
X, it does not abut against the edge of the opening
12
X.
The operation of the carrier transport apparatus
20
X with this arrangement will be described.
Assume that the operator holds the carrier KX with its handle KaX and places it on the set station
13
a
X. The carrier stage
21
X is moved up by the vertical drive actuator
22
X in the direction of the arrow Y to lift the carrier KX. When a lower end KbX of the carrier KX completely comes out of the set station
13
a
X and is positioned above the surface of the panel
3
X, the vertical drive actuator
22
X stops and holds the carrier KX at its height.
Subsequently, the horizontal movable stage
23
X is moved by the horizontal drive actuator
25
X in the direction of the arrow X along the guide rail
24
X. When the carrier KX reaches a position above the set station
13
b
X, the horizontal drive actuator
25
X stops.
The carrier stage
21
X is moved down by the vertical drive actuator
22
X in the direction of the arrow Y, and the lower end KbX of the carrier KX is positioned by the set station
13
b
X. When the carrier stage
21
X further moves down to completely separate from the lower end KbX of the carrier KX, the vertical drive actuator
22
X stops. The carrier stage
21
X is then moved by the horizontal drive actuator
25
X in the direction of the arrow X to return to the initial stop position. In this manner, the carrier KX can be transported from the set station
13
a
X to the set station
13
b
X.
The carrier stage
21
X can place two carriers KX on it, and can transport the carrier KX from the set station
13
b
X to the set station
13
c
X. The carrier stage
21
X also can transport the two carriers KX simultaneously. A case wherein the two carriers KX are to be transported simultaneously will be described with reference to
FIGS. 16
to
19
.
Assume that carriers K
1
X and K
2
X are respectively placed on the set stations
13
a
X and
13
b
X, as shown in FIG.
16
. The vertical drive actuator
22
X is actuated, so the carrier stage
21
X moves up the two carriers K
1
X and K
2
X, as shown in FIG.
17
. At the upper position, the horizontal drive actuator
25
X is actuated next to move the carrier stage
21
X horizontally, as shown in
FIG. 18
, so the carri

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