JP3462015B2 - Transfer device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is particularly applicable to vacuum deposition,
Ion plating, CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposi)
The present invention relates to a transfer device that is used in a vacuum film forming apparatus such as a substrate, and that transfers a material to be transferred such as a heated substrate or wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a transfer device for transferring a material to be transferred such as a substrate or a wafer, which has been used in a vacuum film forming apparatus such as vacuum deposition, ion plating, and CVD, as shown in FIG. , Four bearings 1 forming a carriage 111 on which the substrate 105 is mounted and a linear guide that supports the carriage 111 and regulates the traveling direction.
Two rails 11 arranged in parallel with 15a to 115d
0a and 110b, and a ball screw shaft 130 and a ball nut 135 that constitute a power transmission unit for transmitting a driving force to the transport vehicle 111.

The carrier 111 can move on the rails 110a and 110b with a small driving force by the linear guide. Further, the ball screw shaft 130 is arranged parallel to the rails 110a and 110b, and supports the support portion 12
It is rotatably supported by 0a and 120b. further,
The ball nut 135 is fixed to the transport vehicle 111, and when the ball screw shaft 130 is rotated by a driving means such as a motor (not shown), this rotational force is converted into a linear force and transmitted to the transport vehicle 111. It is like this.

In the transport apparatus having the above-described structure, the transport vehicle 111 has linear bearings 115a-1a constituting linear guides.
Since it is constrained by four points 15d and the ball nut 135, the transport vehicle 111 is in an over-constrained state.

In addition, vacuum deposition, ion plating,
In a vacuum film forming apparatus such as CVD, it is generally necessary to heat the substrate from room temperature to about 500 ° C. or 1000 ° C. in order to improve the film forming speed and film quality, and it is necessary to consider the thermal expansion of a transfer system for transferring the substrate. . That is, the transfer system receives heat from the substrate heating heater or the like for keeping the temperature of the substrate at a predetermined temperature, the transfer vehicles and guides that form the transfer system are heated, and they thermally expand. Further, when the carrier vehicle is heated and a temperature distribution is generated in the carrier vehicle, a difference occurs in thermal expansion caused by parts of the carrier vehicle, and the carrier vehicle is distorted.

Therefore, when the transfer apparatus shown in FIG. 14 is used in the vacuum film forming apparatus, the transfer vehicle 11
Reference numeral 1 denotes the four positions of the linear bearings 115a to 115d that form the linear guide as described above, and the ball nut 13
5, the strain due to thermal expansion is concentrated on the over-constrained portion. Then, due to this distortion, the excessive restraint portion, the ball screw shaft 130, and the bearings 115a to 1
Precision parts such as 15d are damaged, and the bearing 115a
Balls of ~ 115d may become stuck and may not move, or their life may be shortened. Also, the bearings 115a-1
Since a large pressure is generated in the sliding portion between the rail 15d and the rails 110a and 110b, the generation of particles poses a problem that the above vacuum film forming apparatus cannot be used.

As a transfer device in consideration of the above thermal expansion,
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-1110415 discloses a "conveying device" which is connected to a supporting claw of a printed circuit board attached to a solder bath via a spring element. In the transport device of the above publication, when the printed circuit board is attached to the solder bath, the printed circuit board is intended to prevent warpage due to heat and to absorb variations in the width of the printed circuit board. It simply absorbs the thermal expansion of the printed circuit board. Therefore, in the case of supporting a large weight such as a transporting vehicle that mounts and transports the substrate as described above, the mechanism of the above publication, that is, the spring element alone, absorbs the deformation of the transporting vehicle due to thermal expansion. I can't.

As described above, the transport vehicle 111 has four linear bearings 115a to 115d,
Since it is constrained by the ball nut 135, the distance between the reference position of the carrier 111 and the ball screw shaft 130 is fixed. As a result, when the transport vehicle 111 thermally expands, a force corresponding to the amount of expansion is applied to the traveling direction restricting portion of the transport vehicle and the ball screw shaft 130.

For example, when a steel having a length of 1 m rises by 100 ° C., it thermally expands by about 1 mm. From this, a steel carrier (1 m (width) x 1 m (length) x 20 m) that is over-constrained in the width direction
If m (thickness)) is thermally expanded by 1 mm in the width direction, t
The force in the unit of onf is applied in the direction of expanding the distance between the two rails 110a and 110b.

Therefore, such a force is applied to the linear guide and the ball screw shaft 130. In particular, the ball screw shaft 130 is extremely weak against a load in the direction perpendicular to the shaft, which causes a problem that the life of the ball screw shaft 130 is extremely shortened.

The linear guide and the ball screw shaft 130 are also provided.
By transmitting heat to itself, the bearings 115a-
115d and support portions 120a, 12 of the ball screw shaft 130
0b and the like also have a problem that thermal expansion and thermal deformation occur.

Therefore, in order to absorb the thermal expansion and thermal deformation of the above-mentioned carrier, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-176944, one of two rails for guiding the carrier is reverse V or. There is disclosed a "conveying device" which is formed in an inverted U shape and the other rail is formed in a flat shape. In the transport device of the above publication, since the traveling direction of the transport vehicle is restricted by one rail, when the transport vehicle expands in the width direction due to thermal expansion, the other rail formed on the flat shape is moved in the width direction. You will be able to shift freely. That is, the transfer device is, for example, as shown in FIG.
The wheel 203 contacts the rail 201 formed in an inverted V shape to regulate the traveling direction, and the flat wheel 204 of the transport vehicle 200 contacts the flat rail 202 to guide the transport vehicle 200 in the traveling direction. It is supposed to do. Thereby, the thermal expansion in the width direction of the carrier due to the thermal expansion can be absorbed.

Further, it has been proposed that a spring absorbs the deformation of the carrier in the width direction due to thermal expansion. As a deformation absorbing means using such a spring, for example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, there are some which have a spring 300 that can expand and contract in the width direction of the carrier, that is, the x direction. This spring 300
Is a fixed part 301 attached to a carrier (not shown).
Is inserted into the support rod 301a of
Through the spring 300, it is slidably inserted into a slide direction restricting section 302 attached to a power transmission section (not shown). That is, in the deformation absorbing means, when the transport vehicle thermally expands, the fixed portion 301 moves in the arrow x direction,
The spring 300 contracts to absorb the amount of thermal expansion.

[0014]

However, in the structure in which the traveling direction is regulated by one rail and the thermal expansion is absorbed by the other rail as in the transport device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-176944, the following is adopted. The problem arises.

That is, when thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 200 occurs, the substrate transport portion warps so as to be convex downward as shown in FIG. 17A, for example. In such a state, as shown in FIG. 17B, the V wheel 2 of the transport vehicle 200 is
03 hits the inverted V-shaped rail 201. And
The flat wheel 204 shifts on the flat rail 202 in the width direction, and the flat wheel 204 also partially hits the flat rail 202.

When the wheel and the rail are in one-side contact with each other as described above, the surface pressure acting on the contact portion between the rail and the wheel becomes very large. Therefore, increase in dust generated from the sliding parts of the wheel or rail, abnormal friction between the wheel and rail, damage to the surface coating of the wheel or rail, abnormal load on each part such as the ball screw shaft, etc. The problem arises.

In the structure in which the thermal expansion of the carrier vehicle is absorbed by the spring, when the spring 300 contracts, that is, when the carrier vehicle expands or contracts due to heat, the support rod 301a of the fixed portion 301 and the sliding direction restricting portion. Dust is generated due to friction with 302 and the like.

Further, in the deformation absorbing means for absorbing the deformation of the carrier vehicle due to the heat, the spring 300 and the fixing member 30 are used.
1, there are many components such as the support rod 301a, the sliding direction restricting portion 302, etc., and the above-mentioned members are driven each time thermal expansion or contraction occurs, so that dust is easily generated.

As described above, there is a problem in that the transfer device that generates dust cannot be used in the vacuum film forming device.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to easily expand or deform a carrier vehicle carrying a material to be transported, such as a substrate, for expansion and deformation due to heat. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport device that can be reliably absorbed by the above and does not generate dust when absorbing expansion and deformation.

[0021]

A transport device according to claim 1 is
In order to solve the above problems, the material to be transported such as the substrate is transported.
And a transport vehicle wheel or linear guide is provided, arranged in parallel, the first rail and second rail for guiding the guided vehicle in the traveling direction, the wheels
Alternatively, a first guide configured of a linear guide to regulate the traveling direction of the carrier and to support the carrier on the first rail .
A second support portion configured by a support portion and the wheel , the second support portion supporting the transport vehicle on the second rail slidably in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, and arranged in parallel with the first and second rails. And a power transmission unit that transmits the driving force to the transport vehicle,
The power transmission section is characterized in that it is provided closer to the first support section than the second support section.

According to the above construction, the traveling vehicle is restricted in its traveling direction at the first supporting portion, and the second supporting portion absorbs the deformation caused by the expansion and contraction of the traveling vehicle. There is. In this way, when the transport vehicle expands or contracts, the second support portion absorbs the deformation caused by the expansion or contraction with respect to the first support portion. Therefore, in the transport vehicle, the second support portion is used. The amount of deformation increases with increasing temperature. Therefore, since the power transmission unit that transmits the driving force to the transport vehicle is provided closer to the first support unit than the second support unit, the transport vehicle is deformed by the expansion and contraction of the power transmission unit. Can be reduced, and as a result, it is possible to provide a transporting device that is less susceptible to various effects caused by thermal expansion of the transport vehicle.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the transport device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the same as that of the first aspect , in that the first rail is
It is a V rail whose upper end is formed in an inverted V shape,
1 Support part is V-shaped in cross section and the cross-sectional shape of the inclined surface is an arc
It consists of a wheel that is shaped like a
The second rail is a flat rail, and the second support portion is configured by a flat wheel.

According to the above construction, in addition to the operation of claim 1, the first rail has a V-shaped upper end portion formed in an inverted V shape.
And the first support portion is V-shaped in cross section and has an inclined surface.
It is possible to regulate the traveling direction of the transport vehicle by being configured by a wheel whose cross-sectional shape is formed in an arc shape . The second rail is a flat rail, and the second rail
Since the support portion is composed of the flat wheel, the flat wheel can move on the flat rail in the width direction of the transport vehicle, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. Therefore, even if the carrier vehicle expands or contracts due to heating or cooling, the deformation can be absorbed.

Moreover, by forming the cross-sectional shape of the inclined surface of the V-wheel that regulates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle into an arc shape,
Even if the transport vehicle is deformed by heating or cooling, there is no risk of the wheels hitting the rails in the first support portion.
As in the case where the traveling direction is regulated by the contact portion between the wheel and the inverted V rail, dust generated by one-sided contact with the rail of the V wheel can be eliminated when the transport vehicle is deformed by heating or cooling.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the transport apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the same as that of the first aspect , in that the first rail has an upper position.
It is a V rail whose end is formed in an inverted V shape,
The supporting parts are respectively perpendicular to the inclined surfaces of the first rail.
It consists of two contacting flat wheels and
The second rail is a flat rail, and the second support portion is composed of a flat wheel.

According to the above construction, in addition to the function of the first aspect , the first rail has a V-shaped upper end formed in an inverted V shape.
And the first support is attached to the inclined surface of the first rail.
Since the two flat wheels that are vertically in contact with each other are provided, the transport vehicle can be stably regulated in the traveling direction on the first rail. The rails are flat
Since it is a rail and the second support portion is composed of a flat wheel, the flat wheel can move on the flat rail in the width direction of the transport vehicle, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. Therefore, the deformation due to expansion or contraction can be absorbed by heating or cooling the transport vehicle.

Moreover, in the first supporting portion, since it is easy to give R to the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the flat wheel, it is possible to easily avoid the flat wheel from being hit against the inclined surface of the first rail. Therefore, even when the transport vehicle is deformed, the first support portion does not move the V wheel when the transport vehicle is deformed, as in the case where the traveling direction is restricted by the contact portion between the conventional V wheel and the inverted V-shaped rail. It is possible to eliminate the dust generated by one-sided contact with the rail.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the transport device of claim 4 is, in addition to the structure of any one of claims 1 to 3, expanded or contracted in the power transmission part by heating or cooling of the transport vehicle. It is characterized in that a deformation absorbing means for absorbing the deformation due to is provided.

According to the above construction, in addition to the operation of any one of claims 1 to 3, the power transmission section is provided with the deformation absorbing means for absorbing the deformation caused by the expansion or contraction of the transport vehicle due to heating or cooling. As a result, the load applied to the power transmission unit due to the deformation of the transport vehicle can be eliminated.
As a result, it is not necessary to provide the power transmission section in a portion where the influence of deformation of the transport vehicle is small, as in the case of claim 1, for example, so that the degree of freedom in designing the transport apparatus can be improved.

In particular, the deformation absorbing means may be constructed so as to have low rigidity in the direction in which the vehicle is expanded or contracted and high in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling.

Specifically, a parallel leaf spring having high rigidity only in one direction may be used. That is, the deformation absorbing means may be composed of a parallel leaf spring that expands and contracts in the direction in which the carrier vehicle expands or contracts, and a parallel leaf spring that expands and contracts in the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle.

The conveying apparatus according to claim 5, in order to solve the above problems, in addition to any one of the claims 1 to 4, pressurized
It is characterized in that it has a heat or cooling means and moves a transporting vehicle that transports the transported material in the traveling direction during heating or cooling of the transported material such as the substrate.

According to the above construction, in addition to the operation according to any one of claims 1 to 4, during the heating or cooling of the material to be conveyed such as the substrate, the conveying vehicle for conveying the material to be conveyed is moved in the traveling direction. By moving, the sliding of the wheel and the rail can be dispersed without concentrating in one place due to expansion or contraction of the transportation vehicle that occurs when the material to be transported such as the substrate is heated or cooled. Since the frictional force between the moving wheel and the rail is smaller than the frictional force between the stopped wheel and the rail in this way, it is possible to suppress the generation of particles due to the friction between the wheel and the rail.

[0035]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION [First Embodiment] The following will describe one embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. In this embodiment, vacuum vapor deposition, ion plating, CVD (Chemic
A transfer device for transferring a substrate, a wafer, or the like used in a vacuum film forming apparatus such as al Vapor Deposition) will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer device according to the present embodiment transfers the driving force to the transfer vehicle 3 and the transfer vehicle 3 in which the substrate 2 as the material to be heated is mounted in the internal space 1 of the device. The ball nut 6 and the ball screw shaft 5, the rotation introducing machine 8 for introducing the rotational force of the drive motor 10 which is a drive source outside the apparatus into the internal space 1 of the apparatus, the ball screw shaft 5 and the rotation introducing machine 8. It includes a coupling 9 for connection.
A power transmission section 7 is provided between the transport vehicle 3 and the ball screw shaft 5, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the transport vehicle 3 has a substantially frame shape in which the heater 4 is fitted in the central portion, and the substrate 2 is placed on the heater 4. It has become. At this time, the substrate 2 is fixed so as to be in close contact with the heater 4 by a substrate holder (not shown).
The heater 4 has a built-in resistance material for electric heating as a heating element, has a heating surface formed in a flat shape, and heats the substrate 2 that is tightly fixed on the heating surface. The heater 4 detects the temperature of the substrate 2 and the heater 4 by a temperature sensor (not shown), and its output is controlled so that the temperature of the substrate 2 reaches a predetermined value. Further, in order to uniformly heat the entire surface of the substrate 2, it is desirable that the heater 4 is larger than the substrate 2.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the ball screw shaft 5 extends in the direction of the arrow Y, which is the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3, and the ball screw support portions 11 and 12 are provided at both ends thereof. It is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown). The ball nut 6 is screwed to the ball screw shaft 5 and converts the rotational force of the ball screw shaft 5 into a linear force in the axial direction of the ball screw shaft 5.

As shown in FIG. 2, the power transmission portion 7 has one end fixed to the carrier vehicle 3 and the other end fixed to the ball nut 6, so that the ball nut 6 moves straight in the axial direction. The force is transmitted to the carrier vehicle 3. The details of the power transmission unit 7 will be described later.

In the internal space 1 of the transfer device,
First rail 35 and second rail 3 extending in the X and Y directions of arrow
6 are arranged in parallel, and these two rails 35 and 36 are
The transport vehicle 3 travels above.

In the transport vehicle 3, an end portion 3a corresponding to the first rail 35 is moved to the first rail 35 which moves on the first rail 35.
The wheels 30 and 31 are provided, and the second portion that moves on the second rail 36 is provided at the end portion 3b corresponding to the second rail 36.
Wheels 32 and 33 are provided. Therefore, these four wheels 30 to 33 are supporting portions that support the transport vehicle 3 on the first rail 35 and the second rail 36.

That is, in the transfer device having the above-described structure, the rotational force of the drive motor 10 located outside the device is introduced into the internal space 1 of the device by the rotation introducing device 8 and transmitted to the ball screw shaft 5 via the coupling 9. To be done. And the ball screw shaft 5
Is converted into a linear force by the ball nut 6 in the axial direction, that is, in the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3, and is transmitted to the transport vehicle 3 via the power transmission unit 7. Due to the driving force transmitted in this way, the carrier vehicle 3 moves in the direction of the arrow Y shown in FIG.

Now, the relationship between the first rail 35 and the first wheels 30 and 31, and the second rail 36 and the second wheels 32 and 33 will be described in more detail. Note that, for convenience of description, the wheels corresponding to the rails have the same shape, and therefore the description of one wheel will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first rail 35 is a V rail whose upper end portion is formed in an inverted V shape, and the first wheel 30 has the above-mentioned contact portion with the first rail 35. It is a V wheel with a V-shaped groove. This first rail 35
And the groove of the first wheel 30 are formed at substantially the same angle. As a result, the first rail 3
When the first wheels 30 and 31 are fitted in 5, the traveling direction of the first wheels 30 and 31 is restricted. Therefore, the first wheels 30 and 31 can travel on the first rail 35 in the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3, but cannot move in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction.

In this way, the first wheels 30 and 31 are
Since it travels on the first rail 35 which is one of the rails,
There is no problem even if the first rail 35 and the carrier 3 are thermally expanded in the longitudinal direction of the first rail 35 and extended. In addition, by the first wheels 30 and 31 and the first rail 35, the transport vehicle 3
Are positioned in the width and height directions within a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction. Therefore, when the carrier vehicle 3 is thermally expanded due to heat, the carrier vehicle 3 is thermally expanded by the first wheel 30.
The contact portion between the first rail 35 and the first rail 35 serves as a reference.

That is, the contact portion serves as a reference position for thermal expansion in the traveling direction of the carrier vehicle 3 and in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction.

On the other hand, the second rail 36 has a structure shown in FIGS.
As shown in (c), the upper end portion is a flat rail having a flat shape, and the second wheels 32 and 33 are the second rail 3
It is a flat wheel whose contact portion with 6 is flat. Therefore, the second wheels 32 and 33 are connected to the second rail 36.
It is movable in the width direction on the top. As a result, the second wheel 32,
Since the position of 33 moves in the width direction on the second rail 36, it is possible to absorb the expansion amount of the transport vehicle 3 in the width direction.

Further, since the contact portion between the first wheels 30 and 31 and the first rail 35 serves as a reference for the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3, the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3 becomes closer to the contact portion in the width direction. The effect is small. Therefore, it is desirable to provide this contact portion in the vicinity of the power transmission portion 7 that transmits the power from the ball screw shaft 5 to the transport vehicle 3. This allows
The amount of thermal expansion transmitted from the power transmission unit 7 to the ball screw shaft 5 can be reduced.

However, even if the contact portion between the first wheels 30 and 31 and the first rail 35 is located in the vicinity of the power transmission portion 7, it is impossible to completely eliminate the influence of the thermal expansion of the carrier vehicle 3. . That is, the power transmission unit 7 of the transport vehicle 3
The distance between the mounting portion of and the ball screw shaft 5 slightly changes due to the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3. In general, since the ball screw shaft 5 is weak against the load in the axial vertical direction, it is necessary to absorb the positional variation due to the thermal expansion and to reduce the load in the axial direction of the ball screw shaft 5 as small as possible. .
Therefore, in order to absorb this fluctuation, it is conceivable to configure the power transmission unit 7 with a parallel leaf spring.

Here, a case where the power transmission section 7 is formed of a parallel plate spring will be described below with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the power transmission section 7 includes a first parallel plate spring 71, a relay member 73, a relay member 73, between the ball nut 6 and the power transmission spring mounting section 75 provided on the transport vehicle 3.
The second parallel leaf spring 72 is provided in this order.

The first parallel leaf spring 71 includes a power transmission spring mounting portion 74 provided on the ball nut 6 and a relay member 73.
Is provided in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3, that is, in the direction of arrow A, and the second parallel plate spring 72 is arranged between the power transmission spring mounting portion 75 and the relay member 73 in the vertical direction. It is provided in.

In general, a parallel leaf spring has a low rigidity only in one direction and a very high rigidity in the other directions.
The parallel leaf spring having such characteristics is
By combining the two, the rigidity of the transport vehicle 3 in the width direction and the rigidity in the vertical direction are low, and the rigidity in other directions can be extremely high. That is, the first parallel plate spring 71 has a very low rigidity in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3, that is, the X direction, and the second parallel plate spring 72 has an extremely low rigidity in the vertical direction, that is, the Z direction, and the other directions. Higher rigidity.

Therefore, in the power transmission unit 7 having the above-described structure, the thermal expansion of the carrier 3 in the width direction and the vertical direction of the carrier 3, that is, the X direction and the Z direction, is caused by the second parallel leaf spring 72 and the first parallel plate spring 72, respectively. It can be absorbed by the parallel leaf spring 71. In addition, the first parallel leaf spring 71 and the second parallel leaf spring 7
Since No. 2 has a very high rigidity in the traveling direction, that is, in the Y direction, it is possible to perform precise feeding and positioning of the carrier 3 in the traveling direction.

In general, parallel leaf springs can be easily designed taking the natural frequency into consideration. That is, by changing the plate width, length, and thickness of the leaf spring,
It is possible to easily set the spring constants in the vertical direction, the traveling direction, and the rotation direction around each axis. By setting the spring constant of the leaf springs forming the parallel leaf springs in this manner, the natural frequency of the entire parallel leaf springs can be set.

As a result, the natural frequency of the parallel leaf spring is
Since the adjustment can be easily performed so as not to match the frequency of the disturbance, it is possible to surely avoid the resonance that is a problem when the parallel plate spring is used for the power transmission unit.

If a parallel leaf spring is used for the power transmission section as described above, there is no sliding portion as in the case where another leaf spring or a coil spring is used for the driving section of the power transmission section. Dust can be eliminated. Therefore, the transfer device using the parallel leaf spring for the power transmission unit can be suitably used for the vacuum film forming apparatus.

By the way, when the substrate 2 mounted on the transport vehicle 3 is heated by the heater 4, the transport vehicle 3 operates as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the portion on which the substrate 2 is mounted, that is, the heating portion is bent downward. This means that when the substrate 2 is heated by the heater 4, the transport vehicle 3 is also heated by the heater 4. In the transport vehicle 3, the temperature of the surface 3c closer to the heater 4 is higher than that of the heater 3. This is because the surface 3c and the surface 3d of the transport vehicle 3 have different expansion coefficients because the surface 3c is higher than the surface 3d on the side farther from the surface. In FIG. 6, the power transmission unit 7 for transmitting the driving force to the transport vehicle 3 is omitted.

In this way, when the carrier 3 is warped,
There is no problem in the contact portion between the first rails 35 and 31 on the end portion 3a side of the transport vehicle 3 and the first rail 35, which is the reference portion due to the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3, but on the end portion 3b side of the transport vehicle 3. Second
A problem occurs at the contact portion between the wheels 32 and 33 and the second rail 36. That is, since the second wheels 32 and 33 are flat wheels and the second rail 36 is a flat rail, when the warp due to the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3 as described above occurs, it is a flat wheel. 2 wheel 32.3
There arises a problem that 3 hits the second rail 36 which is a flat rail. In such a case, the second wheel 32
By making the cross section of the outer peripheral surface of 33 in the traveling direction substantially arcuate, it is possible to prevent partial contact of the second wheels 32 and 33 with the second rail 36.

However, even if the partial cross-sections of the outer peripheral surfaces of the second wheels 32 and 33 in the traveling direction are made substantially arc-shaped as described above to prevent one-sided contact with the second rail 36, the transport vehicle 3 is located at one place. If the substrate 2 is heated while being fixed to the
The second wheel 32/33 is the second rail 3 by the amount of thermal expansion of
Slides on the second wheel 32 and 33 and the second rail 3
Friction occurs between the nozzle 6 and the roller 6, causing various problems such as generation of particles.

From the above, when heating the substrate 2, if the transport vehicle 3 is moved, the second wheels 32 and 33 can be moved.
While sliding on the second rail 36 while rotating, the friction coefficient between the second wheels 32 and 33 and the second rail 36 can be reduced, and The problem of can be solved.

In particular, vacuum deposition, ion plating,
In a transfer device used in a vacuum film forming apparatus such as CVD, particle generation is strictly prohibited, so each rail or wheel is subjected to a surface treatment, and the substrate 2 is heated while the transfer vehicle 3 is moved. If this is done, the friction between the rail and the wheel is small, so that the generation of particles due to the friction and the deterioration of the coating film of the rail or the wheel can be reduced.

In the transport apparatus having the above-described structure, the reference by the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3 is based on the first wheels 30 and 31 formed by the V wheels of the transport vehicle 3 and the first rail 35 formed by the V rail.
However, the present invention is not limited to this. In the following embodiments, the position of the carrier 3 in the traveling direction is regulated, and the supporting portion of the carrier 3 that serves as a reference for thermal expansion will be described.

[Second Embodiment] The following will describe another embodiment of the present invention in reference to FIG. For convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The same applies to the following embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 7, the carrying device according to the present embodiment includes the first wheels 30 and 31 and the first rail 35 at the end 3a on the position regulating side of the carrying vehicle 3 according to the first embodiment. Instead of, the linear guide 50 is used.

In the linear guide 50, a linear guide bearing 51 is attached to the end portion 3a of the transport vehicle 3, and a rail 52 for guiding the linear guide bearing 51 is attached to the transport device side. The guide bearing 51 runs.

According to the above structure, the carrier 3 can regulate the support and the traveling direction of the carrier 3 by the linear guide 50. This makes it possible to obtain the same actions and effects as those of the first embodiment, and further, the linear guide 5
In 0, the friction during running is less than that in the combination of the wheel and the rail as in the first embodiment, and it can be suitably used for the vacuum film forming apparatus.

[Third Embodiment] The following will describe still another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8, the carrying device according to the present embodiment includes the first wheels 30 and 31 and the first rail 35 at the end 3a on the position regulating side of the carrying vehicle 3 according to the first embodiment. Instead of the above, two flat wheels 77 and 77 and an inverted V-shaped V rail 78 are used to support the transport vehicle 3 and regulate the traveling direction.

The flat wheel 77 is provided on a mounting portion 76 provided at the end of the position regulating side of a carrier vehicle (not shown) so as to vertically contact the inclined surface 78a of the V rail 78. That is, the flat wheels 77 and 77 travel while making contact with each other so as to sandwich the V rail 78. Further, since the flat wheel 77 may be partially contacted with the inclined surface 78a of the V rail 78 due to deformation of the carrier vehicle due to thermal expansion or the like, the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the flat wheel 77 should be an arc shape. This prevents the above-mentioned one-sided contact.

According to the above construction, the flat wheels 77.7
7 and the V rail 78 can regulate the support and traveling direction of the carrier vehicle. Thereby, the first embodiment
Since the flat wheels 77 and 77 are traveling so as to sandwich the V rail 78, the flat wheels 77 and 77 can travel in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Also has less friction during running,
It can be suitably used for a vacuum film forming apparatus.

[Fourth Embodiment] The following description will explain still another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 9, the carrier device according to the present embodiment is provided with a flat wheel 81 instead of the first wheel 30 of the carrier vehicle 3 in the carrier device according to the first embodiment. A flat wheel 80 is provided instead of the second wheel 32 of No. 3. In addition, the first embodiment
A flat rail 85 is provided in place of the first rail 35 in the transport apparatus of 1 and a flat rail 84 is provided in place of the second rail 36. The transport vehicle 3 has flat wheels 82 and 83 for restricting the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3.
Are provided so as to contact the side surfaces of the flat rails 84 and 85.

In FIG. 9, each flat wheel is shown one by one, but in reality, the first wheel 31, the flat wheel corresponding to the second wheel 33, and the flat wheel for restricting the traveling direction are provided. Each is provided.

Therefore, the transport vehicle 3 travels on the flat rails 84 and 85 by the flat wheels.

The flat wheel 83 is attached to the transport vehicle 3 via a pressure bonding mechanism 86. This crimping mechanism 8
6 is mounted on the spring mounting portion 61 provided on the carrier 3.
62 for urging the spring 62 toward the flat rail 85 and the spring 62
And a flat wheel 83 that abuts the side surface of the flat rail 85. As a result, the crimping mechanism 86 presses the transport vehicle 3 toward the flat rail 85, so that even if the transport vehicle 3 thermally expands, the expansion is absorbed, and the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 3 is changed. It is possible to regulate.

The crimping force generated by the crimping mechanism 86 is set larger than the driving force of the transport vehicle 3 so that the driving force of the transport vehicle 3 does not cause any problem. Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of each of the flat wheels 80 to 83 is formed in an arc shape. As a result, it is possible to prevent the flat wheels 80 to 83 from hitting one side of each of the flat rails 84 and 85 due to the deformation of the transport vehicle 3 due to thermal expansion.

In the above-described Embodiments 2 to 4, the support of the transport vehicle 3 and the regulation of the traveling direction have been described, but in the following embodiments, the power transmission unit 7 for transmitting the driving force to the transport vehicle 3 will be described. To do.

[Fifth Embodiment] The following description will explain still another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. Since the other configurations of the present embodiment and the following embodiments are the same as those of the first embodiment, only the configuration near the power transmission unit will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), the power transmission portion of the carrier device according to the present embodiment is provided with a ball screw shaft 5
And the carriage 3 are connected via a power transmission member 91, and two power transmission shafts 90 are attached to the ball nut 6 so that the axial direction thereof is orthogonal to the ball screw shaft 5, that is, the Z direction. Is.

The power transmission member 91 is provided with two linear bearings 88, 88 and a power transmission shaft 89. Further, the carrier 3 is provided with a linear bearing 87 with its axial direction aligned with the X direction. Has been. The power transmission shaft 90 of the ball nut 6 is inserted into the linear bearing 88 of the power transmission member 91, and the power transmission shaft 89 of the power transmission member 91 is inserted into the linear bearing 87 of the transport vehicle 3.

Generally, each linear bearing 87/88
Is designed not to restrain the rotation in the axial direction and the rotation around the axis. Therefore, as described above, by making the axial directions of the linear bearings 87 and 88 coincide with the X-axis and Z-axis directions, thermal expansion in the X-axis and Z-axis directions can be absorbed.

Further, the power transmission section having the above-mentioned structure has a high rigidity in the axial direction of the ball screw shaft 5 in a direction orthogonal to the linear bearings, that is, a high rigidity in the traveling direction. Therefore, it is possible to precisely feed and position the transport vehicle 3 in the traveling direction.

[Sixth Embodiment] The following will describe still another embodiment of the present invention in reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 11, the power transmission portion of the carrier device according to the present embodiment is such that one end of the parallel leaf spring 71 attached to the carrier vehicle 3 and the other end of the ball screw shaft 5 power. The configuration is such that they are connected via the transmission member 96.

The power transmission member 96 is the ball nut 6
A first power transmission relay member 92 provided outside the first power transmission relay member 92, and a second power relay relay member 93 provided outside the first power transmission relay member 92 and connected to the parallel leaf spring 71.

The ball nut 6 has a ball screw shaft 5
Two power transmission shafts 94 for transmitting the rotational force from are mounted above and below with their axial directions aligned with the Z axis. The first power transmission relay member 92 has a bearing (not shown) that receives the power transmission shaft 94.
And, two power transmission shafts 95 for transmitting the driving force from the ball nut 6 to the second power transmission relay member 93 are attached with their axial directions aligned with the X-axis direction. Further, the second power transmission relay member 93 is provided with a bearing (not shown) that receives the power transmission shaft 95.

In the above structure, when the carrier vehicle thermally expands, the expansion is transmitted to the second power transmission relay member 93 via the parallel plate spring 71. As a result, expansion in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the transport vehicle is absorbed by the bearing of the second power transmission relay member 93 and the power transmission shaft 95 of the first power transmission relay member 92, while the vertical movement of the transport vehicle is increased and decreased. The expansion in the direction is absorbed by the bearing of the first power transmission relay member 92 and the power transmission shaft 94 of the ball nut 6.

Therefore, in the power transmission section having the above structure,
Since the thermal expansion of the carrier vehicle can be completely absorbed by the first power transmission relay member 92 and the second power transmission relay member 93, the ball screw shaft 5 will be affected by the positional relationship between the carrier vehicle and the ball screw shaft 5. The working moment can be avoided.

[Seventh Embodiment] The following will describe still another embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13.

As shown in FIG. 12, the carrying device according to the present embodiment uses, as a first supporting part, the first wheels 30 and 3 at the end 3a on the position regulating side of the carrying vehicle 3 of the first embodiment.
Instead of 1, the V wheel 100 in which the cross section of the inclined surface which is the contact surface with the inverted V-shaped first rail 35 is formed in an arc shape.
The 101 is used to support the transport vehicle 3 and regulate the traveling direction. In this way, the V wheel 10
Since 0.101 forms the cross section of the inclined surface that is the contact surface with the first rail 35 in an arc shape, the transport vehicle 3 is deformed by heat and the force related to the width direction of the transport vehicle 3 causes the V wheel. 100 and 101 do not hit the first rail 35.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), the second supporting portion of the carrying device of the present embodiment has the second rail 36 and the upper end portion formed in a flat shape as in the first embodiment. The second wheels 32 and 33 are flat rails whose contact portions with the second rail 36 are flat. Therefore, the second wheels 32 and 33 are movable in the width direction on the second rail 36. As a result, the positions of the second wheels 32 and 33 are moved in the width direction on the second rail 36 by the amount of the thermal expansion of the transport vehicle 3 in the width direction. Can be absorbed. Moreover, the contact surfaces of the second rails 36 of the second wheels 32 and 33 are formed in an arcuate cross section.

According to the above configuration, when the carrier 3 is deformed by heat as shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), since the cross section of the inclined surface of the V wheel 100/101 is formed in an arc shape, the V wheel 1
00.101 does not hit against the first rail 35, and the contact surface of the second rail 36 of the second wheel 32.33 has an arc-shaped cross section. The 33 does not hit the second rail 36. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the generation of particles and the deterioration of the coating film on the rails and wheels, and thus the transfer device according to the present embodiment can be preferably used for a vacuum film forming device.

In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the thermal expansion and thermal deformation of the carrier vehicle due to heating are explained, but the present invention can cope not only with the problem due to expansion but also with the contraction due to cooling. . In other words, when the transport vehicle contracts due to cooling, it is only the reverse of the case of thermal expansion, so that the above-described respective embodiments corresponding to thermal expansion can be used as they are.

[0095]

As described above, the transporting device of the invention of claim 1 transports a material to be transported such as a substrate, and a wheel or a liner.
Arranged in parallel with the guided vehicle where the guide is provided ,
It is composed of a first rail and a second rail for guiding the transport vehicle in the traveling direction, and the wheel or the linear guide , and regulates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle and supports the transport vehicle on the first rail. A first supporting part and a second supporting part configured to support the carrier on the second rail slidably in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, the first supporting part and the wheel;
And a power transmission unit that is arranged parallel to the second rail and that transmits a driving force to the transport vehicle, and the power transmission unit is provided closer to the first support unit than the second support unit. It is a composition.

Therefore, when the transport vehicle expands or contracts, the second support portion absorbs the deformation caused by the expansion or contraction with the first support portion as a reference, and therefore the transport vehicle is configured to use the second support portion. The amount of deformation increases toward the support portion. Therefore, since the power transmission unit that transmits the driving force to the transport vehicle is provided closer to the first support unit than the second support unit, the transport vehicle is deformed by the expansion and contraction of the power transmission unit. Since it is possible to reduce the influence of the above, there is an effect that it is possible to provide a transfer device that is less influenced by thermal expansion.

As described above, in the carrying device according to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect , the first rail has an upper end portion.
The V-rail is formed in an inverted V shape, and the first support portion is provided.
However, the V-shaped cross-section and the cross-sectional shape of the inclined surface are formed in an arc shape.
It is composed of a wheel that is
The rail is a flat rail, and the second support portion is composed of a flat wheel.

Therefore, in addition to the effects of the first aspect , the first
The rail is a V rail whose upper end is formed in an inverted V shape.
The above-mentioned first support portion has a V-shaped cross section and the cross-sectional shape of the inclined surface thereof.
Since the shape is composed of a wheel formed in an arc shape, the traveling direction of the transport vehicle can be regulated.
Further, since the second rail is a flat rail and the second support portion is composed of a flat wheel, the flat wheel is provided in the width direction of the transport vehicle, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. Can move on the flat rail. Therefore, even if the carrier vehicle expands or contracts due to heating or cooling, the deformation can be absorbed.

Moreover, by forming the cross-sectional shape of the inclined surface of the V-wheel which regulates the traveling direction of the transport vehicle into an arc shape,
Even if the transport vehicle is deformed by heating or cooling, there is no risk of the wheels hitting the rails in the first support portion.
As in the case where the traveling direction is restricted by the contact portion between the wheel and the inverted V rail, it is possible to eliminate the dust generated by the uneven contact of the V wheel with the rail when the transport vehicle is deformed by heating or cooling. Play.

As described above, in the conveying device according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the structure of the first aspect , the upper end portion of the first rail is reversed.
It is a V rail formed in a V shape, and the first support portion is
It contacts perpendicularly to the inclined surface of the first rail.
Comprised of two flat wheels, the second race
Is a flat rail, and the second support portion is composed of a flat wheel.

Therefore, in addition to the effect of the structure of claim 1, the first rail has a V-shaped upper end formed in an inverted V shape.
And the first support is attached to the inclined surface of the first rail.
It consists of two flat wheels that contact each other vertically.
The second rail is a flat rail.
Since the second support portion is composed of a flat wheel,
Since it becomes easy to add R to the cross-sectional shape of the outer peripheral surface of the flat wheel, it is possible to easily avoid the flat wheel from being hit against the inclined surface of the first rail. Therefore, even if the transport vehicle is deformed, the first support portion does not move the V wheel when the transport vehicle is deformed, as in the case where the traveling direction is restricted by the contact portion between the conventional V wheel and the inverted V-shaped rail. It is possible to eliminate the dust generated by one-sided contact with the rail.

As described above, in the transport apparatus of the invention of claim 4, in addition to the structure of any one of claims 1 to 3, the power transmission portion is deformed by expansion or contraction of the transport vehicle by heating or cooling. In this configuration, a deformation absorbing unit that absorbs

Therefore, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to third aspects, the power transmission section is provided with the deformation absorbing means for absorbing the deformation caused by the expansion or contraction of the transport vehicle due to heating or cooling. By doing so, it is possible to eliminate the load applied to the power transmission section. As a result, it is not necessary to provide the power transmission unit particularly in a portion where the influence of the deformation of the carrier vehicle is small, as in the first aspect of the invention, so that the degree of freedom in designing the carrier device can be improved.

As described above, the transporting device of the invention of claim 5 has the configuration of any one of claims 1 to 4 in addition to heating or
It is configured to have a cooling means and to move a transporting vehicle that transports the transported material in the traveling direction during heating or cooling of the transported material such as the substrate.

Therefore, in addition to the effects of any one of the first to fourth aspects, during the heating or cooling of the material to be transported such as the substrate, the transport vehicle for transporting the material to be transported is moved in the traveling direction. As a result, the sliding of the wheel and the rail can be dispersed without concentrating in one place due to the expansion or contraction of the transportation vehicle that occurs when the material to be transported such as the substrate is heated or cooled. Since the frictional force between the moving wheel and the rail is smaller than the frictional force between the stopped wheel and the rail in this way, it is possible to suppress the generation of particles due to the friction between the wheel and the rail. Play.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a carrying device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the transfer device shown in FIG.

3 is a schematic sectional view of the transfer device shown in FIG.
(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A, (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a relationship between a first wheel and a first rail of a carrier vehicle of the carrier device shown in FIG.

5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the vicinity of a power transmission unit of the transfer device shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the carrier vehicle is deformed by heat in the carrier device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic configuration front view of a carrying device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a contact state between a flat wheel and an inverted V-shaped rail of a carrier vehicle of a carrier device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration front view of a carrying device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power transmission unit of a carrier device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a power transmission unit of a carrier device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a supporting portion of a carrying device according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the carrier vehicle of the carrier device shown in FIG. 12 is deformed by heat.

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view of a conventional transfer device.

FIG. 15 is a schematic front view of a conventional transfer device.

FIG. 16 is a schematic configuration diagram of a thermal expansion absorption mechanism provided in a conventional transfer device.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a carrier vehicle of a conventional carrier device is deformed by heat.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 substrates 3 transport vehicles 4 heating heater 5 Ball screw shaft (power transmission means) 6 ball nut (power transmission means) 7 Power transmission section 10 Drive motor (drive means) 30 ・ 31 1st wheel 32 ・ 33 2nd wheel 35 First Rail 36 Second rail 50 linear guide 77 flat wheel 78 V rail (1st rail) 100 V wheel 101 V wheel

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page       (56) References JP-A-4-285166 (JP, A)                 JP-A-3-90569 (JP, A)                 JP-A-3-126868 (JP, A)                 Actual Kohei 7-54284 (JP, Y2)

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. A material for carrying a material such as a substrate is carried by a wheel or
Is a first rail and a second rail which are arranged in parallel with a vehicle provided with a linear guide and which guides the vehicle in the traveling direction, and the wheels or linear guides . It comprises a first support part for restricting the traveling direction and supporting the transport vehicle on the first rail, and the wheel , and the transport vehicle is slidable in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction . A second supporting portion that is supported on two rails; and a power transmitting portion that is arranged in parallel with the first and second rails and that transmits a driving force to a transport vehicle, wherein the power transmitting portion is the second supporting portion. A transporting device, wherein the transporting device is provided on a side closer to the first support portion than a portion. 2. The upper end of the first rail is formed in an inverted V shape.
V-rail, and the first support portion has a V-shaped cross section.
Is it a wheel whose cross-sectional shape of the inclined surface is arcuate?
The transport apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second rail is a flat rail, and the second support portion is a flat wheel. 3. The upper end of the first rail is formed in an inverted V shape.
V rail, and the first support portion is a tilted portion of the first rail.
Two flat wheels contacting each other perpendicular to the slope
Together constituted by the second rail is a flat rail, according to claim 1, characterized in that said second support portion and a flat wheel
The transport device described. 4. A said power transmission unit, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that deformation absorbing means for absorbing the deformation due to expansion or contraction due to heating or cooling of the transport vehicle is provided Transport device. 5. a heating or cooling means, during heating or cooling of the conveyed material such as a substrate, according to claim 1, characterized in that moving the transport vehicle for conveying the該被conveying member in the traveling direction - 4. The transport device according to any one of 4. 6. A vacuum film forming apparatus used for a vacuum film forming apparatus.
The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. A material such as a substrate is transported by a wheel or
Is arranged in parallel with the guided vehicle provided with the linear guide, and guides the guided vehicle in the traveling direction.
The first rail and the second rail of the above, and the above-mentioned wheel or linear guide,
Regulate the traveling direction of the
It is composed of a first supporting part for supporting and the above-mentioned wheel, and the carrier is perpendicular to the traveling direction.
Support part that supports on the second rail slidably in various directions
And is arranged in parallel with the above-mentioned first and second rails,
A power transmission unit that transmits a driving force, the transport vehicle includes a heater, and the power transmission unit is closer to the first support unit than to the second support unit.
A transport device, which is provided on the near side.