JP4904722B2 - Substrate transfer device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer apparatus, and more particularly, to a substrate transfer apparatus that uses a conveyor and a transfer hand to transfer a substrate between a cassette that can be stacked and stored and a process apparatus that processes the substrate.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a cassette in which glass substrates used for plasma display panels and the like are stacked and stored and loaded at a predetermined position of a loading station is transferred using a transfer hand (transferred into the cassette). A processing apparatus that takes out glass substrates existing at an arbitrary position of the cassette one by one (inserts a hand), places the taken glass substrates on a roller conveyor, and performs processing such as printing on the glass substrates. There is known a substrate transfer apparatus configured to be inserted into the apparatus (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-167039 A

  By the way, in the said conventional board | substrate conveyance apparatus, when taking out a glass substrate from a cassette using a transfer hand, a transfer hand is inserted between glass substrates, and after this insertion, the said transfer hand is made into the said glass substrate (cassette). The glass substrate to be transported is slightly lifted to slightly lift the glass substrate, and the glass substrate is moved away from the support portion of the cassette supporting the glass substrate, and the substrate is placed on the transfer hand. After the placement, the transfer hand is moved out of the cassette, and the glass substrate is taken out from the cassette.

  Accordingly, a space for inserting the transfer hand between the glass substrates and slightly lifting the glass substrate to be transported is required, and the vertical distance between the glass substrates stacked in the cassette is required. There is a problem that the vertical pitch of each glass substrate stacked in the cassette may increase, the number of glass substrates stored decreases, and the efficiency of storing the glass substrates in the cassette decreases. is there.

  In addition, when the glass substrate is enlarged and the portion overhanging from the transfer hand becomes large, the glass substrate is bent when it is lifted slightly to carry it out of the cassette (overhanging from the transfer hand). At the same time, the deflection of the portion that has been in contact with the support portion of the cassette is increased, and it is necessary to lift the glass substrate further away from the support portion of the cassette.

  On the other hand, in the conventional substrate transfer apparatus, a glass substrate is carried into the process apparatus using a roller conveyor. However, the process apparatus often requires transfer by a transfer hand. That is, for example, a part of a process apparatus for processing a substrate is partitioned from the outside by a cover, and when the substrate is carried in, a part of the cover that can be opened and closed is opened and the substrate is opened. Therefore, the roller conveyor has a drawback that it may be difficult to carry the glass substrate into the process apparatus.

  If an articulated robot or the like is installed between the roller conveyor and the process device in order to compensate for the drawbacks, there is a problem that the configuration of the substrate transfer device becomes complicated and the installation area of the substrate transfer device becomes large. is there.

  In addition, the said problem is a problem which generate | occur | produces similarly also in the board | substrate comprised with materials other than glass.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a substrate transfer apparatus that transfers a substrate between a cassette that can store a substrate and a process apparatus that processes the substrate, the storage efficiency of the substrate in the cassette An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate transfer apparatus that can reduce the installation area and can have a simple configuration and a reduced installation area.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to move the substrate in the horizontal direction from a cassette that can be stored in multiple stages with the substrates horizontal, or to carry the substrate into the cassette by moving the substrate in the horizontal direction. A cassette-side conveyor and a process-side transfer capable of moving the substrate in the horizontal direction and supplying it to a process apparatus for processing the substrate, or moving the substrate in the horizontal direction and carrying it out of the process apparatus. And a substrate transfer means capable of transferring the substrate between the cassette-side conveyor and the process-side transfer hand, the cassette-side conveyor, the process-side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means, by only parallel movement, the substrate transfer apparatus configured to move the substrate, said process side transfer hand, the front Includes a notch or a through hole extending in a direction of supplying or out the substrate, the substrate transfer means, for a movable relatively vertically passing against the said process-side transfer hand and the cassette-side conveyor A conveyor , comprising a delivery conveyor having a substrate placement portion configured to pass through the notch or the through-hole and rise to the same height as a pass line of the cassette-side conveyor The cassette side conveyor and the process side transfer hand are passed through the notch or each through hole provided in the process side transfer hand by passing the substrate placement site in the transfer conveyor. Or the substrate transfer means is configured to transfer the substrate between the cassette and the cassette. The substrate movably der relatively vertical direction with respect to the up side conveyor and the process-side transfer hand extends in the direction of supply or unloaded allow pass through the notch or the through hole together and a deployed delivery for air float means or delivery ultrasound float means, each notch or the through holes provided in the process-side transfer hand, the delivery for air float means or the It is configured such that the substrate can be delivered between the cassette-side conveyor and the process-side transfer hand by passing a portion on which the substrate is placed in the delivery ultrasonic float means. .

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the substrate is carried out from the cassette using the cassette side conveyor or the substrate is carried into the cassette, there is no need to move the substrate up and down during the loading and unloading. Therefore, it is not necessary to insert a transfer hand between the substrates, and therefore, the interval between the substrates stacked in the wire cassette (interval in the vertical direction) can be reduced, and the storage efficiency of the substrate in the cassette is reduced. Can be raised. The process-side transfer hand includes a notch or a through-hole extending from the front end to the base end, and the substrate transfer means includes a transfer conveyor that is movable in the vertical direction, and The substrate placement site in the transfer conveyor passes through the notch or the through hole provided in the process side transfer hand, so that the cassette side conveyor and the process side transfer hand are connected to each other. Since the substrate can be delivered, the substrate can be delivered with a simple configuration and only by moving in the vertical direction, and the possibility of scratching the substrate can be avoided. Further, since the delivery means is composed of delivery air float means and delivery ultrasonic float means, the substrate can be delivered with a simple structure and only by moving in the vertical direction, and the substrate is transferred. In doing so, it is possible to further avoid the possibility of scratching the substrate or contaminating the substrate.

  Furthermore, since the substrate is loaded into the process apparatus using the process side transfer hand or the substrate is unloaded from the process apparatus, it is possible to meet the requirements of the process apparatus side, and it is necessary to provide a separate articulated robot or the like in the process apparatus Therefore, the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus can be simplified and the installation area can be reduced.

  Further, the movement of the substrate by the cassette-side conveyor, the process-side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means can be performed only by parallel movement without rotational movement that changes the position of the substrate. ) Is not necessary, and the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus can be reduced.

The invention according to claim 2 can be carried out by holding the end face of the substrate or the vicinity of the end face and moving the substrate in the horizontal direction from a cassette that can be stored in multiple stages with the substrate horizontal, or the end face of the substrate Alternatively, it can be supplied to a cassette-side transfer hand that holds the vicinity of the end face and moves the substrate in the horizontal direction and carries it into the cassette, and a process apparatus that moves the substrate in the horizontal direction and processes the substrate. Alternatively, the substrate can be transferred between the process side transfer hand that can move the substrate in the horizontal direction and carry it out of the process apparatus, and the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand. Substrate transfer means, and the cassette side transfer hand, the process side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means transfer the substrate only by parallel movement. In the substrate transfer apparatus configured to, said process side transfer hand is provided with a notch or a through hole extending in a direction of supplying or unloading the substrate, the substrate transfer means, the cassette-side transfer hand And a transfer conveyor that is movable in a vertical direction relative to the process side transfer hand, and passes through the notch or the through hole and has the same height as a pass line of the cassette side conveyor. A transfer conveyor having a substrate mounting portion configured to be able to rise up to a position, and the notch or the through hole provided in the process-side transfer hand is used as the transfer conveyor. by substrate platform position passes in, the substrate between the process side transfer hand and the cassette-side transfer hand Only it is configured to capable to pass, or the substrate transfer means, I movably der relatively vertically to the cassette-side transfer hand against the said process-side transfer hand The process includes an air float means for delivery or an ultrasonic float means for delivery arranged so as to extend in the direction of supplying or unloading the substrate and pass through the notch or the through hole. When the portion of the delivery air float means or the delivery ultrasonic float means on which the substrate is placed passes through the notch or the through hole provided in the side transfer hand, the cassette side transfer is performed. The substrate can be transferred between the loading hand and the process side transfer hand.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the substrate is carried out from the cassette using the cassette side transfer hand or the substrate is carried into the cassette, there is no need to move the substrate up and down during the loading and unloading. Since the substrate side is held by the cassette side transfer hand and the substrate is carried in and out, there is no need to move the substrate up and down during this loading and unloading, and the cassette side transfer hand is placed between the substrates. There is no need to insert deep into. Therefore, the interval between the substrates stacked in the wire cassette (the interval in the vertical direction) can be reduced, and the storage efficiency of the substrates in the cassette can be increased. In addition, the substrate transfer means includes a transfer conveyor that is movable in the vertical direction, and the process-side transfer hand includes a notch or a through-hole extending from the tip to the base end, The portion of the delivery conveyor where the substrate is placed passes through the notch or the through-hole provided in the process-side transfer hand, so that there is a gap between the delivery conveyor and the process-side transfer hand. The substrate can be delivered with a simple configuration, and the substrate can be delivered simply by moving in the vertical direction, thereby avoiding the possibility of scratching the substrate. . Further, since the delivery means is composed of delivery air float means and delivery ultrasonic float means, the substrate can be delivered with a simple structure and only by moving in the vertical direction, and the substrate is transferred. In doing so, it is possible to further avoid the possibility of scratching the substrate or contaminating the substrate.

  Further, when the substrate is unloaded from the cassette or loaded into the cassette, the loading and unloading is performed while holding the end portion of the substrate, thereby further avoiding the possibility of the substrate being damaged or contaminated. be able to. In addition, since the substrate is loaded into the process apparatus using the process side transfer hand or the substrate is unloaded from the process apparatus, it is possible to meet the requirements of the process apparatus side, and it is necessary to provide a separate articulated robot or the like in the process apparatus Therefore, the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus can be simplified and the installation area can be reduced.

  Further, the movement of the substrate by the cassette-side conveyor, the process-side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means can be performed only by parallel movement without rotational movement that changes the position of the substrate. ) Is not necessary, and the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus can be reduced.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate transfer apparatus according to the second aspect, the cassette-side transfer hand includes a slide base that extends long in a loading / unloading direction of the substrate, and the substrate with respect to the slide base. A movable member movable in the loading / unloading direction and a holding member capable of holding the substrate and movable in the loading / unloading direction of the substrate with respect to the moving member, with respect to the slide base It is a board | substrate conveyance apparatus by which the said holding member is comprised so that a movement positioning is possible.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the holding member of the cassette-side transfer hand is provided so as to be movable with respect to the moving member that is movable with respect to the base member. An increase in the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus due to an increase in the substrate transfer stroke) can be avoided as much as possible.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the substrate transfer apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the substrate carrying-in / out direction by the cassette-side conveyor or the cassette-side transfer hand and the process The substrate loading / unloading direction by the side transfer hand coincides with each other, and the substrate unloaded from the cassette by the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand, or by the process side transfer hand Substrate movement positioning means capable of moving and positioning a substrate unloaded from a process apparatus in a horizontal direction intersecting with a loading / unloading direction of the substrate by the cassette-side conveyor or the cassette-side transfer hand. A substrate transfer device.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the substrate loading / unloading direction (X-axis direction) by the cassette-side conveyor or the cassette-side transfer hand and the substrate loading / unloading direction (X-axis direction) by the process-side transfer hand. ) And the substrate movement positioning means that can move and position the substrate in the Y-axis direction, the overall structure of the substrate transfer apparatus is further simplified, and the cassette and the process apparatus Can be transported between the cassette and the process apparatus even if exists at a position shifted in the Y-axis direction.

  In addition, a plurality of cassettes arranged in the Y-axis direction on one end side in the X-axis direction and a plurality of process devices arranged in the Y-axis direction on the other end side in the X-axis direction with the substrate transfer device in between The substrate can be transferred between the two.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate transfer apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the cassette side conveyor or the cassette is provided at a base end portion side of the process side transfer hand. An intermediate conveyor for supporting the weight of the substrate moving horizontally between the side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand, or the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer. The substrate transport apparatus is provided with intermediate air float means or intermediate ultrasonic float means for supporting the weight of the substrate moving in the horizontal direction between the loading hand.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, since the intermediate conveyor is provided, the substrate is delivered between the cassette side conveyor and the delivery conveyor while supporting the substrate using the intermediate conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to reliably deliver the substrate.

  According to the invention described in claim 6, since the intermediate air float means or the intermediate ultrasonic float means is provided, the substrate can be reliably delivered in the same manner, and the substrate is transferred. At this time, it is possible to further avoid the possibility that the substrate is damaged or the substrate is contaminated.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is the substrate transfer apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein a plurality of the process-side transfer hands are arranged in the vertical direction. is there.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since a plurality of the process side transfer hands are provided in the vertical direction, the substrate is unloaded from the process apparatus and the substrate is loaded into the process apparatus in a short time. be able to.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate transport apparatus that can increase the efficiency of storing substrates in the cassette, has a simple configuration, and can reduce the installation area.

[First embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a schematic configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 1.

  In FIG. 2, the side member 35, the transfer hand support member 39, and the intermediate member 41 on one side (the lower side in FIG. 1) are not shown in FIG. Further, in this specification, for convenience of explanation, one horizontal direction is defined as an X-axis direction, another horizontal direction that is perpendicular to the X-axis direction is defined as a Y-axis direction, Let the direction be the Z-axis direction.

  The substrate transfer apparatus 1 includes a cassette CS capable of storing a glass substrate (for example, a rectangular and plate-like glass substrate used for a plasma display panel, a liquid crystal display panel, etc.) W and the glass substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”). There is a case in which the substrate W is transferred to and from a process device (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) that performs processing (processing) on W. The cassette-side conveyor 3 and the process-side transfer Hand 5 is provided.

  The cassette CS can store the substrates W in multiple stages by stacking the horizontal substrates W slightly apart from each other in the vertical direction.

  The cassette-side conveyor 3 linearly moves the substrates W stored in the cassette CS in the horizontal direction (only in the X-axis direction) in order from the lowest one and carries them out one by one. Can be done. Further, the cassette-side conveyor 3 can move the substrates W linearly (only in the X-axis direction) and carry the substrates W one by one into the cassette CS. Yes. In the cassette CS, the substrates W are arranged from top to bottom in order from the first loaded.

  The process-side transfer hand 5 can linearly move the substrates W one by one in the horizontal direction (only in the X-axis direction) and supply them to the process apparatus, and also move the substrates W one by one in the horizontal direction. It can be moved out linearly (only in the X-axis direction) and carried out of the process equipment. As already understood, the transport direction of the substrate W by the cassette side conveyor 3 and the transport direction of the substrate W by the process side transfer hand 5 coincide with each other.

  Further, the substrate W can be delivered to the substrate transport apparatus 1 by moving the substrate W only in the Z-axis direction between the cassette-side conveyor 3 and the process-side transfer hand 5. Substrate delivery means 7 is provided.

  The cassette-side conveyor 3, the process-side transfer hand 5, and the substrate delivery means 7 only move the substrate W in parallel, in other words, without changing the posture of the substrate W. The substrate W is configured to move by moving only in parallel.

  As will be described in detail later, the cassette-side conveyor 3 moves the substrate W by sandwiching it in the vertical direction at a position that does not interfere with the cassette CS or the substrate delivery means 7 when the substrate W is unloaded or loaded. Is configured to do.

  The substrate transfer means 7 includes a transfer conveyor 9 that is movable in the vertical direction relative to the cassette-side conveyor 3 and the process-side transfer hand 5, and the process-side transfer hand The substrate 13 in the transfer conveyor 9 passes through each notch 11 provided in the transfer conveyor 9, so that the substrate is transferred between the cassette-side conveyor 3 and the process-side transfer hand 5. W is configured to be able to move and move linearly only in the Z-axis direction. A through hole may be provided instead of the notch 11.

  The process side transfer hand 5 moves horizontally between the cassette side conveyor 3 and the process side transfer hand 5 on the base end side (the cassette CS side; opposite to the process apparatus). An intermediate conveyor 19 for supporting the weight of the substrate W from the lower side of the substrate W is provided.

  Further, the substrate transfer means 7 is provided in the process side transfer hand 5 (more specifically, a transfer hand support member 39 described later) between the cassette side conveyor 3 and the transfer conveyor 9. At the same time, the portion 15 on which the substrate W is placed is the substrate placement portion 17 of the process side transfer hand 5 (pass line; the lower surface of the substrate W when the substrate W is transferred by the process side transfer hand 5). The substrate W can be transferred between the cassette side conveyor 3 and the transfer conveyor 9 by using an intermediate conveyor 19 provided at a higher position.

  That is, at least the substrate placement portion of the delivery conveyor 9 (the lower surface of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the delivery conveyor 9; the pass line of the delivery conveyor 9) 13 is at least A position at the same height as the pass line of the cassette side conveyor 3 (the lower surface of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the cassette side conveyor 3) 21 and the path of the process side transfer hand 5 It can move up and down between a position below the line 17.

  For example, each roller 23 of the delivery conveyor 9 constituted by a roller conveyor can move up and down the range through the notch 11.

  The cassette-side conveyor 3 is loaded with the substrate W, the pass line 17 of the process-side transfer hand 5 is present at a position lower than the pass line 21 of the cassette-side conveyor 3, and the intermediate conveyor 19 workpiece placement parts (the lower surface of the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the intermediate conveyor 19; the pass line of the intermediate conveyor 19) 15 is the same as the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3 When the height is at a height, the substrate placement portion 13 of the delivery conveyor 9 is set to the same height as the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3 and is relayed by the intermediate conveyor 19. The substrate W is transferred from the cassette side conveyor 3 to the delivery conveyor 9, and after this transfer, the pass line 13 of the delivery conveyor 9 is connected to the professional conveyor 9. By lowering position to the lower than the pass line 17 of the scan-side transfer hand 5, wherein consist cassette side conveyor 3 to be able to pass the substrate W to the process side transfer hand 5.

  On the other hand, the process side transfer hand 5 places the substrate W, the pass line 17 of the process side transfer hand 5 exists at a position lower than the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3, and the When the pass line 15 of the intermediate conveyor 19 is at the same height as the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3, the delivery is present at a position lower than the pass line 17 of the process side transfer hand 5. The conveyor 9 is moved up to the same height as the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3, and the substrate W placed on the process side transfer hand 5 is placed on the delivery conveyor 9. The substrate W placed on the transfer conveyor 9 is relayed by the intermediate conveyor 19 and transferred to the cassette-side conveyor 3, thereby transferring the process-side transfer wafer. Consists de 5 to be able to pass the substrate W into the cassette side conveyor 3.

  Here, the substrate transfer apparatus 1 will be described in more detail.

  The cassette CS has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and includes side members CS1 at both ends in the Y-axis direction. Between each side member CS1, a linear member (for example, a wire; not shown) is stretched to place and store a plurality of substrates W in the cassette CS.

  A plurality of the wires are provided at the same position (at the same height) in the Z-axis direction, extending in the Y-axis direction at a predetermined interval in the X-axis direction, thereby supporting (mounting) one substrate W. One wire group that can be placed) is formed.

  By providing a plurality of the wire groups with a predetermined small interval in the Z-axis direction, the cassette CS can be accommodated in multiple stages with the substrates W horizontal. The cassette CS thus configured may be referred to as a wire cassette.

  An opening is provided on one side surface of the cassette CS in the X-axis direction (the surface on the side where the process-side transfer hand 5 is provided) so that the substrate W can freely enter and exit.

  Instead of the wire cassette CS, a normal cassette (a cassette configured to support the substrate W with support members provided at both ends in the Y-axis direction) may be employed.

  The wire cassette CS is placed on a cassette placing device (not shown) using a stacker crane or an overhead crane (not shown), and is moved and positioned in the Z-axis direction.

  The cassette-side conveyor 3 is constituted by, for example, a roller conveyor, and a plurality of rollers provided rotatably at upper ends of a plurality of roller support members 25 provided on a base member 24 provided on a floor surface. 27.

  The roller support members 25 are erected with a predetermined interval in the X-axis direction. When the wire cassette CS is placed on the cassette placing device and the wire cassette CS is moved up and down, the rollers are interposed between the wires of the wire cassette CS when the substrate W is not stored. 27 and each of the roller support members 25 can enter. In other words, the rollers 27 and the roller support members 25 enter the wire cassette CS without interfering with the wire cassette CS or the cassette transfer device.

  Each roller 27 of the cassette side conveyor 3 is rotated by an actuator such as a motor via a power transmission member such as a belt or a chain around the central axis extending in the Y-axis direction so as to convey the substrate W. It has become. The upper end portion of each roller 27 forms the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3.

  Of the rollers 27, the roller 27A located on the most side (the intermediate conveyor 19 side) is provided at a position where it does not enter the cassette CS. A roller 26 is provided above the front roller 27A. The roller 26 can be rotated by an actuator such as a motor (not shown) and can be moved in a direction (Z-axis direction) approaching and moving away from the roller 27A by an actuator such as a fluid pressure cylinder (not shown). ing.

  And when carrying out or carrying in the said board | substrate W, the said board | substrate W can be pinched | interposed and moved by the roller 27A and the roller 26 from the up-down direction. Note that an actuator for rotationally driving the roller 26 may be omitted, and the roller 26 may be configured to freely rotate.

  A process-side transfer hand 5 is provided on one side of the cassette-side conveyor 3 in the X-axis direction. The process-side transfer hand 5 is formed in a thin plate shape with a rectangular appearance, and is provided so that the thickness direction is the Z-axis direction. Further, in the X-axis direction from the distal end of the process-side transfer hand 5 in the X-axis direction (the end opposite to the side on which the cassette-side conveyor 3 is provided) to the base end side in the X-axis direction, A plurality of rectangular cutouts 11 are formed at predetermined intervals. Since the notches 11 are formed in this way, it can be said that the process-side transfer hand 5 is formed in a comb-teeth shape.

  In addition, the substrate transport apparatus 1 is configured to transfer the substrate W unloaded from the cassette CS by the cassette-side conveyor 3 or the substrate W unloaded from the process apparatus by the process-side transfer hand 5 to the cassette-side conveyor. 3. Substrate movement positioning means 30 is provided which can be moved and positioned in a horizontal direction (for example, an orthogonal Y-axis direction) intersecting the substrate loading / unloading direction (X-axis direction) by the process-side transfer hand 5. .

  More specifically, a base member 29 is provided on the floor surface adjacent to the base member 24 (one side portion in the X-axis direction), and through a guide rail 31 provided on the base member 29, The base 33 is movable in the Y axis direction. The base 33 is freely positionable in the Y-axis direction by an actuator such as a motor (not shown) via a power transmission means such as a ball screw (not shown).

  Each side member 35 is erected integrally at both ends in the Y-axis direction on the base 33. Inside each of the side members 35, a transfer hand support member 39 is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction via a guide rail 37 provided integrally with each of the side members 35. The transfer hand support member 39 can be positioned in the Z-axis direction by an actuator such as a motor (not shown) via a power transmission means such as a ball screw (not shown).

  An intermediate member 41 is provided inside the transfer hand support member 39 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. Further, the process side transfer hand 5 is provided inside the intermediate member 41 so as to be movable in the X-axis direction. Further, the process-side transfer hand 5 is moved in the X-axis direction (direction opposite to the cassette-side conveyor 3) by an actuator such as a motor (not shown) via a power transmission means such as a ball screw (not shown). From the hand support member 39, it can be moved and positioned so as to protrude to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIGS.

  A delivery conveyor 9 is provided on one side of the cassette side conveyor 3 in the X-axis direction. As described above, the transfer conveyor 9 is constituted by, for example, a roller conveyor, and the pass line 13 of the roller conveyor is movable and positionable in the Z-axis direction.

  More specifically, the transfer hand support member 39, the intermediate member 41, and the process side transfer hand 5 are provided below the process side transfer hand 5 via guide rails 37 provided integrally with the side members 35, respectively. A transfer conveyor base member 43 is provided to be movable in the Z-axis direction. The delivery conveyor base member 43 can be positioned in the Z-axis direction by an actuator (not shown) such as a motor (an actuator different from the actuator for driving the transfer hand support member 39) via a power transmission means such as a ball screw (not shown). It has become.

  A plurality of roller support members 45 are provided on the transfer conveyor base member 43 at predetermined intervals in the Y-axis direction, and a plurality of rollers are provided at the upper end of the roller support member 45. 23 is rotatably provided.

  When the transfer conveyor base member 43 is moved in the vertical direction relative to the transfer hand support member 39, the roller support member 45 and the roller 23 of the transfer conveyor 9 are moved to the process. It moves through the notch 11 of the side transfer hand 5.

  That is, the pass line 13 of the delivery conveyor 9 moves at least between a predetermined position separated from the process side transfer hand 5 and the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3. Yes.

  Each roller 23 of the transfer conveyor 9 is rotated by an actuator such as a motor via a power transmission member such as a belt or a chain around the central axis extending in the Y-axis direction to convey the substrate W. It is like that.

  On the other end side (base end side; between the cassette side conveyor 3 and each notch 11) of the process side transfer hand 5, the intermediate conveyor (for example, roller conveyor) 19 described above is provided. Yes.

  Each roller 47 of the intermediate conveyor 19 is rotatable with respect to a rectangular plate-like roller support member 48 installed so that the thickness direction is in the vertical direction. The transfer hand support member 39 is integrally provided. Accordingly, each roller 47 of the intermediate conveyor 19 is rotatable with respect to the transfer hand support member 39.

  Each roller 47 of the intermediate conveyor 19 is rotated by an actuator such as a motor via a power transmission member such as a belt or a chain around the central axis extending in the Y-axis direction to convey the substrate W. ing. In addition, the apparatus (the said belt, an actuator, etc.) for rotationally driving each roller 47 of the said intermediate conveyor 19 may be deleted.

  The process side transfer hand 5 is provided below the roller support member 48 and away from the roller support member 48. Further, in a state where the process-side transfer hand 5 is not extended to the process apparatus side (the state shown in FIG. 2), a portion of the process-side transfer hand 5 where the notch 11 is not formed is supported by the roller. Located below the member 48.

  Since the intermediate conveyor 19 is provided as described above, the weight of W moving between the cassette side conveyor 3 and the process side transfer hand 5 (the transfer conveyor 9) can be supported. ing.

  Next, the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 will be described.

  3 to 7 are side views showing the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 1. 6 is a plan view under the state shown in FIG.

  A case where the substrate W is transferred from the cassette CS to the process apparatus (processing apparatus) will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2, the cassette CS containing the substrate W is located above the cassette side conveyor 3, and the pass line 21 of the cassette side conveyor 3 and the pass line 15 of the intermediate conveyor 19 are at the same height. It is assumed that the pass line 13 of the transfer conveyor 9 is located below the pass line 17 of the process-side transfer hand 5.

  In this state, the cassette CS is moved downward until the lowermost substrate W among the substrates W on which the cassette CS is placed contacts the roller 27 of the cassette-side conveyor 3. While moving, the delivery conveyor base member 43 is raised until the pass line 15 of the intermediate conveyor 19 and the pass line 13 of the delivery conveyor 9 coincide with each other (see FIG. 3).

  Subsequently, each of the conveyors 3, 19, 9 is driven to move the substrate W until the lowermost substrate W is placed on the delivery conveyor 9 (see FIG. 4). When the substrate W is thus moved, the substrate W is sandwiched between the roller 27A and the roller 26.

  Subsequently, the delivery conveyor base member 43 is lowered, and the substrate W placed on the delivery conveyor 9 is placed by the process-side transfer hand 5 (see FIG. 5).

  Subsequently, the process-side transfer hand 5 and the intermediate member 41 are extended to carry the substrate W into the process apparatus (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

  Even if the process side transfer hand 5 and the intermediate member 41 extend, the rotatable intermediate conveyor 19 does not move. However, the intermediate conveyor 19 is moved to the process side transfer hand 5. When the process-side transfer hand 5 and the intermediate member 41 are extended, the intermediate conveyor 19 may be moved at the same time.

  After the loading, the process-side transfer hand 5 and the intermediate member 41 are retracted, and the next substrate on which the rollers 27 of the cassette-side conveyor 3 are mounted on the cassette CS (the cassette CS is mounted) The cassette CS is lowered until the next substrate W is unloaded until it comes into contact with the lowermost substrate W) among the existing substrates W.

  When the substrate W is transported from the process apparatus to the cassette CS, the substrate W is transported by an operation substantially reverse to the above operation.

  According to the substrate transport apparatus 1, since the substrate W is unloaded from the cassette CS using the cassette side conveyor 3, or the substrate W is loaded into the cassette CS, it is necessary to move the substrate W up and down during loading / unloading. In addition, there is no need to insert a transfer hand between the substrates, and therefore the interval between the substrates W stacked in the wire cassette CS (the interval in the vertical direction) can be reduced. The storage efficiency of the substrate in CS can be increased.

  In addition, since the substrate W is loaded into the process apparatus using the process side transfer hand 5 or the substrate W is unloaded from the process apparatus, it is possible to respond to the request from the process apparatus side. Therefore, the configuration of the substrate transport apparatus 1 can be simplified and the installation area can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the movement (conveyance) of the substrate W by the cassette-side conveyor 3, the process-side transfer hand 5, and the substrate transfer means 7 can be performed only by parallel movement without rotational movement that changes the posture of the substrate W. Therefore, a space for rotating (turning) the substrate W becomes unnecessary, and the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 can be reduced.

  More specifically, when a rectangular substrate W is swung around this center (an axis extending through the center in the Z-axis direction) as a swivel center, the space required for this swirl is at least a diagonal line of the substrate W as a diameter. You need only the amount of yen you want Further, if the turning center is shifted from the center of the substrate W, the space required for the turning is further increased, and the position of the substrate W may be shifted due to angular acceleration (tangential acceleration) or centripetal acceleration (normal acceleration) generated by the turning. Occurs.

  On the other hand, if the substrate W is moved only by the parallel movement, a space required for turning the substrate W becomes unnecessary, and the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, it is possible to avoid the possibility that the substrate W is displaced due to the turning.

  As described above, if the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 can be reduced, the size of the clean room itself, which is an expensive facility, can be reduced when the substrate transfer apparatus 1 is used in a clean room. Further, since there is no need to turn the substrate W, a mechanism for turning the substrate W as described above becomes unnecessary.

  By the way, the mechanism for rotating the large substrate W is generally configured to rotate the mounting table on which the substrate is mounted by an actuator such as a motor via a reduction gear configured by a gear or the like. . Since there is a gear backlash in this configuration, a positioning mechanism using positioning pins or the like is required to accurately position the mounting table in the index, and the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus becomes complicated. Further, in order to prevent the displacement of the substrate W due to the rotation of the substrate W and the displacement of the substrate W due to the shock generated when positioning the mounting table with the positioning pins, the mounting table and the positioning pins are operated slowly. A necessity arises and the conveyance efficiency of the board | substrate W falls.

  The substrate transport apparatus 1 according to the present invention does not require a turning mechanism for the substrate W, so that the configuration is simple. Further, since the substrate W is not turned, there is no displacement of the substrate W when the substrate is turned. Therefore, the transfer speed of the substrate W can be increased.

  Further, according to the substrate transport apparatus 1, when the substrate W is carried out or carried in, the substrate 26 is sandwiched and moved by the roller 26 and the roller 27A, so that a large force is exerted on the substrate W. Can be suppressed (even if the acceleration (including negative acceleration) applied to the substrate W is large), the possibility of slippage between the substrate W and the cassette side conveyor 3 can be suppressed. W can be transported quickly.

  Further, according to the substrate transfer apparatus 1, the substrate transfer means 7 includes the transfer conveyor 9 that is movable in the vertical direction, and each notch 11 provided in the process-side transfer hand 5. The substrate W can be transferred between the cassette-side conveyor 3 and the process-side transfer hand 5 by passing a portion of the transfer conveyor 9 on which the substrate W is placed. Therefore, the substrate W can be delivered only by moving in the vertical direction with a simple configuration, and the possibility of scratching the substrate W can be avoided.

  Further, according to the substrate transfer apparatus 1, since the intermediate conveyor 19 is provided, the substrate is supported between the cassette side conveyor 3 and the delivery conveyor 9 while supporting the substrate W using the intermediate conveyor 19. W can be delivered, and the substrate W can be delivered reliably.

  In addition, as already understood, the not-not-formed part where the notch 11 is not provided in the process-side transfer hand 5 is the placement part (the notch 11 is provided) provided at a distance from each other. It is indispensable to connect the connected parts) together.

  On the other hand, since the rollers 47 constituting the transfer means 7 cannot pass through the notched portion in the process-side transfer hand 5, the transfer means 7 is provided at the notched portion. It will not be done.

  Accordingly, if the intermediate conveyor 19 is not provided, the not-not-formed part that is present between the cassette CS and the placement part of the process-side transfer hand 5 includes the cassette CS and There is no means for supporting the substrate W moving between the process side transfer hand 5 from below, and there is a possibility that the substrate may not be smoothly transported, such as the substrate W being transported is bent by gravity. is there.

  However, since the intermediate conveyor 19 is provided in the substrate transfer apparatus 1, the substrate W can be supported from below even at the notched portion, and the substrate W is prevented from being bent due to gravity during substrate transfer. And the substrate W can be transported smoothly.

  Further, according to the substrate transfer apparatus 1, the loading / unloading direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate W by the cassette-side conveyor 3 and the loading / unloading direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate W by the process-side transfer hand 5 are the same. In addition, since the substrate movement positioning means 30 capable of moving and positioning the substrate W in the Y-axis direction is provided, the overall configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 1 is further simplified, and the cassette CS and the process apparatus are Even if it exists at a position shifted in the Y-axis direction, the substrate can be transported between the cassette CS and the process apparatus.

  A plurality of cassettes CS arranged in the Y-axis direction on one end side in the X-axis direction and a plurality of cassettes arranged in the Y-axis direction on the other end side in the X-axis direction with the substrate transport device 1 in between. The substrate W can be transferred to and from the process apparatus.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 8 (showing a state in which a plurality of process side transfer hands 5 are provided), a plurality of (for example, two) process side transfer hands 5 may be provided in the vertical direction. Good.

  According to the substrate transport apparatus configured as described above, it is possible to carry out the substrate W from the process apparatus and carry the substrate W into the process apparatus in a short time.

  For example, in a state where the unprocessed substrate W is placed on the process side transfer hand 5B existing below, the process side transfer hands 5A and 5B are moved to the process apparatus and processed by the process apparatus. After the loaded substrate W is placed on the process side transfer hand 5A existing above, the substrate on which the process side transfer hand 5B is placed is loaded into the process apparatus. If each process-side transfer hand 5A, 5B is separated from the process apparatus, the substrate W can be unloaded from the process apparatus and the substrate W can be loaded into the process apparatus in a short time.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9 (a plan view showing a modified example of the substrate transport apparatus), in the transport direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate W by the conveyors 3, 9 and 19. On the other hand, the transport direction (Y-axis direction) of the substrate W by the process-side transfer hand 5 may be changed.

[Second Embodiment]
10 and FIGS. 11 to 16 are perspective views showing a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a view showing an XI arrow in FIG. FIG. 12 is a view showing the XII arrow in FIG.

  The substrate transfer apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment uses a transfer hand instead of the conveyor to carry out the substrate from the cassette or carry the substrate into the cassette, and the transfer conveyor and intermediate conveyor are air floats. Except for the configuration, the configuration is almost the same as the substrate transfer apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, and there are almost the same effects, and the substrate does not touch the conveyor. It can be further enhanced.

  More specifically, the substrate transfer apparatus 101 includes a cassette side transfer hand 102. The cassette-side transfer hand 102 holds the substrate W from the cassette that can store the substrates W in multiple stages and holds the substrate W (position shown in FIG. 14; first predetermined position). The position PS1) can be carried out.

  The cassette-side transfer hand 102 is configured to hold the end face of the substrate W or the vicinity of the end face so that the substrate W existing at the position PS1 shown in FIG. 14 can be carried into the cassette. .

  The cassette-side transfer hand 102 includes an L-shaped moving member 106. The moving member 106 extends in the loading / unloading direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate W, and is movable and positioned in the loading / unloading direction of the substrate W with respect to the slide base (base member) 107. The slide base 107 extends in the carry-in / out direction (X-axis direction) of the substrate W and is provided integrally with the base member 104.

  The base member 104 can be moved and positioned in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction similarly to the delivery conveyor base member 43.

  The moving member 106 is provided with a holding member 108 for holding the substrate W. The holding member 108 can be moved and positioned in the X-axis direction with respect to the moving member 106.

  With this configuration, even if the movement stroke of the holding member 108 with respect to the base member 104 is increased, the length of the substrate transfer apparatus 101 in the X-axis direction can be shortened, and the installation area can be increased as much as possible. It can be avoided.

  The holding member 108 includes, for example, a suction cup 110, and can hold the substrate W by adsorbing the lower surface near the end surface of the substrate W as shown in FIG. Instead of the suction cup 110, the substrate W may be held by sandwiching the vicinity of the end face of the substrate W.

  In order to stably transport (transfer) the substrate W, a plurality (for example, two) of the moving member 106, the holding member 108, and the like are provided apart from each other in the Y-axis direction.

  Further, cassette side air float means (not shown) is provided for supporting the weight of the substrate W carried out or carried in by the cassette side transfer hand 102 on the lower side of the cassette.

  The cassette-side air float means includes, for example, a support member made of ceramic having air permeability, and the compressed air supplied by the compressed air supply means is ejected from the support member, and the substrate W Can support the weight of the substrate W in a non-contact state.

  Note that the support member may be made of a breathable sintered metal or the like instead of the breathable ceramic. Further, a member such as metal that is not air permeable and filled with a material is used, and a plurality of holes are provided in the member such as metal, and compressed air is ejected from these holes to support the substrate W. You may do it.

  Further, the substrate transfer apparatus 101 converts the substrate W present at the second predetermined position (position PS3 shown in FIG. 15) below the first predetermined position to the substrate W. A process-side transfer hand 112 (configured in the same manner as the process-side transfer hand 5) that can be supplied to a process apparatus that performs processing or can carry out the substrate W from the process apparatus to the second predetermined position. Have a transfer hand).

  Similarly to the process side transfer hand 5, the process side transfer hand 112 is transferred to the transfer hand support member 114 (like the transfer hand support member 39 via the intermediate member 115 (see FIG. 16)). The process-side transfer hand 112 can be moved in a projecting manner in the X-axis direction with respect to the transfer hand support member 114. ing.

  Further, the substrate transfer apparatus 101 includes substrate transfer means 116 that can transfer the substrate W between the first predetermined position and the second predetermined position.

  The delivery means 116 includes delivery air float means 118 that is movable in the vertical direction relative to the cassette side transfer hand 102 and the process side transfer hand 112, and the process side transfer hand 118. The first predetermined position and the second predetermined position are passed through the notches provided in the loading hand 112 by passing the portion of the delivery air float means 118 on which the substrate W is placed. The substrate W can be delivered between the two.

  More specifically, the delivery air float means 118 includes a support member 120. The support member 120 extends above the base member 104 in the X-axis direction and is spaced apart in the Y-axis direction. A plurality of members 104 are integrally provided.

  The support member 120 is configured in the same manner as the support member of the cassette-side air float unit, and can support the substrate W by ejecting air.

  Further, intermediate air float means 122 for supporting the substrate W transported by the cassette-side transfer hand 102 is provided between the first predetermined position and the cassette.

  The intermediate air float means 122 includes a support member 124. The support member 124 is on the cassette side and inside the transfer hand support member 114, and is spaced from the base member in the Y-axis direction. A plurality of units 104 are integrally provided.

  In order to avoid interference with the process side transfer hand 112 and the support member 124, the moving member 106 is provided between the process side transfer hand 112 and the support member 124 in the Y-axis direction. Yes.

  Here, the operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 101 will be described.

  FIG. 10 shows an initial state. In this initial state, the lower surface of the substrate W positioned at the lowest position of the cassette, the upper end of the suction cup 110, the upper surface of the support member 124, and the upper surface of the support member 120 are substantially the same height. In addition, the upper surface of the process-side transfer hand 112 is positioned below the upper surfaces of the support members 120 and 124. Further, the moving member 106 does not protrude toward the cassette side and is accommodated inside the base member 104 in a plan view.

In the initial state, the moving member 106 extends to the cassette side, the holding member 108 also moves to the cassette side, and the suction cup 110 sucks the lower part near the end surface of the lowermost substrate W, Holds the substrate W (see FIGS. 11 and 13).
Subsequently, the air float at each of the support members 120 and 124 is turned on, and the moving member 106 and the holding member 108 are moved away from the cassette, so that the air floats at the support members 120 and 124. Then, the substrate W is transported to the first predetermined position PS1 while supporting the weight of the substrate W (see FIG. 14).

  Next, when the base member 104 is moved downward, along with this movement, the substrate W supported by the support member 120 is also moved downward. During the movement, the substrate W is moved to the process side. It is mounted on the transfer hand 112, and the mounted position becomes the second predetermined position PS3 (see FIG. 15).

  In the state where the substrate W exists at the position of PS3, the air float of each support member 120, 124 is turned off.

  Subsequently, the process side transfer hand 112 is extended to the process apparatus side, and the substrate W is loaded into the process apparatus (see FIG. 16). After the loading, the process side transfer hand 112 is retracted, and the base member 104, adjust the height of the transfer hand support member 114 as appropriate, and return to the initial state.

  Each operation is repeated, and the substrates W are carried one by one from the cassette into the process apparatus.

  Note that when the substrate is transferred from the process apparatus to the cassette, an operation opposite to the above operation is performed.

  Further, as already understood, the transfer directions of the substrates W by the transfer hands 102 and 112 are the same as in the first embodiment.

  According to the substrate transfer apparatus 101, the substrate W is unloaded from the cassette using the cassette side transfer hand 102, or the substrate W is loaded into the cassette. Therefore, it is necessary to move the substrate W up and down during loading / unloading. In addition, since the cassette-side transfer hand 102 holds the end of the substrate W and carries the substrate in and out, there is no need to move the substrate W up and down during the loading and unloading, and the cassette-side transfer hand There is no need to insert 102 between the substrates W deeply. Therefore, the interval between the substrates W stacked in the cassette (interval in the vertical direction) can be reduced, and the storage efficiency of the substrate in the cassette can be increased.

  Further, when the substrate W is unloaded from the cassette or loaded into the cassette, the end of the substrate W is held and loaded / unloaded, so that the central portion of the substrate W is damaged or the substrate W The risk of contamination can be further avoided. In addition, since the substrate W is loaded into the process apparatus using the process side transfer hand 112 or the substrate W is unloaded from the process apparatus, it is possible to answer the request from the process apparatus side. Therefore, the configuration of the substrate transfer apparatus 101 can be simplified and the installation area can be reduced.

  Further, the movement of the substrate W by the cassette side conveyor, the process side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means can be performed only by parallel movement without rotational movement that changes the posture of the substrate W. A space for rotation (turning) becomes unnecessary, and the installation area of the substrate transfer apparatus 101 can be reduced.

  By the way, similarly to the first embodiment, a plurality of the process-side transfer hands 112 may be arranged in the vertical direction.

  Furthermore, in place of the air float means, ultrasonic float means for floating the substrate W using ultrasonic waves may be employed.

  The ultrasonic float means supports the weight of the substrate W by a thin air film formed between the substrate W and the substrate support member by vibrating the substrate support member with an ultrasonic vibrator. ing.

  Explaining in detail with examples, the ultrasonic float means includes an ultrasonic wave generating element (for example, a piezo element).

  A horn for amplifying the vibration generated by the ultrasonic wave generating element is provided above the ultrasonic wave generating element. The substrate support member is provided on the horn via a connecting member.

  Then, the vibration generated by the ultrasonic wave generating element is transmitted to the substrate support member, and the substrate support member vibrates mainly in the thickness direction of the substrate W, whereby the substrate W and the substrate support member are moved. In addition, a radiation pressure using air as a medium (radiation pressure due to air dense waves) is generated, and a thin air film is generated between the substrate W and the substrate support member by the radiation pressure, and the substrate support member Thus, the weight of the substrate W can be supported.

1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate transfer apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which shows schematic structure of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a side view which shows operation | movement of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a figure which shows the state which provided multiple board | substrate conveyance hands. It is a top view which shows the modification of a board | substrate conveyance apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the XI arrow in FIG. It is a figure which shows the XII arrow in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the board | substrate conveyance apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 Substrate conveyance apparatus 3 Cassette side conveyor 5, 113 Process side transfer hand 7, 116 Substrate delivery means 9 Delivery conveyor 11 Notch 13 Substrate placement part 15 of transfer conveyor Substrate placement part 17 of intermediate conveyor Substrate placement portion 19 of the loading hand Intermediate conveyor 102 Cassette-side transfer hand 118 Delivery air float means 122 Intermediate air float means CS Cassette W substrate

Claims (6)

A cassette-side conveyor capable of moving the substrate horizontally and carrying it out from a cassette that can be stored in multiple stages with the substrates placed horizontally; or a cassette-side conveyor capable of moving the substrate horizontally and loaded into the cassette;
A process-side transfer hand capable of moving the substrate in the horizontal direction and supplying it to a process apparatus for processing the substrate, or moving the substrate in the horizontal direction and carrying it out of the process apparatus;
Substrate transfer means capable of transferring the substrate between the cassette side conveyor and the process side transfer hand;
The cassette-side conveyor, the process-side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means are configured to move the substrate only by parallel movement,
The process side transfer hand includes a notch or a through hole extending in a direction of supplying or unloading the substrate ,
The substrate transfer means is a transfer conveyor that is movable in a vertical direction relative to the cassette side conveyor and the process side transfer hand, and passes through the notch or the through hole. A notch provided in the process-side transfer hand, including a transfer conveyor having a substrate mounting portion configured to be raised to the same height as a pass line of the cassette-side conveyor; Alternatively, the substrate can be delivered between the cassette-side conveyor and the process-side transfer hand by passing the substrate mounting portion of the delivery conveyor through the through-hole. And
Alternatively, the substrate transfer means, the cassette-side conveyor relatively vertically the substrate I movably der extends in the direction of supply or unloaded away the cut-in with respect to the said process-side transfer hand Or a delivery air float means or a delivery ultrasonic float means arranged so as to be able to pass through the through hole, and the notch or the through hole provided in the process side transfer hand. The substrate is transferred between the cassette-side conveyor and the process-side transfer hand by passing the portion on which the substrate is placed in the delivery air float means or the delivery ultrasonic float means. A substrate transfer apparatus configured to be capable of performing the following. From a cassette that can store substrates in multiple stages horizontally, the substrate can be carried out by moving the substrate in the horizontal direction by holding the end surface of the substrate or in the vicinity of the end surface, or holding the substrate by holding the substrate near the end surface or the end surface. A cassette-side transfer hand that moves horizontally and can be loaded into the cassette;
A process-side transfer hand capable of moving the substrate in a horizontal direction and supplying it to a process apparatus for processing the substrate, or moving the substrate in a horizontal direction and carrying it out of the process apparatus;
Substrate transfer means capable of transferring the substrate between the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand;
The cassette-side transfer hand, the process-side transfer hand, and the substrate transfer means are configured to move the substrate by only moving in parallel,
The process side transfer hand includes a notch or a through hole extending in a direction of supplying or unloading the substrate ,
The substrate transfer means is a transfer conveyor that is vertically movable relative to the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand, and passes through the notch or the through hole. And a transfer conveyor having a substrate mounting portion configured to be raised to the same height as a pass line of the cassette-side conveyor, and provided in the process-side transfer hand. The substrate can be transferred between the cassette-side transfer hand and the process-side transfer hand by passing the substrate placement portion of the transfer conveyor through the notch or the through hole. Is configured as
Alternatively, the substrate transfer means extends a substrate I movably der relatively vertically to the cassette-side transfer hand against the said process-side transfer hand in the direction of supply or unloading the substrate A transfer air float means or a transfer ultrasonic float means arranged to be able to pass through the notch or the through hole, and the notch or the notch provided in the process side transfer hand Between the cassette-side transfer hand and the process-side transfer hand, the portion on which the substrate is placed in the delivery air float means or the delivery ultrasonic float means passes through the through-hole. A substrate transfer apparatus configured to deliver the substrate. In the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of Claim 2,
The cassette side transfer hand is:
A slide base extending long in the loading / unloading direction of the substrate;
A moving member movable in the loading / unloading direction of the substrate with respect to the slide base;
A holding member capable of holding the substrate and movable in the loading / unloading direction of the substrate with respect to the moving member;
And the holding member is configured to be movable and positionable with respect to the slide base. In the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-3,
The loading / unloading direction of the substrate by the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand and the loading / unloading direction of the substrate by the process side transfer hand coincide with each other,
A substrate unloaded from the cassette by the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand, or a substrate unloaded from a process apparatus by the process side transfer hand,
A substrate transfer apparatus comprising substrate transfer positioning means capable of moving and positioning in a horizontal direction intersecting a loading / unloading direction of a substrate by the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand. . In the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-4 ,
The base side of the process side transfer hand is for supporting the weight of the substrate moving in the horizontal direction between the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand. Intermediate conveyor or intermediate air float means or intermediate ultrasonic float means for supporting the weight of the substrate moving in the horizontal direction between the cassette side conveyor or the cassette side transfer hand and the process side transfer hand A substrate transfer apparatus characterized in that is provided. In the board | substrate conveyance apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5 ,
A substrate transfer apparatus, wherein a plurality of the process side transfer hands are provided side by side in the vertical direction.

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