JP4669252B2 - Swirl flow forming body and non-contact transfer device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a non-contact conveyance device used for non-contact holding, conveyance, rotation and the like of an object.

  In recent years, IC cards, smart cards, and the like have become widespread and their products have been diversified. As a result, the thickness of wafers tends to be increased while the thickness of wafers is also reduced.

  When such a wafer is transported to the next process or moved within the same process in the manufacturing stage, it is mechanical to prevent dust from adhering to the wafer, and as the wafer diameter becomes larger and thinner. Since non-chucking and suction are difficult, a non-contact transfer device has been proposed. This non-contact transfer device is a device that holds and transfers a wafer in a non-contact manner using air pressure or nitrogen gas, and various devices have already been put into practical use.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a swirl chamber that communicates with the air inlet and generates a swirling flow of air is provided, and a bell mouth that communicates with the swirl chamber and has a facing surface facing the object to be conveyed is provided. There has been proposed a non-contact transfer device that holds a transfer object in a non-contact manner using a Bernoulli effect generated by an air flow generated between the mouse and the transfer object.

  However, in the non-contact conveyance device proposed by the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, although the force for sucking and holding the object to be conveyed is certainly improved by swirling air, the air inlet, swirl chamber, and bell mouth are improved. However, the structure is complicated and the manufacturing cost of the apparatus is high.

  In addition, since the structure is complicated, it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus, and the action range of the apparatus is limited accordingly, and the degree of freedom is reduced.

Furthermore, the passage resistance received by the air flow is increased due to the complicated structure. Therefore, in order to secure the holding force, it is necessary to feed a large amount of air, which deteriorates the energy efficiency and makes it difficult to save energy. .
JP 11-254369 A

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above, and can reduce the manufacturing cost of the apparatus and can be easily downsized, thereby expanding the range of action and further realizing energy saving. It is an object of the present invention to provide a non-contact conveyance device capable of performing the above.

In order to achieve the above object, a swirl flow forming body according to the first aspect of the present invention projects from a hollow cylindrical recess having one end open, a bottom surface of the recess, and along an inner peripheral wall of the recess. A cylindrical convex portion that forms a swirling flow passage by the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall, and is provided horizontally with respect to the bottom surface of the concave portion, and faces the swirling flow passage. And a fluid passage that discharges the supply fluid along a circumferential direction of the swirl flow passage from a jet port formed in the inner peripheral wall of the recess .
Preferably, in the above-described aspect, a flat end surface formed flat on the concave opening side may be provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the above-described aspect, the supply fluid is a fluid having an ultrasonic frequency vibration.

Moreover, the swirl | flow flow formation body which concerns on Claim 4 of this invention is the above-mentioned aspect. WHEREIN: The inclined surface is formed in the opening edge of the said recessed part by chamfering, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
Preferably, in the above-described aspect, an ion supply source may be provided so as to face the recess.

Moreover, the non-contact conveying apparatus according to claim 6 of the present invention is characterized in that two or more of the above-mentioned swirl flow forming bodies are provided on a plate-like substrate.
Further, the non-contact conveyance device according to claim 7 of the present invention is characterized in that the direction of the swirling flow in each swirling flow forming body is adjusted so that a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction are mixed.

The effects described below can be achieved.
In the first aspect of the present invention, since the object can be held in a non-contact manner only by providing the concave portion, the flat end face, and the fluid passage, the apparatus can be of a simple configuration, and therefore The manufacturing cost of the apparatus can be greatly reduced.

  Further, by simplifying the configuration of the apparatus, it becomes easy to reduce the size, and it can be used by inserting it into a space that could not be used conventionally. As a result, the range of action as an apparatus can be expanded, and the conveyance movement in a narrow region within the same process and the same processing apparatus can be performed freely.

  In addition, since the air blown into the recess is straightened along the inner peripheral surface to form a swirling flow, the swirling flow can be smoothly made with almost no passage resistance, improving energy efficiency and saving energy. Can be realized.

  Furthermore, since air is jetted along the circumferential direction in the recess to generate a swirling flow, the suction force due to the negative pressure between the flat end surface and the object is much higher than that of the conventional one. It can be made strong and non-contact holding can be performed.

  In the invention according to claim 3, since the object is sucked by the swirl flow formed at a plurality of locations in the recess, the suction force can be made extremely strong, and the object is more powerful. Therefore, even if the object (for example, the wafer) is warped, it is possible to correct the warp throughout. As a result, even when the object has a large diameter and has a warp, the object can be reliably held in a non-contact manner, and can be reliably transported in a stable state.

  In the invention described in claim 4, since the concave portion is formed in the plate-like base and the swirl flow is formed so as to perform the non-contact holding, it is difficult to access because it is stacked in the past. The wafers in the wafer cassette can be freely accessed at any stage of wafers, and the wafers can be transported from the wafer cassette more smoothly and freely. Further, even when wafers are stored in a wafer cassette and stacked, they can be freely carried to a desired position. That is, unloading from the wafer cassette and loading into the wafer cassette can be performed freely, and work efficiency can be greatly improved.

  In addition, the non-contact holding force is strong, so that the holding state can be maintained as it is even if the entire non-contact transfer device is inverted, and the wafers can be inverted and stacked in a wafer cassette. It can also be reversed and transported to the next stroke.

  In the invention described in claim 5, since ions from the ion supply source are brought into contact with the object, the charge of the object is neutralized and the adhesion of particles due to static electricity is weakened. Therefore, the supply fluid can easily remove the particles whose adhesion is weakened, and the object can be made clean.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  1A and 1B are perspective views showing a configuration of a non-contact conveying apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1A is a perspective view from an obliquely lower side, and FIG. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of the non-contact transfer apparatus of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1A, and FIG. . In these drawings, a non-contact transfer device 1 of the present invention is a device that holds (carrys and floats) an object (here, a wafer 9) in a non-contact manner and uses a substantially columnar swirl flow forming body 2. It is configured. That is, the non-contact transfer device 1 of the present invention has a concave portion 3 whose inner peripheral surface is a circumferential shape, a flat end surface 2b that is formed on the opening side of the concave portion 3 and that faces an object, and the supply fluid is a concave portion 3. And a fluid passage 5 that discharges into the recess 3 from the jet port 4 facing the inner periphery of the recess 3 along the inner peripheral direction of the recess 3.

  The fluid passage 5 is drilled perpendicularly to the closed end surface 2 a from the fluid inlet 6 provided in the closed end surface 2 a of the swirling flow forming body 2, and further horizontally drilled on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 3. The spout 4 is reached. That is, the fluid passage 5 communicates the fluid introduction port 6 and the ejection port 4, and discharges the supply fluid from the ejection port 4 into the recess 3 along the circumferential direction. A swirling flow is generated inside the recess 3 by the supplied fluid.

  Two sets of the fluid introduction port 6, the fluid passage 5, and the ejection port 4 are provided, and the fluid (here, air) ejected from each of the two ejection ports 4 is discharged in the same direction along the circumferential direction, The swirl flow is strengthened mutually.

  Further, the opening edge of the concave portion 3 is formed with an inclined surface 3a by chamfering so as to expand in a trumpet shape, and the swirling flow generated in the concave portion 3 can quickly flow out of the concave portion 3 by the inclined surface 3a. ing.

  In the non-contact conveyance device 1 having the above-described configuration, when air is supplied from an air supply device (not shown) to the fluid introduction port 6, the air passes from the ejection port 4 into the recess 3 through the fluid passage 5. The air is blown and rectified as a swirling flow in the internal space of the recess 3, and then flows out of the recess 3. If the wafer 9 is disposed at a position facing the flat end surface 2b of the swirl flow forming body 2 at the time of the outflow, air flows out as a high-speed flow along the flat end surface 2b, and thus the flat end surface 2b. And the wafer 9 is under negative pressure. Therefore, the wafer 9 is pushed by the ambient atmospheric pressure and is sucked to the flat end surface 2b side, while receiving the repulsive force by the air interposed between the flat end surface 2b and the wafer 9, the wafer 9 is It comes to hold | maintain in the non-contact state facing the flat end surface 2b.

  As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the wafer 9 is held by the swirl flow forming body 2 which is simply provided with the recess 3, the flat end surface 2b, and the fluid passage 4, so that the apparatus is It can be of simple construction, and therefore the manufacturing cost of the device can be greatly reduced.

  In addition, since the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified, the size can be easily reduced, and the apparatus can be inserted into a space that could not be used before. As a result, the range of action as an apparatus can be expanded, and the conveyance movement in a narrow region within the same process and the same processing apparatus can be performed freely.

  Further, since the air blown into the recess 3 is rectified as it is along the inner peripheral surface to form a swirling flow, it can be smoothly swirled without receiving any passage resistance, improving energy efficiency and saving energy. Can be realized.

  Further, since air is jetted along the circumferential direction in the recess 3 to generate a swirling flow, the suction force due to the negative pressure between the flat end surface 2b and the wafer 9 is higher than that of the conventional one. And become much more powerful.

  In the above description, two sets of the fluid introduction port 6, the fluid passage 5, and the jet port 4 are provided. However, only one set may be provided, or three or more sets may be provided.

  In addition, although the fluid introduction ports 6 are individually provided, the fluid introduction ports 6 may be shared, and the fluid passages 5 and the ejection ports 4 may be provided by branching from the fluid introduction ports 6.

  Furthermore, although the fluid passage 5 is formed by a combination of a vertical path and a horizontal path, the fluid path 5 is not limited to such a path, and the fluid path 5 extends from the fluid inlet 6 to the circumferential direction of the recess 3. What is necessary is just to form so that air may be ejected along.

  Next, a second embodiment of the non-contact conveyance device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3A is a perspective view from obliquely below, and FIG. 4A and 4B are diagrams showing the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4A is a bottom view, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. In the second embodiment, components that are substantially the same as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The non-contact conveyance device 11 in the second embodiment is configured by using a plurality of the swirl flow forming bodies 2 of the first embodiment described above. That is, the non-contact conveyance device 11 includes a base body 13 and a support body 12 including a peripheral wall 14 suspended from the outer periphery of the base section 13, and four swirl flow formations attached to the base section 13 of the support body 12. The body 2 is provided.

  Each of the four swirling flow forming bodies 2 is attached to the inner surface (base surface) of the base portion 13 on the closed end surface 2a side, and is supported so that the flat end surfaces 2b are flush with each other. The height of the peripheral wall 14 is adjusted so that the end surface 140 thereof is flush with each of the flat end surfaces 2b. Further, a labyrinth fin 141 is formed in a two-step shape on the inner peripheral portion of the end surface 140 of the peripheral wall 14.

  A fluid supply port 15 is provided on the outer surface 130 of the base portion 13 corresponding to each of the swirl flow forming bodies 2, and the fluid supply port 15 and the corresponding swirl flow are provided inside the wall of the base portion 13. A base portion internal passage 131 that communicates with each of the two fluid introduction ports 6 and 6 of the forming body 2 is formed by branching from the fluid supply port 15 (FIG. 4B).

  In addition to the four fluid supply ports 15 described above, five fluid discharge ports 16 are further provided on the outer surface 130 of the base portion 13, and the fluid discharge ports 16 are provided inside the wall of the base portion 13. A discharge passage 132 that communicates with each of the first and second fluids is provided so as to connect the internal space of the support 12 and the fluid discharge port 16.

  Further, on the peripheral wall 14 of the support 12, mounting pieces 171 are projected at four positions at predetermined intervals, and a rod-shaped detachment prevention guide 172 is further suspended from the mounting piece 171. One end side of the separation preventing guide 172 slightly protrudes from the flat end surface 2b and the end surface 140 of the peripheral wall 14 which are flush with each other.

  In the non-contact conveyance device 11 configured as described above, when air from an air supply device (not shown) is sent to the fluid supply port 15, the air passes through the base portion inner passage 131, the fluid introduction port 6, and the fluid passage 5. The air is blown into the recess 3 from the jet port 4, is rectified as a swirling flow in the internal space of the recess 3, and then flows out of the recess 3. The directions of the swirling flows are adjusted in advance so that the wafer 9 does not rotate when the wafer 9 is held in a non-contact manner. For example, as shown in FIG. By changing the arrangement position, the two swirl flow forming bodies 2 are adjusted to be clockwise, and the other two swirl flow forming bodies 2 are adjusted to be counterclockwise.

  If the wafer 9 is disposed at a position facing the flat end surface 2b of the swirling flow forming body 2 when each swirling flow flows out, the wafer 9 is negative as in the case of the first embodiment described above. In response to the suction force due to the pressure and the repulsive force due to the air flow, the flat end surface 2b is held in a non-contact state. When the support 12 is moved in the holding state, the wafer 9 is moved while being guided by the separation preventing guide 172 along with the movement. That is, the non-contact transport device 11 holds and transports the wafer 9 in a non-contact manner.

  The air flow flowing out from the recess 3 through the flat end surface 2b enters the inner space of the support 12 as it is, and then forcibly exhausted by the exhaust device (not shown) through the discharge passage 132 and the fluid discharge port 16. Is done. Further, since the air flow that has reached the peripheral wall 14 is disturbed by the labyrinth fin 141 and receives resistance, the air flowing over the end surface 140 of the peripheral wall 14 decreases, and most of the air stays in the internal space and is discharged. The fluid is forcedly discharged through the passage 132 and the fluid discharge port 16.

  Further, since the separation prevention guide 172 is provided further outward from the peripheral wall 14, even if the wafer 9 held in a non-contact manner moves in the horizontal direction and deviates, the movement can be prevented by the separation prevention guide 172. Can be transported stably.

  As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, as in the case of the first embodiment described above, the swirl flow forming body 2 having a simple configuration is used. Energy saving can be realized, and since the wafer 9 is sucked by the swirl flow formed in the recess 3, the suction force can be made extremely strong.

  In addition, since the swirl flow is generated at four locations, the wafer 9 is attracted more strongly and over the entire area. Therefore, even if the wafer 9 is warped, the warpage is totally eliminated. It is possible to correct over a long time, and the correction power is also strong. As a result, even if the wafer 9 has a large diameter and has a warp, the wafer can be reliably held in a non-contact manner and can be reliably transported in a stable state.

  In addition, each swirl flow forming body 2 has a simple configuration in which air is blown into the recess 3 to directly form a swirl flow, so that the swirl flow is stable and the non-contact holding force is also stable. Yes. Therefore, the individual swirl flow forming bodies 2 at the four locations have substantially uniform holding forces with each other, and can perform non-contact holding of the wafer 9 that tends to be slightly unstable in the past.

  Further, since the non-contact holding force is strong, the holding state can be maintained as it is even if the entire non-contact transfer device 11 is inverted, and the wafer 9 can be inverted and transferred to the next process. it can.

  In the above description, four swirl flow forming bodies 2 are provided. However, the number of swirl flow forming bodies 2 is not limited to four, and may be any number of two or more.

  Moreover, although the labyrinth fin 141 of the surrounding wall 14 was made into step shape, what is necessary is just a structure which increases air resistance, for example, is good also as a groove shape.

  Furthermore, any number of fluid supply ports 15 and fluid discharge ports 16 may be provided, and the detachment prevention guides 172 may be provided in at least three locations.

  Next, a third embodiment of the non-contact conveying apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. FIG.

  FIG. 5 is a front sectional view showing the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device in the third embodiment, FIG. 6 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. . In the third embodiment, components that are substantially the same as those in the second embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The non-contact transfer device 21 of the third embodiment is different from the non-contact transfer device 11 of the second embodiment described above for positioning the wafer 9 held in a non-contact manner and for preventing separation. The centering mechanism 200 is provided.

  The centering mechanism 200 includes a rotary actuator 203 mounted on a base plate 202 supported by a column 201 erected on an outer surface 130 of the base portion 13, and a flange 204 attached to a shaft (not shown) of the rotary actuator 203. And a link arm 205 provided on the outer periphery of the outer periphery of the outer periphery. Each of the link arms 205 is made of a bent and elongated plate material, one end of which is pivoted on the outer peripheral edge of the flange 204, and the other end side thereof is horizontal. In addition, a guide groove 206 is provided in an attachment piece 209 protruding in the radial direction from the outer surface 130. Then, a bolt is inserted into a bolt hole provided on the other end side of the link arm 205 and a guide groove 206 of the mounting piece 209, and a centering guide (centering arm) 207 is screwed to the bolt to be suspended. The guide 207 is slidable along the guide groove 206.

  Under the configuration described above, the centering mechanism 200 of the non-contact transport device 21 operates as follows. First, when air is sent to the drive air insertion port 208 of the rotary actuator 203, the rotary actuator 203 operates, and the flange 204 moves from the state shown in FIG. 7A to the state shown in FIG. 7B according to the operation. It rotates by a predetermined angle in the direction shown by the arrow 22, and each link arm 205 also moves according to the rotation. At this time, the centering guide 207 suspended from the other end side of the link arm 205 is guided by the guide groove 206 of the mounting piece 209 to perform a straight movement, and a predetermined distance in the center direction of the base portion 13. Move and stop. Due to the movement of the centering guide 207 in the center direction, the outer periphery of the wafer 9 held in a non-contact manner by the non-contact transfer device 21 is regulated from four sides, and the center of the wafer 9 is set to the center of the internal space of the support 12. As a result, the wafers 9 are positioned. On the other hand, when the restriction on the wafer 9 is released, the rotary actuator 203 rotates the flange 204 in the direction opposite to the arrow 22. As a result, the centering guide 207 moves in a direction away from the center direction of the base portion 13, and the wafer 9 becomes free.

  As described above, the centering guide 207 is separated / approached from the peripheral wall 14 by the same distance in accordance with the operation on the rotary actuator 203, and the wafer 9 held in a non-contact manner is accommodated inside thereof, and the positioning thereof is increased. Do with accuracy. Therefore, when the wafer 9 is transported and set at a predetermined position, the wafer 9 can be set with high accuracy, and therefore the next process can be smoothly and accurately performed.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the non-contact conveyance device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device according to the fourth embodiment from obliquely above, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. (B) is the VV sectional view taken on the line of Fig.9 (a). In the fourth embodiment, components that are substantially the same as those in the second embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  In the non-contact conveyance device 31 of the fourth embodiment, the swirl flow forming body 32 disposed at the center and the swirl flow forming body 2 disposed around are different from each other. The two swirling flow forming bodies 2 arranged in the periphery have substantially the same configuration as that used in the first to third embodiments described above, but the swirling flow forming body 32 arranged in the center is The configuration is as follows.

  That is, the swirling flow forming body 32 is provided with a peripheral wall 33a inside the recess 33 to form a swirling flow passage 38 and a through hole 321 at the center. A fluid introduction port 36 is provided so as to face the outer peripheral surface of the swirl flow forming body 32, and the fluid passage 35 is formed in the thick portion of the swirl flow formation body 32 horizontally from the fluid introduction port 36. The nozzle 34 is formed so as to face the flow passage 38. The air is discharged along the circumferential direction into the swirl flow passage 38 from the jet port 34, and becomes a swirl flow while being guided by the swirl flow passage 38. Two sets of the fluid introduction port 36, the fluid passage 35, and the ejection port 34 are provided, and the air ejected from each of the two ejection ports 34 is discharged in the same direction along the circumferential direction, and swirls with each other. It has come to strengthen each other.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), the fluid supply ports 15 provided in the base portion 13 are respectively provided corresponding to the two fluid introduction ports 36 of the swirling flow forming body 32 arranged at the center, and around the periphery. Each of the arranged swirling flow forming bodies 2 is provided one by one as in the case of the second embodiment.

  And each of the swirl | vortex flow formation body 2 distribute | arranged to the circumference | surroundings is comprised so that the rotation direction of a swirl | vortex flow may mutually become reverse.

  In the fourth embodiment, the wafer 9 is held in a non-contact manner by the swirling flow generated by the swirling flow forming bodies 32 and 2, and the same effects as those in the above embodiments can be obtained. Demonstrate the unique effects.

  That is, since the swirl flow passage 38 is provided in the swirl flow forming body 32 arranged in the center, the air flowing through the swirl flow passage 38 becomes a further rectified high-speed swirl flow, and is therefore held in a non-contact manner. The rotational force for rotating the existing wafer 9 is further strengthened, and the wafer 9 rotates at a high speed that cannot be achieved by the conventional swirl flow. By utilizing the high-speed rotation of the wafer 9 by the swirl flow forming body 32, for example, a device for centrifuging and drying the moisture adhering to the wafer 9 in the cleaning process can be configured, and foreign substances adhering to the wafer 9 can be removed. Also, it can be configured as a washing machine that performs non-contact and splashing and washing without any scratches. Further, it can be used in a wide variety of applications, such as a rotation drive device for detecting an orientation flat or V notch of a wafer, a rotation drive device for visual inspection of a wafer, and a rotation drive device for wafer etching.

  Since the swirl flow forming body 2 is disposed on both sides of the swirl flow forming body 32, the direction and strength of the swirl flow in the swirl flow forming body 2 on both sides are controlled by the amount of supply air. The high-speed rotation of the wafer 9 by the swirling flow forming body 32 can be controlled to an appropriate rotation speed, and therefore can be appropriately used as a drying device or a cleaning machine.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the non-contact transfer device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. FIG.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a non-contact transfer device and its use status in the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of the non-contact transfer device in the fifth embodiment. FIG. 12 and FIG. 12 are horizontal sectional views of the non-contact conveyance device in the fifth embodiment. In these drawings, a non-contact transfer device 41 includes a plate-like base body (swirl flow forming body) 42 having a flat surface 42 b facing the wafer 9, a concave portion 43 having an inner peripheral surface and a concave portion 43. And a fluid passage 45 that discharges air from the jet port 44 facing the inner peripheral surface into the recess 43 along the inner peripheral direction.

  The base body 42 includes a base portion 421 and two arm portions 422 branched from the base portion 421 in a bifurcated manner. A grip portion 49 for allowing the base body 42 to move is fixed to one end side of the base portion 421. A plurality of concave portions 43 are provided in each of the arm portions 422, and three in this case, three in a row. Further, a projecting prevention guide 48 is provided on the other end side of each arm portion 422.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the fluid passage 45 extends in two lines from the two fluid introduction ports 46 opened on the side surface of the grip portion 49 to the two arm portions 422. It branches off to the spout 44 that faces the recess 43.

  In the non-contact conveyance device 41 configured as described above, when air from an air supply device (not shown) is sent to the fluid introduction port 46, the air is blown into the recesses 43 from the ejection ports 44 through the fluid passage 45. Then, it is rectified as a swirling flow in the inner space of the recess 43, and then flows out of the recess 43. The directions of the swirling flows are adjusted in advance so that the wafer 9 does not rotate when the wafer 9 is held in a non-contact manner. For example, as shown in FIG. By changing, the three concave portions 43 of one arm portion 422 are adjusted to be clockwise, and the three concave portions 43 of the other arm portion 422 are adjusted to be counterclockwise.

  If the wafer 9 is disposed at a position facing the flat surface 42b of the base 42 when each swirl flow flows out, the wafer 9 is negatively charged due to the swirl flow outflow as in the case of each of the embodiments described above. Due to the balance between the pressure and the repulsive force caused by the airflow, the flat surface 42b is held in a non-contact state. When the holding portion 49 is held and the base body 42 is moved in the holding state, the wafer 9 moves while being guided by the separation preventing guide 48 along with the movement. That is, the non-contact transport device 41 holds and transports the wafer 9 in a non-contact manner.

  Since the base 42 of the non-contact transfer device 41 is thinly configured in a plate shape, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the wafers 9 stacked on the shelves 81 of the wafer cassette 80 are also It can be inserted into a narrow gap between adjacent wafers 9 on the upper and lower sides.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment of the present invention, the wafer 9 is sucked by the swirl flow formed in each recess 43 as in the case of each of the above-described embodiments. Even when the substrate 42 is plate-shaped, a sufficient force for holding the wafer can be ensured. Accordingly, the non-contact transfer device 41 can be configured in a plate shape, and with respect to the wafer 9 in the wafer cassette 80 which has been difficult to access because it has been stacked in the past, for any wafer in that step. However, it can be freely accessed, and the wafer 9 from the wafer cassette 80 can be transported more smoothly and freely. Further, when the wafers are stored in the wafer cassette 80 and stacked, they can be freely carried into a desired position. That is, unloading from the wafer cassette 80 and loading into the wafer cassette 80 can be performed freely, and work efficiency can be greatly improved.

  Further, since the non-contact holding force is strong and the swirl flow is also formed at a plurality of locations, even the wafer 9 having a warp can be held in a non-contact state with the warp corrected. . Further, even if the entire non-contact transfer device 41 is inverted, the holding state can be maintained as it is, and the wafers 9 can be inverted and stacked on the wafer cassette 80, or can be inverted and transferred to the next process. You can also

  In the above description, the plate-like base 42 has a bifurcated shape, and three recesses 43 are provided in a row. However, the mode may be arbitrary and has a configuration suitable for the application. For example, a single arm may be used instead of a bifurcated shape, and only one recess may be provided in the arm. Further, although the grip portion 49 is provided, the grip portion 49 may be provided as necessary.

  Next, a sixth embodiment of the non-contact transfer device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a non-contact conveyance device in the sixth embodiment. In the figure, a non-contact conveying device 51 includes a swirling flow forming body 52 having a concave portion 53 having an inner circumferential surface, an elongated columnar gripping portion 57, and the inside of the gripping portion 57 and swiveling to one end thereof. And a fluid pipe 58 to which the flow forming body 52 is fixed.

  The swirl flow forming body 52 is provided with a fluid introduction port 56 that opens to the outer peripheral surface thereof, a jet port 54 that faces the recess 53, and a fluid passage 55 that communicates the fluid feed port 56 and the jet port 54. Yes. The fluid pipe 58 is connected to the fluid inlet 56, and the air supplied from the fluid pipe 58 is discharged from the jet outlet 54 into the recess 53 along the circumferential direction through the fluid inlet 56 and the fluid passage 55. A swirling flow is generated inside the recess 53.

  Two bent guide arms 591 and 592 extend from both sides of the recessed portion 53 from the gripping portion 57 and are further bent vertically at the respective distal end sides. One guide arm 592 has a push-in part 592a formed by bending in the vicinity of the grip part 57, and when the push-in part 592a is pushed in with a hand that grips the grip part 57, the other part of the guide arm 592 Is moved away from the fixed guide arm 591, and when the pushing operation is released, it returns to the original position.

  In addition, an opening / closing switch 571 for opening and closing the passage of the fluid piping 58 is provided in the gripping portion 57.

  The non-contact transfer device 51 having the above configuration holds the wafer 9 in a non-contact manner using the outflow of the swirl flow formed in the recess 53 as in the case of each of the above embodiments. Since the suction force is strong, the wafer 9 can be held even if the number of swirling flow forming bodies 52 is one. Therefore, the single swirl flow forming body 52 is fixed to one end of the fluid pipe 58, and the grip portion 57 is gripped and operated by hand, so that the wafer 9 can be freely held like tweezers and moved to a desired position. It can be transported. At this time, since the guide arms 591 and 592 are provided, when the wafer 9 is to be captured, the pushing portion 592a is pushed to move the guide arm 592 to the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. In this state, the concave portion 53 is brought close to the wafer 9 to hold it in a non-contact manner. After that, during conveyance, the pushing portion 592a is released and the guide arm 592 is returned to its original position, and the wafer 9 is prevented from being detached at the vertically bent portion formed on one end side of the two guide arms 591 and 592. The wafer 9 can be transferred in a stable posture. As described above, the non-contact transfer device 51 in the fifth embodiment can freely catch and transfer the wafer 9 like tweezers.

  In each of the above embodiments, air is used as the fluid. However, a gas or liquid other than air may be used.

  Moreover, although the target object hold | maintained non-contact was demonstrated as a wafer, it is good also as not only a wafer but components and other arbitrary things.

  Moreover, although each recessed part 3,33,43,53 was demonstrated as a circumferential thing, you may make it form in polygonal shape, for example, without being limited to a circumferential shape.

  Next, a seventh embodiment of the non-contact conveyance device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 14 is a front cross-sectional view partially showing the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device in the seventh embodiment. In the seventh embodiment, components that are substantially the same as those in the second embodiment described above are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The non-contact conveyance device 61 of the seventh embodiment is different from the non-contact conveyance device 11 of the second embodiment described above in that two fluid supply ports 15 are provided in each of the swirling flow forming bodies 2. In addition, each of them is connected to an ultrasonic air source 610 that generates air having vibrations of an ultrasonic frequency, and a new ion generation source 600 is provided so as to face the inside of the recess 3 of the swirling flow forming body 2. It is a point.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the ion generation source 600 includes an electrode needle 601 and a high voltage power source 602 that applies a high voltage to the electrode needle 601. The electrode needle 601 is provided so that the tip of the electrode needle 601 faces the internal space of the recess 3 of the swirling flow forming body 2 from the through-hole 603 provided in the base portion 13, and by applying a high voltage, To generate ions. Further, ultrasonic air supplied from the ultrasonic air source 610 is supplied from the fluid supply port 15 as a supply fluid.

  The electrode needle 601 generates positive ions or negative ions according to the polarity of the voltage to be applied, and the ions are conveyed to the ultrasonic air supplied from the fluid supply port 15 and are held in a non-contact manner. The fluid passes through the surface, is sucked into the fluid discharge port 16 communicating with the vacuum source 611, and is discharged to the outside through the vacuum source 611.

  Normally, when the wafer 9 is charged, dust (particles) is likely to adhere to the wafer surface, and once it adheres, it is difficult to remove it. In the seventh embodiment, as described above, ions are sprayed on and brought into contact with the surface of the wafer 9, so that the charge of the wafer 9 is neutralized and the adhesion of particles due to static electricity is weakened. Therefore, the fluid supplied from the fluid supply port 15 can easily remove particles whose adhesion is weakened, and the surface of the wafer 9 can be made clean. The removed particles are discharged from the fluid discharge port 16 together with the supply fluid.

  In the seventh embodiment, the supply fluid is ultrasonic air. This ultrasonic vibration air has an action of vibrating an air layer near the wafer surface and adhering to the surface to separate particles from the surface. Therefore, the effect of particle removal is further enhanced, and particles can be removed more reliably. Further, since the wafer 9 is neutralized with ions, it is possible to reliably prevent the particles from adhering to the wafer 9 due to subsequent charging.

  In this embodiment, the ion supply source 600 and the ultrasonic air source 610 are used together. However, only one of them may be used, and even in that case, the effect of particle removal can be exhibited. it can. For example, an ultrasonic air source may be communicated without providing an ion supply source at the fluid supply port, and the supply fluid may be ultrasonic air. Alternatively, only the ion supply source may be provided at the fluid supply port, and the supply fluid may be ultrasonic. A normal fluid may be used instead of air. In either case, the effect of particle removal can be exhibited.

  The non-contact transport device 61 of the seventh embodiment is a device that originally holds and transports an object in a non-contact manner. However, by providing an ion supply source as in this embodiment, static electricity can be generated. It can also serve as a static eliminating device for neutralization and also a clean device for removing particles. Moreover, it becomes possible to also serve as a clean device for removing particles simply by using ultrasonic air as a supply fluid of the non-contact conveyance device. Furthermore, by providing an ion supply source in this apparatus and using ultrasonic air as its supply fluid, this apparatus can be used as both a static eliminator and a clean apparatus. A conveying device can be realized.

  FIG. 15 is a front cross-sectional view partially showing the configuration of the non-contact conveyance device in the eighth embodiment. In the eighth embodiment, components that are substantially the same as the components in the seventh embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  The non-contact conveyance device 71 of the eighth embodiment is different from the non-contact conveyance device 61 of the seventh embodiment described above in that the electrode needle 601 of the ultrasonic air source 600 is connected to the swirl flow forming body 2. The point is not to provide the wafer 9 but to face the wafer 9 held in a non-contact manner. That is, the electrode needle 601 is provided on the base portion 13 other than the swirling flow forming body 2, and the tip of the electrode needle 601 faces the wafer 9 held in a non-contact manner. The fluid supply port 151 that communicates with the ultrasonic air source 610 faces the through hole 604.

  With such a configuration, the ions generated from the electrode needle 601 come into contact with the surface of the wafer 9, so that the same operational effects as in the case of the seventh embodiment described above are exhibited. In this case, in addition to the two fluid supply ports 15 of the vortex forming body 2, a fluid supply port 151 for supplying ultrasonic air is provided. The flow rate of this ultrasonic air is such that ions are present on the surface of the wafer 9. A flow rate that can be reached is sufficient, and does not affect the non-contact holding of the wafer 9 by the fluid supplied to the vortex forming body 2.

  Further, the particles removed by the ions and the ultrasonic air are quickly discharged from the fluid discharge ports 16 provided at a plurality of locations of the base portion 13.

  In the seventh and eighth embodiments, the ultrasonic air from the ultrasonic air source 610 is ionized by the electrode needle 601, but first, the air is ionized by the electrode needle and the ionized air is used. The ultrasonic air source may be used to apply ultrasonic vibration. Finally, if the object to be held in a non-contact manner is supplied with ions in the ultrasonic air, This configuration can also be adopted.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the embodiments of the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in any way as long as the configuration described in the claims is not changed. can do.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus of this invention, (a) is from diagonally downward, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally upward. It is sectional drawing of the non-contact conveyance apparatus of this invention, (a) is the II sectional view taken on the line of Fig.1 (a), (b) is the II-II sectional view taken on the line of Fig.1 (a). It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 2nd Embodiment, (a) is from diagonally downward, (b) is a perspective view from diagonally upward. It is a figure which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 2nd Embodiment, (a) is a bottom view, (b) is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG.4 (b). It is front sectional drawing which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 3rd Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 3rd Embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 5 and is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the centering mechanism. It is a perspective view from diagonally upward which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 4th Embodiment, (a) is a top view, (b) is the VV sectional view taken on the line of Fig.9 (a). It is a perspective view which shows the non-contact conveying apparatus and usage condition in 5th Embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 5th Embodiment, and is a figure which shows the state inserted in the wafer cassette. It is a horizontal sectional view of the non-contact conveyance device in a 5th embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the non-contact conveying apparatus in 6th Embodiment. It is front sectional drawing which shows partially the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 7th Embodiment. It is front sectional drawing which shows partially the structure of the non-contact conveying apparatus in 8th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Non-contact conveyance apparatus 2 ... Swirling flow formation body 2a ... Closed end surface 2b ... Flat end surface 3 ... Concave 4 ... Jet port 5 ... Fluid passage 6 ... Fluid introduction port 9 ... Wafer 11 ... Non-contact conveyance apparatus 12 ... Support body DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Base part 130 ... Outer surface 131 ... Base part inside channel | path 132 ... Discharge passage 14 ... Perimeter wall 140 ... End surface 141 of a peripheral wall ... Labyrinth fin 15 ... Fluid supply port 16 ... Fluid discharge port 21 ... Non-contact conveyance apparatus 31 ... Non-contact conveyance apparatus 32 ... Swirling flow forming body 33 ... Concavity 34 ... Jet port 35 ... Fluid passage 36 ... Fluid introduction port 38 ... Swing flow passage 41 ... Non-contact conveying device 42 ... Swirling flow forming body 42b ... Flat surface 43 ... Concave 44 ... Jetting port 45 ... fluid passage 46 ... fluid introduction port 49 ... gripping portion 51 ... non-contact transfer device 52 ... swirl flow forming body 53 ... recess 54 ... jet port 55 ... fluid passage 56 ... fluid introduction port 57 ... gripping portion 58 ... fluid piping 61 ... Non-contact conveyance Place 71 ... Non-contact transfer device 80 ... Wafer cassette 81 ... Shelf 151 ... Ultrasonic air fluid supply port 171 ... Mounting piece 172 ... Detaching prevention guide 200 ... Centering mechanism 201 ... Post 202 ... Base plate 203 ... Rotary actuator 204 ... Flange 205 ... Link arm 206 ... Guide groove 207 ... Centering guide 208 ... Driving air insertion port 321 ... Through hole 421 ... Base 422 ... Arm 571 ... Open / close switch 591 ... Guide arm 592 ... Guide arm 592a ... Push-in portion 61 ... Non-contact Conveying device 600... Ion generation source 601... Electrode needle 602... High voltage power source 603 and 604.

Claims (7)

A hollow cylindrical recess with one end open;
A cylindrical convex portion that protrudes from the bottom surface position of the concave portion, has an outer peripheral wall along the inner peripheral wall of the concave portion, and forms a swirl flow passage by the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall;
A fluid passage which is provided horizontally with respect to the bottom surface of the recess and discharges supply fluid along a circumferential direction of the swirl flow passage from a jet port formed in an inner peripheral wall of the recess so as to face the swirl flow passage. A swirl flow forming body comprising:   The swirl flow forming body according to claim 1, further comprising a flat end face formed flat on the concave opening side.   The swirl flow forming body according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the supply fluid is a fluid having vibration of an ultrasonic frequency.   The swirling flow forming body according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an inclined surface is formed by chamfering at an opening edge of the concave portion.   The swirl flow forming body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein an ion supply source is provided so as to face the recessed portion.   6. A non-contact transfer apparatus, wherein two or more swirl flow forming bodies according to claim 1 are provided on a plate-like substrate.   The non-contact conveyance device according to claim 6, wherein the direction of the swirl flow in each swirl flow forming body is adjusted so that a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction are mixed.

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