Transferring apparatus, carrying apparatus, and transferring method

{
  "publication_number": "US7222721B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Transferring apparatus, carrying apparatus, and transferring method",
  "abstract": "A transferring apparatus is provided between a plurality of carrying apparatuses, each carrying apparatus comprising support means for supporting carried products Wf, guide means for controlling the moving direction of the support means, the guide means being provided along processing apparatuses for processing the carried products Wf, and moving means for moving the support means along the guide means. The transferring apparatus includes synchronization control means for synchronizing the moving means of the one carrying apparatus with the moving means of the other carrying apparatus; and at least one hand-over means for receiving the carried products Wf from the support means of the one carrying apparatus and handing over the carried products Wf to the support means of the other carrying apparatus.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A carrying apparatus comprising: a plurality of carrying means, each carrying means including: support means for supporting carried products, guide means for controlling the moving direction of the support means, the guide means being provided along a processing apparatus for processing the carried products, and moving means for moving the support means along the guide means; and transferring means being provided between the plurality of carrying means, wherein the transferring means includes: synchronization control means for synchronizing the moving means of one carrying means with the moving means of another carrying means; and at least one hand-over means for receiving the carried products from the support means of the one carrying means and handing over the carried products to the support means of the other carrying means.",
    "2. The carrying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hand-over means receives some carried products selected among the plurality of the carried products which are carried by the one carrying means.",
    "3. The carrying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hand-over means receives all the carried products among the plurality of the carried products which are carried by the one carrying means.",
    "4. The carrying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one buffer means for temporarily storing the carried products between the one carrying means and the other carrying means.",
    "5. The carrying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the transferring means apparatus is integrated with the carrying means.",
    "6. The carrying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the carried products comprises a substrate wafer.",
    "7. The carrying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the substrate wafer comprises a semiconductor wafer.",
    "8. The carrying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the carried products comprises an electronic device manufacturing substrate.",
    "9. The carrying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a liquid crystal device substrate.",
    "10. The carrying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a quartz device substrate.",
    "11. The carrying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the buffer means is provided in combination with each of the hand-over means.",
    "12. The carrying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the buffer means is shared by the plurality of the hand-over means.",
    "13. The carrying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the carried products comprises a substrate wafer.",
    "14. The carrying apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the substrate wafer comprises a semiconductor wafer.",
    "15. The carrying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the carried products comprises an electronic device manufacturing substrate.",
    "16. The carrying apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a liquid crystal device substrate.",
    "17. The carrying apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a quartz device substrate.",
    "18. The carrying apparatus according to claims 1 wherein the transferring means apparatus is integrated with the carrying means.",
    "19. The carrying apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each of the carried products comprises a substrate wafer.",
    "20. The carrying apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the substrate wafer comprises a semiconductor wafer.",
    "21. The carrying apparatus according to claim 18, wherein each of the carried products comprises an electronic device manufacturing substrate.",
    "22. The carrying apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a liquid crystal device substrate.",
    "23. The carrying apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a quartz device substrate.",
    "24. A transferring apparatus provided adjacent to first and second carrying apparatuses, each carrying apparatus comprising: a plurality of wafer mounts, each wafer mount having support means for supporting a single wafer, a guide rail for controlling a moving direction of the plurality of wafer mounts, the guide rail being provided adjacent to a plurality of processing apparatuses for processing wafers, the plurality of processing apparatuses being arranged along the moving direction of the plurality of wafer mounts, and a drive unit for moving the plurality of wafer mounts along the guide rail, the transferring apparatus including: a buffer for temporarily storing wafers; a first transfer robot for transferring wafers from the plurality of wafer mounts of the first carrying apparatus to the buffer in synchronization with a first drive unit of the first carrying apparatus; a second transfer robot for transferring wafers from the buffer to the plurality of wafer mounts of the second carrying apparatus in synchronization with a second drive unit of the second carrying apparatus.",
    "25. The transferring apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the first transfer robot transfers to the buffer wafers selected among a plurality of wafers carried by the first carrying apparatus.",
    "26. The transferring apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the first transfer robot transfers to the buffer all wafers carried by the first carrying apparatus.",
    "27. The transferring apparatus according to claim 24 wherein the transferring apparatus is integrated with one of the first and second carrying apparatuses.",
    "28. The transferring apparatus according to claim 24 wherein each of the wafers comprises a semiconductor wafer.",
    "29. The transferring apparatus according to claim 24 wherein each of the wafers comprises an electronic device manufacturing substrate.",
    "30. The transferring apparatus according to claim 29 wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a liquid crystal device substrate.",
    "31. The transferring apparatus according to claim 29 wherein the electronic device manufacturing substrate comprises a quartz device substrate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Technical Field of the Invention\n\nThe present invention relates to a transferring apparatus for transferring a carried product, a carrying apparatus, and a transferring method.\n\n2. Description of the Related Art\n\nRecently, as so-called IT industry has developed, various electronic devices such as semiconductor devices and liquid crystal display devices have been developed. For manufacturing the electronic devices, for example, the semiconductor devices, processing apparatuses for performing processes such as photolithography, film formation, etching and cleaning processes and carrying apparatuses for carrying substrates or substrate wafers between the processing apparatuses are used.\n\nFor the carrying apparatus, since it is necessary to prepare a facility capable of obtaining carrying amounts needed to efficiently produce the devices in the manufacturing facility capable of obtaining product amounts corresponding to demands for the devices, various types of carrying apparatuses capable of efficiently performing carrying have been developed. Recently, since the tendency of the production changes from limit-type mass production to wide-type small production, suitable carrying apparatuses have been contrived and methods of carrying the wafers one by one have been proposed. Specifically, the carrying apparatus comprises, for example, a conveyor between processing apparatuses for processing the semiconductor wafers and the length of the conveyor is predetermined to cope with the demands for the semiconductor devices (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-233450 (see FIG. 1)).",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 72/3222",
    "B65G 37/02",
    "H10P 72/3402",
    "H10P 72/50"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 37/02",
    "B65G 43/10",
    "H01L 21/677",
    "H01L 21/68"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Seiko Epson Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Hisashi Fujimura",
    "Shuji Tanaka",
    "Yoshitake Kobayashi",
    "Yasutsugu Aoki"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2006-03-03",
  "publication_date": "2007-05-29",
  "grant_date": "2007-05-29",
  "priority_date": "2003-03-12",
  "application_number": "US-36806106-A",
  "family_id": "33421602",
  "cited_by_count": 2,
  "citations": [
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  ]
}