Part inspection apparatus and handler

{
  "publication_number": "US9434555B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Part inspection apparatus and handler",
  "abstract": "A handler includes a supply shuttle plate on which a device is placed and cooled, and a transfer robot configured to transfer the device placed on the supply shuttle plate from the supply shuttle plate. The transfer robot includes an adsorbing portion configured to adsorb the device placed on the supply shuttle plate thereon, a vertical movement arm configured to move the adsorbing portion away from the supply shuttle plate, an arm box configured to accommodate the adsorbing portion together with the device in a state of being kept away from the supply shuttle plate, and a dry air supply unit configured to supply dry gas into the arm box.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A part inspection apparatus comprising: a placing portion on which an object to be transferred is placed and on which the object to be transferred is cooled; a transfer robot configured to transfer the object from the placing portion; and a tester configured to inspect the object to be transferred, wherein the transfer robot includes: a holding portion configured to hold the object to be transferred placed on the placing portion; an arm configured to move the holding portion away from the placing portion; a housing member configured to accommodate the holding portion together with the object to be transferred in a state of being kept away from the placing portion; and a dry gas supply unit configured to supply dry gas into the housing member, wherein the housing member is a first housing member, the dry gas supply unit is a first dry gas supply unit, a second housing member as a housing member is configured to accommodate the placing portion, and a second dry gas supply unit is configured to supply dry gas into the second housing member.",
    "2. The part inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member are connected.",
    "3. A handler comprising: a placing portion on which an object to be transferred is placed and on which the object to be transferred is cooled; and a transfer robot configured to transfer the object from the placing portion, wherein the transfer robot includes: a holding portion configured to hold the object to be transferred placed on the placing portion; an arm configured to move the holding portion away from the placing portion; a housing member configured to accommodate the holding portion together with the object to be transferred in a state of being kept away from the placing portion; and a dry gas supply unit configured to supply dry gas into the housing member, wherein the housing member is a first housing member, the dry gas supply unit is a first dry gas supply unit, a second housing member as a housing member is configured to accommodate the placing portion, and a second dry gas supply unit is configured to supply dry gas into the second housing member.",
    "4. The handler according to claim 3, wherein the placing portion includes a flow channel where a cooling medium flows, and the second dry gas supply unit supplies the cooling medium discharged from the flow channel of the placing portion to the second housing member as the dry gas.",
    "5. The handler according to claim 4, wherein the second dry gas supply unit includes a dry gas heating unit configured to heat the cooling medium discharged from the flow channel of the placing portion.",
    "6. The handler according to claim 3, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member each include an opening configured to allow passage of the holding portion and the object to be transferred held by the holding portion.",
    "7. The handler according to claim 6, wherein the opening of the first housing member is a first opening, the opening of the second housing member is a second opening, the first housing member has a first lid member configured to cover the first opening, the second housing member has a second lid member configured to cover the second opening, the first lid member is opened when the holding portion passes through the first opening, and the second lid member is opened when the holding portion passes through the second opening.",
    "8. The handler according to claim 3, wherein a sensor configured to detect characteristics of gas in the first housing member is provided, and the flow amount of the dry gas supplied from the first dry gas supply unit to the first housing member is changed on the basis of the result of detection of the sensor."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "1. Technical Field\n\nThe present invention relates to a part inspection apparatus and a handler.\n\n2. Related Art\n\nIn the related art, a part inspection apparatus configured to transfer devices as an object to be transferred by a handler is widely used for an inspection of electric characteristics with respect to various devices such as semiconductor devices. In the part inspection apparatus, inspection of the devices is performed at temperatures suitable for usage environments of the respective devices, for example, the inspection may often be performed at a low temperature environment such as 0° or below. The part inspection apparatus which performs the inspection under the low temperature environment includes, for example, a constant temperature reservoir configured to cool the devices and a tester configured to perform the inspection while cooling the devices mounted thereon as described in JP-A-2004-347329. Then, in the part inspection apparatus, the devices cooled to a predetermined temperature in the constant temperature reservoir are transferred to the tester, where the inspection at a low temperature is performed.\n\nIncidentally, since the part inspection apparatus is generally installed in an environment maintained at a constant temperature, a temperature difference between the surfaces of the devices and the outside air is created and dew condensation occurs on the surfaces of the devices when the devices taken out from the constant temperature reservoir are transferred to the tester.",
  "cpc": [
    "B65G 49/00",
    "G01R 31/26",
    "G01R 31/2893",
    "H01L 21/67109",
    "H01L 21/6838",
    "H10P 72/0434",
    "H10P 72/78",
    "H10P 74/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B65G 49/00",
    "G01R 31/28",
    "H01L 21/67",
    "H01L 21/683"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Seiko Epson Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Masami Maeda",
    "Toshioki SHIMOJIMA"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2013-02-12",
  "publication_date": "2016-09-06",
  "grant_date": "2016-09-06",
  "priority_date": "2012-02-14",
  "application_number": "US-201313765114-A",
  "family_id": "48921469",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "TW362155B",
    "US6104204A",
    "US6169409B1",
    "US20060255822A1",
    "JP2003121340A",
    "US7750654B2",
    "JP2004347329A",
    "US20060255821A1",
    "US20080240891A1",
    "JP2008251678A"
  ]
}