Transfer chamber for flat display device manufacturing apparatus

• US 20050095089A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Display Process Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Display Process Engineering Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Jun Young, Lee, Cheol Won, Lee, Sang Baek, Hur, Gwang Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,665,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/141 includes means for gripping wafer

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus, and more particularly, to a transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus, having a combination of functions of transfer and load-lock chambers, in which a robot is provided aside from a center of the transfer chamber, a buffer is provided to be driven without interference of the robot, and a aligner is provided to adjust a position of a substrate mounted on the buffer. In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, there is provided a transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus, wherein a robot is provided aside from a center of the transfer chamber. In addition, in order to drive the robot, a sealing member is provided to seal a hole formed at a predetermined portion of the transfer chamber, and an aligner for adjusting the substrate in the transfer chamber and a buffer where the substrate is mounted on are provided.

Claims

1. A transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus, comprising a robot having a robot shaft, a robot arm, and a robot hand wherein the robot is provided aside from a center of the transfer chamber.

2. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the robot arm is connected to an end portion of the robot hand.

3. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprises a buffer comprising:

a buffer plate having a plurality of buffer fingers;

a first driving unit for supporting and driving some of the buffer fingers;

a second driving unit for supporting and driving others of the buffer fingers;

a power source unit for supplying power used to drive the first and second driving units; and

a power transmission device for connecting the power source unit to the first and second driving units to transmit the power supplied from the power source unit to the first and second driving units.

4. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the buffer plate comprises a buffer finger connecting bar and four buffer fingers perpendicularly connected to the buffer-finger connecting bar.

5. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein first and fourth buffer fingers out of the buffer fingers are connected to and supported by the second driving unit, and

wherein second and third buffer fingers out of the buffer fingers are connected to and supported by the first driving unit.

6. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the second buffer finger is shorter than the third finger by a predetermined distance, and

wherein the third buffer finger is shorter than the fourth finger by a predetermined distance.

7. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to one of claims 3 to 6, wherein a plurality of buffer pins are protruded in a predetermined interval on each of the buffer fingers.

8. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second driving unit comprises interlocking guides, bellows modules, and a driving shaft.

9. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the driving shaft comprises a power-transmission-device connecting member at a predetermined portion thereof and a first driving member at another predetermined portion thereof.

10. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein two interlocking guides are provided at predetermined portions of each of the first and second driving units.

11. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein two bellows modules are provided at predetermined portions of each of the first and second driving units, and

wherein an upper portion of each of the bellows modules are connected to the respective buffer finger.

12. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein each of the first and second driving units comprises an upper plate connected to the upper portions of the interlocking guides and driving shaft,

wherein the bellows modules are connected to pass through the upper plate at predetermined portions thereof, and

wherein the upper plate is driven by the driving shaft.

13. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein each of the first and second driving units comprises an interlocking plate connected to the lower portions of the bellows modules,

wherein the driving shaft and the interlocking guides are connected to pass through the interlocking plate at predetermined portions thereof, and

wherein the interlocking plate is interlocked with the buffer plate by the driving shaft.

14. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein each of the first and second driving units comprises an lower plate connected to the lower portions of the interlocking guides and driving shaft, and

wherein each of the first and second driving units is fixed to the transfer chamber by the lower plate.

15. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein a buffer-plate balance adjusting device is further connected to the lower portion of each of the bellows modules.

16. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the power source unit is provided to a predetermined portion of the interlocking plate, thereby being interlocked with the interlocking plate.

17. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the power source unit is a motor.

18. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the power transmission device connects the power source unit with the driving shaft to transmit the power supplied from the power source unit to the driving shaft.

19. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the power transmission device is a belt.

20. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the power transmission device is connected to the driving shafts of the first and second driving units, thereby simultaneously driving the first and second driving units.

21. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transfer chamber comprises a plurality of view ports at predetermined portions of sides of the transfer chamber, and

wherein each of the view ports has a narrow outer window and a wide inner window.

22. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a robot shaft through-hole which the robot shaft passes through is provided at a predetermined lower portion of the transfer chamber,

wherein a flange having a predetermined shape is provided at the upper portion of the robot shaft, and

wherein a sealing-member attaching part where sealing-member attaching positions are provided is fastened at the robot shaft through-hole by using the fastening means.

23. The transfer chamber for a flat-display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the flange is a circular or polygonal member protruded from the outer surface of the upper portion of the robot shaft.

24. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the diameter of the flange is larger than that of the robot shaft through-hole, and the diameter of the robot shaft is smaller than that of the robot shaft through-hole.

25. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22,

wherein a through-hole which the robot shaft 510 can pass though is provided at a center of the sealing-member attaching part, and

wherein the sealing-member attaching part comprises an upper cylindrical portion having a small diameter and a lower cylindrical portion having a large diameter.

26. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the fastening means is a bolt.

27. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the sealing members are O-rings.

28. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the sealing-member attaching positions are provided on the upper and lower cylinder portions of the sealing-member attaching parts.

29. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer chamber comprises first substrate-position adjusting members for adjusting the x-directional movement of a substrate and second substrate-position adjusting members for adjusting the y-directional movement of the substrate.

30. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein each of the first substrate-position adjusting members 1000 comprises:

a first substrate contacting member;

a first supporting member connected to an end portion of the first substrate contacting member;

a first driving unit connected to the other end portion of the first substrate contacting member.

31. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein two first substrate contacting members are provided at both sides of the transfer chamber.

32. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 30,

wherein the first supporting member is connected to pass through a wall of the transfer chamber, and

wherein the first supporting member has a structure of sliding the first substrate contacting member.

33. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 30,

wherein the first driving unit is provided to pass through the wall of the transfer chamber, and

wherein the first driving unit has a structure of moving the first substrate contacting member.

34. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the first driving unit further comprises a first driving member for driving the first substrate contacting member.

35. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the first driving member is connected to the first substrate contacting member via a first bellow module.

36. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein a plurality of first contacting pieces are provided in a predetermined interval on the first substrate contacting member.

37. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein each of the first contacting pieces pivotally rotates around its own axis.

38. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 36, wherein the first contacting pieces are made of an engineering plastic material.

39. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the engineering plastic material is teflon.

40. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the first driving member further comprises a first-substrate-contacting-member control member.

41. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein each of the second substrate-position adjusting members comprises:

a second substrate contacting member;

second supporting members connected to both end portions of the second substrate contacting member; and

a second driving unit connected to a central portion of the second substrate contacting member.

42. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 29, wherein two second substrate-position adjusting members are provided at the both sides of the transfer chamber where the first substrate-position adjusting members are not provided.

43. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 41,

wherein the second supporting members are provided to pass through the wall of the transfer chamber, and

wherein the second supporting members have a structure of horizontally slide the second substrate contacting member in the y direction.

44. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 41,

wherein the second driving unit is provided to pass through the wall of the transfer chamber, and

wherein the second driving unit has a structure of slinging the second substrate contacting member.

45. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the second driving unit further comprises a second driving member for driving the second substrate contacting member.

46. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the second driving member is connected to the second substrate contacting member via a second bellows module.

47. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein a plurality of second contacting pieces are provided in a predetermined interval on the second substrate contacting member.

48. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 47, wherein each of the second contacting pieces pivotally rotates around its own axis.

49. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 47, wherein the second contacting pieces are made of an engineering plastic material.

50. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the engineering plastic material is teflon.

51. The transfer chamber for a flat display device manufacturing apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the second driving member further comprises a second-substrate-contacting-member control member.