PROCESSING OBJECT TRANSPORT SYSTEM, AND SUBSTRATE INSPECTION SYSTEM

• US 20150086303A1
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nidec-Read Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nidec-Read Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakagawa, Takashi, Matsukawa, Toshihide, Hikita, Osamu, Ogata, Akira, Kaida, Michio
• Application Number:
  US14/487,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20150086303A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/222.13
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67173 in-line arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67242 Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking testing or measuring during manufacture H01L22/00, marks per se H01L23/544; testing individual semiconductor devices G01R31/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67703 between different workstations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67721 the substrates to be conveyed not being semiconductor wafers or large planar substrates, e.g. chips, lead frames H01L21/6773 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6776 Continuous loading and unloading into and out of a processing chamber, e.g. transporting belts within processing chambers

Abstract

A substrate inspection system includes a plurality of processing units, and each processing unit is provided with a transport mechanism configured to transport an substrate to be inspected along a transport passage which extends substantially horizontally, a lift mechanism configured to lift the substrate to be inspected to a height position, at a set position on the transport passage, and processors each configured to perform a predetermined process on the substrate to be inspected positioned at the height position. The processing units are arranged such that transport passages thereof are aligned and such that the transport directions thereof are the same direction. Between two adjacent transport passages, the substrate to be inspected is delivered from the transport passage on an upstream side to the transport passage on a downstream side.

Claims

1. A processing object transport system configured to transport a processing object which is an object of a predetermined process, said processing object transport system including a plurality of processing units, each processing unit comprising:

a first transport mechanism configured to transport the processing object along a transport passage which extends substantially horizontally;

a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the processing object transported by the first transport mechanism, to a retracted position retracted from the transport passage, at a set position set in advance on the transport passage; and

a processor configured to perform the predetermined process on the processing object positioned at the retracted position, wherein

the plurality of processing units are arranged such that a plurality of transport passages of the respective processing units are aligned and such that the transport directions of the respective processing units are the same direction,

between two adjacent transport passages out of the plurality of transport passages, two first transport mechanisms corresponding to the two transport passages deliver the processing object from the transport passage on an upstream side in the transport direction to the transport passage on a downstream side, and

each first transport mechanism is configured to transport another processing object which is different from the processing object without interfering with the processing object while the processing object is positioned at the retracted position, when the processing object is transferred to the retracted position by the transfer mechanism in the corresponding processing unit.

2. The processing object transport system according to claim 1, wherein

the retracted position is positioned above the transport passage, and

the each first transport mechanism is configured to transport another processing object which is different from the processing object under the processing object while the processing object is positioned at the retracted position, when the processing object is transferred to the retracted position by the transfer mechanism in the corresponding processing unit.

3. The processing object transport system according to claim 1, wherein

said processing object transport system further includes a transport unit comprising a second transport mechanism configured to transport the processing object substantially horizontally along a transport passage set in advance,

the transport unit is disposed such that the transport passage of the transport unit is aligned with the transport passages of the respective processing units, and

the second transport mechanism delivers the processing object between the transport passage corresponding to the second transport mechanism and another adjacent transport passage.

4. The processing object transport system according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of processors corresponding to the plurality of processing units include a first processor configured to perform a predetermined first process as the process and a second processor configured to perform a second process having a shorter processing time than that of the first process as the process, and

the number of first processing units each of which is the processing unit comprising the first processor is greater than the number of second processing units each of which is the processing unit comprising the second processor.

5. The processing object transport system according to claim 4, wherein the first processing unit is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the second processing unit.

6. A substrate inspection system, wherein

a processing object in a processing object transport system is a substrate, and the process is inspection of the substrate

said processing object transport system including a plurality of processing units, each processing unit comprising:

a first transport mechanism configured to transport the processing object along a transport passage which extends substantially horizontally;

a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the processing object transported by the first transport mechanism, to a retracted position retracted from the transport passage, at a set position set in advance on the transport passage; and

a processor configured to perform the predetermined process on the processing object positioned at the retracted position, wherein

the plurality of processing units are arranged such that a plurality of transport passages of the respective processing units are aligned and such that the transport directions of the respective processing units are the same direction,

between two adjacent transport passages out of the plurality of transport passages, two first transport mechanisms corresponding to the two transport passages deliver the processing object from the transport passage on an upstream side in the transport direction to the transport passage on a downstream side, and

each first transport mechanism is configured to transport another processing object which is different from the processing object without interfering with the processing object while the processing object is positioned at the retracted position, when the processing object is transferred to the retracted position by the transfer mechanism in the corresponding processing unit.