Conveyor apparatus
First Claim
1. A conveyor apparatus comprising:
- a first conveyor access structure defining a first temporary storage location for an object to be processed;
a first mounting chamber connected to said first conveyor access structure;
a thermal processing structure defining a thermal processing storage location for the object to be processed, said thermal processing structure being connected to said first mounting chamber;
a second conveyor access structure defining a second temporary storage location for the object to be processed;
a second mounting chamber connected to said second conveyor access structure;
a first conveyor means provided in said first mounting chamber for transferring the object to be processed between said first mounting chamber and said first conveyor access structure and between said first mounting chamber and said thermal processing unit;
a second conveyor means provided in said second mounting chamber for transferring the object to be processed;
a freely rotatable intermediate transfer means for transferring the object to be processed, said intermediate transfer means being positioned between said first conveyor means and second conveyor means, and said second conveyor means being dimensioned and arranged for conveying the object to be processed between said intermediate transfer means and said second mounting chamber and between said second conveyor access structure and said second mounting chamber;
a first conveyor moving means for moving said first conveyor means;
a second conveyor moving means for moving said second conveyor means;
an intermediate moving means for moving said intermediate transfer means; and
a control member that controls an orientation of the intermediate transfer means so as to correspondingly control an orientation of the object to be processed which has been transferred to said intermediate transfer means, said control member controlling the orientation of said intermediate transfer means based on a route along which said object to be processed is conveyed to said thermal processing structure, the control being in such a manner that said object to be processed is loaded into said thermal processing structure in a prescribed orientation.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A thermal processing station is provided with a first conveyor that conveys a wafer from a first conveyor access portion and a second conveyor that conveys another wafer from a second conveyor access opening portion. The wafer conveyed from the first conveyor is conveyed along a route consisting of the second conveyor, a washing portion, the second conveyor again, the first conveyor, and a thermal processing portion. On the other hand, the wafer conveyed from the second conveyor is conveyed along a route consisting of the washing portion, the second conveyor again, the first conveyor, and the thermal processing portion. An intermediate transfer portion that is free to rotate and rise and lower is provided between the first and second conveyor. A control section does not rotate the intermediate transfer portion while the wafer is being transferred along the former route, but it does rotate the intermediate transfer portion through 180° for the latter route, to keep the orientation of wafers constant during the thermal processing. In this manner, the orientation of objects to be processed, such as semiconductor wafers, can be easily managed during thermal processing.
195 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A conveyor apparatus comprising:
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a first conveyor access structure defining a first temporary storage location for an object to be processed; a first mounting chamber connected to said first conveyor access structure; a thermal processing structure defining a thermal processing storage location for the object to be processed, said thermal processing structure being connected to said first mounting chamber; a second conveyor access structure defining a second temporary storage location for the object to be processed; a second mounting chamber connected to said second conveyor access structure; a first conveyor means provided in said first mounting chamber for transferring the object to be processed between said first mounting chamber and said first conveyor access structure and between said first mounting chamber and said thermal processing unit; a second conveyor means provided in said second mounting chamber for transferring the object to be processed; a freely rotatable intermediate transfer means for transferring the object to be processed, said intermediate transfer means being positioned between said first conveyor means and second conveyor means, and said second conveyor means being dimensioned and arranged for conveying the object to be processed between said intermediate transfer means and said second mounting chamber and between said second conveyor access structure and said second mounting chamber; a first conveyor moving means for moving said first conveyor means; a second conveyor moving means for moving said second conveyor means; an intermediate moving means for moving said intermediate transfer means; and a control member that controls an orientation of the intermediate transfer means so as to correspondingly control an orientation of the object to be processed which has been transferred to said intermediate transfer means, said control member controlling the orientation of said intermediate transfer means based on a route along which said object to be processed is conveyed to said thermal processing structure, the control being in such a manner that said object to be processed is loaded into said thermal processing structure in a prescribed orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification