Conveyor and deposition apparatus, and maintenance method thereof

• US 8,740,205 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ulvac Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ulvac Incorporated
• Inventors: Ishino, Koji, Nakamura, Hajime, Matsuda, Mayako, Shindou, Takaaki, Koshimizu, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Lee D
• Application Number:
  US12/596,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20100126415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,240 Days
• Field of Search: 269/55, 269/60, 269/289.R, 269/302.1, 269/71, 269/75, 414/467, 414/667, 187/95, 187/9.E, 187/9.R, 187/239
• US Class Current: 269/55
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2249/02 Controlled or contamination-free environments or clean space conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/061 Lifting, gripping, or carrying means, for one or more sheets forming independent means of transport, e.g. suction cups, transport frames suction means as load-engaging elements attached to the lifting or lowering gear of cranes B66C1/02; suction cups for attaching purposes F16B47/00; suction cups on gripping heads B25J15/0616; suction cups in general B65G47/91; suction cups combined with cutting means on vertical conveyors C03B33/00 - C03B33/10; devices for turning sheets B65G49/067; suspending devices B65G49/066
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/062 Easels, stands or shelves, e.g. castor-shelves, supporting means on vehicles; vehicles adapted to carry glass sheets B60P3/002; storing articles B65G1/00 or A47B53/02; packaging for glass sheets B65D85/48
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/063 Transporting devices for sheet glass
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 49/068 Stacking or destacking devices; Means for preventing damage to stacked sheets, e.g. spaces stacking in general B65G57/00; destacking in general B65G59/00; spacer sheets in general B65H
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/34 Sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/50 Substrate holders
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/56 Apparatus specially adapted for continuous coating; Arrangements for maintaining the vacuum, e.g. vacuum locks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67161 characterized by the layout of the process chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6719 characterized by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67236 the substrates being processed being not semiconductor wafers, e.g. leadframes or chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67748 horizontal transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67751 vertical transfer of a single workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49817 with other than ancillary treating or assembling

Abstract

A conveyor and a deposition apparatus, and a maintenance method thereof are disclosed. The conveyor includes a frame; a lower support mechanism for supporting a carrier on which is longitudinally mounted a substrate and for transferring the carrier; and an upper support mechanism for supporting the carrier, in which the frame comprises a lower frame and an upper frame, and in which the lower support mechanism is provided on the lower frame and the upper support mechanism is provided on the upper frame, the upper frame and the lower frame being configured to be separately movable. Therefore, with the rotational movement of the upper frame, it is possible to arrange a cathode member in a space formed above the lower frame. This can make the spacing between the deposition treatment passage and the carrier transfer passage small. As a result, it is possible to make an inner court of the deposition apparatus narrow. Therefore, in the conveyor capable of transferring a carrier and in the deposition apparatus including the conveyor and further including a vacuum treatment apparatus and a transfer system, it is possible to make the installation area thereof small and narrow.

Claims

1. A conveyor for transferring a carrier which holds a substrate, comprising:

a frame having a lower frame and an upper frame;

a lower support mechanism provided on an upper surface of the lower frame for supporting a bottom edge portion of the carrier from below; and

an upper support mechanism provided on a lower surface of the upper frame for supporting a top edge portion of the carrier from above;

lower support mechanism and the upper support mechanism hold the carrier substantially upright therebetween; and

wherein the upper frame and the lower frame being configured to be separately rotatable in a horizontal direction.

2. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the lower frame is supportedly fixed on a floor surface, and the upper frame is joined to any one of vertical shafts that support the lower frame on the floor surface, the upper frame being configured to be rotationally movable about the vertical shaft.

3. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the upper support mechanism supports the carrier in a non-contact manner.

4. The conveyor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first roller that rolls along the floor surface while supporting the upper frame on the floor surface is provided on a near side in a rotational movement direction of the upper frame;

a second roller that rolls along the floor surface while supporting the upper frame on the floor surface is provided on a far side in the rotational movement direction of the upper frame; and

wherein the second roller is configured to be movable to a position that does not interfere with the lower frame when the upper frame is rotationally moved.

5. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein

the carrier includes a first magnet attached on the top edge thereof,

the upper support mechanism include a pair of second magnets provided on the lower surface of the upper frame so that the first magnet of the carrier is arranged therebetween, and

a N pole of one of the second magnets is opposed to a N pole of the first magnet and that a S pole of the other one of the second magnets is opposed to a S pole of the first magnet.