JP2018139280A - Positioning device and positioning method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a positioning device and a positioning method capable of preventing complicated operation control of the device. SOLUTION: A positioning device 10 has a suction means 20 that supports and sucks a positioning target object WF on a support surface 23A of an elastically deformable suction member 23, and a positioning member 32 on the positioning target object WF sucked by the suction member 23. A positioning means 30 for positioning the positioning target object WF at a predetermined position is provided, and the support surface 23A of the suction member 23 slides the positioning target object WF in a state where the positioning target object WF is adsorbed. Is permitted, and the positioning means 30 positions the positioning target object WF in a state where the positioning target object WF is attracted to the support surface 23A. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a positioning device and a positioning method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a plate-like component holding device (positioning device) that positions a positioning object held by an elastically deforming suction member at a predetermined position with a positioning member is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-77991 A

  In the conventional positioning device as described in Patent Document 1, positioning is performed by bringing a positioning pin (positioning member) into contact with the positioning target object via a guide plate in a state where the PDP panel (positioning target object) is adsorbed. Then, the suction pad (suction member) is elastically deformed with the movement of the positioning object, and when the positioning state by the positioning member is released, the positioning object is moved by the restoring force of the suction member (force to return to the original position). Since it returns to the original position, positioning by the positioning member must be performed in a state in which the holding by the suction member is released, and there is a disadvantage that the operation control of the apparatus becomes complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a positioning apparatus and a positioning method that can prevent the operation control of the apparatus from becoming complicated.

  The present invention employs a configuration described in each claim.

  According to the present invention, since the support surface of the suction member allows the positioning target object to slide in a state where the positioning target object is sucked, the positioning target object is sucked by the support surface. The object can be positioned, and it is not necessary to perform positioning by the positioning member in a state where the holding by the suction member is released, and it is possible to prevent the operation control of the apparatus from becoming complicated.

(A)-(C) are the side view and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the positioning device which concern on one Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis are orthogonal to each other, the X axis and the Y axis are axes in a predetermined plane, and the Z axis is an axis that is orthogonal to the predetermined plane. To do. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when viewed from the front side in FIG. 1 parallel to the Y axis, when indicating the direction, “up” is the arrow direction of the Z axis and “down” is the opposite direction, “ The “left” is the arrow direction of the X axis, “right” is the opposite direction, “front” is the front direction in FIG. 1 parallel to the Y axis, and “rear” is the opposite direction.

  In FIG. 1, a positioning device 10 is a suction unit that supports and sucks a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also simply referred to as a “wafer”) WF as a positioning object on a support surface 23A of a suction pad 23 as an elastically deforming suction member. 20, positioning means 30 for positioning a positioning pin 32 as a positioning member to the wafer WF sucked by the suction pad 23 and positioning the wafer WF at a predetermined position, and a notch and an orientation flat provided on the wafer WF And an imaging means such as a camera or a projector for detecting an azimuth mark (not shown), and a detection means 40 such as various sensors such as an optical sensor and an ultrasonic sensor.

The suction means 20 includes a table 22 having a support surface 22A supported by an output shaft 21A of a rotation motor 21 as a drive device, and a plurality of suction pads respectively disposed in a plurality of recesses 22B formed in the table 22. 23, and a decompression means 24 such as a decompression pump or a vacuum ejector for applying a suction force to the suction pad 23 through a suction hole 22C formed in the pipe 24A and the table 22.
The suction pad 23 is formed of an elastic member such as rubber or resin, and the support surface 23A of the suction pad 23 has a structure that allows the wafer WF to slide while the wafer WF is sucked. Such a structure can be constituted by, for example, a lubrication process such as a fluororesin coating or a silicon coating. With such a configuration, the positioning unit 30 can position the wafer WF while adsorbing the wafer WF on the support surface 23A.

  The positioning means 30 includes a positioning pin 32 supported by an output shaft 31A of a direct acting motor 31 as a drive device. A plurality of linear motion motors 31 and positioning pins 32 are arranged in parallel on the outer periphery of the table 22 as a set.

A procedure for positioning the wafer WF in the positioning apparatus 10 will be described.
First, with respect to the positioning device 10 in the state shown in FIG. 1A in which each member is arranged at the initial position, a user of the positioning device 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as “user”), an articulated robot, or a belt When the wafer WF is placed on the suction pad 23 by a transfer means (not shown) such as a conveyor, the suction means 20 drives the decompression means 24 and sucks and holds the wafer WF by the suction pad 23. At this time, as the pressure in the suction pad 23 decreases, the suction pad 23 contracts to attract the wafer WF to the table 22 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the positioning means 30 drives the linear motion motor 31 to bring the positioning pins 32 into contact with the outer edge of the wafer WF. As shown in FIG. 1C, the positioning pins 32 bring the wafer WF to a predetermined position. After the movement, the positioning pin 32 is returned to the initial position. As a result, the center WC of the wafer WF matches the rotation center axis MC of the rotation motor 21. At this time, since the support surface 23A of the suction pad 23 is designed to allow the wafer WF to slide while the wafer WF is sucked, the suction pad 23 is elastically deformed as the wafer WF moves. Therefore, the wafer WF moved to a predetermined position is not moved by the restoring force of the suction pad 23.

  Next, after the suction means 20 drives the rotation motor 21 and rotates the table 22, the detection means 40 drives the imaging means and the like, detects an orientation mark (not shown) provided on the wafer WF, and the orientation mark. The table 22 is stopped in a predetermined direction to bring the wafer WF into a predetermined posture. Next, when the transfer means (not shown) supports the wafer WF, the suction means 20 stops driving the decompression means 24, the transfer means (not shown) transfers the wafer WF to the next process, and the same operation is repeated thereafter.

  According to the embodiment as described above, since the support surface 23A of the suction pad 23 is allowed to slide on the wafer WF while the wafer WF is sucked, the wafer WF is sucked by the support surface 23A. The wafer WF can be positioned, and it becomes unnecessary to perform positioning by the positioning pins 32 in a state where the holding by the suction pad 23 is released, and it is possible to prevent the operation control of the apparatus from becoming complicated.

  As described above, the best configuration, method and the like for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed in the above description, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the invention has been illustrated and described with particular reference to certain specific embodiments, but without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art in terms of material, quantity, and other detailed configurations. In addition, the description of the shape, material, and the like disclosed above is exemplary for ease of understanding of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The description by the name of the member which remove | excluded the limitation of some or all of such restrictions is included in this invention.

  For example, the suction unit 20 does not need the rotation motor 21 and supports the wafer WF with a gripping unit such as a mechanical chuck or a chuck cylinder, a Coulomb force, an adhesive, an adhesive, a magnetic force, Bernoulli suction, a driving device, or the like. In this case, the structure for sucking may be employed, or the structure for holding may not be provided. The support surface 22A of the table 22 can also suck the wafer WF, and the wafer WF is similar to the support surface 23A of the suction pad 23. The wafer WF may be allowed to slide in a state where the suction pad is sucked, or the table 22 that does not have the recess 22B and supports the suction pad 23 on the support surface 22A may be employed. An elastically deformable electrostatic chuck, magnet, etc. may be adopted, and the sheet, film, tape, etc. that reduce friction with the wafer WF as a structure that allows the wafer WF to slide. Fat, or employs a metal or the like, may be or reduce friction between the wafer WF to reduce the contact area with the wafer WF.

  The positioning means 30 may use the output shaft 31A of the linear motor 31 as a positioning member, or may employ a positioning plate or the like in addition to the positioning pins 32 as the positioning member.

  The detection means 40 may detect a manufacturing number, a circuit pattern, a kerf, a street, or the like imprinted on the wafer WF instead of the bearing mark, or may be positioned with a predetermined law even in cases other than the wafer WF. There is no limitation as long as it detects a mark that can identify the position of an object, and the positioning device 10 may not be provided.

  Further, the material, type, shape and the like of the positioning object in the present invention are not particularly limited. Examples of positioning objects include foods, resin containers, semiconductor wafers such as silicon semiconductor wafers and compound semiconductor wafers, circuit board, information recording boards such as optical disks, glass plates, steel plates, ceramics, wood plates, resin plates, etc. Form members and articles can also be targeted.

The means and steps in the present invention are not limited in any way as long as they can perform the operations, functions, or steps described with respect to those means and steps. The process is not limited at all. For example, if the positioning means allows the positioning member to abut on the positioning object attracted by the suction member and can position the positioning object at a predetermined position, the positioning means is compared with the technical common sense at the beginning of the application, There is no limitation as long as it is within the technical scope (description of other means and steps is omitted).
The drive device in the embodiment includes an electric device such as a rotation motor, a linear motion motor, a linear motor, a single axis robot, an articulated robot, an actuator such as an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a rodless cylinder, and a rotary cylinder. In addition to these, a combination of them directly or indirectly may be employed (some of them overlap with those exemplified in the embodiment).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Positioning device 20 Suction means 23 Suction pad (suction member)
23A Support surface 30 Positioning means 32 Positioning pin (positioning member)
WF wafer (positioning object)

Claims (2)

An adsorbing means for supporting and adsorbing the positioning object on the supporting surface of the elastically deforming suction member;
Positioning means for abutting a positioning member on a positioning object attracted by the suction member and positioning the positioning object at a predetermined position;
The support surface of the suction member is allowed to slide the positioning object in a state where the positioning object is adsorbed,
The positioning device performs positioning of the positioning target object in a state where the positioning target object is adsorbed by the support surface. An adsorption process for supporting and adsorbing the positioning object on the support surface of the elastically deforming suction member;
A positioning step of bringing the positioning member into contact with the positioning object attracted by the suction member, and positioning the positioning object at a predetermined position; and
The support surface of the suction member is allowed to slide the positioning object in a state where the positioning object is adsorbed,
In the positioning method, the positioning object is positioned in a state where the positioning object is adsorbed on the support surface.

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