# US 2021/0242052 A1 · Transfer system, transfer method, and transfer apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0242052 A1 - Document ID: US20210242052A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/117,869 - Filed: 2020-12-10 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki - Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha Yaskawa Denki - Inventors: Osamu KOMIYAJI; Hiromitsu AKAE; Go YAMAGUCHI; Tadataka NOGUCHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242052A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0464: {characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber} - H10P 72/0454: {surrounding a central transfer chamber} - H10P 72/3218: {Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers} - H10P 72/3222: {Loading to or unloading from a conveyor} - H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices} - H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece} - H10P 72/3404: {Storage means} - H10P 72/7602: {the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A transfer system includes: a transfer chamber having a side wall provided thereon with a plurality of processing chambers in which a processing is performed on a substrate under a decompressed atmosphere, and configured such that the substrate is transferred in the decompressed atmosphere; a plurality of robots fixed in the transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate; and a movable buffer configured to hold the substrate and move in a horizontal direction along the side wall between the side wall and the robots in the transfer chamber. The robots exchange the substrate between the movable buffer and the processing chambers in cooperation with a movement of the movable buffer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A transfer system comprising: a transfer chamber having a side wall provided thereon with a plurality of processing chambers in which a processing is performed on a substrate under a decompressed atmosphere, and configured such that the substrate is transferred under the decompressed atmosphere; a plurality of robots fixed in the transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate; and a movable buffer configured to hold the substrate, and move in a horizontal direction along the side wall between the side wall and the robots in the transfer chamber, wherein the robots exchange the substrate between the movable buffer and the processing chambers in cooperation with a movement of the movable buffer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein a load lock chamber is provided on the side wall of the transfer chamber, and an internal pressure of the load lock chamber is changed between the decompressed atmosphere and an atmospheric-pressure atmosphere, and at least one of the plurality of robots exchanges the substrate between the movable buffer and the processing chambers or the load lock chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the movable buffer is configured to be able to stop in front of the side wall when viewed from the robots. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the transfer chamber includes a track fixed therein, the movable buffer includes a holding module configured to hold the substrate, and a driving module that corresponds to a mover of a linear motor, and the driving module is driven in a non-contact manner by a stator included in the track. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein the holding module includes a holder configured to hold the substrate in two upper and lower stages. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein the side wall is linear when viewed from above, and is provided thereon with the plurality of processing chambers arranged in the horizontal direction, the plurality of robots are provided along an arrangement direction of the processing chambers, and the track is fixed at a position close to the side wall relative to the robots, and is a linear track along the arrangement direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the linear track includes a curved portion that is curved in a direction away from the side wall, at either one of both ends thereof. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The transfer system according to claim 6, wherein the transfer chamber has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and includes a first side wall and a second side wall that correspond to relatively long sides of the rectangular shape, a first linear track that is the linear track provided between the first side wall and the robots, and a second linear track that is the linear track provided between the second side wall and the robots. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The transfer system according to claim 8, wherein the transfer chamber includes a first curved track that connects one-side ends of the first linear track and the second linear track to each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The transfer system according to claim 9, wherein the transfer chamber includes a second curved track that connects the other-side ends of the first linear track and the second linear track to each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 4) The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of movable buffers is provided for one track, and is movable independently from each other. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of movable buffers is provided for one track, and is connected to each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 4) The transfer system according to claim 4, wherein the movable buffer includes two holding modules and one driving module, and the holding modules are connected to both ends of the driving module in the horizontal direction, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of robots include a first robot with three degrees of freedom which include one degree of freedom in a vertical direction and two degrees of freedom in the horizontal direction, and the first robot is disposed in front of one of the processing chambers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of robots include a second robot with four or more degrees of freedom which include one degree of freedom in the vertical direction and three or more degrees of freedom in the horizontal direction, and the second robot access the load lock chamber and one of the processing chambers, or access the plurality of adjacent processing chambers on the side wall. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of robots include a third robot provided with a dual arm that each has two degrees of freedom in the horizontal direction, and having one degree of freedom in the vertical direction, and the third robot is disposed at a position closest to the load lock chamber, among the plurality of robots. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of robots includes a fourth robot with two degrees of freedom in the horizontal direction, and the movable buffer includes a lifter configured to move the substrate up and down. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of robots include a fifth robot with two degrees of freedom which include one degree of freedom in the vertical direction and one degree of freedom in the horizontal direction, and the fifth robot is provided with a hand in which two forks each configured to hold the substrate are connected back to back, and is disposed in front of one of the processing chambers. ### Claim 19 A transfer method comprising: providing a transfer system including a transfer chamber having a side wall provided thereon with a plurality of processing chambers in which a processing is performed on a substrate under a decompressed atmosphere, and configured such that the substrate is transferred under the decompressed atmosphere, a plurality of robots fixed in the transfer chamber and configured to transfer the substrate, and a movable buffer configured to hold the substrate, and move in a horizontal direction along the side wall between the side wall and the robots in the transfer chamber; and operating the robots and the movable buffer in cooperation with each other, to exchange the substrate between the movable buffer and the processing chambers. ### Claim 20 A transfer apparatus comprising: a plurality of robots fixed in a transfer chamber and configured to transfer a substrate, the transfer chamber having a side wall provided thereon with a plurality of processing chambers in which a processing is performed on the substrate under a decompressed atmosphere, and configured such that the substrate is transferred under the decompressed atmosphere; a movable buffer configured to hold the substrate, and move in a horizontal direction along the side wall between the side wall and the robots in the transfer chamber; and a controller configured to operate the robots and the movable buffer in cooperation with each other, to exchange the substrate between the movable buffer and the processing chambers.