Wafer Cassette Transfer Device

Abstract

The present invention provides a wafer box transfer device, which is provided with a frame and a shifter. The frame is arranged at the side of the equipment front-end module and close to the entrance of the equipment front-end module for the wafer box to be moved into the equipment front-end module. The shifter has a track, a displacement seat and a driver. The track is arranged horizontally on the frame, and the displacement seat is connected to the track and is used to place the wafer box. The displacement seat is driven by the driver to move back and forth on the track. The wafer box transfer device is used to make the placement of the wafer box different from the position of entering the equipment front-end module, so as to ensure that the user will not approach the wafer box at the entrance of the equipment front-end module to avoid danger, and the equipment front-end module can move the wafer box at a shorter distance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wafer box transfer device, in particular to a transfer device used for sending a wafer box to an equipment front end module (EFEM). Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, in order to improve the yield and quality, the wafers are processed in a clean clean room. However, with the advancement of high integration of components, miniaturization of circuits and large wafers, it is difficult to keep the clean room clean in terms of technology and cost. Therefore, some related industries use equipment front end modules (EFEM) to connect process equipment and only manage the cleanliness of the space around the wafer. This equipment front end module will have a load port on one side. After the user places the wafer box at the load port, the equipment front end module uses a robot arm to move the wafer box into the equipment front end module. However, this loading port setting has the following defects:

[0003] 1. The loading port must be very close to the front module of the equipment to reduce the space occupied. However, when the user places the wafer box at the loading port, it is difficult to place it due to the small space, and it is easy to cause the wafer box to fall.

[0004] 2. When the robotic arm of the front-end module of the equipment is moving the wafer box, if the user is not careful and approaches the loading port, it is easy to cause danger, which may cause damage to the wafer box at the least and may cause personal injury at the worst.

[0005] Therefore, how to solve the above-mentioned problems and deficiencies of the loading port has become a research and development topic that relevant industry players are eager to address. Summary of the invention

[0006] The main purpose of the present invention is to use a wafer box transfer device to place the wafer box at a different position from the position where it enters the front-end module of the equipment, so as to ensure that the user will not approach the wafer box at the entrance of the front-end module of the equipment to avoid danger, and to enable the front-end module of the equipment to move the wafer box at a shorter distance.

[0007] A secondary purpose of the present invention is to increase the space for users to place wafer boxes by utilizing the different distances between the two ends of the track of the wafer box transfer device and the equipment front-end module, so as to facilitate users to place the wafer boxes smoothly without excessively increasing the overall width of the equipment front-end module and the wafer box transfer device.

[0008] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides a wafer box transfer device, which is used to transfer the wafer box to the front-end module of the equipment, and is provided with a frame and a shifter, and is characterized in that:

[0009] The rack is arranged on the side of the front-end module of the equipment and close to the entrance of the front-end module of the equipment for the wafer box to be moved into the front-end module of the equipment. The displacer has a track, a displacement seat and a driver. The track is horizontally arranged on the rack. The two ends of the track are respectively formed with a feed end and a discharge end. The discharge end is located at the entrance of the front-end module of the equipment. The displacement seat is connected to the track and is used for placing the wafer box. The displacement seat is driven by the driver and can move back and forth between the feed end and the discharge end.

[0010] The wafer box transfer device, wherein: the distance between the discharge end of the track of the shifter and the equipment front-end module is smaller than the distance between the feed end and the equipment front-end module.

[0011] The wafer box transfer device, wherein: the frame is respectively provided with photoelectric switches at the feeding end and the discharging end close to the track.

[0012] The advantages of the present invention are:

[0013] 1. The track is horizontally arranged on the frame, and the driver is used to drive the displacement seat to move back and forth between the feeding end and the discharging end, so that the user can place the wafer box away from the entrance of the front module of the equipment to avoid danger to the user.

[0014] Second, the distance between the discharge end of the track and the front-end module of the equipment is smaller than the distance between the feed end and the front-end module of the equipment, so that the user has a larger space when placing the wafer box, so that the user can place the wafer box on the displacement seat. When the displacement seat brings the wafer box to the entrance of the front-end module of the equipment, the wafer box can be closer to the front-end module of the equipment, so as to reduce the displacement distance of the mechanical arm of the front-end module of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the present invention and the front-end module of the device.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the appearance of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of placing a wafer box according to the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a top view of the wafer box placed in the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the mobile wafer box of the present invention.

[0020] Explanation of the reference numerals: 1-frame; 11-first photoelectric switch; 12-second photoelectric switch; 2-displacer; 21-track; 211-feeding end; 212-discharging end; 22-displacement seat; 23-driver; 3-wafer box; 4-equipment front-end module; 41-entrance; L1-L2-spacing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] See also Figures 1 to 4 As shown, it can be clearly seen from the figure that the present invention is provided with a frame 1 and a shifter 2:

[0022] The rack 1 is located on the side of the equipment front-end module 4, and a first photoelectric switch 11 and a second photoelectric switch 12 are provided on the rack 1. The first photoelectric switch 11 is close to the equipment front-end module 4, and the second photoelectric switch 12 is located on the other side of the first photoelectric switch 11 away from the equipment front-end module 4. The first photoelectric switch 11 and the second photoelectric switch 12 are respectively located at two ends of the rack 1, and the first photoelectric switch 11 is close to the entrance 41 of the equipment front-end module 4.

[0023] The displacer 2 comprises a track 21, a displacement seat 22 and a driver 23. The track 21 is transversely arranged on the frame 1, that is, the extension direction of the track 21 is transversely arranged relative to the direction of the entrance 41 of the wafer box 3 entering the equipment front-end module 4, and the two ends thereof are respectively formed with a feed end 211 and a discharge end 212. The discharge end 212 is located at the entrance 41 of the equipment front-end module 4, and the distance L1 between the discharge end 212 and the equipment front-end module 4 is smaller than the distance L2 between the feed end 211 and the equipment front-end module 4; the displacement seat 22 is connected to the track 21 and is provided for the wafer box 3 to be placed, and the displacement seat 22 is driven by the driver 23 to displace back and forth between the feed end 211 and the discharge end 212.

[0024] See also Figures 2 to 5 As shown, it can be clearly seen from the figure that when the present invention is in use, the driver 23 will first move the displacement seat 22 to the feeding end 211 of the track 21, allowing the user to place the wafer box 3 on the displacement seat 22, and the driver 23 will drive the displacement seat 22 to move to the discharging end 212 of the track 21, so that the robot arm (not shown in the figure) of the equipment front-end module 4 can move the wafer box 3 into the equipment front-end module 4 from the entrance 41. After the wafer box 3 is moved into the equipment front-end module 4, the driver 23 drives the displacement seat 22 to move to the feeding end 211 of the track 21 again, waiting for the user to place the wafer box 3 on the displacement seat 22; furthermore, the first photoelectric switch 11 and the second photoelectric switch 12 will continue to detect when the displacement seat 22 is in operation to ensure the safety of the user and the wafer box 3.

[0025] Therefore, the present invention can solve the deficiencies and shortcomings of the prior art and improve the efficacy. The key technology of the present invention is:

[0026] 1. The track 21 is horizontally arranged on the frame 1, and the driver 23 drives the displacement seat 22 to move back and forth between the feeding end 211 and the discharging end 212, so that the user can place the wafer box 3 away from the entrance 41 of the equipment front-end module 4 to avoid danger to the user.

[0027] Second, the distance L1 between the discharge end 212 of the track 21 and the equipment front-end module 4 is smaller than the distance L2 between the feed end 211 and the equipment front-end module 4, so that the user has a larger space when placing the wafer box 3, so that the user can place the wafer box 3 on the displacement seat 22. When the displacement seat 22 brings the wafer box 3 to the entrance 41 of the equipment front-end module 4, the wafer box 3 can be closer to the equipment front-end module 4, so as to reduce the displacement distance of the robot arm of the equipment front-end module 4.

Claims

1. A wafer box transfer device, used to transfer a wafer box to a front-end module of an equipment, is provided with a frame and a shifter, and is characterized in that: The rack is arranged at the side of the front-end module of the equipment and close to the entrance of the front-end module of the equipment for the wafer box to move into the front-end module of the equipment. The displacer has a track, a displacement seat and a driver. The track is arranged horizontally on the rack. The two ends of the track are respectively formed with a feed end and a discharge end. The discharge end is located at the entrance of the front-end module of the equipment. The displacement seat is connected to the track and is used for placing the wafer box. The displacement seat is driven by the driver to move back and forth between the feed end and the discharge end. The distance between the discharge end of the track of the displacer and the front-end module of the equipment is smaller than the distance between the feed end and the front-end module of the equipment; The frame is provided with photoelectric switches at the feeding end and the discharging end close to the track.

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