Wafer boxes and semiconductor production equipment

Abstract

The present application discloses a wafer box and semiconductor production equipment, wherein the wafer box comprises a bottom wall, a top wall, and a supporting wall connecting the bottom wall and the top wall, wherein the wafer box forms a storage cavity for storing wafers, and an opening for taking and placing wafers is provided on the front side of the storage cavity; the wafer box also comprises a limiter pivotally connected to the outside of the supporting wall, a driving rod and a reset member for driving the limiter to rotate; the driving rod is used to drive the limiter to rotate in a direction away from the opening under the action of an external force to open the opening; the reset member is arranged between the limiter and the supporting wall and is used to drive the limiter to rotate toward the opening to close the opening. The wafer box of the present application and the semiconductor production equipment using the wafer box can effectively prevent wafers from falling, reduce material losses, and facilitate production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor production, and in particular to a wafer box and semiconductor production equipment. Background Art

[0002] The semiconductor production process typically requires the use of metal cassettes for wafer circulation and storage. These cassettes are used in various processes, including wafer cutting, dicing, bonding, and thinning. Specifically, wafers to be processed or semi-finished wafers are stored in cassettes of appropriate specifications before being transported to various processing machines. These cassettes also undergo precision surface finishing to remove burrs, ensuring wafer support and securement while preventing scratches.

[0003] In actual production, wafers are typically placed horizontally into wafer cassettes. If the cassette tilts during transport, wafers can slip and fall. While some industry experts have publicly disclosed solutions to prevent wafers from falling by using barriers during cassette transfer, these solutions still present operational difficulties and limited protection.

[0004] In view of this, it is necessary to provide a new wafer box and semiconductor production equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wafer box and semiconductor production equipment, which can overcome the risk of wafer drop, ensure normal production and reduce abnormal losses.

[0006] The present invention provides a wafer box, comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, and a supporting wall connecting the bottom wall and the top wall, wherein the wafer box forms a storage cavity for storing wafers, and an opening for taking wafers out and placing wafers is provided on the front side of the storage cavity; the wafer box also includes a limit member pivotally connected to the outside of the supporting wall, a driving rod and a reset member for driving the limit member to rotate; the driving rod is used to drive the limit member to rotate in a direction away from the opening under the action of an external force, thereby opening the opening; the reset member is arranged between the limit member and the supporting wall and is used to drive the limit member to rotate toward the opening, thereby closing the opening.

[0007] As a further improvement of the present invention, a support seat is provided on the outer side of the support wall, and a pivot hole is opened on the support seat along the vertical direction; the limiting member includes a pivot shaft inserted in the pivot hole, a limiting plate located on the side of the pivot shaft facing the opening, and an actuating rod located on the side of the pivot shaft away from the opening and cooperating with the driving rod.

[0008] As a further improvement of the present invention, a first inclined surface is formed at the upper end of the driving rod; the actuating rod includes a cross bar connected to the pivot shaft, a longitudinal bar extending downward from the end of the cross bar, and a second inclined surface is formed at the lower end of the longitudinal bar to match the first inclined surface.

[0009] As a further improvement of the present invention, the limiting plate is arranged in an arc shape.

[0010] As a further improvement of the present invention, the reset member is configured as a spring, and one end of the spring is connected to the limiting plate.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the support wall is provided in two pieces and is arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides; the support wall is provided with first support ribs arranged in sequence along the vertical direction on one side facing the storage cavity.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, the wafer box further includes a support rod disposed between the bottom wall and the top wall and located at the rear side of the storage cavity.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, two support rods are provided, and a side of the support rod facing the storage cavity is provided with second support ribs arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and the arrangement of the second support ribs is consistent with that of the first support ribs.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, a positioning seat is provided below the bottom wall, and the positioning seat is recessed upward to form a guide surface arranged in a conical shape.

[0015] The present invention also provides a semiconductor production device using the wafer box.

[0016] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: by adopting the wafer box and semiconductor production equipment of the present invention, through the design of the limit member, driving rod and reset member, when the wafer box is placed on a predetermined processing platform, the driving rod can drive the limit member to rotate in the direction away from the opening under the action of external force, so that the wafers in the storage cavity can be taken and placed; when the above-mentioned external force is removed, the driving rod is in a relaxed state, and the limit member rotates in the direction of the opening under the action of the reset member, effectively preventing the wafers in the storage cavity from slipping, reducing the risk and loss of wafers falling, and facilitating production. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wafer box of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wafer box of the present application from another angle;

[0019] Figure 3 It is a partial structural diagram of the wafer box of this application;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of the wafer box of the present application from another angle.

[0021] 100-wafer box; 101-storage cavity; 10-bottom wall; 11-first rear side edge; 12-positioning seat; 121-guide surface; 20-top wall; 21-second rear side edge; 30-support wall; 31-first support rib; 32-reinforcement seat; 33-support seat; 34-mounting seat; 40-support rod; 41-second support rib; 51-guard rod; 52-guard arm; 61-limiting member; 611-pivot shaft; 612-limiting plate; 613-actuating rod; 6131-cross bar; 6132-longitudinal bar; 62-drive rod; 63-reset member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional changes made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] Ginseng Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the wafer cassette 100 provided by the present invention includes a bottom wall 10, a top wall 20, a support wall 30 connecting the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20, and a support rod 40. The wafer cassette 100 defines a storage cavity 101 for storing wafers. The front of the storage cavity 101 is provided with an opening for wafer placement. Here, "front" refers to the direction of the opening of the storage cavity 101 when the wafer cassette 100 is placed with the bottom wall 10 facing downward on a predetermined processing platform.

[0024] The bottom wall 10 and top wall 20 are hollowed out as a whole, that is, each of the bottom wall 10 and top wall 20 is provided with a hollow slot extending vertically through the bottom wall 10. This reduces raw material costs and the weight of the wafer cassette 100, and also facilitates observation of the storage status of the wafers within the storage cavity 101. The bottom wall 10 has a first rear edge 11 extending linearly in the left-right direction; the top wall 20 has a second rear edge 21 extending linearly in the left-right direction. The first rear edge 11 and the second rear edge 21 are flush in the front-to-back direction. This design facilitates the stable placement of the wafer cassette 100 on a predetermined surface with the opening facing upward in actual use, preventing shaking.

[0025] The support wall 30, on the side facing the storage cavity 101, i.e., the inner side of the support wall 30, is provided with first support ribs 31 arranged in sequence along the vertical direction; the support rod 40, on the side facing the storage cavity 101, i.e., the support rod 40, is provided with second support ribs 41 arranged in sequence along the vertical direction. The second support ribs 41 are arranged in the same manner as the first support ribs 31, that is, the second support ribs 41 are arranged horizontally corresponding to the first support ribs 31. It is easy to understand that adjacent first support ribs 31 and adjacent second support ribs 41 form a receiving groove for accommodating wafers, and the same wafer is placed on the first support rib 31 and the second support rib 41 corresponding to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0026] In this embodiment, the main portion of the support wall 30 is rectangular and arranged in two oppositely spaced sections. A reinforcement seat 32 is also provided on the outer side of the support wall 30. Two support rods 40 are provided at the rear of the storage cavity 101 and are also symmetrical. The support wall 30 and support rods 40 are spaced apart. To enhance the protective performance of the wafer cassette 100, the wafer cassette 100 also includes a protective rod 51 disposed between the bottom wall 10 and the top wall 20, and a protective arm 52 connected to the protective rod 51 and extending horizontally. The protective arm 52 preferably extends to the outer side of the support wall 30 and is spaced apart from the support wall 30. The protective arm 52 also has a plurality of through-holes. It should be noted that the terms "left and right," "horizontal," and "vertical" herein are used with reference to the wafer cassette 100 placed with its bottom wall 10 facing downward on a predetermined processing platform.

[0027] The wafer box 100 further includes a stopper 61 pivotally connected to the outside of the support wall 30, a drive rod 62 for driving the stopper 61 to rotate, and a reset member 63. Two stoppers 61 are provided, and are disposed adjacent to the front edge of the support wall 30. The drive rod 62 is used to drive the stopper 61 to rotate in a direction away from the opening under the action of an external force, thereby opening the opening of the storage cavity 101 and allowing wafers to be taken and placed. The reset member 63 is disposed between the stopper 61 and the support wall 30. When the external force acting on the drive rod 62 is removed, the reset member 63 can drive the stopper 61 to rotate and reset in the direction of the opening, thereby closing the opening of the storage cavity 101. The wafer box 100 of the present application is designed with the above-mentioned limit member 61 and the driving rod 62 and the reset member 63 that cooperate with the limit member 61, so that during the movement and transportation of the wafer box 100, the driving rod 62 is not subject to external force, and the two limit members 61 move toward each other under the action of the corresponding reset members 63, so that the opening of the storage cavity 101 becomes smaller, preventing the wafer from slipping out and reducing the risk and loss of the wafer falling.

[0028] Here, a support seat 33 is provided on the outside of the support wall 30. The support seat 33 has a pivot hole formed in the vertical direction and is located adjacent to the front edge of the support wall 30. The limiting member 61 includes a pivot shaft 611 inserted into the pivot hole, a limiting plate 612 located on the side of the pivot shaft 611 facing the opening, and an actuating rod 613 located on the side of the pivot shaft 611 facing away from the opening and cooperating with the drive rod 62. A fixing seat 34 is also provided on the outside of the support wall 30. The fixing seat 34 has an opening extending vertically through the fixing seat 34 and used to mount the drive rod 62. The drive rod 62 can move up and down along the opening. The reset member 63 is configured as a spring. One end of the spring 63 is connected to the limiting plate 612, and the other end of the spring 63 is fixed to the outside of the support wall 30 adjacent to the front edge of the support wall 30.

[0029] The limiting plate 612 is preferably configured to be curved, specifically extending in an arc horizontally. Preferably, the curvature of the limiting plate 612 is adapted to the size of the wafers stored in the wafer cassette 100 (e.g., 12 inches). When the wafer slides forward and contacts the limiting plate 612, the edge of the wafer contacts the limiting plate 612 through a predetermined section, without causing localized point contact that would result in excessive force and increase the risk of damage.

[0030] The upper end of the drive rod 62 is formed with a first inclined surface. The actuating rod 613 includes a transverse rod 6131 connected to the pivot shaft 611, and a longitudinal rod 6132 extending downward from the distal end of the transverse rod 6131. ​​The lower end of the longitudinal rod 6132 forms a second inclined surface that cooperates with the first inclined surface. Apparently, the first inclined surface faces the support wall 30. When the drive rod 62 moves upward under the action of an external force, the first inclined surface cooperates with the second inclined surface to push the longitudinal rod 6132 toward the support wall 30. The pushing torque is then transmitted to the limit plate 612 via the pivot shaft 611. The limit plate 612 overcomes the pulling force of the reset member 63 and rotates away from the opening of the storage chamber 101, thereby opening the opening. The lower end of the drive rod 62 is positioned beyond the bottom wall 10. As can be easily understood, the external force acting on the drive rod 62 is generally the weight of the wafer cassette 100 itself.

[0031] Furthermore, positioning seats 12 are provided below the bottom wall 10 of the wafer cassette 100 to facilitate positioning and placement of the wafer cassette 100. Preferably, three positioning seats 12 are arranged evenly along the circumference. Each positioning seat 12 is recessed upward to form a conical guide surface 121. Compared to existing "V"-shaped guide structure designs, the guide surface 121 provides more effective positioning guidance regardless of the direction of deviation from the initial placement of the wafer cassette 100.

[0032] Here, the present invention also provides a semiconductor production equipment using the aforementioned wafer box 100, the semiconductor production equipment has a processing platform for placing the aforementioned wafer box 100, the processing platform is provided with a positioning protrusion corresponding to the positioning seat 12, and the positioning protrusion can be correspondingly set to be conical.

[0033] To sum up, the wafer box 100 of the present invention is designed with the limit member 61, the driving rod 62 and the reset member 63. When the wafer box 100 is placed on a predetermined processing platform, the driving rod 62 can drive the limit member 61 to rotate in the direction away from the opening under the action of the wafer box 100's own gravity, so that the wafers in the storage cavity 101 can be taken and placed; when the wafer box 100 is lifted, the lower end of the driving rod 62 is in a relaxed state, and the limit member 61 rotates toward the direction of the opening under the action of the reset member 63, effectively preventing the wafers in the storage cavity 101 from slipping, reducing the risk and loss of wafers, and facilitating production.

[0034] It should be understood that although this specification is described in terms of implementation methods, not every implementation method contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative method of the specification is only for the sake of clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each implementation method can also be appropriately combined to form other implementation methods that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0035] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are only specific descriptions of feasible implementation methods of the present invention. They are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent implementation methods or changes that do not deviate from the technical spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer box, comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, and a supporting wall connecting the bottom wall and the top wall, wherein the wafer box forms a storage cavity for storing wafers, and an opening for taking and placing wafers is provided at the front side of the storage cavity, characterized in that: The wafer box further comprises a stopper pivotally connected to the outer side of the support wall, a driving rod and a reset member for driving the stopper to rotate; the driving rod is used to drive the stopper to rotate in a direction away from the opening under the action of an external force to open the opening; the reset member is arranged between the stopper and the support wall and is used to drive the stopper to rotate toward the opening to close the opening; A support seat is provided on the outer side of the support wall, and a pivot hole is opened on the support seat in the vertical direction; the limiter comprises a pivot shaft inserted in the pivot hole, a limit plate located on the side of the pivot shaft facing the opening, and an actuating rod located on the side of the pivot shaft facing away from the opening and cooperating with the driving rod; A fixing seat is also provided on the outer side of the supporting wall, and the fixing seat is provided with an opening which passes through the fixing seat from top to bottom and is used to install the driving rod, and the driving rod can move up and down along the opening; the reset member is configured as a spring, one end of the spring is connected to the limiting plate, and the other end of the spring is fixed on the outer side of the supporting wall at a position adjacent to the front edge of the supporting wall; The upper end of the driving rod is formed with a first inclined surface, and the lower end of the driving rod is arranged beyond the bottom wall; the actuating rod includes a cross bar connected to the pivot shaft, and a longitudinal bar extending downward from the end of the cross bar, and the lower end of the longitudinal bar forms a second inclined surface matching the first inclined surface.

2. The wafer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting plate is arranged in an arc shape.

3. The wafer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The supporting wall is provided in two pieces and is arranged opposite to each other on the left and right sides; the supporting wall is provided with first supporting ribs arranged in sequence along the vertical direction on one side facing the storage cavity.

4. The wafer box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The wafer box further includes a support rod disposed between the bottom wall and the top wall and located at the rear side of the storage cavity.

5. The wafer box according to claim 4, characterized in that: The supporting rods are provided in two numbers, and a side of the supporting rod facing the storage cavity is provided with second supporting ribs arranged in sequence along the vertical direction, and the arrangement of the second supporting ribs is consistent with that of the first supporting ribs.

6. The wafer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning seat is provided below the bottom wall, and the positioning seat is recessed upward to form a guiding surface arranged in a conical shape.

7. A semiconductor production equipment, characterized in that: A wafer box comprising any one of claims 1-6.

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