Automatic wafer conveyor

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of wafer production technology, specifically to an automatic wafer conveyor, comprising an equipment box and two groups of cassettes, one group of cassettes is filled with wafers, and the other group of cassettes is an empty cassette, two groups of cassette positioning structures are arranged on the top of the equipment box; a detection mechanism is arranged on the top of the equipment box, and the detection mechanism is used to detect the orientation of wafers in the cassettes filled with wafers; a pushing mechanism is arranged on the top of the equipment box, and the pushing mechanism is used to transfer the wafers in the cassettes filled with wafers to the other group of empty cassettes. When the wafers are transferred, the present invention can accurately position the cassette through the cassette positioning structure, and then detect the position of the wafers in the cassette through the detection mechanism to avoid wafer misalignment, and finally realize the transfer of the cassette through the pushing mechanism. The whole transfer process is simple and easy to operate, and automatic wafer transfer is realized, and the wafers can be detected to avoid wafer misalignment and damage to the transferred wafers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of wafer production, in particular to an automatic wafer conveyor. Background Art

[0002] Elemental silicon is a grey, brittle, tetravalent non-metallic chemical element. Silicon makes up 27.8% of the earth's crust, second only to oxygen. Silicon is a relatively abundant element in nature. Silicon can be found in quartz, agate, flint and common beach stones. Silicon chips, also known as wafers, are processed from silicon ingots. Millions of transistors can be etched on silicon chips through a special process. They are widely used in the manufacture of integrated circuits.

[0003] In the existing wafer production process, it is necessary to transfer from one production process to the next production process. The existing technology relies on manual labor to transfer. The transfer process consumes a lot of manpower, and the manual transfer force cannot be controlled, which easily causes wafer breakage. To this end, we provide an automatic wafer transfer device to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic wafer transporter to solve the above technical problems.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an automatic wafer conveyor, comprising an equipment box and two groups of cassettes, one group of cassettes is filled with wafers, and the other group of cassettes is an empty cassette, two groups of cassette positioning structures are arranged on the top of the equipment box, and the two groups of cassettes are respectively installed on the top of the equipment box through the cassette positioning structures;

[0006] A detection mechanism is provided on the top of the equipment box, and the detection mechanism is used to detect the orientation of the wafers in the cassette containing the wafers;

[0007] A material pushing mechanism is arranged on the top of the equipment box, and the material pushing mechanism is used to transfer the wafers in the cassette containing the wafers to another group of empty cassettes.

[0008] Preferably, the cassette positioning structure includes two groups of positioning ridges and two groups of limit blocks, the two groups of positioning ridges and the two groups of limit blocks are symmetrically arranged on the top of the equipment box, and the two groups of limit blocks are located on the outside of the two groups of positioning ridges and are provided with gaps, and a limiting groove is opened on the top of the positioning ridge.

[0009] Preferably, the bottom of the cassette is provided with ribs cooperating with the limiting grooves, and two groups of flat edges are symmetrically provided at the bottom of the cassette, and the two groups of flat edges are respectively inserted into the gap between the positioning convex strip and the limiting block.

[0010] Preferably, the cassette positioning structure further includes a retractable positioning cylinder, and a pressure sensor is provided at the bottom of the positioning cylinder, the positioning cylinder is located between the two groups of positioning convex strips, and the positioning cylinder and the two groups of limiting grooves are located on the same straight line.

[0011] Preferably, the detection mechanism includes an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver, a mounting slot is provided on the top of the equipment case, the infrared transmitter is arranged in the mounting slot and is located below one end of the cartridge, and the infrared receiver is located directly above the infrared transmitter and above the cartridge.

[0012] Preferably, the detection mechanism further comprises two groups of mounting columns arranged in parallel, a mounting block is fixedly connected between the two groups of mounting columns, and the mounting block is mounted with an infrared receiver.

[0013] Preferably, the pushing mechanism includes a driving assembly, a connecting rod and an L-shaped push rod. The driving assembly is arranged inside the equipment box, and the connecting rod is connected to the driving assembly. The end of the connecting rod away from the driving assembly is connected to the L-shaped push rod, and one end of the L-shaped push rod faces the cassette. A rubber column is installed on the end of the L-shaped push rod facing the cassette.

[0014] Preferably, a resistance sensor is provided on the driving component.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0016] The present invention provides an equipment box, a cassette positioning structure, a detection mechanism and a pushing mechanism, so that the cassette can be accurately positioned by the cassette positioning structure during wafer transmission, and then the position of the wafer in the cassette is detected by the detection mechanism to avoid wafer misalignment, and finally the cassette is transmitted by the pushing mechanism. The entire transmission process is simple and easy to operate, and automatic wafer transmission is realized. The wafer can also be detected to avoid wafer damage caused by wafer misalignment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a front view structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the local structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure enlargement at the center A;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the cartridge in the present invention.

[0024] In the accompanying drawings, the components represented by the reference numerals are listed as follows:

[0025] 1. Equipment box; 2. Cassette; 21. Ribs; 22. Flat edge; 3. Cassette positioning structure; 31. Positioning convex strip; 32. Limit block; 33. Limit groove; 34. Positioning cylinder; 4. Detection mechanism; 41. Infrared transmitter; 42. Infrared receiver; 43. Mounting column; 44. Mounting block; 5. Pushing mechanism; 51. Connecting rod; 52. L-shaped push rod; 53. Rubber column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] See also Figure 1-6 The present invention provides a technical solution: an automatic wafer conveyor, comprising an equipment box 1 and two groups of cassettes 2, and the material of the cassettes 2 can be PEEK or PFA; one group of cassettes 2 is filled with wafers, and the other group of cassettes 2 is an empty cassette, two groups of cassette positioning structures 3 are arranged on the top of the equipment box 1, and the two groups of cassettes 2 are respectively installed on the top of the equipment box 1 through the cassette positioning structures 3;

[0028] A detection mechanism 4 is provided on the top of the equipment box 1, and the detection mechanism 4 is used to detect the orientation of the wafers in the cassette 2 containing the wafers;

[0029] A material pushing mechanism 5 is disposed on the top of the equipment housing 1 , and the material pushing mechanism 5 is used to transfer the wafers in the cassette 2 containing the wafers to another group of empty cassettes 2 .

[0030] Specifically, the cassette positioning structure 3 includes two groups of positioning ridges 31 and two groups of limit blocks 32. The two groups of positioning ridges 31 and the two groups of limit blocks 32 are symmetrically arranged on the top of the equipment box 1, and the two groups of limit blocks 32 are located on the outside of the two groups of positioning ridges 31 and are provided with gaps. A limit groove 33 is provided on the top of the positioning ridge 31.

[0031] Specifically, the bottom of the cassette 2 is provided with a rib 21 that cooperates with the limiting groove 33, and two groups of flat edges 22 are symmetrically provided at the bottom of the cassette 2, and the two groups of flat edges 22 are respectively inserted into the gap between the positioning convex strip 31 and the limiting block 32; through the above structure, the cassette can be installed in the horizontal and vertical direction, so that the cassette can be installed accurately, and when the structure is used for the limiting installation of the cassette, it is only necessary that the ribs and the flat edges at the bottom of the cassette are of the right size, and a cassette of a specific material is not required, so that the cassette can be universal and the utilization rate is improved.

[0032] Specifically, the cartridge positioning structure 3 also includes a retractable positioning cylinder 34, and a pressure sensor is provided at the bottom of the positioning cylinder 34, the positioning cylinder 34 is located between the two groups of positioning ridges 31, and the positioning cylinder 34 and the two groups of limit grooves 33 are located on the same straight line. Through the retractable positioning cylinder and the pressure sensor, the pressure sensor can be used to sense whether the installation of the cartridge is accurate, thereby avoiding misoperation of the equipment and causing fragments.

[0033] Specifically, the detection mechanism 4 includes an infrared transmitter 41 and an infrared receiver 42. A mounting groove is opened on the top of the equipment box 1. The infrared transmitter 41 is arranged in the mounting groove and is located below one end of the cassette 2. The infrared receiver 42 is located directly above the infrared transmitter 41 and above the cassette 2. When the infrared receiver can receive the signal sent by the infrared transmitter, it means that the orientation of the wafers in the cassette is consistent. When the signal cannot be received, it means that the position of the wafer in the cassette needs to be adjusted, so that the position and angle of the wafer can be accurately determined.

[0034] Specifically, the detection mechanism 4 further includes two groups of parallelly arranged mounting columns 43 , a mounting block 44 is fixedly connected between the two groups of mounting columns 43 , and the mounting block 44 is mounted with an infrared receiver 42 , which plays a role in fixing and supporting the infrared receiver.

[0035] Specifically, the pushing mechanism 5 includes a driving assembly, a connecting rod 51 and an L-shaped push rod 52. The driving assembly is arranged inside the equipment box 1, and the connecting rod 51 is connected to the driving assembly. The end of the connecting rod 51 away from the driving assembly is connected to the L-shaped push rod 52, and one end of the L-shaped push rod 52 faces the cassette 2. A rubber column 53 is installed on the end of the L-shaped push rod 52 facing the cassette 2. The driving assembly drives the connecting rod and the L-shaped push rod to move, thereby transmitting the wafer through the rubber column.

[0036] Specifically, a resistance sensor is provided on the driving component, which can sense the resistance of the driving component at all times. When the resistance reaches a certain value, the driving component is turned off to stop transmission to avoid fragmentation.

[0037] Embodiment 1:

[0038] When the wafers are transferred, the cassette 2 loaded with wafers and the empty cassette 2 are respectively loaded on the top of the equipment box 1. When installing, the two flat edges 22 at the bottom of the cassette 2 are inserted into the gap between the limit block 32 and the positioning convex strip 31, and the cassette 2 loaded with wafers is close to the pushing mechanism 5, and the rib 21 of the cassette 2 is inserted into the limit groove 33, so as to realize the lateral and vertical positioning of the cassette 2. After the installation of the cassette 2 is completed, the cassette 2 presses the positioning cylinder 34, so that the positioning cylinder 34 presses the pressure sensor, so that the wafer transmitter can work normally.

[0039] After the cassette 2 is installed, the infrared transmitter 41 sends out an infrared signal. When the infrared receiver 42 receives the signal, the device works normally. When the infrared receiver 42 does not receive the infrared signal, it means that the angle of the wafer inside the cassette 2 is wrong and needs to be adjusted.

[0040] After receiving the infrared signal, the infrared receiver 42 turns on the device switch and starts the driving component. The driving component drives the connecting rod 51 to slide, thereby driving the L-shaped push rod 52 and the rubber column 53 to slide, and then the wafer is transferred to the empty cassette 2 through the rubber column 53; and during the transfer process, the resistance sensor on the driving component always senses the resistance exerted on the rubber column 53. When the resistance exceeds the set resistance value, the device stops working, thereby avoiding excessive resistance and causing fragmentation.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that the terms "coaxial", "bottom", "one end", "top", "middle", "the other end", "upper", "one side", "top", "inside", "front", "center", "both ends" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0042] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly stipulated and limited, the terms such as "installation", "setting", "connection", "fixation" and "screw-on" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral one; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. Unless otherwise clearly defined, ordinary technicians in this field can understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An automatic wafer conveyor, characterized in that: It comprises an equipment box (1) and two groups of cassettes (2), one group of the cassettes (2) contains wafers, and the other group of the cassettes (2) is an empty cassette, two groups of cassette positioning structures (3) are arranged on the top of the equipment box (1), and the two groups of cassettes (2) are respectively installed on the top of the equipment box (1) through the cassette positioning structures (3); A detection mechanism (4) is provided on the top of the equipment box (1), and the detection mechanism (4) is used to detect the orientation of the wafers in the cassette (2) containing the wafers; A material pushing mechanism (5) is arranged on the top of the equipment housing (1), and the material pushing mechanism (5) is used to transfer the wafers in the cassette (2) containing the wafers to another group of empty cassettes (2); The cartridge positioning structure (3) comprises two groups of positioning convex strips (31) and two groups of limiting blocks (32), the two groups of positioning convex strips (31) and the two groups of limiting blocks (32) are symmetrically arranged on the top of the equipment box (1), and the two groups of limiting blocks (32) are located outside the two groups of positioning convex strips (31) and are provided with gaps, and the top of the positioning convex strips (31) is provided with limiting grooves (33); The bottom of the cassette (2) is provided with a rib (21) that cooperates with the limiting groove (33), and the bottom of the cassette (2) is symmetrically provided with two groups of flat edges (22), and the two groups of flat edges (22) are respectively inserted into the gap between the positioning convex strip (31) and the limiting block (32); The cartridge positioning structure (3) further comprises a retractable positioning cylinder (34), and a pressure sensor is arranged at the bottom of the positioning cylinder (34), the positioning cylinder (34) is located between the two groups of positioning convex strips (31), and the positioning cylinder (34) and the two groups of limiting grooves (33) are located on the same straight line; The pushing mechanism (5) comprises a driving assembly, a connecting rod (51) and an L-shaped pushing rod (52); the driving assembly is arranged inside the equipment box (1); the connecting rod (51) is connected to the driving assembly; one end of the connecting rod (51) away from the driving assembly is connected to the L-shaped pushing rod (52), and one end of the L-shaped pushing rod (52) faces the cassette (2); and a rubber column (53) is installed on the end of the L-shaped pushing rod (52) facing the cassette (2).

2. The automatic wafer feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The detection mechanism (4) comprises an infrared transmitter (41) and an infrared receiver (42); a mounting slot is provided on the top of the device housing (1); the infrared transmitter (41) is arranged in the mounting slot and is located below one end of the cartridge (2); and the infrared receiver (42) is located directly above the infrared transmitter (41) and above the cartridge (2).

3. The automatic wafer feeder according to claim 2, characterized in that: The detection mechanism (4) further comprises two groups of mounting columns (43) arranged in parallel, a mounting block (44) is fixedly connected between the two groups of mounting columns (43), and the mounting block (44) is equipped with an infrared receiver (42).

4. The automatic wafer feeder according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving component is provided with a resistance sensor.

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