A system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer transfer box for a wafer loader

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer loading box for a wafer loader, comprising a frame of the wafer loader, a handover interface provided on the frame, and a door opening device, the door opening device comprising a pick-up and placement assembly, an unlocking assembly, and a handover plate, the pick-up and placement assembly being fixedly connected to the handover plate, the handover plate being arranged correspondingly to the handover interface, and the handover plate being docked with the sealed door of the wafer loading box, an unlocking assembly being arranged on the handover plate, the sealed door of the wafer loading box being unlocked from the box body by the unlocking assembly, the pick-up and placement assembly driving the handover plate to open and close the handover interface, thereby realizing the pick-up and placement of the sealed door of the wafer loading box through the interface. By combining the pick-up and placement assembly and the unlocking assembly, the movement route of the door opening device is limited, the degree of freedom of movement is reduced, the functions required to be completed by three driving parts are reduced to two, the spatial structure is simplified, the control is simple, the reliability of the wafer loading action is improved, and the modular design of the pick-up and placement mechanism of the sealed door of the wafer loading box is realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment, and in particular to a system for unlocking and opening a door of a wafer transfer box used for a wafer loader. Background Art

[0002] A wafer cassette is a container used to protect, transport, and store wafers in the semiconductor manufacturing process. It typically holds a certain number of wafers. Its primary components are a front-opening container that can hold up to 25 wafers and a sealed front-opening door for opening and closing. It is a crucial transfer container for automated conveyor systems within wafer fabs. When wafers need to be loaded into process equipment for processing, specialized equipment is required to open the sealed door of the front-opening cassette to allow subsequent loading.

[0003] However, in the prior art, the structure for opening the sealed door requires three driving parts, and the action route for placing the sealed door in the specified position is completely fixed. The setting of the three driving parts makes the movement freedom relatively more, making the spatial structure complex, the operation also complex, and the reliability also reduced.

[0004] Therefore, the inventor of the present invention patent aims to invent a system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer loading box for a wafer loader, which has relatively few driving parts and relatively simple and easy-to-control movements, in order to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the above disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for unlocking and opening a door of a wafer loading box of a wafer loader.

[0006] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer loading box of a wafer loader, including a frame of the wafer loader, characterized in that: an interface is opened on the frame, and a door opening device is provided, the door opening device includes a pick-up and placement component, an unlocking component and a transfer plate, the pick-up and placement component is connected to the transfer plate, the transfer plate is arranged corresponding to the transfer interface, and at the same time, the transfer plate is docked with the sealed door of the wafer loading box, and an unlocking component is provided on the transfer plate, the unlocking component can unlock the sealed door of the wafer loading box and the box body, the pick-up and placement component realizes opening and closing with the transfer interface by driving the transfer plate, and picks and places the sealed door of the wafer loading box through the transfer interface. A loading platform is set on the rack, and a wafer loading box is placed on the loading platform, and the sealing door is facing the interface. The pick-up and placement assembly can take the unlocked sealing door out of the wafer loading box through the interface, drive the sealing door from the other side of the interface to one side, and further place the sealing door to a preset position at the bottom of the wafer loader, thereby completing the action of taking and placing the sealing door of the wafer loading box through the interface.

[0007] Preferably, the pick-and-place assembly includes a spine plate, which is fixedly arranged on the frame, and a spine rod is hingedly arranged on the spine plate, and the spine rod is fixedly connected to the intersection plate. The pick-and-place assembly also includes a driving member, which is a linear motion cylinder. The two ends of the driving member are respectively hinged to the bottom of the loading platform and the spine rod. The spine rod and the intersection plate can be driven up and down and swinging by the telescopic movement of the driving member piston rod, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the intersection plate and the intersection interface.

[0008] Preferably, a guide shaft is provided in the middle of the spine, a rolling bearing is installed on the guide shaft, and a slide groove is correspondingly opened on the spine plate to provide a movement path for the guide shaft. The width of the slide groove matches the outer diameter of the rolling bearing on the guide shaft to ensure that the rolling bearing can roll smoothly along the inner wall of the slide groove on the spine plate.

[0009] Preferably, the slide groove includes a straight slide groove portion and an arc slide groove portion, and the straight slide groove portion and the arc slide groove portion are smoothly connected by a transition circular groove to ensure that the guide shaft moves smoothly along the slide groove, and the straight slide groove portion and the arc slide groove portion are smoothly connected by a transition circular groove to provide a movement path for the guide shaft and ensure that the guide shaft moves smoothly along the slide groove.

[0010] Preferably, the lower end of the vertebral rod is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft.

[0011] Preferably, a straight slide rail is installed on the ridge plate, a slider is slidably connected to the straight slide rail, a connecting plate is fixedly installed on the slider, the connecting plate is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft, the connecting plate and the slider move up and down synchronously along the slide rail.

[0012] Preferably, a loading platform is provided on the frame, the tail end of the driving member is hinged to a bracket fixed to the bottom of the loading platform, the piston rod of the driving member is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft through a connector, and the extension or retraction of the driving member piston rod can drive the movement of the spinal rod, and the spinal rod, under the constraints of the slide groove and the straight slide rail, drives the intersection plate to complete the opening and closing and up and down movement relative to the intersection. Under the driving action of the driving member, the straight slide groove part guides the guide shaft on the spinal rod to constrain the swinging freedom of the spinal rod during the up and down movement; the arc slide groove part guides the guide shaft on the spinal rod, and the spinal rod drives the intersection plate to swing together to complete the opening and closing relative to the intersection, and the unlocked sealing door is taken in and out of the wafer loading box by the docking of the intersection plate and the sealing door.

[0013] Preferably, the axial symmetry center plane of the straight slide rail and the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion are parallel vertical planes, and the motion trajectory surface of the center line of the first rotating shaft and the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion of the slide groove on the spine plate are overlapping vertical planes, so that the up and down movement of the spine rod is a vertical translation movement without swinging, thereby ensuring the stability of the docking plate during the up and down movement.

[0014] Preferably, the central arc line of the arc chute portion is a circular arc, the radius of which is equal to the center distance between the first rotating shaft and the guide shaft, and the center of the circle is located on the symmetrical center line of the straight chute portion, ensuring that during the movement of the guide shaft along the arc chute portion on the ridge rod, the first rotating shaft remains stationary, and the ridge rod drives the swing of the intersection plate to rotate along a fixed axis. The intersection plate is docked with the sealing door of the wafer loading box, and the fixed axis rotation of the intersection plate can achieve a smooth process of removing the sealing door from the wafer loading box. The radius of the central arc line of the arc chute portion is larger than the width and thickness of the sealing door, which makes the sealing door move close to horizontal motion during the process of taking it out of or putting it back into the wafer loading box, ensuring the safety of the docking process and avoiding friction between the sealing door and the wafer loading box.

[0015] Preferably, the unlocking assembly includes two rotary cylinders, symmetrically positioned on a docking plate. The rotating shafts of the two rotary cylinders extend through both ends of the cylinder bodies, one end of which is fixedly connected to a T-shaped key through the docking plate, and the other end of which is fixedly connected to an optical code disk. The T-shaped key docks with the keyhole on the wafer cassette (this is based on the standards of the International Semiconductor Industry Association and is well known in the industry).

[0016] Preferably, the shaft end of the rotating cylinder for mounting the optical code disk has the same positioning flat edge as the optical code disk, which is used for mounting and positioning the optical code disk to ensure that the optical code disk and the T-shaped key are matched in their initial state.

[0017] Preferably, the two rotating cylinders are provided with a rotation stroke of 90° (this is based on the standards of the International Semiconductor Industry Association and is well known in the industry), and two photoelectric sensors fixed on the intersection plate are provided around each of the two optical code disks. The two photoelectric sensors around the optical code disk are arranged at 90° intervals with the rotating cylinder axis as the center, and the symmetrical center planes of the two sensors are parallel and perpendicular to the positioning flat edge respectively. The optical code disk rotates synchronously with the T-key, and the status of the T-key can be detected in combination with the photoelectric sensor.

[0018] Preferably, the optical code disk is composed of a 90° sector-shaped baffle, a sector-shaped notch with an angle of (90°-2α), and a sector-shaped baffle with an angle of 2α, connected in sequence. The included angles between the two sides of the 90° sector-shaped baffle and the positioning flat edge are α and (90°-α), respectively. The size of α is set to match the size of the photoelectric sensor spot. The specific structure of the optical code disk, combined with the specific arrangement of the two photoelectric sensors around the optical code disk, can detect the three states of the T-shaped key: unlocked, locked, and intermediate positions.

[0019] The beneficial effect of the system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer transfer box for a wafer loader of the present invention is that, through the combination of the pick-and-place component and the unlocking component, the movement route of the door opening device is limited, the degree of freedom of movement is reduced, and the functions that traditionally require three driving parts are reduced to two, thereby simplifying the spatial structure, simplifying the control, improving the reliability of the wafer loading action, and realizing the modular design of the sealed door pick-and-place mechanism of the wafer loading box on the wafer loader. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of the door unlocking system for the wafer loading box used in the wafer loader.

[0021] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram from another perspective.

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing a certain perspective of picking and placing components.

[0023] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the spine plate.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram from another perspective of picking and placing components.

[0025] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the arc chute portion of the substrate.

[0026] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the unlocking component.

[0027] Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the optical code disk

[0028] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the sector-shaped component of the optical code disk.

[0029] Figure 10 Schematic diagram of a wafer loading box.

[0030] Figure 11 Schematic diagram of opening the wafer loading box.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the position of the optical code disk of the unlocking component before the sealed door is opened.

[0032] Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the position of the T-shaped key in the unlocking assembly before the sealed door is opened.

[0033] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the position of the optical code disk when the unlocking component is in the position of opening the sealed door.

[0034] Figure 15This is a schematic diagram of the position of the T-shaped key when the unlocking component is in the position to open the sealed door.

[0035] Figure 16 Cross-sectional view of the door opening system that unlocks the wafer loader during the sealing door opening process.

[0036] Figure 17 A cross-sectional view of the wafer loader box unlocking and opening system when the sealed door is fully open.

[0037] In the picture:

[0038] 1. Rack, 2. Interface, 3. Pick and place assembly, 4. Unlock assembly, 5. Handover plate, 6. Wafer loader, 7. Vacuum suction cup, 8. Connector, 9. Loading table,

[0039] 301, spine plate, 302, spine rod, 303, first rotating shaft, 304, second rotating shaft, 305, guide shaft, 306, rolling bearing, 307, connecting plate, 308, slider, 309, straight slide rail, 310, driving member, 311, bracket,

[0040] 301001, straight chute part, 301002, arc chute part, 301003, transition circular chute,

[0041] 401, rotary cylinder, 402, T-key, 403, optical code disk, 404, photoelectric sensor,

[0042] 404000, lower photoelectric sensor, 404001, left photoelectric sensor,

[0043] 403001, positioning flat edge,

[0044] 601. Sealed door, 602. Keyhole, 603. Vacuum adsorption surface. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby making a clearer and more precise definition of the protection scope of the present invention.

[0046] See attached Figure 1-17As shown, in this embodiment, a system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer loading box of a wafer loader comprises a frame 1 of the wafer loader, a loading platform 9 is provided on the frame 1, and a handover interface 2 is opened, and a door opening device is provided, the door opening device comprises a pick-up and placement component 3, an unlocking component 4 and a handover plate 5, the pick-up and placement component 3 is connected to the handover plate 5, the handover plate 5 is arranged corresponding to the handover interface 2, and at the same time the handover plate 5 is docked with the sealing door 601 of the wafer loading box 6, and an unlocking component 4 is provided on the handover plate 5, the unlocking component 4 can unlock the sealing door 601 of the wafer loading box 6 from the box body, and the pick-up and placement component 3 realizes opening and closing with the handover interface 2 by driving the handover plate 5.

[0047] A loading platform 9 is set on the rack 1, and a wafer loading box 6 is placed on the loading platform 9, and the sealing door 601 is facing the interface 2. The pick-up and placement component 3 set on the rack 1 can take out the unlocked sealing door 601 from the wafer loading box 6 through the interface 2, drive the sealing door 601 from the other side of the interface 2 to one side, and further place the sealing door 601 to the preset position at the bottom of the wafer loader, thereby realizing the pick-up and placement of the sealing door 601 of the wafer loading box 6 through the interface 2.

[0048] See attached Figure 3 The pick-and-place assembly 3 includes a spine plate 301, which is fixedly arranged on the frame 1, and a spine rod 302 is hingedly arranged on the spine plate 301, and the spine rod 302 is fixedly connected to the intersection plate 5. The pick-and-place assembly 3 also includes a driving member 310, which is a linear motion cylinder. The two ends of the driving member 310 are respectively hinged to the bottom of the loading platform and the spine rod 302. The extension or retraction movement of the piston rod of the driving member 310 can drive the spine rod 302 and the intersection plate 5 to move up and down and swing, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the intersection plate 5 and the intersection port 2.

[0049] A guide shaft 305 is set in the middle of the spine 302, and a rolling bearing 306 is installed on the guide shaft 305. Correspondingly, a slide groove is opened on the spine plate 301 to provide a movement path for the guide shaft 305. The width of the slide groove is matched with the outer diameter of the rolling bearing 306 on the guide shaft 305 to ensure that the rolling bearing 306 can roll smoothly along the inner wall of the slide groove on the spine plate 301.

[0050] See attached Figure 4 The slide groove includes a straight slide groove portion 301001 and an arc slide groove portion 301002. The straight slide groove portion 301001 and the arc slide groove portion 301002 are smoothly connected by a transition circular groove 301003, so that the guide shaft 305 can move along the path and ensure that the guide shaft 305 moves smoothly along the slide groove. The straight slide groove portion 301001 and the arc slide groove portion 301002 are smoothly connected by a transition circular groove 301003, providing a movement path for the guide shaft 305 and ensuring that the guide shaft 305 moves smoothly along the slide groove.

[0051] See attached Figure 3 The lower end of the vertebral column 302 is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft 303 and the second rotating shaft 304 respectively.

[0052] A straight slide rail 309 is installed on the spine plate 301, and a slider 308 is slidably connected to the straight slide rail 309. A connecting plate 307 is fixedly installed on the slider 308, and the connecting plate 307 is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft 303. The first rotating shaft 303, the connecting plate 307 and the slider 308 move up and down synchronously along the slide rail.

[0053] See attached Figure 1-4 The tail end of the driving member 310 is hinged to the bracket 311 fixed to the frame 1. The piston rod of the driving member 310 is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 304 via the connector 8. The extension or retraction of the piston rod of the driving member 310 can drive the movement of the vertebral rod 302. Under the constraints of the slide groove and the straight slide rail 309, the vertebral rod 302 drives the intersection plate 5 to complete the opening and closing and up and down movement relative to the intersection 2. Under the driving action of the driving member 310, the straight slide groove portion 301001 guides the guide shaft 305 on the vertebral rod 302, constraining the swing freedom of the vertebral rod 302 during the up and down movement; the arc slide groove portion 301002 guides the guide shaft 305 on the vertebral rod 302, causing the vertebral rod 302 to swing together, completing the opening and closing relative to the intersection 2. The unlocked sealing door 601 is removed from the wafer loading box 6 by the docking of the intersection plate 5 and the sealing door 601.

[0054] See attached Figure 5 The axial symmetry center plane of the straight slide rail 309 is a vertical plane parallel to the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion 301001, and the motion trajectory surface of the center line of the first rotating shaft is a vertical plane that coincides with the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion 301001 of the slide groove on the spine plate 301, so that the up and down movement of the spine rod 302 is a vertical translation movement without swinging, thereby ensuring the stability of the docking plate during the up and down movement.

[0055] See attached Figure 6The center arc of the arc chute portion 301002 is a circular arc, the radius of which is equal to the center distance between the first rotating shaft 303 and the guide shaft 305, and the center of the circle is located on the symmetrical center line of the straight chute portion 301001. This ensures that during the movement of the guide shaft 305 along the arc chute portion 301002 on the ridge 302, the first rotating shaft 303 remains stationary, and the ridge 302 drives the swing of the transfer plate 5 to rotate along a fixed axis. The transfer plate 5 docks with the sealing door 601 of the wafer loading box 6. The fixed axis rotation of the transfer plate 5 can ensure smooth removal of the sealing door 601 from the wafer loading box 6. The radius of the center arc of the arc chute portion 301002 is larger than the width and thickness of the sealing door 601, so that the sealing door 601 moves nearly horizontally during removal or return from the wafer loading box 6, ensuring the safety of the docking process and avoiding friction between the sealing door 601 and the wafer loading box 6.

[0056] The dimensions of the interface 5 match those of the interface 2. Under the action of the drive assembly, the interface 5 can be opened or closed with a nearly horizontal movement with respect to the interface 2. That is, the interface 5 can be precisely inserted into the interface 2, achieving positioning and facilitating the subsequent operation of the unlocking assembly 4.

[0057] See attached Figure 1 , Attachment Figure 2 , Attachment Figure 7 The unlocking assembly 4 includes two rotary cylinders 401, symmetrically positioned on the interface plate 5. The rotating shafts of the two rotary cylinders 401 extend through both ends of the cylinder bodies, one end of which is fixedly connected to a T-shaped key through the interface plate 5, and the other end of which is fixedly connected to an optical code disk 403. The T-shaped key 402 engages with the keyhole 602 on the wafer cassette 6 (this is based on the standards of the International Semiconductor Industry Association and is well known in the industry).

[0058] It should be noted that the end of the T-shaped key 402 is an approximately rectangular block (this is based on the standards of the International Semiconductor Association and is well known in the industry). In order to achieve precise control of the position of the T-shaped key 402 through the optical code disk 403, the shaft end of the rotating cylinder 401 on which the optical code disk 403 is mounted has the same positioning flat edge 403001 as the optical code disk 403, which is used for the installation and positioning of the optical code disk 403 to ensure the matching setting of the optical code disk 403 and the T-shaped key. See the attached Figure 8 and attached Figure 9 .

[0059] The two rotating cylinders 401 are provided with a 90° rotation stroke (this is in accordance with the standards of the International Semiconductor Association and is well known in the industry), see the attached Figure 12Two photoelectric sensors 404 fixed on the intersection plate 5 are correspondingly arranged around each of the two optical code disks 403, and the two photoelectric sensors 404 around the optical code disk 403 are arranged at 90° intervals with the rotating axis of the rotating cylinder 401 as the center, and the symmetrical center planes of the two sensors are parallel and perpendicular to the positioning flat edge respectively. The optical code disk 403 rotates synchronously with the T-shaped key 402, and the state of the T-shaped key 402 can be detected in combination with the photoelectric sensor 404.

[0060] The optical code disk 403 consists of a 90° sector-shaped baffle, a sector-shaped notch with an angle of (90°-2α), and a sector-shaped baffle with an angle of 2α, connected in sequence. The included angles between the two sides of the 90° sector-shaped baffle and the positioning flat edge are α and (90°-α), respectively. The size of α is set to match the light spot size of the photoelectric sensor 404. The specific structure of the optical code disk 403, combined with the specific placement of the two photoelectric sensors 404 around the optical code disk 403, can detect whether the T-shaped key 402 is in the unlocked, locked, and intermediate positions.

[0061] See attached Figure 1 , a vacuum suction cup 7 is also provided on the handover plate 5, and the vacuum suction cup 7 can adsorb the sealing door 61. That is, the separation of the sealing door 61 is guaranteed.

[0062] The beneficial effect of the system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer transfer box for a wafer loader of the present invention is that, through the combination of the pick-and-place component and the unlocking component, the movement route of the door opening device is limited, the degree of freedom of movement is reduced, and the functions that traditionally require three driving parts are reduced to two, thereby simplifying the spatial structure, simplifying the control, improving the reliability of the wafer loading action, and realizing the modular design of the sealed door pick-and-place mechanism of the wafer loading box on the wafer loader.

[0063] The basic working principle of this device:

[0064] Wafer processing is generally carried out in a clean environment. Therefore, the wafers need to be placed in a wafer loading box 6 when they are transported between different areas or different workstations. The wafer loading box 6 is then opened by the unlocking and door opening system of the wafer loader to load the wafers into the micro-clean environment of different workstations. Figure 10 and 11 As shown, the wafer transfer box is generally composed of a wafer transfer box and a sealed door 601. The sealed door 601 has a keyhole 602 and a vacuum adsorption surface 603 structure. To open the sealed door 601, the rectangular block of the T-shaped key 402 with a T-shaped structure needs to be inserted into the keyhole 602 and rotated 90° in the specified direction to open it. The corresponding selected stroke of the rotating cylinder 401 is 90°.

[0065] When ready to operate, the control system first checks the status of the T-shaped key 402. The control system receives the signal from the photoelectric sensor 404 and determines the position of the T-shaped key 402 based on the status signal of the photoelectric sensor. In the initial state, the photoelectric sensor 404 is in a state where the light is blocked. When the photoelectric sensor 404 is working normally, the control system will receive three signal combinations from the photoelectric sensor 404:

[0066] If the control system receives signals from both the lower photoelectric sensor 404000 and the left photoelectric sensor 404001 that the light is blocked, it can be determined that the T-shaped key 402 is in the correct initial position. Figure 12 and attached Figure 13 , at this time, the T-shaped key 402 is in a vertical state;

[0067] b. If the control system receives a signal from the lower photoelectric sensor 404000 that the light is blocked, and the signal from the left photoelectric sensor 404001 is not blocked, it means that the T-key 402 is in the middle position, and the control gives a locking action (from the attached Figure 12 The signal of counterclockwise rotation from the perspective) can reset the T-key 402;

[0068] c. If the signal received by the control system is that the signal from the lower photoelectric sensor 404000 is that the light is not blocked, but the signal from the left photoelectric sensor 404001 is blocked, see the attached Figure 14 and attached Figure 15 , indicating that the T-key 402 is in the unlocked state, similarly, the control gives the lock (from the attached Figure 12 The T-shaped key 402 can be reset by a signal (counterclockwise rotation from a viewing angle).

[0069] If the control system receives a signal combination other than the above three, it means that the position of the optical code disk 403 is wrong or the signal of the photoelectric sensor 404 is wrong. The control system gives an indicator light signal to notify the maintenance personnel to check.

[0070] After the system receives any of the signals a, b or c, in order to further confirm that both photoelectric sensors 404 are working properly, it will first send a signal to reset the T-key 402, and then send a signal to allow the T-key 402 to complete the unlocking in turn (from the attached Figure 12 Clockwise rotation from the perspective) and locked (from the Figure 12 During this process, if the control system can receive the change signal of each photoelectric sensor 404, it is confirmed that the photoelectric sensor 404 is in a normal state. Otherwise, it is judged to be in a fault state, and the control system gives an indicator light signal to notify the maintenance personnel to check.

[0071] After confirming that the T-key 402 is in the correct position, the wafer loader sends a signal to run, and the wafer loader enters the working state. The wafer loading box 6 containing wafers is loaded onto the loading platform 9. At this time, the handover plate 5 is close to the sealing door 601 of the wafer loading box 6, the T-key 402 is inserted into the keyhole 602, and the vacuum suction cup 7 is in contact with the vacuum adsorption surface 603 on the sealing door 601. The wafer loader starts working, and the control system controls the vacuum operation. The vacuum suction cup 7 tightly fits the sealing door 601 and the handover plate 5. The rotating cylinder 401 rotates 90° clockwise. The control system receives the specified signal from the photoelectric sensor 404. At this time, the sealing door 601 and the wafer transfer box are unlocked. The control system further sends a signal to control the extension of the drive cylinder. The piston rod extends, pushing the spine 302 to swing, and the rolling bearing on the guide shaft 305 connected to the spine 302 slides in the slide groove of the spine plate 301, and the spine 302 is in a swinging operation state.

[0072] The ridge rod 302 drives the upper end of the handover plate 5 to swing synchronously, and the sealing door 601, which is tightly adsorbed on the handover plate 5 by vacuum, is taken out from the wafer loading box 6. In order to make the wafer swing smoothly and ensure that the sealing door 601 does not interfere with the side wall of the wafer loading box 6 during the removal process, the center arc radius of the arc slide part 301002 is set to be equal to the center distance between the first rotating shaft 303 and the guide shaft 305. During the swinging of the ridge rod 302, the first rotating shaft 303 remains stationary. The swinging of the ridge rod 302 is actually a fixed-axis rotation around the first rotating shaft 303. At the same time, the radius of the center arc of the arc slide part 301002 is set to be larger than the width and thickness of the sealing door 601, so that the sealing door 601 is close to horizontal movement during the process of taking it out or putting it back from the wafer loading box 6, ensuring the safety of the docking process and avoiding friction between the sealing door 601 and the wafer loading box 6.

[0073] At the same time, during the swinging process of the ridge bar 302, the connecting plate 307 and the slider 308 remain stationary. When the guide shaft 305 moves to the transition groove 301003, the swinging of the ridge bar 302 and the transfer plate 5 is completed, and the sealing door 601 is taken out of the wafer loading box 6. Figure 16 shown.

[0074] As the piston rod of the driving member 310 continues to extend, pushing the ridge bar 302 to continue to move, the guide shaft 305 begins to slide downward along the straight slide groove portion 301001. In order to ensure that the ridge bar 302 drives the docking plate 5 and the sealing door 601 to move smoothly in the vertical downward movement, the axial symmetry center plane of the straight slide rail 309 and the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion 301001 are set as parallel vertical planes, and the motion trajectory plane of the center line of the first rotating shaft and the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion 301001 of the slide groove on the ridge bar 301 are coincident vertical planes, which constrains the swinging freedom of the ridge bar 302, ensures the stability of the docking plate and the sealing door 601 during the up and down movement, and avoids affecting the adsorption stability of the vacuum suction cup 7 on the docking plate and the sealing door 601.

[0075] See attached Figure 17 As shown, the ridge rod 302, the connecting plate 307, and the slider 308 move synchronously downward along the vertical slide rail. When the piston rod of the driving member 310 is fully extended, the ridge rod 302 stops moving, and the sealing door 601 is at the bottom of the wafer loader. The entire process of unlocking, removing the sealing door 601, and placing it in the designated position is completed. At the same time, the control system of the wafer loader sends a signal to the host computer, waiting for the host computer's action. Similarly, after the host computer completes a series of actions, it sends an instruction to the control system of the wafer loader to put the sealing door 601 back into the wafer loading box 6 and lock it. The wafer loader will then place the sealing door 601 into the wafer loading box 6 in the reverse order of actions and lock the sealing door 601 to the wafer loading box 6 by rotating the cylinder 401. Then, the vacuum is released and the wafer loading box 6 is further unloaded from the wafer loader.

[0076] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Its purpose is to enable people familiar with this technology to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. It cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made according to the spirit of the present invention should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system for unlocking and opening a door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader, comprising a frame of the wafer loader, characterized in that: A loading platform and an interface are provided on the frame, and a door opening device is provided, the door opening device includes a pick-up and placement component, an unlocking component and a transfer plate, the pick-up and placement component includes a spine plate, the spine plate is fixedly provided on the frame, and a spine rod is movably connected to the spine plate, the pick-up and placement component also includes a driving member, two ends of the driving member are hinged to the bottom of the loading platform and the spine rod respectively, the transfer plate is fixedly connected to the spine rod, and the transfer plate and the transfer interface are correspondingly arranged, and the transfer plate is docked with the sealing door of the wafer loading box, and an unlocking component is provided on the transfer plate, the unlocking component can unlock the sealing door of the wafer loading box and the box body, the pick-up and placement component realizes opening and closing with the transfer interface by driving the transfer plate, and takes and places the sealing door of the wafer loading box through the transfer interface; A slide groove is provided on the ridge plate, and the slide groove includes a straight slide groove portion and an arc slide groove portion, and the straight slide groove portion and the arc slide groove portion are smoothly connected by a transition circular slide groove. A guide shaft is provided in the middle of the ridge rod, and a rolling bearing is installed on the guide shaft. The rolling bearing rolls along the inner wall of the slide groove on the ridge plate. Under the driving action of the driving member, the straight slide groove portion guides the guide shaft to constrain the swing freedom of the ridge rod during the up and down movement. The arc slide groove portion guides the guide shaft, and the ridge rod drives the intersection plate to swing together to complete the opening and closing of the relative intersection.

2. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the ridgepole is rotatably connected to the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and the width of the sliding groove on the ridgepole plate matches the outer diameter of the rolling bearing.

3. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 2, characterized in that: The center arc line of the arc chute portion is a circular arc, the radius of which is equal to the center distance between the first rotating shaft and the guide shaft, and the center of which is located on the symmetrical center line of the straight chute portion.

4. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 1, characterized in that: A straight slide rail is installed on the ridge plate, a slider is slidably connected to the straight slide rail, a connecting plate is fixedly installed on the slider, and the connecting plate is fixedly connected to the first rotating shaft.

5. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 4 or 2, characterized in that: The axial symmetry center plane of the straight slide rail and the symmetry center plane of the straight slide groove portion are parallel vertical planes.

6. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 4 or 2, characterized in that: The motion trajectory surface of the center line of the first rotating shaft and the symmetrical center plane of the straight slide groove portion of the slide groove on the ridge plate are overlapping vertical planes.

7. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving member is a linear motion cylinder, the tail end of the driving member is hinged to a bracket fixed on the frame, and the piston rod of the driving member is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft through a connector.

8. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unlocking assembly includes two rotating cylinders, which are symmetrically arranged on the intersection plate. The rotating shafts of the two rotating cylinders extend through both ends of the cylinder body, one end passes through the intersection plate and is fixedly connected to a T-shaped key, and the other end is fixedly connected to an optical code disk. Two photoelectric sensors fixed on the intersection plate are correspondingly arranged around the two optical code disks.

9. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 8, characterized in that: The shaft end of the rotating cylinder for mounting the optical code disc has the same positioning flat edge as the optical code disc, which is used for mounting and positioning the optical code disc.

10. The system for unlocking and opening the door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 9, characterized in that: The two rotating cylinders are provided with a rotation stroke of 90°. The two photoelectric sensors around the optical code disk are arranged at 90° intervals with the rotating cylinder axis as the center, and the symmetrical center planes of the two sensors are parallel and perpendicular to the positioning flat edge respectively.

11. The system for unlocking and opening a door of a wafer pod for a wafer loader according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that: The optical code disk is composed of a 90° sector-shaped baffle, a 90°-2α sector-shaped notch and a 2α sector-shaped baffle connected in sequence. The angles between the two sides of the 90° sector-shaped baffle and the positioning flat edge are α and 90°-α respectively. The angle α is set to match the light spot of the photoelectric sensor.

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