Wafer ring taking device

Abstract

The application provides a wafer ring taking hand, which comprises a bottom plate, a mounting portion provided on the bottom plate, a receiving opening provided in the mounting portion, a mounting seat rotatably arranged in the receiving opening, a driving mechanism mounted on the bottom plate and used for driving the mounting seat to rotate, and a clamping mechanism mounted on the bottom of the mounting seat and used for clamping a wafer ring. The technical effect of the present application is that a technical scheme for clamping the wafer ring on the side of the wafer is provided, so that the wafer can be taken and placed, and the position of the wafer can be adjusted through the driving mechanism to drive the mounting seat to rotate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor transfer equipment technology, specifically to a wafer ring picker. Background Technology

[0002] Existing wafer clamping devices typically employ lifting or suction cup adsorption methods, which suffer from low precision and a high risk of detachment. Existing patents, such as application number 202021499455.X entitled "An Invention Patent for an Automatic Wafer Clamping Dual-Arm Robot," include a lifting motor, lifting drive wheel, lifting slide rail, rotating assembly, first rotating motor, moving assembly, moving motor, connecting drive wheel, connecting belt, connecting driven wheel, wafer arm, base plate, first baffle, lifting screw, L-shaped seat, mounting plate, limiting slide rail, top plate, mounting platform, support block, moving plate, second baffle, rotating shaft, rotating ring, second rotating motor, and mounting box. The top edge of the base plate is fixedly connected to the bottom edge of the first baffle at both ends, and one side of the first baffle is fixedly connected to the center of one side of the second baffle at both ends. This solution utilizes two corresponding wafer arms for wafer handling, but its stability is low. Therefore, a new technical solution is needed to address these technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a wafer ring picker, which provides a technical solution for clamping the wafer ring on the edge of the wafer, thereby enabling the picking and placing of the wafer. Simultaneously, by setting a driving mechanism to drive the mounting base to rotate, the position of the wafer is adjusted.

[0004] Specifically, this invention proposes a wafer ring picker, comprising:

[0005] A base plate, wherein the base plate is provided with a mounting part, and the mounting part is provided with a receiving opening;

[0006] Mounting base, which is rotatably disposed in the receiving opening;

[0007] A drive mechanism is mounted on the base plate and is used to drive the mounting base to rotate.

[0008] A clamping mechanism is mounted on the bottom of the mounting base and is used to clamp the wafer ring.

[0009] Preferably, the mounting base is annular and rotates about its own axis.

[0010] Preferably, the drive mechanism includes:

[0011] A servo motor is mounted on the base plate, and a drive wheel is fixed on the output shaft of the servo motor.

[0012] A timing pulley is provided, which is coaxially connected to the mounting base. The drive wheel is connected to the timing pulley via a timing belt and is used to drive the mounting base to rotate.

[0013] Preferably, a mounting groove is provided through between the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting base, and the lower surface of the mounting base is provided with a locking groove for locking the wafer ring. The locking groove and the mounting groove are connected. The clamping mechanism includes a clamping member, one end of which is rotatably disposed in the mounting groove, and the other end of which is used to clamp the wafer ring.

[0014] Preferably, the clamping mechanism further includes a pushing mechanism having an output end that moves in a vertical direction, the output end passing through the mounting groove and used to drive the clamping member to rotate.

[0015] Preferably, there are multiple clamping members, which are evenly distributed in a circular array around the axis of the mounting base. The number of mounting slots is the same as the number of clamping members, and the clamping members and the mounting slots are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0016] Preferably, the base plate is provided with a braking mechanism for braking the mounting seat.

[0017] Preferably, the braking mechanism includes:

[0018] A telescopic cylinder, wherein the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder is fixed to the base plate or the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder is mounted on the base plate via a mounting assembly;

[0019] A braking component is fixed to the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder or fixed to the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder via a connecting plate. The telescopic cylinder is used to drive the connecting plate and the braking component to move linearly, and to allow the braking component to press against the synchronous pulley for braking.

[0020] Preferably, the connecting plate includes:

[0021] A first longitudinal arm, one side of which is fixed to the brake component, and the other side of which is fixed to the piston rod;

[0022] The second longitudinal arm is located on the side of the telescopic cylinder away from the first longitudinal arm. The second longitudinal arm is fixed to the first longitudinal arm by a transverse arm. The distance between the first longitudinal arm and the second longitudinal arm is greater than the cylinder length of the telescopic cylinder and less than the maximum length of the telescopic cylinder when it is extended.

[0023] Preferably, the connecting plate is mounted on the base plate via a guide rail assembly, the track direction of the guide rail assembly being the same as the extension / retraction direction of the telescopic cylinder.

[0024] Preferably, the transverse arm is provided with a through port, which is used to connect an external air supply pipe to the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder.

[0025] Preferably, the receiving opening is further provided with a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the mounting base.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this plan are:

[0027] 1. This solution proposes a technical solution for clamping the wafer ring on the edge of the wafer, thereby realizing the picking and placing of the wafer. At the same time, by setting a driving mechanism to drive the mounting base to rotate, the position of the wafer is adjusted.

[0028] 2. The pushing mechanism has an output end that moves vertically, which passes through the mounting slot and is used to rotate the clamping component. The pushing mechanism can be a combination of an electric cylinder and a push rod, or a combination of a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder and a push rod. The pushing mechanism and other mechanisms of the pick-up hand can exist independently; the pushing mechanism does not necessarily have to be connected to other mechanisms of the pick-up hand. This reduces the thickness and volume of the pick-up hand, making it easier to pick up wafer rings. Attached Figure Description

[0029] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a wafer ring picker proposed in this embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the wafer ring picker in this embodiment;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping mechanism in this embodiment;

[0033] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the braking mechanism in this embodiment;

[0034] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wafer in this embodiment;

[0035] Figure 6 This is a top-view structural diagram of the wafer in this embodiment.

[0036] The reference numerals used in the attached figures are as follows:

[0037] 11-Base plate; 12-Mounting part; 13-Receiving port; 14-Mounting base; 15-Drive mechanism; 16-Clamping mechanism; 17-Servo motor; 18-Synchronous belt; 19-Synchronous pulley; 20-Mounting groove; 21-Wafer ring; 22-Clamping groove; 23-Gripper; 24-Shaft pin; 25-Torsion spring; 26-Support protrusion; 27-Telescopic cylinder; 28-Connecting plate; 29-Brake component; 30-Guide rail assembly; 31-Sensor; 32-Mounting block; 33-First longitudinal arm; 34-Second longitudinal arm; 35-Transverse arm; 36-Through port. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, this embodiment proposes a wafer ring picker, including:

[0040] A base plate 11 is provided with a mounting part 12, and a receiving opening 13 is provided in the mounting part 12.

[0041] Mounting base 14 is rotatably disposed in receiving port 13;

[0042] Drive mechanism 15 is mounted on base plate 11 and is used to drive mounting base 14 to rotate.

[0043] Clamping mechanism 16 is mounted on the bottom of mounting base 14 and is used to clamp wafer ring 21.

[0044] The technical advantages of this solution are as follows: It proposes a technical solution for clamping the wafer ring 21 on the edge of the wafer, thereby realizing the picking and placing of the wafer. At the same time, by setting the driving mechanism 15 to drive the mounting base 14 to rotate, the position adjustment of the wafer is realized.

[0045] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the mounting base 14 is annular and rotates around its own axis. The technical advantage of this solution is that by setting the mounting base 14 to annular shape, it is easy for the mounting base 14 to rotate in the receiving port 13, and it requires less space for movement.

[0046] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 1As shown, the drive mechanism 15 includes:

[0047] Servo motor 17 is mounted on base plate 11, and a drive wheel is fixed on the output shaft of servo motor 17;

[0048] Synchronous pulley 19 is coaxially connected to mounting base 14. Drive wheel is connected to synchronous pulley 19 via synchronous belt 18 and is used to drive mounting base 14 to rotate.

[0049] The working principle of this solution is as follows: When the servo motor 17 is working, the drive wheel drives the synchronous wheel 19 to rotate through the synchronous belt 18, which in turn drives the mounting base 14 to rotate, thereby adjusting the angle of the wafer ring 21.

[0050] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a mounting groove 20 is provided between the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting base 14, and the lower surface of the mounting base 14 is provided with a locking groove 22 for locking the wafer ring 21. The locking groove 22 and the mounting groove 20 are connected. The clamping mechanism 16 includes a clamping member. One end of the clamping member is rotatably disposed in the mounting groove 20, and the other end of the clamping member is used to clamp the wafer ring 21.

[0051] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the clamping mechanism 16 also includes a pushing mechanism, which has an output end that moves in a vertical direction. The output end passes through the mounting groove 20 and is used to drive the clamping member to rotate.

[0052] Working principle: The output end of the pushing mechanism passes through the mounting groove 20 and pushes the clamping member to rotate at a certain angle, thereby making the clamping member clamp the wafer ring.

[0053] Preferably, there are multiple clamping components, which are evenly distributed in a circular array around the axis of the mounting base 14. The number of mounting slots 20 is the same as the number of clamping components, and the clamping components and mounting slots 20 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0054] The clamping mechanism also includes a mounting block 32, which is used to install the clamping component. In this solution, the mounting block 32 and the clamping component are first assembled, and then the assembled clamping mechanism is installed into the mounting groove 20, which has the advantages of easy installation and high efficiency.

[0055] Furthermore, the cross-section of the mounting block 32 is U-shaped.

[0056] The clamping component includes a jaw 23, a pin 24, and a torsion spring 25. The end of the jaw 23 away from the engagement groove is rotatably mounted on the mounting block 32 via the pin 24, and a torsion spring 25 is provided between the jaw 23 and the mounting block 32.

[0057] The pushing mechanism has an output end that moves in a vertical direction, which passes through the mounting groove 20 and is used to push the clamping member to rotate.

[0058] The pushing mechanism can be a combination of an electric cylinder and a push rod, or a combination of a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder and a push rod. The pushing mechanism can exist independently of the other mechanisms of the material handling unit; the pushing mechanism does not necessarily have to be connected to the other mechanisms of the material handling unit.

[0059] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the bottom of the gripper 23 near the engaging groove 22 has a support protrusion 26. The technical advantage of this solution is that the support protrusion 26 is used to support the bottom of the wafer ring 21, thereby preventing the wafer ring 21 from falling off.

[0060] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the base plate 11 is provided with a braking mechanism for braking the mounting base 14. The technical advantage of this solution is that it can effectively control the rotation angle of the mounting base 14 by braking the mounting base 14.

[0061] The braking mechanism can be located in or outside the receiving opening 13 of the base plate 11. When the braking mechanism is located outside the receiving opening 13 of the base plate 11, the braking mechanism tilts and brakes the mounting seat 14.

[0062] As one implementation method of this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the braking mechanism includes:

[0063] Telescopic cylinder 27, the cylinder body of telescopic cylinder 27 is fixed on the base plate 11 or the cylinder body of telescopic cylinder 27 is set on the base plate 11 through the mounting assembly;

[0064] Braking component 29 is fixed on the piston rod of telescopic cylinder 27 or fixed on the piston rod of telescopic cylinder 27 through connecting plate 28. The telescopic cylinder 27 is used to drive the connecting plate 28 and the braking component 29 to move linearly, and to make the braking component 29 press against the synchronous pulley 19 to stop braking.

[0065] The technical advantage of this solution is that by extending and retracting the telescopic cylinder 27 to drive the brake component 29 to move, the mounting seat 14 can be effectively braked, which has the advantage of high braking efficiency.

[0066] Furthermore, the connecting plate 28 includes:

[0067] The first longitudinal arm 33 has one side fixed to the brake component 29 and the other side fixed to the piston rod.

[0068] The second longitudinal arm 34 is located on the side of the telescopic cylinder 27 away from the first longitudinal arm 33. The second longitudinal arm 34 is fixed to the first longitudinal arm 33 by the transverse arm 35. The distance between the first longitudinal arm 33 and the second longitudinal arm 34 is greater than the cylinder length of the telescopic cylinder 27 and less than the maximum length of the telescopic cylinder 27 when it is stretched.

[0069] The technical effect of this solution is that the distance between the first longitudinal arm 33 and the second longitudinal arm 34 is used to limit the maximum extension length of the telescopic cylinder 27, thereby preventing the extension length of the telescopic cylinder 27 from being too long and effectively avoiding excessive squeezing force between the brake component 29 and the mounting seat 14.

[0070] The transverse arm 35 is provided with a through-hole 36, which is used to connect an external air supply pipe to the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder 27. As one embodiment of this invention, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the connecting plate 28 is mounted on the base plate 11 via the guide rail assembly 30, and the track direction of the guide rail assembly 30 is the same as the extension direction of the telescopic cylinder 27.

[0071] The guide rail assembly 30 consists of two parts, which are respectively located on both sides of the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder 27.

[0072] The technical effect of this solution is that it provides guidance for the movement of the brake component 29, making the movement trajectory of the brake component 29 straight, and effectively improving the service life of the brake component 29.

[0073] As one embodiment of this invention, the receiving port 13 is also provided with a sensor 31 for detecting the rotation angle of the mounting base 14.

[0074] During operation, under the action of the external drive device, the mounting base 14 on the base plate 11 is positioned at a certain height above the wafer ring 21. The external drive device drives the pick-up hand to continue descending to a suitable height above the wafer ring 21, causing the wafer ring 21 to fall into the locking groove 22. During the descent, the pushing mechanism operates, and its output end presses down to push multiple grippers 23, causing all grippers 23 to deflect away from the locking groove 22. Subsequently, the pushing mechanism resets upward, and the multiple grippers 23, under the action of the torsion spring 25, elastically reset, i.e., all move towards the locking groove 22, clamping and fixing the wafer ring 21 in the locking groove 22. The external drive device can be a robot or an XYZ three-axis drive module, etc.

[0075] For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the inventive concept of this invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A wafer ring picker, characterized in that, include: A base plate (11) is provided with a mounting part (12), and a receiving opening (13) is provided in the mounting part (12); Mounting base (14), which is rotatably disposed in the receiving opening (13); A drive mechanism (15) is mounted on the base plate (11) and is used to drive the mounting base (14) to rotate. A clamping mechanism (16) is mounted on the bottom of the mounting base (14) and is used to clamp the wafer ring (21); A mounting groove (20) is provided between the upper and lower surfaces of the mounting base (14), and the lower surface of the mounting base (14) is provided with a locking groove (22) for locking the wafer ring (21). The locking groove (22) and the mounting groove (20) are connected. The clamping mechanism (16) includes a clamping member. One end of the clamping member is rotatably disposed in the mounting groove (20), and the other end of the clamping member is used to clamp the wafer ring (21). The number of clamping members is multiple, and the multiple clamping members are evenly distributed in a circular array around the axis of the mounting base (14). The number of mounting slots (20) is the same as the number of clamping members, and the clamping members and the mounting slots (20) are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The clamping mechanism (16) further includes a mounting block (32) for mounting the clamping member; The clamping member includes a jaw (23), a pin (24) and a torsion spring (25). The end of the jaw (23) away from the engagement groove is rotatably mounted on the mounting block (32) via the pin (24). A torsion spring (25) is provided between the jaw (23) and the mounting block (32). During operation, under the action of the external drive device, the mounting base (14) on the base plate (11) is located at a certain height above the wafer ring (21). The external drive device drives the picker to continue to descend to a suitable height above the wafer ring (21), so that the wafer ring (21) falls into the locking groove (22). During the descent, the pushing mechanism is activated, and its output end presses down to push multiple grippers (23), so that multiple grippers (23) deflect away from the locking groove (22). Subsequently, the pushing mechanism resets upward, and the multiple grippers (23) elastically reset under the action of the torsion spring (25), that is, they all move toward the locking groove (22) to clamp and fix the wafer ring (21) in the locking groove (22).

2. The wafer ring picker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting base (14) is annular and rotates about its own axis.

3. The wafer ring picker according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive mechanism (15) includes: A servo motor (17) is mounted on the base plate (11), and a drive wheel is fixed on the output shaft of the servo motor (17). Synchronous pulley (19) is coaxially connected to the mounting base (14). The drive wheel is connected to the synchronous pulley (19) via a synchronous belt (18) and is used to drive the mounting base (14) to rotate.

4. The wafer ring picker according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism (16) further includes a pushing mechanism having an output end that moves in a vertical direction, which passes through the mounting groove (20) and is used to drive the clamping member to rotate.

5. The wafer ring picker according to claim 3, characterized in that, The base plate (11) is provided with a braking mechanism for braking the mounting base (14).

6. The wafer ring picker according to claim 5, characterized in that, The braking mechanism includes: Telescopic cylinder (27), wherein the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder (27) is fixed on the base plate (11) or the cylinder body of the telescopic cylinder (27) is mounted on the base plate (11) by means of an installation assembly; Braking component (29), the braking component (29) is fixed on the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder (27) or the braking component (29) is fixed on the piston rod of the telescopic cylinder (27) through the connecting plate (28). The telescopic cylinder (27) is used to drive the connecting plate (28) and the braking component (29) to move linearly, and to make the braking component (29) press against the synchronous pulley (19) to stop braking.

7. The wafer ring picker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The connecting plate (28) includes: The first longitudinal arm (33) has one side fixed to the brake component (29) and the other side fixed to the piston rod. The second longitudinal arm (34) is located on the side of the telescopic cylinder (27) away from the first longitudinal arm (33). The second longitudinal arm (34) is fixed to the first longitudinal arm (33) by a transverse arm (35). The distance between the first longitudinal arm (33) and the second longitudinal arm (34) is greater than the cylinder length of the telescopic cylinder (27) and less than the maximum length of the telescopic cylinder (27) when it is extended.

8. The wafer ring picker according to claim 6, characterized in that, The connecting plate (28) is mounted on the base plate (11) via a guide rail assembly (30), and the track direction of the guide rail assembly (30) is the same as the extension direction of the telescopic cylinder (27).

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