Automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassette and automatic loading and unloading method thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes and an automatic loading and unloading method thereof. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes includes a circulating conveyor belt mechanism and a plurality of cassette positioning jigs, wherein the cassette positioning jigs are arranged on the circulating conveyor belt mechanism; the circulating conveyor belt mechanism includes an upper conveyor belt mechanism and a lower conveyor belt mechanism thereunder, as well as a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism is located at one end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism along the conveying direction, and the second lifting mechanism is located at the other end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism; the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism reciprocate between the upper conveyor belt mechanism and the lower conveyor belt mechanism, connecting the upper conveyor belt mechanism and the lower conveyor belt mechanism. The present invention discloses a mechanism that utilizes a three-dimensional upper and lower layer reflux structure to meet the requirements of automatic loading and unloading of wafer cassettes, occupies a small space, and has a sufficient buffer area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic loading and unloading mechanism for a wafer cassette and an automatic loading and unloading method thereof, which are applied to the automatic loading and unloading of a wafer cassette testing machine and belong to the field of semiconductors. Background Art

[0002] During the semiconductor production process, wafer cassettes containing wafers to be tested and processed need to be placed into the corresponding production machine for testing and processing, and then transported to the next machine after completion. The existing loading method is that personnel place a single wafer cassette on the pick-and-place position of the production machine, wait a certain period of time, and after the machine has processed all the wafers in the cassette, personnel will then remove the wafer cassette processed by the machine and transport it to the corresponding machine for the next step of the process. Or the loading area on the machine has only a small buffer. As a result, personnel have to frequently load and unload materials, sometimes one person cannot load materials in time, resulting in material shortage and downtime, or personnel waste a lot of time waiting for the machine to unload materials.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a reliable and stable automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes that has sufficient buffer area, occupies little space, and can realize automatic loading and unloading of wafer cassettes. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-station automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer boxes and an automatic loading and unloading method thereof. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer boxes can provide a relatively sufficient buffer area in a limited space, and automatically load and unload the wafer boxes, thereby avoiding the situation where the machine is out of material and shuts down due to failure to load and unload in time, or personnel waste a lot of time waiting for the machine to unload materials.

[0005] To achieve part or all of the above or other invention objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A wafer box automatic loading and unloading mechanism includes a circulating conveyor belt mechanism and several box positioning jigs for placing wafer boxes, and the several box positioning jigs are arranged in sequence on the circulating conveyor belt mechanism; the circulating conveyor belt mechanism includes an upper conveyor belt mechanism, a lower conveyor belt mechanism located below the upper conveyor belt mechanism, and a first lifting mechanism and a second lifting mechanism.

[0007] The upper conveyor belt mechanism is provided with a test material taking and placing position.

[0008] The first lifting mechanism is located at one end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism along the conveying direction, and the second lifting mechanism is located at the end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism opposite to the first lifting mechanism; the first lifting mechanism and the second lifting mechanism reciprocate between the upper conveyor belt mechanism and the lower conveyor belt mechanism to connect the upper conveyor belt mechanism and the lower conveyor belt mechanism.

[0009] The first lifting mechanism can be connected to the upper conveyor belt mechanism when it is in an ascending state, and can be connected to the lower conveyor belt mechanism when it is in a descending state; the second lifting mechanism can be connected to the upper conveyor belt mechanism when it is in an ascending state, and can be connected to the lower conveyor belt mechanism when it is in a descending state. The beneficial effect is that the material box positioning jig can be circulated and transported among the upper conveyor belt mechanism, the lower conveyor belt mechanism, the first lifting mechanism, and the second lifting mechanism.

[0010] The upper conveyor belt mechanism, the lower conveyor belt mechanism, the first lifting mechanism, and the second lifting mechanism are fixed by a frame or other means, so that the mechanisms do not misalign during the conveying process. The beneficial effect is that the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer cassette can be fixedly connected to the wafer production machine and uniformly controlled by the machine operation interface.

[0011] The magazine positioning jig is transported as the conveyor belt rotates due to the friction between its bottom and the endless conveyor belt mechanism. The magazine positioning jigs do not need to be placed equidistantly; the distance between them can vary during transport. This advantageously allows the magazine positioning jigs to be flexibly transported between the upper and lower conveyor belt mechanisms, the first and second lifting mechanisms.

[0012] In order to form a circular transmission, the transmission directions of the upper conveyor belt mechanism and the lower conveyor belt mechanism are opposite.

[0013] When the material box positioning jig is conveyed clockwise in the circulating conveyor belt mechanism, the upper conveyor belt mechanism conveys to the right and the lower conveyor belt mechanism conveys to the left; when the material box positioning jig is conveyed counterclockwise in the circulating conveyor belt mechanism, when the upper conveyor belt mechanism conveys to the left, the lower conveyor belt mechanism conveys to the right.

[0014] The first lifting mechanism includes a first frame and a first conveyor belt device overlapped on both sides of the first frame, and a first driving device; the second lifting mechanism includes a second frame and a second conveyor belt device overlapped on both sides of the second frame, and a second driving device; the output end of the first driving device is connected to the first frame, used to drive the first frame and the first conveyor belt device to perform lifting and lowering movements; the output end of the second driving device is connected to the second frame, used to drive the second frame and the second conveyor belt device to perform lifting and lowering movements.

[0015] To form a circular transmission, the first conveyor belt device and the second conveyor belt device can both realize forward and reverse transmission.

[0016] The test loading and unloading station is equipped with a first sensor that senses wafer cassettes. This advantageously allows the upper conveyor belt mechanism to stop conveying when the first sensor detects a wafer cassette at the test loading and unloading station. The testing machine, coupled with the wafer cassette's automatic loading and unloading mechanism, then sequentially tests the wafers in the cassette using a robotic arm or other means. Once all wafers in the cassette have been tested, the first sensor allows the upper conveyor belt mechanism to resume conveying.

[0017] The area on the upper conveyor belt mechanism along the conveying direction and in front of the test material taking and placing position is called the loading area.

[0018] In one embodiment, the test loading and unloading position is the last fixture position of the upper conveyor belt mechanism along the conveying direction. This has the beneficial effect of: when the last fixture position of the upper conveyor belt mechanism along the conveying direction is set as the test loading and unloading position, the loading area in front of the test loading and unloading position is the widest and has the most buffer space.

[0019] The upper conveyor mechanism is equipped with a second sensor at the end of the conveying direction for sensing the magazine positioning jig. When the second sensor senses the magazine positioning jig, the upper conveyor mechanism stops conveying if the lifting mechanism along the conveying direction has not risen and connected with the upper conveyor mechanism. If the lifting mechanism along the conveying direction is connected with the upper conveyor mechanism, the upper conveyor mechanism and the lifting mechanism conveyor device along the conveying direction convey a set distance in the same direction and then stop. This distance is sufficient to transfer the magazine positioning jig at the end from the upper conveyor mechanism to the lifting mechanism while preventing the upper conveyor mechanism from pushing an excessive amount of magazine positioning jig.

[0020] The stop transmission instruction of the first sensor takes precedence over the transmission instruction of the second sensor.

[0021] The lower conveyor belt mechanism is equipped with a fourth sensor at the end of the conveying direction for sensing the magazine positioning jig. This advantageously provides the following advantages: when the fourth sensor detects the presence of the magazine positioning jig at the end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism in the conveying direction, the lower conveyor belt mechanism stops conveying if the lifting mechanism along the conveying direction has not descended and connected with the lower conveyor belt mechanism. Furthermore, if the lower conveyor belt mechanism and the lifting mechanism conveyor belt device along the conveying direction convey a certain distance in the same direction and then stop, the magazine positioning jig is transferred to the lifting mechanism while preventing the lower conveyor belt mechanism from pushing an excessive amount of the magazine positioning jig.

[0022] The lower conveyor belt mechanism is equipped with a third sensor at the end of the conveying direction to sense wafer cassettes. When the third sensor detects a wafer cassette being conveyed there, the lower conveyor belt mechanism stops conveying. This has the beneficial effect of stopping conveying when the third sensor detects a wafer cassette at the end of the conveying direction, preventing the lower conveyor belt mechanism from being conveyed to the upper layer through the lifting mechanism.

[0023] When the third sensor detects the wafer magazine and the fourth sensor detects the magazine positioning fixture, the lower conveyor belt mechanism stops conveying. After the wafer magazine at that location is removed, the third sensor allows the lower conveyor belt mechanism to continue conveying.

[0024] The upper conveyor mechanism, the lower conveyor mechanism, the first conveyor device, and the second conveyor device are provided with blocks on both sides of the conveyor belts along the conveying direction, above a certain gap, to prevent the magazine positioning jig from shifting. The blocks can be fixed to the frame and do not contact the conveyor belts. This has the beneficial effect of ensuring that the magazine positioning jig remains in a straight line during conveyance due to the restraint provided by the blocks on both sides.

[0025] The blocks are angled at both ends along the conveying direction to guide the magazine positioning jig during conveyance at the junction. This prevents the magazine positioning jig from shifting during conveyance at the junction and being unable to reenter between the blocks, potentially causing conveyance to stop or wafer magazine tipping.

[0026] The upper and lower conveyor belts are equipped with fixed baffles on the wafer discharge side. These baffles can be fixed to a structure such as a frame and do not contact the conveyor belts. This has the beneficial effect of preventing wafers from slipping out of the wafer magazine during the conveyance process of the magazine positioning jig.

[0027] A first shielding member is provided on top of the first lifting mechanism, positioned above the first conveyor belt device; a second shielding member is provided on top of the second lifting mechanism, positioned above the second conveyor belt device. This advantageously prevents the upper conveyor belt mechanism from accidentally pushing out and dropping the magazine positioning jig due to, for example, an operating error when the lifting mechanism is in the descending state.

[0028] The upper conveyor belt mechanism, the lower conveyor mechanism, the first conveyor belt device, and the second conveyor belt device all include four synchronous pulleys. This has the beneficial effect of directly affecting the smooth transmission of the magazine positioning jig by the upper conveyor belt mechanism, the lower conveyor mechanism, the first lifting mechanism, and the second lifting mechanism at their respective joints. Compared to a structure using two synchronous pulleys, a structure using four synchronous pulleys can achieve smaller pulleys while maintaining the same traction. The smaller the diameter of the synchronous pulleys, the smaller the gaps at the joints, resulting in smoother transmission.

[0029] An automatic loading and unloading method of the above-mentioned wafer cassette automatic loading and unloading mechanism comprises the following steps:

[0030] The operator places the wafer cassette to be tested on the cassette positioning jig on the upper conveyor mechanism without a wafer cassette. This area is the loading area, located at the front end of the upper conveyor mechanism along the conveying direction;

[0031] The upper conveyor belt mechanism conveys the wafer cassette to the test loading and unloading position;

[0032] After the test is completed, the upper conveyor belt mechanism conveys the wafer cassette to the lifting mechanism connected to the end along the conveying direction;

[0033] The lifting mechanism transfers the wafer cassette to the lower conveyor belt mechanism;

[0034] The wafer cassettes that have completed the test are taken away from the lower conveyor belt mechanism; the cassette positioning fixture without wafer cassettes is then returned to the upper conveyor belt mechanism via the lifting mechanism.

[0035] The beneficial effect of this automatic loading and unloading method is that when loading, there is no need to wait for the machine to be idle, and the material can be directly placed on the idle material box positioning fixture in the loading area of ​​the upper conveyor belt mechanism. There is no need to wait for the machine to unload the material. After the machine testing and processing is completed, the material will be automatically unloaded to the lower conveyor belt mechanism.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0037] The present invention uses a three-dimensional upper and lower layer reflux structure to meet the needs of automatic loading and unloading of wafer cassettes. It occupies a small space, can load and unload the equipment continuously, has sufficient buffer area, operates stably and is easy to maintain. It is applicable to a wide range of

[0038] Wide range; the automatic loading and unloading method of the equipment of the present invention can complete the loading and unloading of the wafer material box without waiting, and also avoids the situation of machine downtime due to lack of materials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0040] Figure 1 This is a front view of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the conveying state of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer cassette according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the second conveying state of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer cassette according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the third conveying state of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer cassette according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the fourth conveying state of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer cassette according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a front view of the conveying state of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer cassette according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0046] Figure 7 This is a second front view of the automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes in the second embodiment of the present invention in the conveying state;

[0047] Figure 8 A top view of the upper conveyor belt mechanism of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 9 For the present invention Figure 8 A magnified view of point A;

[0049] Figure 10 It is a left side view of the second lifting mechanism of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 11This is a schematic structural diagram of a wafer cassette and a cassette positioning fixture of the present invention;

[0051] Reference numerals: 1-upper conveyor belt mechanism, 2-lower conveyor belt mechanism, 3-first lifting mechanism, 4-second lifting mechanism, 5-material box positioning fixture, 601-first sensor, 602-second sensor, 603-third sensor, 604-fourth sensor, 7-stopper, 8-stopper, 101-upper conveyor belt, 102-upper pulley motor, 103-upper synchronous pulley, 201-lower conveyor belt, 202-lower pulley motor, 203 -Lower layer synchronous pulley, 31-first conveyor belt device, 32-first drive device, 33-first shielding body, 34-first frame, 311-first lifting mechanism conveyor belt, 312-first lifting mechanism pulley motor, 41-second conveyor belt device, 42-second drive device, 43-second shielding body, 44-second frame, 411-second lifting mechanism conveyor belt, 412-second lifting mechanism pulley motor, 501-wafer box, 502-wafer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The following is a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] Example 1:

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, a wafer box automatic loading and unloading mechanism includes a circulating conveyor belt mechanism and a box positioning fixture 5 for placing the wafer box, and the box positioning fixture 5 is placed on the circulating conveyor belt mechanism; the circulating conveyor belt mechanism includes an upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, a lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 located below the upper conveyor belt mechanism, and a first lifting mechanism 3 and a second lifting mechanism 4.

[0055] The test loading and unloading position is the last fixture position of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 along the conveying direction.

[0056] The first lifting mechanism 3 and the second lifting mechanism 4 are respectively located at the two ends of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 along the conveying direction. The first lifting mechanism 3 and the second lifting mechanism 4 reciprocate between the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 to connect the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2.

[0057] The upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, first lifting mechanism 3, and second lifting mechanism 4 are fixed to the frame to prevent positional shifting between the mechanisms during conveyance. The magazine positioning jig 5 is conveyed as the conveyor belt rotates due to the friction between its bottom and the circulating conveyor belt mechanism.

[0058] The upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 includes an upper conveyor belt 101, an upper pulley motor 102, and an upper synchronous pulley 103. The lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 includes a lower conveyor belt 201, a lower pulley motor 202, and a lower synchronous pulley 203.

[0059] The first lifting mechanism 3 includes a first conveyor belt device 31, a first driving device 32, a first shielding body 33, and a first frame 34. The first conveyor belt device 31 includes a first lifting mechanism conveyor belt 311 and a first lifting mechanism pulley motor 312; the first conveyor belt device 31 and the first driving device 32 are overlapped on both sides of the first frame 34, and the first conveyor belt device 31 moves up and down with the first driving device 32.

[0060] The second lifting mechanism 4 includes a second conveyor belt device 41, a second driving device 42, a second shielding body 43, and a second frame 44. The second conveyor belt device 41 includes a second lifting mechanism conveyor belt 411 and a second lifting mechanism pulley motor 412; the second conveyor belt device 41 and the second driving device 42 are overlapped on both sides of the second frame 44, and the second conveyor belt device 41 moves up and down with the second driving device 42.

[0061] The upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 , the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 , the first conveyor belt device 31 , and the second conveyor belt device 41 each include four synchronous pulleys.

[0062] In order to form a circular transmission, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 have opposite transmission directions; the first conveyor belt device 31 and the second conveyor belt device 42 can both realize forward and reverse transmission.

[0063] In this embodiment, the material box positioning jig 5 is conveyed clockwise in the circulating conveyor belt mechanism, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 is conveyed to the right, and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 is conveyed to the left; in another embodiment, the material box positioning jig 5 is conveyed counterclockwise in the circulating conveyor belt mechanism, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 is conveyed to the left, and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 is conveyed to the right.

[0064] The test loading and unloading position is the last fixture position along the conveying direction of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, which in this embodiment is the rightmost position of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1. A first sensor 601 for sensing the wafer cassette is provided at the test loading and unloading position.

[0065] A second sensor 602 for sensing the material box positioning fixture 5 is provided at the end of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 along the conveying direction.

[0066] The lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 is at the last position in the conveying direction, that is, the leftmost position in this embodiment, and is provided with a third sensor 603 for sensing the wafer cassette and a fourth sensor 604 for sensing the cassette positioning fixture 5 .

[0067] Above the conveyor belts of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, a fixed baffle 8 is provided toward the wafer discharge side. The baffle 8 is fixed to the frame and does not contact the conveyor belts.

[0068] like Figures 8-10 As shown, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, first conveyor belt device 31, and second conveyor belt device 41 are equipped with stops 7 on both sides of the conveyor belts along the conveying direction, above a certain gap, to prevent the magazine positioning jig 5 from shifting. Stops 7 are fixed to the frame and do not contact the conveyor belts. During the conveying process, the magazine positioning jig 5 is restrained by the stops 7 on both sides, ensuring that it is transported in a straight line.

[0069] like Figure 9 As shown, the stopper 7 has bevels at both ends along the conveying direction. The bevels are used to guide the magazine positioning jig 5 during conveying at the joint. This prevents the magazine positioning jig 5 from shifting during conveying at the joint and then being unable to reenter between the stoppers 7 on both sides, causing unexpected situations such as conveying stopping or wafer magazine overturning.

[0070] like Figure 11 As shown, wafers 502 are stacked in a wafer cassette 501 , and the wafer cassette 501 is placed and buckled onto a cassette positioning fixture 5 .

[0071] This embodiment provides an automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes. When in operation:

[0072] like Figure 2 As shown, the first lifting mechanism 3 is connected to the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 in the ascending state, and the material box positioning jig 5 is on the first conveyor belt device 31. At this time, the first conveyor belt device 31 and the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 rotate clockwise at the same speed, and the material box positioning jig 5 is conveyed to the right to the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 under the action of friction.

[0073] like Figure 3 As shown, the material box positioning fixture 5 is transferred to the test loading and unloading position of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1. At this time, the first sensor does not detect the presence of a wafer material box, so the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 is allowed to continue conveying, and the test machine combined with the automatic loading and unloading mechanism of the wafer material box does not need to be operated.

[0074] The second sensor 602 detects the material box positioning jig 5. At this time, if the second lifting mechanism 4 has not risen and connected with the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 stops conveying; if the second lifting mechanism 4 is connected with the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 and the second conveyor belt device 41 rotate clockwise at the same speed, and the material box positioning jig 5 is conveyed to the second lifting mechanism 4.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown, the second lifting mechanism 4 descends and connects with the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2. At this time, the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 and the second conveyor belt device 41 rotate counterclockwise at the same speed, and the material box positioning fixture 5 is transferred to the left by the distance of one fixture to the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2;

[0076] like Figure 5 As shown, the material box positioning jig 5 is conveyed to the leftmost side of the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, where the fourth sensor 604 and the third sensor 603 are provided.

[0077] If the third sensor 603 detects a wafer cassette on the leftmost side of the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 stops conveying and may emit an audible and visual alarm to prompt personnel to remove the wafer cassette;

[0078] In this embodiment, when the third sensor 603 does not detect the wafer box, if the fourth sensor 604 senses that there is a box positioning jig 5 on the leftmost side of the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, and the first lifting mechanism 3 is in a descending state and connected to the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, then the first conveyor belt device 31 rotates counterclockwise at the same speed as the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, and the box positioning jig 5 is transferred to the left to the first lifting mechanism 3.

[0079] Afterwards, the first lifting mechanism 3 rises and connects with the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, and the material box positioning fixture 5 is then transported to the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, and the cycle continues.

[0080] Example 2:

[0081] In this embodiment, the magazine positioning jig 5 is transported clockwise within the circulating conveyor mechanism, with the upper conveyor mechanism 1 transporting to the right and the lower conveyor mechanism 2 transporting to the left. A large number of magazine positioning jigs 5 are arranged on the circulating conveyor mechanism, and they do not need to be placed equidistantly. The distance between the magazine positioning jigs 5 will vary during transport. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer magazines can be integrated with and controlled by the wafer production machine. The test loading and unloading position is the last jig position along the conveying direction of the upper conveyor mechanism 1, i.e., the rightmost jig position.

[0082] The first sensor 601 senses that there is a wafer cassette at the test placement position, and the robot arm of the machine takes and places the wafers in the wafer cassette. After all tests are completed, the first sensor 601 allows the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 to continue conveying.

[0083] In another embodiment, the material box positioning jig 5 is transported counterclockwise in the circulating conveyor belt mechanism, the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 is transported to the left, and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 is transported to the right, and the test material placement position is set at the leftmost side of the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1.

[0084] In this embodiment, the length of the second conveyor belt device 41 is greater than the length of the magazine positioning jig 5; in another embodiment, the length of the second conveyor belt device 41 can also be less than or equal to the length of the magazine positioning jig 5, as long as it can carry the magazine positioning jig 5;

[0085] like Figure 6 As shown, when the first lifting mechanism 3 and the second lifting mechanism 4 are in the raised state at the same time and connected with the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1, the first lifting mechanism 3, the second lifting mechanism 4 and the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 rotate simultaneously, at the same speed and in the same direction under the drive of the pulley motor. At this time, the first lifting mechanism 3, the second lifting mechanism 4 and the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 all rotate clockwise. At this time, the left material box positioning jig 5 can be transmitted to the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1 through the first lifting mechanism 3, and the right material box positioning jig 5 can be transmitted to the second lifting mechanism 4 through the upper conveyor belt mechanism 1.

[0086] The upper conveyor mechanism 1 rotates clockwise. At the last jig position along the conveying direction of the upper conveyor mechanism 1, i.e., the rightmost jig position, is a first sensor 601 for sensing wafer cassettes and a second sensor 602 for sensing cassette positioning jigs 5. When the first sensor 601 detects the presence of a wafer cassette at the test loading and unloading position, the machine's robotic arm tests the wafers in the cassette at this position. Once all processing is complete, the first sensor 601 allows the upper conveyor mechanism 1 to continue conveying. When the first sensor 601 allows conveying, and the second sensor 602 detects the cassette positioning jig 5, the upper conveyor mechanism 1, the first lifting mechanism 3, and the second lifting mechanism 4 advance one jig position clockwise. At this point, the cassette positioning jig 5 detected by the first sensor 601 has been fully pushed onto the second lifting mechanism 4. The cassette positioning jig 5 placed on the first lifting mechanism has also been fully pushed onto the upper conveyor mechanism 1. At this point, the upper conveyor mechanism 1, the first lifting mechanism 3, and the second lifting mechanism 4 simultaneously stop conveying.

[0087] The stop transmission instruction of the first sensor 601 takes precedence over the transmission instruction of the second sensor 602 .

[0088] like Figure 7As shown, when the first lifting mechanism 3 and the second lifting mechanism 4 are in a descending state at the same time and connected with the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, the first lifting mechanism 3, the second lifting mechanism 4 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 rotate simultaneously, at the same speed and in the same direction under the drive of the pulley motor. At this time, the first lifting mechanism 3, the second lifting mechanism 4 and the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 all rotate counterclockwise. At this time, the material box positioning fixture 5 can be transmitted to the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 through the second lifting mechanism 4, or transmitted to the first lifting mechanism 3 through the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2.

[0089] The lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 conveys counterclockwise. At the last fixture position of the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2 along the conveying direction, that is, the leftmost fixture position, a fourth sensor 604 for sensing the material box positioning fixture 5 and a third sensor 603 for sensing the wafer material box are set.

[0090] The results of simultaneous detection and feedback control by the fourth sensor 604 and the third sensor 603 at the last fixture position are as follows: 1. The fourth sensor 604 does not detect the material box positioning fixture 5 and the third sensor 603 does not detect the wafer material box. At this time, the lower conveyor belt conveys; 2. The fourth sensor 604 detects the material box positioning fixture 5 and the third sensor 603 does not detect the wafer material box. At this time, the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, the first lifting mechanism 3, and the second lifting mechanism 4 convey one fixture position counterclockwise again. At this time, the material box positioning fixture 5 sensed by the fourth sensor 604 has been fully pushed to the first lifting mechanism 3, and the material box positioning fixture 5 placed on the second lifting mechanism 4 has also been fully pushed to the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2; 3. The fourth sensor 604 detects the material box positioning fixture 5 and the third sensor 603 detects the wafer material box. At this time, the circulating conveyor belt mechanism stops conveying, and an audible and visual alarm sounds, prompting personnel to take away the wafer material box on the fixture position. To avoid transferring wafer cassettes that have been processed by the production machine to the upper layer again and mixing up the wafer cassettes, after the personnel take away the wafer cassettes, the lower conveyor belt mechanism 2, the first lifting mechanism 3, and the second lifting mechanism 4 continue to convey them.

[0091] The endless conveyor mechanism also features a one-touch start / stop switch, a foot switch located on the ground beneath the lower conveyor mechanism 2 (not shown). Before placing or removing a wafer cassette, a person presses the foot switch to stop the conveyor mechanism. This prevents production accidents caused by the conveyor mechanism while the cassette is being placed or removed. After the person completes the cassette placement operation, they press the foot switch again to resume conveyance. The foot switch's start / stop function overrides the corresponding operating instructions from the first, second, third, and fourth sensors 601, 602, 603, and 604.

[0092] In other embodiments, the circulating conveyor belt mechanism may have other modes of human intervention and one-button start and stop.

[0093] The above describes in detail the automatic loading and unloading mechanism and method for a wafer cassette provided by the present invention. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the structure and working principle of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, various improvements and modifications may be made to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and such improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette automatic loading and unloading mechanism, characterized in that: It comprises a circulating conveyor belt mechanism and a plurality of material box positioning jigs (5) for placing wafer material boxes, wherein the plurality of material box positioning jigs (5) are arranged on the circulating conveyor belt mechanism; the circulating conveyor belt mechanism comprises an upper conveyor belt mechanism (1), a lower conveyor belt mechanism (2) located below the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1), a first lifting mechanism (3) and a second lifting mechanism (4); The upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) is provided with a test material taking and placing position, and the test material taking and placing position is the last fixture position of the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) along the conveying direction; The first lifting mechanism (3) is located at one end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2) along the conveying direction, and the second lifting mechanism (4) is located at one end of the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2) opposite to the first lifting mechanism (3); The first lifting mechanism (3) and the second lifting mechanism (4) reciprocate between the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) and the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2), connecting the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) and the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2); A first sensor (601) for sensing a wafer box is provided on the test pick-up and place position. When the first sensor (601) detects a wafer box on the test pick-up and place position, the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) stops conveying. A second sensor (602) for sensing the box positioning jig (5) is provided at the end of the conveying direction of the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1).

2. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first lifting mechanism (3) comprises a first frame (34), a first conveyor belt device (31) provided on the first frame (34), and a first driving device (32), wherein the output end of the first driving device (32) is connected to the first frame (34) and is used to drive the first frame (34) to perform lifting motion; the second lifting mechanism (4) comprises a second frame (44), a second conveyor belt device (41) provided on the second frame (44), and a second driving device (42), wherein the output end of the second driving device (42) is connected to the second frame (44) and is used to drive the second frame (44) to perform lifting motion.

3. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower conveyor belt mechanism (2) is provided with a fourth sensor (604) at the end in the conveying direction for sensing the material box positioning jig (5).

4. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower conveyor belt mechanism (2) is provided with a third sensor (603) for sensing the wafer cassette at the end in the conveying direction.

5. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper conveyor belt mechanism (1), the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2), the first conveyor belt device (31), and the second conveyor belt device (41) are provided with blocks (7) on both sides of the conveyor belts along the conveying direction to prevent the material box positioning fixture (5) from deflecting, and the blocks (7) are suspended above the conveyor belts.

6. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to claim 5, characterized in that: The stopper (7) is provided with bevels at both ends along the conveying direction, and the bevels are used to guide the material box positioning jig (5) when conveying at the joint.

7. The automatic loading and unloading mechanism for wafer cassettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixed baffle (8) is provided above the conveyor belts of the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) and the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2) and on the opening side of the wafer material box.

8. An automatic loading and unloading method for the wafer cassette automatic loading and unloading mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The steps include: Placing the wafer cassette to be tested on the cassette positioning jig (5) without a wafer cassette on the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1); The upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) conveys the wafer cassette to the test loading and unloading position; After the test is completed, the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) conveys the wafer material box to the lifting mechanism connected to the end along the conveying direction; The lifting mechanism transfers the wafer cassette to the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2); The wafer cassette that has been tested is removed from the lower conveyor belt mechanism (2); the cassette positioning fixture (5) without the wafer cassette is then returned to the upper conveyor belt mechanism (1) via the lifting mechanism.

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