A loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat

Abstract

The invention discloses a loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat, comprising two sets of lifting mechanisms, the quartz boat is placed on a moving part of one set of lifting mechanisms, a manipulator is placed on a moving part of another set of lifting mechanisms, and the two sets of lifting mechanisms move synchronously in opposite directions. The invention can have a higher loading efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of wafer loading devices, in particular to a loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat. Background Art

[0002] During wafer processing, multiple wafers need to be loaded into a quartz boat, and then the quartz boat is sent into a furnace tube for baking. Figure 1 As shown, it includes a manipulator 1 and a quartz boat 2. The manipulator 1 carries the wafer 3 from the outside and then loads the wafer 3 into the vertical quartz boat 2 from top to bottom. The manipulator 1 uses its own height movement stroke to realize loading the wafer 3 at different heights on the quartz boat 2. Specifically, the multiple circumferentially distributed vertical rods of the quartz boat 2 are provided with grooves. The manipulator 1 inserts the wafer 3 horizontally into the grooves of each vertical rod. When the wafer 3 is fully loaded, the quartz boat 2 is sent upward into the furnace tube 4. Since the quartz boat 2 itself is relatively high, it is limited by the height movement stroke of the manipulator 1 during loading. When the manipulator 1 completes a movement stroke from top to bottom, the quartz boat 2 needs to be raised to continue loading. For example, when the height movement stroke of the manipulator 1 is 500mm, if the height of the quartz boat 2 is 2000mm, the quartz boat 2 needs to be raised and lowered three times to complete the entire loading. During this process, the manipulator 1 is in a waiting state, so it is difficult to load continuously, and there is a problem of low efficiency. When a robot 1 with a long height movement stroke is used, since the height movement distance of the robot 1 is long, the speed of the robot 1 in transporting wafers from the outside will be reduced overall, which will also lead to the problem of low efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat, so as to solve the problem of low efficiency existing in the wafer loading device of the prior art.

[0004] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0005] A loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat comprises a quartz boat for loading wafers and a robot for loading wafers into the quartz boat, and also comprises two sets of lifting mechanisms, wherein the quartz boat is placed on a moving part of one set of the lifting mechanisms, and the robot is placed on a moving part of the other set of the lifting mechanisms, and the two sets of lifting mechanisms are connected by a synchronous reverse transmission mechanism so that the moving parts of the two sets of lifting mechanisms move synchronously in the opposite direction.

[0006] Furthermore, both sets of lifting mechanisms are screw-slide mechanisms, and the slides in the screw-slide mechanisms are lifted and lowered vertically respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, the synchronous reverse transmission mechanism includes a synchronous belt mechanism and a gear set, at least one gear in the gear set is fixed to a screw of one set of screw slide mechanisms, a pulley in the synchronous belt mechanism is fixed to a screw of another set of screw slide mechanisms, and another pulley in the synchronous belt mechanism is coaxially connected to at least one other gear in the gear set, and the reverse transmission of the synchronous motion is achieved through the cooperation of the gears in the gear set and the synchronous belt mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, one group of lifting mechanisms is equipped with a motion sensor, and the motion sensor collects the movement distance of the moving parts in the corresponding lifting mechanism.

[0009] Furthermore, the moving component of the lifting mechanism corresponding to the quartz boat is connected to a bearing platform, the top surface of the bearing platform is higher than the top surface of the moving component, and the quartz boat is placed on the top surface of the bearing platform.

[0010] The manipulator used in the present invention only needs to carry and load wafers without using its height travel. The manipulator is placed on a set of lifting mechanisms, and the quartz boat is placed on another set of moving mechanisms. The two sets of moving mechanisms move in opposite directions synchronously through a synchronous reverse mechanism, that is, the manipulator moves downward during loading, and the quartz boat moves upward, thereby achieving continuous transportation without waiting in between. However, the problem with the present invention is that the wafer storage device needs to be fixed on the moving part of the lifting mechanism corresponding to the manipulator so that the manipulator can carry the wafers.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can realize continuous transportation and loading of wafers without waiting in between, and thus has higher loading efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the prior art structure.

[0013] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 It is a working state diagram of the present invention when loading wafers.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a state diagram after the wafer of the present invention is loaded. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0017] like Figure 2 As shown, a loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat of the present invention comprises a base frame 5, a quartz boat lifting mechanism is provided on the right side of the base frame 5, a manipulator lifting mechanism is provided on the left side of the base frame 5, and a furnace tube 4 is provided above the quartz boat lifting mechanism.

[0018] Among them, the quartz boat lifting mechanism includes a vertical first screw rod 6 and a vertical guide rail 7, as well as a first slide 8. The first screw rod 6 vertically passes through the top of the base frame 5, the upper end of the first screw rod 6 is located above the base frame 5, the lower end of the first screw rod 6 is rotatably connected to the bottom of the base frame 5, the lower end of the guide rail 7 is fixed to the top of the base frame 5, and the guide rail 7 is located to the right of the first screw rod 6. The first slide 8 is assembled on the first screw rod 6 through a vertical central threaded through hole, and the first slide 8 has an open sliding opening on the right side, and the first slide 8 is slidably connected to the guide rail 7 through a slider, thereby forming a set of screw rod slide mechanism, in which the first slide 8 is used as a moving part of the lifting movement. A first gear 9 is provided in the base frame 5, and the first gear 9 is coaxially fixed to the first screw rod 6 located in the middle part of the base frame 5. A forward and reverse motor is also installed at the bottom of the base frame 5, and the output shaft of the forward and reverse motor is coaxially fixedly connected to the lower end of the first screw rod 6. Thus, the first screw rod 6 is driven to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise by the forward and reverse motor, so that the first slide 8 can be raised and lowered.

[0019] The first slide 8 is in a shape with the left side higher and the right side lower, and the central threaded through hole of the first slide 8 is arranged on the right side of the first slide 8. The higher left top surface of the first slide 8 is connected with a horizontal bearing platform 10, which is used to place the vertical quartz boat 2, and the lowest point of the quartz boat 2 is higher than the junction of the first slide 8 and the first screw rod 6 through the bearing platform 10. When the first slide 8 is raised or lowered, the quartz boat 2 is raised or lowered accordingly.

[0020] A second gear 11 with an axial vertical direction is installed inside the chassis 5 through the rotation of the wheel shaft. The second gear 11 meshes with the first gear 9, and the first gear 9 and the second gear 11 have the same diameter and number of teeth. Therefore, the first gear 9 and the second gear 11 move in opposite states. When the first gear 9 moves clockwise, the second gear 11 moves counterclockwise, and when the first gear 9 moves counterclockwise, the second gear 11 moves clockwise. A first pulley 12 is also coaxially fixed on the wheel shaft of the second gear 11, so that the first pulley 12 rotates synchronously with the second gear 11 in the same direction.

[0021] The manipulator lifting mechanism includes a vertical second screw 13 and multiple vertical guide rods 14, and a second slide 15. The second screw 13 vertically passes through the top of the base frame 5, the upper end of the second screw 13 is located above the base frame 5, the lower end of the second screw 13 is rotatably connected to the inner bottom of the base frame 5, the lower ends of the multiple guide rods 14 are respectively fixed to the top of the base frame 5, the second slide 15 is assembled on the second screw 13 through a vertical central threaded through hole, and the second slide 15 is slidably assembled on each guide rod 14 through multiple vertical through holes, thereby forming another set of screw slide mechanisms, in which the second slide 15 is used as a moving part for lifting and lowering movement, and the manipulator 1 is placed on the second slide 15. A second pulley 16 is provided in the base frame 5, and the second pulley 16 is coaxially fixed to the second screw 13 located in the middle part of the base frame 5, and the second pulley 16 is connected to the first pulley 12 through a synchronous belt 17.

[0022] In the present invention, the first pulley 12, the second pulley 16, and the synchronous belt 17 constitute a synchronous belt mechanism, and the first gear 9 and the second gear 11 constitute a gear set, and the combination of the two constitutes a synchronous reverse transmission mechanism. When the first gear 9 and the first screw 6 rotate clockwise, the second gear 11, the second pulley 16, and the first pulley 12 rotate counterclockwise, thereby the second screw 13 rotates counterclockwise, and then the first slide 8 and the quartz boat 2 thereon, the second slide 15 and the manipulator 1 thereon synchronously move in the opposite direction.

[0023] In the present invention, a rotation sensor is installed on the first screw rod 6, or a rotation sensor is installed on the output shaft of the motor that drives the first screw rod 6 to rotate. The rotation sensor and the motor are electrically connected to an external controller respectively. The number of rotations is collected by the rotation sensor and sent to the controller. The controller can calculate the lifting distance of the first slide 8 based on the number of rotations, and the controller controls the forward and reverse rotation of the motor.

[0024] like Figure 2 As shown, initially, the robot arm 1 and the second slide 15 are at a high point corresponding to the upper end position in the quartz boat 2. Figure 3 As shown, when loading, the quartz boat 2 moves upward with the first slide 8, and the robot 1 moves downward synchronously with the second slide 15, so that the robot 1 works continuously to transport the external wafer 3 and load it into the quartz boat 2. During this process, the robot 1 does not need to use its own height travel to move, and the entire loading process is uninterrupted.

[0025] In the present invention, the wafer rack for storing wafers needs to be fixedly connected to the second slide 15, or the wafer rack needs to be fixedly connected to a mechanism that rises and falls synchronously with the second slide 15, so that the robot 1 can carry the wafer 3 when descending.

[0026] like Figure 4As shown, when the wafers 3 are fully loaded, the carrier 10 reaches the highest position with the first slide 8. Since the carrier 10 is higher than the highest point of the first slide 8, the carrier 10 presents a high overall plane. The lower end of the furnace tube 4 is directly opposite to the top surface of the carrier 10 when it is at the highest position. At this time, the quartz boat 2 filled with wafers 3 can be sent into the furnace tube 4 through the carrier 10, and the carrier 10 is used to close the tube opening of the furnace tube 4.

[0027] After the wafer 3 is baked in the furnace tube 4, the quartz boat 2 moves downward with the first slide 8, and the robot 1 moves upward synchronously with the second slide 15. During this process, the robot 1 can move the wafer 3 in the quartz boat 2 from bottom to top. When the robot 1 reaches the highest position, the entire device returns to its initial state, and the wafers for the next furnace can be loaded.

[0028] The embodiments described in the present invention are merely descriptions of the preferred implementation modes of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the concept and scope of the present invention. Without departing from the design concept of the present invention, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by engineers and technicians in this field should fall within the protection scope of the present invention. The technical contents for which protection is sought in the present invention have all been recorded in the claims.

Claims

1. A loading device for loading wafers on a quartz boat, comprising a quartz boat for loading wafers, and a robot for loading wafers into the quartz boat, characterized in that: It also includes two sets of lifting mechanisms, the quartz boat is placed on the moving parts of one set of lifting mechanisms, the manipulator is placed on the moving parts of the other set of lifting mechanisms, and the two sets of lifting mechanisms are connected by a synchronous reverse transmission mechanism so that the moving parts of the two sets of lifting mechanisms move synchronously and reversely; Both lifting mechanisms are screw-slide mechanisms, in which the slides are vertically lifted and lowered respectively, and the slides serve as moving parts for lifting and lowering movements; The synchronous reverse transmission mechanism includes a synchronous belt mechanism and a gear set, at least one gear in the gear set is fixed to the screw of one set of screw slide mechanisms, a pulley in the synchronous belt mechanism is fixed to the screw of another set of screw slide mechanisms, and another pulley in the synchronous belt mechanism is coaxially connected to at least one other gear in the gear set. The reverse transmission of synchronous motion is achieved through the cooperation of the gears in the gear set and the synchronous belt mechanism.

2. The device for loading wafers onto a quartz boat according to claim 1, characterized in that: One set of lifting mechanisms is equipped with a motion sensor, which collects the movement distance of the moving parts in the corresponding lifting mechanism.

3. The device for loading wafers onto a quartz boat according to claim 1, characterized in that: The moving parts of the lifting mechanism corresponding to the quartz boat are connected with a bearing platform, the top surface of the bearing platform is higher than the top surface of the moving parts, and the quartz boat is placed on the top surface of the bearing platform.

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