Wafer separation equipment
By designing the wafer separator equipment with the overall separator assembly and anti-stupid mechanism, the problems of existing equipment inefficiency and wafer fragility are solved, and an efficient and safe wafer separator process is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202210579725.5
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-25
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-01
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-03-25
AI Technical Summary
The existing wafer separation and guidance equipment is inefficient, and it is necessary to manually remove the top wafer one by one to separate the target wafer at the bottom. The automated machine takes a long time to debug, resulting in low guidance efficiency.
A wafer separating device is designed, using an integral separating component and an anti-stupid mechanism, which can synchronize the wafer in the carrier boat without pre-removing the wafer on the top, and prevent the wafer from being damaged due to uneven stress.
It improves the efficiency of wafer separation and guidance, reduces the time of manual operation, and prevents the wafer from being damaged due to uneven stress during the separation and guidance.
Smart Images

Figure CN114927448B_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] This case is a divisional application with application number 202210299371.9, application date 2022.03.25 and patent name "Wafer separation device and its working method". Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a wafer separation device and a working method thereof. Background Art
[0003] Wafer refers to the silicon chip used to make silicon semiconductor circuits. Its raw material is silicon, and the wafer boat box is a commonly used wafer storage device. Generally, batches of wafers are stored in the wafer boat box. When all the wafers in a wafer boat are put into production, the wafers after production need to be tested to screen the wafers. If there are unqualified wafers in the wafer boat, the products that have passed the test in the wafer boat need to be shipped in pieces. Batches of wafers are stored in the wafer boat. The wafers in the middle and bottom of the wafer are blocked by the wafers on the top. Therefore, the top wafers need to be taken out one by one manually to move the target wafers out of other wafer boats, which is inefficient.
[0004] There are many different processes in the production process of wafer boats, and these processes will place the wafers in different environments. Therefore, the wafer boats carrying the wafers also need to be separated according to the different process environments. For example, the wafer boat needs to be baked during production. At this time, the ordinary wafer boat box cannot meet the temperature requirements of the baking process. Some wafers in the ordinary wafer boat box need to be transferred to the wafer boat box dedicated to the baking process. If the wafers in the wafer boat box are introduced into the dedicated wafer boat box one by one, the efficiency is too low and it is not conducive to production.
[0005] There are some automatic slicing and routing machines on the market, but the length and height of each wafer boat are different, and the wafer is easily damaged by a small force. Therefore, when exporting it, the export device needs to be aligned with the wafer, otherwise the wafer is easily damaged due to uneven force. Therefore, when using this type of automatic machine, it takes a lot of time to debug it, resulting in low efficiency of slicing.
[0006] In addition, since the wafer is fragile, that is, the wafer carried on the wafer boat will be damaged by a small pressure, therefore, it is necessary to prevent the wafer from being damaged during separation. Summary of the invention
[0007] One advantage of the present invention is that it provides a wafer branching device and a working method thereof, wherein the wafer branching device can branch out a wafer located at any position of a wafer carrying boat without pre-removing other wafers placed in a wafer boat box above the wafer, thereby improving the branching efficiency.
[0008] Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a wafer de-routing device and a working method thereof. The present invention also provides an integral de-routing component, which can synchronously de-routing at least two wafers in the carrying wafer boat to a receiving wafer boat.
[0009] Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a wafer de-routing device and a working method thereof. The present invention also provides an integral de-routing component, which can synchronously de-routing the wafers in the carrying wafer boat to a receiving wafer boat at one time.
[0010] Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a wafer tapping device and a working method thereof, wherein the wafer tapping device can prevent tapped wafers from being damaged due to uneven force.
[0011] Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a wafer decoupling device and a working method thereof, wherein the wafer decoupling device can prevent the wafer from being crushed due to misoperation by the operator when the wafer boat is not placed in the correct position.
[0012] One advantage of the present invention is that it provides a wafer tapping device and a working method thereof. The present invention also provides a limiting component to fix the position of the wafer boat assembly to improve the stability of the wafer boat during the tapping process.
[0013] One advantage of the present invention is that it provides a wafer diverting device. The present invention also provides an anti-fool mechanism. When the carrying wafer boat and the receiving wafer boat are not in the predetermined position, the anti-fool mechanism can prevent the diverting arm from pushing the wafer, thereby avoiding diverting the wafer and protecting the wafer.
[0014] In order to achieve at least one of the above advantages of the present invention, the present invention provides a wafer distribution device for distributing at least one wafer out of a carrier wafer boat, wherein the carrier wafer boat has a first entrance, a first opening, and a first storage space connected to the first entrance and the first opening, and at least one group of first placement grooves are formed on the inner wall of the carrier wafer boat forming the first storage space, wherein the first placement grooves extend in a transverse direction and are between the first entrance and the first opening, and are used to place the wafers, and the wafer distribution device comprises:
[0015] A bearing seat, wherein the bearing seat forms a first bearing position for bearing the bearing wafer boat;
[0016] A branch guide assembly, wherein the branch guide assembly comprises a plurality of branch guide arms and a guide body arranged at intervals, wherein the branch guide arms have a derivation end, wherein the guide body is arranged on the support seat, wherein each of the branch guide arms can be slidably arranged on the guide body in parallel, wherein each of the branch guide arms corresponds to the wafer in the first placement slot of the wafer carrying boat, so that after any of the branch guide arms is driven to slide into the first storage space through the first entrance, the corresponding wafer in the first placement slot is pushed by the branch guide arm, and as the branch guide arm continues to slide toward the first opening, the wafer is branched out from the first opening;
[0017] An anti-foolproof mechanism, wherein the anti-foolproof mechanism includes at least one stop block and a belt shift assembly, the stop block is arranged to extend along the direction in which the plurality of branch guide arms are arranged, and the stop block is arranged on the supporting seat in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shift assembly and can switch between a state of moving away from the moving path of the derivation end and a state of returning to the moving path of the derivation end, so that when the belt shift assembly drives the stop block to move, the stop block moves away from the moving path of the derivation end, thereby allowing the derivation end to pass the position of the stop block and extend into the first storage space of the supporting wafer boat.
[0018] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the supporting seat forms a second supporting position for supporting a receiving wafer boat aligned with the first opening, wherein the receiving wafer boat has a second entrance, a second opening and a second storage space connected to the second entrance and the second opening, and at least one group of second placement grooves are formed on the inner wall of the supporting wafer boat forming the second storage space, wherein the second placement grooves extend laterally and are between the second entrance and the second opening, wherein the second entrance is aligned with the first opening, and wherein after the receiving wafer boat is supported at the second supporting position, each of the second placement grooves is aligned with the first placement groove.
[0019] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the anti-mistake mechanism includes two stop blocks and two belt shift assemblies, each of the stop blocks is arranged on the supporting seat in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shift assembly and can switch between a state of moving away from the derivation end moving path and a state of returning to the derivation end moving path, and the two stop blocks after moving away from the derivation end moving path are respectively maintained on both sides of the branch guide arm, and the spacing between the two stop blocks after moving away from the derivation end moving path is set to allow the branch guide arm to pass through.
[0020] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the belt shifting assembly includes at least one sliding block, a connecting rod and an elastic member, the stop block and the sliding block are respectively fixed at both ends of the connecting rod, and the elastic member is arranged between the blocking wall formed by the sliding block and the supporting seat, and the sliding block can be slidably arranged on the supporting seat along a transverse direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the guide arm.
[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fool-proofing mechanism further includes at least one limiting component, wherein the limiting component is disposed at an edge of the first bearing position of the bearing seat.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the limiting member and the sliding block of the belt shifting assembly together form a size-adjustable bayonet at the second bearing position.
[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wafer guide device includes an integral guide assembly, the integral guide assembly includes an integral guide part and a plurality of driving members arranged in the same row, wherein the integral guide part forms a group of avoidance channels, wherein the height of each avoidance channel is at the same horizontal height as each guide arm, so that when the guide arm slides laterally, each guide arm can respectively pass through the corresponding avoidance channel and enter the first storage space from the first entrance of the wafer boat, the driving member is arranged on each guide arm of the guide assembly, and is between the derivation end of the guide arm and the integral guide part, wherein the driving member is arranged on the movement path of the integral guide part, so that when the integral guide part moves, the driving member can move together with the movement of the integral guide part.
[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving member is implemented as a protrusion arranged on the branch guide arm.
[0025] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the driving member can be telescopically disposed on the sub-guide arm along a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the sub-guide arm.
[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the guide body includes a main body and at least one first movement limiting structure, the main body forms a first slide, the first movement limiting structure is arranged on the guide body, the guide body defines at least one outlet connected to the first slide, wherein the outlet is connected to the first inlet, and the branch guide arm is movably installed on the first movement limiting structure along the extension direction of the first movement limiting structure.
[0027] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the branch guide assembly includes at least one first sliding control structure, and the branch guide arm is fixedly connected to the first sliding control structure.
[0028] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first slide control structure includes at least one control pin and at least one limit groove, the limit groove is formed in the body, and the limit groove is connected to the first slideway. The extension direction of the limit groove is parallel to the moving direction of the branch guide arm, and the limit groove is used to limit the moving direction of the control pin. One end of the control pin is connected to the branch guide arm, and one end of the control pin away from the branch guide arm extends out of the limit groove so that the operator can operate the branch guide arm.
[0029] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sliding path of the branch guide arm is located on a straight line where the diameter of the wafer carried in the carrying wafer boat is located.
[0030] To achieve at least one of the above purposes, according to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a working method of a wafer demultiplexing device, the working method of the wafer demultiplexing device comprising:
[0031] A first carrying position is formed on the carrying seat for carrying a carrying wafer boat carrying wafers to be branched;
[0032] The wafer carrying boat carried on the first carrying position is driven by the belt shifting assembly to move the stop block to avoid the space for the branch guide arm carried on the wafer carrying boat to move, wherein the stop block is arranged to extend along the direction in which the plurality of branch guide arms are arranged, and the stop block is arranged on the carrying seat in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shifting assembly to switch between a state of moving away from the derivation end moving path and a state of returning to the derivation end moving path, wherein each of the branch guide arms corresponds to the wafer of the first placement slot of the wafer carrying boat;
[0033] The branch guide arm is pushed to branch out the wafer which corresponds to the pushed branch guide arm and is located in the first placement groove of the wafer carrying boat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the bearing assembly of the present invention is shown.
[0035] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing the wafer de-routing device of the present invention de-routing wafers from a carrying wafer boat to a receiving wafer boat is shown.
[0036] Figure 3 Shows Figure 2 Enlarged schematic diagram of part A.
[0037] Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of the wafer de-conducting device according to the present invention is shown.
[0038] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of a portion of the wafer de-conducting equipment of the present invention is shown.
[0039] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of another part of the wafer de-conducting device of the present invention is shown.
[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram showing the driving member of the present invention in a state where the driving member can block the driving member.
[0041] Figure 8 A schematic diagram showing a state in which the driving member of the present invention is unable to block the driving member.
[0042] Fig. 9 A bottom view of the wafer de-conducting device according to the present invention is shown.
[0043] Fig.10 A schematic diagram showing the sliding of one of the sliding blocks when the wafer boat is carried at the first carrying position is shown.
[0044] Fig.11 A schematic diagram showing the sliding of another sliding block when the receiving wafer boat is carried at the second carrying position is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0045] The following description is used to disclose the present invention so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention. The preferred embodiments described below are only examples, and those skilled in the art can think of other obvious variations. The basic principles of the present invention defined in the following description can be applied to other embodiments, variations, improvements, equivalents, and other technical solutions that do not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
[0046] Those skilled in the art should understand that, in the disclosure of the present invention, the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, which are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above terms should not be understood as limiting the present invention.
[0047] It is to be understood that the term "one" should be understood as "at least one" or "one or more", that is, in one embodiment, the number of an element may be one, while in another embodiment, the number of the element may be multiple, and the term "one" should not be understood as a limitation on the quantity.
[0048] refer to Figures 1 to 11A wafer tapping device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. The wafer tapping device is used to tap at least one wafer 700 carried in a wafer boat assembly.
[0049] refer to Figure 1 The wafer boat assembly includes a carrying wafer boat 800 and a receiving wafer boat 900, and the carrying wafer boat 800 is detachably mounted on the receiving wafer boat 900. The carrying wafer boat 800 forms a first entrance 801 and a first opening 802, and a first storage space 8001 is formed between the first entrance 801 and the first opening 802 for storing wafers 700. The receiving wafer boat 900 forms a second entrance 901 and a second opening 902, and a second storage space 9001 is formed between the second entrance 901 and the second opening 902 for storing wafers 700.
[0050] Through the wafer de-directing device of this embodiment, the wafers 700 in the carrying wafer boat 800 can be de-directed to the receiving wafer boat 900, and the wafers 700 in the receiving wafer boat 900 can also be directed to the carrying wafer boat 800. In other words, it is only necessary to adjust the relative positions of the carrying wafer boat 800 and the receiving wafer boat 900 relative to the wafer de-directing device to achieve the goal of directing the wafers 700 in the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900 or directing the wafers 700 in the receiving wafer boat 900 to the carrying wafer boat 800.
[0051] In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand the specific implementation of the present invention, in this embodiment, only the example of guiding the wafer 700 located in the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900 by the wafer guiding device is used for explanation.
[0052] At least one set of first placement grooves 803 is formed on the inner wall of the first storage space 8001 formed on the wafer carrying boat 800 , wherein the first placement grooves 803 extend in a transverse direction and are located between the first entrance 801 and the first opening 802 for placing the wafers 700 .
[0053] Preferably, the carrying wafer boat 800 forms a plurality of first placement grooves 803 at different heights and spaced at predetermined intervals, for horizontally placing the wafers 700. The receiving wafer boat 900 forms a plurality of second placement grooves 903 at different heights and spaced at predetermined intervals, the second placement grooves 903 extending in a lateral direction, for carrying the wafers 700.
[0054] It is worth mentioning that the receiving wafer boat 900 and the carrying wafer boat 800 have the same size, and the extension direction of each of the second placement slots 903 on the receiving wafer boat 900 and the extension direction of the first placement slots 803 on the carrying wafer boat 800 are collinear, so that when the wafer 700 placed on the first placement slot 803 is pushed toward the direction of the receiving wafer boat 900, the wafer 700 can slide into the second placement slot 903 via the first placement slot 803.
[0055] refer to Figure 6 and Figure 2 The wafer guiding device comprises a guiding assembly 10. The guiding assembly 10 comprises at least one guiding arm 11, wherein the guiding arm 11 is configured to be movable in a lateral direction.
[0056] Preferably, the branch guide assembly 10 includes a plurality of branch guide arms 11. The plurality of branch guide arms 11 are arranged at intervals, and each branch guide arm 11 is arranged to slide laterally separately. Therefore, when it is necessary to use the wafer branch guide device to branch the wafer 700 carried in the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900, it is only necessary to align at least one branch guide arm 11 of the branch guide assembly 10 with the first entrance 801 of the carrying wafer boat 800, and align the first opening 802 of the carrying wafer boat 800 with the second opening 902 of the receiving wafer boat 900. Subsequently, as the branch guide arm 11 is operated to move laterally and extend from the first entrance 801 into the first storage space 8001, the wafer 700 carried in the first placement slot 803 will be pushed into the second placement slot 903 of the receiving wafer boat 900.
[0057] Preferably, the sliding path of the branch guide arm 11 is located on a straight line where the diameter of the wafer 700 carried in the wafer boat 800 is located, so that the force on the wafer 700 can be uniform.
[0058] refer to Figure 2 The sub-guide assembly 10 includes a guide body 12. The guide body 12 forms at least one first slideway 1201, and the sub-guide arm 11 is disposed on the first slideway 1201 in a transversely slidable manner.
[0059] The guide body 12 includes a main body 121 and at least one first limiting structure 122. The main body 121 forms the first slideway 1201, and the first limiting structure 122 is arranged on the main body 121 to limit the movement of the branch guide arm 11. The branch guide arm 11 is installed on the first limiting structure 122 so as to be movable along the extension direction of the first limiting structure 122. The guide body 12 defines at least one outlet 12201 connected to the first slideway 1201, and is connected to the first inlet 801 through the outlet 12201. The branch guide arm 11 is arranged to be able to move into or out of the first slideway 1201 in the horizontal direction through the first inlet 801.
[0060] In this way, when the branch guide arm 11 pushes the wafer 700 to move along the second storage space 9001 , the wafer 700 located on the carrying wafer boat 800 is transferred to the receiving wafer boat 900 .
[0061] It is worth mentioning that the distance that the guide arm 11 can slide along the first slideway 1201 is greater than the width of the carrying wafer boat 800 , so that the wafer 700 can be completely guided to the receiving wafer boat 900 .
[0062] Preferably, the body 121 has two side walls, wherein a groove is transversely arranged on opposite sides of the two side walls to define the first slideway 1201 .
[0063] The two sides of the branch guide arm 11 are slidably disposed in the two grooves in a transverse manner to guide the branch guide arm 11 to slide in the transverse direction.
[0064] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 Preferably, the branch guide assembly 10 also includes at least one first sliding control structure 13, and the branch guide arm 11 is fixedly connected to the first sliding control structure 13 to control the sliding distance of the branch guide arm 11.
[0065] Specifically, the first slide control structure 13 includes at least one first control pin 131 and at least one first limiting groove 132, wherein the first limiting groove 132 is formed in the body 121, and the first limiting groove 132 is connected to the first slideway 1201. The extension direction of the first limiting groove 132 is parallel to the moving direction of the branch guide arm 11, and the first limiting groove 132 is used to limit the moving direction of the first control pin 131. One end of the first control pin 131 is connected to the branch guide arm 11, and one end of the first control pin 131 away from the branch guide arm 11 extends out of the first limiting groove 132, so that the operator can operate the branch guide arm 11.
[0066] In a modified embodiment, the first sliding control structure 13 includes a driving unit, wherein the driving unit is configured as a cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder or any component capable of driving the sub-guide arm 11 to move laterally.
[0067] It is worth mentioning that since a plurality of the branch guide arms 11 are provided, and the branch guide arms 11 are respectively installed at different levels of the first slideway 1201, the wafers 700 at different levels can be separately guided out by the branch guide arms 11 at the same level. And during the branching, it is not necessary to remove all other wafers located above the wafer 700.
[0068] It can be understood that, by the operator controlling the first control pin 131 to move along the first limiting groove 132 toward the side close to the outlet 12201, the first control pin 131 drives the sub-guide arm 11 to move toward the receiving wafer boat 900 via the carrying wafer boat 800, thereby transferring the wafer 700 located on the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900. And according to actual needs, the sub-guide arms 11 at different levels can be used to guide the wafers 700 at different levels.
[0069] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 Furthermore, the wafer branching equipment also includes an integral branching component 20.
[0070] The integral sub-guiding assembly 20 is arranged in a transversely slidable manner on the moving path of the sub-guiding arm 11, wherein at least one avoidance channel 201 is arranged on the integral sub-guiding assembly 20. Figure 6 As shown, the height of each of the avoidance channels 201 is at the same level as that of each of the branch guide arms 11, so that when the branch guide arms 11 slide laterally, each of the branch guide arms 11 can enter the first storage space 8001 from the first entrance 801 of the carrying wafer boat 800 through the corresponding avoidance channel 201, and then guide the wafer 700 located in the first storage space 8001 to the second storage space 9001 of the receiving wafer boat 900.
[0071] Specific reference Figure 6 The integral guide assembly 20 includes an integral guide member 21 and a driving member 22, wherein the integral guide member 21 forms the transverse avoidance channel 201. The driving member 22 is disposed on each guide arm 11 of the guide assembly 10 and is between the derivation end 111 of the guide arm 11 and the integral guide member 21. In addition, the driving member 22 is disposed on the path of movement of the integral guide member 21.
[0072] Preferably, the overall branch guide assembly 20 includes a plurality of driving members 22 arranged in the same row, that is, each driving member 22 is at the same distance from the leading end 111 of the branch guide arm 11, so that when the overall branch guide member 21 moves, the driving member 22 can move along with the movement of the overall branch guide member 21, thereby enabling all the branch guide arms 11 to synchronously push the wafers in the carrying wafer boat 800 to move to the receiving wafer boat 900. In this way, the wafer branch guide device can guide all the wafers 700 in the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900 at one time.
[0073] In one embodiment, the driving member 22 is implemented as a protrusion disposed on the branch guide arm 11, so that when the integral branch guide member 21 moves toward the wafer carrying boat 800, the integral branch guide member 21 gradually approaches the driving member 22, so that the integral branch guide member 21 drives the driving member 22 to slide together, and then all the branch guide arms 11 synchronously push the wafers in the wafer carrying boat 800 to move to the receiving boat 900. In this way, all the wafers 700 in the wafer carrying boat 800 are guided to the receiving boat 900 at one time.
[0074] Preferably, the driving member 22 can be telescopically arranged on the branch guide arm 11 along a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the branch guide arm 11. In this way, when only at least two wafers 700 in the carrying wafer boat 800 need to be guided to the receiving wafer boat 900, the driving member 22 on the branch guide arm 11 corresponding to the wafers to be guided can be extended, and the remaining driving members 22 can be retracted in the corresponding branch guide arm 11, and then when the integral branch guide member 21 moves, the branch guide arm 11 with the retracted driving member 22 can avoid the space for the integral branch guide member 21 to slide; and the branch guide arm 11 with the extended driving member 22 can be driven by the integral branch guide member 21 to slide toward the first storage space 8001 of the carrying wafer boat 800, so that the corresponding at least two wafers 700 are synchronously guided to the receiving wafer boat 900.
[0075] Preferably, the driving member 22 is configured as a telescopic pin structure, specifically comprising a spring and a telescopic pin, wherein the spring is sleeved on the telescopic pin, and the protruding portion of the telescopic pin forms the protrusion. When the telescopic pin is in a retracted state, the telescopic pin is entirely hidden in the sub-guide arm 11.
[0076] The integral sub-guiding assembly 20 further includes a push arm 23. Figure 3 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown. The body 121 of the guide body 12 is provided with a second slideway 1202 parallel to the first slideway 1201, wherein the integral sub-guide member 21 is fixed to the end of the push arm 23, and the push arm 23 is slidably provided on the second slideway 1202. Thus, when the push arm 23 is pushed, the integral sub-guide member 21 will also slide horizontally until the driving member 22 drives all the sub-guide arms 11 to push the wafers in the wafer carrying boat 800 to move.
[0077] It is worth mentioning that the size of the integral guide member 21 is configured to be suitable for sliding into the first storage space 8001 from the first entrance 801 of the wafer boat 800 .
[0078] In a modified embodiment, the integral guide member 21 of the integral guide assembly 20 includes a guide body 211 and an integral guide plate 212 , wherein the guide body 211 forms the second slideway 1202 , and the integral guide plate 212 forms the avoidance channel 201 .
[0079] refer to Figure 5 Preferably, the overall sub-guide assembly 20 also includes at least one second sliding control structure 24, and the pushing arm 23 is controllably connected to the second sliding control structure 24 to control the moving distance of the pushing arm 23 relative to the main body 121, thereby controlling the sliding distance of the overall sub-guide arm 11.
[0080] Specifically, the second sliding control structure 24 forms at least one second sliding groove 241 and at least one second limiting pin 242, and the second sliding groove 241 is formed in the body 121. The second sliding groove 241 is connected to the first slideway 1201, and the extension direction of the second sliding groove 241 is parallel to the moving direction of the sub-guide arm 11. One end of the second limiting pin 242 is connected to the pushing arm 23, and one end of the second limiting pin 242 away from the pushing arm 23 extends out of the second sliding groove 241, so that the operator can manipulate the second limiting pin 242 and control the sliding distance of the entire sub-guide arm 11 by controlling the pushing arm 23.
[0081] refer to Figure 4 In a preferred embodiment, the integral sub-guide assembly 20 further includes at least one integral reset assembly 25, and the integral reset assembly 25 is mounted on the body 121, and the integral reset assembly 25 is used to reset the integral sub-guide arm 11.
[0082] refer to Figure 4The overall reset assembly 25 includes a toggle 251, and the toggle 251 is installed on the body 121. The toggle 251 has an initial position. In the initial position, the toggle 251 is arranged at an end of the body 121 close to the outlet 12201. The toggle 251 pushes all the first control pins 131 close to the outlet 12201 to an end away from the outlet 12201, so as to reset the branch guide arm 11 as a whole. In this way, the toggle 251 moves from the initial position to an end away from the carrier wafer boat 800, so as to push the first control pins 131 close to the carrier wafer boat 800 to an end away from the carrier wafer boat 800, so as to achieve the reset of all the branch guide arms 11.
[0083] The integral reset assembly 25 further includes at least one sliding reset groove 252 , and the toggle member 251 is movably disposed in the sliding reset groove 252 . The sliding reset groove 252 is disposed between the toggle member 251 and the guide body 12 to limit the movement of the toggle member 251 .
[0084] The sliding reset groove 252 may be implemented as a third groove and a protrusion, and the protrusion is installed in the third groove to limit the movement of the toggle member 251 .
[0085] In one embodiment, the protrusion is disposed on a side of the toggle member 251 close to the guide body 12 , and the third groove is formed on a side of the guide body 12 close to the toggle member 251 .
[0086] It can be understood that, by the operator controlling the first control pin 131 to move along the first limiting groove 132 toward the side close to the outlet 12201, the sub-guide arm 11 moves toward the first storage space 8001 through the avoidance channel 201, so that the sub-guide arm 11 pushes the wafer 700 from the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900. The operator can control the movement of the sub-guide arms 11 at different heights to transfer the wafers 700 at different heights. The operator controls the second limit pin 242 to move along the second slide slot 241 toward the side close to the outlet 12201, and the second limit pin 242 drives the push arm 23 to move toward the outlet 12201. Subsequently, the push arm 23 drives the overall guide member 21 to move from the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900. Under the action of the drive member 22, the drive member 22 drives all the guide arms 11 that pass through the avoidance channel 201 to transfer the wafer 700 in the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900 as a whole. The wafer guide device can achieve the purpose of individual slicing and the operation of overall transfer.
[0087] Furthermore, the wafer de-dividing device further comprises a carrier 30. The carrier 30 forms a first carrier position and a second carrier position, wherein the first carrier position is used to carry the carrying wafer boat 800, and the second carrier position is used to carry the receiving wafer boat 900.
[0088] The sub-guiding assembly 10 is installed on the supporting seat 30 , and the supporting seat 30 is used to support the wafer boat assembly, the sub-guiding assembly 10 and the overall sub-guiding assembly 20 .
[0089] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Fig. 9 and Fig.10 , see in particular 5 and Fig. 9 Furthermore, the wafer guide device further includes at least one foolproof mechanism 40. The foolproof mechanism 40 includes at least one stop block 41 and a belt shift assembly 42. The stop block 41 is arranged to extend along the direction in which the plurality of guide arms 11 are arranged. Specifically, in at least one embodiment, the stop block 41 is arranged to extend along the vertical direction. The stop block 41 is arranged on the support seat 30 in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shift assembly 42 and can switch between a state of moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 and a state of returning to the moving path of the derivation end 111. Therefore, when the belt shift assembly 42 drives the stop block 41 to move, the stop block 41 moves away from the moving path of the derivation end 111, thereby allowing the derivation end 111 to pass over the position of the stop block 41 and extend into the first storage space 8001 of the wafer boat 800.
[0090] Preferably, the belt moving assembly 42 is disposed at the edge of the first carrying position, so that when the wafer boat 800 is placed at the first carrying position, the belt moving assembly 42 is triggered to drive the stop block 41 to move.
[0091] Specifically, in one embodiment, the belt moving assembly 42 includes at least one sliding block 421, a connecting rod 422 and an elastic member 423. The stop block 41 and the sliding block 421 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the connecting rod 422, and the elastic member 423 is disposed between the sliding block 421 and the blocking wall formed by the bearing seat 30.
[0092] The sliding block 421 can be slidably disposed on the bearing seat 30 along a transverse direction perpendicular to the direction in which the branch guide arm 11 moves. That is, when the sliding block 421 is pushed to move toward the edge of the bearing seat 30, the elastic member 423 is compressed, and at the same time, the connecting rod 422 whose end is fixed to the sliding block 421 is also driven, thereby enabling the stopper 41 to switch between a state of moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 and a state of returning to the moving path of the derivation end 111.
[0093] The sliding block 421 is arranged at the boundary of the second bearing position or the boundary of the first bearing position. Preferably, the sliding block 421 is arranged at the boundary of the second bearing position, and when the receiving wafer boat 900 is placed at the second bearing position, the sliding block 421 is squeezed away by the receiving wafer boat 900 and slides toward the edge of the bearing seat 30. Accordingly, the elastic member 423 is compressed to make the sliding block 421 press the receiving wafer boat 900. At the same time, the stopper 41 is also correspondingly moved away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 under the drive of the connecting rod 422, thereby allowing the branch guide arm 11 to branch the wafers 700 in the carrying wafer boat 800.
[0094] It can be understood that, only when the receiving wafer boat 900 is placed correspondingly at the second carrying position, the stop block 41 will move away from the moving path of the derivation end 111. When the receiving wafer boat 900 is not placed at the second carrying position, the derivation end 111 of the branch guide arm 11 is blocked by the stop block 41 and cannot extend into the first storage space 8001. Therefore, the foolproof mechanism 40 can effectively prevent the user from operating the branch guide arm 11 when forgetting to place the carrying wafer boat 800. In this way, it can prevent the wafer 700 from falling from the carrying wafer boat 800 due to the operation of the branch guide arm 11 when there is no carrying wafer boat 800.
[0095] Preferably, the foolproof mechanism 40 includes two stoppers 41 and two belt-moving assemblies 42, and each stopper 41 is arranged on the bearing seat 30 in a manner that it can be driven by the belt-moving assembly 42 and can switch between a state of moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 and a state of returning to the moving path of the derivation end 111. The two stoppers 41 after moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 are respectively maintained on both sides of the branch guide arm 11, and the distance between the two stoppers 41 after moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 is set to allow the branch guide arm 11 to pass through. After moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111, the distance between the two stoppers 41 is set to allow the integral branch guide member 21 to pass through.
[0096] In this way, the branch guide arm 11 and / or the integral branch guide member 21 can be operated only when the carrying wafer boat 800 and the receiving wafer boat 900 are respectively carried at the first carrying position and the second carrying position at the same time. This can effectively prevent the operator from making an erroneous operation when the first carrying position does not carry the carrying wafer boat 800 and / or the second carrying position does not carry the receiving wafer boat 900, thereby protecting the wafer 700.
[0097] At least one sliding slot 301 is formed on the bearing seat 30, and the sliding block 421 is slidably disposed in the sliding slot 301, so that the sliding block 421 can slide along the extension direction of the sliding slot 301. In other words, the extension direction of the sliding slot 301 is set to be consistent with the sliding direction of the sliding block 421, and the sliding slot 301 is set to pass through the top and bottom of the bearing seat 30. The belt shifting assembly 42 is disposed at the bottom of the bearing seat 30 to prevent the linkage of the belt shifting assembly 42 from interfering with the carrying wafer boat 800 and / or the receiving wafer boat 900.
[0098] The foolproof mechanism 40 further includes at least one position-limiting member 43, wherein the position-limiting member 43 is disposed at the edge of the first bearing position and / or the edge of the second bearing position of the bearing seat 30. The position-limiting member 43 and the sliding block 421 of the belt shifting assembly 42 form a size-adjustable bayonet at the first bearing position and / or the second bearing position, so that when the carrying wafer boat 800 and / or the receiving wafer boat 900 are placed at the corresponding first vehicle-mounting position and / or the second bearing position, the carrying wafer boat 800 and / or the receiving wafer boat 900 can be clamped at the corresponding position. In this way, the first placement groove 803 on the carrying wafer boat 800 and the second placement groove 903 on the receiving wafer boat 900 at the same height as the first placement groove 803 can be aligned in the sliding direction of the wafer 700. In this way, it can be ensured that the wafer 700 will not be blocked and crushed due to the misalignment of the second placement groove 903 and the first placement groove 803 during the process of sliding from the carrying wafer boat 800 to the receiving wafer boat 900.
[0099] In other words, in this embodiment, providing the fool-proof mechanism 40 can help align the first placement groove 803 and the second placement groove 903 .
[0100] The limiting component 43 includes a fixing block 431 , wherein the fixing block 431 is fixed to an edge of the first bearing position and / or an edge of the second bearing position.
[0101] refer to Fig. 9 , 10 and Fig.11 Preferably, the limiting member 43 includes a movable block 431A, a spring 432 and a sliding rod 433, wherein the movable block 431A is arranged at the edge of the first bearing position and / or the edge of the second bearing position, wherein the sliding rod 433 is arranged on the bearing seat 30, wherein the spring 432 is compressed and maintained between the movable block 431A and the stopper on the bearing seat 30, so as to enable the movable block 431A to switch between a state of returning to the edge of the first bearing position and / or the edge of the second bearing position and a position away from the edge of the first bearing position and / or the edge of the second bearing position, wherein when the movable block 431A is away from the edge of the first bearing position and / or the edge of the second bearing position, the carrying wafer boat 800 or the receiving wafer boat 900 is clamped.
[0102] Preferably, the limiting member 43 and the sliding block 421 surround the edge of the first carrying position and / or the edge of the second carrying position, so that the carrying wafer boat 800 and the receiving wafer boat 900 can be guided to the position corresponding to the branch guide arm 11 by the limiting member 43 and the sliding block 421. In other words, the foolproof mechanism 40 is also defined as a guide mechanism.
[0103] Preferably, the anti-idiot mechanism 40 is provided with two limiting members 43, wherein one of the limiting members 43 is arranged at a position opposite to one of the sliding blocks 421 to form a size-adjustable bayonet with the sliding block 421, and the other limiting member 43 is arranged at a position opposite to another of the sliding blocks 421 to form another size-adjustable bayonet with the other of the sliding blocks 421.
[0104] When the carrying crystal boat 800 and the receiving crystal boat 900 are both placed at the first carrying position and the second carrying position, the two sliding blocks 421 are respectively squeezed by the carrying crystal boat 800 and the receiving crystal boat 900 and move toward the edge of the carrying seat 30. On the one hand, the stop block 41 will be driven by the belt shifting assembly 42 to move away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 to make room for the sliding of the guide arm 11; on the other hand, the carrying crystal boat 800 and the receiving crystal boat 900 will both be stuck in the corresponding first carrying position and the second carrying position, thereby ensuring that the second placement groove 903 is aligned with the first placement groove 803.
[0105] According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a working method of a wafer demultiplexing device, the working method of the wafer demultiplexing device comprising:
[0106] A first carrying position is formed on the carrying seat 30 for carrying the carrying wafer boat 800 loaded with the wafers to be branched;
[0107] The wafer boat 800 carried on the first carrying position is driven by a belt shifting assembly 42 to move the stop block 41 to avoid a space for the branch guide arm 11 carried on the wafer boat 800 to move, wherein the stop block 41 is arranged to extend along the direction in which the plurality of branch guide arms 11 are arranged, and the stop block 41 is arranged on the carrying seat 30 in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shifting assembly 42 and can switch between a state of moving away from the moving path of the derivation end 111 and a state of returning to the moving path of the derivation end 111, wherein each branch guide arm 11 corresponds to the wafer 700 of the first placement slot 803 of the wafer boat 800;
[0108] The branch guide arm 11 is pushed, thereby branching out the wafer 700 corresponding to the pushed branch guide arm 11 and located in the first placement groove 803 of the wafer boat 800 .
[0109] According to another aspect of the present invention, the receiving wafer boat 900 and the carrying wafer boat 800 can be aligned with the moving path of the branch guide arm 11 of the branch guide assembly 10 on the carrying seat 30 by means of the foolproof mechanism 40. Specifically, when the receiving wafer boat 900 and the carrying wafer boat 800 are placed at the first carrying position and the second carrying position respectively at the same time, the sliding block 421 and the limiting member 43 of the belt shifting assembly 42 can guide the carrying wafer boat 800 and the receiving wafer boat 900 to the position aligned with the moving path of the branch guide arm 11.
[0110] Thus, in a preferred embodiment, when the sub-guide arm 11 is sliding, the sliding path of the sub-guide arm 11 can always be maintained on the straight line where the diameter of the wafer 700 carried in the wafer carrying boat 800 is located. Thus, the wafer 700 in the wafer carrying boat 800 will not be damaged due to uneven force.
[0111] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention described above and shown in the accompanying drawings are only examples and do not limit the present invention. The advantages of the present invention have been fully and effectively achieved. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been demonstrated and explained in the embodiments, and the embodiments of the present invention may be deformed or modified in any way without departing from the principles.
Claims
1. A wafer guide device, used for guiding at least one wafer out of a wafer carrier boat through a guide arm of at least one guide assembly, wherein the guide assembly comprises a guide body and a plurality of guide arms spaced apart, wherein each guide arm has a guide end, wherein the guide arm can be slidably arranged on the guide body in parallel, the wafer carrier boat has a first inlet, a first outlet and a first storage space connected to the first inlet and the first outlet, at least one group of first placement grooves is formed on the inner wall of the wafer carrier boat forming the first storage space, wherein the first placement grooves extend in a transverse direction and are between the first inlet and the first outlet, for placing the wafer, characterized in that: The wafer de-conducting equipment comprises: A bearing seat, wherein the bearing seat forms a first bearing position for bearing the bearing wafer boat, wherein the bearing seat forms a second bearing position for bearing and receiving the wafer boat; At least two guide mechanisms, each of which includes at least one stop block, a belt shift assembly and at least two limit members, the stop block is arranged to extend along the direction in which the plurality of sub-guide arms are arranged, the stop block is arranged on the bearing seat in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shift assembly and can switch between a state of moving away from the moving path of the derivation end and a state of returning to the moving path of the derivation end, so that when the belt shift assembly drives the stop block to move, the stop block moves away from the moving path of the derivation end, thereby allowing the derivation end to pass the position of the stop block and extend into the first storage space of the bearing wafer boat, the belt shift assembly includes at least one sliding block, a connecting rod and an elastic member, the stop block and the sliding block They are respectively fixed at both ends of the connecting rod, and the elastic member is arranged between the blocking wall formed by the sliding block and the bearing seat, the sliding block can be slidably arranged on the bearing seat along the lateral direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the branch guide arm, one of the sliding blocks of the belt shifting assembly is arranged at the edge of the majority first bearing position, and another sliding block of the belt shifting assembly is arranged at the edge of the second bearing position, one of the limiting members is arranged at a position opposite to one of the sliding blocks to form a size-adjustable bayonet with the sliding block, and the other limiting member is arranged at a position opposite to the other sliding block to form another size-adjustable bayonet with the other sliding block.
2. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The guiding mechanism includes two stop blocks and two belt shift assemblies, each of the stop blocks is arranged on the bearing seat in a manner that it can be driven by the belt shift assembly and can switch between a state of moving away from the derivation end moving path and a state of returning to the derivation end moving path, and the two stop blocks after moving away from the derivation end moving path are respectively maintained on both sides of the sub-guide arm, and the spacing between the two stop blocks after moving away from the derivation end moving path is set to allow the sub-guide arm to pass through.
3. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer guide device includes an overall guide assembly, and the overall guide assembly includes an overall guide part and a plurality of driving members arranged in the same row, wherein the overall guide part forms a group of avoidance channels, wherein the height of each avoidance channel is at the same horizontal height as each guide arm, so that when the guide arm slides laterally, each guide arm can enter the first storage space from the first entrance of the wafer boat through the corresponding avoidance channel, and the driving member is arranged on each guide arm of the guide assembly and between the derivation end of the guide arm and the overall guide part, wherein the driving member is arranged on the movement path of the overall guide part, so that when the overall guide part moves, the driving member can move together with the movement of the overall guide part.
4. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving member is implemented as a protrusion arranged on the branch guide arm.
5. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The driving member can be telescopically arranged on the branch guide arm along a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the branch guide arm.
6. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide body includes a body and at least one first movement limiting structure, the body forms a first slide, the first movement limiting structure is arranged on the guide body, the guide body defines at least one outlet connected to the first slide, wherein the outlet is connected to the first inlet, the branch guide arm is movably installed on the first movement limiting structure along the extension direction of the first movement limiting structure, the branch guide assembly includes at least one first sliding control structure, the branch guide arm is fixedly connected to the first sliding control structure, the first sliding control structure includes at least one control pin and at least one limiting groove, the limiting groove is formed on the The main body, and the limit groove is connected to the first slide, the extension direction of the limit groove is parallel to the moving direction of the branch guide arm, the limit groove is used to limit the moving direction of the control pin, one end of the control pin is connected to the branch guide arm, and the end of the control pin away from the branch guide arm extends out of the limit groove, so that the operator can operate the branch guide arm, the integral branch guide assembly also includes a pushing arm, the main body of the guide body is provided with a second slide parallel to the first slide, wherein the integral branch guide is fixed to the end of the pushing arm, and the pushing arm is slidably arranged on the second slide.
7. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The integral sub-guide assembly also includes at least one second sliding control structure, and the push arm is controllably connected to the second sliding control structure to control the moving distance of the push arm relative to the body, thereby controlling the sliding distance of the integral sub-guide arm.
8. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The second sliding control structure forms at least one second sliding groove and at least one second limit pin, the second sliding groove is formed on the main body, wherein the second sliding groove is connected to the first slide, the extension direction of the second sliding groove is parallel to the moving direction of the branch guide, one end of the second limit pin is connected to the pushing arm, and the second limit extends out of the second sliding groove at one end away from the pushing arm.
9. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The integral branch guide assembly includes at least one integral reset assembly, which is mounted on the body and used to reset the integral branch guide arm.
10. The wafer demultiplexing device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The integral reset assembly includes a toggle member and a sliding reset groove, wherein the toggle member is mounted on the main body and has an initial position. In the initial position, the toggle member is disposed at an end of the main body close to the outlet, and the toggle member is movably disposed in the sliding reset groove, and the sliding reset groove is disposed between the toggle member and the guide body.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Crystal boat converter
CN102543794A
Open type wafer box adapter
CN111710637A