Wafer pick-and-place device and handling robot

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer taking and placing device and a carrying manipulator, wherein the wafer taking and placing device comprises a plurality of finger assemblies and a distance adjusting device, and the distance between the finger assemblies can be adjusted. The finger assembly comprises a wafer fork, the wafer fork can be overlapped during up-down movement, and the overlapped wafer fork can only carry one wafer. Each wafer fork comprises two fingers, and the upper surface of each finger forms a corrugated structure. A plurality of suction channels and cleaning channels are formed in the finger, each suction channel is connected with a plurality of suction holes vertically penetrating through the wave crest, and each cleaning channel is connected with a plurality of cleaning holes obliquely penetrating through the wave trough. The distance between the wafer forks can be adjusted and the wafer forks can be used in an overlapped mode, so that the taking and placing requirements of wafers with different wafer numbers can be met. In addition, the fingers for placing wafers are integrated with multiple functions, so that the stability and cleanliness of wafer taking and placing are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer transport equipment technology, and more particularly to a wafer pick-and-place device and a handling robot. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafers need to be transferred between different workstations, which involves moving wafers between different wafer cassettes. To ensure high efficiency, consistency, and stability in the wafer transfer process, wafer handling is often performed by highly automated robotic arms. These robotic arms are equipped with wafer pick-and-place devices at their end effectors.

[0003] Wafer pick-and-place devices are classified by clamping method into clamping type and vacuum adsorption type, and by the number of wafer forks into single-fork and multi-fork types. Multi-fork wafer pick-and-place devices can be further classified by the spacing between the wafer forks into variable-spacing and fixed-spacing types. However, existing wafer pick-and-place devices have relatively limited functionality. Different devices are required for different wafer pick-and-place needs, significantly reducing wafer transfer efficiency and increasing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, the present invention aims to provide a wafer pick-and-place device with adjustable and stackable inter-wafer fork spacing to meet the pick-and-place requirements of various wafer counts. Furthermore, the wafer placement fingers integrate multiple functions, improving the stability and cleanliness of wafer pick-and-place operations.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: a wafer pick-and-place device, comprising multiple finger assemblies and a distance adjustment device, wherein each distance adjustment device can only drive one finger assembly to move vertically relative to other finger assemblies; each finger assembly includes a fork, and multiple forks can overlap during vertical movement, wherein the overlapped fork can only handle one wafer, and the wafer pick-and-place device can realize single-wafer handling or multi-wafer handling of continuous or discontinuous wafers after the forks overlap.

[0006] Each of the forks includes two fingers, with a limiting block and a clamping block extending upwards at both ends of each finger along its length direction, and the upper surface of each finger has at least one crest and at least one trough extending along its length direction, the crests and troughs being connected in sequence to form a corrugated structure; the finger is provided with a plurality of adsorption channels and cleaning channels, each adsorption channel being connected to a plurality of adsorption holes that perpendicularly pass through the crest, and each cleaning channel being connected to a plurality of cleaning holes that obliquely pass through the trough.

[0007] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Firstly, the spacing between the wafer forks can be adjusted by the adjusting device to accommodate wafers at different distances. Simultaneously, the wafer forks can overlap during vertical movement, and the overlapped forks function as a single fork, allowing for flexible adjustment of the number of wafer forks in the wafer handling device, suitable for handling different numbers of wafers. Secondly, the wafer placement fingers employ a corrugated structure, enhancing their strength and reducing their weight. Furthermore, the clamping function of the limiting block / clamping block and the vacuum adsorption function of the adsorption holes can be combined to handle wafers, improving stability. Combined with the cleaning holes for regular cleaning of the fingers, the risk of wafer contamination is reduced. This broadens the application range of the fingers.

[0008] Furthermore, the adsorption pores located on the same wave crest are all connected to an adsorption channel, which extends along the length of the finger and is located directly below the wave crest. Placing the adsorption channel in a thicker area reduces the difficulty of processing the adsorption channel, and the axis of the adsorption channel is perpendicular to the axis of the adsorption pore.

[0009] Furthermore, a vacuum adsorption tube is inserted within the adsorption channel, and this tube is connected to an adsorption branch tube that extends into the adsorption hole. The upper end of the adsorption branch tube is not higher than the upper end of the wave crest. This increased piping allows negative pressure to be delivered, reducing negative pressure leakage. The upper end of the adsorption branch tube not being higher than the upper end of the wave crest ensures that the adsorption branch tube will not protrude beyond the fingers, causing unevenness on the wafer. Moreover, to minimize negative pressure loss, the adsorption branch tube is flush with the upper end of the wave crest, allowing it to directly contact the lower end of the wafer for adsorption.

[0010] Furthermore, the cleaning hole has a chamfered end near the trough, and the chamfer is a conical structure. The chamfer increases the area on which particles enter the cleaning hole, making it easier for particles to be smoothly sucked into the cleaning hole.

[0011] Furthermore, one of the cleaning channels connects to the cleaning holes at two adjacent troughs, and the cleaning channel extends along the length of the finger and is located directly below the crest. This ensures that one cleaning channel can clean both troughs of the finger, thus improving cleanliness. Positioning the cleaning channel directly below the crest, i.e., in a thicker area, reduces the difficulty of processing the cleaning channel. The axis of the cleaning channel is perpendicular to the axes of the cleaning holes on both sides it connects to.

[0012] To reduce the thickness of the fork, the cleaning channel and the adsorption channel are spaced apart; that is, if an adsorption channel is placed below one wave crest, a cleaning channel is placed below the two adjacent wave crests. This also allows for the alternating placement of the adsorption holes and cleaning holes.

[0013] Furthermore, a cleaning pipe is installed inside the cleaning channel, and the cleaning pipe is connected to a cleaning branch pipe that can extend into the cleaning hole.

[0014] Furthermore, the forks have the same thickness, and the upper surfaces of the overlapping forks are at the same height. This allows for the simultaneous handling of a wafer by the overlapping forks, improving stability. Moreover, by limiting the position of the overlapping forks, it ensures that the overlapping forks form a completely nested structure on a horizontal plane, preventing interference with other forks.

[0015] Furthermore, the fork also includes a stacking portion and a fixing portion. The fixing portion is used for fixed connection with the finger clip, and the stacking portion is used to connect two fingers and is located between the fixing portion and the fingers. The stacking portion has stacking grooves on both its upper and lower vertical surfaces, which allow the stacking portions to interlock with each other. The stacking portion of one fork can be inserted into the stacking groove of the stacking portion of another fork.

[0016] Furthermore, the spacing between the two fingers of each fork is not uniform, and the center lines of the two fingers of each fork coincide. When viewed vertically, the fingers do not overlap, exhibiting a nested shape, with the two outermost fingers accommodating the other fingers.

[0017] Furthermore, the stacking portion includes a connecting arm located between two fingers and an extension arm extending along the connecting arm toward the fixing portion, with a stacking groove formed in at least one of the connecting arm and the extension arm. For the fork with the largest distance between the two fingers, the stacking groove is directly formed on the connecting arm; for other forks, the stacking groove is formed on the connecting arm.

[0018] The projections of the connecting arms on the same horizontal plane do not overlap, and the projections of the fixing parts on the same horizontal plane also do not overlap. That is, when multiple forks are viewed from a vertical direction, the connecting arms and the fixing parts do not overlap, ensuring that the upper surfaces of the overlapping forks are at the same height.

[0019] Furthermore, the distance adjustment device corresponds one-to-one with the finger assembly, and the distance adjustment device can drive the corresponding finger assembly to move up and down.

[0020] Furthermore, the finger component is fixed in place, while the other finger components are each connected to a corresponding distance adjustment device. In this case, one finger component can be fixed in place, eliminating the need for one distance adjustment device. With the fixed finger component as a reference, the other finger components can still move up and down in the vertical direction under the drive of the distance adjustment device, thus still achieving distance adjustment between any two finger components.

[0021] Furthermore, it also includes a frame, which comprises an upright plate and a shell open at one end. The upright plate is vertically fixed to the opening of the shell, and a receiving cavity is defined between the upright plate and the shell. The adjusting device is located within the receiving cavity, and the finger assembly is located outside the receiving cavity. This effectively protects the adjusting device.

[0022] Furthermore, the adjusting device includes a drive component and a lead screw. The lead screw is vertically positioned and can rotate along its own axis under the drive of the drive component. A nut seat is threaded onto the lead screw, and the nut seat is fixedly connected to the finger assembly. When the lead screw rotates, it drives the nut seat to move in the vertical direction, thereby causing the finger assembly to move up and down.

[0023] Furthermore, the output shaft of the drive component is perpendicular to the lead screw, and a first bevel tooth is fixed to the output shaft. A second bevel tooth that meshes with the first bevel tooth is fixed to the lead screw. This saves space in the vertical direction of the entire device.

[0024] Furthermore, a slider that moves up and down synchronously with the nut seat is fixed on the nut seat. The slider is fixedly connected to the finger assembly. The upright frame is provided with a slide rail for the slider to slide on, and a channel is provided on the upright plate along the sliding direction of the slider. The slider passes through the channel and its two ends are fixedly connected to the nut seat and the finger assembly, respectively. When the drive unit is activated, it can drive the nut seat to move up and down, thus causing the slider to move up and down synchronously. Due to the guiding effect of the slide rail, the stability of the slider's movement is improved, which in turn improves the stability of the finger assembly's movement.

[0025] The present invention also discloses a handling robot, including a robot body and the aforementioned wafer pick-and-place device, wherein the wafer pick-and-place device is fixed on the robot body and can move under the drive of the robot body. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of five overlapping forks in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of five fork-shaped plates in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 for Figure 5Enlarged view of point A in the image;

[0032] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fork in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point B in the image;

[0034] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of a finger in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the five-pronged fork in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fork three in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 12 This is an exploded view of the distance adjustment device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the slider structure in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the state in which the pick-and-place device overlaps to form three forks in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the state in which the pick-and-place device overlaps to form four forks in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the overlapping state of the pick-and-place device forming a fork in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] In the picture:

[0043] 1. Frame; 11. Uprights; 111. Guide channel; 12. Outer shell; 13. Gap;

[0044] 2. Finger assembly; 21. Finger clip; 211. Movable finger clip; 212. Fixed finger clip; 22. Fork; 221. Finger; 221a. Crest; 221b. Trough; 2211. Adsorption channel; 2212. Adsorption hole; 2213. Cleaning channel; 2214. Cleaning hole; 222. Connecting arm; 223. Extension arm; 224. Fixing part; 225. Reinforcing arm; 226. Limiting block; 227. Clamping block; 2281. Vacuum adsorption tube; 2281. Adsorption branch tube; 2291. Cleaning tube; 2292. Cleaning branch tube;

[0045] 3. Adjustment device; 31. Drive component; 32. Lead screw; 33. Nut seat; 34. First bevel gear; 35. Second bevel gear; 36. Upper bearing seat; 37. Lower bearing seat;

[0046] 4. Slide rail; 5. Slider; 51. Fixing plate one; 52. Fixing plate two; 53. Connecting plate; 54. Sliding part. Detailed Implementation

[0047] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present invention can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, thereby providing a clearer and more explicit definition of the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] See appendix Figure 3 As shown, a wafer pick-and-place device of the present invention is used for picking up and placing wafers. It includes finger assemblies 2 and spacing adjustment devices 3. Multiple finger assemblies 2 are provided, and the spacing between them is adjustable. Multiple spacing adjustment devices 3 are provided, and each spacing adjustment device 3 can only drive one finger assembly 2 to move vertically relative to the other finger assemblies 2, thereby changing the spacing between the finger assemblies 2. That is, each finger assembly 2 can be driven individually.

[0049] The finger assemblies 2 are parallel to each other and can be inserted into the wafer loading cassette to pick up and place wafers. Each wafer loading cassette has multiple slots evenly distributed along its height. Wafers are inserted into the slots, with only one wafer allowed in each slot. However, since not every slot contains a wafer, the spacing between the wafers within the wafer loading cassette varies. The spacing between the finger assemblies 2 is adjusted using the spacing adjustment device 3 to match the spacing within the wafer loading cassette.

[0050] In one embodiment, the distance adjustment device 3 and the finger assembly 2 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The distance adjustment device 3 is fixedly connected to the corresponding finger assembly 2 and can drive the corresponding finger assembly 2 to move back and forth in a straight line in the vertical direction, so as to adjust the distance between the finger assemblies 2 according to actual needs.

[0051] In one embodiment, see Appendix Figure 2As shown, one finger component 2 is fixed in place, while the remaining finger components 2 are connected to corresponding adjusting devices 3. That is, the number of adjusting devices 3 is one less than the number of finger components 2. In this case, one finger component 2 can remain fixed, eliminating the need for one adjusting device 3. Using the fixed finger component 2 as a reference, the other finger components 2 can still move vertically under the drive of the adjusting devices 3, allowing for adjustment of the distance between any two finger components 2. For ease of adjustment, the fixed finger component 2 is usually the bottommost or topmost finger component 2. This allows for easy adjustment of the distance between the finger components 2 using this fixed finger component 2 as a reference.

[0052] See appendix Figure 2 As shown, taking a five-finger assembly 2 as an example, in this embodiment, the bottommost finger assembly 2 is fixed to a frame 1 and is located on the outside of the frame 1. The other four finger assemblies 2 are each connected to a corresponding adjustment device 3.

[0053] See appendix Figure 3 and Figure 12 As shown, the adjusting device 3 is installed inside the frame 1, including a lead screw 32 and a drive component 31 that drives the lead screw 32 to rotate along its own axis. The lead screw 32 is vertically arranged and has a nut seat 33 threadedly connected to it. The finger assembly 2 is threadedly connected to the nut seat 33. When the lead screw 32 rotates, it can drive the nut seat 33 to move in the vertical direction, thereby driving the finger assembly 2 to move up and down.

[0054] Of course, the adjusting device 3 can also be a linear drive component 31 such as a cylinder or electric cylinder, which can push the finger assembly 2 to move linearly in the vertical direction.

[0055] In one embodiment, the driving component 31 is a motor, the output shaft of which is directly connected to the lead screw 32. The output shaft of the motor is coaxial with the lead screw 32 and directly drives the lead screw 32 to rotate.

[0056] However, in this embodiment, in order to save space, the motor and the lead screw 32 are arranged vertically and connected by a linkage component. In this way, the motor and the lead screw 32 are arranged vertically, saving the space of the entire pick-and-place device in the vertical direction.

[0057] The linkage assembly includes a first bevel gear 34 and a second bevel gear 35 that mesh with each other. The first bevel gear 34 is fixed to the output shaft of the motor, and the second bevel gear 35 is sleeved on the lead screw 32 and fixedly connected to the lead screw 32. When the motor operates, it drives the first bevel gear 34 to rotate. Since the second bevel gear 35 meshes with the first bevel gear 34, the second bevel gear 35 will rotate synchronously, thereby driving the lead screw 32, which is fixed to the second bevel gear 35, to rotate. The linkage between the motor and the lead screw 32 in the vertical direction saves space.

[0058] In one embodiment, to improve the stability of the lead screw 32's rotation, a bearing housing assembly corresponding to the lead screw 32 is also provided inside the frame 1. The bearing housing assembly includes an upper bearing housing 36 and a lower bearing shaft spaced apart vertically, and the lead screw 32 is rotatably connected between the upper bearing housing 36 and the lower bearing housing 37. The lower end of the lead screw 32 passes through the lower bearing shaft and is fixed to the second bevel tooth 35. A nut seat 33 is sleeved on the lead screw 32 between the upper bearing housing 36 and the lower bearing housing 37.

[0059] See appendix Figure 1-3 As shown, the frame 1 includes a vertical plate 11 and a housing 12 with an opening at one end. The vertical plate 11 is vertically fixed to the opening of the housing 12, and a receiving cavity is formed between the vertical plate 11 and the housing 12. The adjusting devices 3 are all located within the receiving cavity. The finger assembly 2 is located on the side of the vertical plate 11 away from the housing 12, that is, outside the receiving cavity. The receiving cavity effectively protects the adjusting devices 3.

[0060] In one embodiment, a guide component is further provided between the nut seat 33 and the finger assembly 2, see Appendix Figure 3 As shown, the wire assembly includes a slider 5 fixed to the nut seat 33 and moving up and down synchronously. One end of the slider 5 passes through the frame 1 and is fixedly connected to the finger assembly 2. The frame 1 is provided with a slide rail 4 for the slider 5 to slide. The slide rail 4 is located on the side wall of the upright plate 11 within the accommodating cavity. When the motor is activated, it drives the nut seat 33 to move up and down, thus causing the slider 5 to move up and down synchronously. Due to the guiding effect of the slide rail 4, the stability of the slider 5's movement is improved, which in turn improves the stability of the finger assembly 2's movement.

[0061] See appendix Figure 2 As shown, two sliders 5 located on both sides extend from both ends of the upright plate 11 to one side of the upright plate 11. A gap 13 is left between the two ends of the upright plate 11 and the outer casing 12 for the two sliders 5 on both sides to pass through. A guide channel 111 is also provided on the upright plate 11, which is arranged along the sliding direction of the sliders 5. The guide channel 111 connects the placement cavity and the external space, and other sliders 5 can pass through the guide channel 111 and be fixedly connected to the finger assembly 2.

[0062] Of course, channels for the sliders 5 on both sides to pass through can also be directly opened on the upright plate 11, in which case there is no need to leave a gap 13 between the upright plate 11 and the outer shell 12. The channels can be set to correspond to the sliders 5, that is, one slider 5 corresponds to one channel, or two sliders 5 can pass through one channel, as long as each slider 5 can extend to the outside of the placement cavity.

[0063] See attached document Figure 2As shown, in one embodiment, when there are four sliders 5, the two sliders 5 located on both sides can extend from the gap 13 out of the upright plate 11, while the two middle sliders 5 pass through a channel. The channel can also be flexibly set according to the number of sliders 5, as long as the ends of the sliders 5 can pass through the upright plate 11.

[0064] See appendix Figure 13 As shown, the slider 5 has a gate-shaped structure, including a first fixing plate 51, a second fixing plate 52, and a connecting plate 53 connecting the first fixing plate 51 and the second fixing plate 52. The first fixing plate 51 and the second fixing plate 52 are arranged in parallel. A sliding part 54 is fixed on the first fixing plate 51. The sliding part 54 and the first fixing plate 51 are detachably connected. It is sleeved on the slide rail 4 and can slide along the slide rail 4. The second fixing plate 52 is fixedly connected to the finger assembly 2, while the connecting plate 53 passes through the gap 13 or the channel and can slide within the gap 13 or the channel.

[0065] In operation, the wafer pick-and-place device is initially positioned. It then identifies the wafer position within the first wafer cassette, which is determined by sensors in the wafer detection device. Next, the device adjusts the spacing between the finger assemblies 2, i.e., adjusts their height, to match the wafer position within the first wafer cassette. During this process, all drive units 31 communicate with the controller, which in turn communicates with the sensors in the wafer detection device. After the wafer detection device's sensors acquire the wafer position information, they transmit it to the controller, which then controls the drive units 31 to adjust the finger assemblies 2 to the matching height. The robotic arm drives the wafer pick-and-place device to move, and the finger assemblies 2 grip the corresponding wafer within the first wafer cassette.

[0066] Next, the position of the slot for the wafer to be placed in the second wafer loading cassette is identified. The position of the slot in the second wafer loading cassette is identified by the sensors of the wafer inspection device. Then, the wafer pick-and-place device adjusts the spacing between the finger assemblies 2, i.e., adjusts the height of the finger assemblies 2, to match the height of the slot in the second wafer loading cassette. During this process, all drive components 31 are communicatively connected to the controller, and the controller is communicatively connected to the sensors of the wafer inspection device. After the sensors of the wafer inspection device identify and collect the position information of the slot in the second wafer loading cassette, they transmit it to the controller. The controller then controls the drive components 31 to rotate, adjusting the finger assemblies 2 to the height matching the slot. The robotic arm drives the wafer pick-and-place device to move, and the finger assemblies 2 place the picked-up wafer into the second wafer loading cassette. This completes the wafer pick-and-place process.

[0067] The wafer inspection device is existing technology, used to detect the position and presence of wafers. The sensors of the wafer inspection device are infrared sensor transmitters and receivers fixed on the wafer inspection device, which will not be described in detail here.

[0068] The finger assembly 2 includes a fork 22 and a finger clip 21 that are fixedly connected and correspond to each other. The fork 22 is used to grip the wafer, and the finger clip 21 is fixedly connected to the adjustment device 3 or the frame 1. In this embodiment, one finger clip 21 is a fixed finger clip 212, which is fixedly connected to the upright plate 11, and the other finger clips 21 are movable finger clips 211, which are fixedly connected to the corresponding sliders 5.

[0069] However, in some cases, the required number of forks 22 is less than the number of forks 22 set on the wafer pick-and-place device. That is, when the number of wafers in the wafer cassette is less than the number of forks 22, the wafer pick-and-place device will assume that all forks 22 have wafers, leading to transmission and processing errors and losses. Therefore, a wafer pick-and-place device with the same number of forks 22 as the number of wafers in the wafer cassette is required. For example, if there are 5 forks 22, but only 1-4 wafers in the wafer cassette, at least one fork 22 will inevitably have no wafers to pick or place, which will affect wafer processing, necessitating replacement of the wafer pick-and-place device.

[0070] Therefore, in one embodiment, the forks 22 can overlap during vertical movement, and the overlapping forks 22 form a single fork 22 for use. That is, the overlapping forks 22 can only pick up and place one wafer, making the number of forks 22 after the transformation the same as the number of wafers. Furthermore, after the forks 22 overlap, the wafer pick-and-place device can realize single-wafer or multi-wafer handling, whether continuous or discontinuous. The overlapping combination and position of the forks 22 can be flexibly adjusted according to the number and position of the wafers in the wafer loading cassette. The wafer pick-and-place device can pick up and place wafers no more than the number of forks 22, and because the forks 22 can overlap, it can pick up and place both continuous and discontinuous wafers in the wafer loading cassette.

[0071] For example, in this embodiment, when there are only 3 wafers, 3 consecutive wafer forks 22 of the 5 forks 22 overlap to form one wafer fork 22. At this time, the 5 wafer forks 22 become 3 wafer forks 22, matching the number of 3 wafers. That is, in this embodiment, in addition to picking up and placing wafers separately using the 5 wafer forks 22, the wafer pick-and-place device can also be transformed into 1 wafer fork, or 2 wafer forks, or 3 wafer forks, or 4 wafer forks by overlapping the wafer forks.

[0072] In one embodiment, the forks 22 have the same thickness, and the upper and lower surfaces of the overlapping forks 22 are at the same height. This allows for the simultaneous handling of a wafer by the overlapping forks 22, improving stability. Furthermore, by limiting the position of the overlapping forks 22, it is ensured that the overlapping forks 22 form a completely nested structure on a horizontal plane, without interfering with other forks 22.

[0073] Of course, the upper surfaces of the overlapping forks 22 can also be at different heights, as long as the overlapping forks 22 do not affect other adjacent forks 22. In this case, the thickness of the forks 22 can be different. However, due to the requirements of the fork 22 process and the wafer processing environment, in order to facilitate processing and control, this embodiment uses forks 22 of the same thickness and ensures that the upper surfaces of the overlapping forks 22 are at the same height.

[0074] See appendix Figure 4 -Appendix Figure 6 As shown, each wafer fork 22 includes a clamping part, a stacking part, and a fixing part 224 connected in sequence. The clamping part extends horizontally and is used to place the wafer. The fixing part 224 is fixedly connected to the finger clamp 21. The stacking part is located between the clamping part and the fixing part 224. The stacking part has stacking slots on both the upper and lower surfaces in the vertical direction. The stacking part of one wafer fork 22 can be inserted into the stacking slot of the stacking part of another wafer fork 22. That is, when wafer forks 22 overlap, the stacking slots allow the stacking parts to be inserted into each other.

[0075] The clamping part includes two spaced fingers 221, the two fingers 221 are of the same length, and each finger 221 has a placement surface for placing the wafer.

[0076] The spacing between the two fingers 221 of different gripping parts is different, that is, the spacing between the two fingers 221 of each fork 22 is not the same, but it is necessary to ensure that the center lines of the two fingers 221 of each fork 22 coincide. When multiple forks 22 are viewed from the vertical direction, the fingers 221 do not overlap and have a nested shape, with the two outermost fingers 221 accommodating the other fingers 221.

[0077] The stacking section connects two fingers 221 and includes a connecting arm 222 located between the two fingers 221 and an extension arm 223 extending along the connecting arm 222 toward a fixing part 224. The fingers 221 are symmetrically arranged relative to the centerline of the connecting arm 222. The fixing part 224 extends along the end of the extension arm 223 toward a side away from the connecting arm 222. The projection of the fixing part 224 along the moving direction of the fork 22 covers the extension arm 223. In this embodiment, the extension arm 223 and the fixing part 224 form a whole. At least one of the connecting arm 222 and the extension arm 223 has a stacking groove, that is, the stacking groove is formed on the connecting arm 222, or on the extension arm 223, or both the connecting arm 222 and the extension arm 223 have stacking grooves.

[0078] The projections of the connecting arm 222 on the same horizontal plane do not coincide, and the projections of the extension arm 223 on the same horizontal plane do not coincide. That is, when multiple forks 22 are observed from the vertical direction, the connecting arm 222 and the extension arm 223 do not coincide with each other.

[0079] The stacking slot is a square slot with openings at both ends in the horizontal direction.

[0080] See appendix Figure 10 As shown, for the fork 22 with the largest distance between two fingers 221, the stacking slot is directly formed on the connecting arm 222. In this embodiment, taking five forks 22 as an example, from top to bottom they are fork 22-fork 22-5. The fork 22 located at the bottom, i.e., fork 22-5, is set as the fork 22 with the largest distance between the fingers 221. The fingers 221 of the other forks 22 can all be located between the two fingers 221 of fork 22-5. At this time, the connecting arm 222 of fork 22-5 is also located on the outermost side.

[0081] See appendix Figure 7 As shown, for the fork 22 with the second largest distance between the two fingers 221, i.e., fork 22-1, both the connecting arm 222 and the extension arm 223 are provided with stacking slots. For the other forks 22, see the appendix. Figure 11 As shown, the stacking slot is provided on the extension arm 223. The stacking slot can be flexibly set according to the overlapping requirements.

[0082] See appendix Figure 4-6 As shown, only one fixing part 224 is provided for the fork 22, and it is eccentrically positioned in the horizontal direction relative to the midline of the two fingers 221. The eccentric distance of the different fixing parts 224 is different, ensuring that when multiple forks 22 are viewed from the vertical direction, the fixing parts 224 do not overlap, that is, the projections of the fixing parts 224 on the same horizontal plane do not overlap.

[0083] However, for the fork 22 connected to the fixed finger clip 212, i.e., the stationary fork 22, two fixing parts 224 are provided to improve the stability of the fork 22. In this embodiment, see the attached drawing. Figure 10 As shown, fork 225 is fixed in place, and there are two fixing parts 224 fork 225. The distance between the two fixing parts 224 is the same as the distance between the two fingers 221. The fixing parts 224 of fork 221-fork 224 can all be located between the two fixing parts 224 of fork 225.

[0084] When forks 22-1 to 22-4 overlap, the connecting arm 222 can be inserted into the stacking slot of the extension arm 223 of the adjacent fork 22. Furthermore, the stacking slots of the extension arms 223 of the overlapping forks 22-1 to 22-4 can match the stacking slot of the connecting arm 222 of fork 22-1, allowing the five forks 22 to overlap and form a single fork 22 unit. (See appendix) Figure 4 As shown, at this time, the wafer pick-and-place device is equivalent to having only one fork 22, which can pick up and place one wafer.

[0085] In one embodiment, see Appendix Figure 11As shown, to improve the stability of the clamping part, a reinforcing arm 225 is provided between the two fingers 221 on the side away from the stacking part. To avoid interference from the reinforcing arms 225, when viewed from the vertical direction, the reinforcing arms 225 do not overlap.

[0086] In one embodiment, the fork 22 is a single, integrally formed piece, which improves the overall stability.

[0087] In this embodiment, the wafer loading and unloading device takes a device with 5 forks 22 as an example. When the detection device detects that there are 5 consecutive wafers in the wafer loading box, the spacing adjustment device 3 adjusts the spacing between each fork 22 until the spacing between the 5 forks 22 is the same as the spacing between the 5 wafers in the wafer loading box.

[0088] When the detection device detects four consecutive wafers on the wafer loading cassette, four wafer forks 22 are used for gripping. The spacing adjustment device 3 adjusts the overlap of two adjacent wafer forks 22 to form a single wafer fork 22. For example, wafer fork 22-1 overlaps with wafer fork 22-2, or wafer fork 22-2 overlaps with wafer fork 22-3, or wafer fork 22-4 overlaps with wafer fork 22-5. (See attached diagram) Figure 15 As shown, fork 223 and fork 224 are overlapped at this point. By overlapping any two forks 22, the original five forks 22 are merged to form four forks 22 for use.

[0089] For example, when the detection device detects three consecutive wafers on the wafer loading cassette, three wafer forks 22 are required for gripping. Among the four adjacent wafer forks 22, the spacing adjustment device 3 adjusts two adjacent wafer forks 22 to overlap to form one wafer fork 22, or three adjacent wafer forks 22 to overlap to form one wafer fork 22. For example, wafer fork 22-1 and wafer fork 22-2 overlap, wafer fork 22-3 and wafer fork 22-4 overlap, and wafer fork 22-5 is independent. For the wafer handling device in this case, see Appendix. Figure 14 As shown. Alternatively, fork 222 and fork 223 can overlap, fork 224 and fork 225 can overlap, and fork 221 can be independent, or fork 221, fork 222 and fork 223 can overlap, and fork 224 and fork 225 can be independent, etc.

[0090] Similarly, when the detection device detects two consecutive wafers on the wafer loading cassette, the spacing adjustment device 3 pushes the finger assembly 2 to move, forming an overlap of the wafer forks 22, thus overlapping five wafer forks 22 to form two wafer forks 22. Wafer forks 22-1 to 22-3 can be overlapped, and wafer forks 22-4 to 22-5 can be overlapped; alternatively, wafer forks 22-1 to 22-4 can be overlapped, with wafer fork 22-5 used alone. The overlap of the wafer forks 22 has various combinations, as long as it can be adjusted to allow for the use of two wafer forks 22.

[0091] When the detection device detects that there is one wafer in the wafer loading cassette, all five wafer forks 22 overlap. At this point, the wafer loading and unloading mechanism is described in the appendix. Figure 16 As shown.

[0092] When the detection device detects that there are 3 wafers on the wafer loading cassette, of which 2 wafers are continuous and 1 wafer is discontinuous, and the discontinuous wafer is separated from the adjacent wafer by 2 wafer slots, the spacing adjustment device 3 adjusts the two adjacent wafer forks 22 to overlap to form a wafer fork 22, or the three adjacent wafer forks 22 to overlap to form a wafer fork 22. The spacing adjustment device 3 then adjusts the spacing between the overlapping wafer fork and the other wafer forks until it matches the spacing of the three discontinuous wafers.

[0093] See appendix Figure 10-11 and attached Figure 7 As shown, the upper surface of the finger 221 is a placement surface for placing the wafer. To clamp the wafer, a limiting block 226 is fixed to the end of the finger 221 away from the stacking part, and a clamping block 227 is provided at the end of the finger 221 near the stacking part. The sidewall of the wafer can abut against the limiting block 226 and the clamping block 227, and the wafer is clamped between the limiting block 226 and the clamping block 227. The lower surface of the wafer abuts against the placement surface of the finger 221 between the limiting block 226 and the clamping block 227.

[0094] In one embodiment, the limiting block 226 and the clamping block 227 are detachably connected to the finger 221. The limiting block 226 and the clamping block 227 may also be integrally formed with the finger 221, i.e., extending upward along the placement surface of the finger 221.

[0095] See appendix Figure 8 and 9 As shown, the placement surface has a corrugated structure, including at least one peak 221a and at least one trough 221b. The peaks 221a and troughs 221b are connected sequentially to form the corrugated structure of the placement surface. Specifically, the finger 221 has several spaced grooves extending downwards from its upper end, along the length of the finger 221. The bottom of the groove forms a trough 221b, and the upper end face of the finger 221 forms a peak 221a. The peak 221a can abut against the lower end face of the wafer, while the trough 221b is vertically spaced from the wafer, forming a cavity between them. The corrugation shape is trapezoidal, meaning the cross-section of the groove along the width of the finger 221 is trapezoidal. This ensures that the peak 221a is a plane, improving the stability of the contact between the wafer and the peak 221a.

[0096] With the thickness remaining constant, the corrugated structure reduces the material required for the fingers 221, thus reducing weight. Furthermore, since the fingers 221 are all elongated, the corrugated structure increases their strength, reduces the drooping amplitude of the fingers 221 when gripping the wafer, and enhances the stability of wafer handling. Simultaneously, because only the wave crests 221a contact the wafer, the contact area between the fingers 221 and the wafer is reduced, minimizing the risk of wafer contamination.

[0097] In one embodiment, in order to improve the stability of wafer handling, a vacuum adsorption function is added to the wafer fork 22 while the wafer is clamped by the limiting block 226 and the clamping block 227.

[0098] See appendix Figure 9 As shown, the finger 221 has several adsorption channels 2211, each of which is connected to multiple adsorption holes 2212 that vertically pass through the crest 221a of the finger 221. The adsorption holes 2212 are vertically downward along the upper end face of the crest 221a of the finger 221. The adsorption channels 2211 are connected to an external vacuum generator. Since the wafer abuts against the crest 221a, that is, against the end of the adsorption hole 2212, the vacuum generator provides negative pressure, which can adsorb the wafer at the crest 221a, thus realizing the vacuum adsorption of the wafer.

[0099] At this time, the finger 221 has both a clamping function and a vacuum adsorption function, which improves the stability of the finger 221 in picking up and placing wafers.

[0100] Multiple adsorption holes 2212 are provided, and each adsorption hole 2212 located on the same wave crest 221a is connected to an adsorption channel 2211, which extends along the length of the finger 221. To reduce the processing difficulty of the adsorption channel 2211, the adsorption channel 2211 is located directly below the wave crest 221a. The axis of the adsorption channel 2211 is perpendicular to the axis of the adsorption hole 2212.

[0101] To facilitate connection and reduce negative pressure leakage, a vacuum adsorption tube 2281 is installed inside the adsorption channel 2211. The vacuum adsorption tube 2281 is connected to an adsorption branch tube 2281 that can extend into the adsorption hole 2212, and negative pressure is delivered through the pipeline.

[0102] In one embodiment, the upper surface of the adsorption branch 2281 is not higher than the upper surface of the wave crest 221a, ensuring that the adsorption branch 2281 does not protrude from the finger 221 and cause unevenness on the wafer. Furthermore, to reduce negative pressure loss, the adsorption branch 2281 is flush with the upper end of the wave crest 221a, allowing the adsorption branch 2281 to directly contact the lower surface of the wafer for adsorption.

[0103] The processing environment for wafers is highly demanding, but when the wafer comes into contact with the finger 221, some particles and dust may be generated, causing contamination of the wafer or the finger 221. Therefore, in order to improve the cleanliness of the wafer, a cleaning device is also provided on the finger 221, that is, the fork 22 has a cleaning function to improve the cleanliness of the wafer and the fork 22.

[0104] See appendix Figure 9 As shown, the finger 221 also has several cleaning channels 2213, each of which is connected to multiple cleaning holes 2214 that are inclined and pass through the troughs 221b of the finger 221. The cleaning holes 2214 are inclined downward along the sidewall of the groove and face the crests 221a. The cleaning channels 2213 are connected to an external suction device. When the finger 221 is contaminated with micro-dust, the suction device is activated, the cleaning channels 2213 are suctioned, and the micro-dust is sucked into the dust removal holes under the action of suction.

[0105] At this time, finger 221 also has a cleaning function, which improves the cleanliness of finger 221 and wafer.

[0106] In one embodiment, the end of the cleaning hole 2214 near the trough 221b has a chamfer. The chamfer has a conical structure, and the diameter of the chamfer on the side near the trough 221b is larger. This increases the area on which particles enter the cleaning hole 2214, making it easier for particles to be smoothly sucked into the cleaning hole 2214.

[0107] In one embodiment, the cleaning channel 2213 extends along the length of the finger 221, and one cleaning channel 2213 connects all the cleaning holes 2214 at the troughs 221b of two adjacent fingers 221. This ensures that one cleaning channel 2213 can clean both troughs 221b of the finger 221, thus improving the cleanliness. For ease of manufacturing, the cleaning channel 2213 is positioned directly below the crest 221a. The axis of the cleaning channel 2213 is perpendicular to the axes of the cleaning holes 2214 on both sides it connects to.

[0108] To facilitate connection and reduce gas leakage, a cleaning pipe 2291 is installed inside the cleaning channel 2213. The cleaning pipe 2291 is connected to a cleaning branch pipe 2292 that can extend into the cleaning hole 2214, and the cleaning gas is delivered through the pipeline.

[0109] In one embodiment, a cleaning channel 2213 and an adsorption channel 2211 are provided below each wave peak 221a, with the cleaning channel 2213 located below the adsorption channel 2211. This ensures that there is an adsorption pore 2212 at each wave peak 221a.

[0110] However, in order to reduce the thickness of the fork 22, in this embodiment, the cleaning channel 2213 and the adsorption channel 2211 are arranged alternately. That is, if the adsorption channel 2211 is arranged below one wave peak 221a, then the cleaning channel 2213 is arranged below two adjacent wave peaks 221a. In this way, the adsorption hole 2212 and the cleaning hole 2214 can also be arranged alternately.

[0111] Multiple dust removal holes and multiple adsorption holes 2212 are spaced apart along the length of the finger 221. The dust removal holes and adsorption holes 2212 can be located in the same vertical plane or not; adsorption and cleaning functions can be achieved as long as cleaning holes 2214 and adsorption holes 2212 are provided on the finger 221. Naturally, the more adsorption holes 2212 there are, the greater the adsorption force on the wafer; the more cleaning holes 2214 there are, the better the cleaning force on the finger 221, reducing blind spots in cleaning the finger 221.

[0112] The finger 221 in this embodiment employs a corrugated structure, enhancing its strength and reducing its weight. Simultaneously, it can be combined with the clamping function of the limiting block 226 / clamping block 227 and the vacuum adsorption function of the adsorption hole 2212 to handle wafer placement and removal, improving stability. Furthermore, the cleaning hole 2214 allows for periodic cleaning of the finger 221, reducing the risk of wafer contamination. This broadens the application range of the finger 221.

[0113] The present invention also discloses a handling robot, including a robot body and the aforementioned wafer pick-and-place device. The wafer pick-and-place device is fixed on the robot body and can move in space under the drive of the robot body, that is, it can move and rotate in a straight line in the horizontal plane and rise and fall in the vertical plane.

[0114] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer pick-and-place device, characterized in that: It includes multiple finger assemblies and a distance adjustment device, each of which can only drive one finger assembly to move vertically relative to the other finger assemblies; Each of the finger components includes a fork, and two or more of the forks can overlap during vertical movement. After the forks overlap, the wafer pick-and-place device can realize single-wafer or multi-wafer handling of continuous or discontinuous wafers. Each of the forks includes two fingers, with a limiting block and a clamping block extending upwards at both ends of each finger along its length direction, and the upper surface of each finger has at least one crest and at least one trough extending along its length direction, the crests and troughs being connected in sequence to form a corrugated structure; the finger is provided with a plurality of adsorption channels and cleaning channels, each adsorption channel being connected to a plurality of adsorption holes that perpendicularly pass through the crest, and each cleaning channel being connected to a plurality of cleaning holes that obliquely pass through the trough.

2. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption holes located on the same wave crest are all connected to an adsorption channel, which extends along the length of the finger and is located directly below the wave crest; a cleaning channel connects to two adjacent cleaning holes at two wave troughs, which also extend along the length of the finger and are located directly below the wave crest.

3. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 2, characterized in that: A vacuum adsorption tube is inserted into the adsorption channel, and the vacuum adsorption tube is connected to an adsorption branch tube that can extend into the adsorption hole. The upper end of the adsorption branch tube is not higher than the upper end of the wave crest. A cleaning tube is inserted into the cleaning channel, and the cleaning tube is connected to a cleaning branch tube that can extend into the cleaning hole.

4. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning hole has a chamfered end near the trough, and the chamfer is a conical structure.

5. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that: The forks are of the same thickness, and the upper surfaces of the overlapping forks are at the same height.

6. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fork also includes a stacking part and a fixing part. The fixing part is used to fix and connect with the finger clip. The stacking part is used to connect two fingers and is located between the fixing part and the fingers. The stacking part has stacking grooves on both the upper and lower sides in the vertical direction, which allow the stacking parts to be inserted into each other.

7. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The spacing between the two fingers of each fork is different, and the center lines of the two fingers of each fork coincide.

8. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The stacking portion includes a connecting arm located between two fingers and an extension arm extending along the connecting arm toward the fixing portion, and at least one of the connecting arm and the extension arm has a stacking groove.

9. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The projections of the connecting arms on the same horizontal plane do not overlap, and the projections of the fixing parts on the same horizontal plane also do not overlap.

10. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer forks are provided with N, where N is a positive integer not less than 2. The wafer pick-and-place device can pick up and place M continuous or discontinuous wafers, where M is a positive integer not greater than N.

11. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance adjustment device corresponds one-to-one with the finger assembly, and the distance adjustment device can drive the corresponding finger assembly to move up and down; or one finger assembly is fixed, and the other finger assemblies are respectively connected to the corresponding distance adjustment device.

12. The wafer pick-and-place apparatus according to any one of claims 1-4, 10 and 11, characterized in that: It also includes a frame, which includes an upright plate and a shell with an opening at one end. The upright plate is vertically fixed to the opening of the shell, and a receiving cavity is defined between the upright plate and the shell. The adjusting device is located inside the receiving cavity, and the finger assembly is located outside the receiving cavity.

13. The wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 12, characterized in that: The adjusting device includes a driving component and a lead screw. The lead screw is vertically arranged and can rotate along its own axis under the drive of the driving component. A nut seat is threadedly connected to the lead screw, and the nut seat is fixedly connected to the finger assembly.

14. A handling robot, characterized in that: It includes a robotic arm body and a wafer pick-and-place device as described in any one of claims 1-13, wherein the wafer pick-and-place device is fixed on the robotic arm body.

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