A conveying device and a method for conveying silicon wafers

Abstract

This invention provides a conveying device and a silicon wafer conveying method, relating to the field of silicon wafer conveying. The conveying device includes a mounting plate, a mounting base, a filler, and a silicon wafer. The filler has a porous structure and is mounted on the mounting base, which is a suction cup structure utilizing Bernoulli's principle. The mounting base is mounted on the mounting plate and has ventilation holes for connecting to a first air source to blow air onto the filler, thereby creating positive pressure that blows air onto the silicon wafer. Air is supplied from below the silicon wafer through the filler to form a thin air pressure film between the surfaces of the silicon wafer and the filler, thus avoiding contact with the silicon wafer surface, preventing electrostatic contamination and scratches, and achieving directional conveying of the silicon wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of silicon wafer transport, and more specifically, to a transport device and a silicon wafer transport method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of the photovoltaic industry, the demand for silicon wafers is increasing day by day, and the handling effect of silicon wafers greatly affects their quality.

[0003] Existing silicon wafer transport methods typically include contact and non-contact methods. Contact methods are prone to contaminating and scratching the silicon wafer surface, while non-contact methods suffer from excessive air consumption leading to power loss within the pipeline, as well as issues such as high noise, uneven force distribution, weak adsorption, and poor stability, making it impossible to transport silicon wafers stably. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a conveying device and a silicon wafer conveying method, which can achieve silicon wafer suspension and directional, constant-speed conveying, avoiding contact with the silicon wafer surface, thereby preventing silicon wafer contamination or damage.

[0005] The embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a conveying device, including a mounting plate, a mounting base, a filler, and a silicon wafer;

[0007] The filler has a porous structure and is mounted on the mounting base. The mounting base is a suction cup structure utilizing Bernoulli's principle and is mounted on the mounting plate. The mounting base has a vent hole for connecting to a first air source to blow air onto the filler, thereby blowing positive pressure onto the silicon wafer through the filler.

[0008] In the above embodiments, air is supplied from below the silicon wafer through a filler to form an air pressure film between the silicon wafer and the surface of the filler, thereby avoiding contact with the surface of the silicon wafer, preventing electrostatic contamination and scratching of the silicon wafer, and achieving directional delivery of the silicon wafer.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the number of the mounting base and the mounting plate both include at least two, the at least two mounting bases are symmetrically distributed about the mounting plate, and the plurality of mounting plates are arranged adjacent to each other so that the plurality of mounting bases on the plurality of mounting plates are arranged in a phased array.

[0010] In the above embodiments, multiple mounting bases are arranged in a phased array to form multiple air films arranged in a phased array. The multiple air films can be linked together or independent of each other. Therefore, by using multiple air films arranged in a phased array, the transport and control of the silicon wafer in the air-floating state can be effectively achieved.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the conveying device further includes a connector, through which two adjacent mounting plates are connected.

[0012] In the above embodiments, the connector is attached to the bottom surface of the mounting plate to avoid affecting the air buoyancy effect of the mounting base set on the surface of the mounting plate. Furthermore, assembling multiple mounting plates using the connector improves installation stability.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the mounting plate is further provided with a plurality of through holes for connecting to a second air source.

[0014] In the above embodiment, the first air source is connected to the vent, and the second air source is connected to multiple through holes. In other words, the air sources of the vent of the mounting base and the through holes of the mounting plate are independent of each other and do not affect each other. Air is supplied or drawn into the multiple through holes through the second air source to create a pressure difference.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the plurality of through holes are all located on the diagonal of the mounting plate, and at least two of the mounting bases are symmetrically distributed about the line containing the plurality of through holes.

[0016] In the above embodiment, there are two mounting bases, and multiple through holes are arranged between the two mounting bases, forming a pressure difference under the action of the second air source.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the mounting base has a groove, the vent hole communicates with the groove, and the groove is used to accommodate the filler.

[0018] In the above embodiments, the mounting base is frustum-shaped, and the groove formed in the mounting base is circular to facilitate the processing of the filler material set in the groove and reduce processing costs.

[0019] In an alternative embodiment, the groove is circular.

[0020] In the above embodiments, the mounting base is frustum-shaped so that the groove formed in the mounting base is circular, which facilitates the processing of the filler set in the groove and reduces processing costs; moreover, the filler and the groove are usually sealed with glue, and the circular shape of the groove is beneficial for sealing with the filler.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the conveying device further includes a base plate and a support member, the support member being disposed on the base plate and used to support the mounting plate.

[0022] In the above embodiments, the structural stability and installation stability of the conveying device are improved by setting a base plate and supporting members to support the mounting plate.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the conveying device further includes a speed control valve, which is configured to be located at the first air source.

[0024] In the above embodiments, by setting a speed regulating valve on the air inlet pipe to adjust the airflow through the air inlet, the air film formed on the surface of the filler can be adjusted to adapt to silicon wafers of different specifications and improve the adaptability of the conveying device.

[0025] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a silicon wafer conveying method, applied to a conveying device as described in any of the foregoing embodiments, the silicon wafer conveying method comprising the following steps:

[0026] A mounting base is provided on the mounting plate, and a filler with a multi-hole structure is installed on the mounting base;

[0027] Multiple mounting plates are provided so that the multiple mounting bases are arranged in a phased array;

[0028] Air is blown onto the plurality of said mounting seats through a first air source, so that the airflow is blown out from the pores of said filler to form an air film;

[0029] The silicon wafer is suspended and transported by the gas film formed on the surface of the filler.

[0030] The beneficial effects of the conveying device and silicon wafer conveying method provided in the embodiments of the present invention include: supplying air from below the silicon wafer through the filler to form an air pressure film between the surface of the silicon wafer and the filler, thereby avoiding contact with the surface of the silicon wafer, avoiding electrostatic pollution and scratching the silicon wafer, and realizing the directional conveying of the silicon wafer. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying device structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a partial structural diagram of the conveying device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting base structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Icons: 10-Conveying device; 100-Mounting plate; 110-Through hole; 200-Mounting base; 210-Ventilation hole; 220-Groove; 300-Filling material; 400-Base plate; 500-Supporting material; 600-Speed ​​control valve. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0037] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0038] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of this invention is usually placed, they are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0040] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0042] With the development of the photovoltaic industry, the demand for silicon wafers is increasing day by day, and the handling effect of silicon wafers greatly affects their quality.

[0043] Existing silicon wafer delivery methods generally include two types: contact and non-contact.

[0044] Contact-type silicon wafer conveying methods typically include gripper gripping, belt conveying, or vacuum adsorption. Using mechanical mechanisms for gripping or belt conveying can easily lead to wafer breakage. Vacuum adsorption presents risks such as unstable adsorption force and wafer detachment. Furthermore, contact-type wafer conveying can easily cause contamination and scratches on the lower surface of the wafer, affecting surface quality and reducing production efficiency and wafer utilization.

[0045] Non-contact silicon wafer transport methods mostly utilize Bernoulli's principle of aerodynamics, but they have problems such as excessive air consumption, which can easily lead to large power loss in the pipeline and high noise; or, if the air consumption is too small, there are problems such as uneven force, weak adsorption force and poor stability, which make it impossible to achieve stable clamping of silicon wafers.

[0046] Based on the above issues, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The present invention provides a conveying device 10 for conveying silicon wafers. The conveying device 10 can form an air pressure film between the silicon wafer and the device, thereby realizing the suspension and directional and constant speed conveying of the silicon wafer, avoiding contact with the surface of the silicon wafer, thereby avoiding contamination or damage to the silicon wafer.

[0047] The conveying device 10 includes a mounting plate 100, a mounting base 200, a filler 300, a base plate 400, a support 500, and a silicon wafer (not shown).

[0048] The support member 500 is disposed on the base plate 400 and is used to support the mounting plate 100 so that the mounting plate 100 and the base plate 400 are spaced apart, which facilitates the installation of the mounting plate 100. The filler 300 is installed on the mounting base 200, and the mounting base 200 is installed on the mounting plate 100.

[0049] It should be noted that the mounting base 200 is a suction cup structure that utilizes Bernoulli's principle.

[0050] In this embodiment, the mounting base 200 is provided with a vent 210, which is used to connect to a first air source (not shown) to blow air onto the filler 300, thereby supplying air from below the silicon wafer through the filler 300 and causing the filler 300 to blow air onto the silicon wafer under positive pressure, so as to form an air pressure film between the surface of the silicon wafer and the surface of the filler 300. This achieves the purpose of avoiding contact with the surface of the silicon wafer, while avoiding electrostatic pollution and scratching the silicon wafer, and realizing the directional delivery of the silicon wafer.

[0051] It should be noted that the filler 300 has a porous structure; in other words, the filler 300 is a porous medium. By placing the filler 300 on the mounting base 200 and utilizing the uniform distribution of the pores in the filler 300, an air film can be formed on the surface of the filler 300 when positive pressure air is introduced into the filler 300 through the vent 210. This allows the silicon wafer to be stably suspended above the filler 300 and transported in a suspended state, thereby avoiding contamination or scratches on the silicon wafer.

[0052] Optionally, the filler 300 can be graphite or foamed titanium plate, or other porous media material, as long as it has the characteristic of relatively uniform pore distribution, without specific limitations.

[0053] Furthermore, the number of mounting bases 200 includes at least two, and the at least two mounting bases 200 are distributed in a symmetrical array about the mounting plate 100.

[0054] In this embodiment, the mounting plate 100 is rectangular, and when there are two mounting bases 200, the two mounting bases 200 are symmetrically arranged about the diagonal of the mounting plate 100.

[0055] Of course, in other embodiments of the present invention, the number of mounting bases 200 may be multiple. In this case, the multiple mounting bases 200 are symmetrically distributed about the mounting plate 100 and arranged in an array, thereby forming an array-arranged air flotation on the mounting plate 100 to ensure stable suspension of the silicon wafer.

[0056] Furthermore, the number of mounting plates 100 includes multiple mounting plates 100 arranged adjacent to each other, so that the mounting bases 200 on the multiple mounting plates 100 are distributed in an array.

[0057] In this embodiment, multiple mounting plates 100 are located on the same horizontal plane and the multiple mounting plates 100 are oriented in the same direction, so that multiple mounting bases 200 can be distributed in an array.

[0058] Specifically, there are two mounting bases 200, which are symmetrically distributed about the mounting plate 100 and located on the diagonal of the mounting plate 100. Therefore, the multiple mounting bases 200 on multiple mounting plates 100 together form a phased array air flotation, which further improves the stability of silicon wafer suspension.

[0059] It should be noted that multiple mounting bases 200 are arranged in a phased array to form multiple air films arranged in a phased array. The multiple air films can be linked together or independent of each other. Therefore, by using multiple air films arranged in a phased array, the transport and control of silicon wafers in the air-floating state can be effectively achieved.

[0060] Understandably, there are multiple support members 500, with at least two support members 500 forming a mounting plate 100.

[0061] Furthermore, to ensure the connection stability of the multiple mounting plates 100, the conveying device 10 also includes a connector (not shown), and two adjacent mounting plates 100 are connected by the connector.

[0062] In this embodiment, the connector is attached to the bottom surface of the mounting plate 100 to avoid affecting the air buoyancy effect of the mounting base 200 disposed on the surface of the mounting plate 100. Furthermore, assembling multiple mounting plates 100 via the connector improves installation stability.

[0063] Furthermore, the mounting plate 100 has multiple through holes 110 for connecting to a second air source.

[0064] In this embodiment, the first air source is connected to the vent 210, and the second air source is connected to multiple through holes 110. In other words, the air sources of the vent 210 of the mounting base 200 and the through holes 110 of the mounting plate 100 are independent of each other and do not affect each other. Air is supplied or drawn into the multiple through holes 110 through the second air source to create a pressure difference.

[0065] Optionally, the second air source can be a ventilator.

[0066] Furthermore, multiple through holes 110 are all arranged on the diagonal of the mounting plate 100, and at least two mounting bases 200 are symmetrically distributed about the line containing the multiple through holes 110.

[0067] In this embodiment, there are two mounting bases 200, and multiple through holes 110 are arranged between the two mounting bases 200, forming a pressure difference under the action of the second air source.

[0068] Specifically, the number of through holes 110 can be three.

[0069] Furthermore, the mounting base 200 has a groove 220, and the vent 210 communicates with the groove 220. The groove 220 is used to accommodate the filler 300.

[0070] In this embodiment, the mounting base 200 is frustum-shaped, and the groove 220 formed in the mounting base 200 is circular, so as to facilitate the processing of the filler 300 provided in the groove 220 and reduce processing costs; moreover, the filler 300 and the groove 220 are usually sealed with glue, and the circular groove 220 is beneficial to the sealing treatment with the filler 300.

[0071] It should be noted that a positioning post (not shown) or a positioning ring (not shown) can also be set in the groove 220 to position and install the filler 300, thereby improving the structural stability and airtightness of the mounting base 200.

[0072] Furthermore, the conveying device 10 also includes a speed control valve 600, which is used to be installed at the first air source.

[0073] In this embodiment, the first air source can be an air inlet pipe. By setting a speed regulating valve 600 on the air inlet pipe, the airflow through the air inlet hole can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the air film formed on the surface of the filler 300 to adapt to silicon wafers of different specifications and improve the adaptability of the conveying device 10.

[0074] In addition, by setting the speed control valve 600, the gas consumption can be controlled, avoiding excessive power loss in the pipeline caused by excessive gas consumption and effectively reducing noise; it can also avoid problems such as uneven force, weak adsorption force and poor stability caused by insufficient gas consumption.

[0075] The present invention also provides a silicon wafer conveying method, which is applied to the conveying device 10 of the above embodiment and can realize array-arranged air-floating conveying of silicon wafers.

[0076] In this embodiment, the silicon wafer delivery method includes the following steps:

[0077] Step S100: A mounting base is provided on the mounting plate, and a filler with a multi-hole structure is installed on the mounting base;

[0078] Step S200: Set multiple mounting plates so that multiple mounting bases are arranged in a phased array;

[0079] In step S300, air is blown into multiple mounting seats through a first air source so that the airflow is blown out from the pores of the filler to form an air film.

[0080] Step S400: Control the air film formed on the surface of the filler to suspend and transport the silicon wafer.

[0081] In this embodiment, by providing a filler with a multi-pore structure on the mounting base, when the first air source blows air from the mounting base to the filler, a pressure difference is formed in the pore cavity of the filler, causing the gas to rush out from the pores of the porous medium and form a uniform airflow on its surface, thereby forming an air film that can be blown onto the silicon wafer with positive pressure and suspend the silicon wafer. By controlling this air film, the transportation control of the silicon wafer can be realized.

[0082] In summary, this invention provides a conveying device and a silicon wafer conveying method. The mounting base 200 has a vent 210 for connecting to a first air source to blow air onto the filler 300. This allows air to be supplied from below the silicon wafer through the filler 300, forming a thin air pressure film between the silicon wafer and the surface of the filler 300. This avoids contact with the silicon wafer surface, prevents electrostatic contamination and scratches, and enables directional conveying of the silicon wafer. By placing the filler 300 on the mounting base 200 and utilizing its uniformly distributed porosity, a gas film can be formed on the surface of the filler 300 when positive pressure air is supplied through the vent 210. The silicon wafers can be stably suspended above the filler 300. By arranging multiple mounting plates 100 adjacently, the mounting seats 200 on the multiple mounting plates 100 are arranged in an array, thereby forming an array-type air flotation, which improves the stability of the silicon wafer suspension. By setting a speed regulating valve 600, the airflow through the air inlet is adjusted, thereby regulating the air film formed on the surface of the filler 300, which can accommodate silicon wafers of different specifications and improve the adaptability of the conveying device 10. In addition, by setting a speed regulating valve 600, the air consumption can be controlled, avoiding excessive or insufficient air consumption, thereby reducing power loss and noise in the pipeline, and avoiding problems such as uneven force, weak adsorption force and poor stability.

[0083] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A conveying device, characterized in that, Includes mounting plate, mounting base, filler, and silicon wafer; The filler has a porous structure and is mounted on the mounting base, which is mounted on the mounting plate. The mounting base has a groove, which is circular, and a vent hole, which communicates with the groove. The groove is used to accommodate the filler, and the vent hole is used to connect to a first air source to blow air onto the filler, thereby blowing positive pressure onto the silicon wafer through the filler. The mounting plate also has multiple through holes for connecting to a second air source. The air sources of the vent holes of the mounting base and the through holes of the mounting plate are independent of each other and do not affect each other. Air is supplied or drawn in through the second air source to the multiple through holes to form a pressure difference. The multiple through holes are all located on the diagonal of the mounting plate, and at least two mounting bases are symmetrically distributed about the line where the multiple through holes are located. Alternatively, the multiple through holes are located between two mounting bases, and a pressure difference is formed there under the action of the second air source, thereby realizing the array-arranged air-floating transport of silicon wafers.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein, The number of the mounting base and the mounting plate both include at least two, the at least two mounting bases are symmetrically distributed about the mounting plate, and the multiple mounting plates are arranged adjacent to each other so that the multiple mounting bases on the multiple mounting plates are arranged in a phased array.

3. The delivery device of claim 2, wherein, The conveying device also includes a connector, through which two adjacent mounting plates are connected.

4. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein, The conveying device further includes a base plate and a support member, the support member being disposed on the base plate and used to support the mounting plate.

5. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein, The conveying device also includes a speed control valve, which is used to be installed at the first gas source.

6. A method of transporting a silicon wafer, comprising: Applied to the conveying apparatus as described in any one of claims 1-5, the silicon wafer conveying method includes the following steps: A mounting base is provided on the mounting plate, and a filler with a porous structure is installed on the mounting base; Multiple mounting plates are provided so that the multiple mounting bases are arranged in a phased array; Air is blown onto the plurality of said mounting seats through a first air source, so that the airflow is blown out from the pores of said filler to form an air film; The silicon wafer is suspended and transported by the gas film formed on the surface of the filler.

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