Vacuum arm and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

The application provides a vacuum arm and a manufacturing method thereof. The vacuum arm comprises a top structure, a middle plate structure and a bottom structure which are arranged in sequence in a laminated manner; the top structure, the middle plate structure and the bottom structure have the same size and are integrally connected; the manufacturing method of the vacuum arm comprises the following steps: S1, casting a ceramic raw material strip; S2, punching the outer shape of all the ceramic raw material strips, punching assembly holes, then punching grooves and chuck suction holes on different ceramic raw material strips respectively; S3, laminating and hot-pressing the punched ceramic raw material strips; S4, integrally sintering the hot-laminated ceramic raw material strips; and S5, trimming and subsequent processing the vacuum arm formed after sintering. The vacuum arm is integrally formed, does not need to be additionally manufactured with a cover plate and does not need to be glued, thereby prolonging the service life of the vacuum arm and enabling the vacuum arm to be used in a high-temperature environment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the semiconductor manufacturing industry, and more specifically, to a vacuum arm and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, various production equipment is used, such as lithography machines, etching machines, CVD, PVD, IMP, CMP, and so on. These machines all involve the loading and unloading of wafers during production. To accomplish wafer handling, robotic arms made of materials such as ceramics, metals, and quartz are essential. Among these, ceramic robotic arms are the most common in semiconductor manufacturing due to their high hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and light weight. They are indispensable components in almost every step of the semiconductor manufacturing process, with wide applications and large quantities. Because the arms are constantly in motion, they are also considered consumable parts. To ensure safe wafer handling and prevent slippage or drops during transport, ceramic robotic arms often incorporate vacuum channels and vacuum suction cups. By creating a vacuum, negative pressure is generated to firmly hold the wafer onto the arm, ensuring safe handling.

[0003] Traditional ceramic vacuum arms, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, its production often follows the following process:

[0004] 1. Structural design, ceramic body of the arm and cover plate manufacturing

[0005] The arm body is made of ceramic, with air ducts, suction holes, suction cups, and mounting holes. A ceramic cover plate is made according to the shape and size of the air ducts.

[0006] 2. Glue the parts together to assemble the vacuum arm.

[0007] Apply glue to the prepared ceramic cover plate and attach it to the air channel groove step on the arm body. A sealed air channel is formed under the cover plate, connecting the suction port and the exhaust port of the suction cup.

[0008] Traditional processes can produce vacuum ceramic arm components, but they have significant drawbacks:

[0009] 1. When attaching the gas channel through the cover plate, it is difficult to choose the right glue and the application is difficult, often resulting in air leakage and failure to adhere the wafer.

[0010] 2. The cover plate has limited thickness, often only about 0.3mm, and the surface area is also very small, making it easy to break and fail during use;

[0011] 3. Because of the adhesive bonding, it cannot be used in high-temperature working environments (above 260℃). Under high-temperature environments, the adhesive bonding the air passage will fail and delaminate, causing the air passage to crack. However, there are high-temperature environments in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

[0012] These defects also limit the lifespan and application range of vacuum arms made by traditional bonding processes. They are generally prone to damage after about two years and cannot be used in high-temperature working environments. Summary of the Invention

[0013] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum arm and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0014] According to the present invention, a vacuum arm includes a top structure, a middle plate structure, and a bottom structure; the top structure, the middle plate structure, and the bottom structure are arranged in sequence and stacked, and the top structure, the middle plate structure, and the bottom structure have the same external dimensions and are integrally connected.

[0015] The top structure, the middle plate structure and the bottom structure are all provided with assembly holes, and the positions of the assembly holes on the top structure, the middle plate structure and the bottom structure are corresponding.

[0016] The intermediate plate structure is provided with a groove structure, the shape of which matches the shape of the intermediate plate structure, and the bottom structure is provided with a suction cup air intake hole and an air extraction hole.

[0017] Preferably, the integral connection is an integral sintered connection.

[0018] Preferably, the bottom structure includes one or more bottom plates;

[0019] The multiple base plates are stacked and connected as a whole.

[0020] According to a method for manufacturing a vacuum arm provided by the present invention, the manufacturing of the vacuum arm includes the following steps:

[0021] S1. Cast ceramic raw material tape, wherein the number of the ceramic raw material tapes is multiple;

[0022] S2. Punch the shape and assembly holes on all the ceramic raw material strips, and then punch grooves and suction cup suction holes on different ceramic raw material strips to form the top structure, the middle plate structure and the bottom plate.

[0023] S3. Stack the punched ceramic raw material strips and hot press them;

[0024] S4. The hot-pressed ceramic raw material strips are sintered together to form a vacuum arm;

[0025] S5. Trim and further process the vacuum arm formed after sintering.

[0026] Preferably, step S1 includes using alumina ceramic powder to prepare a casting slurry, and then casting a ceramic raw material strip of a certain width and thickness on a casting machine.

[0027] Preferably, step S3 includes aligning and stacking the ceramic raw material strips processed in step S2, and then pressing them on a hot press.

[0028] Preferably, step S4 includes placing the stacked raw strip into a sintering furnace and heating it for sintering.

[0029] Preferably, step S5 includes trimming the sintered vacuum arm, machining a suction cup, and inspecting and packaging to obtain the finished product.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0031] 1. The vacuum arm of the present invention is integrally molded, eliminating the need for a separate cover plate and adhesive, thus avoiding the problems of air leakage and easy damage in the prior art and extending the service life of the vacuum arm.

[0032] 2. This invention does not use adhesive; it is entirely supported by high-temperature resistant ceramic material, allowing the vacuum arm to be used in high-temperature environments. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0034] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the structure of a vacuum arm in the prior art;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the back structure of the ceramic body of the arm in the prior art;

[0036] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front structure;

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure;

[0038] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ceramic raw material strip structure in this invention;

[0039] Figure 6 This is an exploded view of the structure of the ceramic raw material belt before integral sintering and molding according to the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the ceramic raw material strip before sintering and forming according to the present invention;

[0041] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the rear structure;

[0042] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vacuum arm of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the rear structure;

[0044] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the vacuum arm after trimming and subsequent processing;

[0045] Figure 12 for Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the rear structure;

[0046] Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the vacuum arm of the present invention.

[0047] The diagram shows:

[0048] Detailed Implementation

[0049] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0050] This invention provides a vacuum arm, such as Figure 5-13 As shown, it includes a top structure 1, a middle plate structure 2, and a bottom structure 3 arranged in sequence; the top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2, and the bottom structure 3 have the same external dimensions and are integrally connected; in a preferred embodiment, the top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2, and the bottom structure 3 are all Y-shaped structures, and the integral connection is an integral sintered connection.

[0051] The top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2, and the bottom structure 3 are all provided with assembly holes 4, and the positions of the assembly holes 4 on the top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2, and the bottom structure 3 are corresponding. In a preferred embodiment, the top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2, and the bottom structure 3 are all provided with 6 assembly holes 4, and the assembly holes 4 are respectively located at the ends of the top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2, and the bottom structure 3.

[0052] The intermediate plate structure 2 is provided with a groove structure 7, and the shape of the groove structure 7 matches the shape of the intermediate plate structure 2.

[0053] The bottom structure 3 is provided with suction cup suction holes 8 and air extraction holes 5. Preferably, there are three suction cup suction holes 8, two of which are located at the two forked ends of the Y-shape of the bottom structure 3, and the other is located at the junction of the two forked ends. There is one air extraction hole 5, located at the end of the bottom structure 3.

[0054] The top structure 1 includes one or more top plates, such as... Figure 6 As shown, in one preferred embodiment, the number of top structures 1 is one piece; in another preferred embodiment, the number of top structures 1 is multiple pieces, and the multiple top plates are stacked and integrally connected.

[0055] The bottom structure 3 includes one or more bottom plates; the multiple bottom plates are stacked and connected as a whole.

[0056] The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a vacuum arm, the method comprising the following steps:

[0057] S1, cast ceramic raw material strip 6, wherein there are multiple ceramic raw material strips;

[0058] S2. Punch the shape and assembly holes on all the ceramic raw material strips 6, and then punch grooves and suction cup suction holes 8 on different ceramic raw material strips to form the top structure 1, the middle plate structure 2 and the bottom plate.

[0059] S3. Stack the punched ceramic raw material strips and hot press them;

[0060] S4. The hot-pressed ceramic raw material strips are sintered together to form a vacuum arm;

[0061] S5. Trim and further process the vacuum arm formed after sintering.

[0062] Specifically, step S1 includes using alumina ceramic powder to prepare a casting slurry, and then casting a ceramic raw material strip of a certain width and thickness on a casting machine. More specifically, a casting slurry is prepared using high-purity alumina (99.7%) ceramic powder, and then a ceramic raw material strip with a width of 250 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm to 1 mm is cast on a casting machine.

[0063] Step S3 includes aligning and stacking the ceramic raw material strip 6 processed in step S2, and then pressing them together on a hot press. Specifically, the processed ceramic raw material strip 6 is a ceramic raw material strip with a pre-punched shape, holes, and grooves.

[0064] Step S4 includes placing the stacked raw tape into a sintering furnace and heating it for sintering. Specifically, this involves holding the temperature at 600 degrees Celsius for 720 minutes to remove the binder, and then holding the temperature at 1600 degrees Celsius for 240 minutes for sintering.

[0065] Step S5 includes trimming the sintered vacuum arm, machining a suction cup, and inspecting and packaging the finished product.

[0066] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0067] This invention discloses a vacuum arm and its manufacturing method. The entire arm is integrally sintered, eliminating the need for a separate cover plate or adhesives. This solves the problems of air leakage and easy damage, extending the service life of the arm to 4-6 years. Furthermore, because it is integrally sintered without adhesives, and made entirely of high-temperature resistant ceramic material, the arm can be safely used in working environments not exceeding 1000℃, without the risk of air leakage due to airway cracking. In addition, the manufacturing process of the ceramic body and ceramic cover plate in existing technologies is complex and costly. This invention, however, adopts a design with a top structure 1, a middle plate structure 2, and a bottom structure 3, simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.

[0068] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0069] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A vacuum arm, characterized in that, It includes a top structure (1), a middle plate structure (2), and a bottom structure (3); the top structure (1), the middle plate structure (2), and the bottom structure (3) are arranged in a stacked manner. The top structure (1), the middle plate structure (2), and the bottom structure (3) have the same external dimensions and are integrally connected; The top structure (1), the middle plate structure (2) and the bottom structure (3) are all provided with assembly holes (4), and the positions of the assembly holes (4) on the top structure (1), the middle plate structure (2) and the bottom structure (3) are corresponding. The intermediate plate structure (2) is provided with a groove structure (7), the shape of the groove structure (7) matches the shape of the intermediate plate structure (2), and the bottom structure (3) is provided with a suction cup suction hole (8) and an air extraction hole (5). The integral connection is an integral sintered connection; The bottom structure (3) includes one or more bottom plates; The multiple base plates are stacked and connected as a whole; The suction cup has three suction holes (8), two of which are located at the two bifurcated ends of the Y-shape of the bottom structure (3), and the other is located at the junction of the two bifurcated ends.

2. A method for manufacturing a vacuum arm, characterized in that, Manufacturing the vacuum arm according to claim 1 includes the following steps: S1, cast ceramic raw material strip (6), wherein the number of the ceramic raw material strips is multiple; S2. Punch the shape and assembly holes on all the ceramic raw material strips (6), and then punch grooves and suction cup suction holes (8) on different ceramic raw material strips to form the top structure (1), the middle plate structure (2) and the bottom plate. S3. Stack the punched ceramic raw material strips and hot press them; S4. The hot-pressed ceramic raw material strips are sintered together to form a vacuum arm; S5. Trim and further process the vacuum arm formed after sintering.

3. The method for manufacturing a vacuum arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, Step S1 includes using alumina ceramic powder to prepare a casting slurry, and then casting a ceramic raw material tape of a certain width and thickness on a casting machine.

4. The method for manufacturing a vacuum arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, Step S3 includes aligning and stacking the ceramic raw material strips (6) formed in step S2, and then pressing them on a hot press.

5. The method for manufacturing a vacuum arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, Step S4 includes placing the stacked raw strip into a sintering furnace and heating it for sintering.

6. The method for manufacturing a vacuum arm according to claim 2, characterized in that, Step S5 includes trimming the sintered vacuum arm, machining a suction cup, and inspecting and packaging the finished product.

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