A silicon wafer feeding system

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of silicon wafer production, and particularly relates to a silicon wafer loading system, which comprises a slicing conveying device and a climbing conveying device. When the slicing conveying device conveys, the silicon rods stacked together after slicing are carried to the first conveying belt, then two groups of clamping conveying assemblies are driven to move close to each other, so as to clamp the side of the silicon wafer stacked horizontally. In this way, the horizontally stacked silicon wafer is conveyed forward under clamping, and the silicon wafer cannot be displaced vertically to the stacking direction, so that the effect of discharging the silicon wafer piece by piece in front is ensured. When the climbing conveying device conveys, the segment of the first horizontal belt between the two groups of upper pulleys is elongated or shortened along with the vertical conveying mechanism and the climbing conveying mechanism moving forward and backward. The trajectory difference of the first horizontal belt caused by the horizontal movement of the middle pulley is equal to the distance variable between the two groups of upper pulleys. Therefore, the two ends of the first horizontal belt are always connected with the climbing conveying mechanism and the second horizontal conveying mechanism, and the discontinuous conveying route is avoided, so that the conveying efficiency is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of silicon wafer manufacturing technology, and more specifically to a silicon wafer feeding system. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, with increasing societal emphasis on and openness to the use of green and renewable energy, the photovoltaic solar power generation field is receiving more and more attention and development. In the photovoltaic power generation field, typical crystalline silicon solar cells are manufactured on high-quality silicon wafers, which are cut from pulled or cast silicon ingots using a multi-wire saw and subsequent processing.

[0003] The existing silicon wafer manufacturing process, taking monocrystalline silicon products as an example, generally includes the following steps: First, a silicon rod cutting machine is used to cut the original long silicon rod into multiple short silicon rods; after cutting, a silicon rod squaring machine is used to square the cut short silicon rods to form silicon rods with a rectangular cross-section; then, the squared silicon rods are ground, rounded / beveled, and other grinding operations are performed to make the surface of the silicon rods meet the corresponding flatness and dimensional tolerance requirements; finally, the silicon rods are sliced ​​to obtain silicon wafers.

[0004] After slicing, multiple silicon wafers are stacked horizontally and tightly together, still forming a silicon rod shape. These wafers need to be transported as a whole (in the direction of arrangement) to supply them forward one by one. Because the silicon rod has been cut into multiple wafers, a conventional conveyor belt can only support the bottom of the wafers. During transport, there is a risk of lateral (perpendicular to the stacking direction) displacement of the arranged wafers, affecting the subsequent wafer-by-wafer output.

[0005] After slicing, multiple silicon wafers are stacked horizontally and tightly together, still forming a silicon rod shape. The multiple silicon wafers need to be transported as a whole (in the direction of arrangement) to supply the silicon wafers forward one by one.

[0006] Existing silicon wafer slitting and conveying devices mainly use water jets to separate stacked silicon wafers one by one. The separated individual silicon wafers are then fixed by suction cups, which then move the individual silicon wafers onto a horizontal conveyor belt for the next cleaning process.

[0007] The existing silicon wafer slicing structure can be referenced from a conveying device and method disclosed in Chinese patent document CN104609146B. Specifically, this is a silicon wafer slicing conveying device, including a silicon wafer group conveying device, a vertical conveying device, and a horizontal transition conveying device. The vertical conveying device and the horizontal transition conveying device share the same conveyor belt, and a pressure roller is located at the connection between them. The conveyor belt has through holes, and the vertical conveying device also has silicon wafer suction cups mounted on the back of the conveyor belt. The suction cups have air holes that correspond to the through holes on the conveyor belt and are connected to an air extraction device. A push nozzle is also installed at the end of the silicon wafer group conveying device, with the spray direction facing the vertical conveying device. After slicing, individual silicon wafers are pushed onto the conveyor belt by the push nozzles. The through holes on the conveyor belt use negative pressure to hold the individual silicon wafers in place, completing the entire conveying process. This simplifies the structure of the conveying device, provides precise positioning, low negative pressure, and stable conveying.

[0008] Currently, the applicant places the wafer-cut silicon ingots in a turnover basket (flower basket). During wafer slicing, the silicon ingots are placed in the turnover basket, and the turnover basket, along with the sliced ​​silicon ingots, is placed into a water tank. The horizontally stacked silicon wafers are separated one by one and conveyed forward. The vertical conveyor of the wafer slicing conveyor is inserted into the water tank and connected to the conveyor belt in the tank. The problem is that after the turnover basket is placed in the water tank, the top cover of the turnover basket and the crystal holder on the silicon ingot need to be removed. The vertical conveyor interferes with the top cover of the turnover basket. Therefore, the existing technology sets the vertical conveyor to be able to move back and forth: when removing the top cover of the turnover basket, the vertical conveyor moves forward away from the silicon ingot; after removing the top cover of the turnover basket, the vertical conveyor moves backward towards the front end of the connected silicon ingot. Because the wafer slicing conveyor moves back and forth, it causes the conveyor belt in front to move back and forth, resulting in a discontinuous conveying route and affecting the conveying efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In view of the above-mentioned technical problems in the existing technology, the present invention provides a silicon wafer feeding system.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0011] A silicon wafer feeding system is provided, including a wafer conveying device and a climbing conveying device. The wafer conveying device includes a water tank, a supporting conveying component located in the water tank, and two sets of clamping conveying components. The water tank is provided with a water inlet and a water outlet. The supporting conveying component includes a first conveyor belt arranged laterally and a first drive mechanism for driving the first conveyor belt to move forward. The supporting surface of the first conveyor belt is arranged upward to support the horizontally stacked silicon wafers.

[0012] The two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies each include a second conveyor belt and a second drive mechanism for moving the second conveyor belt forward. The second conveyor belt and the first conveyor belt are arranged side by side, with the second conveyor belt located above the first conveyor belt. The clamping surfaces of the second conveyor belts of the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies are arranged laterally facing each other and the distance between them is adjustable to clamp the sides of the laterally stacked silicon wafers. A water jet mechanism is provided at the front end of the second conveyor belt to rinse and separate the front part of the stacked silicon wafers.

[0013] The climbing conveyor includes a vertical conveyor mechanism, a climbing conveyor mechanism, a first horizontal conveyor mechanism, and a second horizontal conveyor mechanism arranged in a forward-facing sequence; the front end of the vertical conveyor mechanism is inserted into the water tank and is used to connect to the front end of the second conveyor belt, and the water tank has space for the vertical conveyor mechanism to move back and forth.

[0014] The first transverse conveying mechanism includes a fixed base, a sliding base, an upper pulley, a lower pulley, a middle pulley, and a first transverse belt. The sliding base is slidably mounted on the fixed base and is connected to a transverse drive component that drives the sliding base to move. The vertical conveying mechanism and the climbing conveying mechanism are fixed together and connected to the sliding base. Two sets of upper pulleys are arranged at the same height and laterally separated, with one set of upper pulleys mounted on the sliding base and the other set mounted on the fixed base. Two sets of lower pulleys are located below the upper pulleys and are laterally separated and mounted on the fixed base. The middle pulley is mounted on the sliding base. The first transverse belt is sequentially wrapped around the two sets of upper pulleys, the two sets of lower pulleys, and the middle pulley. When the sliding base moves, the difference in the trajectory of the first transverse belt caused by the transverse movement of the middle pulley is equal to the distance variable between the two sets of upper pulleys.

[0015] Specifically, the first drive mechanism includes a first motor and a first pulley transmission assembly. The first motor drives the first conveyor belt to move via the first pulley transmission assembly. The bottom of the water tank is provided with a width-adjusting slide rail. Two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies are slidably mounted on the width-adjusting slide rail. The water tank is also provided with a third drive mechanism for driving the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies to move closer to or further away from each other. The third drive mechanism includes a third motor and a third pulley transmission assembly. The two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies are respectively fixed to belt segments that move in different directions of the third pulley transmission assembly.

[0016] Specifically, the vertical conveying mechanism includes a first support base, a vertical belt, and a suction plate assembly for generating water pressure suction on the conveying surface of the vertical belt. The vertical belt is mounted on the first support base via a pulley, and the conveying surface of the vertical belt is arranged horizontally.

[0017] Specifically, the climbing conveyor mechanism includes a second support base and a climbing belt. The second support base, the first support base, and the sliding seat are fixed together. The climbing belt is mounted on the second support base via a pulley. The top surface of the second support base is curved to support the climbing belt. The lower end of the climbing belt is connected to a vertical belt, and the upper end of the climbing belt is connected to a first horizontal belt. The climbing conveyor mechanism also includes a blowing module for blowing air onto the climbing belt.

[0018] Specifically, the top surface of the second support is arched, so that the climbing belt that fits against the top surface of the second support has its lower end, which is the feed end, tangent to the vertical belt, and its upper end, which is the discharge end, tangent to the first transverse belt.

[0019] Specifically, the second transverse conveying mechanism includes a third support base, a movable base, a second transverse belt, and a lifting assembly. The second transverse belt is mounted on the movable base via a pulley and is connected to the first transverse belt. The movable base is mounted on the third support base. The lifting assembly is used to drive the movable base so that the second transverse belt is offset from the first transverse belt. The front end of the movable base is hinged to the third support base, and the lifting assembly is used to drive the rear end of the movable base to tilt up.

[0020] Specifically, an output line is provided in front of the second transverse conveying mechanism, and a receiving device is provided at the front end of the output line. The device includes a basket changing slide rail, a basket changing slide block and a basket frame. The basket changing slide rail is arranged transversely and perpendicular to the output line of the matching silicon wafer conveying mechanism. Two or more basket changing slide blocks are slidably mounted on the basket changing slide rail and are connected to a basket changing drive module that drives the basket changing slide blocks to move.

[0021] Two or more of the basket carriers for supporting the flower baskets can be lifted and lowered on different basket changing slides. The basket changing slides are also provided with a linear motion module that drives the basket carriers on them to move longitudinally step by step, so that silicon wafers can be inserted into the flower baskets one by one.

[0022] The basket carrier is provided with clearance holes so that when the basket is full of silicon wafers, the clearance holes are aligned with the output lines. The basket changing drive module can drive the basket changing slide and the basket carrier to move along the basket changing slide rail to offset the output lines. The basket carrier is also provided with a basket clamping mechanism for positioning the basket. The basket clamping mechanism includes a first basket clamping module for positioning the top of the basket and a second basket clamping module for positioning the bottom of the basket. The first and second basket clamping modules respectively include a basket clamping block and a positioning drive component that drives the basket clamping block to abut against the basket.

[0023] Specifically, the basket frame is also equipped with a protective plate mechanism, which includes a protective plate drive module with a soft rubber strip fixed to the basket frame. The soft rubber strip is arranged vertically, and the protective plate drive module is used to drive the soft rubber strip to the side of the basket away from the output line so that the silicon wafer inserted into the basket can be pushed against it. The protective plate drive module is a rotary cylinder, the cylinder barrel of which is fixed to the basket frame, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the soft rubber strip. The cross-section of the soft rubber strip is U-shaped.

[0024] Specifically, a basket clamping and handling robot is installed in front of the receiving device. It includes a multi-axis robotic arm and a basket clamping mechanism. The basket clamping mechanism includes a basket base, a pre-tightening rod, and basket clamping arms. The basket base is installed at the working end of the multi-axis robotic arm. The pre-tightening rod is slidably installed on the basket base. The basket base is provided with an elastic element that applies force to the pre-tightening rod so that the pre-tightening rod maintains a downward trend to elastically press the basket being transported downward. Two sets of basket clamping arms are slidably installed on opposite sides of the basket base. The basket clamping arms are provided with a clamping part that abuts against the basket along the sliding direction and a supporting part that supports the basket upward. The basket base is also provided with a basket clamping drive element for driving the two sets of basket clamping arms to move away from or towards each other.

[0025] Specifically, a stop block is provided at the upper end of the pre-tightening rod, which cooperates with the top of the basket clamping base to limit the downward travel of the pre-tightening rod; a plate is provided at the lower end of the pre-tightening rod, which is arranged parallel to the basket support part; the pre-tightening rods are distributed on opposite sides of the corresponding basket clamping arms of the basket clamping base; there are two pre-tightening rods on one side of the basket clamping base, and the upper ends of the two pre-tightening rods are connected to the same stop block, and the lower ends are connected to the same plate.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0027] The silicon wafer feeding system of the present invention, compared with the prior art, transports the silicon rods that are still stacked after being sliced ​​to the first conveyor belt during the slicing and conveying process. Then, it drives two sets of clamping and conveying components to move closer to each other, thereby clamping the sides of the horizontally stacked silicon wafers. In this way, the horizontally stacked silicon wafers are conveyed forward under clamping, and the silicon wafers will not shift to the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction, thereby ensuring the effect of feeding out wafers one by one from the front.

[0028] During the climbing conveyor, the segment of the first transverse belt of the first transverse conveyor mechanism between the two sets of upper pulleys extends and shortens as the vertical conveyor mechanism and the climbing conveyor mechanism move back and forth. The difference in the trajectory of the first transverse belt caused by the transverse movement of the middle pulley is equal to the distance variable between the two sets of upper pulleys. Therefore, both ends of the first transverse belt are always connected to the climbing conveyor mechanism and the second transverse conveyor mechanism, and there will be no discontinuity in the conveying route, thus ensuring conveying efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a silicon wafer feeding system in one of the embodiments.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the layout of the segmented conveying device and the climbing conveying device in the embodiment.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the slicing and conveying device in the embodiment, which shows the silicon rod after slicing being clamped and conveyed.

[0032] Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of the segmented conveying device in the embodiment.

[0033] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the internal structure after concealing the silicon rods, water tank, and part of the outer casing.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the silicon wafer conveying state of the climbing conveyor in the embodiment, with the various sections of the belt hidden.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the climbing conveyor device in the embodiment, which hides the climbing belt and the second transverse belt. The first transverse belt is shown in simple lines.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the climbing conveyor device in the embodiment.

[0037] Figure 9 for Figure 8 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the material receiving device in the embodiment.

[0039] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A magnified view of the area circled in the image.

[0040] Figure 12 This is a partial structural diagram of the receiving device in the embodiment, relative to... Figure 10 The opposing perspective.

[0041] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the basket-clamping and handling robot in the embodiment.

[0042] Figure 14 for Figure 13 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0043] Figure 15 This is a partial structural diagram of the flower basket clamping and handling robot in the embodiment.

[0044] Figure 16 for Figure 15 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0045] Figure label:

[0046] 2. Segmented conveyor device; 3. Climbing conveyor device; 5. Receiving device; 6. Flower basket clamping and handling robot.

[0047] Water tank 21; support and conveying assembly 22, first conveyor belt 221, first drive mechanism 222, first motor 2221, first pulley transmission assembly 2222; clamping and conveying assembly 23, second conveyor belt 231, second drive mechanism 232, width-adjusting slide rail 233, third drive mechanism 234, third motor 2341, third pulley transmission assembly 2342.

[0048] Vertical conveying mechanism 31, first support base 311, vertical belt 312, suction assembly 313; climbing conveying mechanism 32, second support base 321, rotating roller 322, blowing module 323; first transverse conveying mechanism 33, fixed base 331, sliding base 332, upper pulley 333, lower pulley 334, middle pulley 335, first transverse belt 336, transverse slide rail 337, transverse slide block 338, transverse drive component 339; second transverse conveying mechanism 34, third support base 341, movable base 342, lifting assembly 343, discharge hopper 344; output line 35.

[0049] 51. Basket changing slide rail, 52. Basket changing slide block, 53. Basket carrier, 531. Displacement hole, 35. Output line, 55. Basket changing drive module, 551. Basket changing rack, 56. Linear motion module; 57. Basket clamping mechanism, 571. First basket clamping module, 572. Second basket clamping module, 573. Basket clamping block, 574. Positioning drive component; 58. Protective plate mechanism, 581. Soft rubber strip, 582.

[0050] Multi-axis robotic arm 61, lifting platform 62; basket clamping mechanism 63, basket clamping base 631, pre-tightening rod 632, basket clamping arm 633, basket clamping part 634, basket supporting part 635, elastic element 636, basket clamping drive part 637, stop block 638, mounting plate 639; basket delivery conveyor belt 64, basket flipping mechanism 65, basket receiving part 651, basket flipping part 652, basket flipping drive mechanism 653. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0052] This embodiment provides a silicon wafer feeding system, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the system includes a segmented conveyor 2, a climbing conveyor 3, a receiving device 5, and a flower basket clamping and handling robot 6 arranged sequentially from left to right and front. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0053] Silicon wafer slicing and conveying device 2, combined with Figures 2 to 5As shown, the system includes a water tank 21, a supporting and conveying assembly 22 located within the water tank 21, and two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23. The water tank 21 is provided with an inlet and an outlet for filling and draining water, allowing the stacked silicon wafers formed by slicing to be immersed in the water. The supporting and conveying assembly 22 includes a horizontally arranged first conveyor belt 221 and a first drive mechanism 222 for driving the first conveyor belt 221 forward. The supporting surface of the first conveyor belt 221 is arranged upward to support the horizontally stacked silicon wafers. Specifically, the first drive mechanism 222 includes a first motor 2221 and a first pulley drive assembly 2222. The first motor 2221 drives the first conveyor belt 221 via the first pulley drive assembly 2222. The first pulley drive assembly 2222 has multiple segments that are driven sequentially, and the different segments have different directions, so that the first motor 2221 is located outside the water tank 21, preventing the first motor 2221 from being wetted by the water in the water tank 21.

[0054] In this embodiment, the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 each include a second conveyor belt 231 and a second drive mechanism 232 for driving the second conveyor belt 231 forward. The second conveyor belt 231 and the first conveyor belt are arranged side by side, with the second conveyor belt 231 located above and on both sides of the first conveyor belt 221. The clamping surfaces of the second conveyor belts 231 of the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 are arranged laterally facing each other, and the distance between them is adjustable to clamp the sides of the laterally stacked silicon wafers. The second drive mechanism 232 includes a second motor, and the output shaft of the second motor is provided with a pulley. The second conveyor belt 231 is wound around the pulley to achieve transmission. Its transmission principle is conventional technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0055] In this embodiment, the bottom of the water tank 21 is provided with an adjustable slide rail 233. Two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 are slidably mounted on the adjustable slide rail 233. The water tank 21 is also provided with a third drive mechanism 234 for driving the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 to move closer to or further away from each other. Specifically, the third drive mechanism 234 includes a third motor 2341 and a third pulley drive assembly 2342. The two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 are respectively fixed to belt segments of the third pulley drive assembly 2342 that move in different directions. When an annular belt rotates, it drives the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 to move closer to or further away from each other. Similarly, the third pulley drive assembly 2342 extends outside the water tank 21 so that the third motor 2341 is located outside the water tank 21, preventing the third motor 2341 from being wetted by the water in the water tank 21.

[0056] In operation, the silicon ingots, still stacked after slicing, are transported onto the first conveyor belt 221. Then, two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies 23 are driven to move closer together, clamping the sides of the horizontally stacked silicon wafers. Under this clamping, the horizontally stacked silicon wafers are conveyed forward without shifting perpendicular to the stacking direction, ensuring the wafers are discharged one by one. A water jet mechanism is installed at the front end of the second conveyor belt 231. The water jet sprays water jets to separate the first silicon wafer from the stacked wafers by rinsing.

[0057] Climbing conveyor 3, such as Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the system includes a vertical conveyor mechanism 31, a climbing conveyor mechanism 32, a first horizontal conveyor mechanism 33, and a second horizontal conveyor mechanism 34 arranged sequentially in a forward-facing manner. The vertical conveyor mechanism 31 is inserted into the inner front end of the water tank 21 to connect to the front end of the second conveyor belt 231 and receive the silicon wafers that are separated one by one. The water tank 21 has space for the vertical conveyor mechanism 31 to move back and forth.

[0058] The first transverse conveying mechanism 33 includes a fixed base 331, a sliding base 332, an upper pulley 333, a lower pulley 334, a middle pulley 335, and a first transverse belt 336. The fixed base 331 is provided with a transverse slide rail 337, and the sliding base 332 is provided with a transverse slide block 338. The transverse slide block 338 is slidably mounted on the transverse slide rail 337, so that the sliding base 332 can be slidably disposed on the fixed base 331. The vertical conveying mechanism 31 and the climbing conveying mechanism 32 are fixed together and connected to the sliding base 332. The sliding base 332 is connected to a transverse drive component 339 that drives the sliding base 332 to move. This component can be a cylinder, with the cylinder barrel fixed to the fixed base 331 and the piston rod connected to the climbing conveying mechanism 32, driving the vertical belt 312 to move closer to / away from the turnover basket of the rear segmented conveying device. Two sets of upper pulleys 333 are arranged at the same height and laterally separated. One set of upper pulleys 333 is mounted on a sliding seat 332, and the other set is mounted on a fixed seat 331. Two sets of lower pulleys 334 are located below the upper pulleys 333 and are laterally separated on the fixed seat 331. The two sets of upper pulleys 333 and the two sets of lower pulleys 334 are located at the four corners of the parallelogram trajectory. A middle pulley 335 is mounted on the sliding seat 332 and is located longitudinally between the upper pulleys 333 and the lower pulleys 334, and laterally between either the two sets of upper pulleys 333 or the two sets of lower pulleys 334. A first transverse belt 336 is sequentially wound around the two sets of upper pulleys 333, the two sets of lower pulleys 334, and the middle pulley 335. When the sliding seat 332 moves, the difference in trajectory of the first transverse belt 336 caused by the lateral movement of the middle pulley 335 is equal to the distance variable between the two sets of upper pulleys 333. For example, when the sliding seat 332 moves to the left, the positions of the right upper pulley 333 and the lower pulley 334 remain unchanged, while the middle pulley 335 and the left upper pulley 333 follow the sliding seat 332 to the left, and the left lower pulley 334 remains unchanged. In this way, the segment of the first transverse belt 336 between the two sets of upper pulleys 333 becomes longer, while the segment between the left upper pulley 333 and the middle pulley 335 + the middle pulley 335 and the left lower pulley 334 becomes shorter. The amount of shortening is exactly equal to the amount of lengthening mentioned above. This ensures that both ends of the first transverse belt 336 are always connected to the climbing conveyor 32 and the second transverse conveyor 34, preventing discontinuities in the conveying route and ensuring conveying efficiency.

[0059] Existing technologies often connect a follower conveyor belt to the front of the climbing conveyor mechanism 32, allowing the entire conveyor to move back and forth with the climbing conveyor mechanism 32. While the rear end connected to the climbing conveyor mechanism 32 remains connected, the front end may disconnect. This embodiment differs fundamentally in that the first transverse belt 336 remains connected at both ends. Compared to existing technologies, during use, the segment of the first transverse belt 336 between the two sets of upper pulleys 333 of the first transverse conveyor mechanism 33 lengthens and shortens as the vertical conveyor mechanism 31 and the climbing conveyor mechanism 32 move back and forth. The difference in the first transverse belt 336's trajectory caused by the lateral movement of the middle pulley 334 is equal to the distance variable between the two sets of upper pulleys. Therefore, both ends of the first transverse belt 336 are always connected to the climbing conveyor mechanism 32 and the second transverse conveyor mechanism 34, preventing discontinuities in the conveying route and ensuring conveying efficiency.

[0060] In this embodiment, the vertical conveying mechanism 31 includes a first support base 311, a vertical belt 312, and a suction assembly 313 for generating water pressure suction on the conveying surface of the vertical belt 312. Specifically, water is opened in the vertical belt 312, and negative pressure is generated on the vertical belt 312 by pumping water to adsorb silicon wafers. The vertical belt 312 is mounted on the first support base 311 via a wheel, and the conveying surface of the vertical belt 312 is arranged horizontally.

[0061] In this embodiment, the climbing conveyor mechanism 32 includes a second support base 321 and a climbing belt. The second support base 321, the first support base 311, and the sliding seat 332 are fixed together. The climbing belt is mounted on the second support base 321 via a rotating roller 322. The top surface of the second support base 321 is curved to support the climbing belt. The lower end of the climbing belt is connected to the vertical belt 312, and the upper end of the climbing belt is connected to the first transverse belt 336. Specifically, the climbing conveyor mechanism 32 also includes a blowing module 323 for blowing air onto the climbing belt. Specifically, the top surface of the second support base 321 is arched, so that the climbing belt, which is attached to the top surface of the second support base 321, has its lower end, which is the feed end, tangent to the vertical belt 312, and its upper end, which is the discharge end, tangent to the first transverse belt 336.

[0062] In practice, the vertical belt 312, the climbing belt, and the first transverse belt 336 move synchronously with each other, driven by the same drive mechanism. Of course, they can also be driven by different drive mechanisms to achieve synchronous or asynchronous movement.

[0063] In this embodiment, the second transverse conveying mechanism 34 includes a third support base 341, a movable base 342, a second transverse belt, and a lifting assembly 343. The second transverse belt is mounted on the movable base 342 via a pulley and is connected to the first transverse belt 336. The movable base 342 is mounted on the third support base 341. The lifting assembly 343 drives the movable base 342 to offset the second transverse belt from the first transverse belt 336. Specifically, the front end of the movable base 342 is hinged to the third support base 341, and the lifting assembly 343 drives the rear end of the movable base 342 to tilt upwards. Specifically, a discharge hopper 344 is provided on the third support base 341 near the front end of the first transverse belt 336. When the detection device on the side detects a defect in the silicon wafer output from the first transverse belt 336, it commands the lifting assembly 343 to tilt the rear end of the movable base 342, and the silicon wafer falls into the discharge hopper 344 for separation.

[0064] The second transverse conveyor 34 is also provided with an output line 35 for inserting the inserts into the flower basket to the receiving device further ahead.

[0065] Material receiving device 5, such as Figures 10 to 12 As shown, the system includes a basket changing slide rail 51, a basket changing slide base 52, and a basket carrier 53. The basket changing slide rail 51 is arranged horizontally and perpendicular to the output line 35 for transporting silicon wafers. Two or more basket changing slide bases 52 are slidably mounted on the basket changing slide rail 51 and are connected to a basket changing drive module 55 that drives the basket changing slide bases 52 to move. The basket changing drive module 55 includes a basket changing rack 551 fixed to the basket changing slide rail 51 and a basket changing motor (located inside, not shown in the figure) fixed to the basket changing slide base 52. The output shaft of the basket changing motor meshes with the basket changing rack 551 via a basket changing gear. The basket changing motor can drive the basket changing slide base 52 to move along the basket changing slide rail 51 by rotating it in both directions.

[0066] In this embodiment, two or more basket carriers 53 for supporting the flower basket are vertically mounted on different basket changing slides 52. The basket changing slide 52 is also provided with a linear motion module 56 that drives the basket carriers 53 on it to move longitudinally step by step so that silicon wafers can be inserted into the flower basket one by one. For each step the basket carriers 53 and the flower baskets rise, the output line 35 inputs one silicon wafer.

[0067] Each individual basket changing slide 52, basket carrier 53, and linear motion module 56 constitutes a module. Multiple such modules are provided along the same basket changing slide rail 51, with each pair of such modules corresponding to one output line 35. Figure 10 Six modules are shown, thus corresponding to three output lines 35. For each module, each basket changing slide 52 moves independently along the basket changing rail 51, or two basket changing slides 52 can move synchronously along the basket changing rail 51.

[0068] In this embodiment, the basket frame 53 is provided with a clearance hole 531 so that when the basket is full of silicon wafers, the clearance hole 531 is aligned with the output line 35. In this way, the output line 35 can pass through the basket frame 53 laterally. The basket changing drive module 55 can drive the basket changing slide 52 and the basket frame 53 to move along the basket changing slide rail 51 to offset the output line 35. The basket switching is completed directly on the basket changing slide rail 51 in one step. The structure is simple, the basket switching speed is fast, and the production efficiency is improved.

[0069] In this embodiment, the basket frame 53 is further provided with a basket clamping mechanism 57 for positioning the flower basket. The basket clamping mechanism 57 includes a first basket clamping module 571 for positioning the top of the flower basket and a second basket clamping module 572 for positioning the bottom of the flower basket. Specifically, the first basket clamping module 571 and the second basket clamping module 572 respectively include a basket clamping block 573 and a positioning drive member 574 (cylinder) for driving the basket clamping block 573 to abut against the flower basket, so as to lock the flower basket to the basket frame 53.

[0070] In this embodiment, the basket frame 53 is also provided with a protective plate mechanism 58. The protective plate mechanism 58 includes a protective plate drive module 582 fixed to the basket frame 53 with a soft rubber strip 581. The soft rubber strip 581 is arranged vertically. The protective plate drive module 582 is used to drive the soft rubber strip 581 to the side of the flower basket away from the output line 35 so that the silicon wafer inserted into the flower basket can be pushed against it, so as to avoid the silicon wafer being broken by hard collision with the flower basket. Figure 3 The left-hand soft rubber strip 581 is away from the flower basket, while the right-hand soft rubber strip 581 is engaged with the flower basket. Specifically, the protective strip drive module 582 is a rotary cylinder, whose cylinder barrel is fixed to the basket frame 53, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the soft rubber strip 581. Specifically, the cross-section of the soft rubber strip 581 is U-shaped, covering the vertical strips of the flower basket, and the groove depth of the soft rubber strip 581 is greater than the diameter of the vertical strip.

[0071] Flower basket clamping and transporting robotic arm 6, such as Figures 13 to 16As shown, the device includes a multi-axis robotic arm 61 and a basket clamping mechanism 63. The multi-axis robotic arm 61 is mounted on a raised platform 62. The basket clamping mechanism 63 includes a basket clamping base 631, a pre-tightening rod 632, and basket clamping arms 633. The basket clamping base 631 is mounted on the working end of the multi-axis robotic arm 61. The pre-tightening rod 632 is slidably inserted through the basket clamping base 631. The basket clamping base 631 is provided with an elastic element 636 that applies force to the pre-tightening rod 632, so that the pre-tightening rod 632 maintains a downward trend to elastically press the basket being transported downward. Two sets of basket clamping arms 633 are slidably mounted on opposite sides of the basket clamping base 631. The basket clamping arms 633 are provided with a clamping part 634 that abuts against the basket along the sliding direction and a supporting part 635 that supports the basket upward. The clamping part 634 and the supporting part 635 are arranged in an L-shape relative to each other. The basket clamping base 631 is also provided with a basket clamping drive 637 for driving the two sets of basket clamping arms 633 to move away from or towards each other. Specifically, the basket clamping drive 637 is a basket clamping cylinder, the cylinder barrel of which is fixed to the basket clamping base 631, and the piston rod of which is connected to the basket clamping arm 633.

[0072] In use, the multi-axis robotic arm 61 drives the basket-clamping base 631 to be positioned above the basket being transported. Then, it drives the pre-tightening rod 632 to elastically press down on the basket. Simultaneously, the clamping arms 633 align with the basket's clamping position in the height direction. The clamping drive 637 drives the two sets of clamping arms 633 to move closer together. The clamping portions 634 of the two sets of clamping arms 633 together laterally clamp the basket. Thus, the pre-tightening rod 632 positions the basket longitudinally, and the clamping portions 634 position it laterally. At this point, the basket-supporting portions 635 of the clamping arms 633 have not yet supported the basket. When the multi-axis robotic arm 61 moves the basket-clamping base 631 and the clamping arms 633 upwards, the basket-supporting portions 635 of the clamping arms 633 lift the basket upwards. Thus, longitudinally, the basket-supporting portions 635 and the pre-tightening rod 632, relying on the force of the elastic element 636, jointly clamp the basket. Compared with existing technologies, the pre-tightening rod 632 positions the basket before it is fully clamped, thus preventing it from shifting during clamping, improving clamping stability and increasing production efficiency.

[0073] In this embodiment, a stop block 638 is provided at the upper end of the pre-tightening rod 632. The stop block 638 cooperates with the top of the basket base 631 to limit the downward travel of the pre-tightening rod 632. A plate 639 is provided at the lower end of the pre-tightening rod 632, and the plate 639 is arranged parallel to the basket support portion 635. The elastic element 636 is a spring, with one end abutting against the basket base 631 and the other end abutting against the plate 639. It can be seen that when the plate 639 is not pressing the basket, the pre-tightening rod 632 extends downward to its maximum extent, and when the basket is pressed, it will protrude from the top of the basket base 631.

[0074] In this embodiment, the pre-tightening rods 632 are distributed on opposite sides of the corresponding clamping arms 633 of the clamping basket base 631. There are two pre-tightening rods 632 on one side of the clamping basket base 631. The upper ends of the two pre-tightening rods 632 are connected to the same stop block 638, and the lower ends are connected to the same plate 639.

[0075] In this embodiment, a basket conveyor belt 64 and a basket-flipping mechanism 65 are also provided on the side of the multi-axis robotic arm 61. The basket-flipping mechanism 65 is installed at the inlet end of the basket conveyor belt 64 to receive the flower baskets transferred by the multi-axis robotic arm 61 and to place the flower baskets horizontally on the basket conveyor belt 64. The basket-flipping mechanism 65 includes a basket-flipping plate, which includes a basket-receiving part 651 and a basket-flipping part 652 arranged perpendicularly to each other. The basket-receiving part 651 receives the flower baskets transported by the multi-axis robotic arm 61. After flipping 90°, the basket-flipping part 652 supports the flower basket. When the basket-flipping part 652 is lower than the basket conveyor belt 64, the flower basket is carried away on the basket conveyor belt 64. The basket-flipping mechanism 65 also includes a basket-flipping drive mechanism 653 for driving the basket-flipping plate to rotate.

[0076] In the description of this invention, it is obvious that the described embodiments are merely a part of the embodiments of the invention, and not all of them. The components of the embodiments of the invention described and illustrated herein can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0077] Therefore, the above 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.

[0078] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "middle," "upper," "lower," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of this invention is in use. 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. In addition, the terms "first," "second," etc., are only used to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0079] Furthermore, terms such as "horizontal" and "vertical" do not imply that components must be absolutely horizontal or suspended, but rather that they can be slightly tilted. For example, "horizontal" simply means that its direction is more horizontal than "vertical," and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly tilted.

[0080] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. They can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection. They can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

Claims

1. A silicon wafer feeding system, characterized in that: It includes a slicing conveyor and a climbing conveyor. The slicing conveyor includes a water tank, a supporting conveyor assembly located in the water tank, and two sets of clamping conveyor assemblies. The water tank is provided with an inlet and an outlet. The supporting conveyor assembly includes a first conveyor belt arranged laterally and a first drive mechanism for driving the first conveyor belt to move forward. The supporting surface of the first conveyor belt is arranged upward to support the horizontally stacked silicon wafers. The two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies each include a second conveyor belt and a second drive mechanism for moving the second conveyor belt forward. The second conveyor belt and the first conveyor belt are arranged side by side, with the second conveyor belt located above the first conveyor belt. The clamping surfaces of the second conveyor belts of the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies are arranged laterally facing each other and the distance between them is adjustable to clamp the sides of the laterally stacked silicon wafers. A water jet mechanism is provided at the front end of the second conveyor belt to rinse and separate the front part of the stacked silicon wafers. The climbing conveyor includes a vertical conveyor mechanism, a climbing conveyor mechanism, a first horizontal conveyor mechanism, and a second horizontal conveyor mechanism arranged in a forward-facing sequence; the front end of the vertical conveyor mechanism is inserted into the water tank and is used to connect to the front end of the second conveyor belt, and the water tank has space for the vertical conveyor mechanism to move back and forth. The first transverse conveying mechanism includes a fixed base, a sliding base, an upper pulley, a lower pulley, a middle pulley, and a first transverse belt. The sliding base is slidably mounted on the fixed base and is connected to a transverse drive component that drives the sliding base to move. The vertical conveying mechanism and the climbing conveying mechanism are fixed together and connected to the sliding base. Two sets of upper pulleys are arranged at the same height and laterally separated, with one set of upper pulleys mounted on the sliding base and the other set mounted on the fixed base. Two sets of lower pulleys are located below the upper pulleys and are laterally separated and mounted on the fixed base. The middle pulley is mounted on the sliding base. The first transverse belt is sequentially wound around the two sets of upper pulleys, the two sets of lower pulleys, and the middle pulley. When the sliding base moves, the difference in the trajectory of the first transverse belt caused by the transverse movement of the middle pulley is equal to the distance variable between the two sets of upper pulleys. The vertical conveying mechanism includes a first support base, a vertical belt, and a suction plate assembly for generating water pressure suction on the conveying surface of the vertical belt. The vertical belt is mounted on the first support base via a pulley, and the conveying surface of the vertical belt is arranged horizontally. The climbing conveyor mechanism includes a second support base and a climbing belt. The second support base, the first support base, and the sliding base are fixed together. The climbing belt is mounted on the second support base via a pulley. The top surface of the second support base is curved to support the climbing belt. The lower end of the climbing belt is connected to a vertical belt, and the upper end of the climbing belt is connected to a first horizontal belt. The climbing conveyor mechanism also includes a blowing module for blowing air onto the climbing belt. The second transverse conveying mechanism includes a third support base, a movable base, a second transverse belt, and a lifting assembly. The second transverse belt is mounted on the movable base via a pulley and is connected to the first transverse belt. The movable base is mounted on the third support base. The lifting assembly is used to drive the movable base so that the second transverse belt is offset from the first transverse belt. The front end of the movable base is hinged to the third support base, and the lifting assembly is used to drive the rear end of the movable base to tilt up. The second transverse conveying mechanism is also provided with an output line in front of it. The front end of the output line is provided with a receiving device, which includes a basket changing slide rail, a basket changing slide block and a basket frame. The basket changing slide rail is arranged transversely and is arranged perpendicular to the output line of the matching silicon wafer conveying mechanism. Two or more basket changing slide blocks are slidably installed on the basket changing slide rail and are connected to a basket changing drive module that drives the basket changing slide blocks to move. Two or more of the basket carriers for supporting the flower baskets can be lifted and lowered on different basket changing slides. The basket changing slides are also provided with a linear motion module that drives the basket carriers on them to move longitudinally step by step, so that silicon wafers can be inserted into the flower baskets one by one. The basket carrier is provided with clearance holes so that when the basket is full of silicon wafers, the clearance holes are aligned with the output lines. The basket changing drive module can drive the basket changing slide and the basket carrier to move along the basket changing slide rail to offset the output lines. The basket carrier is also provided with a basket clamping mechanism for positioning the basket. The basket clamping mechanism includes a first basket clamping module for positioning the top of the basket and a second basket clamping module for positioning the bottom of the basket. The first and second basket clamping modules respectively include a basket clamping block and a positioning drive component that drives the basket clamping block to abut against the basket. A basket-gripping and handling robot is installed in front of the receiving device. It includes a multi-axis robot arm and a basket-gripping mechanism. The basket-gripping mechanism includes a basket base, a pre-tightening rod, and basket arms. The basket base is installed at the working end of the multi-axis robot arm. The pre-tightening rod is slidably installed on the basket base. The basket base is provided with an elastic element that applies force to the pre-tightening rod so that the pre-tightening rod maintains a downward trend to elastically press the basket being transported downward. Two sets of basket arms are slidably installed on opposite sides of the basket base. The basket arms are provided with a basket-gripping part that abuts against the basket along the sliding direction and a basket-supporting part that supports the basket upward. The basket base is also provided with a basket-gripping drive element for driving the two sets of basket arms to move away from or towards each other.

2. The silicon wafer feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first drive mechanism includes a first motor and a first pulley transmission assembly. The first motor drives the first conveyor belt to move via the first pulley transmission assembly. The bottom of the water tank is provided with a width-adjusting slide rail. Two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies are slidably mounted on the width-adjusting slide rail. The water tank is also provided with a third drive mechanism for driving the two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies to move closer to or further away from each other. The third drive mechanism includes a third motor and a third pulley transmission assembly. The two sets of clamping and conveying assemblies are respectively fixed to belt segments that move in different directions of the third pulley transmission assembly.

3. The silicon wafer feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top surface of the second support is arched, so that the climbing belt that fits against the top surface of the second support has its lower end, which is the feed end, tangent to the vertical belt, and its upper end, which is the discharge end, tangent to the first transverse belt.

4. The silicon wafer feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The basket frame is also equipped with a protective plate mechanism, which includes a protective plate drive module with a soft rubber strip fixed to the basket frame. The soft rubber strip is arranged vertically. The protective plate drive module is used to drive the soft rubber strip to the side of the basket away from the output line so that the silicon wafer inserted into the basket can be pushed against it. The protective plate drive module is a rotary cylinder, the cylinder barrel of which is fixed to the basket frame, and its output shaft is fixedly connected to the soft rubber strip. The cross-section of the soft rubber strip is U-shaped.

5. A silicon wafer feeding system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the pre-tightening rod is provided with a stop block, which cooperates with the top of the basket clamping base to limit the downward travel of the pre-tightening rod; the lower end of the pre-tightening rod is provided with a plate, which is arranged parallel to the basket support part; the pre-tightening rods are distributed on opposite sides of the corresponding basket clamping arms of the basket clamping base; there are two pre-tightening rods on one side of the basket clamping base, and the upper ends of the two pre-tightening rods are connected to the same stop block, and the lower ends are connected to the same plate.

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