Cleaning, drying and storing integrated micro-nano sensor substrate cleaning machine

Abstract

This integrated cleaning, drying, and storage machine for micro / nano sensor substrates relates to the field of micro / nano technology. It includes a cleaning tank with vertical displacement mechanisms on both sides, and horizontal displacement mechanisms on top of these mechanisms. The horizontal displacement mechanisms consist of horizontal displacement rods and sliders, each with a rotary telescopic cylinder. The left-side rotary telescopic cylinder for the metal substrate has a mechanical gripper at its end, while the right-side cylinder has a vacuum gear pump in the middle and a negative pressure suction cup system at its end. The cleaning tank's center, from top to bottom, features a metal substrate storage drawer, a nitrogen purging device, and a drying heating plate. The bottom of the cleaning tank houses a three-tank ultrasonic cleaner. The design is advanced, easy to operate, and highly practical. Integrating multiple cleaning and efficient dehydration functions, it can quickly and thoroughly clean the substrate and effectively prevent secondary contamination. A storage system allows for the orderly arrangement of cleaned substrates, facilitating subsequent use and management.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of micro / nano sensor technology, and in particular to an integrated micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine for cleaning, drying and storage of micro / nano sensor substrates. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the rapid development of micro- and nanotechnology has made sensors based on micro- and nanostructures a focus of attention in both scientific research and industry. These sensors, with their unique size effect and wide range of diverse applications, have garnered widespread attention and in-depth research. In the fabrication of micro- and nano-sensors, the metal or silicon substrate serves as a key supporting material, and its surface cleanliness has a decisive impact on sensor performance. Given the extremely small size of micro- and nano-structure sensors, multi-layered, high-precision cleaning of the substrate to obtain a smooth surface is particularly important and indispensable. This process ensures that the sensor exhibits optimal performance in subsequent fabrication stages.

[0003] Traditional substrate cleaning processes involve placing pre-polished metal or silicon wafers in an ultrasonic cleaning device containing organic solvents such as ethanol. During this process, the vibration of tiny bubbles excited by ultrasound effectively removes contaminants from the substrate surface. Residue is then removed by rinsing with water, followed by drying. However, this single cleaning method is inadequate when dealing with diverse contaminants, as different solvents have varying removal effects on specific contaminants. Furthermore, especially when processing large quantities of substrates, reliance on manual operation increases labor intensity and error, and the lack of fixed support in traditional ultrasonic cleaning tanks easily leads to collisions and scratches between substrates. After cleaning, water residue adsorbed on the substrate surface can easily attract dust and other impurities during drying, causing secondary contamination. Therefore, developing a device that can efficiently and automatically complete the cleaning, drying, and storage of sensor substrates is particularly important. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of low cleaning efficiency and inconsistent cleanliness of sensor substrates in existing technologies, and to provide an integrated micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine that combines cleaning, drying, and storage, offering superior cleaning results, high efficiency, and practicality. By integrating cleaning, drying, and storage functions, it achieves highly efficient and automated processing of sensor substrates.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following solution:

[0006] The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro-nano sensor substrate cleaning machine includes a cleaning tank, a vertical displacement mechanism, a horizontal displacement mechanism, mechanical clamping claws, a negative pressure suction cup system, a metal substrate storage drawer, a nitrogen purging device, a drying and heating device, and a three-tank ultrasonic cleaning machine.

[0007] The cleaning box, as the main part of the equipment, has multiple functional areas inside for cleaning, drying, and storing the substrate.

[0008] The vertical displacement mechanism is located on the left and right sides of the cleaning tank. The vertical displacement mechanism includes a lead screw, a vertical displacement motor, a support slide rail, and a vertical displacement slide plate. The vertical displacement motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby causing the vertical displacement slide plate to move up and down on the support slide rail.

[0009] The horizontal displacement mechanism is mounted on the vertical displacement mechanism; the horizontal displacement mechanism includes a horizontal displacement rod, a horizontal displacement slider, and a horizontal displacement motor; the horizontal displacement slider is rolledly connected to the two side walls of the horizontal displacement rod; the horizontal displacement motor drives the horizontal displacement slider to slide on the horizontal displacement rod via a belt, thereby realizing the horizontal movement of the base.

[0010] The horizontal displacement mechanism is hinged to the vertical displacement slide plate, and a flip motor for driving the horizontal displacement rod to flip is installed on the hinge part.

[0011] A rotary telescopic cylinder is installed on the horizontal displacement slider. The rotary telescopic cylinder for the metal substrate on the left side of the housing is connected to a small telescopic cylinder. The small telescopic cylinder has a mechanical gripper at its end, which is used to grip the metal substrate. A vacuum gear pump is installed in the middle of the rotary telescopic cylinder for the silicon wafer substrate on the right side of the housing, and a negative pressure suction cup system is installed at its end. The negative pressure suction cup system is used to adsorb the silicon wafer substrate. The negative pressure suction cup system has several silicon wafer substrate placement slots arranged in a row. Each placement slot is equipped with a negative pressure suction cup. Both the mechanical gripper and the negative pressure suction cup system can achieve precise movement and positioning of the substrate under the drive of the vertical displacement mechanism and the horizontal displacement mechanism.

[0012] The upper rear wall of the cleaning tank is equipped with a metal sheet base storage drawer that works with mechanical clamping claws. The metal sheet base storage drawer is used to store the cleaned and dried metal sheet base for convenient subsequent use or storage. The metal sheet base storage drawer can be pulled forward.

[0013] The nitrogen purging device is located in the middle of the rear wall of the cleaning chamber; the nitrogen purging device is used to purge and dry the cleaned substrate with nitrogen to remove residual moisture and small particles from the substrate surface.

[0014] The drying and heating device is located below the rear wall of the cleaning tank. It is used to heat and dry the substrate after it has been blown and air-dried to ensure that the substrate surface is completely dry. The drying and heating device includes a fixed plate and a heating plate. The fixed plate is connected to the rear wall of the cleaning tank by bolts. The heating plate is equipped with a resistance wire for heating. Four spring buffer devices are installed between the heating plate and the fixed plate. The heating plate is connected to the fixed plate through the spring buffer devices to ensure stability during the heating process.

[0015] The three-tank ultrasonic cleaner is located at the bottom of the cleaning tank and includes three independent cleaning tanks: an acetone cleaning tank, an ethanol cleaning tank, and a deionized water cleaning tank. The three-tank ultrasonic cleaner is used to perform ultrasonic oscillation cleaning of the substrate with acetone, ethanol, and deionized water to remove stains and impurities from the substrate surface. Inlet and outlet ports are arranged on both sides of each tank. The inlet port is directly connected to the corresponding solution storage tank. A precision gear pump is used to accurately control the solution input volume, and the liquid is discharged through the outlet port set on the tank wall. A liquid level sensor is set on the lower surface of the outlet port to prevent the liquid in the tank from overflowing. The outlet port is connected to a waste liquid collection tank.

[0016] Furthermore, the negative pressure suction cup system is equipped with eight 10mm×10mm silicon wafer substrate placement slots arranged in a straight line.

[0017] Furthermore, a negative pressure sensor is installed inside the negative pressure suction cup.

[0018] Furthermore, the mechanical gripper consists of a rubber fixed half-claw and a supporting base half-claw. The supporting base half-claw is provided with six 20mm×30mm metal sheet base placement slots arranged in a row, and is provided with a docking hollow groove. The opening and closing of the half-claw is controlled by a small telescopic cylinder.

[0019] Furthermore, a temperature sensor is installed inside the heating plate.

[0020] Furthermore, the nitrogen purging device is connected to a high-pressure nitrogen cylinder via a back plate and has a built-in solenoid valve to control the switching of nitrogen.

[0021] Furthermore, the cleaning tank of the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner is equipped with an ultrasonic generator. The ultrasonic generator generates high-frequency vibrations to perform ultrasonic oscillation cleaning on the substrate, thereby removing stains and impurities from the substrate surface.

[0022] Furthermore, the present invention also includes a related electrical control system, which mainly consists of a control integration board, a motor drive board, a sensor acquisition module, etc. The various parts of the system are connected by wires, arranged by a hub board, and installed in the back compartment of the enclosure for the control of motors, solenoid valves, heating plates, etc.

[0023] Furthermore, the cleaning tank is equipped with a control panel, which is used to set parameters such as cleaning, blowing, and drying, and to monitor the operating status of the equipment.

[0024] The working principle and operation process of this invention are as follows:

[0025] 1. Place the metal substrate and silicon wafer substrate into the mechanical gripper and negative pressure suction cup system, respectively. Close the top cover and set the cleaning, purging, and drying parameters via the control panel.

[0026] 2. When the equipment is started, the mechanical clamping claws and negative pressure suction cup system, driven by the vertical and horizontal displacement mechanisms, sequentially send the substrate into the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner for cleaning.

[0027] 3. After cleaning, the substrate is sent to a nitrogen purging device for purging and drying.

[0028] 4. After the blowing and air drying is completed, the substrate is sent to the drying and heating device for heating and drying.

[0029] 5. After drying, the metal substrate is placed in the metal substrate storage drawer, and the silicon wafer substrate is removed with tweezers by opening the top cover.

[0030] Compared with existing technologies, the present invention has the following advantages: The micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine of the present invention is reasonably designed, easy to use, and highly practical. It can efficiently perform multi-layer cleaning, dehydration, and storage of micro / nano sensor substrates, achieving good cleaning results and ensuring complete substrate drying to prevent secondary contamination. Furthermore, the cleaning machine also has a storage system, allowing for the orderly arrangement of cleaned substrates for convenient subsequent use and management. The present invention achieves automated substrate cleaning and drying, improving cleaning efficiency and cleanliness. The equipment of the present invention has a compact structure, is easy to operate, and reduces manual operation costs. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the closed state structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the invention in the open state according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the cleaning tank according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall displacement system structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the horizontal displacement mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical gripper structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the negative pressure suction cup system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 8 Detailed schematic diagram of the supporting base half-claw and storage drawer structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the cleaning mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the nitrogen purging operation in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the drying process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the base being placed into the storage drawer under the storage conditions of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] The markings in the diagram are as follows:

[0044] 1. Top cover plate;

[0045] 2. Mechanical clamping jaws; 2-1. Rubber fixed half-jaw; 2-2. Rubber fixed floppy disk; 2-3. Bearing base half-jaw; 2-4. Rubber sheet; 2-5. Small telescopic cylinder; 2-6. Metal sheet base rotary telescopic cylinder;

[0046] 3. Negative pressure suction cup system; 3-1. Silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder; 3-2. Air pipe; 3-3. Negative pressure suction cup; 3-4. Vacuum gear pump;

[0047] 4. Drying and heating device; 4-1. Spring buffer device; 4-2. Fixing plate; 4-3. Heating plate;

[0048] 5. Nitrogen purging device;

[0049] 6. Three-tank ultrasonic cleaner; 6-1. Liquid inlet; 6-2. Liquid outlet; 6-3. Liquid discharge outlet;

[0050] 7. Horizontal displacement mechanism; 7-1. Tilting motor; 7-2. Belt; 7-3. Horizontal displacement slider; 7-4. Horizontal displacement rod; 7-5. Horizontal displacement motor;

[0051] 8. Vertical displacement mechanism; 8-1. Aluminum profile; 8-2. Vertical displacement mechanism connector; 8-3. Vertical displacement slide plate; 8-4. Support slide rail; 8-5. Vertical displacement motor; 8-6. Lead screw;

[0052] 9. Metal sheet substrate storage drawer; 10. Front sliding door; 11. Control panel; 12. Metal sheet substrate; 13. Silicon wafer substrate. Detailed Implementation

[0053] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation of this application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0054] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments according to this application. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof. Specific techniques not described in detail in this invention may be employed.

[0055] like Figures 1-12 As shown, a micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine integrating cleaning, drying, and storage includes a cleaning tank. Vertical displacement mechanisms 8 are provided on both the left and right sides of the cleaning tank, and horizontal displacement mechanisms 7 are installed on the vertical displacement mechanisms 8. The cleaning tank also includes an upper cover plate 1, a front movable door 10, and a control panel 11. The upper cover plate 1 and the front movable door 10 are mounted on the cleaning tank by hinges. The control panel 11 is located outside the cleaning tank and is used to control and monitor the operation of the cleaning machine.

[0056] In this embodiment, the vertical displacement mechanism 8 includes a lead screw 8-6, a vertical displacement motor 8-5, a support slide rail 8-4, and a vertical displacement slide plate 8-3. The lead screw 8-6, vertical displacement motor 8-5, support slide rail 8-4, and vertical displacement slide plate 8-3 are connected to the aluminum profile 8-1 and fixed inside the cleaning tank via a vertical displacement mechanism connector 8-2. The horizontal displacement mechanism 7 is hinged to the vertical displacement slide plate 8-3, and a flipping motor 7-1 is installed at the hinge to drive the horizontal displacement rod 7-4 to flip. The support slide rail 8-4 provides a sliding track for the vertical displacement slide plate 8-3, allowing the vertical displacement slide plate 8-3 to slide on the support slide rail 8-4, achieving vertical displacement. The vertical displacement motor 8-5 drives the lead screw 8-6 to rotate, thereby causing the vertical displacement slide plate 8-3 to move up and down. The lead screw 8-6 is connected to the vertical displacement slide plate 8-3 via a thread, converting the rotational motion of the motor into the linear motion of the slide plate.

[0057] In this embodiment, the horizontal displacement mechanism 7 includes a horizontal displacement slider 7-3 slidably connected to the horizontal displacement rod 7-4 and a horizontal displacement motor 7-5 installed at the end of the horizontal displacement rod. The horizontal displacement motor 7-5 drives the horizontal displacement slider through a belt 7-2. The horizontal displacement slider is rolledly connected to the two side walls of the horizontal displacement rod.

[0058] The horizontal displacement mechanism 7 includes a flipping motor 7-1, a belt 7-2, a horizontal displacement slider 7-3, a horizontal displacement rod 7-4, and a horizontal displacement motor 7-5. The horizontal displacement rod 7-4 is placed horizontally and is used to support and move the object to be cleaned. The horizontal displacement slider 7-3 is rolledly connected to the two side walls of the horizontal displacement rod 7-4. The horizontal displacement motor 7-5 drives the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 to slide on the horizontal displacement rod 7-4 via the belt 7-2. The horizontal displacement motor 7-5 is installed at the end of the horizontal displacement rod 7-4, and the belt 7-2 transmits the power of the horizontal displacement motor 7-5 to the horizontal displacement slider 7-3. The horizontal displacement motor 7-5 drives the belt 7-2 to rotate, thereby driving the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 to move on the horizontal displacement rod 7-4. The flipping motor 7-1 is installed at the hinge between the horizontal displacement mechanism and the vertical displacement slide plate 8-3 and is used to drive the horizontal displacement rod 7-4 and the object to be cleaned on it to flip.

[0059] In this embodiment, a metal substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 2-6 is installed on the horizontal displacement mechanism 7. The metal substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 2-6 is connected to a small telescopic cylinder 2-5. The end of the small telescopic cylinder 2-5 is provided with a mechanical gripper 2, which is used to grasp and place the metal substrate 12. The metal substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 2-6 and the small telescopic cylinder 2-5 control the rotation and opening and closing of the mechanical gripper 2. A vacuum gear pump 3-4 is installed in the middle of the silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 3-1. The vacuum gear pump 3-4 is connected to the negative pressure suction cup 3-3 through an air pipe 3-2. The silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 3-1 is connected to the vacuum gear pump 3-4 to control the lifting and rotation of the negative pressure suction cup system 3. The negative pressure suction cup system 3 is provided with eight 10mm×10mm silicon wafer substrate 13 placement slots arranged in a row, and a negative pressure suction cup 3-3 is placed in each placement slot. The negative pressure suction cup 3-3 is used to adsorb the silicon wafer substrate 13; the vacuum gear pump 3-4 provides negative pressure to the negative pressure suction cup system 3 through the air pipe 3-2.

[0060] In this embodiment, the mechanical gripper 2 consists of a rubber fixing half-jaw 2-1, a bearing base half-jaw 2-3, and a pressure sensor control. The bearing base half-jaw 2-3 is provided with six 20mm×30mm metal sheet base 12 placement slots arranged in a row, and is provided with a docking hollow groove. The rubber fixing half-jaw is provided with a rubber fixing floppy disk 2-2. The opening and closing of the half-jaw is controlled by a small telescopic cylinder 2-2 between the rubber fixing half-jaw 2-1 and the bearing base half-jaw 2-3. The pressure sensor inside the mechanical gripper 2 senses the number of bases and provides feedback to adjust the fixing force.

[0061] In this embodiment, the upper part of the rear wall of the cleaning tank is provided with a metal sheet base storage drawer 9 that cooperates with the mechanical clamping claw 2, and the metal sheet base storage drawer 9 can be pulled forward.

[0062] In this embodiment, a drying and heating device 4 is provided in the upper part of the rear wall of the cleaning tank. The drying and heating device 4 includes a fixing plate 4-2, a heating plate 4-3 and a temperature sensor. The fixing plate 4-2 is connected to the rear wall of the cleaning tank by bolts. The heating plate 4-3 is equipped with a resistance wire for heating. Four spring buffer devices 4-1 are provided between the heating plate 4-3 and the fixing plate 4-2.

[0063] In this embodiment, a nitrogen purging device 5 is provided in the middle of the rear wall of the cleaning tank; the nitrogen purging device 5 is connected to a high-pressure nitrogen cylinder through a back plate, and the nitrogen purging device 5 has a built-in solenoid valve to control the switching of nitrogen.

[0064] In this embodiment, a three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6 is installed at the bottom of the cleaning tank. An ultrasonic generator is installed in the internal space below the cleaning tank of the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6. The three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6 includes three independent cleaning tanks, namely an acetone cleaning tank, an ethanol cleaning tank, and a deionized water cleaning tank. Each tank has an inlet 6-1 and an outlet 6-2 on both sides. The inlet 6-1 is directly connected to the corresponding solution storage tank, and a precision gear pump is used to accurately control the solution input. The outlet 6-2 is connected to a waste liquid collection tank.

[0065] In this embodiment, a related electrical control system is also included. The related electrical control system adopts conventional technical means in the field and is mainly composed of a control integration board, a motor drive board, a sensor acquisition module, etc. The various parts of the system are connected by wires, arranged by a hub board, and installed in the back layer of the cleaning box for controlling the motor, solenoid valve, heating plate, etc.

[0066] In this embodiment, commonly used sensors such as temperature sensors and pressure sensors can also be set. However, whether or not sensors are set does not affect the entire process of the cleaning machine of the present invention or the realization of its overall function. Adding sensors to achieve closed-loop control can improve accuracy and efficiency.

[0067] The micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine is performed according to the following steps:

[0068] Step 1: Close and lock the front movable door 10 of the cleaning machine to prevent it from opening during machine operation. At this time, the vertical displacement mechanism 8 rises to the top, the horizontal displacement rod is in an upward position, the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 is in the initial position of the middle of the horizontal displacement rod 7-4, the two rotary telescopic cylinders (metal substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 2-6 and silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 3-1) retract to their shortest state, the mechanical clamping claw 2 remains horizontal and is in a slightly open state, the negative pressure suction cup system 3 remains horizontal, and the negative pressure suction cup 3-3 in the tank is in an upward position.

[0069] Step 2: Open the top cover plate 1, put the 20mm×30mm metal sheet substrate 12 into the groove of the mechanical clamping claw rubber fixing half claw 2-1, and put the 10mm×10mm silicon wafer substrate 13 into the negative pressure suction cup groove of the negative pressure suction cup system 3.

[0070] Step 3: Close the top cover 1, set the cleaning time, nitrogen purging intensity, and heating and drying system temperature parameters for each tank in the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6 on the control panel 11, and select the location of the metal sheet substrate storage drawer 9 for the metal sheet substrate to be stored.

[0071] Step 4: Open the inlet solenoid valve of the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6, and add appropriate volumes of acetone, ethanol, and deionized water to the acetone cleaning tank, ethanol cleaning tank, and deionized water cleaning tank of the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6, respectively. (The text then abruptly shifts to a seemingly unrelated topic: "Supporting substrate half-claw...")

[0072] Step 5: Cleaning start-up, the small telescopic cylinder 2-5 telescopically drives the rubber fixing half claw 2-1 and the bearing substrate half claw 2-3 to clamp the metal sheet substrate 12; the vacuum gear pump 3-4 starts to run, suctioning the silicon wafer substrate 13, the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 moves to the front position of the box, the horizontal displacement rod flips to the horizontal state, and the vertical displacement mechanism 8 descends to the appropriate position at the bottom, so that the substrate in the mechanical clamping claw 2 and the negative pressure suction cup 3-3 is completely immersed in acetone;

[0073] Step 6: The ultrasonic generator in the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6 operates, performing ultrasonic vibration cleaning on the substrate immersed in acetone for a period of time. After the acetone cleaning time is completed, the vertical displacement mechanism 8 is raised, and the mechanical gripper 2 and negative pressure suction cup system 3 are lifted upwards out of the acetone cleaning tank. Driven by the horizontal displacement motor 7-5, the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 moves to the rear of the chamber above the ethanol cleaning tank. The vertical displacement mechanism 8 descends, immersing the substrate in ethanol, and performing ultrasonic vibration cleaning on the substrate immersed in ethanol for a period of time. After the ethanol cleaning time is completed, the vertical displacement mechanism 8 is raised, and the mechanical clamping claw 2 and the negative pressure suction cup system 3 are lifted upward out of the ethanol cleaning tank. Driven by the horizontal displacement motor 7-5, the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 continues to move to the rear of the box and above the deionized water cleaning tank. The vertical displacement mechanism 8 descends, immersing the substrate in the deionized water, and performs ultrasonic vibration cleaning on the substrate immersed in the deionized water for a period of time. After the deionized water cleaning time is completed, the drain port 6-2 of the three-tank ultrasonic cleaner 6 is opened to drain the dirty water.

[0074] Step 7: After cleaning, the flipping motor 7-1 of the horizontal displacement mechanism 7 is started, causing the horizontal displacement rod to flip upward to a vertical state, and the vertical displacement mechanism 8 is raised, so that the height position of the base is close to the air outlet of the nitrogen purging device 5.

[0075] Step 8: Start nitrogen purging and drying. The small telescopic cylinders 2-5 on the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 and the mechanical clamping claw 2, and the silicon wafer substrate rotating telescopic cylinders 3-1 of the negative pressure suction cup system 3 continuously extend and retract to adjust their positions, so that each substrate can be evenly purged with nitrogen to remove adhering particles and dry the substrate.

[0076] Step 9: After the nitrogen purging and drying process is completed, the telescopic rods of the small telescopic cylinder 2-5 and the silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 3-1 are retracted to their shortest length. The horizontal displacement slider 7-3 moves to the front of the box under the drive of the horizontal displacement motor 7-5, bypassing the nitrogen purging device 5.

[0077] Step 10: After the drying program starts, the heating plate 4-3 of the drying heating device 4 is activated and heated to the preset temperature value. The vertical displacement mechanism 8 is activated and slowly rises until its height exceeds that of the nitrogen purging device 5. The horizontal displacement slider 7-3 slides to the rear of the chamber, and the telescopic rods of the metal substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 2-6 on the mechanical clamping claw 2 and the silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 3-1 of the negative pressure suction cup system 3 extend to ensure that all substrates are fully covered within the effective heating area of ​​the heating plate 4-3. The vertical displacement mechanism 8 rises again, and the distance is controlled by the motor parameters until the substrate surface and the lower surface of the drying heating device 4 are kept very close to each other to ensure efficient drying.

[0078] Step 11: After the drying function is completed, the telescopic rods of the metal substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 2-6 and the silicon wafer substrate rotary telescopic cylinder 3-1 are retracted to their shortest length, and the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 moves to the front of the chamber under the drive of the horizontal displacement motor 7-5, bypassing the heating plate 4-3.

[0079] Step 12: Start the metal base storage. The vertical displacement mechanism 8 is raised until the supporting base half claw 2-3 is slightly higher than the mating surface of the metal base storage drawer 9. Then, the horizontal displacement slider 7-3 moves backward to the rear of the box. The telescopic rod of the small telescopic cylinder 2-5 extends to the appropriate position, that is, the supporting base half claw 2-3 and the metal base storage drawer 9 are matched with the hollow groove. Then, the mechanical clamping claw 2 opens slightly, the vertical displacement mechanism 8 descends, and the metal base 12 is stored in the metal base storage drawer 9.

[0080] Step 13: The telescopic arms of the horizontal displacement mechanism 7, the vertical displacement mechanism 8, the mechanical gripper 2, and the negative pressure suction cup system 3 return to their initial positions, completing the metal substrate storage. After the negative pressure suction cup system 3 returns to its original position, the vacuum gear pumps 3-4 are turned off. The cleaned metal substrate 12 can be taken out from the metal substrate storage drawer 9 on the front side of the cleaning box for normal use or temporarily stored in the metal substrate storage drawer 9. The cleaned silicon wafer substrate 13 can be picked up by tweezers using tweezers in the groove of the negative pressure suction cup system 3 after opening the top cover 1. The entire cleaning process is now complete.

[0081] The electrical components of this invention utilize existing, mature, and complex technologies, and do not represent any innovative aspect of this invention. Therefore, some lower-level control motherboards (integrating logic control chips, micro-electrical components, etc.) and motor drive boards (installed within the back panel of the cleaning tank) are added to the control panel, solely for machine integrity. This invention is intended for use in a cleanroom and does not involve seals. The parts in contact with liquid do not involve electrical components, and appropriate rust-resistant materials can be used.

[0082] This invention provides a micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning system that achieves an automated and efficient workflow, encompassing three ultrasonic cleaning processes with different solutions, two efficient dehydration processes, and final storage. The entire cleaning process is rigid and controllable. The system employs a three-layer ultrasonic cleaning technique to deeply remove debris, photoresist residue, and other contaminants from the substrate, ensuring a highly smooth surface. Subsequently, nitrogen purging effectively removes residual moisture and disperses and removes tiny particles, further guaranteeing substrate cleanliness. The following drying step ensures the substrate is completely dry, laying a solid foundation for subsequent photoresist spin-coating or film deposition processes and significantly improving finished product quality. Furthermore, this cleaning system integrates an automatic storage function after cleaning, optimizing the operation process and improving efficiency and convenience. Compared to traditional cleaning methods, this invention achieves significant improvements in cleaning efficiency, cleaning effect, and ease of operation.

[0083] Unless otherwise stated, if any of the technical solutions disclosed in this invention discloses a numerical range, then the disclosed numerical range is a preferred numerical range. Any person skilled in the art should understand that the preferred numerical range is merely a range of numerical values ​​among many implementable values ​​that have a more obvious or representative technical effect. Since there are many numerical values, it is impossible to list them all. Therefore, this invention discloses only some numerical values ​​to illustrate the technical solutions of this invention. Furthermore, the numerical values ​​listed above should not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention.

[0084] If this invention discloses or relates to components or structural parts that are fixedly connected to each other, then, unless otherwise stated, a fixed connection can be understood as: a fixed connection that can be detached (e.g., using bolts or screws), or a fixed connection that is not detachable (e.g., riveting, welding). Of course, a fixed connection can also be replaced by an integral structure (e.g., manufactured by casting) (except where it is obviously impossible to use an integral molding process).

[0085] In addition, unless otherwise stated, the terms used in any of the technical solutions disclosed in this invention to indicate positional relationships or shapes include states or shapes that are similar to, close to, or approximate with those states or shapes.

[0086] Any component provided by this invention can be assembled from multiple individual components or can be a single component manufactured by a one-piece molding process.

[0087] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any other way. Any person skilled in the art may make changes or modifications to the above-disclosed technical content to create equivalent embodiments. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine integrating cleaning, drying, and storage, characterized in that... It is equipped with a cleaning tank, a vertical displacement mechanism, a horizontal displacement mechanism, mechanical clamping claws, a negative pressure suction cup system, a metal sheet substrate storage drawer, a nitrogen purging device, a drying and heating device, and a three-tank ultrasonic cleaner. The cleaning box, as the main part of the equipment, has multiple functional areas inside for cleaning, drying, and storing the substrate. The vertical displacement mechanism is located on the left and right sides of the cleaning tank. The vertical displacement mechanism includes a lead screw, a vertical displacement motor, a support slide rail, and a vertical displacement slide plate. The vertical displacement motor drives the lead screw to rotate, thereby causing the vertical displacement slide plate to move up and down on the support slide rail. The horizontal displacement mechanism is mounted on the vertical displacement mechanism; the horizontal displacement mechanism includes a horizontal displacement rod, a horizontal displacement slider, and a horizontal displacement motor; the horizontal displacement slider is rolledly connected to the two side walls of the horizontal displacement rod; the horizontal displacement motor drives the horizontal displacement slider to slide on the horizontal displacement rod via a belt, thereby realizing the horizontal movement of the base. The horizontal displacement mechanism is hinged to the vertical displacement slide plate, and a flip motor for driving the horizontal displacement rod to flip is installed on the hinge part. A rotary telescopic cylinder is installed on the horizontal displacement slider. The rotary telescopic cylinder for the metal substrate on the left side of the housing is connected to a small telescopic cylinder. The small telescopic cylinder has a mechanical gripper at its end, which is used to grip the metal substrate. A vacuum gear pump is installed in the middle of the rotary telescopic cylinder for the silicon wafer substrate on the right side of the housing, and a negative pressure suction cup system is installed at its end. The negative pressure suction cup system is used to adsorb the silicon wafer substrate. The negative pressure suction cup system has several silicon wafer substrate placement slots arranged in a row. Each placement slot is equipped with a negative pressure suction cup. Both the mechanical gripper and the negative pressure suction cup system can achieve precise movement and positioning of the substrate under the drive of the vertical displacement mechanism and the horizontal displacement mechanism. The upper rear wall of the cleaning tank is equipped with a metal sheet base storage drawer that works with mechanical clamping claws. The metal sheet base storage drawer is used to store the cleaned and dried metal sheet base for convenient subsequent use or storage. The metal sheet base storage drawer can be pulled forward. The nitrogen purging device is located in the middle of the rear wall of the cleaning chamber; the nitrogen purging device is used to purge and dry the cleaned substrate with nitrogen to remove residual moisture and small particles from the substrate surface. The drying and heating device is located below the rear wall of the cleaning tank. It is used to heat and dry the substrate after it has been blown and air-dried, ensuring that the substrate surface is completely dry. The drying and heating device includes a fixed plate and a heating plate. The fixed plate is connected to the rear wall of the cleaning tank by bolts. The heating plate is equipped with a resistance wire for heating. Four spring buffer devices are installed between the heating plate and the fixed plate. The heating plate is connected to the fixed plate through the spring buffer devices to ensure stability during the heating process. The three-tank ultrasonic cleaner is located at the bottom of the cleaning tank and includes three independent cleaning tanks: an acetone cleaning tank, an ethanol cleaning tank, and a deionized water cleaning tank. The three-tank ultrasonic cleaner is used to perform ultrasonic oscillation cleaning of the substrate with acetone, ethanol, and deionized water to remove stains and impurities from the substrate surface. Inlet and outlet ports are arranged on both sides of each tank. The inlet port is directly connected to the corresponding solution storage tank. A precision gear pump is used to accurately control the solution input volume. The liquid flows into the tank through the outlet port set in the tank wall. A liquid level sensor is set on the lower surface of the outlet port to prevent the liquid in the tank from overflowing. The outlet port is connected to a waste liquid collection tank.

2. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The negative pressure suction cup system has eight 10mm×10mm silicon wafer substrate placement slots arranged in a straight line.

3. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The negative pressure suction cup is equipped with a negative pressure sensor.

4. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The mechanical gripper consists of a rubber fixed half-claw and a supporting base half-claw. The supporting base half-claw is provided with six 20mm×30mm metal sheet base placement slots arranged in a row, and has a docking hollow groove. The opening and closing of the half-claw is controlled by a small telescopic cylinder.

5. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The heating plate is equipped with a temperature sensor.

6. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The nitrogen purging device is connected to a high-pressure nitrogen cylinder via a back plate and has a built-in solenoid valve to control the nitrogen flow.

7. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The three-tank ultrasonic cleaner is equipped with an ultrasonic generator in its cleaning tank. The ultrasonic generator generates high-frequency vibrations to perform ultrasonic oscillation cleaning on the substrate, thereby removing stains and impurities from the substrate surface.

8. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... It is also equipped with an electrical control system, which consists of a control integration board, a motor drive board, and a sensor acquisition module. The various parts of the electrical control system are connected by wires and arranged by a hub board. They are installed in the back compartment of the cleaning box and are used to control the motor, solenoid valve, and heating plate.

9. The integrated cleaning, drying, and storage micro / nano sensor substrate cleaning machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that... The cleaning tank is equipped with a control panel, which is used to set cleaning, purging, and drying parameters, and to monitor the equipment's operating status.

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