Wafer sorting and code reading all-in-one machine

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wafer manufacturing, in particular to a wafer sorting and code reading all-in-one machine which has a wafer sorting function and an ID identification code reading function. In the wafer sorting process, the outer edge of the wafer continuously performs circumferential rotation motion due to the friction force from the circumferential plectrum assembly, the orientation of the positioning gap is changed, and the subsequent wafer is skillfully locked by the circumferential limiting assembly by means of the gravity of the wafer, and at the moment, the positioning gap is automatically locked by the circumferential plectrum assembly. According to the technical scheme, the positioning notch is used as the correcting reference, namely, one or more wafers are corrected, the other wafers continue to perform circumferential rotation motion, the positioning notch is also used as the correcting reference until all the wafers are corrected, the whole wafer correcting process is rapid, and good posture consistency is kept between the corrected wafers of the same batch. Furthermore, after the wafers are arranged, station transfer is not needed, and the code reading unit can read and identify the ID identification codes of the wafers in the same batch one by one.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of wafer manufacturing, and in particular to a wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine. Background Art

[0002] The shape of the wafer is usually a perfect circle, but some wafers are not perfect circles. A notch or notch is set on the wafer to keep the wafer in a specific direction during subsequent processing. In the production process, how to stably and efficiently complete the wafer information collection is very critical to building a product traceability system.

[0003] As far as the current status of the industry is concerned, wafers are placed in batches in wafer baskets and are sorted with the help of wafer sorting equipment until the orientation of their positioning notches is kept consistent. Then the wafer basket is transferred to the next station, and the wafer ID code information is read piece by piece with the help of an industrial barcode scanner. However, according to feedback from on-site workers, problems frequently occur in the ID code reading process, mainly focusing on incorrect or unreadable wafer ID codes and mismatches between the wafer sorting rhythm and the ID code reading rhythm. The reason is that the precision of existing wafer sorting machines is relatively limited, and the consistency of the posture of batch wafers after sorting is difficult to guarantee (some wafers are very likely to maintain their original posture due to ineffective sorting). In addition, during the transfer of the wafer basket between different stations, one or some wafers undergo changes in orientation and posture due to excitation force or bumps, which makes it difficult for the industrial barcode scanner to accurately align with the pre-read ID code information, further exacerbating the difficulty of information reading by the industrial barcode scanner. Furthermore, the number of films that can be processed at a time by the existing film processing equipment is relatively limited, and the transfer to the next station requires a lot of man-hours, which inevitably exacerbates the problem that the film processing rhythm is difficult to match the identification code reading rhythm. Therefore, it is urgent for those skilled in the art to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned existing problems and defects, the project development team of the present invention collected relevant information, conducted multiple evaluations and considerations, and the project development team members continuously experimented and modified, which eventually led to the emergence of the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to a wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine, including a frame, a wafer basket, a wafer sorting mechanism, a wafer top mechanism and a code reading unit. The wafer basket is used to hold wafers in batches, and the frame is used as a drop and installation base. The wafer sorting mechanism and the wafer top mechanism are both hidden in the cavity of the frame and arranged directly below the wafer basket. The code reading unit is used to read the ID identification code of the wafers that have been adjusted by the wafer sorting mechanism and lifted to a set height by the wafer top mechanism one by one, and it is supported by the frame. The wafer sorting mechanism includes a support frame, a lifting power device, a circumferential paddle assembly and a circumferential limit assembly. The circumferential paddle assembly and the circumferential limit assembly are used in combination, and both are supported by the support frame. The support frame performs displacement movement in the up and down directions under the driving force from the lifting power device, and the circumferential paddle assembly and the circumferential limit assembly perform follow-up displacement movement. When the wafer sorting operation is pre-executed, the circumferential paddle assembly and the circumferential limit assembly synchronously perform an upward movement until the circumferential paddle assembly touches multiple wafers at the same time. Subsequently, the outer edges of the multiple wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational movement due to the friction force from the circumferential paddle assembly. At the same time, the relative positions of the directional notches thereon change. In addition, with the assistance of the circumferential limit assembly used to lock the position of the directional notches, multiple wafers can be straightened one by one.

[0006] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the circumferential paddle assembly includes a paddle roller, a transmission shaft and a first synchronous belt transmission mechanism. The circumferential limit assembly includes a U-shaped micro-swing arm, a wafer sorting comb, a limit rod and a second synchronous belt transmission mechanism. The transmission shaft uses the support frame as the installation basis, and it performs circumferential rotation due to the torque from the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism. The paddle roller uses the transmission shaft as the fitting basis, and performs circumferential rotation synchronously with the transmission shaft, and the wafers in contact with it are continuously subjected to friction. The U-shaped micro-swing arm also uses the transmission shaft as the fitting basis, and it performs circumferential rotation independently due to the torque from the second synchronous belt transmission mechanism, rather than keeping in sync with the transmission shaft. The wafer sorting comb is detachably fixed to the U-shaped micro-swing arm and keeps alignment with multiple wafers. The limit rod uses the wafer sorting comb as the insertion basis, and all the comb teeth are crossed. During the process of multiple wafers performing circumferential rotational motion due to the friction force from the paddle roller, the relative positions of the directional notches thereon change, and at the same time, the U-shaped micro-swing arm performs circumferential rotational motion due to the rotational torque until the limit rod touches the outer edges of the multiple wafers. As the wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational motion, the multiple directional notches are successively sunken by the limit rod. At this time, the circumferential rotational freedom of the corresponding wafer is limited to zero.

[0007] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism includes a first rotating motor, a first active synchronous wheel, a first driven synchronous wheel and a first synchronous belt. The second synchronous belt transmission mechanism includes a second rotating motor, a second active synchronous wheel, a second driven synchronous wheel and a second synchronous belt. The first rotating motor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is fixed as a whole with the first active synchronous wheel. The first driven synchronous wheel is sleeved with the transmission shaft and fixed as a whole. The first synchronous belt serves as a torque transmission transition between the first active synchronous wheel and the first driven synchronous wheel. The second rotating motor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is fixed as a whole with the second active synchronous wheel. The second driven synchronous wheel is sleeved on the transmission shaft and fixed as a whole with the U-shaped micro-swing arm. When subjected to the torque transmitted via the second driven synchronous wheel, the U-shaped micro-swing arm freely performs circumferential rotation independently of the transmission shaft. The second synchronous belt serves as a torque transmission transition between the second active synchronous wheel and the second driven synchronous wheel.

[0008] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the circumferential paddle assembly also includes a first fixed angle rotation limiting unit. The circumferential limiting assembly also includes a second fixed angle rotation limiting unit. When the wafer sorting operation is completed, with the assistance of the second fixed angle rotation limiting unit, the U-shaped micro-swing arm performs a reverse rotation movement until the limiting rod is released from the notch, and each wafer falls back on the paddle roller under the action of its own gravity, and then, with the assistance of the first fixed angle rotation limiting unit, the paddle roller continues to perform the rotation movement, and multiple wafers can synchronously perform follow-up circumferential rotation movement under the action of the friction force from the paddle roller until the ID identification code thereon is aligned with the code reading unit.

[0009] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the first fixed angle rotation limiting unit includes a first angle calibration disk and a reflective photoelectric sensor. The second fixed angle rotation limiting unit includes a second angle calibration disk and a transmissive photoelectric sensor. The first angle calibration disk is fixedly mounted on one end of the transmission shaft and is provided with a calibration notch. The reflective photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame and is aligned with the first angle calibration disk. The second angle calibration disk is mounted on the transmission shaft and is fixed as a whole with the second driven synchronous wheel. A calibration ear continues to extend outward from the periphery of the second angle calibration disk. The transmissive photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame and is aligned with the second angle calibration disk.

[0010] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the code reading unit includes an L-shaped load-bearing frame, a linear drive module, a first guide functional unit, a retractable cantilever frame and an industrial code scanner. The L-shaped load-bearing frame is hidden in the inner cavity of the frame, and it performs translational motion along the left and right directions under the joint action of the linear drive module and the first guide functional unit. The retractable cantilever frame is used to carry the industrial code scanner, and it adopts a detachable manner to achieve fixed installation with the L-shaped load-bearing frame. The industrial code scanner is located directly above the wafer basket and remains in a horizontal position.

[0011] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the first guide function part includes a first slide rail slider assembly and a second slide rail slider assembly. The first slide rail slider assembly and the second slide rail slider assembly are arranged one by one below and on the side of the L-shaped load-bearing frame.

[0012] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the ejector mechanism includes a mounting seat, an externally driven screw motor, a second guide function part, a L-shaped load-bearing frame, a front ejection block and a rear ejection block. The mounting seat is detachably fixed to the L-shaped load-bearing frame as a whole. The externally driven screw motor uses the mounting seat as an installation base, and with the assistance of the second guide function part, it is able to drive the L-shaped load-bearing frame to perform lifting and lowering movements along the up and down directions. The front ejection block and the rear ejection block are detachably fixed to the two sides of the L-shaped load-bearing frame, and are arranged opposite to each other, and the two cooperate to lift the wafer.

[0013] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the second guide function part includes a third slide rail and slider assembly. The third slide rail and slider assembly serves as a guide transition between the mounting seat and the external drive screw motor.

[0014] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the ejector mechanism also includes a beam-type photoelectric sensor. The transmitter and the receiver of the beam-type photoelectric sensor are respectively mounted and fixed on the outer sides of the front ejection block and the rear ejection block in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two cooperate to determine whether the wafer in the state of being placed is in positive alignment with the front ejection block and the rear ejection block.

[0015] The working process of the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention is roughly as follows:

[0016] S1. Stacking wafers in batches into wafer baskets;

[0017] S2, the circumferential paddle assembly performs an upward movement to gradually approach the wafer basket until the circumferential paddle assembly touches the multiple wafers at the same time, and the circumferential paddle assembly continues to move upward by a set distance. At the same time, the circumferential limit assembly performs a follow-up upward movement. Subsequently, the multiple wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational movement under the action of friction. In addition, the circumferential limit assembly has the function of locking each wafer piece by piece with the help of the directional notch, so that the multiple wafers can be straightened as a whole;

[0018] S3, the ejecting mechanism is activated to eject the wafers from the wafer basket piece by piece until they maintain a correct code reading position relative to the code reading unit;

[0019] S4, the code reading unit starts the code reading process, and the ID code of the lifted wafer is read and identified;

[0020] S5. Repeat steps S3-S4 multiple times until all wafers in the same batch have been scanned.

[0021] After a period of workshop trial operation verification, in practical application, the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention can at least achieve the following beneficial technical effects, specifically:

[0022] 1) During the wafer sorting process, the outer edge of the wafer continuously performs circumferential rotation due to the friction force, and the position of the positioning notch can be changed. The subsequent wafer cleverly uses its own gravity to lock its positioning notch by the circumferential limit assembly. At this time, it means that one or some wafers are adjusted. The remaining wafers continue to perform circumferential rotation under the action of friction, and the positioning notch is also used as the adjustment reference until all wafers in the same batch are adjusted. The entire wafer adjustment process is fast and rapid, and the adjusted wafers in the same batch maintain good posture consistency, which is conducive to the subsequent reading and identification of ID identification codes;

[0023] 2) The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine has both wafer sorting function and ID code reading function, which means that after the wafers of the same batch are sorted, there is no need to transfer the workstation, and they remain in the same workstation. The barcode reading unit can complete the ID code reading and identification operation one by one, thus saving the time required for wafer workstation transfer and ensuring that the wafer sorting beat matches the ID code reading beat;

[0024] 3) After the wafers of the same batch are sorted, the wafers are lifted up one by one with the help of the lifting mechanism until they maintain the correct reading position relative to the code reading unit, thereby effectively avoiding the problem that the ID identification code cannot be read correctly or cannot be read due to the large reading tilt angle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0026] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 It is also a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention (the frame is hidden, and only the bottom plate is retained).

[0028] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the relative position relationship between the wafer sorting mechanism, the wafer top mechanism and the code reading unit in the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention under a certain viewing angle.

[0029] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the relative position relationship between the wafer sorting mechanism, the wafer top mechanism and the code reading unit in the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention from another perspective.

[0030] Figure 5 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the wafer sorting mechanism in the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the circumferential paddle assembly in the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the circumferential limit assembly in the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the top film mechanism in the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention.

[0034] Fig. 9 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a code reading unit in the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention.

[0035] 1 - Frame; 2 - Wafer basket; 3 - Wafer arranging mechanism; 31 - Support frame; 32 - Lifting power device; 33 - Circumferential wafer pusher assembly; 331 - Pushing roller; 332 - Transmission shaft; 333 - First synchronous belt drive mechanism; 3331 - First rotating motor; 3332 - First driving synchronous pulley; 3333 - First driven synchronous pulley; 3334 - First synchronous belt; 334 - First fixed - angle rotation limiting unit; 3341 - First angle calibration disc; 3342 - Reflective photoelectric sensor; 34 - Circumferential limiting assembly; 341 - U - shaped micro - swing arm; 342 - Wafer arranging comb; 3421 - Comb teeth; 343 - Limiting rod; 344 - Second synchronous belt drive mechanism; 3441 - Second rotating motor; 3442 - Second driving synchronous pulley; 3443 - Second driven synchronous pulley; 3444 - Second synchronous belt; 345 - Second fixed - angle rotation limiting unit; 3451 - Second angle calibration disc; 3452 - Transmissive photoelectric sensor; 4 - Wafer pushing mechanism; 41 - Mounting base; 42 - Externally - driven lead screw motor; 43 - Second guiding functional part; 431 - Third slide - rail slider assembly; 44 - U - shaped load - bearing frame; 45 - Front pushing block; 46 - Rear pushing block; 47 - Through - beam photoelectric sensor; 471 - Emitter; 472 - Receiver; 5 - Code - reading unit; 51 - L - shaped load - bearing frame; 52 - Linear drive module; 53 - First guiding functional part; 531 - First slide - rail slider assembly; 532 - Second slide - rail slider assembly; 54 - Telescopic cantilever frame; 55 - Industrial barcode scanner. Detailed implementation manners

[0036] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "left", "right", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings. These are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention.

[0037] The following further details the content disclosed in the present invention with reference to specific embodiments. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 Stereoscopic schematic diagrams of two different states of the wafer arranging and code - reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention are respectively shown. It can be seen that it mainly consists of a frame 1, a wafer basket 2, a wafer arranging mechanism 3, a wafer pushing mechanism 4, and a code - reading unit 5, etc. The wafer basket 2 is used to batch - load wafers, and it takes the frame 1 as the placement and installation basis. Multiple slots for placing wafers are formed in the wafer basket 2 and are linearly evenly distributed along its length direction. The wafer arranging mechanism 3 and the wafer pushing mechanism 4 are both hidden in the cavity of the frame 1 and are arranged directly below the wafer basket 2. The code - reading unit 5 is used to read the ID identification code of the wafers that are aligned by the wafer arranging mechanism 3 and lifted to a set height by the wafer pushing mechanism 4 one by one, and it is borne by the frame 1 (such as Figure 3 , 4 ).

[0038] like Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the wafer sorting mechanism 3 is mainly composed of a support frame 31, a lifting power device 32, a circumferential paddle assembly 33 and a circumferential limit assembly 34. Among them, the circumferential paddle assembly 33 and the circumferential limit assembly 34 are used in combination, and both are supported by the support frame 31. The support frame 31 performs displacement movement along the up and down directions under the driving force from the lifting power device 32, and the circumferential paddle assembly 33 and the circumferential limit assembly 34 perform follow-up displacement movement. When the wafer sorting operation is pre-performed, the circumferential paddle assembly 33 and the circumferential limit assembly 34 perform rising movement synchronously until the circumferential paddle assembly 33 touches multiple wafers at the same time. Subsequently, the outer edges of the multiple wafers continuously perform circumferential rotational movement due to the friction force from the circumferential paddle assembly 33. At the same time, the relative orientation of the directional notches thereon changes. In addition, with the auxiliary action of the circumferential limit assembly 34 used to lock the orientation of the directional notches, multiple wafers can be straightened one by one.

[0039] In practical applications, the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine disclosed in the present invention has achieved at least the following beneficial technical effects, specifically:

[0040] 1) During the wafer sorting process, the outer edge of the wafer continuously performs circumferential rotation due to the friction force, and the position of the positioning notch can be changed. The positioning notch of the subsequent wafer is locked by the circumferential limit assembly 34 by its own gravity. At this time, it means that one or some wafers are aligned, and the remaining wafers continue to perform circumferential rotation under the action of friction, and the positioning notch is also used as the alignment reference until all wafers in the same batch are aligned. The entire wafer alignment process is fast and rapid, and the aligned wafers in the same batch maintain good posture consistency, which is conducive to the subsequent code reading unit 5 to perform ID code reading and recognition operations on them;

[0041] 2) The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine has both wafer sorting function and ID code reading function, which means that after the wafers of the same batch are sorted, there is no need to transfer the workstation, and they remain in the same workstation. The barcode reading unit 5 can complete the wafer ID code reading and identification operation piece by piece, thereby saving the time consumed by the wafer workstation transfer, which is conducive to ensuring that the wafer sorting beat matches the ID code reading beat;

[0042] Here, it is also necessary to explain that after the wafers of the same batch are sorted, the wafers are lifted one by one with the help of the lifting mechanism 4 until they maintain the correct code reading position (reasonable relative position height) relative to the code reading unit 5, thereby effectively avoiding the problem that the ID identification code cannot be read correctly or cannot be read due to the reading inclination angle being too large.

[0043] As is known, according to design common sense, the circumferential paddle assembly 33 can adopt a variety of design structures to simultaneously realize the alignment and arrangement of multiple wafers, so as to make the orientations of the directional notches of multiple wafers consistent. However, a scheme with a simple design structure, easy manufacturing and implementation, and convenient for performing subsequent maintenance operations is recommended here, specifically: Figure 5 , 6 As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the circumferential paddle assembly 33 is mainly composed of a paddle roller 331, a transmission shaft 332, and a first synchronous belt transmission mechanism 333. The circumferential limit assembly 34 is mainly composed of a U-shaped micro-swing arm 341, a wafer sorting comb 342, a limit rod 343, and a second synchronous belt transmission mechanism 344. The transmission shaft 332 uses the support frame 31 as a mounting base, and performs circumferential rotation due to the torque from the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism 333. The paddle roller 331 uses the transmission shaft 332 as a fitting base, and performs circumferential rotation synchronously with the transmission shaft 332, so that the wafer in contact with it is continuously subjected to friction. The U-shaped micro-swing arm 341 also uses the transmission shaft 332 as a fitting base, and performs circumferential rotation independently due to the torque from the second synchronous belt transmission mechanism 344, rather than being synchronized with the transmission shaft 332. The wafer sorting comb 342 is detachably fixed on the U-shaped micro-swing arm 341 and is aligned with the plurality of wafers. The limiting rod 343 uses the wafer sorting comb 342 as the insertion base, and each comb tooth 3421 is crossed by it. In the process of the plurality of wafers performing circumferential rotational motion due to the friction force from the pick roller 331, the relative orientation of the directional notches thereon changes. At the same time, the U-shaped micro-swing arm 341 performs circumferential rotational motion due to the rotational torque until the limiting rod 343 contacts the outer edges of the plurality of wafers. As the wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational motion, the plurality of directional notches are successively sunken by the limiting rod 343. At this time, the circumferential rotational freedom of the corresponding wafer is limited to zero, which means that the wafer is straightened.

[0044] It should be emphasized here that, due to the design structure of the general-purpose wafer basket 2, the slot width is far greater than the thickness of the wafer, and when the wafer is inserted into the slot, it needs to be lifted up by the pick roller 331 when performing the wafer sorting and straightening operation. In this way, during the wafer picking process, the wafer is easily skewed due to the unbalanced friction force, which causes the positioning notch on it to not be smoothly sunk by the limit rod 343, thus affecting the smooth progress of the wafer sorting process. More seriously, the wafer is also very easy to twist due to the unbalanced friction force, and when the twist amount exceeds the tolerance, it is very easy to crack and break. Thanks to the optimized design structure of the circumferential limit assembly 34, a wafer sorting comb 342 is innovatively introduced, on which the comb teeth 3421 and the slots cooperate to separate the wafers at equal intervals. Accordingly, the wafer's yaw freedom and torsion are limited within a reasonable range. Thus, on the one hand, the wafer's posture deviation due to unbalanced friction during the wafer sorting process is effectively avoided, ensuring that the limit rod 343 can be smoothly inserted into the positioning notch, which means that the corresponding circumferential rotational freedom of the wafer is limited to zero.

[0045] It is known that in practical applications, the wear resistance and antistatic properties of the paddle roller 331 itself have a crucial impact on whether the wafer sorting process can be smoothly implemented. In serious cases, it may even cause the outer edge of the wafer to be unable to rotate in the circumferential direction due to insufficient friction, and thus be difficult to be sorted. In view of this, as a further optimization of the above technical solution, the plastic layer of the paddle roller 331 is preferably made of antistatic polypropylene or antistatic polyurethane.

[0046] like Figure 6 , 7As shown in , the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism 333 is mainly composed of several parts such as the first rotating motor 3331, the first active synchronous wheel 3332, the first driven synchronous wheel 3333 and the first synchronous belt 3334. The second synchronous belt transmission mechanism 344 is mainly composed of several parts such as the second rotating motor 3441, the second active synchronous wheel 3442, the second driven synchronous wheel 3443 and the second synchronous belt 3444. The first rotating motor 3331 is detachably fixed to the left side of the support frame 31, and its power output shaft is fixed as a whole with the first active synchronous wheel 3332. The first driven synchronous wheel 3333 is fitted with the transmission shaft 332 and fixed as a whole. The first synchronous belt 3334 serves as a torque transmission transition between the first active synchronous wheel 3332 and the first driven synchronous wheel 3333. The second rotating motor 3441 is detachably fixed to the right side of the support frame 31, and its power output shaft is fixed as a whole with the second active synchronous wheel 3442. The second driven synchronous wheel 3443 is sleeved on the transmission shaft 332 and fixed as a whole with the U-shaped micro swing arm 341. When subjected to the torque transmitted via the second driven synchronous wheel 3443, the U-shaped micro swing arm 341 freely performs circumferential rotation independently of the transmission shaft 332. The second synchronous belt 3444 serves as a torque transmission transition between the second active synchronous wheel 3442 and the second driven synchronous wheel 3443.

[0047] Depend on Figure 6 , 7 It can also be clearly seen from the figure that the circumferential paddle assembly 33 is equipped with a first fixed angle rotation limiting unit 334. The circumferential limiting assembly 34 is equipped with a second fixed angle rotation limiting unit 345. When the wafer sorting operation is completed, with the assistance of the second fixed angle rotation limiting unit 345, the U-shaped micro-swing arm 341 performs a reverse rotation movement until the limiting rod 343 is released from the directional notch, and each wafer is placed back on the paddle roller 331 under the action of its own gravity, and then, with the assistance of the first fixed angle rotation limiting unit 334, the paddle roller 331 continues to perform a rotation movement, and multiple wafers can synchronously perform a follow-up circumferential rotation movement under the action of the friction force from the paddle roller 331 until the ID identification code thereon is aligned with the code reading unit 5; on the other hand, it effectively avoids the occurrence of cracks and breakage of the wafer due to excessive twisting.

[0048] As a design preference, Figure 6 , 7As shown in the figure, the first fixed angle rotation limiting unit 334 includes a first angle calibration disk 3341 and a reflective photoelectric sensor 3342. The second fixed angle rotation limiting unit 345 includes a second angle calibration disk 3451 and a transmissive photoelectric sensor 3452. The first angle calibration disk 3341 is fixedly mounted on one end of the transmission shaft 332, and a calibration notch is provided thereon. The reflective photoelectric sensor 3342 is detachably fixed to the left side of the support frame 31, and is aligned with the first angle calibration disk 3341. The second angle calibration disk 3451 is sleeved on the transmission shaft 332, and is fixed as a whole with the second driven synchronous wheel 3443. A calibration ear continues to extend outward from the periphery of the second angle calibration disk 3451. The transmissive photoelectric sensor 3452 is detachably fixed to the right side of the support frame 31, and is aligned with the second angle calibration disk 3451.

[0049] like Fig. 9 As shown in , the code reading unit 5 is mainly composed of several parts such as an L-shaped load-bearing frame 51, a linear drive module 52, a first guide function part 53, a retractable cantilever frame 54 and an industrial code scanner 55. Among them, the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 is assembled by a horizontal plate and a vertical plate at 90 degrees, hidden in the inner cavity of the frame 1, and it performs translational movement along the left and right directions under the joint action of the linear drive module 52 and the first guide function part 53. The retractable cantilever frame 54 is used to carry the industrial code scanner 55, and it adopts a detachable manner to achieve fixed installation with the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51. The industrial code scanner 55 is located directly above the wafer basket 2 and remains in a horizontal position. The first guide function part 531 is mainly composed of a first slide rail slider assembly 531 and a second slide rail slider assembly 532. The first slide rail slider assembly 531 and the second slide rail slider assembly 532 are arranged one by one at the bottom and rear side of the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51. When the wafers of the same batch have been sorted, the top sheet mechanism 4 is activated to lift the leftmost wafer to the designed height. At this moment, the industrial barcode scanner 55 and the wafer ID code are kept at the same height, which is conducive to the industrial barcode scanner 55 to read and identify the ID code of the wafer more accurately. After the ID code is identified, the top sheet mechanism 4 performs a downward movement until the wafer is placed back on the paddle roller 331; then, the linear drive module 52 is repeatedly started to drive the industrial barcode scanner 55 and the top sheet mechanism 4 to perform synchronous displacement movement, and the top sheet mechanism 4 is activated to lift adjacent wafers to the designed height in turn, and read and identify the ID codes thereon in turn.

[0050] like Figure 8As shown in the figure, the ejector mechanism 4 is mainly composed of a mounting seat 41, an externally driven screw motor 42, a second guide function part 43 (the main structure is the third slide rail slider assembly 431), a U-shaped load-bearing frame 44, a front push-up block 45 and a rear push-up block 46. The mounting seat 41 is fixed to the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 in a detachable manner. The externally driven screw motor 42 uses the mounting seat 41 as a mounting base, and with the assistance of the second guide function part 43, it is able to drive the U-shaped load-bearing frame 44 to perform lifting and lowering movements along the up and down directions. The front push-up block 45 and the rear push-up block 46 are respectively detachably fixed to the front and rear sides of the U-shaped load-bearing frame 44, and are arranged opposite to each other, and the two cooperate to lift the wafer. In this way, under the premise of ensuring that the wafer is effectively lifted and the ID code thereon is accurately read and identified, the top sheet mechanism 4 is organically combined with the code reading unit 5, that is, the retractable cantilever frame 54 and the mounting seat 41 jointly use the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 as the installation basis, thereby ensuring the synchronization of the ID code reading action and the lifting action.

[0051] Depend on Figure 8 It can also be clearly seen that the ejector mechanism 4 is also equipped with a beam-type photoelectric sensor 47. The transmitter 471 and the receiver 472 of the beam-type photoelectric sensor 47 are respectively mounted and fixed on the outer sides of the front ejection block 45 and the rear ejection block 46, and the two cooperate to determine whether the wafer in the falling state is in a positive alignment with the front ejection block 45 and the rear ejection block 46, which is conducive to ensuring that the wafer is accurately and effectively lifted.

[0052] In addition, the present invention also discloses a method for sequentially completing wafer sorting and barcode reading of wafers at the same workstation, which is implemented by means of a wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine, specifically:

[0053] S1, stacking wafers in batches into a wafer basket 2;

[0054] S2, the circumferential paddle assembly 33 performs an upward movement to gradually approach the wafer basket 2, until the circumferential paddle assembly 33 touches the multiple wafers at the same time, and the circumferential paddle assembly 33 continues to move upward by a set distance, and at the same time, the circumferential limit assembly 34 performs a follow-up upward movement, and then, the multiple wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational movement under the action of friction. In addition, the circumferential limit assembly 34 has the function of locking each wafer piece by piece with the help of the directional notch, so that the multiple wafers can be straightened as a whole;

[0055] S3, the ejecting mechanism 4 is activated to eject the wafers from the wafer basket 2 one by one until they maintain a correct code reading position relative to the code reading unit 5;

[0056] S4, the code reading unit 5 starts the code reading process, and the ID code of the lifted wafer is read and identified;

[0057] S5. Repeat steps S3-S4 multiple times until all wafers in the same batch have been scanned.

[0058] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine, comprising a frame, a wafer basket, a wafer sorting mechanism, a wafer top mechanism and a barcode reading unit; the wafer basket is used to hold wafers in batches, and the frame is used as a drop and installation base; the wafer sorting mechanism and the wafer top mechanism are both hidden in the cavity of the frame and arranged directly below the wafer basket; the barcode reading unit is used to read the ID identification code of the wafers adjusted by the wafer sorting mechanism and lifted to a set height by the wafer top mechanism one by one, and is supported by the frame, characterized in that: The wafer sorting mechanism includes a support frame, a lifting power device, a circumferential paddle assembly and a circumferential limit assembly; the circumferential paddle assembly and the circumferential limit assembly are used in combination, and both are supported by the support frame; the support frame performs displacement movement along the up and down directions under the driving force from the lifting power device, and the circumferential paddle assembly and the circumferential limit assembly perform follow-up displacement movement; when the wafer sorting operation is pre-executed, the circumferential paddle assembly and the circumferential limit assembly synchronously perform an ascending movement until the circumferential paddle assembly touches multiple wafers at the same time, and then, the outer edges of the multiple wafers continue to perform circumferential rotation movement due to the friction force from the circumferential paddle assembly, and at the same time, the relative orientation of the directional notches thereon changes, and with the assistance of the circumferential limit assembly used to lock the orientation of the directional notches, multiple wafers can be straightened one by one.

2. According to claim 1, the wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine is characterized in that: The circumferential paddle assembly includes a paddle roller, a transmission shaft and a first synchronous belt transmission mechanism; the circumferential limit assembly includes a U-shaped micro-swing arm, a wafer comb, a limit rod and a second synchronous belt transmission mechanism; the transmission shaft uses the support frame as an installation basis, and it performs circumferential rotation due to the torque from the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism; the paddle roller uses the transmission shaft as a fitting basis, and synchronously performs circumferential rotation following the transmission shaft, so that the wafer in contact with it can be continuously subjected to the friction force; the U-shaped micro-swing arm also uses the transmission shaft as a fitting basis, and it independently performs circumferential rotation due to the torque from the second synchronous belt transmission mechanism. The wafer comb is detachably fixed on the C-shaped micro-swing arm and aligned with a plurality of wafers; the limit rod is based on the wafer comb, and all the comb teeth are crossed; in the process of the plurality of wafers performing circumferential rotational motion due to the friction force from the pick roller, the relative positions of the directional notches thereon change, and at the same time, the C-shaped micro-swing arm performs circumferential rotational motion due to the rotational torque, until the limit rod touches the outer edges of the plurality of wafers, and as the wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational motion, a plurality of directional notches are successively sunken by the limit rod, and at this time, the circumferential rotational degree of freedom of the corresponding wafer is limited to zero.

3. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first synchronous belt transmission mechanism includes a first rotating motor, a first active synchronous wheel, a first driven synchronous wheel and a first synchronous belt; the second synchronous belt transmission mechanism includes a second rotating motor, a second active synchronous wheel, a second driven synchronous wheel and a second synchronous belt; the first rotating motor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is fixed as a whole with the first active synchronous wheel; the first driven synchronous wheel is sleeved with the transmission shaft and fixed as a whole; the first synchronous belt serves as a torque transmission transition between the first active synchronous wheel and the first driven synchronous wheel; the second rotating motor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is fixed as a whole with the second active synchronous wheel; the second driven synchronous wheel is sleeved on the transmission shaft and fixed as a whole with the U-shaped micro-swing arm; when subjected to the torque transmitted via the second driven synchronous wheel, the U-shaped micro-swing arm freely performs circumferential rotation independently of the transmission shaft; the second synchronous belt serves as a torque transmission transition between the second active synchronous wheel and the second driven synchronous wheel.

4. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The circumferential paddle assembly also includes a first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit; the circumferential limit assembly also includes a second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit; when the wafer sorting operation is completed, with the assistance of the second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit, the U-shaped micro-swing arm performs a reverse rotation movement until the limit rod escapes from the notch, and each wafer falls back on the paddle roller under the action of its own gravity, and then, with the assistance of the first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit, the paddle roller continues to perform a rotation movement, and multiple wafers are able to synchronously perform a follow-up circumferential rotation movement under the action of the friction force from the paddle roller until the ID identification code thereon is aligned with the code reading unit.

5. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first fixed angle rotation limiting unit includes a first angle calibration disk and a reflective photoelectric sensor; the second fixed angle rotation limiting unit includes a second angle calibration disk and a transmissive photoelectric sensor; the first angle calibration disk is installed and fixed on one end of the transmission shaft, and a calibration notch is opened on it; the reflective photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame, and is kept in alignment with the first angle calibration disk; the second angle calibration disk is mounted on the transmission shaft, and is fixed as a whole with the second driven synchronous wheel; a calibration ear continues to extend outward from the periphery of the second angle calibration disk; the transmissive photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame, and is kept in alignment with the second angle calibration disk.

6. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The code reading unit includes an L-shaped load-bearing frame, a linear drive module, a first guide functional part, a retractable cantilever frame and an industrial code scanner; the L-shaped load-bearing frame is hidden in the inner cavity of the frame, and it performs translational movement along the left and right directions under the joint action of the linear drive module and the first guide functional part; the retractable cantilever frame is used to carry the industrial code scanner, and it adopts a detachable manner to achieve fixed installation with the L-shaped load-bearing frame; the industrial code scanner is located directly above the wafer basket and remains in a horizontal position.

7. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first guide function part includes a first slide rail slider assembly and a second slide rail slider assembly; the first slide rail slider assembly and the second slide rail slider assembly are arranged one by one below and to the side of the L-shaped load-bearing frame.

8. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The ejector mechanism includes a mounting seat, an externally driven screw motor, a second guide function part, a U-shaped load-bearing frame, a front ejection block and a rear ejection block; the mounting seat is detachably fixed to the L-shaped load-bearing frame as a whole; the externally driven screw motor uses the mounting seat as an installation base, and with the assistance of the second guide function part, it is able to drive the U-shaped load-bearing frame to perform lifting movements along the up and down directions; the front ejection block and the rear ejection block are respectively detachably fixed to the two sides of the U-shaped load-bearing frame, and are arranged opposite to each other, and the two work together to lift the wafer.

9. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The second guide function part includes a third slide rail and slider assembly; the third slide rail and slider assembly serves as a guide transition between the mounting seat and the external drive screw motor.

10. The wafer sorting and barcode reading integrated machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The ejector mechanism also includes a facing photoelectric sensor; the transmitter and receiver of the facing photoelectric sensor are respectively installed and fixed on the outer sides of the front ejection block and the rear ejection block in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two cooperate to determine whether the wafer in the state of being dropped is in a positive alignment with the front ejection block and the rear ejection block.

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