A wafer sorting, reading and coding integrated machine

Abstract

The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer manufacturing, in particular to a wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine, which has both wafer sorting function and ID code reading function. During the execution of the wafer sorting process, the outer edge of the wafer continuously performs circumferential rotational movement due to the frictional force from the circumferential wafer pusher assembly, the orientation of the positioning notch changes, and subsequently, the positioning notch of the wafer is automatically locked by the circumferential limiting assembly by virtue of its own gravity. At this time, it means that one or some wafers are straightened, and the remaining wafers continue to perform circumferential rotational movement, also using the positioning notch as the straightening reference until all are straightened. The whole wafer straightening process is fast and rapid, and there is good attitude consistency among the wafers of the same batch after being straightened. Moreover, after the wafer sorting is completed, without the need for station transfer, the code reading unit can complete the ID code reading and identification operations of the wafers of the same batch one by one.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The shape of a wafer is usually a perfect circle, but there are also some wafers that are not perfectly round. A notch or a slot is provided on the wafer to enable the wafer to maintain a specific orientation during subsequent processing. Moreover, during the production process, how to stably and efficiently complete the acquisition of wafer information is crucial for building a product traceability system.

[0003] In view of the current industry situation, wafers are placed in a wafer basket in batches, and are sorted by a sorting device until the orientations of their positioning notches are consistent. Then, the wafer basket is transferred to the next station, and the wafer ID code information is read one by one by an industrial barcode scanner. However, according to the feedback from on-site workers, there are frequent problems in the ID code reading link, mainly concentrated on incorrect reading and unreadable of the wafer ID code, and the mismatch between the sorting cycle and the code reading cycle. The reason is that the sorting accuracy of the existing sorting machines is relatively limited, and it is difficult to ensure the consistency of the postures of the batch of wafers after sorting (some wafers are likely to maintain their original postures due to ineffective sorting). In addition, during the transfer process of the wafer basket between different stations, one or some wafers change their orientations and postures due to the excitation force or jolt, which further makes it difficult for the industrial barcode scanner to accurately align with the ID code information to be read, and further increases the difficulty of information reading by the industrial barcode scanner. Moreover, the number of wafers sorted at one time by the existing sorting devices is relatively limited, and a large amount of working hours are required for transferring to the next station, which will inevitably exacerbate the problem that the sorting cycle is difficult to match the code reading cycle. 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 existing problems and defects, the R & D team of the present invention project collected relevant materials, conducted multi-party evaluations and considerations, and through continuous experiments and modifications by the R & D team members, finally led to the emergence of the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine.

[0005] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention relates to a wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine, which includes a frame, a wafer basket, a sorting mechanism, a wafer lifting mechanism, and a code reading unit. The wafer basket is used to hold wafers in batches, and it takes the frame as the basis for dropping and installation. The sorting mechanism and the wafer lifting mechanism are both hidden in the cavity of the frame and are arranged directly below the wafer basket. The code reading unit is used to read the ID identification codes of the wafers that have been aligned by the sorting mechanism and lifted to a set height by the wafer lifting mechanism one by one, and it is borne by the frame. The sorting mechanism includes a support frame, a lifting power device, a circumferential wafer pusher assembly, and a circumferential limiting assembly. The circumferential wafer pusher assembly and the circumferential limiting assembly are used in combination, and both are borne by the support frame. The support frame performs a displacement movement in the vertical direction under the driving force from the lifting power device, and the circumferential wafer pusher assembly and the circumferential limiting assembly perform a following displacement movement. When the wafer sorting operation is to be performed, the circumferential wafer pusher assembly and the circumferential limiting assembly perform a synchronous upward movement until the circumferential wafer pusher assembly contacts multiple wafers simultaneously. Subsequently, the outer edges of the multiple wafers continuously perform a circumferential rotation movement due to the frictional force from the circumferential wafer pusher assembly. At the same time, the relative orientation of the orientation notches on them changes. In addition, with the assistance of the circumferential limiting assembly used to lock the orientation of the orientation notches, the multiple wafers are sorted one by one.

[0006] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the circumferential wafer pusher assembly includes a wafer pushing roller, a transmission shaft, and a first synchronous belt drive mechanism. The circumferential limiting assembly includes a U-shaped micro-swing arm, a sorting comb, a limiting rod, and a second synchronous belt drive mechanism. The transmission shaft takes the support frame as the installation basis and performs a circumferential rotation movement under the rotational torque from the first synchronous belt drive mechanism. The wafer pushing roller takes the transmission shaft as the sleeved basis and synchronously performs a circumferential rotation movement with the transmission shaft, and the wafers in contact with it are continuously subjected to frictional force. The U-shaped micro-swing arm also takes the transmission shaft as the sleeved basis and independently performs a circumferential rotation movement under the rotational torque from the second synchronous belt drive mechanism, rather than being synchronized with the transmission shaft. The sorting comb is detachably fixed on the U-shaped micro-swing arm and is aligned with multiple wafers. The limiting rod takes the sorting comb as the inserted basis and passes through each comb tooth. During the process in which the multiple wafers perform a circumferential rotation movement due to the frictional force from the wafer pushing roller, the relative orientation of the orientation notches on them changes. At the same time, the U-shaped micro-swing arm performs a circumferential rotation movement due to the rotational torque until the limiting rod contacts the outer edges of the multiple wafers. As the circumferential rotation movement of the wafers continues, the multiple orientation notches are successively deepened by the limiting rod. At this time, the circumferential rotation freedom of the corresponding wafers is limited to zero.

[0007] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed by the present invention, the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism includes a first rotating motor, a first driving synchronous pulley, a first driven synchronous pulley and a first synchronous belt. The second synchronous belt transmission mechanism includes a second rotating motor, a second driving synchronous pulley, a second driven synchronous pulley 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 integrally fixed with the first driving synchronous pulley. The first driven synchronous pulley is sleeved on and integrally fixed with the transmission shaft. The first synchronous belt serves as a transition for transmitting the rotational torque between the first driving synchronous pulley and the first driven synchronous pulley. The second rotating motor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is integrally fixed with the second driving synchronous pulley. The second driven synchronous pulley is sleeved on the transmission shaft and integrally fixed with the U-shaped micro-swing arm. When acted upon by the rotational torque transmitted through the second driven synchronous pulley, the U-shaped micro-swing arm independently performs a circumferential rotational movement freely with respect to the transmission shaft. The second synchronous belt serves as a transition for transmitting the rotational torque between the second driving synchronous pulley and the second driven synchronous pulley.

[0008] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed by the present invention, the circumferential dial component further includes a first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit. The circumferential limit component further includes a second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit. After 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 rotational movement until the limiting rod disengages from the notch, and each wafer falls back onto the dial roller under the action of its own gravity. Then, with the assistance of the first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit, the dial roller continues to perform a rotational movement, and multiple wafers synchronously perform a follow-up circumferential rotational movement under the action of the frictional force from the dial roller until their ID identification codes are aligned with the code reading unit.

[0009] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed by the present invention, the first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit includes a first angle calibration disc and a reflective photoelectric sensor. The second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit includes a second angle calibration disc and a transmissive photoelectric sensor. The first angle calibration disc is mounted and fixed to one end of the transmission shaft, and a calibration notch is provided thereon. The reflective photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame and is aligned with the first angle calibration disc. The second angle calibration disc is sleeved on the transmission shaft and is integrally fixed with the second driven synchronous pulley. A calibration ear extends outward from the periphery of the second angle calibration disc. The transmissive photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame and is aligned with the second angle calibration disc.

[0010] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the code reading unit includes an L-shaped bearing frame, a linear drive module, a first guiding functional part, a telescopic cantilever frame, and an industrial code scanner. The L-shaped bearing frame is recessed into the inner cavity of the machine frame, and under the combined action of the linear drive module and the first guiding functional part, it performs a translational movement along the left-right direction. The telescopic cantilever frame is used to carry the industrial code scanner, and it is detachably mounted to be fixedly installed with the L-shaped 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 guiding functional 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 respectively arranged below and on the side of the L-shaped bearing frame in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0012] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the top sheet mechanism includes a mounting seat, an externally driven screw motor, a second guiding functional part, a U-shaped bearing frame, a front push block, and a rear push block. The mounting seat is detachably fixed to be integrated with the L-shaped bearing frame. The externally driven screw motor takes the mounting seat as the installation base, and under the auxiliary action of the second guiding functional part, it drives the U-shaped bearing frame to perform a lifting movement along the up-down direction. The front push block and the rear push block are respectively detachably fixed on both sides of the U-shaped bearing frame and are arranged oppositely, and the two cooperate to lift the wafer.

[0013] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the second guiding functional part includes a third slide rail-slider assembly. The third slide rail-slider assembly serves as a guiding transition between the mounting seat and the externally driven screw motor.

[0014] As a further improvement of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention, the top sheet mechanism further includes a pair of photoelectric sensors. The emitter and the receiver of the pair of photoelectric sensors are respectively installed and fixed on the outer sides of the front push block and the rear push block in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two cooperate to determine whether the wafer about to be placed is correctly aligned with the front push block and the rear push block.

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

[0016] S1. Stack wafers in batches in the wafer basket;

[0017] S2. The circumferential paddle assembly moves upward gradually to approach the wafer basket until the circumferential paddle assembly contacts multiple wafers simultaneously, and the circumferential paddle assembly continues to move upward by a set distance. Meanwhile, the circumferential limit assembly moves upward followingly. Subsequently, the multiple wafers continuously perform circumferential rotation under the action of friction. Moreover, the circumferential limit assembly has the function of locking each wafer piece by piece through the directional notch, and the multiple wafers are all straightened;

[0018] S3. The top plate mechanism acts 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 identification code of the lifted wafer is read and recognized;

[0020] S5. Repeat steps S3 - S4 multiple times until all wafers of the same batch are completely code read.

[0021] After a period of trial operation verification in the workshop, in practical applications, the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed by 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 under the action of friction, the orientation of the positioning notch changes, and the subsequent wafers cleverly lock their positioning notches by their own gravity by the circumferential limit assembly. At this time, it means that one or some wafers are straightened, and the remaining wafers continue to perform circumferential rotation under the action of friction, also using the positioning notch as the straightening reference until all wafers of the same batch are straightened. The whole wafer straightening process is fast and rapid, and the wafers of the same batch after being straightened have good attitude consistency, which is conducive to subsequent ID identification code reading and recognition operations;

[0023] 2) The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine has both wafer sorting function and ID identification code reading function, which means that after the wafers of the same batch are sorted, without workpiece transfer and still staying at the same workstation, the code reading unit can complete the ID identification code reading and recognition operations piece by piece, thus saving the working hours consumed by wafer workpiece transfer and being conducive to ensuring the matching of the sorting beat and the code reading beat;

[0024] 3) After the wafers of the same batch are sorted, the top plate mechanism is used to lift the wafers piece by piece until they maintain a correct code reading position relative to the code reading unit, thereby effectively avoiding the problem that the ID identification code cannot be correctly read or cannot be read due to too large a reading tilt angle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

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

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

[0028] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the relative position relationship among the wafer sorting mechanism, the wafer lifting mechanism, and the code reading unit in the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed by the present invention from a certain perspective.

[0029] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the relative position relationship among the wafer sorting mechanism, the wafer lifting mechanism, and the code reading unit in the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed by 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 code reading integrated machine disclosed by the present invention.

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

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

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

[0034] Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the code reading unit in the wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine disclosed by 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 - Pusher roller; 332 - Transmission shaft; 333 - First synchronous belt drive mechanism; 3331 - First rotary 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 rotary 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 seat; 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 driving 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 in combination with specific embodiments. Figure 1 、 Figure 2 Stereo schematic diagrams of two different states of the wafer arranging, reading and coding 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, a code - reading unit 5, etc. The wafer basket 2 is used to batch - load wafers, and it takes the frame 1 as the dropping 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 sequentially read the ID identification codes of the wafers that are aligned by the wafer arranging mechanism 3 and lifted to a set height by the wafer pushing mechanism 4, and it is borne by the frame 1 (such asFigure 3 , 4 as shown in

[0038] As Figure 5 shown in, the wafer sorting mechanism 3 mainly consists of a support frame 31, a lifting power device 32, a circumferential paddle assembly 33, and a circumferential limiting assembly 34. Among them, the circumferential paddle assembly 33 and the circumferential limiting assembly 34 are used in a matching manner, and both are borne by the support frame 31. The support frame 31 performs a displacement movement in the vertical direction under the driving force from the lifting power device 32, while the circumferential paddle assembly 33 and the circumferential limiting assembly 34 perform a follow-up displacement movement. When preforming the wafer sorting operation, the circumferential paddle assembly 33 and the circumferential limiting assembly 34 synchronously perform an upward movement until the circumferential paddle assembly 33 abuts against multiple wafers at the same time. Subsequently, the outer edges of the multiple wafers continuously perform a circumferential rotation movement due to the frictional force from the circumferential paddle assembly 33. At the same time, the relative orientation of the orientation notches thereon changes. In addition, with the assistance of the circumferential limiting assembly 34 used to lock the orientation of the orientation notches, the multiple wafers are sorted one by one.

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

[0040] 1) During the wafer sorting process, the outer edge of the wafer continuously performs a circumferential rotation movement due to the frictional force, and the orientation of the positioning notch changes. Subsequently, the positioning notch of the wafer is automatically locked by the circumferential limiting assembly 34 by virtue of its own gravity. At this time, it means that one or some wafers are sorted. The remaining wafers continue to perform a circumferential rotation movement under the action of the frictional force, and the positioning notch is also used as the sorting reference until all the wafers of the same batch are sorted. The entire wafer sorting process is fast and rapid, and the wafers of the same batch after sorting maintain good attitude consistency, which is conducive to the subsequent code reading unit 5 to perform the ID identification code reading and identification operations on them;

[0041] 2) The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine has both the wafer sorting function and the ID identification code reading function, which means that after the wafers of the same batch are sorted, there is no need for station transfer and they still remain in the same station. The code reading unit 5 can complete the ID identification code reading and identification operations on the wafers one by one, thus saving the working hours required for wafer station transfer and facilitating ensuring the matching of the sorting beat and the identification code reading beat;

[0042] Here, it should also be noted that after the wafers of the same batch are sorted, the top wafer mechanism 4 is used to lift the wafers one by one until they maintain the correct code reading position (reasonable relative position height) relative to the code reading unit 5, so as to effectively avoid the problem that the ID identification code cannot be correctly read or cannot be read due to an excessive reading tilt angle.

[0043] It is known that according to design common sense, the circumferential wafer shifting assembly 33 can adopt various design structures to simultaneously correct and sort multiple wafers, so that the orientations of the orientation notches of multiple wafers are consistent. However, here a implementation scheme with a simple design structure, easy to manufacture and implement, and convenient for later maintenance operations is recommended. Specifically: as Figure 5 、 6 As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the circumferential wafer shifting assembly 33 mainly consists of a wafer shifting roller 331, a transmission shaft 332, a first synchronous belt transmission mechanism 333 and other parts. The circumferential limiting assembly 34 mainly consists of a U-shaped micro swing arm 341, a wafer sorting comb 342, a limiting rod 343 and a second synchronous belt transmission mechanism 344 and other parts. The transmission shaft 332 takes the support frame 31 as the installation base, and it performs a circumferential rotational movement due to the rotational torque from the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism 333. The wafer shifting roller 331 takes the transmission shaft 332 as the sleeving base and synchronously performs a circumferential rotational movement following the transmission shaft 332, and the wafers in contact with it are continuously subjected to frictional force. The U-shaped micro swing arm 341 also takes the transmission shaft 332 as the sleeving base, and it independently performs a circumferential rotational movement due to the rotational 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 multiple wafers. The limiting rod 343 takes the wafer sorting comb 342 as the insertion base, and each comb tooth 3421 is penetrated by it. During the process that multiple wafers perform a circumferential rotational movement due to the frictional force from the wafer shifting roller 331, the relative orientations of the orientation notches on them change. At the same time, the U-shaped micro swing arm 341 performs a circumferential rotational movement due to the rotational torque until the limiting rod 343 abuts against the outer edges of multiple wafers. As the circumferential rotational movement of the wafers continues, multiple orientation notches are successively deeply engaged by the limiting rod 343. At this time, the circumferential rotational freedom of the corresponding wafer is limited to zero, which means that this wafer is corrected.

[0044] It should be emphasized here that due to the design structure of the general-purpose wafer basket 2, the slot width of the slot far exceeds the thickness value of the wafer. And when the wafer is inserted into the slot and the wafer leveling and alignment operation is to be performed on it, it needs to be lifted by the wafer shifting roller 331. Thus, during the wafer shifting process, the wafer is extremely prone to attitude deflection due to the action of unbalanced frictional force, and further, the positioning notch on it cannot be smoothly engaged by the limiting rod 343, thus affecting the smooth progress of the wafer leveling process. More seriously, the wafer is also extremely prone to torsion due to the action of unbalanced frictional force. When the torsion amount exceeds the tolerance, it is extremely prone to crack and breakage phenomena. Thanks to the optimized design structure of the circumferential limiting component 34, the wafer leveling comb 342 is innovatively introduced. The comb teeth 3421 provided thereon cooperate with the slot to equally spacedly separate the wafers. Accordingly, the yaw freedom and torsion amount of the wafers are both limited within a reasonable value range. Thus, on the one hand, the occurrence of attitude deflection of the wafers due to the action of unbalanced frictional force during the wafer leveling process is effectively avoided, ensuring that the limiting rod 343 can smoothly engage into the positioning notch, which means that the circumferential rotation freedom of the corresponding wafers is limited to zero.

[0045] It is known that in practical applications, the wear resistance and antistatic property of the wafer shifting roller 331 itself have a crucial impact on whether the wafer leveling process can be smoothly implemented. In serious cases, it may even cause the outer edge of the wafer not to perform circumferential rotational movement due to insufficient frictional force received, and further, it is difficult to correct the wafer. In view of this, as a further optimization of the above technical solution, the plastic layer of the wafer shifting roller 331 is preferably made of antistatic polypropylene or antistatic polyurethane.

[0046] Such as Figure 6 、 7As shown in the figure, the first synchronous belt drive mechanism 333 is mainly composed of a first rotating motor 3331, a first driving synchronous pulley 3332, a first driven synchronous pulley 3333, a first synchronous belt 3334, etc. The second synchronous belt drive mechanism 344 is mainly composed of a second rotating motor 3441, a second driving synchronous pulley 3442, a second driven synchronous pulley 3443, a second synchronous belt 3444, etc. The first rotating motor 3331 is detachably fixed to the left side of the support frame 31, and its power output shaft is integrally fixed with the first driving synchronous pulley 3332. The first driven synchronous pulley 3333 is sleeved on the transmission shaft 332 and is integrally fixed. The first synchronous belt 3334 serves as a transition for transmitting the rotational torque between the first driving synchronous pulley 3332 and the first driven synchronous pulley 3333. The second rotating motor 3441 is detachably fixed to the right side of the support frame 31, and its power output shaft is integrally fixed with the second driving synchronous pulley 3442. The second driven synchronous pulley 3443 is sleeved on the transmission shaft 332 and is integrally fixed with the U-shaped micro-swing arm 341. When acted upon by the rotational torque transmitted through the second driven synchronous pulley 3443, the U-shaped micro-swing arm 341 independently performs a circumferential rotational movement freely from the transmission shaft 332. The second synchronous belt 3444 serves as a transition for transmitting the rotational torque between the second driving synchronous pulley 3442 and the second driven synchronous pulley 3443.

[0047] As can also be clearly seen from Figure 6 and 7 shown in the figure, 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. After 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 rotational movement until the limiting rod 343 disengages from the directional notch, and each wafer falls back onto the paddle roller 331 under the action of its own gravity. Then, with the assistance of the first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit 334, the paddle roller 331 continues to perform a rotational movement, and multiple wafers synchronously perform a following circumferential rotational movement under the action of the frictional force from the paddle roller 331 until their ID identification codes are directly aligned with the code reading unit 5; on the other hand, it effectively avoids the phenomenon of wafers cracking or breaking due to excessive torsion.

[0048] As a design preference, similarly as Figure 6 and 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 installed at one end of the transmission shaft 332, and a calibration notch is formed 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 integrally with the second driven synchronous pulley 3443. A calibration ear extends 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] As Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the code reading unit 5 is mainly composed of an L-shaped load-bearing frame 51, a linear driving module 52, a first guiding function part 53, a telescopic cantilever frame 54, an industrial code scanner 55, etc. Among them, the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 is assembled by a horizontal plate and a vertical plate at a 90° angle, recessed into the inner cavity of the machine frame 1, and it performs a translational motion along the left and right directions under the combined action of the linear driving module 52 and the first guiding function part 53. The telescopic cantilever frame 54 is used to carry the industrial code scanner 55, and it is detachably fixed to the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51. The industrial code scanner 55 is located directly above the wafer basket 2 and is kept lying horizontally. The first guiding 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 respectively arranged below and at the rear side of the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 in a one-to-one correspondence. When the wafers of the same batch are sorted, the wafer lifting mechanism 4 acts to lift the leftmost wafer to the designed height. At this moment, the industrial code scanner 55 is at the same height as the wafer ID identification code, which is conducive to the industrial code scanner 55 more accurately reading and identifying the ID identification code of this wafer. After the ID identification code is identified, the wafer lifting mechanism 4 performs a downward movement until the wafer is placed back on the dialing roller 331; then, the linear driving module 52 is repeatedly started multiple times to drive the industrial code scanner 55 and the wafer lifting mechanism 4 to perform synchronous displacement movements. The wafer lifting mechanism 4 acts to lift adjacent wafers to the designed height in sequence and reads and identifies the ID identification codes thereon in sequence.

[0050] As Figure 8As shown in the figure, the top wafer mechanism 4 mainly consists of a mounting base 41, an externally-driven lead screw motor 42, a second guiding functional part 43 (the main structure of which is a third slide rail slider assembly 431), a U-shaped load-bearing frame 44, a front push block 45, a rear push block 46, etc. The mounting base 41 is detachably fixed to the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 as a whole. The externally-driven lead screw motor 42 takes the mounting base 41 as the mounting foundation, and with the assistance of the second guiding functional part 43, it can drive the U-shaped load-bearing frame 44 to perform lifting movement along the vertical direction. The front push block 45 and the rear push block 46 are respectively detachably fixed to the front and rear sides of the U-shaped load-bearing frame 44, and are arranged oppositely, and the two cooperate to lift the wafer. In this way, on the premise of ensuring that the wafer is effectively lifted and its ID identification code is accurately read and recognized, the top wafer mechanism 4 and the code reading unit 5 are organically combined, and the telescopic cantilever frame 54 and the mounting base 41 jointly use the L-shaped load-bearing frame 51 as the mounting foundation, thus ensuring the synchronization of the ID identification code reading action and the lifting action.

[0051] As can be clearly seen from Figure 8 the figure, the top wafer mechanism 4 is also equipped with an opposed photoelectric sensor 47. The emitter 471 and the receiver 472 of the opposed photoelectric sensor 47 are respectively and correspondingly mounted and fixed on the outer sides of the front push block 45 and the rear push block 46, and the two cooperate to determine whether the wafer in the about-to-drop state is directly opposite to the front push block 45 and the rear push block 46, which is beneficial 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 code reading at the same station, which is implemented by means of a wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine, specifically as follows:

[0053] S1. Stack wafers in batches in the wafer basket 2;

[0054] S2. The circumferential dialing component 33 performs an upward movement to gradually approach the wafer basket 2 until the circumferential dialing component 33 touches multiple wafers at the same time, and the circumferential dialing component 33 continues to move upward a set distance. At the same time, the circumferential limiting component 34 makes a following upward movement. Subsequently, multiple wafers continuously perform circumferential rotation movements under the action of friction. In addition, the circumferential limiting component 34 has the function of locking each wafer one by one through the directional notch, and multiple wafers are all straightened;

[0055] S3. The top wafer mechanism 4 acts to eject the wafers from the wafer basket 2 one by one until they are in the 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 identification code of the lifted wafer is read and recognized;

[0057] S5. Repeat steps S3 - S4 multiple times until all wafers in the same batch are completely coded.

[0058] The foregoing description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can 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 broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine, comprising a frame, a wafer basket, a wafer sorting mechanism, a wafer lifting mechanism and a code reading unit; the wafer basket is used for batch loading of wafers, and takes the frame as the placement and installation basis; both the wafer sorting mechanism and the wafer lifting mechanism are hidden in the cavity of the frame and are arranged directly below the wafer basket; the code reading unit is used for reading the ID identification code of the wafers that are aligned by the wafer sorting mechanism and lifted to a set height by the wafer lifting mechanism one by one, and is borne by the frame, and is characterized in that, The wafer aligning mechanism includes a support frame, a lifting power device, a circumferential dialing component, and a circumferential limiting component; the circumferential dialing component and the circumferential limiting component are applied in a matching manner, and both are borne by the support frame; the support frame performs a displacement movement in the vertical direction under the driving force from the lifting power device, and the circumferential dialing component and the circumferential limiting component perform a following displacement movement; when preforming the wafer aligning operation, the circumferential dialing component and the circumferential limiting component synchronously perform a rising movement until the circumferential dialing component abuts against multiple wafers at the same time. Subsequently, the outer edges of the multiple wafers continuously perform a circumferential rotation movement due to the frictional force from the circumferential dialing component. At the same time, the relative orientation of the orientation notches thereon changes. In addition, with the assistance of the circumferential limiting component used to lock the orientation of the orientation notches, the multiple wafers are aligned one by one; The circumferential dialing component includes a dialing roller, a transmission shaft, and a first synchronous belt transmission mechanism; the circumferential limiting component includes a U-shaped micro-swing arm, an aligning comb, a limiting rod, and a second synchronous belt transmission mechanism; the transmission shaft is installed on the support frame and performs a circumferential rotation movement under the rotational torque from the first synchronous belt transmission mechanism; the dialing roller is sleeved on the transmission shaft and synchronously performs a circumferential rotation movement with the transmission shaft, and the wafers in contact with it are continuously subjected to frictional force; the U-shaped micro-swing arm is also sleeved on the transmission shaft and independently performs a circumferential rotation movement under the rotational torque from the second synchronous belt transmission mechanism, rather than being synchronous with the transmission shaft; the aligning comb is detachably fixed on the U-shaped micro-swing arm and is aligned with multiple wafers; the limiting rod is inserted on the aligning comb and penetrates through each comb tooth; during the process in which the multiple wafers perform a circumferential rotation movement due to the frictional force from the dialing roller, the relative orientation of the orientation notches thereon changes. At the same time, the U-shaped micro-swing arm performs a circumferential rotation movement due to the rotational torque until the limiting rod abuts against the outer edges of the multiple wafers. As the circumferential rotation movement of the wafers continues, the multiple orientation notches are successively deepened by the limiting rod. At this time, the circumferential rotation freedom of the corresponding wafers is limited to zero.

2. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to claim 1, wherein The first synchronous belt drive mechanism includes a first rotary motor, a first driving synchronous pulley, a first driven synchronous pulley, and a first synchronous belt; the second synchronous belt drive mechanism includes a second rotary motor, a second driving synchronous pulley, a second driven synchronous pulley, and a second synchronous belt; the first rotary motor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is integrally fixed with the first driving synchronous pulley; the first driven synchronous pulley is sleeved on and integrally fixed with the transmission shaft; the first synchronous belt serves as a transition for transmitting the rotational torque between the first driving synchronous pulley and the first driven synchronous pulley; the second rotary motor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame, and its power output shaft is integrally fixed with the second driving synchronous pulley; the second driven synchronous pulley is sleeved on the transmission shaft and integrally fixed with the U-shaped micro swing arm; when acted upon by the rotational torque transmitted through the second driven synchronous pulley, the U-shaped micro swing arm independently performs a circumferential rotational movement freely with respect to the transmission shaft; the second synchronous belt serves as a transition for transmitting the rotational torque between the second driving synchronous pulley and the second driven synchronous pulley.

3. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to claim 2, wherein, The circumferential paddle assembly further includes a first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit; the circumferential limit assembly further includes a second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit; after the wafer handling operation is completed, with the assistance of the second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit, the U-shaped micro swing arm performs a reverse rotational movement until the limiting rod disengages from the notch, and each wafer falls back onto the paddle roller under its own gravity. Then, with the assistance of the first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit, the paddle roller continues to perform a rotational movement, and multiple wafers synchronously perform a follow-up circumferential rotational movement under the frictional force from the paddle roller until the ID identification code thereon is aligned with the code reading unit.

4. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to claim 3, wherein The first fixed-angle rotation limiting unit includes a first angle calibration disc and a reflective photoelectric sensor; the second fixed-angle rotation limiting unit includes a second angle calibration disc and a transmissive photoelectric sensor; the first angle calibration disc is installed and fixed at one end of the transmission shaft, and a calibration notch is formed thereon; the reflective photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to one side of the support frame and is aligned with the first angle calibration disc; the second angle calibration disc is sleeved on the transmission shaft and is integrally fixed with the second driven synchronous pulley; a calibration ear extends outward from the periphery of the second angle calibration disc; the transmissive photoelectric sensor is detachably fixed to the other side of the support frame and is aligned with the second angle calibration disc.

5. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that The code reading unit includes an L-shaped bearing frame, a linear driving module, a first guiding functional part, a telescopic cantilever frame, and an industrial code scanner; the L-shaped bearing frame is recessed into the inner cavity of the frame, and under the combined action of the linear driving module and the first guiding functional part, it performs translational movement along the left-right direction; the telescopic cantilever frame is used to carry the industrial code scanner, and it is detachably fixed to the L-shaped bearing frame; the industrial code scanner is located directly above the wafer basket and remains in a horizontal position.

6. The wafer sorting, reading and coding integrated machine according to claim 5, wherein, The first guiding functional 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 respectively arranged below and on the side of the L-shaped bearing frame in a one-to-one correspondence.

7. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to claim 5, wherein The top sheet mechanism includes a mounting seat, an externally-driven screw motor, a second guiding functional part, a U-shaped bearing frame, a front push block, and a rear push block; the mounting seat is detachably fixed to the L-shaped bearing frame as a whole; the externally-driven screw motor takes the mounting seat as the installation base, and under the auxiliary action of the second guiding functional part, it drives the U-shaped bearing frame to perform lifting movement along the up-down direction; the front push block and the rear push block are respectively detachably fixed to both sides of the U-shaped bearing frame and are arranged opposite to each other, and the two cooperate to lift the wafer.

8. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to claim 7, characterized in that, The second guiding functional part includes a third slide rail-slider assembly; the third slide rail-slider assembly serves as a guiding transition between the mounting seat and the externally-driven screw motor.

9. The wafer sorting and code reading integrated machine according to claim 7, wherein, The top sheet mechanism further includes a transmissive photoelectric sensor; the transmitter and the receiver of the transmissive photoelectric sensor are respectively installed and fixed on the outer sides of the front push block and the rear push block in a one-to-one correspondence, and the two cooperate to determine whether the wafer in the about-to-fall state is directly aligned with the front push block and the rear push block.

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