Front conveying device of vertical furnace, wafer box conveying method of vertical furnace and vertical furnace system

Abstract

The invention provides a vertical furnace front conveying device, a wafer box conveying method of a vertical furnace and a vertical furnace system.The vertical furnace front conveying device comprises a front shell, a cache fixing device, a translation mechanical arm, a lifting module and a translation conveying module, a butt joint opening is formed in the front shell and correspondingly connected with an inlet of the vertical furnace, and the translation mechanical arm is arranged in the front shell; the cache fixing device and the translation transmission module are both arranged in the front shell, the lifting module is connected with the translation manipulator and the translation transmission module, and the translation manipulator and the translation transmission module move in the first direction and the second direction respectively. According to the front conveying device for the vertical furnace, automatic production is achieved, then the production efficiency is effectively improved, transfer motion is divided into two independent motions in the first direction and the second direction, the overall positioning precision and motion accuracy are effectively improved, the adaptability of the device is also effectively improved, and the production cost is reduced. And therefore, the reliability and the practicability of the device are improved, and the final quality of products is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer processing, and in particular to a front transport device of a vertical furnace, a wafer box conveying method of a vertical furnace, and a vertical furnace system. Background Art

[0002] In a semiconductor processing workshop, when wafer processing is carried out, the wafer box containing the wafers needs to be clamped and transferred to a vertical furnace for subsequent processing. In the prior art, an external exposed robotic arm is generally used to transport the wafer box. The robotic arm can be set to move accurately within a specific track or joint motion range, so that the wafer box can be smoothly delivered to a predetermined position in the vertical furnace. An exposed conveying device can also be used for transportation. Usually, a set of conveying devices driven by a motor is set to cooperate with specific carrying tools (such as trays, boats, etc.) to transport silicon wafers.

[0003] However, both methods require a rather tedious preliminary debugging process so that the robotic arm or conveying device can accurately and stably transport the wafer box to the preset position in the vertical furnace, which has the problem of cumbersome and difficult preparation work. In addition, the robotic arm in the prior art usually only has a single rotating arm, which leads to a complex motion trajectory and a limited motion range, resulting in poor practicality and a small scope of application.

[0004] In view of the above problems existing in the prior art, it is urgent to design a new type of vertical furnace front transportation device to solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the technical problems existing in the prior art, the present application provides a vertical furnace front transport device, a vertical furnace wafer box conveying method and a vertical furnace system, thereby being able to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] The present application provides a vertical furnace front transport device, comprising:

[0007] A front housing, wherein a docking port is provided on the front housing and the docking port is correspondingly connected to the inlet of the vertical furnace;

[0008] A cache fixing device, the cache fixing device is arranged in the front housing, and the cache fixing device is used to store and fix the wafer box;

[0009] A translation robot, the translation robot is used to hold the wafer box and transfer the wafer box along a first direction;

[0010] A translation transmission module, the translation transmission module is arranged in the front housing, and the translation transmission module moves along the second direction;

[0011] A lifting module, the lifting module is connected to the translation manipulator and the translation transmission module, and the lifting module is used to lift and lower the translation manipulator;

[0012] The translation robot rises under the drive of the lifting module, so that the translation robot can correspondingly support the wafer box, and the translation robot drives the wafer box to move along the first direction, so that the wafer box is transferred from the front shell to the vertical furnace, and the translation transmission module drives the translation robot to adjust the position of the wafer box along the second direction, so that the wafer box can be transferred to the preset position in the vertical furnace.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cache fixing device is disposed on a side of the front shell away from the docking port, the first direction is parallel to a direction from the entrance of the vertical furnace to the cache fixing device, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the lifting module includes a lifting track and a lifting drive motor. The lifting track is arranged in a vertical direction. The translation manipulator is slidably arranged on the lifting track and is electrically connected to the lifting drive motor, thereby enabling the translation manipulator to be lifted and lowered along the lifting track under the drive of the lifting drive motor.

[0015] By setting up a lifting track and a lifting drive motor, the translational robot can be lifted and lowered along the lifting track under the drive of the lifting drive motor, so that the translational robot can lift or put down the corresponding wafer box, effectively improving the stability of the wafer box lifting.

[0016] In some embodiments, the translation robot includes an upper arm, a lower arm, and a clamping device, one end of the upper arm is rotatably connected to a side of the lifting module close to the wafer box, and the other end of the upper arm is rotatably connected to the clamping device through the lower arm, so that the clamping device can achieve horizontal movement under the cooperation of the upper arm and the lower arm.

[0017] By setting up a large arm, a small arm and a clamping device, the clamping device can drive the wafer box from the cache fixing device to a preset position in the vertical furnace under the joint action of the large arm and the small arm, while ensuring the stability and accuracy of the transfer process.

[0018] In some embodiments, the clamping device includes a connecting portion, and claw portions are provided on both sides of the connecting portion, and a receiving space capable of accommodating the wafer box is formed between the two claw portions, and a supporting portion is provided on one end of the claw portion away from the connecting portion, and the two supporting portions are arranged opposite to each other, and a limiting protrusion is provided on the supporting portion;

[0019] The limiting protrusion limits the wafer box in a first direction when grabbing the wafer box.

[0020] By setting a limit protrusion and a limit protrusion, the clamping member can move to the bottom of the support protrusion under the cooperation of the upper arm and the lower arm to support the wafer box, so that the wafer box is separated from the cache fixing device, thereby driving the wafer box to be lifted and lowered and moved horizontally.

[0021] In some embodiments, a fixing groove is provided on the cache fixing device, the fixing groove is matched with the wafer box, a positioning pin is arranged in the fixing groove, and a positioning hole matched with the positioning pin is correspondingly provided on the wafer box.

[0022] By setting the cooperation between the limiting groove and the limiting protrusion, the wafer box can be constrained in multiple directions to prevent it from unnecessary movement. Compared with the single-direction fixing method, this multi-directional constraint can greatly enhance the stability of the fixation, thereby ensuring the stability of the wafer box during the movement.

[0023] In some embodiments, a connecting piece is provided on the docking port, and the connecting piece is detachably connected to the inlet of the vertical furnace so that the front housing is stably connected to the vertical furnace;

[0024] A moving device is arranged at the bottom of the front housing.

[0025] The present application also provides a method for conveying wafer boxes of a vertical furnace, which is implemented based on the vertical furnace front transport device described in any of the above embodiments, and includes the following steps:

[0026] Step S1: placing the wafer box on the cache fixing device;

[0027] Step S2: operating the translation robot to move the translation robot to a corresponding position on the wafer box;

[0028] Step S3: operating the lifting module to lift the translation robot, so that the translation robot can drive the wafer box to rise and leave the buffer fixture;

[0029] Step S4: operating the translation robot to drive the wafer box to move from the front housing to the vertical furnace;

[0030] Step S5: operating the translation transmission module to drive the wafer box to adjust its position along the second direction, thereby enabling the wafer box to move to a preset position in the vertical furnace.

[0031] In some embodiments, the present application also provides a vertical furnace system, comprising:

[0032] The vertical furnace body and the vertical furnace front transport device described in any one of the above embodiments, wherein the vertical furnace body is correspondingly connected to the vertical furnace front transport device.

[0033] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0034] 1. By adding a detachable front transport device of the vertical furnace at the front end of the vertical furnace, automated production is realized, thereby effectively improving the production efficiency of the entire production process. At the same time, by splitting the transfer movement into two independent movements in the first direction and the second direction, the overall positioning accuracy and movement accuracy are effectively improved. The adaptability of the device is also effectively improved by extending and expanding the range of activities of the device, thereby increasing the reliability and practicality of the device, providing a guarantee for the final quality of the product;

[0035] 2. By setting up a structure in which a limit groove and a limit protrusion cooperate with each other, the cooperation between the limit groove and the limit protrusion can constrain the object in multiple directions to prevent it from unnecessary movement, thereby effectively enhancing the stability of the wafer box during movement. In addition, it can also realize the rapid docking between the wafer box and the robot during the clamping process, that is, the rapid positioning of the cooperating structure, effectively improving the overall work efficiency, and has the advantages of accuracy, reliability, simplicity and speed in operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the vertical furnace front transport device of the present application;

[0037] Figure 2 It is a schematic top view of the device structure in the front shell of the vertical furnace front transport device of the present application;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a structural schematic diagram of a translation manipulator, a lifting module and a translation transmission module of a vertical furnace front transport device of the present application;

[0039] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer box in the front transport device of the vertical furnace of the present application;

[0040] Description of reference numerals:

[0041] 10: front housing;

[0042] 20: wafer box; 21: support protrusion; 22: limit groove;

[0043] 30: translation manipulator; 31: clamping device; 311: limiting protrusion; 32: upper arm; 33: lower arm;

[0044] 40: lifting module; 41: integrated box; 42: lifting track;

[0045] 50: cache fixtures;

[0046] 60: Translation transmission module;

[0047] 70: casters;

[0048] 80: foot cup. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present application, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present application will be introduced in conjunction with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to the implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the application in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present application. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present application, the following description will include many specific details. The present application can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0050] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in the subsequent drawings.

[0051] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application 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, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0052] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0053] This application provides a vertical furnace front transport device, see Figures 1 to 4 , including a front housing 10, a cache fixing device 50, a translation manipulator 30, a lifting module 40 and a translation transmission module 60, wherein the front housing 10 is provided with a docking port, the docking port is correspondingly connected to the entrance of the vertical furnace, the cache fixing device 50 is arranged in the front housing 10, the cache fixing device 50 is used to store and fix the wafer box 20, the translation transmission module 60 is arranged in the front housing 10, the translation manipulator 30 is connected to the translation transmission module 60 through the lifting module 40, and the translation manipulator 30 is used to hold up the wafer box 20 and along The wafer box 20 is transferred in the first direction, the translation transmission module 60 moves in the second direction, the translation robot 30 is raised under the drive of the lifting module 40, so that the translation robot 30 can correspondingly support the wafer box 20, the translation robot 30 drives the wafer box 20 to move in the first direction, so that the wafer box 20 is transferred from the front shell 10 to the vertical furnace, and the translation transmission module 60 drives the translation robot 30 to adjust the position of the wafer box 20 along the second direction, so that the wafer box 20 can be transferred to the preset position in the vertical furnace.

[0054] Specifically, a accommodating chamber is provided in the front shell 10, and a docking port and at least one entrance are provided on the front shell 10, the docking port and the entrance are both connected to the accommodating chamber, wherein the docking port is adapted to the entrance of the vertical furnace, and when the front transport device of the vertical furnace provided in the present application is connected to the vertical furnace accordingly, the docking port and the entrance of the vertical furnace are correspondingly sealed and docked, and the accommodating chamber is used for temporarily storing and transferring wafer boxes 20, and a first station for placing the wafer boxes 20 is provided in the vertical furnace, and a second station corresponding to the first station is usually provided on the transport device matched with the vertical furnace in the prior art, and the wafer box 20 is transferred from the second station to the first station by means of the wafer box transport device, and the front transport device of the vertical furnace provided in the present application is a device that plays this role, and the position on the cache fixing device 50 for fixing the wafer box 20 corresponds to the second station, and when the front transport device of the vertical furnace is working, a plurality of cache fixing devices 50 are provided in the accommodating chamber, and the cache fixing devices 50 are used The wafer box 20 is temporarily stored to realize continuous transfer of multiple wafer boxes 20 in a complete process flow. In addition, a translation robot 30 is installed above the corresponding cache fixing device 50 in the accommodating chamber. The translation robot 30 is used to grab and fix the wafer box 20 and drive the wafer box 20 to transfer along the first direction. The translation robot 30 is fixed in the front shell 10 through the lifting module 40 and the translation transmission module 60. The lifting module 40 is used to lift and lower the translation robot 30 to realize that the translation robot 30 can lift the wafer box 20 and put down the wafer box 20. The translation robot 30 can move in a first direction in the horizontal direction, and the translation transmission module 60 can move in a second direction in the horizontal direction. The two movements are independent of each other and will not interfere with each other, which effectively simplifies the transfer path calculation of the wafer box 20 and effectively reduces the occurrence of failures and error accumulation, thereby realizing that the wafer box 20 can move freely in the accommodating chamber.

[0055] In some embodiments, see Figure 1 to Figure 2 The cache fixing device 50 is arranged on a side of the front shell 10 away from the docking port, the second direction is parallel to the direction from the entrance of the vertical furnace to the cache fixing device 50, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0056] Specifically, the cache fixture 50 is arranged on a side of the front shell 10 away from the docking port, and the translation robot 30 is arranged between the cache fixture 50 and the docking port. At the same time, the movement direction of the translation robot 30, i.e., the first direction, is consistent with the orientation direction from the docking port to the cache fixture 50, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction. In addition, the entrance of the front shell 10 can be opened on a side of the cache fixture 50 away from the docking port so that the wafer box 20 can be placed correspondingly on the cache fixture 50.

[0057] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 The lifting module 40 includes a lifting track 42 and a lifting drive motor. The lifting track 42 is arranged in a vertical direction. The translation manipulator 30 is slidably arranged on the lifting track 42 and is electrically connected to the lifting drive motor, thereby enabling the translation manipulator 30 to be lifted and lowered along the lifting track 42 driven by the lifting drive motor.

[0058] Specifically, the lifting module 40 is arranged between the translation transmission device and the translation robot 30. The lifting module 40 includes an integrated box 41 and a lifting drive motor. The lifting track 42 is arranged in the integrated box 41 along the second direction. One end of the translation robot 30 close to the translation transmission device is slidably set on the lifting track 42, and is electrically connected to the lifting drive motor accordingly, so that the translation robot 30 can be lifted and lowered along the lifting track 42 under the drive of the lifting drive motor, thereby realizing that the translation robot 30 can lift or put down the corresponding wafer box 20.

[0059] In some embodiments, see Figure 2 and Figure 3 The translation robot 30 includes an upper arm 32, a lower arm 33 and a clamping device 31. One end of the upper arm 32 is rotatably connected to a side of the lifting module 40 close to the wafer box 20, and the other end of the upper arm 32 is rotatably connected to the clamping device 31 through the lower arm 33, so that the clamping device 31 can be moved in the horizontal direction under the cooperation of the upper arm 32 and the lower arm 33.

[0060] Specifically, the translation robot 30 is mainly composed of an upper arm 32, a lower arm 33 and a clamping device 31. One end of the upper arm 32 is rotatably connected to the driving mechanism, and then slidably set on the lifting rail 42 through the driving mechanism. The other end of the upper arm 32 is rotatably connected to the lower arm 33, and the end of the lower arm 33 away from the upper arm 32 is rotatably connected to the clamping device 31. The clamping device 31 is used to clamp the wafer box 20. Driven by the driving mechanism, the upper arm 32 can rotate relative to the driving mechanism, and the lower arm 33 can rotate relative to the upper arm 32, so that the clamping device 31 at the end of the lower arm 33 can move along the first direction under the joint action of the upper arm 32 and the lower arm 33, thereby realizing that the clamping device 31 can drive the wafer box 20 to move from the cache fixing device 50 to a preset position in the vertical furnace.

[0061] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 and Figure 4 The clamping device 31 includes a connecting portion, and claw portions are provided on both sides of the connecting portion 31. A receiving space capable of accommodating the wafer box 20 is formed between the two claw portions. A supporting portion is provided on one end of the claw portion away from the connecting portion. The two supporting portions are arranged opposite to each other, and a limiting protrusion 311 is provided on the supporting portion. When the limiting protrusion 311 grabs the wafer box 20, the wafer box 20 is limited in the first direction.

[0062] Specifically, two supporting protrusions 21 are provided on the wafer box 20, and the two supporting protrusions 21 are correspondingly arranged on two symmetrical sides of the wafer box 20. The supporting protrusions 21 can be extension plates extending outward. The clamping member includes a connecting portion, and claw portions are arranged on both sides of the connecting portion. A receiving space that can accommodate the wafer box 20 is formed between the two claw portions. A supporting portion is provided on the end of the two claw portions away from the connecting portion. The two supporting portions are arranged opposite to each other and extend toward the receiving space. The distance between the two supporting portions is adapted to the width of the wafer box 20. At the same time, the two supporting portions are adapted to the supporting protrusions 21 on the wafer box 20, so that when the clamping member moves to a set position, the supporting portion can be just located below the supporting protrusions 21, and then under the action of the lifting module 40, the supporting portion correspondingly supports the supporting protrusions 21, and then supports the wafer box 20, thereby achieving the ability to drive the wafer box 20 to move horizontally.

[0063] In addition, the limiting groove 22 is formed on the support protrusion 21 in the direction of the lifting and lowering of the clamping member, and the corresponding limiting protrusion 311 is arranged on the supporting part and extends toward the translation transmission module 60. When the clamping member moves to the set position, the supporting part can be located below the supporting protrusion 21, and the limiting protrusion 311 just passes through the limiting groove 22, thereby realizing a relatively stable connection between the clamping member and the supporting protrusion 21. The cooperation between the limiting groove 22 and the limiting protrusion 311 can constrain the wafer box 20 in multiple directions to prevent it from moving unnecessarily. Compared with the fixing method in a single direction, this multi-directional constraint can greatly enhance the stability of the fixing, thereby ensuring the stability of the wafer box 20 during the movement.

[0064] It should be pointed out that the limit groove 22 can also be opened on the side of the support protrusion 21 away from the translation transmission module 60, and the corresponding limit protrusion 311 is set on the clamping claw part and extends toward the translation transmission module 60, and extends toward the receiving space. When the clamping member moves to the set position, the supporting part can be located below the support protrusion 21, and the limit protrusion 311 just corresponds to the limit groove 22, and can also achieve a relatively stable connection between the clamping member and the support protrusion 21. The specific matching of the limit groove 22 and the limit protrusion 311 depends on actual needs and is not limited here.

[0065] In some embodiments, a fixing groove is provided on the cache fixing device 50 , and the fixing groove is matched with the wafer box 20 . A positioning pin is arranged in the fixing groove, and a positioning hole matched with the positioning pin is correspondingly provided on the wafer box 20 .

[0066] Specifically, a fixing groove adapted to the contour of the wafer box 20 is provided on the cache fixing device 50, so that the wafer box 20 can be firmly placed on the cache fixing device 50 in the front transport device of the vertical furnace. In addition, through the cooperation of the positioning pins and the positioning holes, the wafer box 20 is accurately positioned, effectively ensuring the correct position of the wafer box 20 on the cache fixing device 50.

[0067] In some embodiments, a connector is disposed on the docking port, and the connector is detachably connected to the inlet of the vertical furnace so that the front housing 10 is stably connected to the vertical furnace, and a moving device is disposed at the bottom of the front housing 10 .

[0068] Specifically, the docking member can be a hinge member. By setting the connecting member, the front shell 10 and the vertical furnace can be stably connected, thereby ensuring that the transfer of the wafer box 20 can be carried out smoothly. In addition, the moving device includes casters 70 and foot cups 80, wherein the number of casters 70 can be four, which are respectively arranged at the four corners of the front shell 10. By setting the casters 70 and foot cups 80, the front transport device of the vertical furnace can be flexibly moved and remain stable in a specific position, thereby effectively improving the reliability and practicality of the overall device.

[0069] In some embodiments, the present application further provides a method for conveying wafer boxes in a vertical furnace, which is implemented based on the vertical furnace front transport device described in any of the above embodiments, and includes the following steps:

[0070] Step S1: placing the wafer box on the cache fixing device;

[0071] Step S2: operating the translation robot to move the translation robot to a corresponding position on the wafer box;

[0072] Step S3: operating the lifting module to lift the translation robot, so that the translation robot can drive the wafer box to rise and leave the buffer fixture;

[0073] Step S4: operating the translation robot to drive the wafer box to move from the front housing to the vertical furnace;

[0074] Step S5: operating the translation transmission module to drive the wafer box to adjust its position along the second direction, thereby enabling the wafer box to move to a preset position in the vertical furnace.

[0075] In summary, the wafer box conveying method of the vertical furnace provided by the present invention is realized by the vertical furnace front transport device described in any of the above embodiments, which can improve the overall positioning accuracy and movement accuracy by optimizing the overall wafer box movement method, and also effectively extend and expand the activity range of the device, thereby effectively improving the adaptability of the device, making the wafer box conveying method provided by the present application more reliable and practical, and providing a guarantee for the final quality of the product.

[0076] The present application also provides a vertical furnace system, which includes not only a vertical furnace body, but also a vertical furnace front transportation device in any of the above embodiments, and the vertical furnace body is correspondingly connected to the vertical furnace front transportation device.

[0077] Specifically, a vertical furnace system equipped with a vertical furnace front transport device in any of the above embodiments can realize automated production, and its production process has higher production efficiency. At the same time, the transfer process of the wafer box 20 can be more stable and precise, thereby providing a final product with better quality.

[0078] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and modifications of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and modifications.

Claims

1. A vertical furnace front transport device, characterized in that: include: A front housing, wherein a docking port is provided on the front housing and the docking port is correspondingly connected to the inlet of the vertical furnace; A cache fixing device, the cache fixing device is arranged in the front housing, and the cache fixing device is used to store and fix the wafer box; A translation robot, the translation robot is used to hold the wafer box and transfer the wafer box along a first direction; A translation transmission module, the translation transmission module is arranged in the front housing, and the translation transmission module moves along the second direction; A lifting module, the lifting module is connected to the translation manipulator and the translation transmission module, and the lifting module is used to lift and lower the translation manipulator; The translation robot rises under the drive of the lifting module, so that the translation robot can correspondingly support the wafer box, and the translation robot drives the wafer box to move along the first direction, so that the wafer box is transferred from the front shell to the vertical furnace, and the translation transmission module drives the translation robot to adjust the position of the wafer box along the second direction, so that the wafer box can be transferred to the preset position in the vertical furnace.

2. The vertical furnace front transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cache fixing device is arranged at a side of the front shell away from the docking port, the first direction is parallel to the direction from the entrance of the vertical furnace to the cache fixing device, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The vertical furnace front transport device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting module includes a lifting track and a lifting drive motor. The lifting track is arranged in a vertical direction. The translation manipulator is slidably arranged on the lifting track and is electrically connected to the lifting drive motor, so that the translation manipulator can be lifted and lowered along the lifting track under the drive of the lifting drive motor.

4. The vertical furnace front transport device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The translation robot includes an upper arm, a lower arm and a clamping device. One end of the upper arm is rotatably connected to a side of the lifting module close to the wafer box, and the other end of the upper arm is rotatably connected to the clamping device through the lower arm, so that the clamping device can achieve horizontal movement under the cooperation of the upper arm and the lower arm.

5. The vertical furnace front transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The clamping device comprises a connecting portion, and claw portions are arranged on both sides of the connecting portion, and a receiving space capable of accommodating the wafer box is formed between the two claw portions, and a supporting portion is arranged on one end of the claw portion away from the connecting portion, and the two supporting portions are arranged opposite to each other, and a limiting protrusion is arranged on the supporting portion; The limiting protrusion limits the wafer box in a first direction when grabbing the wafer box.

6. The vertical furnace front transport device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The cache fixing device is provided with a fixing groove, the fixing groove is matched with the wafer box, a positioning pin is arranged in the fixing groove, and a positioning hole matched with the positioning pin is correspondingly provided on the wafer box.

7. The vertical furnace front transport device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The docking port is provided with a connecting piece, and the connecting piece is detachably connected to the inlet of the vertical furnace so that the front housing is stably connected to the vertical furnace; A moving device is arranged at the bottom of the front housing.

8. A method for conveying wafer boxes in a vertical furnace, which is implemented based on the vertical furnace front transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step S1: placing the wafer box on the cache fixing device; Step S2: operating the translation robot to move the translation robot to a corresponding position on the wafer box; Step S3: operating the lifting module to lift the translation robot, so that the translation robot can drive the wafer box to rise and leave the buffer fixture; Step S4: operating the translation robot to drive the wafer box to move from the front housing to the vertical furnace; Step S5: operating the translation transmission module to drive the wafer box to adjust its position along the second direction, thereby enabling the wafer box to move to a preset position in the vertical furnace.

9. A vertical furnace system, characterized in that: include: A vertical furnace body and a vertical furnace front transport device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vertical furnace body is correspondingly connected to the vertical furnace front transport device.

Images