Carrying device for wafer box and control method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a carrying device for a wafer box and a control method of the carrying device. The carrying device comprises a carrying body and a first driving part for driving the carrying body to move. The carrying body is provided with a groove position used for containing a wafer box, a first induction piece and at least three second induction pieces are installed in the groove position, and the second induction pieces are arranged around the first induction piece. The first induction piece induces whether the wafer box is arranged in the slot position or not; and the second sensing piece senses whether the edge of the wafer box is located at a preset position in the slot position or not. According to the carrying device, whether the wafer box exists in the groove position or not can be sensed firstly, then whether the edge of the wafer box is correctly located at the preset position or not is sensed, and therefore whether the wafer box is correctly placed in the groove position or not can be rapidly and accurately judged, the wafer box with the incorrect placing position can be rapidly found out to be adjusted and processed, and the carrying efficiency is improved. And the wafer box is prevented from slipping off and damaging the wafer in the carrying process due to the incorrect position of the wafer box in the slot position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer production, and in particular to a transport device for a wafer box and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the advent of the era of smart unmanned factories, the demand for unmanned transport devices used in the semiconductor industry has also emerged. For example, with the increasing demand for wafer transportation, mobile transport devices that can transport wafers autonomously have emerged, which can transport multiple wafer boxes containing wafers at a time.

[0003] Usually, there are multiple slots on the mobile handling device, and each slot is used to accommodate a wafer box. However, the volume and weight of the wafer box are small. When the handling device is bumpy or subjected to external force during the handling process, the wafer box that is not properly placed in the slot or tilted in the slot is easy to slip off the handling device and fall off, causing damage to the wafers in the wafer box. However, it is difficult for the naked eye to accurately identify each wafer box that is not in the correct position, and manual inspection one by one is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0004] To solve the above problems, currently a positioning block is set on the slot, and a groove matching the positioning block is set on the bottom of the wafer box. The wafer box is limited by the cooperation of the positioning block and the groove, which improves the problem of the wafer box easily slipping out of the slot to a certain extent. However, there will still be problems such as incomplete matching between the positioning block and the groove and a small position offset of the wafer box in the slot, which will lead to the problem of incorrectly positioned wafer boxes falling off the transport device during transportation. Summary of the invention

[0005] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a wafer box handling device and a control method thereof, so as to timely and accurately find and adjust the wafer boxes with offset positions in the slots of the handling device before handling a batch of wafer boxes, thereby avoiding the problem of the wafer boxes falling off the handling device during the handling process.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a transport device, comprising a transport body and a first driving member for driving the transport body to move; a slot for accommodating a wafer box is provided on the transport body, a first induction member and a second induction member are installed in the slot, and the number of the second induction members is at least three, and the second induction members are arranged around the first induction member;

[0007] The first sensing element is configured to: sense whether a wafer box is placed in the slot;

[0008] The second sensing element is configured to sense whether an edge of the wafer box is at a preset position in the slot.

[0009] The handling device provided by the present application, by arranging a first sensing member and a second sensing member in a slot, can first sense whether there is a wafer box in the slot through the first sensing member, and then sense whether the edge of the wafer box is correctly located at a preset position in the slot through the second sensing member surrounding the first sensing member, thereby being able to quickly and accurately determine whether the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot, and can quickly find out the wafer box that is not correctly placed, and adjust the wafer box that is not correctly placed, so as to avoid the wafer box from slipping during handling due to the incorrect position in the slot and damaging the wafer.

[0010] In one embodiment of the above-mentioned wafer box handling device, when the wafer box is correctly accommodated in the slot, the edge of the wafer box shields the signal output end of the second sensor;

[0011] When the wafer box is shifted in the slot, at least one of the second sensing elements is exposed from the wafer box.

[0012] When the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot, the edge of the wafer box blocks the signal output end of the second sensing element and blocks the sensing signal emitted by the second sensing element. When the wafer box is shifted in position in the slot, the second sensing element is exposed from the side of the wafer box, and the wafer box cannot block the sensing signal of the second sensing element. Therefore, according to the change of the sensing signal of the second sensing element, it can be judged whether the edge of the wafer box is in the correct preset position.

[0013] In one embodiment of the above-mentioned transport device for wafer boxes, there are at least three second sensing members, and the second sensing members are arranged equidistantly around the central axis of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot.

[0014] By arranging at least three second sensing elements equidistantly around the central axis of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot, it is possible to detect from multiple directions whether the edge of the wafer box is displaced, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the position of the wafer box in the slot.

[0015] In one embodiment of the above-mentioned transport device for wafer boxes, a positioning block is provided in the slot, and a positioning groove matching the positioning block is provided on the wafer box.

[0016] By arranging a positioning block in the slot and arranging a positioning groove on the wafer box that matches the positioning block, the wafer box can be initially limited and fixed in the slot.

[0017] In one embodiment of the above-mentioned transport device for wafer boxes, a locking member is further installed in the slot, and the locking member includes a locking rod and a second driving member driving the locking rod to rotate, and a locking groove cooperating with the locking rod is opened on the wafer box;

[0018] The second driving member is configured to drive the locking rod to rotate to a position where the locking rod cannot escape from the locking slot after the locking rod extends into the locking slot.

[0019] The locking piece in the slot cooperates with the locking slot at the bottom of the wafer box to lock and fix the wafer box after it is correctly positioned. This can firmly fix the wafer box in the slot to prevent the wafer box from slipping out of the slot due to force vibration of the transport device during transportation.

[0020] In one embodiment of the above-mentioned transport device for wafer boxes, the transport device further includes a code reader installed in the slot, and the code reader is configured to read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box.

[0021] A coding reader is arranged in the slot, which can read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box in the slot, so as to facilitate the storage of information of the wafer box for archiving and transportation.

[0022] In a second aspect, the present application further provides a control method for a transport device, the control method comprising:

[0023] Acquire the sensing signals transmitted by all the first sensing elements and the second sensing elements;

[0024] Determining whether all slots are loaded with wafer cassettes of qualified position according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element;

[0025] If all the slots are loaded with wafer boxes that are in the correct position, the driving member is controlled to drive the transport body to move to the target position.

[0026] Based on the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element, it is determined whether all the slots are filled with wafer boxes with qualified positions. If the wafer boxes in all the slots are in qualified positions, the driving element is controlled to drive the transport body to move for transport. This can prevent the wafer boxes from slipping out of the slots during transport due to incorrect placement, causing damage to the wafers in the wafer boxes.

[0027] In one embodiment of the control method for the wafer box handling device, judging whether all slots are filled with qualified wafer boxes according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element includes:

[0028] Determining whether wafer boxes exist in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element;

[0029] If yes, judging whether the wafer boxes in all slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element;

[0030] If there are wafer cassettes in all slots, and the position offsets of the wafer cassettes in all slots are within a preset range, wafer cassettes with qualified positions are placed in all slots.

[0031] First, determine whether there is a wafer box in the slot based on the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element. If so, determine whether the position of the wafer box in the slot is correct based on the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element. This can accurately determine the existence and placement of the wafer box in each slot.

[0032] In one embodiment of the control method for the above-mentioned wafer box handling device, if qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots, before controlling the driving member to drive the handling body to move to the target position, the method further includes:

[0033] The code on the outer wall of the wafer box is read based on the code reading component installed in the slot, and the code information is stored.

[0034] After confirming that the wafer boxes in the slots are correctly placed, the code on the outer wall of the wafer box is read and the code information is stored, so that the information of each batch of wafer boxes transported can be entered and stored, which is convenient for subsequent management and query.

[0035] In one embodiment of the control method for the above-mentioned wafer box handling device, if qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots, before controlling the driving member to drive the handling body to move to the target position, the method further includes:

[0036] The locking member is driven to lock and fix qualified wafer boxes placed in all slots.

[0037] After the wafer box is correctly positioned, the wafer box is locked and fixed, so that the wafer box can be firmly fixed in the slot to prevent the wafer box from slipping out of the slot due to the force and vibration of the transport device during transportation.

[0038] In a third aspect, the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor, implements the steps as described in any one of the second aspects.

[0039] In a fourth aspect, the present application further provides a computer device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements the steps described in any one of the second aspects when executing the computer program.

[0040] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The disclosure of the present invention will become more easily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is easy for those skilled in the art to understand that these drawings are only for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. In addition, similar numbers in the figures are used to represent similar components, among which:

[0042] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of a slot in a handling device for a wafer box provided by the present application;

[0043] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a control method for a wafer box transport device provided by the present application;

[0044] Figure 3 This is an architectural diagram of a control device for a wafer box transport device provided in the present application.

[0045] Among them: 1. slot; 2. first sensing element; 3. second sensing element; 4. positioning block; 5. locking element; 51. locking rod; 6. encoding reader. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Some embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are only used to explain the technical principles of the present invention and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present invention.

[0047] As described in the background technology, the mobile transport device for transporting wafers currently transports multiple wafer boxes containing wafers at one time in batches. Usually, a plurality of slots are provided on the mobile transport device, and each slot corresponds to a wafer box. However, the wafer boxes, especially those that are not properly placed in the slots, are prone to slipping off the transport device and falling off when the transport device is bumped or subjected to external forces, resulting in damage to the wafers in the wafer box. However, it is difficult for personnel to accurately identify each wafer box that is not positioned correctly with the naked eye, and manual inspection one by one is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0048] To solve this problem, positioning blocks are currently provided on the slots, and grooves matching the positioning blocks are provided on the bottom of the wafer box. The wafer box is limited by the cooperation between the positioning blocks and the grooves, which to a certain extent improves the problem of the wafer box easily slipping out of the slots. However, the size and matching degree of the positioning blocks and the grooves are limited, and there will still be incomplete matching between the positioning blocks and the grooves, and a small position offset of the wafer box in the slot, resulting in the problem of incorrectly positioned wafer boxes falling off the transport device during transportation.

[0049] In order to solve the above problems, the present application creatively proposes a transport device for a wafer box and a control method thereof. By arranging a first sensing member and a second sensing member in a slot, the first sensing member can first sense whether there is a wafer box in the slot, and then the second sensing member surrounding the first sensing member can sense whether the edge of the wafer box is correctly located in a preset position in the slot. This can quickly and accurately determine whether the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot, quickly find out the wafer box that is not correctly placed, adjust the wafer box that is not correctly placed, and avoid the wafer box from slipping during transport due to incorrect position in the slot and damaging the wafer.

[0050] The present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0051] An embodiment of the present application provides a transport device for a wafer box, which includes a transport body and a first driving member that drives the transport body to move; specifically, the bottom of the transport body may be provided with rollers, tracks or any other moving parts or structures that can drive the transport body to move as a whole, and the first driving member may be a motor, a cylinder or any other part or device that can drive the moving part or structure to drive the transport body to move as a whole.

[0052] A slot 1 for accommodating a wafer box is provided on the transport body, and a first sensing member 2 and a second sensing member 3 are installed in the slot 1. There are at least three second sensing members 3, and the second sensing members 3 are arranged around the first sensing member 2; the first sensing member 2 is configured to sense whether a wafer box is placed in the slot 1; the second sensing member 3 is configured to sense whether the edge of the wafer box is at a preset position in the slot 1.

[0053] The first sensing element 2 and the second sensing element 3 can be light detection sensors such as infrared sensors, which sense the position of the wafer box by changes in sensed light signals, or can be ultrasonic sensors, which sense the position of the wafer box by changes in emitted ultrasonic signals. The present application does not impose any specific restrictions on this.

[0054] The first sensing element 2 is arranged between the second sensing elements 3 , close to or at the center of the slot 1 , and can sense the wafer box even when the position deviation of the wafer box in the slot 1 is large, thereby determining whether there is a wafer box in the slot 1 .

[0055] The wafer box handling device provided in the present application, by arranging a first sensing element 2 and a second sensing element 3 in a slot 1, can first sense whether there is a wafer box in the slot 1 through the first sensing element 2, and then sense whether the edge of the wafer box is correctly located at a preset position in the slot 1 through the second sensing element 3 surrounding the first sensing element 2, thereby being able to quickly and accurately determine whether the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot 1, and can quickly find out the wafer box that is not placed in the correct position, and adjust the wafer box that is not placed in the correct position, so as to avoid the wafer box from slipping during handling due to the incorrect position in the slot 1 and damaging the wafer.

[0056] In some embodiments, when the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot 1 , the edge of the wafer box shields the signal output end of the second sensor 3 ;

[0057] When the wafer box is shifted in the slot 1 , at least one second sensor 3 is exposed from the wafer box.

[0058] When the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot 1, the edge of the wafer box blocks the signal output end of the second sensing element 3 and blocks the sensing signal emitted by the second sensing element 3. When the position of the wafer box in the slot 1 is shifted, at least one second sensing element 3 is exposed from the side of the wafer box, and the wafer box cannot block the sensing signal of the second sensing element 3. Therefore, according to the change of the sensing signal of the second sensing element 3, it can be judged whether the edge of the wafer box is in the correct preset position, and the occupied area is small.

[0059] Of course, the second sensing element 3 can also be arranged on the outside of the bottom surface of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot 1, that is, when the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot 1, the second sensing elements 3 are all on the periphery of the wafer box, and the second sensing elements 3 output signals normally, and when the wafer box is tilted and offset in the slot 1, the signal output end of at least one second sensing element 3 is blocked by the wafer box.

[0060] In some embodiments, there are at least three second sensing elements 3 , and the second sensing elements 3 are arranged equidistantly around the central axis of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot 1 .

[0061] By equidistantly arranging at least three second sensing elements 3 around the central axis of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot 1 , it is possible to detect from multiple directions whether the edge of the wafer box is displaced, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the position of the wafer box in the slot 1 .

[0062] Preferably, the center of the bottom surface of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot 1 is in contact with the first induction element 2 , and the bottom surface of the wafer box refers to the surface of the wafer box that is in contact with the slot 1 as a whole when the wafer box is placed in the slot 1 .

[0063] In some embodiments, a positioning block 4 is disposed in the slot 1 , and a positioning groove matching the positioning block 4 is disposed on the wafer box.

[0064] The slots on the wafer box do not affect the placement and transportation of the wafer box in other processes. By setting a positioning block 4 in the slot 1 and setting a positioning groove on the wafer box that matches the positioning block 4, the wafer box can be initially limited and fixed in the slot 1.

[0065] The positioning block 4 can be cylindrical, prismatic or any other shape, as long as it can match the positioning slot to limit the wafer box. Preferably, the positioning block is arranged perpendicular to the opening of the slot 1.

[0066] In some embodiments, a locking member 5 is further installed in the slot 1, and the locking member 5 includes a locking rod 51 and a second driving member driving the locking rod 51 to rotate, and a locking groove matching the locking rod 51 is opened on the wafer box;

[0067] The second driving member is configured to: after the locking rod 51 extends into the locking groove, drive the locking rod 51 to rotate to a position where the locking rod 51 cannot escape from the locking groove.

[0068] The locking member 5 in the slot cooperates with the locking slot at the bottom of the wafer box to lock and fix the wafer box after the wafer box is correctly placed, so that the wafer box can be firmly fixed in the slot 1 to prevent the wafer box from slipping out of the slot 1 due to the vibration of the transport device during transportation. The second driving member is arranged in the transport body, and its driving end is movably arranged in the slot 1 to avoid hindering the placement of the wafer box 1 in the slot 1.

[0069] In some embodiments, the handling device further includes a code reader 6 , which is installed in the slot 1 , and the code reader 6 is configured to read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box.

[0070] A code reader 6 is provided in the slot 1 to read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box in the slot 1, so as to store the information of the wafer box for archiving and transportation. The end face of the code reader 6 and the surface of the slot 1 where it is located are on the same plane.

[0071] The present application also provides a control method for a transport device, referring to Figure 2 As shown, the control method includes:

[0072] S210: Acquire sensing signals transmitted by all first sensing elements and second sensing elements.

[0073] S220, judging whether all slots are filled with wafer cassettes with qualified positions according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element. If all slots are filled with wafer cassettes with qualified positions, proceeding to S230.

[0074] S230, controlling the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position.

[0075] Based on the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element, it is determined whether all the slots are filled with wafer boxes with qualified positions. If the wafer boxes in all the slots are in qualified positions, the driving element is controlled to drive the transport body to move for transport. This can prevent the wafer boxes from slipping out of the slots during transport due to incorrect placement, causing damage to the wafers in the wafer boxes.

[0076] In some embodiments, step S220 includes:

[0077] Determining whether wafer boxes exist in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element;

[0078] If yes, judging whether the wafer boxes in all slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element;

[0079] If there are wafer cassettes in all slots, and the position offsets of the wafer cassettes in all slots are within a preset range, wafer cassettes with qualified positions are placed in all slots.

[0080] First, determine whether there is a wafer box in the slot based on the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element. If so, determine whether the position of the wafer box in the slot is correct based on the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element. This can accurately determine the existence and placement of the wafer box in each slot.

[0081] If the result of judging whether there are wafer boxes in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element is no, the slot number where no wafer box exists is obtained, and a first error message is outputted to indicate that no wafer box is placed in the slot.

[0082] If the result of judging whether the wafer boxes in all the slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element is no, the slot number of the wafer box that is not in the correct position is obtained, and a second error message is output to indicate that the wafer box in the slot is not placed correctly.

[0083] In some embodiments, if qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots, before controlling the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position, the method further includes:

[0084] S2A0, based on the code reader installed in the slot, read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box and store the code information.

[0085] After confirming that the wafer boxes in the slots are placed correctly, the code on the outer wall of the wafer box is read and the coding information is stored. The information of each batch of wafer boxes transported can be entered and stored to facilitate subsequent management and query.

[0086] In some embodiments, if qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots, before controlling the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position, the method further includes:

[0087] S2B0, drive the locking member to lock and fix qualified wafer boxes placed in all slots.

[0088] After the wafer box is correctly positioned, the wafer box is locked and fixed, so that the wafer box can be firmly fixed in the slot to prevent the wafer box from slipping out of the slot due to the force and vibration of the transport device during transportation.

[0089] The present application also provides a control device for a wafer box transport device, referring to Figure 3 As shown, the device comprises:

[0090] The sensing module 310 is used to obtain sensing signals transmitted by all first sensing elements and second sensing elements;

[0091] A judging module 320 is used to judge whether all slots are filled with wafer boxes with qualified positions according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element;

[0092] The driving module 330 is used to control the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position if all the slots are filled with wafer boxes with qualified positions.

[0093] In some embodiments, the determination module 320 includes:

[0094] A first judging unit, configured to judge whether wafer boxes exist in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element;

[0095] A second judgment unit is used to judge whether the wafer boxes in all the slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element after the judgment result of the first judgment unit is yes;

[0096] If wafer cassettes exist in all slots and the position offsets of the wafer cassettes in all slots are within the preset range, the determination module 320 determines that wafer cassettes with qualified positions are placed in all slots.

[0097] In some embodiments, the control device further comprises:

[0098] The RFID module is used to read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box based on the code reader installed in the slot and store the code information before the drive module 330 controls the drive component to drive the transport body to move to the target position after the judgment module 320 determines that qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots.

[0099] In some embodiments, the control device further comprises:

[0100] The switch control module is used to drive the locking member to lock and fix the qualified wafer boxes in all slots before the driving module 330 controls the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position after the judgment module 320 determines that qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots.

[0101] The present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, the following steps are implemented:

[0102] Acquire the sensing signals transmitted by all the first sensing elements and the second sensing elements;

[0103] Determining whether all slots are loaded with wafer cassettes of qualified position according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element;

[0104] If all the slots are loaded with wafer boxes that are in the correct position, the driving member is controlled to drive the transport body to move to the target position.

[0105] When the computer program is executed by the processor, the following steps are also performed:

[0106] Determining whether wafer boxes exist in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element;

[0107] If yes, judging whether the wafer boxes in all slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element;

[0108] If there are wafer cassettes in all slots, and the position offsets of the wafer cassettes in all slots are within a preset range, wafer cassettes with qualified positions are placed in all slots.

[0109] When the computer program is executed by the processor, the following steps are also performed:

[0110] The code reader installed in the slot reads the code on the outer wall of the wafer box and stores the code information.

[0111] When the computer program is executed by the processor, the following steps are also performed:

[0112] The locking member is driven to lock and fix qualified wafer boxes placed in all slots.

[0113] The embodiment of the present application further discloses a computer device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the following steps are implemented:

[0114] Acquire the sensing signals transmitted by all the first sensing elements and the second sensing elements;

[0115] Determining whether all slots are loaded with wafer cassettes of qualified position according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element;

[0116] If all the slots are loaded with wafer boxes that are in the correct position, the driving member is controlled to drive the transport body to move to the target position.

[0117] When the processor executes the computer program, it also performs the following steps:

[0118] Determining whether wafer boxes exist in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element;

[0119] If yes, judging whether the wafer boxes in all slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element;

[0120] If there are wafer cassettes in all slots, and the position offsets of the wafer cassettes in all slots are within a preset range, wafer cassettes with qualified positions are placed in all slots.

[0121] When the processor executes the computer program, it also performs the following steps:

[0122] The code reader installed in the slot reads the code on the outer wall of the wafer box and stores the code information.

[0123] When the processor executes the computer program, it also performs the following steps:

[0124] The locking member is driven to lock and fix qualified wafer boxes placed in all slots.

[0125] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0126] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0127] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and are not to be construed as limitations of the present invention. A person skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and vary the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transport device for a wafer box, characterized in that: The transport device comprises a transport body and a first driving member for driving the transport body to move; a slot for accommodating a wafer box is provided on the transport body, a first induction member and a second induction member are installed in the slot, and the second induction members are at least three and are arranged around the first induction member; The first sensing element is configured to: sense whether a wafer box is placed in the slot; The second sensing element is configured to sense whether an edge of the wafer box is at a preset position in the slot.

2. The wafer box transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the wafer box is correctly placed in the slot, the edge of the wafer box shields the signal output end of the second sensor; When the wafer box is shifted in the slot, at least one of the second sensing elements is exposed from the wafer box.

3. The wafer box transport device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: There are at least three second induction members, and the second induction members are arranged equidistantly around the central axis of the wafer box correctly placed in the slot.

4. The wafer box transport device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A positioning block is arranged in the slot, and a positioning groove matching the positioning block is arranged on the wafer box.

5. The transport device for wafer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: A locking member is also installed in the slot, and the locking member includes a locking rod and a second driving member driving the locking rod to rotate, and a locking groove matching with the locking rod is opened on the wafer box; The second driving member is configured to drive the locking rod to rotate to a position where the locking rod cannot escape from the locking slot after the locking rod extends into the locking slot.

6. The transport device for wafer box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transport device further includes a code reader installed in the slot, and the code reader is configured to read the code on the outer wall of the wafer box.

7. A control method for a wafer box transport device, characterized in that: The control method comprises: Acquire the sensing signals transmitted by all the first sensing elements and the second sensing elements; Determining whether all slots are loaded with wafer cassettes of qualified position according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element; If all the slots are loaded with wafer boxes that are in the correct position, the driving member is controlled to drive the transport body to move to the target position.

8. The control method for a wafer box transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The method of judging whether all slots are filled with qualified wafer boxes according to the sensing signals transmitted by the first sensing element and the second sensing element comprises: Determining whether wafer boxes exist in all slots according to the sensing signal transmitted by the first sensing element; If yes, judging whether the wafer boxes in all slots are in the correct position according to the sensing signal transmitted by the second sensing element; If there are wafer cassettes in all slots, and the position offsets of the wafer cassettes in all slots are within a preset range, wafer cassettes with qualified positions are placed in all slots.

9. The control method for a wafer box transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that: If qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots, before controlling the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position, the method further includes: The code on the outer wall of the wafer box is read based on the code reading component installed in the slot, and the code information is stored.

10. The control method for a wafer box transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that: If qualified wafer boxes are placed in all slots, before controlling the driving member to drive the transport body to move to the target position, the method further includes: The locking member is driven to lock and fix qualified wafer boxes placed in all slots.

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