Wafer box transmission equipment of vertical furnace

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides a wafer box transmission device of a vertical furnace, the wafer box transmission device is close to the vertical furnace, receives a wafer box transmitted by a crown block and transmits the wafer box to a target position in the vertical furnace, the wafer box transmission device comprises a bearing platform, a telescopic arm and a wafer box detection mechanism, when the wafer box is placed on the bearing platform, the telescopic arm detects the wafer box on the bearing platform; after the wafer box detection mechanism detects that no wafer box is placed at the target position, the bearing table is controlled to contract to make up the working space of the telescopic arm, and the lifting mechanism drives the telescopic arm to ascend, so that a clamping mechanism of the telescopic arm clamps the wafer box and then lifts the wafer box from the bearing table, and the wafer box is conveyed into the vertical furnace in the stretching direction through stretching of the telescopic arm; and placing on a target position. Through the telescopic design of the telescopic arm, the occupied area can be reduced, the safety is improved through the sensor and the like, the device can be suitable for different types of wafer cassettes, the transmission efficiency is improved, and the adaptability is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and particularly to a wafer cassette transfer device for a vertical furnace. Background Art

[0002] In the process of semiconductor wafer manufacturing, the handling of wafer cassettes is a crucial step. Traditionally, wafer cassettes need to be moved from one location to another, especially from the wafer storage area to a vertical furnace for subsequent processing. In actual production, vertical furnaces are usually used for high-temperature processing of wafers, and they are designed with side openings for inserting or removing wafer cassettes. The traditional handling method relies on manual operation, where workers carry the wafer cassettes from the storage area to the side opening of the vertical furnace for operation. In this process, the operator needs to manually align the wafer cassette with the furnace opening and carefully place it into the furnace. Although this method is simple, there are multiple problems. First, manual handling has low efficiency and is prone to operational errors, resulting in damage to the wafer cassette or improper operation inside the furnace. Second, long-term reliance on manual handling increases the labor intensity of the staff, and in large-scale production, it is prone to causing production bottlenecks.

[0003] With the development of automation technology, overhead crane systems have gradually been introduced into such handling tasks to improve efficiency and safety. By replacing manual handling with an overhead crane system, not only can human errors be reduced, but also production efficiency can be effectively improved. However, how to apply the overhead crane system to the handling of wafer cassettes without changing the existing design of the vertical furnace and ensure precise operation in a limited space remains a technical problem to be solved urgently.

[0004] Therefore, how to introduce an overhead crane system into the wafer cassette transfer of a vertical furnace while maintaining the existing structure of the vertical furnace has become a technical problem that the industry urgently needs to overcome. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to solve the problem in the prior art that an overhead crane system cannot be introduced into the wafer cassette transfer of a vertical furnace while maintaining the existing structure of the vertical furnace. Therefore, this application provides a wafer cassette transfer device for a vertical furnace, which can introduce an overhead crane system into the wafer cassette transfer of a vertical furnace.

[0006] An embodiment of this application provides a wafer cassette transfer device for a vertical furnace, which is characterized in that the wafer cassette transfer device is closely adjacent to the vertical furnace, receives the wafer cassette transmitted by the overhead crane, and transfers the wafer cassette to the target position inside the vertical furnace, including:

[0007] A carrier platform for receiving the wafer cassette transmitted by the overhead crane and capable of telescoping to make room for the working space of the telescopic arm;

[0008] The telescopic arm includes a first robotic arm and a second robotic arm that are rotatably connected. The first robotic arm and the second robotic arm adjust the extension length and the extension angle in the telescopic direction of the carrier stage, so as to achieve telescoping in the extension direction. When the carrier stage is in the extended state, the first robotic arm and the second robotic arm overlap vertically and retract into the space below the carrier stage. The first connection end of the first robotic arm is rotatably connected to the second connection end of the second robotic arm;

[0009] The lifting end of the first robotic arm is connected to a lifting mechanism. The telescopic arm is driven by the lifting mechanism to move up and down in the lifting direction, so as to lift the wafer cassette from the carrier stage. The lifting direction is perpendicular to the telescopic direction;

[0010] A clamping mechanism is provided at the clamping end of the second robotic arm to clamp the wafer cassette placed on the carrier stage;

[0011] The wafer cassette detection mechanism is arranged along the extension direction at the front end of the carrier stage and extends into the periphery of the target position inside the vertical furnace, so as to detect whether there is a wafer cassette at the target position;

[0012] When a wafer cassette is placed on the carrier stage, after the wafer cassette detection mechanism detects that there is no wafer cassette at the target position, the carrier stage is controlled to contract to make room for the working space of the telescopic arm. The lifting mechanism drives the telescopic arm to rise, so that the clamping mechanism of the telescopic arm clamps the wafer cassette and lifts it from the carrier stage, and the wafer cassette is transported along the extension direction into the vertical furnace through the extension of the telescopic arm and placed at the target position.

[0013] In some embodiments, the carrier stage includes: a fixed plate and a telescopic plate;

[0014] The telescopic plate is arranged on the fixed plate and can slide relative to the fixed plate;

[0015] One end of the fixed plate close to the vertical furnace is connected to the wafer cassette detection mechanism, and the end of the fixed plate far from the vertical furnace is slidably connected to the telescopic plate through a sliding component;

[0016] By driving a gear set with a motor, a belt and a sliding component are driven to realize the telescoping of the telescopic plate.

[0017] In some embodiments, a limiting block is provided on the telescopic plate to limit the placement position of the wafer cassette, so as to ensure that the wafer cassette is in an accurately positioned state before transmission.

[0018] In some embodiments, the limiting blocks are arranged along the edge of the telescopic plate and are used in cooperation with sensors for detecting the placement state of the wafer cassette, so as to ensure that the wafer cassette can be carried only after being correctly placed.

[0019] In some embodiments, a first sensor is provided on the telescopic plate to detect whether the wafer cassette is placed flat, and when it detects that the wafer cassette is not placed flat, an adjustment or warning signal is issued.

[0020] In some embodiments, a second sensor is provided on the telescopic plate for detecting whether a wafer cassette is placed on the telescopic plate, and after detecting the placement of the wafer cassette, triggering the telescopic arm to perform a transfer operation.

[0021] In some embodiments, a code scanning module is provided on the telescopic plate. The code scanning module is used to scan the electronic tag on the wafer cassette to identify the unique identification information of the wafer cassette.

[0022] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism includes two side clamping members symmetrically arranged along the telescopic direction, and the connecting direction of the two side clamping members is perpendicular to the telescopic direction to ensure stable clamping of the wafer cassette during handling.

[0023] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism further includes: two bottom support members and two sliding members;

[0024] Two side clamping members for clamping the wafer cassette from the side;

[0025] Two bottom support members are respectively fixedly connected to the corresponding side clamping members and are used to support the ear part of the wafer cassette;

[0026] Two sliding members respectively drive the corresponding side clamping members to expand and contract along their connecting direction to clamp or release the wafer cassette.

[0027] In some embodiments, the side clamping member is a triangular clamping member. The triangular clamping structure is adopted to stably support the ear part of the wafer cassette and prevent the wafer cassette from tilting or falling during transmission.

[0028] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism further includes: a fixing member;

[0029] Two upper and lower slide rails are provided on the fixing member, and two sliders are provided on each slide rail;

[0030] Each sliding member is fixedly connected to the sliders on the same side of the upper and lower slide rails to drive the sliding member to slide on the slide rail, so as to drive the corresponding side clamping member to expand and contract along its connecting direction;

[0031] A driving wheel and a driven wheel are respectively arranged between the two slide rails at both ends of the fixing member, and a transmission belt is arranged between the driving wheel and the driven wheel;

[0032] An intermediate member is fixedly arranged on each sliding member, and the end of the intermediate member is fixed on the transmission belt to drive the corresponding sliding member to slide on the slide rail, drive the corresponding side clamping member to expand and contract along its connecting direction, and clamp or release the wafer cassette.

[0033] In some embodiments, the wafer cassette detection mechanism includes: a first detection member and a second detection member;

[0034] The length of the first detection piece is greater than that of the second detection piece;

[0035] Three first detection pieces are respectively arranged on both sides and in the middle of the target position, and two second detection pieces are respectively arranged between two first detection pieces.

[0036] In some embodiments, sensors are arranged on the first detection piece and the second detection piece for detecting whether there is a wafer cassette at the target position.

[0037] The embodiment of the present application provides a wafer cassette transfer device for a vertical furnace, adopting a modular telescopic arm structure, adapting to various handling scenarios, especially suitable for narrow spaces; combined with an intelligent sensor system, it realizes high-precision handling, avoiding collisions and misoperations; designs a telescopic bearing platform to enhance the adaptability to different types of wafer cassettes; optimizes space utilization: compared with traditional robotic arms, the present application can complete the wafer cassette transfer task in a limited space, improving the flexibility of equipment layout; optimizes the motion trajectory through intelligent control and the sensor system, reducing the handling time and improving production efficiency; monitors the state of the wafer cassette in real time, avoiding dropping or misoperation during the transfer process, and improving the stability of the production process; can be adapted to various types of wafer cassettes and production environments, improving the versatility of the equipment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the wafer cassette transfer device for the vertical furnace according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the bearing platform of the wafer transfer device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 3 It is a schematic structural diagram of the telescopic arm of the wafer cassette transfer device according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 4 It is a schematic structural diagram of the clamping mechanism of the telescopic arm according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of the telescopic movement of the clamping mechanism according to the embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the wafer cassette detection mechanism according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Description of the reference numerals:

[0045] 1: Vertical furnace;

[0046] 2: Wafer cassette transfer device;

[0047] 21: Bearing platform;

[0048] 210: Fixed plate; 211: Telescopic plate; 212: Sliding assembly; 213: Gear set; 214: Belt; 215: Limit block; 216: First sensor; 217: Second sensor; 218: Scanning code module;

[0049] 22: Telescopic arm;

[0050] 220: First robotic arm; 221: Second robotic arm; 222: Clamping mechanism; 2220: Side clamping component; 2221: Bottom support component; 2222: Sliding piece; 2223: Fixed piece; 2224: Intermediate piece;

[0051] a: First connection end; b: Second connection end; c: Lifting end; d: Clamping end; e: Slide rail; f: Slide block; g: Driving wheel; h: Driven wheel; i: Transmission belt; j: Protrusion;

[0052] 23: Lifting mechanism;

[0053] 24: Wafer cassette detection mechanism;

[0054] 240: First detection piece; 241: Second detection piece;

[0055] 3: Wafer cassette;

[0056] 30: Ear;

[0057] 4: Pulley;

[0058] 5: Bottom plate. Detailed implementation mode

[0059] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation modes of the present application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present application will be introduced in combination with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this implementation mode. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the application in combination with the implementation mode is to cover other alternatives 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, many specific details will be included in the following description. The present application can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusing or obscuring the key points of the present application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, without conflict, the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0060] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0061] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. It is 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 should not be construed as a limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0062] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "coupled" 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 directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to specific situations.

[0063] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that in the present application, "electrically connected" can be understood as physical contact and electrical conduction between components; it can also be understood as a form of connection between different components in a circuit structure through physical lines such as copper foils or wires of a printed circuit board (PCB) that can transmit electrical signals. "Coupled through..." can be understood as electrical conduction through indirect coupling. Indirect coupling can be understood as non-contact coupling. Among them, those skilled in the art can understand that the coupling phenomenon refers to the phenomenon that there is a close cooperation and mutual influence between the input and output of two or more circuit elements or electrical networks, and energy is transmitted from one side to the other through mutual interaction. To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0064] In the wafer manufacturing industry, an overhead crane system is a common handling device, widely used to move wafer boxes from one position on the production line to another. Most of the current overhead crane systems are designed relatively traditionally, requiring a large operating space, and need to maintain a certain safety distance from surrounding equipment during the handling process to avoid collisions. Especially in a production environment with limited space, traditional handling devices often cannot meet the requirements of efficient and safe handling. The oversized equipment may lead to waste of space and increase the complexity of the production environment; at the same time, due to the volume and structure of the equipment, collisions with other equipment or personnel are likely to occur during the operation, causing potential safety hazards.

[0065] In addition, with the increasing precision and complexity of wafer manufacturing processes, the requirements for handling accuracy and efficiency have also gradually increased. While existing technologies improve handling accuracy and safety, they often fail to fully consider how to optimize equipment space utilization, especially in narrow or complex production environments. Therefore, it is necessary to design a handling device that better meets the needs of modern production and can effectively solve the problems existing in the existing systems.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 which is a schematic structural diagram of the wafer cassette transfer device of the vertical furnace according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 1 shown, it includes: a vertical furnace 1 and a wafer cassette transfer device 2. Four corners at the bottom of the wafer cassette transfer device 2 are respectively provided with pulleys 4, which can realize the free movement of the wafer cassette transfer device 2. After determining the position, the bottom plate 5 is put down to contact the ground, so that the four pulleys 4 just do not contact the ground or leave the ground. The wafer cassette transfer device 2 is brought close to the corresponding vertical furnace 1, and the wafer transfer device 2 can be fixedly connected to the vertical furnace 1.

[0067] As Figure 1 shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a wafer cassette transfer device of a vertical furnace. The wafer cassette transfer device 2 is closely adjacent to the vertical furnace 1, receives the wafer cassette 3 conveyed by the overhead crane, and transfers the wafer cassette 3 to the target position inside the vertical furnace 1.

[0068] In order to design an efficient and safe transfer device within a limited space in an embodiment of the present application, the coordinated work of the telescopic arm and the carrier is emphasized. The core of the present application lies in designing a device that can efficiently and safely transfer wafer cassettes in a narrow space. Through the coordinated work of the telescopic arm and the carrier, the precise handling of the wafer cassette from the overhead crane to the target position inside the vertical furnace is realized. The telescopic arm adopts a modular design and can adjust the length and angle according to actual needs to ensure the completion of the handling task within the smallest space. Moreover, a certain distance is set between the carrier 21 and the vertical furnace 1 to prevent the wafer cassette 3 or the vertical furnace 1 from being knocked when the wafer cassette 3 is placed on the carrier 21, improving safety.

[0069] Figure 2 which is a schematic structural diagram of the carrier 21 of the wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figure 2 shown, the wafer cassette transfer device 2 includes: a carrier 21, which is used to receive the wafer cassette 3 conveyed by the overhead crane and can be telescoped to make room for the working space of the telescopic arm 22.

[0070] Specifically, the carrier table 21 includes: a fixed plate 210 and a telescopic plate 211; the telescopic plate 211 is arranged on the fixed plate 210 and can slide relative to the fixed plate; one end of the fixed plate 210 close to the vertical furnace 1 is connected to the wafer cassette detection mechanism 24, and the end of the fixed plate 210 far from the vertical furnace 1 is slidably connected to the telescopic plate 211 through a sliding component 212 (not shown in the figure); by driving the gear set 213 with a motor, the belt 214 and the sliding component 212 are driven to realize the telescoping of the telescopic plate 211, and the telescoping action is realized by driving the belt 214 and the sliding group 212 with a motor to ensure precise control.

[0071] In the embodiment of the present application, the telescopic plate 211 can slide onto the fixed plate 210, that is, the telescopic plate 211 folds above the fixed plate 211, vacating the space occupied by the telescopic plate 211 before retraction, so that the telescopic arm 22 can freely extend and lift.

[0072] Further, a limit block 215 is provided on the telescopic plate 211 for limiting the placement position of the wafer cassette 3 to ensure that the wafer cassette 3 is in a precisely positioned state before transmission. The limit block 215 is arranged along the edge of the telescopic plate 211 and is used in cooperation with a sensor for detecting the placement state of the wafer cassette to ensure that the wafer cassette 3 can be carried only after being correctly placed.

[0073] Specifically, as Figure 2 shown, two limit blocks 215 can be provided on each edge of the telescopic plate 211 to limit the placement position of the wafer cassette 3 during the process of the overhead crane placing the wafer cassette 3 on the carrier table 21, ensuring that the wafer cassette 3 is in an accurate position before transmission.

[0074] Furthermore, a first sensor 216 is provided on the telescopic plate 211 for detecting whether the wafer cassette 3 is placed flat, and when it is detected that the wafer cassette 3 is not placed flat, an adjustment or warning signal is issued. A second sensor 217 is provided on the telescopic plate 211 for detecting whether the wafer cassette 3 is placed on the telescopic plate 211, and when it is detected that the wafer cassette 3 is placed, the telescopic arm 22 is triggered to perform a transmission operation. A code scanning module 218 is provided on the telescopic plate 211, and the code scanning module 218 is used for scanning the electronic tag on the wafer cassette 3 to identify the unique identification information of the wafer cassette 3.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present application, the type of the first sensor 216 is not limited, and it is mainly used for detecting whether the wafer cassette 3 is placed flat. As Figure 2 shown, the first sensor 216 can be placed at the diagonal position of the telescopic plate 211 to better detect whether the wafer cassette 3 is placed flat.

[0076] Specifically, the carrier table 21 serves as the basic platform of the wafer cassette transfer device 2. The carrier table 21 is responsible for receiving and stably placing the wafer cassette 3. It has a telescopic function and can adjust the position of the tabletop according to the working needs of the telescopic arm 22, creating enough space for the operation of the telescopic arm 22. The design of the carrier table 21 ensures that the device can operate efficiently even in a narrow environment.

[0077] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of the telescopic arm of the wafer cassette transfer device according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of the clamping mechanism of the telescopic arm according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of the telescopic movement of the clamping mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application. As Figures 3 to 5 shown, the telescopic arm 22 includes a first robotic arm 220 and a second robotic arm 221 that are rotatably connected. The first robotic arm 220 and the second robotic arm 221 adjust the extension length and extension angle in the telescopic direction of the carrier table 21 to achieve telescopic movement in the extension direction. When the carrier table 21 is in the extended state, the first robotic arm 220 and the second robotic arm 221 overlap and retract below the carrier table 21. The first connection end a of the first robotic arm 220 is rotatably connected to the second connection end b of the second robotic arm 221; the lifting end c of the first robotic arm 220 is connected to the lifting mechanism 23, and the telescopic arm 22 is driven by the lifting mechanism 23 to move up and down in the lifting direction to lift the wafer cassette 3 from the carrier table 21. The lifting direction is perpendicular to the telescopic direction; the clamping end d of the second robotic arm 221 is provided with a clamping mechanism 222 to clamp the wafer cassette 3 placed on the carrier table 21.

[0078] Among them, the clamping mechanism 222 includes two side clamping components 2220 symmetrically arranged along the telescopic direction. The connection direction of the two side clamping components 2220 is perpendicular to the telescopic direction to ensure stable clamping of the wafer cassette 3 during handling. The clamping mechanism 222 further includes: two bottom support components 2221 and two sliding components 2222; the two side clamping components 2220 are used to clamp the wafer cassette 3 from the side; the two bottom support components 2221 are respectively fixedly connected to the corresponding side clamping components 2220 and are used to support the ear 30 part of the wafer cassette 3; the two sliding components 2222 respectively drive the corresponding side clamping components 2220 to expand and contract along their connection direction to clamp or release the wafer cassette 3.

[0079] Specifically, a protrusion j is provided on the bottom support component 2221 for cooperating with the limit groove on the wafer cassette 3 to achieve alignment and clamping of the wafer cassette 3, so that the wafer cassette 3 will not move back and forth during transmission, improving stability.

[0080] In the embodiment of the present application, the side clamping member 2220 is a triangular clamping member, designed with a triangular clamping structure to stably support the ear 30 part of the wafer cassette 3, avoiding tilting or dropping of the wafer cassette 3 during transmission.

[0081] Further, the clamping mechanism 222 further includes: a fixing member 2223; two upper and lower slide rails e are provided on the fixing member 2223, and two sliders f are provided on each slide rail e; each sliding member 2222 is fixedly connected to the sliders f on the same side of the upper and lower two slide rails e to drive the sliding member 2222 to slide on the slide rail e, so as to drive the corresponding side clamping member 2220 to expand and contract along its connection direction; between the two slide rails e at both ends of the fixing member 2223, a driving wheel g and a driven wheel h are respectively provided, and a transmission belt i is provided between the driving wheel g and the driven wheel h; an intermediate member 2224 is fixedly provided on each sliding member 2222, and the end of the intermediate member 2224 is fixed on the transmission belt i to drive the corresponding sliding member 2222 to slide on the slide rail e, driving the corresponding side clamping member 2220 to expand and contract along its connection direction to clamp or release the wafer cassette 3.

[0082] Figure 6 It is a schematic structural diagram of the wafer cassette detection mechanism of the embodiment of the present application, as Figure 6 shown, the wafer cassette detection mechanism 24 is arranged at the front end of the carrier 21 along the extension direction and extends into the periphery of the target position in the vertical furnace 1 to detect whether there is a wafer cassette 3 at the target position.

[0083] Specifically, the wafer cassette detection mechanism 24 includes: a first detection member 240 and a second detection member 241; the length of the first detection member 240 is greater than that of the second detection member 241; three first detection members 240 are respectively arranged on both sides and in the middle of the target position, and two second detection members 241 are respectively arranged between the two first detection members 240. Sensors are arranged on the first detection member 240 and the second detection member 241 to detect whether there is a wafer cassette 3 at the target position.

[0084] In the embodiment of the present application, the type of the sensor is not limited, and it is used to detect whether there is a wafer cassette 3 at the target position in the vertical furnace 1.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, through the cooperation of the carrier 21, the telescopic arm 22 and the sensor, when a wafer cassette 3 is placed on the carrier 21, after the wafer cassette detection mechanism 24 detects that there is no wafer cassette 3 at the target position, the carrier 21 is controlled to contract to make room for the working space of the telescopic arm 22, and the lifting mechanism 23 drives the telescopic arm 22 to rise, so that the clamping mechanism of the telescopic arm 22 clamps the wafer cassette and lifts it from the carrier 21, and the wafer cassette is transmitted along the extension direction into the vertical furnace 1 through the extension of the telescopic arm 2222 and placed at the target position.

[0086] Among them, when the telescopic arm 22 is not in use, the lifting mechanism 23 drives the telescopic arm 22 to retract from the vertical furnace 1 and descend to the space below the carrier table 21. Moreover, the first robotic arm 220 and the second robotic arm 221 can be folded, which can reduce the floor space, enabling the wafer cassette transfer device 2 to be applicable to a production environment with limited space and operate efficiently within an effective space.

[0087] In the embodiment of the present application, as Figures 1 to 6 shown, two carrier tables 21 are arranged side by side, and the two carrier tables 21 can be controlled by a lifting mechanism 23 and a telescopic arm 22. Through the slide rails at the bottom of the wafer cassette transfer device 2, the position can be switched between the two carrier tables 21.

[0088] The embodiment of the present application provides a wafer cassette transfer device for a vertical furnace, which adopts a modular telescopic arm structure, adapts to various handling scenarios, and is particularly suitable for narrow spaces; combined with an intelligent sensor system, it realizes high-precision handling and avoids collisions and misoperations; designs a telescopic carrier table to enhance the adaptability to different types of wafer cassettes; optimizes space utilization: compared with traditional robotic arms, the present application can complete the wafer cassette transfer task within a limited space, improving the flexibility of equipment layout; optimizes the movement trajectory through intelligent control and the sensor system, reduces the handling time, and improves production efficiency; monitors the status of the wafer cassette in real time, avoids dropping or misoperation during the transfer process, and improves the stability of the production process; can be adapted to various types of wafer cassettes and production environments, improving the versatility of the equipment.

[0089] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and deformations to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and deformations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalent technologies, the present application also intends to include these changes and deformations.

Claims

1. A wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace, characterized in that: The wafer box transfer device is close to the vertical furnace, receives the wafer box transferred by the overhead crane, and transfers the wafer box to a target position in the vertical furnace, including: The carrier is used to receive the wafer box delivered by the overhead crane and can be extended to make room for the telescopic arm; A telescopic arm, comprising a first mechanical arm and a second mechanical arm that are rotatably connected, wherein the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm adjust the extension length and the extension angle in the extension direction of the support platform to achieve extension and retraction in the extension direction, wherein the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm overlap and retract into the space below the support platform when the support platform is in an extended state, and the first connecting end of the first mechanical arm is rotatably connected to the second connecting end of the second mechanical arm; The lifting end of the first mechanical arm is connected to the lifting mechanism, and the lifting mechanism drives the telescopic arm to move up and down in a lifting direction to lift the wafer box from the carrying platform, and the lifting direction is perpendicular to the telescopic direction; The clamping end of the second robot arm is provided with a clamping mechanism for clamping the wafer box placed on the carrying platform; A wafer box detection mechanism is arranged at the front end of the carrier platform along the extension direction and extends into the periphery of the target position in the vertical furnace to detect whether there is a wafer box at the target position; When the wafer box is placed on the carrier, after the wafer box detection mechanism detects that the wafer box is not placed at the target position, the carrier is controlled to retract to make room for the telescopic arm's working space, and the lifting mechanism drives the telescopic arm to rise, so that the clamping mechanism of the telescopic arm clamps the wafer box and lifts it from the carrier, and through the extension of the telescopic arm, the wafer box is transferred to the vertical furnace along the extension direction and placed at the target position.

2. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bearing platform comprises: a fixed plate and a telescopic plate; The telescopic plate is arranged on the fixed plate and can slide relative to the fixed plate; One end of the fixed plate close to the vertical furnace is connected to the wafer box detection mechanism, and one end of the fixed plate away from the vertical furnace is slidably connected to the telescopic plate through a sliding assembly; The motor drives the gear set to drive the belt and the sliding assembly to achieve the extension and retraction of the telescopic plate.

3. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: A limit block is provided on the telescopic plate to limit the placement position of the wafer box to ensure that the wafer box is in an accurate positioning state before transmission.

4. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limit block is arranged along the edge of the telescopic plate and is used in conjunction with a sensor for detecting the placement state of the wafer box to ensure that the wafer box can be transported only after it is correctly placed.

5. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The telescopic plate is provided with a first sensor for detecting whether the wafer box is correctly leveled, and sending an adjustment or warning signal when detecting that the wafer box is not leveled.

6. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 4, characterized in that: The telescopic plate is provided with a second sensor for detecting whether the wafer box is placed on the telescopic plate, and triggering the telescopic arm to perform a transfer operation after detecting that the wafer box is placed.

7. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 2, characterized in that: The telescopic plate is provided with a code scanning module, and the code scanning module is used to scan the electronic tag on the wafer box to identify the unique identification information of the wafer box.

8. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism comprises two side clamping parts symmetrically arranged along the telescopic direction, and the connection direction of the two side clamping parts is perpendicular to the telescopic direction to ensure stable clamping of the wafer box during transportation.

9. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 8, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism further comprises: two bottom support members and two sliding members; The two side clamping parts are used to clamp the wafer box from the side; The two bottom support members are respectively fixedly connected to the corresponding side clamping members, and are used to support the ear parts of the wafer box; The two sliding members respectively drive the corresponding side clamping components to extend and retract along the direction of their connection line to clamp or release the wafer box.

10. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 9, characterized in that: The side clamping component is a triangular clamping member, which adopts a triangular clamping structure design to stably support the ear part of the wafer box to prevent the wafer box from tilting or falling during the transmission process.

11. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 9, characterized in that: The clamping mechanism further includes: a fixing member; The fixing member is provided with two upper and lower slide rails, and each of the slide rails is provided with two sliders; Each of the sliding members is fixedly connected to a slider located on the same side of the upper and lower slide rails to drive the sliding member to slide on the slide rails, thereby driving the corresponding side clamping member to extend and retract along the direction of the connecting line; A driving wheel and a driven wheel are respectively arranged between the two slide rails at both ends of the fixing member, and a transmission belt is arranged between the driving wheel and the driven wheel; An intermediate piece is fixedly provided on each of the sliding pieces, and the end of the intermediate piece is fixed on the transmission belt to drive the corresponding sliding piece to slide on the slide rail, thereby driving the corresponding side clamping part to extend and retract along the connecting line direction to clamp or release the wafer box.

12. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer box detection mechanism includes: a first detection member and a second detection member; The length of the first detection member is greater than that of the second detection member; The three first detecting members are respectively arranged at both sides and in the middle of the target position, and the two second detecting members are respectively arranged between the two first detecting members.

13. The wafer box transfer device for a vertical furnace according to claim 12, characterized in that: Sensors are provided on the first detection member and the second detection member for detecting whether the wafer box is at the target position.

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