Wafer carrying end effector pose adjusting mechanism, carrying system and carrying method

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer carrying end effector pose adjusting mechanism, a carrying system and a carrying method, and relates to the technical field of wafer carrying, and the wafer carrying end effector pose adjusting mechanism comprises a mounting base assembly which comprises a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate and a mounting seat; the active adjusting assembly comprises an adjusting plate, the adjusting plate is located between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, one side of the adjusting plate is connected with an angle tilting device, and the active adjusting assembly further comprises a plurality of sets of telescopic adjusting devices and a plurality of sets of elastic supporting devices; the adjusting plate and the end effector placed on the adjusting plate are vertically clamped and fixed through the telescopic adjusting device and the elastic supporting device, so that pitching and heeling actions of the adjusting plate and the end effector relative to the mounting base assembly are achieved. The function of actively adjusting the pitching angle and the heeling angle of the end effector is achieved, the applicability and the structural compactness are improved, and the operation stability and the adjustment accuracy are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wafer handling, and in particular to a pose adjustment mechanism, a handling system and a handling method for the end effector of wafer handling. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor wafers (especially those with a diameter of 12 inches and above) are extremely thin (such as 100 - 775 μm). During the picking and placing process, slight tilting contact or mechanical vibration during operation may cause the wafer to crack or have edge chipping. Therefore, the joint levelness of the handling manipulator is a key indicator to ensure the motion accuracy and stability of the robotic arm. The key lies in ensuring that the end effector is relatively horizontal during operations such as picking and placing products. Currently, most of the related wafer picking and placing manipulators in the industry ensure the overall levelness through high rigidity of the structure, precision machining and assembly, etc. This method increases the difficulty of overall design and manufacturing, and raises the development cost. At the same time, it has extremely high requirements for the levelness of each link of picking and placing materials, greatly increasing the design and assembly requirements of peripheral supporting equipment. Moreover, the existing wafer picking and placing manipulators cannot effectively absorb mechanical vibration during operation, transmitting the vibration to the end effector, generating a rigid impact on the wafer during handling, which is extremely likely to cause wafer resonance and lead to edge chipping and damage of the wafer, with poor operating stability and adjustment accuracy. In addition, the existing wafer picking and placing manipulators do not have an active angle adjustment function, so they are not suitable for wafer handling and picking between multiple wafer storage bins with inconsistent levels or distances, and have poor applicability. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to study a new type of pose adjustment mechanism, handling system and handling method for the end effector of wafer handling. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a pose adjustment mechanism, a handling system and a handling method for the end effector of wafer handling to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above technical problems is as follows: A pose adjustment mechanism for the end effector of wafer handling, comprising: An installation base assembly, including a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate and a mounting seat, wherein the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are arranged in parallel on the upper and lower sides of the mounting seat; The active adjustment component includes an adjustment plate for supporting the end effector. The adjustment plate is located between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, and one side of it is connected to an angular tilting device arranged in the mounting seat. It also includes several sets of telescopic adjustment devices mounted on the first mounting plate and several sets of elastic support devices mounted on the second mounting plate. The telescopic adjustment device has a telescopic rod that reciprocates up and down, and the end of the telescopic rod abuts against the lower surface of the adjustment plate. The elastic support device includes a guide post passing through the second mounting plate and a compression spring sleeved on the guide post. The adjustment plate and the end effector placed on the adjustment plate are clamped and fixed up and down by the telescopic adjustment device and the elastic support device to achieve the pitching and rolling actions of the adjustment plate and the end effector relative to the mounting base assembly.

[0005] Further, the angular tilting device includes a first connecting piece and a second connecting piece. The first connecting piece is a hollow annular structure, and first platforms are oppositely arranged on the upper and lower sides of its inner ring. The first platforms are provided with first limiting parts. The second connecting piece is a hollow annular structure, and second platforms are arranged on both the upper and lower sides of its outer ring. The second platforms are provided with second limiting parts adapted to the first limiting parts. The second connecting piece is nested in the inner ring of the first connecting piece, and the planes where their outer circumferences are located are perpendicular to each other. The outer ring of the first connecting piece is in interference fit with a rolling bearing for rolling arranged in the mounting seat. The inner ring of the second connecting piece is provided with a pitching bearing, and the adjustment plate is connected to the pitching bearing through a connecting part.

[0006] Further, the connecting part includes a reinforcing block connected to the adjustment plate. The reinforcing block is vertically arranged on one side of the adjustment plate and protrudes from the upper and lower surfaces of the adjustment plate. A support block fixedly connected to the lower surface of the adjustment plate is arranged on the reinforcing block protruding from the lower surface of the adjustment plate. When the end effector is installed, the end of the end effector abuts against the reinforcing block protruding from the upper surface of the adjustment plate. Two anti-torsion rib plates are symmetrically arranged on the side of the reinforcing block away from the adjustment plate. The two anti-torsion rib plates extend into the first connecting piece and are located on both sides of the second connecting piece. A connecting shaft in interference fit with the pitching bearing is connected between the two anti-torsion rib plates.

[0007] Further, when the adjustment plate is parallel to the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, the relationship among the distance K1 between the upper surface of the first mounting plate and the lower surface of the adjustment plate, the distance K2 between the lower surface of the second mounting plate and the upper surface of the adjustment plate, the height K3 of the reinforcing block, and the distance K4 between the first platforms oppositely arranged on the upper and lower sides of the first connecting piece satisfies K1:K2:K3:K4 = (0.52 - 0.57):(0.6 - 0.7):(0.72 - 0.8):1.

[0008] Further, three sets of telescopic adjustment devices are provided on the first mounting plate, and the three sets of telescopic adjustment devices are arranged in an isosceles triangle. One set of telescopic adjustment devices is located near the mounting seat, and the remaining two sets of telescopic adjustment devices are horizontally arranged and located away from the mounting seat. Six sets of elastic support devices are provided on the second mounting plate. Three sets of elastic support devices are horizontally arranged and located above one set of telescopic adjustment devices near the mounting seat, and the remaining three sets of elastic support devices are horizontally arranged and located above two sets of telescopic adjustment devices away from the mounting seat.

[0009] Further, the relationship among the triangular area S1 enclosed by connecting the axes of the telescopic rods of the three sets of telescopic adjustment devices, the rectangular area S2 enclosed by connecting the axes of the guide columns of the six sets of elastic support devices, and the area S3 of the adjustment plate satisfies S1:S2:S3 = (0.2 - 0.25):(0.3 - 0.35):1.

[0010] Further, the distance between the axis of the telescopic rod of the telescopic adjustment device near the mounting seat and the mounting seat is less than the distance between the axis of the guide column of the elastic support device above it and the mounting seat, and the distance between the two axes is L1; The distance between the axis of the telescopic rod of the telescopic adjustment device away from the mounting seat and the mounting seat is greater than the distance between the axis of the guide column of the elastic support device above it and the mounting seat, and the distance between the two axes is L2; L2 = (0.4 - 0.5)L1.

[0011] Further, the end of the telescopic rod of the telescopic adjustment device is provided with a hemispherical structure.

[0012] The present invention also provides a handling system, including a main lifting shaft and a plurality of robotic arms movably connected end to end. The end of the robotic arm is provided with the above-mentioned pose adjustment mechanism, and the pose adjustment mechanism clamps and fixes an end effector for handling wafers; A wafer storage bin, at least one wafer storage bin is provided, and a plurality of upper and lower arrayed card holders are oppositely arranged on the inner walls on both sides thereof. The space between adjacent card holders is a single wafer storage space, and the distance between adjacent card holders is 2 - 2.5 times the thickness of the wafer. Three sets of position sensors arranged in a triangle are provided at the bottom of the wafer storage bin, and a reference plate for measuring the reference angle is stored in the wafer storage bin.

[0013] The present invention also provides a handling method, using the above-mentioned handling system, including the following steps: S100: Obtain three spatial points of the reference plate in the wafer storage bin to be stored through the position sensor, take this as the reference plane, and calculate the angle of the reference plane; S200: The end effector sucks the wafer to be transported from the picking station. The robotic arm extends to transport the end effector to the entrance position of the wafer storage bin where the wafer is to be stored. According to the obtained reference plane angle, the pose adjustment mechanism is controlled to make a primary adjustment to the tilting angle of the end effector, and by controlling the positioning height of the main lifting shaft, the wafer can enter the storage space between adjacent carriers in the wafer storage bin without contacting the carriers. S300: Three spatial point coordinates of the wafer entering the wafer storage space are obtained through a position sensor, which are used as the real-time plane, and the real-time plane angle is calculated. According to the difference between the real-time plane angle and the reference plane angle, the pose adjustment mechanism is controlled to act to complete the angle fine-tuning, so that when the end effector places the wafer on the carrier, the wafer edge can contact the carrier simultaneously. S400: The end effector places the wafer on the carrier, then exits the wafer storage bin and moves to the picking station.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: (1) The present invention realizes the active adjustment function of the pitch and roll angles of the end effector without manual intervention. It not only solves the problem that the current wafer handling robot depends on a high-rigidity structure, precise design and precise assembly of peripheral supporting equipment to ensure safe handling and accurate picking and placing, effectively reducing the design complexity and manufacturing cost, but also enables the present invention to be applicable to the wafer handling between multiple wafer storage bins with inconsistent parallelism. It solves the problem that due to the inconsistent parallelism and distance between wafer storage bins, the extension or retraction lengths of the handling robotic arms are inconsistent, resulting in inconsistent end drooping amounts and positioning failures, effectively avoiding the risk of the wafer being damaged during the process of entering and exiting the wafer storage bin, and improving the applicability. (2) The present invention can effectively absorb the mechanical vibration during the operation of the equipment, effectively solving the problems that the mechanical vibration during the operation of the equipment is transmitted to the end effector, resulting in poor operation stability and low adjustment accuracy, and the problem that the wafer resonance is caused, resulting in the edge of the wafer being chipped and damaged. While avoiding the rigid impact on the wafer during the operation of the traditional structure, it ensures the operation stability and adjustment accuracy. (3) The structure of the present invention is highly integrated to improve the structural compactness, effectively reducing the space occupied by the equipment and achieving high-precision adjustment in a compact space. Through the above settings, the present invention is particularly suitable for the handling and picking and placing of wafers with a diameter of more than 12 inches. While the wafer handling and picking and placing efficiency is increased by 50%, the wafer damage rate during the handling and picking and placing process is reduced to 0.1%. Description of the Drawings

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the pose adjustment mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 Isometric three-dimensional structure diagram of the pose adjustment mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the connection structure between the angle tilting device and the adjusting plate provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 4 Is Figure 3 Cross-sectional view; Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the first connecting member provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the second connecting member provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 7 Side view of the pose adjustment mechanism provided in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 8 Is Figure 7 Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 9 Is Figure 7 Cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the handling system provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention; Figure 11 Schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wafer storage bin provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

[0017] Reference numerals: 100, pose adjustment mechanism; 200, handling robot body; 300, wafer storage bin; 1, first mounting plate; 2, second mounting plate; 3, mounting seat; 4, adjusting plate; 5, end effector; 6, angle tilting device; 61, first connecting member; 611, first platform; 6111, first limiting portion; 62, second connecting member; 621, second platform; 6211, second limiting portion; 63, transverse tilt bearing; 64, pitching bearing; 7, telescopic adjustment device; 71, telescopic rod; 8, elastic support device; 81, guiding column; 82, compression spring; 9, strengthening block; 10, torsion-resistant rib plate; 11, main lifting shaft; 12, robotic arm; 13, cato; 14, position sensor; 15, reference plate; 16, wafer. Detailed embodiments

[0018] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0019] To make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0020] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed", etc. shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; 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 or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used for distinguishing descriptions and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0021] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being above or below the second feature may include the direct contact of the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features between them. Moreover, the first feature being above, over and on the second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being below, under and beneath the second feature includes the first feature being directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or merely indicating that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0022] Embodiment 1: Such as Figure 1 、 2, as shown in FIGS. 7, the present invention provides a pose adjustment mechanism for a wafer handling end effector, including: a mounting base assembly, including a first mounting plate 1, a second mounting plate 2 and a mounting seat 3, the first mounting plate 1 and the second mounting plate 2 are arranged in parallel on the upper and lower sides of the mounting seat 3, and all three are provided with mounting positions; An active adjustment assembly, including an adjustment plate 4 for supporting the end effector 5, the adjustment plate 4 is located between the first mounting plate 1 and the second mounting plate 2 and one side thereof is connected to an angle tilting device 6 arranged in the mounting seat 3, and further includes a plurality of sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 mounted on the first mounting plate 1 and a plurality of sets of elastic support devices 8 mounted on the second mounting plate 2. The telescopic adjustment device 7 has a telescopic rod 71 that reciprocates up and down and the end abuts against the lower surface of the adjustment plate 4. The elastic support device 8 includes a guide post 81 passing through the second mounting plate 2 and a compression spring 82 sleeved on the guide post 81. The adjustment plate 4 and the end effector 5 placed on the adjustment plate 4 are clamped up and down by the telescopic adjustment device 7 and the elastic support device 8 to realize the pitching and rolling actions of the adjustment plate 4 and the end effector 5 relative to the mounting base assembly. By controlling the extension amount of the telescopic rods of different telescopic adjustment devices, the active angle adjustment function of the end effector 5 is realized. It should be noted that the telescopic adjustment device 7 is a pneumatic telescopic cylinder or an electric telescopic cylinder. In this application, an electric telescopic cylinder is preferably used. The telescopic cylinder drives the telescopic rod 71 to reciprocate up and down relative to the first mounting plate 1. It also includes a program control device for sending action instructions to the telescopic adjustment device 7 to control the telescopic rod 71 to extend or retract a certain distance, thereby realizing the pose adjustment of the adjustment plate 4 and the end effector 5.

[0023] First, the present invention realizes the active adjustment function of the pitching and rolling angles of the end effector 5 without manual intervention. This not only solves the problem that the current wafer handling manipulator relies on a high-rigidity structure, precise design and precise assembly of peripheral equipment to ensure safe handling and accurate picking and placing, effectively reducing the design complexity and manufacturing cost, but also enables the present invention to be applicable to wafer handling between multiple wafer storage bins with inconsistent parallelism. It solves the problem that due to the inconsistent parallelism and distance between wafer storage bins, the extension or retraction length of the handling robotic arm is inconsistent, resulting in inconsistent end drooping amounts and positioning failures, effectively avoiding the risk of wafers being damaged during the process of entering and leaving the wafer storage bins, and improving the applicability. Secondly, the present invention can effectively absorb mechanical vibrations during the operation of the equipment, effectively solving the problems of poor operation stability and low adjustment accuracy caused by the transmission of mechanical vibrations during the operation of the equipment to the end effector 5, as well as the problem of wafer resonance causing chipping and damage to the wafer edges. While avoiding rigid impacts on the wafer during the operation of the traditional structure, it ensures operation stability and adjustment accuracy. Finally, the highly integrated structure of the present invention improves the structural compactness, effectively reducing the space occupied by the equipment and achieving high-precision adjustment in a compact space. Through the above settings, the present invention is particularly suitable for wafer handling and picking and placing with a diameter of more than 12 inches, increasing the wafer handling and picking and placing efficiency by 50% while reducing the wafer damage rate during the handling and picking and placing process to 0.1%.

[0024] Specifically, as Figures 3 - 6As shown, the angle tilting device 6 includes a first connecting member 61 and a second connecting member 62. The first connecting member 61 is a hollow annular structure. On the upper and lower sides of its inner ring, first platforms 611 are oppositely arranged. The first platforms 611 are provided with first limiting portions 6111. The second connecting member 62 is a hollow annular structure. On the upper and lower sides of its outer ring, second platforms 621 are both arranged. The second platforms 621 are provided with second limiting portions 6211 adapted to the first limiting portions 6111. The second connecting member 62 is nested in the inner ring of the first connecting member 61, and the planes where their outer circumferences are located are perpendicular to each other. The outer ring of the first connecting member 61 is in interference fit with a roll bearing 63 arranged in the mounting seat 3. The inner ring of the second connecting member 62 is provided with a pitch bearing 64. The pitch bearing 64 is in interference fit with the inner ring of the second connecting member 62. The adjusting plate 4 is connected to the pitch bearing 64 through a connecting portion. Through the above settings, the pitch bearing 64 and the roll bearing 63 form a spatial layout similar to a cross shaft, significantly reducing the structural size, especially suitable for compact use scenarios, enabling the angle tilting device 6 to simultaneously achieve pitch and roll movements on the premise of achieving compactness. And after the first connecting member 61 and the second connecting member 62 are installed, the first platforms 611 and the second platforms 621 are in contact. By providing the first platforms 611 and the second platforms 621, it is ensured that there is sufficient local structural strength at the connection position of the first connecting member 61 and the second connecting member 62. By increasing the contact area after installation, damage caused by stress concentration is avoided, and while achieving compactness, connection rigidity can also be ensured at the same time. The first limiting portions 6111 and the second limiting portions 6211 cooperate to achieve axial and radial limits between the first connecting member 61 and the second connecting member 62 to ensure the running stability of the angle tilting device 6. Specifically, the first limiting portion 6111 is a limiting hole opened in the first platform 611, and the second limiting portion 6211 is a limiting post integrally formed and connected to the second platform 621.

[0025] Specifically, the connecting portion includes a reinforcing block 9 connected to the adjusting plate 4. The reinforcing block 9 and the adjusting plate 4 are an integral structure formed by machining. The reinforcing block 9 is vertically provided on one side of the adjusting plate 4 and protrudes from the upper and lower surfaces of the adjusting plate 4. A support block fixedly connected to the lower surface of the adjusting plate 4 is provided on the reinforcing block 9 protruding from the lower surface of the adjusting plate 4. After the end effector 5 is installed, the end of the end effector 5 abuts against the reinforcing block 9 protruding from the upper surface of the adjusting plate 4. Two anti-torsion rib plates 10 are symmetrically arranged on the side of the reinforcing block 9 away from the adjusting plate 4. The anti-torsion rib plates 10 and the reinforcing block 9 are an integral structure formed by machining. The two anti-torsion rib plates 10 extend into the first connecting member 61 and are located on both sides of the second connecting member 62. A connecting shaft that is in interference fit with the pitch bearing 64 is connected between the two anti-torsion rib plates 10. It should be noted that the connecting shaft is a well-known technology to those skilled in the art and is not shown in the drawings. Through the above settings, the end effector 5 can be effectively supported, the force transmission path is optimized, the anti-torsion strength of the connecting portion is improved, the service life is extended, and the operation vibration is effectively suppressed from being transmitted to the angle tilting device 6 in cooperation with the active adjustment assembly, achieving the balance between structural stiffness and adjustment accuracy.

[0026] Specifically, as Figure 4 、 5As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, when the adjusting plate 4 is parallel to the first mounting plate 1 and the second mounting plate 2, the relationship between the distance K1 between the upper surface of the first mounting plate 1 and the lower surface of the adjusting plate 4, the distance K2 between the lower surface of the second mounting plate 2 and the upper surface of the adjusting plate 4, the height K3 of the reinforcing block 9, and the distance K4 between the first platforms 611 oppositely arranged on the upper and lower sides of the first connecting member 61 satisfies K1:K2:K3:K4 = (0.52 - 0.57):(0.6 - 0.7):(0.72 - 0.8):1. The design of the above parameters is very crucial. First of all, on the premise of ensuring a large adjustment range of the device in this application, it optimizes the torque distribution, improves the bending strength of the adjusting plate 4, and solves the problem that the adjusting plate 4 is bent and deformed due to uneven torque distribution after being loaded, which in turn affects the adjustment accuracy. Secondly, by forming an asymmetric distribution of the upper and lower clamping forces and controlling the moment of inertia of the reinforcing block 9 on the premise of ensuring that the reinforcing block 9 has sufficient torsional strength, it not only effectively avoids the resonance risk caused by stiffness redundancy, but also solves the problem of angle adjustment response delay, ensures the operation stability and the wafer handling efficiency, and also realizes the balance between the upward force of the telescopic adjustment device 7 and the pre-tightening force of the elastic support device 8, and solves the problem that the gap between the adjusting plate 4 and the mounting base assembly fluctuates and shakes and tilts during the handling process due to unbalanced stress distribution, further ensuring the operation stability and the wafer handling efficiency. If the distance K1 between the upper surface of the first mounting plate 1 and the lower surface of the adjusting plate 4 and the distance K2 between the lower surface of the second mounting plate 2 and the upper surface of the adjusting plate 4 are too small (K1 < 0.52K4, K2 < 0.6K4), at this time, due to the limited stroke, the application cannot obtain a large pitch angle adjustment range. If K1 and K2 are too large, it is not only not conducive to the structural compactness, but also causes the adjusting plate 4 to shake and tilt due to the gap fluctuation, reducing the operation stability and adjustment accuracy. If the height K3 of the reinforcing block 9 is too small (K3 < 0.72K4), at this time, the stiffness of the reinforcing block 9 is insufficient, increasing the probability of unstable operation. If K3 is too large, it will increase the moment of inertia of the reinforcing block 9, resulting in angle adjustment response delay. Through the limitation of the above parameters, on the premise of ensuring a large adjustment range, the cooperation of each component can not only achieve a pre-tightening force deviation ≤ 3%, a repeat positioning accuracy of angle adjustment ≤ ±0.05°, ensure that the deflection angle error of the end effector 5 during the wafer handling process ≤ ±0.03°, but also control the radial runout of the pitch bearing 64 and the roll bearing 63 during the wafer handling process to be reduced to ±3μm, ensuring the operation stability and the angle adjustment accuracy, and thus ensuring the handling efficiency.

[0027] Specifically, as Figure 1 、 2, as shown in FIGS. 7, three sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 are provided on the first mounting plate 1. The three sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 are arranged in an isosceles triangle. One set of telescopic adjustment devices 7 is located near the mounting seat 3, and the remaining two sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 are horizontally arranged and located away from the mounting seat 3. Six sets of elastic support devices 8 are provided on the second mounting plate 2. Among them, three sets of elastic support devices 8 are horizontally arranged and located above one set of telescopic adjustment devices 7 near the mounting seat 3, and the remaining three sets of elastic support devices 8 are horizontally arranged and located above the two sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 away from the mounting seat 3. By providing three sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 and defining the geometric position arrangement, the load can be evenly distributed, avoiding local stress concentration. The two sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7 horizontally arranged at the far end compensate for the moment difference of the short lever arm of the one set of telescopic adjustment devices 7 at the proximal end through the long lever arm, realizing the balance of pitch and roll moments, and providing good support for the end of the adjusting plate 4 after loading, avoiding the problem that the adjusting plate 4 is bent and deformed, which in turn affects the adjustment accuracy. By providing six sets of elastic support devices 8 and coordinating their distribution positions with the telescopic adjustment devices 7, it is ensured that the end effector 5 and the adjusting plate 4 are evenly stressed in all directions during pitch and roll, with sufficient anti-torsion moment and clearance dynamic compensation capabilities. It can not only effectively absorb mechanical vibrations during operation, avoid the influence of mechanical shocks on the radial runout and angle adjustment accuracy of the pitch bearing 64 and roll bearing 63 during operation, but also effectively avoid the clearance fluctuation caused by insufficient local pre-tightening force, maintaining stability during operation. Through this setting in the present application, the relationship among geometric constraints, mechanical balance, and handling efficiency is balanced, further ensuring operation stability and angle adjustment accuracy.

[0028] Specifically, as Figures 8 - 9 shown, the relationship between the triangular area S1 enclosed by connecting the axes of the telescopic rods 71 of the three sets of telescopic adjustment devices 7, the rectangular area S2 enclosed by connecting the axes of the guide posts 81 of the six sets of elastic support devices 8, and the area S3 of the adjusting plate 4 satisfies S1:S2:S3=(0.2 - 0.25):(0.3 - 0.35):1. By defining the above relationship, the lever arm distribution of the telescopic adjustment devices 7 and the elastic support devices 8 satisfies moment balance, and can provide good support for the adjusting plate 4. It can not only avoid the problems of redundant lever arm action, unbalanced moment distribution, and excessive pre-tightening force gap caused by too large an area, resulting in a decrease in anti-torsion strength and an increase in the deflection trend of the adjusting plate 4 during operation, but also avoid the problems of redundant local clamping force, increased resistance during adjustment of the adjusting plate 4, and delayed adjustment response time caused by too small an area, as well as avoid the problem of abnormal clearance fluctuation of the adjusting plate 4 caused by insufficient local support.

[0029] Specifically, as Figure 7As shown in the figure, the distance between the axis X1 of the telescopic rod 71 of the telescopic adjustment device 7 near the mounting seat 3 and the mounting seat 3 is less than the distance between the axis X2 of the guide post of the elastic support device 8 above it and the mounting seat 3, and the distance between the two axes is L1; The distance between the axis X3 of the telescopic rod 71 of the telescopic adjustment device 7 far from the mounting seat 3 and the mounting seat 3 is greater than the distance between the axis X4 of the guide post of the elastic support device 8 above it and the mounting seat 3, and the distance between the two axes is L2; L2 = (0.4 - 0.5)L1.

[0030] Through this setting, the upward force of the telescopic adjustment device 7 and the pre-tightening force of the elastic support device 8 can be further balanced, achieving a balance between good support and adjustment accuracy to ensure operation stability and adjustment precision. If L2 < 0.4L1, the adjustment torque of the telescopic adjustment device 7 far from the mounting seat 3 will be insufficient at this time, resulting in deteriorated adjustment accuracy and delayed adjustment response time. If L2 > 0.5L1, the probability of pre-tightening force skew of the elastic support device 8 will increase at this time, leading to instability during operation and the inability to effectively absorb operation vibration, thereby resulting in a decrease in adjustment precision and operation stability.

[0031] Specifically, the end of the telescopic rod 71 of the telescopic adjustment device 7 is set to a hemispherical structure. Through this setting, a point contact is formed at the end of the telescopic rod 71, further promoting uniform stress distribution to ensure adjustment precision.

[0032] Embodiment 2: As Figure 10 、 11 shown in the figure, the present invention also provides a handling system, including: a horizontal multi-joint handling robot body 200, including a main lifting shaft 11 and a plurality of robot arms 12 that are movably connected end to end. The end of the robot arm 12 is provided with the pose adjustment mechanism 100 described in Embodiment 1, and the pose adjustment mechanism 100 clamps and fixes the end effector 5 for handling the wafer 16; The wafer storage bin 300, at least one wafer storage bin 300 is provided, and a number of upper and lower arrayed caddies 13 are oppositely arranged on the inner walls on both sides thereof. The storage space for a single wafer 16 is between adjacent caddies 13, and the distance between adjacent caddies 13 is 2 - 2.5 times the thickness of the wafer 16. Three position sensors 14 arranged in a triangular pattern are provided at the bottom of the wafer storage bin 300, and a reference plate 15 for measuring the reference angle is placed in the wafer storage bin 300. Because of the pose adjustment mechanism 100, the pitching and rolling angles of the end effector 5 can be actively adjusted without manual intervention. Therefore, it is applicable to carry wafers between multiple wafer storage bins 300 with inconsistent parallelism. The three spatial point coordinates of the reference plate 15 are obtained through the displacement sensor, and the reference plane angle is calculated. Based on this angle, the pose adjustment mechanism 100 adjusts the angle of the wafer entering the wafer storage bin 300 to ensure that when the wafer is placed, its edge can simultaneously contact the caddy 13, avoiding damage to the wafer edge and realizing efficient and safe handling and picking of wafers in a compact space.

[0033] Embodiment 3: The present invention also provides a handling method, using the handling system described in Embodiment 2, including the following steps: S100: Obtain three spatial points of the reference plate 15 in the wafer storage bin 300 to be stored through the position sensor 14, take this as the reference plane, and calculate the reference plane angle; S200: The end effector 5 sucks the wafer 16 to be carried from the loading station, the robotic arm 12 extends to transport the end effector 5 to the entrance position of the wafer storage bin 300 to be stored. According to the obtained reference plane angle, control the pose adjustment mechanism to initially adjust the tilting angle of the end effector 5, and position the height by controlling the main lifting shaft 11 so that the wafer 16 can enter the storage space between adjacent caddies 13 in the wafer storage bin 300 without contacting the caddy 13; S300: Obtain the three spatial point coordinates of the wafer 16 entering the wafer storage space through the position sensor 14, take this as the real-time plane, and calculate the real-time plane angle. According to the difference between the real-time plane angle and the reference plane angle, control the pose adjustment mechanism 100 to act to complete the angle fine-tuning so that when the end effector 5 places the wafer 16 on the caddy 13, the edge of the wafer 16 can simultaneously contact the caddy 13; S400: The end effector 5 places the wafer 16 on the caddy 13, then exits the wafer storage bin 300 and moves to the loading station.

[0034] Preferably, after calculating the reference plane angle, it is automatically saved. When performing loading and unloading operations on the wafer storage bin 300 subsequently, the reference plane angle is automatically retrieved, and then the tilting angle of the end effector 5 is initially adjusted. Through this setting, the handling process is effectively simplified and the handling efficiency is improved.

[0035] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. Wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism, characterized in that, Comprising: An installation base assembly, including a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate and a mounting seat, the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate are arranged in parallel on the upper and lower sides of the mounting seat; An active adjustment assembly, including an adjustment plate for supporting an end effector, the adjustment plate is located between the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate and one side thereof is connected to an angle tilting device arranged in the mounting seat, and further includes a plurality of sets of telescopic adjustment devices mounted on the first mounting plate and a plurality of sets of elastic support devices mounted on the second mounting plate, the telescopic adjustment device has a telescopic rod that reciprocates up and down and the end abuts against the lower surface of the adjustment plate, the elastic support device includes a guide post passing through the second mounting plate and a compression spring sleeved on the guide post, and the adjustment plate and the end effector placed on the adjustment plate are clamped and fixed up and down by the telescopic adjustment device and the elastic support device to realize the pitching and rolling actions of the adjustment plate and the end effector relative to the installation base assembly.

2. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, wherein The angle tilting device includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member, the first connecting member is a hollow annular structure, and first platforms are oppositely arranged on the upper and lower sides of its inner ring, the first platform is provided with a first limiting portion, the second connecting member is a hollow annular structure, and second platforms are arranged on the upper and lower sides of its outer ring, the second platform is provided with a second limiting portion adapted to the first limiting portion, the second connecting member is nested in the inner ring of the first connecting member and the planes where their outer circumferences are located are perpendicular to each other, the outer ring of the first connecting member is in interference fit with a rolling bearing for rolling arranged in the mounting seat, a pitching bearing is arranged in the inner ring of the second connecting member, and the adjustment plate is connected to the pitching bearing through a connecting portion.

3. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to claim 2, wherein The connecting portion includes a reinforcing block connected to the adjustment plate, the reinforcing block is vertically arranged on one side of the adjustment plate and protrudes from the upper surface and the lower surface of the adjustment plate, a support block fixedly connected to the lower surface of the adjustment plate is arranged on the reinforcing block protruding from the lower surface of the adjustment plate, when the end effector is installed, the end of the end effector abuts against the reinforcing block protruding from the upper surface of the adjustment plate, two anti-torsion rib plates are symmetrically arranged on the side of the reinforcing block away from the adjustment plate, the two anti-torsion rib plates extend into the first connecting member and are located on both sides of the second connecting member, and a connecting shaft in interference fit with the pitching bearing is connected between the two anti-torsion rib plates.

4. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, When the adjustment plate is parallel to the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, the relationship between the distance K1 between the upper surface of the first mounting plate and the lower surface of the adjustment plate, the distance K2 between the lower surface of the second mounting plate and the upper surface of the adjustment plate, the height K3 of the reinforcing block, and the distance K4 between the first platforms oppositely arranged on the upper and lower sides of the first connecting member satisfies K1:K2:K3:K4 = (0.52 - 0.57):(0.6 - 0.7):(0.72 - 0.8):

1.

5. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that Three telescopic adjustment devices are arranged on the first mounting plate, and the three telescopic adjustment devices are arranged in an isosceles triangle. One of the telescopic adjustment devices is located near the mounting seat, and the remaining two telescopic adjustment devices are horizontally arranged and located away from the mounting seat. Six elastic support devices are arranged on the second mounting plate. Three of the elastic support devices are horizontally arranged and located above one of the telescopic adjustment devices near the mounting seat, and the remaining three elastic support devices are horizontally arranged and located above the two telescopic adjustment devices away from the mounting seat.

6. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to claim 5, wherein, The relationship among the triangular area S1 enclosed by connecting the axes of the telescopic rods of the three telescopic adjustment devices, the rectangular area S2 enclosed by connecting the axes of the guide columns of the six elastic support devices, and the area S3 of the adjustment plate satisfies S1:S2:S3=(0.2 - 0.25):(0.3 - 0.35):

1.

7. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that The distance between the axis of the telescopic rod of the telescopic adjustment device near the mounting seat and the mounting seat is less than the distance between the axis of the guide column of the elastic support device above it and the mounting seat, and the distance between the two axes is L1; The distance between the axis of the telescopic rod of the telescopic adjustment device away from the mounting seat and the mounting seat is greater than the distance between the axis of the guide column of the elastic support device above it and the mounting seat, and the distance between the two axes is L2; L2=(0.4 - 0.5)L1.

8. The wafer handling end effector pose adjustment mechanism according to any one of claims 5-7, characterized in that, The end of the telescopic rod of the telescopic adjustment device is set to a hemispherical structure.

9. A handling system, characterized in that, Including: A horizontal multi-joint handling robot body, including a main lifting shaft and a number of robot arms that are movably connected end to end. The end of the robot arm is provided with a pose adjustment mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 - 7, and the pose adjustment mechanism clamps and fixes an end effector for handling wafers. A wafer storage bin, at least one wafer storage bin is provided. A number of upper and lower arrayed card holders are oppositely arranged on the inner walls on both sides thereof. The single-wafer storage space is between adjacent card holders, and the distance between adjacent card holders is 2 - 2.5 times the thickness of the wafer. Three position sensors arranged in a triangle are provided at the bottom of the wafer storage bin, and a reference plate for measuring the reference angle is stored in the wafer storage bin.

10. A handling method, using the handling system according to claim 9, characterized in that, Including the following steps: S100: Obtain three spatial points of the reference plate in the wafer storage bin to be stored through the position sensor, take this as the reference plane, and calculate the angle of the reference plane; S200: The end effector sucks the wafer to be transported from the picking station, the robot arm extends to transport the end effector to the entrance position of the wafer storage bin to be stored. According to the obtained reference plane angle, control the pose adjustment mechanism to make a primary adjustment to the tilting angle of the end effector, and control the positioning height of the main lifting shaft so that the wafer can enter the storage space between adjacent card holders in the wafer storage bin and does not contact the card holders; S300: Obtain the coordinates of three spatial points of the wafer entering the wafer storage space through the position sensor, use this as the real-time plane, calculate the real-time plane angle, and according to the difference between the real-time plane angle and the reference plane angle, control the pose adjustment mechanism to act to complete the angle fine-tuning, so that when the end effector places the wafer on the caddy, the wafer edge can contact the caddy simultaneously; S400: The end effector places the wafer on the caddy, then exits the wafer storage bin and moves to the picking station.

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