Lifting pin assembly

Abstract

The invention discloses a lifting pin assembly, which is applied to wafer transmission and positioning, and comprises a pin body, the lower end of the pin body is provided with a limiting section, and the limiting section comprises an upper limiting end and a lower limiting end; the upper heavy hammer is provided with a first through hole in a penetrating manner, the limiting section can penetrate through the first through hole, and a first limiting part matched with the upper limiting end for limiting is arranged in the first through hole; and the lower heavy hammer is arranged below the upper heavy hammer, a second through hole through which the limiting section can penetrate is formed in the lower heavy hammer in a penetrating manner, and a second limiting part matched with the lower limiting end for limiting is arranged in the second through hole. On one hand, the pin body can be prevented from continuously moving downwards through limiting cooperation of the upper limiting end and the first limiting part on the pin body, and on the other hand, the lower heavy hammer can be prevented from continuously moving downwards through limiting cooperation of the lower limiting end and the second limiting part on the pin body. Therefore, the effect of improving the use stability and convenience of the lifting pin in the wafer transmission and positioning process can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular to a lift pin assembly. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor process, wafers are transferred and positioned by a lift pin structure. Among the commonly used lift pin structures, one is that the weight 02 rotates 90 degrees and automatically snaps onto the protrusion at the lower end of the lift pin 01, such as Figure 1 As shown, the weight 02 can be hung on the lifting pin 01 without falling off. This installation method is simple, but the weight 02 has a limit downward, but no limit upward. In this way, when the heating plate is at the lowest position, it can only rely on the lifting pin 01 to contact the bottom plate. However, due to the small contact area between the lifting pin 01 and the bottom plate, the pin will be unstable and easily tilted and contact the heating plate, which will cause friction or pin breakage. Another structure is that the weight 02 and the lifting pin 01 are positioned by the block 03, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, weight 02 is fixed in the Z direction. When the heating plate is at its lowest position, the bottom surface of weight 02 contacts the base plate. The large contact area prevents lift pin 01 from tilting. However, this structure has a small size and is prone to falling off during assembly and disassembly, making it difficult to install.

[0003] In general, the existing solution for wafer transfer and positioning using a lift pin structure has the following problems:

[0004] (1) Mechanical stress caused by film growth: During the process, the film is deposited on the surface of the lift pin structure, which will form uneven stress, causing the lift pin structure to bend or break;

[0005] (2) Impact damage: The impact force generated when the lift pin structure contacts the wafer can cause the lift pin structure to tilt and break.

[0006] (3) Friction causes surface roughness to deteriorate: During the lifting process of the heating plate, the lifting pin structure is not vertical, which causes the pin to contact the wall of the heating plate hole. Friction causes the surface roughness of the pin to deteriorate, thereby increasing the adhesion of the film. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention provides a lift pin assembly, aiming to improve the stability and convenience of use of the lift pin assembly during wafer transfer and positioning.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides a lift pin assembly for wafer transfer positioning, the lift pin assembly comprising:

[0009] A pin body, wherein a limit section is provided at the lower end of the pin body, and the limit section includes an upper limit end and a lower limit end;

[0010] The upper weight hammer is penetrated by a first through hole through which the limiting section can pass, and the first limiting portion cooperating with the upper limiting end to limit the position is provided in the first through hole;

[0011] The lower weight is arranged below the upper weight and is penetrated by a second through hole through which the limiting section can pass. A second limiting portion is provided in the second through hole for limiting the position with the lower limiting end.

[0012] Furthermore, the limiting section is an elliptical cylindrical structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the first through hole includes a first upper square segment, a second upper elliptical segment and a third upper circular segment from top to bottom, wherein the first upper square segment and the second upper elliptical segment form a first step portion, and the limiting segment can pass through the second upper elliptical segment.

[0014] Furthermore, the second through hole includes a first lower circular segment, a second lower elliptical segment and a third lower square segment from top to bottom, wherein the second lower elliptical segment and the third lower square segment form a second step portion, and the limiting segment can pass through the second lower elliptical segment.

[0015] Furthermore, after the limiting segment passes through the second upper elliptical segment, the upper weight rotates with the pin as the axis, so that the first step portion is formed into the first limiting portion, and the first limiting portion contacts the upper limit end for limiting.

[0016] Furthermore, after the limiting section passes through the second lower elliptical section, the lower weight rotates with the pin as the axis, so that the second step portion is formed into the second limiting portion, and the second limiting portion contacts the lower limiting end for limiting.

[0017] Furthermore, a first positioning portion is provided at the bottom of the upper weight, and a second positioning portion adapted to the first positioning portion is provided at the top of the second lower weight.

[0018] Furthermore, the first positioning portion is a positioning boss, and the second positioning portion is a positioning groove adapted to the positioning boss.

[0019] Furthermore, the positioning boss is arranged on the side of the third upper circular segment, and the positioning groove is correspondingly arranged on the side of the first lower circular segment.

[0020] Furthermore, the outer side of the positioning boss is tilted, the inner side of the positioning groove is tilted, and the tilt degrees of the positioning boss and the positioning groove are adapted.

[0021] An embodiment of the present invention provides a lifting pin assembly, which is used for wafer transmission and positioning. The lifting pin assembly includes: a pin body, a limiting section is provided at the lower end of the pin body, and the limiting section includes an upper limit end and a lower limit end; an upper weight hammer, which passes through a first through hole through which the limiting section can pass, and a first limiting portion that cooperates with the upper limit end to limit is provided in the first through hole; a lower weight hammer is provided below the upper weight hammer and passes through a second through hole through which the limiting section can pass, and a second limiting portion that cooperates with the lower limit end to limit is provided in the second through hole. On the one hand, the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the pin body from continuing to move downward through the cooperation between the upper limit end and the first limit part on the pin body. On the other hand, the lower limit end and the second limit part on the pin body can prevent the lower hammer from continuing to move downward. In this way, when the wafer is transferred and positioned by the lifting pin assembly, the contact between the pin body and the base plate can be avoided, thereby improving the stability of the lifting pin assembly during the wafer transfer and positioning process, and avoiding the installation of the block structure, thereby improving the convenience of disassembly and assembly, thereby ultimately achieving the effect of improving the stability and convenience of the lifting pin during the wafer transfer and positioning process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a structural diagram of the prior art;

[0024] Figure 2 It is another structural schematic diagram of the prior art;

[0025] Figure 3 A schematic cross-sectional view of a lift pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the pin body structure in a lifting pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of an upper weight in a lifting pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 A schematic cross-sectional view of an upper weight in a lifting pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a lower weight in a lifting pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 8 A schematic cross-sectional view of a lower weight in a lifting pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a position limiting mechanism of a lifting pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a first state of a lift pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of a second state of a lift pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of a third state of a lift pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a fourth state of a lift pin assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Markings in the figure:

[0037] 01. Lifting pin; 02. Heavy hammer; 03. Clamping block;

[0038] 10, pin body; 101, limit section; 1011, upper limit end; 1012, lower limit end;

[0039] 20, upper weight; 201, first through hole; 2011, first upper square segment; 2012, second upper elliptical segment; 2013, third upper circular segment; 202, first positioning portion;

[0040] 30. Lower weight; 301. Second through hole; 3011. First lower circular segment; 3012. Second lower elliptical segment; 3013. Third lower square segment; 302. Second positioning portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] It will be understood that when used in this specification and the appended claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” indicate the presence of described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof.

[0043] It should also be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention. As used in the specification and appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0044] It should be further understood that the term "and / or" used in the present description and the appended claims refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0045] See below Figure 3 The embodiment of the present invention provides a lifting pin assembly for wafer transfer positioning, combined with Figure 4-Figure 8 , the lifting pin assembly includes:

[0046] The pin body 10 has a limit section 101 at the lower end thereof. The limit section 101 includes an upper limit end 1011 and a lower limit end 1012. Figure 4 As shown;

[0047] The upper weight 20 is provided with a first through hole 201 through which the limiting section 101 can pass. The first through hole 201 is provided with a first limiting portion that cooperates with the upper limit end 1011 to limit the position. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown;

[0048] The lower weight 30 is arranged below the upper weight 20 and is provided with a second through hole 301 through which the limiting section 101 can pass. The second through hole 301 is provided with a second limiting portion that cooperates with the lower limiting end 1012 to limit the position. Figure 7 and Figure 8 shown.

[0049] In this embodiment, the lift pin assembly is used for wafer transfer positioning and comprises a pin body 10, an upper weight 20, and a lower weight 30. The lower end of the pin body 10 is provided with a limit section 101, which includes an upper limit end 1011 and a lower limit end 1012. The upper weight 20 has a first through-hole 201, which contains a first limit portion that mates with the upper limit end 1011. The lower weight 30, located below the upper weight 20, has a second through-hole 301, which contains a second limit portion that mates with the lower limit end 1012.

[0050] On the one hand, this embodiment can prevent the pin body 10 from continuing to move downward by the cooperation between the upper limit end 1011 on the pin body 10 and the first limit part. On the other hand, the lower limit end 1012 on the pin body 10 and the second limit part can prevent the lower hammer 30 from continuing to move downward. In this way, when the wafer is transferred and positioned by the lifting pin assembly, the pin body 10 can be prevented from contacting the base plate, thereby improving the stability of the lifting pin assembly during the wafer transfer and positioning process, and avoiding the installation of the block structure, thereby improving the convenience of disassembly and assembly, thereby ultimately achieving the effect of improving the stability and convenience of the lifting pin during the wafer transfer and positioning process.

[0051] In the actual wafer transfer positioning scenario, combined with Figure 9 When the lower surface of the lifting pin assembly leaves the base plate, the lower limit end 1012 of the pin body 10 contacts the second limit portion of the lower weight 30, preventing the weight from falling off. When the lower surface of the lifting pin assembly contacts the base plate, the upper limit end 1011 of the pin body 10 contacts the second limit portion of the upper weight 20, preventing the pin body 10 from moving further downward. Figure 9 In the figure, h1 represents the height of the pin body 10 above the surface of the heating plate, which is a fixed value; h2 represents the height of the upper limit end 1011 from the upper weight 20 when the lower limit end 1012 contacts the second limit portion of the lower weight 30; h3 represents the height of the lower limit end 1012 from the bottom plate when the lower limit end 1012 contacts the second limit portion of the lower weight 30; h4 represents the length of the pin body 10; h5 represents the height of the pin body 10 above the bottom plate, which is also a fixed value, and h5 = h3 + h4 - h2. In addition, h3 > h2 ensures that after the pin body 10 is lowered to the h2 height limit, the bottom of the pin body 10 does not expose the bottom of the lower weight 30, that is, the pin body 10 does not contact the bottom plate, thereby avoiding problems such as friction and pin breakage.

[0052] In one embodiment, the limiting section 101 is an elliptical cylindrical structure. Figure 4 The pin body 10 described in this embodiment is a cylindrical structure, and the lower portion of the cylindrical structure is configured as a limiting section 101 having an elliptical cylindrical structure. Here, the bottom of the pin body 10 is the lower limiting end 1012, which serves as one end point of the limiting section 101, while the other end point of the limiting section 101 is configured as the upper limiting end 1011, thereby constraining the pin body 10 from moving up and down by the upper limiting end 1011 and the lower limiting end 1012. In actual application, the limiting section 101 accounts for approximately 1 / 3 of the overall length of the pin body 10. In addition, the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30 are also cylindrical structures. Accordingly, the first through hole 201 and the second through hole 301 are respectively opened at the center of the cylindrical structure.

[0053] In one embodiment, the first through hole 201 includes a first upper square segment 2011, a second upper elliptical segment 2012 and a third upper circular segment 2013 from top to bottom, wherein the first upper square segment 2011 and the second upper elliptical segment 2012 form a first step portion, and the limiting segment 101 can pass through the second upper elliptical segment 2012.

[0054] Specifically, after the limiting section 101 passes through the second upper elliptical section 2012 , the upper weight 20 rotates around the pin, so that the first step portion is formed into the first limiting portion, and the first limiting portion contacts the upper limiting end 1011 for limiting.

[0055] In this embodiment, the first through hole 201 of the upper weight 20 is divided into three sections from top to bottom, the first section of the first through hole 201 is square, the second section is elliptical, and the third section is circular, wherein the first step portion is formed between the elliptical structure of the second section and the square structure of the first section, and the elliptical structure of the second section can ensure that the elliptical cylinder of the pin body 10 passes through. When the upper weight 20 rotates 90 degrees with the pin body 10 as the axis, the first step portion in the first through hole 201 contacts the elliptical structure on the upper part of the pin body 10 (i.e., the upper limit end 1011) to limit the downward movement of the pin body 10.

[0056] In another embodiment, the second through hole 301 includes a first lower circular segment 3011, a second lower elliptical segment 3012 and a third lower square segment 3013 from top to bottom, wherein the second lower elliptical segment 3012 and the third lower square segment 3013 form a second step portion, and the limiting segment 101 can pass through the second lower elliptical segment 3012.

[0057] Specifically, after the limiting section 101 passes through the second lower elliptical section 3012 , the lower weight 30 rotates around the pin, so that the second step portion is formed into the second limiting portion, and the second limiting portion contacts the lower limiting end 1012 for limiting.

[0058] In this embodiment, the second through hole 301 of the lower weight 30 is divided into three sections from top to bottom, the first section of the second through hole 301 is circular, the second section is elliptical, and the third section is square, wherein the second step portion is formed between the elliptical structure of the second section and the square structure of the third section, and the elliptical structure of the second section can ensure that the elliptical cylinder of the pin body 10 passes through. When the lower weight 30 rotates 90 degrees with the pin body 10 as the axis, the second step portion in the second through hole 301 contacts the elliptical structure at the lower part of the pin body 10 (i.e., the lower limit end 1012), thereby limiting the downward movement of the weight.

[0059] Combine Figures 10 to 13In actual application, when the lower weight 30 descends relative to the pin body 10, the lower weight 30 Figure 10 The position shown is rotated 90 degrees, and when the lower weight 30 descends to the fixed position, the upper weight 20 Figure 11 When disassembling, the upper weight 20 and the upper weight 20 are lowered relative to the pin body 10, and Figure 13 The positions shown can be rotated 90° together to solve the problem of difficult installation.

[0060] In one embodiment, a first positioning portion 202 is provided at the bottom of the upper weight 20 , and a second positioning portion 302 adapted to the first positioning portion 202 is provided at the top of the second lower weight 30 .

[0061] Specifically, the first positioning portion 202 is a positioning boss, and the second positioning portion 302 is a positioning groove adapted to the positioning boss.

[0062] In this embodiment, the positioning boss is provided at the bottom of the upper weight 20, and the positioning groove is provided at the top of the lower weight 30, so that the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30 can be positioned along the circumferential direction through the cooperation of the positioning boss and the positioning groove.

[0063] In actual applications, the setting of the positioning boss and the positioning groove can not only enhance the connection stability between the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30, but also avoid the relative rotation between the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30 due to factors such as vibration during the wafer transfer positioning process, thereby further improving the stability and convenience of the lifting pin assembly.

[0064] Furthermore, the positioning boss is arranged on the side of the third upper circular segment 2013, and the positioning groove is correspondingly arranged on the side of the first lower circular segment 3011. Such a design can ensure that the relative position between the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30 is stable in the up and down directions, avoiding shaking during the lifting process and affecting the accuracy of wafer transfer positioning.

[0065] In addition, the outer side of the positioning boss is tilted, and the inner side of the positioning groove is tilted, and the tilt degrees of the positioning boss and positioning groove are adapted. This ensures that the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30 will not interfere when combined, and can be easily disassembled, thereby further improving the ease of use of the lift pin assembly. In specific implementations, the tilted design of the positioning boss and positioning groove not only facilitates installation and disassembly, but also helps maintain a tight connection between the upper weight 20 and the lower weight 30 during wafer transfer and positioning. This design can effectively prevent relative movement caused by vibration or other external factors, thereby ensuring the stability and accuracy of the lift pin assembly.

[0066] To further optimize the performance of the lift pin assembly, the pin body 10, upper weight 20, and lower weight 30 in this embodiment are all made of high-strength, wear-resistant materials. This material selection not only improves the durability of the assembly but also reduces dimensional changes over time, thereby maintaining the assembly's precision and stability.

[0067] Furthermore, the components of the lift pin assembly can be designed to meet precise tolerances to ensure accurate relative positioning during assembly and operation. This design helps reduce performance degradation caused by assembly errors, thereby improving the overall performance of the lift pin assembly.

[0068] The various embodiments in the specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same and similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. For the system disclosed in the embodiment, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method part description. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, without departing from the principles of this application, several improvements and modifications can be made to this application, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this application.

[0069] It should also be noted that, in this specification, relational terms such as first and second, etc., are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the absence of further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus comprising the element.

Claims

1. A lifting pin assembly used for wafer transfer positioning, characterized in that: The lift pin assembly comprises: A pin body, wherein a limit section is provided at the lower end of the pin body, and the limit section includes an upper limit end and a lower limit end; The upper weight hammer is penetrated by a first through hole through which the limiting section can pass, and the first limiting portion cooperating with the upper limiting end to limit the position is provided in the first through hole; The lower weight is arranged below the upper weight and is penetrated by a second through hole through which the limiting section can pass. A second limiting portion is provided in the second through hole for limiting the position with the lower limiting end.

2. The lift pin assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The limiting section is an elliptical cylindrical structure.

3. The lift pin assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The first through hole includes a first upper square segment, a second upper elliptical segment and a third upper circular segment from top to bottom, wherein the first upper square segment and the second upper elliptical segment form a first step portion, and the limiting segment can pass through the second upper elliptical segment.

4. The lift pin assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The second through hole includes a first lower circular segment, a second lower elliptical segment and a third lower square segment from top to bottom, wherein the second lower elliptical segment and the third lower square segment form a second step portion, and the limiting segment can pass through the second lower elliptical segment.

5. The lift pin assembly according to claim 3, wherein: After the limiting section passes through the second upper elliptical section, the upper weight rotates around the pin, so that the first step portion is formed into the first limiting portion, and the first limiting portion contacts the upper limit end for limiting.

6. The lift pin assembly according to claim 4, wherein: After the limiting section passes through the second lower elliptical section, the lower weight rotates with the pin as the axis, so that the second step portion is formed into the second limiting portion, and the second limiting portion contacts the lower limiting end for limiting.

7. The lift pin assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The bottom of the upper weight is provided with a first positioning portion, and the top of the second lower weight is provided with a second positioning portion adapted to the first positioning portion.

8. The lift pin assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The first positioning portion is a positioning boss, and the second positioning portion is a positioning groove adapted to the positioning boss.

9. The lift pin assembly according to claim 7, wherein: The positioning boss is arranged on the side of the third upper circular segment, and the positioning groove is correspondingly arranged on the side of the first lower circular segment.

10. The lift pin assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The outer side of the positioning boss is tilted, the inner side of the positioning groove is tilted, and the tilt degrees of the positioning boss and the positioning groove are adapted.

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