Flexible hinge and semiconductor positioning equipment

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of semiconductor positioning, and particularly relates to a flexible hinge and a semiconductor positioning device.The flexible hinge comprises a hinge body, a first fixing part, a second fixing part and a connecting part, the connecting part is arranged between the second fixing part and the hinge body, the connecting part can deform in the third direction, and the first fixing part and the second fixing part are connected through the connecting part. Therefore, the assembly deviation of the fixed device and the movable device in the third direction is compensated. When the flexible hinge is installed, the first fixing part and the second fixing part are connected with the fixing device and the moving device correspondingly, under the action of pre-tightening force, the connecting part can automatically deform in the third direction so as to compensate the assembling deviation between the fixing device and the moving device, manual adjustment is not needed, and the assembling efficiency is improved. And local deformation caused by the pre-tightening force can be limited at the connecting part through the arrangement of the connecting part, and is prevented from being transmitted to the moving device, so that the assembly precision between the fixing device and the moving device is further ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor positioning technology, and in particular to a flexible hinge and a semiconductor positioning device. Background Art

[0002] A flexible hinge is a frictionless, lubrication-free mechanism that achieves movement through elastic deformation of the material. It is widely used in scenarios where high motion precision is required, such as positioning equipment for semiconductors such as wafers. For example, when adjusting the wafer position to measure thickness, stress and other measurement values at different points, the total movement stroke of the wafer is approximately ±2mm. The flexible hinge can achieve measurement of different points on the wafer through multiple deformations.

[0003] When installing a flexible hinge, one end of the flexible hinge is often connected to a fixed device such as a frame through screws, and the other end is connected to a movable device such as a motion platform. However, due to the pre-tightening force of the screws during the installation process, it is easy to cause deviations in the assembly accuracy between the frame and the motion platform in the height direction, thereby causing deviations in the position of the motion platform, and thus making it impossible to guarantee the positioning accuracy of the wafer.

[0004] Therefore, the above problems need to be solved urgently. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a flexible hinge and a semiconductor positioning device to compensate for the assembly deviation between a fixing device and a moving device, thereby ensuring the positioning accuracy of the semiconductor product.

[0006] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A flexible hinge comprises a hinge body, a first fixing portion, and a second fixing portion, wherein the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are respectively disposed at two ends of the hinge body along a first direction, and the first fixing portion is configured to be connected to an external fixing device, and the second fixing portion is configured to be connected to an external movable device, wherein the movable device is capable of relative movement in a second direction relative to the fixing device to cause the hinge body to deform in the second direction;

[0008] The flexible hinge further comprises:

[0009] a connecting portion disposed between the second fixing portion and the hinge body, and capable of elastically deforming along a third direction to compensate for an assembly deviation between the fixing device and the movable device in the third direction;

[0010] The first direction, the second direction and the third direction are arranged perpendicular to each other.

[0011] Preferably, the hinge body, the first fixing portion, the second fixing portion and the connecting portion are integrally formed.

[0012] Preferably, a decoupling groove with an opening is provided on both sides of the connection position between the second fixing portion and the hinge body along the third direction, and the length direction of any of the decoupling grooves is provided along the second direction and passes through the second fixing portion;

[0013] The region between the two decoupling grooves forms the connecting portion.

[0014] Preferably, the connecting portion is made of a plate-shaped elastic metal material.

[0015] Preferably, the hinge body comprises:

[0016] Two bases are connected to the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion respectively;

[0017] The deformable body is arranged in a deforming direction along the second direction, and two ends of the deformable body are respectively fixedly connected to the two bases.

[0018] Preferably, the deformable body is sheet-shaped, and the ratio of the height to the thickness of the deformable body is greater than or equal to 10:1.

[0019] Preferably, a plurality of the deformation bodies are arranged in parallel and at intervals along the second direction.

[0020] Preferably, the first fixing portion and / or the second fixing portion can extend along the first direction to the deformation region of the deformation body, and a gap is provided between the first fixing portion and / or the second fixing portion and the deformation body.

[0021] Preferably, the first fixing portion or the second fixing portion comprises a fixing block, a top of the fixing block is provided with a mounting groove, and a bottom of the mounting groove is provided with a mounting hole for passing a screw.

[0022] A semiconductor positioning device includes a fixing device, a moving device, a linear drive device and at least two flexible hinges as described above, wherein the moving device is used to carry semiconductor products, and the moving device is arranged on the fixing device through at least two flexible hinges, the driving end of the linear drive device is connected to the moving device, and the linear drive device is used to drive the moving device to move along the second direction.

[0023] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0024] The flexible hinge and semiconductor positioning device of the present invention, when installing the flexible hinge, connect the first fixed part and the second fixed part to the fixing device and the moving device respectively, and under the action of the preload force, the connecting part can automatically generate deformation along the third direction to automatically compensate for the assembly deviation between the fixing device and the moving device, and the setting of the connecting part can limit the local deformation caused by the preload force to the connecting part, avoiding transmission to the moving device, so as to further ensure the assembly accuracy between the fixing device and the moving device. In addition, the connecting part only generates elastic deformation in the third direction and will not generate elastic deformation in the second direction, thereby ensuring the stiffness of the connecting part in the second direction during the movement of the moving device, thereby ensuring the positioning accuracy of the semiconductor product during the movement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor positioning device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible hinge in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A top view of

[0028] Figure 4 2 is a schematic structural diagram of the hinge body, the connecting portion and the second fixing portion in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] In the picture:

[0030] 100, fixing device; 200, moving device; 300, linear drive device; 400, flexible hinge;

[0031] 1. Hinge body; 11. Base; 12. Deformer;

[0032] 2. a first fixing portion;

[0033] 3. Second fixing portion; 31. Fixing block; 32. Mounting slot; 33. Mounting hole;

[0034] 4. Connecting part; 5. Decoupling slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It will be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings only illustrate portions relevant to the present invention, not all structures.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connected," "connected," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in specific circumstances.

[0037] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0038] In the description of this embodiment, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used to refer to positions or locations based on those shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are intended solely to facilitate description and simplify operation, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used solely for descriptive purposes and have no special meaning.

[0039] See also Figure 1 In this embodiment, a semiconductor positioning device is proposed, which includes a fixing device 100, a moving device 200, a linear drive device 300 and at least two flexible hinges 400. The moving device 200 is used to carry semiconductor products, and the moving device 200 is arranged on the fixing device 100 through at least two flexible hinges 400. The driving end of the linear drive device 300 is connected to the moving device 200, and the linear drive device 300 is used to drive the moving device 200 to move along the second direction.

[0040] It can be understood that the fixing device 100 is a fixed rack or some other fixed structure, the moving device 200 is a moving platform or some other structure that needs to be moved for carrying and fixing semiconductor products in the prior art, and the linear drive device 300 is preferably a linear drive structure such as a linear drive in the prior art. The two opposite sides of the moving platform are connected to the rack through a flexible hinge 400, and the flexible hinge 400 is mostly locked with screws when connected to the rack or the moving platform. When measuring or processing semiconductor products, the position of the semiconductor products needs to be adjusted, that is, the linear drive device 300 can be used to drive the moving platform to move in the second direction according to actual needs. At this time, the flexible hinge 400 can bend along the second direction to achieve relative movement between the moving platform and the rack, thereby completing the adjustment of the position of the semiconductor product.

[0041] Furthermore, to ensure the accuracy of semiconductor product positioning, extremely high assembly precision is required between the fixture 100, the flexible hinge 400, and the mobile device 200. However, when using the flexible hinge 400, the pre-tightening force of the screws can easily lead to deviations in the alignment precision of the fixture 100 and the mobile device 200 in the third direction, thereby causing deviations in the position of the motion platform and, consequently, failing to ensure wafer positioning accuracy. To this end, this embodiment proposes a flexible hinge 400 to compensate for the assembly deviation of the fixture 100 and the mobile device 200 in the third direction, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the motion platform during semiconductor positioning.

[0042] Specifically, please combine Figure 1 See Figures 2 to 4 The flexible hinge 400 includes a hinge body 1, a first fixing portion 2, a second fixing portion 3, and a connecting portion 4. The first fixing portion 2 and the second fixing portion 3 are respectively arranged at the two ends of the hinge body 1 along the first direction, and the first fixing portion 2 is configured to be connected to an external fixing device 100, and the second fixing portion 3 is configured to be connected to an external mobile device 200. The mobile device 200 can move relative to the fixing device 100 along the second direction to cause the hinge body 1 to deform along the second direction. The connecting portion 4 is arranged between the second fixing portion 3 and the hinge body 1, and the connecting portion 4 can deform along a third direction to compensate for the assembly deviation of the fixing device 100 and the mobile device 200 in the third direction; wherein the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction are arranged perpendicular to each other. Specifically in this embodiment, the first direction and the second direction are two mutually perpendicular horizontal directions, and the third direction is a vertical direction.

[0043] It can be understood that when installing the flexible hinge 400, the first fixing part 2 and the second fixing part 3 are connected to the fixing device 100 and the mobile device 200 respectively. Under the action of the preload force, the connecting part 4 can automatically generate deformation along the third direction to compensate for the assembly deviation between the fixing device and the mobile device, and the setting of the connecting part 4 can limit the local deformation caused by the preload force to the connecting part 4, avoiding transmission to the mobile device 200, so as to further ensure the assembly accuracy between the fixing device 100 and the mobile device 200. In addition, the connecting part 4 only generates elastic deformation in the third direction and will not generate elastic deformation in the second direction, thereby ensuring the stiffness of the connecting part 4 in the second direction during the movement of the mobile device 200, thereby ensuring the positioning accuracy of the semiconductor product during the movement.

[0044] In this embodiment, the hinge body 1, the first fixing portion 2, the second fixing portion 3, and the connecting portion 4 are integrally formed. It is understood that the entire flexible hinge 400 is made from the same raw material, and no additional connecting structures are required between the different parts (the different parts refer to the hinge body 1, the first fixing portion 2, the second fixing portion 3, and the connecting portion 4). This can reduce processing and assembly errors between the different parts, thereby ensuring the movement accuracy of the mobile device 200.

[0045] Preferably, decoupling grooves 5 with openings are provided on both sides of the connection point between the second fixing portion 3 and the hinge body 1 along the third direction. The length direction of each decoupling groove 5 is provided along the second direction and passes through the second fixing portion 3. The area between the two decoupling grooves 5 constitutes the connecting portion 4. It is understood that when processing the flexible hinge 400, the hinge body 1 and the second fixing portion 3 are first processed. At this time, the hinge body 1 and the second fixing portion 3 are directly connected. Subsequently, decoupling grooves 5 are processed on both sides of the connection point between the hinge body 1 and the second connecting portion 4. The area between the two decoupling grooves 5 constitutes the connecting portion 4. The provision of the decoupling grooves 5 can reduce the stiffness of the connection point between the hinge body 1 and the second connecting portion 4 in the third direction, thereby allowing the connecting portion 4 to undergo elastic deformation to automatically offset assembly deviations without the need for manual adjustment. Furthermore, the stiffness in the second direction is not affected, thereby ensuring the stiffness of the connecting portion 4 when moving along the second direction.

[0046] In some other feasible embodiments, the connecting portion 4 is made of a plate-shaped elastic metal material. It is understood that when processing the flexible hinge 400, the hinge body 1, the connecting portion 4, and the second fixing portion 3 are processed separately, and then the hinge body 1, the connecting portion 4, and the second fixing portion 3 are processed into a whole by welding or other processing methods. The elastic metal material is preferably a titanium alloy or other material known in the art.

[0047] In this embodiment, the hinge body 1 includes two bases 11 and a deforming member 12. The two bases 11 are connected to the first fixing portion 2 and the second fixing portion 3, respectively. The deforming member 12 is deformed along the second direction, and its ends are fixedly connected to the two bases 11. It will be appreciated that by placing the base 11 between the deforming member 12 and the connecting portion 4, the base 11 can eliminate the effect of preload on the deforming member 12, thereby further ensuring the positioning accuracy of the semiconductor product during movement.

[0048] Preferably, the deformable member 12 is sheet-shaped, and the ratio of its height to thickness is greater than or equal to 10:1. It is understood that the thinness of the sheet-shaped deformable member 12 allows it to deform along its thickness. During processing, the deformable member 12 is arranged along a first direction in length to ensure high rigidity in the first direction, along a second direction in thickness to ensure low rigidity in the second direction, and along a third direction in width to ensure high rigidity in the third direction. The thickness of the deformable member 12 is 0.5 to 1.2 mm, preferably 0.8 mm.

[0049] Furthermore, a plurality of deformable bodies 12 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart along the second direction. It is understood that increasing the number of deformable bodies 12 can increase the stiffness of the flexible hinge 400 along the first and second directions, thereby ensuring the stability of the flexible hinge 400 during deformation. However, too many deformable bodies 12 will reduce the fluctuation of the single displacement of the flexible hinge 400. Therefore, the number of deformable bodies 12 in a single flexible hinge 400 is preferably 1, 2, 3, or 4, depending on the length of the mobile device 200, and is not specifically limited here. Of course, in some other feasible embodiments, the stability of the flexible hinge 400 during deformation can be ensured by changing the number of flexible hinges 400.

[0050] Exemplarily, when the motion platform is rectangular and the length of the motion platform along the second direction is shorter, a flexible hinge 400 can be provided on each side, and the number of deformation bodies 12 in the flexible hinge 400 is preferably 3 or 4. When the length of the motion platform along the second direction is longer, at least two flexible hinges 400 can be provided on each side, and the number of deformation bodies 12 in a single flexible hinge 400 can be 1 or 2. When multiple groups are used symmetrically, the linear frictionless motion of the motion platform can be achieved with excellent repeatability.

[0051] In this embodiment, the first fixing portion 2 and / or the second fixing portion 3 can extend along the first direction to the deformation region of the deformation member 12, and a gap is provided between the first fixing portion 2 and / or the second fixing portion 3 and the deformation member 12. It will be appreciated that one or both of the first fixing portion 2 and the second fixing portion 3 can extend toward the deformation region of the deformation member 12, thereby shortening the entire length of the flexible hinge 400, and the provision of the gap can separate the first fixing portion 2 or the second fixing portion 3 from the deformation member 12, thereby further preventing the influence of the preload force on the deformation member 12 during installation.

[0052] Preferably, the first fixing portion 2 extends along the first direction to the deformation region of the deformable element 12. During the manufacturing process, a groove is cut between the first fixing portion 2 and the deformable element 12 to form a gap. This gap can also relatively increase the length of the deformable element 12, thereby reducing the stiffness of the deformable element 12 along the second direction. The second fixing portion 3 extends away from the deformable element 12, and a decoupling groove 5 is formed between the second fixing portion 3 and the base 11. This prevents the preload generated by the first and second fixing portions 2 and 3 during assembly from affecting the deformable element 12. The second fixing portion 3 extending away from the deformable element 12 ensures that the load applied by the flexible hinge 400 on the mobile device 200 is less than the load applied by the flexible hinge 400 on the fixing device 100. This arrangement further ensures the assembly accuracy of the mobile device 200. Furthermore, the second fixing portion 3 extending away from the deformable element 12 also facilitates the processing of the decoupling groove 5.

[0053] In this embodiment, the structures of the first fixing portion 2 and the second fixing portion 3 are identical. The structure of the second fixing portion 3 is used as an example for illustration. The second fixing portion 3 includes a fixing block 31. A mounting slot 32 is provided at the top of the fixing block 31, and a mounting hole 33 for a screw is provided at the bottom of the mounting slot 32. It will be appreciated that when tightening the screw, the mounting slot 32 evenly transfers the preload force to the fixing block 31, thus avoiding localized stress concentration.

[0054] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. A person skilled in the art would be able to make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention shall be included within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible hinge, comprising a hinge body (1), a first fixing portion (2) and a second fixing portion (3), wherein the first fixing portion (2) and the second fixing portion (3) are respectively arranged at two ends of the hinge body (1) along a first direction, and the first fixing portion (2) is configured to be connected to an external fixing device (100), and the second fixing portion (3) is configured to be connected to an external moving device (200), and the moving device (200) is capable of relative movement relative to the fixing device (100) along a second direction, so that the hinge body (1) is deformed along the second direction; It is characterized by: The flexible hinge (400) further comprises: A connecting portion (4) is provided between the second fixing portion (3) and the hinge body (1), and the connecting portion (4) is capable of elastically deforming along a third direction to compensate for an assembly deviation between the fixing device (100) and the moving device (200) in the third direction; The first direction, the second direction and the third direction are arranged perpendicular to each other.

2. The flexible hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge body (1), the first fixing portion (2), the second fixing portion (3) and the connecting portion (4) are integrally formed.

3. The flexible hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that: Decoupling grooves (5) with openings are respectively provided on both sides of the connection position between the second fixing portion (3) and the hinge body (1) along the third direction, and the length direction of any of the decoupling grooves (5) is provided along the second direction and passes through the second fixing portion (3); The area between the two decoupling grooves (5) forms the connecting portion (4).

4. The flexible hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting portion (4) is made of a plate-shaped elastic metal material.

5. The flexible hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge body (1) comprises: Two bases (11) are respectively connected to the first fixing portion (2) and the second fixing portion (3); A deformation body (12) is arranged with its deformation direction along the second direction, and two ends of the deformation body (12) are respectively fixedly connected to the two bases (11).

6. The flexible hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: The deformation body (12) is sheet-shaped, and the ratio of the height to the thickness of the deformation body (12) is greater than or equal to 10:

1.

7. The flexible hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that: A plurality of deformation bodies (12) are arranged in parallel and at intervals along the second direction.

8. The flexible hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that The first fixing portion (2) and / or the second fixing portion (3) can extend along the first direction to the deformation area of the deformation body (12), and a gap is provided between the first fixing portion (2) and / or the second fixing portion (3) and the deformation body (12).

9. The flexible hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first fixing portion (2) or the second fixing portion comprises a fixing block (31), a top portion of the fixing block (31) is provided with a mounting groove (32), and a bottom portion of the mounting groove (32) is provided with a mounting hole (33) for passing a screw.

10. A semiconductor positioning device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a fixing device (100), a moving device (200), a linear drive device (300) and at least two flexible hinges (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the moving device (200) is used to carry a semiconductor product, and the moving device (200) is arranged on the fixing device (100) through at least two flexible hinges (400), a driving end of the linear drive device (300) is connected to the moving device (200), and the linear drive device (300) is used to drive the moving device (200) to move along the second direction.

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