Silicon wafer basket for silicon wafer bearing in semiconductor device processing

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and discloses a silicon wafer basket for silicon wafer bearing in semiconductor device processing, which comprises a front side plate and a rear side plate, and further comprises an expansion mechanism arranged on one side, close to the rear side plate, of the front side plate, and a fixing mechanism arranged on the top of the front side plate, the capacity expansion mechanism comprises a plurality of supports arranged on the two sides of the front side plate in a linear array mode, grid bars arranged at the bottoms of the supports and used for bearing silicon wafers to prevent the silicon wafers from falling off, and guide rods symmetrically arranged on the sides, away from the front side plate, of the supports, the guide rods and the guide holes are symmetrically formed in the side, away from the rear side plate, of the support, the guide rods and the guide holes are matched to restrain the moving track of the support, the stop blocks are arranged at the top and the bottom of the support and stop the edge of the silicon wafer which is prevented from entering the basket, and the baffles are symmetrically arranged on the inner side of the support. Through the arrangement of the capacity expansion mechanism, the loading space can be increased besides the basic capacity of the flower basket, and the silicon wafers can be fixed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and in particular to a silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers used in semiconductor device processing. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor device processing, wafer carriers are an essential tool in the wafer manufacturing process. They are responsible for safely and efficiently transporting wafers between various process steps. They securely support the wafers, preventing collisions and slippage during transport. Their materials and design must meet high cleanliness requirements to avoid particulate contamination. These carriers are often integrated with automated equipment to enable contactless and precise transfer of wafers from cleaning, photolithography, etching, to inspection, significantly improving production efficiency.

[0003] Traditional baskets are widely used in the semiconductor industry, but due to limitations in their structure and operating principles, they often present significant challenges. Existing baskets have a fixed structure and a fixed capacity design. This means they cannot be expanded or reduced to accommodate fluctuations in the number of wafers produced during actual production. When the number of wafers to be carried exceeds the basket's designed capacity, either additional baskets are required, increasing operational complexity and cost, or batch transportation is required, reducing production efficiency. Conversely, when the number of wafers is small, the basket's internal space remains unused, resulting in wasted resources. Existing baskets generally lack the ability to accommodate wafers of varying thicknesses. During the manufacturing process, wafer thickness can vary slightly due to process variations or batch-to-batch differences. However, the basket's fixed support structure is pre-set and cannot be adjusted flexibly. When wafers of a thickness that does not match the design are loaded, thinner wafers may not be securely supported, resulting in wobbling, while thicker wafers may not fit fully or may be squeezed. This mismatch will result in a lack of effective fixation of the silicon wafers in the basket. During transportation or transfer between equipment, the silicon wafers may collide and rub against each other or against the inner wall of the basket, which can easily cause scratches, edge damage or even breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the problems in the prior art that the capacity of the flower basket is fixed and silicon wafers of different thicknesses cannot be fixed, a silicon wafer flower basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing is proposed.

[0005] The purpose is to expand the capacity of the flower basket and flexibly clamp silicon wafers of different thicknesses.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is a silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers used in semiconductor device processing, comprising a front side plate and a rear side plate, an expansion mechanism provided on a side of the front side plate close to the rear side plate, and a fixing mechanism provided on the top of the front side plate; The expansion mechanism includes a plurality of brackets arranged in a linear array on both sides of the front side plate, and extending the distance between different brackets can increase the accommodating space of the flower basket; a grid bar arranged at the bottom of the bracket, the grid bar supports the silicon wafers to prevent them from falling; a guide rod symmetrically arranged on the side of the bracket away from the front side plate; a guide hole symmetrically opened on the side of the bracket away from the rear side plate, the guide rod and the guide hole cooperate to constrain the movement trajectory of the bracket; a block arranged at the top and bottom of the bracket, the block block prevents the edge of the silicon wafer from entering the flower basket; a baffle symmetrically arranged on the inner side of the bracket, the intervals between different baffles form a grid for accommodating silicon wafers; and an expansion unit arranged on the inner side of the front side plate.

[0007] Furthermore, the main body of the bracket is L-shaped, and the bars are formed by arranging a number of branches.

[0008] Furthermore, the expansion unit includes a knob arranged at the bottom of the front side plate, a pulley group arranged at the knob near the inside of the front side plate, a screw arranged at the side of the pulley group away from the knob, a screw sleeve arranged at the end of the screw away from the knob, the end of the screw sleeve away from the knob is fixedly connected to the rear side plate, a connecting rod arranged at the bottom of the baffle, a swing arm jointly arranged at the end of the connecting rod away from the connected baffle, a support plate arranged at the bottom of the swing arm, the end of the support plate away from the swing arm is fixedly connected to the nearest bracket, a worm gear arranged at the bottom of the swing arm near the support plate, a worm arranged on the outside of the worm gear, and a transmission rod arranged at the top of the pulley group, the end of the transmission rod away from the pulley group is slidably connected to the nearest worm.

[0009] Furthermore, a hexagonal hole is provided at one end of the worm gear close to the pulley assembly, and a hexagonal column is provided at one end of the worm gear away from the pulley assembly. The hexagonal column is slidably connected to the hexagonal hole of the adjacent worm gear.

[0010] Furthermore, a limiting block is provided at the bottom of the support plate, a limiting hole is provided on the inner side of the limiting block, and the worm is rotatably connected to the limiting hole.

[0011] Furthermore, the fixing mechanism includes a special-shaped hole opened at the top of the front side plate, a driving rod arranged at the top of the special-shaped hole, a piston rod arranged in the middle of the driving rod, a ventilation hose arranged in the middle of the front side plate, the two ends of the ventilation hose respectively pass through several brackets on both sides of the front side plate, a diversion pipe arranged on the side of the bracket close to the baffle, and an airbag symmetrically arranged at the top and bottom of the baffle, and the side of the airbag close to the bracket is fixedly connected to the diversion pipe.

[0012] Furthermore, a thread is provided on the outer side of the driving rod, a screw hole is provided on the top of the piston rod, and the driving rod and the piston rod are threadedly connected.

[0013] Furthermore, two branch pipes are provided on a side of the shunt pipe away from the bracket, and both ends of the branch pipes are fixedly connected to corresponding air bags respectively.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. By setting up an expansion mechanism, the flower basket can increase the loading space beyond the basic capacity. When more silicon wafers need to be loaded, the operator can make corresponding adjustments to the expansion mechanism, and the internal structure of the flower basket will change accordingly to form a larger holding area. In this way, the flower basket is no longer limited to a fixed capacity and can load more silicon wafers. When the number of silicon wafers is large, there is no need to increase the number of flower baskets. When the number of silicon wafers is small, the basic capacity can be maintained. This expandable capacity design improves the efficiency of silicon wafer transportation and storage.

[0015] 2. The basket is equipped with a fixing mechanism that allows it to flexibly secure the loaded silicon wafers. This mechanism uses an airbag as a key element, which can contact and support the silicon wafers. Once the silicon wafers are loaded into the basket, the airbag inflates or deflates, thereby firmly securing the silicon wafers inside the basket. The fixing mechanism can also adjust the force according to the thickness of the silicon wafers. When the thickness of the silicon wafers changes, the operator can adjust the inflation level of the airbag, thereby changing the fixing force on the silicon wafers. If the silicon wafers are thick, the force is appropriately increased to ensure stability. If the silicon wafers are thin, the force is reduced to avoid excessive squeezing. This flexible fixing method prevents the silicon wafers from shaking in the basket, effectively preventing damage during transportation and transfer, and improving the safety of the silicon wafers during processing.

[0016] 3. By setting up an expansion unit, after the capacity is expanded, the expansion unit ensures that the spacing between each grid remains unchanged. Regardless of whether the flower basket is in the basic capacity state or the large capacity state after expansion, the spacing between each grid where the silicon wafers are placed is the same. The advantage of this design is that the arrangement of silicon wafers in the flower basket will not change due to changes in capacity. Each silicon wafer can be properly placed with the same spatial interval, which not only ensures that there is enough space between silicon wafers to avoid mutual interference, but also makes the space utilization inside the flower basket more regular and efficient, providing a strong guarantee for the stable transportation of silicon wafers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall three-dimensional structure of the present invention; Figure 2 An exploded view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the front side panel and the bracket of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the bracket and the stopper of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the baffle and the bracket of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the front side plate and the pulley assembly of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the screw and the sleeve of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the swing arm and the connecting rod of the present invention; Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the worm structure of the present invention; Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the special-shaped hole of the present invention; Figure 11 This is a schematic structural diagram of the shunt pipe and ventilation hose of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the air bag and the shunt tube of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the grid bars and the bracket of the present invention; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the connection between the baffle and the airbag of the present invention.

[0018] In the picture: 1. Front side panel; 2. Rear side panel; 3. Expansion mechanism; 4. Fixing mechanism; 31. Bracket; 32. Bars; 33. Guide rod; 34. Guide hole; 35. Block; 36. Baffle; 37. Knob; 38. Pulley assembly; 39. Screw; 310. Screw sleeve; 311. Connecting rod; 312. Swing arm; 313. Support plate; 314. Worm gear; 315. Worm; 316. Transmission rod; 41. Special-shaped hole; 42. Drive rod; 43. Piston rod; 44. Ventilation hose; 45. Diverter pipe; 46. Airbag. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] Example 1, reference Figures 1-9, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, provides a silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing, including a front side plate 1 and a rear side plate 2, an expansion mechanism 3 installed on the side of the front side plate 1 close to the rear side plate 2, and a fixing mechanism 4 installed on the top of the front side plate 1; the expansion mechanism 3 includes a plurality of linear arrays of brackets 31 slidably connected to both sides of the front side plate 1, and the distance between different brackets 31 is extended to increase the storage space of the basket, and a grid bar 32 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the bracket 31, and the grid bar 32 carries the silicon wafers. To prevent it from falling, a guide rod 33 is symmetrically fixedly connected to the side of the bracket 31 away from the front side plate 1, and a guide hole 34 is symmetrically opened on the side of the bracket 31 away from the rear side plate 2. The guide rod 33 and the guide hole 34 cooperate to constrain the movement trajectory of the bracket 31. A stopper 35 is fixedly connected to the top and bottom of the bracket 31. The stopper 35 blocks the edge of the silicon wafer from entering the flower basket. A baffle 36 is symmetrically slidably connected to the inner side of the bracket 31. The intervals between different baffles 36 form a grid for accommodating silicon wafers, and an expansion unit is assembled on the inner side of the front side plate 1.

[0021] Specifically, the front side plate 1 and the rear side plate 2 serve as the outermost isolation to provide protection for the silicon wafers. The bracket 31 and the two baffles 36 on its top form the most basic separation unit, and a grid for accommodating silicon wafers is formed between the adjacent baffles 36 and the bracket 31. The grid bars 32 act as a bottom support. After the flower basket expands the space, the grid bars 32 can prevent the silicon wafers from falling downward. The two adjacent brackets 31 are connected by guide rods 33 and guide holes 34, so that the two brackets 31 can only move in a straight line. The block 35 can block the silicon wafer and prevent it from moving sideways.

[0022] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 13 The main body of the bracket 31 is L-shaped, and the grid bar 32 is formed by arranging a number of branches.

[0023] Specifically, the shape of the bracket 31 adapts to the edge of the silicon wafer, and the grid bars 32 on different brackets 31 are staggered to adapt to the changes in the spacing between different brackets 31.

[0024] Reference Figures 1-9The expansion unit includes a knob 37 rotatably connected to the bottom of the front side plate 1, a pulley group 38 fixedly connected to the knob 37 near the inside of the front side plate 1, a screw 39 fixedly connected to the side of the pulley group 38 away from the knob 37, a screw sleeve 310 threadedly connected to the end of the screw 39 away from the knob 37, an end of the screw sleeve 310 away from the knob 37 is fixedly connected to the rear side plate 2, a connecting rod 311 rotatably connected to the bottom of the baffle 36, and a connecting rod 311 rotatably connected to the connecting rod 311 away from the connected baffle. The swing arm 312 at one end of 36 is rotatably connected to the support plate 313 at the bottom of the swing arm 312, and the end of the support plate 313 away from the swing arm 312 is fixedly connected to the nearest bracket 31, a worm gear 314 is fixedly connected to the swing arm 312 near the bottom of the support plate 313, meshingly connected to the worm 315 on the outside of the worm gear 314, and a transmission rod 316 is fixedly connected to the top of the pulley group 38, and the end of the transmission rod 316 away from the pulley group 38 is slidably connected to the nearest worm gear 315.

[0025] Specifically, when the knob 37 rotates, the pulley group 38 can be driven to rotate, and the pulley group 38 drives the transmission rod 316 and the screw 39 to rotate at the same time. When the screw 39 rotates, the screw sleeve 310 and the rear side plate 2 are moved through the action of the thread. When the rear side plate 2 moves, the bracket 31 is driven to move. When the transmission rod 316 rotates, it drives the worm 315 connected thereto to rotate. Since different worm gears 315 are connected to each other, the other worm gears 315 will rotate at the same time. When the worm gear 315 rotates, it drives the corresponding worm wheel 314 to rotate, and the worm wheel 314 drives the swing arm 312 to rotate. After the swing arm 312 rotates, it drives the corresponding two baffles 36 to move through the two connected connecting rods 311. By controlling the rotation direction of the knob 37, the expansion mechanism 3 can be expanded or contracted.

[0026] Reference Figure 7 and Figure 9 A hexagonal hole is provided at one end of the worm 315 close to the pulley assembly 38 , and a hexagonal prism is provided at one end of the worm 315 away from the pulley assembly 38 . The hexagonal prism is slidably connected to the hexagonal hole of the adjacent worm 315 .

[0027] Specifically, different worms 315 are connected via hexagonal holes and hexagonal prisms, thereby achieving synchronous rotation.

[0028] Reference Figure 9 A limiting block is provided at the bottom of the support plate 313 , a limiting hole is provided on the inner side of the limiting block, and the worm 315 is rotatably connected to the limiting hole.

[0029] Specifically, the support plate 313 constrains the freedom of movement of the worm 315 through the limiting block, so that the worm 315 can only rotate around its own axis.

[0030] Example 2, reference Figures 1-14, which is the second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that: the fixing mechanism 4 includes a special-shaped hole 41 opened at the top of the front side plate 1, a driving rod 42 rotatably connected to the top of the special-shaped hole 41, a piston rod 43 threadedly connected to the middle of the driving rod 42, a ventilation hose 44 fixedly connected to the middle of the front side plate 1, both ends of the ventilation hose 44 respectively pass through several brackets 31 on both sides of the front side plate 1, a shunt pipe 45 fixedly connected to the side of the bracket 31 close to the baffle 36, and an air bag 46 symmetrically fixedly connected to the top and bottom of the baffle 36, and the side of the air bag 46 close to the bracket 31 is fixedly connected to the shunt pipe 45.

[0031] Specifically, the special-shaped hole 41 can accommodate moving parts, and the bottom of the special-shaped hole 41 acts as a piston cylinder. By rotating the drive rod 42, the piston rod 43 can be driven to rotate. When the piston rod 43 moves downward, the air at the bottom of the special-shaped hole 41 can be pushed into the airbag 46 through the ventilation hose 44 and the diversion pipe 45. The airbag 46 is inflated until it contacts the silicon wafer and fixes it. When the piston rod 43 moves upward, the air in the airbag 46 is extracted to release the fixation of the silicon wafer.

[0032] Reference Figure 10 The outer side of the driving rod 42 is provided with a thread, and the top of the piston rod 43 is provided with a screw hole, and the driving rod 42 and the piston rod 43 are threadedly connected.

[0033] Specifically, the driving rod 42 drives the piston rod 43 to move through the thread during the rotation process, and the driving rod 42 is manipulated to rotate in different directions to realize the lifting and lowering of the piston rod 43.

[0034] Reference Figure 11-13 Two branch pipes are provided on the side of the shunt pipe 45 away from the bracket 31 , and both ends of the branch pipes are fixedly connected to the corresponding air bags 46 respectively.

[0035] Specifically, the air pushed by the piston rod 43 enters each diversion tube 45 through the ventilation hose 44, and the diversion tube 45 transports the air to different air bags 46. After the different air bags 46 clamp the silicon wafer from the same height, the silicon wafer is fixed to reduce shaking in the flower basket. The rest of the structure is the same as that of Example 1.

[0036] According to the embodiment 1-2, the working principle of the present invention is as follows: when the capacity of the flower basket needs to be changed, the pulley group 38 is rotated by rotating the knob 37, and the pulley group 38 rotates the screw 39 and the transmission rod 316 at the same time. The rotation of the screw 39 causes the screw sleeve 310 and the rear side plate 2 to move toward the front side plate 1. The rear side plate 2 pushes the adjacent brackets 31 while moving until all the brackets 31 fit together. At this time, the total length of the flower basket is reduced, and the transmission rod 316 rotates while driving the rotary arm 312 to rotate through the worm gear 314 and worm 315. The rotary arm 312 pulls the corresponding two baffles 36 through the two connected connecting rods 311, so that the two baffles 36 are merged. At this time, the gap formed between the different combinations of baffles 36 after merging becomes a grid for storing silicon wafers. After the silicon wafers are placed in the grid, due to the bars The silicon wafer will be confined in the grid by the obstruction of 32 and the block 35. Then, the driving rod 42 is rotated to move the piston rod 43 downward, pumping air into the airbag 46 to fix the silicon wafer. When the fixation needs to be released, the driving rod 42 is rotated in the opposite direction to move the piston rod 43 upward, extracting the air in the airbag 46 and shrinking the airbag 46 into the inside of the baffle 36. When the flower basket loading space needs to be increased, the knob 37 is rotated in the opposite direction to move the rear side plate 2 away from the front side plate 1. While the rear side plate 2 moves, it pulls the bracket 31 to increase the distance between different brackets 31. While rotating the knob 37 in the opposite direction, the rotary arm 312 is also reversed at the same time. The rotary arm 312 pushes the corresponding two baffles 36 away from each other through the connecting rod 311. The baffles 36 that are away from each other form a gap to form an expanded grid to accommodate the silicon wafer.

[0037] 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 the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solutions of the present invention may be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, which should all be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers used in semiconductor device processing, comprising a front side plate (1) and a rear side plate (2), characterized in that: It also includes an expansion mechanism (3) arranged on the side of the front side plate (1) close to the rear side plate (2), and a fixing mechanism (4) arranged on the top of the front side plate (1); The expansion mechanism (3) includes a plurality of linear array brackets (31) arranged on both sides of the front side plate (1), the distance between different brackets (31) being extended to increase the accommodating space of the flower basket, a grid bar (32) arranged at the bottom of the bracket (31), the grid bar (32) supporting the silicon wafer to prevent it from falling, a guide rod (33) symmetrically arranged on the side of the bracket (31) away from the front side plate (1), a guide hole (34) symmetrically opened on the side of the bracket (31) away from the rear side plate (2), the guide rod (33) and the guide hole (34) cooperating to constrain the moving trajectory of the bracket (31), a stopper (35) arranged at the top and bottom of the bracket (31), the stopper (35) blocking the edge of the silicon wafer from entering the flower basket, a baffle (36) symmetrically arranged on the inner side of the bracket (31), the intervals between different baffles (36) forming a grid for accommodating the silicon wafer, and an expansion unit arranged on the inner side of the front side plate (1).

2. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body of the bracket (31) is L-shaped, and the grid bars (32) are formed by arranging a number of branches.

3. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The expansion unit comprises a knob (37) provided at the bottom of the front side plate (1), a pulley assembly (38) provided at the knob (37) near the inside of the front side plate (1), a screw (39) provided at the side of the pulley assembly (38) away from the knob (37), a screw sleeve (310) provided at the end of the screw (39) away from the knob (37), the end of the screw sleeve (310) away from the knob (37) being fixedly connected to the rear side plate (2), a connecting rod (311) provided at the bottom of the baffle (36), and a connecting rod (311) provided at the end of the connecting rod (311) away from the connected baffle (36). 6) a rotary arm (312) at one end, a support plate (313) provided at the bottom of the rotary arm (312), an end of the support plate (313) away from the rotary arm (312) being fixedly connected to the nearest bracket (31), a worm gear (314) provided at the bottom of the rotary arm (312) near the support plate (313), a worm (315) provided on the outside of the worm gear (314), and a transmission rod (316) provided at the top of the pulley group (38), an end of the transmission rod (316) away from the pulley group (38) being slidably connected to the nearest worm gear (315).

4. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 3, characterized in that: A hexagonal hole is provided at one end of the worm (315) close to the pulley assembly (38), and a hexagonal prism is provided at one end of the worm (315) away from the pulley assembly (38). The hexagonal prism is slidably connected to the hexagonal hole of the adjacent worm (315).

5. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 3, characterized in that: A limiting block is provided at the bottom of the support plate (313), a limiting hole is provided on the inner side of the limiting block, and the worm (315) is rotatably connected to the limiting hole.

6. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing mechanism (4) comprises a special-shaped hole (41) provided at the top of the front side plate (1), a driving rod (42) provided at the top of the special-shaped hole (41), a piston rod (43) provided at the middle of the driving rod (42), a ventilation hose (44) provided at the middle of the front side plate (1), two ends of the ventilation hose (44) respectively passing through a plurality of brackets (31) on both sides of the front side plate (1), a shunt pipe (45) provided on a side of the bracket (31) close to the baffle (36), and air bags (46) symmetrically provided at the top and bottom of the baffle (36), wherein a side of the air bag (46) close to the bracket (31) is fixedly connected to the shunt pipe (45).

7. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 6, characterized in that: The outer side of the driving rod (42) is provided with a thread, the top of the piston rod (43) is provided with a screw hole, and the driving rod (42) and the piston rod (43) are threadedly connected.

8. The silicon wafer basket for carrying silicon wafers for semiconductor device processing according to claim 6, characterized in that: Two branch pipes are provided on the side of the shunt pipe (45) away from the bracket (31), and both ends of the branch pipes are fixedly connected to corresponding air bags (46) respectively.

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