Wafer storage device

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer storage device, which comprises a storage rack, a plurality of groups of supports arranged at intervals in the storage rack, and a placing position arranged in each group of supports, and further comprises a first detection part movably arranged along the thickness direction of the wafer, the first detection part comprising a transmitting end one and a receiving end one, the transmitting end one and the receiving end one being arranged close to different side walls of the storage rack respectively, the receiving end one being provided with a plurality of receiving ends one, the plurality of receiving ends one corresponding to the size and model of the wafer one by one, the transmitting end one transmitting light to the plurality of receiving ends one through a plane where the placing position adjacent to the transmitting end one is located, the light tangent to the wafer passing through the middle area of the corresponding receiving end one and the receiving end one adjacent to the corresponding receiving end one and away from the wafer, and a judging part judging whether the wafer in the placing position through by the light exists or not and the size of the wafer according to whether the electrical signals emitted by the plurality of receiving ends one are shielded or not when the transmitting end one moves to the detection range between the adjacent placing positions.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, in particular to a wafer storage device. BACKGROUND

[0002] After the wafer is transmitted from the equipment front end module to the wafer processing module, the wafer handling system (such as a robot) in the wafer processing module will flow the wafer between multiple wafer processing units for processing, and the processed wafer will be flowed out through the equipment front end module and enter the next equipment front end module and wafer processing module.

[0003] Generally, a wafer storage device is arranged in the equipment front end module or the wafer processing module to temporarily store the wafer. However, during the transmission process, the robot in the wafer processing module may place a wafer of an incorrect size in the wafer processing unit for processing, which may cause damage to the wafer. SUMMARY

[0004] To overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings, the present application aims to provide a wafer storage device, which comprises a storage rack, multiple sets of supports are arranged at intervals in the storage rack, and the bearing surface of each set of supports forms a placement position for placing a wafer. The wafer storage device further comprises:

[0005] A first detection part is movably arranged along the thickness direction of the wafer, the first detection part comprises a first emission end and a first receiving end, the first emission end and the first receiving end are arranged close to different side walls of the storage rack respectively, the first receiving end has multiple first receiving ends, the multiple first receiving ends correspond to the sizes of the wafers one by one, the first emission end emits light to the multiple first receiving ends through the plane where the placement positions adjacent to the first emission end are located, and the light tangent to the wafer passes through the corresponding first receiving end of the wafer and the intermediate region of the first receiving end adjacent to the wafer and away from the wafer;

[0006] A judgment part judges whether the wafer in the placement position is present and the size of the wafer according to the electrical signals emitted by the multiple first receiving ends when the first emission end moves to the detection range between the adjacent placement positions.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first detection part comprises at least one first emission end and two sets of first receiving ends, which are an upper first receiving end and a lower first receiving end respectively, the first emission end is located between the heights of the upper first receiving end and the lower first receiving end, the spacing between the upper first receiving end and the lower first receiving end is greater than the spacing between the adjacent placement positions, and the detection range is arranged in an array along the thickness direction of the wafer, and the array spacing of the detection range is twice the layer spacing of the placement positions.

[0008] In some embodiments, each set of supports comprises a first support, a second support and a third support, the first support and the second support are located on both sides of the entrance and exit of the storage rack, and the third support is opposite to the entrance and exit,

[0009] When the transmitting end is within the detection range, if the placement position is above the transmitting end, the third support corresponding to the placement position is located on the side away from the transmitting end; if the placement position is below the transmitting end, the third support corresponding to the placement position is located on the side close to the transmitting end.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first support and the second support are respectively located on the left side and the right side of the placement position of the wafer, and the third support is located on the back side of the placement position of the wafer, and the third supports of any two adjacent layers of the placement positions of the wafers are staggered along the left-right direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the wafer storage device further comprises a back vertical plate located on the middle of the back side of the storage rack, the third support close to the transmitting end is a third support one, and the third support away from the transmitting end is a third support two, the third support one and the third support two are staggered in the left-right direction, and the third support one and the third support two are both arranged on the back vertical plate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wafer storage device further comprises a triggering part, which generates a triggering signal when the transmitting end is within the detection range, and the triggering signal enables the first detection part to detect within the detection range.

[0013] In some embodiments, the triggering part comprises a position sensor and a shielding piece, the position sensor moves synchronously with the first detection part, the shielding piece has a blocking plate area and a hollow area arranged alternately along the thickness direction of the wafer, the blocking plate area / hollow area corresponds to the detection range, and the hollow area / blocking plate area corresponds to the stop detection range between adjacent detection ranges, when the position sensor is located in the detection range, the triggering signal generated by the position sensor enables the transmitting end to transmit a detection signal to the receiving end, and when the position sensor is located in the stop detection range, the transmitting end stops transmitting the detection signal.

[0014] In some embodiments, the position sensor is one of a pair of radiation sensors, an eddy current sensor and a Hall displacement sensor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first detection unit includes a lifting arm that can move along the wafer thickness direction and a moving part for driving the lifting arm to move. The first transmitting end and the first receiving end are disposed on the lifting arm, and the positioning sensor is also disposed on the lifting arm.

[0016] In some embodiments, the wafer storage device further includes a second detection unit that can identify when any of the wafers deviates from its normal position and protrudes forward. The second detection unit includes at least two sets of second sensor components disposed near the front of the storage rack, and the distribution direction of each set of second sensor components has at least one component vector along the front-back direction of the wafer storage device. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a wafer storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a wafer storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. Figure 1 ;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. Figure 2 ;

[0021] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view from the perspective of the middle AA (analogous to ...

[0022] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A cross-sectional view from the perspective of the middle BB (Black-Body) section;

[0023] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A cross-sectional view from a mid-CC perspective;

[0024] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of a wafer storage device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the optical path between the transmitter and receiver of the first detection unit.

[0026] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A magnified view of a section at point D. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The preferred embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings, so that the advantages and features of the present application can be more easily understood by those skilled in the art, and the scope of protection of the present application can be more clearly defined.

[0028] Referring to the drawings Figures 1-7 As shown in the drawings, the wafer storage device of the present application comprises a storage rack 1, a plurality of sets of supports are arranged on the storage rack 1, each set of supports comprises a first support 21 and a second support 22 which jointly bear the wafer 8, and the bearing surface of each set of supports forms a placement site 2 for placing the wafer. The wafer storage device of the present application further comprises a first detection part 3 for identifying the specifications of the wafer 8.

[0029] The wafer storage device further comprises the first detection part 3, which is movably arranged along the thickness direction of the wafer 8, and comprises a transmitting end 31 and a receiving end 32, the transmitting end 31 and the receiving end 32 are arranged close to the different side walls of the storage rack 1 respectively, the receiving end 32 is in plurality, the plurality of receiving ends 32 correspond to the different sizes of the wafer 8 one by one, the transmitting end 31 transmits light to the plurality of receiving ends 32 through the plane where the placement site 2 adjacent to the transmitting end 31 is located, the light of the transmitting end 31 tangent to the wafer 8 passes through the corresponding receiving end 32 of the wafer and the middle region of the receiving end 32 adjacent to the wafer and away from the wafer;

[0030] The wafer storage device further comprises a judging part, when the transmitting end 31 moves to the detection range between the adjacent placement sites 2, the judging part judges the presence or absence of the wafer 8 and the size of the wafer 8 in the placement site 2 through which the light passes according to the electrical signals whether the plurality of receiving ends 32 are blocked.

[0031] The receiving ends 32 corresponding to detecting one wafer of the first detecting part 3 are a group, and the number of each group of receiving ends 32 is at least M, M≥2 and is an integer, and the transmitting ends 31 are one or more. The wafer detected by the signal of the same transmitting end 31 includes M specifications. The wafer corresponding to each receiving end 32 of the same group is sequentially recorded as M11, M12, …, M1m from large to small, m=M. The wafer corresponding to each receiving end 32 of the same group is sequentially recorded as M11, M12, …, M1m from large to small, m=M, and the M receiving ends 32 are sequentially arranged along the direction gradually close to the center of the normally placed wafer 8 (for example, along the front and back directions of the wafer storage device) according to the specifications of the wafer corresponding to the wafer. The transmitting end 31 transmits light to the plurality of receiving ends 32 through the plane where the placing position 2 adjacent to the transmitting end 31 is located. The judging part judges the presence or absence of the wafer and the size of the wafer according to the signal of the first transmitting end 31 detecting the wafer on the placing position 2 in the detection range. When the judging part receives the electrical signal indicating no shielding emitted by all the receiving ends 32 when the transmitting end 31 moves to the detection range, the judging part judges that there is no wafer on the placing position 2. When the judging part receives the electrical signal indicating shielding emitted by the Mth to xth receiving end 32 and the electrical signal indicating no shielding emitted by the 1st to x-1th receiving end 32, the judging part judges that the xth specification wafer is placed on the placing position 2, 1≤x≤M. For example, when the judging part receives the electrical signal indicating shielding emitted by the receiving end M11 to the receiving end M1m, it indicates that the line between the receiving end M11 to the receiving end M1m and the transmitting end 31 is shielded by the normally placed first specification wafer, and the judging part judges that the wafer on the placing position 2 is the first specification wafer. When the judging part receives the electrical signal indicating shielding emitted by the receiving end M12 to the receiving end M1m and the electrical signal indicating no shielding emitted by the receiving end M11, it indicates that the line between the receiving end M12 to the receiving end M1m and the transmitting end 31 is shielded by the normally placed second specification wafer, and the judging part judges that the wafer on the placing position 2 is the second specification wafer. Similarly, when the judging part receives the electrical signal indicating shielding emitted by the receiving end M1m and the electrical signal indicating no shielding emitted by the receiving end M11 to the receiving end M1(m-1), it indicates that the line between the receiving end M1m and the transmitting end 31 is shielded by the normally placed Mth specification wafer, and the judging part judges that the wafer on the placing position 2 is the Mth specification wafer.

[0032] The judging unit is not limited in type, for example, it can be a computer, a single-chip microcomputer, or a PLC. The first detecting unit 3 can detect only in the detection range within the moving stroke, or it can detect in the whole moving stroke. When the first detecting unit 3 detects in the whole moving stroke, the judging unit only intercepts the electrical signals of the first detecting unit 3 within the detection range to judge whether there is a wafer on the placing position 2 and the size of the wafer.

[0033] In some embodiments, the transmitting end 31 and the receiving end 32 are respectively arranged near the left and right side walls of the storage rack 1, or they are respectively arranged near the front or back side wall of the storage rack 1. When the transmitting end 31 and the receiving end 32 are arranged near the front side wall, in order to avoid interference with the taking and placing of wafers into the storage rack 1, the transmitting end 31 or the receiving end 32 can be arranged near the left or right side wall of the front side wall.

[0034] The first detecting unit 3 can move in the up-down direction relative to the storage rack 1, and with the movement of the first detecting unit 3, the transmitting end 31 of the first detecting unit 3 can pass through a plurality of up-down directionally arrayed detection ranges, and can sequentially detect the specifications of all the wafers on the storage rack 1. For reference, see FIG. 2. Figure 5 The present application further comprises a triggering unit 4. The first detecting unit 3 is arranged to play a detection role in the detection range allowed by the triggering unit 4, so that the transmitting end 31 transmits a sensing signal to the receiving end 32, and the specification of the wafer on the placing position 2 is detected accordingly.

[0035] In some embodiments, when each placing position 2 of the wafer storage device is arranged in a direction parallel to the horizontal plane, each wafer is normally placed, and the moving direction of the first detecting unit 3 is the thickness direction of each layer of wafers 8.

[0036] The wafer storage device uses the first detecting unit 3 to judge the specification of the wafer placed therein in the following manner: when the transmitting end 31 moves to the detection range allowed by the triggering unit 4, the transmitting end 31 transmits a signal to the receiving end 32, and the first detecting unit 3 judges the specification of the wafer corresponding to the detection position at this time. The detection is performed according to the sensing signal condition of the first detecting unit 3: if all the receiving ends 32 of the first detecting unit 3 do not receive the signal of the transmitting end 31, it is judged that the wafer is a first-specification wafer; if only the M1 11-M1x receiving ends 32 receive the signal of the light, and M1(x+1)-M1m are all blocked, it is indicated that the wafer is an x+1-specification wafer. With the movement of the first detecting unit 3, the transmitting end 31 transmits a detection signal to each receiving end 32 every time it passes through the detection range allowed by the triggering unit 4, so that the specification of the wafer on the placing position 2 through which the first detecting unit 3 moves at this time is detected.

[0037] Therefore, the wafer storage device does not need to set the receiving end one 32 and the transmitting end one 31 corresponding to each layer of wafer placement position 2 of the storage shelf 1, and when the number of layers of the storage shelf 1 is large, only one first detection part 3 needs to be set to detect the size and presence of the wafer of each layer. With the increase of the number of layers of the storage shelf 1, the movable form of the first detection part 3 of the present application can bring greater reduction of the overall system cost. In addition, since the first detection part 3 needs to move in the height direction of the storage shelf 1, if the first detection part 3 only judges the presence and size of the wafer according to the shielding condition, when the light of the transmitting end one 31 is shielded by other structures of the storage shelf 1, it will appear to be a judgment error. Therefore, by setting the trigger part 4, it is ensured that the first detection part 3 must be moved into the detection range before the transmitting end one 31 transmits the sensing light to the receiving end one 32, and the transmitting end one 31 does not transmit the detection signal at other times.

[0038] In some embodiments, referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 8 The wafer storage device also includes a second detection part 5 for detecting the wafer protruding forward from the normal placement position 2. By setting the second detection part 5, when any wafer protrudes forward from the normal position, it can be recognized by the second detection part 5. The second detection part 5 includes at least two groups of second sensor assemblies 51 arranged near the front of the storage shelf 1, and the distribution direction of each group of second sensor assemblies 51 has at least one sub-vector along the front-back direction of the wafer storage device. Each group of second sensor assemblies 51 includes a transmitting end two 511 and a receiving end two 512 arranged opposite to each other, and the transmitting end two 511 and the receiving end two 512 are arranged on the upper side and the lower side of each layer of wafer respectively.

[0039] Each second sensor assembly 51 of the present embodiment corresponds to detecting one size of wafer, and the number of groups of second sensor assemblies 51 is consistent with the number of sizes of wafers to be detected. Each second sensor assembly 51 is arranged in order from large to small according to the size of the wafer to be detected, and each second sensor assembly 51 is arranged in a direction gradually approaching the center of the wafer in the normal placement position 2. For example, the second sensor assembly 51 is M21, and the wafer to be detected is the first size wafer. The second sensor assembly 51 is arranged corresponding to the outside of the front of the first size wafer, so that when the first size wafer is placed in position, the sensing signal of M21 will not be blocked, and if the first size wafer protrudes forward, the receiving end two 512 of M21 will not be able to receive the signal of the transmitting end two 511. By analogy, M22 corresponds to detecting the protrusion of the second size wafer, and so on.

[0040] The wafer storage device of the embodiment judges whether the wafer placed therein has a protrusion by the second detection part 5 in the following manner: if the first detection part 3 judges that the wafer is of the xth specification, and the M2x receiving end two 512 of the second detection part 5 is blocked, it indicates that the wafer has a protrusion forward at this time; if the M2x receiving end two 512 of the second detection part 5 is not blocked, it indicates that the wafer of the xth specification does not have a protrusion forward at this time.

[0041] In some embodiments, the placement sites 2 of the wafer are at least two layers, and the first detection part 3 includes two sets of receiving ends one 32 arranged oppositely, which are an upper receiving end one 321 and a lower receiving end one 322, and each upper receiving end one 321 and each lower receiving end one 322 are sequentially arranged along the size of the wafer specification to be detected to the center of the normally placed wafer. In this embodiment, the arrangement height of the transmitting end one 31 is located in the middle of the height of the upper receiving end one 321 and the lower receiving end one 322, and the spacing between the upper receiving end one 321 and the lower receiving end one 322 is greater than the spacing between the adjacent placement sites 2. Therefore, when the transmitting end one 31 of the first detection part 3 moves to the middle of the two layers of wafers, the upper receiving end one 321 is located above the placement site 2 adjacent to the upper side of the transmitting end one 31, and the lower receiving end one 322 is located below the placement site 2 adjacent to the lower side of the transmitting end one 31, so that the first detection part 3 can simultaneously detect the specification of the wafer placed on the two layers of adjacent placement sites 2. When the first detection part 3 includes two sets of receiving ends one 32 arranged oppositely, the detection range is arranged along the thickness direction of the wafer 8, and the array spacing of the detection range is twice the layer spacing of the placement sites 2. The first detection part 3 performs the detection action of the wafer specification once every two-layer placement site 2 spacing.

[0042] In some embodiments, each set of supports includes a first support 21, a second support 22 and a third support 23. The first support 21 and the second support 22 are located on both sides of the access of the storage rack 1, and the third support 23 is opposite to the access. The third supports 23 of any two layers of adjacent placement sites 2 of the wafer are arranged staggeredly to increase the area where the receiving end one 32 receives the signal of the transmitting end one 31. When the first detection part 3 is in the detection range allowed by the trigger part 4, the first detection part 3 detects the wafer. If the placement site 2 is located above the transmitting end one 31, the third support 23 corresponding to the placement site 2 is located on the side away from the transmitting end one 31. If the placement site 2 is located below the transmitting end one 31, the third support 23 corresponding to the placement site 2 is located on the side close to the transmitting end one 31, so that the two third supports 23 are arranged staggeredly.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, the wafer storage device includes a storage rack 1 and a first detection part 3. The storage rack 1 includes a plurality of placement sites 2 for placing wafers 8, and a trigger part 4 for triggering the first detection part 3 to detect the wafer 8 placed on the placement site 2. Figures 9-10As shown, the third support 23 close to the emitting end 31 is third support 231, and the third support 23 far from the emitting end 31 is third support 232, and the third support 231 and the third support 232 are staggered in the left-right direction. After the third support 231 and the third support 232 are arranged in this staggered manner, the light L emitted by the emitting end 31 to the receiving end 321 upward is not blocked by the third support 23 上 The distance L1 between the third support 232 and the emitting end 31 is larger, and the light L emitted by the emitting end 31 to the receiving end 322 downward is not blocked by the third support 23 下 The distance L2 between the third support 231 and the emitting end 31 is larger, so that the emitting end 31 can have a larger detection range between the two detection wafers that is not blocked by the third support 23, and the size of the wafer can be detected when the first detection part 3 moves quickly.

[0044] The present embodiment can maximize the signal sensing time between the emitting end 31 and the receiving end 32 by reducing the range of the emitted light blocked by the third support 23, and ensure that the detection result is more accurate and reliable. Thus, the size of each layer of wafer can be accurately detected when the first detection part 3 moves quickly, so that the detection of each layer of wafer can be realized under the premise of only one set of first detection part 3. Thus, when there are multiple layers of wafer in the wafer placing position 2, the detection can be quickly completed, ensuring the efficiency of the detection.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first support 21 and the second support 22 are respectively arranged on the left side and the right side close to the entrance and exit of the storage rack 1, and the third support 23 is arranged close to the rear side of the wafer placing position 2. The third supports 23 corresponding to any two adjacent wafer placing positions 2 are staggered in the left-right direction. The third support 23 is arranged in the left-right direction, without increasing the layer height, to ensure stronger storage capacity of the wafer and maximize the sensing range.

[0046] In some embodiments, the storage rack 1 includes a left vertical plate 11 and a right vertical plate 12, and the first support 21 and the second support 22 are respectively arranged on the left vertical plate 11 and the right vertical plate 12. The storage rack 1 further includes a rear vertical plate 13 arranged close to the middle of the rear side of the storage rack 1, and the third support 231 and the third support 232 are staggered in the left-right direction on the rear vertical plate 13. For example, the third support 231 can be arranged close to the left edge of the rear vertical plate 13, and the third support 232 can be arranged close to the right edge of the rear vertical plate 13.

[0047] In some embodiments, each third support 231 can be arranged in the same column, i.e., the arrangement interval in the left-right direction is equal, and correspondingly, each third support 232 is also arranged in the same column, so that the installation is convenient, and the space occupation of the third support 23 is minimized, and the arrangement is neat.

[0048] In some embodiments, the detection trigger 4 includes a position sensor 41 and a blocking member 42 (see Appendix). Figure 2 and attached Figure 5 As shown), the position sensor 41 moves synchronously with the first detection unit 3. The shielding member 42 has a baffle area 421 and a hollow area 422 alternately arranged along the wafer thickness direction. The baffle area 421 / hollow area 422 corresponds to the detection range. Correspondingly, the hollow area 422 / baffle area 421 corresponds to the stop detection range between adjacent detection areas. When the position sensor 41 is within the detection range, the trigger signal generated by the position sensor 41 causes the transmitter 31 to transmit a detection signal to the receiver 32. When the position sensor 41 is within the stop detection range, the transmitter 31 stops transmitting the detection signal.

[0049] like Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the cutout area 422 and the baffle area 421 of the shielding member 42 alternate in the vertical direction. When the position sensor 41 moves up and down with the first detection unit 3, the position sensor 41 alternately passes through the baffle area 421 and the cutout area 422. The baffle area corresponds to the detection range, and the cutout area 422 corresponds to the detection stop range. When the position sensor 41 detects the baffle area 421, the trigger signal generated by the position sensor 41 causes the transmitting end 31 of the first detection unit 3 to emit light to the receiving end 32. The judgment unit determines the presence and size of the wafer on the placement position 2 based on the electrical signal emitted by the receiving end 32 indicating whether it is blocked. When the position sensor 41 detects the cutout area 422, the transmitting end 31 of the first detection unit 3 stops emitting light to the receiving end 32, and the judgment unit does not judge the wafer on the placement position 2.

[0050] If the number of wafer layers that can be detected simultaneously after the first detection unit 3 emits a detection signal once is n layers, then the spacing between two adjacent baffle areas 421 is n times the spacing between adjacent wafer placement positions 2, where n ≤ 2. For example, when the first detection unit 3 includes two sets of receiving sensors arranged vertically opposite each other, the same first detection unit 3 can detect both upper and lower wafer layers simultaneously, and the spacing between two adjacent baffle areas 421 is the spacing between two placement positions 2. An opening is provided between the transmitting and receiving ends of the position sensor 41 for the baffle area 421 and the cutout area 422 of the shielding member 42 to pass through. The position sensor 41 is located on the left or right side of the middle of the connection area near the lifting arm 6, which ensures the stability of the overall structure and a reasonable structural layout.

[0051] In other possible implementations, the position sensor 41 can be used to detect the hollow area 422, causing the position sensor 41 to generate a trigger signal to cause the transmitting end 31 of the first detection unit 3 to emit light to the receiving end 32. Correspondingly, when the position sensor 41 detects the baffle area 421, the transmitting end 31 of the first detection unit 3 stops emitting light to the receiving end 32.

[0052] In some embodiments, the shielding member 42 is a serrated shielding plate.

[0053] In some embodiments, the positioning sensor 41 is one of a through-beam sensor, an eddy current sensor, or a Hall effect displacement sensor.

[0054] In some embodiments, the blocking member 42 is a raised portion spaced apart on the storage rack 1. The raised portion is located between two adjacent wafer layers. The raised portion can intermittently block the sensing light of the positioning sensor 41 during its movement: when the sensing light of the positioning sensor 41 is blocked, the transmitting end 31 emits a detection signal; when the sensing light of the positioning sensor 41 is not blocked, the transmitting end 31 does not emit a detection signal. If the number of wafer layers that can be detected simultaneously after the transmitting end 31 of the first detection unit 3 emits a detection signal once is n layers, then the setting distance between two adjacent raised portions is n times the setting distance of the adjacent wafer placement positions 2, where n≤2. For example, when the first detection unit 3 simultaneously includes two sets of receiving sensors arranged vertically opposite each other, the same first detection unit 3 can simultaneously detect the upper and lower wafer layers, and the setting distance between two adjacent raised portions is twice the setting distance of the wafer placement positions 2.

[0055] The protrusion has a certain height along the height direction of the storage rack 1, so that the area where the sensing light of the positioning sensor 41 can be blocked by the protrusion has a certain distance. This makes the transmission signal of the transmitter 31 a time period rather than a point in time, so that the detection result of the first detection unit 3 is more accurate.

[0056] In some implementations, the appendix is ​​combined again. Figure 2 The first detection unit 3 includes a lifting arm 6 that can reciprocate along the wafer thickness direction and a moving part 7 for moving the lifting arm 6. A transmitter 31 and a receiver 32 are disposed on the lifting arm 6, and a position sensor 41 is also disposed on the lifting arm 6. Therefore, when the lifting arm 6 rises and falls with the moving part 7, it synchronously drives the first detection unit 3 and the position sensor 41 to move, making the structure of the wafer storage device of the present invention more streamlined and easier to install.

[0057] In some embodiments, the moving part 7 includes a lead screw 71 screwed to the lifting arm 6 and a guide rod 72 arranged parallel to the lead screw 71. The two ends of the guide rod 72 are respectively disposed on the top wall and bottom wall of the wafer storage device. One end of the lead screw 71 is connected to a drive source, and the other end passes through the top wall or bottom wall of the wafer storage device and can rotate relative to the wafer storage device.

[0058] In some embodiments, the lifting arm 6 includes a first connecting arm 61 and a second connecting arm 62 disposed opposite to each other, and a connecting area 63 connecting the first connecting arm 61 and the second connecting arm 62. A transmitter 31 is disposed on the first connecting arm 61, a receiver 32 is disposed on the second connecting arm 62, and a positioning sensor 41 is disposed on the connecting area 63. In some embodiments, the lifting arm 6 is a U-shaped arm.

[0059] When the first detection unit 3 includes two sets of receiving ends 32, the second connecting arm 62 includes an upper connecting block 621 and a lower connecting block 622 arranged opposite to each other (see attached diagram). Figure 1 Furthermore, the distance between the ends of the upper connecting block 621 and the lower connecting block 622 furthest from the connecting area 63 gradually decreases towards the side closer to the connecting area 63. Therefore, a horizontally arranged "V"-shaped opening is formed between the upper connecting block 621 and the lower connecting block 622. The surfaces of the upper connecting block 621 and the lower connecting block 622 furthest from the connecting area 63 serve as mounting surfaces, which are arranged perpendicular to each layer of wafer 8. This reduces the size of the lifting arm 6 while ensuring sufficient spacing between the upper receiving end 321 and the lower receiving end 322. Correspondingly, the first connecting arm 61 adopts a similar structural design to the second connecting arm 62 and is symmetrically arranged with it. When the first detection unit 3 has only one set of transmitting ends 31, the first connecting arm 61 can also be configured as a single connecting block instead of a top-bottom structure.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first detection unit 3 further includes a mounting plate 33 for mounting the various groups of receivers 32. That is, the multiple receivers 32 are arranged in a linear array on the mounting plate 33, allowing for convenient and quick installation of the multiple receivers 32 onto the lifting arm 6. In some embodiments, the end of the mounting plate 33 can be configured as a bending area, making the mounting plate 33 L-shaped overall. By connecting the bending area to the mounting plate 33, the multiple groups of receivers 32 can be quickly installed onto the lifting arm 6.

[0061] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it. They should not be used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer storage device, characterized in that, The storage rack comprises a plurality of groups of supports arranged at intervals, and a bearing surface of each group of supports forms a placement position for a wafer. The first detection unit is movably arranged along the thickness direction of the wafer, and comprises a transmitting end and a receiving end. The transmitting end and the receiving end are arranged close to different side walls of the storage rack. The receiving end has a plurality of receiving ends corresponding to different sizes of wafers. The transmitting end emits light to the receiving ends through a plane in which the placement positions of the adjacent placement positions are located. The light emitted by the transmitting end and tangent to the wafer passes through the corresponding receiving end of the wafer and the intermediate region of the receiving end adjacent to the corresponding receiving end and away from the wafer. The judging unit judges whether the wafer in the placement position is present and the size of the wafer according to the electrical signals of whether the receiving ends are blocked when the transmitting end moves to the detection range between the adjacent placement positions.

2. The wafer storage device of claim 1, wherein, The first detection unit comprises at least one transmitting end and two groups of receiving ends, i.e., upper receiving ends and lower receiving ends. The transmitting end is located between the upper receiving ends and the lower receiving ends. The spacing between the upper receiving ends and the lower receiving ends is greater than the spacing between the adjacent placement positions. The detection range is arranged along the thickness direction of the wafer. The array spacing of the detection range is twice the layer spacing of the placement positions.

3. The wafer storage device of claim 2, wherein, Each group of supports comprises a first support, a second support and a third support. The first support and the second support are located on both sides of the entrance of the storage rack. The third support is opposite to the entrance. When the transmitting end is in the detection range, if the placement position is above the transmitting end, the third support corresponding to the placement position is located on the side away from the transmitting end. If the placement position is below the transmitting end, the third support corresponding to the placement position is located on the side close to the transmitting end.

4. The wafer storage device of claim 3, wherein The first support and the second support are arranged close to the left side and the right side of the placement position of the wafer, respectively. The third support is arranged close to the back side of the placement position of the wafer. The third supports of any two adjacent layers of placement positions of the wafers are staggered along the left-right direction.

5. The wafer storage device of claim 4, wherein, The back vertical plate is arranged close to the middle of the back side of the storage rack. The third support close to the transmitting end is the first third support, and the third support away from the transmitting end is the second third support. The first third support and the second third support are staggered along the left-right direction. The first third support and the second third support are arranged on the back vertical plate.

6. The wafer storage device of claim 1, wherein, The triggering unit generates a triggering signal when the transmitting end is in the detection range. The triggering signal enables the first detection unit to detect in the detection range.

7. The wafer storage device of claim 6, wherein The trigger part comprises a position sensor and a shielding part, the position sensor moves synchronously with the first detection part, the shielding part has alternately arranged baffle area and hollow area along the wafer thickness direction, the baffle area / hollow area corresponds to the detection range, the hollow area / baffle area corresponds to the stop detection range between adjacent detection ranges, when the position sensor is in the detection range, the trigger signal generated by the position sensor makes the transmitting end one transmit detection signal to the receiving end one, when the position sensor is in the stop detection range, the transmitting end one stops transmitting detection signal.

8. The wafer storage device of claim 7, wherein, The position sensor is one of the following: a pair of sensors, an eddy current sensor, and a Hall displacement sensor.

9. The wafer storage device of claim 7, wherein, The first detection part comprises a lifting arm that can move along the wafer thickness direction and a moving part for driving the lifting arm to move, the transmitting end one and the receiving end one are arranged on the lifting arm, and the position sensor is also arranged on the lifting arm.

10. The wafer storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, Further comprising a second detection part, when any wafer deviates from the normal position and protrudes forward, the second detection part can identify it, the second detection part comprises at least two groups of second sensor assemblies arranged near the front of the storage rack, and the distribution direction of each group of second sensor assemblies has at least one component vector along the front-rear direction of the wafer storage device.

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