Substrate storage device with cleaning mechanical arm function and substrate storage and cleaning method

Abstract

The invention relates to a base plate storage device with a mechanical arm cleaning function, which comprises a base, a lifting mechanism, a fixing plate, a cleaning tank and a base plate supporting seat, the base plate supporting seat is used for supporting a base plate, and the cleaning tank is driven by the lifting mechanism to ascend and descend, so that a mechanical arm is cleaned at a cleaning position, and the operation of the mechanical arm is avoided at an avoiding position; and the mechanical arm is not hindered to complete the taking and placing operation of the substrate. According to the substrate storage device with the mechanical arm cleaning function, the cleaning related mechanism is arranged at the position of the substrate storage device, cleaning of the mechanical arm can be achieved, and the mechanical arm is prevented from polluting the cleaned substrate. The invention further provides a substrate storing and cleaning method using the substrate storing device with the mechanical arm cleaning function.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of substrate production equipment, and particularly relates to a substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function and a substrate storage cleaning method. BACKGROUND

[0002] During preparation of a semiconductor substrate, a mechanical arm is needed to transport the semiconductor substrate at different stations. Chinese utility model patents CN212676236U and CN219946243U disclose a wafer grabbing manipulator without a basket, which comprises a mounting frame, two parallel rotating shafts, a grabbing frame (branch arm), and a lifting mechanism for driving the grabbing frame to lift, and the manipulator as a whole can also move along a horizontal transmission mechanism. Since a wafer basket is not used, the mechanical arm directly grabs and contacts the substrate. Therefore, the mechanical arm needs to be cleaned after grabbing a dirty wafer that has not been cleaned, and then can grab a clean wafer after cleaning. In the prior art, a separate cleaning station is usually set up, which leads to low work efficiency, and therefore a mechanical arm cleaning device that can be closely combined with a wafer production process is needed. SUMMARY

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the present application is to solve the deficiencies in the prior art and provide a substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function.

[0004] The technical scheme adopted by the present application to solve the technical problem is:

[0005] A substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function comprises:

[0006] a base;

[0007] a lifting mechanism arranged on the base;

[0008] a fixed plate fixedly arranged opposite to the base;

[0009] a cleaning tank arranged on the lifting mechanism, wherein the lifting mechanism has a lifting drive;

[0010] a substrate support seat arranged on the fixed plate and used for supporting a substrate;

[0011] the lifting drive can drive the cleaning tank to lift, so that the cleaning tank can change between a cleaning position and an avoiding position, and the cleaning position is higher than the avoiding position;

[0012] when the cleaning tank is in the cleaning position, the mechanical arm can extend into the cleaning tank;

[0013] when the cleaning tank is in the avoiding position, the substrate can be placed on the substrate support seat by the mechanical arm.

[0014] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, after the mechanical arm opens the two arms, the arms can extend into the two cleaning tanks in the cleaning position.

[0015] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, the cleaning tank is a cuboid tank with an open top, having a cleaning liquid inlet and a cleaning liquid outlet.

[0016] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, the top of the cleaning tank is also provided with a first air jet pipe, which is used to blow off the residual water on the cleaned mechanical arm.

[0017] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, the substrate support seat includes a first support plate and two second support plates.

[0018] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, a second air jet pipe is arranged beside the first support plate, and a third air jet pipe is arranged beside the two second support plates, and the second air jet pipe and the third air jet pipe are respectively aligned with the first support plate and the two second support plates.

[0019] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, the second air jet pipe is two, respectively located on both sides of the first support plate.

[0020] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, the two second air jet pipes stagger the blowing of gas.

[0021] Preferably, the substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application, the first air jet pipe also has a suction function, when the second air jet pipe and the third air jet pipe work, the first air jet pipe can be raised and lowered with the cleaning tank to the position corresponding to the second support plate.

[0022] The present application also provides a substrate storage cleaning method, using the above-mentioned substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function, comprising the following steps:

[0023] The lifting drive lowers the cleaning tank to the avoidance position, the mechanical arm carries the substrate, places the uncleaned substrate on the substrate support seat, and then transports the substrate away from the substrate support seat, after the substrate leaves, the lifting drive raises the cleaning tank to the cleaning position, the mechanical arm descends into the cleaning tank, the two arms of the mechanical arm are completely immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank, after cleaning, the mechanical arm rises and leaves the cleaning tank, and the cleaned mechanical arm grasps the cleaned substrate.

[0024] The present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] The substrate storage device with the cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application comprises a base, a lifting mechanism, a fixed plate, a cleaning tank and a substrate support seat, the substrate support seat is used for supporting a substrate, the cleaning tank is lifted by the driving of the lifting mechanism, so as to clean the mechanical arm at a cleaning position and avoid the operation of the mechanical arm at an avoiding position, without hindering the mechanical arm to complete the taking and placing operation of the substrate. The substrate storage device with the cleaning mechanical arm function of the present application sets the cleaning related mechanism at the substrate storage (buffer) device, can realize the cleaning of the mechanical arm, combines the buffer and cleaning functions, prevents the mechanical arm from polluting the cleaned substrate, saves the space occupied by the mechanical mechanism and improves the production efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] The technical scheme of the present application is further illustrated below in combination with the drawings and embodiments.

[0027] Figure 1 is a structural schematic view of the substrate storage device with the cleaning mechanical arm function of the embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 2 is a structural schematic view of the other end of the substrate storage device with the cleaning mechanical arm function of the embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 3 is a sectional view of the cleaning tank of the embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 4 is a structural schematic view of the substrate support seat of the embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 5 is a structural schematic view of the substrate support seat and the second and third jet pipes of the embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 6 is a structural schematic view of the mechanical arm during cleaning of the embodiment of the present application;

[0033] The reference signs in the drawings are as follows:

[0034] 1 base

[0035] 2 lifting mechanism;

[0036] 3 fixed plate;

[0037] 4 cleaning tank;

[0038] 5 substrate support seat;

[0039] 9 mechanical arm;

[0040] 21 lifting driving part;

[0041] 22 lifting guide rail;

[0042] 23 lifting plate;

[0043] 41 cleaning liquid inlet;

[0044] 42 cleaning liquid outlet;

[0045] 43 first air jet pipe;

[0046] 51 first support plate;

[0047] 52 second support plate;

[0048] 53 second air jet pipe;

[0049] 54 third air jet pipe;

[0050] 91 support arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0052] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms “center”, “longitudinal”, “transverse”, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, “outer” and the like are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the devices or elements indicated thereby must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, the terms “first”, “second” and the like are only for the purpose of description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated thereby. Therefore, the features defined with “first”, “second” and the like can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present application, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms “mounting”, “connection”, “connecting” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integral connection; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection; can be directly connected, can also be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood through specific circumstances.

[0053] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise specified and limited, the terms “mounting”, “connection”, “connecting” should be understood in a broad sense, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integral connection; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection; can be directly connected, can also be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the communication inside two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood through specific circumstances.

[0054] The technical solutions of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0055] EMBODIMENT

[0056] This embodiment provides a substrate storage device with a cleaning robotic arm function, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0057] Base 1;

[0058] Lifting mechanism 2 is mounted on base 1;

[0059] The fixing plate 3 is fixedly set relative to the base 1 (it can be indirectly connected to the base 1 through other components).

[0060] The cleaning tank 4 is installed on the lifting mechanism 2;

[0061] The substrate support 5 is mounted on the fixing plate 3 and is used to support the substrate;

[0062] The lifting mechanism 2 can drive the cleaning tank 4 to rise and fall, thereby allowing the cleaning tank 4 to change between the cleaning position and the avoidance position.

[0063] When the cleaning tank 4 is in the cleaning position, the robotic arm 9 can extend into the cleaning tank 4; (at this time, the cleaning tank 4 is in a higher position).

[0064] When the cleaning tank 4 is in the clearance position, the substrate can be gripped by the robotic arm 9 and placed on the substrate support 5. (At this time, the cleaning tank 4 is in a lower position.)

[0065] This embodiment of a substrate storage device with a cleaning robotic arm function includes a base 1, a lifting mechanism 2, a fixing plate 3, a cleaning tank 4, and a substrate support 5. The substrate support 5 supports the substrate. The cleaning tank 4 is driven to rise and fall by the lifting mechanism 2, thereby cleaning the robotic arm 9 in the cleaning position and avoiding the movement of the robotic arm 9 in the avoidance position, without hindering the robotic arm 9 from completing the substrate picking and placing operation. This embodiment of a substrate storage device with a cleaning robotic arm function has a cleaning-related mechanism set in the substrate storage (buffer) device, which can realize the cleaning of the robotic arm and prevent the robotic arm from contaminating the cleaned substrate.

[0066] After the robotic arm 9 opens its two support arms 91, the support arms 91 can extend into the two cleaning tanks 4 in the cleaning position. In other words, the robotic arm 9 can perform cleaning of its two support arms 91 simply by opening them, even when it is not gripping the substrate.

[0067] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the cleaning tank 4 is a cubic tank with an opening at the top, and has a cleaning fluid inlet 41 and a cleaning fluid outlet 42. The cleaning fluid inlet 41 is located on the side wall of the cleaning tank 4, and the cleaning fluid outlet 42 is located at the bottom of the cleaning tank 4. The cleaning fluid inlet 41 and the cleaning fluid outlet 42 are connected to the liquid supply mechanism via hoses or corrugated pipes to accommodate changes in position relative to the liquid supply mechanism.

[0068] The top of the cleaning tank 4 is also provided with a first air jet pipe 43 for connecting with an air jet supply device, which is used for blowing the residual water on the cleaned mechanical arm 9. The first air jet pipe 43 is raised and lowered together with the cleaning tank 4.

[0069] As shown in Figure 4 and 5 The substrate support seat 5 includes a first support plate 51 and two second support plates 52, which constitute a three-point support structure for supporting the substrate. A second air jet pipe 53 is arranged beside the first support plate 51, and a third air jet pipe 54 is arranged beside the second support plate 52. The second air jet pipe 53 and the third air jet pipe 54 are respectively aligned with the first support plate 51 and the two second support plates 52, and the dirt on the first support plate 51 and the two second support plates 52 is blown away by the jet gas. The second air jet pipe 53 or the third air jet pipe 54 is parallel to the first support plate 51 or the second support plate 52, and a row of air holes are formed on the second air jet pipe 53 or the third air jet pipe 54, which are aligned with the first support plate 51 or the second support plate 52.

[0070] The second air jet pipe 53 is two, respectively located on both sides of the first support plate 51. When the second air jet pipe 53 blows gas, it can be staggered to prevent the airflow from affecting each other.

[0071] As shown in Figure 2 The lifting mechanism 2 includes a lifting drive 21 (electric cylinder, air cylinder, etc.), a lifting guide rail 22, a lifting plate 23 arranged at the top of the lifting guide rail 22, and the lifting drive 21 drives the lifting plate 23 to rise and fall. When the lifting plate 23 is in a high position (cleaning position), the cleaning tank 4 is also in a high position. At this time, the mechanical arm 9 can extend into the cleaning tank 4 to complete the cleaning. When the lifting plate 23 is in a low position (avoiding position), the mechanical arm 9 can smoothly take and place the substrate, and the cleaning tank 4 will not hinder the action of the mechanical arm 9.

[0072] The first air jet pipe 43 also has a gas suction function. When the second air jet pipe 53 and the third air jet pipe 54 work, the first air jet pipe 43 can be raised and lowered to the position corresponding to the second support plate 52 together with the cleaning tank 4. When the second air jet pipe 53 and the third air jet pipe 54 blow gas, some dust particles will be blown from the first support plate 51 or the second support plate 52. The gas suction of the first air jet pipe 43 can suck away these gases to prevent them from falling on other equipment.

[0073] The embodiment also provides a substrate storage cleaning method, the steps are as follows:

[0074] The lifting drive 21 lowers the cleaning tank 4 to the avoiding position, the robot arm 9 carries the substrate, places the substrate on the substrate support 5, and then transports the substrate away from the substrate support 5. After the substrate is removed, the lifting drive 21 raises the cleaning tank 4 to the cleaning position, and the robot arm 9 is lowered into the cleaning tank 4. The two arms of the robot arm 9 are completely immersed in the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank 4. After the cleaning is completed, the robot arm 9 is raised to leave the cleaning tank 4. In the process of being raised, the first gas jet pipe 43 sprays gas to dry the residual moisture on the robot arm 9. The robot arm 9 after cleaning picks up the substrate after cleaning.

[0075] When there is no substrate on the substrate support 5, the second gas jet pipe 53 and the third gas jet pipe 54 spray gas to blow away the dirt (mainly dust) on the substrate support 5.

[0076] The robot arm in the embodiment is also called a chuck.

[0077] The substrate in the present application refers to a wafer, a silicon wafer, etc.

[0078] Based on the above ideal embodiments according to the present application, through the above description, relevant personnel can make various changes and modifications without deviating from the technical idea of the present application. The technical scope of the present application is not limited to the content in the specification, and must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A substrate storage device with a cleaning robotic arm function, characterized in that, The application relates to a substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function. The application comprises: a base (1); a lifting mechanism (2) arranged on the base (1); a fixed plate (3) arranged opposite to the base (1); a cleaning tank (4) arranged on the lifting mechanism (2), wherein the lifting mechanism (2) is provided with a lifting driving element (21); a substrate support seat (5) arranged on the fixed plate (3) and used for supporting a substrate; the lifting driving element (21) can drive the cleaning tank (4) to lift, so that the cleaning tank (4) can change between a cleaning position and an avoiding position, wherein the height of the cleaning position is higher than that of the avoiding position; when the cleaning tank (4) is in the cleaning position, a mechanical arm (9) can extend into the cleaning tank (4); 2. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 1, characterized by, when the cleaning tank (4) is in the avoiding position, a substrate can be placed on the substrate support seat (5) by the mechanical arm (9).

3. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 1, characterized by, After the mechanical arm (9) opens two supporting arms (91), the supporting arms (91) can extend into two cleaning tanks (4) in the cleaning position.

4. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 1, characterized by, The cleaning tank (4) is a cuboid-shaped tank with an open top and is provided with a cleaning liquid inlet (41) and a cleaning liquid outlet (42).

5. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 4, characterized by, The top of the cleaning tank (4) is further provided with a first air blowing pipe (43), and the first air blowing pipe (43) is used for blowing residual water on the cleaned mechanical arm (9) away.

6. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 5, characterized by, The substrate support seat (5) comprises a first supporting plate (51) and two second supporting plates (52).

7. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 6, characterized by, A second air blowing pipe (53) is arranged beside the first supporting plate (51), a third air blowing pipe (54) is arranged beside the second supporting plate (52), and the second air blowing pipe (53) and the third air blowing pipe (54) are respectively aligned with the first supporting plate (51) and the two second supporting plates (52).

8. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 7, characterized by, The second air blowing pipe (53) is provided with two second air blowing pipes (53) arranged on the two sides of the first supporting plate (51).

9. The substrate storage device having a cleaning robot function according to claim 6, characterized by, The two second air blowing pipes (53) staggerly blow air.

10. A substrate storage cleaning method characterized by comprising: The first air blowing pipe (43) also has an air suction function, and when the second air blowing pipe (53) and the third air blowing pipe (54) work, the first air blowing pipe (43) can be lifted to the position corresponding to the second supporting plate (52) along with the cleaning tank (4). The application also provides a substrate storage device with a cleaning mechanical arm function, and the substrate storage device comprises the following steps: a lifting driving element (21) lowers a cleaning tank (4) to an avoiding position, a mechanical arm (9) carries a substrate, places the substrate which has not been cleaned on a substrate support seat (5), then transports the substrate away from the substrate support seat (5), after the substrate leaves, the lifting driving element (21) lifts the cleaning tank (4) to a cleaning position, the mechanical arm (9) is lowered into the cleaning tank (4), two supporting arms of the mechanical arm (9) are completely immersed in cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank (4), after cleaning is completed, the mechanical arm (9) is lifted to leave the cleaning tank (4), and the mechanical arm (9) after cleaning is completed is used for grabbing the substrate after cleaning.

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