A wafer carrier device

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of semiconductor memory device technology, and provides a wafer carrier device aimed at solving the problem that when wafer cassettes are placed open within a memory cell, the internal wafers are easily disturbed and misaligned, and there is a lack of real-time detection methods. The device includes a carrier frame, a lifting frame, a sliding block, a rotating arm, and a vision inspection module. The carrier frame has several vertically arranged carrier platforms, each with several fan-shaped carrier seats, so that the openings of the wafer cassettes on the carrier seats converge at the same point. The lifting frame is vertically connected to the feeding side of the carrier frame, the sliding block is horizontally slidably connected to the lifting frame, the rotating arm is horizontally rotatably connected to the sliding block, and the vision inspection module is located at the end of the rotating arm. Through the lifting of the lifting frame, the horizontal sliding of the sliding block, and the swinging of the rotating arm, the vision inspection module can move above any wafer cassette to capture wafer images downwards, achieving real-time detection of wafer misalignment and ensuring the safety of wafer storage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor memory device technology, and more specifically, to a wafer carrier device. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process, automated wafer handling and storage is one of the core steps. Wafer storage cells (Cassettes), as the core carriers of the wafer, need to be frequently moved between wafer storage cells (such as STK memory modules) and process equipment (such as thin film deposition and etching equipment) using mechanical grippers (Robots). As wafer sizes have evolved towards 8-inch, 6-inch, 5-inch, 4-inch, 3-inch, and 2-inch sizes, wafer thickness has decreased to only a few hundred micrometers (e.g., an 8-inch wafer is typically 725μm thick). This places extremely high demands on the positioning accuracy, disturbance rejection capability, and storage security of the wafer carriers. Damage to a wafer during storage or handling will directly lead to the scrapping of the entire wafer (a single 8-inch wafer can produce hundreds of chips, making scrapping extremely costly), and may also damage equipment mechanisms, causing production interruptions.

[0003] In the prior art, during the operation process of the wafer carrier box in the wafer storage unit, in order to facilitate the subsequent wafer handling (such as when the robot needs to directly contact the edge or back of the wafer when picking up the wafer), the wafer carrier box is often in an open state without a cover after entering the storage unit (that is, the wafer carrier box cover needs to be removed in advance or not assembled temporarily). At this time, the wafer inside the wafer carrier box is only limited by the side wall of its own receiving slot. When mechanical grippers perform wafer carrier handling operations, two types of operational disturbances are inevitably generated: First, inertial disturbance, that is, during the acceleration, deceleration or turning process, the grippers will generate an inertial force on the wafer carrier along the handling direction. After the inertial force is transmitted to the wafer, it is easy to cause the wafer to deviate radially in the receiving slot (such as deviating from the central axis of the receiving slot); Second, external vibration disturbance, the equipment around the wafer storage unit (such as the transfer track, other handling robots) will generate vibration during operation. This vibration is transmitted to the wafer carrier through the equipment rack, causing the wafer to move axially or tilt in the receiving slot (especially for thin wafers, which are prone to "flutter" phenomenon due to vibration).

[0004] Furthermore, existing wafer carriers and wafer storage units lack a detection mechanism for unexpected wafer misalignment. Current storage units can only ensure the overall placement accuracy of the wafer carrier through the positioning and calibration of mechanical grippers, but cannot detect the real-time orientation of the wafers inside the wafer carrier (such as whether misalignment has occurred or whether the misalignment exceeds a safety threshold). Once the wafer undergoes unexpected misalignment due to the aforementioned disturbances (such as a misalignment exceeding 0.5mm), the subsequent program-controlled mechanisms (such as the pick-up robot's nozzle and the guide blocks of the transfer track) are highly susceptible to rigid collisions with the misaligned wafers during wafer pick-up or transfer operations. This can result in wafer edge chipping and surface scratches, or even complete wafer shattering. It may also damage the pick-up robot's nozzle or guide structure, causing equipment downtime for maintenance, significantly reducing production efficiency and increasing manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the above-mentioned defects, embodiments of the present invention provide a wafer carrier device, which solves the problem that in the prior art, when the wafer carrier (Cassette) is handled by mechanical grippers in the wafer storage unit, the wafer inside is in an open state without a cover, and is easily disturbed by external vibrations, handling inertia and other operating conditions. This causes the wafer in the wafer receiving slot to be unexpectedly misaligned after the wafer carrier is positioned in the wafer storage unit. Furthermore, due to the lack of a real-time and effective means to detect this unexpected misalignment, the wafer is prone to collision and damage with the program-controlled mechanical components during the storage stage.

[0006] According to one aspect, at least one embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer carrier device, comprising:

[0007] The carrier frame has several vertically arranged carrier platforms. Each carrier platform has several carrier seats for carrying wafer cassettes. The carrier seats are arranged in a fan shape so that the openings of the wafer cassettes on the carrier seats converge at the same point.

[0008] The lifting frame is connected to the material inlet side of the support frame.

[0009] The sliding block is slidably connected to the lifting frame, and the sliding block can approach the wafer box on any carrying platform under the lifting and lowering action of the lifting frame;

[0010] The rotating arm is horizontally rotatably connected to the sliding block, and the rotating arm can approach any wafer cell under the sliding action of the sliding block;

[0011] The vision inspection module is located at the end of the rotating arm. The vision inspection module can move to the top of any wafer cell by the lateral swing of the rotating arm and capture wafer images at the opening of the wafer cell.

[0012] For example, in at least one embodiment of the present invention, a wafer carrier device further includes a reset mechanism for resetting misaligned wafers. The reset mechanism includes:

[0013] The reset lever is oscillatingly connected to the lower part of the rotating arm.

[0014] The drive telescopic component is oscillatingly connected to the lower part of the rotating arm. The extended end of the drive telescopic component is hinged to the reset lever, which is used to push the reset lever to move to one side of the wafer cassette, so as to push the misaligned wafer into the wafer cassette through the reset lever.

[0015] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, a reset lever has a telescopic end, and the telescopic end of the reset lever is provided with an abutment block. The abutment block has an abutment surface, and the abutment block can lift the edge of the misaligned wafer upward through the abutment surface when the reset lever retracts.

[0016] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the abutment block further has a push surface that is angled with the abutment surface. The push surface is used to abut against the edge of the misaligned wafer to push the misaligned wafer back to its original position.

[0017] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the abutment block further has an overlapping surface, which is located between the push surface and the abutment surface. The overlapping surface and the abutment surface are set at an obtuse angle. The overlapping surface cooperates with the push surface to support and push the misaligned wafer so that the wafer is reset.

[0018] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, both the pushing surface and the overlapping surface are curved surfaces extending circumferentially along the reset lever.

[0019] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, a mounting groove is provided on the rotating arm, and a drive telescopic member is oscillating and connected to the mounting groove.

[0020] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of lead screws are rotatably connected to the feeding side of the carrier frame, and a plurality of lifting drive components corresponding one-to-one with the plurality of lead screws are provided on the top of the carrier frame. The output end of the lifting drive component is connected to the lead screw through a transmission structure. The lifting frame and the lead screw are threadedly engaged, and the lead screw can drive the lifting frame to slide vertically under the driving action of the lifting drive component.

[0021] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, the lifting frame has horizontally extending teeth, the sliding block is provided with a sliding drive, and the output end of the sliding drive is provided with a first gear that meshes with the teeth. The first gear can drive the sliding block to slide on the lifting frame under the driving action of the sliding drive.

[0022] For example, in a wafer carrier device provided in at least one embodiment of the present invention, a carrier frame is provided with a plurality of reinforcing columns that vertically penetrate a plurality of carrier platforms, and the plurality of reinforcing columns are arranged alternately with a plurality of carrier seats in the same group.

[0023] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows:

[0024] In this invention, the carrier seats on the carrier platform are arranged in a fan shape, so that the openings of the wafer cassettes on each carrier seat converge at the same point. This makes it easy for the external clamping mechanism to accurately place the wafer cassettes on different carrier seats simply by rotating itself, without the need for complex multi-axis linkage adjustment. It also concentrates the wafer cassette detection area and reduces the movement range of the vision inspection module.

[0025] The vertical lifting of the lifting frame, the horizontal sliding of the sliding block, and the horizontal rotation of the rotating arm form a three-dimensional adjustable mechanism, which can drive the vision inspection module to flexibly approach any wafer cell on any carrier platform, ensuring that the inspection has no blind spots and the alignment is accurate.

[0026] The vision inspection module can move above the wafer cassette to collect images, enabling real-time detection of wafer misalignment. This solves the problem that existing technologies can only calibrate the overall position of the wafer cassette and cannot monitor the internal wafer orientation. It avoids collisions between subsequent mechanisms and misaligned wafers, protects wafers and equipment, reduces scrap and failure costs, and improves wafer storage security and production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the content of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without any creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer carrier device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of the wafer carrier device in the embodiment;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 An enlarged view of point A of the wafer carrier device in the embodiment;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of section B of the wafer carrier device in the embodiment;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 2An enlarged view of another state B of the wafer carrier device in the embodiment;

[0033] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer carrier device when detecting another wafer cassette in the embodiment;

[0034] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Enlarged view of point C of the wafer carrier device in the embodiment.

[0035] In the diagram: 100, wafer box; 1, support frame; 11, support platform; 2, support seat; 3, lifting frame; 4, sliding block; 5, rotating arm; 6, vision inspection module; 7, reset mechanism; 71, drive telescopic component; 72, reset swing arm; 73, abutment block; 731, abutment surface; 732, pushing surface; 733, overlapping surface; 51, mounting groove; 31, lead screw; 32, lifting drive component; 33, gear; 41, sliding drive component; 42, first gear; 12, reinforcing column. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and not intended to limit it.

[0037] To keep the drawings concise, each drawing only schematically shows the parts relevant to the disclosure; these do not represent the actual structure of the product. Furthermore, for ease of understanding, in some drawings, only one of components with the same structure or function is schematically shown, or only one is labeled. In this document, "one" not only means "only one," but can also mean "more than one," and "several" includes "two" and "more than two."

[0038] In this document, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0040] In the description of this embodiment, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of description and simplification of operation, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention.

[0041] Furthermore, in the description of this application, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] The wafer carrier device provided in this embodiment is applied to the wafer storage and handling stage in the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process. It is mainly used to solve the problem that when the wafer carrier (Cassette, i.e., the wafer box in this embodiment) is in an open state without a cover in the storage unit, the internal wafer is easily subjected to unintended displacement due to handling inertia and external vibration disturbance, and there is a lack of detection and reset means after placement.

[0043] In the semiconductor manufacturing field, wafers need to be carried by wafer cassettes and transported between memory cells (such as STK memory modules) and process equipment (such as thin film deposition and etching equipment) using a clamping mechanism (robot). As wafer sizes develop towards common specifications of 8 inches and below (such as 8-inch, 6-inch, 5-inch, 4-inch, 3-inch, and 2-inch), the wafer thickness is only a few hundred micrometers. The positioning accuracy and safety requirements in the storage process are extremely high. Once the wafer is misaligned and collides with subsequent mechanisms, it will lead to wafer scrapping and equipment failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a carrier device with detection function to realize the detection and correction of wafer posture.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, the wafer carrier device in this embodiment includes a carrier frame 1, a lifting frame 3, a sliding block 4, a rotating arm 5, and a vision inspection module 6, and may optionally include a reset mechanism 7 and a reinforcing column 12.

[0045] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the support frame 1 is the main support structure of the device, and it has several support platforms 11 arranged vertically. The support platforms 11 are evenly spaced to form a multi-layer storage space. Each support platform 11 is provided with several support seats 2, which are distributed in a fan shape on the support platform 11. When the wafer cassette 100 is placed on the support seat 2, the openings of all wafer cassettes 100 converge at the same point. The advantage of this fan-shaped distribution design is that it facilitates the external wafer cassette 100 clamping mechanism (such as a mechanical gripper) to clamp the wafer cassette 100 onto the corresponding support seat 2. When the rotation axis of the clamping mechanism coincides with the above-mentioned convergence point, the wafer cassette 100 can be accurately placed on different support seats 2 simply by rotating itself, without the need for complex multi-axis linkage adjustment.

[0046] Optionally, the number of carrier seats 2 can be set according to the size of the carrier platform 11 and the specifications of the wafer cassette 100. For example, three or four carrier seats 2 can be set on each carrier platform 11 to achieve efficient use of space. The carrier seats 2 can also be provided with positioning protrusions or limiting grooves for initial positioning of the wafer cassette 100, preventing the wafer cassette 100 from sliding laterally on the carrier platform 11, and further ensuring the initial positional accuracy of the wafer cassette 100.

[0047] Furthermore, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, several lead screws 31 are rotatably connected to the feed side (i.e., the side near the operator or clamping mechanism) of the support frame 1. In this embodiment, there are two lead screws 31 arranged in parallel intervals. The two ends of the lead screws 31 are rotatably connected to the top and bottom of the support frame 1 through bearing seats to ensure smooth rotation of the lead screws 31. Several lifting drive components 32 are fixed to the top of the support frame 1. Each lifting drive component 32 corresponds to one lead screw 31. The lifting drive component 32 can be a servo motor, and its output end is connected to the top of the lead screw 31 through a transmission structure. This transmission structure can be a coupling or a synchronous belt. The specific implementation depends on the on-site structural layout and selective use to realize the driving transmission between the lifting drive component 32 and the lead screw 31. Threaded holes adapted to the lead screws 31 are opened on both sides of the lifting frame 3. The lead screws 31 pass through the threaded holes and are threadedly engaged with the lifting frame 3.

[0048] When the vertical position of the lifting frame 3 needs to be adjusted, the lifting drive component 32 is activated, and its output end drives the lead screw 31 to rotate around its own axis. Since the lead screw 31 is threadedly engaged with the lifting frame 3, the lifting frame 3 slides vertically along the axis of the lead screw 31, achieving alignment with the support platform 11 at different heights. The beneficial effect of this lead screw drive method is that the threaded drive has a self-locking characteristic, and the lifting frame 3 can stably maintain its current position after stopping, avoiding positional deviation due to vibration. At the same time, the symmetrical arrangement of the two lead screws 31 ensures that the lifting frame 3 is subjected to uniform force and does not tilt during vertical sliding, ensuring the alignment accuracy of the subsequent visual inspection module 6 with the opening of the wafer box 100.

[0049] Furthermore, a sliding block 4 is provided on the lifting frame 3, and the sliding block 4 is laterally slidingly connected to the lifting frame 3. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the lifting frame 3 has a horizontally extending tooth 33 on the side facing the sliding block 4. The tooth 33 can be a rack structure, and its length covers the lateral working range of the lifting frame 3. A sliding drive 41 is fixed on the sliding block 4. The sliding drive 41 can be a servo motor, and its output end is fixedly connected to a first gear 42, which meshes with the tooth 33.

[0050] When the lateral position of the sliding block 4 needs to be adjusted, the sliding drive 41 is activated, and its output drives the first gear 42 to rotate around its own axis. Since the first gear 42 meshes with the teeth 33, and the sliding block 4's movement direction is restricted by the lateral slide rail on the lifting frame 3, the first gear 42 rolls along the teeth 33, causing the sliding block 4 to slide laterally along the lifting frame 3, making the sliding block 4 approach or move away from any wafer cassette 100 on the support platform 11. The beneficial effects of this meshing transmission are that the transmission ratio is constant, the lateral movement speed of the sliding block 4 is uniform, and the position control accuracy is high, which can ensure that the rotating arm 5 drives the vision inspection module 6 to accurately approach the target wafer cassette 100. At the same time, the gear and rack transmission has a strong load-bearing capacity, which can stably support the overall weight of the sliding block 4, the rotating arm 5, and the vision inspection module 6, avoiding settlement or positional displacement after long-term use.

[0051] The rotating arm 5 is horizontally rotatably connected to the sliding block 4, such as... Figure 1 , Figure 6 As shown, one end of the rotating arm 5 is hinged to the sliding block 4 via a rotating shaft. The axis of the rotating shaft is set vertically, allowing the rotating arm 5 to swing laterally around the rotating shaft on a horizontal plane. A vision inspection module 6 is fixedly installed at the other end of the rotating arm 5. The vision inspection module 6 can be an industrial camera with its lens facing downwards, used to acquire wafer images at the opening of the wafer cassette 100.

[0052] When the sliding block 4 slides laterally to the position corresponding to the target carrier 2, the rotating arm 5 swings around the rotation axis, driving the vision inspection module 6 to move directly above the opening of the wafer cassette 100 on the carrier 2. At this time, the vision inspection module 6 starts, captures the wafer image downwards, and transmits the image to an external image processing unit (not shown in the figure). The image processing unit determines whether the wafer has experienced unexpected misalignment by comparing the actual position of the wafer with the preset reference position.

[0053] The beneficial effect of the cooperative structure of the rotating arm 5 and the vision inspection module 6 is that, after the lateral sliding of the sliding block 4 and the swing of the rotating arm 5 are combined, the movement range of the vision inspection module 6 can cover all the carrier seats 2 distributed in a fan shape on the same carrier platform 11. Combined with the vertical sliding of the lifting frame 3 and the lateral sliding of the sliding block 4, full coverage inspection of all wafer cells 100 on all carrier platforms 11 can be achieved.

[0054] Furthermore, to achieve correction of wafer misalignment, the device in this embodiment also includes a reset mechanism 7, which is disposed below the rotating arm 5. Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, a mounting groove 51 is formed on the lower surface of the rotating arm 5, extending along the length of the rotating arm 5. The reset mechanism 7 includes a drive telescopic member 71 and a reset swing rod 72. One end of the drive telescopic member 71 is oscillatingly connected to the inner wall of the mounting groove 51 via a pin, allowing the drive telescopic member 71 to swing around the pin within the mounting groove 51. The drive telescopic member 71 can be an electric push rod or a cylinder, with its extended end hinged to the middle of the reset swing rod 72. One end of the reset swing rod 72 is oscillatingly connected to the lower part of the rotating arm 5 via a hinge shaft, allowing the reset swing rod 72 to swing towards or away from the wafer cassette 100.

[0055] When the vision inspection module 6 detects wafer misalignment, the drive telescopic component 71 is activated, extending its protruding end to apply a pushing force to the reset lever 72, causing it to swing around the hinge axis to one side of the wafer cassette 100 until the reset lever 72 contacts the edge of the misaligned wafer. The drive telescopic component 71 continues to extend, applying a radial pushing force to the wafer through the reset lever 72, pushing the wafer back into the preset receiving slot within the wafer cassette 100. After reset, the protruding end of the drive telescopic component 71 retracts, causing the reset lever 72 to swing in the opposite direction, returning to its initial position to avoid affecting subsequent inspection operations.

[0056] The mounting slot 51 opened on the rotating arm 5 provides built-in mounting space for the drive telescopic component 71, making the structure of the drive telescopic component 71 and the rotating arm 5 more compact, reducing the overall volume occupied by the device, and preventing the drive telescopic component 71 from interfering with the support frame 1 or the wafer box 100 when the rotating arm 5 swings.

[0057] To accommodate different types of wafer misalignment, the end of the reset lever 72 furthest from the hinge axis is designated as a telescopic end. This telescopic end consists of an inner rod and an outer rod, with the inner rod slidably fitted inside the outer rod. Axial extension and retraction can be achieved via a built-in spring assembly or a micro-drive component (not shown in the figure). An abutment block 73 is fixed to the end of the telescopic end. The abutment block 73 has an abutment surface 731, a pushing surface 732, and an overlapping surface 733, which are described below in conjunction with… Figure 4 and Figure 5 Detailed explanation.

[0058] The abutment surface 731 is disposed on the abutment block 73, and the abutment surface 731 faces upward. When the wafer is horizontally misaligned (i.e., the edge of the wafer protrudes from the opening of the wafer cassette 100), the reset lever 72 first approaches the wafer under the drive of the telescopic component 71. Then, the telescopic end of the reset lever 72 retracts, driving the abutment block 73 to move in the direction of the rotating arm 5. At this time, the abutment surface 731 contacts the lower edge of the misaligned wafer, and lifts the edge of the wafer upward as the telescopic end retracts, so that the bottom surface of the misaligned wafer separates from the bottom wall of the receiving groove of the wafer cassette 100. This avoids a large amount of friction between the bottom surface of the wafer and the bottom wall of the receiving groove of the wafer cassette 100 when the wafer is directly pushed, significantly reducing the frictional resistance during the reset process and avoiding scratches on the wafer surface caused by friction. The combination of telescopic and lifting actions can adapt to horizontal misalignment situations of different heights, improving the compatibility and safety of the reset operation.

[0059] The push surface 732 and the abutment surface 731 are set at an angle. The main purpose of this is that when the abutment surface 731 contacts the bottom surface of the wafer and lifts the wafer into an inclined state, the push surface 732 can contact the edge of the inclined wafer. This provides a contact surface for the wafer to adhere to the wafer sidewall along the inclined direction during the horizontal displacement of the inclined wafer, making the push more stable. When the wafer deviates horizontally from the preset position, the reset lever 72 swings to the opening of the wafer cassette 100 and retracts, so that the abutment surface 731 contacts the bottom surface of the wafer and lifts one side of the wafer into an inclined state. At this time, the reset lever 72 continues to move towards the wafer cassette 100 under the drive of the telescopic component 71. The push surface 732 will then contact the outer edge of the misaligned wafer and apply a pushing force along the radial direction of the wafer to ensure that the wafer returns smoothly to the receiving slot.

[0060] The overlapping surface 733 is located between the pushing surface 732 and the abutting surface 731, forming an obtuse angle with the abutting surface 731. Both ends of the overlapping surface 733 smoothly transition into the pushing surface 732 and the abutting surface 731, respectively. The purpose of the overlapping surface 733 is to overlap with the edge of the bottom surface of the wafer when the pushing surface 732 pushes the tilted wafer, providing bottom support for the tilted wafer. Combined with the lateral pushing force of the pushing surface 732, this further stabilizes the tilted wafer during the push, preventing attitude deviation due to uneven force during the push process.

[0061] Furthermore, both the pushing surface 732 and the overlapping surface 733 are curved surfaces extending circumferentially along the reset lever 72. This is to ensure that the pushing surface 732 and the overlapping surface 733 maintain a consistent contact angle with the wafers in the wafer cassettes 100 on several carrier seats 2 arranged in a fan-shaped pattern along the same carrier platform 11. Since the carrier seats 2 are arranged in a fan-shaped pattern, the opening directions of the wafer cassettes 100 on different carrier seats 2 have different circumferential angles. The curved surface structure can adaptively match the wafer edges at different angles as the rotating arm 5 swings, ensuring that regardless of which carrier seat 2 the rotating arm 5 swings to, the contact surface 731 and the overlapping surface 733 can form a close surface contact with the wafer edge. This avoids localized stress concentration or unstable contact caused by angle mismatch, further improving the versatility and reliability of the reset operation.

[0062] To enhance the overall structural rigidity of the support frame 1, this embodiment includes several reinforcing columns 12 on the support frame 1. For example... Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the reinforcing column 12 is vertically arranged, penetrating all the bearing platforms 11. Its bottom end is fixedly connected to the bottom frame of the bearing frame 1, and its top end is fixedly connected to the top frame of the bearing frame 1. The connection method can be welding or bolting to ensure the connection strength. Several reinforcing columns 12 are staggered with several bearing seats 2 on the same bearing platform 11, that is, the reinforcing column 12 is located in the gap between two adjacent bearing seats 2, so as not to affect the placement of the wafer box 100 and the loading and unloading operations of the clamping mechanism.

[0063] The beneficial effect of the reinforcing column 12 is that the vertically penetrating reinforcing column 12 can connect the top frame and bottom frame of the support frame 1 into a whole, enhancing the bending and torsional resistance of the support frame 1 and reducing the deformation of the support frame 1 caused by the load on the support platform 11 or the vibration of surrounding equipment. At the same time, the staggered arrangement of the reinforcing column 12 and the support seat 2 can evenly distribute the force on the support platform 11, avoid excessive local stress on the support platform 11 and cause indentation, ensure the long-term stability of the positional accuracy of the support seat 2, and thus guarantee the initial positioning accuracy of the wafer cassette 100.

[0064] The complete workflow of the device is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the wafer cassette 100 is transported to the support platform 11 of the support frame 1 via a clamping mechanism and placed inside the support base 2. The openings of several wafer cassettes 100 converge at the same point along the fan-shaped distribution of the support base 2. Second, the lifting drive 32 is activated, driving the lead screw 31 to rotate, causing the lifting frame 3 to slide vertically to the height of the target support platform 11, completing the lifting alignment. Third, the sliding drive 41 is activated, driving the first gear 42 to roll along the teeth 33. Simultaneously, the rotating arm 5 swings around the rotation axis of the sliding block 4, moving the vision inspection module 6 to directly above the opening of the target wafer cassette 100, completing the alignment. Fourth, the vision inspection module 6 is activated to acquire wafer images and determine whether the wafer is misaligned. Fifth, if wafer misalignment is detected, the drive telescopic component 71 is activated, pushing the reset lever 72 to swing towards the wafer. The wafer contacts the wafer via the contact surface 731, pushing surface 732, and overlapping surface 733 of the contact block 73, applying lifting and pushing forces to reset the wafer to the preset position. Sixth, after reset, the drive telescopic component 71 retracts, causing the reset lever 72 to reset. The rotating arm 5, sliding block 4, and lifting frame 3 then reset sequentially, preparing for inspection of the next wafer cassette 100.

[0065] The terms used in this embodiment are explained as follows: Wafer box 100, or Cassette, is a sealed container used in semiconductor manufacturing to hold and protect wafers; in this embodiment, it is an open container without a lid. Vision inspection module 6, composed of an industrial camera, lens, and image processing unit, is used to acquire wafer images and determine whether the wafer position deviates from a preset reference by comparing the images. Drive telescopic component 71 is a component that provides linear telescopic driving force; it can be an electric push rod (telescopic movement is achieved by a motor driving a lead screw) or a cylinder (telescopic movement is achieved by pneumatically driving a piston rod). Lifting drive component 32 / sliding drive component 41 is a component that provides rotational driving force; it can be a servo motor, featuring controllable speed and high positioning accuracy, enabling precise motion control of the mechanism.

[0066] In summary, the wafer carrier device of this embodiment, through the fan-shaped distribution of the carrier base, the three-dimensional adjustable vision inspection module, the integrated reset mechanism, and the rigidly reinforced carrier frame, realizes real-time detection and precise reset of wafer misalignment. It solves the problem of wafer misalignment due to disturbance and lack of processing methods in the prior art, significantly improves the security and production efficiency of the wafer storage process, and reduces the risk of wafer scrap and equipment failure.

[0067] 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 it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier device, characterized in that, include: The support frame (1) is provided with a plurality of vertically arranged support platforms (11), and each support platform (11) is provided with a plurality of support seats (2) for supporting wafer cassettes (100). The plurality of support seats (2) are arranged in a fan shape so that the openings of the wafer cassettes (100) located on the plurality of support seats (2) converge at the same point. The lifting frame (3) is lifted and connected to the feeding side of the support frame (1); The sliding block (4) is slidably connected to the lifting frame (3) and can approach the wafer box (100) on any of the bearing platforms (11) under the lifting and lowering drive of the lifting frame (3). The rotating arm (5) is horizontally rotatably connected to the sliding block (4), and the rotating arm (5) can approach any wafer cell (100) under the sliding drive of the sliding block (4). The visual inspection module (6) is located at the end of the rotating arm (5). The visual inspection module (6) can move to the top of any wafer box (100) under the lateral swing of the rotating arm (5) and collect wafer images at the opening of the wafer box (100) downwards. It also includes a reset mechanism (7) for resetting misaligned wafers, the reset mechanism (7) comprising: The reset lever (72) is oscillatingly connected below the rotating arm (5). The drive telescopic component (71) is oscillatingly connected to the lower part of the rotating arm (5). The extended end of the drive telescopic component (71) is hinged to the reset lever (72) and is used to push the reset lever (72) to move towards the wafer box (100) so as to push the misaligned wafer into the wafer box (100) through the reset lever (72). The reset lever (72) has a telescopic end, and the telescopic end of the reset lever (72) is provided with an abutment block (73). The abutment block (73) has an abutment surface (731). The abutment block (73) can lift the edge of the misaligned wafer upward through the abutment surface (731) when the reset lever (72) retracts.

2. The wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The abutment block (73) also has a push surface (732) that is angled to the abutment surface (731), the push surface (732) being used to abut against the edge of the misaligned wafer to push the misaligned wafer back to its original position.

3. A wafer carrier device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The abutment block (73) also has an overlapping surface (733), which is located between the pushing surface (732) and the abutment surface (731). The overlapping surface (733) and the abutment surface (731) are set at an obtuse angle. The overlapping surface (733) cooperates with the pushing surface (732) to support and push the misaligned wafer so that the wafer is reset.

4. A wafer carrier device according to claim 3, characterized in that, Both the pushing surface (732) and the overlapping surface (733) are curved surfaces that extend circumferentially along the reset lever (72).

5. A wafer carrier device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating arm (5) has an installation groove (51), and the drive telescopic component (71) is oscillatingly connected to the installation groove (51).

6. A wafer carrier device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The feed side of the support frame (1) is rotatably connected to several lead screws (31). The top of the support frame (1) is provided with several lifting drive components (32) corresponding to the lead screws (31). The output end of the lifting drive component (32) is connected to the lead screw (31) through a transmission structure. The lifting frame (3) is threadedly engaged with the lead screw (31). The lead screw (31) can drive the lifting frame (3) to slide vertically under the driving action of the lifting drive component (32).

7. A wafer carrier device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The lifting frame (3) has horizontally extending teeth (33), and the sliding block (4) is provided with a sliding drive (41). The output end of the sliding drive (41) is provided with a first gear (42) that meshes with the teeth (33). The first gear (42) can drive the sliding block (4) to slide on the lifting frame (3) under the driving action of the sliding drive (41).

8. A wafer carrier device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The support frame (1) is provided with several reinforcing columns (12) that vertically penetrate several of the support platforms (11), and the several reinforcing columns (12) are staggered with several of the support seats (2) in the same group.

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