Wafer box carrying robot system with negative pressure cleaning mechanism

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer box carrying robot system with a negative pressure cleaning mechanism. The wafer box carrying robot system comprises a robot body, a wafer box bearing platform, a mechanical arm, a positioning clamping device and a negative pressure cleaning system. The robot body is composed of a robot floating chassis, a navigation positioning device, a non-contact charging device and a bearing frame. The wafer box bearing platform is composed of a plurality of brackets used for bearing wafer boxes, and each bracket is provided with a floating device, a positioning device, a guiding device and a detecting device. The mechanical arm is an industrial six-axis collaborative robot, one end of the mechanical arm is connected with the robot body, and the other end of the mechanical arm is connected with the positioning and clamping device so that the positioning and clamping device can clamp the wafer box into the bracket or take the wafer box out of the bracket. The negative pressure cleaning system is composed of a centrifugal fan, an air filter and an air pipe. According to the transfer robot system, flexible and accurate movement of the robot in the clean workshop is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor wafer cassette handling equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleaning mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, the handling and storage of wafer cassettes (such as FOUP and SMIF) must be carried out in a highly clean environment to avoid particulate contamination affecting chip yield. Traditional wafer cassette handling relies heavily on manual labor or fixed automated equipment, which suffers from poor flexibility, difficulty in cleanliness control, and low space utilization efficiency. While existing handling robots can achieve automated operation, they still have shortcomings in maintaining cleanliness, positioning accuracy, and multi-station collaboration, especially in meeting the process requirements of high-level cleanrooms. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to address the above-mentioned issues by providing a wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism. This robot system enables flexible and precise movement of the robot within a cleanroom.

[0004] The specific solution of this invention is: a wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism, comprising a robot body, a wafer cassette carrying platform, a robotic arm, a positioning and gripping device, and a negative pressure cleanroom system; the robot body consists of a robot floating chassis, a navigation and positioning device, a non-contact charging device, and a support frame; the wafer cassette carrying platform consists of multiple brackets for carrying wafer cassettes, and the brackets are equipped with a floating device, a positioning device, a guiding device, and a detection device; the robotic arm is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot, one end of which is connected to the robot body, and the other end is connected to the positioning and gripping device to enable the positioning and gripping device to grip the wafer cassette into or remove it from the bracket; the negative pressure cleanroom system consists of a centrifugal fan, an air filter, and air ducts.

[0005] Furthermore, the floating chassis of the robot in this invention adopts differential drive and utilizes the principle of three points forming a surface to enable the drive wheels to make real-time contact with the ground; the navigation and positioning device adopts a laser SLAM navigation sensor and a visual positioning sensor to realize the robot's path planning and precise positioning in the workshop; the induction coil of the non-contact charging device is installed at the tail end of the floating chassis of the robot, and the transmitting coil is installed on the charging pile. The two replenish the robot body with power non-contactly through electromagnetic induction; the supporting frame adopts a box beam frame structure to support the wafer box support platform and the robotic arm.

[0006] Furthermore, the robot floating chassis described in this invention is driven by three sets of swing wheel mechanisms, namely two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms and one set of driven wheel swing mechanisms. The two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms are symmetrically installed with respect to the Y direction of the robot floating chassis. The drive wheels in each set of drive wheel swing mechanisms are located on the center line of the robot floating chassis in the X direction and are connected to one side of the universal wheel through a swing arm to form a drive wheel swing mechanism. The driven wheel swing mechanism is located on the other side of the robot floating chassis. The driven wheels in the driven wheel swing mechanism are installed on the center line of the robot floating chassis in the Y direction and are connected to two universal wheels through a swing arm to form a driven wheel swing wheel mechanism. The two universal wheels are symmetrically installed with respect to the Y direction of the robot floating chassis.

[0007] Furthermore, in this invention, a limit buffer block is installed below each swing arm. The limit buffer block is made of a soft material to limit the swing amplitude of the swing wheel mechanism and reduce the vibration of the swing wheel mechanism.

[0008] Furthermore, the wafer cassette carrier platform described in this invention includes multiple wafer cassette holders for carrying wafer cassettes. Each holder is equipped with a floating device, a positioning device, a guiding device, and a detection device. The holders and the carrier frame are connected by the floating device, which is located at the four corners of the holder. The holders and the carrier frame are provided with concentric holes and are connected in series by a guide shaft. A spring is added between the holders and the carrier frame to achieve vertical floating.

[0009] Furthermore, the robotic arm described in this invention is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot. One end of the robotic arm is connected to the robot body, and the other end is connected to a positioning and gripping device to enable the gripper to grip the wafer cassette into or out of the tray. The positioning and gripping device includes a gripper, a vision sensor, a guide positioning block, a first detection switch, a second detection switch, and an anti-collision switch.

[0010] Furthermore, the negative pressure clean system described in this invention consists of a centrifugal fan, an air filter, and an air duct; the centrifugal fan and the air filter are connected in series, and the air is drawn into the robot from the locations where dust is easily generated through the air duct, and finally the dust in the air is filtered out through the air filter.

[0011] Furthermore, the air filter described in this invention is a HEPA or ULPA filter, which is removable and replaceable.

[0012] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0013] The robot achieves flexible and precise movement within the cleanroom through a floating chassis and navigation and positioning device; multiple devices on the tray ensure the stability and positioning accuracy of the wafer cassette during handling; the negative pressure clean system effectively maintains a local clean environment, meeting the stringent cleanliness requirements of semiconductor manufacturing; the overall structure is compact and highly automated, making it suitable for high-density, multi-station wafer cassette handling scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of another direction of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the robot floating chassis in this invention;

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A top-view structural diagram;

[0018] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the drive wheel swing mechanism in this invention;

[0019] Figure 6 This is a front view structural diagram of the driven wheel swing mechanism in this invention;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the bracket used for wafer cassettes in this invention;

[0021] Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the robotic arm and positioning gripping device in this invention;

[0022] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A three-dimensional structural diagram of the positioning and gripping device in the middle;

[0023] Figure 10 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the negative pressure clean system in this invention.

[0024] In the diagram: 1-Robot floating chassis, 11-Drive wheel swing mechanism, 111-Limit buffer block, 12-Driven wheel swing mechanism, 13-Laser SLAM navigation sensor, 14-Visual positioning sensor, 15-Contactless charging device, 16-Bearing frame, 2-Wafer box carrying platform, 21-Floating device, 22-Positioning device, 23-Guiding device, 24-Detection device, 3-Robot arm and positioning gripping device, 31-Robot arm, 32-Positioning gripping device, 321-Visual sensor, 322-Guiding positioning block, 323-First detection switch, 324-Second detection switch, 325-Anti-collision switch, 4-Negative pressure clean system, 41-Centrifugal fan, 42-Air filter, 43-Air duct, 431-First air duct, 432-Second air duct, 433-Third air duct. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship commonly used when the product of the invention is in use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention or simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed or operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0026] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection 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.

[0027] See Figures 1-10This invention relates to a wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism, comprising a robot body, a wafer cassette carrying platform 2, a robotic arm 31, a positioning and gripping device 32, and a negative pressure cleanroom system 4. The robot body consists of a robot floating chassis 1, a navigation and positioning device, a non-contact charging device 15, and a support frame 16. The wafer cassette carrying platform consists of multiple brackets for carrying wafer cassettes, and the brackets are equipped with a floating device 21, a positioning device 22, a guiding device 23, and a detection device 24. The robotic arm is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot, with one end connected to the robot body and the other end connected to the positioning and gripping device to grip the wafer cassettes into or remove them from the brackets. The negative pressure cleanroom system consists of a centrifugal fan 41, an air filter 42, and an air duct 43. Furthermore, the floating chassis of the robot in this invention adopts differential drive and utilizes the principle of three points forming a surface to enable the drive wheels to make real-time contact with the ground; the navigation and positioning device adopts a laser SLAM navigation sensor 13 and a visual positioning sensor 14 to realize the robot's path planning and precise positioning in the workshop; the induction coil of the non-contact charging device is installed at the tail end of the floating chassis of the robot, and the transmitting coil is installed on the charging pile. The two replenish the robot body with power non-contactly through electromagnetic induction; the supporting frame adopts a box beam frame structure to support the wafer box support platform and the robotic arm. Furthermore, the robot floating chassis described in this invention is driven by three sets of swing wheel mechanisms: two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms 11 and one set of driven wheel swing mechanisms 12. The two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms are symmetrically installed relative to the Y-direction of the robot floating chassis. The drive wheels in each drive wheel swing mechanism are located on the center line of the robot floating chassis in the X-direction and are connected to one side of a swivel wheel via a swing arm to form the drive wheel swing mechanism. The driven wheel swing mechanism is located on the other side of the robot floating chassis. The driven wheels in the driven wheel swing mechanism are installed on the center line of the robot floating chassis in the Y-direction and are connected to two swivel wheels via a swing arm to form the driven wheel swing mechanism. The two swivel wheels are symmetrically installed relative to the Y-direction of the robot floating chassis. Furthermore, each swing arm in this invention is equipped with a limit buffer block 111 made of a soft material to limit the swing amplitude of the swing wheel mechanism and reduce its vibration. Furthermore, the wafer cassette carrier platform described in this invention includes multiple wafer cassette holders for carrying wafer cassettes. Each holder is equipped with a floating device 21, a positioning device 22, a guiding device 23, and a detection device 24. The holders and the carrier frame are connected by the floating devices, which are located at the four corners of the holders. The holders and the carrier frame are provided with concentric holes and are connected in series by a guide shaft. A spring is added between the holders and the carrier frame to achieve vertical floating.Furthermore, the robotic arm described in this invention is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot. One end of the robotic arm is connected to the robot body, and the other end is connected to a positioning and gripping device to enable the gripper to grip the wafer cassette into or remove it from the tray. The positioning and gripping device includes a gripper, a vision sensor 321, a guide positioning block 322, a first detection switch 323, a second detection switch 324, and an anti-collision switch 325. Furthermore, the negative pressure cleanroom system described in this invention consists of a centrifugal fan 41, an air filter 42, and an air duct 43. The centrifugal fan and air filter are connected in series, drawing in air from areas inside the robot prone to dust generation through the air duct, and finally filtering the dust from the air through the air filter. Furthermore, the air filter described in this invention is a HEPA or ULPA filter, which is removable and replaceable.

[0028] The floating chassis of the robot described in this invention adopts differential drive and utilizes the principle of three points forming a surface to ensure that the drive wheels and driven wheels can maintain good contact with the ground in real time. The navigation and positioning device adopts laser SLAM navigation and visual positioning, which can realize the robot's path planning and precise positioning in the cleanroom. The induction coil of the non-contact charging device is installed at the tail end of the robot, and the transmitting coil is installed on the charging pile. The two replenish the robot with power non-contactly through electromagnetic induction. The supporting frame adopts a box beam frame structure and serves as the carrier for the wafer box support platform and the robotic arm.

[0029] Furthermore, in the wafer cassette handling robot system of the present invention, the robot's floating chassis employs three sets of swing wheel mechanisms: two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms and one set of driven wheel swing mechanisms. Two drive wheels are located at the center of the robot's floating chassis in the X direction and are connected to a swivel wheel on one side via swing arms to form a swing mechanism. The two drive wheels are symmetrically installed relative to the Y direction of the robot's floating chassis. The driven wheel is located on the other side of the robot's floating chassis and is connected to two swivel wheels via swing arms to form a swing mechanism. The two swivel wheels are symmetrically installed relative to the Y direction of the chassis. A limit buffer block, made of soft material, is installed below the swing arm of the swing mechanism to limit the swing amplitude and reduce vibration of the swing mechanism.

[0030] The wafer cassette handling robot of this invention comprises a wafer cassette carrier platform consisting of multiple wafer cassette trays for carrying wafer cassettes. Each tray is equipped with a floating device, a positioning device, a guiding device, and a detection device. The trays and the carrier platform are connected via the floating device, which is located at the four corners of the tray. The trays and the carrier platform have concentric holes and are connected in series via a guide shaft. A spring or elastic material is added between the trays and the carrier platform to achieve vertical floating. The robotic arm is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot. One end of the robotic arm is connected to the robot body, and the other end is connected to the positioning and gripping device to allow the gripper to grasp the wafer cassette into or remove it from the tray. The gripper device is equipped with a vision sensor, a guide positioning block, a first detection switch, a second detection switch, and an anti-collision switch. The negative pressure cleanroom system consists of a centrifugal fan, an air filter, and ductwork. The centrifugal fan and air filter of the negative pressure cleanroom system are connected in series. Air from dusty areas inside the robot is drawn in through the ductwork, and the air is filtered to remove dust. The air filter is a HEPA or ULPA filter and is removable and replaceable. The air ducts in this invention are connected to various locations where dust is likely to be generated, so that dust can be removed in a timely manner, achieving a clean and safe production environment.

[0031] This invention enables robots to move flexibly and precisely in cleanrooms through a floating chassis and navigation and positioning device; multiple devices on the bracket ensure the stability and positioning accuracy of wafer cassettes during handling; the negative pressure clean system effectively maintains a local clean environment, meeting the stringent cleanliness requirements of semiconductor manufacturing; the overall structure is compact and highly automated, making it suitable for high-density, multi-station wafer cassette handling scenarios.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism, characterized in that: It includes a robot body, a wafer cassette carrier platform, a robotic arm, a positioning and gripping device, and a negative pressure cleanroom system. The robot body consists of a floating chassis, a navigation and positioning device, a non-contact charging device, and a support frame. The wafer cassette carrier platform consists of multiple trays for carrying wafer cassettes, and the trays are equipped with floating devices, positioning devices, guiding devices, and detection devices. The robotic arm is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot, with one end connected to the robot body and the other end connected to the positioning and gripping device to grip the wafer cassettes into or remove them from the trays. The negative pressure cleanroom system consists of a centrifugal fan, an air filter, and air ducts.

2. The wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robot's floating chassis employs differential drive, utilizing the principle of three points forming a surface to ensure the drive wheels maintain real-time contact with the ground. The navigation and positioning device uses laser SLAM navigation sensors and visual positioning sensors to achieve path planning and precise positioning of the robot within the workshop. The induction coil of the non-contact charging device is installed at the rear end of the robot's floating chassis, while the transmitting coil is installed on the charging pile. Both provide non-contact power to the robot body through electromagnetic induction. The supporting frame adopts a box girder frame structure to support the wafer cassette platform and the robotic arm.

3. The wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The robot's floating chassis is driven by three sets of swing wheel mechanisms: two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms and one set of driven wheel swing mechanisms. The two sets of drive wheel swing mechanisms are symmetrically installed relative to the robot's floating chassis in the Y direction. The drive wheels in each set of drive wheel swing mechanisms are located on the center line of the robot's floating chassis in the X direction and are connected to one side of the omnidirectional wheel via a swing arm to form the drive wheel swing mechanism. The driven wheel swing mechanism is located on the other side of the robot's floating chassis. The driven wheels in the driven wheel swing mechanism are installed on the center line of the robot's floating chassis in the Y direction and are connected to two omnidirectional wheels via a swing arm to form the driven wheel swing wheel mechanism. The two omnidirectional wheels are symmetrically installed relative to the robot's floating chassis in the Y direction.

4. The wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each swing arm is fitted with a limit buffer block made of soft material to limit the swing amplitude of the swing wheel mechanism and reduce its vibration.

5. A wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer cassette carrier platform includes multiple wafer cassette trays for carrying wafer cassettes. Each tray is equipped with a floating device, a positioning device, a guiding device, and a detection device. The trays and the carrier frame are connected by the floating devices, which are located at the four corners of the trays. The trays and the carrier frame have concentric holes and are connected in series by a guide shaft. A spring is added between the trays and the carrier frame to achieve vertical floating.

6. The wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The robotic arm is an industrial 6-axis collaborative robot. One end of the robotic arm is connected to the robot body, and the other end is connected to a positioning and gripping device so that the gripper can grip the wafer cassette into or out of the tray. The positioning and gripping device includes a gripper, a vision sensor, a guide positioning block, a first detection switch, a second detection switch, and an anti-collision switch.

7. A wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The negative pressure clean system consists of a centrifugal fan, an air filter, and an air duct. The centrifugal fan and the air filter are connected in series. The air duct draws in air from areas inside the robot where dust is likely to be generated, and the air filter removes the dust from the air.

8. A wafer cassette handling robot system with a negative pressure cleanroom mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The air filter is a HEPA or ULPA filter, which is removable and replaceable.

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