Wafer material box and wafer material box supporting frame

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and provides a wafer material box and a wafer material box supporting frame. The wafer material box comprises a main body frame and a door plate assembly, a containing cavity is formed in the main body frame and used for containing wafers, and the main body frame is provided with an opening communicating with the containing cavity; the door plate assembly is installed on the main body frame and covers the opening, the door plate assembly comprises a plurality of shielding plates, the shielding plates are arranged in the height direction of the door plate assembly, each shielding plate can slide in the height direction of the door plate assembly to form an opening communicated with the containing cavity, and the openings are used for storing and taking wafers. According to the wafer material box provided by the embodiment of the invention, through arranging the door plate assembly composed of the plurality of shielding plates capable of independently sliding, a sealing door does not need to be wholly opened, and a local opening is formed only by lifting a single or few shielding plates corresponding to the target wafer, so that the dissipation amount and speed of inert gas in the storage and taking process are greatly reduced, and the storage and taking efficiency is improved. And the positive pressure and low oxygen concentration of the inner cavity of the material box are effectively maintained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer material box and a wafer material box support frame. Background Technology

[0002] In advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes, especially those involving easily oxidized materials, wafers must be placed in a protective environment formed by high-purity inert gases during transportation and storage. Wafer cassettes are the key carriers for achieving this requirement, and currently, the commonly used wafer cassettes employ a front-mounted, fully sealed door structure. Their operation is as follows: when a wafer needs to be accessed, the door assembly of the wafer cassette fully opens after docking with the loading port of the process equipment, allowing a robotic arm to enter and perform operations. However, this fully open method exposes two significant technical drawbacks under conditions of frequent single-wafer access: First, when only one or a few wafers need to be accessed, the complete opening of the door causes a large amount of expensive inert gas inside the wafer cassette to rapidly escape, disrupting the positive pressure environment maintained within the cavity; second, after the operation is completed, a significant amount of time and gas is required for lengthy purging and gas exchange to re-establish the required ultra-low oxygen environment, which not only reduces production cycle time but also leads to high operating costs. Secondly, the large opening created when the entire door is opened directly connects the inside of the wafer material container to the external environment. Even in high-level cleanrooms, the intense airflow exchange at the moment the door is opened significantly increases the risk of micron / nano-sized suspended particles entering the container's cavity and contaminating the wafer surface. For advanced processes with extremely narrow linewidths, this directly leads to a decrease in chip yield. Therefore, existing wafer material containers, due to their inherent operating method, face the dual bottlenecks of excessively high gas maintenance costs and insufficient contamination control capabilities when dealing with the frequent access needs of high-value wafers. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application aims to address at least one of the technical problems existing in the related art. To this end, this application proposes a wafer material box.

[0004] This application also proposes a wafer material box support frame.

[0005] A wafer material box according to an embodiment of the first aspect of this application includes: The main frame has an internal cavity for accommodating wafers, and the main frame has an opening that communicates with the cavity. A door panel assembly is installed on the main frame and covers the opening. The door panel assembly includes multiple shielding plates, which are arranged along the height direction of the door panel assembly. Each shielding plate can slide along the height direction of the door panel assembly to form an opening communicating with the receiving cavity. The opening is used to access the wafer.

[0006] According to embodiments of this application, the wafer material box, by setting a door assembly composed of multiple independently sliding baffles, eliminates the need to open the entire sealed door. Instead, a partial opening is created by raising only one or a few baffles corresponding to the target wafer, significantly reducing the amount and speed of inert gas escape during storage and retrieval, effectively maintaining positive pressure and low oxygen concentration within the material box's internal cavity. Through the precise correspondence between the baffles and the wafer storage layers, the robotic arm can perform storage and retrieval on specific layers with high operational precision.

[0007] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly includes a door frame, a first guide block, and a first guide shaft. Each of the shielding panels is connected to at least one of the first guide blocks, and the first guide shaft is connected to the door frame. The guide block and the first guide shaft are slidably connected.

[0008] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly includes a first limiting member, and the first limiting member is provided at both ends of the first guide shaft to limit the movement range of the first guide block.

[0009] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly is slidably connected to the main frame, and the entire door panel assembly can move upward along a second guide axis on the main frame to align the opening with wafers of different layers while keeping the opening width unchanged.

[0010] According to one embodiment of this application, the widths of the plurality of shields are not the same.

[0011] According to one embodiment of this application, the opening has a maximum opening height of 16 mm.

[0012] According to one embodiment of this application, a plurality of wafer support plates are disposed inside the main frame, and the wafer support plates are used to horizontally support the wafers.

[0013] According to one embodiment of this application, the wafer support plate is provided with a raised structure. And / or, The wafer support plate has an angle and a support surface. The angle is located above the support surface, and the wafer placed on the angle can slide along the angle to the support surface.

[0014] According to one embodiment of this application, a transparent viewing window panel is provided on the main frame, and / or, An automatic teaching axis is provided on the main frame, and the filtering unit is connected to the main frame. The filtering unit is used to inject filtered gas into the receiving cavity.

[0015] According to one embodiment of this application, the filtering unit includes: Vent connector, used to connect to an external inert gas source; A filter, connected to the vent connector, is used to filter the incoming gas; A flow divider is disposed within the receiving cavity, and the flow divider has vent holes corresponding to the storage positions of each wafer layer.

[0016] A wafer material box support frame according to a second aspect embodiment of this application includes: Two upright plates are arranged opposite to each other. The support column is horizontally positioned between the two vertical plates to support the aforementioned wafer material box; The limiting structure includes a support frame limiting post and a fixing block. The support frame limiting post is used to cooperate with the material box limiting post at the bottom of the wafer material box, and the fixing block is used to cooperate with the material box fixing shaft of the wafer material box to limit the movement of the wafer material box. A baffle is movably disposed in front of the support frame to prevent the wafer material box from detaching outward.

[0017] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer material box provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0020] Figure 2 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the door panel assembly provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0021] Figure 3 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the door panel assembly provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0022] Figure 4 This is the third structural schematic diagram of the door panel assembly provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer material box structure provided in this application embodiment without the door panel assembly.

[0024] Figure 6This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the main framework provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the main frame structure provided in this application embodiment without the top plate.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of placing a wafer into the main frame according to an embodiment of this application.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer support plate provided in the embodiments of this application.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer material box support frame with a wafer material box installed, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of a wafer material box support frame with a wafer material box installed, provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the filtering unit provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the diverter provided in the embodiment of this application.

[0032] Figure label: 1. Door panel assembly; 1-1. Door frame; 1-2. Door frame guide block; 1-3. First guide block; 1-4. Cover plate; 1-5. First guide shaft; 1-6. Limiting component; 1-7. Limiting plate; 2. Main frame; 2-1. Second guide shaft; 2-2. Second limiting component; 2-3. Transparent viewing window; 2-4. Material box limiting post; 2-5. Material box cover; 2-6. Top plate; 2-7. First handle; 2-8. Second handle; 2-9. Material box fixing shaft; 2-10. Automatic teaching shaft; 2-11. Base plate; 2-12. Material box support base; 2-13. Material box mounting guide plate; 2-14. Wafer support plate; 2-15. Wafer limiting plate; 3. Filter unit; 3-1. Filter baffle; 3-2. Filter; 3-3. Vent connector; 3-4. Filter pressure plate; 3-5. Sealing gasket; 3-6. Diverter plate; 4. Wafer material box support frame; 4-1. Vertical plate; 4-2. Support column; 4-3. Fixing block; 4-4. Baffle; 4-5. Support frame limiting column. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate this application, but should not be used to limit the scope of this application.

[0034] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of this application and simplifying the description, and do not 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 embodiments of this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0035] In the description of the embodiments of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections or detachable connections, wherein a fixed connection can include an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] In the embodiments of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0037] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0038] The following is combined with Figures 1-13The wafer material box and wafer material box support frame 4 of the present invention are described.

[0039] A wafer material box according to an embodiment of this application includes a main frame 2 and a door panel assembly 1. The main frame 2 has a receiving cavity inside for receiving wafers, and the main frame 2 has an opening communicating with the receiving cavity. The door panel assembly 1 is installed on the main frame 2 and covers the opening. The door panel assembly 1 includes a plurality of shielding plates 1-4, which are arranged along the height direction of the door panel assembly 1. Each shielding plate 1-4 can slide along the height direction of the door panel assembly 1 to form an opening communicating with the receiving cavity. The opening is used to access the wafers.

[0040] According to embodiments of this application, the wafer material box, by setting a door assembly composed of multiple independently sliding baffles, eliminates the need to open the entire sealed door. Instead, a partial opening is created by raising only one or a few baffles corresponding to the target wafer, significantly reducing the amount and speed of inert gas escape during storage and retrieval, effectively maintaining positive pressure and low oxygen concentration within the material box's internal cavity. Through the precise correspondence between the baffles and the wafer storage layers, the robotic arm can perform storage and retrieval on specific layers with high operational precision.

[0041] This not only significantly reduces the operating costs of replenishing high-purity inert gas but also shortens the time required to restore the ideal microenvironment after storage and retrieval operations, thus improving production cycle time. Compared to traditional all-inclusive door opening, it minimizes the area of ​​the internal wafer exposed to the external environment, fundamentally reducing the probability of airborne particles entering the cavity with airflow and contaminating the wafer surface. This is a key improvement for ensuring chip yield in nanoscale semiconductor processes, which are extremely sensitive to particulate contamination.

[0042] Meanwhile, the door panel assembly has a dual motion mode of independent sliding of the baffle and overall linkage (described later), which ensures that the robotic arm can reach any layer of wafer without obstacles while opening the smallest opening, perfectly balancing cleanliness protection and ease of operation.

[0043] In one embodiment, the height of the opening is greater than the thickness of the single-layer wafer.

[0044] In one embodiment, the height of the opening is less than the height of the baffles 1-4.

[0045] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly 1 includes a door frame 1-1, a first guide block 1-3 and a first guide shaft 1-5. Each baffle 1-4 is connected to at least one first guide block 1-3, and the first guide shaft 1-5 is connected to the door frame 1-1. The guide block 1-3 and the first guide shaft 1-5 are slidably connected.

[0046] In one embodiment, there are two first guide shafts 1-5, and each of the two ends of each shield 1-4 is provided with a first guide block 1-3. The first guide block 1-3 at one end of the shield 1-4 is slidably connected to one of the first guide shafts 1-5, and the first guide block 1-3 at the other end of the shield 1-4 is slidably connected to the other first guide shaft 1-5.

[0047] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly 1 includes a first limiting member 1-6, and both ends of the first guide shaft 1-5 are provided with the first limiting member 1-6 to limit the movement range of the first guide block 1-3.

[0048] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly 1 includes a limiting plate 1-7, which is connected to the door frame 1-1 and located at the bottom of the cover plate 1-4, for supporting the cover plate 1-4.

[0049] According to one embodiment of this application, the door panel assembly 1 is slidably connected to the main frame 2. The entire door panel assembly 1 can move upward along the second guide shaft 2-1 on the main frame 2 to align the opening with wafers of different layers while keeping the opening width constant. It is understood that by moving the entire door panel assembly 1, the position of the wafer layer corresponding to the opening can be changed without changing the shielding plate 1-4.

[0050] In one embodiment, the door panel assembly 1 includes a door frame guide block 1-2, the main frame 2 is provided with a second guide shaft 2-1, and the door frame guide block 1-2 is slidably connected to the second guide shaft 2-1.

[0051] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 is provided with a second limiting member 2-2, and both ends of the second guide shaft 2-1 are provided with second limiting members 2-2 to limit the movement range of the door panel assembly 1.

[0052] According to one embodiment of this application, the widths of the plurality of shields 1-4 are not the same.

[0053] According to one embodiment of this application, the opening has a maximum opening height of 16 mm.

[0054] In one embodiment, wafers are horizontally and uniformly stored within the main body of a material box. Each material box can store 25 wafers, with a 9mm spacing between each wafer. The entire door panel assembly consists of nine shielding plates 1-4, with the bottom shielding plate being 18mm wide and the remaining shielding plates being 27mm wide. The two bottom shielding plates 1-4 can accommodate the storage and retrieval of two layers of wafers, while the remaining shielding plates 1-4 each accommodate the storage and retrieval of three layers of wafers. Each shielding plate 1-4 can slide up and down along a first guide shaft 1-5 via two first guide blocks 1-3 fixed to its left and right. When storing or retrieving wafers, the two ends of the shielding plate 1-4 are lifted upwards by an upward-moving movable lever. When the top shielding plate 1-4 contacts the upper limiting member 1-6, the shielding plate opens to its maximum size, with a maximum opening size of 16mm. At this time, the material box correspondingly opens a 16mm wide opening to allow the robotic arm to enter and retrieve the wafers. Figure 4 The diagram shows the third shield 1-4 of the material box being raised, allowing access to the wafers on the fifth layer. To access the sixth layer, shield 1-4 is raised another 9mm. The top shield 1-4, via the limiting component 1-6, moves the entire door panel assembly 1 upwards by 9mm along the second guide shaft 2-1, aligning the opening with the sixth layer, allowing the robot to access the wafers on that layer. Raising the shield another 9mm allows access to the eighth layer. The opening size of the door panel assembly 1 remains 16mm during each wafer access operation. For the ninth, tenth, and eleventh layers, the fourth shield is raised by 9mm, 18mm, and 27mm respectively, and so on for the remaining wafer layers.

[0055] According to one embodiment of this application, a plurality of wafer support plates 2-14 are disposed inside the main frame 2, and the wafer support plates 2-14 are used to horizontally support the wafers.

[0056] According to one embodiment of this application, a raised structure is provided on the wafer support plate 2-14.

[0057] According to one embodiment of this application, the wafer support plate 2-14 is provided with an angle and a support surface, the angle being located above the support surface, allowing a wafer placed on the angle to slide along the angle to the support surface. It is understood that the raised structure is used to reduce the contact area.

[0058] According to one embodiment of this application, a transparent viewing window panel 2-3 is provided on the main frame 2.

[0059] According to one embodiment of this application, an automatic teaching axis 2-10 is provided on the main frame 2. The automatic teaching axis 2-10 is used to assist the storage and retrieval robot in automatically identifying the precise position of the material box.

[0060] In one embodiment, the transparent viewing window 2-3 can detect the wafer storage status via a camera or sensor.

[0061] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 includes a material box cover 2-5, a top plate 2-6, and a bottom plate 2-11, which together form a receiving cavity.

[0062] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 includes a material box limiting post 2-4, which is connected to the material box cover plate 2-5. A wafer support plate 2-14 is disposed on the material box limiting post 2-4 and is distributed along the height direction of the material box limiting post 2-4.

[0063] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 includes a first handle 2-7, which is located at the rear of the main frame 2 and is connected to the material box cover plate 2-5.

[0064] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 includes a second handle 2-8, which is connected to the top plate 2-6.

[0065] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 includes a material box fixing shaft 2-9, which is used to cooperate with the support frame to restrict the movement of the wafer material box.

[0066] In one embodiment, the main frame 2 includes a material box support 2-12, which is located at the bottom of the base plate 2-11 and is used to support the material box.

[0067] In one embodiment, the base plate 2-11 is provided with a material box mounting guide plate 2-13.

[0068] In one embodiment, a wafer limiting plate 2-15 is provided inside the main frame 2, which is used to limit the wafer.

[0069] In one embodiment, the wafer is stored within the material box frame body 2 and placed on internal wafer support plates 2-14. Each wafer support plate 2-14 has 5 layers, distributed in a triangular pattern within the material box body. The three wafer support plates 2-14 respectively support the three edges of the wafer, keeping it horizontal within the material box. Figure 8 As shown. Each layer of the wafer support plate 2-14 has a semi-cylindrical protrusion structure to reduce the contact area between the wafer support plate 2-14 and the wafer, thereby preventing contamination of the wafer by the wafer support plate 2-14, such as... Figure 9 As shown. Additionally, both wafer support plates 2-14 are equipped with bevels and support surfaces. This allows the wafer to slide along the bevels and return to the correct support surface even if the robotic arm places it at an error, achieving a self-centering effect. When support plates 2-14 have raised structures, the support surface is located at the top of the raised structure.

[0070] The frame body 2 is equipped with a transparent viewing window 2-3, which allows the quantity and status of wafers stored in the containment cavity to be detected through a camera or through-beam sensor. The frame body 2 consists of a top plate (2-6), a bottom plate (2-11), a transparent viewing window (2-3), a material box cover (2-5), a door panel assembly (1), and its uprights, forming a sealed space. The material boxes are symmetrically positioned on both sides. Two automatic teaching axes (2-10) are located above the frame body 2. Through-beam sensors are installed on the storage and retrieval robotic arms. These sensors automatically identify the precise position of the materials through the automatic teaching axes, thereby reducing the workload of manual teaching.

[0071] According to one embodiment of this application, a filter unit 3 is included, which is connected to the main frame 2 and is used to inject filtered gas into the receiving cavity.

[0072] According to one embodiment of this application, the filter unit 3 includes: a vent connector 3-3, a filter 3-2, and a flow divider 3-6. The vent connector 3-3 is used to connect to an external inert gas source; the filter 3-2 is connected to the vent connector 3-3 and is used to filter the incoming gas; the flow divider 3-6 is disposed in the receiving cavity, and the flow divider 3-6 is provided with small vent holes corresponding to the storage position of each wafer layer.

[0073] In one embodiment, the filter unit 3 includes a filter block 3-1, a filter pressure plate 3-4, and a sealing gasket 3-5. The filter block 3-1 and the filter pressure plate 3-4 are used to fix the filter 3-2 to the main frame 2. The filter block 3-1 is located on the side of the filter 3-2 away from the main frame 2. The filter block 3-1 is located on both sides of the filter 3-2. The sealing gasket 3-5 is located between the filter block 3-1 and the filter 3-2.

[0074] In one embodiment, an inert gas source such as nitrogen is connected to a vent connector via a gas pipe, and after being filtered, is injected into the cavity of the material box. Within the cavity, a flow divider has small holes at each wafer storage location. Figure 13 As shown, airflow exits from various small holes, ensuring uniform filling of the material box cavity. Airflow continuously exits from the gaps in the door panel assembly within the cavity, necessitating continuous gas injection to reduce the oxygen content, maintain the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the cavity, and prevent microparticles from the surrounding environment from entering, thus providing an ideal storage environment for the wafer.

[0075] A wafer material box support frame 4 according to a second aspect embodiment of this application includes: two upright plates 4-1, support columns 4-2, a limiting structure, and a baffle 4-4. The two upright plates 4-1 are arranged opposite to each other. The support columns 4-2 are horizontally arranged between the two upright plates to support the wafer material box. The limiting structure includes a support frame limiting column 4-5 and a fixing block 4-3. The support frame limiting column 4-5 is used to cooperate with the material box limiting column 2-4 at the bottom of the wafer material box, and the fixing block 4-3 is used to cooperate with the material box fixing shaft 2-9 of the wafer material box to restrict the movement of the wafer material box. The baffle 4-4 is movably arranged in front of the support frame to prevent the wafer material box from falling outward.

[0076] In one embodiment, a wafer material box support frame can vertically place multiple wafer material boxes, with two support pillars 4-2 on each layer. The support pillars 4-2 are installed between two side uprights 4-1. The material boxes are placed on the two support pillars 4-2, and the three support seats 2-12 at the bottom of the material boxes contact the two support pillars 4-2, providing three-point support to keep the material boxes horizontal. Figure 11 As shown. Simultaneously, the material box limiting post 2-4 on the material box contacts the support frame limiting post 4-5 on the support frame, and the material box fixing shaft 2-9 on the material box contacts the fixing block 4-3, thereby restricting the forward, backward, left, and right movement of the material box and determining its position on the support frame. After the material position is determined, the locking baffle 4-4 prevents the material box from detaching. Additionally, a material box installation guide plate 2-13 is provided at the bottom of the material box. The guide plate is made of self-lubricating material, allowing the material box to slide precisely to its position on the support shaft via the guide plate when placed on the support frame, reducing labor and facilitating installation.

[0077] This wafer material box incorporates a series of innovative designs to meet the stringent requirements of wafer storage environments in advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Through multiple independently controllable baffles 1-4, only the necessary openings corresponding to the target layer are opened when accessing the target wafer, thereby minimizing the exchange between the internal microenvironment and the external space. This significantly reduces the inert gas flow required to maintain a low-oxygen, low-humidity, highly clean environment within the containment chamber, achieving a balance between high energy efficiency and superior environmental control.

[0078] Internally, the unique wafer support plate 2-14, with its angled structure, guides the wafer to automatically slide to a precise position even with minor deviations in the robotic arm's placement, achieving reliable self-centering and effectively improving operational accuracy. To achieve fully automated operation, the wafer material box integrates an automatic teaching function. Through a dedicated reference axis on the box and sensors on the robotic arm, it can automatically and precisely position the wafer material box, eliminating the need for cumbersome manual teaching procedures.

[0079] To ensure a uniform and clean internal atmosphere, the wafer material box is equipped with a highly efficient gas filtration and distribution system. This system performs efficient filtration before injecting inert gas and uses an internally designed flow divider to ensure that the airflow flows out evenly from specific small holes in each wafer storage layer, thereby creating a stable and consistent protective environment throughout the entire cavity.

[0080] Finally, the supporting frame adopts a unique wafer material box support, positioning and locking structure. Through multi-point contact and limiting devices, it ensures that the wafer material box is accurately positioned and firmly installed on the support frame, effectively avoiding any accidental movement during automated transportation and storage.

[0081] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer material box, characterized in that, include: The main frame (2) has an internal cavity for accommodating wafers, and the main frame (2) has an opening that communicates with the cavity. A door panel assembly (1) is installed on the main frame (2) and covers the opening. The door panel assembly (1) includes a plurality of shields (1-4). The plurality of shields (1-4) are arranged along the height direction of the door panel assembly (1). Each shield (1-4) can slide along the height direction of the door panel assembly (1) to form an opening communicating with the receiving cavity. The opening is used to access the wafer.

2. The wafer material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The door panel assembly includes a door frame (1-1), a first guide block (1-3), and a first guide shaft (1-5). Each of the shields (1-4) is connected to at least one of the first guide blocks (1-3), and the first guide shaft (1-5) is connected to the door frame (1-1). The first guide block (1-3) and the first guide shaft (1-5) are slidably connected.

3. The wafer material box according to claim 2, characterized in that, The door panel assembly (1) includes a first limiting member (1-6), and the first limiting member (1-6) is provided at both ends of the first guide shaft (1-5) to limit the movement range of the first guide block (1-3).

4. The wafer material box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The door panel assembly (1) is slidably connected to the main frame (2). The door panel assembly (1) as a whole can move upward along the second guide axis (2-1) on the main frame (2) so as to align the opening with wafers of different levels while keeping the opening width unchanged.

5. The wafer material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The widths of the multiple baffles (1-4) are not the same.

6. The wafer material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The opening has a maximum opening height of 16 mm.

7. The wafer material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main frame (2) is provided with multiple wafer support plates (2-14) inside, which are used to horizontally support the wafers.

8. The wafer material box according to claim 7, characterized in that, The wafer support plate (2-14) is provided with a raised structure. And / or, The wafer support plate (2-14) is provided with an angle and a support surface. The angle is located above the support surface, and the wafer placed on the angle can slide along the angle to the support surface.

9. The wafer material box according to claim 1, characterized in that, A transparent viewing window panel (2-3) is provided on the main frame (2), and / or, The main frame (2) is provided with an automatic teaching axis (2-10), which is used to assist the storage and retrieval robot in automatically identifying the precise position of the material box.

10. The wafer material box according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Includes a filter unit (3), which is connected to the main frame (2) and is used to inject filtered gas into the receiving cavity.

11. The wafer material box according to claim 10, characterized in that, The filtering unit (3) includes: Vent connector (3-3) is used to connect to an external inert gas source; A filter (3-2), connected to the vent connector (3-3), is used to filter the incoming gas; A flow divider (3-6) is disposed within the receiving cavity, and the flow divider (3-6) has vent holes corresponding to the storage positions of each wafer layer.

12. A wafer material box support frame, characterized in that, include: Vertical plates (4-1), two of the vertical plates (4-1) are arranged opposite to each other; A support column (4-2) is horizontally positioned between two vertical plates to support the wafer material box as described in any one of claims 1 to 11; The limiting structure includes a support frame limiting post (4-5) and a fixing block (4-3). The support frame limiting post (4-5) is used to cooperate with the material box limiting post (2-4) at the bottom of the wafer material box, and the fixing block (4-3) is used to cooperate with the material box fixing shaft (2-9) of the wafer material box to restrict the movement of the wafer material box. A baffle (4-4) is movably disposed in front of the support frame to prevent the wafer material box from detaching outward.

Images