Wafer transfer cassette and semiconductor apparatus
By setting up clamping and adjustment mechanisms inside the wafer transfer box, the wafers are relatively fixed, which solves the problems of contamination and damage during wafer flipping and improves flipping efficiency and reliability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN SICARRIER IND MACHINES CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-29
AI Technical Summary
During semiconductor manufacturing, wafers are susceptible to contamination and damage during flipping, especially single-wafer flipping, which can easily lead to wafer contamination, while overall flipping can damage the wafer.
A wafer transfer box was designed, comprising a box assembly and a fixing assembly. By setting a clamping mechanism and an adjustment mechanism inside the box assembly, the wafer is relatively fixed during the flipping process, avoiding uncertain movement, and the wafer is flipped using an overall flipping method.
It effectively avoids contamination and damage to wafers during the flipping process, improves flipping efficiency and reliability, and ensures the stability and safety of wafers during the flipping process.
Smart Images
Figure CN122121601A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a wafer transfer box and semiconductor equipment. Background Technology
[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, wafer transfer boxes serve as precision carriers for placing and transporting wafers. In some processes, there is a need to flip the wafers, for example, by swapping the front and back sides of a wafer within the transfer box.
[0003] Wafer flipping can be achieved using a single-wafer flipping method. Specifically, a robotic arm or flipping mechanism can be used to remove a single wafer from the wafer transport cassette, flip it 180 degrees, and then proceed to the next process or return it to the wafer transport cassette. However, with the single-wafer flipping method, because the wafer needs to be removed from the wafer transport cassette, it is easy for the wafer to become contaminated.
[0004] To avoid contamination during wafer removal, the wafer transport box can be flipped over as a whole using a flipping device. However, the flipping process can easily damage the wafers placed inside. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This application discloses a wafer transfer box and semiconductor equipment, which avoids the problems of easy contamination and damage during wafer flipping.
[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a wafer transport box, including a box assembly and a fixing assembly; the box assembly has a receiving space for placing wafers; the fixing assembly is connected to the box assembly and is used to fix the relative position of the wafers in the receiving space at least when the box assembly is flipped.
[0007] In this way, wafer flipping can be achieved by flipping the entire wafer transfer box. While avoiding wafer contamination, a fixing component is set in the wafer transfer box to keep the wafer's position relative to the storage space fixed during the overall flipping process. This avoids uncertain movement of the wafer within the wafer transfer box and thus prevents damage to the wafer during the flipping process.
[0008] In one possible implementation, the fixing component includes a clamping mechanism for clamping the wafer at least when the housing assembly is flipped, thereby fixing the wafer's relative position within the receiving space. Thus, by clamping the wafer with the clamping mechanism, the wafer is relatively fixed within the receiving space, and the clamping method is easy to implement, simplifying the complexity of wafer clamping.
[0009] In one possible implementation, the housing assembly includes a housing body, the housing body including side walls and a top wall and a bottom wall perpendicularly connected to both ends of the side walls, the side walls, the top wall and the bottom wall enclosing the accommodating space; The sidewall includes a placement groove for placing a wafer, the depth direction of the placement groove is perpendicular to the sidewall, the length of the placement groove is parallel to the top wall or the bottom wall, and the thickness direction of the placement groove is perpendicular to the bottom wall or the sidewall. The clamping mechanism includes a clamping structure corresponding to the placement slot for clamping a wafer placed in the placement slot. The fixing assembly further includes an adjustment mechanism connected to the clamping mechanism for adjusting the clamping structure to clamp the wafer in the placement slot along the thickness direction of the placement slot. In this way, by adjusting the mechanism and coordinating with the clamping mechanism, the wafer is clamped and fixed in the placement slot, thereby reducing frictional damage between the wafer and the placement slot when the housing assembly is flipped.
[0010] In one possible implementation, there are multiple placement slots, which are arranged on the sidewall in a direction perpendicular to the top or bottom wall. Each placement slot is provided with at least one clamping structure. The adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the clamping structures corresponding to the multiple placement slots to drive the multiple clamping structures to clamp the wafers in the multiple placement slots.
[0011] In this way, by setting up multiple placement slots, multiple wafers can be placed in one housing assembly. And by setting up at least one clamping structure in each placement slot, the wafers in the multiple placement slots can be clamped under the drive of the adjustment mechanism, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of wafer flipping.
[0012] In one possible implementation, in at least one of the plurality of placement slots, there are multiple clamping structures corresponding to the placement slot, and the multiple clamping structures are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the placement slot. Thus, by arranging multiple clamping structures at intervals within a placement slot, the wafer can be clamped at multiple points at different locations, thereby improving the stability of wafer clamping.
[0013] In one possible implementation, in two adjacent placement slots, the clamping structure corresponding to one placement slot and the clamping structure corresponding to the other placement slot are staggered along the length direction of the placement slot.
[0014] Thus, due to the staggered arrangement of the clamping structures in the two placement slots in the thickness direction, interference between two adjacent clamping structures in the thickness direction when clamping wafers can be avoided. Furthermore, the staggered clamping positions can reduce stress concentration when multiple wafers are in the same clamping position, prevent multiple wafers from resonating during the flipping process, and further improve the stability of the clamped wafers.
[0015] In one possible implementation, the clamping structure includes a first clamping member and a second clamping member, which are disposed opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove; the adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the first clamping member and the second clamping member to move closer to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove, so as to clamp the wafer in the placement groove.
[0016] Thus, by using the first and second clamping members arranged opposite each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove, the adjustment mechanism can drive the first and second clamping members closer together in the thickness direction to clamp the wafer in the placement groove. This method minimizes the movement path of the first and second clamping members, thereby improving clamping efficiency.
[0017] In one possible implementation, the clamping mechanism further includes a support structure comprising a first support member and a second support member, the first support member and the second support member being movable relative to each other along the thickness direction of the placement groove; the number of clamping structures is plurality of, the first clamping member of the plurality of clamping structures being connected to the first support member, and the second clamping member of the plurality of clamping structures being connected to the second support member; the adjustment mechanism is connected to the first support member and the second support member, and is used to adjust the relative movement of the first support member and the second support member in the thickness direction of the placement groove, thereby driving the first clamping member and the second clamping member in the plurality of clamping structures to move closer to each other, so as to clamp the wafers in the plurality of placement grooves.
[0018] In this way, by setting up the support structure, multiple first clamping members are fixed on the first support member of the support structure, and multiple second clamping members are fixed on the second support member of the support structure. By simply adjusting the mechanism to drive the relative movement of the first and second support members in the thickness direction of the placement groove, all the first and second clamping members can be moved closer to each other synchronously, thereby enabling the simultaneous clamping of multiple wafers and further improving the efficiency of wafer clamping.
[0019] In one possible implementation, the box body is further provided with a receiving groove, which extends through a plurality of the placement grooves along the thickness direction of the placement grooves; the support structure is disposed in the receiving groove, and the first support member and the second support member are movable relative to each other in the receiving groove along the thickness direction of the placement grooves.
[0020] Thus, by setting up the receiving groove, the guiding function is realized when the first support and the second support move along the thickness direction of the placement groove in the receiving groove, reducing the left and right swaying of the first support and the second support during the movement process, thereby improving the reliability of clamping.
[0021] In one possible implementation, the housing assembly further includes an auxiliary support member fixed within the receiving groove, and the auxiliary support member having a first gap with the bottom wall of the receiving groove along the depth direction of the placement groove, wherein the first support member and the second support member are located within the first gap.
[0022] Thus, by using the first gap formed between the auxiliary support and the receiving groove, the first support and the second support are limited in the direction of the placement groove depth, thereby reducing the swaying of the first support and the second support in the direction of the placement groove depth when they move in the receiving groove, and further improving the reliability of the clamping structure for wafer clamping.
[0023] In one possible implementation, along the length of the placement groove, there is a second gap between the two ends of the auxiliary support and the two side walls of the receiving groove; the clamping structure is disposed within the second gap and is movable within the second gap along the thickness direction of the placement groove.
[0024] Thus, by confining the clamping structure within the second gap, the second gap provides guidance and limiting for the clamping structure, thereby further improving the stability of the clamping. In addition, by placing the clamping structure within the second gap, the clamping mechanism can support the wafer in the placement slot when not clamping, further improving the stability of the housing assembly in supporting the wafer.
[0025] In one possible implementation, the auxiliary support has a plurality of auxiliary grooves along the thickness direction of the placement groove, and the plurality of auxiliary grooves are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of placement grooves; along the length direction of the placement groove, each auxiliary groove is connected to the corresponding placement groove.
[0026] In this way, by setting auxiliary grooves on the auxiliary support component, further support for the wafer is achieved, thereby further improving the reliability of wafer support.
[0027] In one possible implementation, the fixing component is movable relative to the housing assembly along the thickness direction of the placement groove; the adjustment mechanism is further configured to drive the wafer to a first position or a second position, wherein the wafer contacts one side of the placement groove in the thickness direction at the first position and contacts the other side of the placement groove in the thickness direction at the second position.
[0028] In this way, by adjusting the position of the wafer through the adjustment mechanism, the wafer can adapt to the positional changes of the housing components, thereby adapting to the placement stability of the wafer in different states.
[0029] In one possible implementation, the housing assembly is rotatable between a fourth and a fifth position on the top wall. This allows the housing assembly to be rotated at different angles according to process requirements.
[0030] In one possible implementation, the housing assembly rotates at a 180-degree angle between the fourth and fifth positions of the top wall. When the top wall is in the fourth position, the wafer is in the first position; when the top wall is in the fifth position, the adjustment mechanism drives the wafer to move to the second position.
[0031] In this way, after the housing assembly is flipped, the wafer is driven to the other side wall of the placement slot, which can prevent the wafer from falling after the housing assembly is flipped, thereby avoiding damage to the wafer.
[0032] In one possible implementation, the adjustment mechanism is further configured to drive the wafer to a third position, which is located between the first and second positions; the wafer is located at the third position when the top wall is located between the fourth and fifth positions.
[0033] Thus, by driving the wafer to a position where it does not contact the two side walls in the thickness direction of the placement slot during the flipping process of the housing assembly, the contact between the wafer and the placement slot during the flipping process can be reduced, thereby further improving the protection of the wafer.
[0034] In one possible implementation, the housing assembly further includes a door, the housing body having an opening for placing and removing wafers; a door lock mechanism for opening and closing the door is provided between the door and the opening, the door lock mechanism having a connection structure detachably connected to the door, the connection positions of the connection structure being symmetrically arranged about the center point of the door lock mechanism.
[0035] In this way, by symmetrically arranging the connecting structure at the center of the door lock mechanism, the door lock mechanism can be disassembled from the door and rotated 180 degrees after the box assembly is flipped, and then reinstalled. This avoids the problem that the door cannot be opened with external equipment after the box assembly is flipped, or even that the external equipment may damage the door, thereby improving the reliability and lifespan of the wafer transfer box.
[0036] Secondly, this application also provides a semiconductor device, including the wafer transfer box described in any of the preceding claims. The technical effects of any design in the second aspect are similar to those of the different design methods in the first aspect, and will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description
[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present 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 only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0038] Figure 1 A perspective view of the wafer transport box provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 Exploded view of the wafer transfer box; Figure 3 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the opening and closing of the central door lock mechanism; Figure 4 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a flip position of the wafer transfer box; Figure 5 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 A stereoscopic view of the wafer transport box from another perspective; Figure 6 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 A 3D view of a wafer being held in place by a fixing component; Figure 7 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 1 A 3D view of the disassembled door of the wafer transfer box; Figure 8 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 7 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 9 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 6 A three-dimensional view of the clamping mechanism; Figure 10 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 9 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle; Figure 11 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 9 Diagram showing the state changes of the clamping and releasing mechanism during clamping and releasing; Figure 12 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 7Exploded view of the middle box body and clamping mechanism; Figure 13 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the CC-direction cross-section structure; Figure 14 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 13 Schematic diagram of the DD-direction cross-section structure; Figure 15 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 14 A magnified view of a section at point E in the middle; Figure 16 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer at the first position of the placement slot; Figure 17 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 16 A schematic diagram showing the wafer moving to the second position of the placement slot; Figure 18 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the drive structure for automatic adjustment of the adjustment mechanism; Figure 19 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the manual adjustment mechanism in the middle; Figure 20 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 7 A magnified view of a section at point F in the middle; Figure 21 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the wafer in its first position; Figure 22 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the middle wafer in the second position; Figure 23 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the wafer in the third position of the placement slot; Figure 24 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 19 A schematic diagram of the middle wafer in the third position; Figure 25 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 4 Diagram showing the positional change of the central gate body during wafer transfer box flipping; Figure 26 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 2 Exploded view of the central gate; Figure 27 Provided for the embodiments of this application Figure 26 A schematic diagram of the rotating structure of the connecting structure.
[0039] Figure Labels 1. Box assembly; 11. Box body; 11a. Bottom wall; 11b. Top wall; 11c. Side wall; 110. Accommodation space; 111. Placement slot; 111a - First position; 111b - Second position; 111c - Third position; 112. Opening; 113. Accommodation slot; 1131. First gap; 1132. Second gap; 12. Door body; 121. Door lock mechanism; 1211. Locking wheel; 1211a. Guide hole; 1211b. Lock hole; 1212. Door bolt; 1213. Connecting structure; 13. Handle; 13a. Fifth limiting hole; 13b. Sixth limiting hole; 13c. Seventh limiting hole; 14. Auxiliary support components; 141. Auxiliary grooves; 2. Fixing components; 21. Clamping mechanism; 211. Clamping structure; 2111. First clamping member; 2112. Second clamping member; 212. Support structure; 2121. First support member; 2122. Second support member; 22. Adjustment mechanism; 221. First adjustment component; 221a-First limiting hole; 221b-Second limiting hole; 222. Second adjustment component; 222a-Third limiting hole; 222b-Fourth limiting hole; 30. Wafers; 3. First linear drive component; 4. Second linear drive component; 5. Fourth position; 6. Fifth position. Detailed Implementation
[0040] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0041] In the description of this application, the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “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 used only for the convenience of describing 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 this application.
[0042] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.
[0043] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.
[0044] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "exemplary" or "for example" are used to indicate that something is an example, illustration, or description. Any embodiment or design that is described as "exemplary" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design. Specifically, the use of the terms "exemplary" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.
[0045] This application provides a semiconductor device including a wafer transport box. The semiconductor device can be a semiconductor processing device or a semiconductor transport device, such as a wafer dicing device, a wafer cleaning device, a thin film deposition device, a wafer etching device, a wafer polishing device, a wafer packaging device, or a wafer inspection device.
[0046] Wafer transfer cases play a protective role in semiconductor equipment, ensuring that wafers are not contaminated, damaged, or scratched during operation on the semiconductor equipment or during transfer from one semiconductor device to another.
[0047] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 5 The wafer transfer box includes a box assembly 1, which includes a box body 11. The box body 11 includes a side wall 11c and a top wall 11b and a bottom wall 11a vertically connected to both ends of the side wall 11c. The side wall 11c, top wall 11b, and bottom wall 11a enclose a receiving space 110. In the embodiments of this application, the box body 11 can be made of a polymer material, such as polycarbonate, polyetherimide, or carbon fiber composite material, and manufactured by, for example, injection molding.
[0048] Please continue reading. Figure 2The main body 11 of the wafer transfer pod has an opening 112 that communicates with the accommodating space 110 for placing and removing wafers. It is understood that the opening 112 can be located on the side wall 11c, the top wall 11b, or the bottom wall 11a of the wafer transfer pod. In the embodiments of this application, the example of the opening 112 being located on the side wall 11c of the wafer transfer pod is described. In some embodiments, the side of the side wall 11c facing the workstation is considered the front, and the opening 112 being located on the front of the side wall is called a front-opening type. In the following embodiments of this application, a front-opening unified pod (FOUP) is described as an example.
[0049] In related technologies, wafers often require flipping during the semiconductor process. For example, in wafer cleaning equipment, high cleanliness is required on both sides of the wafer. Therefore, during cleaning, one side of the wafer needs to be cleaned first, then flipped 180 degrees before cleaning the other side. Similarly, wafer polishing equipment requires flipping the wafer to achieve double-sided polishing. Furthermore, in wafer inspection equipment, defects on the back side of the wafer need to be detected, requiring the wafer to be flipped so that the back side faces upwards, and then the entire back side is scanned using an optical scanner or laser scattering instrument. Therefore, it is essential to reduce contamination or damage caused during wafer flipping. It is understood that the above-described semiconductor equipment is merely an exemplary description of the wafer transport box in this application embodiment, and the wafer transport box in this application embodiment can also be applied to other semiconductor equipment.
[0050] Please continue reading as follows Figure 1 and Figure 2 The sidewall has multiple placement slots 111 for supporting multiple wafers 30, maintaining a predetermined spacing between them. In some embodiments, the depth direction of the placement slots 111 is perpendicular to the sidewall 11c, the length direction is parallel to the bottom wall 11a or the top wall 11b, and the thickness direction is perpendicular to the bottom wall 11a or the top wall 11b. For easier understanding, the XYZ coordinate system is used to represent the orientation of the placement slots 111 in this embodiment. Please refer to... Figure 2 The length direction of the placement groove 111 is the X direction, the thickness direction of the placement groove 111 is the Z direction, and the depth direction of the placement groove 111 is the Y direction.
[0051] The housing assembly 1 also includes a door 12. The door 12 is used to open or close the opening 112 on the housing body 11. The door 12 and the housing body 11 form an accommodating space 110 for accommodating the wafer 30. The door 12 may include a sealing element that, when closed, seals the gap between the door and the housing body 11, thereby creating a sealed space within the accommodating space 110 and establishing a clean microenvironment inside the housing body 11. The door 12 may be made of lightweight, high-strength, and chemically stable materials, including but not limited to carbon fiber reinforced composite materials or high-performance engineering plastics.
[0052] The opening and closing methods of the door 12 on the box body 11 include, but are not limited to, mechanical linkage opening and closing, magnetic adsorption opening and closing, etc. In this embodiment, mechanical linkage is taken as an example. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 2 and Figure 3 The door body 12 includes a door lock mechanism 121, which includes a locking wheel 1211 and a bolt 1212 connected to the locking wheel 1211. The locking wheel 1211 has a guide hole 1211a connected to the bolt 1212 and a lock hole 1211b. The guide hole 1211a is inclined and slidably connected to a connecting shaft on the bolt 1212, allowing the connecting shaft to move within the guide hole 1211a. This drives the bolt 1212 to extend and retract in the opening and closing direction via the locking wheel 1211, thereby opening or locking the door body 12. Specifically, when the housing assembly 1 is loaded onto the device port, the opener / closer at the device end extends several pins. The lock hole 1211b on the locking wheel 1211 corresponds to the pins extended by the opener / closer. The pins are inserted into the lock hole 1211b, and the opener / closer drives the locking wheel 1211 to rotate. The rotation of the locking wheel 1211 drives the bolt 1212 to retract, thereby releasing the locking of the door 12 to the box. Then the entire door 12 is removed from the box body 11. The closing process of the door 12 is the reverse.
[0053] In embodiments of this application, the box assembly 1 can be flipped over by mechanical devices such as robotic arms. Figure 4 As shown, the flipping can be a 180-degree flip of the box assembly 1, or a flipping at other angles. In the following embodiments of this application, a 180-degree flip of the box assembly 1 will be used as an example. Of course, in the actual flipping operation of the box assembly 1, it can be automatically flipped by a flipping device, or it can be flipped manually.
[0054] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 1 , Figure 1 and Figure 5The images show three-dimensional views of the housing assembly 1 from different perspectives. To ensure that the housing assembly 1 can interact with other wafer 30 transmission devices after being rotated 180 degrees, the housing body 11 adopts a completely symmetrical structure. After the housing body 11 is rotated 180 degrees, only the position of the internal placement slot 111 changes. For example, the bottom wall 11a and top wall 11b of the housing body 11 are symmetrically arranged vertically, horizontally, and vertically. After being rotated 180 degrees, both the bottom wall 11a and the top wall 11b can be docked with other devices.
[0055] For ease of flipping, in the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 5 As shown, handles 13 are symmetrically arranged on the side walls 11c of the housing body 11. During manual flipping, the operator holds the handles 13 on both sides and flips the housing assembly 1 180 degrees in the left-right direction, causing the wafer 30 inside the housing assembly 1 to flip 180 degrees along with the housing body 11. This overall flipping method eliminates the need to remove the wafer 30 or open the door 12, resulting in high flipping efficiency and preventing contamination of the internal wafer 30 due to external environmental factors. It is understood that when using mechanical equipment to flip the housing assembly 1, the overall flipping can also be performed by clamping the handles 13.
[0056] In the embodiments of this application, to avoid uncertain movement of the wafer 30 inside the housing body 11 during the overall flipping of the housing assembly 1, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the wafer transfer box in this application also includes a fixing component 2 connected to the box assembly 1.
[0057] The fixing component 2 is used to fix the relative position of the wafer 30 within the accommodating space 110 at least when the housing assembly 1 is flipped. That is, the fixing component 2 can fix the wafer 30 only during the flipping process, or it can keep the wafer 30 fixed at all times.
[0058] The fixing component 2 can have various structural forms. For example, it can fix the wafer 30 in a relatively fixed position by squeezing or clamping it, or it can fix the wafer 30 in a fixed position by wrapping it. Specifically, it can use an elastic element to apply a certain degree of pressure in the thickness direction or radial direction of the wafer 30 to prevent the wafer 30 from moving; or it can set a structure such as an airbag in the placement groove 111 to wrap and fix the edge of the wafer 30. In the following embodiments of this application, the fixing component 2 fixes the wafer 30 by clamping as an example.
[0059] In the above embodiments, the wafer 30 can be flipped by flipping the entire wafer transfer box. Under the premise of avoiding contamination of the wafer 30, by setting the fixing component 2 in the wafer transfer box, the position of the wafer 30 relative to the accommodating space 110 is fixed during the overall flipping of the wafer transfer box, which reduces the uncertain movement of the wafer 30 in the wafer transfer box, thereby reducing the damage to the wafer 30 during the flipping process.
[0060] Please continue to refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the wafer being held by the fixing component 2. The fixing component 2 includes a clamping mechanism 21 and an adjustment mechanism 22.
[0061] The clamping mechanism 21 is used to clamp the wafer 30 at least when the housing assembly 1 is flipped, so as to fix the relative position of the wafer 30 within the receiving space 110. The clamping mechanism 21 can be a structure that clamps the edge of the wafer 30, or it can clamp other positions of the wafer 30. Taking the clamping of the edge of the wafer 30 as an example, the edge of the wafer 30 can be clamped as a whole, or the wafer 30 can be fixed by multi-point or single-point clamping. The wafer 30 can be clamped and fixed by clamping or releasing a single clamping mechanism with the placement slot 111, or the wafer 30 can be clamped by two relatively movable clamping pieces.
[0062] The adjustment mechanism 22 is connected to the clamping mechanism 21. The adjustment mechanism 22 is used to adjust the clamping structure 211 to clamp the wafer 30 in the placement groove 111 along the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, thereby fixing the relative position of the wafer 30 in the placement groove 111. It should be noted that the thickness direction of the placement groove 111 can also refer to the direction in which multiple wafers 30 are stacked, i.e., the axial direction of the wafers 30. The thickness direction of the placement groove 111 is similar to... Figure 6 The axial directions of the wafer 30 shown are parallel. It is understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the clamping mechanism 21 can be operated manually using the adjustment mechanism 22, or the clamping mechanism 21 can be driven by a mechanically automatic drive mechanism 22. The adjustment mechanism 22 can be located inside or outside the housing body 11.
[0063] Please see Figure 7 and Figure 8 The clamping mechanism 21 includes a clamping structure 211, which is correspondingly disposed with respect to the placement groove 111 and is used to clamp the wafer 30 placed in the placement groove 111. Here, the clamping structure 211 corresponding with the placement groove 111 means that the clamping position of the clamping structure 211 on the wafer 30 is in the area where the placement groove 111 is located, and is not limited to the clamping structure 211 being located inside the placement groove 111.
[0064] By clamping the wafer 30 within the placement groove 111 using the clamping structure 211, the stability of clamping the wafer 30 within the housing assembly 1 can be improved. In embodiments of this application, besides clamping the wafer 30 along the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, clamping can also be achieved in other directions. For example, the wafer 30 can be clamped radially on both sides, with the clamping force applied in a vertical direction (one vertical force and one horizontal force) to fix the wafer 30. Clamping the wafer 30 within the placement groove 111 reduces the risk of the wafer 30 falling due to misoperation.
[0065] In the embodiments of this application, please continue to refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 There are multiple placement slots 111, which are arranged on the side wall 11c in a direction perpendicular to the bottom wall 11a or the top wall 11b. Each placement slot 111 is provided with at least one clamping structure 211. The adjustment mechanism 22 is used to adjust the clamping structures 211 corresponding to the multiple placement slots 111 to clamp the wafers 30 in the multiple placement slots 111. By arranging the multiple placement slots 111 in a direction perpendicular to the bottom wall 11a, multiple wafers 30 can be arranged at axial intervals, thereby accommodating more wafers 30 in the housing body 11. For example, in the embodiment of this application, the wafer 30 is a circular piece with a diameter of 300 mm and a thickness between 100 micrometers and 800 micrometers. By providing at least one clamping mechanism 21 for each placement slot 111, the wafers 30 in the multiple placement slots 111 can be clamped, thereby ensuring the reliability of clamping all wafers 30 in the housing body 11. It is understood that in some embodiments of this application, only one placement slot 111 may be provided in the housing body 11, and multiple clamping structures 211 may be provided in the placement slot 111 to achieve the spaced placement and fixation of multiple wafers 30.
[0066] In the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, in at least one of the multiple placement slots 111, there are multiple clamping structures 211 corresponding to the placement slot 111, and the multiple clamping structures 211 are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the placement slot 111. By arranging multiple clamping structures 211 at intervals along the length direction of the placement slot 111, multi-point clamping of the same wafer 30 can be achieved within one placement slot 111. For example, two clamping structures 211 can be symmetrically arranged along the length direction of the placement slot 111, with the midpoint of the placement slot 111 as the center of symmetry. In this way, the stability of clamping the wafer 30 can be improved, and the wobbling of the wafer 30 due to insufficient clamping points during the clamping process can be avoided.
[0067] In the embodiments of this application, in two adjacent placement slots 111, the clamping structure 211 corresponding to one placement slot 111 and the clamping structure 211 corresponding to the other placement slot 111 are staggered along the length direction of the placement slot 111. For details, please refer to... Figure 8 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 In the same placement slot 111 along its length, there are two clamping structures 211. In the two adjacent placement slots 111 along the arrangement direction of the placement slots 111, the two adjacent clamping structures 211 are positioned one to the left and the other to the right along the length direction of the placement slot 111. Through this structure, the upper and lower wafers 30 are positioned in different clamping positions.
[0068] In this way, interference between two adjacent clamping structures 211 when clamping wafer 30 can be avoided. At the same time, stress concentration on wafer 30 caused by all wafers 30 being clamped in the same position can be avoided, which could lead to problems such as resonance during subsequent flipping.
[0069] In another embodiment, the vertically adjacent clamping structures 211 can also be arranged in a non-overlapping manner. For example, interference can be avoided by providing clearance structures on the two opposing clamping structures 211. In some embodiments, the clearance structure can be a clearance groove formed on the opposing surfaces of the two vertically adjacent clamping structures 211, which allows the lower clamping structure 211 to overlap with the upper clamping structure to a certain extent. Alternatively, the clearance structure can also be a reduction in the thickness of the opposing clamping members of the two vertically adjacent clamping structures 211, thereby increasing the relative movement distance between the two vertically adjacent clamping structures 211, etc.
[0070] Please continue reading. Figure 10 The clamping structure 211 includes a first clamping member 2111 and a second clamping member 2112, which are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111.
[0071] The shapes of the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 include, but are not limited to, rectangles, triangles, and circles. The materials of the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 include, but are not limited to, PEEK (polyetheretherketone), fluoropolymers, and ceramics. Specifically, in the embodiments of this application, the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 are made of PEEK450G material, which incorporates a set proportion of chopped glass fibers into the basic PEEK material. This material configuration allows the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 to have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion and more stable dimensions, releasing very little volatile organic compounds and moisture in vacuum or high-temperature environments, thus maintaining a clean microenvironment inside the box body 11.
[0072] The adjustment mechanism 22 is used to adjust the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 to move closer to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, so as to clamp the wafer 30 in the placement groove 111. By moving closer to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, the clamping stability can be improved and the impact during the clamping process can be reduced. It is understood that the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 can also adopt other structures to achieve clamping, such as a connection with one side rotating and the other side open 112, and clamping is achieved by relative rotation between the two. In addition, in some embodiments of this application, a buffer structure can be provided on the clamping surfaces of the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 to increase the clamping stability.
[0073] Furthermore, in the embodiments of this application, textures or deformable elastic elements may be provided on the clamping surfaces of the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 to further improve the stability of clamping.
[0074] Please see Figure 10 and Figure 11 The clamping mechanism 21 also includes a support structure 212, which includes a first support member 2121 and a second support member 2122. The first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 can move relative to each other along the thickness direction of the placement groove 111.
[0075] There are multiple clamping structures 211. The first clamping member 2111 of the multiple clamping structures 211 is connected to the first support member 2121, and the second clamping member 2112 of the multiple clamping structures 211 is connected to the second support member 2122.
[0076] Specifically, such as Figure 10 and Figure 11As shown in the embodiment of this application, a plurality of first clamping members 2111 are connected to the first support member 2121, and a plurality of second clamping members 2112 are connected to the second support member 2122. With this structural configuration, as long as the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 move relative to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, the plurality of first clamping members 2111 can be synchronously driven to move toward the plurality of second clamping members 2112, thereby synchronously clamping the plurality of wafers 30.
[0077] It is understood that, in the embodiments of this application, the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 can be made of the same material as the clamping structure 211 described above, and the structural forms of the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 can also be various, such as... Figures 9 to 11 The frame-type straight plate structure shown can also be implemented using other structural forms.
[0078] The adjustment mechanism 22 is connected to the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122, and is used to adjust the relative movement of the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, so as to drive the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 in the plurality of clamping structures 211 to move closer to each other, so as to clamp the wafers 30 in the plurality of placement grooves 111. Figure 11 As shown, by driving the first support member 2121 and the second member to move relative to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111 through the adjustment mechanism 22, all the first clamping members 2111 and the second clamping members 2112 can be moved closer or further apart, thereby improving the clamping effect on the wafer 30.
[0079] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 12 and Figure 13 As shown, the box body 11 is also provided with a receiving groove 113, which extends through multiple placement grooves 111 along the thickness direction of the placement grooves 111; the support structure 212 is provided in the receiving groove 113, and the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 are relatively movable in the receiving groove 113 along the thickness direction of the placement grooves 111.
[0080] like Figure 12As shown, the receiving groove 113 is arranged vertically in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, i.e., in the box body 11. Specifically, it can be arranged on opposite side walls of the box body 11, or on the rear wall corresponding to the door 12. By setting the support structure 212 within the receiving groove 113, space can be saved inside the box body 11, allowing the support structure 212 to occupy a portion of the space in the placement groove 111, thus reducing the overall volume of the box body 11. On the other hand, the receiving groove 113 can also serve as a guide, guiding the vertical movement of the support structure and reducing swaying of the support structure in other directions. For example, the width of the receiving groove 113 can be adapted to the width of the clamping mechanism 21, and the height of the receiving groove 113 in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111 can be greater than the height of the clamping mechanism 21, so that the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 on the support structure 212 can move relative to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111.
[0081] It is understood that the embodiments of this application are not limited to this type of receiving groove 113. For example, a vertically placed track can be provided inside the housing body 11 to guide the support structure 212 without affecting the placement of the wafer 30. In addition, the specific position of the receiving groove 113 inside the housing body 11 is not limited. It can be placed at the middle position in the length direction of the placement groove 111, or it can be set at other positions.
[0082] For some embodiments of this application, please refer to Figures 12 to 15 The box assembly 1 also includes an auxiliary support member 14, which is fixed in the receiving groove 113. The auxiliary support member 14 has a first gap 1131 between it and the bottom wall of the receiving groove 113 along the depth direction of the placement groove 111. The first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 are located in the first gap 1131.
[0083] The auxiliary support 14 is fixed inside the box body 11, serving to limit the position of the support structure 212. Please refer to [the relevant documentation] for details. Figure 15In the depth direction of the receiving groove 113, the support structure 212 is disposed within the first gap 1131 between the auxiliary support member 14 and the bottom wall of the receiving groove 113. Thus, the support structure 212 is confined within the first gap 1131 by the abutment of the auxiliary support member 14. The first gap 1131 extends along the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, allowing the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 to move in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111. However, in the depth direction of the receiving groove 113, the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122 are abutted by the auxiliary support member 14, preventing them from moving in the depth direction of the receiving groove 113. This improves the stability of the movement direction of the first support member 2121 and the second support member 2122, avoiding instability caused by shaking in other directions during wafer clamping.
[0084] It is understood that, in the embodiments of this application, in addition to using the structure of the auxiliary support member 14, other structures can be set to limit the support structure 212 in the receiving groove 113, such as by setting vertical limiting grooves or guide rails on both sides of the receiving groove 113 in the width direction.
[0085] Please continue reading. Figure 15 Along the length of the placement groove 111, a second gap 1132 is formed between the two ends of the auxiliary support member 14 and the two side walls of the receiving groove 113. The clamping structure 211 is disposed within the second gap 1132 and is movable within the second gap 1132 along the thickness direction of the placement groove 111. It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, the two side walls of the receiving groove 113 refer to the two side walls along the length of the placement groove 111. The second gap 1132 is disposed at both ends of the auxiliary support member 14 along the length of the placement groove 11, and the clamping structure 211 is located within the second gap 1132. Thus, the second gap 1132 also provides a certain degree of guiding function for the movement of the clamping structure 211, preventing the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 from swaying in directions other than the clamping direction. It is known that the second gap 1132 can also be set on one side of the auxiliary support member 14. At this time, one side of the auxiliary support member 14 is in contact with one side wall of the receiving groove 113, and the second gap 1132 is located between the other side wall of the receiving groove 113.
[0086] Please continue to refer to Figure 12The auxiliary support member 14 has multiple auxiliary grooves 141 along the thickness direction of the placement groove 111. Each auxiliary groove 141 corresponds to one of the placement grooves 111, and each auxiliary groove 141 communicates with its corresponding placement groove 111 along its length. The auxiliary grooves 141 provide auxiliary support for the wafer 30. For example, when the receiving groove 113 is located at the middle position along the length direction of the placement groove 111, the contact area between the wafer 30 and the placement groove 111 is largest at the middle position because the wafer 30 is circular. The setting of the receiving groove 113 reduces the support area. The auxiliary grooves 141 on the auxiliary support member 14 can compensate for the reduced support caused by the receiving groove 113, thus improving the support effect on the wafer 30. In the embodiments of this application, the one-to-one correspondence between the auxiliary groove 141 and the placement groove 111 means that the auxiliary groove 141 and the placement groove 111 have the same shape and position in the vertical cross-section of the placement groove 111. This structural form allows the auxiliary groove 141 to achieve the same supporting effect as the placement groove 111. In the embodiments of this application, the auxiliary groove 141 communicating with the placement groove 111 in the length direction means that it passes through both sides in the width direction of the auxiliary groove 141. This structural form allows the auxiliary support member 14 to simultaneously possess the functions of support, limiting, and guiding.
[0087] Please see Figure 16 and Figure 17 , Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of wafer 30 in the first position 111a of placement slot 111. Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the wafer moving to the second position 111b after the placement slot 111 has been rotated 180 degrees along with the housing body 11. In the embodiments of this application, in order to improve the stability of the wafer 30 placement after the housing assembly 1 is rotated, the fixing assembly 2 is movable relative to the housing assembly 1 along the thickness direction of the placement slot 111; the adjusting mechanism 22 is also used to drive the wafer 30 to move to the first position 111a or the second position 111b. At the first position 111a, the wafer 30 contacts one side of the placement slot 111 in the thickness direction, and at the second position 111b, the wafer 30 contacts the other side of the placement slot 111 in the thickness direction. Figure 16 The diagram shows the position of wafer 30 in placement slot 111 before it is flipped. The first position 111a refers to the lower sidewall of placement slot 111 before flipping, and the second position 111b refers to the upper sidewall of placement slot 111 before flipping. Before the housing assembly 1 is flipped, wafer 30 is located at the lower sidewall of placement slot 111. Please continue to refer to... Figure 17This indicates the relative position of wafer 30 and placement slot 111 after the housing assembly 1 is rotated 180 degrees. At this time, wafer 30 is still in the first position 111a, but due to the 180-degree rotation, wafer 30 has changed from the lower part to the upper part. Figure 17 The dashed line represents the wafer 30 at the first position 111a. To prevent the wafer 30 from accidentally falling after being flipped 180 degrees, the adjustment mechanism 22 is used to move the wafer 30 from the first position 111a to the second position 111b, thereby ensuring the stability of the wafer 30 in the placement slot 111 after being flipped 180 degrees.
[0088] In the embodiments of this application, an exemplary structure of the adjustment mechanism 22 is as follows: Figure 11 As shown, the adjustment mechanism 22 includes a first adjustment member 221 connected to the first support member 2121 and a second adjustment member 222 connected to the second support member 2122. In some embodiments of this application, both the first adjustment member 221 and the second adjustment member 222 extend in a direction away from the clamping structure 211. Thus, by manually or mechanically adjusting the relative movement of the first adjustment member 221 and the second adjustment member 222, the clamping structure 211 can be clamped or released; or, when the clamping structure 211 is in the clamping state, by simultaneously moving the first adjustment member 221 and the second adjustment member 222, the position of the wafer 30 in the placement slot 111 can be adjusted.
[0089] Regarding the specific driving method of the adjusting mechanism 22, in some embodiments of this application, a mechanical driving method can be adopted. For example... Figure 18As shown, a first linear drive 3 connected to the first adjustment member 221 and a second linear drive 4 connected to the second adjustment member 222 can be respectively provided. The clamping structure 211 can be clamped or released by the driving of the two. Alternatively, the first linear drive 3 and the second linear drive 4 can simultaneously drive the first adjustment member 221 and the second adjustment member 222 when driving the clamping structure 211 to clamp, so as to switch the wafer 30 between the first position 111a and the second position 111b. Alternatively, the first linear drive 3 can be set to be connected to both the first adjustment member 221 and the second adjustment member 222, and then the second linear drive 4 can be set to be connected to the first linear drive 3. The clamping structure 211 can be clamped or released by the first linear drive 3 driving the first adjustment member 221 and the second adjustment member 222, and the first linear drive 3 can be moved by the second linear drive 4 to change the position of the wafer 30 in the placement slot 111. It is understandable that the first linear drive 3 and the second linear drive 4 can have various structural forms. For example, racks can be provided on the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222, and the rotation of the drive gear can be used to drive the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222. Exemplarily, the first linear drive 3 and the second linear drive 4 can also be a motor screw structure, a sprocket and chain structure, etc.
[0090] In other embodiments of this application, the adjustment of the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222 can also be achieved manually. For example, as shown... Figure 11 As shown, the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222 can be configured to be parallel and fitted together. The first adjusting member 221 has a first limiting hole 221a and a second limiting hole 221b, and the second adjusting member 222 has a third limiting hole 222a and a fourth limiting hole 222b. Figure 11 As shown, when the clamping structure 211 is in the clamping state, the first limiting hole 221a and the third limiting hole 222a coincide, and the second limiting hole 221b and the fourth limiting hole 222b coincide. At this time, simply inserting a limiting pin into either the first limiting hole 221a or the second limiting hole 221b until it aligns with the hole of the second adjusting member 222 is sufficient to maintain the clamping state of the clamping structure 211. In embodiments of this application, the clamping structure 211 is also configured to remain in an open state; please refer to... Figure 11 When the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 are in the open state, the first limiting hole 221a and the third limiting hole 222a coincide. At this time, by inserting a limiting pin into the first limiting hole 221a and the third limiting hole 222a, the open state can be maintained. In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 19As shown, the open state of the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 can be set to coincide with the two side walls in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111, respectively. With this configuration, the first clamping member 2111 and the second clamping member 2112 also play a supporting role when the wafer 30 is placed.
[0091] like Figure 7 and Figure 20 As shown, the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222 can extend outside the box body 11. Specifically, a window can be opened on the box body 11 to allow the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222 to pass through. It is understood that those skilled in the art can set a sealing structure such as a sealing strip at this window to achieve a sliding seal of the support structure 212. In the embodiments of this application, a limiting structure for restricting the adjusting mechanism 22 can be provided outside the box body 11. For example, as... Figure 20 As shown, a fifth limiting hole 13a and a sixth limiting hole 13b can be respectively provided in the vertical direction of the handle 13. Please continue to refer to... Figure 20 and Figure 21 When the wafer 30 is at the bottom of the placement slot 111 and the clamping structure 211 is in a clamping state, the first limiting hole 221a or the second limiting hole 221b communicates with the fifth limiting hole 13a. At this time, a limiting pin is inserted through the fifth limiting hole 13a, which can limit the position of the wafer 30 to the first position 111a. Please refer to... Figure 20 and Figure 22 When the wafer 30 is at the top position of the placement slot 111, i.e., the second position 111b, the sixth limiting hole 13b communicates with either the first limiting hole 221a or the second limiting hole 221b. At this time, a limiting pin is inserted through the sixth limiting hole 13b and connected to either the first limiting hole 221a or the second limiting hole 221b, thereby restricting the wafer 30 to the second position 111b. Through this manual operation, the wafer 30 can be stably placed simply by adjusting the insertion position of the limiting pin, which is not only easy to operate but also reduces the manufacturing difficulty of the housing assembly 1.
[0092] In the embodiments of this application, the housing assembly 1 is rotatable between the fourth position 5 and the fifth position 6 of the top wall 11b. It should be noted that in the embodiments of this application, the rotation of the housing assembly 1 is a complete rotation, and the fourth position 5 and the fifth position 6 of the top wall 11b refer to the positions of the top wall 11b during the rotation process. That is, the top wall 11b rotates synchronously with the housing assembly 1, and the fourth position 5 and the fifth position 6 are the relative positions of the top wall 11b during the rotation process. In the embodiments of this application, the rotation of the housing assembly 1 is not limited to a 180-degree rotation; the rotation angle of the housing assembly 1 can be, for example, 90 degrees or 145 degrees, etc., as required by the process. By fixing the position of the wafer 30 during the rotation process, the protection of the wafer 30 during the rotation process can be improved.
[0093] In some embodiments of this application, such as Figure 4 As shown, the rotation angle of the box assembly 1 between the fourth position 5 and the fifth position 6 of the top wall 11b is 180 degrees. That is, the top wall 11b can face upwards before rotation and downwards after rotation 180 degrees. When the top wall 11b is in the fourth position 5, please refer to... Figure 21 Wafer 30 is in position 111a. When top wall 11b is in position 6, please refer to... Figure 22 The adjustment mechanism 22 drives the wafer 30 to the second position 111b. That is, when the top wall 11b faces upwards, the wafer 30 is fixed to the bottom side of the placement groove 111; when the top wall 11b faces downwards, the wafer 30, originally at the bottom of the placement groove 111, is now at the top. Through the adjustment mechanism 22, the wafer 30 is moved to the second position 111b, where it contacts the other side of the placement groove 111. This structural design improves the stability of wafer 30 placement and prevents damage to the wafer 30.
[0094] In the embodiments of this application, please refer to Figure 23 The adjustment mechanism 22 is also used to drive the wafer 30 to a third position 111c, which is located between the first position 111a and the second position 111b; when the top wall 11b is located between the fourth position 5 and the fifth position 6, the wafer 30 is located at the third position 111c. In the embodiments of this application, the third position 111c refers to a position that does not contact the placement slot 111, which can be as follows: Figure 23The middle position in the thickness direction of the placement groove 111 shown can also be a position close to but not in contact with the first position 111a, or a position close to but not in contact with the second position 111b. There are various specific adjustment methods. When using the above-described structure of the first linear drive 3 and the second linear drive 4, it is only necessary to synchronously drive the first linear drive 3 and the second linear drive 4 to move in the same direction, so that the clamped wafer 30 is positioned between the first position 111a and the second position 111b. The following is a detailed description using a manual adjustment method as an example.
[0095] like Figure 20 As shown, a seventh limiting hole 13c is also provided on the side wall of the handle 13, located between the fifth limiting hole 13a and the sixth limiting hole 13b. When the clamping structure 211 is in the clamping state, that is, when a limiting pin is inserted into the first limiting hole 221a and the third limiting hole 222a or the second limiting hole 221b and the fourth limiting hole 222b, the first adjusting member 221 and the second adjusting member 222 move synchronously, so that the first limiting hole 221a or the third limiting hole 222a and the seventh limiting hole 13c are coaxial. For example, a limiting pin is inserted into the seventh limiting hole 13c, so that the positions of the seventh limiting hole 13c and the first limiting hole 221a are fixed, and at this time the position of the wafer 30 is fixed at the third position 111c. Figure 24 As shown, by fixing the position of the wafer 30 at the third position 111c, neither side of the wafer 30 in the thickness direction contacts the placement groove 111. That is, when the wafer 30 is clamped by the clamping structure 211, the position of the wafer 30 is fixed and the wafer 30 does not contact the placement groove 111. Therefore, no matter what angle the housing assembly 1 is flipped, the wafer 30 is in a clamped and fixed state, avoiding direct contact between the wafer 30 and the placement groove 111, thus improving the protection effect of the wafer 30 during the flipping of the housing assembly 1.
[0096] The unlocking method of the door lock mechanism 121 has been described in the above embodiments. However, after the housing assembly 1 is rotated 180 degrees, due to reasons such as manufacturing standards, there may be a situation where the opener and the key hole on the door lock mechanism 121 cannot be matched. That is, Figure 25 As shown, after being rotated 180 degrees, the lock hole 1211b, which was originally in the upper position, is now in the lower position and cannot correspond to the opening / closing mechanism. To solve the above problem, as... Figure 26As shown in the embodiment of this application, a door lock mechanism 121 for opening and closing the door 12 is provided between the door body 12 and the opening 112. The door lock mechanism 121 has a connecting structure 1213 that is detachably connected to the door body 12. The connection positions of the connecting structure 1213 are symmetrically arranged around the center point of the door lock mechanism 121. In the embodiment of this application, the door lock mechanism 121 is detachably connected to the door bolt 1212 inside the door body 12 through the connecting structure 1213. Figure 27 As shown, after the housing assembly 1 is rotated 180 degrees, the locking wheel 1211 is removed from the door body 12 by the connecting structure 1213. Then, the connecting mechanism and the locking wheel 1211 are rotated 180 degrees together and reinstalled. At this time, because the connecting structure 1213 has rotated 180 degrees, the lock hole 1211b on the door lock mechanism 121 is re-aligned with the opener / closer. It is understood that in the embodiments of this application, the specific connection method of the connecting structure 1213 can be various. For example, it can be connected by a snap-fit, a screw, or a magnetic attraction. The point-symmetric arrangement here means that after the connecting structure 1213 is rotated 180 degrees, it can still correspond to the connection position on the door body 12. Through the above structural setting, the problem of the opener / closer not corresponding with the lock hole 1211b after the housing assembly 1 is rotated 180 degrees is solved, improving the reliability and lifespan of the housing assembly 1.
Claims
1. A wafer transport box, characterized in that, include: A housing assembly having a cavity for placing a wafer; A fixing component, connected to the housing assembly, is used to fix the relative position of the wafer within the accommodating space at least when the housing assembly is flipped.
2. The wafer transfer box according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixing component includes a clamping mechanism for clamping the wafer at least when the housing assembly is flipped, to fix the relative position of the wafer within the accommodating space.
3. The wafer transfer box according to claim 2, characterized in that, The box assembly includes a box body, the box body includes a side wall and a top wall and a bottom wall that are vertically connected to both ends of the side wall, the side wall, the top wall and the bottom wall enclosing the accommodating space; The sidewall includes a placement groove for placing a wafer, the depth direction of the placement groove is perpendicular to the sidewall, the length direction of the placement groove is parallel to the bottom wall or the top wall, and the thickness direction of the placement groove is perpendicular to the bottom wall or the top wall. The clamping mechanism includes a clamping structure, which is correspondingly arranged with the placement slot and is used to clamp the wafer placed in the placement slot; The fixing component further includes an adjustment mechanism connected to the clamping mechanism, which is used to adjust the clamping structure to clamp the wafer in the placement groove along the thickness direction of the placement groove.
4. The wafer transfer box according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of placement slots is multiple, and the multiple placement slots are arranged on the side wall in a direction perpendicular to the bottom wall or the top wall. Each placement slot is provided with at least one clamping structure. The adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the clamping structures corresponding to the multiple placement slots, so as to drive the multiple clamping structures to clamp the wafers in the multiple placement slots.
5. The wafer transfer box according to claim 4, characterized in that, In at least one of the multiple placement slots, the number of clamping structures corresponding to the placement slot is multiple, and the multiple clamping structures are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the placement slot.
6. The wafer transfer box according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, In two adjacent placement slots, the clamping structure corresponding to one placement slot and the clamping structure corresponding to the other placement slot are staggered along the length direction of the placement slot.
7. The wafer transport box according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that, The clamping structure includes a first clamping member and a second clamping member, which are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove. The adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the first clamping member and the second clamping member to move closer to each other in the thickness direction of the placement groove, so as to clamp the wafer in the placement groove.
8. The wafer transfer box according to claim 7, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism further includes a support structure, which includes a first support member and a second support member, and the first support member and the second support member are movable relative to each other along the thickness direction of the placement groove. The number of clamping structures is multiple, the first clamping member of the multiple clamping structures is connected to the first support member, and the second clamping member of the multiple clamping structures is connected to the second support member; The adjustment mechanism is connected to the first support member and the second support member, and is used to adjust the relative movement of the first support member and the second support member in the thickness direction of the placement groove, so as to drive the first clamping member and the second clamping member in the plurality of clamping structures to move closer to each other, so as to clamp the wafers in the plurality of placement grooves.
9. The wafer transfer box according to claim 8, characterized in that, The box body is also provided with a receiving groove, which extends through multiple placement grooves along the thickness direction of the placement groove; The support structure is disposed within the receiving groove, and the first support member and the second support member are movable relative to each other within the receiving groove along the thickness direction of the placement groove.
10. The wafer transfer box according to claim 9, characterized in that, The box assembly also includes an auxiliary support member, which is fixed in the receiving groove and has a first gap between the auxiliary support member and the bottom wall of the receiving groove along the depth direction of the placement groove. The first support member and the second support member are located within the first gap.
11. The wafer transfer box according to claim 10, characterized in that, Along the length of the placement groove, there is a second gap between the two ends of the auxiliary support member and the two side walls of the receiving groove; the clamping structure is disposed in the second gap and is movable along the thickness direction of the placement groove within the second gap.
12. The wafer transfer box according to claim 10, characterized in that, The auxiliary support has multiple auxiliary grooves along the thickness direction of the placement groove, and the multiple auxiliary grooves are arranged one-to-one with the multiple placement grooves; Along the length of the placement slot, each of the auxiliary slots is connected to the corresponding placement slot.
13. The wafer transfer box according to any one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that, Along the thickness direction of the placement groove, the fixing component is movable relative to the box assembly; The adjustment mechanism is also used to drive the wafer to a first position or a second position, wherein the wafer is in contact with one side of the placement groove in the thickness direction when it is in the first position, and the wafer is in contact with the other side of the placement groove in the thickness direction when it is in the second position.
14. The wafer transfer box according to claim 13, characterized in that, The housing assembly is rotatable between the fourth and fifth positions on the top wall.
15. The wafer transfer box according to claim 14, characterized in that, The housing assembly rotates at an angle of 180 degrees between the fourth and fifth positions of the top wall. When the top wall is in the fourth position, the wafer is in the first position; when the top wall is in the fifth position, the adjustment mechanism drives the wafer to move to the second position.
16. The wafer transport box according to any one of claims 14 to 15, characterized in that, The adjustment mechanism is also used to drive the wafer to a third position, which is located between the first position and the second position; When the top wall is located between the fourth and fifth positions, the wafer is located at the third position.
17. The wafer transport box according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that, The housing assembly also includes a door, and the housing body has an opening for placing and removing wafers; A door lock mechanism for opening and closing the door is provided between the door body and the opening. The door lock mechanism has a connection structure that is detachably connected to the door body. The connection positions of the connection structure are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center point of the door lock mechanism.
18. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, Includes the wafer transport box as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.