An integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool

Abstract

This invention discloses an integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool, relating to the field of polishing pad replacement technology. It includes a main lever, a scraper, a collecting device, a cleaning device, and a moving device. A scraper is installed at the front end of the main lever to pry up the polishing pad. A collecting device is installed above the main lever to retract the pried-up polishing pad. A cleaning device is installed below the main lever, behind the scraper, to clean the surface of the polishing machine's large disc. The moving device includes a roller track and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly slides the main lever to the roller track, which is detachably installed on both sides of the polishing machine. This invention integrates the three processes of peeling, collecting, and cleaning into a single continuous action, thus eliminating the switching and waiting time between processes. Utilizing the lever principle, it can completely destroy the adhesive layer, thereby greatly reducing the risk of pad tearing and adhesive residue, achieving a significant labor-saving effect.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of polishing pad replacement, in particular to an integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the semiconductor CMP process, the polishing pad needs to be replaced regularly. For the SPM-23 type single-sided polishing machine of Nissan, a very primitive and highly dependent on manual "tube rolling pad" method is currently widely used in the industry. The operator first manually tears a gap at the edge of the polishing pad, then inserts a modified plastic tube into the gap, inserts the torn edge of the polishing pad into the long hole between the tube body of the plastic tube to fix the polishing pad, and then relies on pure human power to rotate the tube repeatedly to use the curling effect of the tube to tear the polishing pad from the large plate like a rolled carpet. The stripped pad is collected and processed by manual operation, and then a completely independent cleaning step needs to be performed to clean the entire large plate surface with a manual cleaning tool (such as a dust-free cloth or a dust-sticking roller dipped in solvent) to remove the residual pressure-sensitive adhesive.

[0003] This scheme does not require special tools, and the tool is a simply processed tube and an independent manual cleaning tool, and the operation completely depends on the strength, experience and skill of the operator. The existing polishing pad replacement method has the following defects:

[0004] 1. The tool is simple, resulting in low efficiency and long downtime: because the stripping and cleaning are two completely independent processes, the tool needs to be switched, and the "pad rolling" process completely relies on human power, which is slow, resulting in a long time-consuming of the entire pad replacement process, which seriously affects the comprehensive utilization rate of the equipment.

[0005] 2. The uneven and rough force application method leads to high risk of pad tearing and adhesive residue: since the rotating tearing force is instantaneous and uneven, such force can easily exceed the tensile strength of the pad itself, causing the pad to break during the process. At the same time, the uneven stripping force cannot effectively and completely destroy the adhesive layer between the pad and the large plate, resulting in local adhesive residue, which will directly affect the flatness of the new pad.

[0006] 3. Lack of effective labor-saving mechanical structure, resulting in labor-intensive operation and safety hazards: because the stripping process completely relies on the operator's arm strength and waist strength to cope with the strong adhesive force, the labor intensity is large, and long-term operation can easily cause fatigue and occupational injury. And in the process of exerting force, once the tube slips or the pad breaks, the operator is easy to lose balance due to inertia and collide with the equipment, causing personal injury.

[0007] Based on the above status, it is urgent to design a special tool for replacing the polishing pad. SUMMARY

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool to solve the problems existing in the prior art. By levering the pad to lift it evenly, the tool integrates the peeling, collection and cleaning functions into one, achieving the comprehensive goals of saving effort, high efficiency, no residue and ensuring safety.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution:

[0010] This invention provides an integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool, including a main lever, a scraper, a collecting device, a cleaning device, and a moving device. The scraper is installed at the front end of the main lever and is used to pry up the polishing pad. The collecting device is installed above the main lever and is used to roll up the pried-up polishing pad. The cleaning device is installed below the main lever, behind the scraper, and is used to clean the surface of the polishing machine's large disc. The moving device includes a roller track and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly is used to slidably connect the main lever and the roller track. The roller track is detachably installed on both sides of the polishing machine.

[0011] In one embodiment, the scraper is detachably mounted on the front end of the main lever, the width of the scraper matches the width of the polishing pad, and the scraper has a chamfered structure with a flat bottom and an inclined front side.

[0012] In one embodiment, the bottom and the front inclined surface of the scraper are coated with an anti-scratch coating.

[0013] In one embodiment, the collecting device includes a main collecting roller, an auxiliary pressing roller, and a driving part. The driving part is used to drive the main collecting roller to rotate. The bearing seats at both ends of the auxiliary pressing roller are connected to the bearing seats at both ends of the main collecting roller through an adjusting component. The adjusting component is used to adjust the gap between the main collecting roller and the auxiliary pressing roller.

[0014] In one embodiment, the main collecting roller is connected to the drive section via a quick-connect interface.

[0015] In one embodiment, the cleaning device includes a sticky roller and a telescopic assembly. The telescopic assembly is installed below the rear side of the main lever, and the sticky roller is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the telescopic assembly. The telescopic assembly is used to adjust the distance and angle between the sticky roller and the main lever.

[0016] In one embodiment, the telescopic assembly includes a main telescopic rod and a secondary telescopic rod. The top of the main telescopic rod is hinged to the lower rear side of the main lever, and the bottom of the main telescopic rod is connected to the connecting handle of the sticky roller via a universal joint. The top of the secondary telescopic rod is hinged to the lower rear side of the main lever, and the bottom of the secondary telescopic rod is hinged to the lower middle part of the main telescopic rod.

[0017] In one embodiment, the connecting assembly includes a main crossbeam and supports. The main crossbeam is disposed at the bottom of the main lever and close to the scraper, and the lever fulcrum of the main lever is mounted on the bottom of the main crossbeam. One or two supports are symmetrically connected to both sides of the main crossbeam.

[0018] In one embodiment, a pulley is installed at the outer end of the bracket, and the roller track is a hollow track, with the pulley slidably assembled inside the roller track.

[0019] In one embodiment, an L-shaped fixing frame is welded to the bottom of each of the two roller tracks. The long handle of the L-shaped fixing frame is welded and fixed to the roller track, and a magnet is fixed on the short handle of the L-shaped fixing frame. The short handle of the L-shaped fixing frame with the magnet is attached to the outside of the polishing machine table.

[0020] The present invention achieves the following technical effects compared to the prior art:

[0021] The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool of the present invention includes a main lever, a scraper, a collecting device, a cleaning device, and a moving device. A scraper is installed at the front end of the main lever for prying up the polishing pad. A collecting device is installed above the main lever for winding up the pried-up polishing pad. A cleaning device is installed below the main lever, behind the scraper, for cleaning the surface of the polishing machine's large disc. The moving device includes a roller track and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly is used to slide the main lever and the roller track together. The roller track is detachably installed on both sides of the polishing machine. This invention integrates the three processes of peeling, collecting, and cleaning into a single continuous action, thus eliminating the switching and waiting time between processes and reducing the time for a single mat tearing operation from 20-30 minutes to less than 10 minutes. Because it uses a wide scraper based on the lever principle for uniform and stable peeling, rather than instantaneous and concentrated rotational tearing force, the peeling force is evenly distributed and can completely destroy the adhesive layer, thereby greatly reducing the risk of mat tearing and adhesive residue. The lever mechanism achieves a huge labor-saving effect, and the tool itself provides a safe lever arm and grip point, allowing the operator to maintain a distance from the moving parts, so the operation is labor-saving and avoids the risk of injury caused by excessive force or slippage. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments 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.

[0023] Fig. 1 Top view of the overall structure of the integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool (cleaning device not shown in the figure).

[0024] Fig. 2 Side view of the integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool;

[0025] Fig. 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the roller track and the L-shaped fixing frame;

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Scraper; 2. Main lever; 3. Main crossbeam; 4. Roller track; 5. Handle; 6. L-shaped fixing frame; 7. Lever fulcrum; 8. Secondary telescopic rod; 9. Dust-collecting roller; 10. Main telescopic rod; 11. Auxiliary pressing roller; 12. Drive unit; 13. Support rod; 14. Main collecting roller; 15. Neodymium iron boron permanent magnet. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool to solve the problems existing in the prior art. By levering the pad to lift it evenly, the tool integrates the peeling, collection and cleaning functions into one, achieving the comprehensive goals of saving effort, high efficiency, no residue and ensuring safety.

[0029] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0030] like Figs. 1-3As shown, the present invention provides an integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool, including a main lever 2, a scraper 1, a collecting device, a cleaning device, and a moving device. The scraper 1 is installed at the front end of the main lever 2, and a handle 5 is installed at the end of the main lever 2. The scraper 1 is used to pry up the polishing pad. The collecting device is installed above the main lever 2 and is used to roll up the pried-up polishing pad. The cleaning device is installed below the main lever 2, behind the scraper 1, and is used to clean the surface of the polishing machine's large disc. The moving device includes a roller track 4 and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly is used to slide the main lever 2 and the roller track 4. The roller track 4 is detachably installed on both sides of the polishing machine.

[0031] By integrating the three processes of peeling, collecting, and cleaning into a single continuous action, the switching and waiting time between processes is eliminated, reducing the time for a single mat tearing operation from 20-30 minutes to less than 10 minutes. Because the operation is carried out through the main lever 2, a wide scraper 1 based on the lever principle is used for uniform and stable peeling, rather than instantaneous and concentrated rotational tearing force. Therefore, the peeling force is evenly distributed and can completely destroy the adhesive layer, thereby greatly reducing the risk of mat tearing and adhesive residue. The lever mechanism achieves a huge labor-saving effect, and the tool itself provides a safe lever arm and grip point, allowing the operator to maintain a distance from the moving parts. Therefore, the operation is labor-saving and avoids the risk of injury due to excessive force or slippage.

[0032] In one embodiment, the scraper 1 is detachably mounted on the front end of the main lever 2. The width of the scraper 1 matches the width of the polishing pad, and the scraper 1 has a chamfered structure with a flat bottom and an inclined front side. The flat bottom design of the scraper 1 allows the fixed main lever 2 to tilt at a certain angle when the bottom plane contacts the surface of the large plate. The front edge and bottom contact surface of the scraper 1 are coated with a scratch-resistant coating such as Teflon to protect the surface of the large plate.

[0033] In one embodiment, the collection device includes a main collecting roller 14, an auxiliary pressing roller 11, and a drive unit 12. The drive unit 12 is used to drive the main collecting roller 14 to rotate. The bearing seats at both ends of the auxiliary pressing roller 11 are connected to the bearing seats at both ends of the main collecting roller 14 through an adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is used to adjust the gap between the main collecting roller 14 and the auxiliary pressing roller 11 (the adjustment assembly adopts a spring-loaded adjustment assembly commonly used in the prior art, which can adjust the distance between the two rollers. This part can use commercially available parts, which are mature technologies and will not be described in detail here). The main collecting roller 14 is connected to the drive unit 12 through a quick-connect interface.

[0034] The collection device is located on the support rod 13 diagonally above the scraper 1. Both the main collecting roller 14 and the auxiliary pressing roller 11 are horizontally aligned, with the two rollers parallel to each other. The polishing pad passes through the gap between the two rollers. The housing of the drive unit 12 is fixed to the support rod 13. The adjustment components on both sides of the main collecting roller 14 and the auxiliary pressing roller 11 are fixedly connected to the support rod 13 via connecting plates. The device uses a motor-driven winding mechanism to immediately reel in the peeled-off old pad after it has been peeled off. The core of the motor-driven collection device is a main collecting roller 14 driven by a motor through a transmission system. It works in conjunction with an auxiliary pressing roller 11 to form a traction winding mechanism, actively and tightly winding the peeled-off polishing pad onto the main collecting roller 14. The workflow is as follows: The operator turns on the switch; power is transmitted through the motor and transmission system, and finally, the traction winding mechanism automatically and continuously reels in the peeled pad.

[0035] Specifically, the drive unit 12 includes a motor and a transmission system. The motor is a small, high-torque DC stepper motor (or a DC brushed motor) installed inside the housing. The motor output shaft is connected to a planetary gear reducer, which converts the high-speed, low-torque rotation of the motor into a low-speed, high-torque output to provide a smooth and powerful winding force. The output of the reducer drives a large gear coaxial with the main collecting drum 14 through a small gear, achieving the final reduction and torque increase.

[0036] After the operator uses scraper 1 to pry up the leading edge of the polishing pad, the raised pad tip is manually guided to the clamping opening between the auxiliary clamping roller 11 and the main collecting roller 14. Pressing the start switch on the handle activates the motor, causing the auxiliary clamping roller 11 to press the pad against the rotating main collecting roller 14, instantly causing the high-friction surface to adhere to the pad. The adhered pad is continuously pulled out by the rotational traction of the main collecting roller 14, generating an auxiliary traction peeling force that works in conjunction with the lever peeling force of scraper 1, making the overall peeling process more effortless and stable. As the tool is pushed forward by the operator, the newly peeled pad continuously passes through the clamping opening and is smoothly and layer by layer wound onto the main collecting roller 14. After the entire pad has been peeled off, the switch is turned off, and the motor stops working. The main collecting roller 14 is connected to the drive shaft via a quick-connect interface. This interface can use a rotating clamp structure to achieve quick assembly and disassembly of the roller. Commercially available standard connecting parts can be used for the quick-connect interface, as long as they meet the functionality of quick-connection.

[0037] In one embodiment, the cleaning device includes a sticky roller 9 and a telescopic assembly. The telescopic assembly is mounted on the lower rear side of the main lever 2, and the sticky roller 9 is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the telescopic assembly. The telescopic assembly is used to adjust the distance and angle between the sticky roller 9 and the main lever 2. The sticky roller 9 contains replaceable sticky rolls. The telescopic assembly includes a main telescopic rod 10 and a secondary telescopic rod 8. The top of the main telescopic rod 10 is hinged to the lower rear side of the main lever 2, and the bottom of the main telescopic rod 10 is connected to the connecting handle of the sticky roller 9 via a universal joint. The top of the secondary telescopic rod 8 is hinged to the lower rear side of the main lever 2, and the bottom of the secondary telescopic rod 8 is hinged to the lower middle part of the main telescopic rod 10.

[0038] like Fig. 2 As shown, the position and angle of the sticky roller 9 on the large disc can be adjusted by adjusting the length of the main telescopic rod 10 and the auxiliary telescopic rod 8. The universal joint connection allows the sticky roller 9 to rotate 360 ​​degrees, enabling more comprehensive cleaning of the large disc surface.

[0039] In one embodiment, the connecting assembly includes a main crossbeam 3 and a bracket. The main crossbeam 3 is located at the bottom of the main lever 2 and close to the scraper. The lever fulcrum 7 of the main lever 2 is mounted on the bottom of the main crossbeam 3. One or two brackets are symmetrically connected to both sides of the main crossbeam 3. A pulley is installed at the outer end of the bracket. The roller track 4 is a hollow track, and the pulley is slidably assembled in the roller track 4. An L-shaped fixing frame 6 is welded to the bottom of each of the two roller tracks 4. The long handle of the L-shaped fixing frame 6 is welded and fixed to the roller track 4. A magnet is fixed on the short handle of the L-shaped fixing frame 6. The short handle of the L-shaped fixing frame 6 with the magnet is attracted to the outside of the polishing machine table.

[0040] The connecting component is connected to the main lever 2, and the connection point is located slightly behind the scraper 1. It includes a main crossbeam 3, and the lever fulcrum 7 is mounted on the main crossbeam 3. The two sides of the main crossbeam 3 are symmetrically spliced ​​with brackets, and the ends of the brackets are equipped with small pulleys. The small pulleys move on the roller track 4. Two L-shaped fixing frames 6 are welded below the roller track 4. Preferably, the L-shaped fixing frames 6 are equipped with multiple neodymium iron boron permanent magnets 15. The magnets are connected to a quick-on / off mechanism. The operator can adjust the on / off state of the quick-on / off mechanism to realize the connection and disconnection of the magnetic force. The magnetic attraction ability of the magnets can make the L-shaped fixing frames 6 firmly attached to the polishing machine table.

[0041] The usage process and working principle of the integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool are as follows:

[0042] 1. Preparation: Lock the SPM-23 machine and manually pry open a starting hole at the edge of the polishing pad.

[0043] 2. Positioning: Attach the L-shaped fixing bracket 6 to the side of the polishing disc, adjust the height of the device, and insert the scraper 1 into the starting port.

[0044] 3. Peeling and Collection: The operator presses down on the main lever 2. According to the lever principle, the small force applied to the main lever 2 is amplified into a large, stable peeling force acting on the leading edge of the scraper 1, prying the polishing pad off the large disc over a large area. Simultaneously, the operator slowly advances the tool radially along the large disc. As the moving device advances on the roller track 4, the tool body moves into the large disc to work. The peeled pad, due to its natural curling tendency, is automatically rolled up by the collection device above.

[0045] 4. Simultaneous cleaning: As the tool moves forward, the exposed, unpadded surface of the large disc is immediately rolled and removed by the sticky roller 9 that follows, completing the cleaning instantly.

[0046] 5. Completion: When the tool reaches its endpoint, the entire old mat has been completely peeled off and rolled up, and the surface of the large tray has also been cleaned simultaneously. Remove the tool and proceed directly to the step of attaching the new mat.

[0047] The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool of the present invention has the following features:

[0048] 1. Functional integrated structure: The overall structural design integrates the mechanical peeling mechanism (scraper 1), waste pad collection mechanism (collection device) and surface cleaning mechanism (dust roller 9) into a single handheld tool.

[0049] 2. Lever-type uniform peeling method: The peeling is performed by using a wide scraper 1 in combination with a lever handle. This specific force application method achieves large-area, stable and continuous destruction of the adhesive interface, which is fundamentally different from the rotational tearing of existing technologies.

[0050] 3. Synchronous operation mechanism: The cleaning device (dust roller 9) is positioned behind the travel path of the peeling mechanism (scraper 1) and is fixed to the main tool by a telescopic rod, so that the peeling and cleaning actions are completed synchronously in one continuous pushing operation.

[0051] 4. Dedicated fixing and guiding structure: The roller track 4 and moving device designed to fit the size of the large disc ensure that the tool can move stably along the radial direction of the large disc, which is crucial for ensuring uniform peeling and cleaning.

[0052] 5. Replaceable integrated cleaning module: The cleaning unit features a modular quick-release design, making it easy to replace the depleted sticky roller 9.

[0053] 6. Automatic collection mechanism: including a motor-driven main collection roller 14, an elastically clamping auxiliary clamping roller 11, and the clamping opening formed therebetween.

[0054] 7. Quick-change mechanism: The main collecting roller 14 and the drive shaft adopt a rotary clamp quick-change interface.

[0055] 8. Synergistic effect: The traction force generated by automatic collection and the lever peeling force work together to further reduce the intensity of operation.

[0056] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. An integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool, characterized in that: The polishing machine includes a main lever, a scraper, a collecting device, a cleaning device, and a moving device. The scraper is mounted on the front end of the main lever and is used to pry up the polishing pad. The collecting device is mounted above the main lever and is used to roll up the pried-up polishing pad. The cleaning device is mounted below the main lever, behind the scraper, and is used to clean the surface of the polishing machine's large disc. The moving device includes a roller track and a connecting assembly. The connecting assembly is used to slide the main lever to the roller track, and the roller track is detachably mounted on both sides of the polishing machine.

2. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The scraper is detachably mounted on the front end of the main lever. The width of the scraper matches the width of the polishing pad. The scraper has a chamfered structure with a flat bottom and an inclined front side.

3. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom and front inclined surface of the scraper are coated with an anti-scratch coating.

4. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collection device includes a main collection roller, an auxiliary pressing roller, and a drive unit. The drive unit is used to drive the main collection roller to rotate. The bearing seats at both ends of the auxiliary pressing roller are connected to the bearing seats at both ends of the main collection roller through an adjustment component. The adjustment component is used to adjust the gap between the main collection roller and the auxiliary pressing roller.

5. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 4, characterized in that: The main collecting roller is connected to the drive unit via a quick-connect interface.

6. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning device includes a sticky roller and a telescopic assembly. The telescopic assembly is installed below the rear side of the main lever, and the sticky roller is rotatably installed at the bottom of the telescopic assembly. The telescopic assembly is used to adjust the distance and angle between the sticky roller and the main lever.

7. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 6, characterized in that: The telescopic assembly includes a main telescopic rod and a secondary telescopic rod. The top of the main telescopic rod is hinged to the lower rear side of the main lever, and the bottom of the main telescopic rod is connected to the connecting handle of the sticky roller via a universal joint. The top of the secondary telescopic rod is hinged to the lower rear side of the main lever, and the bottom of the secondary telescopic rod is hinged to the lower middle part of the main telescopic rod.

8. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a main crossbeam and brackets. The main crossbeam is located at the bottom of the main lever and close to the scraper. The lever fulcrum of the main lever is mounted on the bottom of the main crossbeam. One or two brackets are symmetrically connected to both sides of the main crossbeam.

9. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 8, characterized in that: The outer end of the bracket is equipped with a pulley, and the roller track is a hollow track, with the pulley slidably assembled inside the roller track.

10. The integrated polishing pad replacement and cleaning tool according to claim 9, characterized in that: Both roller tracks have L-shaped fixing brackets welded to their bottoms. The long handle of the L-shaped fixing bracket is welded and fixed to the roller track. A magnet is fixed on the short handle of the L-shaped fixing bracket, and the short handle of the L-shaped fixing bracket with the magnet is attached to the outside of the polishing machine table.

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