Wafer parity slicer actively monitoring conflict status

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer odd-even slice divider capable of actively monitoring a conflict state, relates to the technical field of wafer odd-even slice division, and comprises a main body. A to-be-received basket bearing area and a slice basket bearing area are arranged above the main body. Two basket positions are arranged above the to-be-received basket bearing area. The two basket positions are connected with the main body through driving shafts. A slice pushing mechanism is arranged on the side of the slice basket bearing area away from the to-be-received basket bearing area. An adjusting table is arranged on one side of the slice pushing mechanism. The wafer is transported in a non-contact mode through the cooperation of a gripper and high-speed airflow. The existing wafer is contacted through a limiting plate, then a torque is generated between the limiting plate and a movable piece, the torque detected by a torque sensor changes in the wafer transfer process, the gripper cooperates with a differentiation cavity plate, and the gripper can be lifted at a low amplitude after the wafer is gripped, so that direct friction between the wafer and the basket is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wafer parity slicing technology, specifically to a wafer parity slicing device that actively monitors conflict states. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor wafer manufacturing and packaging processes, core equipment such as lithography machines and dicing machines generally employ an independent processing mode for odd and even wafers to ensure overlay accuracy and dicing consistency. Odd-numbered and even-numbered wafers need to be sent to dedicated workstations for processing separately, which is a key process requirement for improving chip yield and production efficiency. However, in actual production, wafer cassettes are prone to wafer shortages due to scheduling and wafer scrapping, causing the corresponding odd and even workstations to run idle, resulting in serious waste of equipment capacity. Furthermore, the existing random wafer picking and replacement method can lead to confusion in wafer position information, which is not conducive to process monitoring and subsequent process integration.

[0003] Traditional wafer slitting relies on manual or simple mechanical sorting. Existing wafer parity separators mainly place the receiving basket and the slitting basket in parallel, and then push the wafer from the inside of the slitting basket to the inside of the receiving basket through a pusher plate. During the entire wafer transfer process, the wafer moves along the grooves on the basket to the other basket. The wafer is transferred by friction and sliding. Wafers are high-precision products, and this method of transportation does not meet the production requirements of chips. At the same time, before transfer, it is necessary to ensure that there are wafers in the same layer of the slitting basket and the receiving basket. Wafers are relatively thin and have poor toughness. The direct contact between wafers in a horizontal state can easily cause wafer breakage. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer parity divider that actively monitors conflict states, in order to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a wafer parity divider that actively monitors conflict status, comprising a main body, a basket receiving area and a wafer dividing basket receiving area are provided above the main body, two basket positions are provided above the basket receiving area, the two basket positions are connected to the main body through a drive shaft, a wafer pushing mechanism is provided on the side of the wafer dividing basket receiving area away from the basket receiving area, an adjustment platform is provided on one side of the wafer pushing mechanism, a gripper is provided on the side of the wafer pushing mechanism near the wafer dividing basket receiving area, and an airflow output device is connected to the wafer pushing mechanism and the gripper. The wafer pushing mechanism is used to push the wafer inside the wafer basket carrying area to the receiving basket carrying area. The two baskets above the receiving basket carrying area are turned by the drive shaft below. The adjustment table adjusts the height of the wafer pushing mechanism so that the gripper can handle the wafers of even-numbered or odd-numbered layers respectively. The main body is equipped with a position recognition mechanism, which is used to identify whether there is a wafer in each layer of the flower basket.

[0006] Furthermore, the gripper has an internal airflow channel and an air outlet at its lower part. The connection between the airflow channel and the air outlet adopts a Venturi tube structure. The airflow channel is connected to the airflow output device. When the gripper contacts the wafer, a high-speed airflow is formed above the wafer, thereby changing the air pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the wafer, and further realizing the gripper to extract the wafer. A limit post is provided on the side of the gripper near the pusher mechanism.

[0007] Furthermore, the identification mechanism includes a limiting plate installed on the side of the gripper away from the pusher mechanism. A connecting shaft above the limiting plate passes through the gripper and is connected to a movable piece. The limiting plate is connected to the gripper via a spring shaft located in the middle of the limiting plate. A torque sensor is provided between the limiting plate and the movable piece. The movable piece is located in the airflow channel. When there is high-speed airflow in the airflow channel, the movable piece faces the same direction as the airflow channel. At the same time, the limiting plate cooperates with the limiting post to limit the wafer to be rotated. The end of the gripper is provided with an output hole of the same size as the air outlet.

[0008] Furthermore, the regulating platform has a cavity inside, and several connecting plates are provided between the regulating platform and the gripper. The connecting plates are slidably sealed to the regulating platform. Several air-cut-off chambers are opened on both sides inside the regulating platform. One end of the connecting plate is located in the air-cut-off chamber. An airflow channel is opened inside the connecting plate. The input end and output end of the airflow channel inside the connecting plate are respectively connected to the airflow channel inside the cavity and the gripper. The inlet of the airflow channel inside the connecting plate reciprocates within the cavity and the air-cut-off cavities on both sides under the drive of the pusher mechanism.

[0009] Furthermore, the pusher mechanism includes a transmission plate and a drive rod. The transmission plate is connected to the adjustment table via the drive rod, and the transmission plate is connected to the gripper. The drive rod drives the gripper to move via the transmission plate.

[0010] Furthermore, the transmission plate is provided with several electromagnets, and the end of the gripper near the electromagnet is T-shaped. The position of the electromagnet corresponds to the position of the gripper. A magnetic metal block is provided on the side of the gripper adjacent to the electromagnet. The electromagnet is connected to the gripper through the magnetic metal block, and the electromagnet is electrically connected to the torque sensor.

[0011] Furthermore, a differentiation chamber plate is provided at the connection between the gripper and the transmission plate. The gripper is located in a structure divided into upper and lower parts on the differentiation chamber plate. The gripper on the upper side is slidably and sealed to the differentiation chamber plate, and an electrically controlled valve is provided in the airflow channel inside the gripper on the lower side.

[0012] Furthermore, the identification mechanism includes an infrared sensor and an electric rotating shaft. The infrared sensor is connected to the main body via the electric rotating shaft and is located between the area to be received flower basket and the area to be received flower basket.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects achieved by the present invention are: By using a gripper in conjunction with high-speed airflow, a pressure difference is created on the upper and lower sides of the wafer, enabling non-contact wafer transport. This avoids applying external stress to the wafer during transport. The gripper's end is equipped with an identification mechanism. During wafer transfer, if a wafer is present in the receiving basket, a limiting plate contacts the existing wafer. High-speed airflow then acts on the movable wafer, generating torque between the limiting plate and the movable wafer. This torque change, detected by a torque sensor, during wafer transfer detects the presence of a wafer in the receiving basket. Once the identification mechanism detects the wafer, it feeds back to the wafer pushing mechanism, interrupting the operation of the electromagnet in the layer where the wafer conflict occurs, without affecting wafer transfer in other layers. Furthermore, during the reset process of the mechanism above the main body, the gripper in the layer where the wafer conflict occurred can carry the wafer back to the receiving basket. When the gripper picks up the wafer, the mechanism of the separation chamber plate and the gripper inside it enables the gripper to rise at a low amplitude after picking up the wafer, so as to avoid the gripper causing the wafer to slide on the surface of the basket during the transfer, and thus avoid direct friction between the wafer and the basket. Attached Figure Description

[0014] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a top view of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the gripper from the bottom side of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top-view full-section structural diagram of the gripper of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a top-view full-section structural diagram of the differentiation chamber plate of the present invention (the dashed line segment with arrows indicates the direction of airflow, and the circular dashed line indicates the position of the wafer below the gripper). Figure 5 This is the invention Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle; Figure 6 This is the invention Figure 1 Enlarged structural diagram at point B (dashed line indicates the location of the air cut-off chamber).

[0015] In the diagram: 1. Main body; 101. Area for receiving flower baskets; 102. Area for receiving segmented flower baskets; 2. Pushing mechanism; 201. Transmission plate; 202. Electromagnet; 203. Magnetic metal block; 3. Adjustment platform; 301. Cavity; 302. Connecting plate; 303. Air cut-off chamber; 4. Handle; 401. Air outlet; 402. Limiting post; 403. Differentiating chamber plate; 404. Electrically controlled valve; 5. Identification mechanism; 511. Limiting plate; 512. Movable piece; 521. Infrared sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0016] 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.

[0017] Please see Figures 1-6 The present invention provides a technical solution: a wafer parity divider that actively monitors conflict status, comprising a main body 1, a receiving basket carrying area 101 and a wafer dividing basket carrying area 102 are provided above the main body 1, two basket positions are provided above the receiving basket carrying area 101, the two basket positions are connected to the main body 1 through an active shaft, a wafer pushing mechanism 2 is provided on the side of the wafer dividing basket carrying area 102 away from the receiving basket carrying area 101, an adjustment platform 3 is provided on one side of the wafer pushing mechanism 2, a gripper 4 is provided on the side of the wafer pushing mechanism 2 near the wafer dividing basket carrying area 102, and an airflow output device is connected to one side of the wafer pushing mechanism 2 and the gripper 4; The wafer pusher 2 is used to push the wafer inside the wafer tray carrier area 102 to the receiving tray carrier area 101. The two trays above the receiving tray carrier area 101 are turned by the lower drive shaft. The adjustment table 3 adjusts the height of the wafer pusher 2 so that the gripper 4 can interact with the wafers of even-numbered or odd-numbered layers respectively. The main body 1 is provided with a position identification mechanism 5, which is used to identify whether there is a wafer in each layer of the flower basket; The wafers to be sharded into odd and even positions are placed in a basket, and then the basket is placed on the sharding basket support area 102. Subsequently, the odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets are placed on the receiving basket support area 101. There is a height difference between the wafer support positions on the odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets. The height of the wafer support positions on the odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets is matched with the height of the wafer support positions on the receiving baskets. For example, the heights of the wafer support positions in the odd-numbered wafer baskets are 1 / 3 / 5 / 7 and 9, respectively, and the heights of the wafer support positions in the even-numbered wafer baskets are 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 10, respectively. An active shaft is installed at the lower end of the basket support area. The odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets are alternately received by the active shaft. At the same time, the wafer pushing mechanism 2 is raised or lowered synchronously when the active shaft rotates, so as to push the wafers at the same layer position from the sharding basket support area 102 to the receiving basket support area 101. The gripper 4 has an internal airflow channel, one end of which is connected to a high-speed airflow output device. By forming a high-speed airflow above the wafer, a pressure difference is created on the upper and lower sides of the wafer, so that the gripper 4 can move under the drive of the wafer pushing mechanism 2, moving from the wafer to be separated basket to the odd-numbered wafer basket and the even-numbered wafer basket. The identification mechanism 5 detects whether there is a wafer in each wafer placement layer on the odd-numbered wafer basket and the even-numbered wafer basket, and then feeds back to the main body 1 to avoid the wafer moving from the wafer to be separated basket to the wafer placement layer at the same height on the odd-numbered wafer basket and the even-numbered wafer basket.

[0018] See Figures 2-4 The gripper 4 has an airflow channel inside and an air outlet 401 is provided below the gripper 4. The connection between the airflow channel and the air outlet 401 adopts a Venturi tube structure. The airflow channel is connected to the airflow output device. When the gripper 4 comes into contact with the wafer, a high-speed airflow is formed above the wafer, thereby changing the air pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the wafer, and further realizing the gripper 4 to extract the wafer. A limit post 402 is provided on the side of the gripper 4 near the pusher mechanism 2. The vent 401 below the gripper 4 is used to output high-speed airflow. The inner surface structure of the vent 401 adopts a Venturi tube structure so that when the gripper 4 contacts the wafer, a high-speed airflow is generated above the wafer, creating a pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the wafer. This is a commonly used technique in the wafer transfer field. The limiting post 402 is used to limit the position of the wafer during transfer to prevent the wafer from shifting relative to the gripper 4 due to inertia. The limiting post 402 is positioned in the opposite direction to the wafer.

[0019] See Figures 1-3The identification mechanism 5 includes a limiting plate 511 installed on the side of the gripper 4 away from the pusher mechanism 2. The upper connecting shaft of the limiting plate 511 passes through the gripper 4 and is connected to a movable piece 512. The limiting plate 511 is connected to the gripper 4 through a spring shaft, which is located in the middle of the limiting plate 511. A torque sensor is provided between the limiting plate 511 and the movable piece 512. The movable piece 512 is located in the airflow channel. When there is a high-speed airflow in the airflow channel, the orientation of the movable piece 512 is the same as the direction of the airflow channel. At the same time, the limiting plate 511 cooperates with the limiting post 402 to limit the wafer to be rotated. The end of the gripper 4 is provided with an output hole of the same size as the air outlet 401. The setting of the output hole allows an airflow to pass through the movable piece 512, so that the movable piece 512 in the gripper 4 can be driven by the high-speed airflow. A limiting plate 511 is positioned below the gripper 4, facing two limiting posts 402. The upper end of the limiting plate 511 penetrates the lower end of the gripper 4, and the limiting plate 511 is connected to the gripper 4 via a spring shaft. A movable piece 512 is installed above the limiting plate 511, inside the airflow channel of the gripper 4. The movable piece 512 and the limiting plate 511 are connected via a torque sensor. When the gripper 4 grips the wafer, it is positioned directly above the wafer under the action of the pusher mechanism 2. Then, the airflow output device is activated, resulting in a high-speed airflow in the airflow channel of the gripper 4. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the gripper sucks up the wafer. At the same time, the movable piece 512 in the airflow channel deflects synchronously under the action of the high-speed airflow. The force exerted by the high-speed airflow on the movable piece 512 gradually exceeds the force fed back to the movable piece by the spring shaft. The force on the movable piece 512 and the limiting plate 511 enables the movable piece 512 and the limiting plate 511 to deflect synchronously. The spring shaft is located above the middle of the limiting plate 511. When the limiting plate 511 deflects, the end of the limiting plate 511 near the wafer gradually moves towards the side where the wafer is located. After the limiting plate 511 is close to the wafer, the limiting plate 511 continues to push the wafer to move below the gripper 4 until the wafer contacts the limiting post 402 on the opposite side of the limiting plate 511. At this time, the two limiting posts 402 and the two limiting plates 511 together restrict the wafer to be transported. In order to ensure that the limiting plate 511 can deflect in a fixed direction when gripping the wafer, the length of the movable piece 512 in the high-speed airflow direction on the spring shaft is greater than the length of the movable piece 512 in the opposite high-speed airflow direction on the spring shaft. When the wafer pusher 2 moves the wafers via the gripper 4, if there are wafers on the same layer at the same height on the receiving basket, the limiting plate 511 below the gripper 4 will first contact the wafers on the receiving basket. At this time, the limiting plate 511 is in contact with the wafers on the receiving basket, and the movable piece 512 above the limiting plate 511 is being pushed by a high-speed airflow. The forces exerted on the limiting plate 511 and the movable piece 512 by the wafers on the receiving basket and the high-speed airflow are on the same side of the spring shaft, but the directions of the forces are completely opposite. Since the torque sensor monitors the torque between the limiting plate 511 and the movable piece 512 in real time, the torque sensor promptly feeds back the monitored data to the main body 1. Thus, the main body 1 can identify that a layer of wafers has a torque change during the transfer, and thus determine that there is a conflict between the wafers on the receiving basket and the wafers on the receiving basket at a certain height.

[0020] See Figure 6 The regulating platform 3 has a cavity 301 inside. Several connecting plates 302 are provided between the regulating platform 3 and the gripper 4. The connecting plates 302 are slidably sealed to the regulating platform 3. Several air-cut-off chambers 303 are opened on both sides inside the regulating platform 3. One end of the connecting plate 302 is located in the air-cut-off chamber 303. An airflow channel is opened inside the connecting plate 302. The input end and output end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 are respectively connected to the airflow channel in the cavity 301 and the gripper 4. See Figure 6 The inlet of the airflow channel inside the connecting plate 302 moves back and forth in the cavity 301 and the air-cut-off cavities 303 on both sides under the drive of the pusher mechanism 2. The main body 1 has several grippers 4 and connecting plates 302, so that the pushing mechanism 2 can complete the task of dividing the flower basket into odd or even numbers of pieces at one time. Under the drive of the pushing mechanism 2, the grippers 4 and connecting plates 302 move synchronously. The airflow channels of the grippers 4 and connecting plates 302 are connected. In addition, the cavity 301 inside the regulating platform 3 is connected to the airflow output device and the airflow channel inside the connecting plate 302, so that the high-speed airflow of the airflow output enters the gripper 4 through the cavity 301 and the connecting plate 302. The cavity 301 and the gas-cut-off cavity 303 are configured such that the straight-line distance between the two gas-cut-off cavities 303 on both sides of the cavity 301 matches the straight-line distance between the wafer receiving tray and the wafer sorting basket. Similarly, the width of the cavity 301 is equal to the length of the wafer transfer path. This ensures that when the gripper 4 moves onto the wafer sorting basket, the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 just leaves the adjacent gas-cut-off cavity 303 and enters the area of ​​the cavity 301. When the gripper 4 transfers the wafer, the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 is just within the area of ​​the cavity 301 until the gripper 4 carries the wafer on the transfer path. When the wafer is moved to the receiving basket, the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 enters the air-cut-off cavity 303 on the other side. Since the inner wall size of the air-cut-off cavity 303 matches the outer wall size of the connecting plate 302, when the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 is in the air-cut-off cavity 303, the sizes of the air-cut-off cavity 303 and the connecting plate 302 match each other, thereby disconnecting the airflow channel in the cavity 301 from that in the connecting plate 302. The wafer pusher 2 works with the cavity 301 and the air-cut-off cavity 303. During the wafer transfer driven by the gripper 4, the wafer pusher 2 indirectly realizes the picking, transporting and placing of the wafer.

[0021] See Figure 5 The pusher mechanism 2 includes a transmission plate 201 and a drive rod. The transmission plate 201 is connected to the adjustment table 3 through the drive rod. The transmission plate 201 is also connected to the gripper 4. The drive rod drives the gripper 4 to move through the transmission plate 201. The two ends of the drive rod are connected to the adjustment table 3 and the transmission plate 201 respectively. The output end of the drive rod is connected to the gripper 4 through the transmission plate 201. The drive rod extends and retracts, thereby driving the wafer to be transferred through the gripper 4.

[0022] See Figure 2 and Figure 5 The transmission plate 201 is provided with several electromagnets 202. The end of the gripper 4 near the electromagnet 201 is T-shaped. The position of the electromagnet 202 corresponds to the position of the gripper 4. A magnetic metal block 203 is provided on the side of the gripper 4 adjacent to the electromagnet 202. The electromagnet 202 is connected to the gripper 4 through the magnetic metal block 203. The electromagnet 202 is electrically connected to the torque sensor. The transmission plate 201 is equipped with the same number of magnetic metal blocks 203 as the gripper 4. These magnetic metal blocks 203 are not permanent magnets and do not possess magnetism under normal conditions. An electromagnet 202 is installed on the side of the gripper 4 near the transmission plate 201. The electromagnet 202 is electrically connected to the torque sensor through the main body 1. When energized, the electromagnet 202 can attract magnetic metal blocks 203 of the same height. Under the action of magnetic attraction, the drive rod drives the gripper 4 through the transmission plate 201. When the torque sensor detects a collision at any layer height of the wafer, the main body 1... The resistance fed back by the torque sensor de-energizes the electromagnet 202 at the same height, thus preventing the transmission plate 201 at the height where the wafer conflict occurs from driving the gripper 4 to perform slicing work through magnetic attraction. However, the electromagnets 202 at other heights are unaffected, and the grippers 4 at other heights perform normal slicing work. After the slicing work is completed, the drive rod is retracted, and the transmission plate 201 can push the gripper 4 to reset by direct contact with it. After the reset, the de-energized electromagnet 202 will be energized again to perform the next slicing work. One end of the gripper 4 is T-shaped. One side of the longitudinal beam is connected to the gripper 4, and one side of the crossbeam is located between the electromagnet 202 and the adjustment table 3. During the recovery and reset, the connecting plate 302 can achieve the reset of the gripper 4 without the need for magnetic attraction.

[0023] See Figure 4 A separation chamber plate 403 is provided at the connection between the gripper 4 and the transmission plate 201. The structure of the gripper 4 located in the separation chamber plate 403 is divided into upper and lower parts. The gripper 4 on the upper side is slidably sealed to the separation chamber plate 403, and an electrically controlled valve 404 is provided in the airflow channel inside the gripper 4 on the lower side. The separation chamber plate 403 and the gripper 4 are set in two parts. When the high-speed airflow enters the airflow channel of the separation chamber plate 403 in the gripper 4, the upper and lower grippers 4 are in a close state or in a disconnected state. The air pressure in the airflow channel of the gripper 4 gradually increases. Under the push of the air pressure, the upper and lower grippers 4 separate. The upper gripper 4 slides upward relative to the separation chamber plate 403. The upper gripper and the separation chamber plate 403 are slidably sealed, so there will be no airflow leakage. Thus, the gripper 4 drives the wafer to rise a short distance. When the airflow channel input end in the connecting plate 302 just enters or just leaves the cavity 301, the air pressure inside the separation chamber plate 403 will change, and the upper gripper 4 will rise and fall accordingly. When the drive rod moves the gripper 4 to retract, the electrically controlled valve 404 inside the lower gripper 4 changes from the open state to the closed state. Except for grippers 4 in the event of a conflict, no high-speed airflow is supplied. After the gripper 4 returns to its initial position, the electrically controlled valve 404 opens again, waiting for the next wafer transfer task.

[0024] See Figure 1 The identification mechanism 5 includes an infrared sensor 521 and an electric rotating shaft. The infrared sensor 521 is connected to the main body 1 through the electric rotating shaft. The infrared sensor 521 is located between the receiving flower basket carrying area 101 and the segmented flower basket carrying area 102. Infrared sensor 521 is located below the middle of the receiving basket carrier area 101 and the segmented basket carrier area 102. The electric rotating shaft controls the deflection of infrared sensor 521. When infrared sensor 521 is facing one side of receiving basket carrier area 101, the infrared sensor 521 is deflected at a fixed angle to determine whether there is a wafer in the basket wafer carrier area at any height. The same applies to one side of segmented basket carrier area 102, so as to determine whether there is a wafer conflict at the same height before wafer transfer.

[0025] Working principle of the invention: The wafers to be sharded into odd and even positions are placed in a basket, and then the basket is placed on the sharding basket support area 102. Subsequently, the odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets are placed on the receiving basket support area 101. There is a height difference between the wafer support positions on the odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets. The height of the wafer support positions on the odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets is matched with the height of the wafer support positions on the receiving baskets. For example, the heights of the wafer support positions in the odd-numbered wafer baskets are 1 / 3 / 5 / 7 and 9, respectively, and the heights of the wafer support positions in the even-numbered wafer baskets are 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 10, respectively. An active shaft is installed at the lower end of the basket support area. The odd-numbered and even-numbered wafer baskets are alternately received by the active shaft. At the same time, the wafer pushing mechanism 2 is raised or lowered synchronously when the active shaft rotates, so as to push the wafers at the same layer position from the sharding basket support area 102 to the receiving basket support area 101. The gripper 4 has an internal airflow channel, one end of which is connected to a high-speed airflow output device. By forming a high-speed airflow above the wafer, a pressure difference is created on the upper and lower sides of the wafer, so that the gripper 4 can move under the drive of the wafer pushing mechanism 2, moving from the wafer to be separated basket to the odd-numbered wafer basket and the even-numbered wafer basket. The identification mechanism 5 detects whether there is a wafer in each wafer placement layer on the odd-numbered wafer basket and the even-numbered wafer basket, and then feeds back to the main body 1 to avoid the wafer moving from the wafer to be separated basket to the wafer placement layer at the same height on the odd-numbered wafer basket and the even-numbered wafer basket.

[0026] The vent 401 below the gripper 4 is used to output high-speed airflow. The inner surface structure of the vent 401 adopts a Venturi tube structure so that when the gripper 4 contacts the wafer, a high-speed airflow is generated above the wafer, creating a pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the wafer. This is a commonly used technique in the wafer transfer field. The limiting post 402 is used to limit the position of the wafer during transfer to prevent the wafer from shifting relative to the gripper 4 due to inertia. The limiting post 402 is positioned in the opposite direction to the wafer.

[0027] A limiting plate 511 is positioned below the gripper 4, facing two limiting posts 402. The upper end of the limiting plate 511 penetrates the lower end of the gripper 4, and the limiting plate 511 is connected to the gripper 4 via a spring shaft. A movable piece 512 is installed above the limiting plate 511, inside the airflow channel of the gripper 4. The movable piece 512 and the limiting plate 511 are connected via a torque sensor. When the gripper 4 grips the wafer, it is positioned directly above the wafer under the action of the pusher mechanism 2. Then, the airflow output device is activated, resulting in a high-speed airflow in the airflow channel of the gripper 4. Under the action of the air pressure difference, the gripper sucks up the wafer. At the same time, the movable piece 512 in the airflow channel deflects synchronously under the action of the high-speed airflow. The force exerted by the high-speed airflow on the movable piece 512 gradually exceeds the force fed back to the movable piece by the spring shaft. The force on the movable piece 512 and the limiting plate 511 enables the movable piece 512 and the limiting plate 511 to deflect synchronously. The spring shaft is located above the middle of the limiting plate 511. When the limiting plate 511 deflects, the end of the limiting plate 511 near the wafer gradually moves towards the side where the wafer is located. After the limiting plate 511 is close to the wafer, the limiting plate 511 continues to push the wafer to move below the gripper 4 until the wafer contacts the limiting post 402 on the opposite side of the limiting plate 511. At this time, the two limiting posts 402 and the two limiting plates 511 together restrict the wafer to be transported. In order to ensure that the limiting plate 511 can deflect in a fixed direction when gripping the wafer, the length of the movable piece 512 in the high-speed airflow direction on the spring shaft is greater than the length of the movable piece 512 in the opposite high-speed airflow direction on the spring shaft. When the wafer pusher 2 moves the wafers via the gripper 4, if there are wafers on the same layer at the same height on the receiving basket, the limiting plate 511 below the gripper 4 will first contact the wafers on the receiving basket. At this time, the limiting plate 511 is in contact with the wafers on the receiving basket, and the movable piece 512 above the limiting plate 511 is being pushed by a high-speed airflow. The forces exerted on the limiting plate 511 and the movable piece 512 by the wafers on the receiving basket and the high-speed airflow are on the same side of the spring shaft, but the directions of the forces are completely opposite. Since the torque sensor monitors the torque between the limiting plate 511 and the movable piece 512 in real time, the torque sensor promptly feeds back the monitored data to the main body 1. Thus, the main body 1 can identify that a layer of wafers has a torque change during the transfer, and thus determine that there is a conflict between the wafers on the receiving basket and the wafers on the receiving basket at a certain height.

[0028] The main body 1 has several grippers 4 and connecting plates 302, so that the pushing mechanism 2 can complete the task of dividing the flower basket into odd or even numbers of pieces at one time. Under the drive of the pushing mechanism 2, the grippers 4 and connecting plates 302 move synchronously. The airflow channels of the grippers 4 and connecting plates 302 are connected. In addition, the cavity 301 inside the regulating platform 3 is connected to the airflow output device and the airflow channel inside the connecting plate 302, so that the high-speed airflow of the airflow output enters the gripper 4 through the cavity 301 and the connecting plate 302. The cavity 301 and the gas-cut-off cavity 303 are configured such that the straight-line distance between the two gas-cut-off cavities 303 on both sides of the cavity 301 matches the straight-line distance between the wafer receiving tray and the wafer sorting basket. Similarly, the width of the cavity 301 is equal to the length of the wafer transfer path. This ensures that when the gripper 4 moves onto the wafer sorting basket, the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 just leaves the adjacent gas-cut-off cavity 303 and enters the area of ​​the cavity 301. When the gripper 4 transfers the wafer, the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 is just within the area of ​​the cavity 301 until the gripper 4 carries the wafer on the transfer path. When the wafer is moved to the receiving basket, the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 enters the air-cut-off cavity 303 on the other side. Since the inner wall size of the air-cut-off cavity 303 matches the outer wall size of the connecting plate 302, when the input end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate 302 is in the air-cut-off cavity 303, the sizes of the air-cut-off cavity 303 and the connecting plate 302 match each other, thereby disconnecting the airflow channel in the cavity 301 from that in the connecting plate 302. The wafer pusher 2 works with the cavity 301 and the air-cut-off cavity 303. During the wafer transfer driven by the gripper 4, the wafer pusher 2 indirectly realizes the picking, transporting and placing of the wafer.

[0029] The two ends of the drive rod are connected to the adjustment table 3 and the transmission plate 201 respectively. The output end of the drive rod is connected to the gripper 4 through the transmission plate 201. The drive rod extends and retracts, thereby driving the wafer to be transferred through the gripper 4.

[0030] The transmission plate 201 is equipped with the same number of magnetic metal blocks 203 as the gripper 4. These magnetic metal blocks 203 are not permanent magnets and do not possess magnetism under normal conditions. An electromagnet 202 is installed on the side of the gripper 4 near the transmission plate 201. The electromagnet 202 is electrically connected to the torque sensor through the main body 1. When energized, the electromagnet 202 can attract magnetic metal blocks 203 of the same height. Under the action of magnetic attraction, the drive rod drives the gripper 4 through the transmission plate 201. When the torque sensor detects a collision at any layer height of the wafer, the main body 1... The resistance fed back by the torque sensor de-energizes the electromagnet 202 at the same height, thus preventing the transmission plate 201 at the height where the wafer conflict occurred from driving the gripper 4 to perform slicing work through magnetic attraction. However, the electromagnets 202 at other heights are unaffected, and the grippers 4 at other heights perform normal slicing work. After the slicing work is completed, the drive rod is retracted, and the transmission plate 201 can push the gripper 4 to reset by direct contact with it. After the reset, the de-energized electromagnet 202 will be energized again to perform the next slicing work.

[0031] The separation chamber plate 403 and the gripper 4 are set in two parts. When the high-speed airflow enters the airflow channel of the separation chamber plate 403 in the gripper 4, the upper and lower grippers 4 are in a close state or in a disconnected state. The air pressure in the airflow channel of the gripper 4 gradually increases. Under the push of the air pressure, the upper and lower grippers 4 separate. The upper gripper 4 slides upward relative to the separation chamber plate 403. The upper gripper and the separation chamber plate 403 are slidably sealed, so there will be no airflow leakage. Thus, the gripper 4 drives the wafer to rise a short distance. When the airflow channel input end in the connecting plate 302 just enters or just leaves the cavity 301, the air pressure inside the separation chamber plate 403 will change, and the upper gripper 4 will rise and fall accordingly. When the drive rod moves the gripper 4 to retract, the electrically controlled valve 404 inside the lower gripper 4 changes from the open state to the closed state. Except for grippers 4 in the event of a conflict, no high-speed airflow is supplied. After the gripper 4 returns to its initial position, the electrically controlled valve 404 opens again, waiting for the next wafer transfer task.

[0032] Infrared sensor 521 is located below the middle of the receiving basket carrier area 101 and the segmented basket carrier area 102. The electric rotating shaft controls the deflection of infrared sensor 521. When infrared sensor 521 is facing one side of receiving basket carrier area 101, the infrared sensor 521 is deflected at a fixed angle to determine whether there is a wafer in the basket wafer carrier area at any height. The same applies to one side of segmented basket carrier area 102, so as to determine whether there is a wafer conflict at the same height before wafer transfer.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0034] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer parity divider that actively monitors conflict states, comprising a main body (1), characterized in that: The main body (1) is provided with a flower basket receiving area (101) and a segmented flower basket receiving area (102) above it. There are two flower basket positions above the flower basket receiving area (101). The two flower basket positions are connected to the main body (1) through a drive shaft. A pusher mechanism (2) is provided on the side of the segmented flower basket receiving area (102) away from the flower basket receiving area (101). An adjustment table (3) is provided on one side of the pusher mechanism (2). A gripper (4) is provided on the side of the pusher mechanism (2) near the segmented flower basket receiving area (102). An airflow output device is connected to one side of the pusher mechanism (2) and the gripper (4). The pusher mechanism (2) is used to push the wafer inside the wafer basket carrier area (102) to the receiving basket carrier area (101). The two baskets above the receiving basket carrier area (101) are turned by the drive shaft below. The adjustment table (3) adjusts the height of the pusher mechanism (2) so that the gripper (4) can interact with the wafers of even-numbered or odd-numbered layers respectively. The main body (1) is provided with a position identification mechanism (5), which is used to identify whether there is a wafer in each layer of the flower basket.

2. The wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper (4) has an airflow channel inside and an air outlet (401) is provided below the gripper (4). The connection between the airflow channel and the air outlet (401) adopts a Venturi tube structure. The airflow channel is connected to the airflow output device. When the gripper (4) contacts the wafer, a high-speed airflow is formed above the wafer, thereby changing the air pressure difference between the upper and lower sides of the wafer, and further realizing the gripper (4) to extract the wafer. A limit post (402) is provided on the side of the gripper (4) near the pusher mechanism (2).

3. A wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 2, characterized in that: The identification mechanism (5) includes a limiting plate (511) installed on the side of the gripper (4) away from the pusher mechanism (2). The upper connecting shaft of the limiting plate (511) passes through the gripper (4) and is connected to a movable piece (512). The limiting plate (511) is connected to the gripper (4) through a spring shaft. The spring shaft is located in the middle of the limiting plate (511). A torque sensor is provided between the limiting plate (511) and the movable piece (512). The movable piece (512) is located in the airflow channel. When there is high-speed airflow in the airflow channel, the orientation of the movable piece (512) is the same as the direction of the airflow channel. At the same time, the limiting plate (511) cooperates with the limiting post (402) to limit the wafer to be rotated. The end of the gripper (4) is provided with an output hole of the same size as the air outlet (401).

4. A wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 3, characterized in that: The regulating platform (3) has a cavity (301) inside. Several connecting plates (302) are provided between the regulating platform (3) and the gripper (4). The connecting plates (302) are slidably sealed to the regulating platform (3). Several air-cut-off chambers (303) are opened on both sides inside the regulating platform (3). One end of the connecting plate (302) is located in the air-cut-off chamber (303). An airflow channel is opened inside the connecting plate (302). The input end and output end of the airflow channel in the connecting plate (302) are respectively connected to the airflow channel in the cavity (301) and the gripper (4). The inlet of the airflow channel in the connecting plate (302) moves back and forth in the cavity (301) and the air-cut-off cavities (303) on both sides under the drive of the push plate mechanism (2).

5. A wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 4, characterized in that: The pusher mechanism (2) includes a transmission plate (201) and a drive rod. The transmission plate (201) is connected to the adjustment table (3) through the drive rod. The transmission plate (201) is connected to the gripper (4). The drive rod drives the gripper (4) to move through the transmission plate (201).

6. A wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transmission plate (201) is provided with a plurality of electromagnets (201). The end of the gripper (4) near the electromagnet (201) is T-shaped. The position of the electromagnet (201) corresponds to the position of the gripper (4). A magnetic metal block (202) is provided on the side of the gripper (4) adjacent to the electromagnet (201). The electromagnet (201) is connected to the gripper (4) through the magnetic metal block (202). The electromagnet (201) is electrically connected to the torque sensor.

7. A wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 6, characterized in that: A differentiation chamber plate (403) is provided at the connection between the gripper (4) and the transmission plate (201). The gripper (4) is located in the differentiation chamber plate (403), which is divided into upper and lower parts. The gripper (4) on the upper side is slidably sealed to the differentiation chamber plate (403), and an electrically controlled valve (404) is provided in the airflow channel inside the gripper (4) on the lower side.

8. A wafer parity divider for actively monitoring conflict states according to claim 1, characterized in that: The identification mechanism (5) includes an infrared sensor (521) and an electric rotating shaft. The infrared sensor (521) is connected to the main body (1) through the electric rotating shaft. The infrared sensor (521) is located between the receiving area of ​​the flower basket (101) and the segmented flower basket receiving area (102).

Images