Adjustable composite sheet magazine support and method

Abstract

The application provides an adjustable wafer cassette support and method, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductor wet cleaning equipment. The support comprises: a support main body composed of a fixed base and at least one movable clamping assembly; a buckle telescopic adjusting mechanism connected between the fixed base and the movable clamping assembly, used for adjusting and locking the distance between the fixed base and the movable clamping assembly; a cassette positioning groove formed on the support main body; and a mechanical hand grabbing position arranged on the outer side of the support main body. The buckle telescopic adjusting mechanism comprises a guide rod, a sliding sleeve and a locking assembly, and the guide rod is provided with a plurality of positioning clamping grooves corresponding to different wafer cassette sizes. In use, the movable clamping assembly is slid to the corresponding gear position according to the size of the wafer, the wafer cassette is put in, and the whole support is carried to the cleaning tank by the mechanical hand. The application is compatible with various wafer cassettes with a size of 4-8 inches through the adjustable structure, the jig does not need to be replaced, the switching time is short, the mechanical hand does not directly contact the wafer cassette, wafer cassette deformation is avoided, and the service life is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor silicon wafer wet cleaning equipment technology, specifically to an adjustable composite support for carrying silicon wafer cassettes of various sizes in a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) pre-cleaning machine, and a method for cleaning silicon wafers using the support. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, the pre-CVD cleaning process is crucial for ensuring the cleanliness of silicon wafer surfaces and guaranteeing the quality of subsequent film deposition. This process primarily uses wet cleaning to remove contaminants such as organic matter, particles, and metal ions from the silicon wafer surface. Existing CVD pre-cleaning machines typically consist of multiple processing tanks: tanks 1 and 2 are alkaline cleaning tanks containing a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide to remove surface dirt and particles; tank 4 is an acidic cleaning tank containing hydrofluoric acid solution to remove metal ions; and tanks 3 and 5 are pure water overflow rinsing tanks. During the cleaning process, the silicon wafers are placed in a dedicated wafer cassette (e.g., Figure 1 As shown in the image, a robotic arm picks up the film boxes and immerses them into each tank in turn to complete the cleaning operation.

[0003] Currently, the washing machines and their associated wafer cassette carriers and conveyors widely used in semiconductor manufacturing are generally designed for single-size silicon wafers (such as 8-inch wafers). However, in actual production, production lines often need to switch to smaller wafer sizes such as 6-inch, 5-inch, or 4-inch wafers. When switching sizes, the fixed size of the robotic gripper makes it impossible to reliably grip the existing large wafer cassettes, and the new wafer cassettes are not compatible with the existing robotic arms. To solve this problem, operators must stop the machine to replace the entire wafer cassette carrier, and may even need to adjust or replace the robotic arm's gripping device. This inherent defect of being designed for a single size results in prolonged downtime each time product specifications are changed, significantly reducing equipment uptime and increasing the variety and quantity of spare parts inventory, thus significantly increasing production costs.

[0004] Furthermore, in existing washing machines, the robotic arms grip the outer wall of the wafer cassette directly during operation. Currently, most wafer cassettes are made of plastic materials such as polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene, which have relatively limited rigidity. Under repeated gripping forces and prolonged immersion in high-temperature cleaning solutions, the sidewalls of the cassette are prone to plastic deformation. Once the cassette deforms, the positioning accuracy of the silicon wafers within it will be severely affected. This can lead to the wafers tilting and coming into contact with each other, causing scratches due to friction during cleaning; or even the wafers slipping out of the cassette, resulting in breakage. This not only significantly reduces product yield but also increases the frequency of wafer cassette replacements, further driving up consumable costs.

[0005] Therefore, how to design a carrier device that can be compatible with silicon wafer cassettes of various sizes, avoids direct gripping of the cassettes by robotic arms, and can quickly complete product switching has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One objective of this application is to provide an adjustable composite wafer cassette holder and a method for cleaning silicon wafers using the holder, at least to solve the problems of existing cleaning machines being incompatible with silicon wafers of various sizes, requiring fixture replacement when switching products resulting in low equipment utilization, and wafer cassette deformation caused by robotic arms directly gripping the wafer cassette.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, some embodiments of this application provide the following aspects:

[0008] In a first aspect, some embodiments of this application provide an adjustable composite cassette holder, comprising:

[0009] The support body includes a fixed base and at least one movable clamping component; a snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism connecting the fixed base and the movable clamping component, the snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism adjusting and locking the distance between the fixed base and the movable clamping component; a cassette positioning groove formed on the support body; and a robotic gripper part disposed on the outside of the support body.

[0010] Optionally, the snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism includes: at least one guide rod fixed to the fixed base, the guide rod having multiple positioning slots or positioning holes along its length; a sliding sleeve disposed on the movable clamping assembly and slidingly engaging with the guide rod; and a locking assembly disposed on the movable clamping assembly, the locking assembly engaging or disengaging with the positioning slots or positioning holes. The advantages of this solution are: through the sliding engagement of the guide rod and the sliding sleeve, and the multi-position positioning structure, rapid and precise adjustment and locking of the bracket width are achieved, allowing for gear shifting without the need for tools, significantly shortening product changeover time.

[0011] Optionally, the locking assembly includes a resilient claw or a spring pin, which engages in the positioning slot or positioning hole and is unlocked by manual pressing. The advantages of this solution are: by utilizing the automatic engagement of the resilient element and manual unlocking by pressing, the operator can complete gear switching with only one hand, making the adjustment process simple and reliable, further reducing operational difficulty and labor intensity.

[0012] Optionally, the wafer cassette positioning groove is a multi-level stepped groove formed on the base plate of the support body. The advantage of this design is that the multi-level stepped structure forms surface contact with the bottom edges of wafer cassettes of different sizes, enabling the wafer cassettes to automatically center and remain stable after placement, preventing the wafer cassettes from shaking during cleaning and causing the silicon wafers to tilt or break.

[0013] Optionally, the gripping part of the robotic arm is a gripping boss or gripping groove provided on the outside of the fixed base and / or the movable gripping assembly. The advantages of this solution are: it transfers the gripping position of the robotic arm from the easily deformable plastic wafer cassette to a high-strength support, completely avoiding plastic deformation of the wafer cassette caused by repeated gripping, extending the service life of the wafer cassette, and ensuring the positioning accuracy of the silicon wafer within the cassette.

[0014] Optionally, the main body of the support is made of polytetrafluoroethylene or perfluoroalkoxy resin. The advantages of this design are that such fluoroplastic materials do not deteriorate after long-term immersion in highly corrosive cleaning solutions such as ammonia-hydrogen peroxide and hydrofluoric acid, and possess sufficient structural strength, significantly extending the maintenance cycle and service life of the support itself.

[0015] Optionally, the latch telescopic adjustment mechanism has four locking positions corresponding to 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch wafer cassettes, respectively. The advantage of this solution is that a single bracket can cover the four mainstream silicon wafer sizes used in semiconductor manufacturing, eliminating the need for dedicated carriers for each size and significantly reducing spare parts inventory costs.

[0016] Optionally, two movable clamping components are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the fixed base. The advantages of this design are: symmetrical clamping on both sides ensures uniform force distribution on the film cassette within the support, avoiding cassette misalignment or jamming caused by clamping on one side, and improving the reliability of the support's positioning of the film cassette.

[0017] Secondly, some embodiments of this application provide a method for cleaning silicon wafers using the adjustable composite wafer holder described in any of the first aspects above, comprising the following steps:

[0018] S1: Operate the buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism to slide the movable clamping component to the corresponding position of the silicon wafer to be cleaned and lock it;

[0019] S2: Place the wafer cassette containing the silicon wafers to be cleaned into the wafer cassette positioning slot of the bracket;

[0020] S3: Control the robotic arm of the washing machine to grasp the gripping part of the robotic arm and transport the bracket together with the sheet box to each washing tank;

[0021] S4: After cleaning, remove the bracket and separate the cassette from the bracket.

[0022] Optionally, the action of operating the buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism in step S1 includes: pressing the locking component to unlock, pushing the movable clamping component to slide along the guide rod to the target position, and then releasing the locking component to make it engage in the corresponding positioning slot or positioning hole. The advantages of this solution are: this operation method requires no tools, and the entire switching process can be completed within 1 minute. Compared with the traditional method of replacing the entire fixture (which takes 20-30 minutes), it significantly reduces equipment downtime and improves equipment uptime.

[0023] Compared with related technologies, the solution provided in this application achieves compatible support for silicon wafer cassettes of various sizes, such as 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch, through a snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism. No fixture replacement is required when switching products, eliminating downtime and significantly improving production flexibility and equipment utilization. Simultaneously, by placing the robotic arm gripping part on the main body of the support rather than on the wafer cassette, deformation of the wafer cassette due to clamping force is completely avoided, extending the wafer cassette's lifespan by 2-3 times and ensuring the positioning accuracy of the silicon wafers during the cleaning process. Furthermore, the entire support is made of corrosion-resistant fluoroplastic, allowing for long-term immersion in process solutions, resulting in low maintenance costs. Its simple overall structure and convenient operation effectively meet the needs of multi-size mixed production in semiconductor wet cleaning processes. Attached Figure Description

[0024] One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example with reference numerals in the accompanying drawings. These illustrations do not constitute a limitation on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are denoted as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings are not to be limited by scale.

[0025] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of existing 4, 5, and 6-inch wafer cassette structures;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of the adjustable composite film box support of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the assembly state when the bracket is adapted to an 8-inch film cartridge;

[0028] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating a method for cleaning silicon wafers using an adjustable composite wafer holder.

[0029] Explanation of markings in the diagram:

[0030] 1-Support body; 12-Modible clamping arm; 2-Guide rod; 3-Plate box positioning groove; 31-Stepped surface; 4-Robot gripping boss; 5-Plate box. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, 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, 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.

[0032] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this disclosure are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate for the embodiments of this disclosure described herein. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion.

[0033] In this disclosure, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "middle," "outer," "front," and "rear," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for better description of the embodiments of this disclosure and their implementations, and are not intended to limit the indicated devices, elements, or components to having a specific orientation, or to require them to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Furthermore, some of the aforementioned terms may be used to indicate other meanings besides orientation or positional relationship; for example, the term "upper" may in some cases indicate a dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0034] Furthermore, the terms "set up," "connect," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.

[0035] Unless otherwise stated, the term "multiple" means two or more.

[0036] In this embodiment of the disclosure, the character " / " indicates that the objects before and after it are in an "or" relationship. For example, A / B means: A or B.

[0037] The term "and / or" describes an association between objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B means: A or B, or A and B.

[0038] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0039] Combination Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown in the embodiment of this disclosure, an adjustable composite cassette holder is provided.

[0040] The adjustable composite film cassette holder includes: a holder body 1, the holder body 1 including a fixed base and at least one movable clamping assembly (e.g., a movable clamping arm 12); a snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism connecting the fixed base and the movable clamping arm 12, the snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism adjusting and locking the distance between the fixed base and the movable clamping arm 12; a film cassette positioning groove 3 formed on the holder body 1; and a robotic gripping part (e.g., a robotic gripping boss 4) disposed on the outside of the holder body 1.

[0041] This support serves as an intermediate carrier, its core function being to establish a standardized interface between the robotic arm and the original wafer cassette carrying the silicon wafers. The fixed base provides a stable reference plane for the entire support, while the movable gripping arm 12 can move relative to the fixed base, thereby changing the lateral distance between them. When the movable gripping arm 12 is adjusted to a certain position and locked, the inner walls of the fixed base and the movable gripping arm 12 together form a gripping space of defined width. The wafer cassette positioning groove 3 provides vertical support and horizontal limitation at the bottom of this space. The robotic arm gripping boss 4 serves as the force point for external power input.

[0042] During operation, the robotic arm's grippers hold onto the gripping boss 4, lifting, translating, and immersing the entire support along with the tablet cassette fixed to it. Since the robotic arm does not directly contact the fragile plastic tablet cassette, the cassette rests in the positioning groove solely under its own weight and the buoyancy of the medication, thus avoiding any gripping stress and completely eliminating the root cause of tablet cassette deformation.

[0043] The beneficial effects of this structure are as follows: The separate design of the fixed base and the movable clamping assembly, combined with a snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism, allows the clamping width of the bracket to be adjusted and locked according to different sizes of film cassettes, solving the problem in existing technologies where a single bracket cannot accommodate multiple sizes of film cassettes. Simultaneously, the robotic arm's gripping part is located on the main body of the bracket, avoiding direct clamping of the film cassettes and thus preventing deformation. Actual production statistics show that after adopting this bracket, the scrap rate of film cassettes due to clamping deformation has decreased from 3-5 per month to almost zero, and the lifespan of a single film cassette has been extended from 6 months to over 18 months.

[0044] The buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism includes: at least one guide rod 2, fixed to the fixed base, with multiple positioning slots (or positioning holes) opened along the length direction on the guide rod 2; a sliding sleeve, disposed on the movable clamping arm 12, and slidingly engaged with the guide rod 2; and a locking component (e.g., an elastic claw), disposed on the movable clamping arm 12, the locking component engaging or disengaging from the positioning slots.

[0045] The axial direction of the guide rod 2 is the same as the direction of movement of the movable clamping arm 12. A sliding sleeve is fitted onto the guide rod 2, with a small clearance fit (typically H7 / f6 tolerance) to ensure smooth sliding and control the sway of the movable clamping arm 12 within ±0.1mm. Multiple positioning slots are formed along the axial direction of the guide rod 2, each corresponding to a specific cartridge width. For example, starting from the end closest to the fixed base, the first slot corresponds to a 4-inch cartridge, the second to a 5-inch cartridge, the third to a 6-inch cartridge, and the fourth to an 8-inch cartridge.

[0046] When width adjustment is required, the operator manually lifts the locking assembly to disengage it from the current slot, and then pushes the movable clamping arm 12 along the guide rod 2. During the sliding process, the sliding sleeve remains in contact with the guide rod 2 to ensure that the posture of the movable clamping arm 12 does not deviate. When the target position is reached, the locking assembly is released, and it automatically falls into the corresponding positioning slot under the action of elastic restoring force. Because the slot is designed with a V-shaped or trapezoidal groove that matches the hook of the locking assembly, a downward wedging force is generated after the hook falls in, preventing the movable clamping arm 12 from disengaging itself when subjected to outward pulling force. At the same time, this wedging force also eliminates the gap between the sliding sleeve and the guide rod, achieving backlash-free locking.

[0047] Utilizing a sliding fit structure between the guide rod and the sliding sleeve, along with multi-position positioning slots, the bracket width can be precisely and quickly adjusted and locked. Operators can complete gear changes without using any tools, significantly reducing product changeover time from the traditional 20-30 minutes to less than 1 minute, substantially improving equipment uptime. For example, on a production line requiring 20 product size changes per month, the traditional method involves 25 minutes of downtime per fixture change, accumulating 500 minutes (approximately 8.3 hours) of downtime per month. With this bracket, each changeover takes only 30 seconds, resulting in only 10 minutes of downtime per month, equivalent to an additional 8 hours of production capacity per month, and an overall equipment efficiency (OEE) improvement of approximately 10%.

[0048] The locking assembly includes an elastic claw or a spring pin. The elastic claw engages in the positioning slot and is unlocked by manual pressing. Specifically, the elastic claw is integrally formed with a pressing part and a lower hook. The hook is embedded in the positioning slot under the action of elastic force to achieve locking. When the operator pinches the pressing part and lifts it upward, the hook disengages from the slot, which can push the movable clamping arm 12 to slide.

[0049] The elastic latch is made of a flexible engineering plastic (such as PEEK or PTFE). In its natural state, the tip of the latch is below the upper surface of the positioning slot. When the latch is above the slot, the elastic deformation of the cantilever generates a downward positive pressure, which presses the latch firmly into the bottom of the slot. To unlock, the operator needs to overcome the bending stiffness of the elastic cantilever and lift the pressing part upwards, moving the latch up approximately 2-3 mm to disengage it from the slot.

[0050] The automatic reset feature of the elastic element enables automatic locking of the gear position, while manual pressing easily unlocks it. This "press-slide-release" operation can be completed with just one hand, making it simple, reliable, and reducing the operator's workload. Ergonomic tests show that completing a full unlock-slide-lock operation takes an average of only 5.2 seconds, requiring a maximum hand force of approximately 8 Newtons (equivalent to the force required to lift a 0.8 kg object). Even with prolonged repetitive operation, it will not cause hand fatigue. Furthermore, after 100,000 fatigue tests, the locking force decays by less than 5%, demonstrating extremely high reliability.

[0051] The cassette positioning groove 3 is a multi-level stepped groove formed on the bottom plate of the support body 1. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the positioning groove has four stepped surfaces 31, and the width of each step matches the bottom edge of the 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch film cartridges, respectively.

[0052] The bottom of the film cassette typically has a raised rim, the width of which is directly proportional to the size of the cassette. The positioning groove 4 of this bracket is machined using a subtractive machining method, with multiple steps of varying depths and decreasing widths integrally milled into the base plate. The innermost step (closest to the mounting base) has the smallest width, corresponding to a 4-inch film cassette; progressively outwards, the width of each step increases. When the operator places the film cassette in, because the width of the cassette's bottom edge is greater than the width of the inner narrow step, but less than or equal to the width of the corresponding outer step, the cassette naturally falls until its bottom edge rests on the step plane that matches its dimensions.

[0053] This structure achieves precise positioning in three aspects:

[0054] First, in the vertical direction, the stepped plane provides support, maintaining a fixed gap between the bottom of the tablet box and the base plate of the support, which is conducive to the flow and drainage of the medicine;

[0055] Second, in the horizontal radial direction, a clearance fit (approximately 0.5 mm on one side) is formed between the inner or outer side of the bottom edge of the tablet box and the vertical wall of the step, effectively restricting the translation of the tablet box in the XY plane.

[0056] Third, because the four steps are concentric and coaxial, the film box is forced to be placed in the center, and the overlap between its center line and the center line of the support can reach within ±0.2mm, which is crucial for the repeatability and positioning accuracy of the subsequent robotic arm handling.

[0057] The multi-tiered stepped groove design ensures that the bottom edge of the wafer cassette naturally rests on the corresponding width of the stepped surface after placement, achieving automatic centering. This structure provides horizontal constraint to the wafer cassette, ensuring it does not wobble during cleaning and preventing scratches or breakage caused by wafer tilting or contact. Simulating the acceleration / deceleration of the robotic arm and the impact of the cleaning solution on a vibration test bench, the maximum displacement of the wafer cassette within the positioning groove was only 0.1 mm, far less than the 0.5 mm gap between adjacent wafers within the cassette, thus preventing wafer collisions. Compared to traditional designs without positioning grooves or with single-sized positioning grooves, this structure reduces the wafer scratch rate from 0.5% to below 0.02%.

[0058] The gripping part of the robotic arm is a gripping protrusion (e.g., located on the outside of the fixed base and the movable gripping arm 12) that is provided on the outside of the fixed base and the movable gripping arm 12. Figure 1 The robotic arm grasps the protrusion 4) or clamping groove. The protrusion is in the shape of a "T" or a rectangular block, which is adapted to the shape of the gripper of the washing machine robotic arm.

[0059] In traditional solutions, the gripper of the robotic arm acts directly on the sidewall of the tablet cassette. The cassette is typically made of PP (polypropylene) or PTFE, materials with low yield strength (PP is approximately 30 MPa) and a wall thickness usually only 3-5 mm. To overcome the buoyancy and acceleration / deceleration inertia of the tablet cassette in water, the gripping force of the robotic arm is usually set at 50-100 N. Under repeated gripping, the sidewall of the tablet cassette will develop irreversible indentations or even dents.

[0060] This application places the gripping part on a support, which is made of a higher-strength material (PTFE has a yield strength of approximately 25 MPa, but its thickness can exceed 10 mm, and its structure is solid or reinforced), and its compressive strength is far greater than that of the tablet cassette. The surface of the gripping boss 5 is designed with anti-slip textures or a frosted finish to increase the friction with the robotic gripper. When the robotic gripper closes, the inner contour of the gripper completely fits against the outer contour of the boss 5, forming surface contact, and the pressure is greatly reduced.

[0061] Simulation calculations show that under a clamping force of 100N, the maximum contact stress on the sidewall of the wafer cassette is 8.5MPa, exceeding the fatigue limit of PP material; while the maximum contact stress on the bracket boss is only 1.2MPa, far below the yield strength of PTFE material, therefore the bracket itself will not undergo any plastic deformation. By shifting the gripping position of the robotic arm from the easily deformable plastic wafer cassette to the bracket boss made of high-strength material, plastic deformation of the wafer cassette caused by repeated clamping is completely avoided. Actual verification shows that this solution significantly extends the service life of the wafer cassette while ensuring the positioning accuracy of the silicon wafers within the cassette.

[0062] The main body 1 of the bracket is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxy resin (PFA). In this embodiment, all parts of the bracket (including the fixed base, movable clamping arm 12, guide rod 2, elastic claw, etc.) are made of PTFE and machined.

[0063] The chemicals used in semiconductor wet cleaning processes include: SC-1 (ammonia + hydrogen peroxide + water, pH approximately 10.5, temperature 70-80℃), DHF (hydrofluoric acid + water, pH approximately 2-3, temperature 25-40℃), and a large amount of deionized water. These chemicals are highly corrosive to common metals and most plastics. PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) and PFA (perfluoroalkoxy resin) are among the most chemically stable organic materials known, with extremely high carbon-fluorine bond energies in their molecular structures (approximately 485 kJ / mol), and do not undergo chemical reactions in strong acid, strong alkali, or oxidizing environments.

[0064] PTFE has an extremely low coefficient of friction (0.05-0.1), which makes the sliding between the guide rod 2 and the sleeve almost resistanceless and prevents the generation of abrasive debris that contaminates the chemical solution. Its operating temperature range is wide, from -200℃ to +260℃, fully meeting the requirements of an 80℃ alkaline solution environment. PFA, on the other hand, has better melt flowability, making it suitable for injection molding, and has a higher surface finish, making it less prone to particle adsorption.

[0065] The stent, made of PTFE or PFA, showed a mass change rate of less than 0.01% and no significant change in surface contact angle after 1000 hours of continuous immersion in 80℃ SC-1 solution, indicating no material degradation. PTFE and PFA materials exhibit excellent chemical inertness to highly corrosive cleaning solutions such as ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, and hydrofluoric acid, allowing for prolonged immersion in high-temperature solutions without deterioration. After 12 months of continuous production environment testing, the stent showed no deformation or corrosion, resulting in extremely low maintenance costs and a long service life. Traditional solutions using stainless steel stents would rapidly rust in acid tanks; ordinary plastic stents would become brittle and crack in alkaline tanks. This stent is designed for a lifespan of over 5 years without any maintenance.

[0066] The latch telescopic adjustment mechanism has four locking positions corresponding to 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch film cassettes, respectively. Specifically, the upper surface of each guide rod 2 has four positioning slots along the axial direction, the positions of which correspond to the clamping distance required for the four sizes of film cassettes.

[0067] In the semiconductor industry, 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch silicon wafers correspond to different application areas: 4 / 5-inch wafers are mostly used for power devices and MEMS, 6-inch wafers are used for analog chips and some logic chips, and 8-inch wafers are the most mainstream mature process production lines. Many semiconductor foundries and IDM companies take on orders of different sizes at the same time, requiring mixed production.

[0068] The four positions of this bracket are not simply arranged at equal intervals, but are precisely calculated based on the actual width of each film cassette size. For example, the outer width of an 8-inch film cassette is typically 230mm, 6-inch is 180mm, 5-inch is 155mm, and 4-inch is 135mm. The four slots on the guide rod are non-uniformly arranged according to these width differences, ensuring that the distance between the fixed base and the movable clamping arm at each position is 1-2mm larger than the width of the corresponding film cassette, facilitating loading and unloading. This design allows the device to switch between 4-inch and 8-inch films within one hour without any physical replacement.

[0069] A single support can cover four mainstream silicon wafer sizes (4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch, and 8-inch) in semiconductor wet cleaning processes, eliminating the need for dedicated wafer cassette carriers and robotic grippers for each size, thus enabling continuous and uninterrupted production of products of different sizes on the same equipment.

[0070] Two movable clamping components are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the fixed base. The two movable clamping arms 12 are located on the left and right sides of the fixed base, respectively, and each is slidable and locked by an independent guide rod 2 and an elastic claw.

[0071] When there is only one movable clamping component, the fixed base and the movable clamping arm form an "L" shape clamping, and the tablet cassette will be subjected to an eccentric pressure, causing the tablet cassette to generate a rotational torque, making the positioning unstable. After using two symmetrical movable clamping arms 12, the fixed base is located in the middle, and the movable clamping arms 12 on both sides tighten inward at the same time, applying two forces of equal magnitude and opposite direction to the tablet cassette. The resultant force is zero, and the resultant torque is zero.

[0072] This stress state ensures that the film cassette is perfectly centered and clamped without any skewing. The two movable clamping arms 12 are adjusted independently, but are usually adjusted synchronously to the same position to ensure symmetry. During dynamic handling, the inertial force generated by acceleration and deceleration is evenly distributed to the two clamping arms, and then transmitted to the fixed base by the guide rod 2. The entire support is subjected to uniform stress and has good dynamic stability.

[0073] The symmetrical clamping design on both sides ensures that the cartridges are subjected to uniform clamping force within the support, avoiding the cassette tilting or jamming that can occur with unilateral clamping. This structure improves the reliability of the support's positioning of the cartridges, making it particularly suitable for the stable bearing of large-sized cartridges (such as 8-inch cartridges). Finite element analysis shows that under a horizontal acceleration of 0.5g, the maximum displacement of the cartridges with the symmetrical clamping design is 0.08mm, while the displacement with the unilateral clamping design reaches 0.35mm with a 2° deflection angle. This demonstrates the significant advantage of symmetrical clamping in dynamic performance.

[0074] like Figure 4 As shown in the embodiments of this disclosure, a method for cleaning silicon wafers using the adjustable composite wafer holder described in any of the above claims is also provided, comprising the following steps:

[0075] S1: Operate the latch telescopic adjustment mechanism to slide the movable clamping arm 12 to the position corresponding to the size of the silicon wafer to be cleaned and lock it. For example, when the production line task is to clean 6-inch silicon wafers, the operator lifts the pressing part of the elastic jaw, pulls the movable clamping arm 12 outward to the positioning slot corresponding to 6 inches, and then locks it after releasing.

[0076] S2: Place the wafer cassette 5 containing the silicon wafers to be cleaned into the wafer cassette positioning slot 3 of the bracket. At this time, the bottom edge of the wafer cassette falls onto the third stepped surface (corresponding to 6 inches) of the positioning slot 4, and the wafer cassette is stably constrained.

[0077] S3: The robotic arm of the washing machine grasps the gripping boss 4 and transports the bracket along with the tablet cassette 5 to each washing tank. The robotic arm clamps the bosses from both sides above the bracket and moves the composite material sequentially into the first alkaline washing tank, the second alkaline tank, the third pure water tank, the fourth acid tank, and the fifth pure water tank. The robotic arm does not come into contact with the tablet cassette throughout the entire process.

[0078] S4: After cleaning, remove the support and separate the tablet box from the support. The robotic arm removes the support to the unloading position, and the tablet box is manually removed, thus completing one batch of cleaning.

[0079] The core innovation of this method lies in decoupling the two functions originally coupled to the wafer cassette: wafer loading and robotic handling. In traditional methods, the wafer cassette serves as both a container for the silicon wafers and a gripper for the robotic arm. This functional overlap necessitates balancing structural strength and thinness, which are contradictory. This method introduces an independent adjustable support, transferring the "gripping and handling" function to the support while the "load-bearing and positioning" function remains the responsibility of the wafer cassette. The two functions are compatiblely combined through the wafer cassette positioning slot.

[0080] During the cleaning process, the support and the film cassette form a nested assembly. The support provides a standardized mechanical interface (gripping boss) and an adjustable physical interface (telescopic mechanism), while the film cassette requires no modification. This allows the support to be adapted to any universal film cassette conforming to JIS or SEMI standards without the need for custom-made cassettes.

[0081] Because the support frame has an open or multi-step groove structure at the bottom, the cleaning solution can flow smoothly into and out of the frame without creating dead zones. Simultaneously, the support frame raises the wafer cassette a certain distance from the bottom of the groove, which facilitates the uniform action of bottom spraying or ultrasonic waves, improving the cleaning effect. Actual production data shows that after adopting this method, the average preparation time for switching between different product sizes decreased from 22 minutes to 0.5 minutes; the average monthly consumption of wafer cassettes decreased significantly; and the number of silicon wafer particles (≥0.2μm) after cleaning decreased from an average of 50 particles / wafer to 30 particles / wafer, improving cleaning uniformity.

[0082] The actions of operating the buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism in step S1 include: pressing the locking component (i.e., the pressing part of the elastic claw) to unlock, pushing the movable clamping arm 12 to slide along the guide rod 2 to the target position, and then releasing the locking component to make it snap into the corresponding positioning slot. When it is necessary to switch from 6-inch to 8-inch products, the same operation is performed: lifting the pressing part, pulling the movable clamping arm 12 further outward to the positioning slot corresponding to 8 inches, releasing and locking, and then placing the 8-inch film cassette to continue production.

[0083] This operation method consists of three consecutive actions, with a total time not exceeding 10 seconds. The "pressing" action has a travel distance of approximately 5mm and requires a finger force of approximately 8N; the "sliding" action has a travel distance of approximately 15-50mm depending on the gear setting and requires a pushing force of approximately 5N; the "releasing" action is completed automatically. Throughout the entire operation, the operator's hands do not need to leave the support, nor do they need to bend over or use tools, conforming to the optimal operating range of ergonomics (force < 20N, travel distance < 100mm).

[0084] Traditional methods for changing fixtures require: turning off the equipment power, removing the original robotic gripper, replacing it with a gripper of the corresponding size, recalibrating the gripper position and clamping force, changing the cassette carrier, restarting the equipment, and verification. The entire process requires two people, takes 20-30 minutes, and requires specialized tools and calibration blocks.

[0085] One advantage of this operating method is its "blind operation" friendliness—even if the operator's view is obstructed, they can confirm that the lock is in place simply by feeling the "click" of the hook falling into the slot, without the need for visual inspection. This is especially important in high-cleanliness environments, as operators usually wear double gloves and their vision may also be affected by the structure of the tank.

[0086] The entire switching process requires no tools; the operator only needs to perform three simple actions: "press-slide-release," taking no more than 30 seconds. Compared to traditional technologies that require replacing the entire cassette carrier and adjusting the robotic gripper (which typically takes 20-30 minutes), this method significantly reduces equipment downtime. Actual verification shows that the monthly production capacity of a single machine can be increased by approximately 15%.

[0087] The foregoing description and accompanying drawings fully illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may include structural and other changes. The embodiments represent only possible variations. Individual components and functions are optional unless explicitly required, and the order of operation may vary. Parts and features of some embodiments may be included or substituted for parts and features of other embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the appended claims, and the foregoing embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting.

Claims

1. An adjustable composite film cassette holder, characterized in that, include: The support body includes a fixed base and at least one movable clamping assembly; The snap-fit ​​telescopic adjustment mechanism connects the fixed base and the movable clamping assembly. The telescopic adjustment mechanism adjusts and locks the distance between the fixed base and the movable clamping assembly; A cartridge positioning groove is formed on the main body of the support; as well as, The gripping part of the robotic arm is located on the outside of the main body of the support.

2. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism includes: At least one guide rod is fixed to the fixed base, and the guide rod has multiple positioning slots or positioning holes along its length. A sliding sleeve, disposed on the movable clamping assembly, slides in cooperation with the guide rod; and A locking component is disposed on the movable clamping component, and the locking component engages or disengages with the positioning slot or positioning hole.

3. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 2, characterized in that, The locking assembly includes an elastic claw or a spring pin, which engages in the positioning slot or positioning hole and can be unlocked by manual pressing.

4. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cassette positioning groove is a multi-level stepped groove formed on the base plate of the support body.

5. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping part of the robotic arm is a gripping boss or gripping groove located on the outside of the fixed base and / or the movable gripping assembly.

6. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The main body of the support is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or perfluoroalkoxy resin (PFA).

7. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism has four locking positions corresponding to 4-inch, 5-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch film cartridges respectively.

8. The adjustable composite film cassette holder according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of movable clamping components is two, symmetrically arranged on both sides of the fixed base.

9. A method for cleaning silicon wafers using an adjustable composite wafer cassette holder as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Operate the buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism to slide the movable clamping component to the corresponding position of the silicon wafer to be cleaned and lock it; S2: Place the wafer cassette containing the silicon wafers to be cleaned into the wafer cassette positioning slot of the bracket; S3: Control the robotic arm of the washing machine to grasp the gripping part of the robotic arm and transport the bracket together with the sheet box to each washing tank; S4: After cleaning, remove the bracket and separate the cassette from the bracket.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that, The actions of operating the buckle telescopic adjustment mechanism in step S1 include: pressing the locking component to unlock, pushing the movable clamping component to slide along the guide rod to the target position, and then releasing the locking component to make it snap into the corresponding positioning slot or positioning hole.

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