Vacuum suction tool

Abstract

The application provides a vacuum adsorption tool, which replaces the traditional soft suction pipe adsorption by vacuum adsorption, can firmly adsorb and fix the Ball Pin in the process of adjusting the Ball Pin, and the Ball Pin will not easily fall off even when the tool moves or is slightly shaken, so as to reduce the risk of easy sliding and falling into the vacuum pump, thereby reducing the risk of equipment damage, in addition, the shell is made of insulating and anti-static material, so that the static electricity generated during operation is accumulated, the potential breakdown risk of static electricity to the precision electronic components of the machine is effectively prevented, and the adsorption of static adsorption particles is also avoided, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the process chamber and the long-term stability of the equipment operation, which is beneficial to improve the yield of the product, the pressure monitoring and feedback mechanism is introduced, the precise control of the clamping force of the Ball Pin is realized, the probability of accidental falling of the Ball Pin is reduced, and the efficiency and success rate of PM operation are significantly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor fabrication, and more particularly to a vacuum adsorption tool. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, the uniformity of wafer temperature directly determines the thin film deposition rate, etching morphology, and final yield in key processes such as dry etching and chemical vapor deposition. LAM (Laser Atomization) machines, as mainstream equipment in the industry, typically employ a lift-type heating base for wafer support within their reaction chambers. The heater surfaces of these machines are usually arrayed with ball pins, typically made of sapphire, which utilizes its excellent thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and resistance to plasma corrosion to achieve stable wafer support and temperature control. Taking common Express models as an example, a single heater surface typically has nine ball pins, with tiny geometric dimensions (usually on the millimeter scale) and extremely light weight.

[0003] During routine preventative maintenance of the equipment, the height of these nine ball pins needs to be precisely adjusted and calibrated to ensure that the wafer remains perfectly level during the process. Because the ball pins are tiny (typically on the millimeter scale), extremely lightweight, and have a very smooth sapphire surface, traditional tools struggle to grip them effectively. Operators often use simple soft straws (such as those made of plastic or silicone) as temporary clamping tools. However, this method has serious technical drawbacks: the soft straw material lacks rigid support, making it difficult to precisely control the clamping force and providing stable and reliable friction. After the ball pin is gripped, it is extremely easy for it to slip off the soft suction tube port if the tool is slightly displaced or subjected to external interference. Once a ball pin falls off, it is very difficult to retrieve due to its small size and the complex internal structure of the machine, directly increasing the cost of spare parts. Furthermore, if a fallen ball pin is not detected and cleaned up in time, it can easily be sucked into the vacuum exhaust system at the bottom of the chamber, severely damaging the internal structure of the machine, causing the vacuum pump to fail or incurring expensive repair costs, resulting in significant economic losses. The plastic or silicone materials commonly used in soft suction tubes are prone to static electricity buildup, which may cause electrical interference to the machine's precision electronic components, even breaking down circuits, seriously affecting equipment performance and component quality. Existing adsorption tools rely entirely on the operator's feel and experience, without any pressure sensing or feedback devices. During gripping, the operator cannot know whether the current gripping force is within the safe threshold. When the gripping force is insufficient, the tool cannot issue a warning or automatically compensate, significantly increasing the probability of the ball pin accidentally falling off during operation.

[0004] In summary, the existing technology lacks a vacuum adsorption tool for ball pins to solve the problem of ball pins slipping or being lost during adjustment and to prevent equipment damage. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art described above, the purpose of this invention is to provide a vacuum adsorption tool to solve the problem of the ball pin slipping or being lost during the adjustment of the ball pin in the prior art, and to avoid causing damage to the equipment.

[0006] To achieve the above and other related objectives, the present invention provides a vacuum adsorption tool, the vacuum adsorption tool comprising:

[0007] The outer shell has a first cavity and a second cavity formed axially inside, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are connected, and the inner diameter of the first cavity is larger than the inner diameter of the second cavity;

[0008] An adsorption head is disposed at the front end of the second cavity. The outline shape of the adsorption head is adapted to the spherical end of the ball pin, and the adsorption head has an adsorption hole that communicates with the second cavity.

[0009] A piston assembly includes a piston, a piston rod, and a negative pressure button. The piston is slidably sealed within a first cavity. One end of the piston rod is connected to the piston, and the other end is connected to the negative pressure button. By pressing the negative pressure button, the piston slides within the first cavity to generate negative pressure.

[0010] The sensing and control module includes an electrically connected pressure monitoring device and a feedback module. The pressure monitoring device is used to monitor the adsorption pressure at the adsorption head in real time, and the feedback module is used to send a feedback signal based on the monitoring results.

[0011] Optionally, a sealing ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the piston, and the sealing ring is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the first cavity to form a sliding seal.

[0012] Optionally, the material of the adsorption head may include silicone.

[0013] Optionally, the adsorption head is hemispherical and concave, and the diameter of the adsorption head is 3.5 mm.

[0014] Optionally, the adsorption head is funnel-shaped, and the inner diameter of the adsorption head is smaller than the diameter of the spherical end of the BallPin.

[0015] Optionally, the adsorption head is movably connected to the second cavity, facilitating the replacement of the adsorption head to adapt to different specifications of the ball pin.

[0016] Optionally, the feedback module includes an indicator light and / or a buzzer, and when the adsorption pressure value detected by the pressure monitoring device is lower than a preset threshold, the indicator light emits a red light signal alarm and / or the buzzer emits an audible alarm.

[0017] Optionally, the length of the second cavity is greater than the depth of the Ball Pin mounting cavity in the LAM machine heater.

[0018] Optionally, the material properties forming the housing include insulation and antistatic properties.

[0019] Optionally, the outer casing is further provided with a grip portion, which is provided with anti-slip texture to increase friction during use.

[0020] As described above, the vacuum adsorption tool of the present invention has the following beneficial effects: By replacing the traditional soft straw adsorption with vacuum adsorption, the ball pin can be firmly adsorbed and fixed during the adjustment process. Even when the tool is moved or subjected to slight vibration, the ball pin will not easily fall off, thereby reducing the risk of it slipping off and falling into the vacuum pump, causing equipment damage. In addition, the outer shell is made of insulating and anti-static material, avoiding the accumulation of static electricity during operation, effectively preventing the potential breakdown risk of static electricity to the precision electronic components of the machine, and also avoiding the adsorption of particulate contaminants by static electricity, ensuring the cleanliness of the process chamber and the long-term stability of equipment operation, which is conducive to improving product yield. By introducing a pressure monitoring and feedback mechanism, precise control of the ball pin clamping force is achieved, reducing the probability of the ball pin accidentally falling off, and significantly improving the efficiency and success rate of PM operations. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 The diagram shows the position of the Ball Pin in the heater according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the vacuum adsorption tool of the present invention.

[0023] Component designation explanation

[0024] 10. Heater; 11. Ball Pin; 12. First Chamber; 13. Second Chamber; 14. Negative Pressure Button; 15. Piston Rod; 16. Piston; 17. Adsorption Head; 18. Sensing Control Module. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification.

[0026] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in this embodiment are only intended to illustrate the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the illustrations only show the components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the shape, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0027] Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., illustrated in the accompanying drawings are merely for illustrative purposes to aid those skilled in the art and to facilitate understanding. They are not intended to limit the scope of the invention and therefore have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in proportions, or adjustments to size, without affecting the effectiveness and objectives of the invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed herein. Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "middle," "first," and "second," etc., used in this specification are merely for clarity and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Changes or adjustments to their relative relationships, without substantially altering the technical content, should also be considered within the scope of the invention.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the heater 10 in the reaction chamber of the LAM machine has a ball pin array arranged on its surface. The ball pins are usually made of sapphire, which is extremely lightweight and has a very smooth surface. In the prior art, when performing regular preventive maintenance on the equipment, it is necessary to finely adjust and calibrate the height of the ball pins. However, due to the small size of the ball pins, operators usually use a simple soft straw as a temporary clamping tool. However, the soft straw is soft and lacks rigid support, making it difficult to accurately control the clamping force and provide stable and reliable friction. This makes it very easy for the ball pins to slip off the soft straw port. Once the ball pins fall off, they are extremely difficult to retrieve due to their small size and the complex internal structure of the machine.

[0029] Based on the above problems and considering the characteristics of Ball Pin11, this application proposes a vacuum adsorption tool, such as... Figure 2As shown, this invention addresses the problem in existing technologies where simple soft straws are used as temporary clamping tools, making it difficult to precisely control the clamping force and providing stable and reliable friction, thus causing the Ball Pin 11 to easily slip off the soft straw port. The vacuum adsorption tool of this embodiment is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0030] This embodiment provides a vacuum adsorption tool, comprising: a shell, wherein a first cavity 12 and a second cavity 13 are formed axially inside the shell, wherein the first cavity 12 and the second cavity 13 are connected, and the inner diameter of the first cavity 12 is larger than the inner diameter of the second cavity 13; and an adsorption head 17 disposed at the front end of the second cavity 13, wherein the outline shape of the adsorption head 17 is similar to that of Ball. The spherical end of Pin11 is adapted to the adsorption head 17, and the adsorption head 17 has an adsorption hole communicating with the second cavity 13; the piston assembly includes a piston 16, a piston rod 15, and a negative pressure button 14, wherein the piston 16 is slidably sealed in the first cavity 12, one end of the piston rod 15 is connected to the piston 16, and the other end is connected to the negative pressure button 14. By pressing the negative pressure button 14, the piston 16 slides in the first cavity 12 to generate negative pressure; the sensing and control module 18 includes an electrically connected pressure monitoring device and a feedback module. The pressure monitoring device is used to monitor the magnitude of the adsorption pressure at the adsorption head 17 in real time, and the feedback module is used to issue a feedback signal based on the monitoring result.

[0031] During operation, the operator aligns the adsorption head 17 with the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11 and presses the negative pressure button 14 to slide the piston 16 away from the adsorption head 17, thereby creating a negative pressure in the first chamber 12. This negative pressure is transmitted to the adsorption head 17 through the second chamber 13 and the adsorption hole, ensuring that the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11 is firmly adsorbed onto the adsorption head 17. During this process, the pressure monitoring device continuously monitors the adsorption pressure and transmits the data to the feedback module. The feedback module includes an indicator light and / or a buzzer. If the adsorption pressure is within the normal range, the indicator light and / or buzzer will emit a normal signal; if the adsorption pressure value detected by the pressure monitoring device is lower than a preset threshold, the indicator light will emit a red light alarm, and the buzzer will emit an audible alarm. This dual alarm mechanism can promptly and effectively remind the operator of insufficient adsorption force, preventing the Ball Pin 11 from falling off or being damaged due to weak adsorption, thus improving operational safety.

[0032] As an example, a sealing ring is fitted on the outer periphery of the piston 16, and the sealing ring is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the first cavity 12 to form a sliding seal.

[0033] Specifically, the sealing ring can be made of rubber or fluororubber, which can ensure that the piston 16 slides smoothly in the first chamber 12, while also effectively preventing gas leakage in the first chamber 12, and ensuring the efficiency and stability of negative pressure generation.

[0034] As an example, the material of the adsorption head 17 includes silicone.

[0035] Specifically, due to the excellent flexibility and resilience of silicone material, it can form a tight fit with the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11, avoiding damage caused by hard contact. In this embodiment, the adsorption head 17 is hemispherical and concave, and its diameter is 3.5 mm. This size design allows for a good match with the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11, increasing the contact area and improving the stability and reliability of adsorption.

[0036] In another embodiment of the invention, the adsorption head 17 can also be flared, and the inner diameter of the adsorption head 17 is smaller than the diameter of the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11. When the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11 contacts the adsorption head 17, the flared structure can cover part of the spherical surface, forming a ring-like adsorption effect under negative pressure, further enhancing the clamping force on the Ball Pin 11 and preventing it from falling off during the transfer process.

[0037] As an example, the adsorption head 17 is movably connected to the second cavity 13, making it easy to replace the adsorption head 17 to adapt to different specifications of the Ball Pin 11.

[0038] Specifically, in this embodiment, the adsorption head 17 and the second cavity 13 are connected by a movable connection to facilitate disassembly, such as a snap-fit ​​connection. This detachable design allows operators to quickly replace the adsorption head 17 with the appropriate size according to the different specifications of the ball pin 11 to be operated, thereby significantly broadening the applicability of the vacuum adsorption tool and improving its versatility and operational flexibility.

[0039] As an example, the material properties forming the housing include insulation and antistatic properties, and the housing is also provided with a grip portion having anti-slip textures to increase friction during use.

[0040] Specifically, in this embodiment, the substrate shell is made of a material with insulating and antistatic properties, such as antistatic polyoxymethylene or antistatic ABS plastic. This material can effectively prevent potential damage to surrounding electronic components caused by static electricity in precision equipment maintenance scenarios such as LAM machines. In addition, a grip is provided on the shell, and the surface of the grip is provided with anti-slip textures, such as diamond knurling or grid-like protrusions, to significantly increase the friction between the operator's hand and the tool during use, prevent slippage during operation, and improve the stability of operation.

[0041] As an example, the length of the second cavity 13 is greater than the depth of the Ball Pin 11 mounting cavity in the LAM machine heater 10.

[0042] Specifically, in this embodiment, the length of the second cavity 13 is greater than the depth of the Ball Pin 11 mounting cavity in the LAM machine heater 10. This length design allows the adsorption head 17 to penetrate deep into the bottom of the mounting cavity and completely cover the spherical end of the Ball Pin 11, ensuring effective adsorption and extraction of the Ball Pin 11 even in the narrow space inside the machine, avoiding operational difficulties caused by insufficient tool length.

[0043] In summary, this invention provides a vacuum adsorption tool that replaces traditional soft straw adsorption with vacuum adsorption. During the adjustment of the ball pin, it firmly adheres and fixes the ball pin, preventing it from easily falling off even when the tool is moved or subjected to slight vibration. This reduces the risk of the ball pin slipping and falling into the vacuum pump, potentially damaging the equipment. Furthermore, the outer shell is made of insulating and anti-static material, avoiding the accumulation of static electricity during operation and effectively preventing potential damage to the precision electronic components of the machine. It also avoids the adsorption of particulate contaminants by static electricity, ensuring the cleanliness of the process chamber and the long-term stability of the equipment, thus improving product yield. By introducing a pressure monitoring and feedback mechanism, precise control of the ball pin clamping force is achieved, reducing the probability of accidental ball pin drop and significantly improving the efficiency and success rate of PM operations. Therefore, this invention effectively overcomes the various shortcomings of existing technologies and has high industrial application value.

[0044] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Any person skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum adsorption tool, characterized in that, The vacuum adsorption tool includes: The outer shell has a first cavity and a second cavity formed axially inside, wherein the first cavity and the second cavity are connected, and the inner diameter of the first cavity is larger than the inner diameter of the second cavity; An adsorption head is disposed at the front end of the second cavity. The outline shape of the adsorption head is adapted to the spherical end of the ball pin, and the adsorption head has an adsorption hole that communicates with the second cavity. A piston assembly includes a piston, a piston rod, and a negative pressure button. The piston is slidably sealed within a first cavity. One end of the piston rod is connected to the piston, and the other end is connected to the negative pressure button. By pressing the negative pressure button, the piston slides within the first cavity to generate negative pressure. The sensing and control module includes an electrically connected pressure monitoring device and a feedback module. The pressure monitoring device is used to monitor the adsorption pressure at the adsorption head in real time, and the feedback module is used to send a feedback signal based on the monitoring results.

2. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: A sealing ring is fitted around the outer periphery of the piston, and the sealing ring is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the first cavity to form a sliding seal.

3. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the adsorption head includes silicone.

4. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adsorption head is hemispherical and concave in shape, and the diameter of the adsorption head is 3.5 mm.

5. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 3, characterized in that: The adsorption head is funnel-shaped, and the inner diameter of the adsorption head is smaller than the diameter of the spherical end of the Ball Pin.

6. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption head is movably connected to the second cavity, making it easy to replace the adsorption head to adapt to different specifications of the ball pin.

7. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feedback module includes an indicator light and / or a buzzer, and when the adsorption pressure value detected by the pressure monitoring device is lower than a preset threshold, the indicator light emits a red light signal alarm and / or the buzzer emits an audible alarm.

8. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The length of the second cavity is greater than the depth of the Ball Pin mounting cavity in the LAM machine heater.

9. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material properties forming the outer casing include insulation and antistatic properties.

10. The vacuum adsorption tool according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer shell is also provided with a grip portion, which has anti-slip texture to increase friction during use.

Images