Wafer track carrying device

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer track carrying device, which relates to the technical field of crown blocks and comprises a lifting mechanism and a clamping assembly, the lifting mechanism drives the clamping assembly to move up and down, and the clamping assembly comprises two clamping plates and a connecting seat used for clamping the top of a wafer box. The clamping assembly comprises two clamping plates, positioning cones are arranged on the clamping plates, the positioning cones can telescopically move in the clamping direction through elastic pieces, and when the clamping plates clamp the connecting base, the cone parts of the positioning cones are embedded into the positioning grooves in the side wall of the connecting base. The clamping plates are arranged on the support guide rails in a sliding mode and controlled by the motor, the motor comprises two output shafts, each output shaft is connected with a lead screw, the thread rotating directions of the two lead screws are opposite, the connecting plate is in threaded connection with the lead screws through lead screw nuts, and the motor drives the lead screws to rotate to drive the two clamping plates to be opened or closed. Through the action that the positioning cone and the positioning groove are embedded, the clamping plate can accurately and stably clamp the connecting base, and the structure is simple and reliable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of overhead cranes, in particular to a wafer track transport device. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, wafers need to be transferred between different workstations. Wafers are usually loaded in wafer boxes and transferred by OHT (overhead ho i st transfer). At present, the following steps are usually adopted in the wafer transfer process at home and abroad: first, the OHT body is driven along the track to the top of the wafer box area by an automatic guide rail vehicle for positioning, and then the lifting device is started, and the clamping device is controlled to accurately grasp the wafer box, lift it and transfer it to the target position. Since the OHT is a suspended structure as a whole, there are many factors that affect its own operation stability. Although the existing OHT is equipped with calibration systems such as cameras, it is only limited to calibration before the lifting device is started. During the rise and fall of the clamping assembly, it is often affected by factors such as motor vibration and belt aging, resulting in misaligned clamping, and then the wafer box is not fixed in place, tilted, etc., which not only affects the subsequent process, but also has an adverse effect on the production capacity of semiconductor manufacturing, and may also cause accidents and cause unnecessary losses. Utility Model Content

[0003] In order to overcome the defects of the prior art, the technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to propose a wafer track transport device, which adopts the following technical solutions:

[0004] A wafer track transport device comprises a frame, which is freely movable on a track by a track car; a lifting mechanism and a clamping assembly are arranged on the frame, the lifting mechanism drives the clamping assembly to move up and down, the clamping assembly is used to clamp a wafer box, the clamping assembly comprises two clamping plates, the two clamping plates are opened or closed by a motor, and the device is characterized in that at least one positioning cone is arranged on the clamping plate, the positioning cone can be telescopically moved in a clamping direction by an elastic member, a positioning groove is arranged on the wafer box, and when the clamping plate clamps the wafer box, the positioning cone is engaged with the positioning groove.

[0005] As a further improvement, a connection seat is provided at the upper end of the wafer box, and the positioning grooves are provided on both sides of the connection seat; a clamping groove is provided on one side of the clamping plate close to the connection seat, and the positioning cone is provided in the clamping groove, and when the clamping plate is closed, the connection seat is clamped in the clamping groove;

[0006] As a further improvement, at least one mounting hole is provided on the side wall of the clamping plate, a limiting platform is provided in the mounting hole, and the positioning cone is passed through the elastic member and is disposed in the mounting hole;

[0007] The positioning cone includes a cone and a rod, one end of the rod is connected to the cone, and the other end extends to the outside of the mounting hole and is connected to a limiting nut; the elastic member is sleeved on the rod, and the two ends respectively abut against the cone and the limiting platform.

[0008] As a further improvement, the elastic member is a spring.

[0009] As a further improvement, the cross section of the positioning groove is conical.

[0010] As a further improvement, the lifting mechanism comprises a plurality of servo motors, the output end of the servo motor is fixedly provided with a pulley, a belt is wound on the pulley, and the belt extends downward through a guide wheel and is fixedly provided on the clamping assembly.

[0011] As a further improvement, the clamping assembly further comprises a bracket, the upper end of the bracket is fixedly connected to the belt, and the lower end is provided with two guide rails in parallel, and the two clamping plates are slidably provided on the two guide rails via a connecting plate.

[0012] As a further improvement, the above-mentioned motor is a stepper motor fixedly mounted on the above-mentioned bracket, and the above-mentioned stepper motor includes two output shafts, each of which is connected to a screw, and the threads of the two screws have opposite rotation directions. The above-mentioned connecting plate is threadably connected to the above-mentioned screws through a screw nut. The rotation of the two above-mentioned screws drives the two above-mentioned screw nuts to separate or approach each other, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the two above-mentioned clamps.

[0013] As a further improvement, the connecting plate is slidably disposed on the guide rail via a linear bearing.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0015] Firstly, the utility model provides a positioning cone on the clamping plate. When the clamping plate clamps the connecting seat on the top of the wafer box, the positioning cone is engaged with the positioning groove on the connecting seat. When misalignment occurs, since the belt is soft, the conical positioning groove and the cone part of the positioning cone are gradually engaged with each other as the two clamping plates shrink, thereby ensuring the stability of the clamping action and the accuracy of the clamping position, and increasing the fault tolerance of the lifting mechanism.

[0016] Secondly, the utility model adopts a double-ended stepper motor as the drive of the clamping assembly. When the motor rotates, the clamping plate will not rotate because it is slidably set on the track through a linear bearing. The rotation of the screw rod drives the screw nut to move horizontally, thereby controlling the movement of the clamping plate along the track. Since the threads of the screw rods at both ends of the motor rotate in opposite directions, when the motor starts, the clamping plates on both sides will move closer to the middle or separate to both sides. The above structure is simple and reliable, and the opening and closing of the clamping assembly is smooth and stable, which not only improves the portability and work efficiency of the operation, but also reduces the maintenance cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the implementation mode of the utility model, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the implementation mode. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the utility model and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the lifting mechanism in the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the clamping assembly in the utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer box of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the splint in the utility model;

[0023] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of the assembly structure of the positioning cone in the utility model;

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the state where the clamping plate of the utility model does not clamp the wafer box;

[0025] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the clamping plate of the utility model clamping a wafer box.

[0026] Reference numerals:

[0027] 100-rack; 200-railcar; 300-track;

[0028] 1-lifting mechanism; 2-clamping assembly; 3-wafer box;

[0029] 11-servo motor; 12-pulley; 13-guide wheel;

[0030] 21- clamping plate; 22- motor; 23- positioning cone; 24- elastic member; 25- bracket; 26- guide rail; 27- screw rod;

[0031] 31-connecting seat;

[0032] 121- belt;

[0033] 211-clip groove; 212-mounting hole; 212a-limiting platform; 213-connecting plate; 231-cone; 232-rod; 233-limiting nut; 271-screw nut;

[0034] 311-Location slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] In order to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, the structure of the present invention is further described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0036] In the description of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. The orientation or position relationship indicated by the terms "portion", "side", "end", etc. is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings and is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0037] like Figure 1 As shown, the present application provides a wafer track transport device, including a frame 100, the frame 100 is freely moved on a track 300 through a track car 200, and a lifting mechanism 1 and a clamping assembly 2 are provided on the frame 100. The lifting mechanism 1 drives the clamping assembly 2 to move up and down, and the clamping assembly 2 is used to clamp a wafer box 3. In the present application, the clamping assembly 2 includes two clamping plates 21, and the two clamping plates 21 are controlled to open or close by a motor 22. At least one positioning cone 23 is provided on the clamping plate 21, and the positioning cone 23 can be telescopically moved in the clamping direction by an elastic member 24. A positioning groove 311 is provided on the wafer box 3. When the clamping plate 21 clamps the wafer box 3, the positioning cone 23 is engaged with the positioning groove 311.

[0038] refer to Figure 4 In a specific embodiment shown, a square connection seat 31 is provided at the upper end of the wafer box 3, and positioning grooves 311 are provided on both sides of the connection seat 31. In this embodiment, the positioning grooves 311 are provided in the middle position of both sides of the connection seat 31, and their cross-section is conical.

[0039] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6In a specific embodiment shown, a clamping groove 211 is provided on one side of the clamping plate 21 close to the positioning groove 311, that is, on the side in the clamping direction, and the above-mentioned positioning cone 23 is provided in the clamping groove 211. The side of the positioning cone 23 close to the positioning groove 311 is a cone portion 231. When the clamping plate 21 is closed and clamps the connecting seat 31, the positioning cone 23 is clamped in the positioning groove 311. The existing wafer track transport device is usually equipped with a calibration system. After moving above the wafer box 3, the clamping assembly 2 and the wafer box 3 are aligned through a camera or other sensor device. However, when the lifting device is started and the clamping assembly 2 rises or falls, it is often affected by factors such as the vibration of the motor 22 and the aging of the belt 121, resulting in new misalignment deviations. When misalignment occurs, since the belt 121 is soft, when the splint 21 is closed, the cone 231 of the positioning cone 23 will automatically find and fit into the positioning groove 311 with a conical notch, and the splint 21 will fine-tune a certain degree of deviation during the fitting process until the positioning cone 23 is completely fitted into the positioning groove 311. The above structure ensures the stability of the clamping action and the accuracy of the clamping position, thereby increasing the fault tolerance of the lifting mechanism 1.

[0040] like Figure 6 As shown, at least one mounting hole 212 is provided on the side wall of the clamping plate 21 along the moving direction of the clamping plate 21, a limiting platform 212a is provided in the mounting hole 212, and the positioning cone 23 is inserted into the mounting hole 212 through an elastic member 24. In a specific embodiment, the positioning cone 23 also includes a rod 232, one end of the rod 232 is fixedly connected to the cone 231, and the other end extends to the outside of the mounting hole 212 away from the clamping groove 211, and is connected to a limiting nut 233. The rod 232 is inserted into the above-mentioned mounting hole 212, and the above-mentioned elastic member 24 is sleeved thereon, and the elastic member 24 is specifically a spring, and the two ends of the spring respectively abut against the cone 231 and the limiting platform 212a.

[0041] Combination Figure 7 and Figure 8 Under normal conditions, the positioning cone 23 tends to move in the clamping direction under the action of the spring, and the limiting nut 233 abuts against the outer edge of the mounting hole 212. When the clamping plate 21 is clamped, the cone 231 of the positioning cone 23 abuts against the positioning groove 311, and then overcomes the elastic force of the spring to move away from the clamping direction, and the limiting nut 233 is separated from the outer side of the mounting hole 212. During this process, the cone 231 gradually fits into the positioning groove 311. Preferably, the size of the cone 231 is equal to or smaller than the size of the positioning groove 311, so as to ensure that the clamping plate 21 can clamp the side of the mounting seat after being clamped in place.

[0042] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the lifting mechanism 1 includes a plurality of servo motors 11 , and a pulley 12 is fixedly disposed at the output end of the servo motor 11 . A belt 121 is wound around the pulley 12 . The belt 121 extends downward through a guide wheel 13 and is fixedly disposed on the clamping assembly 2 .

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the clamping assembly 2 also includes a bracket 25, the upper end of the bracket 25 is fixedly connected to the belt 121, the lower end is provided with a guide rail 26, and the two clamps 21 are slidably arranged on the guide rail 26 through a connecting plate 213. Specifically, the bracket 25 is square, and the lower end is open, and the guide rail 26 and the clamps 21 are installed at the lower end of the bracket 25. The lifting mechanism 1 includes four servo motors 11, and the four servo motors 11 control four belts 121. The four belts 121 extend downward and are fixed at the four corners of the bracket 25. The four servo motors 11 are controlled by a PLC controller to lower or reel in the belts 121, thereby controlling the clamping assembly 2 to descend or ascend. The four servo motors 11 are uniformly dispatched by the PLC controller, so that the clamping assembly 2 remains stable during the ascending or descending process, and precise control is achieved.

[0044] like Figure 5 In a specific embodiment shown, two guide rails 26 are arranged in parallel at the lower end of the bracket 25, and two clamping plates 21 are slidably arranged on the two guide rails 26 through a connecting plate 213. The above-mentioned motor 22 is arranged between the two brackets 25. The motor 22 is specifically a stepping motor 22, including two output shafts, and the two output shafts are respectively connected to two screw rods 27 through a coupling, and the thread rotation directions of the two screw rods 27 are opposite. Further, each of the two screw rods 27 is threadedly connected with a screw nut 271, and the screw rod 27 is penetrated by the connecting plate 213, and the screw nut 271 is fixedly connected to the connecting plate 213. When the motor 22 rotates, due to the limitation of the two guide rails 26, the connecting plate 213 will not rotate, and the screw rod 27 rotates to drive the screw nut 271 to move horizontally, thereby controlling the horizontal movement of the clamping plate 21. Since the thread rotation directions of the two screw rods 27 are opposite, when the screw rod 27 rotates, the moving direction of the two screw nuts 271 is to approach or move away from each other, that is, the two clamping plates 21 are opened or closed.

[0045] Preferably, the connecting plate 213 is slidably disposed on the guide rail 26 via a linear bearing, which can effectively reduce the friction of the connecting plate 213 on the guide rail 26, making the clamping assembly 2 smoother during the lateral movement. The linear bearing also provides good support and guidance, improves the motion accuracy, and ensures the stable movement of the connecting plate 213 on the guide rail 26.

[0046] The above description is only the preferred implementation of the utility model, and is not intended to limit the utility model. For those skilled in the art, the utility model can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the utility model shall be included in the protection scope of the utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer track transport device, comprising a frame (100), wherein the frame (100) is freely movable on a track (300) by a track vehicle (200); a lifting mechanism (1) and a clamping assembly (2) are arranged on the frame (100), wherein the lifting mechanism (1) drives the clamping assembly (2) to move up and down, and the clamping assembly (2) is used to clamp a wafer box (3), characterized in that: The clamping assembly (2) comprises two clamping plates (21), the two clamping plates (21) are controlled to open or close by a motor (22), at least one positioning cone (23) is provided on the clamping plates (21), the positioning cone (23) is telescopically movable in a clamping direction by means of an elastic member (24), a positioning groove (311) is provided on the wafer box (3), and when the clamping plates (21) clamp the wafer box (3), the positioning cone (23) engages with the positioning groove (311).

2. A wafer track transport device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting seat (31) is provided at the upper end of the wafer box (3), and positioning grooves (311) are provided on both sides of the connecting seat (31); a clamping groove (211) is provided on one side of the clamping plate (21) close to the connecting seat (31), and the positioning cone (23) is provided in the clamping groove (211); when the clamping plate (21) is closed, the connecting seat (31) is clamped in the clamping groove (211).

3. A wafer track transport device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: At least one mounting hole (212) is formed on the side wall of the clamping plate (21), a limiting platform (212a) is arranged in the mounting hole (212), and the positioning cone (23) is passed through the mounting hole (212) via the elastic member (24); The positioning cone (23) comprises a cone portion (231) and a rod portion (232); one end of the rod portion (232) is connected to the cone portion (231), and the other end extends to the outside of the mounting hole (212) and is connected to a limiting nut (233); the elastic member (24) is sleeved on the rod portion (232), and the two ends thereof respectively abut against the cone portion (231) and the limiting platform (212a).

4. A wafer track transport device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that: The elastic member (24) is a spring.

5. The wafer track transport device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cross section of the positioning groove (311) is conical.

6. The wafer track transport device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (1) comprises a plurality of servo motors (11), the output end of the servo motor (11) is fixedly provided with a pulley (12), a belt (121) is wound around the pulley (12), and the belt (121) extends downward through a guide wheel (13) and is fixedly provided on the clamping assembly (2).

7. A wafer track transport device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The clamping assembly (2) further comprises a bracket (25), the upper end of the bracket (25) being fixedly connected to the belt (121), and the lower end of the bracket being provided with two guide rails (26) in parallel, and the two clamping plates (21) being slidably arranged on the two guide rails (26) via a connecting plate (213).

8. A wafer track transport device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: The motor (22) is a stepper motor fixed to the bracket (25), and the stepper motor includes two output shafts, each of which is connected to a screw (27). The threads of the two screws (27) are in opposite directions. The connecting plate (213) is threadedly connected to the screw (27) through a screw nut (271). The two screws (27) rotate to drive the two screw nuts (271) to separate from or approach each other, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the two clamping plates (21).

9. The wafer track transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting plate (213) is slidably arranged on the guide rail (26) via a linear bearing.

Images