Semiconductor wafer carrying robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function

Abstract

The utility model discloses a semiconductor wafer transfer robot with a nitrogen flow monitoring function, which relates to the technical field of robots and comprises a semiconductor wafer transfer robot body, a protective shell, a gas outlet, a nitrogen sensor, a nitrogen tank, a fork arm and an opening and closing component. The nitrogen tank is used for storing nitrogen, the opening and closing assembly is used for controlling opening and closing of the air outlet and comprises a hydraulic rod arranged in the air outlet, the telescopic end of the hydraulic rod is connected with a first rack, and the inner wall of the protective shell is connected with a rotating rod. According to the utility model, the nitrogen sensor monitors the nitrogen concentration of the wafer box in real time, when the nitrogen concentration is insufficient, an electric signal is sent to the single-chip microcomputer, the single-chip microcomputer is utilized to control the hydraulic rod to operate, and after the two semicircular partition plates are far away from the air outlet, the nitrogen can float to the wafer box from the air outlet, so that the risk that the wafer is oxidized due to insufficient nitrogen is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of robots, and in particular relates to a semiconductor wafer transport robot with a nitrogen flow monitoring function. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, wafers, as the basic materials of semiconductor products, have increasingly higher requirements for environmental cleanliness and gas control in their manufacturing process. Nitrogen, as a commonly used protective gas, is widely used in the wafer manufacturing process. Therefore, accurate monitoring and control of nitrogen flow is crucial to ensuring wafer quality and production efficiency.

[0003] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, nitrogen is typically used to create an oxygen-free or low-oxygen environment to prevent wafers from oxidation. However, existing semiconductor wafer handling robots may fail to monitor the flow of nitrogen and release nitrogen in a timely manner, which may lead to the risk of insufficient or interrupted nitrogen supply. This can cause wafers to be exposed to the air, thereby increasing the risk of oxidation and may even cause safety issues.

[0004] In view of this, this application is hereby filed. Utility Model Content

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a device capable of monitoring nitrogen flow and releasing nitrogen in time.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model provides a semiconductor wafer handling robot with a nitrogen flow monitoring function, comprising a semiconductor wafer handling robot body, a protective shell, an air outlet, a nitrogen sensor, a nitrogen tank, a fork arm and an opening and closing assembly, the nitrogen sensor is used to detect the nitrogen concentration of the wafer box, the nitrogen tank is used to store nitrogen, the opening and closing assembly is used to control the opening and closing of the air outlet, the opening and closing assembly comprises a hydraulic rod arranged inside the air outlet, the telescopic end of the hydraulic rod is connected to a first rack, the inner wall of the protective shell is connected to a rotating rod, the outer wall of the rotating rod is installed with a first gear, the first gear is meshed with the first rack, the outer wall of the rotating rod is installed with a connecting rod, and the outer wall of the connecting rod is connected with a semicircular partition.

[0007] Furthermore, the protective shell is internally rotatably connected to a plurality of support rods, the outer walls of the support rods are equipped with two connecting plates, the outer walls of the support rods are connected to a second gear, the second gear is located between the two connecting plates, and an electric telescopic rod is arranged inside the protective shell, the electric telescopic rod is connected to a second rack meshing with a plurality of second gears.

[0008] Furthermore, a fixing plate is installed on the inner wall of the protective shell, the electric telescopic rod is connected to the outer wall of the fixing plate, and a plurality of bolts are connected between the fixing plate and the protective shell.

[0009] Furthermore, two sleeve rods are installed inside the protective shell, and the inner wall of the sleeve rod is slidably connected with a sleeve, and one end of the sleeve away from the sleeve rod is connected to the bottom end of the first rack.

[0010] Furthermore, the inner wall of the protective shell is provided with two arc-shaped slide grooves, and the outer walls of the two semicircular partitions are connected with insertion rods, and one end of the insertion rod away from the semicircular partition extends to the inside of the arc-shaped slide grooves.

[0011] Furthermore, a ball is connected to one end of the insertion rod away from the semicircular partition, and the ball is located inside the arc-shaped slide groove, and the ball is slidably connected to the arc-shaped slide groove.

[0012] Furthermore, a fixing ring is connected between the semicircular partition and the connecting rod, a screw is threadedly connected between the fixing ring and the semicircular partition, the connecting rod is located inside the fixing ring, and the fixing ring abuts against the semicircular partition.

[0013] Furthermore, a fixing block is installed on the inner wall of the protective shell, the hydraulic rod is installed on the top of the fixing block, and the fixing block is located between the two sleeves.

[0014] After adopting the above technical scheme, the utility model has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art.

[0015] 1. In the utility model, the nitrogen concentration of the wafer box is monitored in real time by a nitrogen sensor. When the nitrogen concentration is insufficient, an electrical signal is sent to the single-chip microcomputer, and the single-chip microcomputer is used to control the operation of the hydraulic rod. After the two semicircular partitions are moved away from the gas outlet, the nitrogen can float from the gas outlet to the wafer box, thereby reducing the risk of oxidation of the wafer due to insufficient nitrogen.

[0016] 2. In the utility model, the single chip microcomputer controls the operation of the electric telescopic rod at the same time, and the electric telescopic rod drives the second rack to move, thereby driving the multiple second gears and the support rod to rotate together, so that the multiple connecting plates form a left and right swinging effect. The swinging of the multiple connecting plates diverts the nitrogen inside the protective shell, making the nitrogen more even when floating out, which can improve the stability and safety of the mixed gas. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings are part of the present invention and are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The schematic embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention, but do not constitute an improper limitation on the present invention. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments. For ordinary technicians in this field, other accompanying drawings can be obtained based on these accompanying drawings without creative work. In the accompanying drawings:

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the exterior of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal three-dimensional structure of the protective shell in the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the second gear and the second rack in the utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A magnified view of the structure at center A;

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 2 A magnified view of the structure at point B.

[0023] Numbers in the figure:

[0024] 1. Semiconductor wafer handling robot body;

[0025] 2. Opening and closing assembly; 201. hydraulic rod; 202. first rack; 203. rotating rod; 204. first gear; 205. connecting rod; 206. semicircular partition;

[0026] 3. Nitrogen sensor; 4. Protective shell; 5. Air outlet; 6. Support rod; 7. Connecting plate; 8. Second gear; 9. Electric telescopic rod; 10. Second rack; 11. Fixed block; 12. Sleeve; 13. Sleeve rod; 14. Fixed ring; 15. Screw; 16. Fixed plate; 17. Bolt; 18. Arc slide; 19. Insert rod; 20. Ball; 21. Nitrogen tank; 22. Fork arm.

[0027] It should be noted that these drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the conceptual scope of the present invention in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the present invention for those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the utility model clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the utility model but are not used to limit the scope of the utility model.

[0029] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "inside", "outside", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operated in a specific direction. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0030] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0031] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, nitrogen is often used to create an oxygen-free or low-oxygen environment to prevent wafers from being oxidized. However, existing semiconductor wafer handling robots may not be able to monitor the flow of nitrogen and release nitrogen in time. There may be a risk of insufficient or interrupted nitrogen supply, which may cause the wafers to be exposed to the air, thereby increasing the risk of oxidation and may even cause safety issues. Therefore, a device that can monitor the flow of nitrogen and release nitrogen in time is provided to solve the above problems. Embodiment 1

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5 The utility model provides a semiconductor wafer handling robot with a nitrogen flow monitoring function.

[0033] Specifically, by Figure 1-Figure 4 A semiconductor wafer handling robot with a nitrogen flow monitoring function is provided, comprising a semiconductor wafer handling robot body 1, a protective shell 4, an air outlet 5, a nitrogen sensor 3, a nitrogen tank 21, a fork arm 22 and an opening and closing component 2, wherein the nitrogen sensor 3 is used to detect the nitrogen concentration of a wafer box, the nitrogen tank 21 is used to store nitrogen, the fork arm 22 is used to handle wafers, the opening and closing component 2 is used to control the opening and closing of the air outlet 5, the opening and closing component 2 comprises a hydraulic rod 201 arranged inside the air outlet 5, the telescopic end of the hydraulic rod 201 is connected to a first rack 202, and the inner wall of the protective shell 4 is rotatably connected to two rotating rods 203;

[0034] A first gear 204 is installed on the outer wall of the rotating rod 203. The two first gears 204 are respectively located on both sides of the first rack 202 and are meshed with the first rack 202. A connecting rod 205 is installed on the outer wall of the rotating rod 203. The outer wall of the connecting rod 205 is connected to a semicircular partition 206. The semicircular partition 206 corresponds to the air outlet 5. The air outlet 5 is connected to the nitrogen tank 21. The nitrogen sensor 3 and the protective shell 4 are fixedly connected to the outer wall of the nitrogen tank 21.

[0035] The model of the nitrogen sensor 3 is DGF-I1. The fork arm 22 monitors the nitrogen concentration of the wafer box in real time through the nitrogen sensor 3 during the transportation process. Once the nitrogen concentration is detected to be insufficient, an electrical signal is automatically sent to the single-chip microcomputer. After receiving the signal, the single-chip microcomputer starts the hydraulic rod 201 to operate. When the hydraulic rod 201 drives the first rack 202 to move upward, the two first gears 204 will rotate toward the two sides of the protective shell 4 respectively. The first gear 204 rotates together with the rotating rod 203, and the rotating rod 203 drives the connecting rod 205 and the semicircular partition 206 to swing until the two semicircular partitions 206 are away from the gas outlet 5, and then the nitrogen stored in the nitrogen tank 21 can float out from the gas outlet 5 into the protective shell 4, and then float from the protective shell 4 to the vicinity of the wafer;

[0036] When it is necessary to close the gas outlet 5 to prevent nitrogen from escaping, the hydraulic rod 201 drives the first rack 202 to move downward so that the two first gears 204 rotate in the direction of the first rack 202 at the same time. During the rotation, the semicircular partition 206 is driven to move to one side of the gas outlet 5 through the connecting rod 205. When the two semicircular partitions 206 are against each other, the gas outlet 5 can be closed by the semicircular partition 206.

[0037] Further:

[0038] like Figure 2 It is shown that two sleeve rods 13 are installed on the inner bottom wall of the protective shell 4 , and the inner wall of the sleeve rod 13 is slidably connected with a sleeve 12 , and one end of the sleeve 12 away from the sleeve rod 13 is connected to the bottom end of the first rack 202 .

[0039] The sleeve rod 13 cooperates with the sleeve 12 to support the first rack 202. Because the first rack 202 needs to move up and down, the sleeve 12 can slide along the inside of the sleeve rod 13, supporting the first rack 202 without affecting the movement of the first rack 202. The support of the first rack 202 by the sleeve 12 and the sleeve rod 13 makes the first rack 202 more stable when moving.

[0040] Further:

[0041] like Figure 2 and 5It is shown that two arc-shaped slots 18 are formed on the inner wall of the protective shell 4 , and the outer walls of the two semicircular partitions 206 are connected with insertion rods 19 , and one end of the insertion rod 19 away from the semicircular partition 206 extends to the inside of the arc-shaped slot 18 .

[0042] The shape of the arc-shaped slide groove 18 is the same as the sliding trajectory of the semicircular partition 206. The semicircular partition 206 drives the insertion rod 19 to slide along the arc-shaped slide groove 18. By clamping the insertion rod 19 inside the arc-shaped slide groove 18, the force point of the semicircular partition 206 is increased, making the semicircular partition 206 more stable when moving.

[0043] Further:

[0044] like Figure 5 It is shown that a ball 20 is connected to one end of the insertion rod 19 away from the semicircular partition 206 . The ball 20 is located inside the arc-shaped slide groove 18 , and the ball 20 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the arc-shaped slide groove 18 .

[0045] The insertion rod 19 moves along the arc groove 18 for many times, which will generate friction with the arc groove 18. The friction between the insertion rod 19 and the arc groove 18 will increase resistance and cause wear. By using the ball 20 to directly contact the arc groove 18, not only the resistance is reduced, but also the friction is reduced, so as to prevent the insertion rod 19 from causing wear.

[0046] Further:

[0047] like Figure 2 It is shown that a fixing ring 14 is connected between the semicircular partition 206 and the connecting rod 205 , a screw 15 is threadedly connected between the fixing ring 14 and the semicircular partition 206 , the connecting rod 205 is located inside the fixing ring 14 , and the outer wall of the fixing ring 14 abuts against the outer wall of the semicircular partition 206 .

[0048] The fixing ring 14 connects the connecting rod 205 and the semicircular partition 206 together, and then the fixing ring 14 is fixed to the outer wall of the semicircular partition 206 by the screw 15 to prevent the fixing ring 14 from falling off, and at the same time make the connection between the connecting rod 205 and the semicircular partition 206 more stable, preventing the connecting rod 205 from falling off and affecting the movement of the semicircular partition 206.

[0049] Further:

[0050] like Figure 2 It is shown that a fixing block 11 is installed on the inner wall of the protective shell 4 , the hydraulic rod 201 is installed on the top of the fixing block 11 , and the fixing block 11 is located between the two sleeves 12 .

[0051] The fixing block 11 is fixed inside the protective shell 4 and is used to support and fix the hydraulic rod 201. The nitrogen sensor 3 can increase the stability of the bottom of the hydraulic rod 201 to prevent it from shaking or moving during use, ensuring that the hydraulic rod 201 can be maintained in a stable position and angle. The hydraulic rod 201 is located between the two sleeves 12 and will not affect the support of the sleeves 12 and the sleeve rod 13 to the first rack 202. Embodiment 2

[0052] Based on the first embodiment, Figure 2 and Figure 3 It is shown that a plurality of support rods 6 are rotatably connected between the inner bottom wall and the inner top wall of the protective shell 4, two connecting plates 7 are installed on the outer wall of the support rods 6, the outer wall of the support rods 6 is connected to a second gear 8, and the second gear 8 is located between the two connecting plates 7, and an electric telescopic rod 9 is arranged inside the protective shell 4, and the telescopic end of the electric telescopic rod 9 is connected to a second rack 10 meshing with the plurality of second gears 8.

[0053] After the single chip microcomputer controls the hydraulic rod 201 to start, it also controls the electric telescopic rod 9 to run. The electric telescopic rod 9 drives the second rack 10 to move back and forth, and then drives the multiple second gears 8 to rotate slightly through the moving second rack 10. The support rod 6 rotates together with the second gear 8, and then drives the multiple connecting plates 7 to form a left and right swing effect. The swing of the multiple connecting plates 7 diverts the nitrogen inside the protective shell 4, so that the nitrogen floats out more evenly, which can improve the stability and safety of the mixed gas.

[0054] Further:

[0055] like Figure 3 It is shown that a fixing plate 16 is installed on the inner wall of the protective shell 4, one end of the electric telescopic rod 9 is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the fixing plate 16, and a plurality of bolts 17 are threadedly connected between the fixing plate 16 and the protective shell 4.

[0056] The electric telescopic rod 9 needs to control the longer second rack 10, which may easily cause an unstable center of gravity. Therefore, a fixing plate 16 is used to fix one end of the electric telescopic rod 9 so that the electric telescopic rod 9 is stabilized on the inner wall of the protective shell 4, and then a plurality of bolts 17 are used to firmly fix the fixing plate 16 and the inner wall of the protective shell 4 together to ensure the firmness of the fixing plate 16.

[0057] Working principle:

[0058] The model of the nitrogen sensor 3 is DGF-I1. The fork arm 22 monitors the nitrogen concentration of the wafer box in real time through the nitrogen sensor 3 during the transportation process. Once the nitrogen concentration is detected to be insufficient, an electrical signal is automatically sent to the single-chip microcomputer. After receiving the signal, the single-chip microcomputer starts the hydraulic rod 201 to operate. When the hydraulic rod 201 drives the first rack 202 to move upward, the two first gears 204 will rotate toward the two sides of the protective shell 4 respectively. The first gear 204 rotates together with the rotating rod 203, and the rotating rod 203 drives the connecting rod 205 and the semicircular partition 206 to swing until the two semicircular partitions 206 are away from the gas outlet 5, and then the nitrogen stored in the nitrogen tank 21 can float out from the gas outlet 5 into the protective shell 4, and then float from the protective shell 4 to the vicinity of the wafer;

[0059] When it is necessary to close the gas outlet 5 to prevent nitrogen from escaping, the hydraulic rod 201 drives the first rack 202 to move downward so that the two first gears 204 rotate in the direction of the first rack 202 at the same time. During the rotation, the semicircular partition 206 is driven to move to one side of the gas outlet 5 through the connecting rod 205. When the two semicircular partitions 206 are against each other, the gas outlet 5 can be closed by the semicircular partition 206.

[0060] After the single chip microcomputer controls the hydraulic rod 201 to start, it also controls the electric telescopic rod 9 to run. The electric telescopic rod 9 drives the second rack 10 to move back and forth, and then drives the multiple second gears 8 to rotate slightly through the moving second rack 10. The support rod 6 rotates together with the second gear 8, and then drives the multiple connecting plates 7 to form a left and right swing effect. The swing of the multiple connecting plates 7 diverts the nitrogen inside the protective shell 4, so that the nitrogen floats out more evenly, which can improve the stability and safety of the mixed gas.

[0061] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this patent can make some changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes using the technical content suggested above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. The implementation schemes in the above embodiments can also be further combined or replaced. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function, comprising: Semiconductor wafer handling robot body (1); Protective shell (4); Air outlet (5); A nitrogen sensor (3), the nitrogen sensor (3) being used to detect the nitrogen concentration in the wafer box; A nitrogen tank (21), wherein the nitrogen tank (21) is used to store nitrogen; A fork arm (22), wherein the fork arm (22) is used to carry a wafer; An opening and closing component (2), the opening and closing component (2) being used to control the opening and closing of the air outlet (5); The invention is characterized in that the opening and closing assembly (2) comprises a hydraulic rod (201) arranged inside the air outlet (5), the telescopic end of the hydraulic rod (201) is connected to a first rack (202), the inner wall of the protective shell (4) is connected to a rotating rod (203), the outer wall of the rotating rod (203) is mounted with a first gear (204), the first gear (204) is meshingly connected with the first rack (202), the outer wall of the rotating rod (203) is mounted with a connecting rod (205), and the outer wall of the connecting rod (205) is connected to a semicircular partition (206).

2. A semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of support rods (6) are rotatably connected inside the protective shell (4), two connecting plates (7) are installed on the outer wall of the support rod (6), a second gear (8) is connected to the outer wall of the support rod (6), and the second gear (8) is located between the two connecting plates (7). An electric telescopic rod (9) is arranged inside the protective shell (4), and the electric telescopic rod (9) is connected to a second rack (10) meshing with the plurality of second gears (8).

3. A semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 2, characterized in that: A fixing plate (16) is installed on the inner wall of the protective shell (4), the electric telescopic rod (9) is connected to the outer wall of the fixing plate (16), and a plurality of bolts (17) are connected between the fixing plate (16) and the protective shell (4).

4. The semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two sleeve rods (13) are installed inside the protective shell (4), the inner wall of the sleeve rod (13) is slidably connected to a sleeve (12), and one end of the sleeve (12) away from the sleeve rod (13) is connected to the bottom end of the first rack (202).

5. The semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the protective shell (4) is provided with two arc-shaped slide grooves (18), and the outer walls of the two semicircular partitions (206) are connected to an insertion rod (19), and one end of the insertion rod (19) away from the semicircular partition (206) extends to the inside of the arc-shaped slide groove (18).

6. The semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 5, characterized in that: One end of the insertion rod (19) away from the semicircular partition (206) is connected to a ball (20), and the ball (20) is located inside the arc-shaped slide groove (18). The ball (20) is slidably connected to the arc-shaped slide groove (18).

7. The semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixing ring (14) is connected between the semicircular partition (206) and the connecting rod (205), a screw (15) is threadedly connected between the fixing ring (14) and the semicircular partition (206), the connecting rod (205) is located inside the fixing ring (14), and the fixing ring (14) and the semicircular partition (206) are abutted against each other.

8. The semiconductor wafer handling robot with nitrogen flow monitoring function according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixing block (11) is installed on the inner wall of the protective shell (4), the hydraulic rod (201) is installed on the top of the fixing block (11), and the fixing block (11) is located between two sleeves (12).

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