Wafer transmission device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of wafer transmission, in particular to a wafer transmission device. The device comprises an R-axis direct drive motor module arranged on a fixed base; the Z-axis linear module is arranged on the R-axis direct-drive motor module, and the Z-axis linear module is controlled by the R-axis direct-drive motor module to rotate along the R axis; the X-axis linear module is arranged on the Z-axis linear module, and the X-axis linear module is controlled by the Z-axis linear module to linearly move along the Z axis; the sheet fork unit is arranged on the X-axis linear module, the sheet fork unit is controlled by the X-axis linear module to linearly move along the X axis, a plurality of sheet forks are arranged in the sheet fork unit, and a set distance is formed between every two adjacent sheet forks. According to the utility model, the distance between the sheet forks is set to be a fixed value, the wafer can be completely taken out at one time when the wafer carrier is fully loaded, the structure is simple, the number of parts is small, the reliability of a mechanical system is high, and the production cost is low.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The wafer transfer unit (abbreviated as WTU, sometimes also called WTR) is currently mainly used in the front-end module (EFEM) of semiconductor wet process equipment. The main function of this device is to take multiple wafers, such as 25 wafers, from the wafer carrier (FOUP) at the same time, and transfer the 25 wafers taken out to the next wafer flipping mechanism. The corresponding station in the EFEM is the flipping mechanism (POS mechanism), and the wafers are transferred to the cleaning area through other subsequent mechanisms for cleaning. After the wafers are cleaned, they are transferred back to the POS mechanism through the previous mechanism. The wafer transfer device takes out the 25 cleaned wafers from the POS mechanism and replaces them in the wafer carrier.

[0003] The current tank cleaning equipment is mainly divided into cassette type and cassetteless type. The number of wafer forks on the mainstream wafer transfer device on the market is up to 4, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fork unit 5 includes forks 52a, 52b, 52c and 52d, so at most 4 wafers can be taken out from the wafer carrier at one time and transferred to the subsequent workstation. However, the cassette less type tank cleaning equipment needs to clean 25 or 50 wafers at one time. If the current wafer transfer device is used, it takes 7 consecutive times to take 25 wafers from the wafer carrier, which greatly reduces the efficiency of the equipment.

[0004] Chinese utility model patent application CN113471122A discloses a wafer cleaning device and a wafer transfer device thereof. In this technical solution, a wafer holder is arranged on a telescopic bracket, and the distance between any two adjacent wafer holders can change with the change of the telescopic bracket, thereby realizing the function of variable wafer spacing. However, the wafer carrier used in the current semiconductor wet process equipment EFEM is generally a standard FOUP. According to the standard of the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Industry Association (SEMI), the spacing between each wafer in the standard FOUP is fixed to 10mm, so the function of variable wafer spacing is not required. At the same time, considering that the structure of the device is relatively complex, it may lead to reduced reliability and increased cost of the device, so it is not suitable for the current EFEM equipment; Chinese utility model patent CN107887311B discloses a substrate handling device and a substrate handling method. This technical solution only describes the wafer fork structure and wafer handling process flow for handling wafers, which still cannot meet the actual needs of the front-end module of the equipment. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a wafer transmission device to solve the above technical problems;

[0006] The technical problem solved by the present invention can be achieved by adopting the following technical solutions:

[0007] A wafer transmission device, comprising:

[0008] The R-axis direct drive motor module is arranged on a fixed base;

[0009] A Z-axis linear module is arranged on the R-axis direct-drive motor module via a Z-axis linear module fixing frame;

[0010] An X-axis linear module is arranged on the Z-axis linear module through an X-axis linear module fixing frame;

[0011] A fork unit is provided on the X-axis linear module, wherein a plurality of forks for supporting wafers are provided in the fork unit, and a set distance is provided between adjacent forks;

[0012] The X-axis linear module drives the fork unit to move in the X-axis direction, the Z-axis linear module drives the X-axis linear module and the fork unit to move in the Z-axis direction, and the R-axis direct drive motor module drives the Z-axis linear module, the X-axis linear module and the fork unit to rotate in the R-axis.

[0013] Preferably, the R-axis direct drive motor module includes:

[0014] A connecting flange, wherein the R-axis direct-drive motor module is arranged on the fixed base through the connecting flange;

[0015] An R-axis direct drive motor is provided on the connecting flange;

[0016] A fixed bracket, which is arranged on the fixed base through supporting feet, and the fixed bracket surrounds the peripheral side of the R-axis direct-drive motor and is at a certain distance from the R-axis direct-drive motor;

[0017] The R-axis position sensor is arranged on the fixed bracket and includes:

[0018] A first R-axis limit sensor for sensing that the R-axis direct-drive motor moves to a first limit position;

[0019] A second R-axis limit sensor for sensing that the R-axis direct-drive motor moves to a second limit position;

[0020] A first in-position sensor for sensing that the R-axis direct-drive motor moves to a first working position;

[0021] A second in-position sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct-drive motor to a second working position;

[0022] An R-axis origin sensor is used to sense the movement of the R-axis direct-drive motor to the initial position of the R-axis.

[0023] Preferably, the first working position is a wafer storage position, and the second working position is a wafer processing position.

[0024] Preferably, the Z-axis linear module fixing frame is arranged on the R-axis direct drive motor module, the Z-axis linear module is arranged on the side of the Z-axis linear module fixing frame, and the Z-axis linear module fixing frame includes:

[0025] Z-axis single-axis robot;

[0026] A first servo motor is arranged at the rear of the driving side of the Z-axis single-axis robot, and the first servo motor and the Z-axis single-axis robot are connected via a pulley;

[0027] The Z-axis position sensor is arranged on the side of the Z-axis single-axis robot and includes:

[0028] A first Z-axis limit sensor for sensing that the Z-axis single-axis robot moves to a first limit position;

[0029] A second Z-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot to a second limit position;

[0030] A Z-axis origin sensor is used to sense the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot to the initial position of the Z-axis.

[0031] Preferably, the side of the X-axis linear module fixing frame is connected to the Z-axis linear module, the X-axis linear module is arranged on the X-axis linear module fixing frame, and the X-axis linear module includes:

[0032] X-axis single-axis robot;

[0033] A second servo motor is disposed below the driving side of the X-axis single-axis robot, and the second servo motor and the X-axis single-axis robot are connected via a pulley;

[0034] The X-axis position sensor is arranged on the side of the X-axis single-axis robot and includes:

[0035] A first X-axis limit sensor for sensing that the X-axis single-axis robot moves to a first limit position;

[0036] A second X-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot to a second limit position;

[0037] An X-axis origin sensor is used to sense the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot to the initial position of the X-axis.

[0038] Preferably, the fork unit comprises:

[0039] A sheet fork unit fixing frame is arranged on the X-axis linear module;

[0040] The plurality of slice forks are arranged in sequence in the slice fork unit fixing frame along the vertical direction, and the spacing between each adjacent slice fork is a fixed value.

[0041] Preferably, the fork unit further comprises:

[0042] An optical fiber sensor is arranged on the fixed frame of the blade fork unit, wherein the transmitting end of the optical fiber sensor is located above the blade fork at the uppermost layer, and the receiving end of the optical fiber sensor is located below the blade fork at the lowermost layer;

[0043] The amplifier is arranged at the bottom of the fixing frame of the blade fork unit and is connected to the optical fiber sensor.

[0044] Preferably, the number of the forks matches the number of wafers that can be stored in a wafer carrier, and the spacing between the forks matches the spacing between the wafers stored in the wafer carrier.

[0045] Preferably, it also includes:

[0046] An R-axis drag chain, wherein the first end of the R-axis drag chain is disposed on the Z-axis linear module fixed frame, and the second end of the R-axis drag chain is disposed on the fixed base;

[0047] A Z-axis drag chain, wherein the first end of the Z-axis drag chain is disposed on the X-axis linear module fixed frame, and the second end of the Z-axis drag chain is disposed on the Z-axis linear module fixed frame;

[0048] An X-axis drag chain, wherein the first end of the X-axis drag chain is arranged on the fork unit, and the other end of the X-axis drag chain is arranged on the side of the X-axis linear module fixing frame.

[0049] The beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows: due to the adoption of the above technical scheme, the utility model adopts the setting of the distance between each fork as a fixed value, and the wafers when the wafer carrier is fully loaded can be completely taken out at one time. It has a simple structure, a small number of parts, a high reliability of the mechanical system, and a low production cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a fork unit structure with 4 forks;

[0051] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a standard wafer carrier;

[0052] Figure 3 is a front view of a standard wafer carrier;

[0053] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the location of the wafer transfer device in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0054] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer transmission device in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0055] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer transmission device in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0056] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the movement direction of the wafer transmission device in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0057] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the R-axis direct drive motor module in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0058] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the Z-axis linear module in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0059] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the X-axis linear module structure in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0060] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the blade fork unit in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0061] Fig.12 It is a side view of the blade fork unit in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0062] Fig.13 This is the schematic diagram of the direct drive motor;

[0063] Fig.14 It is a schematic diagram of a speed reduction mechanism;

[0064] Fig.15 A schematic diagram of the transfer steps of the wafer transfer device in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0065] Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the initial standby position of the wafer transfer device in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0066] Fig.17 It is a schematic diagram of the wafer fork unit rotating from the standby position to the wafer storage position in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0067] Fig.18 This is a schematic diagram of the fork unit extending into the wafer carrier in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0068] Fig.19 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting of the fork unit in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0069] Fig. 20 This is a schematic diagram of the fork unit in the embodiment of the utility model taking the wafer and then retreating to the set position;

[0070] Fig.21 This is a schematic diagram of the fork unit rotating to the wafer processing station in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0071] Fig. 22 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer fork unit extending forward into the wafer flipping mechanism in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0072] Fig.23 It is a schematic diagram of a wafer flipping mechanism receiving a wafer of a wafer fork unit in an embodiment of the utility model;

[0073] Fig.24 It is a schematic diagram of the fork unit descending to the wafer separation in the embodiment of the utility model;

[0074] Fig.25 This is a schematic diagram of the blade fork unit retreating to the standby position in the embodiment of the utility model.

[0075] In the attached figure: 1. fixed base; 2. R-axis direct drive motor module; 21. connecting flange; 22. R-axis direct drive motor; 23. fixed bracket; 24. support foot; 25. R-axis position sensor; 26. R-axis drag chain; 3. Z-axis linear module; 31. Z-axis linear module fixed frame; 32. Z-axis single-axis robot; 33. first servo motor; 34. Z-axis position sensor; 35. Z-axis drag chain; 4. X-axis linear module; 41. X-axis linear module fixed frame; 42. X-axis single-axis robot; 43. second servo motor; 44. X-axis position sensor; 45. X-axis drag chain; 5. Fork unit; 51. Fork unit fixing frame; 52. Fork; 53. Optical fiber sensor; 54. Amplifier; 6. Wafer carrier; 61. Wafer; 71. Wafer transmission device; 72. Wafer storage station; 73. Wafer flip mechanism; 74. Feed push rod; 75. Discharge push rod; 76. FOUP temporary storage position; 77. FOUP transmission unit; 78. Feed end; 81. Load; 82. Direct drive motor; 83. Speed ​​reduction mechanism; 831. Driven wheel; 832. Belt; 833. Servo motor; 834. Driving wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0076] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the utility model to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the utility model, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the utility model.

[0077] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0078] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, but they are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0079] A wafer transfer device, such as Figures 2 to 12 As shown, including:

[0080] The R-axis direct drive motor module 2 is disposed on a fixed base 1;

[0081] The Z-axis linear module 3 is arranged on the R-axis direct-drive motor module 2 through the Z-axis linear module fixing frame 31, and the Z-axis linear module 3 is controlled to rotate along the R-axis through the R-axis direct-drive motor module 2;

[0082] The X-axis linear module 4 is arranged on the Z-axis linear module 3 through the X-axis linear module fixing frame 41, and the X-axis linear module 4 is controlled by the Z-axis linear module 3 to move linearly along the Z-axis;

[0083] The fork unit 5 is arranged on the X-axis linear module 4. The fork unit 5 is controlled by the X-axis linear module 4 to move linearly along the X-axis. A plurality of forks 52 for supporting the wafer 61 are arranged in the fork unit 5. The distance between adjacent forks 52 is set.

[0084] The X-axis linear module 4 drives the fork unit 5 to move in the X-axis direction, the Z-axis linear module 3 drives the X-axis linear module 4 and the fork unit 5 to move in the Z-axis direction, and the R-axis direct drive motor module 2 drives the Z-axis linear module 3, the X-axis linear module 4 and the fork unit 5 to rotate in the R-axis.

[0085] The current tank cleaning equipment is mainly divided into cassette type and cassetteless type. When cleaning wafers, the cassette less type tank cleaning equipment needs to be in a bare die state, and generally a supporting equipment front end module (EFEM) is used to realize the loading and unloading of wafers. Currently, the EFEM uses a wafer carrier (FOUP) 6 for loading and unloading, so a wafer transfer device is required to take out the wafer 61 in the wafer carrier 6 and put the cleaned wafer 61 back into the wafer carrier 6. In order to solve the problem of taking and placing multiple wafers 61 from the wafer carrier (FOUP) 6 at one time, the utility model provides a wafer transfer device that can realize this function. Figure 2 , Figure 3 The wafer carrier 6 shown is provided with 25 wafers 61 , and the wafers 61 are numbered from n0 to n24 .

[0086] The utility model is a wafer transfer device 71 for a front end module (EFEM) of a semiconductor wet process equipment. The layout of the EFEM and the location of the wafer transfer device are as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the wafer transfer device 71 of the utility model is located at the upper left, the wafer storage station 72 is located on the right side of the wafer transfer device 71, a FOUP temporary storage position 76 is provided above, the wafer flip mechanism 73 is located below the wafer transfer device 71, a feed push rod 74 and a discharge push rod 75 are provided below the wafer flip mechanism 73, a FOUP transfer unit 77 is located on the right side of the wafer flip mechanism 73, and a feed end 78 is provided on the right side of the FOUP transfer unit 77.

[0087] like Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the utility model is mainly composed of a fork unit 5, an X-axis linear module 4, a Z-axis linear module 3, an R-axis direct drive motor module 2, a fixed base 1, a Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31, an X-axis linear module fixed frame 41, a Z-axis drag chain 35, an R-axis drag chain 26, an X-axis drag chain 45 and other components;

[0088] To be more specific, the assembly relationship of the utility model is as follows: the R-axis direct-drive motor module 2 is installed on the fixed base 1 through the connecting flange 21; the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31 is installed on the R-axis direct-drive motor 22; the Z-axis linear module 3 is installed on the side of the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31; the side of the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41 is fixed on the Z-axis single-axis robot 32; the X-axis linear module 4 is fixed on the top of the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41; and the fork unit 5 is fixed on the X-axis single-axis robot 42.

[0089] like Figure 7 As shown, the motion relationship of the device of the utility model is: the X-axis linear module 4 drives the fork unit 5 installed above it to move in the X-axis direction, that is, to move forward and backward; the Z-axis linear module 3 drives the X-axis linear module 4 and the fork unit 5 installed above it to move in the Z-axis direction, that is, to move up and down; the R-axis direct-drive motor module 2 drives the Z-axis linear module 3, the X-axis linear module 4 and the fork unit 5 installed above it to rotate in the R-axis.

[0090] In a preferred embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 As shown, the R-axis direct drive motor module 2 includes:

[0091] Connecting flange 21, the R-axis direct drive motor module 2 is arranged on the fixed base 1 through the connecting flange 21;

[0092] The R-axis direct drive motor 22 is provided on the connection flange 21 and is used to control the Z-axis linear module 3, the X-axis linear module 4 and the fork unit 5 to rotate along the R-axis;

[0093] A fixed bracket 23 is arranged on the fixed base 1 through a support leg 24, and the fixed bracket 23 surrounds the peripheral side of the R-axis direct-drive motor 22 and is at a certain distance from the R-axis direct-drive motor 22;

[0094] The R-axis position sensor 25 is disposed on the fixed bracket 23 and is used to sense the movement position of the R-axis direct drive motor 22, including:

[0095] A first R-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct-drive motor 22 to a first limit position;

[0096] A second R-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct-drive motor 22 to a second limit position;

[0097] A first in-position sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct drive motor 22 to a first working position;

[0098] A second in-position sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct-drive motor 22 to a second working position;

[0099] The R-axis origin sensor is used to sense the movement of the R-axis direct drive motor 22 to the R-axis initial position.

[0100] Specifically, the R-axis direct drive motor module 2 mainly includes an R-axis direct drive motor 22, a connecting flange 21, an R-axis position sensor 25, a fixed bracket 23 and a support leg 24; the assembly relationship is as follows: the R-axis direct drive motor 22 is fixed on the connecting flange 21, the four support legs 24 are respectively fixed on the connecting and fixing base 1, the fixed bracket 23 is fixed on the four support legs 24, the R-axis position sensor 25 is fixed on the fixed bracket 23, and the five R-axis position sensors 25 are respectively two limit sensors, namely the first R-axis limit sensor and the second R-axis limit sensor, two in-position sensors, namely the first in-position sensor and the second in-position sensor, and one origin sensor, namely the R-axis origin sensor.

[0101] More specifically, if Fig.13 , Fig.14 As shown, the R axis in the utility model adopts a direct drive motor 82. The direct drive motor 82 can effectively improve the torque of the motor direct drive by ingenious designs such as increasing the number of magnetic pole pairs and the number of coil turns, so that the motor can be directly connected to the load 81 for driving, without the need to use a reduction mechanism 83. Compared with the traditional servo reduction mechanism 83 (including a driven wheel 831, a belt 832, a servo motor 833, and a driving wheel 834) structure such as a screw, a gear box, a worm gear, a pulley, a synchronous belt, etc., the direct drive motor 82 omits the reduction mechanism and can be directly rigidly connected to the load 81, so the structure is simpler, which can not only reduce the space and weight of the entire device, but also improve the reliability and maintainability of the device.

[0102] In a preferred embodiment, the first working position is a wafer storage station 72, and the second working position is a wafer processing station.

[0103] Specifically, the positions of the utility model are respectively the wafer storage station (FIMS end) and the wafer processing station, and this embodiment is a flip mechanism (POS mechanism).

[0104] In a preferred embodiment, Fig. 9 As shown, the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31 is arranged on the R-axis direct drive motor module 2, and the Z-axis linear module 3 is arranged on the side of the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31. The Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31 includes:

[0105] The Z-axis single-axis robot 32 is used to control the X-axis linear module 4 and the fork unit 5 to move linearly along the Z-axis;

[0106] A first servo motor 33 is disposed at the rear of the driving side of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 and is used to drive the Z-axis single-axis robot 32. The first servo motor 33 and the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 are connected via a pulley;

[0107] The Z-axis position sensor 34 is disposed on the side of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 and is used to sense the movement position of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32, including:

[0108] A first Z-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to a first limit position;

[0109] A second Z-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to a second limit position;

[0110] The Z-axis origin sensor is used to sense the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to the initial position of the Z-axis.

[0111] Specifically, the Z-axis linear module 3 mainly includes a Z-axis single-axis robot 32, a first servo motor 33, and a Z-axis position sensor 34, and the assembly relationship is as follows: the first servo motor 33 is installed at the rear of the driving side of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32, and the first servo motor 33 and the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 are connected through a pulley; the Z-axis position sensor 34 is fixed on the side of the Z-axis single-axis robot 32, and there are three Z-axis position sensors 34, namely, two limit sensors, namely, the first Z-axis limit sensor and the second Z-axis limit sensor, and one origin sensor, namely, the Z-axis origin sensor.

[0112] In a preferred embodiment, Fig.10 As shown, the side of the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41 is connected to the Z-axis linear module 3, and the X-axis linear module 4 is arranged on the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41. The X-axis linear module 4 includes:

[0113] X-axis single-axis robot 42, used to control the fork unit 5 to move linearly along the X-axis;

[0114] A second servo motor 43 is disposed below the driving side of the X-axis single-axis robot 42 and is used to drive the X-axis single-axis robot 42. The second servo motor 43 and the X-axis single-axis robot 42 are connected via a pulley;

[0115] The X-axis position sensor 44 is disposed on the side of the X-axis single-axis robot 42 and is used to sense the movement position of the X-axis single-axis robot 42, including:

[0116] A first X-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to a first limit position;

[0117] A second X-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to a second limit position;

[0118] The X-axis origin sensor is used to sense the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to the initial position of the X-axis.

[0119] Specifically, the X-axis linear module 4 mainly includes an X-axis single-axis robot 42, a second servo motor 43 and an X-axis position sensor 44, and the assembly relationship is as follows: the second servo motor 43 is installed below the driving side of the X-axis single-axis robot 42, and the second servo motor 43 and the X-axis single-axis robot 42 are connected through a pulley; the X-axis position sensor 44 is fixed on the side of the X-axis single-axis robot 42, and there are 3 X-position sensors, namely, the first X-axis limit sensor and the second X-axis limit sensor, two limit sensors and the X-axis origin sensor, one origin sensor.

[0120] In a preferred embodiment, Fig.11 , Fig.12 As shown, the fork unit 5 includes:

[0121] The fork unit fixing frame 51 is arranged on the X-axis linear module 4;

[0122] A plurality of blade forks 52 are arranged in sequence in the blade fork unit fixing frame 51 along the vertical direction, and the distance between each adjacent blade fork 52 is a fixed value.

[0123] In a preferred embodiment, the fork unit 5 further includes:

[0124] The optical fiber sensor 53 is arranged on the fork unit fixing frame 51, the transmitting end of the optical fiber sensor 53 is located above the fork 52 at the uppermost layer, and the receiving end of the optical fiber sensor 53 is located below the fork 52 at the lowermost layer;

[0125] The amplifier 54 is disposed at the bottom of the fork unit fixing frame 51 and connected to the optical fiber sensor 53 to amplify the receiving signal of the optical fiber sensor 53 .

[0126] Specifically, the fork unit 5 of the utility model mainly includes a fork unit fixing frame 51, a fork 52, an optical fiber sensor 53 and an amplifier 54; the assembly relationship is as follows: the forks 52 are fixed in the fork unit fixing frame 51 from top to bottom, and the spacing between each fork 52 is a fixed value of 10 mm. A total of 25 forks 52 are included, which are labeled m0m24. The transmitting end and the receiving end of the optical fiber sensor 53 are respectively arranged above the first fork and below the 25th fork, and are fixed on the fork unit fixing frame 51. The optical fiber sensor 53 is mainly used to detect the presence or absence of the wafer 61 on the fork 52; the amplifier 54 is fixed on the bottom aluminum plate of the fork unit fixing frame 51, and is mainly used to amplify the signal received by the optical fiber sensor 53.

[0127] In a preferred embodiment, the number of forks 52 matches the number of wafers 61 that can be stored in a wafer carrier 6 (FOUP), and the spacing between the forks 52 matches the spacing between the wafers 61 stored in the wafer carrier 6 .

[0128] In a preferred embodiment, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, it also includes:

[0129] An R-axis drag chain 26, wherein the first end of the R-axis drag chain 26 is disposed on the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31, and the second end of the R-axis drag chain 26 is disposed on the fixed base 1;

[0130] A Z-axis drag chain 35, wherein the first end of the Z-axis drag chain 35 is disposed on the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41, and the second end of the Z-axis drag chain 35 is disposed on the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31;

[0131] The X-axis drag chain 45 has a first end disposed on the fork unit 5 , and the other end of the X-axis drag chain 45 is disposed on a side of the X-axis linear module fixing frame 41 .

[0132] Specifically, in the utility model, one end of the X-axis drag chain 45 is fixed to the fork unit 5 through a bracket, and the other end is fixed to the side of the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41 through a bracket; one end of the Z-axis drag chain 35 is fixed to the X-axis linear module fixed frame 41 through a bracket, and the other end is fixed to the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31 through a bracket; one end of the R-axis drag chain 26 is fixed to the Z-axis linear module fixed frame 31 through a bracket, and the other end is fixed to the fixed base 1 through a bracket.

[0133] In a specific embodiment, the transmission steps of the wafer transmission device of the utility model are as follows: Fig.15 As shown, including:

[0134] Step S1, the R-axis direct-drive motor 22 of the R-axis direct-drive motor module 2 drives the fork unit 5 to rotate from the standby position to the wafer storage position;

[0135] Step S2, the second servo motor 43 of the X-axis linear module 4 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 to extend into the wafer carrier 6 fully loaded with wafers 61 on the wafer storage station, and each fork 52 is located below the corresponding wafer 61;

[0136] Step S3, the first servo motor 33 of the Z-axis linear module 3 drives the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to drive the fork unit 5 to rise to a certain height, lift the wafer 61 in the wafer carrier 6, and make the wafer 61 separate from the wafer supporting surface of the wafer carrier 6;

[0137] Step S4, the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 and the wafer 61 to retreat to the set position;

[0138] Step S5, the R-axis direct drive motor 22 drives the fork unit 5 and the wafer 61 to rotate to the wafer processing station;

[0139] Step S6, the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 and the wafer 61 to extend into the wafer flipping mechanism 73;

[0140] In step S7, the wafer flipping mechanism 73 receives the wafer 61, the first servo motor 33 drives the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to drive the fork unit 5 to descend to a certain height, so that the fork 52 is separated from the wafer 61, and the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 to retreat to the standby position.

[0141] Combination Figures 15 to 25 As shown,

[0142] The implementation scheme of the wafer transfer device 71 of the utility model to transfer the wafer 61 is as follows:

[0143] The initial standby position of the wafer transfer device 71 is as follows: Fig.16 As shown;

[0144] Step S1, such as Fig.17 As shown, the R-axis direct drive motor 22 drives the fork unit 5 to rotate 90 degrees from the standby position to the wafer storage station 72 (FIMS station);

[0145] Step S2, such as Fig.18 As shown, the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 to extend forward into the wafer carrier 6 (FOUP) fully loaded with 25 wafers 61 placed on the FIMS;

[0146] Step S3, such as Fig.19As shown, the first servo motor 33 drives the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to drive the fork unit 5 to rise to a certain height, and the 25 wafers 61 in the wafer carrier 6 rise together, so that the 25 wafers 61 are separated from the wafer supporting surface of the wafer carrier 6;

[0147] Step S4, such as Fig. 20 As shown, the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the wafer fork unit 5 and the 25 wafers 61 taken from the wafer carrier 6 to retreat to the set position;

[0148] Step S5, such as Fig.21 As shown, the R-axis direct drive motor 22 drives the fork unit 5 and the 25 wafers 61 on the fork unit 5 to rotate 90 degrees to the direction of the wafer flip mechanism 73 (POS mechanism);

[0149] Step S6, as Fig. 22 As shown, the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 and the 25 wafers 61 on the fork unit 5 to extend forward to the middle of the wafer flipping mechanism 73;

[0150] Step S7, Fig.23 As shown, the wafer flipping mechanism 73 receives 25 wafers 61 on the fork unit 5;

[0151] like Fig.24 As shown, the first servo motor 33 drives the Z-axis single-axis robot 32 to drive the fork unit 5 to descend to a certain height, so that the fork 52 on the fork unit 5 is separated from the wafer 61;

[0152] like Fig.25 As shown, the second servo motor 43 drives the X-axis single-axis robot 42 to drive the fork unit 5 to retreat to the standby position.

[0153] In summary, the utility model adopts a setting that the spacing between each fork 52 is a fixed value of 10mm, and 25 wafers 61 can be completely taken out at one time when the wafer carrier 6 is fully loaded. It has a simple structure, a small number of parts, high reliability of the mechanical system, low production cost, and adopts a direct drive motor. The direct drive motor can effectively improve the torque of the motor's direct drive by cleverly designing such as increasing the number of magnetic pole pairs and the number of coil turns, so that the motor can be directly connected to the load for driving without using a reduction mechanism. Compared with the traditional servo motor acceleration and deceleration mechanism (such as a screw, gear box, worm gear, pulley, synchronous belt, etc.), the direct drive motor omits the reduction mechanism and can be directly rigidly connected to the load, so the structure is simpler, which can not only reduce the space and weight of the entire device, but also improve the reliability and maintainability of the device.

[0154] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the implementation mode and protection scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, it should be aware that all solutions obtained by equivalent substitutions and obvious changes made using the description and illustrations of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that: include: An R-axis direct-drive motor module (2) is disposed on a fixed base (1); A Z-axis linear module (3) is arranged on the R-axis direct-drive motor module (2) via a Z-axis linear module fixing frame (31); An X-axis linear module (4) is arranged on the Z-axis linear module (3) via an X-axis linear module fixing frame (41); A fork unit (5) is arranged on the X-axis linear module (4), wherein a plurality of forks (52) for supporting the wafer (61) are arranged in the fork unit (5), and each adjacent fork (52) is spaced a set distance apart from the other; The X-axis linear module (4) drives the fork unit (5) to move in the X-axis direction, the Z-axis linear module (3) drives the X-axis linear module (4) and the fork unit (5) to move in the Z-axis direction, and the R-axis direct drive motor module (2) drives the Z-axis linear module (3), the X-axis linear module (4) and the fork unit (5) to rotate in the R-axis.

2. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The R-axis direct drive motor module (2) comprises: A connecting flange (21), wherein the R-axis direct-drive motor module (2) is arranged on the fixed base (1) via the connecting flange (21); An R-axis direct drive motor (22) is disposed on the connecting flange (21); A fixed bracket (23) is arranged on the fixed base (1) via a support leg (24), the fixed bracket (23) surrounds the circumference of the R-axis direct-drive motor (22) and is at a certain distance from the R-axis direct-drive motor (22); The R-axis position sensor (25) is arranged on the fixing bracket (23) and comprises: a first R-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct drive motor (22) to a first limit position; a second R-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct drive motor (22) to a second limit position; a first in-position sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct drive motor (22) to a first working position; a second in-position sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct-drive motor (22) to a second working position; An R-axis origin sensor for sensing the movement of the R-axis direct drive motor (22) to an R-axis initial position.

3. The wafer transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first working position is a wafer storage position, and the second working position is a wafer processing position.

4. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Z-axis linear module fixing frame (31) is arranged on the R-axis direct drive motor module (2), the Z-axis linear module (3) is arranged on the side of the Z-axis linear module fixing frame (31), and the Z-axis linear module fixing frame (31) comprises: Z-axis single-axis robot (32); A first servo motor (33) is arranged at the rear of the driving side of the Z-axis single-axis robot (32), and the first servo motor (33) and the Z-axis single-axis robot (32) are connected via a pulley; A Z-axis position sensor (34), arranged on the side of the Z-axis single-axis robot (32), comprises: a first Z-axis limit sensor for sensing that the Z-axis single-axis robot (32) moves to a first limit position; a second Z-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot (32) to a second limit position; A Z-axis origin sensor is used for sensing the movement of the Z-axis single-axis robot (32) to an initial position of the Z-axis.

5. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side of the X-axis linear module fixing frame (41) is connected to the Z-axis linear module (3), and the X-axis linear module (4) is arranged on the X-axis linear module fixing frame (41). The X-axis linear module (4) comprises: X-axis single-axis robot (42); A second servo motor (43) is disposed below the driving side of the X-axis single-axis robot (42), and the second servo motor (43) and the X-axis single-axis robot (42) are connected via a pulley; An X-axis position sensor (44), arranged on the side of the X-axis single-axis robot (42), comprises: a first X-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot (42) to a first limit position; a second X-axis limit sensor for sensing the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot (42) to a second limit position; An X-axis origin sensor is used for sensing the movement of the X-axis single-axis robot (42) to an X-axis initial position.

6. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fork unit (5) comprises: A fork unit fixing frame (51) is arranged on the X-axis linear module (4); The plurality of slice forks (52) are arranged in sequence in the slice fork unit fixing frame (51) along the vertical direction, and the distance between each adjacent slice fork (52) is a fixed value.

7. The wafer transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fork unit (5) further comprises: An optical fiber sensor (53) is arranged on the fork unit fixing frame (51), wherein the transmitting end of the optical fiber sensor (53) is located above the fork (52) at the uppermost layer, and the receiving end of the optical fiber sensor (53) is located below the fork (52) at the lowermost layer; The amplifier (54) is arranged at the bottom of the fork unit fixing frame (51) and is connected to the optical fiber sensor (53).

8. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of the forks (52) is adapted to the number of wafers (61) that can be stored in a wafer carrier (6), and the spacing between the forks (52) is adapted to the spacing between the wafers (61) stored in the wafer carrier (6).

9. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: An R-axis drag chain (26), wherein a first end of the R-axis drag chain (26) is disposed on the Z-axis linear module fixed frame (31), and a second end of the R-axis drag chain (26) is disposed on the fixed base (1); A Z-axis drag chain (35), wherein a first end of the Z-axis drag chain (35) is disposed on the X-axis linear module fixed frame (41), and a second end of the Z-axis drag chain (35) is disposed on the Z-axis linear module fixed frame (31); An X-axis drag chain (45), wherein a first end of the X-axis drag chain (45) is disposed on the fork unit (5), and another end of the X-axis drag chain (45) is disposed on a side of the X-axis linear module fixing frame (41).

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