Clamp for wafer transfer

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer transfer clamp, which comprises an installation disc, the outer edge of the lower end face of the installation disc is provided with a plurality of clamping mechanisms, the upper end of the installation disc is also provided with a blowing assembly which is matched with the clamping mechanisms and is used for lifting wafers, and an installation groove on the installation disc is also internally provided with a controller; the wafer clamping and transferring device is simple in structure and reasonable in design, achieves nondestructive clamping and transferring of wafers, avoids friction damage to the surfaces of the wafers compared with a traditional clamp, improves the surface quality of the wafers, is higher in safety compared with suction cup adsorption transferring, does not have the risk of midway deviation or falling, better meets the clamping requirement of current wafer transferring, and improves the production efficiency. Meanwhile, starting and stopping of the high-speed fan and accurate control over the air flow discharging direction are achieved, due to the fact that the air flow in the upper cover can only be discharged in one direction at a time, the flow speed of the air flow is higher, the lifting effect on the single side of the wafer is better, and the clamping efficiency is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of wafer transfer equipment, in particular to a clamp for wafer transfer. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, wafers, as the core material of integrated circuit manufacturing, have become particularly important in the transportation process. In the wafer manufacturing process, due to the need for multiple processes, wafers need to be accurately and efficiently transported between different stations. Therefore, the design and performance of the wafer transfer fixture directly affect the final processing quality and production efficiency of the wafer.

[0003] Deficiencies of existing technology:

[0004] Currently, the fixtures used for wafer transfer usually include mechanical clamping and vacuum adsorption. Mechanical clamping fixtures clamp the wafer with claws or chucks, and their working principle is to fix the wafer on the fixture with mechanical force. However, this method is prone to scratches or indentations on the surface of the wafer during the clamping process, affecting the surface quality of the wafer. Vacuum adsorption fixtures use vacuum suction cups to adsorb the wafer on the surface of the fixture. Although mechanical damage is avoided, due to the uneven adsorption force and unstable sealing of the contact parts, the wafer may shift or even fall during the transfer process, which is not safe enough. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of the utility model is to provide a wafer transfer fixture to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides the following technical solutions: a wafer transfer fixture, comprising a mounting plate, a plurality of clamping mechanisms are arranged on the outer edge of the lower end surface of the mounting plate, a blowing assembly for lifting the wafer matching the clamping mechanism is also arranged on the upper end of the mounting plate, and a controller is also arranged in the mounting groove on the mounting plate;

[0007] The clamping mechanism comprises:

[0008] Positioning blocks, which are arranged in a ring array on the outer edge of the lower end surface of the mounting plate, and electromagnets are arranged at the corners of the lower ends of the positioning blocks;

[0009] A slide plate, the slide plate is slidably connected in a slide groove at the lower end of the positioning block, and one end of the slide plate is provided with a permanent magnet matching the electromagnet;

[0010] The distance measuring sensor is arranged on the lower end surface of the mounting plate and is located inside the positioning block.

[0011] Preferably, the blowing assembly comprises:

[0012] An upper cover, the upper cover is arranged on the upper end surface of the mounting plate, and a high-speed fan is arranged on the upper end of the upper cover;

[0013] An exhaust hole, the exhaust hole is opened at the lower end of the cover body of the upper cover, a sealing block is penetrated through the exhaust hole and connected with the sliding seal, and an air guide pipe is connected to the outer side of the exhaust hole;

[0014] An air channel is obliquely opened inside the positioning block to guide the gas to the lower edge of the wafer;

[0015] A touch switch is arranged on the inner wall of the upper end of the exhaust hole and is located outside the sealing block.

[0016] Preferably, the controller is electrically connected to the electromagnet, the distance measuring sensor and the touch switch respectively through wires.

[0017] Preferably, the lower ends of the positioning block and the electromagnet are both provided with soft pads.

[0018] Preferably, a plurality of air inlet holes are provided on the upper end surface and the side wall of the upper cover.

[0019] Preferably, a handle is provided at the upper end of the upper cover.

[0020] Preferably, an observation slot is provided on the mounting plate.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the utility model are:

[0022] The wafer transfer fixture is provided with a clamping mechanism, which includes a positioning block, an electromagnet, a slide, a permanent magnet and a distance sensor, so as to realize non-destructive clamping and transportation of the wafer. Compared with the traditional fixture, it avoids friction damage to the wafer surface and improves the surface quality of the wafer. Compared with the suction cup adsorption transportation, it is safer and has no risk of midway deviation or falling, so it is more in line with the current clamping requirements for wafer transportation.

[0023] This wafer transfer clamp is provided with a blowing assembly, which includes an upper cover, a high-speed fan, an exhaust hole, a sealing block, an air guide pipe, an air duct and a touch switch, thereby achieving precise control of the start and stop of the high-speed fan and the exhaust direction of the airflow. Since the airflow in the upper cover can only be discharged in one direction at a time, the flow rate of the airflow is higher, and the lifting effect on one side of the wafer is also better, which effectively improves the clamping efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is the overall front view of the utility model;

[0025] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the utility model;

[0026] Figure 3 It is an overall top view of the utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 For the utility model Figure 2 An enlarged schematic diagram at A in FIG.

[0028] Figure 5 For the utility model Figure 2 A magnified schematic diagram at B in FIG.

[0029] In the figure: 1. mounting plate; 2. clamping mechanism; 201. positioning block; 202. electromagnet; 203. slide; 204. permanent magnet; 205. distance sensor; 3. blowing assembly; 301. upper cover; 302. high-speed fan; 303. exhaust hole; 304. sealing block; 305. air guide tube; 306. air duct; 307. touch switch; 4. controller; 5. cushion; 6. air inlet; 7. handle; 8. observation slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] 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 in 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.

[0031] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like indicating orientations or positional relationships are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and 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 orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0032] In the description of this patent, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "setting" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be fixed connection, setting, or detachable connection, setting, or integrated connection, setting. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this patent can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0033] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "several" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. Example

[0034] See also Figure 1-5 As shown, the utility model provides a technical solution for a wafer transfer fixture: a wafer transfer fixture, including a mounting plate 1, a plurality of clamping mechanisms 2 are installed on the outer edge of the lower end surface of the mounting plate 1, a blowing assembly 3 for lifting the wafer that matches the clamping mechanism 2 is also installed on the upper end of the mounting plate 1, and a controller 4 is also installed in the mounting groove on the mounting plate 1. The clamping mechanism 2 includes a positioning block 201, a slide 203 and a distance sensor 205. The positioning block 201 is fixedly installed on the outer edge of the lower end surface of the mounting plate 1 in an annular array, and an electromagnet 202 is installed at the corner of the lower end of the positioning block 201. The slide 203 is slidably connected in the slide groove at the lower end of the positioning block 201, and the surface of the slide 203 is provided with a soft coating to avoid scratching the wafer. A permanent magnet 204 matching the electromagnet 202 is installed at one end of the slide 203. The distance sensor 205 is threadedly connected to the lower end surface of the mounting plate 1 and is located on the inner side of the positioning block 201. When the clamping mechanism 2 needs to clamp the wafer from the workbench, the staff first places the device above the wafer, and the wafer is located on the inner side of the positioning block 201, and then starts the blowing assembly 3 to lift any side of the wafer through high-speed airflow. Then the distance sensor 205 on this side detects that the wafer is lifted and sends an electrical signal to the controller 4. The controller 4 then controls the electromagnet 202 on this side to energize to generate a repulsive force on the permanent magnet 204, thereby pushing out the slide 203. The front end of the slide 203 moves to the bottom of the wafer to lift the wafer. At this time, one side of the wafer has been lifted above the slide 203, and then the blowing assemblies 3 on the other sides are started in turn and the above operations are performed until the wafer is completely lifted by the slide 203. The wafer is clamped and can be transported. Through the clamping mechanism 2, lossless clamping and transportation of the wafer is achieved. Compared with traditional clamps, friction damage to the wafer surface is avoided, the surface quality of the wafer is improved, and compared with suction cup adsorption transportation, it is safer and has no risk of deviation or falling midway, which is more in line with the current clamping requirements of wafer transportation.

[0035] The blowing assembly 3 includes an upper cover 301, an exhaust hole 303, an air duct 306 and a touch switch 307. The upper cover 301 is fixedly mounted on the upper end surface of the mounting plate 1, and a high-speed fan 302 is mounted on the upper end of the upper cover 301. The exhaust hole 303 is provided at the lower end of the cover body of the upper cover 301, and a sealing block 304 is connected to the exhaust hole 303 through a sliding seal, and an air guide 305 is connected to the outer side of the exhaust hole 303. The air duct 306 is obliquely provided inside the positioning block 201 to guide the gas to the lower edge of the wafer. The touch switch 307 is mounted on the inner wall of the upper end of the exhaust hole 303 and is located on the outer side of the sealing block 304. When it is necessary to start the air blowing assembly 3, the staff will first manually pull up the sealing block 304 on either side. When the sealing block 304 rises to the top, the protrusion at the lower end of the sealing block 304 contacts the touch switch 307. At this time, after the controller 4 receives the electrical signal from the touch switch 307, it controls the high-speed fan 302 to start, and the airflow is discharged into the air duct 306 below through the exhaust hole 303 and the air guide tube 305 on this side, and finally blown out from the lower end of the air duct 306 to blow up the lower edge of the wafer on this side. Through the air blowing assembly 3, the start and stop of the high-speed fan 302 and the direction of airflow discharge are accurately controlled. Since the airflow in the upper cover 301 can only be discharged in one direction at a time, the airflow velocity is higher, and the lifting effect on one side of the wafer is also better, which effectively improves the clamping efficiency.

[0036] The controller 4 is electrically connected to the electromagnet 202, the distance sensor 205 and the touch switch 307 through wires. The controller 4 receives and sends electrical signals to each component through the wires to control the current.

[0037] The lower ends of the positioning block 201 and the electromagnet 202 are both provided with a soft pad 5 , which contacts with a workbench or other table surface on which the wafer is placed to avoid friction damage.

[0038] A plurality of air inlet holes 6 are provided on the upper end surface and the side wall of the upper cover 301. External air is introduced into the upper cover 301 by the high-speed fan 302 through the air inlet holes 6. The air inlet holes 6 provided at multiple angles and in large numbers can ensure sufficient air.

[0039] A handle 7 is installed at the upper end of the upper cover 301, and the handle 7 can facilitate the staff to grasp the device during the transportation process.

[0040] An observation slot 8 is provided on the mounting plate 1 . When the device is placed on a wafer, the observation slot 8 helps the staff to observe the relative position between the edge of the wafer and the positioning block 201 .

[0041] The above shows and describes the basic principle, main features and advantages of the utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that the utility model is not limited by the above embodiments. The above embodiments and descriptions are only preferred examples of the utility model and are not used to limit the utility model. Without departing from the spirit and scope of the utility model, the utility model may have various changes and improvements, which fall within the scope of the utility model to be protected. The scope of protection claimed by the utility model is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer fixture, comprising a mounting plate (1), characterized in that: A plurality of clamping mechanisms (2) are arranged at the outer edge of the lower end surface of the mounting plate (1); an air blowing assembly (3) for lifting the wafer and matching the clamping mechanism (2) is also arranged at the upper end of the mounting plate (1); and a controller (4) is also arranged in the mounting groove on the mounting plate (1); The clamping mechanism (2) comprises: Positioning blocks (201), the positioning blocks (201) being arranged in a ring array at the outer edge of the lower end surface of the mounting plate (1), and an electromagnet (202) being arranged at a corner at the lower end of the positioning blocks (201); A slide plate (203), the slide plate (203) being slidably connected in a slide groove at the lower end of the positioning block (201), and one end of the slide plate (203) being provided with a permanent magnet (204) matching the electromagnet (202); A distance measuring sensor (205) is arranged on the lower end surface of the mounting plate (1) and is located on the inner side of the positioning block (201).

2. The wafer transfer fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The blowing component (3) comprises: An upper cover (301), the upper cover (301) being arranged on the upper end surface of the mounting plate (1), and a high-speed fan (302) being arranged on the upper end of the upper cover (301); An exhaust hole (303), the exhaust hole (303) being provided at the lower end of the cover body of the upper cover (301), a sealing block (304) penetrating the exhaust hole (303) being connected in a sliding sealing manner, and an air guide pipe (305) being connected to the outer side of the exhaust hole (303); An air channel (306), the air channel (306) being obliquely opened inside the positioning block (201) and used for directing gas to the lower edge of the wafer; A touch switch (307) is arranged on the inner wall of the upper end of the exhaust hole (303) and is located outside the sealing block (304).

3. The wafer transfer fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The controller (4) is electrically connected to the electromagnet (202), the distance measuring sensor (205) and the touch switch (307) respectively through wires.

4. The wafer transfer fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower ends of the positioning block (201) and the electromagnet (202) are both provided with soft pads (5).

5. The wafer transfer fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: A plurality of air inlet holes (6) are provided on the upper end surface and the side wall of the upper cover (301).

6. The wafer transfer fixture according to claim 2, characterized in that: A handle (7) is provided at the upper end of the upper cover (301).

7. The wafer transfer fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: An observation slot (8) is provided on the mounting plate (1).

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