Box opening device of photomask box

Abstract

The utility model provides a photomask box opening device which is used for the opening and closing process of a photomask box, the box opening device is provided with a containing part matched with the appearance structure of the photomask box, the containing part comprises a containing cavity bottom plate and at least one side wall, and a certain angle is formed between the containing cavity bottom plate and the at least one side wall; the box opening device further comprises at least two sensing parts, and the sensing parts are arranged on a bottom plate of the containing cavity and used for sensing the position accuracy of the photomask box when the photomask box is placed in the containing parts of the box opening device and sending an in-position signal to a control mechanism of the box opening device so as to control the opening and closing states of the photomask box. According to the technical scheme, aiming at the problem that the assembling direction of the photomask box is wrong, the sensing parts are used for sensing the installation distance to determine whether the corners of the photomask box are assembled in place or not, the sensing parts installed at the multiple positions in the containing part can judge whether the photomask box which is about to be opened or closed is assembled mistakenly or placed mistakenly or not, and the phenomenon that the photomask box which is assembled mistakenly flows out is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a mask box opening device. Background Art

[0002] As an indispensable tool in the semiconductor manufacturing process, the mask box is mainly used to store and protect the mask. Its main function is to reduce the erosion of the mask by external dust and other pollutants, while achieving an anti-static effect to ensure the cleanliness and integrity of the mask. In addition, the mask box also plays an important role in protecting the mask from accidental damage such as collision during production and transportation.

[0003] Given the high requirements for the mask storage environment, the mask box needs to be cleaned after a certain number of uses to maintain its cleanliness and performance. The existing cleaning process usually includes placing the mask box in a mask box cleaning device, first opening the mask box, placing the top cover and the base in the cleaning device for thorough cleaning, and then reassembling the two after cleaning, and finally placing them in a designated location waiting for the next use.

[0004] In the prior art, the opening and closing operations of the mask box mainly rely on an automated box opener. Specifically, when the mask box is placed on the box opener, the in-place detection sensor confirms the in-place status of the mask box. Subsequently, the unlocking mechanism of the box opener uses a micro-stepping motor to drive the worm to rotate, and drives the slide mechanism through the worm gear reduction mechanism to close and lock the lock, thereby completing the box opening action; and in the box closing process, after the top cover of the mask box is manually covered, the stepper motor reverses and drives the ball screw, so that the slide mechanism drives the lock to open, completing the box closing.

[0005] However, there is a significant problem in the existing technology: after the mask box is assembled and flows into the production line, it may occasionally get stuck inside the equipment due to the wrong assembly direction, which will not only cause equipment failure and downtime, but may also have a serious impact on production efficiency and product quality. Therefore, developing a technology that can accurately and efficiently realize the opening and closing operations of the mask box while ensuring the correct assembly direction has become an urgent problem to be solved in the current industry. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of the defects and shortcomings in the mask box opening and closing process in the prior art as described above, the present application provides a mask box opening device to improve the problem of mask box assembly errors caused by human operating errors and incomplete mask box fool-proofing measures in the existing mask box assembly.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose and other related purposes, the present application provides a box opening device for a mask box, which is used in the opening and closing process of the mask box. The box opening device has a receiving portion adapted to the outer structure of the mask box, and the receiving portion includes a receiving cavity bottom plate and at least one side wall at a certain angle to the receiving cavity bottom plate; and further includes:

[0008] At least two sensing parts are arranged on the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity, and are used to sense the position accuracy of the mask box when it is placed in the accommodating part of the box opening device, and send a positioning signal to the control mechanism of the box opening device to control the opening and closing state of the mask box.

[0009] In some embodiments, along the top view direction of the reticle box, the projection of the reticle box is a rectangle; and the projection of the reticle box falls within the projection range of the accommodating portion.

[0010] In some embodiments, the box opening device has two sensing parts, and the two sensing parts are staggeredly arranged at two diagonal positions of the accommodating part along one diagonal line of the accommodating part.

[0011] In some embodiments, the box opening device has four sensing parts, and the four sensing parts are staggered along two diagonal lines of the accommodating part at four diagonal positions of the accommodating part, and the four sensing parts are symmetrically arranged in pairs.

[0012] In some embodiments, in a horizontal direction, there is a distance between the sensing portion and the base of the reticle box, and the distance is between 0 mm and 5 mm.

[0013] In some embodiments, the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity is provided with an installation groove penetrating therethrough, and the sensing device of the sensing part is buried in the installation groove. When the mask box is lowered to contact the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity, the sensing device senses the contact distance and controls the opening and closing state of the mask box.

[0014] In some embodiments, the sensing portion further includes an adjustment bracket, which is located on the back side of the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity and is used to install the sensing device and adjust a detection gap parameter of the sensing device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the detection gap of the sensing device is less than or equal to 2 mm.

[0016] In some embodiments, the sensing device of the sensing portion is any one of an infrared sensor, an optical fiber sensor, a micro switch, or a capacitive proximity switch.

[0017] In some embodiments, the box opening device is further configured with an indicator portion for respectively indicating various working states of the box opening device.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the mask box opening device provided in the present application has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0019] The technical solution of the present application aims at the problem of incorrect assembly direction of the mask box. An anti-fool unit, that is, a sensor unit, is added to the existing box opening device. The sensor unit is used to sense the installation distance to determine whether the corners of the mask box are assembled in place. By installing the sensor units at multiple positions in the accommodating part of the box opening device, it can be determined whether the mask box that is about to be opened or closed is incorrectly assembled or placed incorrectly. It is used for anti-fool during the assembly of the mask box or to detect whether the mask box is correctly assembled. If the problem of incorrect assembly of the mask box occurs, the sensor unit is not fully triggered, and the box opening device cannot perform the corresponding opening and closing action. Human intervention is required to eliminate the abnormality and ensure that the mask box is assembled normally. If an incorrectly assembled mask box is placed on the box opening device for opening, the sensor unit is not fully triggered due to the assembly error, and the box opening device cannot perform the corresponding opening action, which can prevent the incorrectly assembled mask box from flowing out. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure explosion of the photomask box provided by the prior art;

[0021] Figure 2 Another perspective structural exploded schematic diagram of the photomask box provided by the prior art;

[0022] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an incorrect structure of a mask box assembly in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A local enlarged schematic diagram of the middle A;

[0024] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of the box opening device provided in this application;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of the box opening device provided by the present application from another perspective;

[0026] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of point B in the middle;

[0027] Figure 8 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the sensing device provided in the present application;

[0028] Fig. 9 A top view of the box opening device provided in this application;

[0029] Fig.10 It is a schematic diagram of the explosion of the box opening device and the mask box;

[0030] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the box opening device and the mask box;

[0031] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the working process of the box opening device provided in this application;

[0032] Fig.13 This is a circuit diagram of the box opening device provided in this application.

[0033] List of reference numerals:

[0034] 10. mask box; 110. cover body; 111. foolproof part; 120. base;

[0035] 20. Box opening device;

[0036] 210, accommodating portion;

[0037] 220, sensing part; 221, mounting slot; 222, sensing device; 223, adjusting bracket;

[0038] 230. Position detection unit;

[0039] 240, driving unit; 241, motor; 242, coupling; 243, worm reduction mechanism;

[0040] 250, Instruction Department;

[0041] 260. Key position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present application, and those familiar with the technology can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the content disclosed in this specification. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific implementations, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0043] It should be noted that the diagrams provided in the embodiments of the present application are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. Although the diagrams only show the components related to the present application rather than the number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will during the actual implementation, and the component layout form may also be more complex. The structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of the specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the restrictive conditions that can be implemented in the present application, so they have no technical substantive significance. Any modification of the structure, change in the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present application without affecting the effects and purposes that can be achieved by the present application.

[0044] See also Figure 1 to Figure 4 Regarding the assembly of the mask box, there is a significant problem in the prior art: after the mask box is assembled and flows into the production line, it may occasionally get stuck inside the equipment due to incorrect assembly direction, which will not only cause equipment failure and shutdown, but may also have a serious impact on production efficiency and product quality.

[0045] Even if the R&D personnel configure the top cover of the photomask box with a direction mark, such as Figure 1 The foolproofing part 111 shown in the figure is also the foolproofing mark. However, it is inevitable that there will be some negligence during manual operation, which will still cause the mask box to be assembled in the wrong direction. In addition, the R&D personnel have designed a foolproofing function inside the mask box to prevent the wrong assembly direction. However, when the foolproofing function is triggered, the mask box with the wrong assembly direction can still be closed normally, but the side with the foolproofing function will be pushed up by about 2mm, such as Figure 3-4 The height difference T shown is still difficult to observe with the naked eye and cannot play an effective detection role.

[0046] In summary, due to the two reasons of human operation errors in the existing mask box assembly and incomplete mask box fool-proofing measures, mask boxes with incorrect assembly directions flow out to the production line. After the production line equipment uses the incorrectly assembled mask boxes, the mask boxes get stuck inside the equipment, causing equipment failure and shutdown, affecting production capacity.

[0047] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the present application proposes a mask box opening device, which is described in detail through the following specific implementation methods.

[0048] See also Figures 5 to 11 The present application provides a mask box opening device 20, which is used in the opening and closing process of the mask box 10. The opening device 20 has a receiving portion 210 adapted to the outer structure of the mask box 10, and the receiving portion 210 includes a receiving cavity bottom plate and at least one side wall at a certain angle to the receiving cavity bottom plate; and further includes:

[0049] At least two sensing parts 220 are provided on the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity, and are used to sense the position accuracy of the reticle box 10 when it is placed in the accommodating part 210 of the box opening device 20, and send a positioning signal to the control mechanism of the box opening device 20 to control the opening and closing state of the reticle box 10. Figure 6 The box opening device 20 also has necessary mechanical or electrical control mechanisms capable of detecting the placement position of the mask box 10 and opening or closing the mask box 10, such as a position detection unit 230 and a driving unit 240 located on the back of the box opening device 20. When the installation position of the mask box 10 is detected by infrared, the position detection unit 230 includes a position detection block and an infrared detection mechanism, and when the box opening device 20 is driven by a motor, the driving unit 240 includes a motor 241, such as a stepping motor, a coupling 242, and a worm reduction mechanism 243. The specific implementation principles of the position detection unit 230 and the driving unit 240 are not described in detail here.

[0050] In some embodiments, an anti-foolproof portion 111 is further provided on the cover 110 of the mask box 10. The anti-foolproof portion 111 can be a direction mark or other installation schematic symbol observable to the naked eye. Correspondingly, a similar anti-foolproof mark can also be provided on the base 120. The shape and position of the anti-foolproof mark are not specifically shown in the figure and are not required here to expand the scope of application of the technical solution.

[0051] In some embodiments, along the top view direction of the mask box, the projection of the mask box is a rectangle; the projection of the mask box falls within the projection range of the accommodating portion 210. It can be understood that the base 120 of the mask box 10 is in the shape of a rectangle with similar long and short sides, and can also be approximately regarded as a square. The side walls of the accommodating portion 210 are perpendicular to the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity and are discontinuous side wall structures to form a side wall notch, which is convenient for manual placement of the mask box 10. The accommodating portion 210 formed by the side wall and the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity enables the mask box 10 to be stably engaged therein.

[0052] In some embodiments, the box opening device 20 has two sensing parts 220, and the two sensing parts 220 are staggered at two diagonal positions of the accommodating part 210 along one of the diagonals of the accommodating part 210. It can be understood that when the foolproofing function of the existing mask box is triggered, the side with the foolproofing function will be pushed up by about 2mm, so the sensing part 220 is set at the diagonal position, no matter which side has a height difference, it will generate an abnormal detection signal with at least one sensing part 220, thereby triggering the effective foolproofing function.

[0053] See also Figure 5-6 as well as Fig. 9In some embodiments, the box opening device 20 has four sensing parts 220, which are staggered along two diagonal lines of the accommodating part 210 at four diagonal positions of the accommodating part 210, and the four sensing parts 220 are symmetrically arranged in pairs. Furthermore, each sensing part 220 is equidistant from the edge of the base 120 of the mask box 10, so as to accurately detect the gap distance.

[0054] In some embodiments, in the horizontal direction, the sensing portion 220 is spaced apart from the base 120 of the mask box 10, and the space is between 0 mm and 5 mm. As an example, the space may be 0 mm, that is, the sensing portion 220 is located exactly at the edge of the base 120, that is, the maximum height difference position that can be detected when an assembly error occurs. The space may be 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm or 5 mm. Select a suitable position for installing the sensing portion 220 according to the size of the mask box 10.

[0055] See also Figure 7-Figure 8 In some embodiments, the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity is provided with an installation groove 221 that passes through it, and the sensing device 222 of the sensing unit 220 is buried in the installation groove 221. When the mask box 10 is lowered to contact the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity, the sensing device 222 senses the contact distance and controls the opening and closing state of the mask box 10.

[0056] In some embodiments, the sensing unit 220 further includes an adjustment bracket 223 , which is located on the back side of the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity and is used to install the sensing device 222 and adjust a detection gap parameter of the sensing device 222 .

[0057] In some embodiments, the detection gap of the sensing device 222 is less than or equal to 2 mm. It is understandable that since the side of the mask box with the anti-fool function that is assembled in the wrong direction will be pushed up by about 2 mm, it is necessary to ensure that the detection gap is less than or equal to 2 mm to trigger the accurate working state of the sensing device 222. In an optional embodiment, the sensing device 222 of the sensing part 220 can be any one of an infrared sensor, an optical fiber sensor, a micro switch, or a capacitive proximity switch. Figure 8 Only a schematic diagram of the structure in which the sensing device 222 is a micro switch is shown.

[0058] See also Figure 5In some embodiments, the box opening device 20 is further configured with an indicator portion 250, which is disposed on the top surface of the side wall of the accommodating chamber to indicate the various working states of the box opening device 20. As an example, the indicator portion 250 can be different indicator lights, such as a "ready" indicator light, an "action" indicator light, or a "power" indicator light. In an optional embodiment, the box opening device 20 is further configured with a button position 260, which serves as a start button of the box opening device 20 and is disposed on the top surface of the side wall of the accommodating chamber. The connection method and control method of each indicator light and start button are not described in detail here.

[0059] See the schematic diagram of the working process of the box opening device provided in this application for Fig.12 After placing the mask box 10 in the accommodating portion 210 of the box opening device 20, the sensor portion 220 and the position detection portion 230 detect whether the installation position of the mask box 10 is in place, and then the start button is pressed to start the opening and closing process of the mask box 10. If the mask box 10 is assembled correctly, the bottom surface of the cover body 110 of the mask box 10 coincides with the bottom surface of the base 120, and the sensor portions 220 located at the four corners of the box opening device 20 are all triggered, and the start signal can be sent to the integrated controller normally, the drive portion 240 is executed, and the stepper motor rotates the actuator to complete the opening or closing of the box. If the mask box 10 is assembled incorrectly, the bottom surface of the cover body 110 of the mask box 10 does not coincide with the bottom surface of the base 120, and the sensor portions 220 located at the four corners of the box opening device 20 are not triggered or are partially triggered, see Fig.13 As shown in the circuit schematic diagram, since the multiple sensing parts 220 are in a series circuit structure, an effective closed circuit is formed only when all the sensing parts 220 are triggered to start the switch box process. If one of the sensing parts 220 is not triggered, the circuit is not connected. At this time, after the start button is pressed, the signal will not be sent to the integrated controller, and the actuators such as the stepping motor will not act, and the box cannot be opened or closed.

[0060] In summary, the present application provides a mask box opening device. This device aims at the problem of incorrect assembly direction of the mask box. It adds a fool-proof unit, that is, a sensor unit, to the existing mask box opening device. The sensor unit is used to sense the installation distance to determine whether the corners of the mask box are assembled in place. By installing the sensor units at multiple positions in the accommodating part of the box opening device, it can be determined whether the mask box that is about to be opened or closed is assembled incorrectly or placed incorrectly. It is used for fool-proofing during mask box assembly or detecting whether the mask box is assembled correctly. If the mask box is assembled incorrectly, the sensor unit is not fully triggered, and the box opening device cannot perform the corresponding opening and closing action. Human intervention is required to eliminate the abnormality and ensure that the mask box is assembled normally. If a mask box that is assembled incorrectly is placed on the box opening device for opening, the sensor unit is not fully triggered due to the assembly error, and the box opening device cannot perform the corresponding opening action, which can prevent the mask box that is assembled incorrectly from flowing out. The technical solution of the present application has a high industrial utilization value because it effectively overcomes various shortcomings in the prior art.

[0061] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Anyone familiar with the technology may modify or change the above embodiments without violating the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical ideas disclosed in the present application shall still be covered by the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A mask box opening device, used in the opening and closing process of the mask box, the opening device having a receiving portion adapted to the outer structure of the mask box, the receiving portion comprising a receiving cavity bottom plate and at least one side wall at a certain angle to the receiving cavity bottom plate; characterized in that: Also includes: At least two sensing parts are arranged on the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity, and are used to sense the position accuracy of the mask box when it is placed in the accommodating part of the box opening device, and send a positioning signal to the control mechanism of the box opening device to control the opening and closing state of the mask box.

2. The reticle box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the top-view direction of the photomask box, the projection of the photomask box is a rectangle; and the projection of the photomask box falls within the projection range of the accommodating portion.

3. The reticle box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box opening device has two sensing parts, and the two sensing parts are staggeredly arranged at two diagonal positions of the accommodating part along one diagonal line of the accommodating part.

4. The reticle box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box opening device has four sensing parts, which are staggeredly arranged at four diagonal positions of the accommodating part along two diagonal lines of the accommodating part, and the four sensing parts are symmetrically arranged in pairs.

5. The reticle box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the horizontal direction, the sensing portion is spaced apart from the base of the photomask box by a distance, and the distance is between 0 mm and 5 mm.

6. The reticle box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom plate of the accommodating cavity is provided with an installation groove which passes through the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity. The induction device of the sensing part is buried in the installation groove. When the mask box is lowered to contact the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity, the induction device senses the contact distance and controls the opening and closing state of the mask box.

7. The reticle box opening device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The sensing part further comprises an adjusting bracket, which is located on the back side of the bottom plate of the accommodating cavity and is used for installing the sensing device and adjusting the detection gap parameter of the sensing device.

8. The mask box opening device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The detection gap of the sensing device is less than or equal to 2 mm.

9. The mask box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensing device of the sensing part is any one of an infrared sensor, an optical fiber sensor, a micro switch or a capacitive proximity switch.

10. The reticle box opening device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box opening device is also provided with an indicating part for indicating various working states of the box opening device respectively.

Images