Tablet conveying mechanism

Abstract

The utility model provides a material sheet conveying mechanism which comprises a movable conveying flow channel which can horizontally move left and right to be in butt joint with a material sheet suction cup up and down or in butt joint with a fixed conveying flow channel front and back, and the width of the movable conveying flow channel can be adjusted left and right, and the fixed conveying flow channel is located on the front side of the movable conveying flow channel in the material sheet conveying direction. The movable conveying flow channel can be actively in up-and-down butt joint with the material piece suction cup or in front-and-back horizontal butt joint with the fixed conveying flow channel, the material piece conveying efficiency is improved, and the movable conveying flow channel can be compatible with material pieces of various sizes through left-and-right width adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model belongs to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and particularly relates to a wafer transfer mechanism. Background Art

[0002] In the field of semiconductor processing, the cleaning of wafers (usually referring to substrates of silicon wafers or other semiconductor materials) is a crucial step. This process ensures that the surface of the wafer will not be contaminated during subsequent processing steps such as lithography, etching, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc., thus guaranteeing the performance and reliability of semiconductor devices.

[0003] In order to support and fix the wafer and ensure that the wafer will not be mechanically damaged during the cleaning process, the wafer needs to be fixed in a carrier (composed of a lower carrier plate and an upper cover plate) before cleaning. After cleaning, the wafer needs to be removed from the carrier and conveyed to downstream equipment by a wafer transfer mechanism.

[0004] In the prior art, the efficiency of the wafer transfer mechanism is low, and it cannot be compatible with wafers of multiple sizes. Summary of the Utility Model

[0005] Based on this, in view of the above technical problems, a wafer transfer mechanism is provided.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model adopts the following technical solutions:

[0007] A wafer transfer mechanism, characterized by comprising:

[0008] A movable transfer channel that can move horizontally left and right to be vertically docked with a wafer suction cup or horizontally docked with a fixed transfer channel front and back, and can be adjusted in width left and right;

[0009] A fixed transfer channel located on the front side of the movable transfer channel along the wafer transfer direction.

[0010] The movable transfer channel of the wafer transfer mechanism of the utility model can actively be vertically docked with a wafer suction cup or horizontally docked with a fixed transfer channel front and back, improving the efficiency of wafer transfer. Moreover, the movable transfer channel can be compatible with wafers of multiple sizes by adjusting the width left and right. Description of the Drawings

[0011] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the utility model;

[0012] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the movable transfer channel of the utility model;

[0013] Figure 3 It is a side view structural diagram of the movable transfer channel of the utility model;

[0014] Figure 4 Schematic three-dimensional structure diagram of the fixed transfer channel of the present utility model;

[0015] Figure 5 is Figure 4 rear view structure diagram of;

[0016] Figure 6 is Figure 4 left view structure diagram of. Specific embodiments

[0017] The following will describe the embodiments of the present utility model with reference to the accompanying drawings of the specification. It should be noted that the embodiments involved in this specification are not exhaustive and do not represent the only embodiments of the present utility model. The following corresponding embodiments are only for clearly explaining the content of the utility model of the present utility model patent and do not limit its embodiments. For those of ordinary skill in the art, different forms of changes and modifications can be made on the basis of the description of this embodiment. Any changes or modifications that belong to the technical concept and content of the present utility model and are obvious are also within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0018] As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides a sheet transfer mechanism, including a movable transfer channel 1610 and a fixed transfer channel 1620.

[0019] The movable transfer channel 1610 is used to be vertically butted with a sheet suction cup to receive the sheet on the sheet suction cup, or to be horizontally butted with the fixed transfer channel 1620 front and back to transfer the sheet to the fixed transfer channel 1620. Along the sheet transfer direction, the fixed transfer channel 1620 is located on the front side of the movable transfer channel 1610.

[0020] In an actual scenario, the sheet suction cup can suck two sheets at the same time. Therefore, in order to improve the discharging efficiency, the number of the movable transfer channels 1610 is two, and the two movable transfer channels 1610 are arranged in a left-right mirror image, so that one sheet can be respectively received from the second vacuum suction cup 1310.

[0021] As Figure 2 shown, the movable transfer channel 1610 includes a first base 1611, a static bearing plate 1612, a dynamic bearing plate 1613, a pair of synchronously running conveyor belts 1614, and a width-adjusting lead screw 1615.

[0022] The first base 1611 is fixed on the first linear module 1616.

[0023] The static bearing plate 1612 and the moving bearing plate 1613 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction (corresponding to the front-back direction of the machine table 1100). The static bearing plate 1612 is fixed to the first base 1611, and the moving bearing plate 1613 is in left-right sliding fit with the first base 1611. Exemplarily, two sliding seats are formed on the lower side of the moving bearing plate 1613, and two left-right direction slide rails 1611a that cooperate with the sliding seats are formed on the upper surface of the first base 1611.

[0024] The width-adjusting lead screw 1615 is arranged in the left-right direction. One end of it is connected to the output shaft of the first motor 1617 fixed on the first base 1611. Refer to Figure 3 , and the other end is rotatably connected to the static bearing plate 1612. The nut seat of the width-adjusting lead screw 1615 is connected to the moving bearing plate 1613. The first motor 1617 drives the width-adjusting lead screw 1615 to make the moving bearing plate 1613 approach or move away from the static bearing plate 1612, so as to realize the left-right width adjustment of the movable transfer channel 1610 to accommodate wafers of various sizes.

[0025] A pair of conveyor belts 1614 are respectively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the two bearing plates for conveying wafers. As Figure 2 shown, the conveyor belt 1614 is composed of a belt 1614a, a driving wheel 1614b, a driven wheel 1614c, and a plurality of tension wheels 1614d. The driving wheels 1614b of the pair of conveyor belts 1614 are synchronously driven by a transmission shaft 1618.

[0026] Among them, as Figure 2 shown, one end of the transmission shaft 1618 passes from the inner side to the outer side of the moving bearing plate 1613 and is connected to the second motor 1619, and the other end of the transmission shaft 1618 is rotatably connected to the static bearing plate 1612.

[0027] The driving wheel 1614b on the side of the moving bearing plate 1613 is concentrically penetrated by the transmission shaft 1618. In order to cooperate with the left-right width adjustment, a radial key is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the driving wheel 1614b on the side of the moving bearing plate 1613, and an axial keyway 1618a is provided on the peripheral surface of the transmission shaft 1618. Refer to Figure 3 , and the key of the driving wheel 1614b is embedded in the keyway of the transmission shaft 1618 and can axially slide in the keyway.

[0028] The connection structure of the driving wheel 1614b on the side of the static bearing plate 1612 and the transmission shaft 1618 is the same as above, and will not be specifically described here. Since the static bearing plate 1612 is fixed to the first base 1611, the driving wheel 1614b on the side of the static bearing plate 1612 will not axially slide along the keyway.

[0029] During operation, the second motor 1619 synchronously drives the driving wheels 1614b of the pair of conveyor belts 1614 to rotate synchronously through the transmission shaft 1618, so as to realize the synchronous operation of the pair of conveyor belts 1614.

[0030] The first base 1611 is driven by the first linear module 1616 to move horizontally left and right, so that the movable transmission channel 1610 can actively dock with the sheet suction cup up and down, or dock with the fixed transmission channel 1620 horizontally front and back, thereby improving the sheet transmission efficiency.

[0031] like Figure 4 and Figure 6 As shown, the fixed transport channel 1620 includes a side baffle 1621 , a plurality of conveying rollers 1622 , an alignment unit 1623 , a blocking unit 1624 and a lifting unit 1625 .

[0032] like Figure 4 As shown, the side baffles 1621 are arranged on the left and right and fixed on the base frame 1626 . The base frame 1626 is also provided with a partition plate 1626 a located between the two side baffles 1621 .

[0033] Multiple conveying rollers 1622 are arranged at intervals in front and behind and pass through the partition plate 1626a. The two ends of each conveying roller 1622 are rotatably connected to the side baffles 1621 on the left and right sides. The multiple conveying rollers 1622 rotate synchronously to feed the materials. In addition, due to the provision of the partition plate 1626a, the fixed transmission channel 1620 has two side-by-side feeding channels, which can be respectively connected to the two movable transmission channels 1610, wherein one feeding channel can convey a sheet of material of a first size, or convey two sheets of material of a second size side by side, thereby improving the transmission efficiency.

[0034] Among them, Figure 4 As shown, multiple conveying rollers 1622 are driven by the third motor 1627 to achieve synchronous rotation. By way of example, a first magnetic wheel 1622a is provided at the same side ends of the multiple conveying rollers 1622, and the driving shaft 1628 passes under the first magnetic wheel 1622a of each conveying roller 1622. A plurality of second magnetic wheels 1628a corresponding to the magnetic wheels 1622a of each conveying roller 1622 are provided on the driving shaft 1628, and the driving shaft 1628 is arranged on a bearing seat on the side baffle 1621 for up and down rotation. One end of the driving shaft 1628 is connected to the output shaft of the third motor 1627 through a transmission wheel and a belt. The transmission is achieved through the magnetic wheel here, which has the advantages of high cleanliness and low noise.

[0035] In order to prevent the bearings on the side baffles 1621 and the partition plate 1626a for the conveying roller 1622 from rubbing and damaging the sheet, a row of protective columns 1629 are provided on the inner side of the side baffles 1621 and on both sides of the partition plate 1626a.

[0036] There are two column units 1623, which can move left and right in the two parallel feeding channels.

[0037] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the alignment unit 1623 includes a second base 1623a and a plurality of alignment columns 1623b. The second base 1623a is fixed on the second linear module 1623c, and the second base can be driven by the second linear module 1623c to move horizontally left and right. The plurality of alignment columns 1623b are all vertical columns. The plurality of alignment columns 1623b are arranged in a straight line front to back and are fixed on the second base 1623a, and are staggered with the protective column 1629 to avoid interference. The upper end of the alignment column 1623b extends upward from between the corresponding two adjacent conveying rollers 1622, higher than the conveying roller 1622, and is used for aligning at the left or right edge of the sheet.

[0038] In the scenario of conveying the first-size material sheet, driven by the second linear module 1623c, the plurality of alignment columns 1623b move with the second base 1623a to a position close to the partition plate 1626a or the side baffle 1621. After the first-size material sheet enters the channel, the plurality of alignment columns 1623b move toward the material sheet for alignment under the drive of the second linear module 1623c.

[0039] Similarly, the alignment unit 1623 can also align the sheets when conveying sheets of the second size, which will not be described in detail here.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, there are four blocking units 1624, two of which form a group corresponding to one feeding channel, a group of blocking units 1624 can work simultaneously to block the first size of the material, and a single blocking unit 1624 can also work alone to block the corresponding second size of the material. The purpose of blocking the material is to temporarily store the material to adapt to the operation of the subsequent equipment.

[0041] Among them, two blocking units 1624 of the same group are arranged side by side on the left and right, and the blocking unit 1624 includes a blocking member 1624a, which is an L-shaped blocking plate, which is initially located below between the two front conveying rollers 1622. When the material sheet needs to be blocked, it rises under the drive of the power source 1624b, and the power source 1624b can be a cylinder.

[0042] The fixed transmission channel 1620 can convey two sheets of the first size, or four sheets of the second size. Taking the conveying of two sheets of the first size as an example, in order to improve efficiency, after a sheet is temporarily stored in one channel, the conveying roller 1622 does not stop working, but allows the other channel to continue feeding. In order to prevent the temporarily stored sheet from rubbing against the conveying roller 1622, Figure 6 As shown, the blocked web is lifted by the lifting unit 1625 to separate the web from the conveying roller 1622 .

[0043] It can be understood that the number of the lifting units 1625 is also four. Two lifting units form a group corresponding to one feeding channel. One group of lifting units 1625 can work simultaneously to lift the wafers of the first size, and a single lifting unit 1625 can also work independently to lift the wafers of the corresponding second size.

[0044] Among them, the two lifting units 1625 in the same group are arranged side by side left and right. The lifting unit 1625 includes a pallet 1625a. The upper surface of the pallet 1625a is provided with a plurality of lifting columns 1625b arranged evenly. The lifting columns 1625b are initially located below the plurality of conveying rollers 1622, and each lifting column 1625b can pass up and down between the conveying rollers 1622. Driven by the power source 1625c, the plurality of lifting columns 1625b can rise with the pallet 1625a to lift the wafer off the conveying rollers 1622. Exemplarily, the pallet 1625a is rectangular, and the number of the lifting columns 1625b is six. The six lifting columns 1625b are evenly arranged on the four edges of the upper surface of the pallet 1625a.

[0045] As can be seen from the above, for the wafer transfer mechanism provided by the embodiment of the present application, its movable transfer channel can be actively docked with the wafer suction cup up and down, or horizontally docked with the fixed transfer channel front and back, improving the efficiency of wafer transfer. Moreover, the movable transfer channel can be compatible with wafers of various sizes by adjusting the width left and right.

[0046] Obviously, those of ordinary skill in the art in this technical field should recognize that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit the present invention. As long as within the scope of the substantial spirit of the present invention, changes and modifications to the above embodiments will fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sheet conveying mechanism, characterized in that: include: A movable conveying channel that can be moved horizontally left and right to dock with the sheet suction cup up and down or dock with the fixed conveying channel horizontally front and back and can be adjusted in width left and right; A fixed transport channel is located in front of the movable transport channel along the web transport direction.

2. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable transmission channel includes a first base, a static load-bearing plate, a dynamic load-bearing plate, a width-adjusting screw and a pair of synchronously running conveyor belts. The first base is fixed on a first linear module for driving it to move horizontally left and right. The static load-bearing plate and the dynamic load-bearing plate are arranged at intervals left and right. The static load-bearing plate is fixed to the first base, and the dynamic load-bearing plate is slidably matched with the first base left and right. The width-adjusting screw is arranged in the left and right directions, and one end of the width-adjusting screw is connected to the first motor. The nut seat of the width-adjusting screw is connected to the dynamic load-bearing plate, and the pair of conveyor belts are respectively arranged on the opposite surfaces of the two load-bearing plates.

3. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: Two slide rails in left and right directions are formed on the upper surface of the first base, and two slide seats cooperating with the two slide rails are formed on the lower side of the movable bearing plate.

4. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable transmission channel also includes a transmission shaft, one end of which passes from the inner side of the dynamic bearing plate to the outer side and is connected to the second motor, and the other end of the transmission shaft is rotatably connected to the static bearing plate, and the driving wheel of the conveyor belt is concentrically passed through by the transmission shaft, and the inner circumferential surface of the driving wheel is provided with a radial key, and the circumferential surface of the transmission shaft is provided with an axial key groove for axial sliding of the radial key.

5. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed transmission flow channel includes side baffles located on the left and right sides, a plurality of synchronously rotating conveying rollers, and an alignment unit that can move left and right. The plurality of conveying rollers are arranged at intervals in front and back, and the left and right ends of each conveying roller are respectively rotatably connected to the corresponding side baffles. The alignment unit includes a second base and a plurality of alignment columns for aligning the left or right edges of the sheet. The second base is fixed to a second linear module for driving it to move horizontally left and right. The plurality of alignment columns are all vertical columns. The plurality of alignment columns are arranged in front and back and fixed on the second base. The upper end of the alignment column extends upward from between the corresponding two adjacent conveying rollers and is higher than the conveying roller.

6. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: A first magnetic wheel is arranged at the same side end of the plurality of conveying rollers, and a driving shaft which rotates up and down is arranged on the side baffle, and the driving shaft passes under the first magnetic wheel of each conveying roller, and a plurality of second magnetic wheels corresponding to the first magnetic wheel of each conveying roller are arranged on the driving shaft, and one end of the driving shaft is connected to the output shaft of the third motor.

7. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fixed transport channel further comprises a blocking unit for lifting and blocking the web and a lifting unit for lifting the blocked web to make the web separate from the conveying roller.

8. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that: The blocking unit includes a blocking member, which is initially located below between the two front conveying rollers and connected to a power source for driving it to rise. The lifting unit includes a pallet, the upper surface of which has a plurality of lifting columns that are evenly arranged and can pass up and down between the conveying rollers. The pallet is connected to a power source for driving it to rise, and the plurality of lifting columns are initially located below the plurality of conveying rollers.

9. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: There are two movable transmission channels, which are arranged in mirror images on the left and right. The fixed transmission channel also includes a partition plate located between the two side baffles. The multiple conveying rollers pass through the partition plate to form two side-by-side feeding channels respectively connected to the two movable transmission channels. The feeding channels are used to convey a sheet of a first size, or to convey two sheets of a second size side by side. There are two whole-column units, which are used to move left and right in the two side-by-side feeding channels respectively. There are four blocking units, two of which correspond to one feeding channel in a group, and two blocking units in the same group are arranged side by side on the left and right. There are four lifting units, two of which correspond to one feeding channel in a group, and two lifting units in the same group are arranged side by side on the left and right.

10. A sheet transport mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that: A row of protection columns is arranged on the inner side of the side baffle and on both sides of the partition plate, and the row of protection columns is staggered with the plurality of columns.

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