Rotary lifting device, transmission system and semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a rotary lifting device, a transmission system and semiconductor equipment, and belongs to the technical field of mechanical transmission. The rotary lifting device comprises a rotating mechanism, a lifting mechanism and a connecting piece, the rotating mechanism comprises a first driving mechanism, a shaft, a second flange and a supporting piece, the two ends of the shaft are connected with the first driving mechanism and the second flange respectively, and the supporting piece is located on the side, away from the shaft, of the second flange and connected with the second flange; the first driving mechanism drives the shaft, the second flange and the supporting piece to rotate; the lifting mechanism comprises a second driving mechanism and a sliding structure, and the second driving mechanism is connected with the sliding structure and drives the sliding structure to reciprocate; the connecting piece is connected with the first driving mechanism and the sliding structure, so that the rotating mechanism is connected with the lifting mechanism. The rotating mechanism and the lifting mechanism are integrated together through the connecting piece, so that the rotating and lifting device is more compact in structure, intermediate links in the wafer transmission process are reduced, and the transmission efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a rotary lifting device, a transmission system, and a semiconductor device, belonging to the field of mechanical transmission technology. Background Technology

[0002] Rotary and lifting mechanisms are mechanical devices capable of lifting and rotating items, widely used in various fields such as industry and construction. They play a crucial role in automated production lines, warehousing and logistics, and machining. Through rotational and lifting motions, efficient material transport and flexible adjustment of processing equipment can be achieved, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0003] In semiconductor equipment, wafers need to be moved from one workstation to another. This transport and transfer typically involves actions such as picking up and placing, lifting, and translating. Currently, most wafer transfer uses robotic arms to receive wafers and move them to different workstations. However, robotic arms have a large overall structure and footprint, making them difficult to place within a vacuum chamber, and they are also expensive. Alternatively, different mechanisms can be designed to achieve rotation and lifting movements, but the hinges are prone to damage, increasing production costs. Furthermore, these mechanisms are relatively fragmented, requiring a large layout, making them unsuitable for system integration and reducing wafer transfer efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention provides a rotary lifting device, a transmission system, and a semiconductor device to solve the problems of large footprint of robotic arms, difficulty in placement within a vacuum chamber, easy damage to the rotating shaft of existing mechanisms, increased production costs, and large layout range, which reduces wafer transfer efficiency.

[0005] This utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, this utility model provides a rotary lifting device, comprising:

[0007] A rotating mechanism includes a first drive mechanism, a shaft, a second flange, and a support member. The two ends of the shaft are respectively connected to the first drive mechanism and the second flange. The support member is located on the side of the second flange opposite to the shaft and is connected to the second flange. The first drive mechanism drives the shaft, the second flange, and the support member to rotate.

[0008] A lifting mechanism, comprising a second driving mechanism and a sliding structure, wherein the second driving mechanism is drivingly connected to the sliding structure and drives the sliding mechanism to perform reciprocating motion;

[0009] A connecting member is provided, which is connected to the first driving mechanism and the sliding structure respectively, so that the rotating mechanism is connected to the lifting mechanism.

[0010] In one embodiment of this utility model, the rotating mechanism includes a first flange, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the shaft.

[0011] In one embodiment of this utility model, the rotating mechanism further includes a magnetic fluid and a bellows. The magnetic fluid and the bellows are sleeved on the outer periphery of the shaft. The bellows is located between the first flange and the second flange, and its two ends are respectively connected to the first flange and the second flange. The magnetic fluid is located on the side of the first flange away from the bellows and is connected to the first flange.

[0012] In one embodiment of this invention, ball bearings are provided at the connection between the first flange and the shaft. This transforms the sliding friction between the shaft and the first flange into rolling friction, reducing axial friction and extending the service life of the shaft.

[0013] In one embodiment of this utility model, a sealing element is provided at the connection between the bellows and the first flange and the second flange. The sealing element creates a vacuum seal between the magnetohydrodynamic fluid and the bellows. Preferably, an O-ring is used as the sealing element, which provides good sealing performance, is inexpensive, and is easy to install.

[0014] In one embodiment of this utility model, the magnetic fluid is connected to the first flange via a locking member. A sealing member is provided on the side of the first flange to ensure a sealed connection between the first flange and the magnetic fluid. A sealing ring is also provided on the side of the first flange to achieve an inner ring seal with the magnetic fluid.

[0015] In one embodiment of this utility model, the second flange is provided with a mounting base.

[0016] In one embodiment of this utility model, the support member includes a mounting plate and a support frame, the mounting plate is connected to the support frame, and the support frame is connected to the mounting base.

[0017] Secondly, this utility model provides a transmission system, including the aforementioned rotary lifting device, and the transmission system further includes a coupling, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the first drive mechanism and the shaft.

[0018] Thirdly, this utility model provides a semiconductor device, including the aforementioned rotary lifting device or the aforementioned transmission system. The semiconductor device further includes a working cavity, and the rotary lifting device or the transmission system is installed in the working cavity. By installing a magnetofluid at the bottom of the working cavity, with the magnetofluid and bellows inside the vacuum cavity and the motor outside the cavity, motion is transmitted from the atmospheric side to the vacuum side.

[0019] Beneficial effects

[0020] 1. The rotary lifting device provided by this utility model includes a rotating mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a connecting component. The rotating mechanism and the lifting mechanism are integrated together through the connecting component, making the rotary lifting device structure more compact. Furthermore, the two movements are controlled by two independent drive devices, reducing intermediate steps in the wafer transfer process and improving transfer efficiency. This rotary lifting device occupies a small area, can be arranged within a vacuum chamber, and achieves wafer rotation and lifting through the rotating and lifting mechanisms. It can transmit rotational and reciprocating motions from the atmospheric side to the vacuum chamber, completing the wafer transfer.

[0021] 2. The rotary lifting device provided by this utility model, by incorporating ball bearings at the connection between the first flange and the shaft, transforms the sliding friction between the shaft and the first flange into rolling friction, reducing axial friction and extending the service life of the shaft. Sealing elements are provided at the connection between the magnetorheological fluid and the first flange, and at the connection between the bellows and the first and second flanges, creating a vacuum seal between the magnetorheological fluid and the bellows. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A perspective view of the rotary lifting device provided by this utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 The front view of the rotary lifting device provided by this utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along the AA direction.

[0025] Figure 4 A top view of the rotary lifting device provided by this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial sectional view along the BB direction.

[0027] In the figure: 1. Rotating mechanism; 11. First drive structure; 12. Coupling; 13. Magnetofluid; 14. Bellows; 15. Shaft; 16. Locking element; 17. First flange; 18. Second flange; 181. Mounting base; 19. Support element; 191. Mounting plate; 192. Support frame; 110. Seal; 111. Ball bearing; 2. Lifting mechanism; 21. Second drive structure; 22. Sliding structure; 3. Connecting element; 100. Rotary lifting device. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0029] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0030] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, this application provides a rotary lifting device 100, which is installed inside the vacuum chamber of a semiconductor device for transporting and transferring wafers to different workstations. The rotary lifting device 100 includes a rotating mechanism 1, a lifting mechanism 2, and a connecting member 3. The rotating mechanism 1 is capable of circumferential rotation to rotate the wafer to the desired position, while the lifting mechanism 2 is capable of reciprocating motion to lift the wafer. The rotating mechanism 1 and the lifting mechanism 2 are connected via the connecting member 3, and the lifting mechanism 2 drives the rotating mechanism 1 to reciprocate through the connecting member 3, thereby realizing the transfer of the wafer.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some embodiments, the rotating mechanism 1 includes a first drive mechanism 11, a coupling 12, a magnetic fluid 13, a bellows 14, a shaft 15, a first flange 17, and a second flange 18. The first drive mechanism 11 is connected to the connecting member 3 and provides power to the rotating mechanism 1. The coupling 12 is located on one side of the first drive mechanism 11 and is connected to it. The shaft 15 is located on the side of the coupling 12 away from the first drive mechanism 11 and is connected to the first drive mechanism 11 through the coupling 12, for transmitting torque and motion. The magnetic fluid 13 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the shaft 15. The magnetic fluid 13 can form a stable sealing structure to prevent medium leakage. The bottom of the magnetic fluid 13 is installed at the bottom of the vacuum chamber through a mounting hole, so that the rotating lifting device 100 is connected to the vacuum chamber. The first flange 17 is located on the side of the magnetofluid 13 away from the coupling 12, and the second flange 18 is located on the side of the first flange 17 away from the magnetofluid 13. A bellows 14 is located between the first flange 17 and the second flange 18, with both ends of the bellows 14 connected to the first flange 17 and the second flange 18 respectively. The first flange 17, the second flange 18, and the bellows 14 are all fitted around the outer periphery of the shaft 15. The magnetofluid 13 and the bellows 14 combine to form a sealing structure, enabling the portion of the rotary lifting device 100 within the vacuum chamber to remain sealed, thus facilitating the transfer of the wafer from the atmospheric side to the vacuum side.

[0033] Further, in this embodiment, the end face of the first flange 17 is connected to the end face of the bellows 14. The end face of the second flange 18 is connected to the end face of the bellows 14 opposite to the first flange 17. Preferably, the first flange 17, the second flange 18, and the bellows 14 are all bolted together for easy installation and replacement. The end faces of the first flange 17, the second flange 18, and the bellows 14 are all provided with grooves for placing the sealing element 110, so that the connection between the first flange 17 and the bellows 14, and the connection between the second flange 18 and the bellows 14, form a seal. Further, in this embodiment, the magnetic fluid 13 is a hollow shaft magnetic fluid with an inner sleeve. The side of the inner sleeve is provided with a threaded hole. The side of the first flange 17 opposite to the bellows 14 is fitted inside the inner sleeve, and the first flange 17 is fixedly connected to the inner sleeve by the locking element 16. The first flange 17 and the inner sleeve are also sealed by the sealing element 110. Preferably, the locking element 16 is a locking screw, which passes through a threaded hole on the inner sleeve and abuts against the outer side of the first flange to fix the two together. By providing a sealing element 110 at the connection of the magnetic fluid 13, the first flange 17, the bellows 14 and the second flange 18, a vacuum seal is formed between the magnetic fluid 13 and the bellows 14.

[0034] Preferably, the sealing element 110 is an O-ring, which has a good sealing effect, is inexpensive, and is easy to install.

[0035] In some embodiments, the rotating mechanism 1 further includes a support member 19 for placing the wafer. The support member 19 is located on the side of the second flange 18 away from the bellows 14. The support member 19 is connected to the shaft 15 and can rotate or reciprocate together with the shaft 15, thereby driving the wafer to rotate or reciprocate.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a mounting base 181 is provided on the side of the second flange 18 facing away from the bellows 14, and the mounting base 181 has a threaded hole. The support member 19 includes a mounting plate 191 and a support frame 192. The mounting plate 191 has mounting holes for connecting a motion slide or other wafer carrier mechanism. The support frame 192 is located on the other side of the mounting plate 191, providing support for the mounting plate 191. Multiple support frames 192 are fixedly connected to the mounting plate 191, which can increase the strength of the support member 19. Preferably, the mounting plate 191 and the support frame 192 are connected by welding, making the connection between the two more secure. The side of the support frame 192 facing away from the mounting plate 191 is provided with threads, and the support frame 192 is connected to the mounting base 181 through the threads, which facilitates the installation and replacement of the support member 19.

[0037] like Figure 5As shown, further, in this embodiment, the shaft 15 is a splined shaft with a hollow internal structure and a groove on the outer side. One end is connected to the coupling 12, and the other end has an internal thread in its hole, connecting to the second flange 18. Ball bearings 111 are provided at the connection between the shaft 15 and the first flange 17, changing the sliding friction between the shaft 15 and the first flange 17 into rolling friction, reducing axial friction and extending the service life of the shaft 15. The first drive mechanism 11 drives the shaft 15 to rotate, which in turn drives the first flange 17 to rotate via the ball bearings 111. The first flange 17 then sequentially drives the inner sleeve of the magnetofluid 13 and the bellows 14 to rotate. The shaft 15 drives the second flange 18 to rotate, thereby driving the support member 19 to rotate, realizing the rotational movement of the rotary lifting device 100.

[0038] In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 2 includes a second drive mechanism 21 and a sliding structure 22. The second drive mechanism 21 provides power to the lifting mechanism 2 and is connected to the sliding structure 22. The connecting member 3 is also connected to the sliding structure 22. The second drive mechanism 21 drives the sliding structure 22 to reciprocate the connecting member 3. The connecting member 3 is connected to the first drive mechanism 11 and drives the first drive mechanism 11 to reciprocate. The first drive mechanism 11 drives the shaft 15 to reciprocate up and down through the coupling 12. The shaft 15 drives the second flange 18 to reciprocate. The second flange 18 drives the bellows 14 and the support member 19 to reciprocate. The bellows 14 can extend or retract, thereby realizing the reciprocating motion of the rotary lifting device.

[0039] Specifically, in this embodiment, the second drive mechanism 21 adopts an electric cylinder, and the sliding structure 22 adopts a slide table. The electric cylinder is responsible for providing power and realizing linear reciprocating motion through motor drive. The slide table serves as the carrier and guide mechanism of the motion to ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the motion.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the connector 3 is an L-shaped plate structure with mounting holes, which are used to connect to the first drive mechanism 11 and the sliding mechanism 22 respectively. The L-shaped plate structure of the connector 3 saves space, making the rotary lifting device 100 more compact. The two drive mechanisms enable independent control of rotary motion and linear motion, which do not interfere with each other, thus improving the wafer transfer efficiency.

[0041] Furthermore, this utility model also provides a transmission system, which includes the aforementioned rotary lifting device. In some embodiments, the transmission system further includes a coupling 12 and a connecting member 3. The first drive mechanism 11 is connected to the shaft 15 via the coupling 12 and drives the shaft 15 to rotate via the coupling 12, thus realizing the rotary motion of the transmission system. The second drive mechanism 21 is connected to the sliding mechanism 22 and can drive the sliding mechanism 22 to reciprocate. The connecting member 3 is connected to both the first drive mechanism 11 and the sliding mechanism 22. The second drive mechanism 21 drives the sliding mechanism 22 to move, the sliding mechanism 22 drives the connecting member 3 to reciprocate, and the connecting member 3 drives the first drive mechanism 11 to reciprocate up and down. The first drive mechanism 11 drives the shaft 15 to reciprocate up and down via the coupling 12, thus realizing the reciprocating motion of the transmission system. This transmission system uses two motors to control two movements separately and integrates the rotary motion and lifting motion together via the connecting member 3, realizing the rotation and lifting during the wafer transmission process. The transmission system has a compact structure, small footprint, and saves space. The two movements are independent and do not interfere with each other. A single device can realize the rotation and lifting of the wafer, thus improving the wafer transmission efficiency.

[0042] Furthermore, this utility model also provides a semiconductor device, which includes the aforementioned rotary lifting device and transmission system. In some embodiments, the semiconductor device further includes a working chamber, in which the rotary lifting device or transmission system is installed. Specifically, the magnetofluid 13 and the bellows 14 can be installed inside the working chamber, and the lifting mechanism 2, the connecting plate 3, and the first drive mechanism 11 are arranged on the atmospheric side, realizing the transmission of motion from the atmospheric side to the vacuum chamber.

[0043] The working chamber can be a vacuum working chamber, and the internal environment of the vacuum working chamber is a vacuum environment. The magnetic fluid 13, the bellows 14, the first flange 17 and the second flange 18 form a sealing structure. The connection between the magnetic fluid 13 and the first flange 17, and the connection between the bellows 14 and the first flange 17 and the second flange 18 are all provided with sealing elements 110. Through the rotary lifting device provided in this application embodiment, the wafer can be rotated and lifted in a vacuum environment, realizing the transportation of the wafer in a vacuum environment.

[0044] The working principle of this utility model is as follows: The rotary lifting device 100 includes a rotary mechanism 1 and a lifting mechanism 2, which are connected by a connecting member 3. The first drive mechanism 11 of the rotary mechanism 1 drives the shaft 15 to rotate, and the shaft 15 sequentially drives the first flange 17 and the second flange 18 to rotate. The first flange 17 drives the inner sleeve of the magnetic fluid 13 and the bellows 14 to rotate, and the second flange 18 drives the support member 19 to rotate, thereby realizing the rotary motion of the rotary lifting device 100. The second drive mechanism of the lifting mechanism 2 drives the slide structure 22 to drive the connecting member 3 to reciprocate, and the connecting member 3 drives the first drive mechanism 11 to reciprocate. The first drive mechanism 11 drives the shaft 15 to move, and the shaft 15 drives the second flange 18 to reciprocate. The second flange 18 drives the bellows 14 and the support member 19 to reciprocate, thereby realizing the reciprocating motion of the rotary lifting device 100.

[0045] At the connection between the first flange 17 and the magnetohydrodynamic fluid 13, and at the connection between the bellows 14 and the first flange 17 and the second flange 18, sealing elements 110 are provided for sealing, achieving vacuum sealing. A ball bearing 111 is provided between the first flange 17 and the shaft 15. The ball bearing 111 can transmit torque and also convert sliding friction into rolling friction, reducing axial friction and extending the service life of the shaft 15.

[0046] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0047] The above embodiments only illustrate several implementation methods of this utility model, and their descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, but they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this utility model, and these all fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0048] This document uses specific embodiments to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this utility model. The descriptions of these embodiments are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this utility model without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A rotary lifting device, characterized in that, include: A rotating mechanism (1) includes a first driving mechanism (11), a shaft (15), a second flange (18), and a support member (19). The two ends of the shaft (15) are respectively connected to the first driving mechanism (11) and the second flange (18). The support member (19) is located on the side of the second flange (18) away from the shaft (15) and is connected to the second flange (18). The first driving mechanism (11) drives the shaft (15), the second flange (18), and the support member (19) to rotate. The lifting mechanism (2) includes a second driving mechanism (21) and a sliding structure (22), wherein the second driving mechanism (21) is drivingly connected to the sliding structure (22); Connector (3) is connected to the first drive mechanism (11) and the sliding structure (22) respectively, so that the rotating mechanism (1) is connected to the lifting mechanism (2).

2. The rotary lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism (1) includes a first flange (17) which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the shaft (15).

3. A rotary lifting device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism further includes a magnetic fluid (13) and a bellows (14). The magnetic fluid (13) and the bellows (14) are sleeved on the outer periphery of the shaft (15). The bellows (14) is located between the first flange (17) and the second flange (18), and its two ends are respectively connected to the first flange (17) and the second flange (18). The magnetic fluid (13) is located on the side of the first flange (17) away from the bellows (14) and is connected to the first flange (17).

4. A rotary lifting device according to claim 3, characterized in that, A ball bearing (111) is provided at the connection between the first flange (17) and the shaft (15).

5. A rotary lifting device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The bellows (14) is provided with a sealing element (110) at the connection between it and the first flange (17) and the second flange (18).

6. A rotary lifting device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The magnetic fluid (13) is connected to the first flange (17) via a locking member (16). A sealing member (110) is provided on the side of the first flange (17) to make the first flange (17) and the magnetic fluid (13) sealed together.

7. A rotary lifting device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second flange (18) is provided with a mounting base (181).

8. A rotary lifting device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support member (19) includes a mounting plate (191) and a support frame (192), the mounting plate (191) being connected to the support frame (192), and the support frame (192) being connected to the mounting base (181).

9. A transmission system, characterized in that, The transmission system includes a rotary lifting device according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the transmission system further includes a coupling (12), the two ends of which are respectively connected to the first drive mechanism (11) and the shaft (15).

10. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, The semiconductor device includes a rotary lifting device as described in any one of claims 1-8 or a transmission system as described in claim 9, and the semiconductor device further includes a working cavity, wherein the rotary lifting device or the transmission system is installed in the working cavity.

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