Clamping device and wafer storage device with same

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor production and manufacturing equipment, and provides a clamping device and a wafer storage device with the same. The clamping device comprises two clamping jaws, and the two clamping jaws can move between a far-away position and an approaching position. When the two clamping jaws are switched from the far position to the close position, two first slots respectively arranged on the two clamping jaws receive first side flanges on two sides of a first wafer box so as to clamp the first wafer box, and two second slots respectively arranged on the two clamping jaws receive second side flanges on two sides of a second wafer box so as to clamp the second wafer box. The two clamping jaws of the clamping device can clamp the wafer boxes of two sizes, so that the clamping device can be suitable for the wafer boxes of the two sizes. The wafer storage device with the clamping device can be used for clamping wafer boxes with two sizes, so that the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor production and manufacturing, and particularly relates to a clamping device and a wafer storage with the same. BACKGROUND

[0002] A wafer storage is a common device in wafer production and manufacturing. A wafer storage usually has a bearing device for bearing a wafer box storing wafers. Wafer boxes of different sizes are used to store wafers of different sizes, and wafer boxes of different sizes need to be clamped by different types of clamping devices. A wafer storage usually only has one type of clamping device, and thus can only participate in the manufacturing process of wafers of the same size. Therefore, a manufacturer needs to prepare multiple wafer storages for wafers of multiple sizes, which increases the manufacturing cost. SUMMARY

[0003] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a clamping device and a wafer storage with the same to solve the problem of high manufacturing cost caused by the same clamping device only being able to clamp wafer boxes of the same size.

[0004] The clamping device can selectively clamp one of a first wafer box and a second wafer box having different sizes. The first wafer box is provided with two first side flanges opposite in a width direction. The second wafer box is provided with two second side flanges opposite in the width direction. The clamping device includes two clamping jaws spaced apart in the width direction. The two clamping jaws are driven to move between an approaching position and an away position in the width direction. Each clamping jaw is provided with a first slot and a second slot on a side facing the other clamping jaw. The first slot and the second slot each extend in an up-down direction. The first slot and the second slot are spaced apart in a depth direction. The two first slots of the two clamping jaws are opposite and open towards each other in the width direction. The two second slots of the two clamping jaws are opposite and open towards each other in the width direction. When the two clamping jaws are switched from the away position to the approaching position, the two first slots can respectively receive the two first side flanges to clamp the first wafer box, and the two second slots can respectively receive the two second side flanges to clamp the second wafer box. When the two clamping jaws are switched from the approaching position to the away position, the two first slots can be separated from the two first side flanges to release the first wafer box, and the two second slots can be separated from the two second side flanges to release the second wafer box.

[0005] As a possible implementation manner, the clamping device further includes a base. The two clamping jaws are supported on the base. The first wafer box has a size larger than that of the second wafer box. The two first slots have a spacing larger than that of the two second slots, and the two second slots are closer to the base than the two first slots in the depth direction.

[0006] As a possible implementation manner, the top of each first slot is provided with a first tapered section, and the interval of the first tapered section gradually decreases as approaching the bottom of the first slot.

[0007] As a possible implementation manner, the top of each second slot is provided with a second tapered section, and the interval of the second tapered section gradually decreases as approaching the bottom of the second slot.

[0008] As a possible implementation manner, the top of each first slot is provided with a first tapered section, and the top of each second slot is provided with a second tapered section. The interval of the first tapered section gradually decreases as approaching the bottom of the first slot. The interval of the second tapered section gradually decreases as approaching the bottom of the second slot.

[0009] As a possible implementation manner, each gripper comprises a gripper body and a first clamping portion and a second clamping portion mounted on the inner side of the gripper body. The first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are respectively provided with a first slot and a second slot.

[0010] As a possible implementation manner, only one of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion is provided with an identifiable portion capable of being observed.

[0011] As a possible implementation manner, each gripper comprises a gripper body and a first supporting portion provided on the inner side of the gripper body. The first supporting portion is located below the first slot. The first supporting portion is capable of abutting against the lower end surface of the first side flange to support the first wafer box.

[0012] As a possible implementation manner, each gripper comprises a gripper body and a second supporting portion provided on the inner side of the gripper body. The second supporting portion is located below the second slot. The second supporting portion is capable of abutting against the lower end surface of the second side flange to support the second wafer box.

[0013] As a possible implementation manner, each gripper comprises a gripper body and a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion provided on the inner side of the gripper body. The first supporting portion is located below the first slot. The first supporting portion is capable of abutting against the lower end surface of the first side flange to support the first wafer box. The second supporting portion is located below the second slot. The second supporting portion is capable of abutting against the lower end surface of the second side flange to support the second wafer box.

[0014] As a possible implementation manner, the clamping device comprises a base, two first connecting rods and a driving unit. The base supports two grippers, so that the two grippers are slidable relative to the base along the width direction. The two first connecting rods are respectively pivotably connected with the two grippers. The driving unit comprises a driving body and a driving slider arranged along the up-down direction. The driving body is fixed to the base. The driving slider is supported on the base to be driven by the driving body to slide relative to the base along the up-down direction. The two first connecting rods are both pivotably connected with the driving slider.

[0015] As a possible implementation, each gripper comprises a gripper body and two sliders. The gripper body comprises two arm portions spaced apart in the up-down direction. The two sliders are respectively arranged on the two arm portions. The base comprises two slide rails spaced apart in the up-down direction. Each slide rail extends in the width direction. The two sliders are respectively arranged on the two slide rails.

[0016] As a possible implementation, each gripper further comprises a second connecting rod. Two ends of the second connecting rod are respectively connected to the two arm portions. The corresponding first connecting rod is pivotally connected to the second connecting rod.

[0017] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a wafer storage, comprising a storage wall and a carrying device. The storage wall comprises a storage. The storage comprises a plurality of carrying devices. The carrying device is arranged in the storage and comprises the gripping device described above. A moving mechanism is used to move the gripping device between the plurality of carrying devices to carry the first wafer box or the second wafer box between the plurality of carrying devices.

[0018] The two grippers of the gripping device provided by the present disclosure can clamp two sizes of wafer boxes, which makes the gripping device applicable to two sizes of wafer boxes. The wafer storage with such a gripping device will be able to clamp two sizes of wafer boxes, which helps to reduce manufacturing costs while improving space utilization. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present disclosure and should not be considered as limiting the scope.

[0020] It should be understood that the same or similar reference signs are used to represent the same or similar elements in the drawings.

[0021] It should be understood that the drawings are only schematic and the sizes and proportions of the elements in the drawings are not necessarily precise.

[0022] Figure 1 Structure schematic diagram of a wafer processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of a gripping device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 Structure schematic diagram of a gripping device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of a gripping device in another perspective.

[0025] Figure 4 Structure schematic diagram of a gripping device in another perspective. Figure 2 Structure schematic diagram of a gripping device in another perspective.

[0026] Figure 5FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the second clamping device in a state of clamping the first wafer cassette and the second wafer cassette. Figure 2 FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a structure of the clamping device.

[0027] Figure 6 FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the second clamping device in a state of clamping the first wafer cassette and the second wafer cassette. Figure 2 FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a structure of a driving unit of the clamping device.

[0028] Figure 7 FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing a structure of a wafer storage of an embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a structure of a wafer processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Many specific details are set forth below to provide an understanding of the structure, functioning, and use of the embodiments described and shown in the specification. It will be appreciated that the embodiments described and shown are non-limiting examples, and that it is contemplated that the particular structural and functional details set forth can be representative and exemplary. Embodiments can be modified and altered, and equivalents can be substituted without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0031] With the development of wafer processing technology, the automation level of wafer processing systems is increasingly high. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, a wafer processing system 1000 includes a processing unit 1100, a conveying unit 1200, and a wafer storage 1300. Figure 1As shown, the wafer processing system 1000 includes processing units 1100, a transfer unit 1200, and a wafer storage 1300. The processing units 1100 refer to a cluster of equipment associated with one or more processes in a wafer processing procedure, i.e., a wafer can complete a corresponding processing procedure after passing through a corresponding processing unit 1100. In one wafer processing system 1000, one or more processing units 1100 can be provided according to actual needs, and wafers can be transferred between the processing units 1100 through the transfer unit 1200. Considering that the processing rates of the processing units 1100 can be different, wafers to be transferred from the transfer unit 1200 to the processing units 1100 and wafers to be transferred from the processing units 1100 to the transfer unit 1200 can be stored in the wafer storage 1300. In the wafer storage 1300, the storage and transfer of wafers cannot be separated from wafer cassettes. The main role of the wafer cassettes is to simplify the wafer transfer process and to reduce the risk of wafer contamination as much as possible. Therefore, the wafer storage 1300 is correspondingly provided with clamping devices for clamping wafer cassettes when the wafer cassettes are moved.

[0032] According to relevant standards, wafers have different sizes such as 6 inches and 8 inches, and wafer cassettes also have different sizes to accommodate wafers of corresponding sizes. A wafer cassette of a single size can only accommodate wafers of a single size, for example, a 6-inch wafer cassette can only accommodate 6-inch wafers, and an 8-inch wafer cassette can only accommodate 8-inch wafers. Since 8-inch wafers are larger than 6-inch wafers, the wafer cassettes for accommodating 8-inch wafers are usually larger than the wafer cassettes for accommodating 6-inch wafers. When the wafer storage 1300 needs to process wafers of different sizes, wafer cassettes of different sizes need to be correspondingly configured. However, usually a type of clamping device can only clamp a wafer cassette of one size, and wafer cassettes of different sizes need to be clamped by clamping devices of different types. For example, a 6-inch wafer cassette needs to be clamped by one type of clamping device, and an 8-inch wafer cassette needs to be clamped by another type of clamping device. One wafer storage 1300 usually only has one type of clamping device, and thus can only participate in the manufacturing process of wafer cassettes of the same size. Therefore, the manufacturer needs to prepare multiple wafer storages 1300 to accommodate wafers of multiple sizes, which increases the manufacturing cost.

[0033] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the clamping device is improved in the present disclosure. The clamping device 10 according to the present disclosure is illustrated below in conjunction with the drawings.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the clamping device 10 according to the present disclosure includes a base 11, a clamping mechanism 12, and a clamping mechanism 13. The clamping mechanism 12 is arranged on the base 11 and is used to clamp a wafer cassette 2. The clamping mechanism 13 is arranged on the base 11 and is used to clamp a wafer cassette 3. The clamping mechanism 12 and the clamping mechanism 13 can be arranged on the same side of the base 11 or on opposite sides of the base 11. Figures 2 to 5As shown, the clamping device 10 provided by the present disclosure includes two clamping jaws 11 capable of selectively clamping one of a first wafer cassette 20 and a second wafer cassette 30 having different sizes. The first wafer cassette 20 and the second wafer cassette 30 may, for example, be wafer cassettes in a relevant standard, or may, for example, be customized wafer cassettes. The first wafer cassette 20 and the second wafer cassette 30, although having different sizes, are both provided with flanges on two sides thereof. As shown in the drawings, Figure 4 As shown, the first wafer cassette 20 is provided with two first side flanges 201 opposite in the width direction W, which can be utilized by the clamping device 10 to clamp the first wafer cassette 20. Similarly, as shown in the drawings, Figure 5 As shown, the second wafer cassette 30 is provided with two second side flanges 301 opposite in the width direction W, which can be utilized by the clamping device 10 to clamp the second wafer cassette 30.

[0035] As shown in the drawings, Figures 2 to 5 The two clamping jaws 11 of the clamping device 10 are spaced apart in the width direction W and are driven to move in the width direction W between an approaching position and an away position. The distance between the two clamping jaws 11 in the width direction W when the two clamping jaws 11 are in the approaching position is smaller than the distance between the two clamping jaws 11 in the width direction W when the two clamping jaws 11 are in the away position, so that when the two clamping jaws 11 move in the width direction W between the approaching position and the away position, the distance between the two clamping jaws 11 in the width direction W also changes. The movement of the two clamping jaws 11 can be that one clamping jaw 11 is stationary and the other clamping jaw 11 moves, or that the two clamping jaws 11 move simultaneously. Regardless of the movement, the two clamping jaws 11 can be switched from the approaching position to the away position, or from the away position to the approaching position, to achieve the release or clamping of the wafer cassette.

[0036] In order to clamp the first wafer cassette 20 and the second wafer cassette 30, as shown in the drawings, Figures 2 to 5 As shown, each clamping jaw 11 is provided with a first slot 111 and a second slot 112 on the side facing the other clamping jaw 11, the first slot 111 and the second slot 112 both extend in the up-down direction H, the first slot 111 and the second slot 112 are spaced apart in the depth direction D, the two first slots 111 of the two clamping jaws 11 are opposite and open towards each other in the width direction W, and the two second slots 112 of the two clamping jaws 11 are opposite and open towards each other in the width direction W.

[0037] When the two clamping jaws 11 are switched from the far position to the close position, the two first slots 111 can respectively receive the two first side flanges 201 to clamp the first wafer cassette 20, and the two second slots 112 can respectively receive the two second side flanges 301 to clamp the second wafer cassette 30; when the two clamping jaws 11 are switched from the close position to the far position, the two first slots 111 can respectively separate from the two first side flanges 201 to release the first wafer cassette 20, and the two second slots 112 can respectively separate from the two second side flanges 301 to release the second wafer cassette 30.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 1, when the clamping device 10 clamps the first wafer cassette 20, the two clamping jaws 11 of the clamping device 10 need to be moved to the far position first, and then the two first slots 111 are respectively aligned with the two first side flanges 201 in the depth direction D, i.e. the two first side flanges 201 are located between the two side walls of the corresponding first slots 111 in the depth direction D, and then the two clamping jaws 11 are moved from the far position to the close position, so that the two first slots 111 can respectively receive the two first side flanges 201 (i.e. at least a part of the two first side flanges 201 respectively extends into the two first slots 111), thereby clamping the first wafer cassette 20. Figure 4 When the clamping device 10 releases the first wafer cassette 20, the two clamping jaws 11 are moved from the close position to the far position, so that the two first slots 111 can respectively separate from the two first side flanges 201 (i.e. the two first side flanges 201 respectively exit from the two first slots 111), thereby releasing the first wafer cassette 20.

[0039] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 2, when the clamping device 10 clamps the second wafer cassette 30, the two clamping jaws 11 of the clamping device 10 need to be moved to the far position first, and then the two second slots 112 are respectively aligned with the two second side flanges 301 in the depth direction D, i.e. the two second side flanges 301 are located between the two side walls of the corresponding second slots 112 in the depth direction D, and then the two clamping jaws 11 are moved from the far position to the close position, so that the two second slots 112 can respectively receive the two second side flanges 301 (i.e. at least a part of the two second side flanges 301 respectively extends into the two second slots 112), thereby clamping the second wafer cassette 30. Figure 5 When the clamping device 10 releases the second wafer cassette 30, the two clamping jaws 11 are moved from the close position to the far position, so that the two second slots 112 can respectively separate from the two second side flanges 301 (i.e. the two second side flanges 301 respectively exit from the two second slots 112), thereby releasing the second wafer cassette 30.

[0040] The two clamping jaws 11 of the clamping device 10 provided by the present disclosure can clamp two sizes of wafer boxes, which makes the clamping device 10 applicable to two sizes of wafer boxes. The wafer storage 1300 with such a clamping device 10 will be able to clamp two sizes of wafer boxes, which helps to reduce manufacturing costs.

[0041] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 2 to 5 The first wafer box 20 is larger in size than the second wafer box 30, the interval of the two first slots 111 is larger than the interval of the two second slots 112, and the two second slots 112 are closer to the base 12 in the depth direction D than the two first slots 111. Since the first wafer box 20 is larger in size than the second wafer box 30, the interval of the two first side flanges 201 in the width direction W is also larger than the interval of the two second side flanges 301 in the width direction W. Accordingly, the interval of the two first slots 111 in the width direction W is larger than the interval of the two second slots 112 in the width direction W, so that the interval of the slots and the interval of the flanges are consistent, thereby better adapting to the size of the wafer box. The two second slots 112 are closer to the base 12 in the depth direction D than the two first slots 111, so that the clamping device 10 can avoid the smaller interval of the second slots 112 interfering with the first wafer box 20 when clamping the larger size first wafer box 20, thereby further improving the adaptability of the clamping device 10 to wafer boxes of different sizes.

[0042] As described above, when the clamping device 10 clamps the first wafer box 20, the two first slots 111 need to be aligned with the two first side flanges 201 in the depth direction D. However, in actual production process, due to the error in the placement position of the first wafer box 20, or the geometric processing error between the clamping device 10 and the first wafer box 20, and other factors, the first slots 111 and the first side flanges 201 may not be aligned exactly, resulting in the first side flanges 201 being at least partially outside the two side walls of the first slots 111 in the depth direction D. When the clamping device 10 clamps the first wafer box 20, during the process of moving the two clamping jaws 11 from the away position to the close position to clamp the first wafer box 20, the part of the first side flanges 201 outside the two side walls of the first slots 111 cannot extend into the slots at the opening at the top of the first slots 111, thereby causing the clamping device 10 to fail to clamp the first wafer box 20.

[0043] To this end, in some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3As shown, a first tapered section 1111 is arranged at the top of each first slot 111, and the interval of the first tapered section 1111 gradually decreases as it approaches the bottom of the first slot 111. By arranging the first tapered section 1111, the opening width at the top of the first slot 111 is increased, so that when the first side flange 201 is not aligned with the first slot 111, the first side flange 201 can slide along the first tapered section 1111 towards the bottom of the first slot and enter the non-tapered section of the first slot, so as to be clamped by the clamping device 10. The first tapered section 1111 can be arranged on one side of the top of the first slot 111, or can be arranged on both sides of the top of the first slot 111. By arranging the first tapered section at the top of the two first slots 111, on the one hand, the success rate of clamping the first wafer box 20 by the clamping device 10 is improved, and on the other hand, the alignment accuracy requirement of the first slot and the first side flange 201 is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved.

[0044] In some embodiments, as Figure 3 As shown, a second tapered section 1121 is arranged at the top of each second slot 112, and the interval of the second tapered section 1121 gradually decreases as it approaches the bottom of the second slot 112. The role of the second tapered section 1121 in the clamping process of the clamping device 10 to the second wafer box 30 is the same as that of the first tapered section 1111 in the clamping process of the clamping device 10 to the first wafer box 20, which will not be repeated here. By arranging the second tapered section 1121 at the top of each second slot 112, on the one hand, the success rate of clamping the second wafer box 30 by the clamping device 10 is improved, and on the other hand, the alignment accuracy requirement of the second slot and the second side flange 301 is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first tapered section 1111 is arranged at the top of each first slot 111, and the second tapered section is arranged at the top of each second slot 112, so as to improve the success rate of clamping the first wafer box 20 and the second wafer box 30 by the clamping device 10, and to reduce the alignment accuracy requirement of the first slot and the first side flange 201 and the alignment accuracy requirement of the second slot and the second side flange 301, thereby improving the production efficiency.

[0046] In some embodiments, each gripper 11 includes a gripper body 113 and a first clamping portion 114 and a second clamping portion 115 mounted on its inner side. The first clamping portion 114 and the second clamping portion 115 are respectively provided with a first slot 111 and a second slot 112. Since the clamping portion is used to clamp the wafer cassette, its machining accuracy requirement is high. However, the gripper body 113 is only used to connect with the clamping portion to support the clamping portion, so the machining accuracy requirement of the gripper body 113 is lower. By processing the first clamping portion 114 and the second clamping portion 115 separately from the gripper body 113, and then mounting the first clamping portion 114 and the second clamping portion 115 onto the gripper body 113, the machining accuracy requirement of the gripper body 113 can be reduced, thereby improving production efficiency. Furthermore, processing the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115 separately from the gripper body 113 allows for the use of different materials to manufacture the first clamping part 114, the second clamping part 115, and the gripper body 113. For example, the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115 can be made of higher-cost materials, while the gripper body 113 can be made of lower-cost materials, thereby achieving the goal of saving costs.

[0047] However, during the installation of the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115, due to their similar appearance, installers may mistakenly install them in reverse. If the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115 are installed in reverse, it may result in the inability to clamp the first wafer cassette 20 and the second wafer cassette 30. Furthermore, once the reverse installation is discovered, the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115 need to be disassembled and reinstalled, thus increasing installation time and reducing production efficiency.

[0048] To address the above problems, in some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, only one of the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115 is provided with an observable identification part 116. With the identification part 116 provided, the installer can distinguish between the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115 based on the identification part 116. The identification part 116 can be provided on the first clamping part 114 but not on the second clamping part 115, or vice versa. The identification part 116 can be, for example, a notch, which is easy to manufacture and does not affect the function of the first clamping part 114 and the second clamping part 115. The identification part 116 can be provided at any position on the first clamping part 114 or the second clamping part 115, as long as it can be observed by the installer.

[0049] When the clamping device 10 clamps the first wafer cassette 20, a situation may occur where, for example, the first wafer cassette 20 is too heavy and the clamping force provided by the two grippers 11 is insufficient, causing the first wafer cassette 20 to detach from the clamping device 10. Figures 2 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, each gripper 11 includes a gripper body 113 and a first support portion 117 disposed inside it, the first support portion 117 being located below the first slot 111. The first support portion 117 may, for example, abut against the lower end face of the first side flange 201, thereby supporting the first wafer cassette 20 by restricting the downward movement freedom of the first side flange 201. The first support portion 117 may also, for example, abut directly against the bottom of the first wafer cassette 20, thereby supporting the first wafer cassette 20 by directly restricting the downward movement freedom of the first wafer cassette 20.

[0050] Similarly, as Figures 2 to 5 As shown, in some embodiments, each gripper 11 includes a gripper body 113 and a second support portion 118 disposed inside it, the second support portion 118 being located below the second slot 112. The second support portion 118 may, for example, abut against the lower end face of the second side flange 301, thereby supporting the second wafer cassette 30 by restricting the downward movement freedom of the second side flange 301. The second support portion 118 may also, for example, abut directly against the bottom of the second wafer cassette 30, thereby supporting the second wafer cassette 30 by directly restricting the downward movement freedom of the second wafer cassette 30.

[0051] In some embodiments, each gripper 11 includes a gripper body 113 and the aforementioned first support portion 117 and second support portion 118 disposed on its inner side, so as to support the first wafer cassette 20 when gripping the first wafer cassette 20 and to support the second wafer cassette 30 when gripping the second wafer cassette 30.

[0052] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6As shown, the clamping device 10 includes a base 12, two first connecting rods 13, and drive units 141 and 142. The base 12 supports two grippers 11, allowing the two grippers 11 to slide relative to the base 12 along the width direction W. The two grippers 11 move between approach and distance positions by sliding relative to the base 12 along the width direction W. The drive units 141 and 142 include a drive body 141 and a drive slider 142 arranged along the vertical direction H. The drive body 141 is fixed to the base 12. The drive body 141 is, for example, a cylinder, a linear electric motor, etc. The drive slider 142 is supported on the base 12 and is driven by the drive body 141 to slide relative to the base 12 along the vertical direction H. A slide rail 121 extending along the vertical direction H can be provided on the base 12, and the drive slider 142 is configured to be supported on the slide rail 121, so that when the drive slider 142 is driven by the drive body 141, it can slide along the slide rail 121 along the vertical direction H. Two first links 13 are pivotally connected to two grippers 11, and both are pivotally connected to the drive slider 142. When the drive slider 142 is driven to slide in the vertical direction H, the first links 13 will move in the vertical direction H at the pivot position between the first links 13 and the drive slider 142. Since the two grippers 11 are slidable relative to the base 12 in the width direction W, they will be driven by the first links 13 to move in the width direction W at the pivot position between the first links 13 and the two grippers 11. If the drive slider 142 moves back and forth in the vertical direction H, it will drive the two grippers 11 to move back and forth in the width direction W, thereby realizing the back and forth movement of the two grippers 11 between the approach position and the away position. The drive slider 142, the two first connecting rods 13 and the two grippers 11 all move in a plane parallel to the vertical direction H and the width direction W. The drive units 141 and 142 can be arranged by making full use of the structure of the clamping device 10 itself, thus occupying less space, so as to realize the drive of the grippers 11 under the limited size of the clamping device 10.

[0053] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6As shown, each gripper 11 includes a gripper body 113 and two sliders 119. The gripper body 113 includes two arms 1131 spaced apart in the vertical direction H. The two sliders 119 are respectively disposed on the two arms 1131. The base 12 is provided with two slide rails 121 spaced apart in the vertical direction H, each slide rail 121 extending in the width direction W. The two sliders 119 are respectively disposed on the two slide rails 121. Due to the gap between the two arms 1131, the material of the gripper body 113 is reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the gripper 11. This allows the drive units 141 and 142 to drive the gripper body 113 with less power, which is beneficial to improving the flexibility of the clamping device 10 and saving energy. The gripper body 113 slides through the two sliders 119 respectively disposed on the two slide rails 121 spaced apart in the vertical direction H, which can prevent the gripper body 113 from deflecting during the sliding process, thereby improving the stability of the gripper body 113.

[0054] In some implementations, such as Figure 6 As shown, each gripper 11 also includes a second link 15. The two ends of the second link 15 are respectively connected to two arms 1131, and the corresponding first link 13 is pivotally connected to the second link 15. With the second link 15 in place, the first link 13 first applies a thrust to the second link 15 at its connection point. Then, the second link 15 transmits the thrust to the gripper body 113 at its connections to the two arms 1131 at its two ends. Therefore, the force points of the two grippers 11 when driven are changed from one to two, thereby reducing the risk of stress concentration and damage to the gripper body 113 at the force points. The first link 13 can be connected to the middle position of the second link 15, so that the thrust transmitted from both ends of the second link 15 to the two arms 1131 is equal, which can further prevent the gripper body 113 from deflecting during sliding, thereby further improving the stability of the gripper body 113.

[0055] It should be understood that, Figure 6 The embodiments described herein are merely examples of this disclosure, and the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited thereto. This disclosure may also employ other alternative mechanisms to achieve the function of driving the two grippers 11 to move between the approach position and the away position. For example, the two grippers may also be driven to move between the approach position and the away position by a motor driving a lead screw connected to the two arms.

[0056] like Figure 7As shown, this disclosure also provides a wafer memory 1300, including a storage compartment wall 1310 and a transport device 1320. The storage compartment wall 1310 contains a storage compartment 1311, and the storage compartment 1311 contains multiple carrier devices 1312. A first wafer cassette 20 and a second wafer cassette 30 can both be placed on the carrier device 1312. Wafers to be processed in the processing unit 1100 and wafers that have been processed and are to be sent to the transfer unit can both be stored in the first wafer cassette 20 and the second wafer cassette 30. The transport device 1320 is located within the storage compartment 1311 and includes a moving mechanism 1321 and the aforementioned clamping device 10. The moving mechanism 1321, for example, is a robotic arm, used to move the clamping device 10 between the multiple carrier devices 1312 to transport the first wafer cassette 20 or the second wafer cassette 30 between the multiple carrier devices 1312. The moving mechanism 1321 can be manipulated to move the clamping device 10 to any position to clamp the first wafer cassette 20 or the second wafer cassette 30, and then move the clamping device 10 to any position to release the first wafer cassette 20 or the second wafer cassette 30.

[0057] It should be noted that the elements described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any suitable manner without contradiction. To avoid unnecessary repetition, this disclosure will not describe the various possible combinations separately.

[0058] It should be understood that multiple components and / or parts can be provided by a single integrated component or part. Alternatively, a single integrated component or part can be divided into multiple separate components and / or parts. The use of the public designation "a" or "an" to describe a component or part is not intended to exclude other components or parts.

[0059] It should be understood that although terms such as “first” or “second” may be used in this disclosure to describe various elements, these elements are not defined by these terms, which are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0060] The basic principles of this disclosure have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this disclosure are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this disclosure. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the scope of this disclosure to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0061] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A clamping device, characterized in that, The clamping device is capable of selectively clamping one of a first wafer cassette and a second wafer cassette with different sizes, the first wafer cassette having two first side flanges opposite each other in the width direction, and the second wafer cassette having two second side flanges opposite each other in the width direction; The clamping device includes two jaws spaced apart along the width direction. The two jaws are driven to move between an approach position and a distance position along the width direction. Each jaw has a first slot and a second slot on the side facing the other jaw. The first slot and the second slot both extend in the vertical direction and are spaced apart in the depth direction. The two first slots of the two jaws face each other and open towards each other in the width direction. The two second slots of the two jaws face each other and open towards each other in the width direction. When the two grippers switch from the far-away position to the near-away position, the two first slots can respectively receive the two first side flanges to clamp the first wafer cassette, and the two second slots can respectively receive the two second side flanges to clamp the second wafer cassette; When the two grippers switch from the approach position to the distance position, the two first slots can separate from the two first side flanges respectively to release the first wafer cassette, and the two second slots can separate from the two second side flanges respectively to release the second wafer cassette.

2. The clamping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping device further includes a base, on which the two grippers are supported. The size of the first wafer cassette is larger than that of the second wafer cassette. The distance between the two first slots is greater than the distance between the two second slots, and along the depth direction, the two second slots are closer to the base than the two first slots.

3. The clamping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each first slot has a first tapering section at its top, the spacing of which gradually decreases as it approaches the bottom of the first slot; and / or, each second slot has a second tapering section at its top, the spacing of which gradually decreases as it approaches the bottom of the second slot.

4. The clamping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each gripper includes a gripper body and a first clamping part and a second clamping part mounted on its inner side. The first clamping part and the second clamping part are respectively provided with the first slot and the second slot.

5. The clamping device according to claim 4, characterized in that, Only one of the first clamping part and the second clamping part is provided with an identification part that can be observed.

6. The clamping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each gripper includes a gripper body and a first support portion disposed on its inner side, the first support portion being located below the first slot, the first support portion being able to abut against the lower end face of the first side flange to support the first wafer cassette; and / or, each gripper includes a gripper body and a second support portion disposed on its inner side, the second support portion being located below the second slot, the second support portion being able to abut against the lower end face of the second side flange to support the second wafer cassette.

7. The clamping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, include: A base supports the two grippers, allowing the two grippers to slide relative to the base along the width direction; The two first links are pivotally connected to the two grippers, respectively; as well as The driving unit includes a driving body and a driving slider arranged along the vertical direction. The driving body is fixed to the base, and the driving slider is supported on the base so as to be driven by the driving body to slide relative to the base along the vertical direction. Both first links are pivotally connected to the driving slider.

8. The clamping device according to claim 7, characterized in that, Each gripper includes a gripper body and two sliders. The gripper body includes two arms spaced apart along the vertical direction. The two sliders are respectively disposed on the two arms. The base is provided with two slide rails spaced apart along the vertical direction. Each slide rail extends along the width direction. The two sliders are respectively disposed on the two slide rails.

9. The clamping device according to claim 8, characterized in that, Each gripper also includes a second link, the two ends of which are respectively connected to the two arms, and a corresponding first link is pivotally connected to the second link.

10. A chip memory, characterized in that, The wafer memory includes: Storage compartment wall, with storage compartments inside, and multiple supporting devices inside the storage compartments; and A transport device, disposed within the storage compartment, includes a moving mechanism and a clamping device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the moving mechanism being used to move the clamping device between the plurality of carrier devices to transport the first wafer cassette or the second wafer cassette between the plurality of carrier devices.

Images