Wafer feeding mechanism and wafer processing equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer feeding mechanism and wafer processing equipment, and relates to the field of wafer equipment. The wafer feeding mechanism comprises a base, a carrier bin and an overturning assembly, the carrier bin is used for loading wafer carriers, and the carrier bin is provided with a feeding opening used for exposing openings of the wafer carriers; the overturning assembly is arranged on the base, connected with the carrier bin and used for driving the carrier bin to overturn between the first state and the second state. In the first state, the feeding opening faces upwards; and in the second state, the direction of the feeding opening is horizontal. According to the wafer feeding mechanism provided by the utility model, the wafer can be fed in a horizontal state, the stability of the wafer feeding process is ensured, and the risk that the wafer falls off is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wafer equipment, and more specifically, to a wafer loading mechanism and wafer processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the wafer processing flow, robotic arms are typically used to transfer wafers placed in the wafer storage mechanism to a carrier at the loading station, and then the carrier is transferred to the specific processing station.

[0003] Since the carrier is placed at the loading station with its opening facing upwards, there is currently no good way to put the horizontally placed wafers in the wafer storage mechanism onto the carrier with its opening facing upwards. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer loading mechanism that enables wafers to be loaded in a horizontal state, ensuring the stability of the wafer loading process and reducing the risk of wafers falling.

[0005] Another objective of this invention is to provide a wafer processing device that can reliably and stably complete wafer loading.

[0006] The embodiments of this utility model provide a technical solution:

[0007] A wafer loading mechanism includes a substrate, a carrier bin, and a flipping assembly. The carrier bin is used to load a wafer carrier and has a loading port for exposing the opening of the wafer carrier. The flipping assembly is disposed on the substrate and connected to the carrier bin, and is used to drive the carrier bin to flip between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the loading port faces upward; in the second state, the loading port faces horizontally.

[0008] In an optional embodiment, the flipping assembly includes a flipping drive and a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is connected to the vehicle compartment, and the flipping drive can drive the rotating shaft to rotate, thereby switching the vehicle compartment between the first state and the second state.

[0009] In an optional embodiment, the flipping drive is located below the base, and the rotating shaft is located above the base;

[0010] The flipping assembly also includes a transmission component that connects the flipping drive to the rotating shaft.

[0011] In an optional embodiment, the transmission component includes a timing belt and a timing pulley, the timing pulley being coaxially disposed on the rotating shaft, and the tilting drive component being connected to the timing pulley via the timing belt.

[0012] In an optional embodiment, the carrier compartment includes a base plate, an end plate, and two side plates. One end of the two side plates is connected to the base plate and the end plate, respectively, and the other end of the two side plates forms a guide mounting port for the wafer carrier to enter and exit the carrier compartment.

[0013] In an optional embodiment, the flipping assembly includes a flipping drive and a rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is provided with a concave plane and abutment portions located on both sides of the concave plane. The end plate is adapted to fit against the concave plane and is abutted by the abutment portions on both sides. The flipping drive can drive the rotating shaft to rotate.

[0014] In an optional embodiment, the wafer loading mechanism further includes a drive cylinder disposed on the base plate and a limiting member connected to the drive cylinder. The drive cylinder can drive the limiting member to move closer to or away from the end plate so as to limit the wafer carrier together with the end plate.

[0015] The wafer loading mechanism further includes a buffer assembly disposed on the substrate, the buffer assembly being used to abut and buffer the substrate when the carrier compartment is flipped to the first state and / or the second state.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the wafer loading mechanism further includes a rotary drive component connected to the substrate for driving the substrate to rotate in a horizontal plane.

[0017] An embodiment of this utility model also provides a wafer processing device, including a robotic arm, a wafer storage mechanism, and the aforementioned wafer loading mechanism. The wafer loading mechanism includes a substrate, a carrier bin, and a flipping assembly. The carrier bin is used to load wafer carriers and has a loading port for exposing the opening of the wafer carrier. The flipping assembly is disposed on the substrate and connected to the carrier bin, and is used to drive the carrier bin to flip between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the loading port faces upward; in the second state, the loading port faces horizontally.

[0018] In the horizontal direction, the robotic arm is positioned between the wafer storage mechanism and the wafer loading mechanism; the robotic arm is used to transfer the wafers stored in the wafer storage mechanism to the wafer carrier in a horizontal state through the loading port when the carrier compartment is in the second state.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the wafer loading mechanism provided by this utility model include: by setting a flipping component connected to the carrier bin, the flipping component can drive the carrier bin to flip between the first state and the second state. When a robot arm is used for loading, the flipping component drives the carrier bin to flip to the second state, so that the opening of the wafer carrier is horizontal and faces the robot arm, so that the robot arm can horizontally extend into the wafer storage mechanism to keep the wafer horizontal and send it into the wafer carrier, so as to facilitate subsequent wafer processing. This transmission method has a small footprint, a simple robot arm movement path, and can ensure the stability of the wafer loading process and reduce the risk of wafer falling. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this utility model and therefore should not be considered as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the wafer loading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention from a first-view perspective;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the wafer loading mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention from a second perspective;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the wafer loading mechanism provided in an embodiment of this utility model from a third-view perspective;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a partial structural schematic diagram of a wafer processing device provided for an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Icons: 100-Wafer loading mechanism; 110-Substrate; 111-Mounting ear plate; 112-Giveaway slot; 120-Carrier compartment; 121-Loading port; 122-Base plate; 123-End plate; 124-Side plate; 125-Guide mounting port; 130-Flip assembly; 131-Flip drive; 132-Rotating shaft; 141-Drive cylinder; 142-Limiting component; 150-Buffer assembly; 160-Rotation drive; 200-Wafer carrier; 300-Wafer processing equipment; 310-Robot arm; 320-Wafer storage mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0026] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. The components of the embodiments of this utility model described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0027] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0029] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the utility model product is usually placed in during use, or the orientation or positional relationship that is commonly understood by those skilled in the art. They are only used to facilitate the description of this utility model and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0030] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, terms such as "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be a connection within two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] The specific embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Example

[0034] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 , Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the wafer loading mechanism 100 provided in this embodiment from a first-view perspective. Figure 2 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the wafer loading mechanism 100 from a second perspective. Figure 3 The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the wafer loading mechanism 100 from a third-view perspective.

[0035] The wafer loading mechanism 100 provided in this embodiment is used for wafer loading. The wafer mechanism includes a substrate 110, a carrier bin 120, and a flipping assembly 130. The carrier bin 120 is used to load a wafer carrier 200. The carrier bin 120 has a loading port 121 for exposing the opening of the wafer carrier 200. That is, the opening of the wafer carrier 200 is exposed through the loading port 121 of the carrier bin 120 to facilitate the loading of the wafer into the wafer carrier 200 through the opening.

[0036] The flipping assembly 130 is disposed on the base 110 and connected to the carrier compartment 120, for driving the carrier compartment 120 to flip between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the loading port 121 faces upward; in the second state, the loading port 121 faces horizontally.

[0037] It should be noted that the aforementioned second state can include two scenarios. The first scenario is that the loading port 121 faces the wafer storage mechanism 320. In this case, the robot 310, positioned between the wafer loading mechanism 100 and the wafer storage mechanism 320, can easily transfer the wafers stored in the wafer storage mechanism 320 to the wafer carrier 200 in a horizontal state. The second scenario is that the loading port 121 faces away from the wafer storage mechanism 320, i.e., the loading port 121 is positioned towards the processing unit. In this case, the transfer mechanism positioned between the wafer loading mechanism 100 and the processing unit can easily transfer the wafers in the wafer carrier 200 to the processing unit in a horizontal state. It is understood that in some embodiments, the transfer mechanism positioned between the wafer loading mechanism 100 and the processing unit has the ability to rotate in space, such as a six-axis robot. At this time, the second state may only include the first situation mentioned above, that is, the loading port 121 faces the wafer storage mechanism 320, so as to facilitate the wafer transfer between the wafer storage mechanism 320 and the wafer carrier 200.

[0038] In practical applications, the initial state of the wafer carrier 120 is the first state, meaning its loading port 121 faces upwards. In this state, the wafer carrier 200 is placed into the carrier 120, with its opening facing upwards, i.e., exposed through the loading port 121 of the carrier 120. Then, the flipping assembly 130 rotates the carrier 120 from the first state to the second state, causing its loading port 121 to face horizontally, thus ensuring the opening of the wafer carrier 200 faces horizontally, specifically, with the loading port 121 facing the wafer storage mechanism 320.

[0039] In this state, the robotic arm 310 can feed the wafer into the wafer carrier 200 in a horizontal position. After the loading is completed, the flipping component 130 drives the carrier chamber 120 to reset and flip, that is, flip it to the first state, so that the opening of the wafer carrier 200 faces upward, ready to be transferred to the specific processing station.

[0040] Compared with other transfer methods, such as a six-axis robot, this robot 310 does not need to move on other paths when horizontally transferring wafers, which simplifies the movement path of the robot 310 and reduces the space occupied by the complex movement path of the six-axis robot. On the other hand, due to the simple movement path, the stability of the robot 310 when transporting wafers can also be improved, and the wafers will not fall.

[0041] The wafer loading mechanism 100 provided in this embodiment can rotate the wafer carrier 200 to face the horizontal when loading is required, and can also rotate the wafer carrier 200 to face the upward after loading is completed, in preparation for wafer transfer.

[0042] As can be seen, by rotating the wafer carrier 200, the wafer loading mechanism 100 eliminates the need for the robotic arm 310 to rotate the wafer during the transfer process. The wafer remains horizontal during the transfer from the wafer storage mechanism 320 to the wafer carrier 200, without the need for complex actions such as rotation, thus ensuring the stability of the wafer loading process and reducing the risk of wafer drops. Furthermore, in scenarios where the wafer loading mechanism 100 provided in this embodiment is used, the robotic arm 310, positioned between the wafer storage mechanism 320 and the wafer loading mechanism 100, can only have horizontal transfer capabilities, occupying less space and further reducing production costs while improving wafer loading stability.

[0043] In this embodiment, the flipping component 130 includes a flipping drive 131 and a rotating shaft 132. The rotating shaft 132 is connected to the vehicle compartment 120. The flipping drive 131 can drive the rotating shaft 132 to rotate, thereby causing the vehicle compartment 120 to switch between a first state and a second state.

[0044] like Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the base 110 is actually a plate-like structure, with two mounting lugs 111 facing each other on its upper surface, and the rotating shaft 132 is rotatably straddling the two mounting lugs 111. The vehicle compartment 120 is located between the two mounting lugs 111 and is connected to the side wall of the rotating shaft 132.

[0045] Understandably, to ensure smooth rotation of the rotating shaft 132, the rotating shaft 132 can be connected to the mounting ear plate 111 via a bearing. To ensure that the vehicle compartment 120 can be securely connected to the rotating shaft 132, in this embodiment, a concave plane (not shown in the figure) and abutment portions (not shown in the figure) located on both sides of the concave plane are formed on the side wall of the rotating shaft 132 by removing material. One outer surface of the vehicle compartment 120 is in contact with the concave plane, and both sides are abutted by the abutment portions.

[0046] Understandably, in practical applications, the flipping drive 131 operates, causing the rotating shaft 132 to rotate around its own axis, thereby causing the carrier bin 120 to flip, achieving the switching between the first state and the second state. If the second state includes the two aforementioned situations, then when the carrier bin 120 is in the first state, a 90° forward flip can switch to the first situation where the loading port 121 faces the wafer storage mechanism 320, and a 90° reverse flip can switch to the second situation where the loading port 121 faces the processing unit.

[0047] In fact, the flipping drive 131 in this embodiment is a rotary motor, and the flipping assembly 130 also includes a transmission component connecting the flipping drive 131 and the rotating shaft 132. Specifically, the transmission component includes a timing belt (not shown in the figure) and a timing pulley (not shown in the figure). The timing pulley is coaxially sleeved on the rotating shaft 132, and the two are fixed by a key and a set screw. The flipping drive 131 is connected to the timing pulley through the timing belt.

[0048] Specifically, the synchronous belt is tensioned between the output shaft of the rotary motor and the synchronous pulley. When the rotary motor is running, its output shaft rotates, which drives the synchronous pulley to rotate synchronously through the synchronous belt, thereby causing the rotating shaft 132 to drive the carrier compartment 120 to rotate synchronously.

[0049] For optimal layout, in this embodiment, the flipping drive 131 is disposed on the lower surface of the substrate 110, while the rotating shaft 132 is located above the substrate 110. To accommodate the timing belt, a clearance groove 112 is provided through the substrate 110, through which the timing belt passes, thus saving space occupied by the entire wafer loading mechanism 100.

[0050] It should be noted that in other embodiments, depending on the actual application conditions, the flipping component 130 with other structures and driving principles can also be used, and is not limited to the combination of the rotary motor and the rotating shaft 132 in this embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, the carrier compartment 120 includes a base plate 122, an end plate 123, and two side plates 124. One end of each side plate 124 is connected to the base plate 122 and the end plate 123, respectively, and the other end of each side plate 124 forms a guide mounting port 125. The guide mounting port 125 allows the wafer carrier 200 to enter and exit the carrier compartment 120. It should be noted that the loading port 121 and the guide mounting port 125 can be separated from each other on the surface of the wafer carrier, or they can at least partially overlap.

[0052] Specifically, the end plate 123 and the two side plates 124 are all erected on the same side surface of the base plate 122. The two side plates 124 are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart, with the end plate 123 located at the same end of the two side plates 124 and between the two side plates 124. The end of the two side plates 124 away from the end plate 123 forms a guide mounting port 125, and the end of the two side plates 124 away from the base plate 122 forms a feeding port 121.

[0053] The end plate 123, on the side opposite to the two side plates 124, is connected to the pivot 132 of the flip assembly 130; that is, the end plate 123 is in contact with the concave plane, and both sides are held abutted by the abutment portions. In fact, Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the first state, the bottom plate 122 of the vehicle compartment 120 is opposite to the upper surface of the base 110, and the loading port 121 faces upward. When the vehicle compartment 120 is flipped to the second state, its end plate 123 is opposite to the upper surface of the base 110, and the loading port 121 faces horizontally.

[0054] In order to achieve stable locking of the wafer carrier 200 in the carrier bin 120 and prevent the wafer carrier 200 from shaking or even being thrown out during the rotation of the carrier bin 120, in this embodiment, the wafer loading mechanism 100 also includes a drive cylinder 141 disposed on the base plate 122 and a limiting member 142 connected to the drive cylinder 141. The drive cylinder 141 can drive the limiting member 142 to move closer to or away from the end plate 123 so as to limit the wafer carrier 200 together with the end plate 123.

[0055] In practical applications, when the wafer carrier 200 needs to be loaded, the limiting member 142 is positioned away from the end plate 123 to avoid obstructing the placement of the wafer carrier 200 into the carrier compartment 120. After the wafer carrier 200 is loaded into the carrier compartment 120, the drive cylinder 141 drives the limiting member 142 to move towards the end plate 123 until the limiting member 142 presses the wafer carrier 200 firmly onto the end plate 123, thereby fixing the wafer carrier 200.

[0056] In addition, to prevent the wafer from being damaged by impact with the substrate 110 when the carrier 120 flips from the second state to the first state after the wafer loading is completed, in this embodiment, the wafer loading mechanism 100 also includes a buffer component 150. The buffer component 150 is disposed on the substrate 110 and is used to support and buffer the carrier 120 when the carrier 120 flips to the first state.

[0057] Furthermore, since there is still a gap between the bottom plate 122 of the vehicle compartment 120 and the upper surface of the base 110 when the vehicle compartment 120 is flipped to the first state, that is, the vehicle compartment 120 is in a suspended state, in order to maintain the stability of the vehicle compartment 120 in this state and to avoid the vehicle compartment 120 from over-flipping, in this embodiment, the buffer component 150 protrudes from the upper surface of the base 110.

[0058] Specifically, in this embodiment, the buffer component 150 adopts hydraulic buffering, which protrudes from the upper surface of the base 110. During the process of the vehicle compartment 120 flipping from the second state to the first state, the buffer component 150 provides stable support for the vehicle compartment 120, avoids the vehicle compartment 120 from flipping excessively, and causes a certain degree of contraction, thereby absorbing the kinetic energy of the vehicle compartment 120 during the support process, and realizing a smooth and stable switch from the first state to the second state.

[0059] In addition, the wafer loading mechanism 100 provided in this embodiment also includes a rotary drive 160, which is connected to the substrate 110 and is used to drive the substrate 110 to rotate in the horizontal plane. In practical applications, the substrate 110 can be driven to rotate in the horizontal plane by the rotary drive 160 to adjust the specific orientation of the loading port 121 in the second state, so as to adapt to a wider range of application scenarios.

[0060] For example, if the wafer storage mechanism 320, the wafer loading mechanism 100, and the processing unit are not arranged in a straight line, after the wafer loading is completed, the substrate 110 can be rotated by the rotary drive 160 so that the loading port 121 is directly facing the processing unit. This allows the transfer mechanism arranged between the wafer loading mechanism 100 and the processing unit to conveniently and quickly transfer the wafer in the wafer carrier 200 to the processing unit, thereby improving wafer processing efficiency.

[0061] In summary, the wafer loading mechanism 100 provided in this embodiment eliminates the need for wafer flipping during the loading process by rotating the wafer carrier 200, thus ensuring the stability of the wafer loading process and reducing the risk of wafer falling. Furthermore, it can be configured with a robotic arm 310 that only has horizontal transfer capabilities for loading, resulting in lower cost and smaller footprint.

[0062] This embodiment also provides a wafer processing apparatus 300, please refer to [link / reference]. Figure 4 , Figure 4 The diagram shown is a partial structural schematic of the wafer processing equipment 300.

[0063] The wafer processing equipment 300 provided in this embodiment includes a robot arm 310, a wafer storage mechanism 320, and the aforementioned wafer loading mechanism 100. In the horizontal direction, the robot arm 310 is disposed between the wafer storage mechanism 320 and the wafer loading mechanism 100. The robot arm 310 is used to transfer the wafers stored in the wafer storage mechanism 320 to the wafer carrier 200 in a horizontal state through the loading port 121 when the carrier bin 120 is in the second state.

[0064] During wafer loading, the robotic arm 310 transfers the wafer from the wafer storage mechanism 320 to the wafer carrier 200 while maintaining a horizontal position, eliminating the need for flipping and ensuring a stable and safe transfer process. Therefore, benefiting from the advantages of the wafer loading mechanism 100, the wafer processing equipment 300 provided in this embodiment can reliably and stably complete wafer loading. Furthermore, the robotic arm 310 only has horizontal transfer capability, resulting in lower cost and smaller footprint.

[0065] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit the utility model. Various modifications and variations can be made to this utility model by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer loading mechanism, characterized in that, The device includes a substrate (110), a carrier compartment (120), and a flipping assembly (130). The carrier compartment (120) is used to load a wafer carrier (200) and has a loading port (121) for exposing the wafer carrier (200). The flipping assembly (130) is disposed on the substrate (110) and connected to the carrier compartment (120) for driving the carrier compartment (120) to flip between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the loading port (121) faces upward. In the second state, the loading port (121) faces horizontally.

2. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping assembly (130) includes a flipping drive (131) and a rotating shaft (132). The rotating shaft (132) is connected to the vehicle compartment (120). The flipping drive (131) can drive the rotating shaft (132) to rotate, thereby causing the vehicle compartment (120) to switch between the first state and the second state.

3. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flipping drive (131) is located below the base (110), and the rotating shaft (132) is located above the base (110); The flipping assembly (130) also includes a transmission component that connects the flipping drive (131) and the rotating shaft (132).

4. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transmission component includes a timing belt and a timing pulley. The timing pulley is coaxially mounted on the rotating shaft (132). The tilting drive component (131) is connected to the timing pulley via the timing belt.

5. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The carrier compartment (120) includes a base plate (122), an end plate (123) and two side plates (124). One end of the two side plates (124) is connected to the base plate (122) and the end plate (123) respectively, and the other end of the two side plates (124) forms a guide mounting port (125) for the wafer carrier (200) to enter and exit the carrier compartment (120).

6. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The flipping assembly (130) includes a flipping drive (131) and a rotating shaft (132). The rotating shaft (132) is provided with a concave plane and abutment portions located on both sides of the concave plane. The end plate (123) is adapted to fit against the concave plane and is abutted by the abutment portions on both sides. The flipping drive (131) can drive the rotating shaft (132) to rotate.

7. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wafer loading mechanism (100) further includes a drive cylinder (141) disposed on the base plate (122) and a limiting member (142) connected to the drive cylinder (141). The drive cylinder (141) can drive the limiting member (142) to move closer to or further away from the end plate (123) so as to limit the wafer carrier (200) together with the end plate (123).

8. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer loading mechanism (100) further includes a buffer assembly (150) disposed on the substrate (110), the buffer assembly (150) being used to abut and buffer the substrate (110) when the carrier bin (120) is flipped to the first state and / or the second state.

9. The wafer loading mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer loading mechanism (100) further includes a rotary drive (160), which is connected to the substrate (110) and is used to drive the substrate (110) to rotate in a horizontal plane.

10. A wafer processing apparatus, characterized in that, The device includes a robotic arm (310), a wafer storage mechanism (320), and a wafer loading mechanism (100) as described in any one of claims 1-9. In the horizontal direction, the robotic arm (310) is disposed between the wafer storage mechanism (320) and the wafer loading mechanism (100). The robotic arm (310) is used to transfer the wafer stored in the wafer storage mechanism (320) in a horizontal state to the wafer carrier (200) through the loading port (121) when the carrier compartment (120) is in the second state.

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