Layer distance detection device for FOUP

Abstract

A layer distance detection device for FOUP comprises a layer distance measuring device and a control device which are in signal connection. The detection mechanism of the layer distance measuring device comprises an adjusting and moving module and a layer distance measuring module arranged on the adjusting and moving module. The layer distance measuring module comprises two first image acquisition devices. The adjusting and moving module can drive the first image acquisition device to move into the box body of the FOUP. The first image capturing device captures images of a plurality of side bearing convex ribs of the box body. The control device can analyze the image acquisition result to obtain side edge layer distance data of the side bearing convex rib. The deformation state of the side bearing convex ribs can be quickly analyzed through the design that images of the side bearing convex ribs are captured by the first image capture device and then the distance between the side bearing convex ribs is obtained in an image analysis mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a testing device, and more particularly to a layer spacing testing device for FOUP. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafers need to be transferred between various processing stations during wafer fabrication. To ensure that wafers are not damaged or contaminated during transfer, front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) are typically used to store wafers and transfer multiple wafers at a time. A front-opening FOUP consists of a pod body and a cover. The left and right inner walls of the pod body have multiple vertically spaced side support ribs. Some types of pod bodies also have multiple intermediate ribs that protrude forward from the rear inner wall and are arranged vertically between the opposing sides of the side support ribs. The wafers are vertically separated and supported between the side support ribs and the intermediate ribs.

[0003] However, under prolonged use, the ribs of the FOUP are prone to deformation, causing changes in the layer spacing. These changes can easily lead to wafer breakage during wafer transfer, reducing process yield. Therefore, regular inspection of the ribs in the FOUP is essential.

[0004] The common detection method currently used is to use a laser sensor to sense the horizontal state of each length segment of each rib along its length direction. Since the front and back horizontal positions of each rib need to be scanned and measured one by one, the detection time for each FOUP box body is quite long, resulting in low detection efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a layer spacing detection device for FOUP that can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of prior art.

[0006] This invention relates to a layer spacing detection device for FOUP (Flat-Frame Upholstered Box), suitable for detecting the layer spacing of the FOUP box body. The box body has an opening, and the left and right inner walls of the box body are respectively provided with multiple vertically spaced and symmetrically arranged side bearing ribs. The layer spacing detection device includes a layer spacing measuring device and a control device that is signal-connected to the layer spacing measuring device.

[0007] The layer spacing measurement device includes a housing and at least one detection mechanism disposed on the housing. The housing has a support platform for positioning the cartridge body with its opening facing forward. The at least one detection mechanism includes a transfer module disposed on the housing and a layer spacing measurement module disposed on the transfer module. The layer spacing measurement module includes a mounting arm unit mounted on the transfer module and two first image capture devices mounted on the mounting arm unit.

[0008] The adjustment module can be controlled to drive the mounting arm unit to move the first image capture device backward into the housing body, and to drive the mounting arm unit to move the first image capture device vertically relative to the housing body. The image capturing directions of the first image capture devices are opposite to each other. Each of the first image capture devices can capture images towards the side bearing rib located in the corresponding direction to obtain first image data.

[0009] The control device includes a control module and a layer spacing analysis module. The control module controls the adjustment module to adjust the mounting arm unit. The layer spacing analysis module analyzes each of the first image data to obtain the corresponding side layer spacing data of the side bearing rib.

[0010] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model has multiple vertically spaced protrusions on the rear inner wall of the box body, and intermediate ribs located between the left and right opposing sides of the side bearing ribs. The mounting arm unit of the layer spacing measurement module includes two mounting arms that extend forward and backward and are spaced apart left and right. The first image capture device is respectively disposed on the mounting arms. The layer spacing measurement module also includes a second image capture device disposed on one of the mounting arms. The second image capture device can be moved into the box body by the mounting arm unit and can move to one side (left or right) to capture images of the intermediate ribs to obtain second image data. The control device analyzes the second image data to obtain the intermediate layer spacing data corresponding to the intermediate ribs.

[0011] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model further includes a first ranging sensor disposed on the mounting arm unit. The first ranging sensor can move forward toward the box body to obtain first ranging data. The control module analyzes the first ranging data to obtain a first spacing value, and controls the adjustment module to stop adjusting the mounting arm unit backward when it is determined that the first spacing value is less than or equal to a first threshold.

[0012] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model further includes at least one detection mechanism, which includes two first distance sensors respectively disposed on the mounting arm. Each first distance sensor can move forward toward the box body to obtain first distance data. The control module analyzes each first distance data to obtain a first spacing value, and when it determines that one of the first spacing values ​​is less than or equal to a first threshold, it controls the adjustment module to stop adjusting the mounting arm unit backward.

[0013] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model further includes a second ranging sensor disposed on the mounting arm unit and between the opposing sides of the mounting arm. The second ranging sensor and the first ranging sensor are distributed at a distance from each other. The second ranging sensor can move forward toward the box body to obtain second ranging data. The control module analyzes the second ranging data to obtain a second spacing value. When the control module determines that one of the first spacing values ​​is less than or equal to a first threshold, or determines that the second spacing value is less than or equal to a second threshold, it controls the adjustment module to stop adjusting the mounting arm unit backward.

[0014] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model includes a shifting module comprising a translational slide rail extending forward and backward on the housing, a translational seat disposed on the translational slide rail capable of forward and backward displacement, a lifting slide rail erected on the translational seat, a lifting seat disposed on the lifting slide rail capable of vertical displacement, a translational transmission unit mounted on the housing and connected to the translational seat, and a lifting transmission unit disposed on the lifting slide rail and connected to the lifting seat. The translational transmission unit can be controlled to drive the translational seat to move forward and backward along the translational slide rail, thereby driving the lifting slide rail to move forward and backward. The lifting transmission unit can be controlled to drive the lifting seat to move vertically relative to the lifting slide rail. The layer spacing measurement module is disposed on the lifting seat.

[0015] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model can be used to detect two of the box bodies. The layer spacing measurement device includes two detection mechanisms spaced apart on the shell base. The support platform of the shell base has two support areas corresponding to the detection mechanisms and used to support and position the box bodies respectively.

[0016] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model has four corner parts at the bottom of the box body, and four positioning protrusions are provided on the top surface of each bearing area of ​​the bearing platform. The positioning protrusions can be used to allow the corresponding corner parts of the box body to be positioned against each other.

[0017] The layer spacing detection device for FOUP described in this utility model includes a housing with a device space for the detection mechanism and a temporary storage space located below the device space for accommodating the box body.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by installing the first image capture device on the mounting arm unit, and by having the first image capture device capture images of the side bearing ribs on the left and right sides, and then obtaining the design of the upper and lower spacing of the side bearing ribs through image analysis, the deformation state of the side bearing ribs and the middle ribs can be quickly analyzed. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Other features and effects of this utility model will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0020] Figure 1 It is a 3D exploded view illustrating the structure of a FOUP box body and a cover plate;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the layer spacing detection device for FOUP of this utility model when used with multiple box bodies;

[0022] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The image shown is a front view of the box body.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a perspective view illustrating the constituent components of this embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a top view illustrating the structure of this embodiment;

[0025] Figure 6 This is an incomplete 3D view illustrating the structure of a detection mechanism in this embodiment;

[0026] Figure 7 This is an incomplete 3D view illustrating another perspective of the detection mechanism in this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 8 It is an incomplete 3D diagram illustrating the structure of a layer spacing measurement module;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a functional block diagram illustrating the functional architecture of this embodiment;

[0029] Figure 10 This is an incomplete top sectional view illustrating the situation when the detection mechanism of this embodiment performs layer spacing detection on the box body. Detailed Implementation

[0030] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 This utility model discloses an embodiment of a layer spacing inspection device 200 for a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) 900, suitable for performing layer spacing inspection on two FOUPs 900. The FOUP 900 includes a cassette body 91 with a forward-facing opening 910 for separating and supporting wafers (not shown), and a cover plate 92 that detachably seals the opening 910 of the cassette body 91. The left and right inner walls of the cassette body 91 have multiple side-supporting ribs 911 extending forward and backward and spaced vertically. The rear inner wall of the cassette body 91 has multiple intermediate ribs 912 spaced vertically and located between the left and right facing sides of the side-supporting ribs 911. Furthermore, the bottom periphery of the cassette body 91 has four corner portions 913.

[0031] See Figure 2 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 The layer spacing detection device 200 includes a layer spacing measuring device 3 for measuring the layer spacing of the box body 91, and a control device 4 connected to the layer spacing measuring device 3.

[0032] The layer spacing measuring device 3 includes a housing 31 and two detection mechanisms 32 arranged at left and right intervals on the housing 31.

[0033] The housing 31 has a vertically spaced device space 313 and a temporary storage space 314 with rearward openings, and a support platform 310 located on the opening side of the device space 313. The support platform 310 has two left-right spaced support areas 311. Each support area 311 has four positioning protrusions 312 that are roughly L-shaped when viewed from above on its top surface. Each support area 311 can be used to allow the box body 91 to be placed downwards with its opening 910 facing forward, and the positioning protrusions 312 can be used to allow the corners 913 of the box body 91 to abut against, thereby positioning the box body 91 on the rear side of the device space 313.

[0034] See Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7 The detection mechanisms 32 are arranged at intervals on the left and right within the equipment space 313. Since the detection mechanisms 32 have the same structure, for ease of explanation, only one detection mechanism 32 will be used as an example in the following description.

[0035] The detection mechanism 32 includes an adjustment module 33 disposed on the housing 31, a layer distance measurement module 34 installed on the adjustment module 33, and two first distance sensors 35 and two second distance sensors 36 disposed on the layer distance measurement module 34.

[0036] The adjustment module 33 has a front-to-back extending translation slide rail 331, a translation seat 332 that can be displaced front-to-back on the translation slide rail 331, a lifting slide rail 333 that is upright on the translation seat 332, a lifting seat 334 that can be displaced up and down on the lifting slide rail 333, a translation transmission unit 335 that is disposed on the housing 31 and connected to the translation seat 332, and a lifting transmission unit 336 that is disposed on the lifting slide rail 333 and connected to the lifting seat 334.

[0037] The translation transmission unit 335 includes a motor 337 and a translation transmission assembly (not shown) disposed in the translation slide rail 331 and connected between the motor 337 and the translation seat 332. The lifting transmission unit 336 includes a motor 338 and a lifting transmission assembly (not shown) disposed in the lifting slide rail 333 and connected between the motor 338 and the lifting seat 334.

[0038] In implementation, the translational transmission assembly can be composed of a screw extending forward and backward within the translational slide rail 331 and connected to the translational seat 332, and a gear assembly connecting the screw to the motor 337. Similarly, the lifting transmission assembly can be composed of a screw extending vertically within the lifting slide rail 333 and connected to the lifting seat 334, and a gear assembly connecting the screw to the motor 338. The motors 337 and 338 can be controlled to drive the operation of the corresponding translational transmission assembly and lifting transmission assembly, thereby respectively transmitting the forward and backward displacement of the translational seat 332 relative to the translational slide rail 331, and the vertical displacement of the lifting seat 334 relative to the lifting slide rail 333. Since there are many types of translational transmission assemblies and lifting transmission assemblies, for example, a transmission structure design consisting of a transmission belt and gear set can also be used, the structural design of the translational transmission assembly and lifting transmission assembly is not limited to the types described above in implementation.

[0039] See Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 The layer spacing measurement module 34 includes a mounting arm unit 341 that extends horizontally front to back and is fixed at its front end to the lifting base 334, and two first image capture units 343 and one second image capture unit 344 disposed on the mounting arm unit 341.

[0040] The mounting arm unit 341 has two mounting arms 342 that extend forward and backward and are parallel to each other on the left and right. The left-right spacing of the mounting arms 342 is greater than that of the box body 91 (shown in...). Figure 3 The width of the central rib 912 is defined as follows: The first image capture unit 343 is mounted on the rear end of each mounting arm 342, and the image capture directions of the first image capture unit 343 are opposite to each other. That is, the first image capture unit 343 captures images to the left and right respectively, thereby obtaining a first image signal. The second image capture unit 344 is mounted on the rear end of one of the mounting arms 342, and the image capture direction of the second image capture unit 344 is the same as that of one of the first image capture units 343, capturing images to one side (left or right) to obtain a second image signal. The first image capture unit 343 and the second image capture unit 344 are, for example, but not limited to, CCD or CMOS type image sensors.

[0041] The first ranging sensors 35 are respectively mounted on the rear end of the mounting arm 342 and can be used to sense the distance to obstacles backward to obtain a first ranging data. The second ranging sensor 36 is mounted on the mounting arm unit 341, between the opposing sides of the mounting arms 342, and relatively adjacent to the front end of the mounting arm 342. Each second ranging sensor 36 can be used to sense the distance to obstacles backward to obtain a second ranging data. The first ranging sensor 35 and the second ranging sensor 36 are, for example, but not limited to, radar ranging sensors, laser ranging sensors, ultrasonic ranging sensors, etc.

[0042] See Figure 4 , Figure 9 The control device 4 includes a control module 41 and a layer spacing analysis module 42. The control device 4 is, for example, but not limited to, an electronic device with a microprocessor or microcontroller, or a computer device with a CPU.

[0043] See Figure 4 , Figure 6 , Figure 7The control module 41 can be used to programmatically control the operation of the translation transmission unit 335 and the lifting transmission unit 336, thereby adjusting the translation seat 332 back and forth relative to the translation slide rail 331, and adjusting the lifting seat 334 up and down relative to the lifting slide rail 333. Furthermore, the control module 41 analyzes each first distance measurement data to obtain a first distance value, and analyzes each second distance measurement data to obtain a second distance value. When the control module 41 determines that one of the first distance values ​​is less than or equal to a first threshold, or determines that one of the second distance values ​​is less than or equal to a second threshold, it controls the translation transmission unit 335 to stop the translation seat 332 from moving backward. In this embodiment, the first threshold and the second threshold are to ensure that the mounting arm 342 does not impact the box body 91 (shown in the figure). Figure 3 The safe distance of the inner rear wall surface of the ).

[0044] The layer spacing analysis module 42 can analyze and process the first image data and the second image data using image analysis technology to obtain the vertical spacing of the side bearing ribs 911 on the left and right sides of the box body 91, and the vertical spacing of the middle rib 912. The image analysis technology includes, but is not limited to, image binarization processing, image edge detection, image segmentation and extraction, image recognition and distance measurement.

[0045] See Figure 2 , Figure 9 , Figure 10 When the layer spacing detection device 200 of this utility model is used to detect the layer spacing of the FOUP 900, a robotic arm (not shown) can position the box bodies 91 of the two FOUP 900s to be tested on the support area 311 of the support platform 310 with their openings 910 facing forward toward the device space 313. Then, the control device 4 controls the detection mechanism 32 to detect the layer spacing of the side support ribs 911 and the middle ribs 912 of the box bodies 91 respectively. The following description only describes the detection operation of one of the detection mechanisms 32.

[0046] During layer spacing detection, the control device 4 controls the adjustment module 33 to drive the mounting arm unit 341 to move backward, so that the mounting arm unit 341 is inserted into the corresponding box body 91, and the mounting arm 342 is positioned on the left and right sides of the intermediate rib 912. Then, the mounting arm unit 341 is controlled by a predetermined program to move backward and backward and up and down relative to the box body 91. For example, but not limited to, moving backward a predetermined distance, then moving down or up a predetermined height, then moving forward another predetermined distance, then moving down or up another predetermined height, then moving backward another predetermined distance, etc., thereby driving the first image capturer 343 and the second image capturer 344 to move backward and backward and up and down relative to the side support rib 911 and the intermediate rib 912.

[0047] While controlling the displacement of the mounting arm unit 341, the control device 4 also controls the first image capturer 343 and the second image capturer 344 to start image capture, thereby obtaining a first image data corresponding to the left side bearing rib 911, another first image data corresponding to the right side bearing rib 911, and a second image data corresponding to the middle rib 912.

[0048] In this embodiment, the image capturing range of each first image capturer 343 can simultaneously cover multiple vertically spaced side bearing protrusions 911, that is, it can simultaneously acquire images of multiple side bearing protrusions 911 of a specific length. The image capturing range of the second image capturer 344 can also simultaneously cover multiple vertically spaced intermediate protrusions 912, and can simultaneously acquire images of multiple intermediate protrusions 912 of a specific length.

[0049] The control device 4 analyzes the first image data and the second image data to obtain a side layer distance data corresponding to the vertical spacing value of the side bearing rib 911 on the left, another side layer distance data corresponding to the vertical spacing value of the side bearing rib 911 on the right, and a middle layer distance data corresponding to the vertical spacing value of the middle rib 912.

[0050] During the process of controlling the forward and backward displacement of the mounting arm unit 341 relative to the box body 91, the first distance sensor 35 and the second distance sensor 36 will sense the distance to the rear inner wall surface of the box body 91, thereby obtaining two first distance data and two second distance data respectively. The control device 4 will analyze the first distance data and the second distance data to monitor the forward and backward displacement distance of the mounting arm unit 341, that is, to monitor the distance between the rear end of the mounting arm unit 341 and the rear inner wall surface, which can be used to prevent the mounting arm unit 341 from colliding with the rear inner wall surface of the box body 91.

[0051] Additionally, the housing 31 has a temporary storage space 314, which can be used to temporarily store the box body 91 after testing. However, in practice, the temporary storage space 314 is not necessary.

[0052] In this embodiment, the FOUP 900's housing body 91 has the intermediate rib 912 structure, so the second image data is captured by the second image capturer 344, and the control device 4 analyzes and obtains the vertical spacing of the intermediate rib 912. However, in practice, when the housing body 91 to be tested does not have the intermediate rib 912, the analysis of the second image data is not required, and in this case, the second image capturer 344 is not necessary.

[0053] In summary, by installing the first image capture device 343 on the mounting arm unit 341, and having the first image capture device 343 capture images of the side bearing ribs 911 on both sides, and then using image analysis to obtain the vertical spacing of the side bearing ribs 911, the vertical spacing of each length segment of the side bearing ribs 911 and the intermediate ribs 912 can be obtained more quickly in batches, which helps to quickly analyze the deformation state of the side bearing ribs 911 and the intermediate ribs 912. Therefore, the layer spacing detection device 200 for FOUP 900 of this utility model is indeed a very innovative and convenient creation, and it can indeed achieve the creative purpose of this utility model.

[0054] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of this utility model. Any simple equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims and description of this utility model shall still fall within the scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A layer spacing detection device for FOUP (Flat Form Assembly Unit), suitable for detecting the layer spacing of the FOUP box body, wherein the box body has an opening, and the left and right inner walls of the box body are respectively provided with a plurality of vertically spaced and symmetrically arranged side bearing ribs; the layer spacing detection device includes a layer spacing measuring device and a control device signal-connected to the layer spacing measuring device, characterized in that: The layer spacing measurement device includes a housing and at least one detection mechanism disposed on the housing. The housing has a support platform for positioning the box body with its opening facing forward. The at least one detection mechanism includes a transfer module disposed on the housing and a layer spacing measurement module disposed on the transfer module. The layer spacing measurement module includes a mounting arm unit mounted on the transfer module and two first image capture units mounted on the mounting arm unit. The transfer module can be controlled to drive the mounting arm unit to move the first image capture units backward into the box body and to drive the mounting arm unit to move the first image capture units vertically relative to the box body. The image capture directions of the first image capture units are opposite to each other, and each first image capture unit can capture images of the side support rib located in the corresponding direction to obtain first image data. The control device includes a control module and a layer spacing analysis module. The control module can be used to control the transfer module to move the mounting arm unit, and the layer spacing analysis module analyzes each first image data to obtain the side layer spacing data of the corresponding side support rib.

2. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rear inner wall of the box body has multiple vertically spaced protrusions, and the middle protrusions are located between the left and right opposing sides of the side bearing protrusions. The mounting arm unit of the layer spacing measurement module includes two mounting arms that extend forward and backward and are spaced apart left and right. The first image capture device is respectively disposed on the mounting arms. The layer spacing measurement module also includes a second image capture device disposed on one of the mounting arms. The second image capture device can be moved into the box body by the mounting arm unit and can move to one side to capture images of the middle protrusions to obtain second image data. The control device analyzes the second image data to obtain the middle layer spacing data corresponding to the middle protrusions.

3. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 1, characterized in that: The at least one detection mechanism further includes a first ranging sensor disposed on the mounting arm unit. The first ranging sensor can move forward toward the box body to obtain first ranging data. The control module analyzes the first ranging data to obtain a first spacing value. When it is determined that the first spacing value is less than or equal to a first threshold, the control module controls the adjustment module to stop adjusting the mounting arm unit backward.

4. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 2, characterized in that: The at least one detection mechanism further includes two first ranging sensors respectively disposed on the mounting arm. Each first ranging sensor can move forward toward the box body to detect and obtain first ranging data. The control module analyzes each first ranging data to obtain a first spacing value, and when it determines that one of the first spacing values ​​is less than or equal to a first threshold, it controls the adjustment module to stop adjusting the mounting arm unit backward.

5. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 4, characterized in that: The at least one detection mechanism further includes a second ranging sensor disposed on the mounting arm unit and between the opposing sides of the mounting arm. The second ranging sensor and the first ranging sensor are distributed at a distance from each other. The second ranging sensor can move forward toward the box body to detect and obtain second ranging data. The control module analyzes the second ranging data to obtain a second distance value. When the control module determines that one of the first distance values ​​is less than or equal to the first threshold, or determines that the second distance value is less than or equal to the second threshold, it controls the adjustment module to stop adjusting the mounting arm unit backward.

6. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adjustment module includes a translation slide rail extending forward and backward on the housing, a translation seat disposed on the translation slide rail capable of forward and backward displacement, a lifting slide rail disposed upright on the translation seat, a lifting seat disposed on the lifting slide rail capable of vertical displacement, a translation transmission unit mounted on the housing and connected to the translation seat, and a lifting transmission unit disposed on the lifting slide rail and connected to the lifting seat. The translation transmission unit can be controlled to drive the translation seat to move forward and backward along the translation slide rail, thereby driving the lifting slide rail to move forward and backward. The lifting transmission unit can be controlled to drive the lifting seat to move vertically relative to the lifting slide rail. The layer spacing measurement module is disposed on the lifting seat.

7. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The layer spacing detection device can be used to detect two of the box bodies. The layer spacing measurement device includes two detection mechanisms spaced apart on the housing. The bearing platform of the housing has two bearing areas corresponding to the detection mechanisms and used to support and position the box bodies respectively.

8. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 7, characterized in that: The bottom of the box body has four corners, and the top surface of each bearing area of ​​the bearing platform is provided with four positioning protrusions. The positioning protrusions can be used to allow the corresponding corners of the box body to be positioned against each other.

9. The layer spacing detection device for FOUP according to claim 7, characterized in that: The housing includes an equipment space for the testing mechanism and a temporary storage space located below the equipment space for accommodating the box body.

Images