Anti-fragment arm structure of wafer conveying machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of wafer processing equipment, in particular to an anti-fragment arm structure of a wafer transfer machine, which comprises an arm used for being connected with a control unit, the upper side of the front end of the arm is detachably connected with an adsorption seat, and the end face of the adsorption seat is provided with an air hole; an air channel is formed in the arm, and the air hole is communicated with the air channel through a joint assembly; the front end of the arm and the front end of the adsorption seat are respectively provided with a receding surface, the design of the receding surfaces of the connecting part and the adsorption seat is used for reducing the thickness of the whole front end, the inclined surface structure is adopted, when the arm is inserted into a wafer box, the rigid collision problem with a wafer is reduced, and the service life of the wafer box is prolonged. And secondly, the overall thickness between the connecting part and the adsorption seat is designed to be 2mm, so that more moving space can be provided between the upper wafer and the lower wafer of the wafer box under the condition of ensuring the overall strength, and even if the wafers warp in a certain range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wafer processing equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer transfer machine arm structure that prevents wafer breakage. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, wafers, as a core component of high-precision products, require particularly strict quality control during their production process. Wafer breakage rate is a key indicator of production efficiency and quality, directly impacting product cost and market competitiveness. Therefore, reducing wafer breakage rate during production has always been a major focus for manufacturers.

[0003] In existing wafer manufacturing processes, wafers exhibit varying warpage and thickness at different process stages. During wafer transfer, common wafer transfer machines are typically used. The core design logic of these machines is based on setting the initial position of the first wafer in the wafer cassette and then picking up and placing wafers according to fixed settings. However, when wafer warpage is excessive, causing changes in the actual gap thickness, the transfer machine arms are prone to scraping or colliding during wafer handling, leading to wafer breakage.

[0004] To address this issue, existing wafer fabs typically optimize each process step to reduce wafer warpage. However, this approach is not only costly to optimize but also time-consuming, making it difficult to meet the needs of high-efficiency production. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies, such as high cost and long optimization cycle when optimizing each process, and to propose a fragment-proof transfer machine arm structure.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] Design a fragment transfer machine arm structure to prevent fragment breakage, including an arm for connecting a control unit, an adsorption seat detachably connected to the upper front end of the arm, and air holes on the end face of the adsorption seat;

[0008] The arm has an air passage inside, and the air hole is connected to the air passage via a coupling assembly;

[0009] Both the arm and the front end of the adsorption seat have a clearance surface.

[0010] Furthermore, the arm includes a mounting portion and a connecting portion that is fixedly connected to the mounting portion;

[0011] The air passage is formed in the mounting part and the connecting part, and the end face of the mounting part also has a connector that communicates with the air passage.

[0012] Furthermore, the thickness of the connecting part and the adsorption seat is 2 mm.

[0013] Furthermore, the joining assembly includes a connecting tube fixed to the lower side of the adsorption seat, and the end face of the connecting part has a through hole, the connecting tube being inserted into the through hole.

[0014] Furthermore, a groove is formed on the outer periphery of the connecting part at the connecting part, and a sealing gasket is placed in the groove, the sealing gasket being sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube.

[0015] Furthermore, a sleeve is threaded to the bottom of the connecting part, and a ball head rod is movably inserted into the inside of the sleeve via a spring. The top end of the ball head rod abuts and seals against the communicating hole.

[0016] Furthermore, the bottom of the connecting tube abuts against the ball joint rod, and an air inlet notch is also provided on the outer side of the bottom of the connecting tube.

[0017] Furthermore, the adsorption seat is an elastic element;

[0018] An outwardly expanding groove is also formed around the air hole on the end face of the adsorption seat.

[0019] Furthermore, the externally expanding air groove has a T-shaped structure.

[0020] Furthermore, several arc-shaped scale marks are provided on the end face of the connecting part.

[0021] The present invention proposes a wafer transfer arm structure with anti-fragmentation features, which have the following advantages: By adopting a design with avoidance surfaces in the connecting part and the adsorption seat, the overall front-end thickness is reduced. The inclined surface structure reduces the problem of rigid collision with the wafer when the arm is inserted into the wafer cassette. Secondly, the overall thickness between the connecting part and the adsorption seat is designed to be 2mm, which provides more movement space between the upper and lower wafers in the wafer cassette while ensuring overall strength. Thus, even if the wafer warps within a certain range, the adsorption seat can still smoothly enter between the wafers to adsorb and grasp them, reducing the problem of rigid collision. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the adsorption seat structure of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the adsorption seat of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the adsorption seat of this utility model.

[0026] In the diagram: 1. Arm; 11. Air passage; 12. Mounting part; 13. Connecting part; 14. Connector; 15. Connecting hole; 16. Arc-shaped scale mark; 17. Sealing ring; 2. Adsorption seat; 21. Air hole; 22. Outward expansion air groove; 3. Connecting assembly; 31. Connecting pipe; 32. Sleeve; 33. Spring; 34. Ball head rod; 35. Air inlet notch; 4. Clearance surface. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0028] Reference Figure 1-4 As an embodiment of this utility model, a fragment transfer machine arm structure for preventing fragment breakage is disclosed. The arm structure includes an arm 1 for connecting a control unit. The control unit can be configured as a robotic arm to drive the arm 1 to move. An adsorption seat 2 is detachably connected to the upper side of the front end of the arm 1. The end face of the adsorption seat 2 has an air hole 21.

[0029] The arm 1 has an air passage 11 inside, and the air hole 21 is connected to the air passage 11 through the connecting assembly 3;

[0030] Both the arm 1 and the adsorption seat 2 have a clearance surface 4 at their front ends. Specifically, in this embodiment, the clearance surface 4 is set as an inclined surface. The design of the clearance surface 4 can reduce the thickness of the front ends of the arm 1 and the adsorption seat 2. The inclined surface structure reduces the problem of rigid collision with the wafer when the arm 1 is inserted into the wafer cassette.

[0031] In some embodiments, the arm 1 of the present invention includes a mounting part 12 and a connecting part 13 that is fixedly connected to the mounting part 12. The mounting part 12 has a mounting hole on its end face, and the mounting hole can be connected to the control unit through a fastener.

[0032] The air passage 11 is formed in the mounting part 12 and the connecting part 13. The end face of the mounting part 12 also has a connector 14 that connects to the air passage 11. Specifically, in this embodiment, there are two connectors 14, which are used to connect the vacuum equipment and the air pump equipment to realize the vacuuming and blowing operations.

[0033] It should be noted that the thickness of the connecting part 13 and the adsorption seat 2 in this embodiment is 2 mm. Specifically, the common thickness of the connecting part 13 and the adsorption seat 2 is reduced to 2 mm. Since the current industry standard is that the spacing between wafers in the wafer cassette is 4750 μm, the 2 mm thickness design can meet the operation requirements of the adsorption seat 2 inside the wafer cassette. The connecting part 13 and the adsorption seat 2 have sufficient operating space with the wafer to avoid the risk of scratching the wafer when it warps.

[0034] Based on the above embodiments, the joining assembly 3 in this embodiment includes a connecting tube 31 fixed to the lower side of the adsorption seat 2. The end face of the connecting part 13 has a through hole 15, and the connecting tube 31 is inserted into the through hole 15. Of course, in this embodiment, the connecting tube 31 and the air hole 21 are interconnected. When the adsorption seat 2 is fixed on the connecting part 13, the air hole 21 and the air channel 11 are interconnected by the connecting tube 31 inserted into the through hole 15. When vacuum adsorbing the wafer, the negative pressure of the through hole 15 is used to grasp the wafer.

[0035] Of course, considering the connection and sealing of the connecting tube 31, in this embodiment, the connecting part 13 is provided with a groove on the outer periphery of the connecting hole 15. A sealing gasket 17 is placed in the groove and is sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube 31. Through the design of the sealing gasket, when the adsorption seat 2 is connected and fixed with the connecting part 13, the sealing gasket 17 is squeezed to improve the connection and sealing between the two.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bottom of the connecting part 13 is threadedly connected to a sleeve 32, and a ball head rod 34 is movably inserted into the inside of the sleeve 32 through a spring 33. The top end of the ball head rod 34 abuts against the connecting hole 15 for sealing. That is, the design of the ball head rod 34 in this utility model can achieve the sealing of the connecting hole 15, thus achieving the initial sealing operation of the connecting hole 15. The connecting hole 15 can be closed when the adsorption seat 2 is disassembled to prevent dust and other impurities from entering.

[0037] Of course, in order to ensure that the connecting pipe 31 can remain connected to the air passage 11, the bottom of the connecting pipe 31 in this utility model abuts against the ball head rod 34, and an air inlet notch 35 is also provided on the outer side of the bottom of the connecting pipe 31. That is, in this embodiment, since the bottom of the connecting pipe 31 contacts the top of the ball head rod 34 and abuts against it to move downward, the connection between the connecting pipe 31 and the air passage 11 can be maintained by the design of opening an air inlet notch 35 on the side of the connecting pipe 31.

[0038] It should be noted that the adsorption seat 2 in this embodiment is an elastic element. Specifically, the adsorption seat 2 in this embodiment can be made of silicone. The design of the elastic element can realize flexible contact between the adsorption seat and the wafer, so as to improve the adsorption tightness between the adsorption seat and the wafer during negative pressure adsorption, and at the same time avoid scratching the wafer. In this embodiment, the adsorption seat 2 is fixed to the connecting part 13 by bolts. Specifically, in this embodiment, four bolts are provided, all of which pass through the connecting part 13 and are threadedly connected to the adsorption seat 2.

[0039] In addition, in order to increase the negative pressure adsorption area of ​​the pore 21, an outward expansion groove 22 is formed around the pore 21 on the end face of the adsorption seat 2. Preferably, the outward expansion groove 22 in this embodiment has a T-shaped structure.

[0040] In some embodiments, the end face of the connecting part 13 in this invention is provided with a plurality of arc-shaped scale marks 16. Specifically, the arc-shaped scale marks 16 in this embodiment are used to visually display the outer edge positions of 4-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch wafers, so as to ensure the positional accuracy of the adsorption seat 2 when adsorbing different wafers.

[0041] In summary, this invention employs a design with a clearance surface 4 in the connecting part 13 and the adsorption seat 2 to reduce the overall front-end thickness. The inclined surface structure reduces the rigid collision problem with the wafer when the arm 1 is inserted into the wafer cassette. Furthermore, the overall thickness between the connecting part 13 and the adsorption seat 2 is designed to be 2mm. While ensuring overall strength, this design provides more space for movement between the upper and lower wafers in the wafer cassette. Thus, even if the wafer warps within a certain range, the adsorption seat 2 can still smoothly enter between the wafers to adsorb and grasp them, reducing the problem of rigid collision.

[0042] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A fragment-proof conveyor arm structure, comprising an arm (1) for connecting a control unit, characterized in that: An adsorption seat (2) is detachably connected to the upper side of the front end of the arm (1), and the end face of the adsorption seat (2) has an air hole (21). The arm (1) has an air passage (11) inside, and the air hole (21) is connected to the air passage (11) through a connecting assembly (3); Both the arm (1) and the adsorption seat (2) have a clearance surface (4) at their front ends.

2. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arm (1) includes a mounting part (12) and a connecting part (13) that is fixedly connected to the mounting part (12); The air passage (11) is formed in the mounting part (12) and the connecting part (13), and the end face of the mounting part (12) also has a connector (14) that communicates with the air passage (11).

3. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the connecting part (13) and the adsorption seat (2) is 2 mm.

4. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The joining assembly (3) includes a connecting tube (31) fixed to the lower side of the adsorption seat (2), and the end face of the connecting part (13) has a through hole (15), and the connecting tube (31) is inserted into the through hole (15).

5. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The connecting part (13) has a groove on the outer periphery of the connecting hole (15), and a sealing gasket (17) is placed in the groove. The sealing gasket (17) is sleeved on the outside of the connecting tube (31).

6. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The bottom of the connecting part (13) is threaded with a sleeve (32), and a ball head rod (34) is movably inserted into the inside of the sleeve (32) through a spring (33). The top end of the ball head rod (34) abuts and seals against the connecting hole (15).

7. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bottom of the connecting pipe (31) abuts against the ball head rod (34), and an air inlet notch (35) is also provided on the outer side of the bottom of the connecting pipe (31).

8. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption seat (2) is an elastic element; An outwardly expanding air groove (22) is also formed around the air hole (21) on the end face of the adsorption seat (2).

9. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 8, characterized in that: The external expansion slot (22) has a T-shaped structure.

10. The anti-fragmentation conveyor arm structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: Several arc-shaped scale marks (16) are provided on the end face of the connecting part (13).

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