Boat buffering device

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of semiconductor processing, and discloses a boat caching device, which is used for receiving a plurality of small boats picked up from a large boat and carried out by a receiving and releasing assembly, the boat caching device comprises at least one group of caching transmission assembly, the caching transmission assembly comprises a transmission chain mechanism and a cooling mechanism, the transmission chain mechanism is provided with a plurality of transmission positions, and the cooling mechanism is used for cooling the transmission positions. The conveying chain mechanism is used for sequentially receiving and conveying the small boats so that the small boats can be sequentially arranged on the conveying positions, the cooling mechanism is provided with a plurality of cooling fans, and the cooling fans correspond to the conveying positions one to one. The boat temporary storage device can directly receive small boats with high temperature after a process, directly radiates and cools the small boats on each transmission position, is not prone to high-temperature damage, and improves cooling efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to a boat buffer device. Background Technology

[0002] Edge passivation is a semiconductor passivation process that uses techniques such as chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition to deposit passivating materials on the wafer edge at high temperatures, forming a protective layer to reduce edge defects and damage. The wafer to be passivated is transported via a small boat buffer conveyor line. A robotic arm sequentially removes the small boats and places them into a larger boat, which then transports them to the reaction chamber for the passivation reaction. The small boats are quite hot after the process; if they are directly transported to the small boat buffer conveyor line, the conveyor belt, which is not heat-resistant, would be damaged by the hot boats. Therefore, existing passivation equipment typically places fans at the bottom or side of the larger boat, allowing the small boats to cool to a suitable temperature on the larger boat before being removed by the robotic arm and placed on the small boat buffer conveyor line. With a large number of small boats inside the larger boat, it is difficult for the fans to directly dissipate heat, resulting in low heat dissipation efficiency. Furthermore, the small boat buffering process can only begin after heat dissipation is complete, leading to extended production time. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a boat buffer device, which can solve the problems of existing passivation equipment where the conveyor belt is not resistant to high temperatures, requiring the small boat to be cooled on the large boat before it can be taken out for buffering, and the fan is difficult to directly dissipate heat from the small boat, resulting in low heat dissipation efficiency and extended production time.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A boat buffer device is provided for receiving multiple small boats picked up and transported from a large boat by a pick-and-place component. The large boat carries the multiple small boats. The boat buffer device includes at least one set of buffer transmission components. The buffer transmission components include a conveyor chain mechanism and a cooling mechanism. The conveyor chain mechanism has multiple transmission positions. The conveyor chain mechanism is used to sequentially receive and transport the multiple small boats so that the multiple small boats are arranged sequentially at the multiple transmission positions. The cooling mechanism has multiple cooling fans, and the multiple cooling fans correspond one-to-one with the multiple transmission positions.

[0006] In one embodiment, the boat buffer device further includes a buffer frame having at least two layers arranged along the height direction, wherein the top layer of the frame is used to support the large boat, and each layer of the frame is provided with at least one set of the buffer transmission components. The boat buffer device further includes a lifting and conveying component that can move up and down along the height direction of the buffer frame, and the lifting and conveying component can transfer multiple small boats to multiple sets of the buffer transmission components respectively.

[0007] In one embodiment, the conveyor chain mechanism has a receiving end and a buffer end arranged opposite to each other, the conveyor chain of the conveyor chain mechanism can move between the receiving end and the buffer end, and a plurality of the conveying positions are arranged sequentially between the receiving end and the buffer end; two sets of buffer conveying components are provided on the same layer of the frame, the receiving ends of each set of buffer conveying components are arranged opposite to each other, and the lifting conveying component can be lifted and lowered to be located between the two receiving ends.

[0008] In one embodiment, the lifting and conveying assembly is capable of transferring the small boat between any two of the multiple sets of buffer conveying assemblies.

[0009] In one embodiment, the transmission chain includes two spaced-apart chains and a plurality of support plates. The two ends of each support plate are connected to the two chains respectively. The plurality of support plates are arranged sequentially along the length of the chains, and the support plates are used to support the small boat.

[0010] In one embodiment, the transmission chain mechanism includes two sets of transmission chains, and the transmission chain mechanism also includes a driving sprocket and a driven sprocket arranged at intervals. The two sets of transmission chains are respectively meshed with the driving sprocket and the driven sprocket. The two ends of the boat are respectively mounted on the two sets of transmission chains. One end of the driving sprocket is connected to a power source, and the other end is drivenly connected to the driven sprocket.

[0011] In one embodiment, the conveyor chain mechanism further includes two baffles disposed on both sides of the conveyor chain along the width direction, the baffles being used to abut and limit the sides of the small boat.

[0012] In one embodiment, the conveyor chain mechanism further includes a guide rail extending along the transmission direction, to which the conveyor chain is movably connected.

[0013] In one embodiment, each set of the buffer transmission components includes two sets of the transmission chain mechanisms arranged in parallel, and two sets of the cooling mechanisms, with the two sets of cooling mechanisms and the two sets of transmission chain mechanisms corresponding one-to-one.

[0014] In one embodiment, the boat has an opening for picking up and placing wafers, and the cooling mechanism further includes a support frame located beside the conveyor chain mechanism. A plurality of the fans are connected to the support frame and spaced apart along the length of the conveyor chain mechanism, with the fans facing the opening.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0016] The boat buffer device provided by this utility model includes at least one buffer transmission component, which includes a conveyor chain mechanism and a cooling mechanism. The conveyor chain mechanism has multiple transmission positions. The conveyor chain mechanism is used to sequentially receive and transport multiple small boats, so that the multiple small boats are arranged sequentially at the multiple transmission positions. The cooling mechanism has multiple cooling fans, each corresponding to one of the multiple transmission positions. Because the conveyor chain mechanism uses chain drive, the metal material of the chain drive has better high-temperature resistance than belts, allowing it to directly receive the high-temperature small boats after processing without easily causing high-temperature damage. The multiple cooling fans of the cooling mechanism, corresponding one-to-one with the multiple transmission positions, can directly dissipate heat and cool the small boats at each transmission position, improving cooling efficiency. Therefore, the processed small boats can be directly placed on the conveyor chain mechanism by the pick-and-place component, and they can also be cooled during their transport on the conveyor chain mechanism to reach the transmission position, reducing the total cooling time and thus improving production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the boat buffer device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a front view of the structure of the boat buffer device provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the conveyor chain mechanism provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] In the picture:

[0023] 10. Pick-and-place assembly; 11. Pick-and-place robotic arm;

[0024] 1. Lifting and conveying assembly;

[0025] 2. Buffer transmission component; 21. Conveyor chain mechanism; 211. Receiver; 212. Buffer end; 213. Transmission chain; 2131. Chain; 2132. Support plate; 214. Drive sprocket; 215. Driven sprocket; 216. Motor; 217. Baffle; 218. Guide rail; 22. Cooling mechanism; 221. Fan; 222. Support frame;

[0026] 3. Cache rack; 31. Rack body;

[0027] 100. Small boat; 200. Large boat. Detailed Implementation

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

[0029] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element 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. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The terms "first position" and "second position" refer to two different positions. Moreover, "above," "on top of," and "over" the first feature in relation to the second feature includes the first feature directly above and diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "under," and "below" the first feature in relation to the second feature includes the first feature directly below and diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, this embodiment provides a boat buffer device for receiving and transporting multiple small boats 100 picked up and transported from a large boat 200 by a pick-and-place component 10. The large boat 200 carries multiple small boats 100. The boat buffer device includes at least one set of buffer transmission components 2, which include a conveyor chain mechanism 21 and a cooling mechanism 22. The conveyor chain mechanism 21 has multiple transmission positions. The conveyor chain mechanism 21 is used to sequentially receive and transport multiple small boats 100, so that the multiple small boats 100 are arranged sequentially at multiple transmission positions. The cooling mechanism 22 has multiple cooling fans 221, and the multiple cooling fans 221 correspond one-to-one with the multiple transmission positions. Since the conveyor chain mechanism 21 uses chain drive, the metal material of the chain drive has better high-temperature resistance than belts, and can directly receive small boats 100 with high temperatures after processing, and is less likely to cause high-temperature damage. The multiple cooling fans 221 of the cooling mechanism 22 correspond one-to-one with the multiple transmission positions, and can directly dissipate heat and cool the small boats 100 at each transmission position, improving cooling efficiency. Therefore, the finished boat 100 can be directly placed on the conveyor chain mechanism 21 by the pick-and-place component 10, and can also be cooled during the process of being transported on the conveyor chain mechanism 21 to the transfer position, reducing the total cooling time and thus improving production efficiency.

[0033] The specific structure and principle of the pick-and-place component 10 can be set with reference to existing technology, and this embodiment does not impose specific limitations. In one embodiment, the pick-and-place component 10 includes a pick-and-place robot 11, which takes out the small boat 100 from the large boat 200 and transfers it to the buffer transmission component 2.

[0034] To further increase the number of transmission bits, the boat buffer device also includes a buffer rack 3, which has at least two layers of racks 31 arranged along the height direction. The top layer of racks 31 is used to support the large boat 200, and each layer of racks 31 is provided with at least one set of buffer transmission components 2. The boat buffer device is also provided with a lifting and conveying component 1, which can move up and down along the height direction of the buffer rack 3. The lifting and conveying component 1 can transfer multiple small boats 100 inside the large boat 200 on the top layer of racks 31 to multiple sets of buffer transmission components 2 respectively. Exemplarily, in one embodiment, the buffer rack 3 has three layers of racks 31 arranged sequentially along the height direction, and the lifting and conveying component 1 can move up and down along the three layers of racks 31. In order to avoid the space occupied by the large boat 200, the top layer of racks 31 is provided with only one set of buffer transmission components 2, and the middle layer racks 31 and the lower layer racks 31 are each provided with two sets of buffer transmission components 2. The multi-layer frame 31 can form more transmission positions. The lifting and conveying component 1 can transfer multiple small boats 100 to the five sets of buffer transmission components 2 on the three-layer frame 31, while buffering more small boats 100 to meet process requirements.

[0035] The lifting structure of the lifting and conveying assembly 1 can be designed with reference to existing technologies, and this embodiment does not impose specific limitations. For example, the lifting and conveying assembly 1 can achieve lifting and lowering through a linear module, or by using a motor to drive a lead screw to rotate, thereby driving the conveying mechanism screwed to the lead screw to lift and lower.

[0036] The transmission chain mechanism 21 has a receiving end 211 and a buffer end 212 arranged opposite to each other. The transmission chain 213 of the transmission chain mechanism 21 can move between the receiving end 211 and the buffer end 212, and multiple transmission bits are sequentially arranged between the receiving end 211 and the buffer end 212. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the conveyor chain mechanism 21 has five transmission positions. The lifting and conveying assembly 1 places the first boat 100 from the receiving end 211 onto the conveyor chain 213. The conveyor chain 213 moves to transport the boat 100 to the buffer end 212. Then, the lifting and conveying assembly 1 places the second boat 100 from the receiving end 211 onto the conveyor chain 213. This process is repeated until all five transmission positions correspond to a boat 100.

[0037] For the middle and lower frame 31 with two sets of buffer transmission components 2 on the same layer frame 31, the receiving ends 211 of the two sets of buffer transmission components 2 are arranged opposite each other. The lifting and conveying component 1 can be lifted and lowered to be located between the two receiving ends 211, so that the small boat 100 can be transferred to the receiving ends 211 of the two sets of buffer transmission components 2 respectively at the middle position.

[0038] After being cooled by the boat buffer device, the small boat 100 is transported to the next workstation by an AGV trolley. One of the five sets of buffer transmission components 2 can be selected as the transport point. For example, the buffer transmission component 2 on the top shelf 31 is used as the transport point, and the small boat 100 transferred by the lifting conveyor component 1 is received first. After the lifting conveyor component 1 fills the transmission position of the buffer transmission component 2 on the top shelf 31, multiple small boats 100 are sequentially transferred to fill the transmission positions of the two sets of buffer transmission components 2 on the middle shelf 31, and finally multiple small boats 100 are transferred to fill the transmission positions of the two sets of buffer transmission components 2 on the lower shelf 31, until all transmission positions are buffered with small boats 100 to be cooled. After the multiple small boats 100 at the buffer transmission component 2 on the top shelf 31 are cooled to the set temperature, they are transported to the next workstation by the AGV. While waiting for the AGV to return, the lifting and conveying component 1 partially transports the multiple small boats 100 at one set of buffer transmission components 2 on the middle shelf 31 to the top shelf 31, and the multiple small boats 100 at another set of buffer transmission components 2 on the middle shelf 31 are sequentially transferred to the vacant transmission positions on the same floor. Then, multiple small boats 100 from one set of buffer transmission components 2 on the lower frame 31 are moved to the middle frame 31 to fill the vacant transmission positions. Multiple small boats 100 from another set of buffer transmission components 2 on the lower frame 31 are sequentially transferred to the vacant transmission positions on the same layer. In this way, the other set of buffer transmission components 2 on the lower frame 31 can receive the small boats 100 that have just completed the process. This cycle is repeated to ensure that the AGV only needs to transport items at the transport points on the top frame 31, and that each transported small boat 100 can get enough cooling time.

[0039] It should be noted that, for the two sets of buffer transmission components 2 of the middle frame 31, the buffer transmission component 2 that transfers the small boat 100 on the transmission position to the top frame 31 is the first set to receive the small boat 100 transferred by the lifting and conveying component 1; similarly, for the two sets of buffer transmission components 2 of the lower frame 31, the buffer transmission component 2 that transfers the small boat 100 on the transmission position to the middle frame 31 is the first set to receive the small boat 100 transferred by the lifting and conveying component 1.

[0040] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the transmission chain 213 includes two spaced chains 2131 and multiple support plates 2132. The two ends of each support plate 2132 are connected to the two chains 2131 respectively. The multiple support plates 2132 are arranged sequentially along the length of the chains 2131, and the two chains 2131 simultaneously drive the support plates 2132 to move. The support plates 2132 are used to support the small boat 100, increasing the stability of the support for the small boat 100.

[0041] To improve the heat dissipation performance of the conveyor chain mechanism 21, the conveyor chain mechanism 21 includes two sets of conveyor chains 213, with both ends of the small boat 100 mounted on the two sets of conveyor chains 213 respectively. This way, the two sets of conveyor chains 213 support both ends of the small boat 100, reducing the contact area with the small boat 100, and the lower part of the small boat 100 is suspended, facilitating heat dissipation from below. The conveyor chain mechanism 21 also includes a drive sprocket 214 and a driven sprocket 215 spaced apart, with the two sets of conveyor chains 213 meshing with the drive sprocket 214 and the driven sprocket 215 respectively. One end of the drive sprocket 214 is connected to the motor 216, and the other end is connected to the driven sprocket 215 via a drive shaft. The motor 216 drives the drive sprocket 214 to rotate, and the drive sprocket 214 causes the driven sprocket 215 to rotate synchronously via the intermediate drive shaft, ensuring that the transmission speed of the two sets of conveyor chains 213 remains consistent. The motor 216 is equipped with a speed reducer to meet the transmission speed requirements of the conveyor chain mechanism 21.

[0042] The transmission chain 213, drive sprocket 214, and driven sprocket 215 are all made of steel, while the bearing plate 2132 is made of aluminum. This design ensures the bearings can withstand the temperature of the small boat 100 after processing and prevents damage or deformation due to high temperatures. This embodiment does not impose any restrictions on the alloy composition of the steel or aluminum materials.

[0043] The conveyor chain mechanism 21 also includes two baffles 217 disposed on both sides of the conveyor chain 213 along the width direction. When the small boat 100 is placed on the conveyor chain 213, the baffles 217 are used to abut and limit the sides of the small boat 100 to prevent the small boat 100 from tipping over during the transmission process.

[0044] The conveyor chain mechanism 21 also includes a guide rail 218, which extends along the transmission direction, and the conveyor chain 213 is movably connected to the guide rail 218. The guide rail 218 can improve the stability of the conveyor chain 213, ensure that the conveyor chain 213 moves along the transmission direction, and prevent the conveyor chain 213 from deviating.

[0045] To further increase the buffering capacity, each buffer transmission component 2 includes two sets of parallel transmission chain mechanisms 21 and two sets of cooling mechanisms 22, with each set of cooling mechanisms 22 corresponding to one set of transmission chain mechanisms 21. The three-layer frame 31 can form ten sets of transmission chain mechanisms 21, each set of transmission chain mechanisms 21 having five transmission positions, thus forming a total of 50 transmission positions for the buffer device.

[0046] The small boat 100 has an opening for picking up and placing wafers, through which the wafers are placed inside the small boat 100. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the cooling mechanism 22 also includes a support frame 222, which is located on the side of the conveyor chain mechanism 21. Multiple fans 221 are connected to the support frame 222 and are spaced apart along the length of the conveyor chain mechanism 21. The air outlet of the fans 221 faces the opening, further improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

[0047] Obviously, the above embodiments of this utility model are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present utility model, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions without departing from the protection scope of this utility model. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively describe all embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A boat caching device for receiving a plurality of small boats (100) picked up and carried out of a large boat (200) by a pick-and-place assembly (10), the large boat (200) carrying a plurality of the small boats (100), characterised in that, The boat caching device comprises at least one set of caching transmission assembly (2), the caching transmission assembly (2) comprises a conveying chain mechanism (21) and a cooling mechanism (22), the conveying chain mechanism (21) has a plurality of transmission positions, the conveying chain mechanism (21) is used for sequentially receiving and conveying a plurality of small boats (100), so that a plurality of small boats (100) are sequentially arranged in a plurality of transmission positions, and the cooling mechanism (22) has a plurality of cooling fans (221), and the plurality of cooling fans (221) and the plurality of transmission positions correspond one by one.

2. The boat caching device of claim 1, wherein, The boat caching device further comprises a caching rack (3), the caching rack (3) has at least two layers of rack bodies (31) arranged along the height direction, wherein the top layer of the rack body (31) is used for carrying the large boat (200), and each layer of the rack body (31) is provided with at least one set of the caching transmission assembly (2), and the boat caching device further comprises a lifting conveying assembly (1), the lifting conveying assembly (1) can be lifted along the height direction of the caching rack (3), and the lifting conveying assembly (1) can carry a plurality of small boats (100) to a plurality of sets of the caching transmission assembly (2) respectively.

3. The boat caching device of claim 2, wherein, The conveying chain mechanism (21) has a receiving end (211) and a caching end (212) arranged oppositely, the transmission chain (213) of the conveying chain mechanism (21) can move between the receiving end (211) and the caching end (212), and a plurality of transmission positions are sequentially arranged between the receiving end (211) and the caching end (212); the same layer of the rack body (31) is provided with two sets of the caching transmission assembly (2), the receiving ends (211) of each set of the caching transmission assembly (2) are arranged oppositely, and the lifting conveying assembly (1) can be lifted to be located between the two receiving ends (211).

4. The boat caching device of claim 2, wherein, The lifting conveying assembly (1) can carry the small boat (100) between any two of the plurality of sets of the caching transmission assembly (2).

5. The boat caching device of claim 3, wherein, The transmission chain (213) comprises two spaced-apart chains (2131) and a plurality of bearing plates (2132), both ends of the bearing plate (2132) are connected to the two chains (2131) respectively, a plurality of bearing plates (2132) are sequentially arranged along the length direction of the chain (2131), and the bearing plate (2132) is used for supporting the small boat (100).

6. The boat caching device of claim 3, wherein, The conveying chain mechanism (21) comprises two sets of the transmission chain (213), the conveying chain mechanism (21) further comprises a driving sprocket (214) and a driven sprocket (215) arranged at intervals, the two sets of the transmission chain (213) are respectively engaged and connected to the driving sprocket (214) and the driven sprocket (215), and both ends of the small boat (100) are respectively arranged on the two sets of the transmission chain (213); one end of the driving sprocket (214) is connected to a power source, and the other end is drivingly connected to the driven sprocket (215).

7. The boat caching device of claim 3, wherein, The conveying chain mechanism (21) further comprises two baffle plates (217) arranged on both sides of the conveying chain (213) in the width direction, which are used to abut and limit both sides of the boat (100).

8. The boat caching device of claim 3, wherein, The conveying chain mechanism (21) further comprises a guide rail (218) extending in the conveying direction, and the conveying chain (213) is movably connected to the guide rail (218).

9. The boat caching device of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, Each group of the buffer conveying assembly (2) comprises two groups of the conveying chain mechanism (21) arranged side by side, and two groups of the cooling mechanism (22), which correspond to the two groups of the conveying chain mechanism (21) one by one.

10. The boat caching device of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The boat (100) has an opening for taking and placing wafers, and the cooling mechanism (22) further comprises a support frame (222) located beside the conveying chain mechanism (21), a plurality of fans (221) are connected to the support frame (222) and arranged at intervals along the length direction of the conveying chain mechanism (21), and the fans (221) face the opening.

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