Sheet taking tool
By integrating a motor, lead screw, lifting seat, and sensors into a wafer-picking fixture, automated detection and control of silicon wafers has been achieved, solving the problems of time-consuming and labor-intensive traditional wafer picking processes and easy damage to silicon wafers, thereby improving production efficiency and product quality.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202520089962.2
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-15
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-10
- Estimated Expiration
- 2035-01-15
AI Technical Summary
Traditional rework cleaning machines are time-consuming and labor-intensive in the unloading and unloading process, which can easily lead to silicon wafer breakage. In addition, they lack automation, which affects production efficiency and product quality.
A wafer-picking fixture integrating a motor, lead screw, lifting seat, wafer-picking mechanism, and sensors was designed to achieve automated detection and control. The sensor detects the presence of the basket and silicon wafer, drives the motor to rotate, and moves the lead screw to complete the automatic lifting and placement of the silicon wafer.
It improves production efficiency, reduces manual intervention, lowers production costs, ensures the stability and quality of silicon wafers, and is adaptable to different types and specifications of silicon wafers.
Smart Images
Figure CN223899659U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of battery production equipment technology, and more specifically, to a wafer picking tool. Background Technology
[0002] Solar energy, as a clean and renewable energy source, plays a vital role in alleviating the energy crisis and reducing environmental pollution. In the field of solar photovoltaic utilization, solar cells are one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic research projects in recent years. The fabrication of solar cells is primarily based on semiconductor materials, and their working principle utilizes the photovoltaic effect generated by sunlight illuminating a semiconductor pn junction to convert light energy into electrical energy.
[0003] With the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry, the production efficiency and product quality of solar cells have become key to corporate competitiveness. During the solar cell production process, various factors (such as process defects and material problems) necessitate rework for some products. Rework cleaning machines, as an important component of cleaning equipment, are widely used in the photovoltaic industry. However, traditional rework cleaning machines have numerous problems in their unloading and retrieving processes.
[0004] In the HJT process, CVD and PVD processes produce defective wafers, which need to be cleaned using a rework cleaning machine. Currently, most rework cleaning machines are semi-automated, lacking corresponding automated loading and unloading robots. Operators need to manually pick up the baskets, place them on a basket transport cart, and then transport them to the wafer handling fixture to collect the silicon wafers. This process is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive, but also prone to wafer breakage due to improper operation, increasing production costs.
[0005] Furthermore, traditional wafer-retrieving tooling designs often fail to adequately consider the structural and manufacturing differences between heterojunction solar cells and conventional crystalline silicon solar cells. These differences can lead to issues such as fragmentation and scratches during wafer retrieving, further impacting cell quality and yield. Simultaneously, with the continuous improvement of automated production levels, the degree of automation in wafer-retrieving tooling directly affects overall production efficiency. Insufficient automation in the wafer-retrieving tooling will require more manual intervention, increasing labor costs and potentially affecting production efficiency and product quality. Utility Model Content
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer-retrieving tool to solve the many problems in the traditional wafer-retrieving process of rework cleaning machines mentioned in the background art.
[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a wafer picking fixture, including a fixture table, a lead screw installed at the bottom of the fixture table, a lifting seat installed on the lead screw, a wafer lifting mechanism installed on the top of the lifting seat, a flower basket positioning frame installed in the middle of the top of the fixture table, and sensor brackets installed on both sides of the top of the fixture table. One of the sensor brackets is equipped with a flower basket detection sensor, and the other sensor bracket is equipped with a silicon wafer sensing sensor.
[0008] Preferably, the bottom of the tooling table is equipped with guide rails on both sides of the lifting seat, and sliders are installed on both sides of the lifting seat, with the sliders sliding vertically in cooperation with the guide rails.
[0009] Preferably, the top plate mechanism is horizontally arranged, has a U-shaped cross-section, and has horizontally arranged serrations on the top.
[0010] Preferably, a motor is installed on one side of the tooling table, and the bottom output shaft of the motor is connected to the bottom driven shaft of the lead screw via a pulley.
[0011] Preferably, a sensor signal line is provided on the inner side of the sensor bracket. The flower basket detection sensor and the silicon wafer sensing sensor are respectively connected to the driver through the sensor signal line. The driver is connected to the motor through a line. The output end of the driver is connected to a start / stop switch through a line. The start / stop switch is located on the top side of the tooling table.
[0012] Preferably, the driver is equipped with a pre-programmed chip. After the flower basket is placed, the flower basket detection sensor and the silicon wafer detection sensor simultaneously detect the flower basket and the silicon wafer, and transmit signals to the driver. The driver controls the motor to rotate through the internal chip, which in turn drives the lead screw to move, thereby realizing the lifting operation of the top wafer mechanism.
[0013] Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the lead screw are connected and fixed to the inner side plate of the tooling table through bearing seats.
[0014] Preferably, the bottom of the top plate mechanism is detachably mounted on the lifting seat via a bracket.
[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:
[0016] This wafer-retrieving fixture automates the wafer-retrieving process by integrating components such as a motor, lead screw, lifting platform, wafer-lifting mechanism, and sensors. The operator simply places the wafer basket within the positioning frame; the sensors automatically detect the presence of the basket and the silicon wafer, triggering a driver to rotate the motor, which in turn moves the lead screw, causing the wafer-lifting mechanism to rise and lift the wafer, completing the wafer-retrieving action. This process significantly reduces manual intervention and improves production efficiency.
[0017] The wafer-top mechanism employs a horizontally positioned U-shaped plate structure with horizontally arranged serrations at the top. This design provides more stable support for the silicon wafers, reducing scratches and breakage during the wafer removal process. Simultaneously, automated operation avoids wafer breakage caused by improper manual handling, thus lowering production costs.
[0018] The design of this wafer-removing fixture fully considers the structural and process differences between heterojunction solar cells and conventional crystalline silicon solar cells. By adjusting parameters such as sensor sensitivity, the shape and size of the wafer-removing mechanism, it can accommodate different types and specifications of silicon wafers, improving the fixture's versatility and adaptability.
[0019] The automated wafer picking process not only reduces the time spent on manual handling and placing of flower baskets, but also achieves fast and accurate wafer picking through precise sensor detection and motor control. This makes the entire production process smoother and improves production efficiency.
[0020] Because this wafer-picking fixture is highly automated, the need for operators is reduced. Companies can save significant labor costs and allocate these resources to other processes that require more human intervention, further optimizing the production flow.
[0021] Automated wafer picking reduces the impact of human factors on product quality, such as breakage or scratches caused by improper operation. Meanwhile, precise sensor detection and motor control ensure the accuracy and stability of wafer picking, thereby improving the overall product quality. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;
[0023] Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the present invention;
[0024] Figure 3 This is a side view of the present invention.
[0025] Figure 4 This is a bottom view of the structure of this utility model;
[0026] The meanings of the labels in the diagram are as follows:
[0027] 1. Tooling table; 2. Lead screw; 21. Lead screw driven shaft; 3. Guide rail; 4. Lifting seat; 41. Slider; 5. Motor; 51. Pulley; 6. Driver; 7. Top plate mechanism; 8. Start / stop switch; 9. Flower basket positioning frame; 10. Sensor bracket; 101. Sensor signal line; 11. Flower basket detection sensor; 12. Silicon wafer sensing sensor. Detailed Implementation
[0028] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0029] This utility model provides a wafer picking fixture, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, the fixture includes a tooling table 1, a lead screw 2 installed at the bottom of the tooling table 1, a lifting seat 4 mounted on the lead screw 2, a wafer-mounting mechanism 7 mounted on the top of the lifting seat 4, a basket positioning frame 9 mounted in the center of the top of the tooling table 1, and sensor brackets 10 mounted on both sides of the top of the tooling table 1. One sensor bracket 10 is equipped with a basket detection sensor 11, and the other sensor bracket 10 is equipped with a silicon wafer sensing sensor 12. The tooling table 1, as the main support structure, combined with the lead screw 2 and the lifting seat 4 installed at the bottom, forms a stable lifting mechanism. This structural design ensures the stability of the wafer-mounting fixture during operation, providing a reliable foundation for subsequent silicon wafer handling.
[0030] The screw 2 and the lifting seat 4 work together to enable the lifting function of the wafer-mounting mechanism 7. This design allows the silicon wafer to be automatically lifted or lowered as needed, reducing the tediousness of manual operation and improving work efficiency.
[0031] The flower basket positioning frame 9 at the top center of the tooling table 1 ensures accurate placement of the flower basket, providing precise positioning for the loading and unloading of silicon wafers. Meanwhile, the flower basket detection sensor 11 and silicon wafer sensing sensor 12 mounted on the sensor brackets on both sides 10 can detect the presence and status of the flower basket and silicon wafer in real time, providing accurate signal input for automated control.
[0032] The introduction of the basket detection sensor 11 and the silicon wafer sensing sensor 12 makes intelligent control of the wafer picking fixture possible. By connecting to the subsequent control system, the height of the lifting seat 4 and the movement of the wafer-top mechanism 7 can be automatically adjusted according to the sensor signals, thereby achieving more precise and efficient silicon wafer picking and placing operations.
[0033] Improving production efficiency and reducing labor intensity: The combination of automated lifting function and precise sensor positioning greatly reduces the time and labor intensity of manual operation. Operators only need to place the flower basket in the flower basket positioning frame 9, and the rest of the picking process can be completed automatically by the tooling, thereby significantly improving production efficiency.
[0034] In this embodiment, guide rails 3 are installed on both sides of the bottom of the tooling table 1, located on the lifting seat 4. Slider blocks 41 are installed on both sides of the lifting seat 4, and the sliders 41 slide vertically with the guide rails 3. The vertical sliding engagement between the guide rails 3 installed at the bottom of the tooling table 1 and the sliders 41 on both sides of the lifting seat 4 ensures that the lifting seat 4 can rise or fall smoothly and linearly under the drive of the lead screw 2. This design improves the stability and accuracy of the lifting action, avoids shaking or deviation during the lifting process, and thus ensures that the top wafer mechanism 7 can accurately lift or lower the silicon wafer.
[0035] Specifically, the top wafer mechanism 7 is horizontally positioned with a U-shaped cross-section and horizontally arranged serrations at the top. This design allows the top wafer mechanism to distribute pressure more evenly when lifting the silicon wafer, avoiding localized damage. Simultaneously, the serrated design increases the contact area and friction with the silicon wafer, improving the stability and reliability of the lifting action.
[0036] Furthermore, a motor 5 is installed on one side of the interior of the tooling table 1. The bottom output shaft of the motor 5 is connected to the bottom driven shaft 21 of the lead screw 2 via a pulley 51. This realizes the conversion from motor rotation to lead screw lifting. This design enables the motor to efficiently drive the lead screw movement, thereby controlling the lifting height of the lifting seat 4 and the top plate mechanism 7, improving the automation level and control accuracy of the entire plate-retrieving tooling.
[0037] Furthermore, a sensor signal line 101 is provided on the inner side of the sensor bracket 10. The flower basket detection sensor 11 and the silicon wafer sensing sensor 12 are respectively connected to the driver 6 through the sensor signal line 101. The driver 6 is connected to the motor 5 through a line. The output terminal of the driver 6 is connected to a start / stop switch 8 through a line. The start / stop switch 8 is located on the top side of the fixture table 1. The sensor signal line 101 provided on the inner side of the sensor bracket 10 transmits the signals of the flower basket detection sensor 11 and the silicon wafer sensing sensor 12 to the driver 6, and the driver is then connected to the motor 5 through a line. This design realizes the rapid transmission of sensor signals to the motor 5, enabling the wafer picking fixture to adjust its working state in real time according to the sensor detection results, thereby improving the response speed and intelligence level of the entire system.
[0038] Furthermore, a pre-programmed chip is installed inside the driver 6. After the basket is placed, the basket detection sensor 11 and the silicon wafer detection sensor 12 simultaneously detect the basket and the silicon wafer, transmitting signals to the driver 6. The driver 6 then controls the rotation of the motor 5 via its internal chip, which in turn drives the lead screw 2 to move, thus realizing the lifting operation of the wafer-lifting mechanism 7. This design enables the wafer-lifting fixture to automatically complete the wafer-lifting and placing process without manual intervention, greatly improving work efficiency and automation.
[0039] Furthermore, the upper and lower ends of the lead screw 2 are connected and fixed to the internal side plate of the tooling table 1 via bearing seats. This ensures the stability and rigidity of the lead screw 2 during the lifting process. This design avoids deformation or damage to the lead screw 2 due to uneven force or vibration, extending the service life of the wafer picking tool.
[0040] Furthermore, the bottom of the top wafer mechanism 7 is detachably mounted on the lifting base 4 via a bracket. This design allows for easy disassembly and replacement of the top wafer mechanism, facilitating maintenance and upkeep of the wafer-retrieving fixture. Simultaneously, it allows for adjustment of the shape and size of the top wafer mechanism according to different silicon wafer specifications, improving the versatility and flexibility of the wafer-retrieving fixture.
[0041] When in use, the wafer-retrieving fixture of this invention first forms a stable lifting mechanism through the lead screw 2 and the lifting seat 4 installed at the bottom inside. When wafer retrieval is required, the operator first places the basket containing the silicon wafers into the basket positioning frame 9 on the top of the fixture table 1 to ensure accurate basket positioning.
[0042] Then, pressing the start / stop switch 8 activates the basket detection sensor 11 and silicon wafer sensing sensor 12 on the sensor brackets 10 on both sides of the workbench 1, which then detect the presence of the basket and silicon wafer in real time. Once the sensors detect the basket and silicon wafer, they transmit signals to the driver 6 via the sensor signal line 101.
[0043] The driver 6 has a pre-programmed chip embedded in it, which can automatically process the received signals and issue commands. When the driver 6 receives the detection signals from the flower basket and the silicon wafer, it will start the motor 5 through the circuit control. The bottom output shaft of the motor 5 is connected to the bottom driven shaft 21 of the lead screw 2 through the pulley 51, so the rotation of the motor 5 will drive the lead screw 2 to move.
[0044] The movement of the lead screw 2 drives the lifting seat 4 to rise or fall smoothly and linearly along the guide rail 3 installed at the bottom of the tooling table 1. The sliders 41 on both sides of the lifting seat 4 slide vertically with the guide rail 3, ensuring the stability and accuracy of the lifting process.
[0045] When the lifting platform 4 rises to the predetermined height, the top wafer-lifting mechanism 7 will contact the silicon wafer. The top wafer-lifting mechanism 7 adopts a horizontally arranged U-shaped plate structure with horizontally arranged serrations on the top. This design can more evenly distribute the pressure and avoid localized damage to the silicon wafer. At the same time, the serrated design also increases the contact area and friction with the silicon wafer, making the lifting action more stable and reliable.
[0046] Under the control of the driver 6, the motor 5 continues to rotate, driving the lead screw 2 and the lifting seat 4 to rise further, thereby lifting the silicon wafer and removing it from the basket. At this point, the operator can easily remove the silicon wafer for subsequent processing.
[0047] After the wafer is retrieved, the operator presses the start / stop switch 8 on one side of the top of the tooling table 1 to control the driver 6 to stop the rotation of the motor 5, thereby stopping the movement of the lead screw 2 and the lifting seat 4. The wafer top mechanism 7 also descends back to its initial position, waiting for the next wafer retrieval operation.
[0048] The entire wafer retrieval process is highly automated, simple, and quick to operate, greatly improving work efficiency and accuracy. At the same time, the structured design and precise sensing and positioning technology ensure stability and reliability during the retrieval process, reducing the risk of silicon wafer breakage.
[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the electronic components in the above-mentioned components, such as the driver 6 in this embodiment, are all general standard parts or parts known to those skilled in the art. Their structure and principle can be known to those skilled in the art through technical manuals or conventional experimental methods. In the idle part of this device, all the above-mentioned electrical components are connected by wires. The specific connection method should refer to the working order between the electrical components in the above working principle to complete the electrical connection. All of these are technologies known in the art.
[0050] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of this utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely preferred examples and are not intended to limit the utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A wafer picking fixture, comprising a fixture table (1), characterized in that: A lead screw (2) is installed inside the lower part of the tooling table (1). A lifting seat (4) is installed on the lead screw (2). A top plate mechanism (7) is installed on the top of the lifting seat (4). A flower basket positioning frame (9) is installed in the middle of the top of the tooling table (1). Sensor brackets (10) are installed on both sides of the top of the tooling table (1). A flower basket detection sensor (11) is installed on one of the sensor brackets (10), and a silicon wafer sensing sensor (12) is installed on the other sensor bracket (10).
2. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the workbench (1) is equipped with guide rails (3) on both sides of the lifting seat (4), and sliders (41) are installed on both sides of the lifting seat (4). The sliders (41) slide vertically with the guide rails (3).
3. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top plate mechanism (7) is horizontally set, with a U-shaped plate structure in cross section and horizontally arranged saw teeth on the top.
4. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: A motor (5) is installed on one side of the tooling table (1). The bottom output shaft of the motor (5) is connected to the bottom driven shaft (21) of the lead screw (2) via a pulley (51).
5. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sensor bracket (10) is provided with a sensor signal line (101) on its inner side. The flower basket detection sensor (11) and the silicon wafer sensing sensor (12) are respectively connected to the driver (6) through the sensor signal line (101). The driver (6) is connected to the motor (5) through a line. The output end of the driver (6) is connected to a start / stop switch (8) through a line. The start / stop switch (8) is located on the top side of the tooling table (1).
6. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 5, characterized in that: The driver (6) is equipped with a chip with a pre-programmed driver. After the flower basket is placed, the flower basket detection sensor (11) and the silicon wafer sensing sensor (12) simultaneously sense the flower basket and the silicon wafer and transmit signals to the driver (6). The driver (6) controls the motor (5) to rotate through the internal chip, which in turn drives the lead screw (2) to move, thereby realizing the lifting operation of the top plate mechanism (7).
7. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper and lower ends of the lead screw (2) are connected and fixed to the inner side plate of the tooling table (1) through bearing seats.
8. The wafer-receiving fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the top plate mechanism (7) is detachably mounted on the lifting seat (4) via a bracket.