Wafer transmission device of vertical furnace

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer transmission device of a vertical furnace, and belongs to the technical field of wafer transmission. In order to solve the problem that the wafer transmission device of the vertical furnace is low in efficiency, the wafer transmission device of the vertical furnace comprises a carrying mechanism arranged between a shell and a transmission port, and the carrying mechanism comprises a wafer grabbing mechanism and a movement assembly for driving the wafer grabbing mechanism to move. The moving assembly comprises a first sliding rail, a sliding block and a mounting table; mounting tables are rotationally arranged at the ends, deviating from the first sliding rails, of the sliding blocks; two sliding rails are arranged on the side, away from the sliding block, of the mounting table, and the wafer grabbing mechanism is arranged on the second sliding rails in a sliding mode. On the basis of improving the carrying stability of the wafer grabbing mechanism, the speed of the wafer grabbing mechanism in the telescopic process in the wafer carrying process and the speed of the mounting table in the rotating process can be further improved, and the efficiency of the carrying mechanism in the wafer carrying process is greatly improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of wafer transfer technology, and more particularly to a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace. Background Technology

[0002] Vertical wafer furnaces are key pieces of equipment in semiconductor manufacturing, primarily used in the production of high-performance semiconductors. For example, they can be used in LPCVD (Low-Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) processes, depositing high-quality thin films on the wafer surface through precise temperature and gas flow control. Alternatively, by introducing specific gases (such as O2 / H2 / DCE) at medium to high temperatures, an oxidation reaction occurs on the wafer surface, generating a silicon dioxide thin film. This film can serve as a buffer dielectric layer and gate oxide layer in the front-end of integrated circuit devices. In the medium to low temperature conditions, the introduction of inert gases (such as N2) eliminates lattice defects and damage at the wafer interface, optimizing the wafer interface quality. Vertical wafer furnaces can also be used in ALD processes, depositing extremely thin films on the wafer surface through atomic layer adsorption and uniform deposition techniques.

[0003] Before entering the vertical furnace for processing, wafers are typically transported to the furnace's loading platform via wafer cassettes. The furnace's wafer transfer system then removes the wafers from the cassettes and places them into the furnace for processing. The wafer cassette is a storage device used to temporarily hold the wafers during the transfer process and maintain their sealed state. A wafer cassette typically includes a side-opening housing, a cover that seals over the side opening, and a base plate at the bottom of the housing. The cover can be completely detached from the housing. Currently, the most commonly used wafer cassette is the front-opening wafer transfer cassette (FOUP).

[0004] However, in the existing technology, in order to ensure that the wafer removal process is not contaminated by the external environment, vertical furnaces often open the wafer box through a loading platform and use a robotic arm to transport the wafers one by one into the vertical furnace for processing, resulting in low wafer transfer efficiency and affecting the processing flow. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to solve the problem of low wafer transfer efficiency in existing vertical furnace wafer transfer devices. Therefore, this application provides a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace, in which a vertically moving slider in the transfer mechanism is rotatably connected to a horizontally moving mounting stage, and a wafer gripping mechanism is slidably mounted on the mounting stage. This allows the wafer gripping mechanism to move only in a straight line on the mounting stage, thereby maintaining horizontal stability and gripping the wafer more stably. Furthermore, as the mounting stage rotates, the wafer gripping mechanism can move on the mounting stage, bringing the center of gravity of both the mounting stage and the wafer gripping mechanism closer to the center of rotation, thus improving the overall stability of the mounting stage's rotation. Based on improved transfer stability, this further increases the extension and retraction rate of the wafer gripping mechanism and the rotation rate of the mounting stage during wafer transfer, significantly improving the efficiency of the transfer mechanism in the wafer transfer process.

[0006] This application provides a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace, including a housing;

[0007] The housing includes a first space for placing a vertical furnace, and a first sidewall opposite to the first space, the first sidewall being provided with at least one transfer port; a support platform corresponding to the transfer port is provided on the outer side of the first sidewall, the support platform being used to place a wafer cassette.

[0008] The first sidewall has a plurality of storage slots arranged around the transmission port; the storage slots are used to store wafer cassettes.

[0009] The plurality of storage bits are arranged in two columns and distributed along the height direction to the top of the first sidewall;

[0010] An opening mechanism is provided on the inner side of the first sidewall corresponding to the transmission port; the opening mechanism is used to open the wafer cassette placed in the transmission port.

[0011] A transport mechanism is provided between the first sidewall and the first space;

[0012] The transport mechanism includes a wafer gripping mechanism and a motion component that drives the wafer gripping mechanism to move, for transporting wafers between the transmission port and the first space;

[0013] The motion assembly includes a first slide rail, a slider, and a mounting platform;

[0014] The first slide rail is arranged vertically, and one end of the slider is slidably disposed on the first slide rail;

[0015] The mounting platform is rotatably provided at the end of the slider that is away from the first slide rail;

[0016] The mounting platform is provided with a second slide rail arranged horizontally on the side opposite to the slider;

[0017] The wafer gripping mechanism is disposed on the second slide rail and can slide along the direction of the second slide rail.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the vertically moving slider in the handling mechanism is rotatably connected to the horizontally moving mounting platform, and the wafer gripping mechanism is slidably mounted on the mounting platform. This allows the wafer gripping mechanism to move only in a straight line on the mounting platform, thereby maintaining horizontal stability and gripping the wafer more stably. Furthermore, as the mounting platform rotates, the wafer gripping mechanism can move on the mounting platform, bringing the center of gravity of both the mounting platform and the wafer gripping mechanism closer to the center of rotation, thus improving the overall stability of the mounting platform's rotation. Based on the improved handling stability, the extension and retraction rate of the wafer gripping mechanism and the rotation rate of the mounting platform can be further increased during wafer handling, greatly improving the efficiency of the handling mechanism in the wafer handling process.

[0019] In some embodiments, the mounting platform includes a mounting frame, drive components disposed on both sides of the mounting frame, and a second slide rail located on the top surface of the mounting frame;

[0020] The bottom of the wafer gripping mechanism is slidably mounted on the second slide rail and extends to both sides of the mounting frame for transmission connection with the drive assembly;

[0021] The bottom of the mounting bracket is provided with a connector that is rotatably connected to the slider, and the mounting bracket is provided with a vertically penetrating first wiring channel corresponding to the connector; the connector is provided with a second wiring channel that communicates with the first wiring channel.

[0022] The slide is connected to the bottom of the wafer gripping mechanism through the first wiring channel and the second wiring channel.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the mounting platform and the end of the slider are rotatably connected, thereby increasing the size of the connector used for rotatable connection. This allows for the setting of a second wiring channel, ensuring that the wiring can be connected from inside the slider to the bottom of the wafer gripping mechanism. This facilitates power supply, gas supply, and signal transmission to the wafer gripping mechanism. On the other hand, it avoids external wiring, which could affect the cleanliness of the internal environment of the housing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the end of the slider is rotatably connected to the middle of the bottom of the mounting platform;

[0025] Furthermore, the first slide rail includes two slide rails arranged in parallel, and the slider is provided with four sliding limit members corresponding to the two slide rails to ensure that the slider slides stably relative to the first slide rail;

[0026] The slider has a first motor inside corresponding to the connector. The first motor is connected to the connector and is used to drive the connector to rotate.

[0027] By adopting the above technical solution, the end of the slider is rotatably connected to the bottom middle of the mounting platform, thereby reducing the rotational torque during the rotation of the mounting platform and ensuring the stability of the mounting platform rotation. At the same time, the slider is slidably set on the first slide rail by four sliding limiters. On the one hand, this can further improve the stability during the up and down sliding process. On the other hand, two sliding limiters can be set on a single slider to avoid the risk of the slider deflecting or falling off when one of the sliding limiters fails, which would cause huge losses.

[0028] In some embodiments, the wafer gripping mechanism includes a base, a plurality of wafer gripping claws, and a pitch-changing assembly connecting the base and the plurality of wafer gripping claws, the pitch-changing assembly being used to drive the spacing between different wafer gripping claws.

[0029] By employing the above technical solution, the wafer gripping mechanism uses multiple variable-pitch wafer gripping claws, enabling it to grip multiple wafers at once, thereby improving wafer handling efficiency. Furthermore, the use of variable-pitch components allows it to adapt to varying wafer spacing within the wafer cassette, significantly enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the wafer gripping mechanism.

[0030] In some embodiments, the pitch mechanism includes a plurality of lifting components disposed on a base, the plurality of lifting components including a reference lifting component and a plurality of pitch-variable lifting components; the plurality of wafer grippers includes a single reference wafer gripper and a plurality of pitch-variable wafer grippers;

[0031] The reference lifting assembly is connected to a reference wafer gripper and drives the reference wafer gripper to lift and lower.

[0032] The variable pitch lifting assembly is connected to two variable pitch wafer grippers, and the two variable pitch wafer grippers are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the reference wafer gripper. The variable pitch lifting assembly drives the two variable pitch wafer grippers to move symmetrically relative to the reference wafer gripper, so that the distance between the two variable pitch wafer grippers and the reference wafer gripper is the same.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, the pitch-changing lifting component adopts a symmetrical pitch-changing form, which allows for the simultaneous adjustment of two pitch-changing wafer grippers using only a single pitch-changing lifting component. This reduces the number of moving parts, thereby simplifying the structure of the pitch-changing mechanism and improving its integration. While ensuring the flexibility of pitch adjustment for multiple wafer grippers, it also helps to reduce the size of the pitch-changing mechanism.

[0034] In some embodiments, the at least one transmission port includes a first transmission port and a second transmission port that are spaced apart; and a clearance space is formed between the first transmission port and the second transmission port.

[0035] The box-opening mechanism includes a first box-opening component and a first drive component that are connected by transmission, as well as a second box-opening component and a second drive component that are connected by transmission.

[0036] The first box-opening component corresponds to the first transmission port and can seal and cover the first transmission port. The first driving component drives the first box-opening component to move between the first transmission port and the clearance space.

[0037] The second box opening component corresponds to the second transmission port and can seal and cover the second transmission port. The second drive component drives the second box opening component to move between the second transmission port and the clearance space.

[0038] By adopting the above technical solution, setting up a first transmission port and a second transmission port allows the unpacking mechanism to alternately unpack the wafer cassettes on the first and second transmission ports. This enables the unpacking mechanism to pre-open the wafer cassettes on the other transmission port while the transport mechanism is transporting the wafers in the wafer cassettes of one transmission port, thereby improving the efficiency of wafer transport.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first box opening assembly includes a closing plate, and an unlocking mechanism and a ventilation mechanism disposed on the closing plate;

[0040] The sealing plate is used to seal and cover the first transmission port; the unlocking mechanism is used to unlock and grab the cover plate of the wafer cassette; the ventilation mechanism is used to ventilate the inside of the wafer cassette.

[0041] The first driving component includes a front-to-back driving component and a top-to-bottom driving component. The front-to-back driving component is used to drive the sealing plate to move along the opening direction of the wafer cassette; the top-to-bottom driving component is used to drive the sealing plate to move along the vertical direction.

[0042] In some embodiments, the support platform is fixedly disposed on the first sidewall and includes a support area extending horizontally out of the first sidewall and a hollow clearance area; the clearance area clears the robotic arm that handles the wafer cassette.

[0043] The carrying area is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the wafer cassette, and extension plates are provided on both sides of the carrying area; a laser sensor is provided at the end of the extension plate away from the first sidewall for detecting whether a wafer cassette has entered.

[0044] Other features and corresponding beneficial effects of this application will be described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects will become obvious from the description in this application. Attached Figure Description

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the wafer transport device of a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the transport mechanism and a partial first sidewall of a wafer transport device for a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transport mechanism of a wafer transport device for a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transport mechanism of a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace in an embodiment of this application, without showing the first slide rail;

[0050] Figure 6 Examples of this application Figure 5 A structural diagram from another perspective.

[0051] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0052] 1. Shell;

[0053] 2. Vertical furnace; 3. First space;

[0054] 4. First sidewall;

[0055] 10 transmission ports;

[0056] 11 support platform; 12 storage bits;

[0057] 5 wafer boxes;

[0058] 20 Box opening mechanism; 21 First box opening component; 22 First drive component; 23 Second box opening component; 24 Second drive component; 25 Clearance space;

[0059] 30. Handling mechanisms;

[0060] 31. Wafer gripping mechanism;

[0061] 311 Base; 312 Wafer gripper; 313 Variable pitch module;

[0062] 32 First slide rail;

[0063] 321 Slider; 322 Sliding limit component;

[0064] 33 Mounting platform; 331 Mounting bracket; 332 Drive assembly; 333 Second slide rail;

[0065] 34 Connector; 35 First wiring channel. Detailed Implementation

[0066] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of this application is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the application in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of this application. To provide a thorough understanding of this application, many specific details will be included in the following description. This application may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of this application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0067] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0068] The technical solutions of this application 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 application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0069] In the description of this application, 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 solely for the convenience of describing this application and for simplification, 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 application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0070] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" 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 between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0071] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] Example 1:

[0073] Please see Figures 1-6 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the wafer transport device of a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the transport mechanism and a partial structure of the first sidewall of a wafer transport device for a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transport mechanism of a wafer transport device in a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transport mechanism of a vertical furnace according to an embodiment of this application, excluding the first slide rail. Figure 6 Examples of this application Figure 5 A structural diagram from another perspective.

[0074] like Figures 1-6 As shown, this application provides a wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace, including a housing 1;

[0075] The housing 1 includes a first space 3 for placing the vertical furnace 2, and a first side wall 4 opposite to the first space 3. The first side wall 4 is provided with at least one transfer port 10. A support platform 11 corresponding to the transfer port 10 is provided on the outer side of the first side wall 4. The support platform 11 is used to place the wafer cassette 5.

[0076] Among them, the first sidewall 4 is provided with a plurality of storage positions 12 around the transmission port 10; the storage positions 12 are used to store the wafer cassette 5;

[0077] Multiple storage bits 12 are arranged in two columns and distributed along the height direction to the top of the first sidewall 4.

[0078] By adopting the above technical solution, the wafer cassette 5 can be directly stored in the storage position 12 of the first side wall 4, thereby improving the efficiency of transporting the wafer cassette 5 to the carrier stage 11; on the other hand, the wafer cassette 5 after being transported can also be directly stored in the storage position 12, which is convenient for subsequent processing or transportation and improves the flexibility of equipment application.

[0079] In one embodiment, an opening mechanism 20 is provided on the inner side of the first sidewall 4 corresponding to the transmission port 10; the opening mechanism 20 is used to open the wafer cassette 5 placed in the transmission port 10.

[0080] A transport mechanism 30 is provided between the first sidewall 4 and the first space 3;

[0081] The transport mechanism 30 includes a wafer gripping mechanism 31 and a motion component that drives the wafer gripping mechanism 31 to move, for transporting wafers between the transport port 10 and the first space 3.

[0082] The motion assembly includes a first slide rail 32, a slider 321, and a mounting platform 33;

[0083] The first slide rail 32 is arranged in a vertical direction, and one end of the slider 321 is slidably disposed on the first slide rail 32;

[0084] A mounting platform 33 is rotatably provided at the end of slider 321 that is away from the first slide rail 32;

[0085] A second slide rail 333 is provided on the side of the mounting platform 33 away from the slider 321, and is arranged in a horizontal direction.

[0086] The wafer gripping mechanism 31 is disposed on the second slide rail 333 and can slide along the direction of the second slide rail 333.

[0087] In this design, the vertically moving slider 321 of the transport mechanism 30 is rotatably connected to the horizontally moving mounting platform 33, and the wafer gripping mechanism 31 is slidably mounted on the mounting platform 33. This allows the wafer gripping mechanism 31 to move only in a straight line on the mounting platform 33, thereby maintaining horizontal stability and gripping the wafer more stably. Furthermore, as the mounting platform 33 rotates, the wafer gripping mechanism 31 can move on the mounting platform 33, bringing the center of gravity of the mounting platform 33 and the wafer gripping mechanism 31 closer to the center of rotation, thus improving the overall stability of the mounting platform 33 during rotation. Based on the improved transport stability, the extension and retraction rate of the wafer gripping mechanism 31 and the rotation rate of the mounting platform 33 during wafer transport can be further increased, greatly improving the efficiency of the transport mechanism 30 in the wafer transport process.

[0088] In one embodiment, the mounting platform 33 includes a mounting frame 331, drive assemblies 332 disposed on both sides of the mounting frame 331, and a second slide rail 333 located on the top surface of the mounting frame 331.

[0089] The bottom of the wafer gripping mechanism 31 is slidably mounted on the second slide rail 333 and extends to both sides of the mounting bracket 331 to be connected to the drive assembly 332 for transmission.

[0090] The bottom of the mounting bracket 331 is provided with a connector 34 that is rotatably connected to the slider 321, and the mounting bracket 331 is provided with a vertically penetrating first wiring channel 35 corresponding to the connector 34; the connector 34 is provided with a second wiring channel that communicates with the first wiring channel 35.

[0091] The slide table is connected to the bottom of the wafer gripping mechanism 31 through the first wiring channel 35 and the second wiring channel.

[0092] It should be noted that the wafer gripping mechanism 31 needs to be equipped with wafer gripping claws 312, and needs to supply air and / or transmit signals to the wafer gripping claws 312, which makes the wafer gripping mechanism 31 extremely complex. The mounting stage 33 and the slider 321 are mainly used to support the wafer gripping mechanism 31 in the height and horizontal directions, and their internal structure is simple.

[0093] Therefore, by rotatably connecting the mounting platform 33 to the end of the slider 321, the size of the connector 34 used for rotatable connection can be increased, thereby enabling the provision of a second wiring channel to ensure that the wiring can be connected from inside the slider 321 to the bottom of the wafer gripping mechanism 31, thus facilitating the supply of power, gas, and signal transmission to the wafer gripping mechanism 31; on the other hand, it avoids external wiring, which would affect the cleanliness of the internal environment of the housing 1.

[0094] In one embodiment, the end of the slider 321 is rotatably connected to the middle of the bottom of the mounting platform 33;

[0095] Furthermore, the first slide rail 32 includes two slide rails arranged in parallel, and the slider 321 is provided with four sliding limit members 322 corresponding to the two slide rails to ensure that the slider 321 slides stably relative to the first slide rail 32.

[0096] The slider 321 has a first motor inside corresponding to the connector 34. The first motor is connected to the connector 34 and is used to drive the connector 34 to rotate.

[0097] It should be noted that the mounting stage 33 is equipped with a drive assembly 332 and a slide rail, and the mounting frame 331 of the mounting stage 33 needs to provide stable support for components such as the wafer gripping mechanism 31. Therefore, the entire mounting stage 33 is relatively heavy, which results in a large torque required during the rotation of the mounting stage 33 and a large rotational inertia, thereby limiting the overall rotational speed of the mounting stage 33 and affecting the wafer handling efficiency.

[0098] Therefore, the end of the slider 321 is rotatably connected to the bottom middle of the mounting platform 33, which can greatly reduce the rotational torque during the rotation of the mounting platform 33, so as to ensure the stability of the rotation of the mounting platform 33. At the same time, the slider 321 is slidably set on the first slide rail 32 by four sliding limit members 322. On the one hand, it can further improve the stability during the up and down sliding process. On the other hand, two sliding limit members 322 can be set on a single slider 321 to avoid the risk of the slider 321 deflecting or falling off when one of the sliding limit members 322 fails, which would cause huge losses.

[0099] On the other hand, the wafer gripping mechanism 31 can also move on the mounting stage 33, so that when the mounting stage 33 needs to rotate, the center of gravity of the wafer gripping mechanism 31 can be controlled to move closer to the rotation center, thereby improving the stability of the overall rotation process of the mounting stage 33, further increasing the rotation speed of the mounting stage 33, and improving the handling efficiency of the handling mechanism 30.

[0100] In one embodiment, the wafer gripping mechanism 31 includes a base 311, a plurality of wafer gripping claws 312, and a pitch-adjusting assembly 313 connecting the base 311 and the plurality of wafer gripping claws 312. The pitch-adjusting assembly 313 is used to drive the spacing between different wafer gripping claws 312. On the one hand, this allows the wafer gripping mechanism 31 to grip multiple wafers at once, thereby improving the efficiency of wafer handling. On the other hand, the pitch-adjusting assembly 313 can adapt to different wafer placement spacings in the wafer cassette 5, thereby greatly improving the flexibility and adaptability of the wafer gripping mechanism 31 in gripping wafers.

[0101] In one embodiment, the pitch mechanism includes a plurality of lifting components disposed on the base 311, the plurality of lifting components including a reference lifting component and a plurality of pitch lifting components; the plurality of wafer grippers 312 includes a single reference wafer gripper 312 and a plurality of pitch wafer grippers 312.

[0102] The reference lifting assembly is connected to the reference wafer gripper 312 and drives the reference wafer gripper 312 to lift up and down;

[0103] The variable pitch lifting assembly is connected to two variable pitch wafer grippers 312, and the two variable pitch wafer grippers 312 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the reference wafer gripper 312. The variable pitch lifting assembly drives the two variable pitch wafer grippers 312 to move symmetrically relative to the reference wafer gripper 312, so that the distance between the two variable pitch wafer grippers 312 and the reference wafer gripper 312 is the same.

[0104] The variable pitch lifting assembly adopts a symmetrical variable pitch form, which allows for the simultaneous adjustment of two variable pitch wafer grippers 312 using only a single variable pitch lifting assembly. This reduces the number of moving parts, thereby simplifying the structure of the variable pitch mechanism and improving its integration. While ensuring the flexibility of the variable pitch adjustment of multiple wafer grippers 312, it also helps to reduce the size of the variable pitch mechanism.

[0105] In one embodiment, at least one transmission port 10 includes a first transmission port 10 and a second transmission port 10 spaced apart; and a clearance space 25 is formed between the first transmission port 10 and the second transmission port 10.

[0106] The box opening mechanism 20 includes a first box opening component 21 and a first drive component 22 that are connected by transmission, and a second box opening component 23 and a second drive component 24 that are connected by transmission.

[0107] The first box opening component 21 corresponds to the first transmission port 10 and can seal and cover the first transmission port 10. The first drive component 22 drives the first box opening component 21 to move between the first transmission port 10 and the clearance space 25.

[0108] The second box opening component 23 corresponds to the second transmission port 10 and can seal and cover the second transmission port 10. The second drive component 24 drives the second box opening component 23 to move between the second transmission port 10 and the clearance space 25.

[0109] It should be noted that when the unpacking mechanism 20 opens the wafer box 5, it needs to unlock the cover of the wafer box 5 first and replace the gas inside the wafer box 5 to prevent the gas inside the wafer box 5 from contaminating the first space 3 used to house the vertical furnace 2. This process is relatively long. During this time, the handling device needs to wait for the cover of the wafer box 5 to be fully opened before it can carry out the wafer handling operation, which affects the efficiency of wafer handling.

[0110] On the other hand, the structure of the unpacking mechanism 20 is complex (including a large number of control modules and sensor detection modules), resulting in high control costs. If two transmission ports 10 and two unpacking mechanisms 20 are set up for alternating transmission, the overall complexity and manufacturing cost of the device will be greatly increased. Moreover, the waiting time is relatively small compared to the processing time of the wafer in the vertical furnace 2, resulting in a low cost-effectiveness of this method.

[0111] Therefore, the first transmission port 10 and the second transmission port 10 provided in this application allow the unpacking mechanism 20 to alternately unpack the wafer cassettes 5 on the first transmission port 10 and the second transmission port 10. This allows the unpacking mechanism 20 to pre-open the wafer cassettes 5 on the other transmission port 10 while the transport mechanism 30 is transporting wafers from one of the transmission ports 10, thereby improving the efficiency of wafer transport. Only an additional unpacking component and a drive component 332 are needed, saving the transport mechanism 30 the time spent waiting for the unpacking mechanism 20 to unlock and ventilate the wafer cassettes 5, greatly improving the transport efficiency of the transport mechanism 30.

[0112] In one embodiment, the first box opening assembly 21 includes a closing plate, and an unlocking mechanism and a ventilation mechanism disposed on the closing plate;

[0113] The sealing plate is used to seal and cover the first transmission port 10; the unlocking mechanism is used to unlock and grab the cover plate of the wafer box 5; the ventilation mechanism is used to ventilate the inside of the wafer box 5.

[0114] The first driving component 22 includes a front-to-back driving component 332 and a vertical driving component 332. The front-to-back driving component 332 is used to drive the sealing plate to move along the opening direction of the wafer box 5; the vertical driving component 332 is used to drive the sealing plate to move in the vertical direction.

[0115] In one embodiment, the support platform 11 is fixedly disposed on the first side wall 4, including a support area extending horizontally out of the first side wall 4, and a hollow clearance area; the clearance area clears the robotic arm that transports the wafer cassette 5.

[0116] The carrier area is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the wafer cassette 5, and extension plates are provided on both sides of the carrier area; a laser sensor is provided at the end of the extension plate away from the first side wall 4 to detect whether the wafer cassette 5 has entered.

[0117] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer device for a vertical furnace, characterized by, The shell comprises a first space for placing a vertical furnace and a first sidewall opposite to the first space, the first sidewall is provided with at least one transmission port; the outer side of the first sidewall is provided with a bearing table corresponding to the transmission port, the bearing table is used for placing a wafer box; The first sidewall is provided with a plurality of storage positions around the transmission port; The storage position is used for storing a wafer box; The plurality of storage positions are provided with two columns and are distributed to the top of the first sidewall in the height direction; The inner side of the first sidewall is provided with an opening mechanism corresponding to the transmission port; The opening mechanism is used for opening the wafer box placed in the transmission port; The first sidewall and the first space are provided with a carrying mechanism; The carrying mechanism comprises a wafer grabbing mechanism and a movement assembly for driving the wafer grabbing mechanism to move, which is used for carrying wafers between the transmission port and the first space; The movement assembly comprises a first sliding rail, a sliding block and a mounting table; The first sliding rail is arranged in the vertical direction, and one end of the sliding block is slidingly arranged on the first sliding rail; The mounting table is rotationally arranged on the end of the sliding block away from the first sliding rail; The mounting table is provided with a second sliding rail arranged in the horizontal direction on the side away from the sliding block; The wafer grabbing mechanism is arranged on the second sliding rail and can slide in the direction of the second sliding rail.

2. The wafer transmission device of the vertical furnace according to claim 1, wherein The mounting table comprises a mounting frame, drive assemblies arranged on both sides of the mounting frame, and a second sliding rail located on the top surface of the mounting frame; The bottom of the wafer grabbing mechanism is slidingly arranged on the second sliding rail and extends to the drive assemblies on both sides of the mounting frame; The bottom of the mounting frame is provided with a connecting piece rotationally connected with the sliding block, and the mounting frame is provided with a vertical first wire channel corresponding to the connecting piece; the connecting piece is provided with a second wire channel in communication with the first wire channel; The inside of the sliding block is in communication with the bottom of the wafer grabbing mechanism through the first wire channel and the second wire channel. The end of the sliding block is rotationally connected with the bottom of the mounting table; 3. The wafer transfer device of a vertical furnace according to claim 2, wherein The first sliding rail comprises two sliding rails arranged in parallel, and the sliding block is provided with four sliding limit pieces corresponding to the two sliding rails to ensure stable sliding of the sliding block relative to the first sliding rail; The inside of the sliding block is provided with a first motor corresponding to the connecting piece, the first motor is connected with the connecting piece, and is used for driving the connecting piece to rotate. The wafer grabbing mechanism comprises a base, a plurality of wafer grabbing claws, and a variable-distance assembly connecting the base and the plurality of wafer grabbing claws, the variable-distance assembly is used for driving the distance between different wafer grabbing claws.

4. The wafer transfer device of a vertical furnace according to claim 1, wherein The variable-distance assembly comprises a plurality of lifting assemblies arranged on the base, and the plurality of lifting assemblies comprise a reference lifting assembly and a plurality of variable-distance lifting assemblies; 5. The wafer transfer device of a vertical furnace according to claim 4, wherein The plurality of wafer grabbing claws comprise a reference wafer grabbing claw and a plurality of variable-distance wafer grabbing claws; The reference lifting assembly is connected with the reference wafer grabbing claw and drives the reference wafer grabbing claw to lift; ​ The variable-distance lifting assembly is connected with two variable-distance wafer grabbing claws, and the two variable-distance wafer grabbing claws are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the reference wafer grabbing claw; the variable-distance lifting assembly drives the two variable-distance wafer grabbing claws to symmetrically move relative to the reference wafer grabbing claw, so that the distance between the two variable-distance wafer grabbing claws relative to the reference wafer grabbing claw is the same.

6. The wafer transfer device of a vertical furnace according to claim 1, wherein The at least one conveying port comprises a first conveying port and a second conveying port arranged at intervals; and an avoiding space is formed between the first conveying port and the second conveying port; The box opening mechanism comprises a first box opening assembly and a first driving assembly in transmission connection, and a second box opening assembly and a second driving assembly in transmission connection; The first box opening assembly corresponds to the first conveying port and can tightly cover the first conveying port; the first driving assembly drives the first box opening assembly to move between the first conveying port and the avoiding space; The second box opening assembly corresponds to the second conveying port and can tightly cover the second conveying port; the second driving assembly drives the second box opening assembly to move between the second conveying port and the avoiding space.

7. The wafer transfer device of a vertical furnace according to claim 6, wherein The first box opening assembly comprises a closing plate, and an unlocking mechanism and a ventilation mechanism arranged on the closing plate; The closing plate is used for sealingly covering the first conveying port; the unlocking mechanism is used for unlocking and grabbing the cover plate of the wafer box; and the ventilation mechanism is used for ventilating the inside of the wafer box; The first driving assembly comprises a front-rear driving assembly and an up-down driving assembly; the front-rear driving assembly is used for driving the closing plate to move along the opening direction of the wafer box; and the up-down driving assembly is used for driving the closing plate to move along the vertical direction.

8. The wafer transfer device of a vertical furnace according to claim 6, wherein The bearing table is fixedly arranged on the first side wall and comprises a bearing area extending out of the first side wall along the horizontal direction and an avoiding area arranged in a hollow manner; the avoiding area avoids the mechanical arm carrying the wafer box; The bearing area is provided with a locking mechanism for locking the wafer box, and extension plates are arranged on both sides of the bearing area; one end of the extension plate away from the first side wall is provided with a laser sensor for detecting whether the wafer box enters.

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