Front-end storage unit of vertical furnace

Abstract

The utility model provides a front-end storage unit of a vertical furnace, and belongs to the technical field of semiconductors. In order to solve the problems that a vertical furnace front-end storage unit is difficult to enter the interior, the manual maintenance efficiency is low, and the transfer risk of a wafer box is easily caused, the vertical furnace front-end storage unit comprises a machine shell, the front end of the machine shell is provided with a front end opening communicated with the interior, and the front end opening is provided with a bearing plate used for bearing the wafer box; supporting blocks are arranged on the two sides, close to the front end opening, of the machine shell, and the two sides of the bearing plate are in lap joint with the corresponding supporting blocks; a connecting frame is connected to the lower portion of the bearing plate, the two sides of the connecting frame are movably connected with the machine shell, and the connecting frame can drive the bearing plate to go in and out of the front end opening. According to the invention, the bearing plate which is conventionally fixed at the front port of the casing is changed into movable connection, so that the manual maintenance efficiency is improved, and the transfer risk of the wafer box is reduced.

Description

Vertical furnace front-end storage unit Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to vertical furnace front-end memory units. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, vertical furnaces are among the most widely used devices in the heat treatment of silicon wafers; they are also known as vertical diffusion furnaces. The front-end storage unit of a vertical furnace is located at the front of the vertical furnace equipment (i.e., the back-end process unit) and is mainly used for transferring, storing, and opening / closing FOUPs (wafer cassettes). The front-end storage unit typically has two loading / unloading ports: a front port for manual / AGV (automated guided vehicle) transfer of wafer cassettes, and a top port for OHT (overhead crane) transfer.

[0003] To maximize wafer cassette storage, the inner walls of the front-end storage unit of a vertical furnace are typically densely packed with wafer cassette storage stations, making it difficult to install maintenance doors for personnel to enter the unit. Therefore, manual maintenance of the front-end storage unit of a vertical furnace usually involves disassembling each mechanism at the front port one by one and entering from the front port. However, this method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive to disassemble, involving many small parts such as screws, but also has low reassembly efficiency and may lead to the risk of wafer cassette transfer due to the high positional accuracy requirements of each mechanism at the front port. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to address the problems in the prior art where the front-end storage unit of a vertical furnace is difficult to access, resulting in low efficiency for manual maintenance and a high risk of wafer cassette transfer. Therefore, this application provides a front-end storage unit for a vertical furnace that improves manual maintenance efficiency and reduces the risk of wafer cassette transfer by replacing the conventionally fixed support plate at the front port of the casing with a movable connection.

[0005] This application provides a vertical furnace front-end storage unit, including a housing, the front end of which is provided with a front port communicating with the interior, and the front port is provided with a support plate for supporting a wafer cassette;

[0006] Support blocks are provided on both sides of the housing near the front port, and the two sides of the bearing plate overlap the corresponding support blocks;

[0007] A connecting frame is connected to the lower part of the support plate. Both sides of the connecting frame are movably connected to the housing, and the connecting frame can drive the support plate in and out of the front port.

[0008] By adopting the above technical solution, the conventionally fixed carrier plate at the front port of the housing is replaced with a movable connection. Specifically, the carrier plate is attached to the support block of the housing, and the carrier plate is movably connected to the housing through a connecting frame. This allows the carrier plate to enter and exit the front port, and the connection to the housing is maintained by the connecting frame. This enables complete and integrated disassembly of the mechanism at the front port with high reset accuracy. This reduces the difficulty of entering the front storage unit of the vertical furnace, improves the efficiency of manual maintenance, and reduces the risk of wafer cell transfer.

[0009] In some embodiments, a first connector is provided on one side of the housing corresponding to the connecting frame;

[0010] One side of the connecting frame is detachably connected to the first connecting member via a second connecting member, and the other side is rotatably connected to the housing.

[0011] Using the above technical solution, the connecting frame can rotate relative to the housing and move the bearing plate to the side of the front port, so that the front port is completely exposed without obstruction, making it easy for maintenance personnel to enter, convenient to operate, and simple in structure, small in size, and easy to maintain.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first connector is a plug block with a plug hole, and the second connector is a pin adapted to the plug hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, the support plate is movably connected to the connecting frame and can be moved from one side of the connecting frame to the other.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, the support plate can be removed from its normal working position before the connecting frame, thereby avoiding affecting the entry and exit of the subsequent connecting frame at the front port, and ensuring that when it is in its normal working position, it is as close as possible to the inner wall of the casing, thus controlling the volume of the front storage unit of the vertical furnace.

[0015] In some embodiments, the front edge of the support plate is rotatably connected to the connecting frame and can be flipped from the rear side to the front side of the connecting frame.

[0016] The above technical solution makes the movable connection structure between the bearing plate and the connecting frame simple, small in size, and easy to maintain.

[0017] In some embodiments, an auxiliary support is also included for supporting the carrier plate flipped to the front side of the connecting frame, such that it is spaced apart from the front side of the connecting frame.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the collision between the load-bearing plate and the connecting frame after flipping is avoided, which would cause damage to the components on it.

[0019] In some embodiments, the connecting frame is provided with a first mounting member and a second mounting member, and the auxiliary bracket is detachably connected to both the first mounting member and the second mounting member; and...

[0020] When the auxiliary bracket is connected to the first mounting component, the auxiliary bracket is embedded in the connecting frame;

[0021] When the auxiliary bracket is connected to the second mounting component, the auxiliary bracket is used to support the bearing plate that has been flipped to the front side of the connecting frame and keep it horizontal.

[0022] In some embodiments, both the first mounting component and the second mounting component are slots;

[0023] The auxiliary bracket is provided with a card block that is compatible with the card slot.

[0024] In some embodiments, the support plate is slidably connected to the connecting frame and can slide from the rear side to the front side of the connecting frame.

[0025] In some embodiments, handles are provided on both sides of the support plate; the support plate is provided with at least two loading and unloading stations.

[0026] 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

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the application status of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 is a partial structural diagram of this application.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 1. Front-end storage unit of vertical furnace; 2. Back-end process unit;

[0032] 10. Chassis; 11. Front port; 12. Top port; 13. Front panel;

[0033] 20. Support block;

[0034] 30. Support plate; 31. Handle;

[0035] 40. Connecting frame; 41. First connecting member; 42. Second connecting member; 43. First mounting member; 44. Second mounting member;

[0036] 50. Auxiliary support. Detailed Implementation

[0037] 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.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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. Unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or a connection within two elements. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0040] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a schematic diagram of the application status of this application.

[0041] The vertical furnace front-end storage unit 1 is installed at the front of the rear-end process unit 2 (i.e., the vertical furnace), and the vertical furnace front-end storage unit 1 has a front port 11 and a top port 12.

[0042] Please refer to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application; Figure 3 is a partial schematic diagram of the structure of this application.

[0043] This application provides a vertical furnace front-end storage unit 1, including a housing 10. The front end of the housing 10 is provided with a front port 11 communicating with the interior. The front port 11 is provided with a support plate 30 for carrying wafer cassettes. The support plate 30 is typically provided with positioning pins for positioning wafer cassettes, as well as control buttons, etc.

[0044] Support blocks 20 are provided on both sides of the housing 10 near the front port 11. The two sides of the support plate 30 overlap the corresponding support blocks 20. A connecting frame 40 is connected to the bottom of the support plate 30. Both sides of the connecting frame 40 are movably connected to the housing 10. The connecting frame 40 can drive the support plate 30 in and out of the front port 11, thereby changing the support plate 30, which is conventionally fixed to the front port 11 of the housing 10, to a movable connection. This allows the support plate 30 to enter and exit the front port 11 and is maintained in connection with the housing 10 through the connecting frame 40. This enables complete and integrated disassembly of the mechanism at the front port 11, resulting in high disassembly and assembly efficiency. Furthermore, the connection between the connecting frame 40 and the housing 10 provides a reinstallation reference for resetting, resulting in high resetting accuracy. This reduces the difficulty of entering the interior of the front storage unit 1 of the vertical furnace, improves the efficiency of manual maintenance, and reduces the risk of wafer cell transfer.

[0045] In one embodiment, the housing 10 is detachably provided with a front panel 13 at the front end of the connecting frame 40, so that the front end of the vertical furnace front storage unit 1 is exposed only at the front port 11, thus protecting the internal components.

[0046] In one embodiment, a first connector 41 is provided on one side of the housing 10 corresponding to the connecting frame 40. One side of the connecting frame 40 is detachably connected to the first connector 41 via a second connector 42, and the other side is rotatably connected to the housing 10. Thus, the connecting frame 40 can rotate relative to the housing 10, and drive the support plate 30 to move out to the side of the front port 11, so that the front port 11 is completely exposed without obstruction, which is convenient for maintenance personnel to enter, easy to operate, and has a simple structure, small size, and is easy to maintain.

[0047] In one specific embodiment, the first connector 41 is a plug block with a plug hole, and the second connector 42 is a pin that is adapted to the plug hole.

[0048] In one embodiment, the support plate 30 is movably connected to the connecting frame 40 and can be moved from one side of the connecting frame 40 to the other. This allows the support plate 30 to leave its normal operating position before the connecting frame 40, thereby avoiding interference with the subsequent entry and exit of the connecting frame 40 into the front port 11. Furthermore, when in its normal operating position, the support plate 30 is as close as possible to the inner wall of the housing 10, controlling the volume of the vertical furnace front-end storage unit 1. This method is particularly suitable for cases where the connecting frame 40 is rotatably connected to the housing 10, and the support plate 30 leaves its normal operating position (horizontal wafer cassette position) first, meaning at least one side is away from the inner wall of the housing 10, thus preventing the connecting frame 40 from colliding with the housing 10 when it moves out of the front port 11.

[0049] In one embodiment, the front edge of the support plate 30 is rotatably connected to the connecting frame 40, and can be flipped from the rear side to the front side of the connecting frame 40, making the movable connection structure between the support plate 30 and the connecting frame 40 simple, small in size, and easy to maintain.

[0050] In other alternative embodiments, the support plate 30 is slidably connected to the connecting frame 40 and can slide from the rear side to the front side of the connecting frame 40.

[0051] In one embodiment, an auxiliary support 50 is also included. The auxiliary support 50 is used to support the carrier plate 30 that has been flipped to the front side of the connecting frame 40, and to space it from the front side of the connecting frame 40, so as to prevent the carrier plate 30 from colliding with the connecting frame 40 after it has been flipped, which would cause damage to the components on it.

[0052] In one embodiment, the connecting bracket 40 is provided with a first mounting member 43 and a second mounting member 44, and the auxiliary bracket 50 can be detachably connected to the first mounting member 43 and the second mounting member 44; and...

[0053] When the auxiliary bracket 50 is connected to the first mounting component 43, the auxiliary bracket 50 is embedded in the connecting frame 40;

[0054] When the auxiliary bracket 50 is connected to the second mounting member 44, the auxiliary bracket 50 is used to support the bearing plate 30 that has been flipped to the front side of the connecting frame 40 and keep it horizontal.

[0055] In one specific embodiment, both the first mounting member 43 and the second mounting member 44 are slots, and the auxiliary bracket 50 is provided with a locking block that matches the slot.

[0056] In one embodiment, handles 31 are provided on both sides of the support plate 30 to facilitate moving the support plate 30.

[0057] In one embodiment, the carrier plate 30 is provided with at least two loading and unloading stations to improve the loading and unloading efficiency of the wafer cassette.

[0058] 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 vertical furnace front-end storage unit, comprising a housing, wherein the front end of the housing is provided with a front port communicating with the interior, and the front port is provided with a support plate for supporting a wafer cassette; characterized in that, Support blocks are provided on both sides of the housing near the front port, and the two sides of the support plate overlap the corresponding support blocks; a connecting frame is connected below the support plate, and both sides of the connecting frame are movably connected to the housing, and the connecting frame can drive the support plate in and out of the front port.

2. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is provided with a first connector on one side corresponding to the connecting frame; one side of the connecting frame is detachably connected to the first connector via a second connector, and the other side is rotatably connected to the housing.

3. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first connector is a plug block with a plug hole, and the second connector is a pin that is adapted to the plug hole.

4. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The support plate is movably connected to the connecting frame and can be moved from one side of the connecting frame to the other side.

5. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The front edge of the support plate is rotatably connected to the connecting frame, and can be flipped from the rear side to the front side of the connecting frame.

6. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes an auxiliary support for supporting the carrier plate that has been flipped to the front of the connecting frame, and such that there is a gap between the carrier plate and the front of the connecting frame.

7. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 6, characterized in that, The connecting frame is provided with a first mounting component and a second mounting component. The auxiliary bracket can be detachably connected to the first mounting component and the second mounting component. When the auxiliary bracket is connected to the first mounting component, the auxiliary bracket is embedded in the connecting frame. When the auxiliary bracket is connected to the second mounting component, the auxiliary bracket is used to support the bearing plate that has been flipped to the front side of the connecting frame and keep it horizontal.

8. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 7, characterized in that, Both the first mounting component and the second mounting component are slots; the auxiliary bracket is provided with a locking block that is adapted to the slot.

9. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support plate is slidably connected to the connecting frame and can slide from the rear side to the front side of the connecting frame.

10. The vertical furnace front-end storage unit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support plate is provided with handles on both sides; the support plate is provided with at least two loading and unloading stations.

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