wafer box

Abstract

This utility model discloses a wafer cassette, including a cassette body, a stop assembly, and a control mechanism. The cassette body includes two opposing side plates, a first side opening and a second side opening disposed between the two side plates and opposing each other, and a plurality of slots for inserting wafers are formed on the side plates. The stop assembly is movably disposed on the side plates and includes a first stop block near the first side opening and a second stop block near the second side opening. The control mechanism is connected to the stop assembly and is configured to switch between extending or retracting the first or second stop block into or out of the cassette body to switch the wafer removal direction. This utility model realizes a bidirectional wafer cassette loading and unloading function, allowing users to choose to remove wafers from either the first or second side opening as needed, without moving the wafer cassette or adjusting the wafer position, thus improving the flexibility and convenience of wafer loading and unloading.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a wafer cassette. Background Technology

[0002] A wafer is a silicon wafer used to manufacture silicon semiconductor integrated circuits. Because of its circular shape, it is called a wafer. Various circuit element structures can be fabricated on silicon wafers to become chip products with specific electrical functions.

[0003] During the processing of wafers in the factory, they need to be transferred. The existing wafer transfer boxes have a structure with openings on both sides. There is a stop structure at one of the openings. During the handling process, the other opening needs to be facing upwards to prevent the wafer from slipping out and falling.

[0004] The notches on a wafer are a key feature for orientation marking. In traditional wafer dicing, after the dicing process, the notches open towards the bottom of the wafer cassette. In subsequent processes, the wafer needs to be manually rotated 180° so that the notches face upwards for alignment in later processes. However, manually adjusting the orientation takes extra time, affecting production efficiency. Frequent contact with the wafer also increases the risk of surface damage and scratches. Furthermore, relying on manual intervention significantly increases the probability of errors.

[0005] This invention proposes a new wafer cassette to solve the above-mentioned problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a wafer box that can adapt to the requirements of different processes for the direction of the groove without adjusting the wafer orientation.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides a wafer cassette, comprising:

[0008] The housing includes two side plates arranged opposite each other, a first side opening and a second side opening disposed between the two side plates and arranged opposite each other, and a plurality of slots for inserting wafers are formed on the side plates;

[0009] A stop assembly, movably mounted on the side plate, includes a first stop near the first side opening and a second stop near the second side opening;

[0010] A control mechanism, connected to the stop assembly, is configured to switch the first or second stop block to extend into or out of the housing to switch the wafer removal direction.

[0011] As a further improvement of this utility model, the first stop and the second stop extend perpendicularly to the slot, and the side plate is provided with a first through hole that cooperates with the first stop and a second through hole that cooperates with the second stop along its thickness direction.

[0012] As a further improvement of this utility model, the control mechanism includes an operating handle and a drive component for connecting the stop block assembly;

[0013] When the operating handle is switched to the first position, the driving component drives the first stop block to move along the first through hole into the box body, and the second stop block moves out of the box body along the second through hole; when the operating handle is switched to the second position, the driving component drives the second stop block to move along the second through hole into the box body, and the first stop block moves out of the box body along the second through hole.

[0014] As a further improvement of this utility model, the stop block assembly includes a first movable plate vertically connected to the first stop block and a second movable plate vertically connected to the second stop block. The first movable plate and the second movable plate are both movably disposed on the outside of the side plate, so as to drive the first stop block and the second stop block to move along the corresponding first through hole or second through hole under the drive of the control mechanism.

[0015] As a further improvement of this utility model, the stop assembly also includes an elastic element, which is respectively disposed between the first movable plate, the second movable plate, and the side plate.

[0016] As a further improvement of this utility model, the stop assembly also includes a limiting rod disposed inside the elastic member. The limiting rod is fixed to the outside of the side plate and is slidably connected to the first movable plate and the second movable plate respectively.

[0017] As a further improvement of this utility model, the drive assembly includes a rotating shaft fixedly connected to the operating handle, and a first cam and a second cam vertically connected to both ends of the rotating shaft; the first cam and the second cam respectively abut against the outer surfaces of the first movable plate and the second movable plate.

[0018] As a further improvement of this utility model, one end of the rotating shaft is connected to the edge portion of the first cam and the other end is connected to the edge portion of the second cam, and the axes of the first cam and the second cam are respectively located on both sides of the axis of the rotating shaft.

[0019] As a further improvement of this utility model, the drive assembly also includes a fixing structure connected to the outside of the side plate. The fixing structure has a shaft groove that cooperates to limit the rotation shaft and a limiting groove that cooperates to limit the operating handle. The limiting groove is used to limit the operating handle when it is rotated to the first position or the second position.

[0020] As a further improvement of this utility model, the wafer box also includes a shielding cover, which is fixed to the outside of the side plate to shield the stop assembly and part of the control mechanism, and expose the operating handle.

[0021] As a further improvement of this utility model, the box body includes a bottom plate and a top plate connecting the two side plates, and the top plate is provided with a handle.

[0022] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: by switching the control mechanism to allow the first or second stop block to extend into or out of the box, the position of the stop block can be conveniently adjusted, thereby controlling the wafer extraction direction, significantly improving the practical performance of the wafer box, and having strong adaptability and flexibility, providing great convenience for wafer management in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a wafer cassette provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Top view of the wafer box;

[0025] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer box;

[0026] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing the operating handle in the first position after the shielding cover of the wafer box has been removed;

[0027] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Top view of the wafer cassette when the operating handle is in the first position;

[0028] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram showing the operating handle in the second position after the shielding cover of the wafer box has been removed.

[0029] Figure 7 Yes, yes Figure 6 Top view of the wafer cassette when the operating handle is in the first position;

[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the wafer box's stop assembly and the control mechanism;

[0031] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the control mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. Please refer to them. Figures 1 to 9 The figure shown is a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] It should be understood that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, in this application, the technical terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “inner,” “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0034] In this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set", "connect", "connect", "fixed" and other such terms should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part.

[0035] It should be noted that in the following embodiments and accompanying drawings, components unrelated to the present invention have been omitted and not shown; and for ease of understanding, the size ratios between the components are exaggerated and differ from the actual product.

[0036] Reference Figures 1 to 3 One embodiment of the present invention provides a wafer cassette 100 for loading wafers 10, including a cassette body 1. The cassette body 1 includes two side plates 11 disposed opposite to each other, a first side opening 12 and a second side opening 13 disposed between the two side plates 11 and disposed opposite to each other. An accommodating space is formed between the two side plates 11 of the cassette body 1, which can be used to accommodate the wafers 10.

[0037] The two side plates 11 have a plurality of slots 14 for inserting wafers 10. The slots 14 are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the housing 1. Generally, the wafer 10 is a circular sheet. The outer periphery of the wafer 10 is provided with a support ring 20. The support ring 20 can be inserted into the slot 14 to support the corresponding wafer 10 in the housing 1.

[0038] The wafer cassette 100 also includes a stop assembly 2, which is movably disposed on the side plate 11 and includes a first stop 21 near the first side opening 12 and a second stop 22 near the second side opening 13.

[0039] The stop assembly 2 can effectively prevent the wafer 10 from accidentally slipping out of the housing 1, thereby improving the safety performance of the wafer housing 100. The first stop 21 and the second stop 22 are respectively located near the first side opening 12 and the second side opening 13, so that no matter which side opening the wafer 10 is taken out from, there is a corresponding stop on the other side to block it, ensuring the stability of the wafer 10 in the housing 1.

[0040] The wafer cassette 100 also includes a control mechanism 3, which is connected to the stop assembly 2 and is configured to switch the first stop 21 or the second stop 22 to extend into or out of the cassette 1 to switch the wafer 10 extraction direction, making the wafer cassette 100 more convenient to use and able to adapt to the wafer 10 extraction direction requirements under different process conditions.

[0041] For example, when wafer 10 needs to be positioned and extracted from the first side opening 12 of wafer cassette 100, the control mechanism 3 will drive the second stop 22 to extend into the cassette 1, while simultaneously causing the first stop 21 to extend out of the cassette 1, thereby ensuring that wafer 10 can be extracted without obstruction from the first side opening 12. Conversely, if wafer 10 needs to be positioned and extracted from the second side opening 13, the control mechanism 3 will correspondingly drive the first stop 21 to extend into the cassette 1, and the second stop 22 to extend out of the cassette 1, ensuring that wafer 10 can be successfully extracted from the second side opening 13.

[0042] Through a flexible stop control mechanism, the position of the stop component 2 can be conveniently adjusted, thereby controlling the pick-up and drop-off direction of the wafer 10, significantly improving the practical performance of the wafer cassette 100, with strong adaptability and flexibility, and providing great convenience for wafer 10 management in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0043] Specifically, the user can operate the stop assembly 2 through the control mechanism 3 to adjust its position to ensure effective blocking of the wafer 10. The stop assembly 2 can be configured as a movable or rotating structural component. When the wafer 10 needs to be removed from an opening on one side, simply controlling the corresponding stop to temporarily disable or move it to a position that does not obstruct the removal of the wafer 10 allows for easy loading and unloading of the wafer 10.

[0044] In one embodiment of this utility model, the first stop 21 and the second stop 22 extend perpendicularly to the slot 14. The side plate 11 is provided with a first through hole 111 through which the first stop 21 passes and a second through hole 112 through which the second stop 22 passes, so that the first stop 21 and the second stop 22 can move smoothly along the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 under the drive of the control mechanism 3, so as to extend into or out of the box 1.

[0045] The first stop 21 and the second stop 22 are vertically extended from the slot 14, which can stably hold the wafer 10 inside the housing 1 and prevent it from moving freely inside the housing 1. The size and shape of the first stop 21 and the second stop 22 are matched with the corresponding first through hole 111 and second through hole 112 to ensure that the stop will not get stuck or interfere during movement.

[0046] Furthermore, the control mechanism 3 can control the first stop 21 and the second stop 22 electronically or mechanically. In one embodiment, the control mechanism 3 includes a drive motor, a transmission device, and a control unit. The user can issue a command through the control unit to start the drive motor, which in turn drives the first stop 21 and the second stop 22 to move along the first through hole 111 and the second through hole 112 via the transmission device, thereby blocking or releasing the wafer 10.

[0047] As another embodiment of this utility model, such as Figures 4 to 9 As shown, the control mechanism 3 includes an operating handle 31 and a drive assembly 32 that connects to the stop block assembly 2.

[0048] Among them, when the operating handle 31 is switched to such Figure 4 and Figure 5 When the first position is shown, the drive assembly 32 drives the first stop 21 to move along the first through hole 111 into the box body 1, and the second stop 22 moves out of the box body 1 along the second through hole 112.

[0049] When the operating handle 31 is switched to such Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the second position shown, the drive assembly 32 drives the second stop 22 to move along the second through hole 112 into the box 1, and the first stop 21 moves out of the box 1 along the second through hole 112.

[0050] Users can switch to the first or second position by operating the handle 31, which allows them to easily control the wafer 10 to enter or exit through the first side opening 12 or the second side opening 13, thus achieving bidirectional control of the wafer cassette 100. The handle 31 is designed to be more intuitive and easier to operate, allowing users to quickly get started without complicated steps.

[0051] Specifically, the stop assembly 2 includes a first movable plate 23 vertically connected to the first stop 21 and a second movable plate 24 vertically connected to the second stop 22. The first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 are both movably disposed on the outside of the side plate 11, so as to drive the first stop 21 and the second stop 22 to move along the corresponding first through hole 111 or second through hole 112 respectively under the drive of the control mechanism 3.

[0052] The first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 are located on the outside of the side plate 11 to avoid interfering with the space inside the wafer box 100, and also to facilitate the stable driving of the control mechanism 3, so as to ensure the stability and accuracy of the stop during the movement.

[0053] The stop assembly 2 also includes an elastic element 25, which is respectively disposed between the first movable plate 23, the second movable plate 24 and the side plate 11.

[0054] When the control mechanism 3 drives the first movable plate 23 or the second movable plate 24 to move, the compression of the elastic element 25 can provide a certain resistance, making the movement of the stop block more stable, buffering the impact caused by rapid movement, and improving the overall stability and service life of the wafer cell 100.

[0055] The elastic element 25 can also maintain the positional stability of the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24, and prevent the stop from moving unexpectedly due to external factors.

[0056] In addition, the elastic element 25 has a certain elastic restoring force when it is compressed. When the control mechanism 3 releases the driving force on the first movable plate 23 or the second movable plate 24, the elastic element 25 can cause the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 to extend out of the box body 1.

[0057] In a specific embodiment, the elastic element 25 can be a structure such as a spring or an elastic sheet. Its material and size can be selected and adjusted according to the actual needs of the wafer cassette 100 in order to improve the stability and service life of the stop assembly 2.

[0058] In this embodiment, as Figure 8 As shown, multiple elastic elements 25 are provided, respectively disposed on both sides of the first stop 21 and the second stop 22, and distributed at intervals at the upper and lower ends of the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24, so as to increase the support points of the elastic elements 25, so that when the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 move, they can be more evenly subjected to the resistance and restoring force of the elastic elements 25, further improving the stability of the stop assembly 2 during the movement.

[0059] The stop assembly 2 also includes a limiting rod 26 disposed inside the elastic member 25. The limiting rod 26 is fixed to the outside of the side plate 11 and is slidably connected to the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 respectively.

[0060] The limiting rod 26 is used to guide the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 to move in the direction of the vertical side plate 11. The limiting rod 26 is located inside the elastic member 25 to limit the elastic member 25, prevent the elastic member 25 from being excessively deformed or displaced, and ensure that the stop block assembly 2 can move stably along the preset trajectory under the action of the driving mechanism.

[0061] The side plate 11 is provided with a slot 113 for fixing the limiting rod 26, and the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 are both provided with shaft holes 27 for the limiting rod 26 to pass through.

[0062] When the first movable plate 23 or the second movable plate 24 is driven to move toward the side plate 11, part of the limiting rod 26 extends through the shaft hole 27 to the outside of the first movable plate 23 or the second movable plate 24.

[0063] like Figure 9 As shown, the drive assembly 32 includes a rotating shaft 321 fixedly connected to the operating handle 31, and a first cam 322 and a second cam 323 vertically connected to both ends of the rotating shaft 321; the first cam 322 and the second cam 323 respectively abut against the outer surfaces of the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24.

[0064] The operating handle 31 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 321. The user can easily control the rotation of the rotating shaft 321 through the operating handle 31, which drives the first cam 322 and the second cam 323 to apply forces in different directions to the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 respectively when rotating, so as to drive the movement of the stop block assembly 2.

[0065] One end of the rotating shaft 321 is connected to the edge portion of the first cam 322, and the other end is connected to the edge portion of the second cam 323. The axes of the first cam 322 and the second cam 323 are located on both sides of the axis of the rotating shaft 321.

[0066] When the operating handle 31 is rotated, the rotating shaft 321 rotates accordingly, causing the first cam 322 and the second cam 323 to rotate synchronously. One of the first cam 322 and the second cam 323 rotates towards the side plate 11 and presses against the corresponding movable plate, while the other rotates away from the side plate 11, thereby driving the first movable plate 23 and the second movable plate 24 to move in opposite directions, so as to switch the first stop 21 or the second stop 22 to extend into or out of the box 1.

[0067] Through the first cam 322 and the second cam 323, the rotational motion of the rotating shaft 321 can be converted into the linear movement of the movable plate. The drive assembly 32 has a simple structure and is easy to operate. The wafer box 100 can be easily controlled by rotating the operating handle 31.

[0068] The drive assembly 32 also includes a fixing structure 33 connected to the outside of the side plate 11. The fixing structure 33 has a shaft groove 331 that cooperates to limit the rotation shaft 321 and a limiting groove 332 that cooperates to limit the operation handle 31. The limiting groove 332 is used to limit the operation handle 31 when it is rotated to the first position or the second position.

[0069] The limiting groove 332 matches the shape of the operating handle 31 and is used to limit the operating handle 31 when it is rotated to the first position or the second position, so as to prevent the operating handle 31 from rotating excessively and leaving the preset position, and to ensure that the stop assembly 2 of the wafer box 100 is stable and reliable.

[0070] The rotating shaft 321 is rotatably connected to the shaft groove 331. The shaft groove 331 is used to keep the rotating shaft 321 rotating stably in the horizontal direction and to limit the axial movement of the rotating shaft 321, so as to prevent the rotating shaft 321 from deviating or shaking during rotation.

[0071] In addition, such as Figure 1 and 2 As shown, the wafer cassette 100 also includes a shielding cover 4, which is fixed to the outside of the side plate 11 to shield the stop assembly 2 and part of the control mechanism 3, and expose the operating handle 31.

[0072] The shielding cover 4 not only protects the block assembly 2 and related components of the control mechanism 3 from interference and damage from the external environment, but also effectively reduces the accumulation of dust and impurities, improving the overall cleanliness and service life of the wafer cassette 100. The operating handle 31 is exposed on the outside of the shielding cover 4, making it easy for operators to grip and rotate it directly.

[0073] The side plate 11 of the wafer cassette 100 has a plurality of slots 14 for inserting wafers 10. The slots 14 are stacked on one end of the side plate 11 and the other end is facing each other. The height of each slot 14 matches the thickness of the wafer 10, ensuring that the wafer 10 can be stably inserted into the slot 14 and is not easy to slip or shake. At the same time, the stacked slots 14 allow the wafer cassette 100 to accommodate multiple wafers 10, thereby improving space utilization.

[0074] The inner surface of the side plate 11 is provided with a plurality of support plates 15 spaced apart, and the slot 14 is formed between two adjacent support plates 15. In a preferred embodiment, the support plate 15 is fixedly connected to the side plate 11 and is used to support the corresponding wafer 10. In another preferred embodiment, the support plate 15 is integrally formed with the side plate 11. In yet another preferred embodiment, a slot can be made on the inner surface of the side plate 11 so that the wall of the slot forms the support plate 15.

[0075] The wafer cassette 100 also includes a bottom plate 16 and a top plate 17 disposed opposite to each other. The side plate 11 is connected to the two ends of the bottom plate 16 and the top plate 17. The top of the top plate 17 is provided with a handle 5, which can be used to lift the wafer cassette 100 in the vertical direction.

[0076] In this embodiment, there are two handles 5, which are U-shaped and rotatably mounted on the top plate 17.

[0077] In summary, by using the wafer cassette of this invention, the position of the first or second stop block can be conveniently adjusted by switching the control mechanism to allow it to extend or retract into the cassette, thereby controlling the wafer extraction direction. This significantly improves the practicality of the wafer cassette, giving it strong adaptability and flexibility, and providing great convenience for wafer management in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0078] In the embodiments provided by this utility model, it should be understood that the above-described implementation of the structure is merely illustrative. For example, the division of the modules is merely a logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components may be combined or integrated into another device, or some features may be ignored or not executed.

[0079] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model 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 of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette, characterized in that, include: The housing includes two side plates arranged opposite each other, a first side opening and a second side opening disposed between the two side plates and arranged opposite each other, and a plurality of slots for inserting wafers are formed on the two side plates. A stop assembly, movably mounted on the side plate, includes a first stop near the first side opening and a second stop near the second side opening; A control mechanism, connected to the stop assembly, is configured to switch the first or second stop block to extend into or out of the housing to switch the wafer removal direction.

2. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first stop and the second stop extend perpendicularly to the slot, and the side plate is provided with a first through hole that cooperates with the first stop and a second through hole that cooperates with the second stop along its thickness direction.

3. The wafer cassette according to claim 2, characterized in that, The control mechanism includes an operating handle and a drive assembly for connecting the stop block assembly; When the operating handle is switched to the first position, the driving component drives the first stop block to move along the first through hole into the box body, and the second stop block moves out of the box body along the second through hole; when the operating handle is switched to the second position, the driving component drives the second stop block to move along the second through hole into the box body, and the first stop block moves out of the box body along the second through hole.

4. The wafer cassette according to claim 3, characterized in that, The stop assembly includes a first movable plate vertically connected to the first stop and a second movable plate vertically connected to the second stop. Both the first and second movable plates are movably disposed on the outside of the side plate, so as to drive the first stop and the second stop to move along the corresponding first or second through hole under the drive of the control mechanism.

5. The wafer cassette according to claim 4, characterized in that, The stop assembly also includes an elastic element, which is disposed between the first movable plate, the second movable plate, and the side plate.

6. The wafer cassette according to claim 5, characterized in that, The stop assembly also includes a limiting rod disposed inside the elastic member. The limiting rod is fixed to the outside of the side plate and is slidably connected to the first movable plate and the second movable plate, respectively.

7. The wafer cassette according to any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a rotating shaft fixedly connected to the operating handle, and a first cam and a second cam vertically connected to both ends of the rotating shaft; the first cam and the second cam respectively abut against the outer surfaces of the first movable plate and the second movable plate.

8. The wafer cassette according to claim 7, characterized in that, One end of the rotating shaft is connected to the edge portion of the first cam, and the other end is connected to the edge portion of the second cam, with the axes of the first cam and the second cam located on opposite sides of the axis of the rotating shaft.

9. The wafer cassette according to claim 7, characterized in that, The drive assembly also includes a fixing structure connected to the outside of the side plate. The fixing structure has a shaft groove that cooperates to limit the rotation shaft and a limiting groove that cooperates to limit the operating handle. The limiting groove is used to limit the operating handle when it is rotated to the first position or the second position.

10. The wafer cassette according to claim 9, characterized in that, The wafer cassette also includes a shielding cover fixed to the outside of the side plate to shield the stop assembly and part of the control mechanism, while exposing the operating handle.

11. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The box body includes a bottom plate and a top plate connecting the two side plates, and the top plate is provided with a handle.

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