Air knife and feeding mechanism

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a wind knife and a feeding mechanism, the wind knife is used for slicing a plurality of silicon wafers stacked in a vertical direction, the wind knife comprises a shell, a gas outlet capable of being communicated with a positive pressure gas source is arranged on a surface of the shell facing the silicon wafers, a plurality of gas outlets are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction to form a plurality of gas outlet groups, each gas outlet group comprises at least one gas outlet, and in the vertical direction, the occupying area of the gas outlet group at the lowermost end on the surface of the shell is greater than the occupying area of any other gas outlet group on the surface of the shell. The wind knife of the present application can separate the silicon wafers from each other by the gas outlet group at the lowermost end with large wind power, and further can keep the silicon wafers in a separated state by the other gas outlet groups with small wind power, so that the silicon wafers will not be subjected to large wind power in the process of keeping the silicon wafers separated. The damage of the silicon wafers is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor processing, and more particularly to an air knife and a feeding mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] In the silicon wafer manufacturing process, multiple wafers are often stacked together for easy storage and transport. When further processing or testing is required, the wafers must be retrieved one by one from top to bottom. However, wafers can become stuck together due to static electricity or other reasons, making them difficult to remove. Therefore, it is necessary to separate the stuck wafers during the retrieval process. Operators use air knives to separate the stuck wafers. However, existing air knives generate strong airflow, which can easily damage the wafers during the slicing process. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an air knife and a feeding mechanism to solve the problem in related technologies where air knives with high airflow can damage silicon wafers during the wafer slicing process.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides an air knife, which includes a housing. Air outlets are disposed on the surface of the housing facing the silicon wafer. Multiple air outlets are arranged at intervals in a vertical direction to form multiple air outlet groups. Each air outlet group includes at least one air outlet.

[0005] In the vertical direction, the area occupied by the lowermost air outlet group on the shell surface is greater than the area occupied by any other air outlet group on the shell surface.

[0006] As an alternative implementation, in the vertical direction, the area occupied by multiple air outlet groups on the surface of the housing increases from top to bottom.

[0007] As an optional implementation, the air outlet group at the lowest end includes multiple air outlets, which are spaced apart in the horizontal direction.

[0008] The number of air outlets in the lowest air outlet group is greater than the number of air outlets in any other air outlet group.

[0009] With the same hole size, the area occupied by the vent group on the shell surface can be adjusted by the number of holes. In this case, since the number of vents in the bottommost vent group is greater than that in any other vent group, the bottommost vent group occupies the largest area. Simultaneously, the multiple vents are arranged at horizontal intervals, so that the arrangement direction of the vents corresponds to the extension direction of the silicon wafer edge. This results in more uniform airflow around the silicon wafer edge, ensuring even stress distribution and maintaining a stable state during separation. The silicon wafer will not tilt or wobble due to uneven stress. Furthermore, the uniform airflow prevents localized areas of the silicon wafer from experiencing excessive wind force, avoiding damage.

[0010] As an alternative implementation, the lowermost air outlet assembly includes an air outlet configured as a strip-shaped hole extending in the horizontal direction.

[0011] In this way, by adjusting the extension length of the strip-shaped holes, the area occupied by the air outlet assembly on the housing surface can be adjusted. When the extension length of the strip-shaped holes included in the lowermost air outlet assembly is the longest in the horizontal direction, it indicates that the area occupied by the lowermost air outlet assembly on the housing surface is the largest. Simultaneously, the strip-shaped holes also extend horizontally, so the air outlets correspond to the extension direction of the silicon wafer edge. This results in more uniform airflow around the silicon wafer edge, ensuring even stress distribution and maintaining a stable state during wafer separation. The silicon wafer will not tilt or wobble due to uneven stress. Furthermore, the uniform airflow prevents localized areas of the silicon wafer from experiencing excessive wind force, avoiding damage.

[0012] As an optional implementation, the outlet pressure is 0.05 MPa - 0.1 MPa. The outlet pressure of the outlet assembly will not be too high, ensuring that the silicon wafers can be separated and remain separated without being damaged by excessively high outlet pressure. Excessive outlet pressure can easily damage the silicon wafers, while insufficient outlet pressure can cause the air knife to malfunction, preventing it from separating the silicon wafers.

[0013] As an optional implementation, the surface of the housing facing the silicon wafer is also provided with a blow-off port that can communicate with a positive pressure air source. The blow-off port is located above the air outlet assembly and is used to blow off excess silicon wafers during the wafer picking process. In this way, as the picking and placing device picks up the silicon wafer and controls it away from the silicon wafer stack, the picked-up silicon wafer will also pass through the blow-off port. When the picking and placing device picks up two or more silicon wafers at the same time and they pass through the blow-off port, the air force generated by the blow-off port will blow off the excess silicon wafers. That is, the blow-off port can separate the picked-up silicon wafers from the excess silicon wafers, and the excess silicon wafers will fall back into the silicon wafer stack.

[0014] As an optional implementation, the blow-off port is configured as a strip-shaped hole extending vertically. In the vertical direction, the distance between the lower edge of the blow-off port and the upper edge of the uppermost air outlet group is greater than or equal to 8 mm. The strip-shaped configuration of the blow-off port maximizes its area on the housing surface. Furthermore, a certain distance is maintained between the blow-off port and the air outlet. If this distance is too small, the airflow from the blow-off port will interfere with the silicon wafer at the top of the wafer stack, potentially causing the wafer to fall during wafer handling.

[0015] As an optional implementation, the air knife also includes multiple air pipe connectors disposed on the housing, the air pipe connectors being used to communicate with a positive pressure air source, wherein,

[0016] The housing contains cavities that are connected to multiple tracheal connectors and multiple air outlets; or,

[0017] The housing has multiple airflow channels, each corresponding to an air outlet and an air pipe connector. The two ends of the airflow channels are connected to the air pipe connector and the air outlet, respectively.

[0018] The air hose connector provides a connection point for the air knife to connect to a gas pipeline, allowing the air knife to be connected to a positive pressure air source via a gas pipeline. This allows for greater flexibility in the air knife's placement. The gas supplied by the positive pressure air source can be combined within the cavity through multiple air hose connectors before being discharged through the outlets, resulting in a more uniform airflow from each outlet. Alternatively, the gas supplied by the positive pressure air source can be connected to multiple airflow channels through multiple air hose connectors before being discharged through the outlets, allowing for individual control of the airflow from each outlet.

[0019] On the other hand, this application also provides a feeding mechanism, including:

[0020] Material boxes are used to hold stacked silicon wafers;

[0021] A lifting device, configured to vertically lift silicon wafers within a cassette, facilitates the retrieval of silicon wafers by a loading / unloading device; and

[0022] As described in any of the preceding items, the air knife is positioned on the side of the silicon wafer.

[0023] As an optional implementation, the material box includes a base and limiting baffles. The base supports stacked silicon wafers. Multiple limiting baffles are erected on the base and surround the horizontal periphery of the silicon wafers to limit their position. The limiting baffles have adjustable relative positions on the base. Thus, the limiting baffles contact the edges of the silicon wafers, restricting their position and preventing displacement or drop.

[0024] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are:

[0025] The air knife of this application forms multiple air outlets on the surface of the housing, with several air outlet groups spaced vertically apart. The lowermost air outlet group occupies a larger area on the housing surface than any other air outlet group. Under the same air pressure, the lowermost air outlet group has the largest airflow and generates the strongest wind force, while the other air outlet groups have smaller airflow and generate lower wind force. When the silicon wafer stack gradually rises from below the air knife and passes through it, the silicon wafers first pass through the lowermost air outlet group. Adjacent silicon wafers are separated due to the greater wind force. As the silicon wafer stack continues to rise, the separated silicon wafers move to the air outlet group with the smaller area. Since the silicon wafers are already separated, they can remain separated under less wind force and are not affected by the greater wind force. In this way, the air knife of this application can separate silicon wafers with a large airflow through the lowest air outlet group, and further, it can keep the silicon wafers separated with a smaller airflow through the other air outlet groups. In this way, the silicon wafers are not subjected to large airflow during the separation process, thus avoiding damage to the silicon wafers. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under the first implementation method;

[0028] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a second implementation method;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a third implementation method;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a fourth implementation method;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under the fifth implementation method;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under the sixth implementation method;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly disclosed in the embodiments of this application under the seventh implementation method;

[0034] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tracheal connector disclosed in the embodiments of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the slicing device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0037] 1-Air knife, 11-Housing, 12-Air outlet, 13-Air outlet group, 14-Blow-off port, 15-Air pipe connector, 2-Silicon wafer, 21-Silicon wafer stack, 3-Material box, 31-Base, 32-Limiting baffle, 100-Feeding mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements.

[0039] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0040] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; 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, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0042] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, elements, or components (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, elements, or components. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0043] In the manufacturing process of silicon wafers, multiple silicon wafers are often stacked together. When processing or testing is required, these stacked wafers need to be separated. For ease of description and understanding, in this application, a stack of multiple silicon wafers is referred to as a silicon wafer pile. However, silicon wafers can adhere together due to static electricity or other reasons. Operators use air knives to separate these adhered wafers. However, existing air knives generate significant airflow, which can easily damage the silicon wafers during the separation process.

[0044] When further processing or testing of silicon wafers is required, the wafers need to be removed one by one from the wafer stack from top to bottom. Related technologies typically use a pick-and-place device with adsorption capabilities to retrieve the wafers. As wafers are continuously removed, the stacked wafers move upwards, ensuring that the top wafer remains in a relatively fixed position and preventing the pick-and-place device from becoming unable to retrieve wafers due to a decrease in the number of wafers.

[0045] However, during the silicon wafer handling process, the wafers can become attracted to each other due to static electricity or other reasons. This can cause the handling equipment to either pick up two wafers simultaneously due to excessive adhesion, or fail to pick up any wafers at all due to the same strong adhesion. Therefore, the silicon wafers need to be separated during the handling process to separate those that are attracted to each other.

[0046] In related technologies, air knives have multiple vertically spaced air knife holes. These holes provide airflow from the sides of the silicon wafers into the gaps between them, thus separating the wafers that are stuck together. Wafer separation needs to be performed before the wafers are removed. To prevent the separated wafers from re-attaching, the air knife needs to provide airflow towards the wafers for an extended period to keep them separated. This separation refers to the separation of the wafer from its adjacent wafers. However, existing air knives generate significant airflow, and continuing to provide airflow to the separated wafers for an extended period can easily damage them.

[0047] In view of this, this application provides an air knife and a wafer-splitting device. Multiple air outlets are formed on the surface of the housing, with multiple air outlet groups spaced vertically apart. The lowermost air outlet group occupies a larger area on the housing surface than any other air outlet group. Under the same air pressure, the lowermost air outlet group has the largest airflow and generates the strongest wind force, while the other air outlet groups have smaller airflow and generate lower wind force. When the silicon wafer stack gradually rises from below the air knife and passes through it, the silicon wafers first pass through the lowermost air outlet group. Adjacent silicon wafers are separated due to the greater wind force. As the silicon wafer stack continues to rise, the separated silicon wafers move to the air outlet group with the smaller area. Since the silicon wafers have already been separated, they can remain separated under less wind force, and the separated silicon wafers are not affected by the greater wind force. In this way, the air knife of this application can separate silicon wafers with a large airflow through the lowest air outlet group, and further, it can keep the silicon wafers separated with a smaller airflow through the other air outlet groups. In this way, the silicon wafers are not subjected to large airflow during the separation process, thus avoiding damage to the silicon wafers.

[0048] The following will describe the scheme of this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 7 This application discloses an air knife 1, which is used to slice multiple silicon wafers 2 stacked in a vertical direction. The air knife 1 includes a housing 11. An air outlet 12 that can communicate with a positive pressure air source is provided on the surface of the housing 11 facing the silicon wafer 2. Multiple air outlets 12 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction to form multiple air outlet groups 13. Each air outlet group 13 includes at least one air outlet 12. In the vertical direction, the area occupied by the air outlet group 13 at the bottom on the surface of the housing 11 is greater than the area occupied by any other air outlet group 13 on the surface of the housing 11.

[0050] The air knife 1 of this application has multiple air outlets 12, which form multiple air outlet groups 13 arranged vertically at intervals on the surface of the housing 11. Furthermore, in the vertical direction, the area occupied by the lowest air outlet group 13 on the surface of the housing 11 is greater than the area occupied by any other air outlet group 13. Under the same air pressure, the lowest air outlet group 13 has the largest airflow and generates the strongest wind force, while the airflow of any other air outlet group 13 is smaller and generates lower wind force. As the silicon wafer stack 21 gradually rises below the air knife 1 and passes through it, the silicon wafers 2 first pass through the lowest air outlet group 13. Adjacent silicon wafers 2 will separate due to the strong airflow. As the silicon wafer stack 21 continues to rise, the separated silicon wafers 2 will move to the air outlet group with a smaller area. Since the silicon wafers 2 are already separated, they can remain separated under a smaller airflow and will not be affected by a strong airflow. Thus, the air knife 1 can separate the silicon wafers 2 with a strong airflow through the lowest air outlet group, and further, it can keep the silicon wafers 2 separated with a smaller airflow through other air outlet groups. This prevents damage to the silicon wafers 2 during the separation process.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet assembly 13 disclosed in the embodiments of this application under the first implementation. Figure 1 The image shows a silicon wafer stack 21 and silicon wafers 2. As the silicon wafer stack 21 gradually rises below the air knife 1 and passes through it, the silicon wafers 2 first pass through the lowest air outlet group 13. Adjacent silicon wafers 2 are separated due to the strong airflow. The spacing between silicon wafers 2 at this point is... Figure 1 The distance is represented by a straight line B. As the silicon wafer stack 21 continues to rise, the separated silicon wafers 2 will move to the air outlet group that occupies a smaller area. Since the silicon wafers 2 have been separated, they can remain separated with less wind force, and they will not be affected by strong winds. At this time, the distance between the separated silicon wafers 2 and the silicon wafers 2 located above the lowest air outlet group 13 is... Figure 1 The distance is represented by a straight-line distance A. From Figure 1 It can be seen that due to the difference in wind force, the straight-line distance A will be less than the straight-line distance B.

[0052] In some embodiments, the lowermost vent group 13 may include multiple vents 12, which are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction. The number of vents 12 in the lowermost vent group 13 is greater than the number of vents 12 in any other vent group 13. Thus, with the same hole size, the area occupied by the vent group 13 on the surface of the housing 11 can be adjusted by the number of holes. Since the number of vents 12 in the lowermost vent group 13 is greater than the number of vents 12 in any other vent group 13, the lowermost vent group 13 occupies the largest area. Simultaneously, the multiple vents 12 are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction, so that the arrangement direction of the multiple vents 12 corresponds to the extension direction of the edge of the silicon wafer 2. This results in more uniform airflow at the edge of the silicon wafer 2, ensuring uniform force on the silicon wafer 2. During the separation process, the silicon wafer 2 remains stable and will not tilt or shake due to uneven force. At the same time, the uniform wind force also prevents the silicon wafer 2 from being subjected to excessive wind force in certain areas, thus avoiding damage to the silicon wafer 2.

[0053] At this point, the specific implementation of the air outlet 12 can be referred to Figures 1 to 4 ,in, Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet assembly 13 disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a second implementation; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet assembly 13 disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a third implementation; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly 13 disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a fourth implementation. To clearly illustrate the slicing effect of the air knife 1 on the silicon wafer 2, and to avoid obstruction of the air outlet assembly 13 of the silicon wafer stack 21, in this application, only... Figure 1 The image shows a silicon wafer stack 21.

[0054] Taking the air outlet group 13 as an example in the first and second embodiments, the lowermost air outlet group 13 includes multiple air outlets 12, and there are two air outlet groups 13 arranged vertically. In the first embodiment, the lowermost air outlet group 13 has two air outlets 12, and the uppermost air outlet group 13 has one air outlet 12. In the second embodiment, the lowermost air outlet group 13 has three air outlets 12, and the uppermost air outlet group 13 has two air outlets 12.

[0055] Taking the air outlet group 13 as an example in the third and fourth embodiments, the lowest air outlet group 13 includes multiple air outlets 12, and three air outlet groups 13 are arranged vertically. In the third embodiment, the lowest air outlet group 13 has three air outlets 12, the middle air outlet group 13 has two air outlets 12, and the highest air outlet group 13 has one air outlet 12. In the fourth embodiment, the lowest air outlet group 13 has three air outlets 12, the middle air outlet group 13 has one air outlet 12, and the highest air outlet group 13 has two air outlets 12.

[0056] In some embodiments, the lowermost vent assembly 13 includes a vent 12, which is configured as a strip-shaped hole extending horizontally. Thus, by adjusting the extension length of the strip-shaped hole, the area occupied by the vent assembly 13 on the surface of the housing 11 can be adjusted. When the extension length of the strip-shaped hole included in the lowermost vent assembly 13 is the longest in the horizontal direction, it indicates that the lowermost vent assembly 13 occupies the largest area on the surface of the housing 11. Simultaneously, the strip-shaped hole also extends horizontally, so that the vent 12 corresponds to the extension direction of the edge of the silicon wafer 2, resulting in more uniform airflow at the edge of the silicon wafer 2. This ensures uniform stress on the silicon wafer 2, keeping it stable during separation and preventing tilting or shaking due to uneven stress. Furthermore, the uniform airflow prevents localized damage to the silicon wafer 2.

[0057] At this point, the specific implementation of the air outlet 12 can be referred to Figure 5 and Figure 6 , Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet assembly 13 disclosed in the embodiments of this application under the fifth implementation method; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the air outlet assembly 13 disclosed in the embodiments of this application under a sixth implementation. In the fifth implementation, two air outlet assemblies 13 are provided in the vertical direction, and each air outlet assembly 13 is composed of strip-shaped holes, with the strip-shaped hole of the lowermost air outlet assembly 13 having the longest extension length in the horizontal direction. In the sixth implementation, three air outlet assemblies 13 are provided in the vertical direction, and each air outlet assembly 13 is composed of strip-shaped holes, with the strip-shaped hole of the lowermost air outlet assembly 13 having the longest extension length in the horizontal direction.

[0058] As described above, the air outlet assembly 13 can be formed by multiple air outlets 12 arranged at intervals, or by a single strip-shaped hole; in some embodiments, both can be combined. See details for further information. Figure 7 , Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air outlet group 13 disclosed in the seventh embodiment of this application. In the seventh embodiment, there are two air outlet groups 13 in the vertical direction. The air outlet group 13 at the lower end is composed of strip holes, and the air outlet group 13 at the upper end is formed by multiple air outlets 12. The strip holes of the air outlet group 13 at the lower end occupy the largest area.

[0059] As described above, when further processing or testing of silicon wafer 2 is required, silicon wafer 2 needs to be removed one by one from the silicon wafer stack 21 from top to bottom. As silicon wafer 2 is continuously removed, its thickness decreases. To ensure stable removal of silicon wafer 2 by the pick-and-place device, the silicon wafer stack 21 can be raised and lowered vertically, keeping the relative position of the top silicon wafer 2 in the stack unchanged. This way, even as the thickness of the stack decreases, the pick-and-place device can still remove the top silicon wafer 2. In some embodiments, the area occupied by multiple air outlet groups 13 on the surface of the housing 11 can increase from top to bottom in the vertical direction. This reduces the wind force on the silicon wafer 2 closest to the top of the stack, minimizing its impact while maintaining its separation. This makes the silicon wafer 2 more stable and easier for the pick-and-place device to remove.

[0060] It is understood that this application does not limit the number of air outlet groups 13 or the size of the area occupied by each air outlet group 13. The design can be adapted to the thickness of the silicon wafer 2 and the thickness of the silicon wafer stack 21, as long as it can separate the silicon wafer 2 and maintain it in the separated state. For example, when the silicon wafer 2 is thicker, it means the silicon wafer 2 is heavier. In this case, the area occupied by the air outlet group 13 can be increased to increase the gas flow rate of the air outlet group 13, thereby increasing the airflow force and ensuring the separation of the silicon wafer 2. Conversely, when the silicon wafer 2 is thinner, the area occupied by the air outlet group 13 can be reduced to decrease the gas flow rate of the air outlet group 13, thereby reducing the airflow force and ensuring that the silicon wafer 2 is not damaged. When the silicon wafer stack 21 is thicker, the number of air outlets 12 can be appropriately increased so that multiple air outlet groups 13 can cover more silicon wafers 2 in the vertical direction. In addition to the various embodiments mentioned above, other feasible embodiments of the air outlet assembly 13 can also be applied in this application, as long as they satisfy the requirement that the air knife 1 can separate the silicon wafer 2 and keep the silicon wafer 2 in a separated state. This application does not impose specific limitations in this regard.

[0061] In some embodiments, the outlet pressure of the vent 12 is 0.05mPa-0.1mPa, for example, the outlet pressure of the vent 12 can be 0.05mPa, 0.06mPa, 0.07mPa, 0.08mPa, 0.09mPa, or 0.1mPa. Thus, when at least one vent 12 forms an outlet group 13, the outlet pressure of the outlet group 13 will not be too high. This ensures that the silicon wafer 2 can be separated from the silicon wafer 2 and remains in a separated state, without causing damage to the silicon wafer 2 due to excessive outlet pressure. If the outlet pressure of the vent 12 is too high, the silicon wafer 2 will be easily damaged; if the outlet pressure of the vent 12 is too low, the air knife 1 will fail, and the air knife 1 will be unable to separate the silicon wafer 2 from the silicon wafer 2.

[0062] During the process of picking up silicon wafer 2, although the air knife 1 can separate silicon wafer 2 from silicon wafer 2, there is still a small probability that the picking and placing device may pick up two or more silicon wafers 2 at the same time. To avoid this situation, in some embodiments, the surface of the housing 11 facing the silicon wafer 2 may also be provided with a blow-off port 14 that can be connected to a positive pressure air source. The blow-off port 14 is located above the air outlet group 13 and is used to blow off excess silicon wafers 2 during the picking up process. In this way, when the picking and placing device picks up the silicon wafer 2 and controls the silicon wafer 2 away from the silicon wafer stack 21, the picked up silicon wafer 2 will also pass through the blow-off port 14. When the picking and placing device picks up two or more silicon wafers 2 at the same time and passes through the blow-off port 14, the air force generated by the blow-off port 14 will blow off the excess silicon wafer 2. That is, the blow-off port 14 can separate the picked up silicon wafer 2 from the excess silicon wafer 2, and the excess silicon wafer 2 will fall back into the silicon wafer stack 21.

[0063] In order to avoid damage to the silicon wafer 2 caused by the blow-off port 14, in some embodiments, the outlet pressure of the blow-off port 14 can also be 0.05mPa-0.1mPa, for example, the outlet pressure of the blow-off port 14 can be 0.05mPa, 0.06mPa, 0.07mPa, 0.08mPa, 0.09mPa or 0.1mPa.

[0064] In some embodiments, the blow-off port 14 can be configured as a strip-shaped hole extending in a vertical direction, wherein the distance between the lower edge of the blow-off port 14 and the upper edge of the uppermost air outlet assembly 13 in the vertical direction is greater than or equal to 8 mm. Figure 1 In this context, the spacing is represented by the straight-line distance C. The blow-off port 14 is constructed as a strip-shaped hole to maximize the area occupied by the blow-off port 14 on the surface of the housing 11. Furthermore, a certain distance is ensured between the blow-off port 14 and the air outlet 12. If this distance is too small, the airflow from the blow-off port 14 will interfere with the silicon wafer 2 located at the top of the silicon wafer stack 21, and may cause the silicon wafer 2 to fall when the pick-and-place equipment picks it up.

[0065] Reference Figure 8 The air knife 1 may also include multiple air pipe connectors 15 disposed on the housing 11. The air pipe connectors 15 are used to connect to a positive pressure air source. The air pipe connectors 15 provide a connection point for the air knife 1 to connect to a gas pipeline, allowing the air knife 1 to be connected to the positive pressure air source via a gas pipeline. In this way, the placement of the air knife 1 can be more flexible.

[0066] In some embodiments, the housing 11 may have a cavity connected to multiple air pipe connectors 15 and multiple air outlets 12. In this way, the gas provided by the positive pressure gas source can be combined in the cavity through multiple air pipe connectors 15 and then discharged through the air outlets 12, so that the airflow discharged from each air outlet 12 will be more uniform.

[0067] In other embodiments, the housing 11 may be provided with multiple airflow channels, each corresponding to an air outlet 12 and an air pipe connector 15, with both ends of the airflow channel connected to the air pipe connector 15 and the air outlet 12, respectively. In this way, the gas provided by the positive pressure gas source can be connected to multiple airflow channels through multiple air pipe connectors 15, and then discharged through the air outlet 12, allowing the airflow force discharged from each air outlet 12 to be controlled individually.

[0068] On the other hand, this application also provides a feeding mechanism 100, which can be referred to in detail. Figure 9 The feeding mechanism 100 includes a material box 3, a lifting device (not shown in the figure), and an air knife 1 as described in any of the above embodiments, and has all its beneficial effects, which will not be repeated here. The material box can accommodate and carry stacked silicon wafers 2, i.e., a silicon wafer stack 21. The lifting device can vertically lift the silicon wafers 2 contained in the material box 3, thereby continuously increasing the height of the silicon wafers 2 inside the material box 3, making it easier for the pick-and-place equipment to pick up the silicon wafers 2 carried on the material box 3. The air knife 1 is located on the side of the silicon wafers 2, and the air knife 1 can generate airflow to separate the top layer of silicon wafers 2, making it easier for the pick-and-place equipment to pick them up. After continuously picking up silicon wafers 2, the number of stacked silicon wafers 2 gradually decreases. At this time, the lifting device can lift the silicon wafer stack 21 in the material box 3, allowing the silicon wafer stack 21 to rise and fall vertically, so that the relative position of the top silicon wafer 2 in the silicon wafer stack 21 and the pick-and-place equipment remains unchanged, enabling the pick-and-place equipment to stably pick up the silicon wafers 2.

[0069] In some embodiments, the air knives 1 are an even number and arranged in pairs, with each pair of air knives 1 respectively disposed on both sides of the silicon wafer 2 and arranged opposite to each other. In this way, the multiple air knives 1 are located at least on both sides of the silicon wafer 2, and when the multiple air knives 1 emit air at the same time, it can ensure that the force on both sides of the silicon wafer 2 is uniform, thus ensuring the stability of the silicon wafer 2.

[0070] Optionally, the material box 3 may specifically include a base 31 and multiple limiting baffles 32. The base 31 serves to support the stacked silicon wafers 2, while the multiple limiting baffles 32 are erected on the base 31 and surround the horizontal periphery of the silicon wafers 2. The limiting baffles 32 protrude vertically from the upper surface of the base 31, allowing them to contact the edges of the silicon wafers 2 and limit their position. In this way, the multiple limiting baffles 32 can respectively restrict the position of the silicon wafers 2 at different locations around their periphery, preventing the silicon wafers 2 from shifting or falling off the base 31. (Continuing to refer to...) Figure 9 ,exist Figure 9 In the middle, the limiting baffle 32 can be arranged separately from the air knife 1 to avoid affecting the normal operation of the air knife 1.

[0071] 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 pneumatic blade, characterized in that, The air knife (1) includes a housing (11), and an air outlet (12) is provided on the surface of the housing (11) facing the silicon wafer (2). Multiple air outlets (12) are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction to form multiple air outlet groups (13), each air outlet group (13) including at least one air outlet (12). In the vertical direction, the area occupied by the lowermost air outlet group (13) on the surface of the housing (11) is greater than the area occupied by any other air outlet group (13) on the surface of the housing (11).

2. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the vertical direction, the area occupied by the plurality of air outlet groups (13) on the surface of the housing (11) increases from top to bottom.

3. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The air outlet group (13) located at the lowest end includes a plurality of air outlets (12), which are arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction; The number of air outlets (12) in the lowest air outlet group (13) is greater than the number of air outlets (12) in any other air outlet group (13).

4. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lowermost air outlet assembly (13) includes an air outlet (12) configured as a strip-shaped hole extending in the horizontal direction.

5. The air knife according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outlet pressure of the air outlet (12) is 0.05mPa-0.1mPa.

6. The air knife according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The surface of the housing (11) facing the silicon wafer (2) is also provided with a blow-off port (14) that can be connected to a positive pressure air source. The blow-off port (14) is located above the air outlet group (13) and is used to blow off excess silicon wafers (2) during the process of picking up the silicon wafers (2).

7. The air knife according to claim 6, characterized in that, The blow-off port (14) is constructed as a strip-shaped hole extending in the vertical direction. In the vertical direction, the distance between the lower edge of the blow-off port (14) and the upper edge of the uppermost air outlet group (13) is greater than or equal to 8 mm.

8. The air knife according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The air knife (1) also includes a plurality of air pipe connectors (15) disposed on the housing (11), the air pipe connectors (15) being used to communicate with a positive pressure air source, wherein, The housing (11) contains a cavity, which is connected to a plurality of the tracheal connectors (15) and a plurality of the air outlets (12); or, The housing (11) is provided with multiple airflow channels, each corresponding to the air outlet (12) and the air pipe connector (15). The two ends of the airflow channels are connected to the air pipe connector (15) and the air outlet (12), respectively.

9. A feeding mechanism, characterized in that, include: Material box (3), the material box is used to hold stacked silicon wafers (2); A lifting device configured to vertically lift the silicon wafer (2) within the cassette (3) to facilitate the retrieval of the silicon wafer (2) by a pick-and-place device; and The air knife (1) as described in any one of claims 1-8 is disposed on the side of the silicon wafer (2).

10. The feeding mechanism according to claim 9, characterized in that, The material box (3) includes: A base (31) for supporting the stacked silicon wafers (2); A limiting baffle (32) is provided, and there are multiple limiting baffles (32). The multiple limiting baffles (32) are erected on the base (31) and surround the silicon wafer (2) in the horizontal direction to limit the silicon wafer (2). The limiting baffles (32) have an adjustable relative position on the base (31).

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