Wafer tray unloading device

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer tray blanking device, even number of support seat is divided into two groups and is arranged in symmetry on the frame, and two groups of support seat can move towards or move away from simultaneously, and support seat is used for receiving wafer tray that manipulator carries from production line. The material receiving plate can make the vertical direction's lifting movement on the frame, and the material receiving plate moves up and contacts with the wafer tray supported on the support seat, then two groups of support seat move away from simultaneously, at this moment, the wafer tray falls on the material receiving plate. Two material receiving seats are arranged in symmetry on the both sides of the material receiving plate lifting path, and two material receiving seats can move horizontally on the frame simultaneously, and the horizontal movement direction of material receiving seat is perpendicular to the movement direction of support seat. After the wafer tray on the material receiving plate is stacked to the required number, the material receiving seat moves horizontally to the lower of the material receiving plate, and the material receiving plate moves down and makes all the well-stacked wafer tray transfer to the material receiving seat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a wafer tray unloading device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer pallet unloading and palletizing on the production line is an indispensable step. Currently, wafer pallet unloading typically involves robotic arms directly gripping and transporting the wafers from the production line to the palletizing station. Once a certain number of pallets have accumulated, they are then unloaded as a whole. Because the robotic arm's travel range is relatively small, the palletizing station is usually located within its range, placing it very close to the production line. This makes handling the pallets extremely difficult. Some manufacturers place palletizing carts next to the production line and then move the pallets out of the line as a whole. This method requires extremely high precision from the robotic arm, necessitating multiple high-precision cameras for visual positioning, resulting in high inspection and maintenance costs. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a wafer tray unloading device to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0004] The technical solutions adopted in this utility model are as follows:

[0005] A wafer tray unloading device, comprising

[0006] frame;

[0007] The material support plate is capable of vertical lifting and lowering within the frame;

[0008] Supports, several supports are symmetrically arranged in two groups on the frame, and the two groups of supports can move towards each other or away from each other at the same time;

[0009] The receiving seats are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the lifting path of the material receiving plate, and the two receiving seats can move horizontally on the frame at the same time. The direction of the horizontal movement of the receiving seats is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the support.

[0010] Furthermore, an even number of the support seats are provided and divided into two equal groups, with each support seat driven by a cylinder.

[0011] Furthermore, the support is a right-angled base.

[0012] Furthermore, the frame is equipped with a slide driven by an electric screw or a cylinder, and two receiving seats are symmetrically fixed on the slide. The material receiving plate can be raised and lowered between the two receiving seats.

[0013] Furthermore, the receiving seat is provided with right-angle limiting platforms at both ends, and the right-angle slots of the two right-angle limiting platforms are arranged facing each other.

[0014] Furthermore, the lifting and lowering of the support plate on the frame is driven by an electric lead screw.

[0015] Furthermore, the frame is also provided with several vertically arranged guide columns, which are arranged around the circumference of the material support plate.

[0016] Furthermore, the frame is provided with an adjustment plate, which is fixed on a cylinder and driven by the cylinder to move toward the material support plate, and forms a backing with the corresponding guide column in the opposite direction of the adjustment plate.

[0017] Furthermore, proximity sensors are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lifting path of the material support plate on the frame.

[0018] This utility model has the following beneficial effects:

[0019] This invention is installed on one side of the production line and within the handling stroke of the robotic arm. However, the palletizing point can be directly transferred on the device. Palletizing is completed on the support plate, and then the palletized wafer tray is transferred to the receiving seat. The final handling is completed at the receiving seat, keeping it as far away from the production line as possible. The entire process requires no manual intervention, has a high degree of automation, and can effectively improve production efficiency. It also offers good positioning, achieving precise palletizing and transfer, and facilitates maintenance and repair. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the present utility model.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the present utility model.

[0022] Figure 3 This is an assembly position diagram of the support plate, bracket, and receiving seat.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of the support.

[0024] Figure 5 The structural diagram for adjusting the plate. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] like Figures 1 to 3 This utility model discloses a wafer tray unloading device, which includes a frame 1, a material support plate 2, a support base 3, and a receiving base 4.

[0027] An even number of trays 3 are symmetrically arranged in two groups on the frame 1, and the two groups of trays 3 can move towards each other or away from each other at the same time. The trays 3 are used to receive the wafer trays 9 that are transported from the production line by the robot arm.

[0028] The support plate 2 can move vertically up and down in the frame 1. The support plate 2 moves up and contacts the wafer tray 9 supported on the support 3. Then the two sets of support 3 move in opposite directions at the same time, and the wafer tray 9 falls on the support plate 2.

[0029] Two receiving seats 4 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lifting path of the support plate 2, and the two receiving seats 4 can move horizontally on the frame 1 simultaneously, with the direction of horizontal movement of the receiving seats 4 perpendicular to the direction of movement of the support 3. After the wafer trays 9 on the support plate 2 are stacked to the required quantity, the receiving seats 4 move horizontally to below the support plate 2, the support plate 2 moves down and transfers all the stacked wafer trays 9 onto the receiving seats 4.

[0030] Combination Figure 4 In this application, the support 3 is a right-angled support, with its horizontal edge used to support the wafer tray 9. Four supports 3 are provided, arranged in pairs. Each support 3 is independently controlled by a separate cylinder 5. All cylinders driving the supports 3 operate synchronously, ensuring that the two sets of supports 3 move simultaneously towards or away from each other. When a wafer tray 9 needs to be received from the production line, the two sets of supports 3 move simultaneously towards each other to a designated position. Then, a robotic arm transports the wafer tray 9 from the production line onto the support 3 for temporary storage.

[0031] To increase the contact surface with the wafer tray 9, a mounting plate 51 can be set on one of the cylinders in each group, and then multiple supports 3 can be set on each mounting plate 51. This can ensure that the number of supports 3 can be increased without increasing the number of cylinders, so as to support the wafer tray 9 more stably.

[0032] The receiving seat 4 in this application is a strip plate structure. Two receiving seats 4 are spaced apart and symmetrically arranged. The gap between the two receiving seats 4 is greater than the width of the supporting plate 2. When the supporting plate 2 moves up and down, the receiving seats 4 will not interfere with the supporting plate 2. That is, the supporting plate 2 moves up and down between the receiving seats 4.

[0033] A slide 10 driven by an electric screw or a cylinder is provided on the frame 1. Two receiving seats 4 are symmetrically fixed on the slide 10. When the receiving seat 4 moves to directly below the support plate 2, the support plate 2 continues to move down, so that the wafer tray 9 on the support plate 2 falls onto the receiving seat 4. This realizes the transfer of the wafer tray 9 from the support plate 2 to the receiving seat 4. Then the support plate 2 continues to remain below the receiving seat 4, and the receiving seat 4 returns to the initial point, finally realizing the removal of the wafer tray 9.

[0034] To achieve better positioning of the bottom wafer tray 9 on the receiving base 4, right-angle limiting stages 41 are provided at both ends of the receiving base 4, with the right-angle slots of the two right-angle limiting stages 41 arranged facing each other. The right-angle slots are used to position the wafer tray 9.

[0035] In this application, the lifting and lowering of the support plate 2 on the frame 1 is driven by an electric lead screw.

[0036] To further ensure that the wafer trays 9 can be neatly stacked on the receiving seat 4, several vertically arranged guide columns 6 are also provided on the frame 1. The guide columns are arranged around the circumference of the receiving plate 2. To avoid interfering with the movement of the receiving seat 4, the guide columns 6 are not placed on the side close to the receiving seat 4.

[0037] Additionally, after the wafer tray 9 is placed on the support 3, its position can be calibrated so that the wafer tray 9 descends onto the support plate 2 according to the expected position. The calibration is performed by an adjustment plate 7 on the frame 1, which is fixed to a cylinder and driven by the cylinder to move towards the support plate 2. A corresponding guide post 6 in the opposite direction of the adjustment plate 7 forms a support, combined with... Figure 5 .

[0038] The method of use is as follows: after the support 3 receives the wafer tray 9 brought by the robot arm, the adjustment plate 7 is driven by the corresponding cylinder and extends to press the wafer tray 9 against the guide post 6 on the opposite side (i.e., against the mountain). Figure 1 The left and right directions are positioned by the adjustment plate 7 and the backrest, and the front and back directions are positioned by the two support seats 3 clamping each other. This ensures that the wafer trays 9 can be neatly stacked on the support plate 2 (the wafer trays 9 are also equipped with corresponding concave and convex structures for positioning two adjacent wafer trays 9 stacked together. This structure is common knowledge in the industry and will not be described in detail in this application).

[0039] If, after each stacking of wafer trays 9 onto the support plate 2, the system stops abnormally during debugging or if the number of wafer trays 9 is changed midway through operation, the support plate 2 will descend to its initial position after device initialization. Upon restarting, the system cannot determine the precise height to which the support plate 2 should be raised to ensure the wafer trays reach the standard receiving position. This presents two risks: First, if the support plate 2 rises too low, it may fail to reliably catch the wafer trays on the support base 3, causing the wafer trays on the support base 3 to fall from a considerable height and damage the wafers. Second, if the support plate 2 rises too high, the wafer trays on the support base 3 may be impacted and damaged.

[0040] To address this position loss issue, proximity sensors 8 (or through-beam sensors) are symmetrically installed on both sides of the lifting path of the support plate 2 on the frame 1. Each time the support plate 2 descends to its initial position and rises from there, as long as the proximity sensor 8 detects the highest point (when the support plate 2 is not carrying a wafer tray, the upper surface of the support plate 2 is the highest point; when the support plate 2 is carrying a wafer tray, the upper surface of the top wafer tray is the highest point), the power source (electric screw or cylinder) driving the support plate 2 to rise is initialized at the highest point, thereby ensuring that the position (stroke) between the highest point and the support 3 remains fixed.

[0041] The following is a detailed description of how to use this device.

[0042] First, the device is initialized. The support 3 retracts to the initial position, the material support plate 2 falls to the lowest point, and the receiving seat 4 retracts to the initial position.

[0043] The robotic arm transports the wafer pallet 9 to the production line. Two sets of support plates 3 move towards each other simultaneously. The support plates 3 are used to receive the wafer pallet 9 transported by the robotic arm from the production line. After the support plates 3 support the wafer pallet, the adjusting plate 7 moves and presses the wafer pallet on the support plate 3 against the backrest.

[0044] The support plate 2 moves upward. Once the highest point on the support plate 2 is detected by the proximity sensor 8, the power source driving the support plate 2 upward is initialized. Then, it moves upward from the position detected by the proximity sensor 8, contacting the wafer tray 9 supported on the support 3. Then, both sets of support 3 move in opposite directions simultaneously, and the adjusting plate 7 retracts to the initial point. At this point, the wafer tray 9 falls onto the support plate 2. The robot continues to transport the wafer trays 9 on the production line, thus repeatedly stacking the wafer trays 9 on the support plate 2. After the required number of wafer trays 9 on the support plate 2 are stacked, the receiving seat 4 moves horizontally to below the support plate 2. The support plate 2 then moves downward, transferring all the stacked wafer trays 9 onto the receiving seat 4. The receiving seat then returns to its initial position, and the stacked wafer trays are removed from the production line via the receiving seat 4.

[0045] In use, the receiving base 4 is placed away from the production line, while the wafer trays 9 are stacked on the production line side. Within the robot's stroke, the robot first sequentially moves the wafer trays 9 to the receiving plate 2 for stacking. After stacking, the entire assembly is moved away by the receiving base 4, allowing it to be further away from the production line. Then, a handling fixture is used to retrieve the wafer trays 9 from the receiving base 4. Without this device, the wafer trays 9 are directly stacked on the production line side; in this case, moving the wafer trays 9 with the handling fixture would be much closer to the production line, making it convenient to use.

[0046] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements can be made without departing from the principle of the present utility model, and these improvements should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer tray unloading device, characterized in that: include Rack (1); The material support plate (2) can move vertically up and down in the frame (1); Support (3), several supports (3) are symmetrically arranged in two groups on the frame (1), and the two groups of supports (3) can move towards each other or away from each other at the same time; The receiving seat (4) is symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lifting path of the material receiving plate (2), and the two receiving seats (4) can move horizontally on the frame (1) at the same time. The direction of the horizontal movement of the receiving seat (4) is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the support (3).

2. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The support (3) is provided in an even number and is divided into two groups. Each support (3) is driven by a cylinder (5).

3. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The support (3) is a right-angled support.

4. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with a slide (10) driven by an electric screw or a cylinder. Two receiving seats (4) are symmetrically fixed on the slide (10). The material receiving plate (2) can be raised and lowered between the two receiving seats (4).

5. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1 or 4, characterized in that: The receiving seat (4) is provided with right-angle limiting platforms (41) at both ends, and the right-angle slots of the two right-angle limiting platforms (41) are arranged facing each other.

6. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting and lowering of the support plate (2) on the frame (1) is driven by an electric lead screw.

7. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is also provided with several vertically arranged guide columns (6), which are arranged around the circumference of the material support plate (2).

8. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) is provided with an adjustment plate (7), which is fixed on a cylinder and driven by the cylinder to move toward the material support plate (2). The corresponding guide column (6) in the opposite direction of the adjustment plate (7) forms a support.

9. The wafer tray unloading device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The proximity sensors (8) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the lifting path of the support plate (2) on the frame (1).

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