Mask storage mechanism and processing equipment

Abstract

The application relates to a mask storage mechanism and a processing device, wherein the mask storage mechanism comprises a taking and delivering assembly, a taking and delivering contact connected to the mechanical arm, and the taking and delivering contact can adsorb the mask; the storage assembly comprises a plurality of storage libraries arranged around the taking and delivering assembly, any storage library comprises a plurality of storage layers arranged at intervals, and any storage layer can carry the mask. The above-mentioned mask storage mechanism can realize rapid storage and transfer of the mask, effectively improves the problem that the accuracy of mask use caused by manual mask replacement mode is often dependent on the fool-proof design of the layout and the artificial confirmation when the mask is placed manually, thereby guaranteeing the accuracy of the mask storage and transfer process, and further meeting the high-speed production demand.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of machine tool equipment technology, and in particular to a mask storage mechanism and processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of machine tool technology and the increasing diversification of machine tool applications, the requirements for machine tools are becoming increasingly stringent. A photomask, also known as a lithography mask, is a pattern template used in photolithography. Photomasks need to be placed in a photomask storage box for easy transport and storage.

[0003] In practice, manually changing the photomask often relies on the foolproof design of the layout and human confirmation during placement, which is difficult to meet the needs of high-speed production. Utility Model Content

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a mask storage mechanism and processing equipment to address the aforementioned technical problems.

[0005] A mask storage mechanism, comprising:

[0006] The pick-and-feed assembly includes a robotic arm and a pick-and-feed contact connected to the robotic arm, the pick-and-feed contact being capable of adsorbing a mask.

[0007] The storage component includes multiple storage compartments arranged around the delivery component, each of the storage compartments including multiple spaced storage layers, and each of the storage layers being capable of holding the mask.

[0008] In one embodiment, the mask storage mechanism further includes:

[0009] A limiting unit is disposed on the side of the storage component away from the delivery component, and is capable of limiting the mask plate located in the storage layer.

[0010] In one embodiment, the limiting unit includes:

[0011] Limiting support components;

[0012] Multiple limiting components are connected to the limiting support component, and any one of the limiting components can extend into the storage layer.

[0013] In one embodiment, the mask storage mechanism further includes:

[0014] The sensing unit includes an in-situ detection sensor and an anti-slip sensor. The in-situ detection sensor is located on one side of the storage layer, and the anti-slip sensor is located on the open side of the storage compartment.

[0015] In one embodiment, the pickup and delivery component further includes:

[0016] A rotation drive unit, connected to one end of the robotic arm, is capable of driving the robotic arm to rotate in the horizontal direction.

[0017] In one embodiment, the pickup and delivery component further includes:

[0018] A lifting drive component is connected to one end of the robotic arm and can drive the robotic arm to move up and down along the height direction of the drive assembly.

[0019] In one embodiment, the feeding contact is provided with an adsorption area, which is located in the middle of the robotic arm.

[0020] In one embodiment, the storage component further includes:

[0021] Multiple rotating adjustment platforms, any one of which is connected to the bottom of the storage compartment, are capable of driving the storage compartment to rotate.

[0022] In one embodiment, the storage component further includes:

[0023] Multiple support bases, any one of which is connected to the storage compartment.

[0024] A processing device, comprising:

[0025] As described above, this is a mask storage mechanism.

[0026] The technical effects of the embodiments provided in this application are as follows:

[0027] In the aforementioned mask storage mechanism, when a mask needs to be stored, the feeding contact in the picking and feeding assembly, driven by a robotic arm, approaches and adsorbs the mask to be stored. Then, the adsorbed mask is driven towards the storage assembly, and a target storage compartment is selected from among multiple storage compartments surrounding the picking and feeding assembly. Next, a target storage layer is selected from among the multiple spaced storage layers in the target storage compartment. Finally, driven by the robotic arm, the mask to be stored is placed into the target storage layer, thus completing the mask storage. Similarly, when a target storage layer is selected, the mask is placed into the target storage layer. When a mask in a nanolayer needs to be transferred, the pick-and-place contact in the pick-and-place assembly approaches and adsorbs the mask in the target absorbent layer under the drive of the robotic arm. Then, it drives the adsorbed mask away from the receiving assembly until it is placed at the target station. This enables rapid storage and transfer of masks, effectively improving the problem that the accuracy of mask use often depends on the layout's error-proof design and human confirmation during manual placement due to manual mask replacement. This ensures the accuracy of mask storage and transfer, thereby meeting the needs of high-speed production. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art 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.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the mask storage mechanism in one embodiment;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the mask storage mechanism in one embodiment;

[0031] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mask storage mechanism in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0033] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on or indirectly on that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0034] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application 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. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0036] Figures 1 to 3 This is a schematic diagram of the mask storage mechanism in one embodiment.

[0037] In this embodiment, as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the mask storage mechanism includes a pick-and-place component 10, a storage component 20, a limiting unit 30, and a sensing unit 40.

[0038] The pick-and-feed assembly 10 includes a robotic arm 110, a pick-and-feed contact 120 connected to the robotic arm 110, a rotation drive 130, and a lifting drive 140. The pick-and-feed contact 120 can adsorb the mask; the rotation drive 130 is connected to one end of the robotic arm 110 and can drive the robotic arm 110 to rotate in the horizontal direction; the lifting drive 140 is connected to one end of the robotic arm 110 and can drive the robotic arm 110 to rise and fall along the height direction of the drive assembly; the pick-and-feed contact 120 is provided with an adsorption area, which is located in the middle of the robotic arm 110.

[0039] The pick-and-place component 10 may be located on one side of the storage component 20, connected to the limiting unit 30 and the sensing unit 40, and be able to pick up the mask from the outside, drive the picked-up mask close to the storage component 20 and place the mask in the storage component 20, or pick up the mask from the storage component 20, drive the picked-up mask away from the storage component 20 and place the mask at an external target position.

[0040] The robotic arm 110 can have its free end connected to the feeding contact 120 and its non-free end connected to the rotation drive 130 and the lifting drive 140. Under the action of the rotation drive 130 and the lifting drive 140, it can drive the feeding contact 120 to approach and adsorb the mask, drive the adsorbed mask to approach and place it in the storage assembly 20, or drive the adsorbed mask away from the storage assembly 20 and place it at an external target position. The feeding contact 120 can be the free end connected to the robotic arm 110, and can approach and adsorb the mask under the drive of the robotic arm 110. The rotation drive 130 can be connected to the robotic arm 110, and can drive the robotic arm 110 to rotate to the direction of the target storage compartment 210 in the storage assembly 20. The lifting drive 140 can be connected to the robotic arm 110, and can drive the robotic arm 110 to rise or fall to the height of the target storage layer in the target storage compartment 210. The adsorption area can be a functional area located in the middle of the robotic arm 110, capable of directly contacting and adsorbing the mask.

[0041] Optionally, the feeding contact 120 can be a feeding contact 120 structure with an adsorption area. The rotation drive 130 can be a rotation drive structure such as a rotation motor. The lifting drive 140 can be a lifting drive structure such as a lifting motor or a lifting cylinder. The adsorption area can be an area composed of multiple vacuum suction cups spaced apart.

[0042] The storage assembly 20 includes multiple storage compartments 210 arranged around the delivery assembly 10, multiple rotation adjustment platforms 220, and multiple support bases 230. Each storage compartment 210 includes multiple spaced storage layers, and each storage layer can hold a mask. Each rotation adjustment platform 220 is connected to the bottom of the storage compartment 210 and can drive the storage compartment 210 to rotate. Each support base 230 is connected to the storage compartment 210.

[0043] The storage component 20 can be disposed outside the pick-and-place component 10, providing different storage layers or storage areas for the mask to be stored at different angles and heights. The storage library 210 can be disposed around the outside of the pick-and-place component 10, providing different storage layers or storage areas for the mask to be stored at different angles. The rotation adjustment platform 220 can be disposed between the storage library 210 and the support base 230, driving the open end of the storage library 210 to rotate horizontally for fine-tuning of the angle. The support base 230 can be connected to the storage library 210 and the rotation adjustment platform 220, providing support for both.

[0044] The limiting unit 30 is disposed on the side of the storage component 20 away from the pick-and-place component 10, and can limit the mask plate located in the storage layer. The limiting unit 30 includes a limiting support component 310 and a plurality of limiting components 320; the plurality of limiting components 320 are connected to the limiting support component 310, and any one of the limiting components 320 can extend into the storage layer.

[0045] The limiting unit 30 can be a functional unit disposed on the non-open side of the storage compartment 210 in the storage assembly 20, capable of constraining the position of the mask plates of multiple storage layers set at different heights in the storage compartment 210. The limiting support member 310 can be a functional structure connected to multiple limiting members 320, capable of providing support and bearing for the multiple limiting members 320. The limiting member 320 can be a functional structure disposed along the height direction of the non-open side of the storage compartment 210, capable of constraining the position of the mask plates of storage layers set at different heights.

[0046] Optionally, the limiting support component 310 can be a support structure such as a support rod or support bar. The limiting component 320 can be a limiting set screw with a buffer head.

[0047] The sensing unit 40 includes an in-situ detection sensor 410 and an anti-slip sensor 420. The in-situ detection sensor 410 is located on one side of the storage layer, and the anti-slip sensor 420 is located on the open side of the storage compartment 210.

[0048] The sensing unit 40 can be located on both the open and closed sides of the storage compartment 210 in the storage assembly 20, and is a functional unit capable of detecting the presence of a mask plate in multiple storage layers at different heights within the storage compartment 210, and horizontally blocking the mask plates in these layers. The presence detection sensor 410 can be located on the closed side of the storage compartment 210 in the storage assembly 20, and is a functional structure capable of detecting the presence of a mask plate in multiple storage layers at different heights within the storage compartment 210. The anti-slip sensor 420 can be located on the open side of the storage compartment 210 in the storage assembly 20, and is a functional structure capable of horizontally blocking the mask plates in multiple storage layers at different heights within the storage compartment 210.

[0049] It should be noted that the storage layers with different heights in the storage library 210 correspond to one in-situ detection sensor 410, which effectively binds the information of the mask, quickly locates the position of the mask, and prevents possible human-induced mask replacement.

[0050] When a mask needs to be transferred, the machine or an external device issues a command to retrieve the corresponding mask model. The robotic arm 110 compares the information of the corresponding mask in the storage bin 210. The robotic arm 110 moves to the angle of the storage bin 210 where the corresponding mask is located and rises to the lower side of the layer where the corresponding mask is located. Then, the end effector 120 extends into the storage bin 210 and, after vacuum adsorption, the robotic arm 110 raises to a fixed height, lifting the mask to a certain height and adsorbing the mask to bind the mask information. The end effector 120 retracts with the mask and finally transfers the mask to the equipment position, where the equipment reads the mask information.

[0051] When a mask needs to be stored in storage 210, the entire machine or an external device sends an instruction to send a mask with model information to storage 210. After the machine reads the mask information, the robotic arm 110 retrieves the mask from the corresponding mask position according to a fixed action procedure and binds the mask information. Storage 210 compares the available positions and sends an instruction to the robotic arm 110 to transfer the mask to storage 210 according to a fixed action procedure. After the mask is transferred to the storage 210, the robotic arm 110 transmits the mask information to storage 210 for information binding.

[0052] Furthermore, by arranging multiple sets of storage bins 210 around the single-axis robotic arm 110, the number of storage bins 210 in the storage assembly 20 can be increased according to production needs, thereby increasing the number of photomasks that can be stored, thus further improving the efficiency of photomask storage and transfer, and thus meeting the needs of high-speed production.

[0053] This application also provides a processing apparatus, which includes the mask storage mechanism in the above embodiments.

[0054] The division of the various modules in the above-described mask storage mechanism is only for illustrative purposes. In other embodiments, the mask storage mechanism can be divided into different modules as needed to complete all or part of the functions of the above-described mask storage mechanism.

[0055] The mask storage mechanism and processing equipment provided in the above embodiments, when a mask needs to be stored, the feeding contact in the feeding assembly approaches and adsorbs the mask to be stored under the driving action of the robotic arm. Then, the adsorbed mask is driven to approach the storage assembly and select a target storage bin from multiple storage bins arranged around the feeding assembly. Next, a target storage layer is selected from multiple storage layers arranged at intervals in the target storage bin. Subsequently, under the driving action of the robotic arm, the mask to be stored is placed into the target storage layer, thereby completing the storage of the mask. Similarly, when the target storage layer contains... When a mask needs to be transferred, the feeding contact in the pick-and-place assembly approaches and adsorbs the mask in the target absorption layer under the drive of the robotic arm. Then, it drives the adsorbed mask away from the storage assembly until it is placed at the target station. This enables rapid storage and transfer of masks, effectively improving the problem that the accuracy of mask use often depends on the layout's error-proof design and human confirmation during manual placement due to manual mask replacement. This ensures the accuracy of mask storage and transfer, thereby meeting the needs of high-speed production and has significant economic and practical value.

[0056] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0057] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A mask storage mechanism, characterized by, include: The pick-and-feed assembly includes a robotic arm and a pick-and-feed contact connected to the robotic arm, the pick-and-feed contact being capable of adsorbing a mask. The storage component includes multiple storage compartments arranged around the delivery component, each of the storage compartments including multiple spaced storage layers, and each of the storage layers being capable of holding the mask.

2. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mask storage mechanism also includes: A limiting unit is disposed on the side of the storage component away from the delivery component, and is capable of limiting the mask plate located in the storage layer.

3. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The limiting unit includes: Limiting support components; Multiple limiting components are connected to the limiting support component, and any one of the limiting components can extend into the storage layer.

4. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mask storage mechanism also includes: The sensing unit includes an in-situ detection sensor and an anti-slip sensor. The in-situ detection sensor is located on one side of the storage layer, and the anti-slip sensor is located on the open side of the storage compartment.

5. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pickup and delivery component also includes: A rotation drive unit, connected to one end of the robotic arm, is capable of driving the robotic arm to rotate in the horizontal direction.

6. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pickup and delivery component also includes: A lifting drive component is connected to one end of the robotic arm and can drive the robotic arm to move up and down along the height direction of the drive assembly.

7. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The feeding contact is provided with an adsorption area, which is located in the middle of the robotic arm.

8. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage component also includes: Multiple rotating adjustment platforms, any one of which is connected to the bottom of the storage compartment, are capable of driving the storage compartment to rotate.

9. The mask storage mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage component also includes: Multiple support bases, any one of which is connected to the storage compartment.

10. A processing device, characterized in that, include: The mask storage mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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