Wafer magazine

Abstract

The utility model discloses a wafer box, including the activity mechanism of the material box body and being linked, the material box body includes bottom wall and the side wall of connecting bottom wall, and the side wall surrounds and sets up the opening away from bottom wall, the material box body still includes the inner surface of protruding the side wall and along a plurality of support ribs of extending first direction, form the containing groove between adjacent support ribs, and the containing groove is used for accommodating the edge of wafer or the edge of wafer frame, and the activity mechanism includes the movable stopper of activity setting in containing groove, when movable stopper is located in containing groove, movable stopper restricts wafer along first direction movement, when movable stopper is separated from containing groove, wafer separates the restriction of movable stopper, and first direction is the direction of bottom wall towards opening, movable stopper is set in containing groove with activity, is used to limit wafer and prevent wafer from falling piece and remove the limit wafer.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Wafers are the substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing. After processes such as coating, exposure, etching, and dicing, wafers can be used to produce chips. Wafers are characterized by their thinness, high cleanliness, and fragility. Storage, long-distance transportation, intra-factory transportation, and even transportation between equipment all require placing wafers, or wafer frames together, into wafer cassettes for protection.

[0003] To prevent wafers from falling out of the wafer cassette during transportation, existing technologies use doors or locking devices at the opening of the wafer cassette. However, these doors or locking devices are operated manually, which can lead to wafers falling out due to human error. Utility Model Content

[0004] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide a wafer cassette to solve the technical problem of wafer detachment in existing wafer cassettes.

[0005] To achieve one of the above-mentioned objectives of the utility model, one embodiment of the present utility model provides a wafer cassette, including a connected cassette body and a movable mechanism. The cassette body includes a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall. The side wall forms an opening away from the bottom wall. The cassette body also includes a plurality of support ribs protruding from the inner surface of the side wall and extending along a first direction. A receiving groove is formed between adjacent support ribs. The receiving groove is used to receive the edge of a wafer or the edge of a wafer frame. The movable mechanism includes a movable stop block movably disposed in the receiving groove. When the movable stop block is located in the receiving groove, the movable stop block restricts the wafer from moving along the first direction. When the movable stop block disengages from the receiving groove, the wafer is freed from the restriction of the movable stop block. The first direction is the direction from which the bottom wall faces the opening.

[0006] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the movable mechanism includes a main body and a plurality of movable blocks connected to the main body. The main body extends along a second direction, and the plurality of movable blocks are arranged at intervals along the second direction. The plurality of movable blocks are movably disposed in the plurality of receiving grooves, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0007] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the movable mechanism is disposed between the opening and the bottom wall.

[0008] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present utility model, the material box body includes two side walls arranged opposite to each other, each side wall is provided with the receiving groove and the movable mechanism, and the receiving groove and the movable mechanism of the two side walls are symmetrically arranged.

[0009] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the sidewall includes a mounting groove for mounting the movable mechanism, the mounting groove extending through the sidewall along the thickness direction and communicating with the receiving groove.

[0010] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the sidewall includes a clearance groove formed in the support rib, the clearance groove penetrates the support rib along the thickness direction of the sidewall and communicates with the receiving groove, and the movable stop enters the clearance groove after disengaging from the receiving groove.

[0011] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the wafer cassette includes a fixed stop block fixedly disposed in the receiving groove. When the movable stop block is located in the receiving groove, the movable stop block and the fixed stop block cooperate with each other to restrict the wafer from moving along the first direction and its opposite direction.

[0012] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the fixed block and the bottom wall is equal to the distance between the movable block and the opening, and the fixed block is located on the side of the movable block away from the opening.

[0013] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, the movable mechanism includes an elastic member for driving the main body to move, and the elastic member is connected to one end of the main body.

[0014] As a further improvement of one embodiment of the present invention, when the first direction is vertical, the main body extends in the horizontal direction, and the plurality of movable blocks are respectively located in the plurality of receiving grooves. When the first direction is horizontal, the main body extends in the vertical direction, the main body compresses the elastic member, and the main body drives the plurality of movable blocks to move into the clearance groove formed by the plurality of support ribs.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention provides a wafer cassette with a receiving slot matched with a movable stop. When the movable stop is located in the receiving slot, the movable stop restricts the movement of the wafer along a first direction, thereby preventing the wafer from falling out of the opening along the first direction. When the movable stop is removed from the receiving slot, the wafer is freed from the restriction of the movable stop and can move freely along the first direction to realize the picking and placing of wafers. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1This is a perspective view of the wafer cassette in its first state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the wafer cassette in the first state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a side view of the wafer cassette in a first state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along the AA direction.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the wafer cassette in the second state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the wafer cassette in a second state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a side view of the wafer cassette in a second state according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A cross-sectional view along the BB direction.

[0024] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of a wafer cassette according to one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, these embodiments do not limit the present invention, and any structural, methodological, or functional modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are included within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] It should be noted that the term "comprising" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0027] The terms “connection,” “connected to,” or any other variations are intended to encompass various relative positions where a connection exists, including both direct and indirect connections. A direct connection can be formed through a pneumatic conduit, while an indirect connection can be formed through devices such as valves or sensors, through pneumatic components such as brake control units, or through any other medium such as air.

[0028] Please see Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer cassette 100 provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The wafer cassette 100, also called a magazine, is a carrier tool used in semiconductor manufacturing for storing, transporting, and processing wafers.

[0029] The wafer cassette 100 includes a cassette body 10, which includes a bottom wall 11 and a side wall 12 connected to the bottom wall 11. The side wall 12 forms an opening 101 away from the bottom wall 11. The cassette body 10 also includes a plurality of support ribs 14 that protrude from the inner surface of the side wall 12 and extend along a first direction X. A receiving groove 15 is formed between adjacent support ribs 14. The receiving groove 15 is used to receive the edge of the wafer or the edge of the wafer frame.

[0030] The wafer cassette 100 includes a movable mechanism 30 connected to the cassette body 10. The movable mechanism 30 includes a movable stop 31 movably disposed in the receiving groove 15. When the movable stop 31 is located in the receiving groove 15, the movable stop 31 restricts the wafer from moving along the first direction X. When the movable stop 31 is disengaged from the receiving groove 15, the wafer is freed from the restriction of the movable stop 31. The first direction X is the direction from the bottom wall 11 toward the opening 101.

[0031] Thus, when it is necessary to store and transport wafers and the wafers are required not to fall out, the movable stop 31 is located in the receiving groove 15. The edge of the wafer or the edge of the wafer frame is blocked by the movable stop 31 and cannot move towards the opening 101 in the first direction X, thereby preventing the wafer from falling out of the opening 101. When it is necessary to process the wafer, to take out the wafer, or to put the wafer in after the process is completed, the movable stop 31 can be disengaged from the receiving groove 15. The edge of the wafer or the edge of the wafer frame is no longer blocked by the movable stop 31. The wafer can be taken out from the opening 101 in the first direction X, or put into the wafer cassette 100 in the opposite direction of the first direction X.

[0032] The receiving groove 15 should have a precise and uniform width. The width of the receiving groove 15 is usually set according to the thickness of the wafer to ensure that the wafer is placed in the receiving groove 15 in a parallel, horizontal and non-contact manner to prevent scratches and contamination.

[0033] The movable mechanism 30 includes a main body 32 and a plurality of movable blocks 31 connected to the main body 32. The main body 32 extends along the second direction Y, and the plurality of movable blocks 31 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y. The plurality of movable blocks 31 are movably disposed in a plurality of receiving slots 15. The second direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X.

[0034] The cassette body 10 is used to store multiple wafers simultaneously. Multiple support ribs 14 are arranged at intervals along the second direction Y, forming multiple receiving slots 15. Each receiving slot 15 is used to store one wafer, and a movable stop 31 is movably disposed in each receiving slot 15. In this way, a movable stop 31 is provided for each wafer, reducing the probability of any wafer falling.

[0035] The material box body 10 includes two oppositely arranged side walls 12, combined with Figure 2 , 5 As shown, two side walls 12 are located on both sides of the bottom wall 11. The material box body 10 includes two end walls 13 located at both ends of the bottom wall 11. The two end walls 13 are arranged opposite each other, and the side walls 12 are connected to the end walls 13. The bottom wall 11, the two side walls 12, and the two end walls 13 enclose and form an accommodating space 102. The material box body 10 can provide a certain physical barrier to block larger particles and accidental contact, and prevent the wafer from being contaminated or scratched.

[0036] The accommodating space 102 is used to accommodate a number of wafers, and the opening 101 connects to the accommodating space 102 for wafers to enter and exit. In a specific embodiment, the size and shape of the opening 101 are designed to allow a robotic arm to safely and smoothly enter and exit to pick up and place wafers.

[0037] It is understood that in this application, the wafer can be directly stored in the receiving space 102, or the wafer can be mounted on a wafer frame, with the wafer and wafer frame stored together in the receiving space 102. Therefore, the receiving slot 15 can be used to receive the edge of the wafer or the edge of the wafer frame.

[0038] Each sidewall 12 is provided with a receiving groove 15 and a movable mechanism 30. The receiving grooves 15 and movable mechanisms 30 of the two sidewalls 12 are symmetrically arranged to symmetrically support the edge of the wafer or the edge of the wafer frame. The movable mechanism 30 is located between the opening 101 and the bottom wall 11. When the wafer is located inside the wafer box body 10, the movable stop 31 can block the wafer in the receiving space 102. The wafer not only cannot fall out of the opening 101, but also cannot be displaced in the receiving space 102, which improves the fixing performance of the wafer and reduces the impact of transportation vibration on the wafer during the transportation of the wafer box 100.

[0039] The wafer cassette 100 includes a fixed stop 40 fixedly disposed in the receiving groove 15. When the movable stop 31 is located in the receiving groove 31, the movable stop 31 and the fixed stop 40 cooperate with each other to restrict the wafer from moving along the first direction and its opposite direction.

[0040] Combination Figure 2 As shown, the fixed stop 40 and the movable stop 31 are spaced apart along the first direction, thereby confining the wafer between the fixed stop 40 and the movable stop 31. The wafer cannot shift along the first direction or in the opposite direction, thus improving the phenomenon of wafer displacement and shaking during the transportation of the wafer cassette 100. It can be understood that a fixed stop 40 is provided on each side wall 12.

[0041] The distance between the fixed stop 40 and the bottom wall 11 is equal to the distance between the movable stop 31 and the opening 101. The fixed stop 40 is located on the side of the movable stop 31 opposite to the opening 101. The fixed stop 40 and the movable stop 31 are symmetrically positioned on the side wall 12, and are located on opposite sides of the wafer edge. When the wafer needs to be removed, the movable stop 31 makes way, allowing the wafer to move freely along the first direction and be removed from the opening 101.

[0042] The side wall 12 includes a mounting groove 16 for mounting the movable mechanism 30. The mounting groove 16 extends through the side wall 12 along its thickness and communicates with the receiving groove 15. Figure 9 As shown, the main body 32 extends along the second direction Y, and the mounting groove 16 also extends along the second direction Y. The mounting groove 16 penetrates the side wall 12 to connect the internal receiving groove 15 and the receiving space 102.

[0043] The main body 32 can be installed into the mounting slot 16 from the outside in, facilitating installation and disassembly. The movable stop 31 extends into the receiving space 102. The outer surface of the main body 32 is exposed on the outer surface of the side wall 12, allowing staff to easily observe the status of the movable mechanism 30. The outer surface of the main body 32 is flush with the outer surface of the side wall 12, ensuring the aesthetics of the wafer cassette 100.

[0044] The sidewall 12 includes a clearance groove 17 formed in the support rib 14. The clearance groove 17 penetrates the support rib 14 along the thickness direction of the sidewall and communicates with the receiving groove 15. After the movable stop 31 disengages from the receiving groove 15, it enters the clearance groove 17. In a specific embodiment, combined with Figure 2 , 9 As shown, the receiving groove 15 is formed between adjacent support ribs 14 along the second direction Y. When the support rib 14 is formed with a relief groove 17 and the relief groove 17 passes through the support rib 14 along the second direction Y, the relief groove 17 connects two adjacent receiving grooves 15 along the second direction Y. Multiple relief grooves 17 connect multiple receiving grooves 15 along the second direction Y. In this way, the movable stop 31 can move from the receiving groove 15 to the relief groove 17 along the second direction Y.

[0045] It is understandable that the first width of the movable block 31 along the second direction Y is not less than the second width of the receiving groove 15 along the second direction Y, so that the movable block 31 can completely block the receiving groove 15 and prevent the gap between the movable block 31 and the receiving groove 15 from being too large, which would result in the inability to limit the edge of the wafer or the edge of the wafer frame.

[0046] It is understood that the first width of the movable stop 31 along the second direction Y is not greater than the third width of the support rib 14 along the second direction Y. This is equivalent to the first width of the movable stop 31 along the second direction Y being no greater than the third width of the clearance groove 17 along the second direction Y, ensuring that the movable stop 31 can completely retract from the receiving groove 15 without affecting the free movement of the wafer. It is also understood that the clearance groove 17 is formed on the support rib 14 and completely penetrates the support rib 14 along the second direction Y. Therefore, the third width of the support rib 14 is also the third width of the clearance groove 17.

[0047] Specifically, the clearance groove 17 is connected to the mounting groove 16, the side wall 12 forms an elongated groove extending along the second direction Y, the main body 32 is mounted in the mounting groove 16, and the movable stop 31 extends into the receiving groove 15 and can be moved to the clearance groove 17 along the second direction Y.

[0048] In other words, when the movable stop 31 disengages from the receiving groove 15, it enters the clearance groove 17 along the second direction Y, thus failing to restrict wafer displacement along the first direction X. In other embodiments, the movable stop 31 may also disengage from the receiving groove 15 along the thickness direction of the sidewall, which is equivalent to the movable stop 31 making way from the receiving groove 15 to the sidewall 12.

[0049] The moving mechanism 30 includes an elastic element 33 for driving the main body 32 to move. The elastic element 33 is connected to one end of the main body 32, so that when the elastic element 33 undergoes elastic deformation, it will drive the main body 33 to produce displacement. In a specific embodiment, the elastic element 33 may be a spring.

[0050] Combination Figure 3-4 As shown, the elastic element 33 and the main body 32 are connected along the second direction. The first end 321 of the main body 32 is connected to the first end wall 131 through the elastic element 33, and the second end 322 of the main body 32 is connected to the second end wall 132. The first end wall 131 is provided with a receiving groove 133 corresponding to the movable stop 31, and the receiving groove 133 allows the movable stop 31 to disengage from the receiving groove 15. The second end wall 132 is used to limit the movement of the movable stop 31.

[0051] When the first direction X is vertical, the main body 32 extends horizontally, and multiple movable blocks 31 are located in multiple receiving grooves 15 respectively. When the first direction X is horizontal, the main body 32 extends vertically, the main body 32 compresses the elastic member 33, and the main body 32 drives multiple movable blocks 31 to move into the clearance groove 17 formed by multiple support ribs 14.

[0052] In this application, the flipping wafer cassette 100 can drive the movable stop 31 to move relative to the receiving slot 15, realizing automatic switching without manual operation, reducing human error, for example, avoiding the phenomenon that the wafer falls out due to the operator forgetting to lock the wafer in place.

[0053] Combination Figure 1-2 As shown, this corresponds to the first state of the wafer cassette 100. In this state, the first direction X is vertical and the second direction Y is horizontal. The wafer is stored vertically in the wafer cassette 100, and the wafer is positioned along the first direction X. This first state is mainly used during normal wafer storage and transportation to prevent the wafer from falling.

[0054] Combination Figure 5-6 As shown, after flipping the wafer cassette 100, it can switch to a second state. In this state, the first direction X is horizontal and the second direction Y is vertical. The wafers are stored horizontally in the wafer cassette 100, and they can move freely along the first direction X. The second state is mainly used for wafer retrieval operations.

[0055] Combination Figure 3-4 As shown, in the first state of the wafer cassette 100, the movable mechanism 30 is in a horizontal state. The first end 321 of the main body 32 is connected to the elastic member 33, and the elastic member 33 is pre-compressed to apply a force in the horizontal direction to the main body 32. The first end 322 of the main body 32 abuts against the second end wall 132, and the movable stop 31 corresponding to the first end 322 of the main body 32 also abuts against the second end wall 132. In this way, the movable mechanism 30 is balanced by force, and the movable stop 31 can be kept in the receiving groove 15.

[0056] Combination Figure 7-8 As shown, the wafer cassette 100 is flipped to the second state, the movable mechanism 30 is in a vertical position, and the elastic member 33 is located vertically at the bottom. The elastic member 33 is compressed by the gravity of the main body 32 and the movable stop 31, causing the main body 32 and the movable stop 31 to move downwards relative to the receiving groove 15. The movable stop 31 at the bottom enters the receiving groove 133 provided on the first end wall 131, and the other movable stops 31 enter the clearance groove 17. In this way, multiple movable stops 31 disengage from the receiving groove 15.

[0057] When the wafer cassette 100 needs to switch from the second state to the first state, the wafer cassette 100 can be flipped over. It can be understood that when switching from the second state to the first state, the gravity of the main body 32 and the movable stop 31 gradually no longer affects the elastic member 33. The elastic member 33 stretches, thereby abutting against the main body 32 and the movable stop 31 as they move upward, until the main body 32 and the movable stop 31 are limited to the second end wall 132.

[0058] The advantages of this utility model are as follows: The receiving slot 15 is matched with a movable stop 31. When the movable stop 31 is in the receiving slot 15, the movable stop 31 restricts the movement of the wafer along the first direction X, thereby preventing the wafer from falling out of the opening 101 along the first direction X; when the movable stop 31 is removed from the receiving slot 15, the wafer is freed from the restriction of the movable stop 31, and the wafer can move freely along the first direction X to realize the picking and placing of wafers; multiple receiving slots 15 are matched with movable stops 31 one by one to cooperate with each wafer respectively; flipping the wafer cassette 100 can realize the movement of the movable stop 31, without manual operation, reducing human error.

[0059] This can be formed by referring to any of the technical solutions provided above, and will not be elaborated here.

[0060] It should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This way of describing the specification is only for clarity. Those skilled in the art should regard the specification as a whole. The technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0061] The detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible implementations of this utility model, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model. All equivalent implementations or modifications made without departing from the spirit of this utility model should be included within the scope of protection of this utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette, characterized in that, The device includes a connected cartridge body and a movable mechanism. The cartridge body includes a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the bottom wall. The side wall forms an opening away from the bottom wall. The cartridge body also includes a plurality of support ribs protruding from the inner surface of the side wall and extending along a first direction. A receiving groove is formed between adjacent support ribs. The receiving groove is used to receive the edge of a wafer or the edge of a wafer frame. The movable mechanism includes a movable stop block movably disposed within the receiving groove. When the movable stop block is located within the receiving groove, the movable stop block restricts the movement of the wafer along the first direction. When the movable stop block disengages from the receiving groove, the wafer is released from the restriction of the movable stop block. The first direction is the direction from which the bottom wall faces the opening.

2. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable mechanism includes a main body and a plurality of movable blocks connected to the main body. The main body extends along a second direction, and the plurality of movable blocks are arranged at intervals along the second direction. The plurality of movable blocks are movably disposed in the plurality of receiving slots, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

3. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The movable mechanism is disposed between the opening and the bottom wall.

4. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material box body includes two side walls arranged opposite each other, each side wall is provided with the receiving groove and the movable mechanism, and the receiving groove and the movable mechanism of the two side walls are symmetrically arranged.

5. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sidewall includes a mounting groove for mounting the movable mechanism, the mounting groove extending through the sidewall along its thickness and communicating with the receiving groove.

6. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sidewall includes a clearance groove formed in the support rib, the clearance groove passing through the support rib along the thickness direction of the sidewall and communicating with the receiving groove, and the movable stop entering the clearance groove after disengaging from the receiving groove.

7. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer cassette includes a fixed stop block fixedly disposed within the receiving groove. When the movable stop block is located within the receiving groove, the movable stop block and the fixed stop block cooperate with each other to restrict the movement of the wafer along a first direction and its opposite direction.

8. The wafer cassette according to claim 7, characterized in that, The distance between the fixed stop and the bottom wall is equal to the distance between the movable stop and the opening, and the fixed stop is located on the side of the movable stop away from the opening.

9. The wafer cassette according to claim 2, characterized in that, The active mechanism includes an elastic element for driving the movement of the main body, and the elastic element is connected to one end of the main body.

10. The wafer cassette according to claim 9, characterized in that, When the first direction is vertical, the main body extends horizontally, and the multiple movable blocks are respectively located in the multiple receiving grooves. When the first direction is horizontal, the main body extends vertically, the main body compresses the elastic member, and the main body drives the multiple movable blocks to move into the clearance grooves formed by the multiple support ribs.

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