Process tube mounting device for a furnace tube apparatus

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing equipment especially a process pipe mounting device of furnace pipe equipment, include: frame and install the lifting platform on the frame, be provided with the drive assembly for drive the up and down movement of lifting platform in the side of frame, the upper end of lifting platform is installed with the jaw assembly, wherein, still include the launch unit installed below the furnace body, the outside of jaw assembly is provided with the receiving unit opposite the launch unit setting, the utility model discloses through the design of launch unit and receiving unit is positioned to the lifting position of jaw assembly, when the process pipe is clamped and positioned on the jaw assembly, can effectively and timely calibrate the installation position in the installation process, after accurate positioning through the launch unit and receiving unit, process pipe can be inserted into the furnace mouth of furnace body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment technology, and in particular to a process tube installation device for furnace tube equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing field, vertical furnace tube equipment is the core equipment for key processes such as oxidation and diffusion in chip manufacturing. Its core component, the quartz furnace tube, is a precision component that provides an ultra-high temperature and ultra-pure reaction environment and requires regular maintenance or replacement.

[0003] However, while quartz furnace tubes possess high purity and precision, their glass-like material results in physical weaknesses such as heavy weight (tens of kilograms) and brittleness, making replacement extremely risky. Currently, the industry commonly uses a combination of a foot-operated hydraulic lift trolley provided by the original manufacturer and manual operation, requiring 2-3 experienced engineers to work together. Specifically, after manually moving the furnace tube using the hydraulic lift trolley, the operator relies on visual observation and experience to manually align it at the furnace opening and slowly advance it, ensuring absolute concentricity between the furnace tube and the opening without any scratches.

[0004] This type of process has problems such as uncontrollable lifting speed, poor stability of furnace tube placement, and reliance on manual experience for alignment accuracy. Not only is the operation inefficient, but it is also prone to furnace tube scratching, cracking, or even seal failure due to alignment deviation or operation error.

[0005] Therefore, in order to improve the installation stability and convenience of existing furnace tubes, we propose a process tube installation device for furnace tube equipment. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of positional accuracy relying on human experience and low operating efficiency in the existing technology, and to propose a process tube installation device for furnace tube equipment.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: Design a process tube installation device for a furnace tube equipment, including: The frame and the lifting platform mounted on the frame; A drive assembly for driving the lifting platform to move up and down is provided on the side of the frame, and a gripper assembly is installed on the upper end of the lifting platform. It also includes a transmitting unit installed below the furnace body, and a receiving unit is provided on the outside of the gripper assembly opposite to the transmitting unit.

[0008] Furthermore, the frame includes a base frame equipped with rollers; A gantry frame is fixedly installed above the base frame, and the lifting platform is slidably connected in the gantry frame.

[0009] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes a motor fixed to the base frame, and a lead screw is fixedly mounted on the shaft end of the motor; A support seat for supporting the lead screw is fixedly installed on the side of the gantry frame. The lead screw and the support seat are rotatably connected. A nut seat is fixedly installed behind the lifting platform. The nut seat and the lead screw are threadedly connected.

[0010] Furthermore, the gripper assembly includes a vertical rod fixed to the lifting platform; Multiple mounting plates are fixedly installed at the upper end of the upright, and clamps are fixedly installed on the end face of the mounting plates. The multiple clamps are circumferentially distributed and used to position the process tube.

[0011] Furthermore, the gripper includes a support portion and a stop portion, the stop portion being vertically formed at the tail end of the support portion.

[0012] Furthermore, the receiving unit includes a first support; The first bracket is fixedly installed on the side of the bearing part by fasteners. A first waist groove is provided at the upper end of the first bracket, and a receiver is fixedly connected inside the first waist groove by a locking member.

[0013] Furthermore, the launching unit includes a ring frame, which is concentrically connected to the furnace opening of the furnace body via a connecting assembly; Multiple mounting slots are provided on the outer side of the ring frame. A second bracket is fixedly installed inside the mounting slot by fasteners. A second waist groove is provided on the end face of the second bracket. A transmitter is fixedly connected inside the second waist groove by a locking member.

[0014] Furthermore, the connecting assembly includes a fixing part installed below the furnace body, and a locking rod is fixedly installed on the end face of the fixing part; A spring plug is embedded on the end face of the locking rod, and the end of the spring plug stops below the ring frame.

[0015] Furthermore, the end face of the ring frame is provided with a through hole adapted to the locking rod and a clearance opening, the clearance opening being formed above the through hole to accommodate the fixing part.

[0016] Furthermore, multiple indicator lights are fixedly installed on the upper surface of the lifting platform, and the indicator lights are electrically connected to the receiver.

[0017] The present invention provides a process tube installation device for furnace tube equipment, which has the following advantages: The present invention uses a transmitter and receiver unit to position the lifting position of the gripper assembly. When the process tube is clamped and positioned on the gripper assembly, the installation position can be effectively and timely calibrated during the installation process. After accurate positioning by the transmitter and receiver unit, the process tube can be inserted into the furnace opening of the furnace body, thus ensuring the stability of the process tube's position installation. In addition, the original hydraulic lifting mechanism of the installation device was changed to a motor and screw-controlled lifting structure. The motor can be connected to a frequency converter to adjust the speed, thus enabling the setting of the lifting speed. This effectively controls the lifting speed and reduces the shaking phenomenon during the lifting process. The installation position and speed are controllable, and the operation, which originally required at least one person to work together, can now be performed by a single person, greatly reducing the amount of labor required. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the present utility model; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the drive component structure of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gripper assembly structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the state of the process pipe during installation according to this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the transmitting unit structure of this utility model; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the connection component structure of this utility model.

[0019] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 10. Roller; 11. Base frame; 12. Gantry frame; 2. Lifting platform; 3. Drive assembly; 31. Motor; 32. Lead screw; 33. Support seat; 34. Nut seat; 4. Gripper assembly; 41. Upright; 42. Mounting plate; 43. Gripper; 431. Bearing part; 432. Stop part; 5. Furnace body; 6. Launching unit; 61. Ring frame; 611. Clearance opening; 62. Connecting assembly; 621. Fixing part; 622. Locking rod; 623. Spring plug; 63. Mounting slot; 64. Second bracket; 65. Second waist slot; 66. Transmitter; 7. Receiving unit; 71. First bracket; 72. First waist slot; 73. Receiver; 74. Indicator light; 8. Process tube. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments.

[0021] Reference Figure 1-6 As an embodiment of this utility model, a process tube installation device for a furnace tube equipment is disclosed. Specifically, the installation device includes a frame 1 and a lifting platform 2 installed on the frame 1. A drive assembly 3 for driving the lifting platform 2 to move up and down is provided on the side of the frame 1, and a gripper assembly 4 is installed on the upper end of the lifting platform 2. It also includes a transmitting unit 6 installed below the furnace body 5, and a receiving unit 7 is provided on the outside of the gripper assembly 4 opposite to the transmitting unit 6.

[0022] Specifically, this utility model employs a design of a transmitting unit 6 and a receiving unit 7 to position the lifting position of the gripper assembly 4. When the process tube 8 is clamped and positioned on the gripper assembly 4, the installation position can be effectively and timely calibrated during the installation process. After accurate positioning by the transmitting unit 6 and the receiving unit 7, the process tube 8 can be inserted into the furnace opening of the furnace body 5, thus ensuring the stability of the installation position of the process tube 8.

[0023] In some embodiments, the frame 1 of the present invention includes a base frame 11 equipped with rollers 10. Of course, the rollers 10 in this embodiment can be configured as two directional rollers and two universal rollers. The two universal rollers can be equipped with a brake structure for locking and fixing the positioning position. Such a design is a conventional method for those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here. A gantry frame 12 is fixedly installed above the base frame 11. The lifting platform 2 is slidably connected to the gantry frame 12. Of course, in this embodiment, the gantry frame 12 is vertically installed on the base frame 11. The lifting platform 2 moves along the height direction of the gantry frame 12 to achieve the height lifting of the process tube 8. Further, in this embodiment, the lifting platform 2 can be slidably connected to the gantry frame 12 through a guide rail slider assembly, or it can be slidably connected to the gantry frame 12 through a roller and track assembly. Those skilled in the art can choose the corresponding sliding method according to actual needs, and there is no limitation here.

[0024] Furthermore, in this utility model, the drive assembly 3 includes a motor 31 fixed on the base frame 11, and a lead screw 32 is fixedly installed on the shaft end of the motor 31; A support seat 33 for supporting the lead screw 32 is fixedly installed on the side of the gantry frame 12. The lead screw 32 and the support seat 33 are rotatably connected. A nut seat 34 is fixedly installed behind the lifting platform 2. The nut seat 34 and the lead screw 32 are threadedly connected.

[0025] In this embodiment, the original hydraulic lifting mechanism of the installation device is changed to a lifting structure controlled by a motor 31 and a lead screw 32. The motor 31 can be connected to a frequency converter to adjust the speed, thus enabling the setting of the lifting speed. This can effectively control the lifting speed and reduce the shaking phenomenon during the lifting process.

[0026] Based on the above embodiments, the gripper assembly 4 in this embodiment includes a vertical rod 41 fixed on the lifting platform 2; Multiple mounting plates 42 are fixedly installed on the upper end of the upright 41. Clamping claws 43 are fixedly installed on the end face of the mounting plates 42. The multiple clamping claws 43 are circumferentially distributed and used to position the process tube 8. It should be noted that in this embodiment, there are three circumferentially distributed mounting plates 42. Of course, there are also three clamping claws 43. The clamping claws 43 can be connected and fixed to the mounting plates 42 by bolts. When installing the process tube 8, the process tube 8 can be directly placed between the three clamping claws 43.

[0027] Specifically, in this embodiment, the gripper 43 includes a supporting part 431 and a stop part 432, with the stop part 432 being vertically formed at the tail end of the supporting part 431.

[0028] In some embodiments, the receiving unit 7 of the present invention includes a first bracket 71, which has an L-shaped structure; The first bracket 71 is fixedly installed on the side of the bearing part 431 by fasteners. In this embodiment, the fasteners are bolts. A first waist groove 72 is provided at the upper end of the first bracket 71. A receiver 73 is fixedly connected inside the first waist groove 72 by a locking member.

[0029] Of course, in this embodiment, the locking element is set as a nut. In addition, in this embodiment, the receiver 73 is set as a cylindrical through-beam photoelectric switch receiver. Its model can be selected according to the actual needs of those skilled in the art, and there is no limitation here. With the first waist groove 72 provided, the position of the receiver 73 can be conveniently adjusted according to the actual position requirements during the actual assembly process, so that the upper and lower positions of the receiver 73 and the transmitter 66 correspond.

[0030] Based on the above embodiments, the launching unit 6 in this embodiment includes a ring frame 61. The ring frame 61 is concentrically connected to the furnace opening of the furnace body 5 through a connecting component 62. Obviously, this concentric connection method is used to ensure the accuracy of the installation of the subsequent process tube 8, so that the process tube 8 is installed in the furnace opening in the center. Multiple mounting slots 63 are provided on the outer side of the ring frame 61. A second bracket 64 is fixedly installed inside the mounting slot 63 by fasteners. A second waist groove 65 is provided on the end face of the second bracket 64. A transmitter 66 is fixedly connected inside the second waist groove 65 by a locking member.

[0031] Similarly, the second bracket 64 described in this embodiment is also set as an L-shaped structure, which is also fixed in the mounting groove 63 by bolts. In addition, the transmitter 66 described in this embodiment is also set as a cylindrical through-beam photoelectric switch receiver. Through the design of the second waist groove 65, the ear block realizes the lateral position adjustment of the transmitter 66, so as to ensure that when docking, multiple receivers and transmitters can be in a simultaneous sensing state with relative positions.

[0032] In some embodiments, the connecting component 62 of this utility model includes a fixing part 621 installed below the furnace body 5. The fixing part 621 is pre-fixed below the furnace body 5. In this embodiment, the connecting component 62 can be set as two sets. The design of two sets of connecting components 62 can avoid the problem of poor circumferential locking force of a single set of connecting components 62 and also meet the requirements of convenient assembly. A locking rod 622 is fixedly installed on the end face of the fixing part 621. A spring stopper 623 is embedded on the end face of the locking rod 622. The end of the spring stopper 623 stops below the ring frame 61. Of course, those skilled in the art will know that the spring stopper 623 in this embodiment includes a tube shell, a spring installed in the tube shell, and a telescopic column movably inserted into the tube shell. By stopping the telescopic column below the ring frame 61, during disassembly, it is only necessary to press the telescopic column to move it, and the entire ring frame 61 can be moved downward to separate the furnace body 5. The operation is simple and convenient.

[0033] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the end face of the ring frame 61 is provided with a through hole adapted to the locking rod 622 and a clearance opening 611. The clearance opening 611 is formed above the through hole to accommodate the fixing part 621. Through the design of the clearance opening 611, the ring frame 61 can be fitted to the lower surface of the furnace body 5 to reduce the installation height of the ring frame 61.

[0034] Of course, the above description is based on the installation of a single type of process tube 8. For different process tubes 8, the same principle can be applied by replacing the ring frame 61 with one of different diameters and adjusting the position of the fixing part 621.

[0035] In addition, in order to intuitively observe the alignment status of multiple receivers 73 and transmitters 66, multiple indicator lights 74 are fixedly installed on the upper surface of the lifting platform 2 in this embodiment. The indicator lights 74 are electrically connected to the receivers 73.

[0036] If the receiver 73 is an NPN model, its output is 0V. At this time, the indicator light 74 connected to it can be pre-connected to a 24V. After the device is pushed into the bottom of the furnace body 5 and after repeated adjustments to the position, if the receiver 73 is facing the transmitter 66, the receiver 73 will output a signal and the corresponding indicator light 74 will light up. Specifically, in this embodiment, there are three receivers 73 and three transmitters 66, and three indicator lights 74 are also configured. When all three receivers 73 are facing the transmitter 66, the process tube 8 is fully centered and the indicator lights 74 are lit up for easy viewing by the user. After that, the lifting platform 2 can be driven to move the process tube 8 upward for installation. The operation is simple and convenient.

[0037] In summary, the present invention employs a transmitting unit 6 and a receiving unit 7 to position the lifting position of the gripper assembly 4. When the process tube 8 is clamped and positioned on the gripper assembly 4, the installation position can be effectively and timely calibrated during the installation process. After accurate positioning by the transmitting unit 6 and the receiving unit 7, the process tube 8 can be inserted into the furnace opening of the furnace body 5, thus ensuring the stability of the installation position of the process tube 8. In addition, the original hydraulic lifting mechanism of the installation device was changed to a lifting structure controlled by a motor 31 and a lead screw 32. The motor 31 can be connected to a frequency converter to adjust the speed, thus enabling the setting of the lifting speed. This effectively controls the lifting speed and reduces the shaking phenomenon during the lifting process. The installation position and speed are controllable, and the operation that originally required at least 3 people to work together can now be performed by a single person, greatly reducing the amount of labor required.

[0038] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model, but the protection scope of the present utility model is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or changes made by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present utility model, based on the technical solution and the inventive concept of the present utility model, should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A process pipe installation device for a furnace tube equipment, characterized in that, include: The frame (1) and the lifting platform (2) mounted on the frame (1); A drive assembly (3) for driving the lifting platform (2) to move up and down is provided on the side of the frame (1), and a gripper assembly (4) is installed on the upper end of the lifting platform (2). It also includes a transmitting unit (6) installed below the furnace body (5), and a receiving unit (7) is provided on the outside of the gripper assembly (4) opposite to the transmitting unit (6).

2. The process tube installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frame (1) includes a base frame (11) equipped with rollers (10); A gantry frame (12) is fixedly installed above the base frame (11), and the lifting platform (2) is slidably connected in the gantry frame (12).

3. The process pipe installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive assembly (3) includes a motor (31) fixed on the base frame (11), and a lead screw (32) is fixedly installed on the shaft end of the motor (31). The side of the gantry (12) is fixedly installed with a support seat (33) for supporting the lead screw (32). The lead screw (32) and the support seat (33) are rotatably connected. A nut seat (34) is fixedly installed behind the lifting platform (2). The nut seat (34) and the lead screw (32) are threadedly connected.

4. The process pipe installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripper assembly (4) includes a vertical rod (41) fixed on the lifting platform (2). Multiple mounting plates (42) are fixedly installed on the upper end of the upright (41), and clamps (43) are fixedly installed on the end face of the mounting plates (42). The multiple clamps (43) are circumferentially distributed and used to position the process tube (8).

5. The process pipe installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gripper (43) includes a support portion (431) and a stop portion (432), the stop portion (432) being vertically formed at the tail end of the support portion (431).

6. The process pipe installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The receiving unit (7) includes a first bracket (71); The first bracket (71) is fixedly installed on the side of the bearing part (431) by fasteners. A first waist groove (72) is provided at the upper end of the first bracket (71). A receiver (73) is fixedly connected inside the first waist groove (72) by a locking member.

7. The process tube installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The launching unit (6) includes a ring frame (61), which is concentrically connected to the furnace opening of the furnace body (5) via a connecting assembly (62); Multiple mounting slots (63) are provided on the outer side of the ring frame (61). A second bracket (64) is fixedly installed inside the mounting slot (63) by fasteners. A second waist groove (65) is provided on the end face of the second bracket (64). A transmitter (66) is fixedly connected inside the second waist groove (65) by a locking member.

8. The process pipe installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 7, characterized in that: The connecting assembly (62) includes a fixing part (621) installed below the furnace body (5), and a locking rod (622) is fixedly installed on the end face of the fixing part (621). A spring plug (623) is embedded on the end face of the locking rod (622), and the end of the spring plug (623) stops below the ring frame (61).

9. A process tube installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 8, characterized in that: The end face of the ring frame (61) is provided with a through hole adapted to the locking rod (622) and a clearance opening (611). The clearance opening (611) is formed above the through hole to accommodate the fixing part (621).

10. A process tube installation device for a furnace tube equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: Multiple indicator lights (74) are fixedly installed on the upper surface of the lifting platform (2), and the indicator lights (74) are electrically connected to the receiver (73).

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