Front opening unified pods

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of front opening wafer conveying box, including front cover, back plate, bottom plate, top plate and side plate;Front cover, back plate, bottom plate, top plate and side plate are enclosed to form a cavity for placing wafer;Front cover is movable relative to bottom plate;The inside of bottom plate is provided with the first passageway for connecting gas source, and the upper surface of bottom plate is provided with the first air outlet that is communicated with the first passageway in the end close to front cover.When front cover is opened, i.e. when the cavity for placing wafer is in the open state, the gas source can be opened at this time, so that the gas output by the gas source is blown out to the opening position of the cavity after passing through the first passageway and the first air outlet, forming a gas curtain, and the unexpected effect is that the pollutants in the external environment can be prevented from entering the front opening wafer conveying box, so that the front opening wafer conveying box has a self-cleaning function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wafer transfer box technology, and in particular to a front-opening wafer transfer box. Background Technology

[0002] In theory, wafer transfer should be carried out in a cleanroom environment. However, sometimes it is necessary to manually place the wafer into the FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) or manually remove the wafer from the FOUP. This opens the FOUP, allowing the internal environment to come into direct contact with the external environment. Dust, dirt, and other contaminants from the external environment can contaminate the FOUP. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention provides a front-opening wafer transfer box to solve the technical problem that front-opening wafer transfer boxes are easily contaminated.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides a front-opening wafer transfer box, including a front cover, a rear plate, a bottom plate, a top plate, and a side plate;

[0005] The front cover, the rear plate, the bottom plate, the top plate, and the side plate enclose a cavity for placing a wafer; the front cover and the rear plate are arranged opposite each other, and the bottom plate and the top plate are arranged opposite each other; the front cover is movable relative to the bottom plate to allow the cavity to be in an open or closed state;

[0006] The base plate has a first channel for connecting to an air source inside, and the upper surface of the base plate near the front cover has a first air outlet that communicates with the first channel.

[0007] Preferably, the front cover has a second channel inside, and a second air inlet for connecting to the first air outlet is provided on the lower surface of the front cover. The inner wall of the front cover has multiple second air outlets for connecting the second channel and the cavity. The rear plate has a third channel inside, and a third air inlet for connecting the cavity and the third channel is provided on the inner wall of the rear plate. The outer wall of the rear plate has a third air outlet communicating with the third channel, and a one-way valve is provided on the third air outlet. When the cavity is closed, the first channel, the second channel, the cavity, and the third channel are sequentially connected.

[0008] Preferably, it further includes the air source, the air inlet pipe, and the switch; one end of the air inlet pipe is connected to the first channel, and the other end of the air inlet pipe is connected to the air source; the switch is disposed on the air inlet pipe and is located between the first channel and the air source.

[0009] Preferably, the base plate has two cylindrical protrusions on its side, and the front cover has two circular holes that mate with the two protrusions. The front cover is fixed to the base plate by the two protrusions and the two circular holes and is rotatable relative to the base plate.

[0010] Preferably, the cavity is provided with multiple layers of partitions for placing wafers, each partition corresponding to a second air outlet, and the second air outlet is arranged parallel to the corresponding partition.

[0011] Preferably, a guide plate is provided on the upper surface of each second air outlet, and the guide plate and the partition are arranged in parallel.

[0012] Preferably, a dust filter covering the third air inlet is provided on the inner wall of the rear plate.

[0013] Preferably, a drying filter is also provided between the dust filter and the third air inlet.

[0014] Preferably, it further includes an image acquisition module and an image processing module connected to each other, wherein the image acquisition module is disposed on the side plate and / or the rear plate and is located within the cavity.

[0015] Preferably, the front cover, the rear plate, and the bottom plate are all hollow structures.

[0016] This utility model provides a front-opening wafer transfer box. When the front cover is open, i.e., when the cavity for placing the wafer is open, the air source can be turned on, and the gas output from the air source passes through the first channel and the first air outlet and blows out to the opening of the cavity to form an air curtain. The unexpected effect is that it can prevent contaminants in the external environment from entering the front-opening wafer transfer box, giving the front-opening wafer transfer box a self-cleaning function. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a front-opening wafer transfer box when it is opened, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the front-opening wafer transfer box when closed.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the disassembled front cover and bottom plate.

[0020] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the front cover after it has been rotated at a certain angle.

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 The corresponding wind direction diagram.

[0022] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 The corresponding wind direction diagram.

[0023] [The annotations in the attached figures are explained below]:

[0024] Front cover-1, rear plate-2, bottom plate-3, top plate-4, side plate-5, air source-6, air inlet pipe-7, switch-8, one-way valve-9, partition-10, guide plate-11, dust filter-12, drying filter-13, image acquisition module-14, image processing module-15;

[0025] Protrusion-301;

[0026] First channel - 601, Second channel - 602, Third channel - 603;

[0027] First air outlet - 6011, second air inlet - 6021, second air outlet - 6022. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, advantages, and features of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description of a front-opening wafer transfer box proposed by this utility model is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, and are only used to facilitate and clearly illustrate the purpose of the embodiments of this utility model.

[0029] In the description of this utility model, the terms "first," "second," and other qualifiers are added for convenience of description and reference, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with qualifiers such as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0030] like Figures 1-5As shown, this embodiment provides a front-opening wafer transfer box, including a front cover 1, a rear plate 2, a bottom plate 3, a top plate 4, and a side plate 5. The front cover 1, the rear plate 2, the bottom plate 3, the top plate 4, and the side plate 5 enclose a cavity for placing wafers. The front cover 1 and the rear plate 2 are arranged opposite to each other, and the bottom plate 3 and the top plate 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The front cover 1 is movable relative to the bottom plate 3 to allow the cavity to be in an open or closed state. The bottom plate 3 has a first channel 601 for connecting an air source 6 inside, and a first air outlet 6011 communicating with the first channel 601 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 3 near the front cover 1. The air source 6 is preferably clean and dry nitrogen or inert gas, and the air source 6 can be part of the front-opening wafer transfer box; if the air source 6 is relatively independent of the front-opening wafer transfer box, the air source 6 can be connected to the first channel 601 after the front-opening wafer transfer box is moved to a set position. When cover 1 is open, the airflow direction is as follows: Figure 5 As shown by the red arrow, the gas output from the gas source 6 passes through the first channel and the first air outlet 6011, and is blown out at the opening of the cavity of the front-opening wafer transfer box to form an air curtain, thereby preventing contaminants from the external environment from entering the front-opening wafer transfer box.

[0031] This embodiment provides a front-opening wafer transfer box. When the front cover 1 is open, i.e., when the cavity for placing the wafer is open, the air source 6 can be turned on. The gas output from the air source 6 passes through the first channel 601 and the first air outlet 6011 and is blown out to the opening of the cavity to form an air curtain. The unexpected effect is that it can prevent contaminants in the external environment from entering the front-opening wafer transfer box, giving the front-opening wafer transfer box a self-cleaning function.

[0032] Preferred, such as Figures 4-6 As shown, the front cover 1 has a second channel 602 inside, and a second air inlet 6021 for connecting the first air outlet 6011 is provided on the lower surface of the front cover 1. The inner wall of the front cover 1 has multiple second air outlets 6022 for connecting the second channel 602 and the cavity. The rear plate 2 has a third channel 603 inside, and a third air inlet for connecting the cavity and the third channel 603 is provided on the inner wall of the rear plate 2. The outer wall of the rear plate 2 has a third air outlet communicating with the third channel 603, and a one-way valve 9 is provided on the third air outlet. Figure 6 As shown, when the cavity is in the closed state, the first channel 601, the second channel 602, the cavity, and the third channel 603 are sequentially connected. When the cover 1 is closed, i.e., when the cavity used to place the wafer is closed, the airflow direction is as follows: Figure 6As shown by the red arrow, the gas output from gas source 6 flows sequentially through the first channel 601, the second channel 602, the cavity of the front-opening wafer transfer box, and the third channel 603, finally exiting from the one-way valve 9 on the rear plate 2. The output end of the one-way valve 9 can be connected to a gas recovery device to recover the gas discharged from the one-way valve 9. The one-way valve 9 has a one-way conduction function, allowing the gas inside the front-opening wafer transfer box to be discharged outwards and preventing external ambient air from entering the front-opening wafer transfer box. During the gas flow, the interior of the front-opening wafer transfer box can be purged, thereby further improving the cleanliness of the front-opening wafer transfer box and the wafers inside.

[0033] Preferred, such as Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, the front-opening wafer transfer box also includes the air source 6, the air inlet pipe 7, and the switch 8; one end of the air inlet pipe 7 is connected to the first channel 601, and the other end of the air inlet pipe 7 is connected to the air source 6; the switch 8 is disposed on the air inlet pipe 7 and is located between the first channel 601 and the air source 6. When the air source 6 is small in size, the air source 6 can be incorporated into the front-opening wafer transfer box and installed on the front-opening wafer transfer box via the air inlet pipe 7.

[0034] Preferred, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, two cylindrical protrusions 301 are provided on the side of the base plate 3, and two circular holes are provided on the front cover 1 to mate with the two protrusions 301. The front cover 1 is fixed to the base plate 3 by the two protrusions 301 and the two circular holes, and is rotatable relative to the base plate 3. The cylindrical protrusions 301 and circular holes facilitate the fixing of the front cover 1. (Reference) Figure 1 As shown, a snap-fit ​​can be provided between the front cover 1 and the top plate 4 to improve the firmness of their connection. In other embodiments, the front cover 1 can be connected to the bottom plate 3 via a hinge, and the front cover 1 can also be opened or closed by moving up and down.

[0035] Preferred, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the cavity is provided with multiple layers of partitions 10 for placing wafers. Each partition 10 corresponds to a second air outlet 6022. The second air outlet 6022 is arranged parallel to the corresponding partition 10, so that each partition 10 and the wafer on it can be blown by gas, thus improving the cleaning effect.

[0036] Preferred, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6As shown, a guide plate 11 is provided on the upper surface of each second air outlet 6022, and the guide plate 11 is arranged parallel to the partition 10. The guide plate 11 can guide the flow of gas to improve the cleaning effect.

[0037] Preferred, such as Figure 6 As shown, a dust filter 12 covering the third air inlet is provided on the inner wall of the rear plate 2. The dust filter 12 can filter dust in the gas, allowing the recovered gas to be reused.

[0038] Preferred, such as Figure 6 As shown, a drying filter 13 is also provided between the dust filter 12 and the third air inlet. The drying filter 13 can make the front-opening wafer transfer box drier and prevent excessive humidity inside the front-opening wafer transfer box.

[0039] Preferred, such as Figure 1 and Figure 6 As shown, the front-opening wafer transfer box also includes an image acquisition module 14 and an image processing module 15 connected to each other. The image acquisition module 14 is disposed on the side plate 5 and / or the rear plate 2 and is located within the cavity. The image acquisition module 14 can acquire images of the dust filter 12 and the dryer filter 13 and send them to the image processing module 15. After performing grayscale processing on the images, the image processing module 15 can determine the degree of dust and humidity. If it exceeds the threshold, the operator can clean the dust filter 12 and replace the dryer filter 13.

[0040] Preferred, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the front cover 1, the rear plate 2, and the bottom plate 3 are all hollow structures, which can improve ventilation and make cleaning more efficient.

[0041] In summary, this utility model provides a front-opening wafer transfer box. When the front cover 1 is open, i.e., when the cavity for placing the wafer is open, the air source 6 can be turned on. The gas output from the air source 6 passes through the first channel 601 and the first air outlet 6011 and is blown out to the opening of the cavity to form an air curtain. The unexpected effect is that it can prevent pollutants from the external environment from entering the front-opening wafer transfer box, giving the front-opening wafer transfer box a self-cleaning function.

[0042] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the scope of the present utility model in any way. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the above disclosure shall fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A front-opening wafer transfer box, characterized in that, Includes the front cover, rear panel, bottom panel, top panel, and side panels; The front cover, the rear plate, the bottom plate, the top plate, and the side plate together form a cavity for placing the wafer; The front cover and the rear plate are disposed opposite to each other, and the bottom plate and the top plate are disposed opposite to each other; the front cover is movable relative to the bottom plate so that the cavity is in an open or closed state; The base plate has a first channel for connecting to an air source inside, and the upper surface of the base plate near the front cover has a first air outlet that communicates with the first channel.

2. The front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front cover has a second channel inside, and a second air inlet for connecting to the first air outlet is provided on the lower surface of the front cover. The inner wall of the front cover has multiple second air outlets for connecting the second channel and the cavity. The rear plate has a third channel inside, and a third air inlet for connecting the cavity and the third channel is provided on the inner wall of the rear plate. The outer wall of the rear plate has a third air outlet connected to the third channel, and a one-way valve is provided on the third air outlet. When the cavity is closed, the first channel, the second channel, the cavity, and the third channel are sequentially connected.

3. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 2, characterized in that, It also includes the air source, the air intake pipe, and the switch; one end of the air intake pipe is connected to the first channel, and the other end of the air intake pipe is connected to the air source; the switch is disposed on the air intake pipe and is located between the first channel and the air source.

4. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The base plate has two cylindrical protrusions on its side, and the front cover has two round holes that mate with the two protrusions. The front cover is fixed to the base plate by the two protrusions and the two round holes and is rotatable relative to the base plate.

5. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The cavity is provided with multiple layers of partitions for placing wafers, each partition corresponding to a second air outlet, and the second air outlet is arranged parallel to the corresponding partition.

6. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A guide plate is provided on the upper surface of each second air outlet, and the guide plate and the partition are arranged in parallel.

7. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 2, characterized in that, A dust filter covering the third air inlet is provided on the inner wall of the rear plate.

8. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 7, characterized in that, A drying filter is also provided between the dust filter and the third air inlet.

9. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes an image acquisition module and an image processing module that are interconnected. The image acquisition module is disposed on the side plate and / or the rear plate and is located within the cavity.

10. A front-opening wafer transfer box as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The front cover, the rear plate, and the bottom plate are all hollow structures.

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