Mechanical arm device with waterproof function

Abstract

The application discloses a mechanical arm device with waterproof function, and relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment, which comprises a control mechanism, a lifting rod and a spray pipe cantilever, one end of the lifting rod is connected with the control mechanism, the other end is connected with the spray pipe cantilever, a protective cover plate is arranged on one side of the control mechanism towards the spray pipe cantilever, a through hole for the lifting rod to pass through is formed in the protective cover plate, a protective sleeve is arranged on the lifting rod, one end of the protective sleeve is connected with the protective cover plate, the other end is connected with the spray pipe cantilever, the through hole for the lifting rod to pass through in the protective cover plate is located in the protective sleeve, and the protective sleeve can be deformed along the length direction of the protective sleeve. The lifting rod is wrapped by the protective sleeve which can be deformed in length, and the lifting rod and the control mechanism have high waterproofness during the working process of the nozzle device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing equipment, and more specifically, to a waterproof robotic arm device. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor cleaning equipment, the nozzle assembly is a functional device that sprays the cleaning solution onto the wafer surface. The nozzle assembly includes a control mechanism, a nozzle cantilever, and a lifting rod. The lower end of the lifting rod is connected to the control mechanism, and the upper end is equipped with the nozzle cantilever. The control mechanism can control the rotation and vertical movement of the lifting rod to control and adjust the position of the nozzle head on the nozzle cantilever.

[0003] After the CMP process, cleaning is often required. However, the wafer surface after the CMP process has many particles and contaminants. After cleaning, a lot of particles and contaminants remain in the cavity. To solve this problem, the Automated Chamber Cleaning (ACC) technology was introduced. However, ACC sprays water mist throughout the cavity, so the nozzle device in the cavity needs to be waterproof.

[0004] The existing nozzle device has a cover around the control mechanism, which only has the function of preventing liquid splashing. Liquid adhering to the wall of the lifting rod can flow into the gap between the cover and the lifting rod and then enter the control mechanism, affecting the motor and other equipment of the control mechanism.

[0005] In conclusion, improving the waterproof performance of nozzle devices is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Utility Model Content

[0006] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a robotic arm device with waterproof function, which effectively improves the waterproofness of the nozzle device.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0008] A waterproof robotic arm device includes a control mechanism, a lifting rod, and a nozzle cantilever. One end of the lifting rod is connected to the control mechanism, and the other end is connected to the nozzle cantilever. The control mechanism has a protective cover on the side facing the nozzle cantilever. The protective cover has a through hole for the lifting rod to pass through. A protective sleeve is fitted over the lifting rod. One end of the protective sleeve is connected to the protective cover, and the other end is connected to the nozzle cantilever. The through hole for the lifting rod to pass through is located inside the protective sleeve. The protective sleeve is deformable along its length.

[0009] Preferably, the nozzle cantilever is located above the control mechanism, and the protective sleeve includes multiple unit sleeves, which are coaxially sleeved together in sequence. The outermost unit sleeve is connected to the nozzle cantilever, and the innermost unit sleeve is connected to the protective cover.

[0010] Preferably, in two adjacent unit sleeves, the inner wall of the outer unit sleeve is provided with an inner limiting ring, and the outer wall of the inner unit sleeve is provided with an outer limiting ring. The inner limiting ring is located below the outer limiting ring, and the inner diameter of the inner limiting ring is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer limiting ring.

[0011] Preferably, the innermost unit sleeve is coaxially connected to a mating ring plate at one end facing the protective cover plate. The mating ring plate and the protective cover plate are in close contact and are connected by fasteners.

[0012] Preferably, the protective cover includes two cover plates with flush surfaces, and a through hole for the lifting rod to pass through is formed between the two cover plates.

[0013] Preferably, the protective cover further includes a connecting plate, which is located above the edges where the two cover plates contact each other, and the connecting plate is connected to both cover plates by fasteners.

[0014] Preferably, the mating ring plate has a mating groove on its side for the connecting plate to be inserted.

[0015] Preferably, a contact plate is provided on the outermost unit sleeve, and the contact plate contacts the nozzle cantilever and is connected by fasteners.

[0016] Preferably, the mating ring plate is coaxially connected to a docking ring cylinder on the side facing the protective sleeve, and the innermost unit sleeve is coaxially connected to a threaded ring on the end facing the protective cover plate. Both the threaded ring and the docking ring cylinder are formed with threaded structures, and the threaded ring and the docking ring cylinder are coaxially threaded together.

[0017] Preferably, there are multiple docking ring cylinders, which are coaxially arranged. A gap is formed between two adjacent docking ring cylinders for a threaded ring to enter. The threaded structure on the threaded ring is located on its outer side, and the threaded structure on the docking ring cylinder is located on its inner side. The threaded ring is threadedly connected to one of the docking ring cylinders.

[0018] The waterproof robotic arm device provided in this application has a control mechanism that controls the lateral rotation and vertical movement of the nozzle cantilever via a lifting rod, enabling the nozzle cantilever to perform wafer surface cleaning. Since the protective sleeve connects the protective cover of the control mechanism and the nozzle cantilever respectively at both ends, when the nozzle cantilever moves closer to or further away from the control mechanism, the lifting rod and the fit gap between the lifting rod and the protective cover are always inside the protective sleeve. External liquid splashes cannot enter the control mechanism through the fit gap between the lifting rod and the protective cover and affect it, thereby improving the waterproof performance of the nozzle device. Attached Figure Description

[0019] 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 embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the waterproof robotic arm device in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the protective cover in the embodiments of this application;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the protective sleeve and the mating ring plate in the embodiments of this application;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure between two adjacent unit sleeves in an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the protective sleeve used to illustrate different numbers of unit sleeves in the embodiments of this application;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the structure in an embodiment of this application, illustrating the detachable connection between the bottommost unit sleeve and the mating ring plate.

[0026] Figures 1-6 In the accompanying drawings, the reference numerals include:

[0027] 1. Control mechanism; 11. Fixing plate; 12. Guide rail slider; 13. Cylinder; 14. Servo motor; 15. Support body; 16. Rotating platform; 2. Protective shell; 21. Protective cover plate; 22. Cover plate; 23. Connecting plate; 3. Lifting rod; 4. Nozzle cantilever; 5. Protective sleeve; 51. Unit sleeve; 52. Inner limit ring; 53. Outer limit ring; 54. Contact plate; 55. Threaded ring; 6. Mating ring plate; 61. Mating groove; 62. Docking ring cylinder. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar words used in this application do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. An embodiment of this application discloses a waterproof robotic arm device.

[0030] The core of this application is to provide a robotic arm device with waterproof functionality.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 .

[0032] The waterproof robotic arm device provided in this application includes a control mechanism 1, a lifting rod 3, and a nozzle cantilever 4. The end of the nozzle cantilever 4 is a nozzle. One end of the lifting rod 3 is connected to the control mechanism 1, and the other end is connected to the nozzle cantilever 4. The control mechanism 1 controls the vertical movement and horizontal rotation of the nozzle cantilever 4 through the lifting rod 3, so that the nozzle at the end of the nozzle cantilever 4 can adjust the angle to perform wafer cleaning.

[0033] The control mechanism 1 includes a fixed plate 11, a guide rail slider 12, a cylinder 13, a servo motor 14, a support body 15, and a rotating platform 16. The guide rail slider 12 is slidably mounted on the fixed plate 11 in a vertical direction. The support body 15 is fixedly mounted on the guide rail slider 12. The cylinder body of the cylinder 13 is mounted on the fixed plate 11, and the piston rod is fixedly connected to the support body 15; that is, the cylinder 13 is used to push the support body 15 to slide vertically. The rotating platform 16 is rotatably mounted on the support body 15, and its rotation axis is a vertical straight line. The servo motor 14 is mounted on the rotating platform 16 and is used to control the rotation of the rotating platform 16 relative to the support body 15. The lifting rod 3 is fixedly connected to the rotating platform 16, and the axis of the lifting rod 3 coincides with the rotation axis of the rotating platform 16. Thus, the cylinder 13 is used to control the vertical movement of the lifting rod 3, and the servo motor 14 is used to control the rotation of the lifting rod 3.

[0034] The control mechanism 1 is encased in a protective shell 2, which is fixedly connected to a fixing plate 11. The fixing plate 11, guide rail slider 12, cylinder 13, servo motor 14, support body 15, and rotating platform 16 are all located inside the protective shell 2. A protective cover plate 21 is provided on the side of the control mechanism 1 facing the nozzle cantilever 4, sealing the upper opening of the protective shell 2. The protective cover plate 21 is horizontal, and a through hole is provided on it for the lifting rod 3 to pass through. A protective sleeve 5 is encased in the lifting rod 3, with one end connected to the protective cover plate 21 and the other end connected to the nozzle cantilever 4. The protective sleeve 5 can deform along its length. During the movement and rotation of the lifting rod 3, the lifting rod 3 and the through hole on the protective cover plate 21 for the lifting rod 3 to pass through are always located inside the protective sleeve 5, thus isolating and protecting the lifting rod 3 and the control mechanism 1 below from liquid splashing.

[0035] The aforementioned waterproof robotic arm device, due to the isolation provided by the protective sleeve 5, prevents external liquid splashes from entering the control mechanism 1 through the gap between the lifting rod 3 and the protective cover 21, thereby improving the waterproof performance of the nozzle device.

[0036] The waterproof robotic arm device provided in this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0037] In one specific implementation, reference is made to... Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

[0038] Specifically, the nozzle cantilever 4 is located above the control mechanism 1, and the protective sleeve 5 includes multiple unit sleeves 51, which are coaxially fitted together sequentially. The axial positions of each unit sleeve 51 can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the total length of the entire protective sleeve 5. Furthermore, there is a limiting structure between adjacent unit sleeves 51, preventing them from easily disengaging and ensuring the sealing performance of the protective sleeve 5 to a certain extent.

[0039] The outermost unit sleeve 51 is connected to the nozzle cantilever 4, and the innermost unit sleeve 51 is connected to the protective cover plate 21. Thus, during the axial extension and retraction of the protective sleeve 5, the radial dimension of the upper side of the protective sleeve 5 is greater than that of the lower side. Therefore, even if droplets are formed on the wall of the protective sleeve 5, they are not easy to flow into the protective sleeve 5.

[0040] Based on the above embodiments, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0041] Specifically, in two adjacent unit sleeves 51, the inner wall of the outer unit sleeve 51 is provided with an inner limiting ring 52, and the outer wall of the inner unit sleeve 51 is provided with an outer limiting ring 53. The inner limiting ring 52 is located below the outer limiting ring 53. The inner diameter of the inner limiting ring 52 is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer limiting ring 53. During the axial displacement of the two adjacent unit sleeves 51, when the outer limiting ring 53 of the inner unit sleeve 51 and the inner limiting ring 52 of the outer unit sleeve 51 come into contact with each other, they can no longer move. At this time, the segment length of the protective sleeve 5 formed by the two is also at its maximum.

[0042] In actual implementation, the inner limiting ring 52 and the outer limiting ring 53 can be connected and fixed to the unit sleeve 51 by welding, bonding or other methods. In this embodiment, the inner limiting ring 52 and the outer limiting ring 53 are integrally formed with the unit sleeve 51.

[0043] Based on the above embodiments, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

[0044] Specifically, the innermost unit sleeve 51 is coaxially connected to a mating ring plate 6 at one end facing the protective cover plate 21. The mating ring plate 6 and the protective cover plate 21 are in close contact. The inner diameter of the mating ring plate 6 is larger than the diameter of the lifting rod 3 but smaller than the outer diameter of the innermost unit sleeve 51. The mating ring plate 6 and the protective cover plate 21 are connected and fixed by fasteners. In this embodiment, four screws are used as fasteners. Each screw passes vertically through the mating ring plate 6 and is threaded to the protective cover plate 21. After the screws are tightened, the mating ring plate 6 and the lowermost unit sleeve 51 are fixed to the protective cover plate 21, and the through hole on the protective cover plate 21 through which the lifting rod 3 passes is also closed.

[0045] Based on the above embodiments, refer to Figure 2 .

[0046] Specifically, the protective cover 21 includes two cover plates 22, the surfaces of which are flush and one edge of each cover plate 22 is in contact with the other. The two cover plates 22 are spliced ​​together to form the protective cover 21. The edges of the cover plates 22 are formed with semi-circular grooves. When spliced, the two semi-circular grooves face each other, thus forming a through hole on the protective cover 21 through which the lifting rod 3 passes.

[0047] When disassembling the protective cover 21, the two cover plates 22 can be moved in opposite directions. The separate design of the protective cover 21 allows it to be disassembled laterally, regardless of the positional influence of the lifting rod 3, thereby improving the ease of operation when maintaining the control mechanism 1.

[0048] Based on the above embodiments, refer to Figure 2 .

[0049] Specifically, the protective cover 21 also includes a connecting plate 23, which is located above the contact edge of the two cover plates 22. When there is only one lifting rod 3, there are two connecting plates 23, and the two connecting plates 23 are located on opposite sides of the lifting rod 3. The lower side surface of each connecting plate 23 simultaneously contacts the upper surface of the two cover plates 22, thereby completely covering the joint gap between the two cover plates 22, thus reducing the risk of external liquid entering the control mechanism 1 through the protective cover 21.

[0050] The connecting plate 23 is connected to both cover plates 22 by fasteners. In this embodiment, the fasteners are screws, which pass through the connecting plate 23 and are screwed into the cover plate 22 for fixing.

[0051] Based on the above embodiments, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 .

[0052] Specifically, the mating ring plate 6 has mating grooves 61 on its side, the same number as the connecting plates 23. When the mating ring plate 6, each connecting plate 23 and each cover plate 22 are fixed to each other, the side of the connecting plate 23 near the lifting rod 3 is inserted into the mating groove 61 and is in close contact with the groove wall of the mating groove 61. As a result, the gap between the mating ring plate 6 and the connecting plate 23 that may allow liquid to enter is reduced, further improving the waterproof capability of the control mechanism 1.

[0053] Based on any of the above embodiments, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 .

[0054] Specifically, a contact plate 54 is provided on the outermost unit sleeve 51. The contact plate 54 is located on the outside of the unit sleeve 51, and its surface is perpendicular to the axis of the unit sleeve 51. The contact plate 54 contacts the nozzle cantilever 4 and is connected by fasteners. In this embodiment, the fasteners are also screws, and there are four screws, located at the four corner edges of the contact plate 54. The bottom of the nozzle cantilever 4 has threaded holes for the screws to screw into. The contact plate 54 and the unit sleeve 51 are integrally formed. After the screws are tightened, the upper surface of the contact plate 54 and the lower surface of the nozzle cantilever 4 fit together and abut against each other, so that the connection between the lifting rod 3 and the nozzle cantilever 4 also has a high degree of waterproof sealing.

[0055] refer to Figure 5 In any of the above embodiments, the mating ring plate 6 and the lowermost unit sleeve 51 can be fixed by welding. However, for different nozzle cantilever arms 4, different lifting rods 3 with varying vertical travel distances, and where the size of the uppermost unit sleeve 51 should not be changed, the number and size of the unit sleeves 51 included in the protective sleeve 5 need to be adjusted accordingly. To improve the convenience of adjusting the protective sleeve 5, the lowermost unit sleeve 51 and the mating ring plate 6 are designed to be detachably connected.

[0056] Specifically, refer to Figure 6 The mating ring 62 is coaxially connected to the side of the protective sleeve 5 facing the ring plate 6. The innermost unit sleeve 51 is coaxially connected to the end facing the protective cover plate 21 with a threaded ring 55. Both the threaded ring 55 and the mating ring 62 are formed with threaded structures. The threaded ring 55 and the mating ring 62 are coaxially threaded and are in a relatively fixed state after being screwed together.

[0057] To enable the mating ring plate 6 to connect with unit sleeves 51 of various radial dimensions, multiple mating ring cylinders 62 are provided, and these multiple mating ring cylinders 62 are arranged coaxially. The threaded structure on the threaded ring 55 is located on its outer side, while the threaded structure on each mating ring cylinder 62 is located on its inner side. A gap is formed between two adjacent mating ring cylinders 62 for the threaded ring 55 to enter. The threaded ring 55 is threadedly connected to one of the mating ring cylinders 62, and when the two are connected, the threaded ring 55 fills the gap between the two adjacent mating ring cylinders 62, thereby ensuring the airtightness of the connection.

[0058] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other.

[0059] The above provides a detailed description of a waterproof robotic arm device provided in this application. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this application. The descriptions of the embodiments above are merely for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this application without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A waterproof robotic arm device, characterized in that, The device includes a control mechanism (1), a lifting rod (3), and a nozzle cantilever (4). One end of the lifting rod (3) is connected to the control mechanism (1), and the other end is connected to the nozzle cantilever (4). The control mechanism (1) has a protective cover plate (21) on one side facing the nozzle cantilever (4). The protective cover plate (21) has a through hole for the lifting rod (3) to pass through. The lifting rod (3) is fitted with a protective sleeve (5). One end of the protective sleeve (5) is connected to the protective cover plate (21), and the other end is connected to the nozzle cantilever (4). The through hole on the protective cover plate (21) for the lifting rod (3) to pass through is located inside the protective sleeve (5). The protective sleeve (5) can deform along its own length.

2. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle cantilever (4) is located above the control mechanism (1). The protective sleeve (5) includes multiple unit sleeves (51), which are coaxially fitted together in sequence. The outermost unit sleeve (51) is connected to the nozzle cantilever (4), and the innermost unit sleeve (51) is connected to the protective cover (21).

3. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 2, characterized in that, In two adjacent unit sleeves (51), the inner wall of the outer unit sleeve (51) is provided with an inner limiting ring (52), and the outer wall of the inner unit sleeve (51) is provided with an outer limiting ring (53). The inner limiting ring (52) is located below the outer limiting ring (53), and the inner diameter of the inner limiting ring (52) is smaller than the outer diameter of the outer limiting ring (53).

4. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The innermost unit sleeve (51) is coaxially connected to a mating ring plate (6) at one end facing the protective cover plate (21). The mating ring plate (6) and the protective cover plate (21) are in close contact and are connected by fasteners.

5. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The protective cover (21) includes two cover plates (22), the surfaces of the two cover plates (22) are flush, and the through hole on the protective cover (21) through which the lifting rod (3) passes is formed between the two cover plates (22).

6. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The protective cover (21) also includes a connecting plate (23), which is located above the edges where the two cover plates (22) are in contact, and the connecting plate (23) is connected to both cover plates (22) by fasteners.

7. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The mating ring plate (6) has a mating groove (61) on its side for the connecting plate (23) to be inserted.

8. The waterproof robotic arm device according to any one of claims 2-7, characterized in that, A contact plate (54) is provided on the outermost unit sleeve (51), which contacts the nozzle cantilever (4) and is connected by fasteners.

9. The robotic arm device with waterproof function according to any one of claims 4-7, characterized in that, The mating ring plate (6) is coaxially connected to the docking ring cylinder (62) on the side facing the protective sleeve (5). The innermost unit sleeve (51) is coaxially connected to the threaded ring (55) at the end facing the protective cover plate (21). Both the threaded ring (55) and the docking ring cylinder (62) are formed with threaded structures. The threaded ring (55) and the docking ring cylinder (62) are coaxially threaded together.

10. The waterproof robotic arm device according to claim 9, characterized in that, There are multiple docking ring cylinders (62), and the multiple docking ring cylinders (62) are coaxially arranged. A gap is formed between two adjacent docking ring cylinders (62) for the threaded ring (55) to enter. The threaded structure on the threaded ring (55) is located on its outer side, and the threaded structure on the docking ring cylinder (62) is located on its inner side. The threaded ring (55) and one of the docking ring cylinders (62) are threadedly connected.

Images