A wafer cassette with a highly stable baffle

Abstract

A wafer cassette with a highly stable baffle includes a cassette body, a wafer storage cassette, and a limiting baffle. The limiting baffle includes a baffle base, a top abutment, a connecting piece, and a baffle plate. The baffle base includes a crossbar and a connecting arm. Each connecting piece includes a rotating shaft, fins, and a connecting rod. The baffle plate is provided with an clearance opening, a limiting portion, and a fixing buckle. The limiting portion is provided with an annular groove, a top abutment, and a buckle end. The fixing buckle includes a buckle body and a buckle pin. Compared with the prior art, this utility model strengthens the connection structure between the baffle and the connecting piece by setting the limiting portion and the fixing buckle to fasten and fix the connecting rod, limiting the connection rod and preventing the connecting piece from wobbling due to elastic deformation caused by the baffle under force. Each connecting rod is fixed at both ends by two limiting portions and fixing buckles, which can enhance the stability of the connection between the baffle and the connecting piece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor carrier technology, and in particular to a wafer cassette with a highly stable baffle. Background Technology

[0002] A wafer carrier, also known as a wafer cassette, is a type of semiconductor carrier. It is a precision-designed device specifically for holding semiconductor wafers and plays a crucial role in semiconductor production. It is primarily used to place and transport wafers, simplifying the wafer transport process, reducing the risk of wafer contamination, and ensuring the smooth flow of wafers between different production stages.

[0003] In existing technologies, wafers are transported by inserting them into the placement slots of a wafer cassette. During transport, the wafers may vibrate and shift, necessitating a limiting baffle inside the wafer cassette to protect them. For example, the Chinese invention CN119673833B, published by the applicant, discloses a limiting frame within the wafer cassette, comprising a base plate, a wafer storage box, a cover, and a limiting assembly. The limiting assembly includes a limiting seat, a supporting component, a rotating plate, a limiting frame, and a rotating wheel. The limiting seat includes a connecting crossbar, a connecting arm, and a supporting baffle. The supporting component includes a connecting part, a supporting protrusion, a connecting rod, a tensioning plate, and a reinforcing rib. Compared to existing technologies, this invention, by using the wafer storage box to insert the wafers and the limiting assembly to support them, effectively prevents wafer damage. Meanwhile, by setting the abutment component, the abutment action has a protective limit, thereby preventing damage to the wafer from rigid abutment.

[0004] However, in actual use of the wafer cassette, it was found that if the limiting baffle directly abuts against the side of the wafer, although the limiting baffle has a certain degree of elasticity, the rigid contact structure still poses a risk of wafer breakage. Therefore, the limiting baffle is spaced apart from the wafer. However, when the limiting baffle is spaced apart from the wafer, an excessively large gap will cause the impact force between the wafer and the limiting baffle after the wafer moves to be greater than the strength of the wafer itself, resulting in damage. Therefore, it is necessary to control the gap between the limiting baffle and the wafer to be extremely small, so as to provide space for the wafer to move while the impact force generated by the wafer moving and hitting the limiting baffle is less than the strength of the wafer itself. Due to its simple structure, the conventionally set limiting baffle will wobble from side to side in the direction perpendicular to the wafer arrangement when spaced apart from the wafer, which will cause the surface of the limiting baffle to hit the wafer, posing a risk of wafer damage. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a wafer cassette with a highly stable baffle to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] A wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle includes a cassette body, a wafer storage cassette disposed within the cassette body, and a limiting baffle disposed within the cassette body. The limiting baffle includes a baffle base, an abutment disposed on the baffle base, two connecting pieces disposed on the baffle base, a baffle connected to the connecting pieces, and a rotating wheel disposed on the baffle. The baffle base includes a crossbar and two connecting arms perpendicularly connected to the crossbar. The two connecting pieces are spaced apart and parallel to each other between the two connecting arms, and are located on opposite sides of the abutment. Each connecting piece includes a pivot connecting the connecting arms, two fins disposed on the pivot, and a connecting rod disposed between the two fins. The two ends of the connecting rod are respectively connected to the two fins and are spaced apart and parallel to the pivot. The baffle is connected to the two connecting pieces. The baffle has four clearance openings, four limiting portions located at the clearance openings, and four fixing buckles that engage with the limiting portions. The four clearance openings are arranged in a rectangular array of two groups, with each group corresponding to one of the two connecting pieces. The arrangement of the two clearance openings in each group is aligned with the axial direction of the connecting rod, and they are arranged symmetrically on the baffle. Four limiting portions are respectively disposed on the four clearance openings, spanning them to form an arch-shaped protrusion extending radially along the connecting rod. Each limiting portion has an annular groove, an abutment on one side of the annular groove, and a latching end on the other side. The annular groove, located at the top of the protrusion of the limiting portion, is a semi-circular groove with a diameter matching that of the rotating shaft. The abutment is located on the side of the annular groove closest to the rotating wheel. The latching end is located on the side of the annular groove furthest from the rotating wheel. The thickness of the abutment is greater than the thickness of the latching end. The fixing latch includes a latching body and two sets of latching pins disposed on the latching body. The buckle body is fitted into the opening end of the annular groove. The buckle pin is perpendicular to the buckle body and is an elastic pin with a locking block at the end. When the connecting rod is inserted into the annular groove, the fixing buckle is fastened to the limiting part and the connecting rod is held inside.

[0007] Furthermore, the box body includes a base plate and a lid that is fastened to the base plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the two ends of the crossbar are fixed to the top of the inner side of the box cover cavity by fasteners, and the length extension direction of the crossbar is parallel to the top surface of the box cover.

[0009] Furthermore, both ends of the two connecting arms and the crossbar are vertically arranged and extend toward the opening of the lid. The two connecting arms are spaced apart from each other and arranged in parallel, and are both perpendicular to the side wall of the lid.

[0010] Furthermore, the abutment includes a connecting body and two abutment protrusions disposed on the connecting body.

[0011] Furthermore, the rotating shaft is simultaneously perpendicular to both connecting arms, and the two ends of the rotating shaft are provided with insertion ends. The two connecting arms are provided with insertion holes for the rotating shaft to be inserted, and the connecting arms are also provided with stops.

[0012] Furthermore, both fins are integrally formed with the rotating shaft and are located at opposite ends of the rotating shaft in the axial direction. They are spaced apart from each other and arranged symmetrically with the connecting rod as the axis of symmetry. The extension direction of each fin is radial to the rotating shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the clearance openings is a rectangular through hole formed on the baffle.

[0014] Furthermore, the rotating wheel is disposed at the bottom of the baffle away from the crossbar, and the axial direction of the rotating wheel is consistent with the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, the wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle provided by this utility model strengthens the connection structure between the baffle and the connecting piece by setting the limiting part and fixing buckle to fasten and fix the connecting rod. This limits the movement of the connecting rod and prevents the connecting piece from wobbling due to elastic deformation caused by the baffle under force. Each connecting rod is fixed at both ends by two limiting parts and fixing buckles, which enhances the stability of the connection between the baffle and the connecting piece and prevents the baffle from wobbling left and right in the direction perpendicular to the wafer arrangement, thus avoiding impact on the wafer and causing damage. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a wafer box with a highly stable baffle provided by this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a wafer cassette with a highly stable baffle.

[0018] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the limiting baffle in a wafer cassette with a high stability baffle.

[0019] Figure 4 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of the limiting baffle of a wafer cassette with a high stability baffle from another perspective.

[0020] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the limiting baffle in a wafer cassette with a high stability baffle.

[0021] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the fixing clip structure of a wafer box with a highly stable baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described in further detail below. It should be understood that the description of the embodiments of this utility model herein is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 6 The diagram shows a structural schematic of the wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle provided by this invention. The wafer cassette with the high-stability baffle includes a cassette body 10, a wafer storage cassette 20 disposed within the cassette body 10, and a limiting baffle 30 disposed within the cassette body 10. It is conceivable that the wafer cassette with the protective limiting device also includes other functional modules such as locking components, lifting handles, etc., which are technologies known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0024] The box body 10 includes a base plate 11 and a box cover 12 that is fastened to the base plate 11.

[0025] The base plate 11 can be a rectangular plate structure, and multiple other components are provided on the base plate 11, including but not limited to locking components, check valves and guide components, which are all common technologies used in the field of mechanical equipment, and are not the main content of this application, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0026] The cover 12 is a rectangular box with an opening on one side. Inside is a cavity for placing the wafer storage box 20. The opening of the cover 12 is fastened to the base plate 11 to form a closed rectangular box. This ensures that the wafers stored in the wafer storage box 20 will not be contaminated by dust or other substances during the process of placing the wafer storage box 20 inside and transporting it.

[0027] The wafer storage container 20 can be a holding device for placing multiple wafers. It has an opening on one side and is provided with multiple storage slots. The storage slots are disposed on the inner wall of the wafer storage container 20, and the extension direction of the slots is horizontal, so as to allow wafers to be inserted.

[0028] The limiting baffle 30 is fixedly disposed inside the box cover 12, and includes a baffle seat 31 fixed on the box cover 12, an abutment 32 disposed on the baffle seat 31, two connecting pieces 33 disposed on the baffle seat 31, a baffle 34 connected to the connecting pieces 33, and a rotating wheel 35 disposed on the baffle 34.

[0029] The baffle seat 31 can be a structure integrally injection molded, which includes a crossbar 311 connected to the box cover 12, and two connecting arms 312 perpendicularly connected to the crossbar 311.

[0030] The two ends of the crossbar 311 are fixed to the top of the inner side of the cavity of the cover 12 by fasteners such as screws, and the length extension direction of the crossbar 311 is parallel to the top surface of the cover 12.

[0031] Both ends of the two connecting arms 312 and the crossbar 311 are vertically arranged and extend toward the opening of the cover 12. The two connecting arms 312 are spaced apart from each other and arranged in parallel, and are perpendicular to the side wall of the cover 12, thus forming a frame structure together with the crossbar 311 for setting the connecting piece 33 and the baffle 34.

[0032] The abutment top 32 includes a connecting body 321 and two abutment protrusions 322 disposed on the connecting body 321. The abutment component 42 and the limiting seat 41 are integrally injection molded to ensure structural integrity and uniform force distribution.

[0033] The connecting body 321 is disposed between the two connecting arms 312 and is perpendicularly connected to the two connecting arms 312 respectively, so as to strengthen the structure of the baffle seat 31, so that the baffle seat 31 is less likely to deform during the transportation of the wafer box, thereby preventing the baffle 34 from directly colliding with the wafer.

[0034] Each of the abutting protrusions 322 is a U-shaped structure, with its bottom connected to the connecting body 321 and its top extending toward the side wall of the cover 12. Without external force, the apex of the abutting protrusion 322 abuts vertically against the side wall of the cover 12, thereby preventing the free end of the connecting arm 312 from deforming toward the side wall of the cover 12 due to force, and thus maintaining the protective function of the baffle 34 on the wafers inserted in the wafer storage box 20.

[0035] The two connecting pieces 33 are spaced apart and parallel to each other between the two connecting arms 312, and are located on both sides of the abutment top 32. Each connecting piece 33 includes a pivot 331 connected between the connecting arms 312, two fins 332 disposed on the pivot 331, and a connecting rod 333 disposed between the two fins 332.

[0036] The rotating shaft 331 is simultaneously perpendicular to both connecting arms 412. Specifically, the rotating shaft 331 has insertion ends at both ends, and the two connecting arms 412 have insertion holes for inserting the rotating shaft 331, so that both ends of the rotating shaft 331 can be inserted into the two connecting arms 412 respectively and rotate. In addition, the connecting arms 412 are also provided with stops to limit the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 331. This is a common technology applied in related fields and is not the main content of this application, so it is only briefly described here.

[0037] Both fins 332 are integrally formed with the rotating shaft 331, located at opposite ends of the rotating shaft 331 in the axial direction, spaced apart from each other and arranged symmetrically about the connecting rod 333. The extension direction of each fin 332 is radial to the rotating shaft 331, thereby cooperating with the stop on the connecting arm 412 to limit the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 331.

[0038] The two ends of the connecting rod 333 are respectively connected to the two fins 332, and are spaced apart from and parallel to the rotating shaft 331, so as to connect the baffle 34.

[0039] The baffle 34 is connected to the two connecting pieces 33. When the wafer storage cassette 20 is placed inside the cassette body 10, the baffle 34 is used to prevent the wafers inserted in the wafer storage cassette 20 from sliding out of the wafer storage cassette 20. The baffle 34 is provided with four clearance openings 341, four limiting parts 342 located at the clearance openings 341, and four fixing buckles 343 that are fastened to the limiting parts 342.

[0040] Each of the clearance openings 341 is a rectangular through hole formed on the baffle 34 for accommodating the limiting part 342 and for the fixing buckle 343 to be fastened to the edge of the clearance opening 341. The four clearance openings 341 are arranged in a rectangular array of two pairs, with each pair of clearance openings 341 corresponding to the positions of the two connecting pieces 33. That is, the arrangement direction of the two clearance openings 341 in each pair is consistent with the axial direction of the connecting rod 333, and they are arranged symmetrically on the baffle 34.

[0041] The four limiting parts 342 are respectively disposed on the four clearance openings 341 and span across the clearance openings 341 to form an arch-shaped protrusion structure, and the extension direction is radial to the connecting rod 333, so as to connect the connecting rod 333 and provide support for the connecting rod 333.

[0042] The limiting part 342 is provided with an annular groove 3421, an abutment 3422 located on one side of the annular groove 3421, and a latching end 3423 located on the other side of the annular groove 3421. The annular groove 3421 is located on the top of the protrusion of the limiting part 342 and is a semi-circular groove with a diameter consistent with the diameter of the rotating shaft 331, so as to allow the connecting rod 333 to be inserted. The abutment 3422 is located on the side of the annular groove 3421 closer to the rotating wheel 35, and the latching end 3423 is located on the other side of the annular groove 3421 away from the rotating wheel 35. The thickness of the abutment 3422 is greater than the thickness of the latching end 3423, so that when the connecting rod 333 is inserted into the annular groove 3421, the abutment 3422 will support the connecting rod 333 and prevent the connecting rod 333 from falling under the action of gravity. In addition, multiple reinforcing ribs can be provided on the back side of the abutment 3422 away from the annular groove 3421 to enhance the structural strength.

[0043] The fixing buckle 343 includes a buckle body 3431 and two sets of buckle pins 3432 disposed on the buckle body 3431. The buckle body 3431 is used to engage with the opening end of the annular groove 3421. The buckle pins 3432 are disposed perpendicular to the buckle body 3431 and are elastic pins with end blocks for insertion and engagement with the edge of the clearance opening 341. When the connecting rod 333 is engaged in the annular groove 3421, the fixing buckle 343 engages with the limiting part 342 and holds the connecting rod 333 within it, thereby connecting the connecting piece 33 to the baffle 34, and the connecting piece 33 can rotate.

[0044] In use, each of the connecting rods 333 is fixed by two limiting parts 342, which can limit the two ends of the connecting rods 333 respectively, thereby preventing the baffle 34 from swaying left and right in the direction perpendicular to the wafer arrangement, and hitting the wafer, which would cause the wafer to be damaged.

[0045] The rotating wheel 35 is located at the bottom of the baffle 34 away from the crossbar 311. The axis of the rotating wheel 35 is aligned with the axis of the rotating shaft 331. When the cover 12 is placed on the base plate 11, the rotating wheel 35 will contact the base plate 11, causing the baffle 34 to move upward. The baffle 34 drives the connecting piece 33 to rotate, thereby moving the baffle 34 closer to the wafer storage box 20 and protecting the wafers inserted in the wafer storage box 20. When the wafers are displaced due to movement and transportation, they will be limited and blocked by the baffle 34, preventing them from detaching from the wafer storage box 20.

[0046] Compared with the prior art, the wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle provided by this utility model strengthens the connection structure between the baffle 34 and the connecting piece 33 by setting the limiting part 342 and the fixing buckle 343 to fasten and fix the connecting rod 333, thereby limiting the connecting rod 333 and preventing the connecting piece 33 from shaking due to elastic deformation caused by the baffle 34 under force. Each connecting rod 333 is fixed at both ends by two limiting parts 342 and fixing buckles 343, which can enhance the stability of the connection between the baffle 34 and the connecting piece 33 and prevent the baffle 34 from swaying left and right in the direction perpendicular to the wafer arrangement, thereby impacting the wafer and causing wafer damage.

[0047] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions or improvements within the spirit of the present utility model are covered within the scope of the claims of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette with a highly stable baffle, characterized in that: The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle includes a cassette body, a wafer storage cassette disposed within the cassette body, and a limiting baffle disposed within the cassette body. The limiting baffle includes a baffle base, an abutment disposed on the baffle base, two connecting pieces disposed on the baffle base, a baffle connected to the connecting pieces, and a rotating wheel disposed on the baffle. The baffle base includes a crossbar and two connecting arms perpendicularly connected to the crossbar. The two connecting pieces are spaced apart and parallel to each other between the two connecting arms, and are respectively located at the abutment. On both sides, each connecting piece includes a pivot connecting the connecting arms, two fins disposed on the pivot, and a connecting rod disposed between the two fins. The two ends of the connecting rod are respectively connected to the two fins and are spaced apart from and parallel to the pivot. A baffle is connected to the two connecting pieces. The baffle has four clearance openings, four limiting portions located at the clearance openings, and four fixing buckles that engage with the limiting portions. The four clearance openings are arranged in a rectangular array of two pairs, with each pair corresponding to the position of one of the two connecting pieces. That is, the arrangement direction of the two clearance openings in each group is consistent with the axial direction of the connecting rod, and they are arranged symmetrically on the baffle. The four limiting parts are respectively arranged on the four clearance openings and span across the clearance openings, forming an arch-shaped protrusion structure, and the extension direction is radial to the connecting rod. The limiting part is provided with an annular groove, an abutment located on one side of the annular groove, and a latching end located on the other side of the annular groove. The annular groove is located at the top of the protrusion of the limiting part and is a semi-circular groove with a diameter consistent with the diameter of the rotating shaft. The abutment end is located on the side of the annular groove near the rotating wheel, and the latching end is located on the other side of the annular groove away from the rotating wheel. The thickness of the abutment end is greater than the thickness of the latching end. The fixing latch includes a latching body and two sets of latching pins disposed on the latching body. The latching body hugs the opening end of the annular groove, and the latching pins are disposed perpendicular to the latching body and are elastic pins with end blocks. When the connecting rod is inserted into the annular groove, the fixing latch engages with the limiting part and hugs the connecting rod inside.

2. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The box body includes a base plate and a lid that is fastened to the base plate.

3. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The two ends of the crossbar are fixed to the top of the inner side of the box cover cavity by fasteners, and the length extension direction of the crossbar is parallel to the top surface of the box cover.

4. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 2, characterized in that: Both ends of the two connecting arms and the crossbar are vertically arranged and extend toward the opening of the lid. The two connecting arms are spaced apart from each other and arranged in parallel, and are both perpendicular to the side wall of the lid.

5. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The abutment includes a connecting body and two abutment protrusions disposed on the connecting body.

6. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating shaft is perpendicular to both connecting arms. The two ends of the rotating shaft are provided with insertion ends. The two connecting arms are provided with insertion holes for the rotating shaft to be inserted. The connecting arms are also provided with stops.

7. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Both fins are integrally formed with the rotating shaft and are located at opposite ends of the rotating shaft in the axial direction. They are spaced apart from each other and arranged symmetrically with the connecting rod as the axis of symmetry. The extension direction of each fin is radial to the rotating shaft.

8. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the aforementioned clearance openings is a rectangular through hole formed in the baffle.

9. The wafer cassette with a high-stability baffle as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating wheel is located at the bottom of the baffle away from the crossbar, and the axis of the rotating wheel is consistent with the axis of the rotating shaft.

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