Support center column inspection system and support center column inspection method

Abstract

To provide a support center column inspection system for inspecting at least one support center column of a substrate carrier.SOLUTION: A support center column inspection system includes a pusher, a power module, and a deflection sensor. The pusher is used to apply predetermined thrust to the support center column. The power module is used to cause the pusher to add thrust to the support center column by driving the pusher to move toward the support center column. The deflection sensor inspects an amount of deflection of the support center column when the support center column receives the thrust. A pushing state of the support center column is inspected by the deflection sensor, thereby the deflection inspection results of the support center column are obtained and the amount of deflection of the support center column can be quickly measured, and thereby measurement time is saved consumed by a coordinate measuring machine table.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and method for inspecting center support columns, and more particularly to a system and method for inspecting center support columns that are applied to substrate carriers. [Background technology]

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing-related technical fields, there is a demand for transporting semiconductor substrates. For example, currently, large substrate carriers such as front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) are used in the industry to accommodate and transport multiple semiconductor substrates. In such substrate carriers, multiple support pieces are installed at equal intervals on both inner sidewalls to support the substrates. However, as substrate sizes increase, supporting the substrates on both sides alone is no longer sufficient to meet the load requirements. Therefore, adding a center column structure to the substrate carrier provides better support.

[0003] The center column structure uses multiple equally spaced carbon rods as support members, each of which is used to support a semiconductor substrate. In practical applications, before using such a large substrate container to accommodate semiconductor substrates, measurements must be taken of the carbon rods to determine whether they have tilted or misaligned. A known method for measuring carbon rods is to use a measuring tool to measure the misalignment of one or more carbon rods relative to their centerline. However, this measurement method has several drawbacks. Before actually using the measuring tool to perform measurements, the measuring tool itself and the probe must be calibrated, which is a very time-consuming process. Furthermore, after calibration is complete, the calibration tool must be removed from the platform to use the measuring tool and probe to inspect the substrate carrier product. After the measuring tool is assembled, it is mounted on a CMM table, and the measurement parameters are manually adjusted for each carrier product. Furthermore, if the dimensions or specifications of the measuring tool are found to be inaccurate, the measuring tool must be removed from the platform and further adjustments made. This entire process is very cumbersome and inefficient. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide a support center pole inspection system and a support center pole inspection method, which can quickly obtain the displacement of the support center pole and simplify the inspection process, thereby further improving the inspection efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention provides a support center pillar detection system suitable for detecting at least one support center pillar of a substrate carrier, the support center pillar detection system including a pusher, a power module, and a displacement sensor. The pusher is used to apply a predetermined thrust to the support center pillar. The power module is connected to the pusher and is used to drive the pusher to move toward the support center pillar, thereby causing the pusher to apply the thrust to the support center pillar. The displacement sensor is located on one side of the support center pillar and is used to detect a displacement of the support center pillar when the support center pillar receives the thrust.

[0006] In one embodiment, the support column inspection system further includes a lifting module, the lifting module is connected to the base, the pusher, the power module and the displacement sensor are installed on the base, and the lifting module is used to drive the base to move vertically.

[0007] In one embodiment, there are multiple support columns that are arranged in parallel, and the lifting module moves the base to sequentially measure the support columns in the direction of movement, thereby obtaining the corresponding measured displacement.

[0008] In one embodiment, the detection system further includes a control module, the signal of which is connected to the power module and the displacement sensor and used to control the operation of the power module and the displacement sensor, the number of central support columns is multiple and they are installed in parallel, the control module uses the side wall plane of the central support column of the lowest or highest layer among the central support columns as the reference point for the amount of displacement, and the reference point is used as the displacement detection reference for the central support columns of other layers.

[0009] In one embodiment, the power module drives the pusher to apply thrust to the support center post, and then the displacement sensor detects the amount of displacement of the support center post due to the thrust. The control module calculates the lateral displacement of the side wall plane based on the reference point, thereby obtaining the detection result.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first support center post has a connecting end connected to the keel, an intermediate portion, and a hanging end opposite the connecting end, and the displacement sensor is adjacent the connecting end, the intermediate portion, or the hanging end.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention provides a support center pillar inspection method, which includes: using one of a plurality of support center pillars installed in parallel as a reference point for the amount of deviation; sequentially applying predetermined thrusts to the support center pillars along the moving direction; inspecting the amount of deviation of the support center pillar subjected to the thrust; and calculating the amount of deviation at the reference point and obtaining the inspection result.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method for detecting the center support mast includes: driving a pusher by a power module to apply a predetermined thrust to the center support mast; detecting a reference point and a deviation amount of the center support mast by a displacement sensor; and calculating the deviation amount based on the reference point by a control module, and obtaining the detection result.

[0013] In one embodiment, the method for detecting a support center pole includes using a lifting module to control a power module and a displacement sensor along a moving direction to move among a plurality of parallel-installed support center poles.

[0014] In one embodiment, the method for detecting the center support pole includes a plurality of displacement sensors, which are distributed at the connecting end of the center support pole, the middle portion, and the hanging end opposite to the connecting end, or at any position on the center support pole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015]

[0013] The present invention provides a system and method for measuring center support columns, in which a pusher applies a predetermined thrust to a first center support column and a displacement sensor detects a first displacement of the first center support column, thereby simplifying the measurement process and further improving the measurement efficiency. In some embodiments, the system moves to the side of a second center support column for measurement, and measures multiple center support columns in sequence, eliminating the need for complicated measurement processes and contributing to improving the measurement efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a support center pillar inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the inspection system before applying thrust. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state when the inspection system applies thrust. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state when the displacement sensor detects a first displacement amount. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the pusher and the displacement sensor positioned on one side of the first support post. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of the pusher and the displacement sensor positioned on one side of the second support pillar. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the state when the displacement sensor detects a second displacement amount. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where a displacement sensor detects a plurality of displacement amounts. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a support column inspection system including multiple displacement sensors. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a support center pillar inspection system according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method for inspecting a support center pillar according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a method for inspecting center support pillars according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a flow chart for performing inspection on the second supporting center pillar. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] This application claims international priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 536,603, entitled "Inspection System for Central Beam in FOUP," filed September 5, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.

[0018] The system and method for detecting center support pillars according to the embodiments of the present invention utilize a power module to move a pusher, which applies a predetermined thrust to the center support pillar, and a displacement sensor to detect the displacement of the center support pillar. This method eliminates the complicated process of using a measuring tool to measure the center support pillar, simplifies the detection process, and has the advantages of being convenient and fast. In addition, the thrust can be adjusted according to different products, and the displacement of the center support pillar can be quickly obtained, improving the efficiency of the detection. [Example]

[0019] Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a support pillar inspection system according to one embodiment of the present invention. The support pillar inspection system (hereinafter referred to as the inspection system) 100 of this embodiment is configured to inspect at least one support pillar 210 of a substrate carrier 200. The substrate carrier 200 includes a plurality of support pillars 210, one end of which is connected to a keel 250 and connected to the substrate carrier 200 by the keel 250, and the other end of which is suspended within the substrate carrier 200 and used to support a semiconductor substrate. The substrate carrier 200, the support pillars 210, and the keel 250, as well as components such as semiconductor substrates, can be considered as workpieces to be inspected by the inspection system 100, and the structure thereof is not a limitation of the present invention.

[0020] In this embodiment, there are multiple central support columns 210. The mechanism for detecting the first central support column and obtaining the first displacement amount of one of the columns will be described first. Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4 simultaneously. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the detection system before applying thrust, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the detection system applying thrust, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the displacement sensor detecting the first displacement amount. The detection system 100 of this embodiment includes a pusher 110, a power module 150, and a displacement sensor 130. The pusher 110 is used to apply a predetermined thrust F to the central support columns 210. Here, the first central support column 211 will be described as an example. 2 and 3, the pusher 110 applies a thrust F to the first central support post 211 along the X-axis direction, and the first central support post 211 is displaced after receiving the thrust F. The detection system 100 detects whether one or more central support posts 210 are displaced beyond a predetermined range when subjected to the thrust F. The thrust F may be set as the magnitude of a force that may inadvertently collide with the central support post 210 during operation, thereby determining whether the central support post 210 is displaced under such force. If the central support post 210 is displaced beyond the predetermined range, the central support post 210 must be readjusted.

[0021] The power module 150 is connected to the pusher 110 and is used to drive the pusher 110 to move toward the first supporting post 211, thereby causing the pusher 110 to apply a thrust F to the first supporting post 211. The displacement sensor 130 is located on one side of the supporting post 211 and is used to detect the amount of displacement adjacent to the supporting post 210 when the first supporting post 211 receives the thrust F, as shown in FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, the first supporting post 211 is the lowest of the multiple supporting posts 210, but in other embodiments it may be the topmost supporting post 210, as determined according to actual measurement needs.

[0022] The displacement sensor 130 may be, for example, an infrared distance sensor, which is used to measure the distance D from the displacement sensor 130 to the sidewall plane 215 of the first central supporting pillar 211. The displacement sensor 130 may also be a sensor using other distance measurement techniques (for example, an ultrasonic sensor). The present invention does not place any restrictions on the type of displacement sensor 130, and any sensor that can acquire the distance D may be applied to the inspection system 100. As described above, the inspection system 100 may use the sidewall plane 215 of the central supporting pillar 210 supporting the bottom or top layer of the central supporting pillar 210 as the reference point C of the displacement amount, and the reference point C may also be used as the reference for detecting the displacement of the central supporting pillar 210 of other layers. The power module 150 drives the pusher 110 to apply a thrust F to the center supporting post 210, and then detects the amount of deflection of the center supporting post 210 receiving the thrust F through the deflection sensor 130, and calculates the lateral deflection of the sidewall plane 215 based on the reference point C, thereby obtaining the detection result. In this embodiment, the position of the sidewall plane 215 of the first center supporting post 211 is taken as the reference point C.

[0023] After the pusher 110 of the inspection system 100 applies a thrust F to the first center supporting pillar 211 and obtains the first displacement V1 of the first center supporting pillar 211 via the displacement sensor 130, the inspection of the first center supporting pillar 211 is completed and the reference point C is obtained. The inspection system 100 can then continue to inspect other center supporting pillars 210.

[0024] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 5 to 7. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the pusher and displacement sensor located on one side of the first support pillar, FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the pusher and displacement sensor located on one side of the second support pillar, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the displacement sensor detecting the second displacement. The detection system 100 of this embodiment further includes a lifting module 170 connected to a base 180, on which the pusher 110, the power module 150, and the displacement sensor 130 are mounted. As shown in FIG. 1, the lifting module 170 drives the base 180 to move vertically, i.e., up and down along the Z axis in FIG. 1. Because there are multiple support pillars 210 arranged in parallel, the lifting module 170 moves along the base 180 to sequentially detect the multiple support pillars 210 along the moving direction M, thereby obtaining the corresponding detected displacement. In this embodiment, an example of practical application is to move to the adjacent second support column 216. The lifting module 170 moves the base 180 to move the pusher 110, the power module 150, and the displacement sensor 130 to a position adjacent to the second support column 216 (shown in FIG. 6), thereby detecting the second displacement V2 (shown in FIG. 7) of the second support column 216. The applied force and detection method of the detection system 100 for the second support column 216 are the same as those for the first support column 211, so a duplicated description will not be given here. By obtaining the second displacement V2, it is possible to determine whether the displacement of the second support column 216 exceeds a predetermined range based on the difference from the reference point C.

[0025] Please refer to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a displacement sensor detecting multiple displacements. In one embodiment, after obtaining a first displacement V1 (V1 is shown in FIG. 4), the detection system 100 sets this first displacement V1 to 0 and sets the position of the sidewall plane 215 of the first central supporting column 211 at this time as reference point C. This reference point C serves as the deviation detection standard for the central supporting columns 210 of subsequent layers. When detecting the second central supporting column 216, the detection system 100 uses reference point C as a reference to determine whether the second displacement V2 (shown in FIG. 7) exceeds the predetermined range. Similarly, when detecting the third central supporting column 217, the fourth central supporting column 218, the fifth central supporting column 219, and subsequent central supporting columns 210, the detection system 100 can use reference point C as a reference to determine whether the deviation exceeds the predetermined range. If the deviation of any of the center support columns 210 exceeds a predetermined range, it indicates that the center support columns 210 need to be calibrated.

[0026] Meanwhile, the arrangement of the displacement sensor 130 may be different. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the detection system 100 of this embodiment includes one displacement sensor 130. The first supporting center post 211 has a connecting end 214 connected to the keel 250, an intermediate portion 213, and a hanging end 212 opposite the connecting end 214, and the displacement sensor 130 of this embodiment is adjacent to the hanging end 212. However, in different embodiments, the displacement sensor 130 may be arranged adjacent to the connecting end 214 or the intermediate portion 213 to detect the displacement of different portions of the first supporting center post 211. Although the above description is directed to detecting the first supporting center post 211, a similar detection mechanism may be applied to the second supporting center post 216 or other supporting center posts 210, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0027] Please refer to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a support center pole detection system including multiple displacement sensors. The detection system 100(1) of FIG. 9 includes multiple displacement sensors 130(1), 130(2), and 130(3), which are adjacent to the connecting end 214, the middle portion 213, and the hanging end 212 of the first support center pole 211, respectively. This allows for simultaneous detection of displacements at different positions on the first support center pole 211, further improving the detection accuracy. In practical applications, the displacement sensors 130 can be installed at any position adjacent to the support center pole 210 as needed.

[0028] Please refer to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a block diagram of a central support column detection system according to another embodiment of the present invention. The detection system 100(2) includes the same pusher 110, power module 150, displacement sensor 130, and lifting module 170 as in the previous embodiment, and also includes a control module 190. The control module 190 is signal-connected to the displacement sensor 130 and is used to control the operation of the power module 150 and the displacement sensor 130. The control module 190 uses the sidewall plane 215 of the bottom or top central support column 210 among the plurality of central support columns 210 as the reference point for the amount of displacement, and uses the reference point as the reference for detecting the displacement of the central support columns 210 in other layers. The power module 150 drives the pusher 110 to apply a thrust F to the support column 210, and then detects the amount of displacement of the support column 210 that has received the thrust F through the displacement sensor 130. The control module 190 calculates the lateral displacement of the sidewall plane 215 based on the reference point, thereby obtaining the detection result. The control module 190 may include, for example, a central processing unit, an input / output controller, etc., and is used to set and control the movement and applied force of the power module 150, and adjust the magnitude of the thrust F that the pusher 110 applies to the support column 210. The calculation module 190 may also control the operation of the lifting module 170, so that the pusher 110 and the displacement sensor 130 can move near the specific support column 210 that is the measurement target.

[0029] In the embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 7, the control module 190 is used to determine whether the second displacement amount V2 of the second center support post 216 exceeds a predetermined range, using the position of the sidewall plane 215 of the first center support post 211 as the reference point C.

[0030] A method for inspecting center support pillars of a substrate carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Please refer to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is a flow chart of the method for inspecting center support pillars according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method for inspecting center support pillars (hereinafter referred to as the inspection method) of this embodiment is applied to the inspection system 100 of the previous embodiment, for example, and the elements and element codes thereof are also used in this embodiment. After the substrate carrier 200 is placed in the inspection system 100, the inspection system 100 can start inspection. The inspection method includes the following steps:

[0031] First, step S11 is executed. S11: One of the plurality of parallel-installed support columns is set as the reference point for the amount of deviation.

[0032] Next, step S12 is executed. S12: A predetermined thrust is applied to the support center pillars in sequence along the direction of movement.

[0033] Next, step S13 is executed. S13: The amount of displacement of the support center column subjected to the thrust is measured.

[0034] Then, step S14 is executed. S14: The deviation amount is calculated at the reference point, and the measurement result is obtained.

[0035] The detection method of this embodiment includes: driving the pusher 110 with the power module 150 to apply a predetermined thrust to the central support column; detecting the reference point and displacement of the central support column with the displacement sensor 130; calculating the displacement based on the reference point with the control module 190 and obtaining the detection result; in the detection method, the lifting module 170 controls the power module 150 and the displacement sensor 130 to move along the direction of movement among the multiple central support columns installed in parallel; there are multiple displacement sensors 130, and they are distributed at the connecting end, middle part, and hanging end positions opposite the connecting end of the central support column, or at any position on the central support column.

[0036] Please refer to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flow chart of a supporting pillar inspection method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The inspection method of this embodiment can be applied to the inspection system 100 of the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0037] First, step S21 is executed. S21: The pusher 110 is driven by the power module 150 to move toward the first center support post 211.

[0038] Next, step S22 is executed. S22: The pusher 110 applies a thrust F to the first center support pillar 211.

[0039] Then, step S23 is executed. S23: The displacement sensor 130 detects the first displacement amount V1 when the first center support pillar 211 receives the thrust F.

[0040] After obtaining the first deviation amount V1, it can be set as the reference point for detecting the deviation amount and used as the deviation detection reference for the supporting center columns of other layers.

[0041] After inspecting the first supporting center pillar 211, inspection can be performed on the other supporting center pillars 210. Please refer to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a flow chart for inspecting the second supporting center pillar. In the inspection method of this embodiment, steps S24 to S27 can be performed after step S23.

[0042] Step S24 is executed. S24: The lifting module 170 moves the pusher 110, the power module 150 and the displacement sensor 130 to a position adjacent to the second center support post 216.

[0043] Then, step S25 is executed. S25: The pusher 110 is driven by the power module 150 to move toward the second center support pillar 216.

[0044] Next, step S26 is executed. S26: The pusher 110 applies a thrust F to the second center support pillar 216.

[0045] Then, step S27 is executed. S27: The displacement sensor 130 detects the second displacement amount V2 when the second center support pillar 216 receives the thrust F.

[0046] In step S28, the inspection method of this embodiment determines whether the second deviation amount V2 exceeds a predetermined range with respect to the reference point. [Industrial Applicability]

[0047] As described above, the system and method for detecting center support columns of a substrate carrier according to the embodiments of the present invention utilize a pusher to apply thrust to the center support columns to detect the displacement of the center support columns, thereby enabling the displacement of the center support columns to be detected quickly and improving the detection efficiency. In some embodiments, a lifting module is used to move the pusher and displacement sensor to another center support column, enabling the detection of multiple center support columns quickly, simplifying the detection process and providing the advantages of convenience and speed. Furthermore, the thrust can be adjusted according to different products, enabling the displacement of the center support columns to be detected quickly and improving the detection efficiency. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 100 Inspection System 100(1) Inspection System 100(2) Inspection System 110 Pusher 130 deviation sensor 130(1) Deviation Sensor 130(2) Deviation sensor 130(3) Deviation Sensor 150 Power Module 170 Lifting Module 180 base 190 Control Module 200 PCB Carriers 210 Support center pillar 211 First support center pillar 212 Hanging end 213 Middle section 214 Connection end 215 Side wall plane 216 Second support center pillar 250 keel C reference point C' Reference point D distance F Thrust M Movement direction S11~S28 process V1 First deviation amount V2 Second deviation amount X-axis direction Y-axis direction Z axis direction

Claims

1. A support center column inspection system for inspecting at least one support center column of a substrate carrier, the support center column inspection system including: a pusher; a power module; and a displacement sensor; the pusher is used to apply a predetermined thrust to the support center pillar; the power module is connected to the pusher and is used to drive the pusher to move toward the support pillar, thereby causing the pusher to apply the thrust to the support pillar; the displacement sensor is located on one side of the support pillar and is used to detect the amount of displacement of the support pillar when the support pillar receives the thrust; A support column inspection system featuring the following features.

2. The support center pillar inspection system further includes a lifting module; the lifting module is connected to a base, the pusher, the power module and the displacement sensor are installed on the base, and the lifting module is used to drive the base to move vertically; 2. The support center pillar inspection system according to claim 1,

3. The support center pillar inspection system, wherein: The number of the support center columns is plural and they are arranged in parallel, and the lifting module moves the base to sequentially measure the support center columns in the moving direction, thereby obtaining the corresponding measured deviation amount; 3. The support center pillar inspection system according to claim 2,

4. The support center pillar inspection system further includes a control module, The signal of the control module is connected to the power module and the displacement sensor and is used to control the operation of the power module and the displacement sensor. There are multiple central support columns, which are installed in parallel. The control module uses the side wall plane of the central support column of the lowest or highest layer among the central support columns as the reference point for the displacement, and the reference point is used as the displacement detection reference for the central support columns of other layers.

2. The support center pillar inspection system according to claim 1,

5. The support center pillar inspection system, wherein: the power module drives the pusher to apply the thrust to the support center pillar, and then detects the displacement of the support center pillar that has received the thrust through the displacement sensor; and the control module calculates the lateral displacement of the sidewall plane based on the reference point to obtain the detection result; 5. The support center pillar inspection system according to claim 4,

6. The support center pillar inspection system, wherein: the supporting center post has a connecting end connected to the keel, an intermediate portion, and a hanging end opposite the connecting end, and the displacement sensor is adjacent to the connecting end, the intermediate portion, or the hanging end; 2. The support center pillar inspection system according to claim 1,

7. A support center pillar inspection method, One of the plurality of parallel-installed support columns is used as a reference point for the amount of deviation; Applying predetermined thrust forces to the support center pillars sequentially along the direction of movement; measuring the displacement of the support center column subjected to the thrust; and calculating the displacement at the reference point and obtaining the measurement result. A method for inspecting support columns, characterized by the above.

8. The support center pillar inspection method, Driving a pusher by a power module to apply the predetermined thrust to the support center column; Detecting the reference point and the amount of deviation of the support center pillar by a deviation sensor; calculating the deviation amount based on the reference point by a control module and obtaining a measurement result; 8. The method for inspecting a support center pillar according to claim 7,

9. The support center pillar inspection method, a lifting module controlling the power module and the displacement sensor along a direction of movement to move among a plurality of parallel-mounted support columns; 9. The method for inspecting a support center pillar according to claim 8,

10. The support center pillar inspection method, The number of the displacement sensors is plural, and the displacement sensors are distributed at the connecting end of the supporting center pole, the middle part, and the hanging end opposite to the connecting end, or at any position of the supporting center pole; 9. The method for inspecting a support center pillar according to claim 8,

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