Wafer cassette gas filling management system

Abstract

This invention relates to a wafer cassette gas filling management system, which is installed on a wafer cassette carrier. It includes a pressure regulating unit, a main controller, and at least one sub-controller. Through the parallel connection between the main controller and the at least one sub-controller, the pressure regulating unit can uniformly supply inert gas to the main controller and the at least one sub-controller in a single operation. The main controller and the at least one sub-controller can uniformly fill the corresponding wafer cassettes with inert gas while simultaneously discharging other gases from each wafer cassette. This ensures consistent inert gas filling in each wafer cassette and allows for simultaneous gas filling operations of multiple wafer cassettes. It solves the problems of past limitations imposed by various factors in the current installation environment and the different technical specifications of each filling machine, which led to difficulties in controlling the inert gas filling of wafer cassettes, mismatched sensing, and issues such as inaccurate gas filling and sensing affecting wafer installation.

Claims

1. A wafer cassette gas filling management system, installed on a wafer cassette support frame, comprising: a pressure regulating host, having a gas input section at one end, a gas output section and a vacuum recovery section at the other end of the pressure regulating host, and a display interface located between the gas input section and the gas output section; the pressure regulating host has a built-in pressure regulating module and a vacuum operation module; the gas input section is connected to an inert gas source via a pipe connection, the inert gas source supplies inert gas to the pressure regulating module for pressure adjustment and setting; a main control unit, disposed on the wafer cassette support frame and connected to the pressure regulating host via a pipeline; the main control unit includes a main receiving section, a branch output section, a main gas injection section and a main vacuum extraction section; the gas output section and the main receiving section are interconnected via pipelines; and the vacuum extraction section of the main control unit is connected via a pipeline to a station among a plurality of wafer cassette filling platforms. The system includes at least one sub-controller, which is mounted on the wafer cassette support and connected to the main control unit via piping. The at least one sub-controller includes a sub-receiving unit, a sub-gas injection unit, and a sub-vacuum extraction unit. The main control unit's shunt output unit is connected to the sub-receiving unit of the at least one sub-controller via piping. The sub-vacuum extraction unit is connected to a corresponding wafer cassette inflation platform. A wafer cassette is movably mounted on each wafer cassette inflation platform. Each wafer cassette inflation platform is connected to a vacuum recovery pipe. Each vacuum recovery pipe extracts gas from each wafer cassette and collects it for return to the vacuum recovery unit of the pressure regulating host. The main gas injection unit of the main control unit and the sub-gas injection unit of the at least one sub-controller correspond to each wafer cassette and inject inert gas. Through the parallel connection between the main controller and the at least one sub-controller, the pressure regulating host can supply inert gas to the main controller and the at least one sub-controller in one go. The main controller and the at least one sub-controller can uniformly fill the wafer cells with inert gas corresponding to the ones whose internal gas needs to be extracted, and at the same time discharge other gases in each wafer cell. This not only ensures that the inert gas filling in each wafer cell is consistent, but also allows the gas filling operation of multiple wafer cells to be performed at the same time.

2. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the vacuum operation module of the pressure regulating host further includes a vacuum regulating valve and a vacuum generator. The vacuum regulating valve adjusts and controls the pressure of the gas extracted from each wafer cell and input into the vacuum recovery unit through each vacuum recovery pipe. The vacuum generator assists the vacuum recovery unit in performing gas recovery operations and, in conjunction with the pressure regulation mechanism of the vacuum regulating valve, maintains the vacuum pressure within a predetermined range.

3. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 2, wherein the vacuum operation module further includes a vacuum pressure gauge connected in series with the vacuum regulating valve, the vacuum pressure gauge detecting the current recovered gas pressure value.

4. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the display interface further includes an inert gas pressure panel and a vacuum pressure panel, the inert gas pressure panel being electrically connected to the pressure regulating module and displaying the current pressure value of the inert gas; and the vacuum pressure panel being electrically connected to the vacuum operation module and displaying the pressure value of the recovered gas.

5. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the gas pressure regulating host is further provided with an emergency switch that can be manually shut down in the event of an abnormality in the gas pressure regulating host.

6. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the pressure regulating host is further provided with a pressure signal serial port, the pressure signal serial port being electrically connected to the main controller.

7. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the main controller further integrates a main flow controller and a main switching switch. The main flow controller controls the main receiving unit to receive the flow rate of inert gas delivered by the pressure regulating host. The main controller is further divided into a power-on circuit mode and a power-off circuit mode. When the main controller is in the power-on circuit mode, the main switching switch is in the off state, and the inert gas in the main controller can be transmitted according to the route of the power-on circuit mode according to the setting of the main flow controller. Conversely, when the main controller is in the power-off circuit mode, the main switching switch is in the on state. In the power-off circuit mode, a manual flow controller is electrically connected in the circuit. When the main switching switch is in the on state, the path of the inert gas is delivered according to the route of the power-off circuit mode, and the manual flow controller is manually controlled to adjust the flow rate of the inert gas in the power-off circuit mode.

8. The wafer cell gas filling management system as claimed in claim 7, wherein a filter is further electrically connected in the common line of the power-on circuit mode line and the power-off circuit mode line, the filter filtering impurities in the inert gas.

9. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one sub-controller further integrates a sub-flow controller and a sub-switch. The sub-flow controller controls the sub-receiving unit to receive the flow rate of inert gas delivered by the diversion output unit. The at least one sub-controller is further divided into a power-on circuit mode and a power-off circuit mode. When the at least one sub-controller is in the power-on circuit mode, the sub-switch is in the off state, and the inert gas in the at least one sub-controller can be transmitted according to the route of the power-on circuit mode according to the setting of the sub-flow controller. Conversely, when the at least one sub-controller is in the power-off circuit mode, the sub-switch is in the on state. In the power-off circuit mode, a manual flow controller is further electrically connected in the circuit. When the sub-switch is in the on state, the path of the inert gas is delivered according to the route of the power-off circuit mode, and the manual flow controller is manually controlled to adjust the flow rate of the inert gas in the power-off circuit mode.

10. The wafer cell gas filling management system as claimed in claim 9, wherein a filter is further electrically connected in the common line of the power-on circuit mode line and the power-off circuit mode line, the filter filtering impurities in the inert gas.

11. The wafer cell gas filling management system as described in claim 1, wherein the main controller and the at least one sub-controller are further provided with a processing interface, the processing interface further including a reset button and a fault warning light, the reset button controlling the main controller and the at least one sub-controller to restore operation, and the fault warning light indicating an abnormality in the main controller and the at least one sub-controller during operation.

12. The wafer cell gas filling management system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a pipeline with a plurality of gas sensors respectively located between the wafer cell gas filling platform and the main vacuum extraction section of the main controller, and a pipeline between the wafer cell gas filling platform and the sub-vacuum extraction section of the at least one sub-controller, wherein each gas sensor senses the humidity and oxygen concentration of the gas flowing through it.

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