Semiconductor stacker, mechanical arm thereof, and operation method therefor

Abstract

A semiconductor stacker, a mechanical arm (1) thereof, and an operation method therefor. The mechanical arm (1) comprises a mechanical arm base plate (3), a driving arm assembly (4), and an access disc (5) which are rotatably connected in sequence; the driving arm assembly (4) comprises a first driving arm (6) and a second driving arm (8), and the first driving arm (6) is rotatably mounted on the mechanical arm base plate (3) by means of a first active driving mechanism (7); a second active driving mechanism (9) for driving the second driving arm (8) is installed in the first driving arm (6), and by means of a driven linkage mechanism (10), the second driving arm (8) can drive the access disc (5) to rotate relatively; the first active driving mechanism (7) is arranged outside the first driving arm (6), and the mechanical arm base plate (3) and the first active driving mechanism (7) are arranged in a lifting box (2). By means of the layout of the driving mechanism (60) and the design of the driven linkage mechanism (10), the compactness of the height dimension of the mechanical arm (1) is ensured, and the placement position can be low; and by designing a dedicated core tooling, the convenience of assembling and maintaining the mechanical arm (1) is improved.

Description

Semiconductor stacker, robotic arm, and operating method thereof Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor storage warehouses, and in particular to a semiconductor stacker, a robotic arm thereof, and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0002] In a semiconductor fab (Fab), the number of wafer boxes is extremely large. The storage and transportation of wafer boxes is a very important link. The wafer box storage warehouse equipment is the key equipment to solve this problem. The high-speed and high-precision stacker device inside the equipment is the core of the wafer box storage warehouse equipment.

[0003] However, due to the limited available space of vertical warehouse equipment and the large storage requirements, the stacker crane has many handling tasks and has high requirements on the height size of the stacker crane's robotic arm. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the mechanical structure and operation mode of the stacker crane.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor stacker, a robotic arm, and an operating method thereof, which utilize a more compact robotic arm drive layout to solve the problem of insufficient space utilization of wafer box storage warehouse stackers.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a robotic arm for a semiconductor stacker, the robotic arm comprising a robotic arm base plate, a drive arm assembly and an access disk; the drive arm assembly comprising: a first drive arm and a second drive arm; the first drive arm is rotatably mounted on the robotic arm base plate through a first active drive mechanism, the second drive arm has a built-in driven linkage mechanism, and the first drive arm has a second active drive mechanism installed therein; the first active drive mechanism drives the first drive arm to rotate as an independent power source, and the second active drive mechanism drives the second drive arm to rotate relative to the first drive arm as an independent power source; the rotation of the second drive arm serves as a power source, synchronously driving the access disk to rotate via the driven linkage mechanism; the first drive arm, the second drive arm and the access disk rotate in a set manner, thereby controlling the extension and retraction of the access disk in a straight line direction.

[0007] In some embodiments, the setting method is: during the extension or retraction of the access disk in a straight line direction, Δα2=Δα1+Δα3 is satisfied, wherein Δα1 is the rotation angle change of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the base plate of the robotic arm; Δα2 is the rotation angle change of the second driving arm relative to the first driving arm; Δα3 is the rotation angle change of the access disk relative to the second driving arm; thereby, the access disk reaches the specified target position.

[0008] The present application also provides an operating method for a robotic arm of a semiconductor stacker. The operating method implemented by the robotic arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any one of the embodiments of the present specification comprises the following steps: during the extension and retraction of the access tray in a straight line, the first driving arm, the second driving arm, and the access tray gradually extend the access tray in a straight line from an initial origin position according to Δα2 = Δα1 + Δα3 until the access tray reaches a target location in a storage library; and then gradually retract the access tray in a straight line according to Δα2 = Δα1 + Δα3 until the access tray returns to its initial origin position; wherein : α1 is the angle of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the base plate of the robotic arm, Δα1 is the change in the rotation angle of the first driving arm when it rotates counterclockwise or clockwise relative to the base plate of the robotic arm; α2 is the angle of the second driving arm relative to the first driving arm, Δα2 is the change in the rotation angle of the second driving arm when it rotates clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the first driving arm; α3 is the angle of the access disk relative to the second driving arm, Δα3 is the change in the rotation angle of the access disk when it rotates counterclockwise or clockwise relative to the second driving arm.

[0009] The present application also provides a semiconductor stacker, comprising a robotic arm of the semiconductor stacker described in any of the embodiments, the stacker further comprising a column and a lifting box, the lifting box being mounted on the column in a sliding manner along the Z-axis, a travel module being mounted on a horizontally disposed slide rail in a sliding manner along the X-axis, and when the robotic arm is at its initial origin position to perform a pickup task: the travel module drives the entire stacker to move a specified distance along the X-axis; the lifting box is raised and lowered along the Z-axis for a specified distance; the driving arm assembly of the robotic arm rotates to cause the access tray of the robotic arm to extend along the Y-axis to a specified cabinet position to retrieve a wafer box, and then retract to the initial origin position. When the robotic arm (carrying the corresponding wafer box) is at the initial origin position to perform inventory tasks: the travel module drives the stacker as a whole to run a specified distance along the X-axis direction; the lifting box is raised and lowered along the Z-axis direction for a specified distance; the driving arm assembly of the robotic arm rotates to extend the access tray of the robotic arm along the Y-axis direction and place the corresponding wafer box in the specified storage cabinet, and then retracts in the opposite direction to the initial origin position.

[0010] The present application also provides an access method, implemented by the robotic arm of the semiconductor stacker in any of the embodiments of the present application, including a wafer cassette removal process and a wafer cassette deposit process. Multiple detection sensors disposed at different positions on the access tray detect at least one of the following: the presence of a wafer cassette in a vertical storage cabinet, the presence of a wafer cassette on the access tray, the position of the access tray relative to the vertical storage cabinet, and the presence of a wafer cassette in the vertical storage cabinet. An RFID reader disposed at the front end of the access tray directly reads the corresponding wafer cassette information when the access tray removes a wafer cassette from a vertical storage cabinet and when the access tray deposits a wafer cassette into a vertical storage cabinet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0012] FIG1 is a perspective view of a robotic arm installed on a lifting box in an embodiment of the present application;

[0013] FIG2 is a perspective view of a robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] FIG3 is a top view of the robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] FIG4 is a front view of the robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structural principle of the drive arm assembly in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a first driving arm, a second driving arm, and an access disk in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a process in which a driving arm assembly moves from an initial origin position toward a target storage location in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG8 is a perspective view of the core tooling in use according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG9 is a perspective view of the second latch in use according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG10 is a perspective view of a stacker according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of a stacker according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] 12 is a perspective view of the sensors on the access disk in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the sensor 1 and the sensor 2 sensing reflector in the embodiment of the present application;

[0025] 14 is a flow chart of removing a wafer box from a storage cabinet in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] 15 is a flow chart of storing wafer cassettes into a storage cabinet in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG16 is a top view of the access tray and cabinet position in the prior art;

[0028] FIG17 is a front view of the access tray and cabinet position in the prior art;

[0029] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of the detection light of the sensor projected onto the reflector in the prior art;

[0030] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of the detection light of the sensor projected onto the bottom of the reflector in the prior art;

[0031] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of the prior art in which the detection light of the sensor is projected onto the center of the reflector;

[0032] FIG21 is a perspective view of a robotic arm and a lifting box in an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] FIG22 is a perspective view of a robotic arm in an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] FIG23 is a perspective view of the access tray according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] FIG24 is a perspective view of the access tray carrying the wafer box in the embodiment of the present application;

[0036] FIG25 is a schematic structural diagram of a reflective plate in an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram of the back of the access disk in an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] The following describes the embodiments of the present application through specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The present application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed in various ways based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the following embodiments and embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that various aspects of the embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It should be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any specific structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that an aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspect described herein can be used to implement an apparatus and / or practice a method. In addition, other structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects described herein can be used to implement this apparatus and / or practice this method.

[0041] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present application. The illustrations only show components related to the present application and are not drawn according to the number, shape and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will, and the component layout type may also be more complicated.

[0042] Additionally, in the following description, specific details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the examples, however, one skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples can be practiced without these specific details.

[0043] In conjunction with Figures 1 to 7, the present application provides a robotic arm for a semiconductor stacker, in which the robotic arm 1 is mounted on a lifting box 2. The robotic arm 1 includes a robotic arm base plate 3, a drive arm assembly 4, and a storage and access tray 5. The robotic arm base plate 3 is used to carry the drive arm assembly 4, and the drive arm assembly 4 is used to realize the movement of the storage and access tray 5 in a straight line direction (for storing the target wafer box into the target storage cabinet 17 or removing the target wafer box from the target storage cabinet 17). The drive arm assembly 4 includes a first drive arm 6 and a second drive arm 8. The first drive arm 6 is rotatably mounted on the robotic arm base plate 3 through a first active drive mechanism 7, the second drive arm 8 is equipped with a driven linkage mechanism 10, and the first drive arm 6 is equipped with a second active drive mechanism 9.

[0044] The functions of the first active drive mechanism 7, the second active drive mechanism 9, and the driven linkage mechanism 10 are as follows: the first active drive mechanism 7 acts as an independent power source to rotate the first drive arm 6, and the second active drive mechanism 9 acts as an independent power source to rotate the second drive arm 8 relative to the first drive arm 6. The rotation of the second drive arm 8 serves as a power source, synchronously driving the access tray 5 to rotate via the driven linkage mechanism 10. The access tray 5 is powered by the rotation of the second drive arm 8, eliminating the need for an additional drive power source (such as a drive motor) to rotate the access tray 5, thereby reducing the vertical height of the robotic arm. By rotating the first drive arm 6, the second drive arm 8, and the access tray 5 in a predetermined manner, the extension and retraction of the access tray 5 along the Y-axis are controlled.

[0045] In one example, as shown in FIG7 , the setting method is: during the extension or retraction of the access disk 5 in a straight line direction, Δα2=Δα1+Δα3 is satisfied, wherein Δα1 is the rotation angle change of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the base plate of the robotic arm; Δα2 is the rotation angle change of the second driving arm 8 relative to the first driving arm 6; Δα3 is the rotation angle change of the access disk 5 relative to the second driving arm 8, thereby enabling the access disk 5 to reach the specified target position.

[0046] Specifically, during the linear extension of the access disk 5 (switching from the retracted state at the initial origin position to the extended state), the clockwise rotation angle change Δα2 of the secondary drive arm 8 relative to the primary drive arm 6 is equal to the sum of the counterclockwise rotation angle change Δα3 of the access disk 5 relative to the secondary drive arm 8 and the counterclockwise rotation angle change Δα1 of the primary drive arm 6 relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the robot arm base plate 3. Conversely, during the linear retraction of the access disk 5 (switching from the extended state to the retracted state at the initial origin position), the counterclockwise rotation angle change Δα2 of the secondary drive arm 8 relative to the primary drive arm 6 is equal to the sum of the clockwise rotation angle change Δα3 of the access disk 5 relative to the secondary drive arm 8 and the clockwise rotation angle change Δα1 of the primary drive arm 6 relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the robot arm base plate 3.

[0047] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4 , a rotating base 601 connected to the first active drive mechanism is provided downwardly extending from the bottom of the first drive arm 6. The second active drive mechanism 9 is partially located within the rotating base 601. The first active drive mechanism 7 is located outside the first drive arm 6, while the robot base plate 3, rotating base 601, and first active drive mechanism 7 are located within the lifting box 2. Vertically, the first drive arm 6, second drive arm 8, and access tray 5 are located within the lifting box 2, minimizing the overall height of the robot arm 1.

[0048] This application is based on the key problem of small available space in vertical warehouse equipment. By rearranging the power drive mechanism of the two driving arms of the robot arm 1, the compactness of the height size of the robot arm is ensured, the equipment space utilization rate is high, and the pick-up and placement position is lower, so that the lowest level pick-up position is as low as possible; and the first driving arm, the second driving arm and the access tray can rotate with each other, thereby realizing the extension and retraction of the access tray along the Y-axis straight line direction.

[0049] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, a first pivot point a is formed between the first drive arm 6 and the robot base plate 3, a second pivot point b is formed between the first drive arm 6 and the second drive arm 8, and a third pivot point c is formed between the second drive arm 8 and the access disk 5. The rotation of the first drive arm 6, the second drive arm 8, and the access disk 5 ultimately enables the access disk 5 to extend and retract along the Y-axis. The line formed by the first pivot point a and the third pivot point c is collinear with the centerline of symmetry of the access disk, and the centerline of symmetry of the access disk 5 is parallel to the linear motion direction of the access disk 5. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the centerline of symmetry of the access disk 5 always passes through the rotation center of the rotating base 601.

[0050] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the driven linkage mechanism 10 includes a fixed wheel 1001 fixed within the second drive arm 8 and a driven wheel 3 1002 rotatably mounted within the second drive arm 8. The fixed wheel 1001 and the driven wheel 3 1002 are synchronously rotatably connected. The fixed wheel 1001 and the second drive arm 8 do not rotate relative to each other. The fixed wheel 1001 is located at the second rotation point b, and the driven wheel 3 1002 is located at the third rotation point c. The driven wheel 3 1002 drives the access disk 5 to rotate synchronously (the connection can be reduced by a speed reducer). The driven linkage mechanism 10 does not have an actively driven drive motor. Instead, it drives the rotation of the driven wheel 3 1002 through the rotation of the second drive arm 8, and the rotation of the driven wheel 3 1002 ultimately realizes the rotation of the access disk 5 relative to the second drive arm 8.

[0051] The fixed wheel 1001 and the driven wheel 3 1002 can be connected by a pulley or by multi-stage gear meshing. As shown in FIG6 , the fixed wheel 1001 and the driven wheel 3 1002 of the present application are synchronously connected by a transmission belt 3 1003 .

[0052] In some embodiments, the first active drive mechanism 7 includes a drive motor 1 701 mounted on the manipulator base plate 3, a driving wheel 1 702 mounted on the drive motor 1 701, and a driven wheel 1 703 connected to the driving wheel 1 702 for synchronous rotation. The driven wheel 1 703 is located at the first rotation point a, and the driven wheel 1 703 drives the first drive arm 6 to rotate (the connection can be reduced by a speed reducer). The driving wheel 1 702 and the driven wheel 1 703 are placed at the bottom of the manipulator base plate 3, and the motor shaft of the drive motor 1 701 is arranged downward, and its motor body is installed above the manipulator base plate 3.

[0053] The driving wheel 1 702 and the driven wheel 1 703 can be connected to each other through a pulley or through multi-stage gear meshing. As shown in FIG6 , the driving wheel 1 702 and the driven wheel 1 703 of the present application are synchronously connected through a transmission belt 1 704 .

[0054] In some embodiments, the second active drive mechanism 9 includes a second drive motor 901 disposed within the rotating base 601, a second driving wheel 902 mounted on the second drive motor 901, and a second driven wheel 903 connected to the second driving wheel 902 for synchronous rotation. The second driven wheel 903 is located at the second rotation point b and is connected to the first fixed wheel 1001, driving the second drive arm 8 (which may be connected via a speed reducer) in relative rotation. The second driven wheel 903 synchronously drives the first fixed wheel 1001 to rotate, thereby causing the second drive arm 8 to rotate relative to the first drive arm 6.

[0055] The second driving wheel 902 and the second driven wheel 903 can be connected to each other by a pulley or by multi-stage gear meshing. As shown in FIG6 , the second driving wheel 902 and the second driven wheel 903 are synchronously connected by a second transmission belt 904 .

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, a first limit sensor 301 and a second limit sensor 302 for limiting the rotation angle of the first driving arm 6 are provided on the robot arm base plate 3. The two limit sensors are used to limit the maximum rotation angle of the first driving arm 6, and a sensor detection piece 303 is correspondingly provided on the rotating seat 601.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3, 8, and 9, a positioning flat surface 602 for rapid core alignment is formed on the outer end of the first driving arm 6, and a first alignment hole 501 for rapid core alignment is provided on the access tray 5. A second alignment hole 603 corresponding to the first alignment hole 501 is provided on the rotating base 601, wherein the second alignment hole 603 is coaxially arranged with the first rotation point a.

[0058] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of this specification also provides a method for operating a robotic arm of a semiconductor stacker, which is implemented by the robotic arm of a semiconductor stacker based on any of the aforementioned embodiments. As shown in FIG7 , during the process of extending and retracting the access tray 5 in a straight line, the first drive arm 6 , the second drive arm 8 , and the access tray 5 gradually extend the access tray 5 in a straight line from an initial origin position according to Δα2 = Δα1 + Δα3 until it reaches the target location of the storage library; then, the access tray 5 gradually retracts in a straight line according to Δα2 = Δα1 + Δα3 until it returns to its initial origin position.

[0059] Wherein: α1 is the angle of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the base plate of the robotic arm, Δα1 is the change in the rotation angle of the first driving arm when it rotates counterclockwise or clockwise relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the base plate of the robotic arm; α2 is the angle of the second driving arm relative to the first driving arm, Δα2 is the change in the rotation angle of the second driving arm when it rotates clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the first driving arm; α3 is the angle of the access disk relative to the second driving arm, Δα3 is the change in the rotation angle of the access disk when it rotates counterclockwise or clockwise relative to the second driving arm. As shown in Figure 7, during the process of the access disk 5 switching from the retracted state to the extended state in the straight line direction (Y-axis direction), the first driving arm 6 rotates counterclockwise relative to the robot arm base plate 3, the second driving arm 8 rotates clockwise relative to the first driving arm 6, and the access disk 5 rotates counterclockwise relative to the second driving arm 8; during the process of the access disk 5 switching from the extended state to the retracted state in the straight line direction (Y-axis direction), the first driving arm 6 rotates clockwise relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the robot arm base plate 3, the second driving arm 8 rotates counterclockwise relative to the first driving arm 6, and the access disk 5 rotates clockwise relative to the second driving arm 8.

[0060] To ensure that the access tray 5 accurately deposits or removes wafer cassettes relative to the storage cabinet 17, it is necessary to ensure the precise operation of the robotic arm 1 and monitor the position and status of the access tray 5. The position of the access tray 5 on the robotic arm 1 is crucial for ensuring smooth wafer cassette handling. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 12, the access tray 5 is also equipped with an RFID reader 15 and multiple detection sensors. The multiple detection sensors include sensor 1 1601, sensor 2 1602, sensor 3 1603, sensor 4 1604, sensor 5 1605, and sensor 6 1606. Sensor 1 1601 is located on the left side of the access tray 5, and sensor 2 1602 is located at the front of the access tray 5. Sensor 3 1603 is tilted downward toward the surface of the access tray 5, and sensor 6 is placed on the surface of the access tray 5. Sensor 4 1604 and sensor 5 1605 are located on the right side of the access tray 5. Sensor 4 1604 is positioned above sensor 5 1605. Sensor 1 1601 and Sensor 2 1602 are reflective photoelectric sensors; Sensor 6 1606 is a microswitch sensor; Sensor 3 1603 is a reflective photoelectric sensor; Sensor 4 1604 and Sensor 5 1605 are reflective laser sensors. When the access tray 5 removes a wafer cassette from storage cabinet 17, the tray 5 lifts the wafer cassette from below the surface of storage cabinet 17 to remove it. When the access tray 5 deposits a wafer cassette into storage cabinet 17, the tray 5 lowers the wafer cassette from above the surface of storage cabinet 17 to place it on the surface of storage cabinet 17. Therefore, Sensor 4 1604 and Sensor 5 1605 respectively detect the designated waiting position for retrieval and the designated waiting position for storage on the access tray 5, improving detection accuracy.

[0061] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, sensor 1601 and sensor 2 1602 correspond to reflectors 1701 on storage cabinet 17, respectively. Sensor 1 1601 is configured to detect whether a corresponding wafer cassette is present in storage cabinet 17 when the access tray 5 removes a wafer cassette from storage cabinet 17. Specifically, sensor 1 1601 shines light onto reflectors 1701 on storage cabinet 17. If no light is returned, it indicates that a corresponding wafer cassette is present in storage cabinet 17. Sensor 2 1602 is configured to detect whether a wafer cassette is present in storage cabinet 17 when the access tray 5 deposits a wafer cassette into storage cabinet 17. Specifically, sensor 2 1602 shines light onto reflectors 1701 on storage cabinet 17. If light is returned, it indicates that no wafer cassette is present in storage cabinet 17, allowing the wafer cassette to be deposited. Sensor three 1603 is configured to detect whether there is a wafer cassette on the current access tray 5 (sensor three 1603 is required to detect this when depositing and removing a wafer cassette). Sensor six 1606 is configured to detect the status of the wafer cassette on the current access tray 5. When removing a wafer cassette from storage cabinet 17, it detects whether the wafer cassette is properly installed. After placing a wafer cassette in storage cabinet 17, it detects whether there is no wafer cassette on the access tray 5. Sensor four 1604 is configured to detect whether the current access tray 5 is correctly positioned relative to storage cabinet 17 when the access tray 5 removes a wafer cassette from storage cabinet 17. Sensor five 1605 is configured to detect whether the current access tray 5 is correctly positioned relative to storage cabinet 17 when the access tray 5 deposits a wafer cassette into storage cabinet 17.

[0062] As shown in FIG14 , the steps of taking a wafer box from the storage cabinet 17 by the access tray 5 of the robot arm are as follows:

[0063] In step S001, sensor 3 1603 detects the status of the wafer cassettes on the access tray 5. Sensor 3 1603 on the access tray 5 detects whether a wafer cassette is out of stock. If a wafer cassette is present, an alarm is triggered. If not, this indicates that the access tray 5 currently does not have a wafer cassette and that a wafer cassette can be removed from storage cabinet 17. In step S002, the access tray 5 is moved to the designated waiting position for retrieval. The access tray 5 is moved to the designated waiting position in front of storage cabinet 17. In step S003, sensor 4 1604 detects the current position of the access tray 5, and sensor 1 1601 detects the status of the wafer cassettes on storage cabinet 17. Sensor 4 1604 on the access tray 5 detects the designated waiting position of the access tray 5 relative to storage cabinet 17. If the position is incorrect, an alarm is triggered. Simultaneously, sensor 1 1601 on the access tray 5 detects whether a wafer cassette is present on storage cabinet 17. If a wafer cassette is not present, an alarm is triggered. In step S004, the access tray 5 moves a specified distance relative to the storage cabinet 17 and rises. The access tray 5 enters the storage cabinet 17 and rises to pick up the corresponding wafer cassette. In step S005, sensor 1606 detects that a wafer cassette has been placed on the access tray 5, and an RFID reader reads the current wafer cassette information. Sensor 1606 on the access tray 5 detects whether the currently picked up wafer cassette is properly installed. If not, an alarm is triggered. The RFID reader on the access tray 5 reads the current wafer cassette information. In step S006, the access tray 5 retracts, completing the retrieval process. The access tray 5 retracts and resets, completing the retrieval process.

[0064] As shown in FIG15 , when the access tray 5 of the robot arm carries the wafer box and stores it in the storage cabinet 17, the following steps are specifically included:

[0065] In step S101, sensor three 1603 detects the status of the wafer cassette on the access tray 5, and an RFID reader reads the current wafer cassette information. Sensor three 1603 on the access tray 5 checks whether the wafer cassette is in stock on the access tray 5; if not, an alarm is triggered. The RFID reader on the access tray 5 reads the current wafer cassette information. In step S102, the access tray 5 carrying the wafer cassette is moved to the designated waiting position. The access tray 5 carrying the corresponding wafer cassette is moved to the designated waiting position in front of the storage cabinet 17. In step S103, sensor five 1605 detects the current position of the access tray 5, and sensor two 1602 detects the status of the wafer cassette on the storage cabinet 17. Sensor five 1605 on the access tray 5 checks the designated waiting position of the access tray 5 relative to the storage cabinet 17. If the position is incorrect, an alarm is triggered. Sensor two 1602 on the access tray 5 simultaneously checks whether the wafer cassette is out of stock on the storage cabinet 17; if so, an alarm is triggered. In step S104, the access tray 5 moves a specified distance relative to the storage cabinet 17 and descends. The access tray 5 enters the storage cabinet 17 and descends to place the corresponding wafer cassette. In step S105, sensor 1606 detects whether the wafer cassette has detached from the access tray 5. Sensor 1606 on the access tray 5 detects whether the wafer cassette has detached from the access tray 5. If not, an alarm is triggered. In step S106, the access tray 5 retracts, completing the inventory. The access tray 5 retracts and resets, completing the inventory.

[0066] It should be pointed out that: on the basis of reducing the overall height of the robot arm, the present application improves the position detection accuracy of the access disk of the robot arm through the relative rotation of the first drive arm, the second drive arm and the access disk 5, and then by configuring sensors in different positions and quantities; on the basis of ensuring the detection stability, the RFID reader is also set on the access disk 5, which can achieve the effect of instant reading; finally, the access disk 5 can quickly and accurately take or store the wafer disk.

[0067] It is worth noting that the sixth sensor can be a displacement sensor, such as the micro switch sensor mentioned above, which can determine whether it is in place by the pressed state. The fourth / fifth sensor can be a reflection sensor, such as the laser reflection sensor mentioned above, for position detection. The first, second and third sensors can be reflection sensors, such as the photoelectric sensors mentioned above, for item status detection, such as determining the presence or absence of an item. The above-mentioned laser reflection sensors and photoelectric reflection sensors can be used interchangeably (i.e., interchangeably), but in the embodiment of the present application, considering that the first, second and third sensors directly detect the light emitted by the wafer box, in order to ensure safety and prevent damage to the wafer box or the wafers inside the wafer box, the use of laser sensors is avoided. However, the sensors are not limited to the specific sensors mentioned above, and sensors that can realize various detection functions should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] The robot arm needs to calibrate its initial origin position during the assembly process. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification are based on the same inventive concept and also provide a core alignment tool for the robot arm of a semiconductor stacker. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the core alignment tool includes a latch 11, a latch 2 12, and a bracket 13 with holes arranged on the robot arm base plate 3. A support block 1201 is installed on the latch 2 12. The initial origin position of the robot arm includes the initial origin position of the access disk 5 and the initial origin position of the first drive arm 6. Pull rings are respectively provided on the latch 11 and the latch 2 12 to facilitate the installation and removal of the two latches.

[0069] To reset the access tray 5 to its initial origin, the first latch 11 is coaxially inserted into the first alignment hole 501 of the access tray 5 and the second alignment hole 603 of the rotating base 601. To reset the first drive arm 6 to its initial origin, the second latch 12 is inserted into the perforated bracket 13, so that the positioning flat surface 602 on the outside of the first drive arm 6 abuts against the support block 1201.

[0070] In other words, during initial assembly, or when reinstalling the machine after maintenance, or to facilitate the storage and transportation of the robotic arm, by locking the access disk and the rotating seat, the first drive arm and the robotic arm base plate, the first drive arm and the second drive arm, and the second drive arm and the access disk are respectively in a preset positional relationship, so that the robotic arm as a whole is in a state of minimal space occupation. Specifically, the robotic arm also includes a latch 11, a latch 12, a support block 1201, and a bracket 13 with holes fixedly mounted on the robotic arm base plate. A positioning plane 602 is provided on the outside of the first drive arm. The latch 11 is inserted into the core alignment hole 1 501 and the core alignment hole 2 603 in a coaxial position to lock the access disk 5 and the rotating seat 601. The latch 2 12 passes through the support block 1201 and is inserted into the hole of the bracket 13 with holes. The support block 1201 is fixedly mounted on the positioning plane 602 to lock the first drive arm 6 and the robotic arm base plate 3. For example, the leaning block 1201 is installed or fixed on the positioning plane 602 by screws or the like, and the bracket with holes 13 is installed or fixed on the robot arm base plate 3 by screws or the like.

[0071] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of this specification also provides a semiconductor stacker, including a robotic arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any of the aforementioned embodiments. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the stacker also includes a column 14 and a lifting box 2. The lifting box 2 is slidably mounted on the column 14 along the Z-axis via a slider assembly 201. The lifting box 2 is connected to a pulley mechanism, and the transmission belt of the pulley mechanism serves as the main driving force to drive the lifting box 2 to move up and down. A travel module 15 is provided at the bottom of the column 14. The travel module 15 is slidably mounted along the X-axis on a horizontally arranged slide rail, wherein the slide rail is provided at the bottom of the vertical warehouse where the stacker is located.

[0072] In FIG10 , the X-axis direction is the moving direction of the stacker, the Y-axis direction is the moving direction of the access tray 5 of the robot arm, and the Z-axis direction is the lifting and lowering direction of the lifting box 2 .

[0073] When the robot arm 1 is at its initial origin position to perform a picking task: the travel module 15 drives the stacker as a whole to move a specified distance along the X-axis direction; the lifting box 2 is raised and lowered along the Z-axis direction to move a specified distance; the driving arm assembly 4 of the robot arm 1 rotates to cause the access tray 5 of the robot arm 1 to extend along the Y-axis direction to reach the specified cabinet to pick up the wafer box, and then retract in the opposite direction to the initial origin position.

[0074] When the robot arm 1 is carrying the corresponding wafer box at the initial origin position to perform the inventory task: the travel module 15 drives the stacker as a whole to run a specified distance along the X-axis direction; the lifting box 2 is raised and lowered along the Z-axis direction for a specified distance; the driving arm assembly 4 of the robot arm 1 rotates to make the access tray 5 of the robot arm 1 extend along the Y-axis direction and place the corresponding wafer box to the specified position, and then retract in the opposite direction to the initial origin position.

[0075] Existing stackers are limited by vertical warehouse equipment (the operating space reserved for stackers to store and retrieve wafer boxes in vertical warehouse aisles, cabinets, etc. is very limited). The requirements for sensor detection accuracy, RFID sensor reading speed and storage quantity have the following requirements in terms of sensor layout: 1. The robot arm fork must have multiple accurate detection functions relative to the cabinet of the warehouse during the wafer box storage and retrieval process, such as detecting the status of the wafer box on the fork, detecting the status of the wafer box on the cabinet, detecting the position of the fork relative to the cabinet, etc., and the detection accuracy must be high; 2. The RFID reading speed of the wafer box information must be fast; 3. The weight of the equipment must be reduced as much as possible to increase the operating speed.

[0076] Therefore, existing stacker devices may have the following problems to a greater or lesser extent:

[0077] 1) Due to problems with the layout and position setting of the fork sensor, there is a possibility of sensor misdetection, which may cause damage to the wafer box when the equipment moves. The sensor's scanning range is limited by factors such as the obstruction of light by the mounting holes and the bottom of the wafer box. Therefore, the sensor's detection range and detection position are required to be high, and debugging is difficult, which can easily lead to misdetection problems.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 16 , in the prior art, the access tray 001 of the stacker's manipulator only uses the sensor 003 for position detection when storing or removing a wafer cassette 002 from a storage cabinet. That is, the sensor 003 emits a detection light 006 toward the reflector 005 on the cabinet 004. If no light is returned, it is determined that a wafer cassette 002 is currently located in the cabinet 004. If light is returned, it is determined that no wafer cassette 002 is currently located in the cabinet 004.

[0079] Figures 17 through 20 illustrate the relative positions of the end beam and the reflector when using only sensor 003 to detect the status of a wafer cassette on the storage disk in position 004. As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the beam may strike the upper or lower edge of the reflector, or even extend beyond it, causing false detection and subsequent incorrect execution. Accurate detection results are only achieved when the beam, as shown in Figure 20, accurately strikes the reflector's effective surface area.

[0080] However, due to the very limited internal space of the storage library and the need to ensure high precision, the size of reflector 005 is limited. In addition, when the installation error of reflector 005, the teaching error, and the stop position error of the robot arm are superimposed, the detection light of sensor 003 may deviate from the range of reflector 005, resulting in no light return, and thus misjudging the status of the wafer box on the current position 004. The detection error problem is relatively difficult. In order to reduce the error, manual work faces tremendous pressure in installing the reflector, teaching and debugging the stacker operation, etc.

[0081] 2) In addition, existing RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) reading sensors are usually set at a certain storage location, requiring the stacker to place the wafer box on the storage location for reading, which seriously wastes time and results in slow RFID reading speed.

[0082] 3) The arm of the stacker is heavy, making it difficult to increase its operating speed.

[0083] In view of this, an embodiment of the present application provides a robotic arm and access method for a semiconductor stacker, which improves detection accuracy and speed by configuring sensors in different positions and quantities, and directly sets the RFID reader on the access disk to solve technical problems such as sensor misdetection that may cause damage to the wafer box during equipment movement, and slow RFID reading speed.

[0084] The method of storing and accessing wafer boxes using the robotic arm of the embodiment of the present application realizes accurate and rapid detection by configuring sensors in different positions and quantities, especially by separately arranged first and second sensors, which can separately detect the wafer boxes on the vertical storage cabinet positions; by separately arranged third sensors, the wafer boxes on the access tray can be separately detected for the presence or absence of materials when storing or taking out the wafer boxes, thereby avoiding the possibility of misjudgment; it can improve detection accuracy, reduce the impact of manual assembly errors, and reduce the difficulty of machine debugging.

[0085] In the embodiment of the present application, on the basis of using a sensor for detection to ensure detection stability, an RFID reader is also provided on the access disk to achieve a read-and-get effect.

[0086] In addition, by designing the access box to be lightweight, the impact of its own weight on the operating speed can be reduced as much as possible, which can improve the performance of the equipment.

[0087] As shown in Figures 21 to 26, an embodiment of the present application provides a robotic arm 1 for a semiconductor stacker. The robotic arm 1 is mounted on a lifting box 2 of the stacker. The lifting box 2 is slidably mounted on the column of the stacker. The lifting box 2 can slide in the vertical direction relative to the stacker. The robotic arm 1 is used to store / remove wafer boxes 40 in the vertical storage cabinet 30. The robotic arm 1 includes a storage and access tray 5 for carrying the wafer boxes 40 and a driving mechanism 60 for driving the storage and access tray 5 to move. The storage and access tray 5 is mounted on the lifting box 2 via the driving mechanism 60. The driving mechanism 60 is an articulated arm, including a rotatable first-level articulated arm and a second-level articulated arm. Through a certain type of rotational linkage change between the articulated arms, it is used to realize the extension and retraction of the storage and access tray 5 in a straight line direction, and to store and access the wafer boxes 40 in the vertical storage cabinet 30.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 , an RFID reader 70 for directly reading information of the corresponding wafer cassette 40 and a plurality of detection sensors 80 are installed on the access tray 5 .

[0089] The RFID reader 70 is directly configured and set on the access tray 5. Unlike the existing stacker, there is no need to move the wafer box to a designated position to read and identify the information, which not only wastes the overall transportation time but also reduces the transportation efficiency. The RFID reader 70 can read and identify the wafer box when the access tray 5 stores the wafer box or clamps the wafer box, so as to achieve the effect of taking and reading. In order to solve the problem of sensor misdetection causing damage to the wafer box when the equipment moves, the present application uses a plurality of detection sensors 80 in different positions, combined with the corresponding access method to avoid the problem of misdetection. By setting different detection sensors 80, the operation accuracy of the access tray 5 is improved, the safety of the stacker is guaranteed, the possibility of misjudgment is avoided, and while improving the detection accuracy, the influence of manual assembly errors is reduced, which indirectly reduces the difficulty of debugging the machine.

[0090] During implementation, detection accuracy is improved by using multiple detection sensors 80 at different locations. Specifically, the detection sensors 80 include at least a first sensor 801 mounted on one side of the access tray 5 and a second sensor 802 positioned at the front end of the access tray 5. The first sensor 801 is configured to independently detect whether a corresponding wafer cassette 40 is present in the vertical storage cabinet 30 when the access tray 5 is removing a wafer cassette 40 from the vertical storage cabinet 30 and the access tray 5 is in the designated waiting position for retrieval. The second sensor 802 is configured to independently detect whether a wafer cassette 40 is present in the vertical storage cabinet 30 when the access tray 5 is depositing a wafer cassette 40 into the vertical storage cabinet 30 and the access tray 5 is in the designated waiting position for storage.

[0091] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG23 , the detection sensor 80 further includes a third sensor 803 disposed above the rear end of the access tray 5. The third sensor 803 is angled downward toward the access tray 5. The third sensor 803 is configured to detect the presence of a wafer cassette 40 on the access tray 5 when the access tray 5 removes a wafer cassette 40 from a vertical storage unit 30, and to detect the presence of a wafer cassette 40 on the access tray 5 when the access tray 5 deposits a wafer cassette 40 into a vertical storage unit 30. The presence of the third sensor 803 allows the access tray 5 to detect the presence of a wafer cassette 40 both when depositing or removing a wafer cassette.

[0092] In some preferred embodiments, the first sensor 801 and the second sensor 802 are reflective photoelectric sensors. As shown in FIG25 , a reflector 3010 is provided on the vertical storage cabinet 30 for sensing the first and second sensors 801, 802. The reflector 3010 is configured to sense the detection light from the two sensors. When removing a wafer cassette 40 from the vertical storage cabinet 30, the access tray 5 moves to the designated waiting position for retrieval. The first sensor 801 emits light toward the reflector 3010. If light returns, it indicates that no wafer cassette 40 is currently in the vertical storage cabinet 30, and the system issues an alarm. When depositing a wafer cassette 40 into the vertical storage cabinet 30, the access tray 5 moves to the designated waiting position for storage. The second sensor 802 emits light toward the reflector 3010. If light returns, it indicates that no wafer cassette 40 is currently in the vertical storage cabinet 30, and the access tray 5 can continue to deposit wafer cassettes 40. By means of the separately arranged first sensor 801 and second sensor 802, the corresponding access tray 5 can detect whether there is a wafer box 40 on the corresponding storage cabinet position 30 when the access tray 5 is waiting for the designated position to pick up goods or waiting for the designated position to store goods, thereby improving the accuracy and specificity of the detection, reducing the risk of sensor misdetection, and at the same time reducing the combined effects of the reflector 3010 assembly error, teaching error, and robot arm stop position error.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG23 , the plurality of detection sensors 80 further include a fourth sensor 804 and a fifth sensor 805 disposed at the other side of the access tray 5, with the fourth sensor 804 positioned above the fifth sensor 805. It should be noted that when the stacker performs the task of accessing and storing wafer cassettes 40 relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30, the wafer cassettes 40 are taken out and placed in two positions (i.e., when the access tray is to remove a wafer cassette 40 from the vertical storage cabinet 30, it is necessary to lift the wafer cassette 40 from below the tray surface of the vertical storage cabinet 30 to complete the removal task; when the access tray is to deposit a wafer cassette 40 into the vertical storage cabinet 30, it is necessary to lower the wafer cassette 40 from above the tray surface of the vertical storage cabinet 30 until the wafer cassette 40 lands on the tray surface of the vertical storage cabinet 30 to complete the deposit task). Therefore, the access tray 5 of the robot arm 1 has two positions relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30: a designated position for waiting for pickup and a designated position for waiting for storage (both located in front of the vertical storage cabinet 30). By providing a fourth sensor 804 and a fifth sensor 805, the designated waiting position for pickup and the designated waiting position for inventory of the current access tray 5 are separately detected to improve the detection accuracy. The fourth sensor 804 is configured to detect whether the current access tray 5 is located at the designated waiting position for pickup relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30 when the access tray 5 removes the wafer cassette 40 from the vertical storage cabinet 30. The fifth sensor 805 is configured to detect whether the current access tray 5 is located at the designated waiting position for inventory relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30 when the access tray 5 deposits the wafer cassette 40 into the vertical storage cabinet 30. The vertical height difference between the fourth sensor 804 and the fifth sensor 805 is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position for pickup and the designated inventory position, and the vertical height difference between the first sensor and the second sensor is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position for pickup and the designated inventory position.

[0094] In one example, the multiple detection sensors 80 also include a sixth sensor 806 disposed on the access tray 5 , configured to detect the position of the wafer cassette 40 currently on the access tray 5 . Specifically, after the access tray 5 removes a wafer cassette 40 from a vertical storage bay 30 , the sixth sensor 806 detects whether the wafer cassette 40 currently on the access tray is properly installed. Simultaneously, when the access tray 5 deposits a wafer cassette 40 into a vertical storage bay 30 , the sixth sensor 806 synchronizes with the third sensor 803 to detect the presence of a wafer cassette 40. After depositing a wafer cassette 40, the sixth sensor 806 detects whether the wafer cassette 40 has been removed from the access tray 5 .

[0095] In some preferred embodiments, the sixth sensor 806 is a micro switch sensor, and two of them are provided.

[0096] In some embodiments, a positioning device 5010 for positioning the wafer box 40 is provided on the disk surface of the access disk 5. The positioning device 5010 can be a protrusion structure or a groove structure.

[0097] In one example, as shown in FIG. 23 , the positioning device 5010 is a positioning flange that cooperates with the wafer box 40 . The upper end of the positioning flange is spherical, and a corresponding positioning hole is provided at the bottom of the wafer box 40 .

[0098] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG23 , a control box 90 is provided on the access tray 5 , and a protective plate 100 for positioning the wafer box 40 is installed on the control box 90 . The function of the protective plate 100 is to limit the degree of freedom of the wafer box 40 and avoid shaking in the horizontal direction.

[0099] In some embodiments, the fourth sensor 804 and the fifth sensor 805 are reflective laser sensors.

[0100] In some embodiments, a third sensor 803 is mounted on the control box 90, facing the center of the access tray 5. The third sensor 803 is a reflective photoelectric sensor. An angled reflective sheet 503 corresponding to the third sensor 803 is provided on the access tray 5. The third sensor 803 emits a detection light directed toward the angled reflective sheet 503. If light is reflected back, it indicates that a wafer cassette 40 is currently mounted on the access tray 5.

[0101] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG26 , the access tray 5 is provided with a weight-reducing cavity 502, which is disposed in the bottom space of the access tray 5. The access tray 5 has undergone a significant weight reduction process based on stress analysis. The weight-reducing cavity 502 can reduce the weight of the access tray 5 by nearly 10%, thereby reducing the influence of the deadweight of the robotic arm on the operating speed of the stacker and greatly improving the operating performance of the equipment.

[0102] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, an embodiment of this specification also provides an access method, which is implemented based on the robotic arm 1 of the semiconductor stacker according to any embodiment of this specification. The access method includes a wafer box 40 removal process and a wafer box 40 storage process. By setting multiple detection sensors 80 at different positions of the access tray 5 for detection, the detection accuracy and detection speed are improved.

[0103] In the process of taking away the wafer box 40: the third sensor 803 is used to detect whether the access tray 5 is out of stock, the fourth sensor 804 is used to detect whether the current access tray 5 is located at the designated position waiting for pickup relative to the opposite storage cabinet 30, and the separately set first sensor 801 is used to detect whether the wafer box 40 on the opposite storage cabinet 30 is in stock.

[0104] In the process of storing the wafer box 40: the third sensor 803 is used to detect whether the access tray 5 has stock or not, the fifth sensor 805 is used to detect whether the current access tray 5 is located at the designated position waiting for stock relative to the opposite storage cabinet 30, and the separately set second sensor 802 is used to detect whether the wafer box 40 in the opposite storage cabinet 30 is out of stock.

[0105] The RFID reader 70 provided at the front end of the access tray 5 directly reads the corresponding wafer box 40 information when the access tray 5 takes out the wafer box 40 from the vertical storage cabinet 30 and when the access tray 5 stores the wafer box 40 into the vertical storage cabinet 30.

[0106] It should be pointed out that when the access tray 5 takes out the wafer box 40 from the vertical storage cabinet 30, it is necessary to ensure that there is no wafer box 40 on the current access tray 5, and there is a wafer box 40 in the vertical storage cabinet 30 to be taken; similarly, when the access tray 5 stores the wafer box 40, it is necessary to ensure that there is a wafer box 40 in the current access tray 5, and there is no wafer box 40 in the vertical storage cabinet 30 to be stored.

[0107] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14 , the process of removing the wafer box 40 specifically includes the following steps.

[0108] Step S001: The third sensor detects that there is no wafer cassette on the access tray;

[0109] The third sensor 803 detects the status of the wafer box 40 on the access tray 5; the third sensor 803 on the access tray 5 detects whether the wafer box 40 is out of stock on the access tray 5; if there is, an alarm is issued.

[0110] Step S002, the access tray 5 moves to a designated location for waiting for pickup;

[0111] The access tray 5 is moved to the designated position for waiting for picking up goods in front of the vertical storage cabinet 30.

[0112] Step S003: The fourth sensor detects that the access tray is located at the designated position for waiting for pickup; the first sensor detects that there is a wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet;

[0113] The fourth sensor 804 detects the current position of the access tray 5, and the first sensor 801 detects the status of the wafer box 40 on the vertical storage cabinet 30; the fourth sensor 804 on the access tray 5 detects the designated waiting position of the access tray 5 relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30, and if the position is wrong, an alarm is triggered; the first sensor 801 on the access tray 5 synchronously detects whether there is a wafer box 40 on the vertical storage cabinet 30, and if not, an alarm is triggered.

[0114] Step S004: The access tray enters the vertical storage cabinet and rises to pick up the corresponding wafer box;

[0115] The access tray 5 moves a specified distance relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30 and rises; the access tray 5 enters the vertical storage cabinet 30 and rises to pick up the corresponding wafer box 40.

[0116] Step S005: The sixth sensor detects that the wafer box has been placed on the access tray, and the RFID reader reads the wafer box information;

[0117] The sixth sensor 806 detects that the wafer cassette 40 has been placed on the access tray 5, and the RFID reader 70 reads the information of the current wafer cassette 40. The sixth sensor 806 on the access tray 5 detects whether the currently removed wafer cassette 40 is properly installed. If not, an alarm is triggered; the information of the current wafer cassette 40 is read by the RFID reader 70 directly installed on the access tray 5.

[0118] Step S006, the access disk is retracted and reset;

[0119] The access tray 5 retracts and the goods are retrieved. The access tray 5 retracts and resets and the goods are retrieved.

[0120] In some embodiments, the wafer box 40 storage process specifically includes the following steps.

[0121] Step S101: The third sensor detects that there is a wafer box on the access tray, and the RFID reader reads the wafer box information;

[0122] The third sensor 803 detects the status of the wafer cassette 40 on the access tray 5, and the RFID reader 70 reads the information of the current wafer cassette 40. The third sensor 803 on the access tray 5 checks the tray surface for the presence of a wafer cassette 40; if not, an alarm is triggered; and the RFID reader 70 on the access tray 5 reads the information of the current wafer cassette 40.

[0123] Step S102, moving the access tray 5 carrying the wafer box 40 to a designated position for waiting for inventory;

[0124] The access tray 5 carrying the corresponding wafer box 40 is moved to the designated waiting position for inventory in front of the vertical storage cabinet 30.

[0125] Step S103: The fifth sensor detects that the wafer cassette carried by the access tray is located at the designated position for waiting for inventory; the second sensor detects that there is no wafer cassette on the vertical storage cabinet;

[0126] The fifth sensor 805 detects the current position of the access tray 5, while the second sensor 802 detects the status of the wafer cassette 40 in the vertical storage cabinet 30. The fifth sensor 805 on the access tray 5 detects the designated position of the access tray 5 relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30, and if the position is incorrect, an alarm is triggered. The second sensor 802 on the access tray 5 simultaneously detects the absence of a wafer cassette 40 in the vertical storage cabinet 30, and if so, an alarm is triggered.

[0127] Step S104: The access tray enters the vertical storage cabinet and descends to place the corresponding wafer box;

[0128] The access tray 5 moves a specified distance relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30 and descends. The access tray 5 enters the vertical storage cabinet 30 and descends to place the corresponding wafer box 40;

[0129] Step S105 , the sixth sensor detects that the wafer box is separated from the access tray;

[0130] The sixth sensor 806 detects whether the wafer box 40 is separated from the access tray 5. The sixth sensor 806 on the access tray 5 detects whether the wafer box 40 is separated from the access tray 5. If not, an alarm is triggered.

[0131] Step S106, the access disk is retracted and reset;

[0132] The access tray 5 retracts and the inventory is completed. The access tray 5 retracts and resets and the inventory is completed.

[0133] In some embodiments, the third sensor 803 is a reflective photoelectric sensor, which is arranged at an upper position at the rear end of the access disk 5, and the third sensor 803 is obliquely downward toward the disk surface of the access disk 5; the sixth sensor 806 is a micro switch sensor; the first sensor 801 is arranged at the left side of the access disk 5, and the third sensor 803 is arranged at the front end of the access disk 5. The first sensor 801 and the second sensor 802 are reflective photoelectric sensors.

[0134] In some embodiments, the fourth sensor 804 and the fifth sensor 805 are reflective laser sensors, and the vertical height difference between the fourth sensor 804 and the fifth sensor 805 is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position and the designated inventory position.

[0135] The access method of the present invention, in conjunction with multiple sensors at different positions and an RFID reader directly set on the access disk, can improve detection accuracy and detection speed, thereby improving the efficiency of accessing the wafer box.

[0136] In some embodiments, when the stacker performs the task of accessing the wafer box 40 relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30, since taking the wafer box 40 and placing the wafer box 40 are in two positions, the stacker control system needs to control the access tray 5 of the robot arm 1 installed on the lifting box 2 to reach two designated positions relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30: the designated waiting position for picking up goods and the designated waiting position for inventory (both located in front of the vertical storage cabinet 30); by using the fourth sensor 804 and the fifth sensor 805 to monitor whether the current access tray 5 is located at the designated waiting position for picking up goods and the designated waiting position for inventory; specifically: in the process of taking away the wafer box 40, the access tray 5 is moved to the designated waiting position for picking up goods in front of the vertical storage cabinet 30, and the fourth sensor 804 is used to monitor the current inventory. The access tray 5 is detected to see whether it is in the designated position waiting for picking up goods relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30. If the position is wrong, an alarm is issued and the position is adjusted to the correct position. If the position is correct, the access tray enters the vertical storage cabinet and rises to pick up the corresponding wafer box (the access tray 5 moves a designated distance relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30 and rises). In the process of storing the wafer box 40, the access tray 5 is moved to the designated position waiting for inventory in front of the vertical storage cabinet 30. The fifth sensor 805 is used to detect whether the current access tray 5 is in the designated position waiting for inventory relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30. If the position is wrong, an alarm is issued and the position is adjusted to the correct position. If the position is correct, the access tray enters the vertical storage cabinet and descends to place the corresponding wafer box (the access tray 5 moves a designated distance relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30 and descends).

[0137] According to the above, the stacker also includes a control system, which controls the position of the access tray 5 relative to the opposite storage cabinet 30 in the Z-axis direction in real time (such as when the opposite storage cabinet 30 reaches two specified positions, adjusts when the position is wrong, and lifts or lowers when the position is correct, etc.). During position control: the control system of the stacker outputs a lifting instruction to control the movement of the pulley mechanism set on the column 14 and connected to the lifting box 2. When the transmission belt of the pulley mechanism moves a specified amount in the Z-axis direction, the lifting box 2 where the access tray 5 is located rises and falls a specified amount in the Z-axis direction with the transmission belt, thereby realizing position control of the access tray 5.

[0138] Specifically, the stacker includes a column, a slider assembly, and a lifting box. The lifting box is slidably mounted on the column via the slider assembly. Specifically, the slider assembly is slidably mounted on the column and connected to the lifting box. The stacker also includes a pulley mechanism that acts as the main driving force, driving the slider assembly up and down along the Z-axis on the column, thereby driving the lifting box along the Z-axis.

[0139] The pulley mechanism includes a driving wheel and a driven wheel, and a transmission belt connected to the driving wheel and the driven wheel. One of the driving wheel and the driven wheel is located at the top end of the column 14, and the other is located at the bottom end of the column 14. The transmission belt is connected to the slider assembly 201. When the driving wheel rotates, the driving belt moves around the driving wheel and the driven wheel, thereby driving the slider assembly 201 to move up and down along the Z-axis.

[0140] The stacker's control system also requires real-time control of the X-axis position of the access tray 5 relative to the vertical storage cabinet 30. Specifically, this control system controls the travel module at the bottom of the column 14 to slide a specified amount along the X-axis rail. Throughout this specification, references to similar parts between the various embodiments will be made to each other, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from the other embodiments. In particular, the descriptions of the embodiments described later are relatively brief; for relevant details, references to the descriptions of the preceding embodiments will suffice.

[0141] It is worth noting that in the embodiments provided in Figures 1 to 26, similar elements may use different terms or different figure marks (for example, the target storage cabinet 17 and the vertical storage cabinet 30; the drive arm assembly 4 and the drive mechanism 60; the first-level drive arm 6 and the first-level articulated arm; the second-level drive arm 8 and the second-level articulated arm; sensor one 1601 and the first sensor 801; sensor two 1602 and the second sensor 802; sensor three 1603 and the third sensor 803; sensor four 1604 and the fourth sensor 804; sensor five 1605 and the fifth sensor 805; sensor six 1606 and the sixth sensor 806), but the positions and functions are similar, and the details of each embodiment can be implemented in conjunction with each other without conflict.

[0142] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present application, but the scope of protection of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A mechanical arm of a semiconductor stacker, the mechanical arm being mounted on a lifting box, wherein: The mechanical arm comprises a mechanical arm bottom plate, a driving arm assembly and an access disk; the driving arm assembly comprises: a first driving arm and a second driving arm; the first driving arm is rotatably mounted on the mechanical arm bottom plate through a first active driving mechanism, the second driving arm is built with a driven linkage mechanism, and the first driving arm is installed with a second active driving mechanism; The first active driving mechanism serves as an independent power source to drive the first driving arm to rotate, and the second active driving mechanism serves as an independent power source to drive the second driving arm to rotate relative to the first driving arm; the rotation of the second driving arm serves as a power source to synchronously drive the access disk to rotate via the driven linkage mechanism; the first driving arm, the second driving arm and the access disk rotate in a set manner to control the extension and retraction of the access disk in a straight line direction.

2. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 1, wherein: The setting method is: during the extension or retraction of the access disk in a straight line direction, Δα2=Δα1+Δα3 is satisfied, wherein Δα1 is the rotation angle change of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the bottom plate of the robot arm; Δα2 is the rotation angle change of the second driving arm relative to the first driving arm; Δα3 is the rotation angle change of the access disk relative to the second driving arm.

3. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom of the arm body of the first driving arm extends downward to be provided with a rotating seat connected to the first active driving mechanism; the first active driving mechanism is placed outside the first driving arm, the robot arm base plate, the rotating seat and the first active driving mechanism are arranged in the lifting box, and in the vertical direction, the arm body of the first driving arm, the second driving arm and the access tray are arranged outside the lifting box.

4. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 3, wherein: A first rotation point is formed between the first driving arm and the robot arm base plate, a second rotation point is formed between the first driving arm and the second driving arm, and a third rotation point is formed between the second driving arm and the access disk. A connecting line formed by the first rotation point and the third rotation point is colinear with a symmetry center line of the access disk, and the symmetry center line of the access disk is parallel to a linear motion direction of the access disk.

5. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 4, wherein: The driven linkage mechanism includes a fixed wheel one fixed in the second driving arm and a driven wheel three rotatably installed in the second driving arm, and the fixed wheel one is connected to the driven wheel three for synchronous rotation; the fixed wheel one is located at the second rotation point, and the driven wheel three is located at the third rotation point, and the driven wheel three drives the access disk to rotate synchronously.

6. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 5, wherein: The first active driving mechanism includes a driving motor 1 installed on the base plate of the robotic arm, a driving wheel 1 installed on the driving motor 1, and a driven wheel 1 connected to rotate synchronously with the driving wheel 1, wherein the driven wheel 1 is located at the first rotation point, and the driven wheel 1 drives the first driving arm to rotate; the driving wheel 1 and the driven wheel 1 are placed at the bottom of the base plate of the robotic arm.

7. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 6, wherein: The second active driving mechanism includes a driving motor 2 arranged in the rotating seat, a driving wheel 2 installed on the driving motor 2, and a driven wheel 2 connected to rotate synchronously with the driving wheel 2, the driven wheel 2 is located at the second rotating point, and the driven wheel 2 drives the second driving arm to rotate relatively; the driven wheel 2 is connected to the fixed wheel 1 and drives the second driving arm to rotate synchronously.

8. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 7, wherein: The fixed wheel 1 and the driven wheel 3 are connected to rotate synchronously via a transmission belt 3, the driving wheel 1 and the driven wheel 1 are connected to rotate synchronously via a transmission belt 1; the driving wheel 2 and the driven wheel 2 are connected to rotate synchronously via a transmission belt 2.

9. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 3, wherein: The robot arm bottom plate is provided with a first limit sensor and a second limit sensor for limiting the rotation angle of the first driving arm, and the rotating seat is correspondingly provided with a sensor detection sheet.

10. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 4, wherein: The outer end of the first driving arm forms a positioning plane for rapid core alignment, and the access disk is provided with a first core alignment hole for rapid core alignment; the rotating seat is provided with a second core alignment hole corresponding to the first core alignment hole.

11. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 10, wherein: The mechanical arm also includes a first latch, a second latch, a support block and a bracket with a hole; The latch pin 1 is inserted into the core alignment hole 1 and the core alignment hole 2 which are in a coaxial position to lock the access tray and the rotating seat; The second latch passes through the leaning block and is inserted into the hole of the bracket with holes. The leaning block is fixedly installed on the positioning plane, and the bracket with holes is fixedly installed on the robot arm base plate to lock the first driving arm and the robot arm base plate.

12. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 11, wherein: The second core hole is coaxially arranged with the first rotation point; and pull rings are respectively arranged on the first latch and the second latch.

13. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 1, wherein: The robot arm is used to store or remove wafer boxes from the vertical storage cabinet; The access tray is used to carry the wafer box, and an RFID reader and a plurality of detection sensors are installed on the access tray for directly reading the corresponding wafer box information; The RFID reader is used to directly read the corresponding wafer box information when the access tray takes out the wafer box from the vertical storage cabinet, and when the access tray stores the wafer box into the vertical storage cabinet; The plurality of detection sensors are used to detect at least one of whether there is a wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet, whether there is a wafer box on the access tray, the position of the access tray relative to the vertical storage cabinet, and the position of the wafer box on the access tray.

14. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 13, wherein: The plurality of detection sensors at least include a first sensor installed at one side of the access tray and a second sensor arranged at the front end of the access tray; the first sensor is configured to independently detect whether there is a corresponding wafer box in the vertical storage cabinet when the access tray is in the designated position waiting for pickup; The second sensor is configured to independently detect whether there is no wafer box in the vertical storage cabinet when the access tray is storing a wafer box in the vertical storage cabinet and the access tray is located at a designated position waiting for inventory.

15. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: The multiple detection sensors also include a third sensor disposed above the rear end of the access tray; the third sensor is configured to detect whether there is a wafer box on the access tray surface when the access tray removes the wafer box from the vertical storage cabinet, and to detect whether there is a wafer box on the access tray surface when the access tray deposits the wafer box into the vertical storage cabinet.

16. The robot arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein: The multiple detection sensors also include a fourth sensor and a fifth sensor arranged at the other side end of the storage and access tray, the fourth sensor being placed above the fifth sensor, the fourth sensor being configured to detect whether the current storage and access tray is located at a designated waiting position for pickup relative to the vertical storage cabinet when the storage and access tray takes out a wafer box from the vertical storage cabinet; the fifth sensor being configured to detect whether the current storage and access tray is located at a designated waiting position for inventory relative to the vertical storage cabinet when the storage and access tray stores a wafer box into the vertical storage cabinet; the height difference between the fourth sensor and the fifth sensor in the vertical direction is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position for pickup and the designated inventory position; the height difference between the first sensor and the second sensor in the vertical direction is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position for pickup and the designated inventory position.

17. The robot arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any one of claims 13 to 16, wherein: The plurality of detection sensors further include a sixth sensor disposed on the disk surface of the access disk, and configured to detect a position status of a wafer box currently on the access disk.

18. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 17, wherein: A positioning device for positioning the wafer box is arranged on the disk surface of the access disk.

19. The robot arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein: A control box is arranged on the access tray, a protective plate for positioning the wafer box is installed on the control box, the third sensor is installed on the control box, and an inclined reflective sheet corresponding to the third sensor is arranged on the disk surface of the access tray.

20. The robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 17, wherein: The sixth sensor is a micro switch sensor, the fourth sensor and the fifth sensor are reflective laser sensors, and the first sensor, the second sensor and the third sensor are reflective photoelectric sensors.

21. The robot arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any one of claims 13 to 20, wherein: The access tray is provided with a weight-reducing cavity, and the weight-reducing cavity is arranged at a spatial position at the bottom of the access tray.

22. A method for operating a robot arm of a semiconductor stacker, implemented according to the robot arm of a semiconductor stacker according to any one of claims 2 to 10 and 13 to 21, wherein: During the extension and retraction of the access tray in a straight line direction, the first driving arm, the second driving arm and the access tray gradually extend the access tray in a straight line direction from the initial origin position according to Δα2=Δα1+Δα3 until it reaches the target position of the storage library; and then gradually retract the access tray in a straight line direction according to Δα2=Δα1+Δα3 until it returns to the initial origin position; in: The angle of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the bottom plate of the robot arm is α1, and Δα1 is the rotation angle change of the first driving arm relative to the ray extending along the X-axis direction on the bottom plate of the robot arm when the first driving arm rotates forward or reversely; The angle of the second driving arm relative to the first driving arm is α2, and Δα2 is the rotation angle change of the second driving arm relative to the first driving arm when the second driving arm rotates clockwise or counterclockwise; The angle of the access disk relative to the second driving arm is α3, and Δα3 is the rotation angle change of the access disk when it rotates clockwise or counterclockwise relative to the second driving arm.

23. A semiconductor stacker, comprising a robot arm of the semiconductor stacker according to any one of claims 2 to 21, wherein: The stacker also includes a column and the lifting box, the lifting box is slidably mounted on the column along the Z-axis direction, a travel module is arranged at the bottom of the column, and the travel module is slidably mounted on a horizontally arranged slide rail along the X-axis direction; When the robot is at the initial origin position to perform the picking task: the travel module drives the stacker as a whole to run a specified distance along the X-axis direction; the lifting box moves up and down along the Z-axis direction for a specified distance; the driving arm assembly of the robot rotates to make the access tray of the robot extend along the Y-axis direction to reach the specified cabinet to pick up the wafer box, and then retracts in the reverse direction to the initial origin position; When the robot is at the initial origin position to perform inventory tasks: the travel module drives the stacker as a whole to run a specified distance along the X-axis direction; the lifting box is lifted and lowered along the Z-axis direction for a specified distance; the driving arm assembly of the robot rotates to extend the access tray of the robot along the Y-axis direction and place the corresponding wafer box in the specified storage cabinet, and then retracts in the opposite direction to the initial origin position.

24. The semiconductor stacker according to claim 23, wherein: The stacker also includes: A slider assembly is slidably mounted on the column and connected to the lifting box; A pulley mechanism, comprising a driving wheel, a driven wheel and a transmission belt connected to the driving wheel and the driven wheel, wherein one of the driving wheel and the driven wheel is arranged at the top end of the column, and the other is arranged at the bottom end of the column; the transmission belt is connected to the slider assembly; the driving wheel is used to drive the transmission belt to move around the driving wheel and the driven wheel when rotating, thereby driving the slider assembly to move along the Z-axis direction on the column; The control system is used to output a lifting and lowering operation instruction when the position of the access tray is adjusted relative to the vertical storage cabinet in the Z-axis direction, and control the pulley mechanism to drive the lifting box to move a specified amount in the Z-axis direction.

25. A storage and access method, based on the robotic arm of the semiconductor stacker according to claim 13, to realize storage and access of a wafer box, wherein: Including wafer box removal process and wafer box deposit process; Detecting at least one of whether there is a wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet, whether there is a wafer box on the access tray, the position of the access tray relative to the vertical storage cabinet, and whether there is a wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet by using the plurality of detection sensors arranged at different positions of the access tray; By means of the RFID reader arranged at the front end of the access tray, when the access tray takes out the wafer box from the vertical storage cabinet, and when the access tray stores the wafer box into the vertical storage cabinet, the corresponding wafer box information is directly read.

26. The access method according to claim 25, wherein: The multiple detection sensors include a first sensor installed at one side of the access tray, a second sensor arranged at the front end of the access tray, a third sensor arranged above the rear end of the access tray, a fourth sensor and a fifth sensor arranged at the other side of the access tray, and a sixth sensor arranged on the disk surface of the access tray; the height difference between the first sensor and the second sensor in the vertical direction is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position for picking up goods and the designated inventory position; the height difference between the fourth sensor and the fifth sensor in the vertical direction is equal to the height difference between the designated waiting position for picking up goods and the designated inventory position; In the wafer box removal process: the third sensor is used to detect whether there is no wafer box on the access tray, the fourth sensor is used to detect whether the current access tray is located at the designated waiting position for picking up relative to the vertical storage cabinet, and the first sensor set separately is used to detect whether there is a wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet; In the wafer box storage process: the third sensor is used to detect whether the storage and access tray has a wafer box, the fifth sensor is used to detect whether the current storage and access tray is located at the designated position waiting for inventory relative to the vertical storage cabinet, and the separately set second sensor is used to detect whether the vertical storage cabinet has no wafer box.

27. The access method according to claim 26, wherein: The wafer box removal process includes: The third sensor detects that there is no wafer box on the access tray; The fourth sensor detects that the access tray is located at the designated position for waiting for pickup; The first sensor detects that there is a wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet; The storage and retrieval tray enters the vertical storage cabinet and rises to pick up the corresponding wafer box; The sixth sensor detects that the wafer box has been placed on the access tray, and the RFID reader reads the wafer box information; The access tray retracts and resets.

28. The access method according to claim 26, wherein: The wafer box storage process specifically includes the following steps: The third sensor detects that there is a wafer box on the access tray, and the RFID reader reads the wafer box information; The fifth sensor detects that the access tray carrying the wafer box is located at the designated position waiting for inventory; The second sensor detects that there is no wafer box on the vertical storage cabinet; The storage tray enters the vertical storage cabinet and descends to place the corresponding wafer box; The sixth sensor detects that the wafer box is separated from the access tray; The access tray retracts and resets.

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