Detection device and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor processing. Provided are a detection device and semiconductor process equipment. The detection device comprises a first mounting part, a second mounting part, and a driving mechanism for driving the first mounting part and the second mounting part to rotate relatively, wherein the driving mechanism comprises a driving part and a guide assembly; the guide assembly comprises a first guide portion and a first guide part, one of the first guide portion and the first guide part being in transmission connection with a power output end of the driving part, and the other one of the first guide portion and the first guide part and a first sensor both being arranged on one of the first mounting part and the second mounting part, and the driving part being connected to the other one of the first mounting part and the second mounting part; and the first guide portion is configured in such a way that when the first guide part moves relatively along the first guide portion, the second mounting part can drive the first sensor to move into or out of a wafer cassette, and when moving into the wafer cassette, the first sensor can detect wafer abnormal information. The detection device provided in the present application can reduce the vibration of the detection device during operation.

Description

Detection equipment and semiconductor process equipment Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to a detection device and semiconductor process equipment. Background Art

[0002] Wafer manufacturing primarily involves wafer processing, oxidation, photolithography, etching, deposition, interconnection, testing, and packaging. During some of these processes, the Equipment Front End Module (EFEM) collaborates with the process chamber to perform wafer processing. Wafers are stored, positioned, handled, and protected in front-opening standard wafer cassettes (FOUPs). The Load Port Module (LPM) connects the wafer FOUP to the semiconductor FEEM. The LPM locates, identifies, unlocks, and inspects the FOUP. The FOUP is then grasped by a robotic arm within the FEEM and transferred to the process chamber for processing.

[0003] The Load Port Module (Load Port Module) can realize docking and loading actions with the front-opening standard wafer box. Currently, the 12-inch front-opening standard wafer box is mainly used, which can be fully loaded with 25 300mm wafers. The overhead hoist transfer (OHT) places the front-opening standard wafer box on the loading port module, and the loading port module is positioned, status detected, locked, loaded, unlocked, and scanned. The scanning detection of wafers is a step in the execution of the action of the loading port module (referred to as Mapping). The purpose of the scanning detection by the detection device in the loading port module is to detect the 25 wafers inside the front-opening standard wafer box layer by layer. If there are duplicate wafers, empty wafers, skewed wafers, cross-slot phenomena during the detection process, the abnormal information will be fed back for processing. Specifically, during the detection process, the detection device needs to move up and down with the lifting door, extend the optical fiber sensor into the interior of the front-opening standard wafer box, parallel to the wafer, and detect whether there are duplicate wafers, skewed wafers, cross-slot phenomena, etc. When the inspection device is in operation, it may vibrate when it drives the optical fiber sensor used to inspect the wafer. During the wafer inspection process, the inspection device must maintain stable operation to avoid adverse effects of vibration on the machine.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The first purpose of the present application is to provide a detection device to solve the technical problem of large vibration amplitude during operation of existing detection devices.

[0006] The detection device provided in the present application is applied to a load port module of semiconductor processing equipment, comprising: a first mounting member, a second mounting member, a drive mechanism for driving the first and second mounting members to rotate relative to each other, and a first sensor; the drive mechanism comprises a driving member and a guide assembly, the guide assembly comprising a first guide portion and a first guide member capable of relative movement along the first guide portion; one of the first guide portion and the first guide member is transmission-connected to a power output end of the driving member, the other of the first guide portion and the first guide member, and the first sensor are all disposed on one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the driving member is connected to the other of the first mounting member and the second mounting member;

[0007] The first guide portion is configured so that when the first guide member moves relatively along the first guide portion, the first mounting member or the second mounting member where the first sensor is located can drive the first sensor to move in or out of the wafer box carried by the loading port module, and when moved into the wafer box, the first sensor can detect wafer abnormality information.

[0008] In some technical solutions, the guide assembly further includes a second guide member;

[0009] The first guide portion is provided on the second guide member, the first guide member is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member, the driving member is connected to one of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the second guide member is connected to the other of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member; or,

[0010] The first guide portion is arranged on the second guide member, the second guide member is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member, the driving member is connected to one of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the first guide member is connected to the other of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

[0011] In some technical solutions, the second guide member further has a second guide portion, and the second guide portion is arranged opposite to the first guide portion.

[0012] In some technical solutions, the first guide portion includes a first guide surface, and different positions of the first guide surface have different angles relative to the power output direction of the driving member;

[0013] The second guide portion includes a second guide surface, which is arranged opposite to the first guide surface, and the extension directions of the second guide surface and the first guide surface are parallel to each other to form a guide groove; the first guide member is at least partially located in the guide groove.

[0014] In some technical solutions, the driving member is a linear driving member.

[0015] In some technical solutions, the extension direction of the power output end of the driving member is downward, and one of the first guide portion and the first guide member is located below the driving member.

[0016] In some technical solutions, the driving member is a guide rod cylinder.

[0017] In some technical solutions, when the driving member is connected to the first mounting member, the first mounting member includes:

[0018] A main body and a connecting arm portion fixedly connected to the lower portion of the main body, and the driving member is connected to the lower portion of the connecting arm portion.

[0019] In some technical solutions, the first guide member includes a guide wheel that can be rollingly connected to the first guide part, and a guide shaft on which the guide wheel is rotatably mounted. The guide shaft is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member or connected to one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

[0020] In some technical solutions, the first guide portion is configured so that when the first guide member moves relatively along the first guide portion, the moving speed of the first sensor first gradually increases and then gradually decreases.

[0021] In some technical solutions, the first guide portion includes a speed change section, and along the direction of relative movement between the first guide member and the first guide portion, the angle between the power output direction of the driving member and the speed change section first gradually increases and then gradually decreases.

[0022] In some technical solutions, the first guide portion further includes a limiting section, which is located at the end of the speed change section. Along the direction of relative movement between the first guide member and the first guide portion, the power output direction of the driving member is parallel to the speed change section.

[0023] In some technical solutions, the second mounting member is sleeved on the first mounting member, and the second mounting member includes a side support portion and a top support portion fixedly connected to the side support portion; the first sensor is fixedly mounted on the top support portion.

[0024] In some technical solutions, the detection device further includes an elastic member connected between the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the elastic member is used to make the first guide member abut against the first guide portion.

[0025] In some technical solutions, the first mounting member is pivotally connected to the second mounting member, and the driving member and the first sensor are respectively located on opposite sides of the pivotal position of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

[0026] The second object of the present application is to provide a semiconductor process equipment to solve the technical problem of large vibration amplitude during operation of the detection device.

[0027] The semiconductor process equipment provided in the present application includes a loading port module, which includes a moving platform, a process position plate, a lifting mechanism and any one of the above detection devices, and the moving platform and the lifting mechanism are both arranged on the process position plate; the moving platform is used to carry the wafer box and drive the wafer box to move to the detection position, the lifting mechanism is connected to the detection device and is used to drive the detection device to rise and fall, and the detection device is used to detect abnormal information of the wafer in the wafer box at the detection position.

[0028] The beneficial effects brought about by this application are:

[0029] The detection device provided in the present application can convert the movement of the driving member into the movement of the second mounting member (the first sensor is arranged on the second mounting member) or convert the movement of the driving member into the movement of the first mounting member (the first sensor is arranged on the first mounting member) when one of the first guide member and the first guide member is driven to move relative to the other at the power output end of the driving member, by making the first guide member move relative to the first guide portion, so as to drive the first sensor to move in or out of the wafer box carried by the loading port module. At the same time, by utilizing the guiding effect of the first guide portion, stable transmission of motion can be achieved, and no reciprocating shaking will occur during the movement of the second mounting member or the first mounting member, thereby reducing the vibration amplitude of the entire detection device.

[0030] By arranging the above-mentioned detection device in the semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment accordingly has all the advantages of the above-mentioned detection device, which will not be described in detail here. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or background technologies of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or background technology descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without any creative work.

[0032] FIG1a is a schematic diagram of a first sensor in a related art 1 when no wafer is detected;

[0033] FIG1b is a schematic diagram of the first sensor detecting a wafer in the related art 1;

[0034] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection device according to a related art;

[0035] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a door panel in a detection device according to the first related art as viewed from another direction;

[0036] FIG4a is a schematic diagram of the detection device of the related art 1 when the rotating shaft does not drive the swing arm to rotate;

[0037] FIG4 b is a schematic diagram of a detection device according to related art 1, in which a rotating shaft drives a sensor to detect a wafer via a swing arm;

[0038] FIG4c is a comparative schematic diagram of the states shown in FIG4a and FIG4b;

[0039] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection device according to related art 2;

[0040] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0041] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0042] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application, viewed from another perspective;

[0043] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the detection device shown in FIG7 with the unlocking assembly and the suction cup assembly omitted;

[0044] FIG10 is a perspective schematic diagram of a driving mechanism in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0045] FIG11 is a side view of the driving mechanism in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0046] FIG12 is a perspective schematic diagram of the cooperation between the first guide member and the second guide member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0047] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the first guide member and the second guide member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0048] FIG14 is a schematic structural diagram of a driving member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0049] FIG15 is a partial schematic diagram of the pivotal connection between the first mounting member and the second mounting member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0050] FIG16 is a perspective schematic diagram of another implementation of the first guide portion in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application;

[0051] FIG17 is a perspective schematic diagram of a load port module in a semiconductor process equipment provided in Example 2 of the present application;

[0052] FIG18 is a perspective view of a load port module in a semiconductor process equipment provided in the second embodiment of the present application, viewed from another angle with the rear shield omitted;

[0053] Figure 19 is a three-dimensional disassembled diagram of the lifting mechanism and detection device of the loading port module in the semiconductor process equipment provided in Example 2 of the present application.

[0054] Explanation of the reference numerals: 101 - shaft; 102 - limit block; 103 - limit arm; 104 - motor; 105 - driving pulley; 106 - synchronous belt; 107 - driven pulley; 108 - fixing seat; 109 - adjustment connecting block; 110 - door panel; 111 - swing arm; 112 - sensor bracket; 113 - first sensor; 114 - cylinder bracket; 115 - cylinder; 116 - driving connecting rod; 150 - suction cup assembly; 160 - unlocking assembly; 161 - lock cylinder; 163 - connecting rod; 199 - wafer; 210 - second guide member; 211 - first guide portion; 213 - second guide portion; 220 - driving member; 230 - First mounting part; 231-main body; 233-connecting arm; 235-cylinder fixing plate; 240-second mounting part; 241-side support part; 243-top support part; 250-first guide part; 251-guide shaft; 253-guide wheel; 261-first rolling bearing; 263-pivot shaft; 265-elastic retaining ring for shaft; 267-fastening screw; 270-elastic part; 280-second sensor; 310-moving platform; 311-locating pin; 313-pressing sensor; 320-front guard; 321-display screen; 323-oblique status sensor; 330-rear guard; 340-lower guard; 350-process position plate; 360-lifting mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] Related technology 1:

[0056] As shown in Figures 1a, 1b, and 2, the load port module's detection device operates by, after the wafer cassette unlocks, driving the swing arm 111 forward by a certain angle via motor 104. This allows the swing arm 111 to extend the first sensor 113 into the interior of the wafer cassette (FOUP) for inspection. As shown in Figure 1a, the first sensor 113 has a transmitter and a receiver positioned opposite each other, with the transmitter emitting light and the receiver receiving light. As shown in Figure 1b, during the inspection process, wafers 199 block the light emitted by the transmitter of the first sensor 113, momentarily reducing the amount of light received by the receiver. The displayed value indicates information about wafer 199. Subsequent load port module actions are executed based on analysis of abnormal wafer 199 information. This entire inspection process is called scanning inspection (also known as mapping inspection). The entire inspection device operates in conjunction with a lift gate, moving up and down with the lift gate to scan each wafer 199 within the cassette.

[0057] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a detection device according to a related art. As shown in FIG2 , the device mainly includes a rotating shaft 101, a limiting block 102, a limiting arm 103, a motor 104, a driving wheel 105, a synchronous belt 106, a driven wheel 107, a fixed seat 108, an adjustment connection block 109, a door panel 110, a swing arm 111, a sensor bracket 112, and a first sensor 113. The rotating shaft 101 is rotatably supported on the fixed seat 108, the motor 104 is mounted on the fixed seat 108, the output shaft of the motor 104 is mounted with the driving wheel 105, and the driving wheel 105 is connected to the driven wheel 107 via the synchronous belt 106 to form a synchronous belt drive. The driven wheel 107 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 101 and can transmit power to the rotating shaft 101. The rotating shaft 101 is fixedly connected to the swing arm 111, and the free end of the swing arm 111 is mounted with the sensor bracket 112, which is mounted with the first sensor 113. When the shaft 101 drives the swing arm 111 to swing, the first sensor 113 can extend into the interior of the wafer cassette to detect each wafer 199. Furthermore, the door panel 110 is detachably connected to the fixing base 108 via an adjustable connecting block 109. By replacing the adjustable connecting block 109 with a different size, the relative position of the door panel 110 and the fixing base 108 can be changed, thereby adjusting the swing angle of the swing arm 111.

[0058] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the door panel in the inspection device of Related Art 1, viewed from another direction. After the load port module is positioned, identified, locked, and loaded, the front cover of the wafer cassette contacts the door panel 110. As shown in Figure 3, since the door panel 110 is equipped with an unlocking assembly 160 and a suction cup assembly 150, the suction cup assembly 150 will suck the front cover of the wafer cassette, thereby absorbing and positioning the front cover of the wafer cassette. At this point, the unlocking assembly 160 on the door panel 110 can unlock the front cover of the wafer cassette, and the door panel 110 moves downward a short distance to clear the top edge of the wafer cassette. At this point, motor 104 generates torque, causing driving pulley 105 to rotate synchronously. This torque is then transmitted to driven pulley 107 via timing belt 106, which in turn drives shaft 101 to rotate. Since swing arm 111 is fixedly connected to shaft 101, swing arm 111 can rotate sensor bracket 112, which in turn drives first sensor 113 into the wafer cassette. Door panel 110 can then move downward along with mounting bracket 108, driving the front cover and first sensor 113 downward, thereby detecting each wafer 199 within the cassette. Figure 4a shows the state of the rotating shaft before rotation, when first sensor 113 does not extend into the cassette. Figure 4b shows the position after rotation, when first sensor 113 extends into the cassette, enabling detection of wafers 199. Figure 4c shows a combined comparison of swing arm 111 at its starting and ending positions, allowing for a more direct view of its rotation.

[0059] In addition, in this solution, a limit block 102 is provided on the fixed seat 108. The limit block 102 is fixedly connected to the fixed seat 108, and a limit swing arm 111 is also fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 101. The limit arm 103 can swing simultaneously with the rotation of the rotating shaft 101. When the limit arm 103 contacts the limit block 102, it is the maximum angle of rotation of the rotating shaft 101, thereby controlling the maximum swing angle of the swing arm 111. If the motor 104 is powered off and the first sensor 113 is inside the wafer box, the swing arm 111 will rotate clockwise or counterclockwise under the action of the torque of gravity, such as the counterclockwise rotation shown in Figures 4a and 4b, and the limit arm 103 will abut the limit block 102, which can prevent the rotation angle of the rotating shaft 101 from being too large, thereby preventing the swing arm 111 and the first sensor 113 from damaging the device itself or the wafers 199 inside the wafer box.

[0060] However, the related art 1 has the following problems:

[0061] A. When the motor 104 drives the rotating shaft 101 to drive the swing arm 111 to swing, there is a gap or elastic deformation between the synchronous belt 106 and the driving pulley 105 and the driven pulley 107 during the process from acceleration to stop, and continuous, smooth and stable transmission cannot be achieved. Moreover, due to the gap and elastic deformation, the positioning performance of the transmission structure is poor, and the swing arm 111 may swing back and forth after the movement is completed, affecting the vibration value.

[0062] B. When the motor 104 fails to be powered off, the mechanical limit can only limit the movement of the swing arm 111 at one extreme position of movement, and cannot limit the movement of the swing arm 111 from two extreme positions. That is, it can only limit the maximum depth of the first sensor 113 into the wafer box, but cannot prevent movement in the other direction. A collision may occur, posing a safety hazard.

[0063] C. The swing of the swing arm 111 has two extreme movement positions: the first sensor 113 extends into the wafer box and moves out of the wafer box. Although it seems simple to use the motor 104 to drive it, it is actually not easy to achieve. The installation space is small, and the motor 104 moves up and down during the lifting and lowering process of the fixed base 108, and it is easy to interfere with other components.

[0064] D. When the motor 104 drives the swing arm 111 to move toward the wafer box, since the door panel 110 is in front of the swing arm 111, the angle of movement of the swing arm 111 in this direction is affected by the door panel 110, and the wafer may not be inserted into the wafer box during inspection.

[0065] Related technology 2:

[0066] This solution is largely the same as the related technology, with the following differences:

[0067] In related technology one, a motor 104 is used to drive the swing arm 111 to move through a synchronous belt. Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the detection device of related technology two; as shown in Figure 5, in related technology two, a cylinder bracket 114 is installed on the fixed seat 108, and a cylinder 115 is fixedly installed on the cylinder bracket 114. The extension and retraction direction of the piston rod of the cylinder 115 is horizontal and perpendicular to the axis of the rotating shaft 101. When the piston rod of the cylinder 115 is extended, it drives the drive connecting rod 116 to move, and then drives the rotating shaft 101 to rotate. Thereby, the first sensor 113 is driven to extend into or out of the wafer box through the swing arm 111. In addition, in this scheme, a limit block 102 is also provided, and the limit block 102 and the cylinder 115 are respectively located on opposite sides of the drive connecting rod 116. When the piston rod of the cylinder 115 pushes the driving connecting rod 116 to move, if the driving connecting rod 116 encounters the limit block 102 , it means that the movement has reached the maximum displacement, thereby limiting the swing arm 111 .

[0068] However, this solution will cause the following problems:

[0069] E. When the piston rod of the cylinder 115 extends, the rotating shaft 101 rotates. At this time, the driving connecting rod 116 must undergo rotational motion, while the piston rod of the cylinder 115 undergoes linear motion. Therefore, the cylinder 115 must be mounted in a rotating manner to minimize the rotation of the cylinder body of the cylinder 115. Alternatively, the cylinder 115 can be fixedly mounted, but the outer end of the piston rod can be pivotally connected to an intermediate connecting rod, which is in turn pivotally connected to the driving connecting rod 116. This allows the cylinder 115, which has a conventional linear output power, to drive the rotating shaft 101 to rotate. However, this mounting method is inconvenient.

[0070] When the piston rod of cylinder 115 extends, the driving connecting rod 116 and the stopper 102 directly collide with each other, creating a loud metal-on-metal collision. Furthermore, this direct metal-on-metal collision can generate metal dust, which, if deposited on the wafer, can cause wafer defects. Furthermore, when swing arm 111 swings, it can also cause shaking.

[0071] Similarly, affected by the door panel 110, this solution also has problem D in the related art 1.

[0072] In order to make the above-mentioned objectives, features and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present application is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0073] Example 1:

[0074] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application observed from another perspective; Figure 12 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the cooperation between the first guide member and the second guide member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; as shown in Figures 6 to 8 and 12, the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application is applied to the loading port module of the semiconductor processing equipment, including: a first mounting member 230, a second mounting member 240 and a driving mechanism for driving the two to rotate relative to each other, and a first sensor 113; the driving mechanism includes a driving member 220 and a guide assembly, the guide assembly includes a first guide portion 211 and a second guide portion capable of rotating along the first guide portion. A first guide member 250 that moves relative to a guide portion 211; the first guide portion 211 is configured so that when the first guide member 250 moves relative to the first guide portion 211, the second mounting member 240 can drive the first sensor 113 to move in or out of the wafer box carried by the loading port module, and when the wafer box is moved in, the first sensor 113 can detect wafer abnormality information; one of the first guide portion 211 and the first guide member 250 is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member 220, the other of the first guide portion 211 and the first guide member 250, and the first sensor 113 are all arranged on one of the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240, and the driving member 220 is connected to the other of the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240.

[0075] In this embodiment, the first guide member 250 is disposed at the power output end of the driver 220. Of the driver 220 and the first guide portion 211, one is disposed on the first mounting member 230, and the other is disposed on the second mounting member 240. Furthermore, the driver 220 is disposed on the first mounting member 230, and the first sensor 113 is disposed on the second mounting member 240. Of course, in other embodiments, the driver 220 may also be disposed on the second mounting member 240, and the first sensor 113 may be disposed on the first mounting member 230.

[0076] In another embodiment, the first guide portion 211 is disposed at the power output end of the driver 220. The driver 220 and the first guide member 250 are disposed on the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240, respectively. Furthermore, if the driver 220 is disposed on the first mounting member 230, the first sensor 113 is disposed on the second mounting member 240; if the driver 220 is disposed on the second mounting member 240, the first sensor 113 is disposed on the first mounting member 230.

[0077] Specifically, in this embodiment, the driving member 220 is disposed on the first mounting member 230, the first sensor 113 is disposed on the second mounting member 240, and the first guide portion 211 is disposed on the second mounting member 240. In another implementation, the driving member 220 may be disposed on the second mounting member 240, the first sensor 113 may be disposed on the first mounting member 230, and the first guide portion 211 may be disposed on the first mounting member 230.

[0078] By causing the first guide member 250 to move relative to the first guide portion 211, when one of the first guide portion 211 and the first guide member 250 is driven to move relative to the other at the power output end of the driving member 220, the movement of the driving member 220 can be converted into the movement of the second mounting member 240 (the first sensor 113 is arranged on the second mounting member 240), or the movement of the driving member 220 can be converted into the movement of the first mounting member 230 (the first sensor 113 is arranged on the first mounting member 230), so as to drive the first sensor 113 to move in or out of the wafer box carried by the loading port module. At the same time, by leveraging the guiding effect of the first guide portion 211, stable transmission of motion can be achieved, and no reciprocating shaking will occur during the movement of the second mounting member 240 or the first mounting member 230, thereby reducing the vibration amplitude of the entire detection device.

[0079] It should be noted that the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 do not limit the corresponding components to be rod-shaped or column-shaped, but only indicate that their physical portions cover the physical area where the rod is located. In this embodiment, wafer abnormality information detection refers to the first sensor 113 extending into the wafer cassette to detect wafers in the cassette for duplicate wafers, empty wafers, skewed wafers, or wafers that are crossed in the wafer slot. If any of these phenomena occur during detection, the abnormal information is fed back for processing.

[0080] To ensure that the first sensor 113 can be inserted into the wafer box, the pivotal connection between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 is located at the lower middle portion of the first mounting member 230 and also at the lower middle portion of the second mounting member 240 .

[0081] Specifically, in this embodiment, the first mounting member 230 may include a plate-shaped main body 231, on which the suction cup assembly 150 and the unlocking assembly 160 are installed. The suction cup assembly 150 can absorb the front cover of the wafer box. After the suction cup assembly 150 absorbs the front cover of the wafer box, operations such as unlocking, scanning, and locking are performed. The suction cup adsorption can keep the wafer box stable during the above operations, which not only plays a positioning role, but also prevents the front cover of the wafer box from shaking or misaligning during movement. Therefore, the position of the wafer box when unlocking is the same as the position when locking, and the locking operation will not be abnormal. In the embodiment where the first mounting member 230 includes the plate-shaped main body 231, in order to ensure that the first sensor 113 can extend into the wafer box, the driving member 220 is arranged on the first mounting member 230, and the first sensor 113 is arranged on the second mounting member 240. However, the embodiments of the present application are not limited to this. In actual applications, the driver 220 may also be mounted on the second mounting member 240, and the first sensor 113 may be mounted on the first mounting member 230. In this case, the first mounting member 230 may include, in addition to the main body 231, a mounting portion pivotally connected to the second mounting member 240 and the main body 231, with the first sensor 113 mounted on this mounting portion. The second mounting member 240 is fixed relative to the main body 231. This mounting portion, for example, has a gate-shaped structure similar to that of the second mounting member 240 and is located between the second mounting member 240 and the main body 231. Specifically, the mounting portion and the second mounting member 240 are each sleeved within the main body 231. The second mounting member 240 includes side support portions 241 and a top support portion 243 fixedly connected to the side support portions 241. The side support portions 241 are provided on opposite side edges of the first mounting member 230. Together, the two side support portions 241 and the top support portion 243 form a gate-shaped structure. As can be seen from Figure 9, the second door-shaped mounting member 240 semi-encloses the main body 231. The above-mentioned mounting portion of the first mounting member 230 also adopts a door-shaped structure, that is, it also includes two side support portions and a top support portion, and is pivotally connected between the second mounting member 240 and the main body 231. Two first sensors 113 are arranged on the top support portion of the mounting portion, and the two first sensors 113 are arranged along the length direction of the top support portion.

[0082] The unlocking assembly 160 includes two lock cylinders 161 and a connecting rod 163 that enables the two lock cylinders 161 to move synchronously. The two lock cylinders 161 are simultaneously inserted into the wafer box. One of the driven lock cylinders 161 drives the other lock cylinder 161 to rotate synchronously via the connecting rod 163, thereby unlocking the wafer box. The connecting rod 163 that enables the synchronous movement of the two lock cylinders 161 may include three sub-rods, two of which are parallel, and one end of each sub-rod is connected to the two lock cylinders 161, and the other end of each sub-rod is connected to the two ends of another sub-rod. The line connecting the two lock cylinders 161 and the three sub-rods forms a parallelogram. In other words, the parallelogram mechanism formed by the three sub-rods can ensure the synchronous rotation of the two lock cylinders 161.

[0083] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of the detection device shown in FIG7 omitting the unlocking assembly and the suction cup assembly; as shown in FIG6-FIG9 , the guide assembly further includes a second guide member 210, a first guide member 250 is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member 220, a first guide portion 211 is provided on the second guide member 210, the driving member 220 is connected to one of the lower ends of the first mounting member 230 and the lower ends of the second mounting member 240, and the second guide member 210 is connected to the other of the lower ends of the first mounting member 230 and the lower ends of the second mounting member 240. Preferably, the driving member 220 is connected to the lower end of the first mounting member 230, and the second guide member 210 is connected to the lower end of the second mounting member 240.

[0084] By connecting the driving member 220 to the lower end of the first mounting member 230 and the second guide member 210 to the lower end of the second mounting member 240, the space below the first mounting member 230 can be fully utilized to reduce the volume occupied by the detection device and the thickness of the detection device.

[0085] In another implementation, the driving member 220 may be connected to the lower end of the second mounting member 240 , and the second guide member 210 may be connected to the lower end of the first mounting member 230 , which is similar to the effect of the solution in the above embodiment.

[0086] Alternatively, in another implementation, the first guide portion 211 can be directly set at the lower end of the second mounting member 240 without setting the second guide member 210. For example, a curved surface or a broken line surface for the first guide member 250 to abut against can be processed at the lower end of the second mounting member 240 to serve as the first guide portion 211.

[0087] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the first guide portion 211 is disposed at the power output end of the driver 220. For example, the first guide portion 211 can be disposed on the second guide member 210, and the second guide member 210 is transmission-connected to the power output end of the first driver 220, and the transmission connection is, for example, a fixed connection. Of the driver 220 and the first guide member 250, one is disposed on the first mounting member 230, and the other is disposed on the second mounting member 240, which includes two situations: a) the driver 220 is connected to the lower end of the first mounting member 230, and the first guide member 250 is connected to the lower end of the second mounting member 240; b) the driver 220 is connected to the lower end of the second mounting member 240, and the first guide member 250 is connected to the lower end of the first mounting member 230.

[0088] As shown in Figures 6 to 9, preferably, when the driving member 220 is connected to the first mounting member 230, the first mounting member 230 includes a main body 231 and a connecting arm 233 fixedly connected to the lower part of the main body 231, and the driving member 220 is installed at the lower part of the connecting arm 233.

[0089] The first mounting member 230 includes a body 231 positioned in a generally vertical position, and connecting arms 233 disposed at both ends of the bottom of the body 231. The driving member 220 is fixedly connected to the lower portions of the connecting arms 233. The second guide member 210 is generally rectangular. In this embodiment, the second mounting member 240 surrounds the first mounting member 230 from multiple directions on the outside of the first mounting member 230. In this case, the first guide portion 211 is located on the inner side of the second mounting member 240, that is, on the side of the second mounting member 240 facing the first mounting member 230.

[0090] Mounting the driver 220 via the connecting arm 233 frees up space below the first mounting member 230, facilitating the installation of the first mounting member 230 and other components. Furthermore, the driver 220 can be mounted using less material, reducing the weight of the first mounting member 230. Furthermore, this allows for a more even distribution of weight among the components on the first mounting member 230, avoiding the problem of excessive weight concentration requiring a large resistance torque to be overcome in order to rotate the second mounting member 240, thereby improving the stability of the movement.

[0091] In some embodiments, the first guide portion 211 may include a first guide surface, which is, for example, arranged on the second guide member 210 and facing one side of the first mounting member 230, and different positions of the first guide surface have different angles relative to the power output direction of the driving member 220, so that when the first guide member 250 moves along the first guide portion 211 (that is, the first guide surface), the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 can be rotated relative to each other. It is easy to understand that the extension direction of the first guide surface from one end to the other end is inclined relative to the power output direction of the driving member 220, that is, different positions of the first guide surface have different angles relative to the power output direction of the driving member 220.

[0092] Figure 10 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the driving mechanism in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; Figure 11 is a side view of the driving mechanism in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; Figure 14 is a structural schematic diagram of the driving member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; as shown in Figures 10, 11 and 14, preferably, the driving member 220 is a linear driving member.

[0093] Specifically, in this embodiment, the linear drive member may be an electric push rod or a cylinder.

[0094] Using a linear drive member to drive one of the first guide part 211 and the first guide part 250 to move relative to the other can reduce the torque caused by the vibration generated by the movement of the first guide part 250 or the first guide part 211 when the rotating parts are transmitted, thereby improving the stability of the first sensor 113.

[0095] Alternatively, in another implementation, the driving member 220 may also be a swing cylinder.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 11 , preferably, the power output end of the driving member 220 extends downward, and one of the first guide portion 211 and the first guide member 250 is located below the driving member 220 .

[0097] Taking the example of the driver 220 being disposed at the lower end of the first mounting member 230, those skilled in the art will appreciate that when the driver 220 is disposed at the lower end of the first mounting member 230, the pivotal connection between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 cannot be located at their lower ends. This is because, if the pivotal connection is located at their lower ends, the change in the horizontal position of the first guide member 250 as it moves along the extension direction of the first guide surface will not result in relative rotation between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240. Therefore, the pivotal connection between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 should be higher than the mounting position of the driver 220.

[0098] The extension direction of the power output end of the driving member 220 is set to extend downward, which facilitates the use of the free space below the driving member 220 and also facilitates the assembly or disassembly of one of the first guide member 250 and the first guide portion 211.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 10 , FIG. 11 and FIG. 14 , preferably, the driving member 220 is a guide rod cylinder.

[0100] Specifically, taking the example of a driver 220 disposed at the lower end of the first mounting member 230, the lower end of the connecting arm 233 is fixedly connected to a cylinder fixing plate 235, which in turn is fixedly connected to a guide rod cylinder. A guide rod cylinder, in addition to providing output via a piston rod, also has a mounting plate fixedly connected to the free end of the piston rod, which can be used to mount either the first guide member 250 or the first guide portion 211. Furthermore, the components driven by the guide rod cylinder do not require additional guide mechanisms, thereby simplifying the structure of the drive mechanism.

[0101] Preferably, a magnetic position sensor (not shown in the figure) is provided on the guide rod cylinder.

[0102] Specifically, the magnetic position sensor can be mounted on the surface of a guide rod cylinder, and the guide rod cylinder can be a guide rod cylinder having a magnet mounted on its piston. When the piston of the guide rod cylinder moves to a position corresponding to the magnetic position sensor, the magnetic position sensor can detect the piston's position and send a signal to the control system to control the corresponding pneumatic valve to change state, thereby controlling the position of one of the first guide member 250 and the first guide portion 211. Furthermore, the detection device of this embodiment has reliable transmission. When the magnetic position sensor detects that the piston of the guide rod cylinder has moved to a corresponding position, it indicates that the first sensor 113 has moved to the corresponding position, resulting in a simple and easy detection method.

[0103] Preferably, the guide rod cylinder is connected to a speed regulating valve (not shown in the figure).

[0104] By providing a speed regulating valve, the amount of air flowing into or out of the guide rod cylinder can be adjusted, thereby ensuring that the extension and retraction speeds of the guide rod are within an appropriate range, thereby improving the stability of the movement of the first sensor 113. At the same time, the speed of the first sensor 113 is ensured to be within an appropriate range to control the movement time of the first sensor 113 and ensure detection efficiency.

[0105] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the first guide member and the second guide member in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; as shown in Figures 12 and 13, preferably, the second guide member 210 also has a second guide portion 213, and the second guide portion 213 is arranged opposite to the first guide portion 211.

[0106] Specifically, the second guide portion 213 may include a second guide surface that is disposed opposite the first guide surface and extends parallel to each other to form a guide groove. The first guide member 250 is at least partially located in the guide groove so as to be able to operate in the guide groove between the first and second guide surfaces. The notch of the guide groove is oriented toward the center of the first mounting member 230.

[0107] By providing the second guide portion 213, a guide groove can be formed with the first guide portion 211, allowing the first guide member 250 to be limited from opposite sides of the first guide member 250, thereby improving the movement stability of the first guide member 250 and reducing the shaking of one of the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240, and the first sensor 113. Furthermore, by replacing the second guide member 210 with guide grooves of different sizes and angles, the rotation angle of the second mounting member 240 can be increased or decreased, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection process.

[0108] Figure 16 is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of another implementation of the first guide portion in the detection device provided in Example 1 of the present application; as shown in Figure 16, in another implementation, the second guide member 210 may not be provided with the second guide portion 213. For example, the second guide member 210 may be a triangular guide block, a trapezoidal guide block or an irregular guide block. The inclined surfaces of the irregular guide block, the triangular guide block and the trapezoidal guide block may be the first guide surface. Although the guiding effect of the second guide member 210 using this shape is not as good as the second guide member 210 described later, it can also play a basic guiding function.

[0109] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, preferably, the first guide member 250 includes a guide wheel 253 that can be rollingly connected to the first guide portion 211, and a guide shaft 251 on which the guide wheel 253 is rotatably installed. The guide shaft 251 is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member 220 or connected to one of the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240. For example, in this embodiment, the guide shaft 251 is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member 220.

[0110] Among them, taking the transmission connection between the guide shaft 251 and the power output end of the driving member 220 as an example, the guide shaft 251 can be fixedly connected to the output end of the guide rod cylinder, and a second rolling bearing (not shown in the figure) is passed through the guide shaft 251 to be fixedly connected to the guide wheel 253.

[0111] By providing the guide wheel 253 that is in rolling connection with the first guide portion 211 , the friction between the first guide member 250 and the first guide surface can be reduced, thereby increasing the service life of the detection device.

[0112] In another implementation, the guide member may not adopt the combination of the guide shaft 251, the second rolling bearing and the guide wheel 253, but may be a cylindrical guide column, or may be spherical or hemispherical. Although there is friction during the movement process, the guiding function can still be achieved.

[0113] As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , preferably, the first guide portion 211 is configured such that when the first guide member 250 moves along the first guide portion 211 , the moving speed of the first sensor 113 first gradually increases and then gradually decreases.

[0114] The first guide portion 211 is configured in this way, so that the movement of the first guide member 250 can be smoother, avoiding sudden acceleration or deceleration, and allowing the detection device to operate smoothly throughout the entire process.

[0115] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, preferably, the first guide portion 211 includes a speed change section. Along the direction of relative movement between the first guide member 250 and the first guide portion 211, the angle between the power output direction of the driving member 220 and the speed change section first gradually increases and then gradually decreases.

[0116] The speed change section includes a starting section, an intermediate section, and a stopping section. In Figure 12, when the first guide member 250 moves downward from top to bottom, it first contacts the starting section, then the intermediate section, and finally the ending section. That is, for the first guide member 250 moving downward from top to bottom, the upper portion of the speed change section is the starting section, the middle portion is the intermediate section, and the lower portion is the stopping section. Both the starting section and the stopping section are smoothly transitioned curves. If the first guide member 250 moves downward at a uniform speed, the starting section can increase the horizontal speed of the second guide member 210 relative to the first mounting member 230. During the intermediate section, the horizontal speed between the two is stable. Finally, during the ending section, the relative horizontal speed between the two is reduced. This configuration of the speed change section allows for a motion process from slow to accelerated, uniform, and finally decelerated, resulting in a smoother scanning and inspection process with vibration values ​​less than 0.7G and smooth without sharp peaks.

[0117] In other words, when the first guide member 250 moves upward, the lower part of the speed change section is the starting section, the middle part is the intermediate section, and the upper part is the stopping section, and its acceleration and deceleration process is completely opposite to that of the downward movement.

[0118] By setting the speed change section of the first guide part 211 and the power output direction of the driving member 220 in this way, the horizontal speed of the second guide part 213 relative to the first mounting member 230 can first gradually increase and then gradually decrease, thereby slowing down the acceleration and deceleration process and improving the stability of the movement.

[0119] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, preferably, the first guide portion 211 also includes a limiting section, which is located at the end of the speed shifting section. Along the direction of relative movement between the first guide member 250 and the first guide portion 211, the extension direction of the power output end of the driving member 220 is parallel to the speed shifting section.

[0120] Specifically, in FIG13 , the limiting section, i.e., the area of ​​the first guide surface above and below the shifting section, is vertically positioned when the piston rod of the guide cylinder is retracted, while the piston rod of the guide cylinder is vertically extended. Therefore, when the first guide member 250 operates in the limiting section, the second mounting member 240 does not rotate relative to the first mounting member 230. That is, after the second mounting member 240 has moved into and out of the first sensor 113, as long as the guide cylinder does not malfunction, even if the guide cylinder leaks, the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 are pivotally connected, and the locking engagement of the first guide portion 211 with the limiting section prevents relative rotation between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240, thereby maintaining the position of the first sensor 113 and preventing accidental damage to other components or the wafer 199.

[0121] Furthermore, when the power output end of the driver 220 starts and stops, the first guide member 250 is located in the limiting section. This only causes a sudden change in the speed of the first guide member 250 along the limiting section, without causing a sudden change in speed perpendicular to the limiting section. Furthermore, the impact force of starting and stopping does not translate into noticeable vibration of the second mounting member 240. Specifically, in FIG13 , if the first guide member 250 is in the limiting section, any sudden change in speed in the vertical direction shown is only in that direction and does not translate into a sudden change in speed in the horizontal direction of the second guide member 210.

[0122] As shown in Figures 6 to 9, preferably, when the first sensor 113 is installed on the second mounting member 240, the second mounting member 240 is, for example, sleeved on the first mounting member 230, and the second mounting member 240 includes a side support portion 241 and a top support portion 243 fixedly connected to the side support portion 241; the first sensor 113 is fixedly installed on the top support portion 243.

[0123] In this embodiment, two side supports 241 are provided, located on opposite side edges of the first mounting member 230. Together, the two side supports 241 and the top support 243 form a gate-shaped structure. As shown in Figure 9 , the gate-shaped second mounting member 240 partially surrounds the first mounting member 230, while the top support 243 is provided with two first sensors 113, arranged along the length of the top support 243.

[0124] By placing the second mounting member 240 on the first mounting member 230, the top support portion 243 and the side support portion 241 on which the first sensor 113 is mounted will not interfere with the first mounting member 230 during movement, thereby allowing a larger range of movement to ensure that the first sensor 113 can extend into the wafer box to measure the wafer 199 inside the wafer box.

[0125] In another implementation, the second mounting member 240 can be configured as an inverted L-shape, comprising only a side support portion 241, while the top support portion 243 also has a cantilever beam structure. Although a cantilever beam structure is adopted, since the second mounting member 240 does not perform a load-bearing function but only drives the movement of the first sensor 113, its rigidity can still meet basic requirements.

[0126] As shown in FIG. 7 , preferably, the detection device further includes an elastic member 270 . The elastic member 270 is connected between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 . The elastic member 270 is used to make the first guide member 250 abut against the first guide portion 211 .

[0127] One end of the elastic member 270 is connected to the first mounting member 230, and the other end is connected to the second mounting member 240, ensuring that tension is always present between the first and second mounting members 230, 240. In this embodiment, the elastic member 270 can be a cylindrical helical tension spring. In another embodiment, a cylindrical helical compression spring can be used, with both ends abutting the first and second mounting members 230, 240, more specifically, the side support portion 241 and the connecting arm portion 233. Although the first guide portion 211 and the second guide portion 213 form guide grooves, the tolerances between the guide grooves and the guide members can result in a gap between them. Furthermore, if the first guide member 250 includes a guide wheel 253 embedded with a second rolling bearing, and a first rolling bearing 261 between the second mounting member 240 and the second mounting member 240, gaps can also result. The provision of the elastic member 270 can significantly reduce or even eliminate these gaps, allowing the first guide member 250 to be in close proximity to the first guide portion 211, thereby reducing vibration during movement.

[0128] As shown in FIG6-9 , preferably, the first mounting member 230 is pivotally connected to the second mounting member 240 , and the driving mechanism and the first sensor 113 are respectively located on opposite sides of the pivotal position of the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 .

[0129] Specifically, the driving mechanism is located below the pivotal position between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 , while the first sensor 113 is located above the pivotal position.

[0130] The specific structure of the pivotal connection between the first mounting member 230 and the second mounting member 240 may be:

[0131] As shown in Figure 15 , the connecting arm portion 233 of the first mounting member 230 is provided with stepped holes, each of which houses two adjacent first rolling bearings 261. The first rolling bearings 261 are mounted on a pivot shaft 263, which has a pillow block abutting against the inner race of the first rolling bearings 261. The other side of the first rolling bearings 261 is retained by a shaft circlip 265 mounted on the pivot shaft 263. The other end of the pivot shaft 263 is secured to the side support portion 241 of the second mounting member 240 via a set screw 267.

[0132] By arranging the driving mechanism and the first sensor 113 on opposite sides of the second mounting member 240 at the pivoting position relative to the first mounting member 230 , weight balance on both sides of the pivoting position can be achieved.

[0133] The operating principle of this embodiment is:

[0134] When the second sensor on the main body 231 detects that the wafer box is close to the main body 231, the suction cup assembly 150 absorbs the front cover of the wafer box, and the unlocking assembly 160 performs an unlocking action to allow the front cover of the wafer box to move relative to the wafer box.

[0135] The piston rod of the guide cylinder, which serves as the driving member 220 and is connected to the bottom end of the arm portion 233, extends, driving the first guide member 250 to move generally downward along the first guide portion 211. Because the guide groove of the second guide member 210 is S-shaped and not absolutely vertical, the first guide member 250 moves downward as a whole within the guide groove. When the first guide member 250 moves to the speed change section, the first guide member 250 exerts a horizontal thrust on the inclined portion of the speed change section, pushing the second guide member 210 to move horizontally relative to the first mounting member 230. The second guide member 210 then causes the second mounting member 240 to rotate relative to the first mounting member 230, thereby inserting the first sensor 113 into the wafer cassette. This allows the first sensor 113 to detect the wafers 199 within the wafer cassette.

[0136] After the inspection process is completed, the piston rod retracts, driving the first guide member 250 to move generally upward along the first guide portion 211. Similarly, the first guide member 250 moves in the guide groove, causing the second guide member 210 to move horizontally relative to the first mounting member 230. This in turn causes the second mounting member 240 to rotate relative to the first mounting member 230, moving the first sensor 113 out of the wafer cassette.

[0137] Example 2:

[0138] Figure 17 is a stereoscopic schematic diagram of the loading port module in the semiconductor process equipment provided in Example 2 of the present application; Figure 18 is a stereoscopic schematic diagram of the loading port module in the semiconductor process equipment provided in Example 2 of the present application observed from another angle with the rear shield omitted; Figure 19 is a stereoscopic disassembled diagram of the lifting mechanism and detection device of the loading port module in the semiconductor process equipment provided in Example 2 of the present application; As shown in Figures 17-19, Example 2 also provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a loading port module, the loading port module includes a moving platform 310, a process position plate 350, a lifting mechanism 360 and the detection device of Example 1, the moving platform 310 and the lifting mechanism 360 are both arranged on the process position plate 350; the moving platform 310 is used to carry the wafer box and drive the wafer box to move to the detection position, the lifting mechanism 360 is connected to the detection device and is used to drive the detection device to rise and fall, and the detection device is used to detect abnormal information of the wafer 199 in the wafer box at the detection position.

[0139] By arranging the above-mentioned detection device in the semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment accordingly has all the advantages of the above-mentioned detection device, which will not be described in detail here.

[0140] In addition to the unlocking assembly 160 and the suction cup assembly 150, a second sensor 280 is also provided on the first mounting member 230. The second sensor 280 is used to detect whether the wafer box is close to the main body 231. If the second sensor 280 detects that the wafer box is close to the main body 231, it can detect the signal and transmit the signal to the control system (not shown in the figure) to execute the adsorption action of the suction cup assembly 150 and the unlocking action of the unlocking assembly 160.

[0141] The load port module also includes a front shield 320, a lower shield 340, and a rear shield 330. A display screen 321 is located on top of the front shield 320. A movable platform 310 is mounted on a process plate 350. The movable platform 310 is also equipped with positioning pins 311 and a pressure sensor 313 for detecting whether the wafer cassette is securely placed on the positioning pins 311. The lower shield 340 is located below the process plate 350, and the rear shield 330 is located behind the lower shield 340. Furthermore, a tilt status sensor 323 is located on the front shield 320 to detect the placement of the wafer cassette on the movable platform 310.

[0142] The operating principle of this embodiment is:

[0143] The overhead crane places the wafer cassette on positioning pins 311, which are inserted into the cassette's positioning holes. Press sensors 313 sense the wafer cassette's stable placement on the positioning pins and send a signal indicating correct placement. The tilt sensor 323 then checks the cassette's placement. Once correct, the cassette is locked, securing it to the mobile platform 310 to prevent human handling or mishandling.

[0144] The moving platform 310 carries the wafer box and moves toward the detection device. When the second sensor 280 detects that the wafer box is close to the main body 231, the operation of the first embodiment can be performed, which will not be repeated in this embodiment.

[0145] After the test is correct, the robot arm of the front-end module of the equipment can be operated.

[0146] When the process is completed, the robot of the front-end module of the equipment puts the processed wafer 199 back into the wafer box, and the lifting mechanism 360 drives the detection device to rise, locks the front cover of the wafer box and the wafer box body, and waits for the overhead crane to perform operations such as taking away the wafer box.

[0147] Although the present application is disclosed as above, the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art may make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present application shall be based on the scope defined by the claims.

[0148] Finally, it should be noted that, in this article, relational terms such as first and second, etc. are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the term "comprises" or any other variant thereof is intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus that includes a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements that are not explicitly listed, or also includes elements that are inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "comprises a..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus that includes the element.

[0149] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of directions such as “upper” and “lower” are all based on the drawings.

[0150] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is intended to enable those skilled in the art to implement or use the present application. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present application.

[0151] Thus, the present application will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A detection device is applied to the loading port module of a semiconductor processing equipment, characterized in that include: A first mounting member, a second mounting member, a driving mechanism for driving the two to rotate relative to each other, and a first sensor; the driving mechanism includes a driving member and a guide assembly, the guide assembly includes a first guide portion and a first guide member capable of relative movement along the first guide portion; one of the first guide portion and the first guide member is transmission-connected to a power output end of the driving member, the other of the first guide portion and the first guide member, and the first sensor are all disposed on one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the driving member is connected to the other of the first mounting member and the second mounting member; The first guide portion is configured so that when the first guide member moves relatively along the first guide portion, the first mounting member or the second mounting member where the first sensor is located can drive the first sensor to move in or out of the wafer box carried by the loading port module, and when moved into the wafer box, the first sensor can detect wafer abnormality information.

2. The detection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide assembly further includes a second guide member; The first guide portion is provided on the second guide member, the first guide member is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member, the driving member is connected to one of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the second guide member is connected to the other of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member; or, The first guide portion is arranged on the second guide member, the second guide member is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member, the driving member is connected to one of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member, and the first guide member is connected to the other of the lower ends of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

3. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein The second guide member further has a second guide portion, and the second guide portion is arranged opposite to the first guide portion.

4. The detection device according to claim 3, wherein The first guide portion includes a first guide surface, and different positions of the first guide surface have different angles relative to the power output direction of the driving member; The second guide portion includes a second guide surface, which is arranged opposite to the first guide surface, and the extension directions of the second guide surface and the first guide surface are parallel to each other to form a guide groove; the first guide member is at least partially located in the guide groove.

5. The detection device according to claim 2, wherein The driving member is a linear driving member.

6. The detection device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The power output end of the driving member extends downward, and one of the first guide portion and the first guide member is located below the driving member.

7. The detection device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The driving member is a guide rod cylinder.

8. The detection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, In the case where the driving member is connected to the first mounting member, the first mounting member includes: A main body and a connecting arm portion fixedly connected to the lower portion of the main body, and the driving member is connected to the lower portion of the connecting arm portion.

9. The detection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first guide member includes a guide wheel capable of rolling connection with the first guide portion, and a guide shaft for rotatably mounting the guide wheel, and the guide shaft is transmission-connected to the power output end of the driving member or connected to one of the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

10. The detection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first guiding portion is configured such that when the first guiding member moves relative to the first guiding portion, the moving speed of the first sensor gradually increases first and then gradually decreases.

11. The detection device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The first guiding portion includes a variable-speed section. Along the direction of relative movement between the first guiding member and the first guiding portion, the included angle between the power output direction of the driving member and the variable-speed section gradually increases first and then gradually decreases.

12. The detection device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The first guiding portion further includes a limiting section. The limiting section is located at the end of the variable-speed section. Along the direction of relative movement between the first guiding member and the first guiding portion, the power output direction of the driving member is parallel to the variable-speed section.

13. The detection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The second mounting member is sleeved on the first mounting member. The second mounting member includes a side support portion and a top support portion fixedly connected to the side support portion; the first sensor is fixedly mounted on the top support portion.

14. The detection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The detection device further includes an elastic member. The elastic member is connected between the first mounting member and the second mounting member. The elastic member is used to make the first guiding member abut against the first guiding portion.

15. The detection device according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The first mounting member is pivotally connected to the second mounting member. The driving member and the first sensor are respectively located on opposite sides of the pivotal connection position between the first mounting member and the second mounting member.

16. A semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, The semiconductor process equipment includes a load port module. The load port module includes a moving platform, a process position plate, a lifting mechanism, and the detection device according to any one of claims 1-15. The moving platform and the lifting mechanism are both arranged on the process position plate; the moving platform is used to carry a wafer cassette and drive the wafer cassette to move to a detection position, the lifting mechanism is connected to the detection device and used to drive the detection device to lift, and the detection device is used to detect abnormal information of wafers in the wafer cassette at the detection position.

Images