Load port for wafer pod

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of semiconductor technology and provides a load port for a wafer pod. To address the problem of lower wafer transfer efficiency caused by limited operational efficiency of load ports, the present application provides said load port for a wafer pod, comprising: a support plate; a first loading module and a second loading module are vertically arranged on the support plate; a control module is simultaneously connected to the first loading module and the second loading module and alternately controls the first loading module and the second loading module to convey wafer pods; the control module is arranged on a first side face of the support plate; and an accommodating space is formed between a second side face of the support plate and the first and second loading modules. The present application improves operational efficiency of the load port by means of the first loading module and the second loading module working in alternation, uninterrupted wafer conveyance by a wafer conveyance mechanical arm among process equipment is implemented, and thereby wafer transfer efficiency is improved.

Description

Wafer cassette loading and unloading mechanism Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a loading and opening mechanism for a wafer box. Background Art

[0002] A wafer cassette is a storage device used to temporarily store wafers during the wafer transfer process, maintaining their sealed state. A wafer cassette typically consists of a side-opening body, a lid that seals the side opening, and a base plate at the bottom of the body. The lid can be completely detached from the body. Currently, the most commonly used wafer cassette is the front-opening wafer unpacking unit (FOUP).

[0003] Typically, a loading and opening mechanism (Loadport) for wafer cassettes is located in front of the wafer processing equipment. This mechanism works in conjunction with the wafer cassette transfer arm and the process equipment wafer transfer arm to facilitate wafer placement. For example, wafer removal involves a cycle of the following steps: the cassette transfer arm places the cassette on the loading and opening mechanism, the loading and opening mechanism opens the cassette and inspects it, the process equipment wafer transfer arm transfers the wafer, the cassette is empty, the loading and opening mechanism closes it, and the cassette transfer arm removes the cassette. This cycle requires a long wait between the process equipment wafer transfer arm completing a wafer transfer and moving on to the next round of wafer transfers, resulting in low wafer transfer efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, there are currently multiple loading and opening mechanisms set side by side in front of the wafer process equipment, but due to the limitation of the working radius of the robot arm, this method requires a corresponding number of robot arms to be set up in front and behind the loading and opening mechanism, especially the wafer process equipment requires a corresponding number of wafer transfer robot arms. The modification cost of the wafer process equipment is relatively high, and it also causes the wafer process equipment to increase its floor space. The wafer process equipment has very strict control over space, especially the increase in the lateral area, which will lead to a sharp increase in wafer manufacturing costs.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this application is to solve the problem in the prior art that the loading and unpacking mechanism has limited working efficiency, resulting in low wafer transfer efficiency. Therefore, this application provides a loading and unpacking mechanism for a wafer box, which improves the working efficiency of the loading and unpacking mechanism by alternating the operation of a first loading module and a second loading module, thereby enabling uninterrupted wafer transfer by a wafer transfer robot within a process equipment, thereby improving wafer transfer efficiency.

[0007] The present application provides a loading and opening mechanism for a wafer box, comprising:

[0008] A support plate, the support plate having a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other, and a first loading module and a second loading module arranged vertically on the support plate;

[0009] a control module, disposed between the first loading module and the second loading module, and connected to both the first loading module and the second loading module, and alternately controlling the first loading module and the second loading module to transfer wafer boxes;

[0010] The control module is disposed on a first side surface of the support plate; and an accommodating space is formed between the second side surface of the support plate corresponding to the first loading module and the second loading module.

[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the first loading module and the second loading module are used to work alternately, which improves the working efficiency of the loading and opening box mechanism, realizes the matching of the working efficiency of the wafer transfer robot arm in the process equipment, thereby continuously transferring wafers and improving the wafer transportation efficiency; and the first loading module and the second loading module are arranged vertically, so that the wafer box transfer robot arm and the wafer transfer robot arm on the front and rear sides of the loading and opening box mechanism are set to be single and can be lifted and lowered vertically, which can meet the transmission requirements, with low modification cost, and utilizes the vertical area in the space without increasing the horizontal area; and the space between the first loading module and the second loading module on the second side of the support plate is used as an accommodating space, which is convenient for temporary storage of the box cover that is detached from the wafer box, thereby improving space utilization and simplifying the structure, and effectively controlling the manufacturing cost of the loading and opening box mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, the first loading module includes:

[0013] A first opening is provided through the support plate;

[0014] a first loading platform, arranged corresponding to the first opening and located on a first side surface of the support plate;

[0015] a first door assembly, movably disposed on the second side surface of the support plate and capable of sealingly covering the first opening;

[0016] a first driving assembly, in transmission connection with the first door opening assembly, and driving the first door opening assembly to move between the first opening and the accommodating space;

[0017] The second loading module includes:

[0018] A second opening is provided through the support plate;

[0019] a second loading platform, arranged corresponding to the second opening and located on a first side surface of the support plate;

[0020] a second door assembly, movably disposed on the second side surface of the support plate and capable of sealingly covering the second opening;

[0021] The second driving assembly is in transmission connection with the second door opening assembly and drives the second door opening assembly to move between the second opening and the accommodating space.

[0022] Preferably, the control module alternately controls the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly, and enables the accommodating space to alternately accommodate the first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly.

[0023] By adopting the above technical solution, the accommodating space is used to alternately accommodate the first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly, so that a single accommodating space can cooperate with the first loading module and the second loading module to work, thereby improving the utilization rate of the accommodating space and effectively controlling the space occupied by the loading and opening box mechanism.

[0024] Preferably, a sensor for detecting whether the first door opening component or the second door opening component is present in the accommodation space is provided in the accommodation space, and the sensor is connected to the control module;

[0025] When the first door opening assembly is not in the accommodation space, the control module controls the second driving assembly to drive the second door opening assembly to move to the accommodation space, and when there are no wafers in the wafer box on the second loading platform, controls the second driving assembly to drive the second door opening assembly to move to the second opening;

[0026] When there is no second door opening component in the accommodation space, the control module controls the first driving component to drive the first door opening component to move to the accommodation space, and when there is no wafer in the wafer box located on the first loading platform, controls the first driving component to drive the first door opening component to move to the first opening.

[0027] Preferably, the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly each include a front-rear drive assembly and an up-down drive assembly;

[0028] The two front and rear drive assemblies are respectively connected to the corresponding first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly, and drive the corresponding first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly to move along the thickness direction of the support plate;

[0029] The two upper and lower drive assemblies are respectively connected to the first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly through the corresponding front and rear drive assemblies, and drive the corresponding first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly to move along the vertical direction of the support plate and between the corresponding first opening, the second opening and the accommodating space.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, the front and rear drive components are used to separate the wafer box body and the box cover, and the upper and lower drive components make the box cover detach from the covering box body opening, thereby facilitating the wafer transfer robot arm to pick up and place the wafer, and the front and rear plus up and down movement mode makes the space required for the box cover movement smaller, and at the same time the stability of the box cover picking and placing process is higher.

[0031] Preferably, the first loading platform and the second loading platform are both slidably connected to the support plate and can slide toward or away from the support plate, and have a contact state close to the support plate and a waiting state away from the support plate;

[0032] In the contact state, the wafer box located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform is in contact with the corresponding first door opening assembly or the second door opening assembly;

[0033] In the waiting state, the wafer box located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform is not in contact with the corresponding first door opening assembly or the second door opening assembly.

[0034] By adopting the above technical solution, the first loading platform and the second loading platform are slid toward the support plate to achieve contact between the wafer box and the first door opening assembly or the second door opening assembly, thereby achieving subsequent opening of the wafer box, making it convenient for the first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly to maintain a closed connection state with the first opening and the second opening, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the second side of the support plate; at the same time, by utilizing the space outside the loading and opening mechanism (outside the wafer process equipment), the occupation of the inner side of the loading and opening mechanism, that is, the space of the wafer process equipment, is avoided, thereby controlling the wafer manufacturing cost.

[0035] Preferably, the first loading platform and the second loading platform both include an avoidance area and a loading area, the avoidance area runs through the edge and thickness direction of the corresponding first loading platform or the second loading platform to avoid the wafer box transfer robot arm that can move along the vertical direction of the support plate, and the loading area is used to carry the wafer box.

[0036] By adopting the above technical solution, the wafer box transfer robot arm can lift the wafer box from the bottom, which improves the stability of wafer box transfer. It is more suitable for the existing wafer box transfer system, has high versatility and low modification cost.

[0037] Preferably, the bottom of the wafer box is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves and locking grooves;

[0038] The first loading platform and the second loading platform are both provided with a plurality of positioning pins adapted one-to-one with the plurality of positioning grooves of the wafer box;

[0039] A locking piece adapted to the locking groove of the wafer box is provided under the first loading platform and the second loading platform, and as the first loading platform or the second loading platform slides toward the support plate, the locking groove of the wafer box located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform moves synchronously toward the locking piece and locks the wafer box with the first loading platform or the second loading platform; as the first loading platform or the second loading platform slides away from the support plate, the locking groove of the wafer box located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform moves synchronously away from the locking piece and unlocks the wafer box from the first loading platform or the second loading platform.

[0040] Preferably, a seal is provided on the circumference of the first opening and the second opening, and the seal is adapted to the box body opening of the wafer box, and in the contact state, the seal abuts against the edge of the box body opening of the wafer box located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform.

[0041] Preferably, side locking assemblies are symmetrically provided on the sides of the first opening and the second opening, and the side locking assemblies include side locking parts and rotary drive parts. In the contact state, the side locking parts rotate and abut against the side walls of the wafer box under the drive of the rotary drive part.

[0042] Preferably, the first door opening assembly and the second door opening assembly both include an opening and closing plate and a sealing frame wrapping the edge of the opening and closing plate, the opening and closing plate is used to open the box and is connected to the box cover of the wafer box, and the sealing frame is used to seal and abut against the circumferential edge of the corresponding first opening or the second opening.

[0043] Preferably, the support plate is provided with a ventilation device corresponding to the first opening and the second opening, and the ventilation device includes an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet and the air outlet are both arranged at the edge of the first opening or the second opening of the support plate, and are connected to the corresponding first opening or the second opening.

[0044] The technical solution provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0045] The present application utilizes the first loading module and the second loading module to work alternately, thereby improving the working efficiency of the loading and opening box mechanism, achieving matching of the working efficiency of the wafer transfer robot arm in the process equipment, thereby continuously transferring wafers and improving the wafer transportation efficiency; and the first loading module and the second loading module are arranged vertically, so that the wafer box transfer robot arm and the wafer transfer robot arm on the front and rear sides of the loading and opening box mechanism are both set to single and can be lifted and lowered vertically, which can meet the transmission needs, with low modification cost, and utilizing the vertical area in the space without increasing the horizontal area; and the space between the first loading module and the second loading module on the second side of the support plate is used as an accommodating space, which is convenient for temporary storage of the box cover that is detached from the wafer box, thereby improving space utilization and simplifying the structure, and effectively controlling the manufacturing cost of the loading and opening box mechanism.

[0046] Other features and corresponding beneficial effects of the present application are described in the latter part of the specification, and it should be understood that at least some of the beneficial effects become obvious from the description in the specification of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of the loading and unpacking mechanism of the present application;

[0048] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the loading and unpacking mechanism of the present invention from another angle;

[0049] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of the first loading module in the loading and unpacking mechanism of the present application;

[0050] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the first loading platform in the first loading module of the present application;

[0051] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of the first loading platform in the first loading module of the present application from another angle;

[0052] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of the side locking assembly in the first loading module of the present application;

[0053] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of the first driving assembly in the first loading module of the present application;

[0054] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the ventilation device in the first loading module of the present application;

[0055] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of the air inlet of the ventilation device in the first loading module of the present application;

[0056] FIG10 is a schematic structural diagram of the air outlet of the ventilation device in the first loading module of the present application;

[0057] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of the air outlet component of the ventilation device in the first loading module of the present application.

[0058] Description of Reference Numerals: 1. Wafer cassette; 100. Support plate; 101. First side surface; 102. Second side surface; 200. First loading module; 210. First opening; 211. Sealing member; 220. First loading platform; 221. Sliding drive member; 222. Bracket; 223. Avoidance area; 224. Loading area; 225. Positioning pin; 226. Locking member; 230. First door opening assembly; 231. Opening and closing plate; 2311. Unlocking member; 2312. Suction cup; 240. First drive assembly; 241. Front and rear drive assembly; 2411. First cylinder; 2412. First bracket; 242. Up and down drive assembly; 2421. Second cylinder; 2422. Second bracket; 250. Side locking assembly; 251. Side locking member; 252. Rotary drive member; 260. Sealing frame; 261. Air inlet; 262. Air outlet; 2621. Air outlet member; 2622. Air outlet pipe; 300. Second loading module; 330. Second door opening assembly; 340. Second drive assembly; 400. Control module; 500. Accommodation space; 501. Sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present application will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the application in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present application. In order to provide an in-depth understanding of the present application, the following description will contain many specific details. The present application can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other unless there is a conflict.

[0060] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined or explained in subsequent drawings.

[0061] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solution of this application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making any creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0062] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description created by the present application, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0063] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal connections between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0064] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of this application clearer, the implementation methods of this application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] Please refer to Figures 1-2, Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the loading and opening mechanism of the present application; Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the loading and opening mechanism of the present application from another angle.

[0066] An embodiment of the present application provides a loading and opening mechanism for a wafer box, including a support plate 100, a first loading module 200, a second loading module 300 and a control module 400. By alternating the operation of the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300, the working efficiency of the loading and opening mechanism is improved, and the wafer transfer robot arm in the process equipment can continuously transfer wafers, thereby improving the wafer transfer efficiency.

[0067] The support plate 100 has a first side surface 101 and a second side surface 102 arranged opposite each other. A first loading module 200 and a second loading module 300 are arranged vertically on the support plate 100. The vertical arrangement of the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300 ensures that the working radius of the robotic arms (the cassette transfer robotic arm and the wafer transfer robotic arm) remains unchanged. Only a vertical lifting function is required. That is, the cassette transfer robotic arms and the wafer transfer robotic arms on both sides of the loading and opening mechanism are each configured as a single unit capable of vertical lifting to meet transfer requirements. This reduces modification costs and utilizes the vertical area within the space without increasing the horizontal area.

[0068] The control module 400 is arranged between the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300, and the control module 400 is connected to the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300 at the same time, and alternately controls the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300 to transfer the wafer box 1, thereby improving the working efficiency of the loading and opening mechanism, and achieving the working efficiency matching of the wafer transfer robot arm in the process equipment, so that the wafer transfer robot arm can continuously transfer wafers, thereby improving the wafer transfer efficiency.

[0069] The control module 400 is disposed on the first side 101 of the support plate 100. A receiving space 500 is formed on the second side 102 of the support plate 100, corresponding to the space between the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300. That is, the space between the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300 on the second side 102 of the support plate 100 is used as the receiving space 500, facilitating the temporary storage of the cassette lid after removal from the wafer cassette 1. This improves space utilization, simplifies the structure, and effectively controls the manufacturing cost of the loading and unloading mechanism.

[0070] It should be noted that the first side 101 of the support plate 100 faces the outside of the wafer processing equipment, while the second side 102 of the support plate 100 faces the interior of the wafer processing equipment. To facilitate loading of the wafer cassette 1, a first loading module 200 and a second loading module 300 are disposed on the first side 101 of the support plate 100. Furthermore, a control module 400 is disposed on the first side 101 of the support plate 100 to effectively control the number of components within the second side 102 of the support plate 100, i.e., within the wafer processing equipment. This prevents dust from aging, wear, and assembly, etc., from entering the wafer processing equipment, thereby ensuring cleanliness within the wafer processing equipment.

[0071] Please refer to FIG. 3 , which is a structural diagram of the first loading module 200 in the loading and unpacking mechanism of the present application.

[0072] In one embodiment, the first loading module 200 includes a first opening 210 , a first loading platform 220 , a first door opening assembly 230 , and a first driving assembly 240 .

[0073] The first opening 210 is formed through the support plate 100 .

[0074] The first loading platform 220 is disposed corresponding to the first opening 210 and is located on the first side surface 101 of the support plate 100 to carry the wafer box 1 .

[0075] The first door assembly 230 is movably disposed on the second side surface 102 of the support plate 100 and can hermetically cover the first opening 210 .

[0076] The first driving component 240 is connected to the first door opening component 230 in a transmission manner, and drives the first door opening component 230 to move between the first opening 210 and the accommodating space 500, so that the box cover fixedly connected to the first door opening component 230 can be transferred from the first opening 210 to the accommodating space 500, avoiding the box cover covering the opening of the wafer box 1 body, thereby facilitating the wafer transfer robot arm to enter and exit the wafer box 1 to transfer the wafer.

[0077] In one embodiment, the first door opening assembly 230 includes an opening and closing plate 231 , which is used to open the box and is connected to the box cover of the wafer box 1 .

[0078] In one embodiment, the opening and closing plate 231 is movably disposed on the second side surface 102 of the support plate 100 and is transmission-connected to the first driving assembly 240 so as to contact the cover of the wafer box 1 and realize opening and connection under the drive of the first driving assembly 240 .

[0079] In one embodiment, to facilitate opening and closing the lid of the wafer cassette 1, the opening and closing plate 231 includes an internal unlocking mechanism. This unlocking mechanism includes an unlocking member 2311 disposed on the side of the opening and closing plate 231 facing the support plate 100. This unlocking member 2311 is used to open and close the lid of the wafer cassette 1, thereby unlocking or locking the lid and the cassette body. More preferably, when unlocking, the unlocking mechanism securely connects the lid to the first door assembly 230, thereby completely separating the lid from the cassette body.

[0080] In one embodiment, the unlocking device can utilize existing technology, such as the opening and closing mechanism disclosed in the patent application entitled "Wafer Cassette Transfer and Loading Device and Method," published on January 17, 2023, with publication number CN115621178A. However, the invention is not limited thereto. The unlocking device can be configured to unlock or lock the lid and body. Preferably, when unlocking, the lid is fixedly connected to the first door assembly 230.

[0081] In one embodiment, the opening and closing plate 231 further includes a placement device disposed therein. The placement device is used to enable the opening and closing plate 231 to place and remove the lid of the wafer cassette 1. Specifically, the opening and closing plate 231 can be fixedly connected to the opening and closing plate 231 or separated from the opening and closing plate 231 by the placement device. The placement device may include, but is not limited to, a suction cup 2312.

[0082] In one embodiment, the first door opening assembly 230 further includes a sealing frame 260 wrapping the edge of the opening and closing plate 231 , and the sealing frame 260 is used to tightly abut against the circumferential edge of the corresponding first opening 210 , thereby enabling the first door opening assembly 230 to tightly cover the first opening 210 .

[0083] In one embodiment, the sealing frame 260 is driven by a driving member to abut against the circumferential edge of the first opening 210. The driving member drives the sealing frame 260 to abut against the circumferential edge of the first opening 210, thereby isolating an open box environment from the environment of the second side surface 102 of the support plate 100. Preferably, the opening and closing plate 231 does not contact the cover of the wafer cassette 1 at this time.

[0084] In one embodiment, the support plate 100 is provided with a ventilation device corresponding to the first opening 210 , and the ventilation device can perform ventilation through an inert gas, such as nitrogen.

[0085] The ventilation device includes an air inlet 261 and an air outlet 262 , which are connected to the first opening 210 to achieve ventilation, thereby improving the cleanliness of the process environment and further improving the wafer production quality.

[0086] It is understandable that the air inlet 261 and the air outlet 262 are respectively connected to air pipes to connect to the air source and discharge the exhaust gas.

[0087] The ventilation device can perform ventilation at multiple times. For example, when the opening and closing plate 231 is not in contact with the lid of the wafer cassette 1, that is, before the wafer cassette 1 is opened, the ventilation device can be used to ventilate the space between the opening and closing plate 231 and the lid, thereby improving the cleanliness of the environment on the side of the opening and closing plate 231 facing the support plate 100, the side of the lid facing the support plate 100, and the space between them. This prevents the lid and the opening and closing plate 231 from entering the accommodation space 500, causing environmental contamination on the second side 102 of the support plate 100, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the interior of the wafer processing equipment.

[0088] For another example, after the wafer box 1 is opened, the air inlet 261 and the air outlet 262 are connected to the interior of the wafer box 1 to realize ventilation inside the wafer box 1, thereby preventing the gas inside the wafer box 1 from entering the wafer process equipment located on the second side 102 of the support plate 100 after the box is opened, causing gas contamination inside the wafer process equipment.

[0089] For another example, during the process of moving the cover of the wafer box 1 , air is continuously exchanged, so that fine particle contamination that may be caused by the movement of components is discharged through the air flow, thereby avoiding contamination of the process environment.

[0090] It is understandable that the gas pollution includes, but is not limited to, fine particles in the gas in addition to the gas itself. The fine particles in the gas can be discharged from the wafer box 1 and / or wafer processing equipment through ventilation.

[0091] Please refer to Figures 8-11, Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of the ventilation device in the first loading module 200 of the present application, wherein the position shown in frame A is the position of the air inlet 261, and the position shown in frame B is the position of the air outlet 262; Figure 9 is a structural schematic diagram of the air inlet 261 of the ventilation device in the first loading module 200 of the present application; Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of the air outlet 262 of the ventilation device in the first loading module 200 of the present application; Figure 11 is a structural schematic diagram of the air outlet part of the ventilation device in the first loading module 200 of the present application.

[0092] In one embodiment, the air inlet 261 is located at the top of the first opening 210, that is, the position shown in box A in Figure 8; the air outlet 262 is located at the bottom of the first opening 210, that is, the position shown in box B in Figure 8, thereby forming a smooth ventilation path.

[0093] In one embodiment, the air inlet 261 and the air outlet 262 are both arranged at the edge of the first opening 210 of the support plate 100, that is, the air inlet 261 and the air outlet 262 are arranged inside the support plate 100 and are connected to the first opening 210 through the edge of the first opening 210, which can improve the compactness of the device structure and facilitate ventilation at different times.

[0094] Please refer to FIG. 5 again in conjunction with FIG. 11 .

[0095] In one embodiment, an air outlet pipe 2622 communicating with the air outlet 262 is provided on one side of the support plate 100. Preferably, the air outlet pipe 2622 is provided on the first side surface 101 of the support plate 100. The air outlet 262 is connected to the air outlet pipe 2622 through an air outlet plate 2621 provided in the support plate 100 to achieve air outlet.

[0096] It is understandable that the air inlet 261 may adopt the same structure as the air outlet 262 , or may adopt a different structure, as long as air intake can be achieved.

[0097] In one embodiment, the structure of the second loading module 300 is basically identical to that of the first loading module 200, except that in order to adapt to the accommodating space 500 located between the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300, the driving components (first driving component 240 and second driving component 340) of the two drive the door opening components (first door opening component 230 and second door opening component 330) to move in opposite directions.

[0098] The second loading module 300 includes a second opening, a second loading platform, a second door opening assembly 330 and a second driving assembly 340 .

[0099] The second opening is provided through the support plate 100 , and it can be understood that the second opening and the first opening 210 are vertically arranged on the support plate 100 .

[0100] The second loading platform is disposed corresponding to the second opening and is located on the first side surface 101 of the support plate 100 to carry the wafer box 1 .

[0101] The second door assembly 330 is movably disposed on the second side surface 102 of the support plate 100 and can hermetically cover the second opening.

[0102] The second driving assembly 340 is in transmission connection with the second door opening assembly 330 , and drives the second door opening assembly 330 to move between the second opening and the accommodating space 500 .

[0103] In other alternative embodiments, the second loading module 300 adopts a structure different from that of the first loading module 200 , and only needs to be able to realize the operations of loading, opening and closing the wafer box 1 and moving the box cover to the accommodating space 500 .

[0104] In one embodiment, the control module 400 alternately controls the first drive assembly 240 and the second drive assembly 340, causing the storage space 500 to alternately accommodate the first door opening assembly 230 and the second door opening assembly 330. This allows a single storage space 500 to coordinate with the first loading module 200 and the second loading module 300, thereby improving the utilization of the storage space 500 and effectively controlling the space occupied by the loading and opening mechanism. Furthermore, the alternating removal of the wafer cassette 1 lid prevents premature exposure of the wafers within the cassette 1 to the environment outside the cassette 1, thereby improving wafer safety.

[0105] In one embodiment, a sensor 501 is provided in the storage space 500 for detecting whether the first door opening assembly 230 or the second door opening assembly 330 is present therein. The sensor 501 is connected to the control module 400. The sensor 501 may be an infrared sensor 501, an optical fiber sensor 501, or the like, as long as it can detect whether a component is present in the storage space 500. Typically, the component is the first door opening assembly 230, the second door opening assembly 330, and other components that may be connected thereto, such as a box cover.

[0106] When there is no first door opening assembly 230 in the accommodating space 500, the control module 400 controls the second driving assembly 340 to drive the second door opening assembly 330 to move to the accommodating space 500, thereby realizing the alternation of the first door opening assembly 230 and the second door opening assembly 330, and when there is no wafer in the wafer box 1 located on the second loading platform, controls the second driving assembly 340 to drive the second door opening assembly 330 to move to the second opening to empty the accommodating space 500 and wait for another box cover to be placed in.

[0107] When there is no second door opening assembly 330 in the accommodating space 500, the control module 400 controls the first driving assembly 240 to drive the first door opening assembly 230 to move to the accommodating space 500, thereby realizing the alternation of the first door opening assembly 230 and the second door opening assembly 330, and when there is no wafer in the wafer box 1 located on the first loading platform 220, controls the first driving assembly 240 to drive the first door opening assembly 230 to move to the first opening 210 to empty the accommodating space 500 and wait for the subsequent placement of another box cover.

[0108] The structure of the first loading module is described below by taking the first loading module as an example. The structure of the second loading module is similar to that of the first loading module.

[0109] Please refer to Figures 4-6, Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the first loading platform 220 in the first loading module 200 of the present application; Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of the first loading platform 220 in the first loading module 200 of the present application from another angle; Figure 6 is a structural schematic diagram of the side locking assembly 250 in the first loading module 200 of the present application.

[0110] In one embodiment, the first loading platform 220 is slidably connected to the support plate 100 and can slide toward or away from the support plate 100 , and has a contact state close to the support plate 100 and a waiting state away from the support plate 100 .

[0111] In the contact state, the wafer box 1 on the first loading platform 220 is in contact with the first door opening assembly 230 ; in the waiting state, the wafer box 1 on the first loading platform 220 is not in contact with the first door opening assembly 230 .

[0112] It is understandable that the second loading platform can also be slidably connected to the support plate 100 and have a contact state and a waiting state.

[0113] Using the above method, the first loading platform 220 or the second loading platform drives the wafer cassette 1 to slide toward the support plate 100, thereby contacting the first door assembly 230 or the second door assembly 330 movably disposed on the support plate 100, thereby facilitating the subsequent opening of the wafer cassette 1. Furthermore, the movement of the first loading platform 220 or the second loading platform, rather than the movement of the first door assembly 230 or the second door assembly 330, facilitates the first door assembly 230 or the second door assembly 330 to maintain a sealed connection with the first opening 210 or the second opening, thereby ensuring the cleanliness of the second side surface 102 of the support plate 100. At the same time, by utilizing the space outside the loading and opening mechanism (outside the wafer processing equipment) to provide sliding space, the space inside the loading and opening mechanism, i.e., the space inside the wafer processing equipment, is avoided, thereby reducing wafer manufacturing costs.

[0114] In one embodiment, a sliding drive 221 and a bracket 222 are disposed below the first loading platform 220. Both the sliding drive 221 and the bracket 222 are fixedly connected to the first side surface 101 of the support plate 100. The sliding drive 221 is connected to the first loading platform 220 and drives the first loading platform 220 to slide on the bracket 222. Preferably, matching slide rails and sliders are disposed between the bracket 222 and the first loading platform 220. The sliding drive 221 may be a cylinder or a linear module, etc.

[0115] In one embodiment, the first loading platform 220 includes an escape zone 223 and a loading zone 224. The loading zone 224 is used to carry the wafer cassette 1. The escape zone 223 extends through the edge and thickness of the first loading platform 220 to avoid the wafer cassette transfer robot arm that can move vertically along the support plate 100. This allows the wafer cassette transfer robot arm to lift the wafer cassette 1 from the bottom, improving the transfer stability of the wafer cassette 1. It is more suitable for existing wafer cassette 1 transfer systems, has high versatility, and low modification costs.

[0116] It is understood that the second loading platform may include the same avoidance area 223 and loading area 224 .

[0117] Figure 4 illustrates a specific structure of the avoidance zone 223 and loading zone 224. Specifically, the first loading platform 220 is shaped like a rectangular frame with one corner missing. This missing portion communicates with the interior space of the frame and, together with the interior space, forms the avoidance zone 223. The loading zone 224 is the surface of the rectangular frame. This structure also facilitates the installation of three positioning pins 225 to achieve stable positioning of the wafer cassette 1.

[0118] In one embodiment, the bottom of the wafer box 1 is provided with a plurality of positioning grooves and locking grooves.

[0119] The first loading platform 220 is provided with a plurality of positioning pins 225 that match the plurality of positioning grooves of the wafer cassette 1 one by one, thereby ensuring that the wafer cassette 1 is positioned on the first loading platform 220 and preventing its horizontal position from being incorrectly positioned. The plurality of positioning grooves and the plurality of positioning pins 225 can be two, three, four, or more in number. Preferably, three positioning grooves and three positioning pins 225 are provided.

[0120] A locking member 226 adapted to the locking groove of the wafer box 1 is provided below the first loading platform 220 . The locking member 226 can be fixed to the first side surface 101 of the support plate 100 .

[0121] As the first loading platform 220 slides toward the support plate 100, the locking groove of the wafer box 1 located on the first loading platform 220 moves synchronously toward the locking piece 226 and locks the wafer box 1 to the first loading platform 220; as the first loading platform 220 slides away from the support plate 100, the locking groove of the wafer box 1 located on the first loading platform 220 moves synchronously away from the locking piece 226 and unlocks the wafer box 1 from the first loading platform 220.

[0122] By using the above method, the wafer box 1 located on the first loading platform 220 is locked in its up and down directions to avoid displacement of the wafer box 1 due to accidental collision, and it can also prevent the first loading platform 220 from sliding incorrectly and causing the wafer box 1 to detach from the first door opening assembly 230 located on the support plate 100.

[0123] The locking member 226 can utilize existing technology, such as the L-shaped lock disclosed in the patent application entitled "Wafer Cassette Transfer and Loading Apparatus and Method for Transfer and Loading" (published January 17, 2023, with publication number CN115621178A). However, the invention is not limited thereto. The locking member 226 can simply be adapted to engage with the locking groove of the wafer cassette 1 to lock the wafer cassette 1 to the first loading platform 220.

[0124] In one embodiment, the locking member 226 is fixedly connected to the first side surface 101 of the support plate 100 .

[0125] It is understood that the second loading platform may include the same plurality of positioning pins 225 and locking members 226 .

[0126] In one embodiment, a seal 211 is provided circumferentially of the first opening 210, and the seal 211 is adapted to the box body opening of the wafer box 1. When in contact, the seal 211 abuts against the edge of the box body opening of the wafer box 1 located on the first loading platform 220, thereby improving the sealing effect between the two.

[0127] It is understandable that a sealing member 211 may also be provided around the second opening of the second loading platform, and in the contact state, the sealing member 211 abuts against the opening edge of the wafer box 1 on the second loading platform.

[0128] In one embodiment, the sealing member 211 is a rubber ring.

[0129] In one embodiment, side locking assemblies 250 are symmetrically disposed on the sides of the first opening 210. The side locking assemblies 250 include side locking members 251 and rotary drive members 252. When in contact, the side locking members 251 rotate and abut against the side walls of the wafer cassette 1 under the drive of the rotary drive member 252, thereby locking the wafer cassette 1 in the left and right directions. The rotary drive member 252 can be a motor or a cylinder.

[0130] In one embodiment, the side locking assembly 250 is located on a side of the first opening 210 away from the first loading platform 220 , thereby improving the locking effect of the wafer box 1 .

[0131] It will be appreciated that the second loading platform may include the same side locking assembly 250 .

[0132] Please refer to FIG. 7 , which is a schematic structural diagram of the first driving assembly 240 in the first loading module 200 of the present application.

[0133] In one embodiment, the first drive assembly 240 and the second drive assembly 340 each include a front-rear drive assembly 241 and an up-down drive assembly 242 .

[0134] Taking the first drive assembly 240 as an example, the front and rear drive assemblies 241 of the first drive assembly 240 are connected to the first door opening assembly 230, and drive the first door opening assembly 230 to move along the thickness direction of the support plate 100, thereby separating the wafer box 1 body and the box cover; the up and down drive assemblies 242 of the first drive assembly 240 are connected to the first door opening assembly 230 through the corresponding front and rear drive assemblies 241, and drive the first door opening assembly 230 to move along the vertical direction of the support plate 100 and between the corresponding first opening 210 and the accommodating space 500, so that the box cover is separated from the covering box body opening, thereby facilitating the wafer transfer robot arm to pick up and place the wafer, and the front and back plus up and down movement mode makes the space required for the box cover movement smaller, and at the same time, the stability of the box cover picking up and placing process is higher.

[0135] Figure 7 shows a specific structure of the front and rear drive assembly 241 and the up and down drive assembly 242. The front and rear drive assembly 241 includes a first cylinder 2411 and a first bracket 2412. The first cylinder 2411 is set on the first bracket 2412, and drives the first door opening assembly 230 to slide back and forth on the first bracket 2412; the up and down drive assembly 242 includes a second cylinder 2421 and a second bracket 2422. The first door opening assembly 230 is connected to the second bracket 2422 through the first bracket 2412, and the second cylinder 2421 drives the second bracket 2422 to move up and down.

[0136] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette, characterized in that Including: A support plate having a first side surface and a second side surface disposed opposite to each other, and a first loading module and a second loading module are vertically arranged on the support plate; A control module is disposed between the first loading module and the second loading module, and the control module is connected to both the first loading module and the second loading module, and alternately controls the first loading module and the second loading module to transfer the wafer cassette; The control module is disposed on the first side surface of the support plate; and a receiving space is formed on the second side surface of the support plate corresponding to the space between the first loading module and the second loading module; The first loading module includes: A first opening is penetratingly disposed on the support plate; A first loading platform is disposed corresponding to the first opening and is located on the first side surface of the support plate; A first door opening component is movably disposed on the second side surface of the support plate and can hermetically cover the first opening; A first driving component is in transmission connection with the first door opening component and drives the first door opening component to move between the first opening and the receiving space; The second loading module includes: A second opening is penetratingly disposed on the support plate; A second loading platform is disposed corresponding to the second opening and is located on the first side surface of the support plate; A second door opening component is movably disposed on the second side surface of the support plate and can hermetically cover the second opening; A second driving component is in transmission connection with the second door opening component and drives the second door opening component to move between the second opening and the receiving space; The control module alternately controls the first driving component and the second driving component, and enables the receiving space to alternately receive the first door opening component and the second door opening component.

2. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 1, wherein A sensor for detecting whether the first door opening component or the second door opening component is therein is disposed in the receiving space, and the sensor is connected to the control module; When there is no first door opening component in the receiving space, the control module controls the second driving component to drive the second door opening component to move to the receiving space, and when there is no wafer in the wafer cassette located on the second loading platform, the control module controls the second driving component to drive the second door opening component to move to the second opening; When there is no second door opening component in the receiving space, the control module controls the first driving component to drive the first door opening component to move to the receiving space, and when there is no wafer in the wafer cassette located on the first loading platform, the control module controls the first driving component to drive the first door opening component to move to the first opening. Both the first driving component and the second driving component include a front-back driving component and an up-down driving component; 3. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that The two front-back driving components are respectively connected to the corresponding first door opening component and the second door opening component, and drive the corresponding first door opening component and the second door opening component to move along the thickness direction of the support plate; ​ The two up-and-down driving components are respectively connected to the first door opening component and the second door opening component through the corresponding front-and-back driving components, and drive the corresponding first door opening component and the second door opening component to move along the vertical direction of the support plate and between the corresponding first opening, the second opening and the accommodation space.

4. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 1, wherein Both the first loading platform and the second loading platform are slidably connected to the support plate, and can slide towards or away from the support plate, and have a contact state close to the support plate and a waiting state away from the support plate; In the contact state, the wafer cassette located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform contacts the corresponding first door opening component or second door opening component; In the waiting state, the wafer cassette located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform does not contact the corresponding first door opening component or second door opening component.

5. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first loading platform and the second loading platform include an avoidance area and a loading area. The avoidance area penetrates the edge and thickness direction of the corresponding first loading platform or second loading platform to avoid the wafer cassette transfer robot arm that can move along the vertical direction of the support plate, and the loading area is used to carry the wafer cassette.

6. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 1, wherein, A plurality of positioning grooves and locking grooves are provided on the bottom of the wafer cassette; A plurality of positioning pins adapted to the plurality of positioning grooves of the wafer cassette are provided on both the first loading platform and the second loading platform; Locking members adapted to the locking grooves of the wafer cassette are provided below both the first loading platform and the second loading platform. As the first loading platform or the second loading platform slides towards the support plate, the locking grooves of the wafer cassette located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform move towards the locking members synchronously, and the wafer cassette is locked with the first loading platform or the second loading platform; as the first loading platform or the second loading platform slides away from the support plate, the locking grooves of the wafer cassette located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform move away from the locking members synchronously, and the wafer cassette is unlocked from the first loading platform or the second loading platform.

7. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 4, wherein Sealing members are provided on the circumferences of the first opening and the second opening. The sealing members are adapted to the opening of the box body of the wafer cassette, and in the contact state, the sealing members abut against the edge of the opening of the box body of the wafer cassette located on the first loading platform or the second loading platform.

8. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 4, characterized in that, Side locking components are symmetrically provided on both sides of the first opening and the second opening. The side locking components include lateral locking members and rotation driving members. In the contact state, the lateral locking members rotate under the drive of the rotation driving members and abut against the side walls of the wafer cassette.

9. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 1, wherein Both the first door opening component and the second door opening component include an opening and closing plate and a sealing frame wrapping the edge of the opening and closing plate. The opening and closing plate is used for opening the box and is connected to the lid of the wafer cassette, and the sealing frame is used for tightly abutting against the circumferential edge of the corresponding first opening or second opening.

10. The loading and opening mechanism for a wafer cassette according to claim 9, characterized in that, The support plate is provided with ventilation devices corresponding to the first opening and the second opening. Each ventilation device includes an air inlet and an air outlet. The air inlet and the air outlet are both arranged at the edge of the first opening or the second opening of the support plate and communicate with the corresponding first opening or second opening.

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