Semiconductor Carrier Latching Guide for Airtight Misalignment Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor carrier latch structures fail to effectively address wafer vibration, friction, and angular deviation issues caused by transferring equipment, leading to compromised air tightness and yield during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A latching guide structure with an upper and lower latching part, elastic unit, and driver that uses linear moving parts and elastic units to automatically adjust and maintain precise alignment, ensuring the latching parts can open and close accurately, thereby compensating for angular displacement and equipment deviations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a limitation unit is configured in the inner side of door to directly absorb mechanical force, then mechanical collision of wafers is reduced, but angular deviation, wafer displacement, and misalignment between carriers occur due to equipment deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The latch structure transitions from a static limitation unit to a dynamic system with guide portions and elastic units that can adapt to angular deviations. The guide portions allow controlled movement while the elastic units provide restoring force, enabling the latch to dynamically compensate for equipment deviation and maintain precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and movement parameters of the latch components. The elastic units compress and extend to change the position and orientation parameters of the latching parts, allowing the system to accommodate angular deviations while maintaining precise latching alignment.
2Reliability
If the latch structure is made complex and precious to achieve precise latching, then air tightness is maintained, but the system becomes more sensitive to displacement and angular deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The latch structure is segmented into distinct functional components: guide portions for alignment, elastic units for force compensation, and latching parts for sealing. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, maintaining air tightness through precise latching while managing complexity through modular design.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If embedded latch structure is used to decrease mechanical collision, then wafer protection is improved, but wafer vibration and friction problems persist
Solution Approach 1:
The guide portions act as intermediaries between the latching parts and the door structure, providing controlled guidance that reduces unwanted vibration and friction. The elastic units serve as intermediaries that absorb and dampen vibrational forces while maintaining the latching connection, thereby reducing harmful effects on the wafers.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances operational precision and maintains airtightness by controlling the relative displacement between latching parts, reducing mechanical forces and friction, thus improving the reliability and longevity of the semiconductor carrier latch.
Implementation Method 1
the elastic unit represents a compression level or an extension level which are determined by linear movement between the upper actuating unit and the lower actuating unit
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a latching guide structure arranged inside a door of semiconductor carrier. The latching guide structure comprises an upper latching part, a lower latching part, at least one elastic unit and a driver. Moreover, a first guiding portion of the upper latching part is matched with a second guiding portion of the lower latching part, therefore to define the installation space for the at least one elastic unit. On the other hand, the driver simultaneously actuates an upper actuating unit of the first guiding portion and a lower actuating unit of the second guiding portion to linearly move in reverse direction therebetween. The range of the linear motion of the upper actuating unit and the lower actuating unit represents the compression or extension of the at least one elastic unit, determining to control the open/close status of the upper latching part and the lower latching part.