Movable Guide Unit for Wafer Ring Transfer Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In die bonding processes, wafer rings often get caught in guide members or cassette walls during transfer, leading to overload on the gripper, potential release of the wafer ring, and transfer failure errors, resulting in facility stoppages and process delays.
Innovation Solution
A guide unit with movable guide members that adjust the width of the transfer passage upon physical contact with the transfer object, preventing entrapment and ensuring proper alignment, even when the wafer ring is loaded or transferred in a non-horizontal state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed guide member is used to guide the wafer ring during transfer, then the guide member can provide stable guidance, but the wafer ring may get caught in the guide member or cassette wall causing entrapment
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is designed with a movable portion that can change position in response to contact with the wafer ring. When the wafer ring contacts the guide member, the movable portion shifts to accommodate the wafer ring's position, preventing entrapment while maintaining guidance stability. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between providing stable guidance and preventing entrapment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the guide member is made movable to prevent entrapment, then the wafer ring can be transferred smoothly, but the guide member structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The guide member is segmented into a fixed portion and a movable portion. The fixed portion provides stable structural support and initial guidance, while the movable portion independently adjusts to prevent entrapment. This segmentation allows the guide member to achieve both entrapment prevention and structural simplicity by dividing functions across different portions.
3Reliability
If the gripper applies strong gripping force to hold the wafer ring, then the wafer ring can be securely transferred, but the gripper may release the wafer ring when overload occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The movable portion of the guide member acts as a cushioning element that absorbs excess force before it reaches the gripper. When the wafer ring encounters resistance during transfer, the movable portion shifts to accommodate the force, preventing overload on the gripper and ensuring continuous secure gripping throughout the transfer process.
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 guide unit effectively prevents wafer ring entrapment, minimizes the load on the gripper, corrects alignment issues, and reduces the risk of transfer failures and process delays.
Implementation Method 1
a moving body (420) hinged to the fixed body (410), the moving body (420) being the at least a portion of the first guide member (402) and being movable by a physical contact with the transfer object (44)
Data Source
AI summary
The inventive concept provides a transfer assembly. The transfer assembly includes a transfer robot configured to take out the transfer object stored at the cassette and to transfer in a first direction to the target position; and a guide unit providing a transfer passage for transferring the transfer object, and wherein the guide unit comprises: a first guide member provided with its lengthwise direction in the first direction; and a second guide member provided with its lengthwise direction in the first direction, and space apart from the first guide member in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction the first guide member and the second member defining the transfer passage therebetween, and wherein at least a portion of the first guide member is movable such that a width of the transfer passage is changeable by the movement of the at least a portion of the first guide member.