DE8900752U1 - Device operating according to the vacuum suction principle for handling objects with smooth surfaces - Google Patents

Description

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\) 1 Siemens AG

Device for handling objects with smooth surfaces that works according to the vacuum suction principle 5

The invention relates to a device operating according to the vacuum suction principle for handling objects with smooth surfaces, in particular for picking up sensitive semiconductor substrates, which device consists of a carrier part with an inner lumen, via the application end of which the surface of the object to be picked up can be subjected to negative pressure.

In various areas of technology, it is necessary to carefully grip and handle sensitive, fragile or even hot objects, where manual gripping is not possible or not permitted. For example, this applies to semiconductor substrates such as thin wafers, which are usually delivered as semi-finished products and undergo a series of manufacturing steps with a wide variety of handling during further processing into the final product. No dirt particles or organic contaminants may be deposited on the substrate surfaces, so handling with appropriate tools is unavoidable.

So-called suction grippers for the above application are known from the state of the art. The disadvantage is that such suction grippers always have a hose connection to a stationary vacuum or compressed air generator, which either generates the suction vacuum or the compressed air for devices operating according to the Venturi principle. This limits the user's area of action.

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89 G 3 &udigr;�iacgr; 8 CE

) 1 Large-surface suction grippers without a vacuum connection are also known from the state of the art, which are used, for example, to transport glass plates or the like. Such suction grippers consist of a suction cup made of soft elastic material and are coupled to the smooth object by simply pressing and displacing the air in the suction cup. However, they are not suitable for the delicate handling of sensitive, fragile or even hot parts, as is particularly the case in semiconductor technology. 10

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a device of the type mentioned at the outset with which it is possible to gently grip and handle sensitive, fragile or even hot parts that cannot or must not be touched by hand.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that a suction cup is attached to the application end of the carrier part, which is open at the back and is connected to a closable ventilation opening via the inner lumen in the carrier part. The carrier part is designed as a handle at the back and as a tapered cylinder towards its application end.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the inner lumen in the support part can advantageously run over the tapered cylinder and the ventilation opening can be located in such a region in front of the handle that it can be closed by the operator's finger. Such an embodiment 1Is particularly suitable when larger parts are to be gripped and the suction cup has a sufficiently large volume compared to the inner lumen in the carrier part.

In another embodiment of the invention, vöfteil-35

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The inner lumen in the carrier part at the application end opposite the suction cup should be connected to the ventilation opening, which can be sealed using a separate closure element. The closure element can be operated by the operator's finger using a lever mounted like a rocker. Such an embodiment is particularly appropriate when the parts to be handled are small and the suction cup has a comparatively small volume.

In any case, the usual suction cups made of soft, elastic material, which are commercially available in many different designs, can be used for the device according to the invention. The support part used as a handle is advantageously shaped in an ergonomic form so that it can be handled without causing fatigue.

Further details and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of embodiments. They show

FIG 1 shows a perspective view of the new device in the hand of an operator,

FIG 2 shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment and FIG 3 shows an alternative embodiment to FIG 2.

In FIG 1 and FIG 2 a carrier part 10 is shown, which is designed on the back as a flat handle 11 according to ergonomic aspects for fatigue-free resting in the palm of an operator's hand. In its front area the carrier part iO forms a hollow cylinder 12, on the application-side end of which a suction cup 15 is attached.

The suction cup 15 is made of elastomeric, possibly temperature-resistant material, as is available in many embodiments

89 G 3 O &igr; 8 DE

is commercially available. It can be designed in the usual way as a flat cone, but also as a hollow cylinder as a bellows with one or more bulges.

The size of the suction cup surface is adapted to the object to be handled and is always smaller than its flat surface. The base area and the height of the suction cup 15 determine the volume in which negative pressure can be effective.

An inner lumen 16 is embedded in the hollow cylinder 12 of the carrier part 10, which connects the back of the open suction cup 15 with an opening 17 in the area of the handle 11. |

The device H described with reference to FIG 1 and FIG 2 enables delicate objects to be gripped and handled gently without manual contact. By pressing the suction cup 15 onto the surface of the object 1 to be gripped, a vacuum is formed in the suction cup 15, so that the object 1 is held in place when the operator's index finger 5 closes the hole 17 on the handle 11. The object 1 can now be transported or handled in another way. If the hole 17 is opened with the index finger 5, air flows through the application part 12 into the suction cup 15 and the object 1 that has been sucked up falls off. It can thus be easily placed anywhere. |

If the parts to be handled have a very small flat surface ; ^;

surface, the suction cup can therefore only have a small K

effective area. Since it only has a small suction volume %

contains, the non-negligible inner lumen of the I

Hollow cylinder the formation of a sufficient suction

effective vacuum. To avoid this undesirable |

effect is shown in FIG 3 as a bellows with two WuI- |

sten trained suction cup 25 at the application end 23 of a |

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5 ' ^: 1 carrier part 20 in such a way that the back of the Suction cup 25 is directly connected to an opposite ventilation opening 27 via a short channel 26. Otherwise, the carrier part 20 with its handle 21 and tapered cylinder is designed spatially as in FIG 1.

The ventilation opening 27 can be sealed by a separate closure element 28, whereby the closure element 28 is attached to a lever 29 mounted like a rocker against spring pressure. The back of the lever 29 ends at approximately the same ^height like the opening 17 in FIG 2, so that the lever can be operated by the index finger of the operator. This results in the device according to FIG 3 operating in the same way as in FIG 2, with the difference that the lever 29 is operated against spring pressure by the index finger 5 to open the ventilation opening 27. is printed, in which case the sucked part falls off.

Instead of the lever 29 mounted like a rocker for actuating the closure element 28, a slide or the like attached to the tapered cylinder 22 of the carrier part 20 can also be used ^for the same purpose. This allows the opening or closing of the intake opening 27 to be achieved by a longitudinal movement of the index finger 5 of the operator supported on the carrier part 22, which can also take place against spring pressure. f 25 can.

With the devices described above, it is therefore advantageously possible to handle objects with smooth surfaces without being connected to a vacuum or compressed air device. 30 lent. Particularly sensitive semiconductor substrates, which may be too hot for manual handling , can be handled gently in this way.

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Claims (7)

6 Protection claims 1. Device operating according to the vacuum suction principle for handling objects with smooth surfaces, in particular for picking up sensitive semiconductor substrates, which device consists of a carrier part with an inner lumen, via the application end of which the surface of the object to be picked up can be subjected to negative pressure, characterized in that a suction cup (15, 25) is attached to the application end (13, 23) of the carrier part (10, 20) , which is open at the back and is connected to a closable ventilation opening (17, 27) via the inner lumen (16, 26) in the carrier part (10, 20). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the carrier part (10, 20) is designed as a handle (11, 21) at the rear and as a tapered cylinder (12, 22) towards its application end (13, 23). 3. Device according to claim ± and 2, characterized in that the inner lumen (16) in the carrier part (10) runs in the tapered cylinder (12) and that the ventilation opening (17) is located in such an area in front of the handle (11) that it can be closed by the operator's finger (5). (Fig. 1/2)
25 4. Device according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the inner lumen (26) in the carrier part (20) at the application end (23) opposite the suction cup (25) is connected to the ventilation opening (27), which can be sealed by a separate closure element (28). (Fig. 3) 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the closure element (28) has a ait · a I I I · · it &igr; · a ■ · ■ The « · · ■ t I I · · ■ 89 G 3 O U DE &igr; · · ■ 1 tapered cylinder (22) mounted lever (29) can be actuated by the operator's finger (5). 6. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction and 5 cup (15, 25) made of elastomeric material, preferably \ Silicone rubber. 7. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the handle (11, 21) is ergonomically designed.