TW201834947A - Wafer cassette and a method of forming the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A wafer cassette includes a front plate and a rear plate disposed opposite to face each other; and at least two top elongated rods, at least two middle elongated rods and at least two bottom elongated rods, each having a plurality of grooves shaped thereinto. The top elongated rods, the middle elongated rods and the bottom elongated rods each has two ends being pivotally connected to the front plate and the rear plate, respectively. The top elongated rods, the middle elongated rods and the bottom elongated rods each comprises a solid-iron rod enclosed with a cladding layer.

Description

Wafer cassette and its manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a wafer cassette, and more particularly to a wafer cassette having improved structure and enhanced precision and strength.

A wafer cassette is a device used to hold a wafer for transport between devices for wafer processing or measurement. The wafer stored in the wafer cassette can be removed or placed using a robotic hand or a fork.

Conventional wafer cards have reduced accuracy or strength after being used for a period of time. For example, shrinkage and thermal expansion can reduce the accuracy or strength of wafer jams.

The structure of the conventional wafer cassette has defects, and often causes the robot (especially the front end of the robot) to accidentally hit the bottom end of the wafer cassette due to the misalignment, thereby causing the wafer to fall off.

In view of the low accuracy, strength and structural defects of conventional wafer card holders, it is imperative to propose a novel wafer cassette to improve its structure and enhance accuracy and strength.

In view of the above, one of the objects of embodiments of the present invention is to provide a wafer cassette for storing and transporting wafers. Compared with the conventional wafer cassette, the wafer cassette of the embodiment has enhanced precision and strength, and can prevent the robot from accidentally hitting the wafer cassette.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the wafer cassette comprises a front panel and a rear panel, and the two are opposite to each other; and at least two long struts, at least two long middle rods and at least two long bottom rods, each of which has a long top rod and a long middle rod The long bottom bar has a plurality of grooves. Each of the long top rod, the long middle rod and the long bottom rod has two ends, which are respectively pivotally connected to the front panel and the rear panel. The long struts, the long middle poles and the long bottom poles contain solid irons whose surfaces are covered by a coating.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method of fabricating a wafer cassette is provided. In the injection molding process, the coating layer is coated on the surface of the plurality of solid irons to form at least two long struts, at least two long middle rods and at least two long bottom rods. The two ends of each of the long top rod, the long middle rod and the long bottom rod are respectively pivotally connected to the front panel and the rear panel, wherein the front panel and the rear panel are opposite to each other.

The perspective view of the first figure shows a wafer cassette 100 of an embodiment of the present invention for storing and transporting wafers. The second figure shows another perspective view of the wafer cassette 100 of the first figure, which holds a wafer 10, such as an optical element (such as an optical lens or glass). In order to make the internal structure easier to see, the wafer cassette 100 shown in the second figure omits some components not shown.

In the present embodiment, the wafer cassette 100 may include a front panel 11 and a rear panel 12, which are opposite each other. The wafer cassette 100 of the present embodiment may further include at least two long ejector pins 13, at least two long middle bars 14 and at least two long bottom bars 15. Each of the long ejector pins 13, the long middle bars 14, and the long bottom bars 15 have a plurality of grooves. The groove may surround the long ram 13, the long middle rod 14, the long bottom rod 15, or partially surround the long ram 13, the long middle rod 14, and the long bottom rod 15.

As shown in the first and second embodiments, the two rows of wafer cassettes are juxtaposed together, and a long ram 13 is commonly used between the two rows of wafer cassettes. However, each wafer cassette has its own long middle pole 14 and long bottom pole 15.

Each of the long ejector pins 13, the long middle bars 14, and the long bottom bars 15 have two ends that are pivotally connected to the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12, respectively. Therefore, the long top bar 13, the long middle bar 14, and the long bottom bar 15 are sequentially disposed from top to bottom.

In this embodiment, the long middle rod 14 and the long bottom rod 15 on the same side are further fixed together by at least one connecting member 17 (three connecting members are illustrated), thereby reinforcing the wafer cassette 100. Accuracy.

The wafer cassette 100 of the present embodiment may further include four fixing rods 16 disposed at four corners of the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12 for making the wafer cassette 100 more stable, thereby reinforcing the wafer cassette 100. strength. Each of the fixing rods 16 has two ends, which are respectively pivotally connected to the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12.

The third figure shows a partial enlarged view of the long ram 13, the long middle rod 14 and the long bottom rod 15 of the second figure, which holds the wafer 10. According to one of the features of the present embodiment, the bottom of the wafer 10 bears against two points (i.e., two long bottom bars 15) instead of being supported by a single point. The wafer cassette 100 of the present embodiment has two (rather than a single) and separate long bottom bars 15 so that the front end of the robotic hand does not accidentally hit a single long position in the middle position due to the misalignment. The bottom bar causes the wafer 10 to bounce off.

The fourth A diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the long ram 13 of the first/second diagram, and the fourth B shows a cross-sectional view of the long middle rod 14 and the long bottom rod 15 of the first/second diagram. According to another feature of this embodiment, the long ram 13, the long middle rod 14, and the long bottom rod 15 may comprise a solid-iron rod 111 whose surface is covered by a coating layer 112, the coating layer 112 can be a polymer. The coating layer 112 of the present embodiment comprises polyether rather ketone (PEEK), which has excellent mechanical and chemical resistance and is resistant to high temperature and cold shrinkage. The long ram 13, the long middle rod 14, and the long bottom rod 15 of the present embodiment use the solid iron rod 111 and the polyether ether ketone (PEEK) coating layer 112 to strengthen the strength and accuracy of the wafer cassette 100, and It can prevent peeling and warping. In another embodiment, before the cladding layer 112 is coated, the surface of the solid iron rod 111 is further roughened by a texture treatment to change the interaction between the solid iron rod 111 and the cladding layer 112. Therefore, the peeling of the coating layer 112 can be more avoided.

In the present embodiment, the solid irons 111 are polygonal solid irons, particularly octagon solid irons. Since the solid iron rod 111 has a polygonal (for example, octagonal) cross section instead of a circular cross section, the wafer 10 is in line contact with the long ram 13, the long middle rod 14, and the long bottom rod 15, instead of being in point contact, This reduces stress concentrations to avoid wafer breakage. In addition, the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12 have grooves with the pivot joints of the long top rod 13, the long middle rod 14, and the long bottom rod 15. In particular, the shape of the groove corresponds to the polygonal cross section of the solid iron rod 111. Thereby, the wafer 10 can accurately contact the long ram 13, the long middle rod 14, and the long bottom rod 15.

According to still another feature of this embodiment, the cladding layer 112 encasing the solid iron rod 111 is integrally formed using injection molding process technology. In detail, the solid iron rod 111 is first locked in a grooved mold, and then a covering material (for example, polyetheretherketone) is poured around the solid iron rod 111, thereby forming a coating layer 112 around the solid iron rod 111. And a groove is formed on the surface of the cladding layer 112. Compared with the polyetheretherketone (PEEK) rod which is driven by a computer numerical control (CNC) tool, the coating layer 112 of the embodiment can not only strengthen the strength and precision of the wafer cassette 100, but also prevent peeling off. With warping.

The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention; all other equivalent changes or modifications which are not departing from the spirit of the invention should be included in the following Within the scope of the patent application.

100‧‧‧ wafer card

10‧‧‧ wafer

11‧‧‧ front panel

12‧‧‧ rear panel

13‧‧‧Long rod

14‧‧‧Long rod

15‧‧‧Long pole

16‧‧‧Fixed rod

17‧‧‧Connecting parts

111‧‧‧ Solid irons

112‧‧‧Cladding

The perspective view of the first figure shows a wafer cassette of an embodiment of the present invention for storing and transporting wafers. The second figure shows another perspective view of the wafer cassette of the first figure. The third figure shows a partial enlarged view of the long top, long middle and long bottom bars of the second figure. Figure 4A shows a cross-sectional view of the long ram of the first figure/second figure. Figure 4B shows a cross-sectional view of the long middle rod and the long bottom rod of the first figure/second figure.

Claims (20)

A wafer cassette comprising: a front panel and a rear panel opposite to each other; and at least two long struts, at least two long middle rods and at least two long bottom rods, each of the long ejector rods, the long middle The long bottom rod has a plurality of grooves; each of the long top rods, the long middle rods, and the long bottom rods have two ends respectively pivotally connected to the front panel and the rear panel; wherein the long top rod, The long middle rod, the long bottom rod comprises a solid iron rod, the surface of which is covered by a coating layer. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, further comprising at least one connecting member for connecting the long middle rod on the same side with the long bottom rod. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, further comprising four fixing rods disposed at four corners of the front panel and the rear panel, each of the fixing rods having two ends, respectively pivoted to the front Panel and the back panel. The wafer cassette of claim 1, wherein the coating layer comprises a polymer. The wafer cassette of claim 4, wherein the coating layer comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK). According to the wafer cassette described in claim 1, the surface of the solid iron is subjected to biting treatment before the coating is coated. The wafer cassette of claim 1, wherein the solid iron is a multi-angle solid iron. The wafer cassette of claim 7, wherein the solid iron is an octagonal solid iron. The wafer cassette of the seventh aspect of the invention, wherein the front panel, the rear panel and the long top rod, the long middle rod, and the long bottom rod have a groove, wherein the groove The shape corresponds to the polygonal cross section of the polygonal solid iron. The wafer cassette according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer is integrally molded using an injection molding process. A method of manufacturing a wafer cassette, comprising: providing a plurality of solid irons; and an injection molding process, coating a cladding layer on the surface of the solid irons to form at least two long struts, at least two long middle rods, and at least The two long bottom bars; and the two ends of each of the long top bars, the long middle bars, and the long bottom bars are respectively pivotally connected to a front panel and a rear panel, and the front panel and the rear panel are opposite to each other. A method of manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 11, wherein the injection molding process comprises locking the solid iron rod into a mold having a groove shape, and then filling the cladding material around the solid iron rod, Thus, a plurality of trenches are formed on the surface of the cladding layer. A method of manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 12, wherein the coating material comprises a polymer. A method of manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 12, wherein the coating material comprises polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The method of manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 11, further comprising a step of joining the long middle rod on the same side with the long bottom rod using at least one connecting member. The method for manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 11 further includes a step of disposing four fixing rods at four corners of the front panel and the rear panel, wherein the two ends of each of the fixing rods respectively The front panel and the rear panel are pivoted. The method for manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 11 is characterized in that, before coating the coating layer, a step of biting the surface of the solid iron rod is further included. A method of manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 11, wherein the solid iron is a polygonal solid iron. A method of manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 18, wherein the solid iron is an octagonal solid iron. The method for manufacturing a wafer cassette according to claim 18, further comprising a step of forming a longitudinal joint of the long top rod, the long middle rod, the long bottom rod and the front panel and the rear panel a groove, wherein the shape of the groove corresponds to a polygonal cross section of the polygonal solid iron.