TWI832287B - Wafer storage device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wafer storage device and a method thereof. The main structure includes a wafer storage component. The wafer storage component includes a positioning post, an upper cover, a lower carrier, and a wafer carrier. The left and right sides of the wafer storage component There are left and right clamping components on both sides respectively. The lower bearing member or the left and right clamping components are connected to a longitudinal driving mechanism. The left clamping component includes a left support, an upper left clamp, and a The left lower clamping jaw and the right clamping assembly include the right support, the upper right clamping jaw, and the lower right clamping jaw. The left clamping assembly will be driven by a left transverse driving mechanism, and the right clamping assembly will be driven by a right transverse driving mechanism. Driven by this, the upper cover or each wafer carrier in the wafer storage assembly is clamped to cooperate with the driving method of the longitudinal driving mechanism to create a space for the user to pick up and place the wafers, and at the same time cooperate with the wafer detection mechanism To detect the condition of the wafer to improve the convenience and efficiency of use.

Description

Wafer storage device and method

The present invention provides a wafer storage device and a method thereof that improve storage convenience and pick-and-place efficiency.

According to reports, wafer technology is the foundation of many current semiconductor technologies, so wafer manufacturing and R&D technology is one of the focuses of the semiconductor industry.

When wafers are stored or transported, they are often loaded in containers to prevent damage or reduce the possibility of contact with external air, so as to stabilize and ensure the quality of the wafers. The normal way of placing wafers in containers is to stack them, and when necessary, take out the wafers through mechanical equipment such as robotic arms.

If it is applied to small wafers, due to the smaller size or thickness of the wafers, the wafers will be stacked more closely in the container, thereby fully utilizing the entire storage space. However, if they are stacked in this way, Due to the small size and dense gaps, it may be more troublesome for users to take out wafers, which may cause damage to other wafers, greatly reducing the efficiency of picking up and placing wafers.

Therefore, how to solve the above conventional problems and deficiencies is an urgent research and improvement direction that the applicant of the present invention and related manufacturers engaged in this industry want to research and improve.

Therefore, in view of the above shortcomings, the inventor of the present invention collected relevant information, evaluated and considered many aspects, and used many years of experience accumulated in this industry, and through continuous trials and modifications, he designed this kind of storage that is more convenient to use. Inventor and patentee of efficient wafer storage devices and methods.

The main purpose of the present invention is to use a longitudinal driving mechanism to drive the wafer storage assembly , and cooperates with the left clamping assembly and the right clamping assembly to create a space for picking up and placing wafers, and cooperates with the wafer detection mechanism to detect the condition of the wafers at the same time, thereby improving the convenience and efficiency of use.

In order to achieve the above object, the main structure of the present invention includes: a wafer storage component, a left side clamping component provided on the left side of the wafer storage component, a left transverse driving mechanism provided on the left side clamping component, and a left lateral driving mechanism provided on the left side of the wafer storage component. a right clamping component on the right side of the wafer storage component, a right transverse driving mechanism provided on the right clamping component, a longitudinal driving mechanism connecting the wafer storage component or the left clamping component and the right clamping component, and A wafer inspection mechanism provided on one side of the wafer storage component, wherein the wafer storage component includes a plurality of positioning posts, an upper cover movable on the positioning posts, and a lower bearing movable on the positioning posts. component, and a plurality of wafer carriers that are movable on the positioning post and located between the upper cover and the lower carrier, and the above-mentioned longitudinal driving mechanism is connected to the lower carrier, and the left side clamping component includes a left support member , an upper left clamping jaw provided on the left support member, and a lower left clamping jaw provided on the lower side of the upper left clamping jaw. The right clamping assembly includes a right support member, an upper right clamping jaw provided on the right support member, and a lower right clamping jaw located at the lower side of the upper right clamping jaw.

With the above structure, when the user wants to pick and place the wafer, he can first drive the wafer storage component to a designated position through the longitudinal driving mechanism, or drive the left clamping component and the right clamping component to move to a designated position. At the designated position, use the left lateral driving mechanism to drive the left support member in the left clamping assembly toward the wafer storage assembly, and use the right lateral driving mechanism to drive the right support member in the right clamping assembly toward the wafer storage assembly. move in the direction.

At this time, the upper left clamping jaw and the upper right clamping jaw will clamp the same wafer carrier or upper cover at the same time, while the lower left clamping jaw and the lower right clamping jaw will clamp another wafer carrier at the same time, and then vertically The driving mechanism will drive the lower bearing member to move downward along the direction of the positioning column by a first predetermined distance, and the unclamped wafer bearing member will also be driven downward by the lower bearing member.

After the movement of the current carrier is completed, the lower left clamping claw and the lower right clamping claw will drive the clamped wafer carrier to drop a second predetermined distance, so that the movement generated by the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance can be achieved. The space allows the user to perform pick-and-place operations, and when picking and placing, the wafer detection mechanism can also detect the status of the wafers in the wafer storage assembly to assist the user in related operations. To achieve the advantages of improving efficiency and convenience.

Through the above technology, the problem of difficulty in picking and placing conventional small wafers can be overcome, and the practical progress of the above advantages can be achieved.

1: Wafer storage component

11: Positioning column

12: Upper cover

13:Lower bearing piece

14:Wafer carrier

141: Inspection area

15: Confirmation window

2: Vertical driving mechanism

3: Left side clamping component

31: Left side support

32: Upper left clamping jaw

33:Lower left clamping jaw

34: Left horizontal driving mechanism

4: Right clamping component

41:Right side support

42: Upper right clamping jaw

43: Lower right clamping jaw

44: Right horizontal driving mechanism

5: Wafer inspection mechanism

51: Warpage detection parts

52: Wafer confirmation part

6: Gas inlet and outlet mechanism

61:Intake pipe

62:Exhaust hole

7: Air curtain components

W: wafer

The first figure is a three-dimensional perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The second figure is a partial schematic diagram (1) of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The third figure is a partial schematic diagram (2) of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The fourth figure is an exploded view of the wafer storage assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 5 is a step flow chart of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram (1) of the vertical movement of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The seventh figure is a detection schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 8 is a clamping schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram (2) of the vertical movement of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the movement of the clamping jaw according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of taking out the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a three-dimensional perspective view of yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of air flow according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of an air curtain according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 15 is a three-dimensional perspective view of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 16 is a schematic diagram (1) of vertical movement of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 17 is a clamping schematic diagram of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 18 is a schematic diagram (2) of vertical movement of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objects and effects, the technical means and structures adopted by the present invention are described in detail below with respect to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, so as to facilitate a complete understanding.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 11, which are three-dimensional perspective views and schematic diagrams of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. It can be clearly seen from the figures that the present invention includes:

A wafer storage component 1. The wafer storage component 1 includes a plurality of positioning posts 11, an upper cover 12 movably disposed on each positioning post 11, a lower carrier 13 movably disposed on the positioning post 11, and A plurality of activities are arranged on each positioning column 11 and located on the upper cover 12 and the lower load-bearing wafer carrier 14 between components 13;

A confirmation window 15 is provided on the wafer storage component 1, and each wafer carrier 14 will have an inspection area 141 corresponding to the confirmation window 15;

A longitudinal driving mechanism 2 connected to the lower bearing member 13. The longitudinal driving mechanism 2 in this embodiment uses a servo motor as an example;

A left clamping component 3 is provided on the left side of the wafer storage component 1. The left clamping component 3 includes a left support 31, an upper left clamp 32 provided on the left support 31, and a movable upper left clamp 32. The lower left clamping jaw 33 is located on the lower side of the clamping jaw 32. In this embodiment, the lower left clamping jaw 33 is driven by a lifting cylinder as an example;

A left transverse driving mechanism 34 is provided on the left clamping assembly 3. The left transverse driving mechanism 34 in this embodiment uses a transverse cylinder as an example;

A right clamping component 4 is provided on the right side of the wafer storage component 1. The right clamping component 4 includes a right support 41, an upper right clamp 42 provided on the right support 41, and a movable upper right clamp 42. The lower right clamping jaw 43 is located on the lower side of the clamping jaw 42. In this embodiment, the lower right clamping jaw 43 is driven by a lifting cylinder as an example;

A right transverse driving mechanism 44 is provided on the right side clamping component 4. The right transverse driving mechanism 44 in this embodiment uses a transverse cylinder as an example; and

A wafer inspection mechanism 5 is provided on one side of the wafer storage component 1. The wafer inspection mechanism 5 has a warpage detection part 51 and a wafer confirmation part provided on one side of the warpage detection part 51. 52. The warpage detection component 51 and the wafer confirmation component 52 are optical detectors provided on the left clamping component 3 and the right clamping component 4 as an example.

Through the above description, the structure of the present technology can be understood, and based on the corresponding cooperation of this structure, the advantages of more convenient and efficient use can be achieved, and the detailed explanation will be explained below.

The wafer storage method of the present invention is:

(a) Longitudinal movement: a wafer storage component 1 or a left clamping component 3 and a right clamping component 4 are driven by a longitudinal driving mechanism 2 to move to a designated position, and the wafer storage is detected by a wafer detection mechanism 5 The wafer W between an upper cover 12 and a lower carrier 13 in assembly 1;

(b) Left side clamping action: a left transverse driving mechanism 34 is used to drive the left side clamping A left support member 31 in the assembly 3 moves in the direction of the wafer storage assembly 1, and allows an upper left clamp 32 and a lower left clamp 33 to respectively clamp a wafer carrier 14;

(c) Right side clamping action: a right transverse driving mechanism 44 is used to drive a right support member 41 in the right clamping assembly 4 to move toward the wafer storage assembly 1, and an upper right clamping claw 42 and a right The lower clamping jaws 43 respectively clamp a wafer carrier 14;

(d) First opening action: After the wafer carriers 14 are clamped, the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 drives the lower carrier 13 or the left and right clamping components to move a first predetermined distance ;and

(e) Second opening action: After the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 moves, the lower left clamping jaw 33 and the lower right clamping jaw 43 drive the clamped wafer carrier 14 to descend a second predetermined distance for The user utilizes the space generated by the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance to perform the pick-and-place operation of the wafer W.

It can be known from the above steps that when the user wants to pick up and place the wafer W, he can first use the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 to drive the wafer storage assembly 1 to move longitudinally and move it to the designated position as shown in the sixth figure. , this embodiment takes the wafer W on the first wafer carrier 14 below the upper cover 12 as an example. Therefore, when moving to the designated position, the position of the upper cover 12 will be aligned with the left clamping At the position of the upper left clamping jaw 32 in the assembly 3 and the upper right clamping jaw 42 in the right clamping assembly 4, the wafer carrier 14 about to take out the wafer W is aligned with the lower left clamping jaw 33 and the lower right clamping jaw 43. location.

At this time, as shown in the seventh figure, the wafer confirmation part 52 in the wafer detection mechanism 5 will use the position of the confirmation window 15 to detect the situation in the wafer storage assembly 1, and because the wafer carrier 14 has There will be an inspection area 141. The position of the inspection area 141 will expose each wafer W and will not be blocked by the wafer carrier 14. Therefore, if the wafer confirmation part 52 passes through the confirmation window 15, it is confirmed that there is When the wafer W is placed, the accuracy will be higher and will not be affected by the wafer carrier 14, thereby achieving the advantage of accurately detecting whether the wafer W is placed on the wafer carrier 14.

After confirming that there is wafer W, as shown in the second and third figures and the eighth to tenth figures, the left lateral driving mechanism 34 will drive the left support member 31 to move in the direction of the wafer storage assembly 1 to allow The upper left clamping claw 32 is engaged with the upper cover 12 , and the lower left clamping claw 33 is engaged with the wafer carrier 14 , while the right transverse driving mechanism 44 drives the right supporting member 41 to move in the direction of the wafer storage assembly 1 , so that the upper right clamping claw 42 is engaged with the upper cover 12, and the lower right clamping claw 43 Lock onto the wafer carrier 14 . And the clamping order of the above-mentioned left support member 31 and the right support member 41 is not limited, that is, the order of the above-mentioned steps (b) and step (c) is not limited, and can be performed at the same time, first left, then right, Or right first and then left.

After the engagement is completed, the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 will drive the lower carrier 13 to move downward a first predetermined distance, and at the same time drive the unengaged wafer carrier 14 to move downward. When the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 completes the movement, the lower left clamping jaw 33 and the lower right clamping jaw 43 will drive the clamped wafer carrier 14 to move downward a second predetermined distance, and the length of the second predetermined distance will Less than the first predetermined distance, space is created between the wafer carrier 14 clamped by the lower left clamping claw 33 and the lower right clamping claw 43 , the upper cover 12 above, and the other wafer carrier 14 below.

At this time, the user can use this space to pick up and place the wafer W on the wafer carrier 14 clamped by the lower left clamping claw 33 and the lower right clamping claw 43, thereby picking up and placing the wafer storage assembly. The wafer W in 1 will not touch the upper cover 12 and the remaining wafer carrier 14 below, so as to improve the convenience of use and reduce the possibility of collision damage. And if the wafer W is to be placed on the wafer carrier 14, the warpage degree of the wafer W can also be detected through the warpage detection part 51 in the wafer detection mechanism 5 to prevent excessive warpage. This may cause damage to other wafer carriers 14 or the upper cover 12 .

After the picking and placing is completed, the above-mentioned action can be reversed, that is, the lower left clamping claw 33 and the lower right clamping claw 43 drive the clamped wafer carrier 14 to move upward to the original position, and then drive it longitudinally. Mechanism 2 drives the lower carrier 13 and the remaining wafer carriers 14 upwards to return to their original positions, and allows the left lateral driving mechanism 34 and the right lateral driving mechanism 44 to drive the left clamping component 3 and the right clamping component 4 away. The wafer storage component 1 can be restored to its original storage state.

Please also refer to Figures 12 to 14, which are three-dimensional perspective views to air curtain schematic diagrams of yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention. It can be clearly seen from the figures that this embodiment is different from the above-mentioned implementation. The examples are almost the same. Only in this embodiment, a gas inlet and outlet mechanism 6 is provided on the wafer storage component 1. The gas inlet and outlet mechanisms 6 in this embodiment are provided in a plurality of air inlet pipes 61 and 61 on the wafer storage component 1. It is composed of an air outlet 62, so that clean gas can be introduced into the wafer storage assembly 1 as needed.

And there is an air curtain assembly 7 on one side of the wafer storage unit 1. The air curtain assembly 7 in this embodiment is an example of an air curtain machine installed at both sides of the entrance and exit for picking up and placing wafers, so that it can pass through The air curtain effect produced by the air curtain assembly 7 prevents external dirt from entering the wafer storage assembly 1 .

Please also refer to Figures 15 to 18, which are a three-dimensional perspective view and a vertical movement diagram (2) of another preferred embodiment of the present invention. It can be clearly seen from the figures that this embodiment Similar to the above embodiment, only in this embodiment, the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 is connected to the left clamping component 3 and the right clamping component 4 respectively as an example to show that the connection objects of the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 are not limited.

In this way, when this embodiment is activated, the wafer storage component 1 will not move, and the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 will first drive the left clamping component 3 and the right clamping component 4 to move upward to the designated position. For example, the upper cover 12 The position is aligned with the position of the upper left clamping claw 32 in the left clamping assembly 3 and the upper right clamping claw 42 in the right clamping assembly 4. After that, it can be operated as in the previous embodiment, so that the left lateral driving mechanism 34 will drive the left supporting member 31 to move toward the direction of the wafer storage assembly 1, so that the upper left clamping claw 32 can be engaged with the upper cover 12, and the lower left clamping claw 32 can be engaged with the upper cover 12, and the lower left clamping claw 32 can be engaged with the upper cover 12. The clamping claw 33 is engaged with the wafer carrier 14, and the right lateral driving mechanism 44 will drive the right supporting member 41 to move in the direction of the wafer storage assembly 1, so that the upper right clamping claw 42 is engaged with the upper cover 12. And the lower right clamping claw 43 is engaged with the wafer carrier 14 .

After the engagement is completed, let the longitudinal driving mechanism 2 drive the left clamping component 3 and the right clamping component 4 to move upward a first predetermined distance, and also make the lower left clamping claw 33 and the lower right clamping claw 43 drive the clamped engagement. By moving the wafer carrier 14 downward a second predetermined distance, a space for the user to pick up and place the wafer can also be created. When the picking and placing is completed, perform the same reverse operation to restore the whole body to its original state.

However, the above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Therefore, any simple modifications and equivalent structural changes made by using the description and drawings of the present invention should be treated in the same way. It is included in the patent scope of the present invention and is hereby stated.

In summary, the wafer storage device and method of the present invention can indeed achieve its effect and purpose when used. Therefore, the present invention is an invention with excellent practicality and meets the application requirements for an invention patent. It is in accordance with the law. I submitted the application and hope that the review committee will approve the invention as soon as possible to protect the inventor's hard work. If the review committee of the Jun Bureau has any doubts, please feel free to write a letter for instructions. The inventor will try his best to cooperate and it will be greatly appreciated.

1: Wafer storage component

2: Vertical driving mechanism

3: Left side clamping component

4: Right clamping component

Claims (8)

A wafer storage device, which mainly includes: a wafer storage component. The wafer storage component includes a plurality of positioning posts, an upper cover movable on the positioning posts, and a wafer storage component on the wafer storage components. A lower carrier, and a plurality of wafer carriers movably disposed on the positioning posts and located between the upper cover and the lower carrier, and these wafer carriers are used to hold wafers. The wafer storage component is provided with a gas inlet and outlet mechanism; a left side clamping component, the left side clamping component is located on the left side of the wafer storage component, and the left side clamping component includes a left support member, a left side support member, and a left side clamping component. The upper left clamping jaw on the support member, and a lower left clamping jaw movable at the lower side of the upper left clamping jaw; a left transverse driving mechanism, the left transverse driving mechanism is provided on the left side clamping component to drive the left side The clamping component moves laterally; a right-side clamping component is located on the right side of the wafer storage component, and the right-side clamping component includes a right-side support member and an upper-right support member located on the right-side support member. The clamping jaw, and a lower right clamping jaw movable at the lower side of the upper right clamping jaw; a right transverse driving mechanism, the right transverse driving mechanism is arranged on the right side clamping component to drive the right side clamping component transversely Movement; a longitudinal driving mechanism, which is located on one side of the wafer storage component and is used to connect the wafer storage component or the left clamping component and the right clamping component; and a wafer detection mechanism , the wafer detection mechanism is located on one side of the wafer storage component for detecting wafers in the wafer storage component. In the wafer storage device described in item 1 of the patent application, the wafer detection mechanism has a warpage detection part and a wafer confirmation part provided on one side of the warp detection part. The wafer storage device as described in item 2 of the patent application, wherein the wafer storage component is provided with a confirmation window whose position corresponds to the wafer confirmation part, and each of the wafer carriers is provided with a position corresponding to the confirmation window inspection area. For the wafer storage device described in item 1 of the patent application, an air curtain component is provided on one side of the wafer storage component. A wafer storage method, the steps of which include: (a) driving a wafer storage component or a left clamping component and a right clamping component to a designated position through a longitudinal driving mechanism, and detecting the wafer through a wafer detection mechanism One of the round storage components The wafer between the upper cover and the lower carrier is provided with a gas inlet and outlet mechanism on the wafer storage assembly; (b) a left transverse driving mechanism is used to drive a left support member in the left clamping assembly toward the wafer storage assembly; Move the circular storage assembly in the direction of the circular storage assembly, and make an upper left clamping claw and a lower left clamping claw respectively clamp a wafer carrier; (c) make a right transverse driving mechanism drive a right support member in the right clamping assembly toward The direction of the wafer storage component moves, and an upper right clamping jaw and a lower right clamping jaw respectively clamp a wafer carrier; (d) after the wafer carriers are clamped, the longitudinal driving mechanism Drive the lower bearing member or the left clamping component and the right clamping component to move a first predetermined distance; and (e) when the longitudinal driving mechanism moves, the lower left clamping jaw and the lower right clamping jaw are driven to move the clamped The wafer carrier is held down by a second predetermined distance, so that the user can use the space generated by the first predetermined distance and the second predetermined distance to pick and place the wafer. In the wafer storage method described in item 5 of the patent application, the wafer detection mechanism has a warpage detection part and a wafer confirmation part provided on one side of the warp detection part. For the wafer storage method described in item 6 of the patent application, the wafer storage component is provided with a confirmation window whose position corresponds to the wafer confirmation part, and each of the wafer carriers is provided with a position corresponding to the confirmation window. inspection area. For the wafer storage method described in item 5 of the patent application, an air curtain assembly is provided on one side of the wafer storage assembly.

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