CN217588874U

CN217588874U - Wafer carrier

Info

Publication number: CN217588874U
Application number: CN202221732534.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 庞洪荣
Original assignee: GTA Semiconductor Co Ltd
Current assignee: GTA Semiconductor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-07-05
Filing date: 2022-07-05
Publication date: 2022-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2032-07-05

Abstract

The utility model provides a wafer carrier, this wafer carrier include carrier body and baffle, and the carrier body includes first end and second end, has a plurality of evenly spaced trench that are used for placing the wafer between first end and the second end, and the baffle is located the first end of carrier body and perpendicular to carrier body, and the longitudinal section area of baffle is not less than the area of wafer so that the baffle blocks the wafer at the horizontal direction. The utility model discloses an among the wafer carrier, set up a vertical baffle through the first end in the carrier body to block outside wafer receive the influence of purge gas such as sour gas when the import/export wait of washing tank, prevent outside wafer form defect, improve the yield. In addition, the baffle and the carrier body are integrally formed, so that the wafer carrier can be prevented from cracking or rubbing to cause defects of the wafer due to factors such as transmission vibration or thermal stress.

Description

Wafer carrier

Technical Field

The utility model belongs to the technical field of semiconductor manufacture, a wafer carrier is related to.

Background

In the semiconductor manufacturing, the acid tank wet cleaning has an important role throughout the front and rear processes, and it is especially important to ensure the uniformity of multiple wafers in the acid tank processing process, and in the actual production, the problem that the outermost wafer in the same wafer carrier has a higher defect (defect) to cause a lower yield is often generated, as shown in fig. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a waiting area for placing the wafer carrier in a cleaning machine in the prior art.

At present, due to the limitation of hardware of a machine, the exhaust (exhaust) of the machine can only be adjusted generally, the wind direction in the machine is changed, the wind direction is blown to an acid tank from an inlet/outlet, the influence of acid gas in the machine on a wafer is reduced, but the exhaust has instability, and the problem cannot be solved fundamentally.

Therefore, it is an urgent technical problem for those skilled in the art to provide a wafer carrier to reduce the defect rate of the outermost wafer during the cleaning process and to improve the yield.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a wafer carrier for solving the problem in the prior art that the wafer has a high defect on the outermost side of the wafer during the cleaning process, which results in a low yield.

To achieve the above and other related objects, the present invention provides a wafer carrier, comprising:

the wafer carrier comprises a carrier body, a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the carrier body comprises a first end part and a second end part, and a plurality of groove positions which are uniformly arranged at intervals and used for placing wafers are arranged between the first end part and the second end part;

and the baffle is positioned at the first end part and is vertical to the carrier body, and the longitudinal sectional area of the baffle is not smaller than the area of the wafer so that the baffle blocks the wafer in the horizontal direction.

Optionally, the shape of the baffle includes a circle, the center of the baffle and the center of the wafer are coaxially arranged in the horizontal direction, and the diameter of the baffle is greater than the diameter of the wafer by 1cm to 3cm.

Optionally, the distance between the baffle and the closest slot is equal to the distance between two adjacent slots.

Optionally, the second end portion is provided with a weight increasing block with the same weight as the baffle plate so as to keep balance of the two ends of the wafer carrier.

Optionally, the second end portion is provided with a second baffle plate symmetrically distributed with the baffle plate, and the shape, thickness and material of the second baffle plate are the same as those of the baffle plate.

Optionally, the thickness of the baffle is in the range of 2mm to 5mm.

Optionally, one side of the baffle close to the wafer is a polished side.

Optionally, the baffle and the carrier body are integrally formed by using the same material.

Optionally, a side of the first end portion away from the wafer and a side of the second end portion away from the wafer are both provided with a hook hole.

Optionally, a plurality of wafer carrying rods are disposed between the first end and the second end, and the slots are disposed on the wafer carrying rods.

As described above, in the wafer carrier of the present invention, the vertical baffle is disposed at the first end of the carrier body to block the outermost wafers from being affected by the cleaning gas such as acid gas when the cleaning tank is waiting at the inlet/outlet, so as to prevent the outermost wafers from forming defects and improve the yield; in addition, the baffle and the carrier body are integrally formed, so that the defects of the wafer caused by cracking or friction of the wafer carrier due to factors such as transmission vibration or thermal stress can be prevented, secondary processing can be avoided due to the integral forming, the processing procedures are reduced, and the cost is reduced.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wafer carrier placed in a waiting area of a cleaning tool in the prior art.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a wafer carrier according to an embodiment of the invention.

Description of the element reference

10. Carrier body

101. Hook hole

102. Wafer bearing rod

20. Baffle plate

30. Second baffle

40. Wafer

Detailed Description

The following description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative purposes, and other advantages and effects of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in the present specification can be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Please refer to fig. 1 to 4. It should be understood that the structure, ratio, size and the like shown in the drawings attached to the present specification are only used for matching with the content disclosed in the specification, so as to be known and read by those skilled in the art, and are not used for limiting the limit conditions that the present invention can be implemented, so that the present invention has no technical essential meaning, and any structure modification, ratio relationship change or size adjustment should still fall within the scope covered by the technical content disclosed in the present invention without affecting the function and the achievable purpose of the present invention. In addition, the terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "middle" and "one" used in the present specification are used for clarity of description only, and are not used to limit the scope of the present invention, and the relative relationship between the terms may be changed or adjusted without substantial technical changes.

The utility model discloses a wafer carrier mainly uses in acid tank cleaning machine, 50 wafers can be placed usually, the transfer mode and the ordinary wafer carrier of wafer do not have the difference, the wafer snatchs 25 wafers of first batch through manipulator (robot) from the IO end, transmit to 25 trench of wafer carrier on (for example 1 trench to 25 trench or 26 trench to 50 trenches), the push rod (pusher) of conveying platform below can follow the space of wafer carrier bottom and up rise from down and hold the wafer, then the manipulator loosens, the push rod takes 25 wafers from last down motion, place the wafer on the wafer carrier, the manipulator is got back to the IO end again and is relapsed same action, put remaining 25 trenches to 25 wafers of second batch, then the hook hole at wafer carrier both ends is hooked to manipulator reuse hook piece (grip), whole 50 wafers of taking are transmitted corresponding acid tank (tank) and are operated.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, which are a top view, a front view and a side view of a wafer carrier, respectively, the wafer carrier includes a carrier body 10 and a baffle 20, the carrier body 10 includes a first end and a second end, and a plurality of slots for placing wafers 40 are uniformly spaced between the first end and the second end; the baffle 20 is located at the first end and perpendicular to the carrier body 10, and the longitudinal cross-sectional area of the baffle 20 is not smaller than the area of the wafer 40, so that the baffle 20 blocks the wafer 40 in the horizontal direction.

By way of example, the carrier body 10 is made of an acid and alkali corrosion resistant material, including an acid and alkali corrosion resistant plastic, resin, stainless steel, or other suitable material, such that the carrier body 10 is placed in a cleaning tank (e.g., an acid tank) without generating impurities due to corrosion. This embodiment adopts polytetrafluoroethylene, and polytetrafluoroethylene has characteristics such as high chemical stability and good chemical corrosion resistance, and has characteristics such as material light in comparison in stainless steel, alloy etc. when satisfying acid and alkali corrosion resistance, can reduce the transport weight of manipulator (robot) in the transportation wafer process.

As an example, the carrier body 10 is provided with 50 slots, that is, one wafer carrier can hold 50 wafers; of course, the number of slots may be set according to actual requirements, for example, 30, 40, 60, 70, and the like, and the number of slots is not limited in this embodiment.

As an example, the shape of the baffle 20 includes a circle, the center of the baffle 20 and the center of the wafer 40 are coaxially arranged in a horizontal direction, and are limited by the space of the cleaning tank and the carrier body 10, in order to achieve the effect of blocking and protecting the outermost wafer in the horizontal direction by the baffle 20, the diameter of the baffle 20 is preferably 1-3cm (centimeter) larger than the diameter of the wafer 40, and of course, in some other embodiments, the diameter of the baffle may be set according to practical requirements, such as the diameter of the baffle is equal to the diameter of the wafer, the diameter of the baffle is larger than the diameter of the wafer in a range less than 1cm, or the diameter of the baffle is larger than the diameter of the wafer in a range more than 3cm, and the like, which is not limited by this embodiment.

By way of example, the distance between the baffle 20 and the slot closest to the first end (i.e., the slot for placing the 50 th wafer) is equal to the distance between two adjacent slots, so that the flow pattern of the liquid and air around the outermost wafer can be consistent with that of other wafers, and the 50 wafers in the cleaning tank processing process can be kept better in uniformity.

As an example, a clamping piece is arranged at the bottom of the carrier body 10, a bayonet is arranged at a preset position in the machine table, and the clamping piece is matched with the bayonet so that the wafer carrier can be stably placed in a waiting area or a cleaning area in the machine table, and the design mode can reduce the conveying quality of the wafer carrier; of course, the bottom of the carrier body 10 may also be provided with a horizontal base, and the horizontal base may enable the wafer carrier to be stably placed in a waiting area or a cleaning area in a machine.

As an example, the second end of the carrier body 10 is provided with a weight increasing body with the same weight as the baffle 20 to keep balance between the two ends of the wafer carrier, so as to prevent the wafer carrier from falling down and damaging the wafer. In this embodiment, the second end is provided with a second baffle 30 symmetrically distributed with the baffle 20. The second baffle 30 and the baffle 20 are preferably the same in shape, thickness and material.

It should be noted that, because the baffles 20 and the second baffles 30 are symmetrically distributed, the distance between the second baffle 30 and the slot closest to the second end (i.e. the slot for placing the 1 st wafer) is also equal to the distance between two adjacent slots, so that the flow pattern of liquid and air around the innermost wafer can be ensured to be consistent with that of other wafers, and because the baffles 20 and the second baffles 30 are symmetrically distributed, the first end of the wafer carrier does not need to be intentionally placed at the outermost side in the process of placing the wafer carrier in the waiting area or the cleaning area, and the second baffles 30 placed at the outermost side can also play a role in blocking and protecting the outermost wafer.

As an example, the thickness of the baffle 20 is in a range of 2-5mm (millimeter), and while the structural strength of the baffle 20 is ensured, the thinner baffle can reduce the overall mass of the wafer carrier, and reduce the handling quality of the wafers during the transfer process; of course, the thickness range of the baffle 20 is not limited to 2-5mm, and can be designed according to actual requirements.

By way of example, the surface of the baffle 20 close to the wafer is a polished surface, and the flat and smooth polished surface can prevent burrs or unevenness from causing liquid drops to hang on the wall or drying incompletely, so that the 50 th wafer is affected and defects are caused. Similarly, one surface of the second baffle 30 close to the wafer is also a polished surface, so that the influence of burrs, unevenness and other factors on the 1 st wafer to cause defects is avoided.

As an example, the baffle 20 and the carrier body 10 are made of the same material, so as to avoid introducing other impurities; in addition, the baffle 20 and the carrier body 10 are integrally formed, so that defects of the wafer caused by cracking or friction and the like due to factors such as transmission vibration or thermal stress are prevented; similarly, the second baffle 30 and the carrier body 10 are also integrally formed by using the same material.

Specifically, the wafer carrier may be integrally formed through a die material injection, stamping, extrusion process or other suitable methods, and the baffle 20, the second baffle 30 and the carrier body 10 are integrally formed, so that on one hand, the structural strength can be improved, cracking can be prevented, and on the other hand, secondary processing can be avoided through the integral forming, so that the processing procedures are reduced, and the cost is reduced.

As an example, a side of the first end portion away from the wafer and a side of the second end portion away from the wafer are both provided with hook holes 101, and the robot arm is matched with the hook holes 101 to transfer the wafer. Specifically, one side that the wafer was kept away from to first end sets up two hook hole 101, one side that the wafer was kept away from to the second end is equipped with two hook hole 101, just hook hole 101 that first end set up with hook hole 101 symmetric distribution that the second end set up to improve the stationarity and the security of wafer in the transfer transportation process.

As an example, a plurality of wafer carrying rods 102 are disposed between the first end portion and the second end portion, the slot is disposed on the wafer carrying rods 102, and when a wafer is placed in the cleaning slot for cleaning after being placed on the wafer carrier, a cleaning liquid may flow between the wafer carrying rods 102, so that the bottom end and the top end of the wafer placed on the wafer carrier achieve the same cleaning effect, and uniformity is maintained, and drying and the like of subsequent wafers are facilitated.

Specifically, the number of the wafer carrier bars 102 in this embodiment is 4, and the wafer carrier bars include 2 relatively upper wafer carrier bars 102 located on the same horizontal plane and 2 relatively lower wafer carrier bars 102 located on the same horizontal plane, where a distance between the 2 relatively upper wafer carrier bars 102 is greater than a distance between the 2 relatively lower wafer carrier bars 102, and when a wafer is placed on the wafer carrier, the wafer is in contact with all the 4 wafer carrier bars 102, so that the placement stability of the wafer is improved; of course, the number of the wafer carrying rods below 4 or more than 4 may be set according to actual requirements, which is not limited in this embodiment.

To sum up, in the wafer carrier of the present invention, the vertical baffle is disposed at the first end of the carrier body to block the outermost wafers from being affected by the cleaning gas such as acid gas when waiting at the inlet/outlet of the cleaning tank, so as to reduce the probability of defects formed on the outermost wafers and improve the yield; in addition, the baffle and the carrier body are integrally formed, so that the defects of the wafer caused by cracking or friction of the wafer carrier due to factors such as transmission vibration or thermal stress can be prevented, secondary processing can be avoided due to the integral forming, the processing procedures are reduced, and the cost is reduced. Therefore, the utility model effectively overcomes various defects in the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention, and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Modifications and variations can be made to the above-described embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that all equivalent modifications or changes which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical spirit of the present invention be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer carrier, comprising:

the baffle is positioned at the first end and is vertical to the carrier body, and the longitudinal sectional area of the baffle is not smaller than the area of the wafer so that the baffle blocks the wafer in the horizontal direction.

2. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: the shape of the baffle comprises a circular shape, the circle center of the baffle and the circle center of the wafer are coaxially arranged in the horizontal direction, and the diameter of the baffle is larger than the diameter of the wafer by 1cm-3cm.

3. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: the distance between the baffle and the closest slot position is equal to the distance between two adjacent slot positions.

4. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: the second end part is provided with a weight increasing block with the same weight as the baffle plate so as to keep balance of the two ends of the wafer carrier.

5. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: the second end is provided with a second baffle which is symmetrically distributed with the baffle, and the shape, the thickness and the material of the second baffle are the same as those of the baffle.

6. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: the thickness range of the baffle plate is 2mm-5mm.

7. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: one surface of the baffle, which is close to the wafer, is a polished surface.

8. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: the baffle and the carrier body are integrally formed by the same material.

9. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: hook holes are formed in one side, away from the wafer, of the first end portion and one side, away from the wafer, of the second end portion.

10. The wafer carrier of claim 1, wherein: a plurality of wafer bearing rods are arranged between the first end part and the second end part, and the groove positions are arranged on the wafer bearing rods.