CN218887149U

CN218887149U - Wafer loading device

Info

Publication number: CN218887149U
Application number: CN202223366551.9U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 陆前军; 全明; 张剑桥; 王农华; 黄杰煌; 杨霖
Original assignee: Guangdong Zhongtu Semiconductor Technology Co ltd
Current assignee: Guangdong Zhongtu Semiconductor Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2022-12-15
Filing date: 2022-12-15
Publication date: 2023-04-18
Anticipated expiration: 2032-12-15

Abstract

The utility model relates to a semiconductor wafer processing technology field discloses a wafer loading attachment. The loading fixing system of the wafer loading device comprises a loading executive component and a fixing executive component, wherein the loading executive component can load wafers on the carrier assembly, and the fixing executive component can fix the loaded carrier assembly; the conversion workbench is provided with a loading station corresponding to the loading executive part and a fixed station corresponding to the fixed executive part, and the conversion workbench is rotatably arranged so as to convert the positions of the carrier assemblies arranged on the loading station and the fixed station; the conveying system is arranged on one side of the conversion workbench and comprises a bearing frame and a conveying executive component, the conveying executive component can place the carrier component with no load on the bearing frame on the fixed station, and the carrier component which is loaded on the fixed station and fixed is placed on the bearing frame; wafer positioning can position the wafer to provide a positioned wafer for loading the effector. The utility model discloses work efficiency is higher, loads better with fixed precision, and the structure is compacter.

Description

Wafer loading device

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a semiconductor wafer processing technology field especially relates to a wafer loading attachment.

Background

The wafer is carried by a clamp (a tray, a sealing ring and a cover plate) and then enters an ICP process chamber for etching; the clamp simultaneously bears 7-9 wafers; the bottom of the clamp is provided with a channel for introducing helium to cool the wafer and lift the process.

In the prior art, the step of loading the wafer into the fixture is purely manual operation, and specifically comprises the following steps: sleeving a wafer positioner above the tray, sucking the wafer by a vacuum suction pen, putting the wafer into a positioner groove, carefully taking down the positioner, slowly and accurately sleeving a cover plate, fixing and turning over for 180 degrees, screwing a screw (more than 30) at the bottom of the tray, and turning over for 180 degrees to take down the clamp system for later use. The process of the link is complicated, the efficiency is low, the wafer deviation and the pollution are easy to occur, and the requirement on the quality of an operator is high.

Therefore, a wafer loading apparatus is needed to solve the above problems.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

Based on above, an object of the utility model is to provide a wafer loading attachment, it is better to load the precision, and efficiency is higher, and the structure is compacter simultaneously.

In order to achieve the purpose, the utility model adopts the following technical proposal:

a wafer loading apparatus comprising:

the loading and fixing system comprises a loading executive component and a fixing executive component, wherein the loading executive component can load the wafer on the carrier assembly, and the fixing executive component can fix the loaded carrier assembly;

the conversion workbench is provided with a loading station corresponding to the loading executive part and a fixing station corresponding to the fixing executive part, and the conversion workbench is rotatably arranged so as to convert the carrier components arranged on the loading station and the fixing station;

the conveying system is arranged on one side of the conversion workbench and comprises a bearing frame and a conveying executing piece, wherein the conveying executing piece can place the carrier assembly unloaded on the bearing frame on the fixing station and place the carrier assembly loaded and fixed on the fixing station on the bearing frame;

a wafer positioning system configured to position the wafer to provide the positioned wafer to the load effector.

As a preferable scheme of the wafer loading device, the carrier assembly comprises a carrier body and a cover plate, and the wafer loading device further comprises a cover plate taking and placing system, wherein the cover plate taking and placing system can take off the cover plate before the wafer is loaded and buckle the cover plate after the wafer is loaded.

As a preferable embodiment of the wafer loading apparatus, the wafer loading apparatus further includes a fixing member supply system disposed at one side of the fixing actuator, and the fixing member supply system is capable of supplying a fixing member to the fixing actuator.

As a preferable aspect of the wafer loading apparatus, the wafer loading apparatus further comprises a wafer supply system, the wafer supply system comprises a wafer placing table on which the wafer is placed and a wafer taking and placing member capable of taking off the wafer on the wafer placing table and placing the wafer on the wafer positioning system.

As a preferable scheme of the wafer loading device, the wafer placing table is arranged in an arc shape, and the wafer taking and placing piece is arranged at the inner side of the arc-shaped wafer placing table; and/or the wafer placing table is provided with a plurality of layers, and each layer is provided with a plurality of placing positions.

As a preferable scheme of the wafer loading apparatus, a through hole corresponding to the loading station and the fixing station is provided on the conversion table, the conversion table is disposed to be lifted, and the conversion table is lifted to support the carrier assembly or lowered to place the carrier assembly on the loading station and the fixing station.

As a preferable scheme of the wafer loader, two carriers are provided, and two carriers are respectively provided at two sides of the conveying executing member, wherein one of the carriers is used for placing the empty carrier component, and the other carrier is used for placing the loaded carrier component.

As a preferable aspect of the wafer loading apparatus, the loading station and the fixing station are configured to be rotatable by a preset angle.

As a preferred embodiment of the wafer loading apparatus, the wafer positioning system includes a positioning station, a backlight unit, and a positioning camera, the wafer is placed in the positioning station, the backlight unit is disposed on one side of the positioning station, the positioning camera is disposed on one side of the positioning station away from the backlight unit, and the positioning camera is configured to obtain light of the backlight unit passing through a positioning edge of the wafer.

As a preferable aspect of the wafer loading apparatus, the wafer positioning system further includes an adjustment module configured to rotate the wafer to orient the positioning edge of the wafer in a predetermined direction.

The utility model has the advantages that:

the utility model is provided with the bearing frame for containing the carrier components after no load and loading; the conveying executing piece is arranged and used for placing the carrier assembly with no load on the bearing frame at a fixing position on the conversion workbench; the carrier assemblies of the loading station and the fixing station can be switched in position by rotationally arranging the switching workbench; the carrier assembly which is unloaded after the position is changed is arranged at a loading station, and the loading executive component sequentially places the wafers which are positioned by the wafer positioning system on the carrier assembly; after the placement is finished, the conversion workbench rotates, the loaded carrier assembly is converted to a fixed station, and the fixed executive component fixes the loaded carrier assembly; finally, the carrier assembly after being loaded and fixed is conveyed back to the bearing frame by the conveying executive component. The wafer loading device has the advantages that the work efficiency is higher, the loading and fixing precision is better, the structure of the wafer loading device is more compact, the size of a part is effectively reduced, the occupied space of the whole device is further reduced, and the transportation of the device and the space utilization in a workshop are facilitated.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required to be used in the description of the embodiments of the present invention will be briefly described below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the description below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the contents of the embodiments of the present invention and the drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a wafer loading apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure:

1. loading the securing system; 11. loading an executive component; 12. fixing the executive component;

2. a conversion workbench; 21. a loading station; 22. fixing a station;

3. a delivery system; 31. a carrier; 32. transmitting the executive component;

4. a wafer positioning system;

5. a cover plate taking and placing system;

6. a fixture supply system;

7. a wafer supply system; 71. a placing table; 72. a chip taking and placing component.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the drawings are exemplary and intended to be used for explaining the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for convenience of description and simplification of description, but do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus, should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Wherein the terms "first position" and "second position" are two different positions.

Unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "secured" are to be construed broadly and encompass, for example, both fixed and removable connections; can be mechanically or electrically connected; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations by those skilled in the art.

The technical solution of the present invention is further explained by the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 1, the present embodiment provides a wafer loading apparatus, which includes a loading fixing system 1, a converting table 2, a conveying system 3 and a wafer positioning system 4, wherein the loading fixing system 1 includes a loading actuator 11 and a fixing actuator 12, the loading actuator 11 can load a wafer onto a carrier component, and the fixing actuator 12 can fix the loaded carrier component; the conversion workbench 2 is provided with a loading station 21 corresponding to the loading executive part 11 and a fixing station 22 corresponding to the fixing executive part 12, and the conversion workbench 2 is rotatably arranged so as to convert the carrier assemblies arranged at the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22; the conveying system 3 is arranged on one side of the conversion workbench 2 and comprises a bearing frame 31 and a conveying executive component 32, wherein the conveying executive component 32 can place carrier components unloaded on the bearing frame 31 on the fixing station 22 and place the carrier components loaded and fixed on the fixing station 22 on the bearing frame 31; the wafer positioning system 4 is configured to position the wafer to provide a positioned wafer for the load effector 11.

The carrier 31 is arranged for containing unloaded and loaded carrier components; the conveying executing part 32 is used for placing the carrier assembly unloaded on the bearing frame 31 on a fixed position on the conversion workbench 2; the carrier assemblies of the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22 can be switched in position by rotationally arranging the switching workbench 2; after the position is changed, the carrier assembly which is empty is arranged at a loading station 21, and the loading executive component 11 sequentially places the wafers which are positioned by the wafer positioning system 4 on the carrier assembly; after the placement is finished, the conversion workbench 2 rotates, the loaded carrier assembly is converted to the fixing station 22, and the fixed executive component 12 fixes the loaded carrier assembly; finally, the loaded and fixed carrier assemblies are transferred back to the carrier 31 by the transfer executing member 32. The wafer loading device has the advantages that the work efficiency is higher, the loading and fixing precision is better, the structure of the wafer loading device is more compact, the size of a part is effectively reduced, the occupied space of the whole device is further reduced, and the transportation of the device and the space utilization in a workshop are facilitated.

As an alternative to the wafer loading apparatus, the carrier 31 is provided with two, two carriers 31 are respectively provided at both sides of the transfer actuator 32, and preferably, the two carriers 31 are symmetrically provided with respect to the transfer actuator 32. One of the bearing frames 31 is used for placing unloaded carrier components, the other bearing frame 31 is used for placing loaded carrier components, each bearing frame 31 is provided with a plurality of bearing positions in sequence from top to bottom, and the bearing positions of the two bearing frames 31 are correspondingly arranged. Furthermore, each bearing position can be used for placing a carrier assembly, meanwhile, each bearing position is also provided with a bearing sensor, an anti-collision sensor and the like, and the carrier assembly can be conveyed only when the plurality of sensors are in correct states.

In this embodiment, the transfer actuator 32 is configured as a robot, the robot includes an X-axis module, a Z-axis module, and a θ -axis module, and when the carrier assembly is transferred, the three-axis modules are linked to each other to transfer the carrier assembly. Each shaft is illustratively driven by a servo motor and may be driven by a belt or lead screw or the like. Specifically, the X-axis module includes an X1 axis and an X2 axis, wherein the X1 axis can implement a debuggable stroke and the X2 axis can implement a fixed stroke. The Z axis is divided into a Z1 axis and a Z2 axis, the Z2 axis runs according to the travel proportion of the Z1 axis walking, and the theta axis can rotate for 360 degrees. This design allows for a smaller volume of the transfer actuator 32 while allowing more flexibility in debugging the transfer actuator 32. Preferably, the executing end of the transferring executing member 32 is further provided with a carrier fixing module and a falling-off detecting module, which are respectively used for clamping, fixing and detecting the carrier component, so as to ensure the reliability of the carrier component transferring and effectively prevent the carrier component from falling off.

As an alternative to a wafer loader, the wafer loader further comprises a wafer supply system 7, the wafer supply system 7 being configured to supply wafers to the wafer positioning system 4. Specifically, the wafer supply system 7 includes a wafer placing table 71 and a wafer pick-and-place member 72, the wafer placing table 71 is used for placing wafers, and the wafer pick-and-place member 72 can take the wafers off the wafer placing table 71 and place the wafers on the wafer positioning system 4.

Further, the wafer placing table 71 is provided in an arc shape, and the wafer pick-and-place member 72 is provided inside the arc-shaped wafer placing table 71. By such arrangement, the picking and placing distance and time of the wafer picking and placing part 72 can be reduced, and the efficiency of picking and placing the wafer can be effectively improved. Alternatively, the wafer placing stage 71 is provided with a plurality of layers, each of which is provided with a plurality of placing bits. Illustratively, the wafer placing table 71 is provided with upper and lower two layers, 10 placing positions per layer, for a total of 20 placing positions. Preferably, the placement station is compatible with wafers of various sizes to improve the applicability and versatility of the wafer loading apparatus. In addition, each placing position is provided with a plug and a displacement sensor, so that the wafer taking and placing piece 72 is prevented from colliding, and the wafer taking and placing piece 72 can normally take and place wafers.

In this embodiment, the wafer taking and placing device 72 is configured as a manipulator, the manipulator includes an X-axis module, a Z-axis module, a θ -axis module, and a rotation module, when taking and placing the wafer, the three-axis modules are linked to realize taking and placing of the wafer, and the rotation module is used for reversing the wafer. Each shaft is illustratively driven by a servo motor and may be driven by a belt or lead screw or the like.

Preferably, the wafer pick-and-place member 72 is further provided with a scanning sensor, which can be used to scan the position of the wafer and the number of wafers at the placing position, facilitating the overall control of the wafer loading apparatus. Illustratively, the wafer taking and placing element 72 is provided with a negative pressure pipeline, so that the wafer is taken and placed by the negative pressure, which is beneficial to reducing damage to the wafer.

As an alternative to the wafer loading apparatus, the wafer positioning system 4 includes a positioning station where the wafer is placed by the wafer picking and placing member 72, a backlight member disposed at one side of the positioning station, and a positioning camera disposed at one side of the positioning station away from the backlight member, the positioning camera being configured to acquire light of the backlight member passing through the positioning edge of the wafer. Because the light of the positioning edge of the wafer can penetrate, the positioning of the wafer can be realized through the backlight piece and the positioning camera, compared with the mechanical positioning of the wafer in the prior art, the damage to the wafer is reduced on one hand, the positioning precision is higher on the other hand, and then a fine sealing ring (with the diameter of 1200 mu m) can be used, so that the utilization rate of the area of the wafer placing table 71 is improved.

Further, the wafer positioning system 4 further includes an adjusting module configured to rotate the wafer to orient the positioning edge of the wafer in a predetermined direction. It should be noted that the wafer positioning system 4 may also be provided without an adjusting module, and the wafer direction is adjusted by the wafer picking and placing device 72 or the loading actuator 11.

As an alternative to the wafer loading apparatus, the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22 on the transfer table 2 are symmetrically disposed, the transfer table 2 is further provided with through holes corresponding to the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22, the transfer table 2 is disposed to be lifted, the transfer table 2 is raised to support the carrier assemblies, then the transfer table 2 is rotated to exchange the positions of the carrier assemblies on the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22, and then the transfer table 2 is lowered to place the carrier assemblies on the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22, so as to complete the transfer position of the carrier assemblies to be placed on the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22.

Specifically, the conversion workbench 2 is lifted and rotated through an X-axis module and a theta-axis module respectively, the X-axis module can be in belt and screw transmission, and the theta-axis module can be in direct drive motor operation with a speed reduction device. The 360-degree rotation of the conversion workbench 2 can rapidly and circularly switch the carrier assemblies, and the flow-line automatic wafer loading process is realized.

As an alternative to the wafer loader, the carrier assembly includes a carrier body for placing the wafer and a cover plate fastened to the carrier body. Correspondingly, the wafer loading device also comprises a cover plate taking and placing system 5, when the carrier assembly with empty load is switched to the loading station 21, the cover plate taking and placing system 5 takes down the cover plate, so that the loading executive part 11 can conveniently place the wafer in the carrier body; after the wafers on the carrier body are placed, the cover plate taking and placing system 5 buckles the cover plate. After the cover plate taking and placing system 5 is fastened to the rear cover plate, the converting table 2 is rotated again to convert the carrier assembly with the wafer and the fastened cover plate to the fixing station 22, so as to fix the cover plate and the carrier body.

Specifically, the cover plate taking and placing system 5 comprises a lifting shaft module and a translation shaft module, which are respectively used for driving the negative pressure sucker to lift and translate so as to take down and buckle the cover plate. Each shaft is illustratively driven by a servo motor and may be driven by a belt or lead screw or the like. The cover plate taking and placing system 5 further comprises a negative pressure sucker, and the negative pressure sucker is used for sucking the cover plate. Preferably, the cover plate taking and placing system 5 further comprises a cover taking and placing identification module, specifically comprises a CCD camera, collects, positions and calibrates position information before the cover plate is taken off, collects position information again after the cover plate is required to be fastened, and ensures the accuracy of fastening the cover plate by comparing the position information twice.

As an alternative to the wafer loading device, the loading station 21 and the fixing station 22 are configured to be rotatable at a preset angle. The rotation may be by a direct drive motor to effect 360 degree rotation of the carrier assembly placed on the loading station 21 or the stationary station 22. Further, each rotation of the preset angle is related to the position of the slide on the carrier assembly and the position to be fixed, and those skilled in the art can set the rotation according to actual needs.

Further, a negative pressure fixing module is arranged on the loading station 21, and is used for fixing the carrier body, so that the cover plate taking and placing system 5 can conveniently take and place the cover plate, and meanwhile, the stability of the carrier body is ensured when the loading executive carries out wafer loading and the fixing executive 12 fixes the cover plate.

Preferably, the loading station 21 is further provided with a positioning module including a CCD camera and a backlight assembly that can set light intensity. Before the cover plate taking and placing system 5 takes down the cover plate, the CCD camera collects the image of the carrier component and carries out analysis and positioning, and then the cover plate taking and placing system 5 takes down the cover plate; when the loading executive component 11 loads the wafer, the CCD camera collects the image of each wafer placing position and analyzes and positions the image so as to realize more accurate wafer loading; in addition, after the cover plate is fastened, the CCD camera can also collect the influence of the cover plate and analyze and position the cover plate, so that the accuracy of the subsequent fixing executive component 12 in the process of fixing the cover plate is facilitated.

In this embodiment, the wafer loader further comprises a fixture supply system 6 disposed at one side of the fixing actuator 12, wherein the fixture supply system 6 can supply fixtures to the fixing actuator 12. Illustratively, the fasteners are screws, and a plurality of screws are stored in the fastener supply system 6, and the fastener supply system 6 can also align and position the screws when supplying the screws. Preferably, the fastener supply system 6 further comprises a counter and an under-sensor, which respectively monitor the number of screws installed and the remaining screws, to ensure the reliability of the supply of screws.

Specifically, the fixing station 22 is provided with a centering module to position the carrier assembly at the fixing station 22. Optionally, the centering module is positioned through the three-jaw positioning cylinder, the three-jaw positioning cylinder can be used for centering the carrier assembly on one hand, and the three-jaw positioning cylinder is used for fixing the carrier assembly on the other hand, so that the carrier assembly is convenient to stabilize when being fixed, and the failure of loading or fixing caused by the position of the carrier assembly is effectively avoided.

The working process of the wafer loading device is as follows: the conveying executive component 32 conveys the empty carrier assembly from the bearing frame 31 to the fixing station 22 of the conversion worktable 2; the conversion workbench 2 rotates to convert the unloaded carrier assembly to the loading station 21; the cover plate taking and placing system 5 takes down the cover plate of the carrier assembly; the wafer supply system 7 supplies the wafer to the wafer positioning system 4, and the wafer positioning system 4 positions the wafer; the loading executive component 11 places the positioned wafer on the carrier body; the cover plate taking and placing system 5 is used for buckling the cover plate of the carrier component; the conversion workbench 2 rotates to convert the loaded carrier assembly to the fixed station 22; the fixing piece supply system 6 supplies fixing pieces for the fixing executive piece 12, and the fixing executive piece 12 fixes the cover plate of the carrier assembly; finally, the loaded and fixed carrier assemblies of the transfer actuators 32 are transferred from the fixing station 22 of the converting table 2 to the carrier 31.

The above description is only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be modified within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer loading apparatus, comprising:

the loading and fixing system (1) comprises a loading executive part (11) and a fixing executive part (12), wherein the loading executive part (11) can load the wafer on the carrier component, and the fixing executive part (12) can fix the loaded carrier component;

the conversion workbench (2) is provided with a loading station (21) corresponding to the loading executive part (11) and a fixing station (22) corresponding to the fixing executive part (12), and the conversion workbench (2) is rotatably arranged to convert the carrier components arranged at the loading station (21) and the fixing station (22) into positions;

the conveying system (3) is arranged on one side of the conversion workbench (2) and comprises a bearing frame (31) and a conveying executing piece (32), the conveying executing piece (32) can place the carrier components unloaded on the bearing frame (31) on the fixing station (22), and place the carrier components loaded and fixed on the fixing station (22) on the bearing frame (31);

a wafer positioning system (4) configured to position the wafer to provide the positioned wafer to the load effector (11).

2. The wafer loading device according to claim 1, wherein the carrier assembly comprises a carrier body and a cover plate, the wafer loading device further comprising a cover plate pick-and-place system (5), the cover plate pick-and-place system (5) being capable of removing the cover plate before loading the wafer and snapping the cover plate after loading.

3. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing member supply system (6) provided at one side of the fixing actuator (12), wherein the fixing member supply system (6) can supply a fixing member to the fixing actuator (12).

4. The wafer loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that the wafer loading device further comprises a wafer supply system (7), the wafer supply system (7) comprises a wafer placing table (71) and a wafer taking and placing member (72), the wafer is placed on the wafer placing table (71), and the wafer taking and placing member (72) can take the wafer off the wafer placing table (71) and place the wafer on the wafer positioning system (4).

5. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the wafer placing table (71) is provided in an arc shape, and the wafer taking and placing member (72) is provided inside the arc-shaped wafer placing table (71); and/or the wafer placing table (71) is provided with a plurality of layers, and each layer is provided with a plurality of placing positions.

6. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer table (2) is provided with through holes corresponding to the loading station (21) and the fixing station (22), the transfer table (2) is disposed to be lifted, and the transfer table (2) is raised to support the carrier assembly or lowered to place the carrier assembly at the loading station (21) and the fixing station (22).

7. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carrier (31) is provided with two, two carriers (31) are respectively provided at both sides of the transfer actuator (32), one of the carriers (31) is used for placing the empty carrier components, and the other carrier (31) is used for placing the loaded carrier components.

8. Wafer loading device according to claim 1, characterized in that the loading station (21) and the fixing station (22) are configured so as to be each rotatable by a preset angle.

9. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wafer positioning system (4) includes a positioning station where the wafer is placed, a backlight provided at a side of the positioning station, and a positioning camera provided at a side of the positioning station away from the backlight, the positioning camera being configured to acquire light of the backlight through a positioning edge of the wafer.

10. Wafer loading device according to claim 9, characterized in that the wafer positioning system (4) further comprises an adjustment module configured to be able to rotate the wafer to orient the positioning edge of the wafer in a preset direction.