TW202306015A - Wafer transfer device, vapor deposition system and use method thereof preventing the upper surface of the undeposited wafer from being polluted by contact - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer transfer device, a vapor deposition system and a use method thereof. The wafer transfer device, which is used for moving wafers and wafer trays in vapor deposition equipment, includes: a wafer box set, which is arranged oppositely to a load locking chamber of a vapor deposition equipment, for storing wafers; a tray table used for carrying the wafer tray; a first transfer mechanism used for transferring the wafer tray between the tray table and the load locking chamber; a second transfer mechanism used for taking out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray; a third transfer mechanism, which includes a carrying arm, used for putting the deposited wafer into the wafer box set and removing the undeposited wafer from the wafer box set; and a gripping arm used for placing undeposited wafers into the wafer tray. The invention can not only realize the automation of wafer transmission, but also prevent the upper surface of the undeposited wafer from being polluted by contact, thereby greatly improving the transmission efficiency of the wafer and the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

Description

Wafer transfer device, vapor deposition system and method of use

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, in particular to a wafer transfer device, a vapor deposition system and a use method.

Wafer processing using vapor deposition equipment (CVD) typically requires removal of wafers from cassettes and placement in wafer trays, which are then transferred to a load-lock chamber. At present, the step of taking the wafer out of the wafer cassette and placing it into the wafer tray is mainly done manually. However, the method of manually picking and placing the wafer is not only inefficient, but also easily pollutes the upper surface of the wafer, thereby affecting the quality of the wafer. Circle yield. Especially with the continuous change of the process, the sensitivity of the vapor deposition equipment to the contamination particles on the wafer surface is also increasing. Therefore, in order to ensure the processing efficiency and yield of the wafer, it is necessary to change the way of picking and placing the wafer or adjust.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer device, a vapor deposition system and a method of use, so as to avoid contact with the upper surface of the wafer during the transfer of the wafer from the wafer cassette group to the load lock chamber, thereby improving The cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions:

A wafer transfer device for movement of wafers and wafer trays in vapor deposition equipment, comprising:

a wafer cassette group, arranged opposite to the load lock chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus, for storing the wafer;

a tray table for carrying the wafer tray;

a first transport mechanism for transporting the wafer tray between the tray table and the load lock chamber;

The second transfer mechanism is used to take out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray;

The third transfer mechanism, which includes a carrying arm, is used to put the deposited wafer into the wafer box group and undeposited wafers are taken out from the wafer box group; a clamping arm is used to place the undeposited wafer Wafers are placed in the wafer tray.

Preferably, the tray table is disposed between the cassette group and the load lock chamber;

the first transfer mechanism is disposed between the pallet table and the load lock chamber;

The second conveying mechanism is arranged between the first conveying mechanism and the wafer cassette group;

The third conveying mechanism is disposed between the second conveying mechanism and the wafer cassette group.

Preferably, the wafer transfer device further includes: a wafer aligner; the wafer aligner is disposed between the tray table and the third transfer mechanism, and is used for positioning the wafer.

Preferably, the tray table can drive the wafer tray to rotate.

Preferably, the wafer transfer device further includes: a first sensor for detecting the rotation speed and stop position of the tray table.

Preferably, a suction cup is provided at the front end of the second transport mechanism to suck up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray.

Preferably, the front end of the carrying arm of the third transport mechanism is provided with a fork to lift the back of the wafer; the front end of the clamping arm is provided with jaws to clamp the side of the wafer ; and the carrying arm and the clamping arm are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction.

Preferably, the wafer transfer device further includes: a tray cabinet; the tray cabinet is arranged adjacent to the first transfer mechanism for storing the wafer tray; and the tray cabinet is provided with a first door and a second door, the first door faces the first transfer mechanism, and the second door faces the outside of the wafer transfer device.

Preferably, said first door and said second door are interlocked.

Preferably, a second sensor is provided in the tray cabinet for monitoring the storage position of the wafer tray.

On the other hand, the present invention also provides a vapor deposition system, comprising: a reaction chamber, a transfer chamber connected to the reaction chamber, a load-lock chamber connected to the transfer chamber, and the above-mentioned wafer transfer device.

Preferably, the reaction chamber is connected to the corresponding electrical system and gas supply system, and the three are arranged in a linear manner.

Preferably, the load lock chamber includes a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; when the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with undeposited wafers, the The second load lock chamber may store the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers.

Preferably, the cross-section of the transfer chamber is a hexagonal structure; wherein, one side of the transfer chamber is connected to the tray cooling chamber;

Two adjacent sides of the transfer chamber are respectively connected to the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber;

Three sides of the transfer chamber are respectively connected to the three reaction chambers, and the wafer transfer device is arranged parallel to one of the reaction chambers.

On the other hand, the present invention also provides a method for using the above-mentioned wafer transfer device, including: loading operation and unloading operation;

Wherein, the feeding operation includes:

The first transfer mechanism puts the wafer tray on the tray table;

The carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism takes out the undeposited wafer from the wafer cassette group;

The clamping arm of the third transfer mechanism puts undeposited wafers into the wafer tray;

the first transfer mechanism moves the wafer tray from the tray table to a load lock chamber;

Described unloading operation comprises:

The first transfer mechanism moves the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the load lock chamber to the tray table;

The second transfer mechanism takes out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray;

The carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism puts the deposited wafer into the cassette group.

Preferably, when performing the loading operation, the carrying arm lifts the undeposited wafer from the cassette group and puts it on the wafer aligner; the clamping arm aligns the wafer from the wafer pick up the undeposited wafer on the machine and put it into the wafer tray;

When performing the unloading operation, the second conveying mechanism sucks up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray and puts it on the wafer aligner; The deposited wafer is picked up and put into the wafer box group.

Preferably, when performing the loading operation, the tray table drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that each tray hole of the wafer tray sequentially stops to a first preset position to cooperate with the clamping arm Place the undeposited wafer;

When performing the unloading operation, the tray table drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that each of the tray pits of the wafer tray sequentially stops to a second preset position to cooperate with the second transmission mechanism Remove the post-deposition wafer.

Preferably, the number of load lock chambers is 2;

After the first transfer mechanism puts the wafer tray loaded with undeposited wafers into one of the load lock chambers, the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers is taken out from the other load lock chamber .

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least one of the following advantages:

The present invention provides a wafer transfer device, a vapor deposition system, and a method for using it. Through the cooperation of the carrying arm and the clamping arm in the first transfer mechanism, the second transfer mechanism, and the third transfer mechanism, the undeposited wafer can be Transfer from the cassette group to the load lock chamber and transfer the deposited wafers from the load lock chamber to the cassette group, which not only realizes the automation of wafer transfer, but also prevents the upper surface of the undeposited wafer from being damaged. Contact pollution greatly improves the transfer efficiency of the wafer and the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

In the present invention, when the undeposited wafer is lifted by the carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism, the fork at the front end of the carrying arm contacts the lower surface of the undeposited wafer; The jaws at the front end of the holding arm are in contact with the side of the undeposited wafer, so that the third transfer mechanism can avoid contact with the upper surface of the undeposited wafer during the process of moving the wafer from the wafer cassette group to the wafer tray. Contact, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

In the present invention, the first transfer mechanism can transfer the wafer tray loaded with undeposited wafers to the load lock chamber, thereby avoiding contact with the wafer during the process of moving the undeposited wafers from the tray table to the load lock chamber. contact with the upper surface of the wafer, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

In the present invention, the tray table can drive the wafer tray to rotate, and stop each disc pit of the wafer tray to the first preset position or the second preset position in sequence, so that the clamping arm of the third transmission mechanism or The second transport mechanism can complete the placing operation of all undeposited wafers or the suction operation of all deposited wafers at a fixed position.

In the present invention, the first door of the tray cabinet facing the first transfer mechanism and the second door facing the outside have an interlocking structure, so that the first door and the second door cannot be opened at the same time, thereby ensuring that when wafer trays are stored from the outside to the tray cabinet , the first transfer mechanism cannot take out the wafer trays from the tray cabinet at the same time, thereby not only ensuring the operation safety of the tray cabinet but also controlling the cleanliness inside the wafer transfer device.

A wafer transfer device, a vapor deposition system and a method of use proposed by the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and all use imprecise scales, which are only used to facilitate and clearly assist the purpose of illustrating the embodiments of the present invention. In order to make the objects, features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, please refer to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. shown in the drawings attached to this specification are only used to match the content disclosed in the specification, for those who are familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the implementation of the present invention. condition, so it has no technical substantive meaning, and any modification of structure, change of proportional relationship or adjustment of size shall still fall within the scope of the present invention without affecting the effect and purpose of the present invention. within the scope covered by the disclosed technical content.

It should be noted that in this article, relational terms such as first and second are only used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that there is a relationship between these entities or operations. There is no such actual relationship or order between them. Furthermore, the term "comprises", "comprises" or any other variation thereof is intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion such that a process, method, article, or apparatus comprising a set of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes elements not expressly listed. other elements of or also include elements inherent in such a process, method, article, or device. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a ..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus comprising said element.

As shown in Figures 1-2, this embodiment provides a wafer transfer device for moving wafers and wafer trays in vapor deposition equipment, including: a wafer cassette group 110, and load-locked with vapor deposition equipment The chamber 210 is arranged oppositely for storing the wafer; the tray table 120 is used for carrying the wafer tray; the first transport mechanism 130 is used for placing the wafer tray between the tray table 120 and the Transfer between the load lock chambers 210; the second transfer mechanism 140 is used to take out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray; the third transfer mechanism 150 includes a carrier arm 1501 for taking the deposited wafer The wafer is put into the wafer cassette group 110 and the undeposited wafer is taken out from the wafer cassette group 110; the clamping arm 1502 is used to put the undeposited wafer into the wafer tray.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1, the tray table 120 is arranged between the wafer cassette group 110 and the load lock chamber 210; the first transfer mechanism 130 is arranged between the tray table 120 and the load lock between the chambers 210; the second transfer mechanism 140 is arranged between the first transfer mechanism 130 and the wafer cassette group 110; the third transfer mechanism 150 is arranged between the second transfer mechanism 140 and between the wafer cassette groups 110 .

Specifically, in this embodiment, the wafer cassette group 110, the third conveying mechanism 150, the tray table 120, the second conveying mechanism 140 and the second conveying mechanism in the wafer conveying device Components such as a transport mechanism 130 can be arranged linearly, so that each component can be operated in an orderly manner according to the process flow, and each component can form an assembly line according to the sequence of operations, so that the wafer transfer device has a high level of automation. More specifically, according to the requirements of the actual use site, the components in the wafer transfer device can be flexibly arranged, for example, the components can be placed in a straight line, or they can be placed in an oblique and curved shape, so that Under the premise of satisfying the operation sequence of each component, the entire wafer transfer device can be properly installed in the actual use site, thereby improving the applicability of the wafer transfer device. Preferably, each component in the wafer transfer device can be arranged in a straight line, and the wafer transfer device can be arranged in parallel with the reaction chamber (including the gas supply and power supply equipment), so as to achieve the old equipment that can be directly operated manually The purpose of removing a reaction chamber and installing the wafer transfer device of this embodiment at the removed reaction chamber position is to reduce the difficulty of transformation in turn, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the wafer cassette group 110 may include a first wafer cassette 111 and a second wafer cassette 112; the first wafer cassette 111 is used to store undeposited wafers, so The second wafer cassette 112 is used for storing deposited wafers. More specifically, undeposited wafers are transferred from the first cassette 111 to the load lock chamber via the third transfer mechanism 150, the second transfer mechanism 140 and the first transfer mechanism 130 After 210, the transfer chamber is transferred to the reaction chamber for deposition processing; the deposited wafer is transferred from the reaction chamber to the load lock chamber through the transfer chamber, and then passed through the first transfer chamber. The mechanism 130 , the second conveying mechanism 140 and the third conveying mechanism 150 are conveyed to the second cassette 112 for storage. Preferably, both the first wafer cassette 111 and the second wafer cassette 112 can adopt open wafer cassettes or SMIF (wafer isolation) type wafer cassettes, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1, the wafer transfer device also includes: a tray cabinet 170; the tray cabinet 170 is arranged adjacent to the first transfer mechanism 130 for storing the wafer tray; and the tray The cabinet 170 is provided with a first door and a second door, the first door faces the first transfer mechanism 130 , and the second door faces the outside of the wafer transfer device.

It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the first door and the second door are interlocked.

In some embodiments, the tray cabinet 170 is provided with a second sensor for monitoring the storage position of the wafer tray.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the second door of the tray cabinet 170 faces outwards, so that workers or FA automation equipment (such as AGV trolleys) can pass through the second door to remove the empty wafer trays. Put it in the pallet cabinet 170. The second sensor located in the tray cabinet 170 can monitor whether the wafer tray is accurately placed in the preset storage place, so as to prevent the wafer tray from being placed incorrectly, so as to avoid subsequent first transfer mechanism 130 An error occurs when the tray is automatically picked up; more specifically, if the wafer tray is not placed in the preset storage place, the second sensor will prompt the staff to adjust the position of the wafer tray. The first door of the tray cabinet 170 faces the first transfer mechanism 130, so that the first transfer mechanism 130 can take out the empty wafer tray from the tray cabinet 170 through the first door and put on the tray table 120 to load the wafer, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In other embodiments, when the wafer tray in the wafer transfer device needs to be replaced, the first transfer mechanism 130 can also put the wafer tray to be replaced through the first door. In the tray cabinet 170, the staff or FA automation equipment can take out the wafer tray to be replaced from the tray cabinet 170 through the second door and put it into a new wafer tray, thereby completing the alignment. The replacement of the wafer tray, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the first door and the second door of the pallet cabinet 170 have an interlocking structure, so that the first door and the second door cannot be opened at the same time, that is, the The second door cannot be opened when the first door is opened or the first door cannot be opened when the second door is opened, so as to ensure that when the wafer tray is stored in the tray cabinet 170 from the outside, the first The transfer mechanism 130 cannot take out the wafer trays from the tray cabinet 170 at the same time, thereby ensuring the operation safety of the tray cabinet 170 and controlling the cleanliness inside the wafer transfer device, but the present invention does not rely on this limit.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 at the same time, the front end of the carrying arm 1501 of the third transfer mechanism 150 is provided with a fork to lift the wafer; the front end of the clamping arm 1502 is provided with jaws, It can be an arc-shaped jaw with the same curvature as the wafer to clamp the wafer; and the carrying arm 1501 and the clamping arm 1502 are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction without interfering with each other on the moving path .

It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the fork is in contact with the lower surface of the undeposited wafer, that is, the back surface; the jaw is in contact with the side of the undeposited wafer.

In some embodiments, the wafer transfer device further includes: a wafer aligner 160; the wafer aligner 160 is arranged between the tray table 120 and the third transfer mechanism 150 for The wafer is positioned.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the forks of the carrying arm 1501 in the third transfer mechanism 150 can lift undeposited wafers from the first wafer cassette 111 and place them in the on the wafer aligner 160 to calibrate the position of the undeposited wafer; the jaws of the clamping arm 1502 can pick up the undeposited wafer from the wafer aligner 160 and place it on the Among the wafer trays on the tray table 120 , the first transfer mechanism 130 puts the wafer trays full of undeposited wafers into the load lock chamber 210 . More specifically, when the undeposited wafer is lifted, the forks of the carrying arm 1501 are in contact with the lower surface of the undeposited wafer, and when the undeposited wafer is clamped, the jaws of the clamping arm 1502 are in contact with the lower surface of the undeposited wafer. The side of the undeposited wafer is in contact, so that during the process of moving the undeposited wafer from the first wafer cassette 111 to the wafer tray, the third conveying mechanism 150 can effectively avoid contact with the undeposited wafer. contact with the upper surface of the undeposited wafer, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the undeposited wafer. Preferably, both the carrying arm 1501 and the clamping arm 1502 can be composed of multi-segment mechanical arms, so that the carrying arm 1501 and the clamping arm 1502 can perform flexible movements such as telescopic rotation; the wafer calibration The diameter of the tool 160 is smaller than the diameter of the wafer so as to reserve an operating space for the carrying arm 1501 , but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 , a suction cup is provided at the front end of the second transport mechanism 140 to suck up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray.

Specifically, in this embodiment, after the first transfer mechanism 130 places the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the load lock chamber 210 onto the tray table 120, the second The transfer mechanism 140 can suck up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray through the suction cup and place it on the wafer aligner 160, and then the carrier arm 1501 of the third transfer mechanism 150 can lift the deposited wafer from the wafer tray to The deposited wafer is picked up by the wafer aligner 160 and put into the second wafer cassette 112 . More specifically, the suction cup can be a circular suction cup; if the diameter of the suction cup is smaller than the diameter of the deposited wafer, then the suction cup can absorb the center of the deposited wafer; if the diameter of the described suction cup is equal to the deposited wafer diameter of the circle, the suction cup can absorb the edge of the wafer after deposition. Preferably, the suction cup may be a Bernoulli suction cup, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In other embodiments, the second transfer mechanism 140 can also suck up the deposited wafers from the wafer trays in other ways.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 1 , the tray table 120 can drive the wafer tray to rotate.

It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the wafer transfer device further includes: a first sensor, configured to detect the rotation speed and stop position of the tray table.

Specifically, in this embodiment, several disk pits may be provided on the wafer tray, each of the disk pits is used to accommodate a wafer, and all the disk pits may be arranged along the wafer tray. The circular trays are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Specifically, in this embodiment, after the first transfer mechanism 130 puts the wafer tray on the tray table 120, the tray table 120 can be controlled to drive the wafer tray to rotate, so as to Each of the tray pits of the wafer tray is sequentially turned to a first preset position, so that the clamping arm 1502 of the third transfer mechanism 150 can put undeposited wafers into the corresponding In the disc well, the clamping arm 1502 can finish placing all undeposited wafers at the same position. The tray table 120 can also be controlled to drive the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers to rotate, so as to sequentially turn each of the tray pits of the wafer tray to a second preset position, so that The second conveying mechanism 140 can suck up the deposited wafers from the corresponding tray pits, so that the second conveying mechanism 140 can complete the sucking operation of all the deposited wafers at the same position. Preferably, the first preset position can be the position where the clamping arm 1502 performs the operation of placing undeposited wafers; The position of the circle operation, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the first sensor can be fixed at any fixed place, and the first sensor can be set opposite to the upper surface, lower surface or side of the tray table 120, so that it can During the rotation process of the tray table 120, the rotation direction and stop position are detected, so as to ensure that the second transfer mechanism 140 and the third transfer mechanism 150 can accurately pick and place the wafer. More specifically, if the first sensor detects that the rotation speed and stop position of the pallet table 120 are inconsistent with the preset rotation speed or preset stop position, the first sensor will prompt the staff to check the pallet table 120. 120 for troubleshooting. Preferably, several marking points can be set on the pallet table 120 to cooperate with the first sensor to position the pallet table 120; the preset rotation direction can be clockwise or counterclockwise; the The preset stop position may be the first preset position and the second preset position, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

As shown in FIG. 3 , this embodiment also provides a vapor deposition system, including: a reaction chamber 230 , a transfer chamber 220 connected to the reaction chamber 230 , a load lock chamber 210 connected to the transfer chamber 220 , And the wafer transfer device 100 as described above.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 3 , the load lock chamber 210 includes a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with undeposited wafers When the second load lock chamber can store the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers; when the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers, the The second load lock chamber may store the wafer tray loaded with undeposited wafers.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the undeposited wafer can be transferred from the first wafer cassette 111 to the first load lock chamber through the wafer transfer device 100, and the robot in the transfer chamber 220 Transfer from the first load lock chamber to the reaction chamber 230 for deposition processing; after deposition, the wafer can be transferred from the reaction chamber 230 to the second load lock chamber by the robot in the transfer chamber 220 chamber, and transferred from the second load lock chamber to the second cassette 112 by the wafer transfer device 100 for storage. Preferably, the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber can simultaneously store the wafer trays loaded with wafers in different states (including undeposited wafers and deposited wafers), so as to improve the The transmission efficiency of the deposited wafer and the deposited wafer between the wafer transfer device 100 and the transfer chamber 230, thereby improving the deposition efficiency of the undeposited wafer and the storage efficiency of the deposited wafer, but the present invention does not This is the limit.

Specifically, in the embodiment, since the working pressure of the wafer transfer device 100 is normal pressure and the working pressure of the transfer chamber 220 is negative pressure, the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber Each lock chamber can be provided with a third door facing the first transfer mechanism 120 in the wafer transfer device 100 and a fourth door facing the transfer chamber 220, so as to pass through the third door and the fourth door opening and closing to adjust the pressure in the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber so that the pressure in the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber is consistent with the side of the door to be opened The pressure is the same, and then the transfer of the wafer tray between the wafer transfer device 100 and the transfer chamber 220 is completed, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

More specifically, when the third door of the first load lock chamber is opened, the pressure of the first load lock chamber is the same as that of the wafer transfer device 100, and the first transfer mechanism 120 can transfer the unloaded The wafer tray on which the wafer is deposited is moved from the tray table 120 to the first load lock chamber; at the same time, the fourth door of the second load lock chamber is opened, so that the second load lock chamber and The pressure of the transfer chamber 220 is the same, and the robot in the transfer chamber 220 can move the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the reaction chamber 230 to the second load lock chamber. Subsequently, the fourth door of the first load lock chamber is opened, so that the pressure of the first load lock chamber is the same as that of the transfer chamber 220, and the robot in the transfer chamber 220 can load undeposited wafers The wafer tray is moved from the first load lock chamber to the reaction chamber 230; at the same time, the third door of the second load lock chamber is opened, so that the second load lock chamber The same as the pressure of the wafer transfer device 100, the first transfer mechanism 120 can move the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the second load lock chamber to the tray table 120, but The present invention is not limited thereto.

Please continue to refer to FIG. 3 , the reaction chamber 230 is connected to a corresponding electrical system 250 and a gas supply system 260 , and the three are arranged in a linear manner.

It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the cross section of the transfer chamber 220 is a hexagonal structure; wherein, one side of the transfer chamber 220 is connected to the tray cooling chamber 240; Two adjacent sides are respectively connected with the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber, so as to facilitate access to the wafer tray; the three sides of the transfer chamber 220 are respectively connected with the three The reaction chambers 230 are connected, and the wafer transfer device 100 is arranged in parallel with one of the reaction chambers 230 .

Specifically, in this embodiment, since the temperature of the wafer that has just completed the deposition process is relatively high, the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafer can be placed on the wafer tray by the robot in the transfer chamber 220. The tray cooling chamber 240 is cooled down, and then the wafer tray is moved from the tray cooling chamber 240 to the load lock chamber by the robot in the transfer chamber 220; preferably, the tray cooling chamber 240 may be disposed opposite to the first load lock chamber or the second load lock chamber, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Specifically, in this embodiment, each of the reaction chambers 230 can be connected to the electrical system 250 and the gas supply system 260 placed in the corresponding electrical box and gas box, and the three are arranged in a straight line as a whole (As shown in Figure 3). The wafer transfer device 100 can be arranged parallel to one of the reaction chambers 230 to improve space utilization, effectively reduce the occupied area of the site, and reduce the difficulty of retrofitting old equipment, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

On the other hand, this embodiment also provides a method for using the above-mentioned wafer transfer device, including: loading operation and unloading operation; wherein, the loading operation includes: step S11, the first transfer mechanism 130 transfers the wafer The round tray is placed on the tray table 120; step S12, the carrying arm 1501 of the third transfer mechanism 150 takes out the undeposited wafer from the wafer cassette group 110; step S13, the clamping arm 1502 of the third transfer mechanism 150 Putting undeposited wafers into the wafer tray; step S14, the first transfer mechanism 130 moves the wafer tray from the tray table 120 to the load lock chamber 210; the unloading operation includes : step S21, the first transfer mechanism 130 moves the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the load lock chamber 210 to the tray table 120; step S22, the second transfer mechanism 140 transfers the deposited wafer from the The deposited wafer is taken out from the wafer tray; step S23 , the carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism 150 puts the deposited wafer into the cassette group 110 .

It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the number of load lock chambers 210 is two; After the load lock chamber, the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers is taken out from another load lock chamber.

In some embodiments, when performing the loading operation, step S12 includes: the carrying arm 1501 lifts the undeposited wafer from the wafer cassette group 110 and puts it on the wafer aligner 160; step S13 includes: the clamping arm 1502 clamps the undeposited wafer from the wafer aligner 160 and puts it into the wafer tray; when performing the unloading operation, step S22 includes: the The second transfer mechanism 140 picks up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray and puts it on the wafer aligner 160; step S23 includes: the carrying arm 1501 lifts the wafer from the wafer aligner 160 The deposited wafers are picked up and put into the wafer cassette group 110 .

In other embodiments, when performing the loading operation, step S13 further includes: the tray table 120 drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that each tray pit of the wafer tray stops at the first The preset position cooperates with the clamping arm 1502 to place the undeposited wafer; when performing the unloading operation, step S22 also includes: the tray table 120 drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that the wafer tray Each of the tray pits sequentially stops to a second preset position and cooperates with the second conveying mechanism 140 to take out the deposited wafer.

Specifically, in this embodiment, before using the wafer transfer device, it also includes: storing the empty wafer trays in the tray cabinet 170 through the second door of the tray cabinet 170, so that the first A transfer mechanism 130 takes out the empty wafer trays through the first door of the tray cabinet 170 and puts them on the tray table 120 , but the invention is not limited thereto.

In summary, the wafer transfer device, vapor deposition system and usage method provided in this embodiment can be Transferring undeposited wafers from the cassette stack to the load lock chamber and transferring deposited wafers from the load lock chamber to the cassette stack automates wafer transfers while avoiding the need for The upper surface of the deposited wafer is contaminated by contact, which greatly improves the transfer efficiency of the wafer and the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer. In this embodiment, when the undeposited wafer is lifted by the carrying arm of the third transport mechanism, the fork at the front end of the carrying arm contacts the lower surface of the undeposited wafer; the undeposited wafer is clamped by the clamping arm , the jaws at the front end of the clamping arm are in contact with the side of the undeposited wafer, so that the third transfer mechanism can avoid contact with the undeposited wafer during the process of moving the wafer from the wafer cassette group to the wafer tray. contact with the upper surface of the wafer, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

Although the content of the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as limiting the present invention. Various modifications and alterations to the present invention will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art of the present invention after reading the above disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be defined by the appended patent application scope.

100: Wafer transfer device 110: Wafer cassette group 111:The first wafer box 112: Second wafer box 120: tray table 130: The first transmission mechanism 140: Second transmission mechanism 150: The third transmission mechanism 1501: Carrying arm 1502: clamp arm 160:Wafer Aligner 170: pallet cabinet 210: Load lock chamber 220: Teleportation Room 230: reaction chamber 240: tray cooling room 250: Electrical system 260: Air supply system

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a wafer transfer device provided by an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a third transfer mechanism of a wafer transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a vapor deposition system provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

110: Wafer cassette group

111:The first wafer box

112: Second wafer box

120: tray table

130: The first transmission mechanism

140: Second transmission mechanism

150: The third transmission mechanism

1501: Carrying arm

1502: clamp arm

160:Wafer Aligner

170: pallet cabinet

210: Load lock chamber

Claims (18)

A wafer transfer device for moving a wafer and a wafer tray in a vapor deposition device, including: a wafer cassette set opposite to a load lock chamber of the vapor deposition apparatus for storing the wafer; a tray table for carrying the wafer tray; a first transport mechanism for transporting the wafer tray between the tray table and the load lock chamber; a second transfer mechanism, used to take out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray; a third transfer mechanism, which includes a carrying arm for putting the deposited wafer into the wafer box group and taking the undeposited wafer out of the wafer box group; a clamping arm, Used to put the undeposited wafer into the wafer tray. The wafer transfer device as claimed in item 1, wherein, the tray table is disposed between the cassette group and the load lock chamber; the first transfer mechanism is disposed between the pallet table and the load lock chamber; The second conveying mechanism is arranged between the first conveying mechanism and the wafer cassette group; The third conveying mechanism is disposed between the second conveying mechanism and the wafer cassette group. The wafer transfer device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a wafer aligner; the wafer aligner is arranged between the tray table and the third transfer mechanism for positioning the wafer . The wafer transfer device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tray table can drive the wafer tray to rotate. The wafer transfer device according to claim 4, further comprising: a first sensor for detecting the rotation speed and stop position of the tray table. The wafer transfer device as claimed in item 1, wherein, A suction cup is provided at the front end of the second conveying mechanism to suck up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray. The wafer transfer device as claimed in item 1, wherein, The front end of the carrying arm of the third transfer mechanism is provided with a fork to lift the back of the wafer; the front end of the clamping arm is provided with a jaw to clamp the side of the wafer; and the carrying arm and the clamp The holding arms are arranged at intervals along the vertical direction. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising: a tray cabinet; the tray cabinet is arranged adjacent to the first transfer mechanism for storing the wafer tray; and the tray cabinet is provided with a first A door and a second door, the first door faces the first transfer mechanism, and the second door faces the outside of the wafer transfer device. The wafer transfer apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first door and the second door are interlocked. The wafer transfer device as claimed in item 8, wherein, A second sensor is arranged in the tray cabinet for monitoring the storage position of the wafer tray. A vapor deposition system, including: a reaction chamber, a transfer chamber connected to the reaction chamber, a load lock chamber connected to the transfer chamber, and any one of claims 1-10 A wafer transfer device. The vapor deposition system according to claim 11, wherein the reaction chamber is connected to a corresponding electrical system and a gas supply system, and the three are arranged in a linear manner. The vapor deposition system as claimed in claim 11, wherein, The load lock chamber includes a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; when the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with an undeposited wafer, the second load lock chamber The lock chamber can store the wafer tray loaded with one of the deposited wafers. The vapor deposition system as claimed in claim 13, wherein, The cross section of the transfer chamber is a hexagonal structure; wherein, one side of the transfer chamber is connected to the tray cooling chamber; Two adjacent sides of the transfer chamber are respectively connected to the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber; Three sides of the transfer chamber are respectively connected to three of the reaction chambers, and the wafer transfer device is arranged parallel to one of the reaction chambers. A method for using the wafer transfer device described in any one of claims 1 to 10, including: a loading operation and a loading operation; Wherein, the loading operation includes: placing a wafer tray on a tray table by a first transfer mechanism; taking out the undeposited wafer from a cassette group with a carrying arm of a third transfer mechanism; placing the undeposited wafer into the wafer tray with a clamping arm of the third transfer mechanism; moving the wafer tray from the tray table to a load lock chamber with the first transfer mechanism; The blanking operation includes: moving the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafer from the load lock chamber to the tray table by the first transfer mechanism; taking out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray by a second transfer mechanism; The deposited wafer is put into the wafer box group by the carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism. The method of using the wafer transfer device as described in claim 15, wherein, When performing the loading operation, the carrying arm lifts the undeposited wafer from the wafer cassette group and places it on a wafer aligner; the clamping arm removes the undeposited wafer from the wafer aligner The deposited wafer is clamped and placed into the wafer tray; When performing the unloading operation, the second transfer mechanism will pick up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray and place it on the wafer aligner; the carrier arm will remove the deposited wafer from the wafer aligner. The wafer is lifted and put into the wafer cassette group. The method of using the wafer transfer device as described in claim 15, wherein, When performing the loading operation, the tray table drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that each tray of the wafer tray stops in turn to a first preset position and cooperates with the clamping arm to place the undeposited wafer ; When performing the unloading operation, the tray table drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that each of the tray pits of the wafer tray stops in sequence to a second preset position and cooperates with the second conveying mechanism to take out the deposited wafer. wafer. The method of using the wafer transfer device as described in claim 15, wherein, The number of load lock chambers is 2; After the first transfer mechanism puts the wafer tray loaded with the undeposited wafer into one of the load lock chambers, the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafer is taken out from the other load lock chamber.

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