WO2023071875A1

WO2023071875A1 - Semiconductor process device, tray and wafer box

Info

Publication number: WO2023071875A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/126076
Authority: WO
Inventors: 程旭文
Original assignee: 北京北方华创微电子装备有限公司
Priority date: 2021-10-29
Filing date: 2022-10-19
Publication date: 2023-05-04
Also published as: TW202318590A; TWI806790B; CN114005768A

Abstract

The present application discloses a semiconductor process device, a tray and a wafer box, which relate to the field of semiconductor equipment. The semiconductor process device comprises a process chamber, a transmission chamber and a loading chamber. The loading chamber is used for accommodating a wafer box, the wafer box is used for bearing a tray, and a transmission apparatus is provided in the transmission chamber and is used for transmitting the tray between the process chamber and the loading chamber. An image recognition apparatus is provided at the connection of the loading chamber and the transmission chamber, and the image recognition apparatus is used for recognizing a preset feature image on the tray when the transmission apparatus bears the tray to move, and for determining feature information of the tray. The semiconductor process device further comprises a controller, the controller being used for obtaining the feature information, finding, from a preset tray information library, transmission parameters corresponding to the feature information, and controlling the transmission apparatus to transmit the tray according to the transmission parameters. A tray, which is used in a semiconductor process device. A wafer box, which is used for bearing a tray. In the present application, problems such as low transmission precision, time consumption and labor consumption may be solved.

Description

Semiconductor process equipment, trays and cassettes

technical field

The application belongs to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, and in particular relates to a semiconductor process equipment, a tray and a chip box.

Background technique

Enhanced plasma vapor deposition (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition, PECVD) equipment is a kind of thin film deposition equipment commonly used in LED, IC and micro electro mechanical system (Micro Electro Mechanical System, MEMS) and other related fields, mainly used in 2-inch The process of depositing SiO ₂ , SiN _x or SiON films on the surface of wafers with specifications such as , 4 inches, and 6 inches. At present, this kind of equipment has been widely used in related semiconductor fields.

When PECVD equipment is depositing thin films, wafers need to be loaded in the loading chamber, taken out by the manipulator from the loading chamber, transferred in the transfer chamber, and then transferred to the process chamber for process reaction. Due to the process requirements for wafers of different sizes in the same reaction chamber, the wafers are generally placed on trays for transport. In order to ensure that the position of the wafer in the reaction chamber is relatively accurate, and to ensure the repeatability of the process, the precise transmission of trays of different sizes is very important during the transmission process.

However, some transmission equipment cannot accurately position the trays of different specifications in the loading chamber, resulting in low transmission accuracy; the parameters of different trays need to be manually input, and when switching trays of different sizes, it is necessary to open the cavity for each station calibration and dynamic wafer Centering (Active Wefer Centering, AWC) calibration, resulting in time-consuming and labor-intensive and prone to human errors, affecting transmission accuracy.

Contents of the invention

The purpose of the embodiment of the present application is to provide a semiconductor process equipment, a tray and a cassette, which can solve the problems of low transmission accuracy, time-consuming and labor-consuming.

In order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the application is implemented as follows:

An embodiment of the present application provides a semiconductor process equipment, including a process chamber, a transport chamber, and a loading chamber, the process chamber is used to perform a semiconductor process, the loading chamber is used to accommodate a cassette, the The cassette is used to carry a tray, and a transfer device is arranged in the transfer chamber for transferring the tray between the process chamber and the loading chamber;

An image recognition device is provided at the junction of the loading chamber and the transfer chamber, and the image recognition device is used for carrying the tray on the transfer device and moving from the loading chamber to the transfer chamber During the process, the preset characteristic image on the pallet is identified, and the characteristic information of the pallet is determined;

The semiconductor process equipment further includes a controller, the controller is used to obtain the characteristic information, search for the transmission parameters corresponding to the characteristic information from the preset pallet information library, and control the transmission device according to the transmission parameters Transport the pallet.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a tray, which is applied to the above-mentioned semiconductor process equipment. A characteristic image is set on the top surface of the tray, and the characteristic image can be recognized by an image recognition device. The characteristic image includes the tray feature information.

The embodiment of the present application also provides a chip box for carrying the above-mentioned tray, the chip box includes a plurality of bearing positions, and each of the bearing positions includes a first support block and a second support block arranged oppositely, so The first support block and the second support block are respectively provided with at least one positioning pin, which is used to cooperate with at least two positioning holes on the tray to limit the position of the tray in the cassette, so that A point on the tray profile farthest from the transfer chamber along the tray transfer direction is located at a preset position.

In the embodiment of the present application, the preset characteristic image on the pallet can be recognized by the image recognition device, so as to determine the characteristic information of the pallet. After obtaining the characteristic information, the controller searches the preset pallet information library for the transmission corresponding to the characteristic information parameters, and then control the transmission device to move according to the transmission parameters, so as to realize the transmission of pallets. Based on the above settings, pallets of different specifications can be automatically identified, which can effectively solve the problems of time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone problems caused by manual input of pallet feature information and transmission parameters, thus ensuring the accuracy of different feature information. The transmission accuracy of the pallet; in addition, the controller can look up the corresponding transmission parameters from the preset pallet information library, and make the transmission device transmit the pallet according to the transmission parameters, so that there is no need to open the cavity for the transmission device station calibration, effectively solving the problem caused by the cavity opening time-consuming problem. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can realize automatic and intelligent transmission while ensuring transmission accuracy, reduce manual labor, and improve transmission efficiency.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of semiconductor process equipment disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the cassette disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

3 is a schematic diagram of barcodes in different forms (a)-(h) disclosed in the embodiments of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the pallet transport disclosed in the embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of establishing a pallet information library disclosed in the embodiment of the present application.

Explanation of reference signs:

100 - loading chamber;

200 - transfer chamber;

300 - process chamber;

400-piece box; 410-locating pin; 420-the first support block; 430-the second support block;

500-tray; 510-barcode;

600 - transmission device;

700-image recognition device;

810 - first AWC sensor; 820 - second AWC sensor.

Detailed ways

The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts all belong to the scope of protection of this application.

The terms "first", "second" and the like in the specification and claims of the present application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific sequence or sequence. It should be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the application can be practiced in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein, and that references to "first," "second," etc. distinguish Objects are generally of one type, and the number of objects is not limited. For example, there may be one or more first objects.

Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 , the embodiment of the present application discloses a semiconductor process equipment. As shown in FIG. 1 , the disclosed semiconductor process equipment includes a load chamber 100 , a transfer chamber 200 and a process chamber 300 . Wherein, the process chamber 300 is used for performing semiconductor processes, for example, processes such as etching a wafer and forming a film layer on the surface of the wafer. The loading chamber 100 is used to accommodate the cassette 400, the cassette 400 is used to carry the tray 500, and the tray 500 is used to carry the wafer. In this way, before the wafer is processed, the tray 500 and the cassette 400 are placed in the loading chamber 100 for storage, and when the wafer needs to be processed, the tray 500 carrying the wafer can pass through the loading chamber 100 The transfer chamber 200 is transferred to the process chamber 300 to process the wafer in the process chamber 300 .

In some embodiments, the loading chamber 100 , the transfer chamber 200 and the process chamber 300 are arranged in sequence. In order to transfer the wafer in the loading chamber 100 to the process chamber 300, a transfer device 600 is provided in the transfer chamber 200. Optionally, the transfer device 600 can include a robot arm, and the transfer device 600 can be used in the process chamber 300. The tray 500 is transferred to and from the loading chamber 100, and the wafer is carried by the tray 500 for transfer.

In order to identify pallets 500 of various specifications, an image recognition device 700 is provided at the junction of the loading chamber 100 and the transfer chamber 200, and the transfer device 600 carries the pallet 500 and moves from the loading chamber 100 to the transfer chamber 200. During the process, the preset characteristic image on the tray 500 can be recognized by the image recognition device 700, so as to determine the characteristic information (such as serial number, identification, etc.) of the tray 500 according to the characteristic image.

Based on this, by setting the image recognition device 700 at the junction of the loading chamber 100 and the transfer chamber 200, the image recognition area is formed in the vicinity of the junction of the loading chamber 100 and the transfer chamber 200, so that when the transfer device 600 carries When the pallet 500 passes through the image recognition area, since different characteristic images are provided on the pallet 500 of different specifications, the characteristic image on the currently transported pallet 500 can be recognized by the image recognition device 700, and according to the identified pallet 500 The feature image acquires feature information of the tray 500 , so as to prepare for adjusting the transport mode of the transport device 600 .

The semiconductor process equipment also includes a controller, which can be respectively connected to the image recognition device 700 and the transmission device 600 to realize signal transmission. Specifically, the image recognition device 700 can send the characteristic information of the tray 500 to the controller, and the control The device performs analysis and processing, and then controls the transmission device 600 to perform corresponding transmission actions according to the analysis and processing results.

Wherein, the controller can obtain the feature information of the currently transmitted tray 500. At the same time, the tray information library can also be stored in the controller. The specifications of the pallets 500 respectively correspond to the transmission parameters. In this way, after the controller acquires the feature information of the currently transported pallet 500, it searches the pallet information library for the corresponding transport parameters according to the feature information. After finding the corresponding transmission parameters, the control transmission device 600 transmits the tray 500 according to the transmission parameters.

The specific process of the semiconductor process equipment transport tray 500 provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

Place the cassette 400 carrying a plurality of trays 500 in the loading chamber 100, each tray 500 can carry wafers; the controller controls the transfer device 600 to move from the transfer chamber 200 to the loading chamber 100, pick up the tray 500, And control the transfer device 600 to carry the tray 500 to move from the loading chamber 100 towards the transfer chamber 200; Identify the characteristic image of the set, and determine the characteristic information of the pallet 500 according to the characteristic image, and at the same time, transmit the determined characteristic information to the controller; the controller searches the preset pallet information library according to the characteristic information Corresponding transmission parameters, and then control the transmission device 600 to transmit the tray 500 according to the transmission parameters.

Based on the above settings, the image recognition device 700 can automatically recognize pallets 500 of different specifications, thereby effectively solving the problems of time-consuming, labor-intensive, and error-prone problems caused by manual input of pallet characteristic information and transmission parameters, and ensuring The transmission accuracy and transmission efficiency of pallets 500 of different specifications are improved; in addition, the controller can search the corresponding transmission parameters from the preset pallet information library, and make the transmission device 600 transmit the pallets 500 according to the corresponding transmission parameters, so that there is no need to open the cavity for processing. The 600-position calibration of the transmission device effectively solves the time-consuming and labor-intensive problem caused by opening the cavity. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can realize automatic and intelligent transmission while ensuring transmission accuracy, reduce manual labor, and improve transmission efficiency.

In order to be able to find the characteristic information of the currently transmitted pallet 500 from the pallet information database, and the transmission parameters corresponding to the characteristic information, in the embodiment of the present application, the acquired characteristic information is combined with the pre-stored characteristics in the pallet information database through the controller. The information is compared, so that it can be judged whether there is the same feature information as the feature information of the currently transported tray 500 and the corresponding transport parameters in the tray information library.

In the first case, the pallet information database stores the same feature information as the currently transmitted pallet 500. In this case, during transmission, the corresponding transmission parameters can be found from the pallet information database, so that the transmission The device 600 may transport the tray 500 according to the transport parameters.

In the second case, there is no characteristic information of the currently transmitted pallet 500 in the pallet information database. In this case, to realize the transmission of the pallet 500, it is necessary to first establish an information file of the pallet 500 in the pallet information database, including The characteristic information of the pallet and the corresponding transmission parameters are used to lay the foundation for subsequent searches.

It is considered that the characteristic information of the pallets 500 transmitted twice adjacently may be the same or different. When they are the same, the transmission parameters corresponding to the pallets 500 transmitted twice adjacently are the same, so that when the current pallet 500 is transmitted, the transmission parameters of the pallet 500 transmitted last time can be used, so that the current pallet can be realized without switching the transmission parameters. 500 transmission; when different, the transmission parameters corresponding to the pallets 500 that are transmitted twice adjacently are different, so when the current pallet 500 is transmitted, it is necessary to switch to the transmission parameters corresponding to the current pallet 500 first.

Based on the above situation, in the above first case, it is necessary to further determine whether the feature information of the currently transported tray 500 is consistent with the feature information of the last transported tray 500 . When the characteristic information of the trays 500 transmitted twice is the same, it indicates that the trays 500 transmitted twice belong to the tray 500 of the same specification. At this time, there is no need to switch the transmission parameters, so that the previous transmission parameters can be directly used, that is, the current control Based on the transmission parameters stored in the device, the transmission efficiency can be greatly improved, and the accuracy of the transmission parameters can be guaranteed, thereby ensuring the transmission accuracy. On the contrary, when the characteristic information of the pallet 500 transmitted twice is inconsistent, it indicates that the specification of the pallet 500 transmitted currently is different from that of the pallet 500 transmitted last time, and the transmission parameters need to be switched to the transmission parameters corresponding to the pallet 500 currently transmitted. In this way, the transmission parameters corresponding to the characteristic information of the currently transmitted pallet 500 can be searched from the pallet information library pre-stored in the controller. After the corresponding transmission parameters are found, the transmission device 600 can be controlled to transmit the pallet 500 according to the transmission parameters. . Based on this, automatic searching and switching of transmission parameters can be realized to ensure the accuracy of transmission parameters and further ensure transmission accuracy.

In the above second case, an information file of the pallet 500 can be established in the pallet information library. As shown in Figure 5, the specific process is as follows:

First, check the transmission conditions. When the transmission test conditions are met, place the tray 500 on the cassette 400 and perform precise positioning. If there is no problem with the placement of the tray 500, record the characteristic information of the current tray 500, such as size, etc. ; After the recording is completed, calibrate each station of the process chamber 300 according to the station calibration method of the transmission device 600 ; record the station value after the calibration is completed. After the calibration is completed, the transfer device 600 carries the tray 500 through the process chamber 300, and the AWC sensor records the teaching center (that is, the center of the tray 500 after calibration) when the transfer device 600 carries the tray 500 through the process chamber 300, and the AWC calibration is completed , so as to form an information file of the currently transported tray 500 . The commissioning process covers multiple pallets 500 of different specifications that need to be used, so that a pallet information library for transmission is established for multiple pallets 500 of different specifications.

It can be understood that when the characteristic information of the currently transmitted pallet 500 does not exist in the pallet information database, it may prompt that the pallet 500 cannot be transmitted, and that the characteristic information and transmission parameters of the pallet 500 need to be established for open cavity debugging. In some embodiments, station calibration and AWC calibration can be performed according to the above-mentioned debugging process of the transmission device 600. After the calibration is completed, the corresponding transmission parameters can be stored in the pallet information library, including station parameters and AWC sensor parameters. , and thus, an information file of the currently transported pallet 500 is formed in the pallet information library, so as to be invoked when the pallet 500 of this specification is subsequently transported.

Based on the above settings, the feature information of the pallet 500 is stored in the pallet information database, that is, the information file of the pallet 500 is established in the pallet information database, so that when the pallet 500 of this specification needs to be transmitted in the future, it can be directly obtained from the pallet. Invoking from the information library, there is no need to open a cavity for each station calibration and AWC calibration, thereby improving the transmission efficiency of the pallet 500 .

Optionally, the transmission parameters may include the size of the pallet 500 and the station parameters corresponding to the pallet 500 of this size. Based on this, when a pallet 500 of a certain size is transmitted, the pallet 500 with the size can be called from the pallet information library. Corresponding station parameters, so that the tray 500 can be transferred to the corresponding station according to the station parameters.

Wherein, the station parameters may include station stretching value, station rotation value, station high position value and station low position value, according to these parameter values, the specific transmission position of the pallet 500 can be determined, thereby ensuring the transmission accuracy of the pallet 500 .

It should be noted here that the above-mentioned station expansion and contraction value, station rotation value, station high position value and station low position value can all be understood as parameters related to the transmission station of the pallet 500, based on these parameter values, the pallet 500 can be determined the transmission method.

Optionally, two wafer automatic centering AWC (Active Wafer Centering, wafer automatic centering) sensors are provided at the junction of the transfer chamber 200 and the process chamber 300, that is, the first AWC sensor 810 and the second AWC sensor 810. For the AWC sensor 820 , the connection line of the two AWC sensors is perpendicular to the conveying path of the tray 500 , and the distances between the two AWC sensors and the vertical feet are different. It is easy to understand that the transmission path of the tray 500 is regarded as a straight line, which is located between two AWC sensors and is perpendicular to the connection line of the two AWC sensors. The connection line of the two AWC sensors includes the first line segment and the second line segment. Two line segments, where the first line segment is the vertical line where one AWC sensor intersects the line, the second line segment is the vertical line where the other AWC sensor intersects the line, and the intersection point of the two perpendicular lines and the line is the vertical line. foot. Moreover, the lengths of the first line segment and the second line segment are not equal, that is, the distances between the two AWC sensors and the vertical feet are not equal.

Optionally, the transmission parameters also include: AWC sensor parameters corresponding to the pallet 500 of this size, wherein the AWC sensor parameters include: the front-end trigger delay time of the first AWC sensor 810, the rear-end trigger delay time of the first AWC sensor 810, the second The front-end trigger delay time of the second AWC sensor 820 and the rear-end trigger delay time of the second AWC sensor 820 .

Based on the above settings, in the process of transporting the tray 500 by the transport device 600, each AWC sensor will pass through twice, a total of four times, and the position of the transport device 600 when passing the AWC sensor four times can calculate the center of the current transport tray 500, In this way, the AWC calibration of the transmission device 600 is realized. Based on this, the transfer station in the process chamber 300 can be taught according to the above-mentioned AWC calibration method of the transfer device 600 , and the teaching center of the transfer device 600 can be determined. During the actual movement, when there is a deviation between the actual center and the teaching center when the transfer device 600 carries the tray 500 through the AWC sensor, when the transfer device 600 moves to the process chamber 300, the transfer device 600 can compensate according to the deviation, To ensure the consistency of the position of the tray 500 in the process chamber 300 .

In the embodiment of the present application, the transmission parameters of the pallet 500 may include the pallet number, pallet size, corresponding station parameters and corresponding AWC sensor parameters, see the following table for details.

Optionally, the image recognition device 700 may be a barcode recognition sensor, and correspondingly, the characteristic image may be the barcode 510 . In this way, when the transfer device 600 carries the tray 500 and moves from the loading chamber 100 to the transfer chamber 200 , the barcode recognition sensor can recognize the barcode 510 on the tray 500 to determine the characteristic information of the tray 500 . Of course, the image recognition device 700 can also use other components, and the corresponding feature images can also take other forms, and the specific forms of the image recognition device 700 and feature images are not specifically limited in this embodiment of the application.

In order to be able to call the characteristic information of pallets 500 of different specifications and the corresponding transmission parameters, and apply the transmission parameters to the transmission device 600, so that the transmission device 600 can accurately and quickly transmit the pallet 500, in the embodiment of the present application, in the pallet information database The feature information and corresponding transmission parameters of pallets 500 of various specifications are stored in the storage.

For example, a pallet 500 of a certain specification has a corresponding size of the pallet 500 and a corresponding transmission parameter. When it is necessary to transmit the pallet 500 of this type, the characteristic information of the pallet 500 and the transmission parameters corresponding to the characteristic information can be directly called from the pallet information library, including the size of the pallet 500 and the station parameters corresponding to the size, And the AWC sensor parameters corresponding to the size, so as to control the transfer device 600 to transfer the tray 500 according to the above-mentioned various transfer parameters, without re-inputting the transfer parameters, improving the transfer efficiency and ensuring the transfer accuracy.

The embodiment of the present application also discloses a tray 500, which is applied to the above-mentioned semiconductor process equipment, wherein a characteristic image is set on the top surface of the tray 500, the characteristic image can be recognized by the image recognition device 700, and the characteristic image includes Characteristic information of the tray 500 .

Optionally, the feature image may be a barcode 510, and accordingly, the image recognition device 700 may use a barcode recognition sensor. Pallets 500 of different specifications have barcodes 510 in different forms, as shown in FIG. 3 .

In order to realize the positioning of the tray 500, in some embodiments, at least two positioning holes are provided on the tray 500, and the at least two positioning holes are used to cooperate with at least two positioning pins 410 provided on the cassette 400 one by one. , restricting the position of the tray 500 in the cassette 400 so that the point on the outline of the tray 500 along the transport direction of the tray 500 that is farthest from the transport chamber 200 is located at a preset position.

When placing the tray 500, the positioning hole on the tray 500 is matched with the positioning pin 410 on the film box 400, so that the tray 500 can be loaded by the film box 400, and the cooperation of the positioning pin 410 and the positioning hole can Accurate positioning of the tray 500 is achieved, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the position of the tray 500 on the cassette 400 , thereby ensuring the accuracy of the initial position of the tray 500 in the loading chamber 100 .

Optionally, two positioning holes are set on the tray 500, correspondingly, two positioning pins 410 are set on the cassette 400, and the two positioning holes on the tray 500 are symmetrically set on both sides of the transport direction, that is, two The connection line of the positioning holes is perpendicular to the conveying direction, so that the trays 500 of various sizes required by the process can be covered. The positions of the two positioning holes on the trays 500 of different sizes are different, and the setting method of the positions of the two positioning holes needs to satisfy the regular placement of the trays 500 of different sizes so that the transfer device 600 can pick them up, for example, based on the different sizes of the positioning holes After the trays 500 of different sizes are placed on the cassette 400, the points on the contours of the trays 500 of different sizes along the conveying direction of the trays 500 that are farthest from the transfer chamber 200 are located at a preset position, that is, the contours of the trays 500 of different sizes are located at a preset position. The preset position is tangent, and the preset position can be flexibly set according to the structure and size of the cassette 400 .

Optionally, the thickness of the tray 500 may be 4mm-6mm, and the height of the positioning pin 410 is designed to be 1.5mm, and the diameter is designed to be 4mm. Correspondingly, the positioning hole provided on the tray 500 may have a depth of 2mm and a diameter of 6mm, so as to ensure that the positioning pin 410 can penetrate into the positioning hole. Based on the above-mentioned settings, through the one-to-one matching of at least two positioning holes with at least two positioning pins 410, the uniqueness of the position where the tray 500 is placed on the cassette 400 can be ensured, so that trays 500 of different sizes can be placed in the loading chamber. Positional accuracy in 100's.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the embodiment of the present application also discloses a chip box 400 for carrying a tray 500 . Wherein, the chip box 400 includes a plurality of bearing positions, and each bearing position includes a first supporting block 420 and a second supporting block 430 which are arranged oppositely, and at least one positioning bracket is respectively arranged on the first supporting block 420 and the second supporting block 430. The pins 410 are used to cooperate with at least two positioning holes on the tray 500 one by one, to limit the position of the tray 500 in the cassette 400, so that the outline of the tray 500 is farthest from the transfer chamber 200 along the transfer direction of the tray 500 The point is located at a preset position.

Optionally, the chip box 400 may include a top board, a bottom board, a first side board and a second side board, wherein the top board and the bottom board are arranged in parallel with a certain distance between them, and the first side board and the second side board are both It is connected between the top board and the bottom board, and the first side board and the second side board are arranged at intervals. In order to carry multiple trays 500, a plurality of first support blocks 420 are provided on the side of the first side plate facing the second side plate, and the plurality of first support blocks 420 are arranged at intervals along the direction perpendicular to the top plate, so that adjacent A first slot for accommodating a part of the tray 500 is formed between two first support blocks 420 , similarly, a second slot for accommodating a part of the tray 500 is formed between two adjacent second support blocks 430 , and A plurality of first card slots is provided in one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of second card slots, so that the correspondingly arranged first card slots and second card slots form a bearing position for carrying the tray 500 .

In addition, the same cassette 400 can be compatible with multiple pallets 500 of different sizes. When designing the cassette 400 , the size of the cassette 400 is designed according to the size of the largest pallet 500 . Based on this, after the tray 500 is placed in the film box 400, the edge of the tray 500 is pressed against the edge of one side of the film box 400, so that the trays 500 of different sizes can be accurately positioned by the film box 400 to ensure that the tray 500 Positional accuracy in the load chamber 100 .

In order to realize the positioning of the tray 500 , positioning structures may be provided on the cassette 400 and the tray 500 respectively. In some embodiments, at least one positioning pin 410 is provided on the corresponding first support block 420 , at least one positioning pin 410 is provided on the second support block 430 , and at least two positioning holes are provided on the tray 500 . In this way, when the tray 500 is loaded on the cassette 400, the positioning holes and the positioning pins 410 are in one-to-one correspondence. At this time, the position of the point on the outline of the tray 500 along the transport direction farthest from the transport chamber 200 can be determined, so that Precise positioning of the tray 500 in the cassette 400 is performed.

In the semiconductor process equipment provided in the embodiment of the present application, the transmission mode of the tray is shown in Figure 4, which specifically includes:

The tray 500 carried on the film box 400 is positioned by the positioning pin 410 and the positioning hole that cooperate with each other; the transfer device 600 carries the tray 500 to move from the loading chamber 100 to the transfer chamber 200; during the movement, the image recognition device 700 Recognize the image features on the tray 500, and determine the feature information of the tray 500 according to the image features; after the controller obtains the feature information of the tray 500, compares the feature information with the feature information stored in the tray information database, and judges the pallet information database. Whether there is the same feature information as the feature information of the currently transported tray 500 in the pallet information library; if there is the same feature information as the currently transported tray 500 in the tray information library, determine the feature of the currently transported tray 500 Whether the information is consistent with the characteristic information of the pallet 500 transmitted last time; when the characteristic information of the pallet 500 transmitted currently is consistent with the characteristic information of the pallet 500 transmitted last time, the current transmission parameters are directly used to transmit the pallet 500; when the currently transmitted When the characteristic information of the pallet 500 is inconsistent with the characteristic information of the last transmitted pallet 500, the transmission parameter corresponding to the characteristic information of the currently transmitted pallet 500 is searched from the pallet information database, and the transmission device 600 is controlled to transmit according to the transmission parameter. Pallet 500: In the case that there is no characteristic information of the currently transmitted pallet 500 in the pallet information database, an information file of the current pallet 500 is established in the pallet information database, so as to call the characteristic information and transmission parameters of the pallet 500 of this specification.

In summary, in the embodiment of the present application, the precise positioning of trays 500 of different specifications is realized, and the automatic identification of trays 500 is realized. When switching trays 500 of different specifications, the characteristic information and corresponding information of the transmission device 600 are automatically called transfer parameters, and transfer the pallet 500 according to the corresponding transfer parameter, so as to ensure the accurate and efficient transfer of the pallet 500 of different specifications.

The embodiments of the present application have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific embodiments, which are only illustrative and not restrictive. Those of ordinary skill in the art will Under the inspiration of this application, without departing from the purpose of this application and the scope of protection of the claims, many forms can also be made, all of which belong to the protection of this application.

Claims

A semiconductor process equipment comprising a process chamber for performing a semiconductor process, a transfer chamber and a loading chamber for accommodating wafer cassettes for carrying trays , the transfer chamber is provided with a transfer device, the transfer device is used to transfer the tray between the process chamber and the loading chamber, characterized in that,

An image recognition device is provided at the junction of the loading chamber and the transfer chamber, and the image recognition device is used for carrying the tray on the transfer device and moving from the loading chamber to the transfer chamber During the process, the preset characteristic image on the pallet is identified, and the characteristic information of the pallet is determined;

The semiconductor process equipment further includes a controller, the controller is used to obtain the characteristic information, search for the transmission parameters corresponding to the characteristic information from the preset pallet information library, and control the transmission device according to the transmission parameters Transport the pallet.
The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the feature information, compare it with the pre-stored feature information in the tray information library, and determine whether the information in the tray information library is Whether there is the same feature information as the acquired feature information; if there is the same feature information as the acquired feature information in the pallet information library, it is judged that the feature information is the same as the last transmitted pallet Whether the characteristic information of the pallet is consistent; when the characteristic information is consistent with the characteristic information of the last transmitted pallet, directly use the current transmission parameters to transmit the pallet; when the characteristic information is inconsistent with the characteristic information of the last transmitted pallet , and then look up the transmission parameters corresponding to the characteristic information from the pallet information database, and control the transmission device to transmit the pallet according to the transmission parameters.
The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission parameters include: the size of the tray and the station parameters corresponding to the tray of this size, and the station parameters include station expansion and contraction value, station rotation value, station high value, and station low value.
The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 3, wherein two AWC sensors for automatic wafer centering are provided at the junction of the transfer chamber and the process chamber, and the connection of the two AWC sensors is The line is perpendicular to the transport path of the pallet, and the two AWC sensors are at different distances from the vertical feet.
The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 4, wherein the transmission parameters further include: AWC sensor parameters corresponding to the tray of the size, the AWC sensor parameters include the trigger delay time of the front end of the first AWC sensor, the second A rear-end trigger delay time of an AWC sensor, a second AWC sensor front-end trigger delay time, and a second AWC sensor rear-end trigger delay time.
The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 1, wherein the image recognition device is a barcode recognition sensor, and the characteristic image is a barcode.
A tray used in the semiconductor process equipment according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that a characteristic image is provided on the top surface of the tray, and the characteristic image can be recognized by an image recognition device, so The feature image includes feature information of the tray.
The tray according to claim 7, wherein the characteristic image is a barcode.
The tray according to claim 7, wherein at least two positioning holes are provided on the tray, and at least two positioning holes are used for one-to-one correspondence with at least two positioning holes provided on the cassette. The pin cooperates to limit the position of the tray in the cassette so that the point on the outline of the tray that is farthest from the transfer chamber along the tray transfer direction is at a predetermined position.
A film box for carrying the tray according to any one of claims 7-9, characterized in that the film box includes a plurality of bearing positions, and each of the bearing positions includes a first supporting position oppositely arranged block and a second support block, the first support block and the second support block are respectively provided with at least one positioning pin, which is used to match with at least two positioning holes on the tray one by one, so as to limit the The position of the tray in the cassette is such that the point on the contour of the tray that is farthest from the transfer chamber along the transfer direction of the tray is located at a predetermined position.