Wafer cleaning machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a wafer cleaning machine which comprises a wafer feeding and discharging device and a cleaning device, the wafer feeding and discharging device comprises a wafer conveying device, and the wafer conveying device comprises a wafer aligning device. The wafer feeding and discharging device, the wafer conveying device, the wafer aligning device and the cleaning device are reasonably arranged and work in cooperation, so that the wafer cleaning efficiency is high, and the cleaning quality is guaranteed. Different parts are arranged on the conveying device and used for making contact with the wafers before and after cleaning to achieve fixing or clamping, and therefore cross contamination is avoided. The wafer turnover mechanism is arranged and the state of the wafer is adjusted, so that the wafer can be conveniently conveyed among different devices. And the chuck cleaning tank is arranged to clean the chuck, so that the chuck is prevented from polluting the cleaned wafer. The wafer lifting device is arranged in the cleaning tank, so that the chuck is prevented from extending into the cleaning tank.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of wafer production, and in particular to a wafer cleaning machine. Background Art

[0002] Wafer cleaning is a crucial step in the semiconductor manufacturing process, used to remove pollutants and impurities on the wafer surface. The quality of wafer cleaning directly affects the performance and yield of semiconductor devices. However, the current wafer cleaning equipment has a complex structure, unreasonable layout, and low integration, resulting in low cleaning efficiency and poor cleaning effect. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the problem of wafer cleaning, the present invention proposes a wafer cleaning machine with simple structure, reasonable layout and high cleaning efficiency.

[0004] The technical solution adopted by the present invention is to design a wafer cleaning machine, including a wafer loading and unloading device and a cleaning device, the wafer loading and unloading device includes a wafer loading and unloading station and a wafer conveying device, the wafer conveying device includes a wafer alignment device, the wafer conveying device is located between the wafer loading and unloading station and the wafer cleaning device, the wafer alignment device is located in a cleaning tank of the cleaning device, and the wafer conveying device is suitable for delivering the wafer to the alignment device for cleaning.

[0005] In some embodiments, the wafer loading and unloading device includes a shell, the interior of the shell is divided into two front and rear chambers by a partition, namely a first chamber and a second chamber; a wafer conveying device is arranged in the second chamber, a box opening device is arranged in the first chamber, a door panel is arranged on the partition, and when the door panel is opened, the first chamber and the second chamber are connected; a placing table for placing a flower basket is provided on the outer side of the first chamber, a picking window is provided on the shell, and an openable and closable partition is provided at the picking window, and when the partition is opened, the placing table and the first chamber are connected, and the loading and unloading device also includes: a picking robot that can move in the first chamber, and the picking robot is used to grab the flower basket to the box opening device position.

[0006] In certain embodiments, the wafer conveying device includes a horizontal conveying robot for conveying horizontal wafers, the horizontal conveying robot includes a clamp, the clamp includes two relatively movable clamps, the clamps are provided with an array of limit assemblies for limiting the movement of the wafer, each group of limit assemblies includes a plurality of limit protrusions respectively located on the two clamps for clamping the edge of the wafer, the spacing between the two relative clamps is adjusted so that the limit protrusions of different groups of limit assemblies clamp the edge of the wafer, the limit protrusions of different limit assemblies have different heights, and the limit protrusion located on the inner side relative to the wafer has a smaller height than the limit protrusion located on the outer side.

[0007] In some embodiments, the wafer alignment device includes a driving module, which is arranged below a plurality of wafers parallel to each other, and includes a limiting shaft matching the notch shape of the wafer and a driving shaft arranged below the limiting shaft and driving the limiting shaft to rotate by friction; a first supporting module, including at least one first supporting shaft, when the notch of the wafer does not jam the limiting shaft, the first supporting shaft and the limiting shaft jointly support the wafer; a second supporting module, including at least one second supporting shaft, when the notch of the wafer jams the limiting shaft, the second supporting shaft and the limiting shaft jointly support the wafer.

[0008] In certain embodiments, each set of the limiting components includes the limiting protrusion located at the root of each clip and the limiting protrusion located at the front end of the clip.

[0009] In some embodiments, the limiting protrusion includes a boss and a limiting column located on the boss for locking the edge of the wafer.

[0010] In some embodiments, an upright conveying robot for conveying upright wafers is also included, the upright conveying robot includes a supporting assembly for conveying upright wafers, the supporting assembly includes at least two supporting frames for supporting the wafers, different supporting frames are controlled by a lifting device to move in relative lifting motion, each of the supporting frames includes a plurality of supporting bodies for jointly supporting the edge of the wafer, a slot for inserting the edge of the wafer is provided at the upper end of the supporting body, and the slots of at least two of the supporting bodies on each supporting frame are located on both sides of the center of the wafer.

[0011] In some embodiments, it also includes a wafer flipping mechanism for converting the wafer between a horizontal state and an upright state, the wafer flipping mechanism includes a flipping assembly and a wafer positioning frame arranged on the flipping assembly, the wafer positioning frame is provided with a positioning groove for inserting the wafer, the flipping assembly is rotated so that the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is horizontally oriented toward the horizontal transfer robot or the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is vertically facing upward; the wafer positioning frame has an entry and exit space for the supporting assembly to extend and retract up and down, when the notch of the positioning groove is vertically facing upward, the supporting assembly passes through the entry and exit space to lift the wafer in the wafer positioning frame upward.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wafer positioning frame includes at least two relatively arranged wafer fixing rollers, and the wafer fixing rollers are circumferentially provided with at least two groups of positioning grooves, each group of positioning grooves is arranged axially at intervals along the wafer fixing roller, and the wafer fixing roller is controlled to rotate by a rotating device, so that the wafer is inserted into different groups of positioning grooves.

[0013] In some embodiments, the cleaning device includes a cleaning tank and a wafer moving robot for transferring wafers between the cleaning tank and an upright transfer robot, the wafer moving robot being provided with a chuck for clamping the wafer for lifting and lowering; a bracket for lifting the wafer is provided in the cleaning tank, the lifting and lowering of the bracket being controlled by a lifting device, so that the wafer can be dragged out of or into the cleaning tank by the bracket.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] The present invention achieves high cleaning efficiency and ensures cleaning quality through the reasonable layout and coordinated operation of wafer loading and unloading devices, wafer conveying devices, wafer alignment devices and cleaning devices. The present invention achieves fixation or clamping of wafers before and after cleaning by arranging different parts on the conveying device to respectively contact the wafers before and after cleaning, thereby avoiding cross contamination. A wafer flipping mechanism is arranged and the wafer state is adjusted to facilitate transmission between different devices. The chuck is cleaned by arranging a chuck cleaning tank, thereby avoiding contamination of the cleaned wafer by the chuck. A wafer lifting device is arranged in the cleaning tank to prevent the chuck from extending into the cleaning tank. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with specific embodiments and drawings. In order to show details and facilitate understanding of its principles, it is not necessarily drawn to scale, and similar reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. The drawings generally illustrate the embodiments discussed herein by way of example and not limitation. Among them:

[0017] Figure 1 1 is a schematic top view of a wafer cleaning system according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a horizontal transfer robot arranged on a robot arm.

[0019] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic top view of .

[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of a horizontal transfer robot holding a wafer before cleaning.

[0021] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 Schematic side view of .

[0022] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a horizontal transfer robot holding a wafer after cleaning.

[0023] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 Schematic side view of .

[0024] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an upright transfer robot mounted on a robotic arm.

[0025] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of one of the support frames holding up a wafer.

[0026] Fig.10 It is another schematic diagram of a support frame holding a wafer.

[0027] Fig.11 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the wafer flipping mechanism.

[0028] Fig.12 It is a schematic diagram showing that the wafer on the wafer flipping mechanism is in a horizontal state.

[0029] Fig.13 It is a schematic diagram showing that the wafer on the wafer flipping mechanism is in a vertical state.

[0030] Fig.14 is a schematic diagram of a wafer moving robot.

[0031] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of the lifting device.

[0032] Fig.16 It is a schematic diagram of a lifting device lifting a wafer upward to the chuck of a wafer moving robot.

[0033] Fig.17 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wafer alignment device.

[0034] Fig.18 Schematic diagram of a top view of a wafer alignment device.

[0035] Fig.19 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the wafer alignment device from another perspective.

[0036] Fig. 20 It is a distribution diagram of a first supporting rotating shaft, a second supporting rotating shaft, a third supporting rotating shaft, a driving rotating shaft and a limiting rotating shaft of a wafer alignment device.

[0037] Fig.21 It is a schematic diagram of the wafer loading and unloading device.

[0038] In the figure, 1, horizontal transfer robot; 11, clamping piece; 12, outer limit protrusion; 13, inner limit protrusion; 2, upright transfer robot; 21, support bracket; 22, lifting device; 23, first bottom plate; 24, first support body; 25, second support body; 26, third support body; 27, connecting plate; 28, slot; 3, wafer turning mechanism; 31, support member; 32, turning frame; 33, turning motor; 34, H fixed roller; 35, V fixed roller; 36, positioning groove; 37, auxiliary blocking column; 4, cleaning tank; 5, wafer moving robot; 51, lifting chuck; 6, moving guide rail; 7, wafer drying station; 8, chuck cleaning tank; 9, lifting device; 91, bracket; 92, lifting device;

[0039] 1a, first supporting shaft; 2a, second supporting shaft; 3a, third supporting shaft; 4a, driving shaft; 5a, limiting shaft; 6a, limiting strip; 61a, second limiting strip; 7a, driving head; 71a, driven head; 72a, belt; 8a, double-headed motor; 9a, outer frame; 91a, lower supporting layer plate; 92a, side plate; 93a, connecting rod; 10a, second supporting frame; 101a, second bottom plate; 102a, first fixed plate; 103a, second fixed plate; 104a, third fixed plate; 11a, supporting second bottom plate;

[0040] 1b, box opening device; 4b, housing; 5b, picking robot; 6b, placing table; 7b, storage rack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, and the technical solutions of the present invention are further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the following embodiments do not limit the invention involved in the claims. In addition, all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are not necessarily required for the solutions of the invention.

[0042] The principle and structure of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0043] Example

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, a wafer cleaning machine includes a wafer loading and unloading device and a cleaning device, the wafer loading and unloading device includes a wafer loading and unloading station and a wafer conveying device, the wafer conveying device includes a wafer alignment device, the wafer conveying device is located between the wafer loading and unloading station and the wafer cleaning device, the wafer alignment device is located in a cleaning tank of the cleaning device, and the wafer conveying device is suitable for delivering the wafer to the alignment device for cleaning.

[0045] The loading and unloading device comprises: a shell 4b. A partition is provided in the shell 4b, so that the interior is divided into two front and rear chambers, namely the first chamber and the second chamber; the wafer conveying device is arranged in the second chamber. An opening is reserved on the partition as an installation position, wherein the box opening device 1b of the material taking mechanism is arranged on the installation position of the partition in the shell 4b, and the box opening device 1b is equipped with an openable and closable door panel, and the door panel of the box opening device 1b is opened to connect the first chamber and the second chamber. The horizontal conveying robot 1 in the second chamber transports the wafer at the box opening device 1b to the second chamber. Dividing the shell 4b into two chambers can further prevent contaminants from entering the second chamber and affecting the cleanliness of the wafer cleaning.

[0046] like Fig.21 As shown, a pick-up robot 5b is provided in the first chamber and can move in the first chamber. There is a hanging place on the flower basket, and the pick-up robot 5b has a hook, and the two can cooperate. The pick-up robot 5b grabs the flower basket containing the wafers to the position of the opening device 1b facing the side of the second chamber. The opening device 1b opens the flower basket, and the horizontal transfer robot 1 transports the wafers to the first chamber.

[0047] A placement table 6b for placing a flower basket is provided near the outer wall of the shell 4b, and the placement table 6b is provided on the outer wall of the first chamber shell 4b. A take-out window corresponding to the placement area is provided on the shell 4b of the first chamber, and a partition covering the take-out window is provided at the take-out window, and the opening and closing of the partition is controlled to make the placement area and the first chamber connected or disconnected. The partition at the take-out window is opened, the placement area is connected to the first chamber, and the manipulator in the first chamber grabs the flower basket in the placement area from the take-out window to the box opening device 1b.

[0048] The first chamber is also provided with a rack 7b for storing flower baskets with or without wafers. The flower basket with wafers is placed in the placement area, and the picking robot 5b grabs the flower basket and stores it on the rack 7b. Multiple flower baskets can be stored on the rack 7b. When the wafer needs to enter the next process chamber, the picking robot 5b takes the flower basket with wafers on the rack 7b to the box opening device 1b.

[0049] The storage rack 7b includes a load-bearing frame and a storage frame.

[0050] Multiple load-bearing frames are vertically and spaced apart in the first chamber; each load-bearing frame is vertically spaced apart with multiple horizontal storage frames, and two storage frames of the same height between two adjacent load-bearing frames form a placement position for storing a flower basket. The storage rack 7b can store multiple flower baskets, and the flower baskets are stacked on the placement table 6b outside the shell.

[0051] like Figures 2 to 7As shown, the wafer transfer device includes a horizontal transfer robot 1 for transferring wafers in a horizontal state, and the horizontal transfer robot is controlled to move by a multi-degree-of-freedom robot arm.

[0052] The horizontal transfer robot comprises a plurality of clamps arranged vertically, and the clamps comprise two relatively movable clamps 11, thereby changing the distance between the two clamps. The clamps are provided with a plurality of limiter components for limiting the movement of the wafer, and each group of limiter components comprises a plurality of limiter protrusions respectively located on the two clamps for clamping the edge of the wafer. The distance between the two relative clamps is adjusted so that the limiter protrusions of different groups of limiter components clamp the edge of the wafer, thereby preventing the wafer from moving in the horizontal plane.

[0053] The limiting protrusions of different limiting assemblies have different heights, and the limiting protrusion located on the inner side relative to the wafer has a smaller height than the limiting protrusion located on the outer side.

[0054] The limiting protrusion includes a boss and a limiting column located on the boss for clamping the edge of the wafer. The limiting column is perpendicular to the wafer surface and abuts against the edge of the wafer. The boss is used to support the edge surface of the wafer.

[0055] For the convenience of explanation, the higher limiting protrusion located on the outside is defined as the outer limiting protrusion 12, and the boss and limiting column of the outer limiting protrusion are respectively the outer boss and the outer limiting column; the higher limiting protrusion located on the inside is defined as the inner limiting protrusion 13, and the boss and limiting column of the inner limiting protrusion are respectively the inner boss and the inner limiting column. The height of the boss of the outer limiting protrusion is greater than the height of the limiting column of the inner limiting protrusion.

[0056] Each group of the limiting components includes the limiting protrusion located at the root of each clip and the limiting protrusion located at the front end of the clip. The root of the clip is the end of the clip connected to other parts of the manipulator. In this embodiment, the root and front end of each clip are provided with an outer limiting protrusion and an inner limiting protrusion. For convenience, in this embodiment, the outer limiting protrusion on the front end can be an arc-shaped convex ridge, and there is no need to provide a boss and a limiting column structure.

[0057] When the distance between the two relative clips becomes smaller, the outer limit protrusion can be used to stop the wafer before cleaning, for example, it is used to take out wafers in batches from a material box for storing wafers and then transfer them to the next workstation. Since the height of the outer limit protrusion is higher than the inner limit protrusion, the inner limit protrusion is located below the wafer at this time; when the distance between the two relative clips becomes larger, the inner limit protrusion can be used to stop the wafer after cleaning. Since the inner limit protrusion is located on the inner side of the outer limit protrusion, the wafer after cleaning will not contact the outer limit protrusion at this time, thereby avoiding contamination by the outer limit protrusion.

[0058] like Figure 8 , 9 , 10, also includes an upright transfer robot 2 for transferring upright wafers, the upright transfer robot includes a support assembly for transferring upright wafers, the support assembly includes at least two support racks 21 for supporting upright wafers, different support racks are controlled by a lifting device 22 in relative lifting motion, each support rack includes several support bodies for jointly supporting the edge of the wafer, the upper end of the support body is arranged with a slot 28 for inserting the edge of the wafer, and the slots of at least two support bodies on each support rack are located on both sides of the center of the wafer. The upright transfer robot can be controlled to move by a multi-degree-of-freedom robot arm.

[0059] The support assembly of this embodiment has two support racks, which include a first base plate and a first support body 24, a second support body 25 and a third support body 26 located on two parallel sides of the first base plate 23. The second support body and the third support body are located on a connecting plate 27, and the connecting plate is connected to the first base plate. The support body is a strip plate, and the slots at the ends of the strip plate are inclined toward the center of the wafer. The slots on the first support body, the second support body and the third support body are located on the contour where the edge of the wafer is located, so that the wafer can be stably lifted upward to prevent the wafer from rolling left and right. The two support racks can be controlled by a cylinder to move relative to each other in the up and down directions, so that one of the support racks rises to carry the wafer before cleaning, or the other support rack rises to carry the wafer after cleaning, so that the wafers before and after cleaning will not be cross-contaminated.

[0060] like Fig.11 , 12, as shown in 13, it also includes a wafer flipping mechanism 3 for converting the horizontal and upright states of the wafer, the wafer flipping mechanism includes a flipping assembly and a wafer positioning frame arranged on the flipping assembly, the wafer positioning frame is provided with a positioning groove for inserting the wafer, so as to fix the wafer, the flipping assembly is rotated so that the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is horizontally oriented toward the horizontal transfer robot or the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is vertically upward; the wafer positioning frame has an entry and exit space for the supporting assembly to extend and retract up and down, when the notch of the positioning groove is vertically upward, the supporting assembly passes through the entry and exit space to lift the wafer in the wafer positioning frame upward.

[0061] The wafer positioning frame includes at least two wafer fixing rollers arranged opposite to each other, and the wafer fixing rollers are circumferentially provided with at least two groups of positioning grooves, each group of positioning grooves are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the wafer fixing rollers, and the wafer fixing rollers are controlled to rotate by a rotating device so that the wafers are inserted into different groups of positioning grooves.

[0062] The flip assembly of the present embodiment includes a support 31 and a flip frame 32. The first support frame controls the rotation of the flip frame through a flip motor 33. The flip frame is provided with the wafer fixing roller. The wafer fixing roller is provided with two opposite groups of positioning grooves 36. The flip frame of the present embodiment is provided with two types of wafer fixing rollers. Each type of wafer fixing roller is two oppositely arranged ones. One type of wafer fixing roller has a rectangular cross section, which is defined as an H fixed roller 34. The other type of wafer fixing roller has a parallelogram cross section, which is defined as a V fixed roller 35. The V fixed roller is located between the H fixed roller and the V fixed roller. The wafer fixing roller is controlled to rotate by a rotating device located in the flip frame, so that the wafer fixing roller rotates 180 degrees, so that different groups of the positioning grooves on the wafer fixing roller face each other, so that different groups of the positioning grooves can fix the wafer. For example, a group of positioning grooves on one wafer fixing roller can be used to fix the wafer before cleaning, and another group of positioning grooves can be used to fix the wafer after cleaning, so as to avoid cross contamination of the wafer on the flip assembly. An auxiliary blocking column 37 for blocking the wafer is also provided behind the V fixing roller of this embodiment.

[0063] When the wafer fixing roller is in an upright state, the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is horizontally oriented toward the horizontal transfer robot. At this time, the wafer carried on its clamp can be sent between the wafer fixing rollers by the horizontal transfer robot so that the edge of the wafer is inserted into the positioning groove, thereby transferring the wafer from the horizontal transfer robot to the flip assembly; then the first support frame controls the flip frame to rotate through the flip motor, so that the wafer fixing roller changes from an upright state to a horizontal state, thereby changing the wafer from a horizontal state to an upright state;

[0064] The space between the two V-fixed rollers is the entry and exit space for the supporting assembly to extend and retract up and down. When the notch of the positioning groove is vertically facing upward, the supporting frame of the supporting assembly passes through the entry and exit space to lift the wafer in the wafer positioning frame upward, so that the wafer moving robot can take away the lifted wafer.

[0065] like Fig.14 , 15 As shown in Figure 16, the cleaning device includes a plurality of cleaning tanks 4 arranged in a straight line and a wafer moving robot 5 for transferring wafers between the cleaning tanks and the upright transfer robot. The wafer moving robot is provided with a chuck 51 for clamping the wafer, which can be lifted up and down, so as to move the wafer above the cleaning tank. The wafer moving robot is arranged on a moving guide rail 6 along the arrangement direction of the cleaning tanks, and can move along the moving guide rail so that the chuck corresponds to different cleaning tanks. The chuck can be lifted and lowered relative to the guide rail and can be extended and retracted horizontally, so as to realize multi-degree-of-freedom movement of the wafer.

[0066] The cleaning tank is provided with a lifting device 9 for dragging wafers into and out of the cleaning tank. The lifting device includes a bracket 91 for supporting the wafer in an upright state. Positioning grooves for fixing the wafer are distributed on the bracket. The bracket is controlled to rise and fall by a lifting device 92, so that the wafer can be dragged out of or into the cleaning tank through the bracket. The wafer moving manipulator moved above the cleaning tank cooperates with the bracket to realize the transfer of the wafer between the two.

[0067] It also includes a wafer drying station 7 for drying the cleaned wafers, and a chuck cleaning tank 8 for cleaning the chuck of the wafer moving manipulator, the chuck cleaning tank is arranged between the cleaning tank and the wafer flipping mechanism, and the wafer drying station is arranged between the cleaning tank and the chuck cleaning tank. Before grabbing the cleaned wafer lifted by the bracket from the cleaning tank, the chuck of the wafer moving manipulator first extends into the chuck cleaning tank for cleaning, then grabs the cleaned wafer, transfers the cleaned wafer to the drying tank for drying, and then transfers it to the wafer flipping mechanism, and then the wafer flipping mechanism flips into an upright state, so that the notch of the positioning slot of the wafer positioning frame is horizontally facing the horizontal transfer manipulator, so that the horizontal transfer manipulator can take the wafer away and send it to the wafer storage box for storing the cleaned wafer for subsequent process processing of the wafer.

[0068] In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, the production and processing of wafers is a crucial link. With the continuous development of technology, the quality and performance requirements of wafers are getting higher and higher. In the production process of wafers, in order to meet the needs of subsequent processes, it is often necessary to cut the same edge of the wafer to form a notch with a specific function. These notches not only have the function of positioning and avoiding confusion, but also can effectively reduce edge defects, prevent edge warping, and have good process compatibility. Through these notches, subsequent operating devices can easily and accurately position the wafer, thereby greatly improving production efficiency and product quality.

[0069] During the wafer cleaning process, the robotic arm is responsible for lifting the wafer and placing it into the cleaning solution for cleaning. However, before the robotic arm moves the wafer, an important step is to align the wafer to ensure that the notches on the wafer are on the same horizontal plane to prevent the robotic arm from clamping the wafer at the notch when clamping the wafer, causing the wafer to fall. Traditional wafer alignment methods mainly rely on manual operation. Although they can achieve wafer alignment to a certain extent, they have problems such as low precision, low efficiency, and easy introduction of contamination.

[0070] For this reason, Figures 17 to 20 As shown, the wafer cleaning machine also includes a wafer alignment device arranged in parallel with the wafer cleaning tank, which can realize fast and accurate alignment of the wafer, and includes: a driving module, a first supporting module and a second supporting module.

[0071] The driving module is arranged below a plurality of wafers parallel to each other, and the driving module includes a limit shaft 5a and a driving shaft 4a, and the limit shaft 5a and the driving shaft 4a are arranged along the length direction of the wafer. The limit shaft 5a matches the notch of the wafer so that the notch of the wafer can clamp the limit shaft 5a. Specifically, the notch of the wafer is semicircular or V-shaped (the notch of the wafer has different shapes according to the process requirements), the cross section of the limit shaft 5a is circular, and the limit shaft 5a is arranged below the wafer, and the notch of the wafer can clamp the upper edge of the limit shaft 5a.

[0072] The driving shaft 4a is arranged below the limiting shaft 5a, and drives the limiting shaft 5a to rotate by friction. Specifically, gears are respectively arranged at the ends of the driving shaft 4a and the ends of the limiting shaft 5a, and the gears of the driving shaft 4a and the limiting shaft 5a are meshed, so that the rotation of the driving shaft 4a drives the limiting shaft 5a to rotate.

[0073] The first support module includes at least one first support shaft 1a, which is arranged along the length direction of the wafer, and is parallel to the limit shaft 5a and the drive shaft 4a of the drive module. The first support shaft 1a and the limit shaft 5a jointly support the wafer whose notch is not inserted into the limit shaft 5a.

[0074] The second support module includes at least one second support shaft 2a, which is arranged below the wafer along the length direction of the wafer, and is parallel to the first support shaft 1a. The second support shaft 2a and the limiting shaft 5a jointly support the wafer whose notch clamps the limiting shaft 5a.

[0075] The wafer whose notch is not stuck with the limit shaft 5a is supported by the first support shaft 1a and the limit shaft 5a, and the drive shaft 4a rotates, driving the limit shaft 5a to rotate. The limit shaft 5a supports the wafer, so when the limit shaft 5a rotates, it will drive the supported wafer to rotate until the wafer rotates and the notch is stuck with the limit shaft 5a, and the wafer no longer rotates. Due to the notch, after the notch of the wafer is stuck with the limit shaft 5a, the height of one side is reduced, so that it deflects to the side that is stuck with the limit shaft 5a, that is, the side of the second support shaft 2a, and is supported by the second support shaft 2a and the limit shaft 5a, while driving the shaft 4a to contact the wafer to assist in supporting the wafer, and the wafer no longer contacts the first support shaft 1a. The wafer whose notch is not stuck with the limit shaft 5a continues to be driven by the limit shaft 5a to rotate until the notch is stuck with the limit shaft 5a.

[0076] The device can achieve fast and accurate alignment of wafers and ensure that the notches on the wafers are on the same horizontal plane. The use of the device can greatly improve the efficiency and quality of wafer cleaning operations, reduce production costs, and meet the demand for high-quality wafers in the semiconductor manufacturing field.

[0077] The first support module includes a rotating shaft, called the third support rotating shaft 3a. The third support rotating shaft 3a is fixed in a rotating connection, and is not driven to rotate by a driving device. It rotates only with the rotation of the wafer, which can reduce friction with the wafer.

[0078] The first supporting module includes a first supporting rotating shaft 1a and a third supporting rotating shaft 3a. The third supporting rotating shaft 3a is located between the first supporting rotating shaft 1a and the limiting rotating shaft 5a.

[0079] In this embodiment, from the side of the device, from left to right are the second support shaft 2a, the drive module, the third support shaft 3a, and the first support shaft 1a. When the notch of the wafer is not stuck with the limit shaft 5a, it is supported by the first support shaft 1a, the third support shaft 3a, and the limit shaft 5a. After the notch of the wafer is stuck with the limit shaft 5a, the height of one side is reduced, so that it is deflected to the side that is stuck with the limit shaft 5a, that is, the side of the second support shaft 2a, and is supported by the second support shaft 2a and the limit shaft 5a.

[0080] The first supporting shaft 1a is driven to rotate in the same direction as the limiting shaft 5a, and together with the limiting shaft 5a, drives the wafer whose notch is not engaged with the limiting shaft 5a to rotate.

[0081] In order to make the wafer whose notch is not engaged with the limiting shaft 5a rotate better, the first supporting shaft 1a is driven to rotate, and the first supporting shaft 1a rotates in the same direction as the limiting shaft 5a, so as to cooperate and drive the wafer whose notch is not engaged with the limiting shaft 5a to rotate. The thickness of the limiting shaft 5a, that is, the diameter of the circular cross section, is smaller in order to match the notch of the wafer, and the contact area with the wafer is smaller. The first supporting shaft 1a does not need to match the notch of the wafer, so the circular cross section diameter of the first supporting shaft 1a can be set larger, which can better drive the wafer to rotate and support the wafer.

[0082] When the wafer is supported by the limiting shaft 5a, the third supporting shaft 3a and the first supporting shaft 1a, the spacing between the wafer and the second supporting shaft 2a is 0.75 mm.

[0083] When the wafer is supported by the limiting rotating shaft 5a and the second supporting rotating shaft 2a, the distance between the bottom edge of the wafer and the third supporting rotating shaft 3a is 0.1-0.15 mm.

[0084] The height of the first supporting shaft>the height of the second supporting shaft 2a>the height of the limiting shaft 5a>the height of the third supporting shaft 3a>the height of the driving shaft 4a.

[0085] When the notch of the wafer does not clamp the limiting shaft 5a, it is supported by the limiting shaft 5a, the first supporting shaft 1a and the third supporting shaft 3a. After the limiting shaft 5a is clamped, the height of one side is lowered so that it is supported by the limiting shaft 5a and the second supporting shaft 2a. Therefore, the height of the first supporting shaft 1a is greater than the height of the second supporting shaft 2a.

[0086] The limiting shaft 5a is between the second supporting shaft 2a and the third supporting shaft 3a. The limiting shaft 5a cooperates with the second supporting shaft 2a and the third supporting shaft 3a to support the wafer whose notch is inserted into the limiting shaft 5a. Therefore, the limiting shaft 5a and the second supporting shaft 2a should be above the lower edge of the wafer whose notch is inserted into the limiting shaft 5a. The limiting shaft 5a is between the second supporting shaft 2a and the third supporting shaft 3a, that is, on the arc of the wafer, so the height of the limiting shaft 5a is lower.

[0087] The wafer alignment device also includes an outer frame 9a, and limiting strips 6a are respectively provided on opposite sides of the outer frame 9a. A plurality of limiting positions are arranged at intervals on the limiting strips 6a. The limiting positions at the same position of two limiting strips 6a are used to limit a wafer.

[0088] The outer frame 9a includes: a lower support layer plate 91a, two side plates 92a and a connecting rod 93a. The two side plates 92a are parallel and spaced apart. The bottom end of each side plate 92a is provided with a lower support plate perpendicular to the side plate 92a. The connecting rod 93a connects one side of the two side plates 92a. The limit strip 6a is arranged at the top of the side plate 92a along the length direction of the side plate 92a. The two limit strips 6a are arranged at the upper edges of the two side plates 92a respectively. There are multiple limit positions on the limit strip 6a at intervals. The limit positions at the same position of the two limit strips 6a are used to limit the position of a wafer and limit multiple wafers to be parallel to each other. Since the position of the wafer will change before and after alignment, the spacing between the two limit strips 6a should leave space for the position change of the wafer. The depth of the limit position can be set deeper so that the position of the limit strip 6a is limited before and after the wafer is aligned.

[0089] A supporting second bottom plate 11a101a is also provided below the lower supporting plate, and the bottom surface of the lower supporting plate is connected to the top surface of the supporting second bottom plate 11a101a.

[0090] A second support frame 10a is further disposed in the outer frame 9a. The second support frame 10a includes a second bottom plate 101a, a first fixing plate 102a, a second fixing plate 103a, a third fixing plate 104a and a support plate.

[0091] The second bottom plate 101a is connected to the top of the lower support plate of the outer frame 9a. A rectangular first fixing plate 102a is vertically provided on one side plate 92a of the second bottom plate 101a. The lower side of the first fixing plate 102a is connected to the edge of the second bottom plate 101a. A U-shaped second fixing plate 103a and a third fixing plate 104a arranged in the middle of the U-shape are provided on the side opposite to the first fixing plate 102a. The lower side of the second fixing plate 103a is connected to the edge of the second bottom plate 101a. The third fixing plate 104a is arranged close to the second fixing plate 103a. The second fixing plate 103a is rectangular, and the lower side is connected to the second bottom plate 101a, and the plate surface is located in the middle of the second fixing plate 103a. A support plate is connected between the first fixing plate 102a and one side of the second fixing plate 103a. One end of the second support shaft 2a is connected to the first fixing plate 102a, and the other end is connected to one side of the U-shaped second fixing plate 103a. One end of the limiting rotating shaft 5a, the driving rotating shaft 4a, the third supporting rotating shaft 3a and the first supporting rotating shaft 1a is rotatably connected to the first fixing plate 102a, and the other end is rotatably connected to the third fixing plate 104a.

[0092] In a further embodiment, a second limiting strip 61a6a is vertically provided on the second bottom plate 101a of the second support frame 10a, and a plurality of upwardly directed positions are provided on the second limiting strip 61a6a at intervals, which cooperate with the limiting strip 6a to limit the position of the wafer. The same position of the limiting position and the limiting position are used to cooperate to limit the position of a wafer.

[0093] In a further embodiment, the first supporting rotating shaft 1a and the driving rotating shaft 4a are driven by a double-headed motor 8a. The body of the double-headed motor 8a is fixed to the second bottom plate 101a of the second supporting frame 10a, the two rotors of the double-headed motor 8a are rotatably connected to the third fixed plate 104a, the two rotors of the double-headed motor 8a are respectively provided with driving heads 7a, the ends of the first supporting rotating shaft 1a and the driving rotating shaft 4a are provided with driven heads 71a, the driving heads 7a and the driven heads 71a are connected one by one through a belt 72a, so that the rotor of the double-headed motor 8a drives the first supporting rotating shaft 1a and the driving rotating shaft 4a to rotate.

[0094] Compared with the prior art, the wafer alignment device proposed in the present invention cooperates with the first supporting shaft 1a and the limiting shaft 5a to support the wafer whose notch is not stuck on the limiting shaft 5a. The limiting shaft 5a rotates to drive the wafer whose notch is not stuck on the limiting shaft 5a to rotate, so that one side of the wafer is lowered. Then the second supporting shaft 2a and the limiting shaft 5a cooperate to support the wafer whose notch is stuck on the limiting shaft 5a. The wafer whose notch is stuck on the limiting shaft 5a no longer rotates, and the wafer whose notch is not stuck on the limiting shaft 5a continues to rotate until the notch of the wafer is stuck on the limiting shaft 5a, so that the notches of the wafer are aligned on the same horizontal plane, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of wafer alignment.

[0095] The specific embodiments described herein are merely examples of the spirit of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described, or replace them in similar ways, without departing from the spirit of the present invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer cleaning machine, characterized in that: It includes a wafer loading and unloading device and a cleaning device. The wafer loading and unloading device includes a wafer loading and unloading station and a wafer conveying device. The wafer conveying device includes a wafer alignment device. The wafer conveying device is located between the wafer loading and unloading station and the wafer cleaning device. The wafer alignment device is located in a cleaning tank of the cleaning device. The wafer conveying device is suitable for delivering the wafer to the alignment device for cleaning.

2. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wafer loading and unloading device includes a shell, the interior of the shell is divided into two front and rear chambers by a partition, namely a first chamber and a second chamber; a wafer conveying device is arranged in the second chamber, a box opening device is arranged in the first chamber, a door panel is arranged on the partition, when the door panel is opened, the first chamber and the second chamber are connected; a placing table for placing a flower basket is provided on the outer side of the first chamber, a picking window is provided on the shell, and an openable and closable partition is provided at the picking window, when the partition is opened, the placing table and the first chamber are connected, the loading and unloading device also includes: a picking robot that can move in the first chamber, the picking robot is used to grab the flower basket to the box opening device position.

3. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The wafer conveying device includes a horizontal conveying robot for conveying horizontal wafers, the horizontal conveying robot includes a clamping jaw, the clamping jaw includes two relatively movable clamps, the clamping plates are provided with an array of limit assemblies for limiting the movement of the wafer, each group of limit assemblies includes a plurality of limit protrusions respectively located on the two clamps for clamping the edge of the wafer, the spacing between the two relative clamps is adjusted so that the limit protrusions of different groups of limit assemblies clamp the edge of the wafer, the limit protrusions of different limit assemblies have different heights, and the limit protrusion located on the inner side relative to the wafer has a smaller height than the limit protrusion located on the outer side.

4. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The wafer alignment device includes a driving module, which is arranged below a plurality of wafers parallel to each other, and includes a limiting shaft matching the notch shape of the wafer and a driving shaft arranged below the limiting shaft and driving the limiting shaft to rotate by friction; a first supporting module, including at least one first supporting shaft, when the notch of the wafer does not clamp the limiting shaft, the first supporting shaft and the limiting shaft jointly support the wafer; The second supporting module includes at least one second supporting rotating shaft. When the notch of the wafer clamps the limiting rotating shaft, the second supporting rotating shaft and the limiting rotating shaft jointly support the wafer.

5. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: Each group of the limiting components includes the limiting protrusion located at the root of each clip and the limiting protrusion located at the front end of the clip.

6. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The limiting protrusion includes a boss and a limiting column located on the boss and used for locking the edge of the wafer.

7. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes an upright conveying robot for conveying upright wafers, the upright conveying robot includes a supporting assembly for conveying upright wafers, the supporting assembly includes at least two supporting frames for supporting the wafers, different supporting frames are controlled by a lifting device to move in relative lifting motion, each of the supporting frames includes a plurality of supporting bodies for jointly supporting the edge of the wafer, a slot for inserting the edge of the wafer is provided at the upper end of the supporting body, and the slots of at least two of the supporting bodies on each supporting frame are located on both sides of the center of the wafer.

8. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The wafer flipping mechanism further comprises a wafer flipping mechanism for converting the wafer into a horizontal state and an upright state, the wafer flipping mechanism comprises a flipping assembly and a wafer positioning frame arranged on the flipping assembly, the wafer positioning frame is provided with a positioning groove for inserting the wafer, the flipping assembly rotates so that the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is horizontally oriented toward the horizontal transfer robot or the notch of the positioning groove of the wafer positioning frame is vertically facing upward; the wafer positioning frame has an entry and exit space for the supporting assembly to extend and retract up and down, when the notch of the positioning groove is vertically facing upward, the supporting assembly passes through the entry and exit space to lift the wafer in the wafer positioning frame upward.

9. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The wafer positioning frame includes at least two wafer fixing rollers arranged opposite to each other, and the wafer fixing rollers are circumferentially provided with at least two groups of positioning grooves, each group of positioning grooves are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the wafer fixing rollers, and the wafer fixing rollers are controlled to rotate by a rotating device so that the wafers are inserted into different groups of positioning grooves.

10. The wafer cleaning machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cleaning device includes a cleaning tank and a wafer moving robot for transferring wafers between the cleaning tank and an upright transfer robot, wherein the wafer moving robot is provided with a chuck for clamping the wafer for lifting and lowering; a bracket for lifting the wafer is provided in the cleaning tank, and the lifting and lowering of the bracket is controlled by a lifting device, so that the wafer can be dragged out of or into the cleaning tank by the bracket.

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