Finishing disc loading and unloading device and intelligent maintenance system and method

Abstract

The invention provides a trimming disc loading and unloading device and an intelligent maintenance system and method.The trimming disc is used for trimming a polishing pad in chemical mechanical polishing equipment, the unloading device comprises a base, a stripping assembly and a grabbing assembly, and lossless and automatic separation of the trimming disc and the trimming disc base is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technology, and relates to the maintenance technology of dresser components in CMP polishing units during semiconductor manufacturing, particularly an intelligent maintenance system and method for autonomously replacing the diamond dressing disk (DISK). Specifically, it relates to a dressing disk loading and unloading device, an intelligent maintenance system, and a method. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor chip manufacturing, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is used to achieve global planarization of the wafer surface. The core components of CMP equipment include the polishing pad, the carrier head, and the conditioner assembly. The conditioner uses a conditioner disk at its end to condition the surface of the polishing pad, maintaining its microstructure and cutting performance, and ensuring the stability of the wafer polishing quality.

[0003] As wafer fabrication nodes continue to shrink (e.g., 3nm, 2nm and below), the precision requirements for the surface condition of polishing pads reach the nanometer level. The wear rate and dressing efficiency of the dressing pad directly affect the stability of process parameters. Traditional maintenance methods have the following technical problems:

[0004] First, manual maintenance is inefficient and poses safety hazards. Currently, the industry commonly uses manual replacement of dressing discs, requiring maintenance personnel to use specialized pry tools to manually remove the old dressing disc and install the new one. A single maintenance session takes approximately 30-45 minutes, and the operation carries the following risks:

[0005] Chemical injury risk: Residual polishing fluid (slurry) inside CMP machines contains highly alkaline chemicals and abrasive particles.

[0006] Mechanical injury risk: The dressing disc and dressing disc base are held together by a strong magnetic force (usually 60-100N). Disassembly requires a large torque, which can easily cause the tool to slip and cause injury.

[0007] Product damage risk: Manual operation may scratch the diamond working surface of the dressing disc or damage the precision surface of the dressing disc base, resulting in direct economic losses (the value of a single dressing disc is approximately US$2,000-5,000).

[0008] Second, the timing of maintenance is difficult to pinpoint precisely. Manual maintenance relies on periodic inspections or experience-based judgment, making it impossible to monitor the wear status of the dressing pad in real time. Replacing it too early results in wasted costs, while replacing it too late leads to poor dressing of the polishing pad, causing wafer polishing non-uniformity (WIWNU) and a decrease in chip yield. Existing technology lacks a real-time early warning mechanism for dressing pad damage.

[0009] Third, the internal maintenance space of the machine is extremely narrow. CMP equipment is a highly integrated design, with the dresser assembly surrounded by critical components such as polishing heads, polishing discs, and liquid supply arms, leaving an operating space of less than 200mm × 150mm × 100mm. Traditional manual tools are difficult to use to perform delicate operations in such a confined space and are prone to collisions with surrounding precision components.

[0010] Fourth, there are no mature precedents for autonomous maintenance. Although the Industry 4.0 concept promotes the development of equipment automation, in the field of CMP equipment, due to multiple technical obstacles such as maintenance space limitations, magnetic adsorption characteristics, and precise alignment requirements, there are no mature solutions, either domestically or internationally, that have successfully achieved autonomous replacement of dressing discs.

[0011] Therefore, developing a device and method that enables intelligent, rapid, and non-destructive replacement of dressing discs in confined spaces has become an urgent need to improve the intelligence level of CMP equipment and ensure process stability. Summary of the Invention

[0012] In view of this, the present invention provides a trimming tray loading and unloading device, an intelligent maintenance system and method, thereby solving or at least alleviating one or more of the above-mentioned problems and other problems existing in the prior art.

[0013] A first aspect of the present invention provides a dressing disc loading and unloading device, the dressing disc being used to dress polishing pads in a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, comprising:

[0014] The base has an installation interface;

[0015] The peeling assembly, fixed to the base, includes a peeling electric gripper, a peeling claw arm, a wedge-shaped peeling block, and a peeling detection sensor. The peeling electric gripper has adjustable clamping force and an over-limit alarm function. The peeling claw arm is semi-T-shaped and fixed to the peeling electric gripper. The wedge-shaped peeling block is installed at the end of the peeling claw arm and is made of non-metallic wear-resistant material. The peeling detection sensor is set on the peeling claw arm to detect the position of the trimming disc notch.

[0016] The gripping assembly, fixed to the base and arranged in parallel with the stripping assembly, includes a gripping electric gripper and a gripping claw arm. The gripping electric gripper has adjustable clamping force and an over-limit alarm function. The gripping claw arm is arc-shaped and covered with a non-metallic protective layer. The end of the gripping claw arm is provided with a boss structure to avoid contact with the diamond working surface of the dressing disc.

[0017] Optionally, the wedge-shaped peeling block has a wedge-shaped structure for insertion between the trimming disc and the trimming disc base under the drive of the electric peeling gripper, thereby overcoming magnetic attraction by generating relative displacement to achieve non-destructive peeling.

[0018] The arc angle of the gripping claw arm is greater than 30°, and the boss structure maintains a gap of 0.5-2mm between the diamond working surface of the dressing disc and the inner surface of the claw arm when the gripping state is in operation.

[0019] Optional, also includes:

[0020] A visual positioning module, fixed to the base, is used to identify and position the trimming disc;

[0021] An in-situ detection sensor is located at the bottom of the gripper arm to detect whether the trimming disc has been successfully peeled off and fallen into the gripping area;

[0022] Both the peel detection sensor and the in-situ detection sensor are photoelectric sensors, and their detection signals are transmitted to the control unit to form a closed-loop control.

[0023] Optionally, the clamping force adjustment range of the peeling electric gripper and the grasping electric gripper is 10-50N, and the over-limit alarm threshold is 55-60N.

[0024] A second aspect of the present invention provides an intelligent maintenance system for chemical mechanical polishing equipment, comprising:

[0025] The device for automatically disassembling and renovating the entire panel as described in the first aspect;

[0026] An automated guided vehicle is used to carry the device for automatically disassembling and reassembling the entire tray and can be moved to the maintenance station of the chemical mechanical polishing equipment;

[0027] The control unit is communicatively connected to the control systems of the device, the automated guided vehicle, and the chemical mechanical polishing equipment, and is used to coordinate and control the disassembly and installation process.

[0028] Optionally, the automated guided vehicle (AGV) and the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) equipment communicate with each other using the E84 communication protocol. The signals include at least: machine preparation completion signal, AGV arrival signal, disassembly execution signal, installation execution signal, and task completion signal.

[0029] Optionally, the control unit receives a dressing disc replacement warning from the chemical mechanical polishing equipment via the EMS system and controls the automated guided vehicle to autonomously navigate to the target machine and designated chamber.

[0030] A third aspect of the present invention provides an intelligent maintenance method for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus, using the apparatus described in the second aspect, comprising the following steps:

[0031] Disassembly steps:

[0032] S101: When the chemical mechanical polishing equipment detects that the dressing disc has reached the replacement threshold, it sends a replacement request to the EMS system.

[0033] S102: The EMS system dispatches the automated guided vehicle carrying the actuator to move to the target machine and sends a position signal via the E84 communication protocol;

[0034] S103: After receiving the positioning signal, the machine swings the dressing assembly to the outer maintenance position and adjusts the dressing disc to the predetermined angle;

[0035] S104: The peeling detection sensor of the actuator re-inspects the position of the trimming disc notch. After confirming that there is no error, the electric peeling gripper drives the wedge-shaped peeling block to be inserted between the trimming disc and the trimming disc base. The air pressure driven trimming disc base up and down movement characteristics and the relative action of the peeling block overcome the magnetic attraction, so that the trimming disc peels off and falls into the gripping claw arm.

[0036] S105: After the in-situ detection sensor confirms that the trimming tray has been successfully grabbed, the electric gripper locks the trimming tray, and the AGV transfers the old trimming tray to the temporary storage area.

[0037] Installation steps:

[0038] S201: The AGV picks up the new repair tray from the temporary storage area and moves it to the machine maintenance position;

[0039] S202: The electric gripper holds the new trimming disc close to the trimming disc base with a positional deviation of no more than 0.1mm, and uses magnetic adaptive adsorption to complete the pre-positioning;

[0040] S203: The machine determines that the installation is successful by the change of signals from the presence to the absence of at least two peel detection sensors; otherwise, it performs a micro-angle swing for secondary positioning.

[0041] S204: The AGV sends a completion signal to the machine, and the machine returns to production status.

[0042] Optionally, the replacement threshold is determined based on the dressing disc usage time, dressing times, and polishing pad surface roughness monitoring data, and is automatically calculated and alerted by the machine controller;

[0043] The interaction process of the E84 communication protocol includes:

[0044] The arrival of the AGV triggers the opening of the machine's safety door;

[0045] After the machine completes the component swing and the trimming plate positioning, it outputs a ready-to-complete signal to the AGV.

[0046] After receiving the readiness completion signal, the AGV starts its actuator.

[0047] After execution, the AGV outputs a completion signal, triggering the machine's safety door to close and production to resume.

[0048] Optionally, the amplitude of the micro-angle swing is ±5°, and the number of swings does not exceed 3 times;

[0049] The entire maintenance process is controlled within 3-5 minutes, with AGV round-trip time accounting for 40% and actuator operation time accounting for 60%.

[0050] The present invention has the following technical effects:

[0051] Enhanced safety: Completely eliminates the risk of chemical exposure and mechanical injury for maintenance personnel, enabling unmanned operation.

[0052] Efficiency improvement: The average maintenance time per operation is reduced from 35 minutes to less than 5 minutes, and the overall equipment utilization rate (OEE) is increased by 8-12%.

[0053] Precision assurance: Through visual positioning, sensor re-inspection, and magnetic self-adaptation, the installation positioning accuracy reaches ±0.1mm, ensuring the concentricity of the dressing plate and the base and avoiding uneven wear.

[0054] Space adaptability: The actuator is compact in size (<150mm×100mm×80mm) and can be operated in a narrow space of 200mm.

[0055] Predictive maintenance: Based on process data, a life prediction model for the dressing disc is established to achieve accurate early warning and avoid over-maintenance or under-maintenance.

[0056] Intelligent management: Through integration with EMS / MES systems, unified scheduling of repair panel replacement tasks for multiple devices and traceability of maintenance records are achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0057] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0058] Figure 1 This is a system structure diagram of the present invention.

[0059] Figure 2-3 This is a structural diagram of the device of the present invention.

[0060] Figure 4-10 This is a structural diagram of the device of the present invention.

[0061] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the polishing unit of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) device.

[0062] Figure label:

[0063] 301-Collaborative robotic arm; 302-Control unit assembly; 303-Self-propelled trolley; 304-Vision positioning module assembly; 305-Disassembly and finishing tray actuator; 306-Temporary storage location for the old finishing tray; 307-Temporary storage location for the new finishing tray; 401-Electric peeling gripper; 402-Peeling gripper arm; 403-Peeling detection sensor; 404-Wedge-shaped peeling block; 405-Finishing tray; 406-Finishing tray base; 407-Gripping gripper arm; 408-Electric gripping gripper; 409-In-situ detection sensor; 410-Base. Detailed Implementation

[0064] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0065] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0066] In addition, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise specified and limited, it should be noted that the terms "installation", "connection" and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to mechanical or electrical connections, or internal connections between two components. They can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances.

[0067] Example 1: Device for Automatically Disassembling and Removing Whole Panels

[0068] Reference Figure 2-4 This embodiment provides an automatic disassembly and assembly device (actuator 305) for chemical mechanical polishing equipment, which is the core operating component of this invention.

[0069] The base 410 is machined from 7075-T6 aluminum alloy and undergoes hard anodizing to improve wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The base measures 140mm × 90mm × 25mm, and its upper surface is machined with precision mounting interfaces, including four M6 threaded holes and two Φ8mm locating pin holes, for fixing the peeling assembly and gripping assembly, ensuring a center distance of 45mm ± 0.02mm between them, and guaranteeing the relative positional accuracy with the trimming disc 405 and trimming disc base 406.

[0070] The stripping assembly is used to overcome magnetic attraction and achieve non-destructive disassembly of the trimming disc. Its specific structure is as follows:

[0071] The electric peeling gripper 401 is a Festo EGC-70-TB-KF type electric gripper. This gripper has a cuboid structure (70mm × 70mm × 50mm), is driven by a servo motor, and features a force control mode. The clamping force can be arbitrarily adjusted within the range of 10-50N via programming. When the actual clamping force exceeds the set threshold of 55N, the gripper outputs an alarm via an IO signal to prevent overload damage to precision components. The gripper has a repeatability accuracy of ±0.02mm, ensuring that the wedge-shaped peeling block 404 can be accurately inserted into the 0.5mm assembly gap between the trimming disc and the base.

[0072] The peeling claw arm 402 adopts a semi-T-shaped structure design (see...). Figure 3 The vertical section is 35mm high, the horizontal section is 40mm long, and the thickness is 8mm. This design saves lateral space (approximately 30% less width than traditional L-shaped gripper arms) and provides ample space for sensor installation. The gripper arm body is machined from SUS304 stainless steel, and a slotted hole is machined at the connection with the electric gripper to allow for ±2mm height adjustment to accommodate different trimming disc sizes, such as 4-inch (Φ100mm) and 6-inch (Φ150mm) specifications.

[0073] The wedge-shaped peeling block 404 is a key innovative component of this invention. Made of POM (polyoxymethylene) engineering plastic, it has a surface roughness Ra≤0.8μm to avoid scratching the dressing disc surface. The wedge angle is designed to be 30°, with a front thickness of 0.3mm, gradually tapering to 3mm towards the rear, and a length of 15mm. This wedge structure converts the vertical gripping force into a separation force perpendicular to the dressing disc surface during insertion. Combined with the air pressure-driven up-and-down movement (stroke ±5mm) of the dressing disc base 406, it rapidly weakens the magnetic attraction within 2 seconds, achieving non-destructive peeling. The wedge block is detachably fixed to the peeling claw arm with M3 screws for easy replacement after wear, with a service life of approximately 5000 cycles.

[0074] The peel detection sensor 403 uses a Keyence PR-M51 C3N photoelectric sensor, which is fixed to the peel claw arm via an L-shaped mounting bracket 403-1. The mounting bracket provides ±5mm adjustment in both height and depth directions. The sensor spot diameter is 1mm, used to detect 2mm×3mm notches on the edge of the trimming disc, with a detection distance of 10mm, a response time of 1ms, and a detection accuracy of ±0.1mm.

[0075] The gripping component is used for safe clamping and mounting of the trimming disc, and its specific structure is as follows:

[0076] The 408 electric gripper uses the Schunk EGP 40-NNB model, a cylindrical structure (40mm diameter, 75mm length), with an adjustable clamping force range of 5-40N. It features force feedback and over-limit alarm functions. The gripper's repeatability is ±0.01mm, ensuring gripping stability. The gripper finger extension is 20mm, adaptable to trimming discs of different thicknesses (standard thickness 3.2mm ±0.2mm).

[0077] The gripper arm 407 is designed with an arc-shaped structure (see...). Figure 4 The radius of the arc matches the radius of the dressing disk. For example, for a 4-inch dressing disk (radius 50mm), the arc radius is designed to be 51mm, and the arc angle is 120° (meeting the requirement of >30° in the claims) to ensure that the disk is held firmly in place. A 1mm thick PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) soft pad with a Shore A hardness of 70 is pasted on the inner surface of the claw arm to prevent damage to the diamond layer of the dressing disk. A 1.5mm high boss 407-1 is designed at the bottom of the claw arm to maintain a 1mm gap between the diamond working surface of the dressing disk and the inner surface of the claw arm when the dressing disk is held (0.5-2mm as specified in the claims), thus avoiding wear on the diamond particles.

[0078] The in-situ detection Sensor 409 uses an Omron EE-SX672-WR photoelectric sensor, mounted on the bottom of the gripper arm, to confirm whether the trimming disc has been successfully peeled off and fallen into the gripping area. The sensor outputs an NPN signal to the control unit, with a response time of 0.5ms and a detection distance of 5mm.

[0079] Example 2: Intelligent Maintenance and Repair Panel Equipment

[0080] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 5 This embodiment provides a complete intelligent maintenance and repair device, including an actuator 305, an automated guided vehicle, and a control unit 302.

[0081] The Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) uses the Mi R250 collaborative mobile robot as its platform, with a payload capacity of 250 kg and a positioning accuracy of ±5 mm. A collaborative robotic arm 301 (Universal Robots UR5e) with a repeatability of ±0.03 mm is mounted on top of the AGV, used to precisely deliver the actuator 305 to its operating position within the machine. The AGV is equipped with a laser SLAM navigation system, enabling it to autonomously plan its path and schedule operations among multiple CMP (Continuous Mobile Assistant) machines, supporting the management of up to 50 machines.

[0082] The AGV trolley 303 is equipped with a temporary storage position 306 for old trimming trays and a temporary storage position 307 for new trimming trays. The trays are made of anti-static PP material. Each tray can hold 4 trimming trays and is equipped with a foolproof positioning groove to prevent the trimming trays from being misplaced.

[0083] Control unit 302 uses a Beckhoff CX5140 embedded controller with Twi nCAT 3 software. The control unit communicates with the AGV central control system via Ethernet / IP and achieves safety interlocking with the machine control system via an E84 optical communication module. E84 communication conforms to the SEM IS17-0718 standard, uses infrared optocoupler isolation, and has a response time of <10ms, ensuring no interference between the AGV and the machine's movement. The communication timing is as follows: Figure 5 As shown:

[0084] AGV arrives → triggers machine safety door to open

[0085] The machine completes its swing positioning and outputs a ready-to-complete signal to the AGV.

[0086] AGV receives signal → starts actuator

[0087] Execution complete → AGV outputs completion signal

[0088] The machine receives the completion signal → closes the safety door and resumes production.

[0089] Example 3: Intelligent Maintenance Method

[0090] Reference Figure 6 This embodiment provides a complete intelligent maintenance method for trimming discs, including two main steps: disassembly and installation.

[0091] Disassembly steps S101-S105:

[0092] S101: Warning triggered

[0093] The machine controller monitors the status parameters of the dressing tray in real time:

[0094] Cumulative repair time (threshold: 48 hours)

[0095] Total number of repairs (threshold: 2000 times)

[0096] Deterioration rate of polishing pad surface roughness Ra value (threshold: >15% / 24h)

[0097] Abnormal fluctuations in motor current (threshold: >10%)

[0098] When any parameter reaches a threshold, the machine sends a repair tray replacement warning to the EMS system via the OPC UA protocol. The EMS system generates an optimal scheduling instruction based on the AGV's current position, task queue, and machine priority, and sends it to the AGV control unit 302 via the 5G network. Upon receiving the instruction, the AGV moves from the standby area to the machine, with navigation time controlled within 3 minutes.

[0099] S102: Collaborative Preparation

[0100] After the AGV arrives at the machine, it sends an "AGV in position" signal via the E84 optical communication module. Upon receiving the signal, the machine performs the following actions:

[0101] Pause the current polishing process and safely return the wafer to the loading position.

[0102] Open the maintenance safety door to release the internal positive pressure environment to atmospheric pressure.

[0103] The drive trimmer assembly swings to the outer maintenance position (swing angle 90°, time 5 seconds).

[0104] Rotate the dressing disc to a predetermined angle with the notch facing upwards (positioned by the machine encoder, accuracy ±0.1°), then supply 0.2MPa of air to the dressing disc base, placing it in an adaptive state that allows it to float up and down.

[0105] After the machine completes the above preparations, it sends a "ready to complete" signal to the AGV via E84.

[0106] S103: Disassembly execution

[0107] The AGV-controlled collaborative robotic arm 301 extends the actuator 305 into the machine tool, and the operating position is as follows: Figure 7 As shown. The actuator performs the following upon entry:

[0108] Visual positioning re-inspection: The visual positioning module 304 (Basl er acA1920-155uc camera, resolution 1920×1200) captures the position of the notch on the trimming plate and compares it with the position data provided by the machine. If the deviation is >0.2mm, the machine is fed back for readjustment.

[0109] Peel detection sensor 403 re-inspection: The sensor detects whether the notch is in the optical axis position, and sends a start signal after confirmation.

[0110] Non-destructive peeling: The electric peeling gripper 401 drives the wedge-shaped peeling block 404 with a clamping force of 15N to insert into the 0.5mm gap between the trimming disc and the base at a speed of 5mm / s. When the insertion depth reaches 8mm, the internal air pressure of the trimming disc base drives it to move upward by 2mm. The relative movement between the wedge-shaped block and the trimming disc generates a separation force, and the magnetic attraction force drops from the initial value of 80N to below 10N. The trimming disc then falls freely under the action of gravity. The entire peeling process takes less than 3 seconds.

[0111] Grasping confirmation: The trimming disc falls into the gripper arm 407, triggering the in-situ detection sensor 409. After the signal is fed back to the control unit, the gripping electric gripper 408 clamps the trimming disc with a force of 20N. The clamping confirmation time is 0.5 seconds.

[0112] Recycling the old repair tray: The robotic arm moves the actuator off the machine, and the AGV transfers the old repair tray to the temporary storage area 306.

[0113] S104: Installation Execution

[0114] The AGV picks up a new trimmed pallet (pre-placed manually or in an automated warehouse) from temporary storage area 307 and moves it to the machine. The robotic arm then delivers the new trimmed pallet to the installation position.

[0115] Pre-positioning: The gripper arm 407 brings the new trimming disc close to the surface of the trimming disc base with a positional deviation of 0.1mm. The magnetic attraction force (80N) between the trimming disc and the base completes adaptive adsorption within 0.5 seconds.

[0116] Successful detection: The two peel detection sensors 403 changed from "signal present" to "no signal present", indicating that the trimming disc has been installed in place and the obstruction of the optical axis has been eliminated. If no signal change is detected within 1 second, the installation is considered a failure.

[0117] Secondary positioning: If installation fails, the control unit drives the machine spindle to swing at a micro-angle of ±3°, with a maximum of 2 attempts, and a success rate of >99.5%.

[0118] Confirmation of completion: After successful installation, the electric gripper 408 is released, the robotic arm moves out, and the AGV sends a "task completed" signal.

[0119] S105: Machine Restoration

[0120] After the machine receives the completion signal:

[0121] The drive trimmer assembly returns to its original position (90° rotation).

[0122] Close the safety door

[0123] Restore the internal positive pressure environment to 0.3 MPa

[0124] Start the automatic dressing program for the polishing pad (100 rpm, 2 psi) and test the working condition of the new dressing disc for 30 seconds.

[0125] Resumption of normal production rhythm

[0126] The entire maintenance process took 4.2 minutes, including 2 minutes for the AGV round trip and 2.2 minutes for the actuator operation. Compared to 35 minutes for manual maintenance, equipment downtime was reduced by 88%, and WPH (wafer per hour) capacity increased by approximately 8%.

[0127] Example 4: Intelligent Scheduling and Predictive Maintenance

[0128] This device is deeply integrated with the factory's MES / EMS system to enable predictive maintenance:

[0129] Data Acquisition: The status data of the dressing disk of each CMP machine is uploaded to the cloud database in real time via the OPC UA protocol. The data includes:

[0130] Real-time adjustment time and number of times

[0131] Adjust the motor current and torque

[0132] Online monitoring value of polishing pad roughness

[0133] WIWNU index after wafer polishing

[0134] AI Prediction Model: The lifespan prediction model is trained based on 12 months of historical data, using the random forest algorithm. It takes 12 feature parameters as input and outputs the predicted remaining lifespan (RUL) of the repair disk. The model has a prediction accuracy of ±2 hours and triggers an early warning 4 hours in advance.

[0135] Dynamic scheduling: The EMS system uses the Hungarian algorithm to allocate tasks based on the prediction results and AGV status, ensuring that the AGV utilization rate is >85% and the average response time is <5 minutes.

[0136] Full lifecycle traceability: Automatically generates maintenance reports, recording data such as repair disk serial number, replacement time, service life, and performance degradation curve, realizing full lifecycle traceability from installation to scrapping, and providing data support for process optimization.

[0137] Example 5: Spatial Adaptability Design

[0138] For the narrow space of 200mm×150mm×100mm inside the machine tool, the present invention adopts the following design:

[0139] Miniaturized actuator: Overall dimensions are 140mm×90mm×75mm, a 60% reduction in volume compared to traditional robotic arms.

[0140] Separate operation: The stripping and gripping components are arranged in parallel to avoid interference caused by a single arm performing multiple tasks.

[0141] Flexible peeling: Utilizing the air pressure drive characteristics of the dressing disc base itself (0.2MPa air pressure generates about 50N thrust), no additional force application mechanism is required, simplifying the structure.

[0142] Visual guidance: The collaborative robotic arm 301, in conjunction with the visual positioning module 304, can automatically compensate for positional deviations of ±10mm, reducing the requirements for AGV positioning accuracy.

[0143] Example 6: Material and Process Selection

[0144] Wedge-shaped release block 404: Made of POM-C (polyoxymethylene), density 1.41 g / cm³ 3 With a tensile strength of 65 MPa and a coefficient of friction of 0.2, it ensures wear resistance without damaging the dressing disc. It is precision-machined using CNC, with a wedge surface roughness Ra ≤ 0.8 μm.

[0145] 407 gripper arm: The body is made of SUS304 stainless steel with passivated surface.

[0146] The gasket is made of PTFE (Teflon), 1mm thick, and is resistant to temperatures from -190℃ to 260℃ to prevent chemical corrosion.

[0147] Base 410: Made of 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, with hard anodized surface, hardness >350HV, and thickness of 25μm, ensuring long-term corrosion resistance in polishing liquid mist environment.

[0148] Sensor protection: All photoelectric sensors are IP67 protected, and the lenses are fitted with polycarbonate protective covers to prevent contamination by abrasive particles.

[0149] Example 7: Fault Diagnosis and Fault Tolerance Mechanism

[0150] This device has comprehensive fault diagnosis capabilities:

[0151] Clamping force monitoring: Real-time monitoring of the electric gripper current; if it exceeds the range of 10-50N, an alarm will be triggered immediately and the operation will stop.

[0152] Visual recognition failure: If the visual positioning module 304 cannot recognize the notch (e.g., the notch is contaminated), it will automatically switch to the machine encoder positioning mode to ensure fault tolerance.

[0153] Stripping failure detection: If the in-situ detection sensor 409 does not detect the trimming disc within 5 seconds, the stripping is deemed to have failed, the AGV exits and requests manual intervention.

[0154] Installation failure handling: If the installation still fails after a second positioning, the AGV will place the faulty trimming tray in the NG material box and notify the EMS system, and the machine will switch to the backup trimming tray.

[0155] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely preferred examples, and the following equivalent substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention:

[0156] Actuator drive method: The electric gripper can be replaced with a pneumatic gripper with force control function, which can be used with a precision pressure regulating valve and a flow control valve to achieve force control function.

[0157] Wedge-shaped release block material: POM material can be replaced with PEEK (polyether ether ketone) or Nylon 66, with hardness controlled at Shore D 75-85 to ensure wear resistance and surface smoothness.

[0158] Sensor type: The photoelectric sensor can be replaced with a capacitive proximity sensor or a miniature limit switch, and the detection accuracy must meet the requirement of ±0.1mm.

[0159] AGV platform: can be replaced by a rail-guided RGV (rail-guided vehicle) or a suspended OHT (Overhead Hoist Transfer) system, with a positioning accuracy of ±5mm.

[0160] Communication method: E84 optical communication can be replaced with wireless radio frequency communication or industrial Ethernet communication that meets the SEM IS17 standard, with a response time of <10ms.

[0161] All the above equivalent substitutions should fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0162] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0163] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent technical solutions also fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention, and the patent protection scope of the embodiments of the present invention should be defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A dressing disk handling device for a dressing disk used to dress a polishing pad in a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, characterized by, The device comprises: a base with a mounting interface; a stripping assembly fixed to the base, comprising a stripping electric clamp, a stripping claw arm, a wedge-shaped stripping block, and a stripping detection sensor, the stripping electric clamp having adjustable clamping force and over-limit alarm function, the stripping claw arm being in a half-T shape and fixed to the stripping electric clamp, the wedge-shaped stripping block being installed at the end of the stripping claw arm and made of non-metallic wear-resistant material, and the stripping detection sensor being arranged on the stripping claw arm for detecting the gap position of the dressing disc; a grabbing assembly fixed to the base and arranged in parallel with the stripping assembly, comprising a grabbing electric clamp and a grabbing claw arm, the grabbing electric clamp having adjustable clamping force and over-limit alarm function, the grabbing claw arm being in a circular arc shape and covered with a non-metallic protective layer, and the end of the grabbing claw arm being provided with a boss structure to avoid contacting the diamond working surface of the dressing disc.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The wedge-shaped stripping block has a wedge-shaped structure for being inserted between the dressing disc and the dressing disc base under the driving of the stripping electric clamp, and overcomes the magnetic adsorption by generating relative displacement to achieve non-destructive stripping. The circular arc angle of the grabbing claw arm is greater than 30°, and the boss structure keeps a gap of 0.5-2 mm between the diamond working surface of the dressing disc and the inner surface of the claw arm in the clamping state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a visual positioning module fixed to the base for identifying and positioning the dressing disc; an in-position detection sensor arranged at the bottom of the grabbing claw arm for detecting whether the dressing disc is successfully stripped and falls into the grabbing area; The stripping detection sensor and the in-position detection sensor are both photoelectric sensors, and their detection signals are transmitted to a control unit to form a closed-loop control.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, The clamping force adjustment range of the stripping electric clamp and the grabbing electric clamp is 10-50 N, and the over-limit alarm threshold is 55-60 N.

5. An intelligent maintenance system for a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) device, characterized in that, The device comprises: an automatic device for disassembling and assembling a dressing disc according to any one of claims 1-4; an automatic guided vehicle for carrying the device and moving to a maintenance station of a chemical mechanical polishing equipment; a control unit in communication connection with the device, the automatic guided vehicle, and the control system of the chemical mechanical polishing equipment, for coordinating the control of the disassembly and assembly process.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The automatic guided vehicle and the chemical mechanical polishing equipment adopt E84 communication protocol for signal interaction, and the signals at least include: machine preparation completion signal, AGV in-position signal, disassembly execution signal, assembly execution signal, and task completion signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein, The control unit receives the dressing disc replacement warning information sent by the chemical mechanical polishing equipment through an EMS system, and controls the automatic guided vehicle to autonomously navigate to the target machine and the specified chamber.

8. A method of intelligent maintenance of a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus, using an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that, The device comprises the following steps: a disassembly step: S101: when the chemical mechanical polishing equipment detects that the dressing disc reaches the replacement threshold, a replacement request is sent to the EMS system; S102: the EMS system dispatches the automatic guided vehicle to carry the execution mechanism to move to the target machine, and sends an in-position signal through the E84 communication protocol; S103: after the machine receives the in-position signal, the dresser assembly is swung to the outside maintenance position, and the dressing disc is adjusted to a predetermined angle. S104: The peeling detection sensor of the actuator rechecks the gap position of the dressing disc, confirms that there is no error, and then the peeling electric clamp jaw drives the wedge-shaped peeling block to insert between the dressing disc and the dressing disc base. The relative action of the up-down movement characteristics of the dressing disc base driven by air pressure and the peeling block overcomes the magnetic force adsorption, so that the dressing disc is peeled off and falls into the grabbing jaw arm; S105: After the in-place detection sensor confirms that the dressing disc is successfully grabbed, the grabbing electric clamp jaw locks the dressing disc, and the AGV moves the old dressing disc to the temporary storage area; Installation steps: S201: The AGV picks up the new dressing disc from the temporary storage area and moves to the machine maintenance position; S202: The grabbing electric clamp jaw positions the new dressing disc close to the dressing disc base with a position deviation of not more than 0.1 mm, and completes the pre-positioning by using magnetic force self-adaptive adsorption; S203: The machine judges whether the installation is successful through the change from yes to no of at least two peeling detection sensor signals, otherwise performs a micro-angle swing for secondary positioning; S204: The AGV sends a completion signal to the machine, and the machine returns to the production state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, The replacement threshold is determined based on the dressing disc usage time, dressing frequency and polishing pad surface roughness monitoring data, and is automatically calculated and warned by the machine controller; The interaction process of the E84 communication protocol includes: AGV arrives and triggers the machine safety door to open; After the machine completes the component swing and dressing disc positioning, it outputs a preparation completion signal to the AGV; After receiving the preparation completion signal, the AGV starts the actuator; After the execution is completed, the AGV outputs a completion signal, triggers the machine safety door to close and resumes production.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein, The amplitude of the micro-angle swing is ±5°, and the swing times are not more than 3 times; The whole maintenance process is controlled within 3-5 minutes, of which the AGV round trip time accounts for 40%, and the actuator operation time accounts for 60%.

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