Robot

Abstract

The robot provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used to transfer wafers, and includes a finger structure and a bearing assembly; wherein the bearing assembly includes a plurality of supporting components, the plurality of supporting components are arranged on the finger structure and are spaced apart on the same circumference, and each supporting component is used to contact the edge of the wafer to support the wafer and prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure. The robot provided in the embodiment of the present invention can prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure, thereby preventing scratches and contact marks from being generated on the surface of the wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of semiconductor processing technology. Specifically, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a robot. Background Art

[0002] At present, in semiconductor process equipment, it is necessary to gradually transfer wafers from the atmospheric environment to the process chamber for process processing. In this process, the transfer of wafers needs to be achieved with the help of a transfer module composed of a series of atmospheric equipment and vacuum equipment. The transfer module is usually equipped with a manipulator to transfer the wafer to the process chamber through movements such as telescoping and lifting.

[0003] For some processes that require processing on the back side of the wafer, such as the back-gold process, which is to deposit metals such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), and silver (Ag) on ​​the back side of the wafer, this process requires the wafer to be transferred into the process chamber with the back side facing up and the front side facing down for processing. However, in the process of the existing robot carrying the wafer, since the front side of the wafer contacts the robot, it is easy to cause scratches or contact marks on the front side of the wafer, and the wafer that has completed the back-gold process often warps to a large extent, which also increases the contact area between the wafer and the robot, resulting in an increase in the degree of scratches on the front side of the wafer, thereby affecting the subsequent processes and greatly reducing the product yield. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the existing methods, the embodiments of the present invention provide a robot arm that can prevent the wafer from contacting with the finger structure, thereby avoiding scratches and contact marks on the wafer surface.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention provides a robot arm for transferring wafers, comprising a finger structure and a carrying assembly; wherein the carrying assembly comprises a plurality of supporting components, wherein the plurality of supporting components are arranged on the finger structure and are spaced apart on the same circumference, and each of the supporting components is used to contact the edge of the wafer to support the wafer and prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure.

[0006] Optionally, each of the supporting components includes a supporting surface for supporting the wafer, the supporting surface is an inclined surface inclined relative to a horizontal plane, and the height of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane gradually increases in a direction away from the center of the circumference in the radial direction of the circumference.

[0007] Optionally, the angle between the inclined plane and the horizontal plane is 1°-60°.

[0008] Optionally, the angle is 5.75 degrees.

[0009] Optionally, each of the supporting components includes a supporting body and an anti-slip flexible member disposed on the supporting body, wherein the supporting surface is formed on the anti-slip flexible member.

[0010] Optionally, the anti-slip flexible member is ring-shaped and is configured to make the supporting surface and the wafer in point contact.

[0011] Optionally, a mounting groove is formed on the support body, and a portion of the anti-slip flexible member is disposed inside the mounting groove, and another portion is disposed outside the mounting groove.

[0012] Optionally, at least one marking line is provided on the supporting surface of each of the supporting components, and each of the marking lines is used to mark the position of an edge of a wafer of one size on the supporting surface.

[0013] Optionally, the finger structure includes two fingers spaced apart, with a preset distance between the two fingers to prevent the fingers from contacting the wafer.

[0014] Optionally, the manipulator further includes a positioning member and a fastener, wherein the positioning member is arranged on the finger structure to limit the position of the supporting component on the finger structure; and the fastener is used to fix the supporting component to the finger structure.

[0015] Beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention:

[0016] The manipulator provided by the embodiment of the present invention has a bearing assembly including a plurality of supporting components arranged on the finger structure and spaced apart on the same circumference, each supporting component being used to contact the edge of the wafer to support the wafer and prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure. Since the plurality of supporting components only contact the edge of the wafer, this can avoid contact with the surface of the wafer while ensuring the support of the wafer, thereby preventing scratches and contact marks on the surface of the wafer caused by contact between the manipulator and the surface of the wafer. At the same time, the plurality of supporting components can also prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure, thereby reducing scratches caused by contact and friction with the finger structure caused by warping of the wafer to a certain extent. Therefore, the manipulator provided by the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the impact on subsequent processes, improve product yield, and can be applied to semiconductor process equipment for processes such as back-gold processes that require protection of the wafer surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figure 1A A top view of a robot supporting a wafer provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 1B A top view of a robot provided by an embodiment of the present invention and showing the position of a wafer;

[0020] Figure 1C A top view of a manipulator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2A A partial cross-sectional view of a manipulator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2B Another partial cross-sectional view of the manipulator provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3A A partial enlarged view of a finger structure used in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3B This is a partial enlarged view of the cooperation between the support component and the edge of the wafer used in the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar components or components having the same or similar functions. In addition, if the detailed description of the known technology is unnecessary for the features of the illustrated embodiments of the present invention, it will be omitted. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be interpreted as limiting the present invention.

[0026] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as generally understood by those skilled in the art in the art to which the present invention belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in general dictionaries should be understood to have meanings consistent with the meanings in the context of the prior art, and will not be interpreted with idealized or overly formal meanings unless specifically defined as herein.

[0027] The technical solution of the present invention and how the technical solution of the present invention solves the above-mentioned technical problems are described in detail below with specific embodiments.

[0028] The embodiment of the present invention provides a robot for transferring wafers, such as Figures 1A to 1CAs shown, the manipulator includes a finger structure 2 and a bearing assembly; wherein the finger structure 2 is connected to the manipulator arm 1 and is located on one side of the manipulator arm 1 to form a cantilever structure, and the finger structure 2 can move with the manipulator arm 1 to achieve the transmission of the wafer 100. The manipulator arm 1 and the finger structure 2 can be made of metal material, or can also be made of ceramic or quartz material. In addition, the finger structure 2 and the manipulator body 1 can adopt an integrated structure, or can also adopt a split structure.

[0029] The structure of the finger structure 2 can be various. For example, in this embodiment, the finger structure 2 includes two fingers 22 spaced apart, and a preset distance between the two fingers 22 is used to form a hollow portion 21. The hollow portion 21 can further prevent the finger 22 from contacting the wafer 100, especially for a warped wafer, because a warped wafer usually has a central area that bends downward relative to the edge, that is, the edge is warped upward. In this case, a hollow portion 21 is formed between the two fingers 22, and the hollow portion 21 is opposite to the above-mentioned central area, so that the finger 22 can be prevented from contacting the wafer 100, thereby reducing scratches caused by contact friction between the wafer 100 and the finger 22 to a certain extent.

[0030] In some embodiments, the value range of the preset spacing is 100 mm to 290 mm, and specifically can be 120 mm, 150 mm, 180 mm, 182 mm, 200 mm, 240 mm or 280 mm, etc. In practical applications, corresponding values ​​can be selected according to different specifications of the wafer 100. Specifically, the larger the diameter of the wafer 100, the larger the value of the preset spacing; otherwise, the smaller the value.

[0031] It should be noted that, in practical applications, the finger structure 2 may also adopt any other structure, such as a ring structure or a recessed portion that can be opposite to the center area of ​​the wafer, which can also prevent the finger 22 from contacting the wafer 100; or, the finger structure 2 may also be a flat plate structure, and only the support component 3 is used to prevent the finger structure 2 from contacting the wafer 100.

[0032] The bearing assembly includes a plurality of supporting components 31, such as Figures 1A to 1CFour support components 31 are shown in the figure. Of course, in actual applications, the number of support components 31 can also be three or more than five, as long as the wafer 100 can be stably supported. Multiple support components 31 are arranged on the finger structure 2 and are spaced apart along the same circumferential direction. Each support component 31 is used to contact the edge of the wafer 100 to support the wafer 100. Since the multiple support components 31 only contact the edge of the wafer 100, this can avoid contact with the surface of the wafer while ensuring stable support of the wafer, thereby avoiding scratches and contact marks on the surface of the wafer caused by contact between the manipulator and the wafer surface. At the same time, the above-mentioned multiple support components 31 can also prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure, thereby reducing scratches caused by contact friction with the finger structure caused by the warping of the wafer to a certain extent.

[0033] Therefore, the robot provided by the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the impact on subsequent processes, improve product yield, and can be applied to semiconductor process equipment for processes such as back-gold process that require protection of the wafer surface.

[0034] In some embodiments, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B As shown, each support component 31 includes a support surface 32 for supporting the wafer 100, and the support surface 32 is an inclined surface inclined relative to the horizontal plane, and the height of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane gradually increases in the radial direction of the circumference of the support component 31 along the direction away from the center of the circumference. In other words, the inner sides of the multiple support components 31 form a circular groove, and the wafer 100 can be placed in the circular groove, and the support surfaces 32 of the multiple support components 31 together form the side of the circular groove, and the edge of the wafer 100 contacts the side to achieve support for the wafer 100. In addition, the diameter of the circular groove gradually increases in the direction away from the bottom of the groove. In this way, the position of the wafer can be automatically corrected under the action of the weight of the wafer 100 itself, and the contact position of the edge of the wafer 100 and each support surface 32 can be ensured to be at the same height, so that the wafer 100 can be placed horizontally.

[0035] In some embodiments, Figure 1B As shown, the supporting surfaces 32 of the four supporting components 31 are symmetrical in pairs. Specifically, the two supporting surfaces 32 located on one side of the X-axis are symmetrically arranged with the two supporting surfaces 32 located on the other side of the X-axis. Similarly, the two supporting surfaces 32 located on one side of the Y-axis are symmetrically arranged with the two supporting surfaces 32 located on the other side of the Y-axis. In this way, the contact positions of the four supporting components 31 and the wafer 100 can be distributed more evenly, thereby improving the stability of the support.

[0036] In some embodiments, Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs shown, each support component 31 includes a support body 311 and an anti-slip flexible member 312 disposed on the support body 311, wherein the support body 311 can be made of metal or non-metal material to ensure the rigidity required to support the wafer. For example, the support body 311 can be made of stainless steel, aluminum, quartz or ceramic, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto. The setting of the support body 311 can prevent the wafer 200 from contacting the finger structure 2, and is particularly suitable for warped wafers. In practical applications, the shape and size of the support body 311 can be freely set according to specific needs, as long as the wafer is not in contact with the finger structure 2.

[0037] The anti-skid flexible member 312 is formed with the above-mentioned support surface 32, that is, the anti-skid flexible member 312 is used to support the wafer 100. At the same time, the anti-skid flexible member 312 also increases the friction force in contact with the edge of the wafer to prevent the wafer from sliding. The anti-skid flexible member 312 can be made of an anti-skid material with a large friction coefficient such as silicone or rubber, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0038] The structure of the anti-skid flexible member 312 can be various, for example, the anti-skid flexible member 312 is annular and is configured to make the support surface 32 and the wafer in point contact. Since the anti-skid flexible member 312 is annular, the contact points between the edge of the wafer and the anti-skid flexible member 312 (i.e., the intersection of the edge of the wafer and the annular anti-skid flexible member 312) are at most 2, which greatly reduces the contact area between the anti-skid flexible member 312 and the wafer, thereby further reducing the possibility of scratches on the wafer. The above-mentioned anti-skid flexible member 312 is, for example, a sealing rubber ring, which is not only easy to obtain, but also can effectively reduce the application and maintenance costs.

[0039] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the annular anti-skid flexible member 312. In addition, the anti-skid flexible member 312 may also be in any other shape as long as it can support the wafer and prevent the wafer from sliding.

[0040] In some embodiments, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B As shown, a mounting groove 313 is formed on the support body 311, and a part of the anti-skid flexible member 312 is arranged inside the mounting groove 313, and the other part is arranged outside the mounting groove 313, so as to fix the anti-skid flexible member 312 on the support body 311. Specifically, for the annular anti-skid flexible member 312, the mounting groove 313 is correspondingly set as an annular groove. Of course, for the anti-skid flexible member 312 of different shapes, the shape of the mounting groove 313 is also adaptively changed. And optionally, in order to prevent the anti-skid flexible member 312 from falling out of the mounting groove 313, the mounting groove 313 is a "dovetail groove" or other groove structure with a smaller opening size.

[0041] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention does not limit the installation method of the anti-slip flexible member 312. For example, the anti-slip flexible member 312 can also be directly bonded to the support body 311. Therefore, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and those skilled in the art can adjust the settings according to actual conditions.

[0042] In some embodiments, there are many ways to form the support surface 32 into an inclined surface, for example, FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B As shown, a slope 311a is formed on the support body 311, and the mounting groove 313 formed on the slope 311a is also inclined, so that when the anti-slip flexible member 312 is installed in the mounting groove 313, it is also inclined, so that the support surface 32 on the anti-slip flexible member 312 forms a slope. Figure 2B As shown, taking the case where the lower surface of the support body 311 is parallel to the horizontal plane, and the support surface 32 is parallel to the inclined surface 311a on the support body 311, the angle A between the inclined surface 311a and the lower surface of the support body 311 is equal to the angle between the support surface 32 and the horizontal plane. The angle A can be 1°-60°, for example, 5.75 degrees. This arrangement can ensure that the wafer can be stably supported to prevent the wafer from sliding, and can also reduce the processing difficulty and processing cost of the support body 311. In practical applications, the specific value of the above-mentioned angle A can be 1 degree, 15 degrees, 28 degrees, 35 degrees, 45 degrees, 50 degrees or 55 degrees, etc., and the size of the angle A can be freely selected according to wafers of different specifications.

[0043] In some embodiments, Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, at least one marking line 314 is provided on the support surface 32 of each support component 31, and each marking line 314 is used to identify the position of the edge of a wafer of one size on the support surface 32. When a wafer of a corresponding size is correctly placed on the support component 31, the marking line 314 coincides with the edge of the wafer. The marking line 314 may be a two-dimensional mark drawn on the support surface 32, or may be composed of a three-dimensional structure provided on the support surface 32, for example, a circular arc groove or boss is provided on the support surface 32.

[0044] In some embodiments, Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the manipulator also includes a positioning member 4 and a fastener 5, wherein the positioning member 4 is arranged on the finger structure 2 to limit the position of the support component 31 on the finger structure 2, and the positioning member 4 is, for example, a positioning pin, and both ends of the positioning pin are respectively located in two coaxial positioning holes on the support component 31 and the finger structure 2; the fastener 5 is used to fix the support component 31 to the finger structure 2, and the fastener 5 is, for example, a fastening screw.

[0045] The manipulator provided by the embodiment of the present invention has a bearing assembly including a plurality of supporting components arranged on the finger structure and spaced apart on the same circumference, each supporting component being used to contact the edge of the wafer to support the wafer and prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure. Since the plurality of supporting components only contact the edge of the wafer, this can avoid contact with the surface of the wafer while ensuring the support of the wafer, thereby preventing scratches and contact marks on the surface of the wafer caused by the contact between the manipulator and the surface of the wafer. At the same time, the plurality of supporting components can also prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure, thereby reducing scratches caused by contact and friction with the finger structure caused by the warping of the wafer to a certain extent. Therefore, the manipulator provided by the embodiment of the present invention can reduce the impact on subsequent processes, improve product yield, and can be applied to semiconductor process equipment for processes such as back-gold processes that require protection of the wafer surface (i.e., the front side of the wafer).

[0046] It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0047] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0048] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more.

[0049] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0050] In the description of this specification, specific features, structures, materials or characteristics may be combined in an appropriate manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0051] The above descriptions are only some embodiments of the present invention. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A robot for transferring wafers, characterized in that: It comprises a finger structure and a bearing assembly; wherein the bearing assembly comprises a plurality of supporting components, the plurality of supporting components are arranged above the finger structure and are spaced apart on the same circumference, each of the supporting components is used to contact the edge of the wafer to support the wafer and prevent the wafer from contacting the finger structure; Each of the supporting components includes a supporting surface for supporting the wafer, wherein the supporting surface is an inclined surface inclined relative to a horizontal plane, and a height of the inclined surface relative to the horizontal plane gradually increases in a direction away from the center of the circumference in the radial direction of the circumference.

2. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The angle between the inclined plane and the horizontal plane is 1°-60°.

3. The robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The angle is 5.75 degrees.

4. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: Each of the supporting components comprises a supporting body and an anti-skid flexible member arranged on the supporting body, wherein the supporting surface is formed on the anti-skid flexible member.

5. The robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The anti-slip flexible member is ring-shaped and is configured to make the supporting surface and the wafer in point contact.

6. The robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: A mounting groove is formed on the support body, a part of the anti-slip flexible member is arranged inside the mounting groove, and another part is arranged outside the mounting groove.

7. The robot according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: At least one marking line is arranged on the supporting surface of each of the supporting components, and each of the marking lines is used to mark the position of an edge of a wafer of one size on the supporting surface.

8. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The finger structure includes two fingers arranged at intervals, with a preset distance between the two fingers to prevent the fingers from contacting the wafer.

9. The robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The manipulator further includes a positioning member and a fastener, wherein the positioning member is arranged on the finger structure to limit the position of the supporting component on the finger structure; and the fastener is used to fix the supporting component to the finger structure.

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