Wafer Carrier Assembly, Wafer Transfer Device and Method for Wafer Transfer

Abstract

The present invention discloses a wafer carrier assembly for a reaction chamber, which includes: a heating plate fixedly connected with a plurality of support feet for standing on the bottom of the reaction chamber; a thimble tray vertically moving up and down below the heating plate and fixedly connected with a plurality of thimbles vertically moving up and down above the heating plate, and the thimble tray is configured to interact with a finger of a robotic arm to move up and down below the heating plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device and method for transferring wafers, especially in a special environmental chamber, which can transfer wafers in a stable and simple actuation manner and configuration combination. Background Art

[0002] With the development of new technologies, semiconductor chips are more and more widely used, and the production volume and types of semiconductor chips are increasing. Therefore, the types, functions, and requirements of various semiconductor chip production-related equipment are also becoming more and more diverse. For the wafer surface reaction in one of the semiconductor chip manufacturing processes, the wafer needs to be placed inside a reaction chamber with special environments such as vacuum and high temperature during the reaction. Therefore, stably and efficiently transferring the wafer from the atmospheric environment to the reaction chamber required for deposition is very important for semiconductor wafer surface reaction equipment.

[0003] Therefore, how to transfer wafers in this special environmental reaction chamber is a major issue. The common problems that occur in wafer transfer at present are: (1) The configuration method of transferring wafers will affect the uneven distribution of fluid and thermal fields in the reaction chamber; (2) Most of the configurations for transferring wafers use a plurality of actuators, and their vibrations will cause mutual friction between components, thereby generating particles between the reaction chambers, affecting the cleanliness in the chambers, and finally resulting in contamination during the wafer processing process, such as thin film deposition, etc., and even more seriously, the wafers are damaged, affecting the yield; (3) The components of the wafer transfer configuration are complicated. When some components in the transfer equipment have problems, such as errors occurring during wafer transfer, at this time, the components cannot be easily replaced, and even the entire equipment needs to be repaired, resulting in the suspension of equipment manufacturing and affecting production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a wafer transfer device and its transfer method that can improve the stability of wafer transfer. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To solve the above problems, the present invention uses a wafer carrier assembly that can perform vertical actuation with a robotic arm to achieve wafer transfer, without additionally configuring an actuation device in the reaction chamber, and uses a simple configuration of components to reduce the generation of particles.

[0006] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer device, comprising: at least one reaction chamber having a wafer carrier assembly; and at least one wafer transfer chamber provided with at least one robotic arm having at least one first finger and at least one second finger, wherein the operating level of the first finger is higher than that of the second finger. Wherein, the wafer carrier assembly is configured to be able to interact with the first finger and the second finger, so that the first finger and the second finger respectively cooperate with the wafer carrier assembly at their respective operating levels in the reaction chamber to place a wafer on the wafer carrier assembly.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer carrier assembly for a reaction chamber, comprising: a heating plate fixedly connected with a plurality of support feet for standing on the bottom of the reaction chamber; and a thimble tray vertically lifted and lowered under the heating plate and fixedly connected with a plurality of thimbles vertically lifted and lowered above the heating plate, and the thimble tray is configured to interact with a finger of a robotic arm to be lifted and lowered under the heating plate.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer method, comprising: providing the above-mentioned wafer carrier assembly in a reaction chamber; providing a first finger and a second finger, the operating level of the first finger being higher than that of the second finger; using the first finger to carry a wafer and moving it above the wafer carrier assembly; moving the second finger under the thimble tray of the wafer carrier assembly in the reaction chamber; raising the second finger and lifting the thimble tray to raise the plurality of thimbles above the heating plate to support the wafer on the first finger; retracting the first finger from the reaction chamber; lowering the second finger to synchronously lower the thimble tray and the plurality of thimbles so that the wafer is seated on the heating plate; and retracting the second finger from the reaction chamber.

[0009] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a wafer transfer method, comprising: providing the above-mentioned wafer carrier assembly in a reaction chamber; providing a first finger and a second finger, the operating level of the first finger being higher than that of the second finger; moving the second finger under the thimble tray of the wafer carrier assembly; raising the second finger and lifting the thimble tray and the plurality of thimbles to support a wafer on the heating plate with the plurality of thimbles; moving the first finger between the supported wafer and the heating plate; lowering the second finger to synchronously lower the thimble tray and the plurality of thimbles to seat the wafer on the first finger; retracting the first finger carrying the wafer from the reaction chamber; and retracting the second finger from the reaction chamber. Description of the Drawings

[0010] Figure 1 Shown is a perspective view of the wafer transfer device of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 Shown is a perspective view of the wafer carrier assembly of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 Shown is a perspective view of the robotic arm of the present invention.

[0013] Figures 4A to 4G Shown is a schematic diagram of the method for transferring a wafer from a wafer transfer chamber to a reaction chamber of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5It shows a step diagram of the method for transferring wafers from the wafer transfer chamber to the reaction chamber according to the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6 It shows a step diagram of the method for transferring wafers from the reaction chamber to the wafer transfer chamber according to the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0016] The implementation manners of the present invention will be described below with reference to the schematic diagrams of the ideal configurations of the present invention. The shapes and arrangements in these diagrams may vary due to manufacturing technologies, designs, and / or tolerances. Therefore, the implementation manners described in the present invention should not be considered as limiting the structure of the present invention to specific components or shapes, and it should include any differences in shapes caused by manufacturing.

[0017] Please refer to Figure 1 The three-dimensional diagram of the wafer transfer device of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the wafer transfer device 100 includes at least one reaction chamber 120 (the upper cover has been removed). Inside the reaction chamber 120, there is a pair of chambers, each of which can accommodate at least one wafer carrier assembly 110. A wafer transfer chamber 200 is connected to the reaction chamber 120, and a gate valve 300 is provided in the middle. A channel (not shown in the figure) communicating with the gate valve 300 is formed in the reaction chamber 120 and the wafer transfer chamber 200. At least one robotic arm 400 is provided inside the wafer transfer chamber 200. The robotic arm 400 transfers at least one wafer W between the reaction chamber 120 and the wafer transfer chamber 200 through the channel. When the wafer transfer device 100 transfers the wafer W, it remains in a vacuum state. The reaction chamber 120 has a vacuum chamber that is approximately cylindrical. Due to the configuration of the wafer carrier assembly 110, the position of the vacuum pumping port 121 can be configured at the center of the bottom of the chamber. Therefore, the gas flow field and thermal field inside the chamber are uniform. The height of the channel is at least greater than the distance between the upper and lower front fingers of the robotic arm 400, so that the upper and lower front fingers of the robotic arm 400 can simultaneously enter the chamber through the channel.

[0018] Next, please refer to Figure 2The perspective view of the wafer carrier assembly 110 of the present invention is shown in the figure. The wafer carrier assembly 110 includes a heating plate 111. The heating plate 111 is provided with a plurality of support feet 114 for standing on the bottom of the chamber of the reaction chamber 120 and supporting the heating plate 111 at a position in the chamber and keeping the heating plate 111 in a horizontal state. In particular, the support feet 114 of the present invention are in contact with the outer periphery of the bottom of the chamber, avoiding the center of the bottom of the chamber. Below the surface of the heating plate 111, there is a thimble tray 112. The thimble tray 112 is located within the space surrounded by the heating plate 111 and a plurality of support feet 114. And a plurality of thimbles 113 are fixedly connected to the surface of the thimble tray 112 facing the heating plate 111. The plurality of thimbles 113 are configured to be able to vertically penetrate and move through the corresponding through holes of the heating plate 111, but will not fall off the heating plate 111 and become detached. Therefore, the plurality of thimbles 113 and the tray 112 can perform vertical displacement relative to the heating plate 111. Known means can be used to prevent the thimbles 113 from falling off the heating plate 111. For example, the top diameter of the plurality of thimbles 113 can be larger than a part of the through holes of the wafer carrier assembly 110. When the thimbles 113 are affected by gravity, the through holes can ensure that the tops of the thimbles 113 are kept from falling out of the through holes. The bottom of the thimble 113 and the thimble tray 112 are connected and fixed through an interface and can be repeatedly disassembled. Therefore, when the thimble tray 112 is lifted by force, it can drive the thimbles 113 to rise synchronously. Without external force intervention, the thimble tray 112 drives the thimbles 113 to descend. After the thimble 113 and the thimble tray 112 are connected and fixed, the thimble 113 has good vertical rigidity. When the thimble 113 moves upward, the movement is stable. And after combination, the center of gravity of the assembly is at the thimble tray 112 below the thimble 113. When affected by its own gravity, the thimble 113 moves stably when descending. The conventional thimbles are driven to lift and lower by an actuating motor. This method may cause movement errors between all the thimbles, and the naturally supported wafer may be tilted. The thimble and thimble tray design proposed by the present invention can ensure the same vertical lifting distance of all thimbles and reduce the occurrence of movement errors.

[0019] In addition, in a possible embodiment, a plurality of stop pieces and a plurality of springs corresponding to the plurality of thimbles 113 can also be provided inside the surface of the heating plate 111 to limit and protect the plurality of thimbles 113 from detaching from the heating plate 111, or to buffer the situation where the vertical displacement speed is too fast. The stop pieces and the springs are common technical means for those skilled in this technical field, so the present invention will not elaborate on and illustrate this technical means.

[0020] Next, please refer to Figure 3Stereogram of the robotic arm 400 of the present invention. The robotic arm 400 has a pair of first fingers 410 and a pair of second fingers 420. Basically, the operating level of the first fingers 410 is higher than that of the second fingers 420. The first fingers 410 and the second fingers 420 are coupled with a plurality of rotating components 430 and are rotatably mounted on a base 440. The first fingers 410 and the second fingers 420 can be lifted relative to the base 440, and the first fingers 410 and the second fingers 420 can rotate relative to each other by means of a plurality of rotating components 430, and can perform corresponding horizontal expansion and contraction. The configuration of the first fingers 410 and the second fingers 420 is designed such that when the first fingers 410 and the second fingers 420 act with the wafer carrier assembly 110, they do not contact the plurality of ejector pins 113 and the plurality of support feet 114 of the wafer carrier assembly 110, that is, the width of the first fingers 410 and the second fingers 420 is not sufficient to touch the support feet 114. The robotic arm 400 of the present invention aims to enable the arm to horizontally extend to transfer wafers. Accordingly, the same effect can be achieved by using a common combination of telescopic components and actuators. In addition, the robotic arm 400 can be installed with different numbers of first arms 410 and second arms 420 according to the requirements of wafer transfer.

[0021] Next, a method for transferring wafers from the wafer transfer chamber to the reaction chamber of the present invention will be described. Please refer to Figures 4A to 4G Schematic diagram of the method for transferring wafers from the wafer transfer chamber to the reaction chamber of the present invention and Figure 5 Step diagram of the method for transferring wafers from the wafer transfer chamber to the reaction chamber of the present invention. Among them Figures 4A to 4G For the convenience of understanding, the valve 300 and the channel are omitted, and only the interaction between the wafer carrier assembly 110, a single first finger 410, a single second finger 420, and the wafer W is shown. When the wafer transfer device 100 starts to transfer wafers, as in step S101, the valve 300 is opened. Please refer to Figure 4A , at this time, the first finger 410 has already pre-carried the wafer W. Then, as in steps S102 and Figure 4B , the first finger 410 carrying the wafer W horizontally extends and moves from the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 200 to the inside of the reaction chamber 120, and stops above the hot plate 111 of the wafer carrier assembly 110. When the first finger 410 reaches a correct position, as in steps S103 and Figure 4C , the second finger 420 horizontally extends and moves from the inside of the wafer transfer chamber 200 to the inside of the reaction chamber 120, and stops below the ejector pin tray 112 of the wafer carrier assembly 110. When the second finger 420 reaches a correct position, as in steps S104 and Figure 4D, the second finger 420 rises upward and supports the thimble tray 112 to continue to lift upward. At the same time, a plurality of thimbles 113 fixed to the thimble tray 112 will also vertically rise relative to the upper surface of the wafer carrier assembly 110, but will not touch the first finger 410 until the plurality of thimbles 113 lift the wafer W from the first finger 410 and maintain stability. At this time, the first finger 410 is located between the wafer W and the heating plate 111. Then, as in step S105 and Figure 4E , the first arm 410 is retracted from the reaction chamber 120 to the wafer transfer chamber 200. At this time, the wafer W is firmly fixed on the plurality of thimbles 113, so it will not move as the first finger 410 is retracted. When the first finger 410 is retracted to the wafer transfer chamber 200. As in step S106 and Figure 4F , the second finger 420 starts to descend, and the thimble tray 112 also slowly descends due to gravity, and synchronously drives the plurality of thimbles carrying the wafer W to descend together and retract into the upper surface of the heating plate 111. Finally, the wafer W will fall on the upper surface of the heating plate 111 and not contact any thimbles 113. When the second finger 420 descends to a position where the wafer W can fall on the heating plate 111, as in step S107 and Figure 4G , the second arm 420 is retracted from the reaction chamber 120 to the wafer transfer chamber 200. Finally, after the first finger 410 and the second finger 420 are retracted to the wafer transfer chamber 200, as in step S108, the valve 300 is closed.

[0022] Next, the method for transferring the wafer from the reaction chamber to the wafer transfer chamber of the present invention will be described. Please refer to Figure 6The flowchart of the method for transferring a wafer from a reaction chamber to a wafer transfer chamber according to the present invention. When the wafer W is to be removed from the reaction chamber 120 after the manufacturing process is completed, as in step S201, the valve 300 is opened. Then, as in step S202, the second finger 420 horizontally extends from within the wafer transfer chamber 200 and moves into the reaction chamber 120, and moves below the thimble tray 112. When the second finger 420 reaches a correct position, as in step S203, the second finger 420 rises upward and supports the thimble tray 112 to continue to lift upward. At the same time, a plurality of thimbles 113 fixed to the thimble tray 112 also vertically rise synchronously relative to the upper disk surface of the wafer carrier assembly 110 until the plurality of thimbles 113 lift the wafer W and keep it stable. When the wafer W is lifted and kept stable, as in step S204, the first finger 410 horizontally extends from within the wafer transfer chamber 200 and moves to a position between the wafer W, the heating plate 111, and the thimble 113. Then, when the first finger 410 is in a correct position, as in step S205, the second arm 420 starts to descend, and the thimble tray 112 also descends due to gravity, driving the plurality of thimbles 113 carrying the wafer W to descend together and retract into the disk surface of the heating plate 111, and the wafer W will fall onto the first finger 410. When the wafer W is on the first finger 410, as in step S206, the second finger 420 retracts from the reaction chamber 120 to the wafer transfer chamber 200. Then, as in step S207, the first finger 410 carrying the wafer W retracts from the reaction chamber 120 to the wafer transfer chamber 200. Finally, after the first finger 410 and the second finger 420 retract to the wafer transfer chamber 200, as in step S208, the valve 300 is closed. Steps S206 and S207 can be executed simultaneously to accelerate the retraction process of the first finger 410 and the second finger 420. Finally, the wafer W transferred to the wafer transfer chamber 200 can be transferred by the first finger 410 to other process chambers according to the requirements of the manufacturing process.

[0023] Although the illustration of the present invention shows a single wafer transfer chamber 200 connected to a single reaction chamber 120, according to requirements, one wafer transfer chamber 200 can also be correspondingly connected to a plurality of reaction chambers 120, or even a combination of a plurality of wafer transfer chambers connected to a plurality of reaction chambers 120 can be used to achieve the transfer efficiency and cost of the equipment.

[0024] In summary, the wafer transfer device and the wafer transfer method of the present invention can make the wafer stable during transfer, the movements inside the reaction chamber and related to the wafer transfer chamber are simple, the number of components is reduced, the cost is lowered, and the gas flow field and thermal field distribution inside the chamber are uniform, which can improve the reaction quality on the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that, Comprising: Providing a wafer carrier assembly in a reaction chamber, wherein the wafer carrier assembly has: a heating plate fixedly connected with a plurality of support feet standing on the bottom of the reaction chamber; and a thimble tray vertically lifting below the heating plate and fixedly connected with a plurality of thimbles vertically lifting above the heating plate; Providing a first finger and a second finger, wherein the operating level of the first finger is higher than that of the second finger; Carrying a wafer with the first finger and moving it above the wafer carrier assembly; Moving the second finger below the thimble tray of the wafer carrier assembly in the reaction chamber; Raising the second finger and lifting the thimble tray to raise the plurality of thimbles above the heating plate and support the wafer on the first finger; Retracting the first finger from the reaction chamber; Lowering the second finger to synchronously lower the thimble tray and the plurality of thimbles and make the wafer sit on the heating plate; and Retracting the second finger from the reaction chamber.

2. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that, Comprising: Providing a wafer carrier assembly in a reaction chamber, wherein the wafer carrier assembly has: a heating plate fixedly connected with a plurality of support feet standing on the bottom of the reaction chamber; and a thimble tray vertically lifting below the heating plate and fixedly connected with a plurality of thimbles vertically lifting above the heating plate; Providing a first finger and a second finger, wherein the operating level of the first finger is higher than that of the second finger; Moving the second finger below the thimble tray of the wafer carrier assembly; Raising the second finger and lifting the thimble tray and the plurality of thimbles to support a wafer on the heating plate with the plurality of thimbles; Moving the first finger between the lifted wafer and the heating plate; Lowering the second finger to synchronously lower the thimble tray and the plurality of thimbles and make the wafer sit on the first finger; Retracting the first finger carrying the wafer from the reaction chamber; and Retracting the second finger from the reaction chamber.

3. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that, Comprising: At least one reaction chamber having a wafer carrier assembly; and At least one wafer transfer chamber provided with at least one robotic arm, wherein, The robotic arm has at least one first finger and at least one second finger, the first finger is used for carrying wafers, the second finger is used for supporting the wafer carrier assembly, and the operating level of the first finger is higher than that of the second finger, The wafer carrier assembly interacts with the first finger and the second finger, so that the first finger and the second finger respectively cooperate with the wafer carrier assembly at their respective operating levels in the reaction chamber, and by adopting the wafer transfer method as described in claim 1, the wafer is placed on the wafer carrier assembly.

4. A wafer transfer device, characterized in that, Comprising: At least one reaction chamber having a wafer carrier assembly; and At least one wafer transfer chamber provided with at least one robotic arm, wherein, The robotic arm has at least one first finger and at least one second finger, the first finger is used for carrying wafers, the second finger is used for supporting the wafer carrier assembly, and the operating level of the first finger is higher than that of the second finger, The wafer carrier assembly interacts with the first finger and the second finger, enabling the first finger and the second finger to cooperate with the wafer carrier assembly simultaneously at their respective operating levels in the reaction chamber, and the wafer is separated from the wafer carrier assembly by adopting the wafer transfer method as described in claim 2.

5. A wafer carrier assembly for a reaction chamber, characterized in that, Comprising: A heating plate fixedly connected with a plurality of support feet standing at the bottom of the reaction chamber; and A thimble tray vertically lifted below the heating plate and fixedly connected with a plurality of thimbles vertically lifted above the heating plate. Among them, the thimble tray is configured to interact with the second finger of the robotic arm of the wafer transfer device as described in claim 3 to be lifted and lowered below the heating plate.

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