Wafer transfer robot gripper, semiconductor processing apparatus, and wafer transfer method
By designing a wafer transfer robotic arm gripper, and utilizing the combination of movable and fixed parts of the gripper and the elastic deformation of the sealing ring, the wafer self-adjustment is achieved, solving the problem of wafer skewing during transfer and improving process quality and production efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INST OF MICROELECTRONICS CHINESE ACAD OF SCI LTD
- Filing Date
- 2020-11-11
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-12
AI Technical Summary
Existing robotic arms, when using mechanical arms to transfer and transport wafers, suffer from wafer skew, leading to wafer breakage and a decline in the quality of subsequent processes.
Design a wafer transfer robotic arm gripper, including one or more sets of grippers. The grippers consist of fixed and movable parts, connected by a guide device and an anti-drop device. The self-adjustment of the wafer is achieved by utilizing the elastic deformation of the sealing ring and external force control.
It effectively avoids wafer skew, prevents wafer breakage, improves process consistency, reduces downtime, and increases production efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure CN114496868B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor transport equipment technology, and in particular to a wafer transport robotic arm clamp, semiconductor processing equipment, and wafer transport method. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of integrated circuit technology, the number of components integrated on a single chip is increasing, while the critical dimensions of these components are becoming smaller, thus placing increasingly higher demands on integrated circuit manufacturing. These higher demands are not only reflected in the requirements of crucial stages such as thin-film fabrication, coating, development, and etching, but also in other supporting stages and operations. Semiconductor processing equipment mainly includes a process system and a transfer system. The process system is generally a vacuum environment used to complete processes such as etching. The process chamber for processing silicon wafers also includes wafer hoppers for storing silicon wafers. For each process task, the silicon wafer is first placed in the wafer hopper, and then the wafer hopper is placed in the wafer hopper. During the process of processing silicon wafers according to the process task, the control system needs to transfer the silicon wafers from the wafer hopper to the transfer chamber, and then to the process chamber for processing; that is, the silicon wafer transfer system transfers the silicon wafers to the process chamber for processing.
[0003] The transfer system is used to transport wafers between the wafer hopper in an atmospheric environment and the process system in a vacuum environment. This allows for wafer transfer between these environments. The transfer chamber includes an atmospheric robot (AtmRobot), a positioning and calibration device (Aligner), a pre-vacuum chamber (Loadlock), and a vacuum robot (VacRobot). The control system controls the atmospheric robot to remove the silicon wafer from the wafer hopper and place it on the Aligner for calibration. After calibration, the atmospheric robot removes the wafer from the Aligner and places it into the pre-vacuum chamber. The pre-vacuum chamber is then evacuated, its valve is opened, and the vacuum robot removes the wafer from the pre-vacuum chamber and places it into the process chamber for processing. The entire process—from entering the transfer chamber from the atmospheric environment to the reaction chamber, from the reaction chamber to the transfer chamber after processing, and from the wafer between different reaction chambers—is accomplished by the robotic arm. Under programmed control, the robotic arm precisely completes each step of the wafer transfer process.
[0004] However, even after calibration, wafer misalignment can occur during the process of the robotic arm moving the wafer to and from the calibrator, and again when it moves the wafer to the next stage of the process equipment. Wafer misalignment can lead to issues such as wafer breakage and inability to properly match and adjust on the chuck, ultimately causing a decrease in yield for critical processes like coating, developing, and etching. While this problem can be mitigated to a limited extent by increasing manual preventative maintenance, workers may not be able to detect issues promptly, yield cannot be effectively controlled, and abnormal preventative maintenance increases significantly, leading to higher downtime and decreased production efficiency. Summary of the Invention
[0005] Based on the above analysis, the present invention aims to provide a wafer transfer robotic arm clamp, semiconductor processing equipment, and wafer transfer method to solve the problems of wafer breakage and subsequent process quality degradation caused by wafer skew during the transfer and transportation process of existing robotic arms using robotic arm clamps.
[0006] On the one hand, the present invention provides a wafer transfer robotic arm gripper, including one or more sets of grippers, wherein the robotic arm gripper picks up and places wafers by gripping.
[0007] The gripper includes a fixed part and a movable part;
[0008] The movable part and the fixed part are connected by a guide device and an anti-detachment device. The guide device guides the movement direction and trajectory of the movable part, and the anti-detachment device prevents the movable part from detaching from the fixed part after moving along the guide device.
[0009] Furthermore, the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the gripper is a right-angled trapezoid;
[0010] The fixed side of the gripper is the base side of a right trapezoid;
[0011] The working side of the gripper is the hypotenuse of a right trapezoid.
[0012] Furthermore, the top surface of the fixing part of the gripper is provided with a sealing ring mounting groove, and a sealing ring is placed in the sealing ring mounting groove.
[0013] Furthermore, the sealing ring is made of one of the following materials: acrylic rubber, silicone rubber, nitrile rubber, chloroprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, fluorocarbon rubber, and perfluororubber.
[0014] Furthermore, the maximum gap between the movable part and the fixed part is 0.5 mm.
[0015] Furthermore, under the action of external force, the movable part compresses the sealing ring into the sealing ring mounting groove and fits tightly against the end face of the fixed part. After the external force is released, the sealing ring returns to its original shape, and the restoring force of the sealing ring causes the movable part to move rapidly upward along the guide device.
[0016] Furthermore, the external force includes one or more of the following: spring force, mechanical locking, electromagnetic attraction, and vacuum pressure.
[0017] Furthermore, the longitudinal section of the sealing ring mounting groove is one-half to two-thirds the size of the longitudinal section of the sealing ring, and the cross-section of the sealing ring is circular or elliptical.
[0018] On the other hand, the present invention provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, including the above-described robotic arm clamp.
[0019] On the other hand, the present invention also provides a wafer transfer method, employing the above-mentioned wafer transfer robotic arm clamp, comprising:
[0020] Before the robotic arm grips the wafer, under the action of external force, the movable part of the gripper compresses the sealing ring into the sealing ring groove and fits tightly against the end face of the fixed part, and the gripper grips the wafer.
[0021] After the wafer is clamped, the external force is released, the sealing ring returns to its original shape, and under the action of the restoring force of the sealing ring, the movable part moves rapidly upward along the guide device;
[0022] As the movable part moves rapidly upward along the guide device, the wafer slides down the inner inclined surface of the gripper to the correct position, and the wafer self-adjusts.
[0023] The grippers continue to transport and place the wafer to the designated location.
[0024] Compared with the prior art, the present invention can achieve at least one of the following beneficial effects:
[0025] (1) The present invention designs the gripper as a movable part and a fixed part. By dividing the gripper into an upper and lower movable part and a fixed part, a sealing ring mounting groove is set in the middle of the movable part and the fixed part. The shape of the sealing ring is changed by using electromagnetic attraction, electromagnetic repulsion, mechanical locking, vacuum pressure control, etc. Even if the sealing ring is in a compressed state or a natural state, the movable part of the gripper is quickly lifted by using the elasticity of the sealing ring when it recovers its shape. The instantaneous rapid movement of the movable part corrects and adjusts the wafer held by the gripper from slipping back to the correct position, realizing the self-adjustment of the wafer position on the robotic gripper and effectively avoiding wafer skew.
[0026] (2) By effectively adjusting the tilt of the wafer gripped by the gripper, wafer breakage caused by the strong mechanical force of the robotic arm gripper due to wafer skew is effectively avoided. This avoids wafer skew during the picking and placing process of the robotic arm, which would lead to a decrease in etching consistency and yield in the subsequent etching process due to wafer skew.
[0027] (3) By effectively adjusting the tilt of the wafer gripped by the gripper, a large amount of manual preventive maintenance is avoided when the robot transports the wafer from the calibrator to the pre-vacuum chamber and the transfer chamber, which effectively reduces downtime and increases production efficiency.
[0028] In this invention, the above-described technical solutions can be combined with each other to achieve more preferred combinations. Other features and advantages of this invention will be set forth in the following description, and some advantages may become apparent from the description or be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of this invention can be realized and obtained from what is particularly pointed out in the description and drawings. Attached Figure Description
[0029] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same parts.
[0030] Figure 1a This is a schematic diagram showing a robotic arm gripping a wafer in its normal position.
[0031] Figure 1b This is a schematic diagram of a robotic arm grasping a wafer in an skewed position.
[0032] Figure 2a This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure before the self-adjustment of the robotic arm in Example 1.
[0033] Figure 2b This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure after self-adjustment in Example 1.
[0034] Figure 3a This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure before the self-adjustment of the robotic arm in Example 2.
[0035] Figure 3b This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure after self-adjustment in Example 2.
[0036] Figure 4a This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure before the self-adjustment of the robotic arm in Example 3.
[0037] Figure 4b This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure after self-adjustment in Example 3.
[0038] Figure 5aThis is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure before the self-adjustment of the robotic arm in Example 4.
[0039] Figure 5b This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm clamp structure after self-adjustment in Example 4.
[0040] Figure label:
[0041] 1-Claw fixing part; 2-Claw movable part; 3-Sealing ring; 4-Wafer; 5-Guide device and anti-drop device; 6-Air passage. Detailed Implementation
[0042] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this application and are used together with the embodiments of the present invention to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
[0043] The rapid development of integrated circuit technology has led to an increasing number of components integrated onto a single chip, while the critical dimensions of these components are shrinking, thus placing increasingly higher demands on integrated circuit manufacturing. Transport systems, used to move wafers to chambers for critical processes, also face increasingly stringent requirements for cleanliness, precision, and accuracy. For example... Figure 1a As shown, in the transmission equipment, the robotic arm grips the wafers to pick them up and place them. During the process of gripping the wafers, a wafer skew problem can occur, such as... Figure 1b As shown, wafer misalignment can lead to poor consistency in subsequent processes, decreased yield, a significant increase in preventative maintenance, higher machine downtime, reduced production efficiency, and even direct wafer breakage.
[0044] To address the above problems and effectively prevent wafer skew, avoiding the adverse effects caused by wafer skew, this invention provides a wafer transfer robotic arm gripper, mounted on the robotic arm of a semiconductor processing equipment's transfer device. It includes one or more sets of grippers to pick up and place wafers. The working side of the grippers is an arc-shaped surface conforming to the wafer's circumference. The longitudinal section of the grippers (i.e., the section perpendicular to the wafer surface) is a right-angled trapezoid. The side of the grippers closest to the robotic arm surface and fixedly connected to the base is the longer side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, i.e., the base side of the right-angled trapezoid. The working side of the grippers, i.e., the inner surface that grips the wafer, is the hypotenuse side of the right-angled trapezoid. In other words, the working side of the grippers is an inclined arc-shaped surface with a certain angle of inclination; that is, the diameter of the arc-shaped surface gradually decreases along the height direction of the grippers. By setting the inner surface of the gripped wafer as an inclined arc-shaped surface, the wafer can slide down the inclined surface to the correct position through a short, rapid movement of the grippers.
[0045] To enable the gripper to slide the wafer to the correct position quickly, the gripper has a special two-part structure, including a fixed part and a movable part. The movable part is connected to the fixed part by a guide device and an anti-detachment device. The guide device guides the movement direction and trajectory of the movable part, so that the movable part moves along the axis of the wafer. The anti-detachment device is used to prevent the movable part from detaching from the fixed part after moving too far along the guide device.
[0046] Given that the working side of the gripper is a curved surface conforming to the circumference of the wafer, the longitudinal section of the gripper (i.e., the section perpendicular to the wafer surface) is a right-angled trapezoid. The side of the gripper closest to the robotic arm and fixedly connected to the chassis is the longer side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, i.e., the base side of the right-angled trapezoid. The working side of the gripper, i.e., the inner surface that grips the wafer, is the hypotenuse side of the right-angled trapezoid. Along the height direction of the gripper, the diameter of the curved surface gradually decreases. Both the fixed and movable parts are similar in shape to the gripper. The fixed and movable parts together form the gripper of the aforementioned shape. In other words, when the gripper cross-section is a right-angled trapezoid, both the fixed and movable parts are right-angled trapezoids.
[0047] The top edge of the fixed part of the gripper has a sealing ring mounting groove, into which a sealing ring is placed. The longitudinal section of the sealing ring is circular or elliptical. The sealing ring is made of one of the following materials: acrylic rubber, silicone rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, fluorocarbon rubber, or perfluororubber. When the sealing ring is placed in the mounting groove, its top is naturally higher than the end face of the groove. Due to the good compressibility, deformability, and resilience of the sealing ring material (i.e., elasticity), the sealing ring can be compressed within the mounting groove. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the gripper, the movable part of the gripper moves towards the fixed part until it is tightly fitted. When an external force is applied to the sealing ring, the sealing ring is compressed and deformed, completely contracting within the mounting groove, and the movable part of the gripper moves towards the fixed part until it is tightly fitted. When the external force is removed, the sealing ring, due to its elasticity, returns to its original shape, lifting the movable part of the gripper, enabling rapid movement of the movable part of the gripper.
[0048] The longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring mounting groove should be between one-half and two-thirds the size of the sealing ring's longitudinal cross-section. If the mounting groove is too small, the sealing ring cannot be fully compressed into the groove, resulting in a lack of tight fit between the movable and fixed parts of the grippers. If the mounting groove is too large, the sealing ring will not completely fill the groove, potentially leading to sealing issues and failure to achieve a proper seal.
[0049] In one possible implementation, a feasible method for applying and removing external force involves an air passage inside the gripper fixing part. One end of the air passage connects to the sealing ring mounting groove, and the other end connects to a vacuum device. When the vacuum device is activated, and the internal air passage is under vacuum (vacuum level reaches -0.07 to -0.09 MPa), the sealing ring contracts under the vacuum and is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove. The movable part of the gripper moves towards the fixing part, achieving a tight fit. At this time, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grip the wafer. After gripping the wafer, the vacuum device stops working, the vacuum environment in the air passage disappears, and gas rushes into the air passage. Due to the elasticity of the material, the sealing ring quickly returns to its original shape, rapidly lifting the movable part of the gripper. The movable part of the gripper moves rapidly upward along the guide device, causing the wafer to slide down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thereby preventing wafer skew or achieving self-adjustment of wafer skew.
[0050] The above-mentioned solution applies external force to the sealing ring. Another feasible solution is to apply external force to the movable part of the gripper. A feasible implementation of this solution involves the movable part of the gripper being a permanent magnet, while the fixed part becomes magnetic when energized. The magnetic properties of the fixed part after energization are opposite to those of the permanent magnet in the movable part. When the fixed part is energized, it generates magnetism under the influence of the electric field. Since the fixed and movable parts have opposite magnetic properties, under the attraction of electromagnetic force, the movable part of the gripper moves along the guide device towards the fixed part, achieving a tight fit, and the sealing ring is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove. At this point, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grasp the wafer. After the wafer is gripped, the fixed part is de-energized (e.g., controlled by a control system to determine whether it is energized or not). The magnetism of the fixed part disappears, and due to the disappearance of the electromagnetic attraction, the sealing ring quickly returns to its original shape due to the elasticity of the material. This quickly lifts the movable part of the gripper, which moves rapidly upward along the guide device, causing the skewed wafer to slip off. The wafer slides down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thus achieving self-adjustment of the wafer skew.
[0051] Another feasible implementation of the above scheme is that the movable part of the gripper is a permanent magnet, and the fixed part becomes magnetic when energized. The energized portion of the fixed part has the same magnetism as the permanent magnet of the movable part. A spring is mounted above the movable part of the gripper. When the spring is in its normally extended state, it pushes the movable part towards the fixed part, causing the movable part to move along the guide device towards the fixed part until they are tightly fitted. Before the fixed part is energized, the spring is in a semi-compressed state. The spring tension acts on the movable part, converting it into a pushing force. Under the action of this pushing force, the movable part of the gripper moves along the guide device towards the fixed part, achieving a tight fit with the fixed part, and the sealing ring is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove. At this time, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grip the wafer. After the wafer is gripped, the fixed part is energized (e.g., controlled by a control system). The fixed part generates magnetism under the action of the electric field. Since the magnetism generated by the fixed part is the same as that of the movable part, a repulsive force is generated. The generation of the repulsive force effectively counteracts the push force of the spring. Due to the elasticity of the material, the sealing ring quickly returns to its original shape, which quickly lifts the movable part of the gripper. The movable part of the gripper moves upward quickly along the guide device, causing the skewed wafer to slide down. The wafer slides down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thereby realizing the self-adjustment of the wafer skew.
[0052] The two implementation methods described above control the movement of the movable part through electromagnetic attraction and repulsion. Another feasible solution is to achieve this through mechanical force and locking. A locking mechanism is installed within the guide device, which locks in place when the movable part and the fixed part are completely and tightly fitted together. The guide device contains a drive unit that mechanically drives the movable part towards the fixed part until they are tightly fitted, compressing the sealing ring into the sealing ring mounting groove. The locking mechanism then engages, preventing the movable part from moving along the guide device. At this point, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grasp the wafer. After grasping the wafer, the locking mechanism opens under the control of the control system, removing the obstruction. Due to the elasticity of the material, the sealing ring quickly returns to its original shape, rapidly lifting the movable part of the gripper. The movable part of the gripper moves rapidly upward along the guide device, causing the skewed wafer to slip down. The wafer slides down the inclined inner side of the gripper to the correct position, thus achieving self-adjustment of wafer skew.
[0053] The robotic arm gripper structure of this invention can effectively prevent wafer skew, effectively prevent wafer breakage caused by strong mechanical force due to wafer skew, and effectively prevent the decrease in etching consistency and yield caused by wafer skew in subsequent etching processes. The amount of manual preventive maintenance when the robotic arm transports the wafer from the calibrator to the pre-vacuum chamber and transfer chamber is greatly reduced, reducing downtime and increasing production efficiency.
[0054] Example 1
[0055] A wafer transfer robotic arm clamp:
[0056] like Figure 2a As shown, the wafer transfer robotic arm gripper is mounted on the conveying device of the semiconductor processing equipment. It consists of a set of grippers to pick up and place the wafer 4 by gripping. The longitudinal section of the gripper is trapezoidal. The side of the gripper close to the robotic arm and fixed to the chassis is the long side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, and the side of the gripper close to the robotic arm and fixed to the chassis is the short side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid. The inner surface of the wafer 4 gripped by one side of the gripper is an inclined surface with a certain angle. The gripper is configured with a special two-part structure, consisting of a fixed part 1 and a movable part 2. The movable part 2 is connected to the fixed part 1 through a guide device and an anti-drop device. The guide device 5 is used to fix the moving direction and trajectory of the movable part 2, so that the movable part 2 moves along the axis of the wafer 4. The anti-drop device is used to prevent the movable part 2 from detaching from the fixed part 1 after moving too far along the guide device 5.
[0057] The top edge of the fixing part 1 of the gripper is provided with a sealing ring mounting groove. The longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring mounting groove is three-fifths the size of the longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring 3. The sealing ring 3 is placed in the sealing ring mounting groove, and the longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring 3 is elliptical. The sealing ring 3 is made of acrylic rubber.
[0058] An air passage 6 is provided inside the gripper fixing part 1, connecting the sealing ring mounting groove and the vacuum device. When the vacuum device is activated, the air passage is in a vacuum state, reaching a vacuum level of -0.07 MPa. Under pressure, the sealing ring 3 contracts and is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove by the air above it. The movable part 2 of the gripper moves towards the fixing part 1, achieving a tight fit. At this time, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grip the wafer 4. After gripping the wafer 4, as... Figure 2b As shown, under the control of the control system, the vacuum environment connected to the gas passage 6 disappears, and gas rushes into the gas passage 6. Due to the elasticity of the material, the sealing ring 3 quickly returns to its original shape, which quickly lifts the movable part 2 of the gripper. The movable part 2 of the gripper moves upward along the guide device 5, causing the skewed wafer 4 to slide down. The wafer 4 slides down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thereby realizing the self-adjustment of the skewed wafer 4.
[0059] Example 2
[0060] A wafer transfer robotic arm clamp:
[0061] like Figure 3aAs shown, the conveyor mechanism of the semiconductor processing equipment consists of a set of grippers. It picks up and places the wafer 4 by gripping. The longitudinal section of the gripper is trapezoidal. The side of the gripper that is close to the mechanical arm and fixed to the chassis is the long side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, and the side of the gripper that is close to the mechanical arm and fixed to the chassis is the short side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid. The inner surface of the wafer 4 gripped by one side of the gripper is an inclined surface with a certain angle. The gripper is set with a special structure of two parts, consisting of a fixed part 1 and a movable part 2. The movable part 2 is connected to the fixed part 1 through a guide device and an anti-drop device. The guide device 5 is used to fix the moving direction and trajectory of the movable part 2, so that the movable part 2 moves along the axis of the wafer 4. The anti-drop device is used to prevent the movable part 2 from falling off the fixed part 1 after moving too far along the guide device 5.
[0062] The top edge of the fixing part 1 of the gripper is provided with a sealing ring mounting groove. The longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring mounting groove is two-thirds the size of the longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring 3. The sealing ring 3 is placed in the sealing ring mounting groove, and the longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring 3 is elliptical. The sealing ring 3 is made of nitrile rubber.
[0063] The movable part 2 of the gripper is a permanent magnet with a magnetic field of N, while the fixed part 1 can be energized by an electric current. When the fixed part 1 is energized, it generates magnetism under the influence of the electric field. Since the fixed part 1 and the movable part 2 have opposite magnetic fields, under the attraction of the electromagnetic force, the movable part 2 of the gripper moves along the guide device 5 towards the fixed part 1, achieving a tight fit with it, and the sealing ring 3 is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove. At this time, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grip the wafer 4. After gripping the wafer 4, as... Figure 3b As shown, under the control of the control system, the fixed part 1 is de-energized and the magnetism of the fixed part 1 disappears. Therefore, due to the disappearance of the electromagnetic attraction, the sealing ring 3 quickly returns to its original shape due to the elasticity of the material, which quickly lifts the movable part 2 of the gripper. The movable part 2 of the gripper moves upward along the guide device 5, causing the skewed wafer 4 to slip down. The wafer 4 slides down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thereby realizing the self-adjustment of the skewed wafer 4.
[0064] Example 3
[0065] A wafer transfer robotic arm clamp:
[0066] like Figure 4aAs shown, the conveyor mechanism of the semiconductor processing equipment consists of a set of grippers. It picks up and places the wafer 4 by gripping. The longitudinal section of the gripper is trapezoidal. The side of the gripper that is close to the mechanical arm and fixed to the chassis is the long side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, and the side of the gripper that is close to the mechanical arm and fixed to the chassis is the short side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid. The inner surface of the wafer 4 gripped by one side of the gripper is an inclined surface with a certain angle. The gripper is set with a special structure of two parts, consisting of a fixed part 1 and a movable part 2. The movable part 2 is connected to the fixed part 1 through a guide device and an anti-drop device. The guide device 5 is used to fix the moving direction and trajectory of the movable part 2, so that the movable part 2 moves along the axis of the wafer 4. The anti-drop device is used to prevent the movable part 2 from falling off the fixed part 1 after moving too far along the guide device 5.
[0067] The top edge of the fixing part 1 of the gripper is provided with a sealing ring mounting groove. The size of the longitudinal section of the sealing ring mounting groove is half the size of the longitudinal section of the sealing ring 3. The sealing ring 3 is placed in the sealing ring mounting groove, and the longitudinal section of the sealing ring 3 is elliptical. The sealing ring 3 is made of fluorocarbon rubber.
[0068] The movable part 2 of the gripper is a permanent magnet with a magnetic field S. The fixed part 1 can be energized with a magnetic field S. A spring is mounted above the movable part 2 of the gripper. When the spring is in its normally extended state, it partially pushes the movable part 2 towards the fixed part 1, causing the movable part 2 to move along the guide device 5 towards the fixed part 1 until it is tightly fitted. Before the fixed part 1 is energized, the spring is in a semi-compressed state. The spring tension acts on the movable part 2, converting it into a pushing force F1. Under the action of the pushing force, the movable part 2 of the gripper moves along the guide device 5 towards the fixed part 1, achieving a tight fit with the fixed part 1, and the sealing ring 3 is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove. At this time, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grip the wafer 4. After gripping the wafer 4, as... Figure 4b As shown, under the control of the control system, the fixed part 1 is energized and generates magnetism under the action of the electric field. Since the magnetism generated by the fixed part 1 is the same as that of the movable part 2, a repulsive force is generated. The magnitude of the repulsive force is F2, and F1 = F2. The generation of the repulsive force effectively counteracts the thrust of the spring. Due to the elasticity of the material, the sealing ring 3 quickly returns to its original shape, which quickly lifts the movable part 2 of the gripper. The movable part 2 of the gripper moves upward quickly along the guide device 5, causing the skewed wafer 4 to slip down. The wafer 4 slides down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thereby realizing the self-adjustment of the skewed wafer 4.
[0069] Example 4
[0070] A wafer transfer robotic arm clamp:
[0071] like Figure 5aAs shown, the conveyor mechanism of the semiconductor processing equipment consists of a set of grippers. It picks up and places the wafer 4 by gripping. The longitudinal section of the gripper is trapezoidal. The side of the gripper that is close to the mechanical arm and fixed to the chassis is the long side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid, and the side of the gripper that is close to the mechanical arm and fixed to the chassis is the short side of the two parallel sides of the trapezoid. The inner surface of the wafer 4 gripped by one side of the gripper is an inclined surface with a certain angle. The gripper is set with a special structure of two parts, consisting of a fixed part 1 and a movable part 2. The movable part 2 is connected to the fixed part 1 through a guide device and an anti-drop device. The guide device 5 is used to fix the moving direction and trajectory of the movable part 2, so that the movable part 2 moves along the axis of the wafer 4. The anti-drop device is used to prevent the movable part 2 from falling off the fixed part 1 after moving too far along the guide device 5.
[0072] The top edge of the fixing part 1 of the gripper is provided with a sealing ring mounting groove. The longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring mounting groove is half the size of the longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring 3. The sealing ring 3 is placed in the sealing ring mounting groove, and the longitudinal cross-section of the sealing ring 3 is elliptical. The sealing ring 3 is made of neoprene rubber.
[0073] Simultaneously, a locking mechanism is installed within the guide device 5, which locks when the movable part 2 and the fixed part 1 are completely and tightly fitted together. The guide device 5 contains a drive mechanism that mechanically drives the movable part 2 towards the fixed part 1 until they are tightly fitted together. The sealing ring 3 is compressed into the sealing ring mounting groove, and the locking mechanism engages, preventing the movable part 2 from moving along the guide device 5. At this point, the robotic arm with this gripper structure can grasp the wafer 4. After grasping the wafer 4, as... Figure 5b As shown, under the control of the control system, the lock opens and the obstruction of the lock disappears. Due to the elasticity of the material, the sealing ring 3 quickly returns to its original shape, which quickly lifts the movable part 2 of the gripper. The movable part 2 of the gripper moves upward along the guide device 5, causing the skewed wafer 4 to slip off. The wafer 4 slides down along the inner inclined edge of the gripper to the correct position, thereby realizing the self-adjustment of the skewed wafer 4.
[0074] Example 5
[0075] A wafer transport method:
[0076] The atmospheric robotic arm includes the robotic arm gripper of Embodiment 1. The control system controls the atmospheric robotic arm to pick up the wafer from the wafer hopper and place it on the calibrator for calibration. After calibration, the atmospheric robotic arm picks up the wafer from the calibrator and places it into the pre-vacuum chamber. After the pre-vacuum chamber is evacuated, its valve is opened, and the vacuum robotic arm takes the silicon wafer out of the pre-vacuum chamber and places it into the process chamber for processing.
[0077] Before gripping the wafer, under vacuum, the movable part of the gripper compresses the sealing ring into the sealing ring groove and fits tightly against the end face of the fixed part, and the gripper grips the wafer.
[0078] After the wafer is gripped, the vacuum environment disappears, the sealing ring returns to its original state, and under the restoring force of the sealing ring, the movable part moves rapidly upward along the guide device; under the action of the movable part moving rapidly upward along the guide device, the wafer slides down the inner inclined surface of the gripper to the correct position, and the wafer is self-adjusted; the gripper continues to transport and place the wafer to the designated position.
[0079] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A wafer transfer robotic arm gripper, characterized in that, Including single or multiple sets of grippers, the robotic arm grippers pick up and place wafers by gripping. The gripper includes a fixed part and a movable part, wherein the movable part can move up and down; The movable part and the fixed part are connected by a guide device and an anti-detachment device. The guide device guides the movement direction and trajectory of the movable part, and the anti-detachment device prevents the movable part from detaching from the fixed part after moving along the guide device. The longitudinal section of the gripper is a right trapezoid. The fixed side of the gripper is the base side of the right trapezoid. The working side of the gripper is the hypotenuse side of the right trapezoid. The top surface of the fixed part of the gripper is provided with a sealing ring mounting groove, and a sealing ring is placed in the sealing ring mounting groove.
2. The wafer transfer robotic arm clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing ring is made of one of the following materials: acrylic rubber, silicone rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, fluorocarbon rubber, and perfluororubber.
3. The wafer transfer robotic arm clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum gap between the movable part and the fixed part is 0.5 mm.
4. The wafer transfer robotic arm clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, Under the action of external force, the movable part compresses the sealing ring into the sealing ring mounting groove and fits tightly against the end face of the fixed part. After the external force is released, the sealing ring returns to its original shape, and the restoring force of the sealing ring causes the movable part to move rapidly upward along the guide device.
5. The wafer transfer robotic arm clamp according to claim 4, characterized in that, The external force includes one or more of the following: spring force, mechanical locking, electromagnetic attraction, and vacuum pressure.
6. The wafer transfer robotic arm clamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, The longitudinal section of the sealing ring mounting groove is one-half to two-thirds the size of the longitudinal section of the sealing ring, and the cross-section of the sealing ring is circular or elliptical.
7. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized in that, Includes the robotic arm clamp as described in any one of claims 1-6.
8. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that, The wafer transfer robotic arm clamp according to any one of claims 1-6 comprises: Before the robotic arm grips the wafer, under the action of external force, the movable part of the gripper compresses the sealing ring into the sealing ring groove and fits tightly against the end face of the fixed part, and the gripper grips the wafer. After the wafer is clamped, the external force is released, the sealing ring returns to its original shape, and under the action of the restoring force of the sealing ring, the movable part moves rapidly upward along the guide device; As the movable part moves rapidly upward along the guide device, the wafer slides down the inner inclined surface of the gripper to the correct position, and the wafer self-adjusts. The grippers continue to transport and place the wafer to the designated location.