An automatic transfer device and method for transferring multiple wafers and a vapor deposition system

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic transfer device and method for multiple wafers, and a vapor deposition system, wherein the automatic transfer device for multiple wafers comprises a tray transfer mechanism, a tray, a first manipulator, a push rod mechanism, and a second manipulator, wherein: the top of the tray rotation mechanism has a rotating platform that can rotate; the first manipulator is placed on the rotating platform; the push rod mechanism can drive the lifting rod in the vertical direction, and the driving rod can be aligned with a tray station on the tray in the vertical direction; the execution end of the second manipulator can support the bottom surface of the tray. The present invention provides an automatic transfer device and method for multiple wafers, and a vapor deposition system, which solves the problem of automatic stacking and transfer of wafers, thereby realizing the layout of multiple wafers on the tray, facilitating vapor deposition of vertical airflow, and realizing automatic transfer of multiple wafers, and realizing efficient operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor device manufacturing, and in particular to an automatic multi-wafer transfer device and method and a vapor deposition system. Background Art

[0002] As one of the representatives of the third generation of semiconductor materials, SiC devices made of this material have been widely used in electric vehicles, charging piles, motor vehicles and other fields with small size, high voltage resistance and large current. Among them, the epitaxy of SiC substrate is a key front-end process in the device manufacturing process. From the perspective of airflow distribution, the current technology has horizontal (Horizontal, abbreviated H) and vertical (Vertical, abbreviated V); from the perspective of the number of epitaxial wafers, there are single wafers (S) and multi-wafers (Multi, abbreviated M); from the perspective of the degree of automation of loading wafers, there are automatic (Automatic, abbreviated A) and manual (Manual, abbreviated U). The existing technology combinations on the market are horizontal single wafer automatic (HSA), horizontal multi-wafer manual (HMU), vertical single wafer automatic (VSA), and horizontal single wafer manual (HSU). The most efficient combination currently lacks is vertical multi-wafer automatic (VMA), mainly because there is no technology to achieve automatic wafer loading. Summary of the invention

[0003] The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an automated multi-wafer transfer device, method and vapor deposition system to solve the problem of automatic loading of multiple wafers.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers, comprising:

[0005] The tray rotating mechanism has a rotating platform on the top that can rotate;

[0006] A tray is placed on the rotating platform, and a plurality of evenly distributed tray stations are arranged around the center of the tray, and a through hole is arranged at the center of each of the tray stations, and the size of the through hole is smaller than the size of the wafer;

[0007] A first robot arm is arranged on the side of the tray rotating mechanism, and its execution end has a U-shaped opening, which can support the bottom surface of the wafer;

[0008] A push rod mechanism, capable of driving a lifting rod in a vertical direction, and the lifting rod can be aligned with one of the through holes in a vertical direction, the top end of the lifting rod is a support platform, and the size of the support platform is smaller than the size of the U-shaped opening, so that the support platform can be placed in the U-shaped opening, and the size of the support platform is smaller than the size of the through hole, so that the support platform can pass through the through hole;

[0009] The second manipulator is arranged on the other side of the tray rotating mechanism, and the execution end thereof is provided with a U-shaped bracket for supporting the bottom surface of the tray.

[0010] In a preferred solution, each of the tray stations is provided with a fixing groove adapted to the shape and thickness of the wafer.

[0011] In a preferred solution, a cover plate is provided on the through hole, and the height of the cover plate is not higher than the height of the edge of the fixing groove.

[0012] In a preferred solution, the first manipulator is arranged on a vertically arranged linear guide rail; the first manipulator is a double manipulator, and the double manipulators are connected to a rotating shaft in the middle;

[0013] The second manipulator is a double manipulator, and the double manipulators are connected to a rotating shaft in the middle.

[0014] In a preferred solution, a positioning structure is provided on the pallet to enable positioning after each rotation of a pallet station; preferably, the positioning structure is a positioning groove provided on the circumference of the pallet, and the number of the positioning grooves is consistent with the number of the pallet stations.

[0015] In a preferred solution, it also includes a wafer identification device capable of identifying a reference edge of the wafer.

[0016] In a preferred solution, the tray is in the shape of a disc or a regular polygon; and the number of the tray stations is 3-6.

[0017] The present invention also provides a wafer stacking method, using the above-mentioned automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers, comprising:

[0018] placing the tray on the rotating platform of the tray rotating mechanism;

[0019] Controlling the execution end of the first robot to hold the bottom surface of the first wafer, identify the reference edge of the wafer, and move it to the top of the tray station corresponding to the ejector mechanism on the tray;

[0020] Controlling the lifting rod of the lifting rod mechanism to move upward, pass through the through hole of the tray station and support the supporting platform at the top end thereof at the center of the bottom surface of the first wafer;

[0021] Controlling the first robot to withdraw, and then controlling the lifting rod of the ejector mechanism to fall back, so that the first wafer falls on the tray station, and causing the lifting rod to continue to fall until it is separated from the tray;

[0022] The tray rotating mechanism is operated to rotate so that the next tray station is located directly above the ejector mechanism, and the above steps are repeated until wafers are stacked on all tray stations of the tray.

[0023] The present invention also provides a wafer transfer method, using the above-mentioned automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers, comprising:

[0024] Controlling the second robot to place the tray full of vapor-deposited wafers on the rotating platform of the tray rotating mechanism, and operating the tray rotating mechanism to align a tray station on the tray directly above the ejector mechanism;

[0025] The lifting rod of the lift rod mechanism is operated to lift the vapor-deposited wafer above the tray station upward, so that the vapor-deposited wafer is separated from the tray station;

[0026] Controlling the execution end of the first robot to hold the bottom surface of the vapor-deposited wafer, transferring the vapor-deposited wafer to the cassette rack of the loading platform, and controlling the lifting rod of the ejector mechanism to descend to the bottom of the tray;

[0027] Controlling the execution end of the first robot to hold the bottom surface of a wafer to be vapor deposited; then controlling the first robot to move the wafer to be vapor deposited to the tray directly above the tray station corresponding to the ejector mechanism on the tray;

[0028] Controlling the lifting rod of the lifting rod mechanism to move upward, pass through the through hole of the tray station and support the plane of the top end thereof at the center of the bottom surface of the wafer;

[0029] Control the first robot to withdraw, then control the lifting rod of the ejector mechanism to fall back, so that the wafer falls on the station of the tray, and the lifting rod continues to descend until it is separated from the tray;

[0030] The tray rotating mechanism is operated to rotate so that the next station is located directly above the push rod mechanism, and the above steps are repeated until the vapor-deposited wafers on all stations of the tray are replaced by wafers to be vapor-deposited.

[0031] The present invention also provides an automated multi-wafer vapor deposition system, comprising the automated multi-wafer transfer device described above, and:

[0032] A loading platform having a cassette rack and the first robot on the loading platform, wherein the first robot can be operated to remove the wafer on the cassette rack and move it to above a tray station on the tray, and to remove the wafer above the tray station and move it to the cassette rack;

[0033] A loading chamber, in which the ejector mechanism and the tray rotating mechanism are arranged;

[0034] A transfer chamber connected to the loading chamber, in which the second manipulator is arranged, and the second manipulator is operable to move the tray in the loading chamber between the loading chamber and the reaction chamber;

[0035] The reaction chamber is connected to the transfer chamber.

[0036] Optionally, it further includes a transfer chamber, which is arranged on the side of the transfer chamber and connected to the transfer chamber, and the second manipulator can operably enter the transfer chamber.

[0037] The implementation of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0038] The present invention provides an automated multi-wafer transfer device and method and a vapor deposition system, which solves the problem of automatic wafer stacking and transfer, thereby enabling multiple wafers to be laid out on a tray, facilitating vapor deposition of vertical airflow, enabling automated transfer of multiple wafers, and achieving efficient operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of the automatic multi-wafer vapor deposition system of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the side view structure of the automatic multi-wafer vapor deposition system of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the top view of the tray of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional structural diagram of the tray of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the structure of the automated multi-wafer vapor deposition system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] In the figure:

[0045] 1. Cassette rack; 2. Loading platform; 3. First manipulator; 4. Tray; 5. Loading chamber; 6. Transfer chamber; 7. Second manipulator; 8. Reaction chamber; 9. Ejector mechanism; 10. Tray rotation mechanism; 11. Tray station; 12. Through hole; 13. Cover plate; 14. Linear guide rail; 15. Wafer; 16. Support platform; 17. Rotating platform; 18. Transfer chamber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0048] like Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention provides an automated multi-wafer transfer device, comprising a tray rotating mechanism 10, a tray 4, a first robot 3, a push rod mechanism 9 and a second robot 7, wherein:

[0049] The top of the tray rotating mechanism 10 is provided with a rotating platform 17 that can rotate. The rotating platform 17 is usually circular, but can also be in the shape of a regular polygon, or can be a radial structure, or can be a grid or a plane structure with holes. The function of the rotating platform 17 is to support the tray 4, and through the structural design, the through hole 12 on the tray 4 is avoided so that the lifting rod of the push rod mechanism 9 can pass through the through hole 12; the tray rotating mechanism 10 is usually driven to rotate by a stepper motor at the bottom, and can be set to stop every time it rotates to a specified azimuth angle, and continue to rotate until the next rotation instruction is received. The azimuth angle referred to above corresponds to the number of through holes on the tray. For example, when the number of through holes on the tray is 3, the azimuth angle of each rotation is 120 degrees, and when the number of through holes on the tray is 5, the azimuth angle of each rotation is 72 degrees; usually, the structural size of the rotating platform 17 should be smaller than the structural size of the tray 4 to avoid the through hole 12, to ensure that the rotating platform 17 of the push rod mechanism 9 can pass through the through hole 12 of the tray 4 upward, and meet the working needs of the push rod mechanism 9.

[0050] The tray 4 is a disc structure (such as Figure 3-4The tray 4 is in the shape of a regular polygon, or a regular polygon, and is placed on the rotating platform 17 of the tray rotating mechanism 10. A plurality of evenly distributed tray stations 11 are arranged around the center of the disk. A through hole 12 is arranged at the center of each tray station 11. The number of through holes 12 is 3-6, and the size of the through hole 12 is smaller than the size of the wafer, so that the wafer can cover the through hole 12 and be supported by the tray when it falls. When the tray 4 is in the shape of a regular polygon, it is usually an even number of regular polygons, such as a regular hexagon, a regular quadrilateral or a regular octagon, and its purpose is to facilitate the second manipulator 7 to clamp the tray from both sides of the tray (if it is an odd number of regular polygons, such as a regular pentagon, it is difficult to clamp the tray from opposite sides because it is not an axisymmetric structure). A positioning structure is provided on the tray so that it can be positioned after each rotation of a tray station; preferably, the positioning structure is a positioning groove arranged on the circumference of the tray, and the number of the positioning grooves is consistent with the number of the tray stations, so as to ensure that the rotation angle defined between the two positioning grooves is equal to the angle between the two tray stations.

[0051] The first manipulator 3 is arranged on the side of the tray rotating mechanism 10, and its execution end has an execution end with a U-shaped opening, which can support the bottom surface of the wafer 15; the design of the U-shaped opening allows the wafer to be vertically supported by the push rod mechanism 9, and then the first manipulator 3 can be operated to move horizontally and withdrawn in the opposite direction of the U-shaped opening, so that the push rod mechanism 9 can drive the wafer to fall and place it on the tray 4; wherein the first manipulator has 3-6 degrees of freedom to meet the needs of various operations of taking and placing the wafer; the first manipulator 3 can move up and down, and at this time, the first manipulator 3 can be driven to move up and down by means of a vertically driven linear guide 14, but when the first manipulator has 5 or 6 degrees of freedom, it can also achieve up and down movement through its own mechanical structure (at this time, there is no need to design a vertically driven guide rail separately); optionally, the first manipulator 3 is a double manipulator, the double manipulators are connected to a rotating shaft in the middle, and the double manipulators are connected to the rotating shaft in a symmetrical manner, so that the double manipulators can alternately complete the operations of taking and placing the wafer.

[0052] The push rod mechanism 9 can drive the lifting rod in the vertical direction, and the lifting rod can be aligned with one of the through holes 12 in the vertical direction. The top end of the lifting rod is a support platform 16, so that it can be supported on the bottom surface of the wafer 15 and can ensure the stability of the wafer after the execution end of the first robot 3 is withdrawn; the size of the support platform 16 is smaller than the size of the U-shaped opening, so that the support platform can be placed in the U-shaped opening, and the lifting rod can pass through the U-shaped opening and be supported on the bottom surface of the wafer; the size of the support platform 16 is smaller than the size of the through hole, so that the support platform 16 can move upward through the through hole;

[0053] The second manipulator 7 is arranged on the other side of the pallet rotating mechanism 10, and its execution end has a U-shaped bracket for holding the bottom surface of the pallet 4. Optionally, the second manipulator 7 is a double manipulator, which is symmetrically connected to the rotating shaft and works independently, so that the double manipulator can alternately complete the operation of taking and placing the pallet.

[0054] Further optionally, the automated multi-wafer transfer device provided in this embodiment also includes a wafer identification device capable of identifying the reference edge of the wafer. The wafer identification device can be set at the execution end of the first robot, or can be arranged at a fixed position independently of the first robot 3; the wafer identification device can identify the wafer through image or radio frequency identification, and determine the position and edge of the wafer.

[0055] The present invention provides an automatic multi-wafer transfer device, which solves the problem of automatic wafer stacking and transfer, thereby enabling multiple wafers to be laid out on a tray, facilitating vapor deposition of vertical airflow, enabling automatic transfer of multiple wafers, and achieving efficient operation.

[0056] The present invention also provides a wafer stacking method, using the above-mentioned automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers, comprising:

[0057] The pallet 4 is placed on the rotating platform 17 of the pallet rotating mechanism 10, and the pallet rotating mechanism 10 is rotated so that one of the pallet stations 11 is aligned directly above the push rod mechanism 9. Usually, the second manipulator 7 is required to clamp both sides of the pallet 4, move the pallet to the top of the rotating platform 17 of the pallet rotating mechanism 10, and align the center of the rotating platform and gently place the pallet on the rotating platform;

[0058] The execution end of the first robot 3 is controlled to hold the bottom surface of the first wafer. Usually, the execution end needs to hold the bottom center of the wafer. After identifying the reference edge of the wafer, the U-shaped opening of the execution end avoids the bottom center of the wafer, so that the support platform 16 of the push rod mechanism 9 can be supported at the bottom center of the wafer; then the first robot 3 is controlled to move the wafer to the tray directly above the tray station 11 corresponding to the push rod mechanism 9 on the tray;

[0059] Control the support platform 16 of the ejector mechanism 9 to move upward, pass through the through hole, and support the support platform 16 at the center of the bottom surface of the first wafer;

[0060] Control the first robot 3 to withdraw, then control the lifting rod of the push rod mechanism 9 to fall back, so that the first wafer falls on the tray 4, and the lifting rod continues to descend until the supporting platform 16 is separated from the tray 4;

[0061] The tray rotating mechanism 10 is operated to rotate so that the next through hole is located directly above the ejector mechanism 9 , and the above steps are repeated until wafers are evenly stacked on all the through holes of the tray.

[0062] When the first robot 3 adopts a dual robot, the dual robot can continuously and non-simply perform alternating operations of taking and placing wafers, thereby doubling the efficiency of stacking wafers.

[0063] The present invention provides a method for stacking multiple wafers by automatically transferring them, which solves the problem of automatic stacking and transfer of wafers, thereby enabling layout of multiple wafers on a tray, facilitating vapor deposition of vertical airflow, enabling automatic transfer of multiple wafers, and achieving efficient operation.

[0064] The present invention also provides a wafer transfer method, using the above-mentioned automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers, comprising:

[0065] Control the second robot 7 to place the tray 4 loaded with vapor-deposited wafers on the rotating platform of the tray rotating mechanism 10, and operate the tray rotating mechanism to align one of the tray stations 11 on the tray to be directly above the push rod mechanism 9. Usually, the second robot 7 is required to hold the tray 4 from the lower edge of the tray, move the tray to the top of the rotating platform of the tray rotating mechanism 10, and align it with the center of the platform and gently place it on the rotating platform;

[0066] The support platform 16 of the lift rod mechanism 9 is operated to lift the vapor-deposited wafer thereon upward, so that the wafer is separated from the tray station 11 (i.e., the position of the through hole);

[0067] Control the execution end of the first robot 3 to hold the bottom surface of the vapor-deposited wafer, transfer the vapor-deposited wafer to the cassette rack 1 of the loading platform 2, and control the support platform 16 of the ejector mechanism to descend to the bottom of the tray;

[0068] The execution end of the first robot 3 is controlled to hold the bottom surface of a wafer to be vapor deposited. Usually, the execution end needs to hold the center of the bottom surface of the wafer, and the U-shaped opening of the execution end avoids the center of the bottom surface of the wafer, so that the support platform 16 of the push rod mechanism 9 can be supported at the center of the bottom surface of the wafer; then the first robot 3 is controlled to move the wafer to the top of the through hole on the tray corresponding to the push rod mechanism 9;

[0069] Control the support platform 16 of the ejector mechanism 9 to move upward, pass through the through hole 12, and support the plane of its top end at the center of the bottom surface of the wafer;

[0070] Control the first robot 3 to withdraw, and then control the support platform 16 of the push rod mechanism 9 to fall back, so that the wafer falls on the station of the tray 4, and the support platform 16 continues to descend until it is separated from the tray 4;

[0071] The tray rotating mechanism 10 is operated to rotate so that the next station (i.e., the position of the next through hole) is located directly above the push rod mechanism 9, and the above steps are repeated until the vapor-deposited wafers on all stations of the tray are replaced by wafers to be vapor-deposited.

[0072] When the first robot 3 adopts a dual robot, the dual robot can continuously and non-simply perform alternating operations of taking and placing wafers, thereby doubling the efficiency of stacking wafers.

[0073] The present invention provides a method for stacking multiple wafers by automatically transferring them, which solves the problem of automatic stacking and transfer of wafers, thereby enabling layout of multiple wafers on a tray, facilitating vapor deposition of vertical airflow, enabling automatic transfer of multiple wafers, and achieving efficient operation.

[0074] The present invention also provides an automated multi-wafer vapor deposition system, comprising the automated multi-wafer transfer device described above.

[0075] The automated multi-wafer vapor deposition system further includes a loading platform 2, a loading chamber 5, a transfer chamber 6 and a reaction chamber 8, wherein:

[0076] The loading platform 2 is provided with a cassette rack 1 and the first robot 3, and the first robot 3 is operable to remove the wafer on the cassette rack 1 and move it to above a tray station 11 of the tray 4, and to remove the wafer above the tray station and move it to the cassette rack;

[0077] The ejector mechanism 9 and the tray rotating mechanism 10 are arranged in the loading chamber 5;

[0078] The transfer chamber 6 is connected to the loading chamber 5, and a second manipulator 7 is arranged therein. The second manipulator 7 can be operated to move the tray in the loading chamber between the loading chamber and the reaction chamber; the execution end of the second manipulator 7 adopts a clamping structure design, which can clamp the tray from both sides of the tray; the second manipulator can also adopt a double manipulator, so that the work of taking and placing the sheet can be completed alternately;

[0079] The reaction chamber 8 is connected to the transfer chamber 6 , and the two are separated by a door of the transfer chamber 6 .

[0080] like Figure 5As shown, optionally, the automated multi-wafer vapor deposition system provided in this embodiment further includes a transfer chamber 18, which is arranged on the side of the transfer chamber 6 and connected to the transfer chamber, and the second robot 7 can be operated to enter the transfer chamber 18. Through the design of the transfer chamber 18, the second robot can be operated to temporarily store the tray in the transfer chamber 18, so that the tray taken out of the reaction chamber 8 can be placed in the transfer chamber 18, and the tray carrying the wafers to be vapor deposited temporarily stored in the transfer chamber 18 is placed in the reaction chamber 8, so that the reaction chamber 8 can work continuously, thereby improving the working efficiency.

[0081] The present invention provides a vapor deposition system for automatically transferring multiple wafers, which solves the problem of automatic wafer stacking and transfer, thereby enabling multiple wafers to be laid out on a tray, facilitating vapor deposition of vertical airflow, and enabling automatic transfer of multiple wafers to achieve efficient operation.

[0082] The working process of the automatic multi-wafer vapor deposition system provided in this embodiment may be:

[0083] Step 1: Evacuate the reaction chamber 8 (≤10 -3 Kpa) state, and then the temperature is raised to no more than 1000℃;

[0084] Step 2: Mount the cassette filled with wafers on the cassette rack 1;

[0085] Step 3: The first robot 3 scans and finds the wafer to be selected according to the setting, and takes the wafer away;

[0086] Step 4: Place the wafer on an edge finder (not shown) to find the features of the wafer (such as reference edge or center coordinates), and at the same time, fill the loading chamber 5 with gas to atmospheric pressure;

[0087] Step 5: The first robot 3 retrieves the wafer whose edge has been found, opens the door of the loading chamber 5, and uses the first robot 3 to deliver the wafer to the top of the tray 4;

[0088] Step 6: Use the push rod mechanism 9 to rise to support the wafer on the first robot 3, the first robot 3 is withdrawn, the lifting rod of the push rod mechanism 9 falls, and the wafer enters the tray position (i.e., the position of the through hole);

[0089] Step 7: Position the tray station to the next station (the location of the next through hole) through the tray rotating mechanism 10, and repeat steps 3 to 6 until wafers are placed in all stations of the tray;

[0090] Step 8: After all wafers are placed, the loading chamber 5 is flushed and pumped multiple times, and finally maintained at the set pressure;

[0091] Step 9: After maintaining the set pressure, open the doors of the transfer chamber 6, the loading chamber 5 and the reaction chamber 8;

[0092] Step 10: Use the second robot 7 to transfer the tray 4 to the reaction chamber 8, withdraw the second robot 7, and close the door of the reaction chamber 8;

[0093] Step 11: Run the wafer operation program (Recipe);

[0094] Step 12: After the program is finished, the temperature is lowered to the film taking temperature, and the tray 4 is taken back to the loading chamber 5 by the second manipulator 7;

[0095] Step 13: close the door between the loading chamber 5 and the transfer chamber 6, and inflate the loading chamber 5 to atmospheric pressure;

[0096] Step 14: The tray rotating mechanism 10 accurately positions the tray 4 to a set position;

[0097] Step 15: The ejector mechanism 9 lifts up the wafer, and according to the reverse process of steps 3 to 6, puts the wafer back into the Cassette;

[0098] Step 16: After all the wafers on the tray 4 are placed back into the cassette, all processes of the equipment are completed.

[0099] In the above steps, the order is not absolutely limited by the serial number. For example, step one and step two do not require that step one be placed before step two. In fact, step two can also be placed before step one. The order of other steps is similar and will not be repeated here.

[0100] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0101] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An automated multi-wafer transfer device, characterized in that: include: The tray rotating mechanism has a rotating platform on the top that can rotate; A tray is placed on the rotating platform, and a plurality of evenly distributed tray stations are arranged around the center of the tray, and a through hole is arranged at the center of each of the tray stations, and the size of the through hole is smaller than the size of the wafer; A first robot is arranged at the side of the tray rotating mechanism and is set on a vertically arranged linear guide rail, and its execution end has a U-shaped opening, which can support the bottom surface of the wafer; A push rod mechanism, capable of driving a lifting rod in a vertical direction, and the lifting rod can be aligned with one of the through holes in a vertical direction, the top end of the lifting rod is a support platform, and the size of the support platform is smaller than the size of the U-shaped opening, so that the support platform can be placed in the U-shaped opening, and the size of the support platform is smaller than the size of the through hole, so that the support platform can pass through the through hole; The second manipulator is arranged on the other side of the tray rotating mechanism, and the execution end thereof has a U-shaped bracket for supporting the bottom surface of the tray; Among them, the first manipulator is a double manipulator, and the double manipulators are connected to a rotating axis in the middle and are connected to the rotating axis in a symmetrical manner to alternately complete the operations of taking and placing films; the second manipulator is a double manipulator, and the double manipulators are connected to a rotating axis in the middle and are connected to the rotating axis in a symmetrical manner to alternately complete the operations of taking and placing trays.

2. The automated multi-wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the tray stations is provided with a fixing groove adapted to the shape and thickness of the wafer.

3. The automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers according to claim 2, characterized in that: A cover plate is provided on the through hole, and the height of the cover plate is not higher than the height of the edge of the fixing groove.

4. The automated multi-wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pallet is provided with a positioning structure so that the pallet can be positioned after each rotation of a pallet station. The positioning structure is a positioning groove arranged on the circumference of the pallet, and the number of the positioning grooves is consistent with the number of the pallet stations.

5. The automated multi-wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also included is a wafer identification device capable of identifying a reference edge of the wafer.

6. The automated multi-wafer transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tray is in the shape of a disc or a regular polygon; the number of the tray stations is 3-6.

7. A wafer stacking method, characterized in that: The automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers according to any one of claims 1 to 6 comprises: placing the tray on the rotating platform of the tray rotating mechanism; Controlling the execution end of the first robot to hold the bottom surface of the first wafer, identify the reference edge of the wafer, and move it to the top of the tray station corresponding to the ejector mechanism on the tray; Controlling the lifting rod of the lifting rod mechanism to move upward, pass through the through hole of the tray station and support the supporting platform at the top end thereof at the center of the bottom surface of the first wafer; Controlling the first robot to withdraw, and then controlling the lifting rod of the ejector mechanism to fall back, so that the first wafer falls on the tray station, and causing the lifting rod to continue to fall until it is separated from the tray; The tray rotating mechanism is operated to rotate so that the next tray station is located directly above the ejector mechanism, and the above steps are repeated until wafers are stacked on all tray stations of the tray.

8. A wafer transfer method, characterized in that: The automatic transfer device for transferring multiple wafers according to any one of claims 1 to 6 comprises: Controlling the second robot to place the tray full of vapor-deposited wafers on the rotating platform of the tray rotating mechanism, and operating the tray rotating mechanism to align a tray station on the tray directly above the ejector mechanism; The lifting rod of the lift rod mechanism is operated to lift the vapor-deposited wafer above the tray station upward, so that the vapor-deposited wafer is separated from the tray station; Controlling the execution end of the first robot to hold the bottom surface of the vapor-deposited wafer, transferring the vapor-deposited wafer to the cassette rack of the loading platform, and controlling the lifting rod of the ejector mechanism to descend to the bottom of the tray; Controlling the execution end of the first robot to hold the bottom surface of a wafer to be vapor deposited; then controlling the first robot to move the wafer to be vapor deposited to the tray directly above the tray station corresponding to the ejector mechanism on the tray; Controlling the support platform of the ejector mechanism to move upward, pass through the through hole of the tray station and support the plane of its top end at the center of the bottom surface of the wafer; Control the first robot to withdraw, then control the support platform of the push rod mechanism to fall back, so that the wafer falls on the workstation of the tray, and the support platform continues to descend until it is separated from the tray; The tray rotating mechanism is operated to rotate so that the next station is located directly above the push rod mechanism, and the above steps are repeated until the vapor-deposited wafers on all stations of the tray are replaced by wafers to be vapor-deposited.

9. An automated multi-wafer vapor deposition system, characterized in that: The invention comprises the automatic transfer multi-wafer transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 above, and: A loading platform having a cassette rack and the first robot on the loading platform, wherein the first robot can be operated to remove the wafer on the cassette rack and move it to above a tray station on the tray, and to remove the wafer above the tray station and move it to the cassette rack; A loading chamber, in which the ejector mechanism and the tray rotating mechanism are arranged; A transfer chamber connected to the loading chamber, in which the second manipulator is arranged, and the second manipulator is operable to move the tray in the loading chamber between the loading chamber and the reaction chamber; The reaction chamber is connected to the transfer chamber.

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