A transfer fork, robot hand, and semiconductor apparatus

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of transmission wafer fork, for carrying taiko silicon wafer, comprising: wafer fork body, a plurality of annular support mechanisms are arranged on it, and the circumferential distance of the annular support mechanism to the center of taiko silicon wafer is equal, to form the carrying area of taiko silicon wafer, for supporting taiko silicon wafer;Limiting mechanism is arranged in the center of each annular support mechanism, and the vertical height is higher than the height of the annular support mechanism, for fixing the annular support mechanism and limiting the horizontal displacement of taiko silicon wafer;At least 3 groups of reflective sensors are arranged on wafer fork body, and each reflective sensor is arranged adjacent to the side of the annular support mechanism and taiko silicon wafer contact, for measuring the height information of taiko silicon wafer;According to the height information of taiko silicon wafer received by reflective sensor, whether taiko silicon wafer is located in correct position is judged.The present application realizes the transmission of taiko silicon wafer and the detection of the correctness of taiko silicon wafer position in the transmission process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor processing equipment technology, and in particular to a transfer fork, a robotic arm, and a semiconductor device with position detection function. Background Technology

[0002] With technological advancements, the demand for ultra-thin silicon wafers has been increasing in recent years. Thinner wafers offer numerous advantages, including ultra-thin packaging, smaller form factor, better electrical performance, and improved heat dissipation. Currently, the most common method for thinning silicon wafers in the manufacturing industry is grinding, which forms Taiko wafers. This common grinding method typically requires a wafer thickness of 750µm to 120µm. However, when the wafer thickness is less than 100µm, the wafer becomes very soft and elastic, making further processing impossible. With the rise of power semiconductors, it is necessary to process both the top and bottom surfaces of the wafer simultaneously. When the wafer thickness is equal to or less than 100µm, the wafer's rigidity further decreases, leading to excessive wafer deformation during transport and handling. This causes fragmentation during transport, and subsequent processing steps become impossible due to wafer deformation.

[0003] Taiko's silicon wafer technology involves grinding the silicon wafer circle while retaining approximately 3mm of the outer edge, thinning only the inner part of the circle to meet the inner ring's process requirements, while also ensuring the wafer's rigidity. This reduces wafer warpage, lowers the requirements for subsequent processing equipment, and reduces the risk of wafer breakage.

[0004] Currently, Taiko silicon wafers are increasingly widely used in wafer front-end transport equipment (EFEM). Because Taiko silicon wafers are much thinner than standard silicon wafers, to improve their transportability and stability, the transport fork can only contact the outer edge of the wafer, approximately 3mm. Due to these contact requirements, the following problems arise:

[0005] 1. The contact surface of the conventional wafer fork is not located at the 3mm edge of the silicon wafer. If the conventional wafer fork is continued to be used for transporting Taiko silicon wafers, the wafer fork will contact the 100um thick part of the Taiko silicon wafer, causing deformation and breakage during the transport of the silicon wafer.

[0006] 2. Because the contact area of ​​the Taiko silicon wafer is very limited, only a 3mm area at the edge, conventional wafer forks cannot provide effective support and transmission;

[0007] 3. Due to the very limited contact area of ​​the Taiko silicon wafer, which is only a 3mm area at the edge, the thinned part of the Taiko silicon wafer will sag significantly, making traditional through-beam sensors unusable due to the excessively large detection area; traditional reflective sensors will also be limited in application scenarios due to their overall thickness.

[0008] Therefore, the chip forks and sensors of the Taiko silicon wafers need to be redesigned to meet the transmission requirements of Taiko silicon wafers. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a transmission fork, a robotic arm, and a semiconductor device with position detection function.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a transfer fork for supporting a Taiko silicon wafer. The Taiko silicon wafer includes an edge support ring and a central thinned region. The transfer fork comprises: a fork body on which multiple annular support mechanisms are disposed, and the center of each annular support mechanism is equidistant from the center of the Taiko silicon wafer to form a supporting region for supporting the Taiko silicon wafer; a limiting mechanism disposed at the center of each annular support mechanism, and having a vertical height higher than the height of the annular support mechanism, for fixing the annular support mechanism and limiting the horizontal displacement of the Taiko silicon wafer; at least three sets of reflective sensors disposed on the fork body, with each reflective sensor adjacent to the side of the annular support mechanism in contact with the Taiko silicon wafer, for measuring the height information of the Taiko silicon wafer; and determining whether the Taiko silicon wafer is in the correct position based on the height information received by the reflective sensors.

[0011] Preferably, the bearing area formed by the plurality of ring support mechanisms is concentric with the Taiko silicon wafer and distributed within the edge support ring range of the Taiko silicon wafer; when the Taiko silicon wafer is placed on the ring support mechanism, the lower surface of the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer contacts the upper surface of each ring support mechanism, so that the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer overlaps on the ring support mechanism, thereby enabling the Taiko silicon wafer to be supported by the ring support mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, the annular support mechanism is an O-ring, and the limiting mechanism is a limiting post. The limiting post is placed at the center of the O-ring, so that the O-ring is stuck below the limiting post. The O-ring is fixed between the fork body and the limiting post by the pressure provided by the limiting post.

[0013] Preferably, the edges of the upper surface of the limiting post are cut into a bevel to form a chamfer, so as to reduce the risk of the limiting post scratching the surface of the Taiko silicon wafer.

[0014] Preferably, the O-ring is made of high-purity fluororubber, a corrosion-resistant material; and the limiting post is made of polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

[0015] Preferably, the reflective sensor is a limited reflective sensor with a fixed measurement range D. If the height of the Taiko silicon wafer from the limited reflective sensor exceeds the measurement range D, it indicates that the position of the Taiko silicon wafer has shifted.

[0016] Preferably, the height of the O-ring is d1 and the height of the limiting post is d2, then d2 > D - d1, so that when the Taiko silicon wafer is lifted by the limiting post, the height of the Taiko silicon wafer from the limiting reflective sensor is greater than the measurement range D, thereby realizing the alarm of the Taiko silicon wafer position deviation.

[0017] Preferably, the fork body is Y-shaped, comprising two forks and a connecting arm, with multiple annular support mechanisms symmetrically arranged on the two forks.

[0018] A transfer robot, wherein the end of the Taiko silicon wafer transfer robot is equipped with a transfer fork as described above.

[0019] A semiconductor device including the transfer robot as described above.

[0020] In summary, compared with the prior art, the Taiko silicon wafer transfer fork, robotic arm, and semiconductor device provided by the present invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. By setting an annular support mechanism on the fork body, a bearing area of ​​a 3mm support ring at the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer is formed. When the Taiko transmission fork provided by the present invention extends under the Taiko silicon wafer, the bearing area can support the 3mm support ring at the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer, avoiding contamination of the thinned area in the middle of the Taiko silicon wafer and realizing the Taiko silicon wafer transmission function.

[0022] 2. By setting up a limited reflective sensor, the system realizes the detection function of the Taiko silicon wafer's presence and positional correctness during the transmission process, preventing the silicon wafer from falling during the wafer retrieval process. It also enables the detection of any offset generated by the Taiko silicon wafer during transmission, avoiding the risk of wafer dropping caused by offset. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the transmission fork for a Taiko silicon wafer provided by the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2A schematic diagram of the limiting mechanism structure in the transmission fork of a Taiko silicon wafer provided by the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the sensor configuration in the transmission fork of a Taiko silicon wafer provided by the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of sensor triggering in the transmission fork of a Taiko silicon wafer provided by the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following will be combined with the appendix in the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 ~Attached Figure 4 This document provides a detailed description of the technical solutions, structural features, achieved objectives, and effects in the embodiments of the present invention. The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer from the following description. It should be noted that the accompanying drawings are in a very simplified form and use non-precise proportions, used only to facilitate and clearly illustrate the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. Please refer to the accompanying drawings to make the objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable. It should be understood that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc., depicted in the accompanying drawings are only used to complement the content disclosed in the specification, for those skilled in the art to understand and read, and are not intended to limit the implementation conditions of the present invention. Therefore, they have no substantial technical significance. Any modifications to the structure, changes in the proportional relationships, or adjustments to the size, without affecting the effects and objectives achieved by the present invention, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed in the present invention.

[0028] The core idea of ​​this invention is to provide a Taiko silicon wafer transfer fork with position detection function, which is installed at the end of a silicon wafer transfer robot, so that the robot can extend into the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer through the transfer fork at the end to support and transfer the Taiko silicon wafer; at the same time, during the transfer process, at least 3 sets of reflective sensors are used to meet the requirements for the position accuracy of the Taiko silicon wafer during the transfer process.

[0029] This invention provides a Taiko silicon wafer transport fork with position detection function. The Taiko silicon wafer includes an edge support ring (in this embodiment, the ring width of the edge support ring is 3mm) and a central thinned region. The transport fork includes: a fork body with multiple annular support mechanisms to form a bearing area for the Taiko silicon wafer, used to support the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer; a limiting mechanism disposed at the center of each annular support mechanism, with a vertical height higher than the height of the annular support mechanism, used to fix the annular support mechanism and limit the horizontal displacement of the Taiko silicon wafer; at least three sets of reflective sensors disposed on the fork body, with each reflective sensor adjacent to the side of the annular support mechanism that contacts the Taiko silicon wafer, used to measure the height information of the Taiko silicon wafer; and determining whether the Taiko silicon wafer is in the correct position based on the height information of the Taiko silicon wafer received by the reflective sensors.

[0030] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fork body 100 is Y-shaped, comprising two forked fingers and a connecting arm. Multiple annular support mechanisms are disposed on the two forked fingers. In this embodiment, four annular support mechanisms are symmetrically distributed on the two forked fingers, and the center of each annular support mechanism is equidistant from the center of the Taiko silicon wafer, forming a bearing area for the Taiko silicon wafer, which is concentric with the wafer. One end of the connecting arm connects to the two forked fingers, and the other end connects to a wafer transfer robot, which drives the movement of the fork. The fork body 100 is made of Al2O3 ceramic material, allowing it to maintain good structural rigidity even at a very thin thickness, ensuring effective transfer.

[0031] Specifically, such as Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the wafer body 100 is provided with four O-rings as annular support mechanisms to form the bearing area of ​​the Taiko silicon wafer (namely, a first O-ring 201, a second O-ring 202, a third O-ring 203, and a fourth O-ring 204). The third O-ring 203 and the fourth O-ring 204 are located at the ends of two interdigitated fingers. The first O-ring 201 and the third O-ring 203 are located on one interdigitated finger and are parallel and spaced apart. The second O-ring 202 and the fourth O-ring 204 are located on the other interdigitated finger and are parallel and spaced apart. The distance from the center of each of the four O-rings to the center of the Taiko silicon wafer is equal. A support area concentric with the Taiko silicon wafer is formed, distributed within the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer. Specifically, the radius of this support area is smaller than the radius of the Taiko silicon wafer, and the width of the contact surface between the support area and the Taiko silicon wafer is smaller than the width of the edge support ring. When the Taiko silicon wafer is placed on the annular support mechanism, the lower surface of the edge support ring contacts a portion of the upper surface of each O-ring, causing the edge support ring to overlap the O-ring. Thus, the edge support ring receives support from the O-ring, achieving the function of the O-ring supporting the Taiko silicon wafer. In the following description, the annular support mechanism is used as an example with the O-ring.

[0032] Furthermore, the O-ring is made of high-purity fluororubber, a corrosion-resistant material. For example... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The shaded area on the Taiko silicon wafer represents the allowable load-bearing range of the Taiko silicon wafer, which is a 3mm wide edge support ring. It should be noted that although the O-ring in this embodiment is a complete circle, the actual load-bearing area in contact with the Taiko silicon wafer is a segment of the O-ring's arc. Therefore, when the fork is inserted under the edge ring of the Taiko silicon wafer, the O-ring can effectively support and bear the Taiko silicon wafer. Furthermore, because the contact surface between the O-ring and the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer is an arc, rather than an endpoint, in practical applications, when part of the O-ring enters an area beyond 3mm from the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer—that is, when the O-ring enters the center area of ​​the thinned silicon wafer—the smooth surface of the O-ring will not damage the surface of the Taiko silicon wafer. The O-ring design optimizes the support effect of the load-bearing area on the Taiko silicon wafer.

[0033] Among them, combined Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, a limiting mechanism with a height higher than the height of the ring support mechanism is provided at the center of each ring support mechanism; in this embodiment, a limiting post with a height higher than the height of the O-ring is installed at the center of each O-ring (including a first limiting post 205, a second limiting post, a third limiting post, and a fourth limiting post, wherein the second to fourth limiting posts are not shown in the figure). Taking the first O-ring 201 and its corresponding first limiting post 205 as an example, the first limiting post 205 is made of Peek material (polyether ether ketone material), which has stable chemical properties and is corrosion-resistant and high-temperature resistant during operation.

[0034] Furthermore, the first limiting post 205 has the following functions: First, the first limiting post 205 serves as a fixing member for the first O-ring 201. By setting the first limiting post 205 at the center of the first O-ring 201, and the side wall of the first limiting post 205 being an inclined surface 252, the inclined surface 252 and the fork body 100 form a fixed space, thereby securing the first O-ring 201 within the fixed space between the first limiting post 205 and the fork body 100. Specifically, the inclined surface 252 will slightly... When the first O-ring 201 is squeezed, the rebound force generated after the first O-ring 201 is deformed by compression will generate a component force towards the fork body 100 through the inclined surface 252. This component force will press the first O-ring 201 onto the fork body 100. That is to say, the first O-ring 201 is fixed between the fork body 100 and the first limiting post 205 by the pressure provided by the first limiting post 205, thereby restricting the horizontal movement of the first O-ring 201 on the fork body 100; secondly, the first The limiting post 205 has a guiding function. When the wafer fork body 100 picks up and puts in Taiko silicon wafers, the first limiting post 205 has a certain guiding function to guide the Taiko silicon wafer with a certain deviation to the correct position and complete the wafer picking and putting action. Thirdly, the first limiting post 205 has a limiting function. When the wafer fork body 100 carries the Taiko silicon wafer for transportation, since the height of the first limiting post 205 is higher than the height of the first O-ring 201, when the Taiko silicon wafer has a slight deviation and slippage during the transportation process, the first limiting post 205 can effectively block it and prevent the Taiko silicon wafer from falling off the wafer fork body 100. At the same time, since the limiting post and O-ring are arranged in a total of 4 positions, that is, one O-ring corresponds to one limiting post, the cooperation of the first limiting post 205 and the other 3 limiting posts can completely limit the translation of the Taiko silicon wafer in the horizontal direction of the wafer fork body 100, effectively fixing the position of the Taiko silicon wafer during the transportation process.

[0035] Furthermore, to prevent the limiting mechanism (in this embodiment, a limiting post) from scratching the surface of the Taiko silicon wafer, and to further enhance the guiding effect of the limiting post, such as Figure 2As shown, the upper surface of the first limiting post 205 is cut into a bevel to form a chamfer 251. The chamfer 251 reduces the sharpness of the original first limiting post 205, reduces the risk of scratching the surface of the Taiko silicon wafer, and the Taiko silicon wafer with a certain offset can be guided to the correct position along the chamfer 251, assisting the wafer fork body 100 in completing the wafer picking action.

[0036] like Figure 3 As shown, the reflective sensor in this embodiment is a limited reflective sensor, comprising three groups: a first limited reflective sensor 301, a second limited reflective sensor 302, and a third limited reflective sensor 303. Unlike conventional through-beam or non-limited reflective sensors, limited reflective sensors have higher requirements for the position of the object being measured, making them more suitable for the use of Taiko silicon wafers. Using a limited reflective sensor as the reflective sensor has the following design advantages:

[0037] 1. Place a limited reflective sensor near the support area of ​​the Taiko silicon wafer. Since the closer the detection point of the limited reflective sensor is to the support area, the smaller the impact of the deformation caused by the weight of the Taiko silicon wafer on the detection distance, the limited reflective sensor is placed adjacent to the side of the ring support mechanism that overlaps with the Taiko silicon wafer, so that the limited reflective sensor is close to the support area of ​​the Taiko silicon wafer, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection height.

[0038] 2. A thin sensor (i.e. a limited reflective sensor) is selected to detect the back side of the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer. Since the limited reflective sensor is sensitive to distance, this characteristic can be used to accurately measure the position of the silicon wafer.

[0039] 3. By setting a limiting mechanism at the center of the annular support mechanism (in this embodiment, a limiting post is set inside the O-ring), when the Taiko silicon wafer has a large horizontal displacement in the wafer fork body 100, it will be lifted by the limiting mechanism in the annular support mechanism; when the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer is lifted, the distance between the measured surface (i.e., the back side) of the Taiko silicon wafer and the limiting reflective sensor increases, causing the height difference between the back side of the Taiko silicon wafer and the limiting reflective sensor to exceed the measurement range of the limiting reflective sensor, thereby triggering an alarm and indicating that the Taiko silicon wafer has been displaced.

[0040] Furthermore, in combination Figure 3As shown, during the transfer of Taiko silicon wafers, there is an initial displacement error when the Taiko silicon wafer is taken out of the wafer box and placed on the annular support mechanism of the wafer fork body 100. The acceleration and deceleration movements and vibrations during the transfer of Taiko silicon wafers may cause the Taiko silicon wafer to slip off the wafer bearing area (i.e., the arc that contacts the O-ring). Therefore, three limited reflective sensors are set near the wafer bearing area to ensure that at least one limited reflective sensor is triggered when the Taiko silicon wafer slips off any bearing area.

[0041] When a Taiko silicon wafer falls from the wafer support area or is lifted by a limiting post during transport due to incorrect positioning or excessive sliding, the most obvious change in the vertical direction is in the support area. However, due to the structure of the limiting reflective sensor, the limiting reflective sensor cannot be placed in the support area (i.e., it cannot be placed on the ring support mechanism).

[0042] To detect vertical displacement changes in the Taiko silicon wafer using defined reflective sensors and determine its proper positioning based on these changes, the defined reflective sensors need to be positioned adjacent to each other on the side of the annular support mechanism that contacts the Taiko silicon wafer (i.e., the defined reflective sensors are placed as close as possible to the wafer's bearing area). Each defined reflective sensor is positioned below a 3mm wide ring around the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer. Since the 3mm edge of the Taiko silicon wafer is relatively rigid compared to the thinned area, positioning the defined reflective sensors below the 3mm wide ring effectively reduces the impact of deformation caused by the wafer's own weight on the detection distance.

[0043] It should be noted that since the detection point of the limited reflective sensor is located below the 3mm wide ring at the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer, when the Taiko silicon wafer slips less than the maximum allowable slip of 3mm, the detection point of the limited reflective sensor will still be within the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer. In this case, the detection point of the limited reflective sensor is still blocked by the Taiko silicon wafer in the horizontal direction, so no error message will be generated, and the Taiko silicon wafer can transmit normally. When the Taiko silicon wafer slips more than the maximum allowable slip of 3mm, the detection point of the limited reflective sensor is no longer blocked by the Taiko silicon wafer in the horizontal direction, so an error message will be generated. At this time, the equipment needs to be stopped and an alarm needs to be triggered, thereby preventing the risks caused by excessive offset of the Taiko silicon wafer on the wafer fork body 100.

[0044] like Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4This diagram illustrates sensor triggering when a Taiko silicon wafer experiences an offset exceeding the maximum permissible amount. Since the Taiko silicon wafer can only contact the annular support mechanism on the fork body 100 within a 3mm annular region at its edge, in this embodiment, the maximum permissible offset of the Taiko silicon wafer is 3mm. Further combining... Figure 4 When the Taiko silicon wafer deviates by more than 3 mm, the first limiting post 205 on the first O-ring 201 will lift the Taiko silicon wafer. Since the sensing range of the limiting reflective sensor itself is limited, its sensing distance is only 0.3 to 2.5 mm. In this embodiment, the height of the first O-ring 201 is 1.8 mm. If the Taiko silicon wafer is placed correctly, that is, the edges of the Taiko silicon wafer are all on the O-ring on the wafer fork body 100, the distance from the Taiko silicon wafer to the limiting reflective sensor is 1.8 mm. Therefore, it means that as long as the lifting height of the Taiko silicon wafer in the vertical direction of the limiting reflective sensor is designed to be greater than 0.7 mm, the Taiko silicon wafer can be removed from the sensing area of ​​the sensor, and the silicon wafer deviation can be detected. In this embodiment, the height of each limiting post is designed to be 1.5mm higher than the O-ring. This design ensures that when the Taiko silicon wafer is lifted by the limiting post, the Taiko silicon wafer located in the vertical detection area of ​​the limiting reflective sensor is lifted by more than 0.7mm, effectively detaching it from the detection area of ​​the limiting reflective sensor.

[0045] Furthermore, the sensing and judgment logic of the first limited reflective sensor 301, the second limited reflective sensor 302, and the third limited reflective sensor 303 is explained. When the chip fork body 100 is in the wafer picking stage inside the EFEM (Wafer Front End Transfer Equipment), the robot performs a wafer picking action. After the wafer picking action is completed, it is determined whether the three sensors have detected the Taiko silicon wafer. If all three sets of limited reflective sensors detect the Taiko silicon wafer, it is considered that the Taiko silicon wafer is in place and in the correct position; if any set of limited reflective sensors does not detect the Taiko silicon wafer, it is considered that the Taiko silicon wafer is in the wrong position. When the chip fork body 100 is in the transfer stage inside the EFEM, if any set of limited reflective sensors does not detect the Taiko silicon wafer, it is considered that the Taiko silicon wafer is in the wrong position, and the robot stops waiting.

[0046] In summary, the Taiko silicon wafer transfer fork with position detection function provided by the present invention has the following advantages:

[0047] 1. By setting up a ring support mechanism to form a bearing area, the fork body 100 can bear a 3mm ring area of ​​the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer;

[0048] 2. Even if the Taiko silicon wafer experiences slight slippage during transport, the smooth surface design of the ring support mechanism allows the load-bearing area on the ring support mechanism to extend beyond 3mm from the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer without significantly affecting the load-bearing capacity of the Taiko silicon wafer.

[0049] 3. A limited reflective sensor is set below the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer. The correctness of the position of the Taiko silicon wafer is determined by detecting whether the Taiko silicon wafer is detected within the effective range of the limited reflective sensor and the combined state of the three sets of limited reflective sensors, thus realizing the position detection of the Taiko silicon wafer.

[0050] Based on the same inventive concept, this invention also provides a Taiko silicon wafer transport robot with position detection function, wherein the end of the Taiko silicon wafer transport robot is equipped with a Taiko silicon wafer transport fork with position detection function as described above. Simultaneously, this invention also provides a semiconductor device including the aforementioned Taiko silicon wafer transport robot with detection function.

[0051] The Taiko silicon wafer transfer fork with position detection function provided by this invention is installed at the end of a silicon wafer transfer robot and is used to transfer Taiko silicon wafers between multiple chambers in a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device also includes multiple workstations such as a support device for placing Taiko silicon wafers and a control device for controlling the robot to perform various actions. The support device has supporting components for carrying the Taiko silicon wafers, and the control device has a judgment module. The judgment module is connected to a defined reflective sensor on the fork body 100 and is used to receive height information sent by the defined reflective sensor and make a judgment.

[0052] Specifically, the fork body 100 is equipped with at least three sets of limiting reflective sensors. When the fork body 100 extends under the Taiko silicon wafer to be picked up, the at least three sets of limiting reflective sensors are blocked by the 3mm rings on the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer. At this time, the light emitted from the emitting area of ​​the limiting reflective sensor is reflected by the reflective area formed on the back of the Taiko silicon wafer and returns to the receiving area of ​​the limiting reflective sensor along the original path. After receiving the height information contained in the reflected signal, the receiving area of ​​the limiting reflective sensor transmits the height information to the judgment module in the control device. The judgment module identifies whether the Taiko silicon wafer is in the correct position based on the height information received by each limiting reflective sensor. When the Taiko silicon wafer is in the correct position, the fork body 100 picks up the wafer normally. If the Taiko silicon wafer is not in the correct position, the judgment module alarms, the fork body 100 stops picking up the wafer, and the machine or personnel conduct an inspection. The correct position means that the Taiko silicon wafer blocks the limiting reflective sensor, and the height difference between the Taiko silicon wafer and the limiting reflective sensor is within the normal range.

[0053] In summary, this invention effectively solves the problem that traditional wafer transfer forks cannot transfer wafers due to the limited 3mm wide bearing area around the edge of the Taiko silicon wafer. By setting up a ring support mechanism, not only is a larger contact area provided, but also greater friction is provided to reduce the risk of Taiko silicon wafer slippage. At the same time, the limiting mechanism on the ring support mechanism further restricts the horizontal movement of the Taiko silicon wafer. Finally, the height detection of the Taiko silicon wafer using a limited reflective sensor effectively determines the position of the Taiko silicon wafer, thereby avoiding the risk of wafer drop during the transfer process and effectively reducing production costs caused by fragments during the transfer process.

[0054] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0055] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A transfer fork for carrying a Taiko silicon wafer, the Taiko silicon wafer including an edge support ring and a central thinned region, characterized in that, The transmission fork includes: The fork body is provided with multiple ring support mechanisms, and the center of each ring support mechanism is equidistant from the center of the Taiko silicon wafer to form a bearing area for supporting the Taiko silicon wafer; the width of the contact surface between the bearing area and the Taiko silicon wafer is smaller than the width of the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer. A limiting mechanism is provided at the center of each of the annular support mechanisms and its vertical height is higher than the height of the annular support mechanism, for fixing the annular support mechanism and limiting the horizontal displacement of the Taiko silicon wafer; At least three sets of reflective sensors are disposed on the fork body, with each reflective sensor being disposed adjacent to the side of the annular support mechanism that contacts the Taiko silicon wafer, for measuring the height information of the Taiko silicon wafer; based on the height information of the Taiko silicon wafer received by the reflective sensors, it is determined whether the Taiko silicon wafer is in the correct position. The ring support mechanism is an O-ring, and the limiting mechanism is a limiting post. The reflective sensor is a limited reflective sensor with a fixed measurement range D. Each limited reflective sensor is arranged below the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer. If the height distance between the Taiko silicon wafer and the limited reflective sensor exceeds the measurement range D, it indicates that the position of the Taiko silicon wafer has shifted. The height of the O-ring is d1, and the height of the limiting post is d2. Then d2 > D - d1, so when the Taiko silicon wafer is lifted by the limiting post, the height of the Taiko silicon wafer from the limiting reflective sensor is greater than the measurement range D, thereby realizing the alarm of the Taiko silicon wafer position deviation.

2. The transmission fork as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing area formed by the multiple ring support mechanisms is concentric with the Taiko silicon wafer and distributed within the edge support ring range of the Taiko silicon wafer; when the Taiko silicon wafer is placed on the ring support mechanism, the lower surface of the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer contacts the upper surface of each ring support mechanism, so that the edge support ring of the Taiko silicon wafer overlaps on the ring support mechanism, thereby enabling the Taiko silicon wafer to be supported by the ring support mechanism.

3. The transmission fork as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The limiting post is located at the center of the O-ring, so that the O-ring is locked below the limiting post. The O-ring is fixed between the fork body and the limiting post by the pressure provided by the limiting post.

4. The transmission fork as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The edges of the upper surface of the limiting post are cut into a bevel to form a chamfer, thereby reducing the risk of the limiting post scratching the surface of the Taiko silicon wafer.

5. The transmission fork as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The O-ring is made of high-purity fluororubber, a corrosion-resistant material; the limiting post is made of polyetheretherketone.

6. The transmission fork as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The fork body is Y-shaped, comprising two forks and a connecting arm, with multiple annular support mechanisms symmetrically arranged on the two forks.

7. A transfer robot, characterized in that, The end of the transfer robot is equipped with a transfer fork as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A semiconductor device, characterized in that, Including the transfer robot as described in claim 7.

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