Wafer transfer apparatus and carrier plate alignment device

Abstract

The application provides a wafer transfer device and a carrier plate alignment device, which are provided with a lifting mechanism. After loading is completed, the lifting mechanism drives the carrier plate to ascend, so that the carrier plate is separated from the fixing mechanism. At this time, a gap is generated between the carrier plate and the fixing mechanism, and a mechanical hand mechanism can be extended into the gap to hold up the carrier plate. Since the gap is generated between the carrier plate and the fixing mechanism, the mechanical hand mechanism can avoid the fixing mechanism, and interference between the mechanical hand mechanism and the fixing mechanism is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing, and more specifically, to a carrier disk alignment device. This application also relates to a wafer transfer apparatus including the aforementioned carrier disk alignment device. Background Technology

[0002] During wafer fabrication, the wafer is placed on a loading tray, and then a robotic arm transfers the tray to the process chamber for further processing. During loading, a chuck secures the loading tray and rotates it to align it with the loading station to receive the wafer. After loading is complete, the robotic arm removes the loading tray.

[0003] However, the chuck secures the loading tray with grippers, and interference may occur when the robot arm removes the tray. To avoid this interference, current technology requires manual adjustment of the tray angle during loading, which increases labor costs and reduces processing efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, how to avoid interference between the robotic arm and the gripper when removing the loading tray is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art by providing a carrier disk alignment device. Furthermore, this application also provides a wafer transfer apparatus including the aforementioned carrier disk alignment device.

[0006] To achieve the purpose of this application, a carrier tray alignment device is provided for aligning the carrier tray's bearing position with the wafer loading position, comprising a fixing mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a rotating mechanism, wherein...

[0007] The fixing mechanism is used to support and fix the carrier plate;

[0008] The rotating mechanism is used to drive the fixing mechanism to rotate so as to align the bearing position of the carrier plate with the loading position;

[0009] The lifting mechanism is used to lift the carrier tray after the wafer is loaded, so that the carrier tray is separated from the fixing mechanism.

[0010] In some embodiments, the fixing mechanism includes a rotating disk for placing the carrier disk, the rotating disk having a first through hole extending along the thickness direction;

[0011] The lifting mechanism includes a lifting part and a support shaft. The support shaft passes through the first through hole and is used to support the carrier plate during the lifting process. The lifting part is connected to the support shaft and is used to drive the support shaft to lift.

[0012] In some embodiments, the fixing mechanism further includes a hollow shaft, the upper end of which is fixedly connected to the rotating disk, the inner hole of which corresponds to the position of the first through hole, and the support shaft passing through the inner hole of the hollow shaft, the hollow shaft being used to guide the support shaft.

[0013] In some embodiments, the system further includes an installation platform having a second through hole, the hollow shaft passing through the second through hole, and the lifting part located below the installation platform.

[0014] The lifting mechanism further includes a guide assembly, which includes a first guide structure and a second guide structure. The first guide structure is fixedly connected to the installation platform, and the second guide structure is connected to the support shaft. The first guide structure and the second guide structure cooperate to guide the support shaft.

[0015] In some embodiments, the upper end of the support shaft is provided with an adsorption and fixing component for adsorbing and fixing the carrier disk.

[0016] In some embodiments, a deviation detection mechanism is further included, which is used to acquire a current image of the carrier plate on the fixing mechanism and compare the current image with a standard image to determine the deviation angle of the carrier plate;

[0017] The rotating mechanism is also used to rotate the carrier disk by the deviation angle to align the current image of the carrier disk with the standard image.

[0018] This application also provides a wafer loading device for loading the wafer into the carrier position of a carrier, including any of the carrier alignment devices described above, and further including an alignment station and a transfer mechanism located on one side of the carrier alignment device. The alignment station is provided with an alignment mechanism for aligning the wafer angle, and the transfer mechanism is used to move the wafer aligned by the alignment mechanism to the carrier position of the carrier.

[0019] In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism includes a pick-up component and a moving component;

[0020] The wafer picking component is used to pick up the wafer located at the alignment station and place the wafer on the carrier plate at the loading station; the moving component is used to move the wafer picking component between the alignment station and the loading station.

[0021] In some embodiments, the carrier disk is provided with a first bearing position and a second bearing position. The first bearing position is distributed along a first circumference on the carrier disk, and the second bearing position is distributed along a second circumference on the carrier disk. The first circumference and the second circumference are concentrically arranged.

[0022] The loading station includes a first loading station and a second loading station, which are respectively used to correspond to the first bearing position and the second bearing position;

[0023] The rotating mechanism is used to drive the carrier plate to rotate by a first preset angle when the film taking assembly moves to the first loading station, and to drive the carrier plate to rotate by a second preset angle when the film taking assembly moves to the second loading station.

[0024] In some embodiments, the alignment mechanism includes an alignment detection component and an alignment rotation component, the alignment rotation component being used to drive the wafer to rotate, the wafer having a marking structure with different reflective amounts depending on the wafer angle;

[0025] The alignment detection component is used to receive light transmitted through the marker structure, obtain a corresponding amount of light sensitivity, and control the alignment rotation component to stop rotating when the amount of light sensitivity reaches a preset value.

[0026] This application has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] The tray alignment device provided in this application includes a lifting mechanism. After loading is completed, the lifting mechanism pushes the tray upward, separating the tray from the fixing mechanism. At this time, a gap is created between the tray and the fixing mechanism, allowing a robotic arm to extend into this gap and lift the tray. Because of the gap between the tray and the fixing mechanism, the robotic arm can avoid the fixing mechanism, thus preventing interference between the robotic arm and the fixing mechanism.

[0028] In addition, this application also provides a wafer transfer apparatus including the above-described carrier alignment device, and has the aforementioned advantages. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of one specific embodiment of the carrier alignment device provided in this application;

[0030] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Side view of the alignment device of the intermediate carrier plate cooperating with the robot arm mechanism;

[0031] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Top view of the alignment device of the central carrier plate cooperating with the robot arm mechanism;

[0032] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the cooperation between the intermediate carrier plate alignment device and the robotic arm mechanism;

[0033] Figure 5 A front view of a specific embodiment of the wafer transfer apparatus provided in this application;

[0034] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Top view of the wafer transfer equipment;

[0035] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a carrier disk filled with wafers;

[0036] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of part I;

[0037] Figure 9 This is a top view of the alignment mechanism;

[0038] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Sectional view of AA;

[0039] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer loading system.

[0040] in, Figures 1 to 11 The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0041] 1. Carrier tray; 2. Rotary tray; 3. Clamping cylinder; 4. Gripper; 5. Hollow shaft; 6. Support shaft; 7. Lifting cylinder; 8. Reducer; 9. Servo motor; 10. Driven wheel; 11. Drive wheel; 12. Guide rod; 13. Guide plate; 14. Mounting platform; 15. Rolling bearing; 16. Suction cup; 17. Camera assembly; 18. Bracket; 19. Wafer picking assembly; 20. First moving cylinder; 21. Second moving cylinder; 22. Alignment station; 23. Wafer; 24. Support block; 25. Alignment shaft; 26. Alignment motor; 27. First transmission wheel; 28. Alignment belt; 29. ​​Second transmission wheel; 30. Clamping cylinder; 31. Detection sensor; 32. Wafer cassette placement station; 33. First robotic arm mechanism; 34. Carrier tray buffer station; 35. Second robotic arm mechanism; 36. Process chamber; 101. First circumference; 102. Second circumference; 231. Flat edge; 331. Support arm. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of this application, the wafer transfer equipment and carrier disk alignment device provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] The carrier alignment device provided in this application is used to align the carrier position of the carrier 1 with the loading position of the wafer. For example... Figure 1As shown, the tray alignment device includes a fixing mechanism, a rotating mechanism, and a lifting mechanism. The fixing mechanism supports and secures the tray 1. The rotating mechanism drives the fixing mechanism to rotate, thereby rotating the tray 1 on the fixing mechanism, aligning the carrier position of the tray 1 with the loading station. After the carrier position is aligned with the loading station, the wafer at the loading station is placed into the carrier position of the tray 1. Then, the tray 1 is rotated again to align the next empty carrier position with the loading station. The rotating mechanism repeats the above actions until the tray 1 is full of wafers, completing the loading operation. The lifting mechanism, after completion, pushes the tray 1 upward, separating the fixing mechanism from the tray 1. At this time, a gap is created between the tray 1 and the fixing mechanism, the width of which is not less than the thickness of the gripper assembly of the robotic arm mechanism. Subsequently, the gripper assembly extends between the tray 1 and the fixing mechanism, lifting the tray 1 upward.

[0044] Optional, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the fixing mechanism includes a rotating disk 2, a clamping cylinder 3 mounted on the rotating disk 2, and multiple grippers 4. At least one gripper 4 is connected to the clamping cylinder 3 and moves under the drive of the clamping cylinder 3 to fix the wafer.

[0045] Optionally, in one specific embodiment of this application, there may be three grippers 4, which are evenly distributed along a preset circumference. The diameter of the preset circumference is equal to the diameter of the wafer, and the center of the preset circumference is located on the rotation axis of the rotating disk 2. The grippers 4 have an upward-facing stepped surface, and the stepped surfaces of the three grippers 4 are located in the same plane. The wafer is placed on the stepped surface of the three grippers 4. The grippers 4 also have a limiting surface located on the stepped surface away from the center of the preset circumference, and the limiting surfaces of the three grippers 4 are located on the preset circumference. A clamping cylinder 3 is provided between one of the grippers 4 and the rotating disk 2. The gripper 4 moves radially towards the center of the preset circumference under the drive of the clamping cylinder 3, thereby fixing the wafer by radially pressing it, and simultaneously aligning the center of the wafer with the rotation axis of the rotating disk 2. Using a single clamping cylinder 3 to control the wafer clamping reduces the control difficulty and improves processing efficiency. Of course, users can also set the structure of the fixing mechanism and the number of components such as grippers 4 and clamping cylinder 3 as needed, which is not limited here.

[0046] In this embodiment, the tray alignment device is equipped with a lifting mechanism. After the wafer is loaded, the lifting device pushes the tray 1 upward, separating the tray 1 from the fixing mechanism and creating a gap between them. The gripper assembly of the robotic arm extends into the gap to lift the tray 1, avoiding interference between the robotic arm mechanism and the fixing mechanism.

[0047] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1As shown, the rotating disk 2 has a first through hole extending along its thickness direction. Specifically, the first through hole can be located on the rotation axis of the rotating disk 2. The lifting mechanism includes a lifting part and a support shaft 6, with the support shaft 6 passing through the first through hole. The center of gravity of the carrier disk 1 is located within the contact area between the support shaft 6 and the carrier disk 1, ensuring the stability of the support. When the lifting part is in the retracted state, the upper end of the support shaft 6 is located below the circumference of the gripper 4 of the clamping cylinder 3, preventing interference between the support shaft 6 and the wafer. After the wafer is loaded, the gripper 4 releases the wafer, and the lifting part drives the support shaft 6 to rise, supporting the carrier disk 1 during the lifting process. When the lifting part reaches the extended state, the carrier disk 1, supported by the support shaft 6, creates a gap between itself and the fixing mechanism, that is, the lower side of the carrier disk 1 is a preset distance from the upper end of the gripper 4. In one specific embodiment of this application, this preset distance is 35mm. Of course, the value of the preset distance is not limited to this, and the user can set it according to the size of the gripper assembly.

[0048] Optionally, the lifting unit is a lifting cylinder 7. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the upper end of the piston of the lifting cylinder 7 is fixedly connected to the lower end of the support shaft 6. Users can also use electric cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, etc. as the lifting unit, which is not limited here.

[0049] In some embodiments, the upper end of the support shaft 6 is provided with an adsorption and fixing component. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the support shaft 6 includes a shaft body and a support platform, with the support platform located at the upper end of the shaft body. The support platform can be circular, with a diameter larger than the diameter of the shaft body and smaller than the diameter of the carrier disk 1. The support platform increases the support area for the carrier disk 1, improving the stability of the support. The support platform is not limited to a circular shape; this application uses a circular support platform as an example. In embodiments where the support platform adopts other shapes, the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the support platform is larger than the diameter of the shaft body. Specific examples can be found in the circular embodiments, which will not be elaborated upon here. The adsorption and fixing assembly includes a suction cup 16, which is disposed on the upper surface of the support platform. The support platform and shaft body have a negative pressure channel communicating with the inner side of the suction cup 16. The lower end of the negative pressure channel is connected to a negative pressure device such as a vacuum pump. When the support shaft 6 supports the carrier disk 1, the negative pressure device evacuates, causing the suction cup 16 to generate negative pressure, thereby adsorbing and fixing the carrier disk 1 through negative pressure. Of course, users can also use electrostatic adsorption devices or the like as the adsorption and fixing assembly; this is not limited here. The adsorption and fixing components can further improve the stability of the support shaft 6 supporting the carrier plate 1 and prevent the carrier plate 1 from tipping over.

[0050] In addition, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the gripper assembly of the robotic arm mechanism includes two support arms 331, the distance between which is greater than or equal to the diameter of the support platform. When the gripper assembly extends into the gap between the carrier plate 1 and the fixing mechanism, the two support arms 331 are located on opposite sides of the support platform to avoid interference between the support arms 331 and the support platform. The specific structure of the gripper assembly can be set according to user needs and is not limited here.

[0051] In this embodiment, a first through hole is provided in the center of the rotating disk 2. The support shaft 6 of the lifting mechanism passes through the first through hole to support the carrier disk 1. The center of gravity of the carrier disk 1 is located within the contact area between the support shaft 6 and the rotating disk 2, which improves the stability of the support. In addition, the lifting mechanism is also provided with an adsorption and fixing component. The adsorption and fixing component can make the support platform and the carrier disk 1 fit tightly together by negative pressure adsorption, so as to prevent the carrier disk 1 from moving or tilting during the lifting process.

[0052] In some embodiments, the fixing mechanism further includes a hollow shaft 5, the upper end of which is connected to the rotating disk 2. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the hollow shaft 5 has a limiting platform surrounding its outer wall. The upper end of the hollow shaft 5 is inserted into the first through hole, and the limiting platform fits against the lower surface of the rotating disk 2 to limit the rotation. The rotating disk 2 can be fixedly connected to the limiting platform by bolts. The support shaft 6 passes through the inner hole of the hollow shaft 5, and the diameter of the inner hole is close to the diameter of the support shaft 6. During the lifting process, the hollow shaft 5 guides the support shaft 6 and reduces the swaying of the support shaft 6.

[0053] Optionally, the rotating mechanism includes a drive unit and a transmission assembly. The transmission assembly is connected to the hollow shaft 5. The drive unit drives the hollow shaft 5 to rotate via the transmission assembly, thereby causing the rotating disk 2 and the carrier disk 1 to rotate. The transmission assembly includes a driving wheel 11, a driven wheel 10, and a synchronous belt. The driven wheel 10 is fixedly disposed on the outer periphery of the hollow shaft 5. The driving wheel 11 is connected to the drive unit and drives the driven wheel 10 to rotate via the synchronous belt. Of course, users can also use other transmission assembly structures, such as gear sets. The drive unit includes a servo motor 9 and a reducer 8. The shaft of the servo motor 9 is connected to the input shaft of the reducer 8, and the driving gear is mounted on the output shaft of the reducer 8. The servo motor 9 can control the rotation angle of the carrier disk 1 as needed, aligning the bearing position of the carrier disk 1 with the loading position of the wafer.

[0054] In some embodiments, the tray alignment device further includes a mounting platform 14. For example... Figure 1As shown, the mounting platform 14 has a second through hole, through which the hollow shaft 5 passes. The second through hole is connected to the hollow shaft 5 via a rolling bearing 15. The lifting cylinder of the lifting mechanism is located below the mounting platform 14 and connected to the mounting platform 14. The servo motor 9 and the reducer 8 are both located on the mounting platform 14 and below one side of the hollow shaft 5. The driven wheel 10 is located below the second through hole. The reducer 8 drives the hollow shaft 5 to rotate via a belt.

[0055] Optionally, the lifting mechanism may also include a guide assembly, which includes a first guide structure and a second guide structure. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the first guiding structure is a guide rod 12 fixedly connected to the lower surface of the mounting platform 14, and the guide rod 12 is parallel to the axis of the inner hole of the hollow shaft 5; the second guiding structure is a guide plate 13 connected to the lower end of the hollow shaft 5, and the guide plate 13 has a guide hole that extends through along the thickness direction, through which the guide rod 12 passes. During the lifting process, the guide plate 13 rises and falls with the piston of the lifting cylinder 7, and the guide rod 12 cooperates with the guide hole to play a guiding role and prevent the support shaft 6 from tilting during the lifting process. A sliding bearing can also be provided between the guide hole and the guide rod 12, and the friction between the sliding bearing and the guide rod 12 is reduced by cooperating with the guide rod 12. In addition, the number of guide rods 12 can be set to two or more, and increasing the number of guide rods 12 can further improve the stability of the lifting of the support shaft 6.

[0056] In this embodiment, the fixing mechanism is provided with a hollow shaft 5, and the support shaft 6 of the lifting mechanism passes through the inner hole of the hollow shaft 5. The inner hole of the hollow shaft 5 guides the support shaft 6, preventing it from tilting during lifting. The lifting mechanism is also provided with a guide assembly, which limits the stroke of the piston of the lifting cylinder 7 through the cooperation of the guide rod 12, further preventing the lifting mechanism from tilting and ensuring the reliability of the lifting process.

[0057] When the carrier tray 1 is placed on the fixing mechanism, the angle is random, thus requiring adjustment of the initial position of the carrier tray 1. In some embodiments, the carrier tray alignment device further includes a deviation detection mechanism, which acquires the current image of the carrier tray 1 on the fixing mechanism and determines the deviation angle of the carrier tray 1 by comparing the current image with a standard image. Subsequently, a rotating mechanism rotates the carrier tray 1 by the deviation angle, aligning the current image of the carrier tray 1 with the standard image. Of course, users can also use other methods to detect the deviation angle of the carrier tray 1, such as using a Hall sensor, etc., which are not limited here.

[0058] Optionally, the position of tray 1 in the standard image can be specifically the position of the carrier position of tray 1 when aligned with the loading station. After the current image of tray 1 is aligned with the standard image, tray 1 can be loaded with wafers. Subsequently, the rotation mechanism controls the rotation of tray 1 according to the position of the carrier position on tray 1 to align the subsequent carrier position with the loading station. Of course, the user can also set the standard image to any image with a known angle of tray 1. The carrier position of tray 1 with a known rotation angle can also be aligned with the station. This is not limited here.

[0059] Optionally, the deviation detection mechanism includes a camera assembly 17, located above the rotating disk 2, for capturing a current image of the carrier disk 1 and comparing the current image with a pre-stored standard image in the camera assembly 17 to determine the deviation angle. The comparison method can refer to existing technologies and will not be elaborated here. It should be noted that rotating the carrier disk 1 usually ensures that the current image of the carrier disk 1 is aligned with the standard image. The user can also capture a current image of the carrier disk 1 after rotation and compare it with the standard image as feedback to form closed-loop control, but this step is not a necessary step for aligning the carrier disk 1.

[0060] In this embodiment, the carrier plate alignment device is also equipped with a deviation detection mechanism. The deviation detection mechanism determines the deviation angle of the carrier plate 1 by comparing the current image of the carrier plate 1 with the standard image. Then, the rotation mechanism drives the carrier plate 1 to rotate by the deviation angle so that the carrier plate 1 is at a known angle. Subsequently, the rotation angle can be determined according to the distribution of the bearing positions on the carrier plate 1, so as to align the bearing positions on the carrier plate 1 with the loading position, reducing the control difficulty.

[0061] This application also provides a wafer loading apparatus for loading wafers into the carrier position of a carrier disk 1, the wafer loading apparatus including the carrier disk alignment device in any of the above embodiments. Figure 1 As shown, the wafer loading equipment also includes an alignment station 22 and a transfer mechanism. The alignment station 22 is located on one side of the tray alignment device and is used to place the wafer. The transfer mechanism is used to pick up the wafer located at the alignment station 22 and transfer it to the bearing position of the tray 1. Specifically, after picking up the wafer at the alignment station 22, the transfer mechanism moves the wafer to the loading station. Once the bearing position of the tray 1 is aligned with the loading station, the transfer mechanism places the wafer onto the bearing position.

[0062] In some embodiments, the transfer mechanism includes a pick-up assembly 19 and a moving assembly, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6As shown, the moving component is fixed to the mounting platform 14 via a bracket 18, and the wafer pick-up component 19 is connected to the moving component. The wafer pick-up component 19 is used to pick up the wafer located at the alignment station 22 and place the wafer on the support position of the carrier 1 at the loading station. The moving component is used to drive the wafer pick-up component 19 to move back and forth between the alignment station 22 and the loading station. In addition, after the wafer pick-up component 19 places the wafer on the support position of the carrier 1, the rotating mechanism drives the carrier 1 to rotate, moving the support position above the carrier 1 to align with the loading station. The wafer pick-up component 19, the moving component, and the rotating mechanism work together to complete the wafer loading.

[0063] Optionally, the moving component is a first moving cylinder 20, and the wafer picking component 19 includes a wafer gripper and a second moving cylinder 21. Specifically, as shown... Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the first moving cylinder 20 can specifically be a sliding cylinder, used to move the wafer pick-up assembly 19 between the alignment station 22 and the loading station. The second moving cylinder 21 is connected to the first cylinder and is perpendicular to the rotating disk 2. The piston of the second moving cylinder 21 faces downward, and the wafer gripper is connected to the piston of the second moving cylinder 21 and moves up and down under the action of the second moving cylinder 21. When the wafer pick-up assembly 19 moves above the alignment station 22, the second moving cylinder 21 moves the wafer gripper downward to pick up the wafer, and then moves the wafer upward; when the wafer pick-up assembly 19 moves to the loading station, the second moving cylinder 21 moves the wafer gripper downward to place the wafer in the bearing position, and then moves the wafer gripper upward. The wafer gripper can pick up the wafer by negative pressure adsorption, electrostatic adsorption, etc. The specific structure can be referred to in the prior art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0064] In some embodiments, to fully utilize the space of the carrier 1, the carrier 1 is provided with a first bearing position and a second bearing position. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the first bearing positions are evenly distributed along the first circumference 101 on the carrier disk 1, and the second bearing positions are evenly distributed along the second circumference 102 on the carrier disk 1. The first circumference 101 and the second circumference 102 are concentrically arranged, and the diameter of the first circumference 101 is larger than the diameter of the second circumference 102, so that the bearing positions do not overlap. When the carrier disk 1 is placed on the rotating disk 2, the centers of the first circumference 101 and the second circumference 102 are located on the rotation axis. Figure 6 and Figure 7 In the specific embodiment shown, nine first bearing positions are evenly distributed on the first circumference 101, and three second bearing positions are evenly distributed on the second circumference 102. Of course, the distribution of bearing positions on the carrier disk 1 is not limited to this.

[0065] The loading station includes a first loading station and a second loading station. The first loading station corresponds to the first carrier position, and the second loading station corresponds to the second carrier position. That is, when the first carrier position is aligned with the first loading station, the wafer on the wafer pick-up assembly 19 is located directly above the first carrier position; when the second carrier position is aligned with the second loading station, the wafer on the wafer pick-up assembly 19 is located directly above the second carrier position.

[0066] When the film-taking assembly 19 moves to the first loading station, the rotating mechanism drives the carrier tray 1 to rotate by a first preset angle, thereby aligning the first bearing positions one by one with the first loading station. When the film-taking assembly 19 moves to the second loading station, the rotating mechanism drives the carrier tray 1 to rotate by a second preset angle, thereby aligning the second bearing positions one by one with the second loading station. Figure 7 In the specific implementation, the first preset angle is 40 degrees (360 ÷ 9 = 40), and the second preset angle is 120 degrees (360 ÷ 3 = 120). Of course, the user can also set the preset angle according to the distribution of the bearing positions, which is not limited here. In addition, when switching between the first bearing position and the second bearing position, the rotating mechanism drives the carrier plate 1 to rotate by a third preset angle, which is the angle formed by the center of the corresponding first bearing position, the center of the carrier plate 1, and the center of the second bearing position.

[0067] In this embodiment, the wafer loading device is equipped with a transfer mechanism. The transfer mechanism drives the wafer picking component 19 to move between the alignment station 22 and the loading station via a moving component, thereby moving the wafer from the alignment station 22 to the loading station. The transfer mechanism, in conjunction with the alignment device of the carrier tray 1, loads the wafer onto the bearing position of the carrier tray 1, which can improve the wafer loading efficiency.

[0068] In some embodiments, the wafer loading apparatus further includes an alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism is located at alignment station 22 and supports the wafer 23 located at alignment station 22. The alignment mechanism rotates the wafer 23 located at alignment station 22, adjusting the angle of the wafer 23. The wafer has a marking structure; the reflectivity of the marking structure changes with the angle of the wafer 23, thus allowing the determination of whether it has been adjusted to the appropriate angle based on the reflectivity of the wafer 23. The alignment mechanism includes an alignment detection component and an alignment rotation component, such as... Figure 8 As shown, the marking structure of the wafer 23 is a flat edge 231. The alignment rotation assembly is used to rotate the wafer 23 and adjust the position of the flat edge 231. The alignment detection assembly includes a detection light source and a detection sensor 31, which are located on both sides of the wafer 23. Figure 9In the specific embodiment shown, the detection sensor 31 is located above the wafer 23, and correspondingly, the detection light source is located below the wafer. The detection light source emits light onto the wafer, and the light shines on the detection sensor 31 through the gap formed by the flat edge 231. The position of the alignment detection component corresponds to the position of the marker structure after alignment. Therefore, the light sensitivity of the detection sensor 31 is maximized when the wafer 23 is aligned. Specifically, during the alignment process, the detection light source emits light, and the alignment rotation component drives the wafer 23 to rotate. When the light sensitivity of the detection sensor 31 reaches a preset value, the alignment rotation component stops rotating. This embodiment uses a transmissive detection method to detect whether the wafer 23 is aligned. Users can also use a reflective or other detection methods as needed, which are not limited here.

[0069] Optional, such as Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the alignment rotation assembly includes an alignment motor 26, an alignment shaft 25, and a support block 24. The support block 24 supports the wafer 23. The upper end of the alignment shaft 25 is connected to the support block 24. The alignment motor 26 has a first transmission wheel 27, and the alignment shaft 25 has a second transmission wheel 29 on its outer periphery. The first transmission wheel 27 drives the second transmission wheel 29 to rotate via an alignment belt 28, thereby causing the alignment shaft 25 and the support block 24 to rotate, thus adjusting the angle of the wafer 23. Of course, the alignment electrode 26 can also use other transmission structures to drive the alignment shaft 25 to rotate, which is not limited here. The alignment detection assembly is located above the alignment shaft 25 and detects whether the wafer 23 is aligned by sensing the amount of light. In addition, the alignment mechanism also includes a vacuum adsorption assembly, etc., for adsorbing and fixing the wafer 23.

[0070] Optionally, the alignment rotation mechanism also includes two clamping cylinders 30, located on either side of the alignment station 22, for clamping the wafer 23 and aligning the center of the wafer 23 with the rotation axis of the alignment shaft 25. Figure 9 As shown, the piston of the clamping cylinder 30 is connected to the clamping block, which has an arc-shaped edge that mates with the edge of the wafer 23. The clamping cylinder 30 pushes the clamping block to move towards the alignment station 22, thereby clamping the wafer 23 from both sides of the alignment station 22 and completing the alignment of the wafer 23. The clamping cylinder 30 has a simple structure and is easy to control. Of course, users can also use other methods to align the wafer 23, which are not limited here. During the alignment process, the clamping cylinder 30 opens, the alignment rotating assembly adsorbs and fixes the wafer 23, and drives the wafer 23 to rotate to align the wafer 23.

[0071] In this embodiment, the wafer loading device is equipped with an alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism rotates the wafer 23 to adjust the position of the flat edge 231. Then, the transfer mechanism and the alignment device of the carrier 1 cooperate to load the aligned wafer 23 into the bearing position of the carrier 1. Figure 7As shown, the flat edge 231 of the wafer 23 loaded onto the carrier 1 is located on the side away from the center of the carrier 1. The wafer loading device is equipped with an alignment mechanism that enables the wafers 23 to be arranged more orderly on the carrier 1.

[0072] This application also provides a wafer loading system including the wafer loading equipment in any of the above embodiments. The wafer loading system further includes a wafer cassette placement station 32, a disk buffer station 34, a first robotic arm mechanism 33, and a second robotic arm mechanism 35, such as... Figure 11 As shown, the wafer cassette placement station 32 is used to place wafer cassettes containing wafers. The first robotic arm mechanism 33 is used to move the wafers from the wafer cassettes to the alignment station 22 of the wafer loading equipment. After the wafer loading equipment aligns the wafers, it is loaded into the carrier position of the carrier tray 1. After the carrier tray 1 is full, the first robotic arm moves the carrier tray 1 to the carrier tray buffer station 34. Finally, the second robotic arm mechanism 35 loads the carrier tray 1 from the carrier tray buffer station 34 into the process chamber 36. The wafer cassettes, the first robotic arm mechanism 33, and the second robotic arm mechanism 35 can be referred to in the prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0073] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of this application, and this application is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of this application, thereby improving the alignment of the first bearing position with the first loading station one by one, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A carrier tray alignment device for aligning the carrier tray's bearing position with the wafer loading position, characterized in that, It includes a fixed mechanism, a lifting mechanism, and a rotating mechanism, among which, The fixing mechanism is used to support and fix the carrier disk; the fixing mechanism includes a rotating disk, a hollow shaft, and multiple grippers; the rotating disk is used to place the carrier disk, and the rotating disk has a first through hole extending along the thickness direction; the upper end of the hollow shaft is fixedly connected to the rotating disk, and the inner hole of the hollow shaft corresponds to the position of the first through hole; the multiple grippers are arranged on the rotating disk and evenly distributed along a preset circumference, the center of the preset circumference is located at the rotation axis of the rotating disk, and the multiple grippers are used to fix the wafer; The rotating mechanism is used to drive the fixing mechanism to rotate so as to align the bearing position of the carrier plate with the loading position; The lifting mechanism is used to lift the carrier disk after the wafer is loaded, so that the carrier disk is separated from the fixing mechanism; the lifting mechanism includes a lifting part and a support shaft; the support shaft passes through the first through hole and is used to support the carrier disk during the lifting process; the lifting part is connected to the support shaft and is used to drive the support shaft to lift; the support shaft passes through the inner hole of the hollow shaft and is used to guide the support shaft.

2. The carrier disk alignment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an installation platform having a second through hole, the hollow shaft passing through the second through hole, and the lifting part located below the installation platform; The lifting mechanism further includes a guide assembly, which includes a first guide structure and a second guide structure. The first guide structure is fixedly connected to the installation platform, and the second guide structure is connected to the support shaft. The first guide structure and the second guide structure cooperate to guide the support shaft.

3. The carrier disk alignment device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper end of the support shaft is provided with an adsorption and fixing component for adsorbing and fixing the carrier disk.

4. The carrier disk alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also includes a deviation detection mechanism, which is used to acquire a current image of the carrier plate on the fixing mechanism and compare the current image with a standard image to determine the deviation angle of the carrier plate; The rotating mechanism is also used to rotate the carrier disk by the deviation angle to align the current image of the carrier disk with the standard image.

5. A wafer loading apparatus for loading the wafer into a carrier position on a disk, characterized in that, The device includes the tray alignment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and further includes an alignment station and a transfer mechanism located on one side of the tray alignment device. The alignment station is provided with an alignment mechanism for aligning the wafer angle, and the transfer mechanism is used to move the wafer aligned by the alignment mechanism to the carrier position of the tray.

6. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The transfer mechanism includes a wafer-picking component and a moving component; The wafer picking component is used to pick up the wafer located at the alignment station and place the wafer on the carrier plate at the loading station; the moving component is used to move the wafer picking component between the alignment station and the loading station.

7. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that, The carrier disk is provided with a first bearing position and a second bearing position. The first bearing position is distributed along a first circumference on the carrier disk, and the second bearing position is distributed along a second circumference on the carrier disk. The first circumference and the second circumference are concentrically arranged. The loading station includes a first loading station and a second loading station, which are respectively used to correspond to the first bearing position and the second bearing position; The rotating mechanism is used to drive the carrier plate to rotate by a first preset angle when the film taking assembly moves to the first loading station, and to drive the carrier plate to rotate by a second preset angle when the film taking assembly moves to the second loading station.

8. The wafer loading apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The alignment mechanism includes an alignment detection component and an alignment rotation component. The alignment rotation component is used to drive the wafer to rotate. The wafer has a marking structure with different reflective amounts depending on the wafer angle. The alignment detection component is used to receive light transmitted through the marker structure, obtain a corresponding amount of light sensitivity, and control the alignment rotation component to stop rotating when the amount of light sensitivity reaches a preset value.

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