Wafer transfer apparatus, vapor deposition system, and method of use

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer conveying device, a vapor deposition system and a use method. The wafer conveying device is used for moving wafers and wafer trays in a vapor deposition device and comprises: a wafer box group which is arranged opposite to a load lock chamber of the vapor deposition device and is used for storing wafers; a tray table which is used for carrying a wafer tray; a first conveying mechanism which is used for conveying the wafer tray between the tray table and the load lock chamber; a second conveying mechanism which is used for taking out deposited wafers from the wafer tray; a third conveying mechanism which comprises a carrying arm and is used for putting the deposited wafers into the wafer box group and taking out non-deposited wafers from the wafer box group; and a clamping arm which is used for putting the non-deposited wafers into the wafer tray. The wafer conveying device can realize automation of wafer transmission and avoid the upper surfaces of the non-deposited wafers from being contaminated by contact, and greatly improves the wafer transmission efficiency and the cleanliness of the upper surfaces of the wafers.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a wafer conveying device, a vapor deposition system and a use method. BACKGROUND

[0002] When a wafer is processed by a vapor deposition device (CVD), the wafer is usually taken out from a wafer box and placed into a wafer tray, and then the wafer tray is conveyed to a load lock chamber. At present, the step of taking out the wafer from the wafer box and placing it into the wafer tray is mainly completed by manual operation. However, the manual operation of taking and placing the wafer not only has low efficiency, but also easily contaminates the upper surface of the wafer, thereby affecting the yield of the wafer. Especially, with the continuous change of the process, the sensitivity of the vapor deposition device to the surface contamination particles of the wafer is also increasing. Therefore, in order to ensure the processing efficiency and yield of the wafer, it is necessary to change or adjust the way of taking and placing the wafer. SUMMARY

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a wafer conveying device, a vapor deposition system and a use method, so as to avoid contact with the upper surface of the wafer during conveying the wafer from a wafer box group to a load lock chamber, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

[0004] In order to achieve the above purpose, the present application realizes the following technical scheme:

[0005] A wafer conveying device for moving a wafer and a wafer tray in a vapor deposition device, comprising:

[0006] a wafer box group, which is arranged opposite to a load lock chamber of the vapor deposition device, and is used for storing the wafer;

[0007] a tray table, which is used for carrying the wafer tray;

[0008] a first conveying mechanism, which is used for conveying the wafer tray between the tray table and the load lock chamber;

[0009] a second conveying mechanism, which is used for taking out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray;

[0010] a third conveying mechanism, which comprises a carrying arm for placing the deposited wafer into the wafer box group and taking out the non-deposited wafer from the wafer box group, and a clamping arm for placing the non-deposited wafer into the wafer tray.

[0011] Preferably, the tray table is arranged between the wafer box group and the load lock chamber;

[0012] the first conveying mechanism is arranged between the tray table and the load lock chamber;

[0013] The second conveying mechanism is arranged between the first conveying mechanism and the wafer cassette group.

[0014] The third conveying mechanism is arranged between the second conveying mechanism and the wafer cassette group.

[0015] Preferably, the wafer conveying device further comprises a wafer aligner arranged between the tray table and the third conveying mechanism for positioning the wafer.

[0016] Preferably, the tray table can drive the wafer tray to rotate.

[0017] Preferably, the wafer conveying device further comprises a first sensor for detecting the rotation speed and the stop position of the tray table.

[0018] Preferably, the front end of the second conveying mechanism is provided with a suction cup for sucking the deposited wafer from the wafer tray.

[0019] Preferably, the front end of the carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism is provided with a fork for lifting the back surface of the wafer, the front end of the clamping arm is provided with a jaw for clamping the side surface of the wafer, and the carrying arm and the clamping arm are arranged in vertical direction.

[0020] Preferably, the wafer conveying device further comprises a tray cabinet arranged adjacent to the first conveying mechanism for storing the wafer tray, and the tray cabinet is provided with a first door and a second door, the first door faces the first conveying mechanism, and the second door faces the outside of the wafer conveying device.

[0021] Preferably, the first door and the second door are interlocked.

[0022] Preferably, the tray cabinet is provided with a second sensor for monitoring the storage position of the wafer tray.

[0023] In another aspect, the present application also provides a vapor deposition system comprising a reaction chamber, a conveying chamber connected to the reaction chamber, a load lock chamber connected to the conveying chamber, and a wafer conveying device as described above.

[0024] Preferably, the reaction chamber is connected to a corresponding electrical system and a gas supply system, and the three are arranged in linear arrangement.

[0025] Preferably, the load lock chamber comprises a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with non-deposited wafers, and the second load lock chamber can store the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers.

[0026] Preferably, the cross section of the transfer chamber is hexagonal structure; wherein one side of the transfer chamber is connected with the tray cooling chamber;

[0027] Two adjacent sides of the transfer chamber are connected with the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber respectively;

[0028] Three sides of the transfer chamber are connected with three reaction chambers respectively, and the wafer transfer device is arranged in parallel with one of the reaction chambers.

[0029] In another aspect, the present application also provides a method for using the wafer transfer device as described above, comprising: a loading operation and an unloading operation.

[0030] The loading operation comprises:

[0031] The first transfer mechanism places the wafer tray on the tray table;

[0032] The carrying arm of the third transfer mechanism takes out the non-deposited wafer from the wafer cassette group;

[0033] The clamping arm of the third transfer mechanism places the non-deposited wafer into the wafer tray;

[0034] The first transfer mechanism moves the wafer tray from the tray table to the load lock chamber;

[0035] The unloading operation comprises:

[0036] The first transfer mechanism moves the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafer from the load lock chamber to the tray table;

[0037] The second transfer mechanism takes out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray;

[0038] The carrying arm of the third transfer mechanism places the deposited wafer into the wafer cassette group.

[0039] Preferably, when the loading operation is performed, the carrying arm takes out the non-deposited wafer from the wafer cassette group and places it on the wafer aligner; the clamping arm clamps the non-deposited wafer from the wafer aligner and places it into the wafer tray;

[0040] When the unloading operation is performed, the second transfer mechanism sucks up the deposited wafer from the wafer tray and places it on the wafer aligner; the carrying arm takes up the deposited wafer from the wafer aligner and places it into the wafer cassette group.

[0041] Preferably, when the loading operation is performed, the tray table rotates with the wafer tray, so that each pocket of the wafer tray is sequentially stopped at a first preset position to cooperate with the clamping arm to place the non-deposited wafer.

[0042] During the unloading operation, the tray table drives the wafer tray to rotate, so that each of the disc pits of the wafer tray is sequentially stopped at a second preset position to cooperate with the second conveying mechanism to take out the deposited wafer.

[0043] Preferably, the number of load lock chambers is 2.

[0044] The first conveying mechanism puts the wafer tray loaded with non-deposited wafers into one of the load lock chambers, and takes out the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from another load lock chamber.

[0045] Compared with the prior art, the present application has at least one of the following advantages:

[0046] The wafer conveying device, the vapor deposition system and the use method provided by the present application can convey non-deposited wafers from the wafer cassette group to the load lock chamber and convey deposited wafers from the load lock chamber to the wafer cassette group through the cooperation of the bearing arms and the clamping arms in the first conveying mechanism, the second conveying mechanism and the third conveying mechanism, which not only realizes the automation of wafer transmission, but also avoids the upper surface of the non-deposited wafer from being contaminated by contact, greatly improving the transmission efficiency of the wafer and the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

[0047] In the present application, when the bearing arm of the third conveying mechanism lifts the non-deposited wafer, the fork at the front end of the bearing arm contacts the lower surface of the non-deposited wafer; when the clamping arm clamps the non-deposited wafer, the jaw at the front end of the clamping arm contacts the side surface of the non-deposited wafer, so that the third conveying mechanism can avoid contacting the upper surface of the non-deposited wafer during the process of moving the wafer from the wafer cassette group to the wafer tray, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

[0048] In the present application, the first conveying mechanism can convey the wafer tray loaded with non-deposited wafers to the load lock chamber, so that the upper surface of the wafer can be avoided from being contacted during the process of moving the non-deposited wafer from the tray table to the load lock chamber, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

[0049] In the present application, the tray table can drive the wafer tray to rotate, and each disc pit of the wafer tray is sequentially stopped at a first preset position or a second preset position, so that the clamping arm of the third conveying mechanism or the second conveying mechanism can complete the placing operation of all non-deposited wafers or the suction operation of all deposited wafers at a fixed position.

[0050] The first door of the tray cabinet facing the first conveying mechanism and the second door facing the outside have an interlocking structure, so that the first door and the second door cannot be opened at the same time, thereby ensuring that when the wafer tray is stored in the tray cabinet from the outside, the first conveying mechanism cannot take out the wafer tray from the tray cabinet at the same time, thereby ensuring the operation safety of the tray cabinet and controlling the cleanliness inside the wafer conveying device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0051] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a wafer conveying device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0052] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a third conveying mechanism of a wafer conveying device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a vapor deposition system provided by an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The wafer conveying device, vapor deposition system and use method provided by the present application are described in further detail below in combination with the drawings and specific embodiments. The advantages and features of the present application will be more apparent according to the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are very simplified and all use non-precise proportions, only for the purpose of facilitating and clarifying the description of the embodiments of the present application. In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present application more apparent and easy to understand, please refer to the drawings. It should be understood that the structures, proportions and sizes shown in the drawings attached to the present specification are only used to understand and read by those skilled in the art, and are not used to limit the conditions for implementing the present application, so they do not have technical significance. Any modification of structure, change of proportion relationship or adjustment of size, without affecting the effect and purpose that can be achieved by the present application, should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present application.

[0055] It should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as first and second and the like can only be used to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply that these entities or operations exist in any such actual relationship or order. Moreover, the terms "comprising", "including" or any other variant thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or apparatus that includes a list of elements not only includes those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, article or apparatus. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "comprising a" does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article or apparatus that includes the element.

[0056] In combination with the drawings Figures 1-2 As shown in the drawings, the wafer conveying device for moving wafers and wafer trays in a vapor deposition apparatus comprises a wafer box group 110, which is arranged opposite to a load lock chamber 210 of the vapor deposition apparatus and is used for storing the wafers; a tray table 120, which is used for carrying the wafer tray; a first conveying mechanism 130, which is used for conveying the wafer tray between the tray table 120 and the load lock chamber 210; a second conveying mechanism 140, which is used for taking out the deposited wafers from the wafer tray; and a third conveying mechanism 150, which comprises a carrying arm 1501, which is used for putting the deposited wafers into the wafer box group 110 and taking out the non-deposited wafers from the wafer box group 110; and a clamping arm 1502, which is used for putting the non-deposited wafers into the wafer tray.

[0057] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 The tray table 120 is arranged between the wafer box group 110 and the load lock chamber 210; the first conveying mechanism 130 is arranged between the tray table 120 and the load lock chamber 210; the second conveying mechanism 140 is arranged between the first conveying mechanism 130 and the wafer box group 110; and the third conveying mechanism 150 is arranged between the second conveying mechanism 140 and the wafer box group 110.

[0058] Specifically, in the embodiment, the wafer box group 110, the third conveying mechanism 150, the tray table 120, the second conveying mechanism 140 and the first conveying mechanism 130 in the wafer conveying device can be arranged linearly, so that each component can be sequentially operated according to the process flow, and each component can form a pipeline according to the operation sequence, thereby making the wafer conveying device have a high automation level. More specifically, according to the requirements of the actual use site, the components in the wafer conveying device can be flexibly arranged, for example, the components can be arranged in a straight line type, or the components can be arranged in an inclined and curved type, so that the wafer conveying device can be appropriately installed in the actual use site under the premise of meeting the operation sequence of each component, thereby improving the applicability of the wafer conveying device. Preferably, the components in the wafer conveying device can be arranged in a straight line type, and the wafer conveying device can be arranged in parallel with the reaction chamber (including the gas supply and power supply equipment), so as to achieve the purpose of removing one reaction chamber directly on the old equipment operated by manual operation, and installing the wafer conveying device of the embodiment at the position of the removed reaction chamber, thereby sequentially reducing the difficulty of modification, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0059] Specifically, in the embodiment, the wafer cassette set 110 can include a first wafer cassette 111 and a second wafer cassette 112; the first wafer cassette 111 is used to store the non-deposited wafers, and the second wafer cassette 112 is used to store the deposited wafers. More specifically, the non-deposited wafers are transferred from the first wafer cassette 111 to the load lock chamber 210 through the third transfer mechanism 150, the second transfer mechanism 140 and the first transfer mechanism 130, and then transferred to the reaction chamber through the transfer chamber for deposition treatment; the deposited wafers are transferred from the reaction chamber to the load lock chamber through the transfer chamber, and then transferred to the second wafer cassette 112 through the first transfer mechanism 130, the second transfer mechanism 140 and the third transfer mechanism 150 for storage. Preferably, the first wafer cassette 111 and the second wafer cassette 112 can both use open wafer cassettes or SMIF (wafer isolation) wafer cassettes, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0060] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 The wafer transfer device further includes a tray cabinet 170; the tray cabinet 170 is arranged adjacent to the first transfer mechanism 130 and is used to store the wafer tray; and the tray cabinet 170 is provided with a first door and a second door, the first door faces the first transfer mechanism 130, and the second door faces the outside of the wafer transfer device.

[0061] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the first door and the second door are interlocked.

[0062] In some embodiments, a second sensor is arranged in the tray cabinet 170 and is used to monitor the storage position of the wafer tray.

[0063] Specifically, in the embodiment, the second door of the tray cabinet 170 faces outward, so that the staff or the FA automation equipment (such as AGV trolley) can put the empty wafer tray into the tray cabinet 170 through the second door. The second sensor arranged in the tray cabinet 170 can monitor whether the wafer tray is accurately placed at the preset storage position, so as to prevent the wafer tray from being placed incorrectly, thereby avoiding errors in the subsequent automatic tray taking of the first transfer mechanism 130; more specifically, if the wafer tray is not placed at the preset storage position, the second sensor will prompt the staff to adjust the position of the wafer tray. The first door of the tray cabinet 170 faces the first transfer mechanism 130, so that the first transfer mechanism 130 can take the empty wafer tray from the tray cabinet 170 through the first door and place it on the tray table 120 to load the wafers, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0064] In other embodiments, when the wafer tray in the wafer conveying device needs to be replaced, the first conveying mechanism 130 can also put the wafer tray to be replaced into the tray cabinet 170 through the first door, and the staff or FA automation equipment can take out the wafer tray to be replaced from the tray cabinet 170 through the second door and put a new wafer tray into the tray cabinet 170, thereby completing the replacement of the wafer tray, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0065] Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first door and the second door of the tray cabinet 170 have an interlocking structure, so that the first door and the second door cannot be opened at the same time, that is, the second door cannot be opened when the first door is opened or the first door cannot be opened when the second door is opened, thereby ensuring that the first conveying mechanism 130 cannot take out the wafer tray from the tray cabinet 170 at the same time when the wafer tray is stored into the tray cabinet 170 from the outside, and further ensuring the operation safety of the tray cabinet 170 and controlling the cleanliness inside the wafer conveying device, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the front end of the carrying arm 1501 of the third conveying mechanism 150 is provided with a fork to lift the wafer; the front end of the clamping arm 1502 is provided with a jaw, which can be an arc-shaped jaw with the same curvature as the wafer, to clamp the wafer; and the carrying arm 1501 and the clamping arm 1502 are spaced apart in the vertical direction and do not interfere with each other's movement path.

[0067] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the fork is in contact with the back surface of the wafer without deposition, and the jaw is in contact with the side surface of the wafer without deposition.

[0068] In some embodiments, the wafer conveying device further comprises a wafer aligner 160, which is arranged between the tray table 120 and the third conveying mechanism 150 and is used for positioning the wafer.

[0069] Specifically, in the embodiment, the forks of the carrying arm 1501 of the third transfer mechanism 150 can lift the non-deposited wafers from the first wafer box 111 and place them on the wafer calibrator 160 to calibrate the positions of the non-deposited wafers; the jaws of the clamping arm 1502 can clamp the non-deposited wafers from the wafer calibrator 160 and place them in the wafer tray on the tray table 120, and the first transfer mechanism 130 can then place the wafer tray full of non-deposited wafers into the load lock chamber 210. More specifically, the forks of the carrying arm 1501 are in contact with the lower surfaces of the non-deposited wafers when lifting the non-deposited wafers, and the jaws of the clamping arm 1502 are in contact with the side surfaces of the non-deposited wafers when clamping the non-deposited wafers, so that the third transfer mechanism 150 can effectively avoid contacting the upper surfaces of the non-deposited wafers when moving the non-deposited wafers from the first wafer box 111 to the wafer tray, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surfaces of the non-deposited wafers. Preferably, the carrying arm 1501 and the clamping arm 1502 can each be composed of multiple segments of mechanical arms, so that the carrying arm 1501 and the clamping arm 1502 can perform flexible movements such as extension, retraction, and rotation; the diameter of the wafer calibrator 160 is less than the diameter of the wafer to provide operating space for the carrying arm 1501, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 1 , the front end of the second transfer mechanism 140 is provided with a suction cup to suck the deposited wafers from the wafer tray.

[0071] Specifically, in the embodiment, after the first transfer mechanism 130 places the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the load lock chamber 210 onto the tray table 120, the second transfer mechanism 140 can use the suction cup to suck the deposited wafers from the wafer tray and place them on the wafer calibrator 160, and then the carrying arm 1501 of the third transfer mechanism 150 can lift the deposited wafers from the wafer calibrator 160 and place them into the second wafer box 112. More specifically, the suction cup can be a circular suction cup; if the diameter of the suction cup is less than the diameter of the deposited wafers, the suction cup can suck the centers of the deposited wafers; if the diameter of the suction cup is equal to the diameter of the deposited wafers, the suction cup can suck the edges of the deposited wafers. Preferably, the suction cup can be a Bernoulli suction cup, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0072] In other embodiments, the second transfer mechanism 140 can also use other ways to suck the deposited wafers from the wafer tray.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 1 , the tray table 120 can rotate the wafer tray.

[0074] It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the wafer conveying device further comprises a first sensor configured to detect the rotation speed and the stop position of the tray table.

[0075] Specifically, in the embodiment, the wafer tray can be provided with a plurality of disc pits, each of which is configured to accommodate a wafer, and all the disc pits can be arranged at equal intervals along the circumference of the wafer tray, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0076] Specifically, in the embodiment, after the wafer tray is placed on the tray table 120 by the first conveying mechanism 130, the tray table 120 can be controlled to rotate the wafer tray to sequentially rotate each disc pit of the wafer tray to a first preset position, so that the clamping arm 1502 of the third conveying mechanism 150 can place the non-deposited wafers into the corresponding disc pits, and thus the clamping arm 1502 can complete the placement operation of all non-deposited wafers at the same position. The tray table 120 can also be controlled to rotate the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafers to sequentially rotate each disc pit of the wafer tray to a second preset position, so that the second conveying mechanism 140 can suck up the deposited wafers from the corresponding disc pits, and thus the second conveying mechanism 140 can complete the sucking up operation of all deposited wafers at the same position. Preferably, the first preset position can be the position at which the clamping arm 1502 performs the placement operation of non-deposited wafers; and the second preset position can be the position at which the second conveying mechanism 140 performs the sucking up operation of deposited wafers, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0077] Specifically, in the embodiment, the first sensor can be fixed at any position, and the first sensor can be oppositely arranged with the upper surface, the lower surface or the side surface of the tray table 120, so as to detect the rotation direction and the stop position of the tray table 120 during rotation, and thus ensure that the second conveying mechanism 140 and the third conveying mechanism 150 can accurately take and place the wafers. More specifically, if the first sensor detects that the rotation speed and the stop position of the tray table 120 are inconsistent with the preset rotation speed or the preset stop position, the first sensor will prompt the staff to troubleshoot the tray table 120. Preferably, the tray table 120 can be provided with a plurality of marking points to cooperate with the first sensor to position the tray table 120; the preset rotation direction can be clockwise or counterclockwise; and the preset stop position can be the first preset position and the second preset position, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0078] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into the present application to provide further understanding of the present application.Figure 3 As shown, the embodiment also provides a vapor deposition system, comprising: a reaction chamber 230, a transfer chamber 220 connected with the reaction chamber 230, a load lock chamber 210 connected with the transfer chamber 220, and a wafer transfer device 100 as described above.

[0079] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 The load lock chamber 210 comprises a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with the non-deposited wafers, and the second load lock chamber can store the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafers; the first load lock chamber is used to store the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafers, and the second load lock chamber can store the wafer tray loaded with the non-deposited wafers.

[0080] Specifically, in the embodiment, the non-deposited wafers can be transferred from the first wafer box 111 to the first load lock chamber by the wafer transfer device 100, and then transferred from the first load lock chamber to the reaction chamber 230 by the robot in the transfer chamber 220 for deposition treatment; the deposited wafers can be transferred from the reaction chamber 230 to the second load lock chamber by the robot in the transfer chamber 220, and then transferred from the second load lock chamber to the second wafer box 112 by the wafer transfer device 100 for storage. Preferably, the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber can simultaneously store the wafer trays loaded with wafers in different states (including non-deposited wafers and deposited wafers) to improve the transfer efficiency of the non-deposited wafers and the deposited wafers between the wafer transfer device 100 and the transfer chamber 230, thereby improving the deposition efficiency of the non-deposited wafers and the storage efficiency of the deposited wafers, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0081] Specifically, in the embodiment, since the working pressure of the wafer transfer device 100 is atmospheric pressure and the working pressure of the transfer chamber 220 is negative pressure, the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber can be provided with a third door facing the first transfer mechanism 120 in the wafer transfer device 100 and a fourth door facing the transfer chamber 220, so as to adjust the pressure in the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber by opening and closing the third door and the fourth door, so that the pressure in the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber is the same as the pressure on the side of the door to be opened, thereby completing the transfer of the wafer tray between the wafer transfer device 100 and the transfer chamber 220, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0082] More specifically, when the third door of the first load lock chamber is opened, the first load lock chamber is at the same pressure as the wafer transfer device 100, and the first transfer mechanism 120 can move a wafer tray loaded with wafers that have not been deposited from the tray station 120 to the first load lock chamber; at the same time, the fourth door of the second load lock chamber is opened, so that the second load lock chamber is at the same pressure as the transfer chamber 220, and the robot in the transfer chamber 220 can move the wafer tray loaded with wafers that have been deposited from the reaction chamber 230 to the second load lock chamber. Subsequently, the fourth door of the first load lock chamber is opened, so that the first load lock chamber is at the same pressure as the transfer chamber 220, and the robot in the transfer chamber 220 can move the wafer tray loaded with wafers that have not been deposited from the first load lock chamber to the reaction chamber 230; at the same time, the third door of the second load lock chamber is opened, so that the second load lock chamber is at the same pressure as the wafer transfer device 100, and the first transfer mechanism 120 can move the wafer tray loaded with wafers that have been deposited from the second load lock chamber to the tray station 120, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0083] Please continue to refer to Figure 3 The reaction chamber 230 is connected to the corresponding electrical system 250 and gas supply system 260, and the three are arranged in a line.

[0084] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the cross section of the transfer chamber 220 is a hexagonal structure; one side of the transfer chamber 220 is connected to the tray cooling chamber 240; two adjacent sides of the transfer chamber 220 are connected to the first load lock chamber and the second load lock chamber, respectively, to facilitate the taking and placing of the wafer tray; three sides of the transfer chamber 220 are connected to three reaction chambers 230, respectively, and the wafer transfer device 100 is arranged in parallel with one of the reaction chambers 230.

[0085] Specifically, in the present embodiment, since the temperature of the wafer just after deposition processing is relatively high, the wafer tray loaded with wafers after deposition can be placed in the tray cooling chamber 240 by the robot in the transfer chamber 220 for cooling treatment, and then the wafer tray is moved from the tray cooling chamber 240 to the load lock chamber by the robot in the transfer chamber 220; preferably, the tray cooling chamber 240 can be arranged opposite to the first load lock chamber or the second load lock chamber, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0086] Specifically, in the embodiment, each of the reaction cavities 230 can be connected with the electrical system 250 and the gas supply system 260 placed in the corresponding electrical cabinet and gas cabinet, and the three are linearly arranged as a whole (as shown in the figure). The wafer conveying device 100 can be arranged in parallel with one of the reaction cavities 230 to improve the space utilization, effectively reduce the site occupation area, and also reduce the difficulty of old equipment modification, but the present application is not limited thereto. Figure 3

[0087] On the other hand, the embodiment also provides a use method of the wafer conveying device, which comprises the feeding operation and the discharging operation. The feeding operation comprises the following steps: S11, the first conveying mechanism 130 places the wafer tray on the tray table 120; S12, the carrying arm 1501 of the third conveying mechanism 150 takes out the non-deposited wafer from the wafer box group 110; S13, the clamping arm 1502 of the third conveying mechanism 150 places the non-deposited wafer into the wafer tray; S14, the first conveying mechanism 130 moves the wafer tray from the tray table 120 to the load lock chamber 210. The discharging operation comprises the following steps: S21, the first conveying mechanism 130 moves the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafer from the load lock chamber 210 to the tray table 120; S22, the second conveying mechanism 140 takes out the deposited wafer from the wafer tray; S23, the carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism 150 places the deposited wafer into the wafer box group 110.

[0088] It can be understood that in some other embodiments, the number of the load lock chambers 210 is 2; the first conveying mechanism 130 places the wafer tray loaded with the non-deposited wafer into one of the load lock chambers, and takes out the wafer tray loaded with the deposited wafer from the other load lock chamber.

[0089] In some embodiments, when the feeding operation is performed, step S12 comprises: the carrying arm 1501 lifts the non-deposited wafer from the wafer box group 110 and places it on the wafer aligner 160; and step S13 comprises: the clamping arm 1502 clamps the non-deposited wafer from the wafer aligner 160 and places it into the wafer tray. When the discharging operation is performed, step S22 comprises: the second conveying mechanism 140 sucks the deposited wafer from the wafer tray and places it on the wafer aligner 160; and step S23 comprises: the carrying arm 1501 lifts the deposited wafer from the wafer aligner 160 and places it into the wafer box group 110.

[0090] ​In other embodiments, when performing the loading operation, step S13 further comprises: the tray table 120 rotating the wafer tray so that each pocket of the wafer tray is sequentially stopped at a first preset position to cooperate with the clamping arm 1502 to place the non-deposited wafer; when performing the unloading operation, step S22 further comprises: the tray table 120 rotating the wafer tray so that each pocket of the wafer tray is sequentially stopped at a second preset position to cooperate with the second conveying mechanism 140 to take out the deposited wafer.

[0091] Specifically, in the present embodiment, before using the wafer conveying device, the empty wafer tray is stored in the tray cabinet 170 through the second door of the tray cabinet 170, so that the first conveying mechanism 130 takes out the empty wafer tray through the first door of the tray cabinet 170 and places it on the tray table 120, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0092] In summary, the wafer conveying device, the vapor deposition system and the use method provided by the present embodiment can convey the non-deposited wafer from the wafer cassette group to the load lock chamber and convey the deposited wafer from the load lock chamber to the wafer cassette group through the cooperation of the carrying arm and the clamping arm of the first conveying mechanism, the second conveying mechanism and the third conveying mechanism, which not only realizes the automation of wafer transmission, but also avoids the contamination of the upper surface of the non-deposited wafer by contact, greatly improves the transmission efficiency of the wafer and the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer. In the present embodiment, when the carrying arm of the third conveying mechanism lifts the non-deposited wafer, the forks at the front end of the carrying arm contact the lower surface of the non-deposited wafer; when the clamping arm clamps the non-deposited wafer, the jaws at the front end of the clamping arm contact the side surface of the non-deposited wafer, so that the third conveying mechanism can avoid contacting the upper surface of the non-deposited wafer during moving the wafer from the wafer cassette group to the wafer tray, thereby improving the cleanliness of the upper surface of the wafer.

[0093] Although the content of the present application has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be recognized that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present application. After reading the above content, various modifications and alternatives of the present application will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer device for movement of wafers and wafer trays in a vapor deposition apparatus, characterized by, The wafer transfer device comprises: a wafer cassette group, which is arranged opposite to a load lock chamber of a vapor deposition system, and is used for storing the wafers; a tray table, which is used for carrying the wafer tray; a first transfer mechanism, which is used for transferring the wafer tray between the tray table and the load lock chamber; the first transfer mechanism is arranged between the load lock chamber and the wafer cassette group; a second transfer mechanism, which is used for taking out the deposited wafers from the wafer tray; a third transfer mechanism, which comprises a carrying arm, which is used for lifting the back of the wafer to put the deposited wafer into the wafer cassette group and take out the non-deposited wafer from the wafer cassette group; and a clamping arm, which is used for clamping the side of the wafer to put the non-deposited wafer into the wafer tray; the carrying arm and the clamping arm are arranged in a vertical direction and do not interfere with each other's moving path.

2. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, wherein: the tray table is arranged between the wafer cassette group and the load lock chamber; the first transfer mechanism is arranged between the tray table and the load lock chamber; the second transfer mechanism is arranged between the first transfer mechanism and the wafer cassette group; the third transfer mechanism is arranged between the second transfer mechanism and the wafer cassette group.

3. The wafer transfer device of claim 1, wherein Further comprising: a wafer aligner, which is arranged between the tray table and the third transfer mechanism, and is used for positioning the wafer.

4. The wafer transfer device of claim 1, wherein The tray table can drive the wafer tray to rotate.

5. The wafer transfer device of claim 4, wherein, Further comprising: a first sensor, which is used for detecting the rotating speed and the stop position of the tray table.

6. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, wherein: the front end of the second transfer mechanism is provided with a suction disc, which is used for sucking the deposited wafer from the wafer tray.

7. The wafer transfer device according to claim 1, wherein: the front end of the carrying arm of the third transfer mechanism is provided with a fork, which is used for lifting the back of the wafer; and the front end of the clamping arm is provided with a jaw, which is used for clamping the side of the wafer.

8. The wafer transfer device of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising: a tray cabinet, which is arranged adjacent to the first transfer mechanism, and is used for storing the wafer tray; and the tray cabinet is provided with a first door and a second door, the first door faces the first transfer mechanism, and the second door faces the outside of the wafer transfer device.

9. The wafer transfer device of claim 8, wherein, The first door and the second door are interlocked.

10. The wafer transfer device according to claim 8, wherein: the tray cabinet is provided with a second sensor, which is used for monitoring the storage position of the wafer tray.

11. A vapor deposition system, characterized by, The wafer transfer device comprises: a reaction chamber, a transfer chamber connected with the reaction chamber, a load lock chamber connected with the transfer chamber, and the wafer transfer device according to any one of claims 1-10.

12. A vapour deposition system as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that, The reaction chamber, the corresponding electrical system and the gas supply system are connected in a linear arrangement.

13. The vapor deposition system according to claim 11, wherein: the load lock chamber comprises a first load lock chamber and a second load lock chamber; when the wafer tray loaded with non-deposited wafers is stored, the second load lock chamber can store the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers.

14. The vapor deposition system of claim 13, wherein: the transfer chamber has a hexagonal cross-section; one side of the transfer chamber is connected to the tray cooling chamber; two adjacent sides of the transfer chamber are connected to the first and second load lock chambers, respectively; three sides of the transfer chamber are connected to the three reaction chambers, respectively, and the wafer transfer device is disposed parallel to one of the reaction chambers.

15. A method of using a wafer transfer device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, comprises: a loading operation and an unloading operation; wherein the loading operation comprises: the first transfer mechanism places the wafer tray on the tray table; the third transfer mechanism's carrying arm removes a non-deposited wafer from the wafer cassette set; the third transfer mechanism's clamping arm places the non-deposited wafer into the wafer tray; the first transfer mechanism moves the wafer tray from the tray table to the load lock chamber; the unloading operation comprises: the first transfer mechanism moves the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the load lock chamber to the tray table; the second transfer mechanism removes the deposited wafer from the wafer tray; the third transfer mechanism's carrying arm places the deposited wafer into the wafer cassette set.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: when performing the loading operation, the carrying arm lifts a non-deposited wafer from the wafer cassette set and places it on the wafer aligner; and the clamping arm clamps the non-deposited wafer from the wafer aligner and places it into the wafer tray; when performing the unloading operation, the second transfer mechanism sucks a deposited wafer from the wafer tray and places it on the wafer aligner; and the carrying arm lifts the deposited wafer from the wafer aligner and places it into the wafer cassette set.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein: when performing the loading operation, the tray table rotates the wafer tray such that each pocket of the wafer tray sequentially stops at a first predetermined position to cooperate with the clamping arm to place a non-deposited wafer; when performing the unloading operation, the tray table rotates the wafer tray such that each pocket of the wafer tray sequentially stops at a second predetermined position to cooperate with the second transfer mechanism to remove a deposited wafer.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein: the number of load lock chambers is two; and the first transfer mechanism places the wafer tray loaded with non-deposited wafers into one of the load lock chambers and removes the wafer tray loaded with deposited wafers from the other load lock chamber.

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