Wafer detection transport carrier and method

Abstract

This invention relates to a wafer inspection and transport tray and method, comprising a base plate, U-shaped support teeth mounted on both sides above the base plate, and a bottom support tooth mounted in the middle above the base plate; a wafer clamping space is formed between the U-shaped support teeth on both sides and above the bottom support tooth; a sensor for detecting the wafer is provided on one or both sides of the wafer clamping space, and the sensor corresponds one-to-one with the wafer in the wafer clamping space; the sensor includes a signal transmitting end and a signal receiving end, which are respectively located on both sides of the wafer in the wafer clamping space, the signal transmitting end transmits a signal towards the corresponding signal receiving end, and the signal receiving end receives the signal transmitted from the corresponding signal transmitting end; the sensor is connected to a communication module for processing and transmitting the sensor signals. This invention enables real-time detection of the wafer status during wafer transport, which can integrate semiconductor wet process equipment, reduce cycle time, and increase throughput.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more specifically to a wafer inspection transport tray and method. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, wafers require transport carriers, also known as wafer transport racks, in the process flow. These racks are used to place or transfer one or more wafers using a clamping method. Currently, during the transport process, the wafers need to be counted after they are loaded onto the carrier and placed into the loading area of ​​the process equipment. Existing detection and counting methods involve fixing sensors to the end face of the wafer carrier or the frame beam of the equipment, performing a one-time count of the wafers in place, which cannot provide real-time monitoring. If a wafer falls off or breaks during transport or handling, the equipment cannot detect it until it reaches the next process step, and the process is cumbersome and has a long cycle time. In addition, if the rack structure cannot securely hold the wafers, they are prone to tilting. During movement, external impacts can easily cause the wafers on the carrier to shift or fall off. When a wafer is tilted or misaligned, it will be damaged or detached during handling. Existing solutions involve reducing the robot's initial movement speed and handling speed to reduce impact, which only provides temporary relief and does not fundamentally solve the problem of damage and detachment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a wafer inspection and transport tray and method that enables real-time inspection and counting of wafers during transport.

[0004] The technical objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0005] A wafer inspection transport tray includes a base plate, U-shaped support teeth mounted on both sides above the base plate, and a bottom support tooth mounted in the middle above the base plate; a wafer clamping space is formed between the U-shaped support teeth on both sides and above the bottom support tooth; a sensor for inspecting the wafer is provided on one or both sides of the wafer clamping space, and the sensor corresponds one-to-one with the wafer in the wafer clamping space; the sensor includes a signal transmitting end and a signal receiving end, which are respectively located on both sides of the wafer in the wafer clamping space, the signal transmitting end transmits a signal towards the corresponding signal receiving end, and the signal receiving end receives the signal transmitted from the corresponding signal transmitting end; the sensor is connected to a communication module for processing and transmitting the sensor signals.

[0006] Furthermore, the sensors include photoelectric sensors.

[0007] Furthermore, the U-shaped support tooth includes a first support tooth and a second support tooth. The first support tooth and the second support tooth are provided with arc-shaped support grooves with the same center on the same wafer. The arc-shaped support grooves of the first support tooth and the arc-shaped support grooves of the second support tooth correspond one-to-one.

[0008] Furthermore, the height of the first support tooth is higher than the height of the second support tooth, and the height of the sensor's sensing area is higher than the wafer clamping position of the arc-shaped groove corresponding to the first support tooth, and there is an overlapping area with the wafer when clamping the wafer, so as to realize wafer detection.

[0009] Furthermore, a U-shaped groove is provided between the first and second teeth of the same U-shaped support tooth. The bottom of the arc-shaped groove of the first tooth is higher than one side of the U-shaped groove, and the bottom of the arc-shaped groove of the second tooth is higher than the other side of the U-shaped groove. When the wafer is placed in the arc-shaped groove, a gap is formed between the edge of the wafer and the bottom of the U-shaped groove.

[0010] Furthermore, the upper end of the bottom support tooth is provided with several equally spaced linearly distributed grooves, each groove corresponding to a wafer, and the grooves are supported in the middle of the bottom of the wafer.

[0011] Furthermore, the upper surface of the base plate is provided with first mounting grooves for mounting U-shaped support teeth on both sides near the base plate, and the U-shaped support teeth are installed in the first mounting grooves; the upper end of the base plate is also provided with a second mounting groove for mounting bottom support teeth in the middle of the two first mounting grooves, and the bottom support teeth are installed in the second mounting groove.

[0012] Furthermore, a limiting step is provided on one side of the lower end of the U-shaped support tooth for positioning the U-shaped support tooth.

[0013] Furthermore, a sensor mounting plate is provided on the edge of the U-shaped support tooth near the base plate for sensor mounting, and the sensor is mounted and fixed on the mounting plate.

[0014] Furthermore, a slot is provided on the upper end of the sensor mounting plate at the position between the signal transmitting end and the signal receiving end, with the signal transmitting end and the signal receiving end of the sensor located on both sides of the slot; the bottom of the slot does not contact the edge of the wafer.

[0015] Furthermore, the sensors are arranged on both sides of the wafer clamping space, with the sensors on both sides of the wafer clamping space being arranged alternately.

[0016] This invention also provides a wafer inspection method during the wafer inspection transport process using a wafer inspection transport tray. After the robotic arm places the wafer in the wafer clamping space, the wafer is clamped by U-shaped teeth and bottom teeth, and the wafer is inserted between the signal transmitting end and signal receiving end of the corresponding sensor. If the signal receiving end cannot receive the signal from the corresponding signal transmitting end, the wafer at the position corresponding to that sensor is abnormal. The sensor transmits the detection signal to the communication module, which calculates and processes the detection signals from all sensors. The communication module then transmits the result of the calculation and processing to the system.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0018] 1. This invention provides five-point support for the wafer through U-shaped support teeth and bottom support teeth. The U-shaped support teeth improve the stability of the wafer during transportation, making it less likely for the wafer to tilt. Even if subjected to external impact, it is less likely to shift or fall off. In addition, the design of the U-shaped support teeth can reduce contact with the wafer, reduce wafer contact contamination, and reduce the generation of defective products.

[0019] 2. The present invention can detect the status of the wafer in real time by setting up a sensor on the side of the wafer clamping space, and promptly detect problems such as wafer detachment and breakage.

[0020] 3. In existing wet process equipment, wafer inspection and counting and transportation are two different processes. The wafer inspection and transportation tray of this invention enables real-time detection of the wafer status during wafer transportation, which can integrate semiconductor wet process equipment processes, reduce cycle time, and increase throughput. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer inspection and transport tray holding the wafer in this invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the wafer inspection and transport tray assembly of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the U-shaped support tooth structure in this invention.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the U-shaped support tooth design in this invention.

[0025] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Enlarged view of point A in the image.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom support tooth structure.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the U-shaped photoelectric switch structure in this invention.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the sensors of the present invention distributed on both sides of the base plate.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the sensor mounting plate structure in this invention.

[0030] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the sensor installation in this invention.

[0031] In the diagram, 1. Wafer; 2. Sensor; 3. Mounting plate; 4. U-shaped support tooth; 5. Bottom support tooth; 6. Base plate; 7. Communication module; 8. First support tooth; 9. Second support tooth; 10. Arc-shaped support groove; 11. Arc-shaped support groove; 12. U-shaped groove; 13. First mounting groove; 14. Second mounting groove; 15. Limiting step; 16. Tooth groove; 17. Groove opening; 18. Signal transmitting end; 19. Signal receiving end; 20. Protrusion; 21. Mounting hole. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described below with reference to specific embodiments:

[0033] A wafer inspection transport tray, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the device includes a base plate 6, U-shaped support teeth 4 mounted on both sides above the base plate 6, and a bottom support tooth 5 mounted in the middle of the upper part of the base plate 6. A wafer clamping space is formed between the U-shaped support teeth 4 on both sides and above the bottom support tooth 5 in the middle. A sensor 2 for detecting the wafer is provided on one or both sides of the wafer clamping space. The sensor 2 is a photoelectric sensor, and the sensor 2 corresponds one-to-one with the wafer in the wafer clamping space. The sensor 2 includes a signal transmitting end and a signal receiving end, which are respectively located on both sides of the wafer 1 in the wafer clamping space. The signal transmitting end transmits a signal towards the corresponding signal receiving end, and the signal receiving end receives the signal transmitted from the corresponding signal transmitting end. The sensor 2 is connected to a communication module 7 for processing and transmitting the sensor signal.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the upper surface of the base plate 6 is provided with first mounting grooves 13 for mounting U-shaped brackets on both sides. The bottom of the U-shaped bracket 4 is inserted into the first mounting groove 13, and the U-shaped bracket 4 and the base plate 6 are connected and fixed by screws corresponding to the bottom of the first mounting groove 13. The upper end of the base plate 6 is also provided with a second mounting groove 14 for mounting bottom brackets 5 in the middle of the two first mounting grooves. The lower end of the bottom bracket 5 is inserted into the second mounting groove 14, and the bottom bracket 5 and the base plate 6 are connected and fixed by screws corresponding to the bottom of the second mounting groove 14.

[0035] Preferably, the lower end of the U-shaped support tooth 4 is provided with a limiting step 15 for positioning the U-shaped support tooth 4. When the U-shaped support tooth 4 is installed in the first mounting groove 13, the limiting step 15 fits against the groove edge of the first mounting groove 13 on one side. This not only positions the U-shaped support tooth 4, but also makes the side of the U-shaped support tooth 4 flush with the side of the base plate 6. Figure 1 As shown.

[0036] Specifically, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the U-shaped support tooth 4 includes a first support tooth 8 and a second support tooth 9. The first support tooth 8 and the second support tooth 9, corresponding to the same wafer, have concentric arc-shaped support grooves 10 and 11. The arc-shaped support grooves 10 of the first support tooth 8 and 11 of the second support tooth 9 correspond one-to-one. The height of the first support tooth 8 is higher than the height of the second support tooth 9. Preferably, as... Figure 4 As shown, the upper surfaces of the first support tooth 8 and the second support tooth 9 are also arc-shaped. The radius R1 of the arc of the upper surface of the first support tooth 8 and the second support tooth 9 is smaller than the radius of the wafer. The radius R2 of the arc of the arc-shaped support groove 10 and the arc-shaped support groove 11 is larger than the radius of the wafer, which ensures that the wafer can be clamped in the arc-shaped support groove 10 and the arc-shaped support groove 11. In addition, it also facilitates the processing of U-shaped support teeth.

[0037] Preferably, the distance between the first support tooth 8 and the second support tooth 9 is at least 20mm; the greater the distance, the more uniform the distribution of the support points clamping the wafer. The width of the first support tooth 8 is greater than the width of the second support tooth 9, and the widths of the first support tooth 8 and the second support tooth 9 are between 4.5mm and 6mm. Figure 4 As shown, the smaller the width, the better, while maintaining the clamping effect. For example, the width of the first support tooth D1 is 5-6mm, and the width of the second support tooth D2 is 4.5mm-5mm.

[0038] To reduce contact with the wafer, a U-shaped groove 12 is provided between the first tooth 8 and the second tooth 9 of the same U-shaped support tooth 4. The bottom of the arc-shaped groove 10 of the first tooth 8 is higher than one side of the U-shaped groove 12, and the bottom of the arc-shaped groove 11 of the second tooth 9 is higher than the other side of the U-shaped groove 12. When the wafer 1 is placed in the arc-shaped groove 10 and the arc-shaped groove 11, a gap is formed between the edge of the wafer and the bottom of the U-shaped groove 12. Figure 5 As shown. Each U-shaped support tooth 4 forms a two-point support with the wafer through the arc-shaped support groove 10 of the first support tooth and the arc-shaped support groove 11 of the second support tooth, which can reduce the ineffective clamping of the wafer, reduce the contact between the support tooth and the wafer, and reduce water stains and residual contamination on the wafer surface;

[0039] The upper end of the bottom support tooth 5 is provided with several equally spaced linearly distributed tooth grooves 16, such as... Figure 6As shown, the grooves 16 correspond one-to-one with the wafers. The grooves 16 are supported in the middle of the bottom of the wafer 1 to prevent the wafer 1 from swinging back and forth. The grooves 16, together with the U-shaped support teeth 4 on both sides of the base plate, form a five-point support for the wafer, which ensures the stability of the wafer and prevents it from tipping over during transportation.

[0040] Sensor 2 can be placed on one side of the clamping space or on both sides of the clamping space. Since wafer 1 is ultimately placed in parallel and equidistant positions, the corresponding sensors 2 must also be equidistant. Placing them on one side of the clamping space requires that the sensors be relatively close together; placing them on both sides of the clamping space allows for alternating placement of sensors 2 on both sides. In this embodiment, a U-shaped photoelectric switch is used as the sensor. The U-shaped photoelectric switch is an infrared sensing photoelectric product, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the U-shaped photoelectric switch is composed of an infrared emitting tube (signal transmitting end) and an infrared receiving tube (signal receiving end). The slot width of the U-shaped photoelectric switch (the distance between the infrared emitting tube and the infrared receiving tube) determines the strength of the received signal and the distance of the received signal. Using light as a medium, the infrared light between the emitting body and the receiving body is received and converted to detect the position of the object. Placing it on both sides of the wafer clamping space can effectively utilize space and reduce interference between sensors. For example, the wafer inspection transport tray in this embodiment can hold 25 wafers, which requires 25 sensors. If the 25 sensors are placed on one side of the wafer clamping space, the distance between the sensors will be relatively small. Alternatively, sensors can be alternately placed on both sides of the wafer clamping space. In this embodiment, 12 U-shaped photoelectric switches are installed on the fixing plate 3 on one side of the base plate, and 13 U-shaped photoelectric switches are installed on the fixing plate 3 on the other side of the base plate. Figure 8 As shown, the distance between the two sensors on the same side of the wafer clamping space will be appropriately increased, reducing interference between sensor 2 and facilitating installation.

[0041] like Figure 1 and Figure 9 As shown, a mounting plate 3 for sensor mounting is also installed on the U-shaped support teeth 4 on both sides. The mounting plate 3 is installed on the side of the U-shaped support teeth 4 near the edge of the base plate and is fixed to the side of the U-shaped support teeth 4 with screws. Several slots 17 are also provided at the upper end of the mounting plate 3. The slots 17 correspond to the mounting positions of the wafer. After the sensor 2 is fixed on the mounting plate 3, the signal transmitting end 18 and the signal receiving end 19 of the sensor 2 are located on both sides of the slots 17. To avoid interference with the detection, the bottom of the slots 17 does not contact the edge of the wafer 1. Preferably, the width of the slots 17 is greater than 2 mm.

[0042] As a preferred embodiment, protrusions 20 are formed on both sides of the slot 17, and mounting holes 21 for fixing the U-shaped switch are provided on the protrusions 20. That is, the mounting holes 21 are set on both sides of the slot 17, and the U-shaped switch is installed by screws through the mounting holes 21 on both sides of the slot 17. Figure 10 As shown; the bottom of the slot of the U-shaped switch is equal to the height of the top of the protrusion 20. When installing, the bottom of the slot of the U-shaped switch and the top surface of the protrusion 20 are flush to determine and check whether there is a deviation in the installation position of the U-shaped switch; the bottom height of the slot 17 is lower than the highest height of the arc-shaped groove 10 of the first support tooth 8. The height of the signal transmitting end 18 and the signal receiving end 19 of the U-shaped switch is higher than the height of the edge of the wafer 1 corresponding to the vertical top of the U-shaped switch, ensuring that the wafer can fall into the detection range of the signal transmitting end 18 and the signal receiving end 19 without missing any wafers, that is, the wafer can be in the sensing area of ​​the sensor.

[0043] This embodiment also provides a wafer inspection method during the wafer inspection transport tray process. After the robot places the wafer in the wafer clamping space, the wafer is clamped by U-shaped teeth and bottom teeth. The wafer is inserted between the signal transmitter and signal receiver of the corresponding sensor. If the wafer is inserted between the signal transmitter and signal receiver of the sensor, the signal receiver cannot receive the signal emitted by the signal transmitter. If the wafer is not inserted between the signal transmitter and signal receiver, the wafer falls off, or the wafer is broken, the signal receiver can receive the signal emitted by the signal transmitter, indicating that the wafer at the corresponding position of the sensor is abnormal. The sensor transmits the detection signal to the communication module, which calculates and processes the detection signals of all sensors. The communication module then transmits the result of the calculation and processing to the system, thereby realizing real-time detection and counting of wafers.

[0044] This embodiment is merely a further explanation of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make non-inventive modifications to this embodiment as needed after reading this specification, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wafer inspection transport tray, characterized in that, The device includes a base plate, U-shaped support teeth mounted on both sides above the base plate, and a bottom support tooth mounted in the middle above the base plate. A wafer clamping space is formed between the U-shaped support teeth on both sides and above the bottom support tooth. A sensor for detecting the wafer is provided on one or both sides of the wafer clamping space, and each sensor corresponds one-to-one with a wafer within the wafer clamping space. Each sensor includes a signal transmitter and a signal receiver, which are respectively located on both sides of the wafer within the wafer clamping space. The signal transmitter transmits a signal towards the corresponding signal receiver, and the signal receiver receives the signal transmitted from the corresponding signal transmitter. The sensor is connected to a communication module for processing and transmitting the sensor signals. The U-shaped support tooth includes a first support tooth and a second support tooth. The first support tooth and the second support tooth are provided with arc-shaped support grooves with the same center on the same wafer. The arc-shaped support grooves of the first support tooth and the arc-shaped support grooves of the second support tooth correspond one-to-one. The upper end faces of the first and second support teeth are arc-shaped, and the radius of the arc of the upper end faces of the first and second support teeth is smaller than the radius of the wafer. The radius of the arc-shaped support groove is larger than the radius of the wafer. The distance between the first support tooth and the second support tooth is greater than 20mm, the width of the first support tooth is greater than the width of the second support tooth, the width of the first support tooth is 5-6mm, and the width of the second support tooth is 4.5mm-5mm; The height of the first support tooth is higher than the height of the second support tooth, and the sensing area of ​​the sensor is located at a height higher than the wafer clamping position of the arc-shaped groove corresponding to the first support tooth, and there is an overlapping area with the wafer when clamping the wafer, so as to realize wafer detection. A U-shaped groove is provided between the first and second supports of the same U-shaped support tooth. The bottom of the arc-shaped groove of the first support tooth is higher than one side of the U-shaped groove, and the bottom of the arc-shaped groove of the second support tooth is higher than the other side of the U-shaped groove. When the wafer is placed in the arc-shaped groove, a gap is formed between the edge of the wafer and the bottom of the U-shaped groove. The upper end of the bottom support tooth is provided with several equally spaced linearly distributed grooves, each groove corresponding to a wafer, and the grooves are supported in the middle of the bottom of the wafer. The sensors are arranged on both sides of the wafer clamping space, with the sensors on both sides of the wafer clamping space being arranged alternately. The upper surface of the base plate is provided with first mounting grooves for mounting U-shaped support teeth on both sides near the base plate, and the U-shaped support teeth are installed in the first mounting grooves; the upper end of the base plate is also provided with a second mounting groove for mounting bottom support teeth in the middle of the two first mounting grooves, and the bottom support teeth are installed in the second mounting groove. The U-shaped support tooth is also provided with a sensor mounting plate on the edge near the bottom plate, and the sensor is mounted and fixed on the mounting plate. The upper end of the sensor mounting plate is provided with a slot corresponding to the position between the signal transmitting end and the signal receiving end, and the signal transmitting end and the signal receiving end of the sensor are located on both sides of the slot; the bottom of the slot does not contact the edge of the wafer. The width of the groove is greater than 2mm.

2. The wafer inspection transport tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensor includes a photoelectric sensor.

3. A wafer inspection transport tray according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the U-shaped support tooth is also provided with a limiting step for positioning the U-shaped support tooth.

4. A wafer inspection method during wafer transport using a wafer inspection transport tray as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, After the robotic arm places the wafer in the wafer clamping space, the wafer is clamped by the U-shaped support teeth and the bottom support teeth, and the wafer is inserted between the signal transmitter and signal receiver of the corresponding sensor. If the signal receiver can receive the signal from the corresponding signal transmitter, the wafer at the position corresponding to the sensor is abnormal. The sensor transmits the detection signal to the communication module, which calculates and processes the detection signals from all sensors, and then transmits the result of the calculation and processing to the system.

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