Automated wafer pick-and-place equipment and epitaxial growth equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses an automated wafer pick-and-place device and an epitaxial growth apparatus. The automated wafer pick-and-place device includes a wafer gripping assembly, a loading chamber assembly, and a transfer chamber assembly. The wafer gripping assembly includes a first robotic arm, and a tray is disposed within the loading cavity of the loading chamber assembly. The transfer chamber assembly includes a transfer chamber, a transfer box, and a second robotic arm. The transfer chamber has a transfer cavity, and the transfer box has a transfer cavity. The second robotic arm is used to pick up wafers from the tray and place them into the transfer cavity, and then transfer them to the transfer cavity. It is also used to remove wafers that have completed the reaction from the reaction chamber and transfer them to the tray, and to transfer wafers awaiting reaction in the transfer cavity to the reaction chamber. The automated wafer pick-and-place device provided by this invention achieves full automation from wafer picking to wafer placement, greatly saving labor costs, improving single-machine working efficiency, avoiding human error, improving the accuracy and reliability of epitaxial reactions, and benefiting product yield and consistency in mass production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to an automatic wafer pick-and-place device and an epitaxial device. Background Technology

[0002] The working process of silicon carbide epitaxial equipment involves feeding wafers into the reaction chamber for epitaxial reaction, then removing the reacted wafers and feeding in new wafers to continue the epitaxial reaction. In related technologies, wafers are typically placed manually from the wafer cassette onto a tray in the loading chamber. After the wafer completes the epitaxial reaction, it is removed and stored in the wafer cassette, while a new wafer is placed into the epitaxial equipment for the next reaction. However, this manual wafer placement method suffers from problems such as placement misalignment, long processing time, and inconvenience in handling wafers. Furthermore, since each machine operates independently and requires manual loading, each machine needs an operator, significantly increasing labor costs. The time spent by operators and the inconsistency in placement accuracy also hinder unified management for customers in large-scale production. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in related technologies. To this end, embodiments of the present invention provide an automated wafer pick-and-place device. Embodiments of the present invention also provide an epitaxial device.

[0004] The automatic wafer pick-and-place device of this invention includes: a wafer gripping assembly, which includes a first wafer cassette, a wafer scanning device, a rotating assembly, and a first robotic arm. The first robotic arm is used to grip a wafer from the first wafer cassette and place it on the rotating assembly. The wafer scanning device is used to scan the orientation of the wafer located on the rotating assembly to guide the rotating assembly to rotate and adjust the orientation of the wafer to a preset orientation. A loading chamber assembly includes a loading chamber, a tray, a lifting device, and a second wafer cassette. The loading chamber has a loading cavity, and the tray is disposed within the loading cavity. The lifting device acts on the tray for lifting and lowering the tray. The robotic arm is also used to transfer wafers in a preset orientation to the raised tray, and to transfer wafers that have completed the reaction on the raised tray to the second wafer cassette; the transfer chamber assembly includes a transfer chamber, a transfer box, and a second robotic arm, the transfer chamber having a transfer cavity, the transfer box having a transfer cavity, the transfer cavity communicating with the transfer cavity, the second robotic arm being disposed in the transfer cavity, the second robotic arm being used to pick up wafers from the tray into the transfer cavity and transfer them to the transfer cavity, also being used to remove wafers that have completed the reaction from the reaction chamber and transfer them to the tray, and to transfer wafers to be reacted in the transfer cavity to the reaction chamber.

[0005] The automatic wafer pick-and-place device provided in this embodiment of the invention realizes full automation from wafer pick-and-place to wafer placement, which greatly saves labor costs, improves the efficiency of single machine operation, avoids human operation errors, improves the accuracy and reliability of epitaxial reaction, and is beneficial to product yield and consistency in mass production.

[0006] In some embodiments, the wafer gripping assembly includes a base plate and a guide rail. The first wafer cassette, the wafer scanning device, and the rotating assembly are all disposed on the base plate. The guide rail extends in a first direction, and the first robotic arm is slidably disposed on the base plate along the guide rail.

[0007] In some embodiments, the rotating assembly includes a wafer-collecting spindle and a motor. The wafer-collecting spindle is vertically arranged, and the motor is used to drive the wafer-collecting spindle to rotate. The top of the wafer-collecting spindle has suction to adsorb and fix the wafer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the loading chamber is provided with a first loading window and a second loading window that can be selectively opened and closed, and the transfer chamber is provided with a first transfer window and a second transfer window that can be selectively opened and closed. The first loading window faces the wafer gripping assembly so that the first robot arm can pick up and place wafers, the first transfer window faces the second loading window so that the second robot arm can pick up and place wafers, and the second transfer window faces the reaction chamber so that the second robot arm can pick up and place wafers.

[0009] In some embodiments, the loading chamber is a rectangular box structure, and the first loading window and the second loading window are respectively disposed on two adjacent sides of the loading chamber; the transfer chamber is an octagonal box structure, and the first transfer window and the second transfer window are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the transfer chamber, and the transfer box is connected to the adjacent side of the side where the first transfer window is located.

[0010] In some embodiments, the top of the loading chamber is provided with a transparent observation window, which is opposite to the tray. The loading chamber assembly also includes a camera and a vision controller. The camera is located above the loading chamber and opposite to the observation window, and is used to observe the orientation of the tray. The camera is signal-connected to the vision controller, and the wafer scanning device is signal-connected to the vision controller. The vision controller is used to compare the orientation information of the wafer and the tray, and guide the rotating assembly to adjust the wafer to a preset orientation.

[0011] In some embodiments, the upper surface of the tray is provided with a wafer groove for placing a wafer, and the wafer groove is provided with a tangent that matches the wafer.

[0012] In some embodiments, the top of the transfer chamber is provided with an opening, and a transparent cover is provided at the opening, the cover being closable and connected to the transfer chamber.

[0013] Another embodiment of the present invention also proposes an epitaxial apparatus, which includes: a reaction chamber; and an automatic wafer pick-and-place device, wherein the automatic wafer pick-and-place device is used to feed the wafer to be reacted into the reaction chamber for reaction, and to remove the wafer that has completed the reaction in the reaction chamber.

[0014] In some embodiments, there are at least two reaction chambers, and the automatic wafer pick-and-place device is used to deliver wafers to be reacted into each of the reaction chambers and to remove wafers that have completed the reaction from each reaction chamber. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the epitaxial device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer gripping component of the automatic wafer pick-and-place device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the loading chamber assembly of the automatic wafer pick-and-place device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a partial schematic diagram of the loading chamber assembly of the automatic wafer pick-and-place device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the transfer chamber component provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure label:

[0021] Automatic wafer pick-and-place device 100

[0022] The components include: wafer gripping assembly 110, first wafer cassette 111, wafer scanning device 112, rotating assembly 113, wafer suction spindle 1131, motor 1132, first robotic arm 114, base plate 115, guide rail 116, slider 117, and moving plate 118.

[0023] Loading chamber assembly 120, loading chamber 121, first loading window 1211, second loading window 1212, loading chamber body 1213, loading chamber cover 1214, clamping device 1215, tray 122, trimming edge 1221, lifting device 123, second wafer box 124, observation window 125, main quartz window 1251, quartz window main pressure plate 1252, camera 126, camera bracket 1261, first insert valve 127, second insert valve 128, quartz window side pressure plate 1291, small quartz window 1292.

[0024] Transfer chamber assembly 130, transfer chamber 131, first transfer window 1311, second transfer window 1312, cover plate 1313, transfer box 132, third gate valve 134, fourth gate valve 135, side cover plate 136, mounting bracket 137.

[0025] Reaction chamber 200 Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0027] The following is based on Figures 1-5 The present invention describes an automatic wafer pick-and-place device 100 and an epitaxial device provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown, the epitaxial equipment includes an automatic wafer pick-and-place device 100 and a reaction chamber 200. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device 100 is used to send the wafer to be reacted into the reaction chamber 200 for reaction, and to take out the wafer that has completed the reaction in the reaction chamber 200, so that the wafer pick-and-place process is a fully automatic integrated process.

[0029] like Figures 2-5 As shown, the automated wafer pick-and-place device 100 includes a wafer gripping assembly 110, a loading chamber assembly 120, and a transfer chamber assembly 130.

[0030] The wafer gripping assembly 110 includes a first wafer cassette 111, a wafer scanning device 112, a rotating assembly 113, and a first robotic arm 114. The first wafer cassette 111 stores wafers to be processed. The first robotic arm 114 grips wafers from the first wafer cassette 111 and places them on the rotating assembly 113. The rotating assembly 113 rotates the wafers placed thereon. The wafer scanning device 112 scans the orientation of the wafers on the rotating assembly 113 to guide the rotating assembly 113 to rotate and adjust the orientation of the wafers to a preset orientation. The preset orientation refers to the orientation of the wafers after being transferred by the first robotic arm 114, which matches the position of the tray 112. This setting is used to maintain the consistency of the wafer epitaxial reaction.

[0031] The loading chamber assembly 120 includes a loading chamber 121, a tray 122, a lifting device 123, and a second wafer cassette 124. The loading chamber 121 has a loading cavity, and the tray 122 is disposed in the loading cavity. The lifting device 123 acts on the tray 122 for lifting and lowering the tray 122. The first robotic arm 114 is also used to transfer wafers in a preset orientation to the raised tray 122, and to transfer wafers that have completed the reaction on the raised tray 122 to the second wafer cassette 124. The second wafer cassette 124 is used to store the wafers that have completed the reaction.

[0032] The transfer chamber assembly 130 includes a transfer chamber 131, a transfer box 132, and a second robotic arm. The transfer chamber 131 has a transfer cavity, and the transfer box 132 has a transfer cavity. The transfer cavity is connected to the transfer cavity. The second robotic arm is located inside the transfer cavity. The second robotic arm is used to pick up the wafers on the tray 122 and transfer them to the transfer cavity. It is also used to take out the wafers that have completed the reaction from the reaction chamber 200 and transfer them to the tray 122. It is also used to transfer the wafers to be reacted in the transfer cavity to the reaction chamber 200.

[0033] The working process of the automatic wafer pick-and-place device 100 provided in this embodiment of the invention is as follows:

[0034] In the first stage: the first robotic arm 114 in the wafer gripping assembly 110 takes the wafer to be reacted from the first wafer box 111 and places it on the rotating assembly 113. The wafer scanning device 112 determines the position of the wafer on the rotating assembly 113 by scanning, and determines the preset position of the wafer by combining the position information of the tray 122. This guides the rotating assembly 113 to rotate the wafer until the wafer is rotated to the preset position. The first robotic arm 114 takes the wafer that has been rotated to the preset position and transports it into the loading cavity of the loading chamber 121 according to the determined path.

[0035] Second stage: The tray 122 inside the loading chamber 121 is raised by the lifting device 123. The first robotic arm 114 places the wafer onto the raised tray 122 through the open window on the loading chamber 121. The first robotic arm 114 then exits the loading chamber 121 and returns to its original position to wait. The lifting device 123 descends and smoothly places the wafer onto the graphite ring on the tray 122.

[0036] The third stage: The second robotic arm in the transfer chamber 131 takes the graphite ring and the wafer together through the open windows on the transfer chamber 131 and the loading chamber 121 into the transfer cavity, and places them in the transfer box 132 connected to the transfer cavity, waiting for the previous wafer to complete the epitaxial reaction.

[0037] Fourth stage: After the previous wafer completes the epitaxial reaction, the second robotic arm reaches into the reaction chamber 200 through the open window of the transfer chamber 131 to take out the wafer that has completed the reaction, and sends the wafer that has completed the reaction to the tray in the loading chamber 121 through the window. Then, the wafer waiting to be reacted in the transfer box 132 is sent into the reaction chamber 200, and the second robotic arm returns to the transfer chamber to wait.

[0038] Fifth stage: The lifting device 123 of the loading chamber assembly 120 lifts the tray 122 and the wafers on the tray 122, and the first robotic arm 114 extends into the loading cavity to remove the wafers and place them in the second wafer box 124 for storage.

[0039] The automatic wafer pick-and-place device provided in this embodiment of the invention realizes full automation from wafer pick-and-place to wafer placement, which greatly saves labor costs, improves the efficiency of single machine operation, avoids human operation errors, improves the accuracy and reliability of epitaxial reaction, and is beneficial to product yield and consistency in mass production.

[0040] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the wafer gripping assembly 110 includes a base plate 115 and a guide rail 116. The first wafer cassette 111, the wafer scanning device 112, and the rotating assembly 113 are all mounted on the base plate 115. The guide rail 116 is mounted on the base plate 115 and extends along a first direction. The first robotic arm 114 is slidably mounted along the guide rail 116. That is, by sliding along the guide rail 116, the relative position of the first robotic arm 114 and the base plate 115 in the first direction is adjustable, so that the first robotic arm 114 has a larger range of motion.

[0041] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 As shown, the rotating assembly 113 includes a suction spindle 1131 and a motor 1132. The suction spindle 1131 is vertically arranged, and the motor 1132 is used to drive the suction spindle 1131 to rotate. The top of the suction spindle 1131 has suction force to adsorb and fix the wafer. When the first robot arm 114 places the wafer on the top of the suction spindle 1131, the suction spindle 1131 generates suction force to firmly hold the wafer. The motor 1132 drives the wafer to rotate by driving the rotation of the suction spindle 1131, thereby rotating the wafer to a preset position.

[0042] As an example, specifically, such as Figure 2As shown, the first wafer cassette 111 and the wafer scanning device 112 are both mounted on the base plate 115 via several support columns, and the rotating assembly 113 is mounted on the wafer scanning device 112. The first wafer cassette 111 is used to store wafers before processing, and has a layered structure, with one wafer placed in each layer. The suction spindle 1131 in the rotating assembly 113 extends vertically, and its top suction head extends upward through the wafer scanning device 112. The motor 1132 is located at the bottom of the wafer scanning device 112 and connected to it. The rotation output end of the motor 1132 is connected to the bottom of the suction spindle 1131 for driving the suction spindle 1132 to rotate. The scanning probe of the wafer scanning device 112 is located above and opposite the suction spindle 1131.

[0043] Optionally, the wafer scanning device 112 is an infrared scanning device. The infrared scanning device identifies the orientation features (such as the dicing edge) on the wafer by emitting infrared light, thereby determining the angle at which the wafer needs to be rotated.

[0044] The first robotic arm 114 is equipped with an infrared sensor to scan the first wafer cassette 111 to accurately pick up wafers from it. Following a pre-set route, the first robotic arm 114 precisely places the wafer at the center of the suction spindle 1131, where a suction head at the top of the spindle 1131 generates suction to hold the wafer. The wafer scanning device 112 obtains the wafer's orientation information through scanning. The motor 1132 drives the suction spindle 1132 to rotate, moving the wafer to a preset position. The first robotic shaft 114 then operates again to transport the positioned wafer to the loading chamber 121.

[0045] like Figure 2 As shown, the guide rail 116 is mounted on the base plate 115 with screws. A slider 117 is mounted on the guide rail 116 and can slide along it. A movable plate 118 is fixedly connected above the slider 117, and the bottom of the first robotic arm 114 is mounted on the upper surface of the movable plate 118. The motor drives the slider 117 to move the first mechanical shaft 114 horizontally along the guide rail 116.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, in order to avoid contamination of the wafer by particles and dust in the atmosphere during the transfer process and epitaxial process, the loading chamber of loading chamber 121 and the transfer chamber of transfer chamber 131 are kept in a vacuum state during operation, that is, the loading chamber and the transfer chamber can be evacuated.

[0047] To achieve the function of vacuuming, such as Figure 3As shown, the loading chamber 121 is provided with a first loading window 1211 and a second loading window 1212 that can be selectively opened and closed. The first loading window 1211 faces the wafer gripping assembly 110 so that the first robot arm 114 can pick up and place wafers from the tray 122 through the first loading window 1211. The second loading window 1212 faces the transfer chamber assembly 130 so that the second robot arm can pick up and place wafers from the tray 122 through the second loading window 1212.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, the transfer chamber 131 is provided with a first transfer window 1311 and a second transfer window 1312 that can be selectively opened and closed. The first transfer window 1311 faces the second loading window 1212 so that the second robot arm can pick up and put in wafers through the second loading window 1212 and the first transfer window 1311. The second transfer window 1312 faces the reaction chamber 200 so that the second robot arm can pick up and put in wafers through the second transfer window 1312.

[0049] The "selective opening and closing" of the window means that the window can be opened when the pressure inside the cavity is the same as the external pressure, or it can be closed to allow the cavity to be evacuated when there is no need to transfer the wafer.

[0050] As an example, specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the loading chamber 121 has a rectangular box structure, with the first loading window 1211 and the second loading window 1212 respectively located on two adjacent sides of the loading chamber 121. It should be noted that in other alternative embodiments, the first loading window 1211 and the second loading window 1212 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the loading chamber 121. Furthermore, the loading chamber 121 can also be a box structure of other shapes, including more sides; this invention does not limit this.

[0051] A first gate valve 126 is provided at the first loading window 1211. The first gate valve 126 is moved by a motor, thereby closing or opening the first loading window 1211 for the first robotic arm 114 to pick up and place wafers. Specifically, the first gate valve 126 moves upward to cover the first loading window 1211 and moves downward to open the first loading window 1211. A second gate valve 128 is provided at the second loading window 1212, and the configuration of the second gate valve 128 is similar to that of the first gate valve 127.

[0052] like Figure 5 As shown, the transfer chamber 131 has an octagonal box structure. The first transfer window 1311 and the second transfer window 1312 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the transfer chamber 131. The transfer box 132 is connected to the adjacent side of the side where the first transfer window 1311 is located, and the transfer cavity of the transfer box 132 is connected to the transfer cavity of the transfer chamber 131.

[0053] A third gate valve 126 is provided at the first transfer window 1311. The third gate valve 126 is moved by a motor, which can either close or open the first transfer window 1311 to allow the second robot arm to pick up and place wafers. A fourth gate valve 135 is provided at the second transfer window 1312. The configuration of the third gate valve 134 and the fourth gate valve 135 can be referenced to that of the first gate valve 127.

[0054] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, tray 122 is naturally placed in the loading chamber. To determine the orientation of tray 122, the preset orientation of the wafer is determined. A transparent observation window 125 is provided on the top of the loading chamber 121, which is opposite to tray 122. The loading chamber assembly 120 also includes a camera 126 and a vision controller (not shown). The camera 126 is located above the loading chamber 121 and opposite to the observation window 126. It is used to observe the orientation of tray 122. The camera 126 is signal-connected to the vision controller. The wafer scanning device 112 is signal-connected to the vision controller. The vision controller is used to compare the orientation information of the wafer and the tray and guide the rotating assembly 113 to adjust the wafer to the preset orientation.

[0055] As an example, specifically, such as Figure 3 As shown, the loading chamber 121 includes a loading chamber body 1213 and a loading chamber cover 1214 covering the opening above the loading chamber body 1213. An observation window 125 is provided on the loading chamber cover 1214. The observation window 125 includes a transparent main quartz window 1251 and a quartz window main pressure plate 1252 for mounting the main quartz window 1251 to the loading chamber cover 1214. The quartz window main pressure plate 1252 is fixed to the loading chamber cover 1214 with screws. A camera 126 is mounted on the loading chamber 121 via a camera bracket 1261. The camera 126 can be adjusted so that it faces the observation window 125 and the tray 122 below the observation window 125. The camera 126 is connected to a vision controller via a data cable. The camera 126 observes the orientation features (e.g., the edge of the wafer) of the tray 122 and transmits the image signal to the vision controller. The wafer scanning device 112 is connected to the vision controller and transmits the scanning signal of the tray to the vision controller. The vision controller processes the signal, compares the orientation information of the wafer and the tray 122, determines the preset orientation of the wafer, and guides the motor 1132 to drive the wafer suction spindle 1131 to rotate a certain angle to reach the preset orientation.

[0056] Furthermore, to ensure a tight fit between the loading chamber body 1213 and the loading chamber cover 1214, two clamping devices 1215 are provided diagonally across the loading chamber body 1213. Each clamping device 1215 includes a pawl and a connecting rod. The pawl is hinged to one end of the connecting rod. The rising or falling of the connecting rod causes the pawl to rotate around a pivot. A latch is provided at the bottom of the loading chamber cover 1214. When the loading chamber cover 1214 is placed over the loading chamber body 1213, the rising connecting rod pushes the pawl downwards to abut against the latch, achieving engagement. When the connecting rod descends, the pawl rotates and disengages from the latch, allowing the loading chamber cover 1214 to be removed.

[0057] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown, the upper surface of the tray 122 is provided with a wafer slot for placing wafers, and the wafer slot has a tangent 1221 that matches the wafer. The vision controller compares the orientation information of the wafer and the tray 122 to make the tangent directions of the two consistent, thereby accurately placing the wafer on the tray in a certain orientation to ensure the consistency of the epitaxial process.

[0058] In other embodiments, the wafer rotation can also be completed by placing the tray 122 in a preset orientation within the loading chamber 121 and inputting the orientation information of the tray 122 into the vision controller in advance.

[0059] Furthermore, for ease of observation, transparent observation windows are provided on other sides of the loading chamber 121, such as... Figure 3 As shown, a square groove is provided on the side opposite to the second loading window 1212. A quartz window side pressure plate 1291 and a small quartz window 1292 are installed in the square groove with screws. The quartz window side pressure plate 1291 is used to fix the small quartz window 1292 to the side of the loading chamber 121.

[0060] like Figure 3 As shown, the second wafer cassette 124 is mounted on the support of the loading chamber assembly 120 via a bracket.

[0061] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown, the top of the transfer chamber 131 has an opening, and a transparent cover plate 1313 is provided at the opening. The cover plate 1313 is closable and connected to the transfer chamber 131, meaning that the cover plate 1313 can open or close the opening at the top of the transfer chamber 131. The design of the cover plate 1313 and the opening facilitates the observation of the operation of the second robotic arm inside the transfer chamber 131 by the operator, and also facilitates the maintenance of the second robotic arm.

[0062] As an example, specifically, such as Figure 4As shown, the bottom of the transfer chamber 131 has a central hole, through which the support of the second robotic arm extends downward and is fastened to the bottom of the transfer chamber 131 with screws. Six contoured slots are provided on the side of the transfer chamber 131, including a first transfer window 1311 and a second transfer window 1312, and a slot corresponding to the transfer cavity. The remaining slots are closed with side cover plates 136. A cover plate 1313 is installed at the top opening of the transfer chamber 131. The cover plate 1313 is rotatably connected to the transfer chamber 131 via a mounting bracket 137, facilitating the opening and closing of the cover plate 1313.

[0063] In some embodiments, the epitaxial apparatus provided by the present invention includes a plurality of reaction chambers 200. An automatic wafer pick-and-place device 100 can be used to deliver wafers to be reacted into each reaction chamber 200, and to remove wafers that have completed the reaction from each reaction chamber 200.

[0064] As an example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the epitaxial device has two reaction chambers 200, and the automatic wafer handling unit 100 includes a set of wafer gripping components 110, two sets of loading chamber components 120, and two sets of transfer chamber components 130. The loading chamber components 120, transfer chamber components 130, and reaction chambers 200 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. Figure 2 As shown, the wafer gripping assembly 110 is located between the two loading chamber assemblies 120, and it has two first wafer cassettes 111. The two first wafer cassettes 111 are respectively located close to the two loading chamber assemblies 120, and the wafer scanning device 112 is located between the two first wafer cassettes 111.

[0065] After the first robotic arm 114 delivers the wafer from the first wafer cassette 111 into the corresponding loading chamber assembly 120, it can grab another wafer from the first wafer cassette 111 and deliver it into another loading chamber assembly 120. The epitaxial reaction is carried out independently in the two sets of reaction chambers 200. The two sets of equipment alternately complete the wafer picking-epitaxy reaction-wafer placement process, which rationally allocates the working time of the first robotic arm and thus improves work efficiency.

[0066] It is understood that in other alternative embodiments, the epitaxial device may also be provided with a greater number of reaction chambers 200, and the automatic drive wafer device 100 may complete the placement and removal of wafers in each reaction chamber 200 when it is able to perform its work reasonably.

[0067] like Figure 1 As shown, in the epitaxial equipment, the loading chamber assembly 120, the transfer chamber assembly 130, and the reaction chamber 200 are all enclosed in a working box, making the working environment sealed and ensuring the safety and cleanliness of the epitaxial reaction.

[0068] The automated wafer handling device and epitaxial equipment provided in this invention utilize two sets of robotic arms to independently handle wafer gripping and storage, and transport reaction chambers. The entire process is automated, requiring no manual intervention. The sealed working environment provides a vacuum, enhancing equipment safety, reliability, and efficiency. The handling process is precise, and a transparent observation window allows for easy monitoring of the entire wafer handling process from outside the equipment. The overall structure is compact and space-efficient. Multiple reaction chambers can be processed simultaneously, improving equipment utilization.

[0069] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0070] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0071] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise explicitly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0072] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0073] In this invention, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0074] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic wafer pick-and-place device, characterized in that, include: A wafer gripping assembly includes a first wafer cassette, a wafer scanning device, a rotating assembly, and a first robotic arm. The first robotic arm is used to grip a wafer from the first wafer cassette and place it on the rotating assembly. The wafer scanning device is used to scan the orientation of the wafer located on the rotating assembly to guide the rotating assembly to rotate and adjust the orientation of the wafer to a preset orientation. The loading chamber assembly includes a loading chamber, a tray, a lifting device, and a second wafer cassette. The loading chamber has a loading cavity, and the tray is disposed in the loading cavity. The lifting device acts on the tray for lifting and lowering the tray. The first robotic arm is also used to transfer wafers in a preset orientation to the raised tray and to transfer wafers that have completed the reaction on the raised tray to the second wafer cassette. A transfer chamber assembly includes a transfer chamber, a transfer box, and a second robotic arm. The transfer chamber has a transfer cavity, and the transfer box has a transfer cavity. The transfer cavity is connected to the transfer cavity. The second robotic arm is used to pick up wafers from the tray and transfer them into the transfer cavity and then to the transfer cavity. It is also used to remove wafers that have completed the reaction from the reaction chamber and transfer them to the tray, and to transfer wafers to be reacted in the transfer cavity to the reaction chamber.

2. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The wafer gripping assembly includes a base plate and a guide rail. The first wafer cassette, the wafer scanning device, and the rotating assembly are all mounted on the base plate. The guide rail extends along a first direction, and the first robotic arm is slidably mounted on the base plate along the guide rail.

3. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating assembly includes a wafer-suction spindle and a motor. The wafer-suction spindle is vertically arranged, and the motor is used to drive the wafer-suction spindle to rotate. The top of the wafer-suction spindle has suction force to adsorb and fix the wafer.

4. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The loading chamber is provided with a first loading window and a second loading window that can be selectively opened and closed. The transfer chamber is provided with a first transfer window and a second transfer window that can be selectively opened and closed. The first loading window faces the wafer gripping assembly so that the first robot arm can pick up and place wafers. The first transfer window faces the second loading window so that the second robot arm can pick up and place wafers. The second transfer window faces the reaction chamber so that the second robot arm can pick up and place wafers.

5. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The loading chamber is a rectangular box structure, and the first loading window and the second loading window are respectively located on two adjacent sides of the loading chamber; The transfer chamber has an octagonal box structure. The first transfer window and the second transfer window are respectively located on two opposite sides of the transfer chamber. The transfer box is connected to the adjacent side of the side where the first transfer window is located.

6. The automatic wafer pick-and-place apparatus according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The loading chamber has a transparent observation window at the top, which is opposite to the tray. The loading chamber assembly also includes a camera and a vision controller. The camera is located above the loading chamber and opposite the observation window, and is used to observe the orientation of the tray. The camera is signal-connected to the vision controller, and the wafer scanning device is signal-connected to the vision controller. The vision controller is used to compare the orientation information of the wafer and the tray, and guide the rotating assembly to adjust the wafer to a preset orientation.

7. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper surface of the tray is provided with a wafer slot for placing wafers, and the wafer slot has a slit that matches the wafer.

8. The automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the transfer chamber has an opening, and a transparent cover is provided at the opening. The cover is closable and connected to the transfer chamber.

9. An epitaxial device, characterized in that, include: Reaction chamber; An automatic wafer pick-and-place device, wherein the automatic wafer pick-and-place device is the automatic wafer pick-and-place device according to any one of claims 1-8, the automatic wafer pick-and-place device being used to feed the wafer to be reacted into the reaction chamber for reaction, and to remove the wafer that has completed the reaction in the reaction chamber.

10. The epitaxial device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The reaction chambers are at least two, and the automatic wafer pick-and-place device is used to deliver wafers to be reacted into each of the reaction chambers, and to remove wafers that have completed the reaction from each reaction chamber.

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