A leveling and alignment device for wafer feeding and its wafer degreasing equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses a leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading, and a wafer de-adhesive removal device thereof. It is used for leveling and automatic alignment and feeding / unloading control during the wafer loading and unloading process. It includes a support and leveling mechanism and a rotating mechanism. The support and leveling mechanism includes a base plate, a support plate for leveling and elastic floating support, a receiving platform, and at least three sets of elastic floating leveling components. All elastic floating leveling components are evenly distributed around the center of the receiving platform and are used to adjust the elastic preload relative to the support plate at multiple circumferential angles to control the elastic float of the receiving platform at various circumferential angles, thereby adjusting the levelness of the control surface. The rotating mechanism is fixedly installed at the lower center of the base plate of the support and leveling mechanism and is used to rotate the receiving platform on the support and leveling mechanism circumferentially, driving it to rotate forward and backward by a certain angle to facilitate wafer alignment for loading or unloading. It has a compact structure, occupies little space, facilitates wafer feeding / unloading control, and effectively improves processing quality and efficiency.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to precision machining technology, and more particularly to a leveling and alignment device for loading and unloading wafers and a wafer desmearing device thereof. [Background Technology]

[0002] In the semiconductor wafer manufacturing process, wafer handling technology is a crucial factor affecting wafer production efficiency and manufacturing quality. During wafer transfer, wafers need to be moved between various workstations. To ensure manufacturing quality, the levelness of the wafer placement plane must be adjusted to facilitate rapid wafer transfer.

[0003] During the transfer process, traditional wafer leveling is achieved by using grippers to push the wafer for horizontal positioning. However, the grippers are prone to shifting or wobbling, making it difficult to ensure the stability and accuracy of positioning during transfer. The operation is relatively complex, and the complex structure makes it inconvenient for positioning and horizontal adjustment. Adjusting its horizontal state is extremely troublesome, requiring the disassembly of multiple parts of the mechanism, resetting, and re-locking, which consumes a considerable amount of time and is extremely cumbersome.

[0004] Therefore, during the wafer transfer process, there is an urgent need to provide a device for leveling wafers to improve production efficiency and facilitate wafer loading and unloading transfer. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] This invention provides a leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading, and a wafer desmearing device thereof. The device controls the elastic floating amount at multiple angles along the circumference to adjust the levelness of the control surface. It has a compact structure, occupies little space, realizes automatic wafer loading and unloading control, and effectively improves wafer processing quality and processing efficiency.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in at least one embodiment of the present invention is:

[0007] A leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading, used for leveling and automatic alignment and feeding / unloading control during the wafer loading and unloading process, comprising:

[0008] The support and leveling mechanism includes a base plate for fixed installation, a support plate for leveling and elastic floating support, a receiving platform for supporting wafers during loading and unloading, and at least three sets of elastic floating leveling components. All elastic floating leveling components are evenly distributed around the center of the receiving platform and are used to adjust the elastic preload relative to the support plate at multiple angles along the circumference to control the elastic floating amount of the receiving platform at each angle in the circumference to adjust the levelness of the control surface.

[0009] The support plate is stacked and installed on the upper side of the base plate. At least two guide columns are provided at intervals on the support plate for sliding and guiding the receiving platform in the vertical direction. The support plate is provided with elastic member receiving grooves for accommodating and fixing elastic members to elastically float the support plate for each set of elastic floating leveling components.

[0010] The rotating mechanism is fixedly installed at the center of the lower side of the base plate of the support and leveling mechanism. It is used to rotate circumferentially and drive the receiving platform on the support and leveling mechanism to rotate forward and backward by a certain angle to facilitate the loading or unloading of the wafer at the alignment position.

[0011] Preferably, each set of the elastic float leveling assembly includes an adjusting screw, a leveling block, and at least three sets of elastic float springs. The elastic float springs are evenly arranged and installed in the spring receiving groove provided on the support plate. The upper side of the receiving platform corresponding to the spring receiving groove is provided with a stepped hole to facilitate the installation of the elastic float springs.

[0012] The leveling block is locked in the stepped hole by the adjusting screw, and the bottom surface of the leveling block is in elastic contact with the top of all the elastic floating springs. The magnitude of the elastic floating force between the leveling block and the elastic floating spring is adjusted by the adjusting screw to adjust the elastic floating amount of the support platform at various angles in the circumference, thereby adjusting the levelness of the support platform.

[0013] Preferably, the outer circumferential edge of the receiving platform is provided with limiting corner blocks and limiting edge strips on both sides and opposite sides of the wafer loading / unloading area to restrict wafer detachment.

[0014] Preferably, the center of the receiving platform is also equipped with a support pad for horizontally supporting the wafer.

[0015] Preferably, the rotating mechanism includes a rotating shaft, a rotating bracket, two bearings, a bottom swing arm, and a drive assembly. The base plate of the support and leveling mechanism is fixedly mounted on the top of the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the rotating bracket via the two bearings. One end of the bottom swing arm is sleeved and connected to the bottom end of the rotating shaft, and the other end of the bottom swing arm is hinged to the drive assembly. Under the push of the drive assembly, the swing arm drives the receiving platform on the support and leveling mechanism to rotate forward and backward by a certain angle to load or unload the wafer.

[0016] Preferably, the drive assembly is a pneumatically controlled drive cylinder, and the piston rod of the drive cylinder is hinged to the free end of the bottom swing arm.

[0017] A wafer de-adhesive device includes a leveling and alignment device for loading and unloading wafers as described above.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0019] Compared to existing technologies where grippers push wafers for horizontal positioning, making it difficult to guarantee the stability and accuracy of positioning, this invention uses a manually adjustable support and leveling mechanism to adjust the elastic preload relative to the support plate at multiple circumferential angles. This controls the elastic floating amount of the receiving platform at each circumferential angle to adjust the levelness of the control surface. It features a compact structure, small footprint, and facilitates wafer loading and unloading control, effectively improving wafer processing quality and efficiency. [Attached Image Description]

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main cross-sectional structure in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a front-view stereoscopic structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a rear-view stereoscopic structure diagram in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a top-view three-dimensional structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure label:

[0026] a. Support and leveling mechanism; 1. Base plate; 2. Support plate; 3. Receiving platform; 4. Elastic floating leveling assembly; 40. Adjusting screw; 41. Leveling block; 42. Elastic floating spring; 43. Stepped hole; 5. Guide column; 6. Spring receiving groove; 7. Limiting corner block; 8. Limiting edge strip; 9. Supporting pad; b. Rotation mechanism; 10. Rotating shaft; 11. Rotating bracket; 12. Bearing; 13. Bottom swing arm; 14. Drive assembly.

Detailed Implementation Methods

[0027] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] This embodiment provides a leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading, such as... Figures 1 to 5As shown, the leveling and automatic alignment control for wafer loading and unloading includes a support and leveling mechanism a and a rotating mechanism b. The support and leveling mechanism a includes a base plate 1 for fixed installation, a support plate 2 for leveling and elastic floating support, a receiving platform 3 for supporting wafers during loading and unloading, and three sets of elastic floating leveling components 4. All elastic floating leveling components 4 are evenly distributed around the center of the receiving platform 3 and are used to adjust the elastic preload relative to the support plate 2 at three circumferential angles to control the elastic floating amount of the receiving platform 3 at each circumferential angle. The levelness of the platform; the support plate 2 is stacked and installed on the upper side of the base plate 1. There are two diagonally arranged guide columns 5 on the support plate 2, which are used to slide and guide the receiving platform 3 in the vertical direction. The support plate 2 is provided with elastic element receiving grooves 6 for each set of elastic floating leveling components 4 to accommodate and fix elastic elements to elastically float the support plate 2; the rotating mechanism b is fixedly installed on the lower center of the base plate 1 of the supporting and leveling mechanism a, and is used to rotate the receiving platform 3 on the supporting and leveling mechanism a in a circumferential direction to rotate forward and backward by a certain angle to facilitate the loading or unloading of the wafer at the alignment position.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, each set of elastic float leveling components 4 includes adjusting screws 40, leveling blocks 41, and three sets of elastic float springs 42. The elastic float springs 42 are evenly arranged and installed in the spring receiving grooves 6 provided on the support plate 2. The upper side of the receiving platform 3 corresponding to the spring receiving grooves 6 is provided with stepped holes 43 to facilitate the installation of the elastic float springs 42. The leveling blocks 41 are locked in the stepped holes 43 by adjusting screws 40, and the bottom surface of the leveling blocks 41 is in elastic contact with the tops of all the elastic float springs 42. The elastic float force between the leveling blocks 41 and the elastic float springs 42 is adjusted by adjusting screws 40 to adjust the elastic float amount of the receiving platform 3 at various angles around the circumference, thereby adjusting the levelness of the platform surface of the receiving platform 3.

[0030] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, on the outer periphery of the receiving platform 3, on both sides and the opposite side of the wafer loading and unloading area, there are limiting corner blocks 7 and limiting edge strips 8 for limiting wafer detachment. At the center of the receiving platform 3, there are also two spaced support pads 9 for horizontally supporting the wafer.

[0031] like Figures 1 to 5As shown, the rotating mechanism b includes a rotating shaft 10, a rotating bracket 11, two bearings 12, a bottom swing arm 13, and a drive assembly 14. The base plate 1 of the supporting and leveling mechanism a is fixedly mounted on the top of the rotating shaft 10. The rotating shaft 10 is rotatably mounted on the rotating bracket 11 through the two bearings 12. One end of the bottom swing arm 13 is sleeved and connected to the bottom end of the rotating shaft 10, and the other end of the bottom swing arm 13 is hinged to the drive assembly 14. Under the push of the drive assembly 14, the receiving platform 3 on the supporting and leveling mechanism a is driven by the rotating shaft 10 to rotate forward and backward by a certain angle to load or unload the wafer. In this example, the drive assembly 14 is a pneumatically controlled drive cylinder, and the piston rod of the drive cylinder is hinged to the free end of the bottom swing arm 13.

[0032] During operation, if the level of the receiving platform 3 fails to meet requirements after prolonged use, the level of the control surface can be adjusted by manually adjusting the adjusting screws 40 on each of the three sets of circumferentially set elastic floating leveling components 4. The elastic preload relative to the support plate 2 is adjusted at three angles along the circumference to control the elastic floating amount of the receiving platform 3 at each angle, thereby adjusting the level of the control surface. This method is simple and convenient, effectively improving the platform accuracy during the wafer loading process and significantly improving the wafer processing quality and efficiency.

[0033] In use, once the level of the receiving platform 3 on the supporting and leveling mechanism a reaches the required level, the wafers on the supporting and leveling mechanism a are rotated in both directions by the circumferential rotation of the rotating mechanism b to rotate at a certain angle to align and load or unload, effectively realizing automated control of the processing process.

[0034] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper" and "lower" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of this invention is usually placed when in use. They are only used to facilitate the description of this invention and to simplify 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.

[0035] The above-described embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. All equivalent changes made in accordance with the shape, structure and principle of the present invention should be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading, used for leveling and automatic alignment of infeed / outfeed control during wafer loading and unloading, characterized in that, include: The support and leveling mechanism includes a base plate for fixed installation, a support plate for leveling and elastic floating support, a receiving platform for supporting wafers during loading and unloading, and at least three sets of elastic floating leveling components. All elastic floating leveling components are evenly distributed around the center of the receiving platform. Each elastic floating leveling component is used to adjust the elastic preload relative to the support plate at multiple angles along the circumference to adjust the elastic floating amount of the receiving platform at each angle in the circumference, thereby adjusting the levelness of the receiving platform surface. The support plate is stacked and installed on the upper side of the base plate. At least two guide columns are provided at intervals on the support plate for sliding and guiding the receiving platform in the vertical direction. The support plate is provided with elastic component receiving grooves for accommodating and fixing the elastic floating leveling components for each set of elastic floating leveling components. The rotating mechanism is fixedly installed at the center of the lower side of the base plate of the support and leveling mechanism. It is used to rotate circumferentially to drive the receiving platform on the support and leveling mechanism to rotate forward or backward by a certain angle, so as to facilitate the loading or unloading of the wafer at the alignment position.

2. The leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each set of the elastic float leveling components includes an adjusting screw, a leveling block, and at least three sets of elastic float springs. The elastic float springs are evenly arranged and installed in the spring receiving slots provided on the support plate. The upper side of the receiving platform corresponding to the spring receiving slots is provided with stepped holes to facilitate the installation of the elastic float springs. The leveling block is locked in the stepped hole by the adjusting screw, and the bottom surface of the leveling block is in elastic contact with the top of all the elastic floating springs. The magnitude of the elastic floating force between the leveling block and the elastic floating spring is adjusted by the adjusting screw to adjust the elastic floating amount of the support platform at various angles in the circumference, thereby adjusting the levelness of the support platform.

3. The leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving platform has limiting corner blocks on both sides of the wafer loading and unloading area to prevent wafers from falling off, and limiting edge strips on opposite sides of the two limiting corner blocks to prevent wafers from falling off.

4. The leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that, The center of the receiving platform is also equipped with a support pad for horizontally supporting the wafer.

5. The leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating mechanism includes a rotating shaft, a rotating bracket, two bearings, a bottom swing arm, and a drive assembly. The base plate of the support and leveling mechanism is fixed to the top of the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is rotatably mounted on the rotating bracket via the two bearings. One end of the bottom swing arm is sleeved and connected to the bottom end of the rotating shaft, and the other end of the bottom swing arm is hinged to the drive assembly. Under the push of the drive assembly, the rotating shaft drives the receiving platform on the support and leveling mechanism to rotate forward or backward by a certain angle to load or unload the wafer.

6. The leveling and alignment device for wafer loading and unloading according to claim 5, characterized in that, The drive assembly is a pneumatically controlled drive cylinder, and the piston rod of the drive cylinder is hinged to the free end of the bottom swing arm.

7. A wafer desmearing device, characterized in that, This includes a leveling and alignment device for loading and unloading wafers as described in any one of claims 1 to 6.

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